Brazilian Cheesebread (GF)

Everyone is probably making new year's resolutions to cut down on carbs, eat healthier and exercise more. 

If that's you, good for you! I hope you win.

One word of advice though.... you might want to stay away from me for a bit. 

I'm nothing but trouble!

I've never really subscribed to the whole New Year's Resolution thing. 

One time of year we resolve to make major lifestyle changes? 

Seems overwhelming and destined for failure. 

(Why yes, I know I'm a ray of sunshine :p).

Don't get my wrong, I'm all about resolving to change oneself. Change is good. I just prefer to tackle it day by day, and moment by moment.

In that spirit, I'm always resolving to try out different ingredients in my cooking or baking.

This recipe interested me in particular because it's made mostly with tapioca flour (starch), something that I've only used maybe once before. (For anyone wondering, tapioca flour was $1.79/425g in the supermarket's oriental section.)

Plus I'm a sucker for anything carby and cheesy.

These were really easy to make, no kneading or rising. But there was one thing......

They had a very um..... unique texture. I'm not sure if it was unique good or unique bad.

They are extremely chewy like I-thought-I-under-baked-them chewy.

Almost..... dare I turn you off by saying......... gluey?

That really sounds gross but they weren't gross at all they were just different.

Your just going to have to try these out for your self.

Embrace them. Love them. Make them this 2012.

Brazilian Cheesebread

Makes: about 12

Source: The Pink Cowgirl via Tasty Kitchen

• ½ cups Whole Milk
• ½ cups Water
• ¼ cups Canola Oil
• ¼ teaspoons Salt (heaping)
• 2-½ cups Tapioca Flour, Or A Little More As Needed
• 1-½ whole Egg Beaten
• 4 ounces, weight Granulated Cojita Cheese, Plus Extra For Topping Cheese Breads
• Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease 2 baking sheets. In a saucepan bring the milk, water, oil, and salt to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and set aside. Add the flour in increments, stirring constantly until the dough becomes pliable and can be kneaded with hands. Be patient, the more you stir the more solid the dough will become. Only add enough flour until dough reaches desired consistency. Stir in the beaten eggs then the cojita cheese. Stir until dough becomes thick and can be molded. Add additional tapioca flour if needed. Roll dough into 1″ balls and dip the tops into the extra cheese. Place on the greased baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown.
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  Note: You can also use granulated parmesan cheese (Kraft) for this recipe.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Spicy Feta

My head is swimming, my nose is running, and there are nails in the back of my throat. 

Ick, ick and ick.

Consequently, I've been using 'The Backyardigans' as babysitters for the last few days.

So unfortunately, the only thing taking residence in my brain is '' We've got the whole wide world in our yard to explore. Now it's time for us to have a snack, meet you next time when your back with your friends the Backyardigans....''

That being said, I'm going to have a snack.

The jalapeños in this are going to burn out my cold and the garlic is going to boost my immunity.

And then I'm going to bed.

Spicy Feta

Slightly adapted from: How Sweet It Is

Makes: about 1½ cups

1 brick of feta cheese (8oz)

2 whole jalapenos

3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp

1 small bulb garlic

juice of half a lemon

zest of half a lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop the top off the garlic bulb and drizzle it with the teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it in foil and roast for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden. At the same time, brush the jalapenos with olive oil  and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the in the oven until charred, about 15 - 20 minutes, rotating at least once. Remove both from the oven and let cool.

2. Once jalapenos are cooled, remove the skin, cut in half and discard the seeds and ribs. Finely chop. (Don't touch your eyes!)

3. In a medium bowl, crumble the feta. Add chopped jalapenos, lemon zest and juiced. Squeeze roasted garlic out of bulb and directly into the feta. Add the 3 tbsp of olive oil and mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. The feta will be a bit ''wet'', sort of cross between a dip and spread. Serve with pita chips, bread or spread on a sandwich. Keeps for about 1 week.

Raw Lemon Chews

Wow! It's like a trillion degrees here. No joke.

I just think about going outside and I get a sunburn.

Yesterday, I posted on Facebook that I couldn't wait for winter and I was bombarded with hate mail.

Can you believe that? I even got a buh humbug.

Who cares that we only get 2 months of summer here compared to 8 months of heavy snow; the summer heat is oppressive!

I consider myself too much of a lady to sweat like this.

Since I can't turn my oven on for fear that my house will burst into flames with the temperature rise, I made these cool, somewhat refreshing lemony treats. 

They're not hot, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies but they do fill a certain void for sweetness in my life. 

The date, almond, lemon mixture is so sweet that I'm pretty sure my one year old thinks they're candy. She steals them from the fridge and hides in the corner in fear that I'm going to take them away.

Of course, I think it's great that she likes them and even considers them a treat.

So if you're feeling the need for a sweet baked good without the baking, try out these babies. I know you'll love them.

Raw Lemon Chews
Makes an 8'' x 8'' pan
Bar: Jesse's Kitchen original recipe
Icing: Recipe based on the Rawtarian


For the bar:
1 cup whole, raw almonds
¾ cup dried dates
1 lemon (preferably organic)

For the icing (optional):
½ cup dried dates
¼ + ⅛ cups water
¼ cup coconut butter
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Use your food processor to grind up the almonds into a coarse meal. Set almonds aside and grind dates as fine as you can. Add the zest and juice of one whole lemon and continue to process. Add the almonds and process for a few minutes until the mixture sticks together. Press the mixture into an 8'' x 8'' pan.
2. To make the icing, soak the dates in the water for about 15 minutes. Blend all of the icing ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth (mine didn't really get that smooth). Start on a low speed and gradually work your way up.
3. Spread the icing over the bar and refrigerate until firm. Cut into square or use a biscuit cutter to make pretty little rounds.

Apple Carrot Coconut Muffins

These were almost too pretty to eat.

Almost.

I eat all things. Pretty or not.

I thought these would be easy to throw together in the morning and be ready for breakfast once my family woke up. 

I was wrong.

It took me forever to grate the apples and carrots and apparently weighing out ingredients versus measuring volume takes me double the amount of time.

By the time these were ready it was nearly lunch time and I'd filled up on ice cream cake and cookies.

I still managed to eat 3 but had to freeze the rest.

The combination of apples, carrots, coconut and walnuts was nice but next time I'll use a recipe with volumes.

Apple Carrot Coconut Muffins

Makes: 18 muffins

Slightly adapted from Apples: more than 70 inspiring recipes

Muffins:

3 large eggs

300g light brown sugar

125 ml vegetable oil

125 ml applesauce

450g self rising flour

2 tsps ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

300g coarsely grated carrots

150g flaked coconut

100g walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

2 tsps baking soda

Topping:

50g walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

50g flaked coconut

75g brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with muffin papers.

2. To make the topping, mix together the walnuts, coconut and sugar and set aside.

3. Combine the eggs with the sugar, oil and applesauce in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the other ingredients and fold into the oil mixture. Spoon into the muffin papers and top with the sugar mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch. 

Spiced Pecans

Darn you, discounted Easter candy and your allure!

You are evil. 

The 2 (almost empty) family sized bags of mini eggs on my dining room table are proof.

Proof that discounted candy tastes much better than full price candy.

Also proof that I lack complete self control when it comes to a) sales, b) candy, and c) eating candy that was on sale.

And by the way, 'family sized' really means 'Jesse sized'.

This morning my husband asked me to make him mini egg pancakes and I was like, 'That's gross. Mini eggs are gross'. 

I had to lie.

I didn't want to share my precious egg stash. 

I actually think mini egg pancakes are a pretty fantastic idea and I'm jealous I didn't think of it first.

Another great idea (I also didn't think up) is these pecans. 

Salty, sweet and spicy.

They're a big blast of flavor in your mouth.

They're definitely not gonna rock your world like a bag of mini eggs stuffed into some pancakes but they do jazz up a salad and make a pretty tasty snack.

I know. I know.

I was just talking about mini eggs and now you're craving some and all I'm leaving you with is a recipe for pecans. 

That's tough. I'm mean. I'm sorry. Try the pecans.

Spiced Pecan

Makes 1 cup

Adapted from : Urban Pantry 

2 tbsp + 4 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon 

½ tsp cayenne

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

¼ cup peanut oil

1 cup whole pecans

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine 2 tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, paprika, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

2. Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with the peanut oil and heat on medium high. When oil begins to ripple add pecans - stir frequently so they don't burn. 

3. When pecans start to smoke add 4 tbsp of brown sugar and toss, toss, toss so the sugar doesn't burn. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pecans with a slotted spoon and add them to the measured out spices. Working quickly, stir to combine. When mixture has cooled enough to taste, adjust spices to your liking. Pour on a pan to cool completely. Store sealed at room temperature.

Energy Bites

I like things that are easy to make, use simple ingredients and take almost no time.

Who doesn't?

If a recipe is healthy to boot and can fit in the busy hands of a one year old, you can be sure I'll be wasting no time in making it.

Like these little energy bites.

I can't tell you enough how much I love the simplicity of them.

They're customizable, using whatever might be in your cupboard.

They take less than 10 minutes to throw together, they're portable, they don't contain filler or mystery ingredients, and they're just plain tasty....

I want to marry them. 

I wonder if John would mind.

Make these, and you'll see what I mean.

Energy Bites

Makes 12 - 16 bites

Adapted from The Cilantropist  (originally from A Hungry Spoon)

¾ cup nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, etc)

¾ cup rolled oats

¼ cup toasted seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, etc)

½ cup dried fruit, roughly chopped (apricots, cranberries, cherries, etc)

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure to evenly distribute everything. Take some of the 'dough' and press it between your hands if it sticks together it's ready- if not, add a bit more nut butter. Likewise, if it feels too wet add some more oats or flax.
2. To form the dough into a small bite, use a spoon or a cookie scoop to portion out the dough, squeeze it between your hands, and then gently roll it into a ball.  This amount of dough makes 12 bites that are about 2 inches in diameter.  Store the bites in an airtight container, and keep them refrigerated until eating.  Bites will keep for 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

Easy Cheesy Whole Wheat Crackers

Are you a cracker snacker?
I am.
I'm a cheese and cracker snacker.

I can and will never turn down a hunk of gouda, or cheddar, or gruyere on a nice sturdy cracker.

Sometimes I even smear cheese whiz on my saltines.

If I'm feeling really fancy I slather on the cream cheese.

Please don't judge me.

It's only natural that my love for cheese and crackers has morphed into a cheese cracker. 

I'm not sure how the whole wheat flour made it in these but I'll allow it. 

Only this time though.

(Oh, and that other time, too.)

These make for a nice lazy snack because I don't need to go to all the work of slicing cheese to top the cracker since the cheese is in (and on) the cracker, already.  

Cheese, crackers and lazy... count me in.

Easy Cheesy Whole Wheat Crackers

Makes about 60

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1¾ cups whole wheat flour (I used spelt)

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup + 2 tbsp warm water

¼ cup white cheddar, shredded very finely

parmesan, pepper and coarse salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together dry ingredients, add white cheddar, olive oil and ½ cup warm water. Mix until a dough forms; add additional water if needed. 

2. Spray a baking sheet with oil and lightly flour or flour a non stick silicone mat. Put dough on the baking sheet (or silicone mat) and roll out as thinly as you can. Use a pizza cutter to cut squares in the dough (careful if you're using the silicone mat). 

3. Sprinkle the dough with parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt. As the squares bake they will separate into crackers. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Strawberry Salsa

The grocery stores are teeming with ripe, juicy strawberries.

They've been practically jumping into my cart every time I run in for a jug of milk. 

(Which, believe me, is a lot more than the average person.)

Consequently, we've been eating strawberries in any and all forms. 

On brownies, on pavlova, dipped in whip cream, chocolate sauce and caramel sauce, added to spinach salad and of course eaten straight up.

Hmm... white pants and strawberries might not be a good choice.

My favorite strawberry recipe (so far) has been this salsa. I love the combination of sweet, salty, and tart. It's like a little fiesta going on inside of your mouth. 

We ate this on top of baked salmon for an extraordinary dinner. As long as strawberries are in season I'm going to keep this on hand for an easy, healthy snack alongside pita chips.

Yum!

Strawberry Salsa

Makes: about 3 cups

Adapted from: Annie's Eats

2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 green onions thinly sliced

1 tsp fresh parsley, minced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil 

1 tsp honey

salt and pepper, to taste

Note: A nice variation would be swapping the parsley for cilantro, and the lemon for lime juice and adding a bit of jalapeno for spice.

Directions:

1. Combine the all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve on salmon or with pita chips.

Linked to: April in the Raw

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola

Chocolate in your breakfast cereal?

Uh...yes, please!

If you need me to help you justify this whole chocolate and peanut butter thing for breakfast (again), we can talk about the protein in peanut butter or how dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants but...... we should definitely avoid the chat about fat content.

We can still talk fiber, though.

'Cause it is there.... along with some energy boosting sunflower seeds.

Are you okay with it now?

Have I talked you into it?

Eating this dessert-worthy granola on top of your yogurt for breakfast?

I bet you haven't even heard (or read) what I've said about how nourishing this is going to be. You just saw peanut butter and chocolate granola and headed right for the recipe.

I don't blame you.

I shall celebrate your love for chocolate and peanut butter by eating another bowlful myself.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola

Makes about 1lb

Adapted from Eat Live Run

¼ cup canola oil

⅓ cup maple syrup

½ cup natural peanut butter

1 tsp salt (I like the sweet/salty combo but if you don't like that reduce the salt by half)

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups old fashioned oats 

¼ cup ground flaxseed

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup dry roasted peanuts (if using honey roasted reduce the maple sugar to ¼ cup)

⅔ cup chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Bring the canola oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon to a simmer on the stove. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. While that's cooking. mix together the oats, flax, sunflower seeds and peanuts. Pour hot syrup mixture over the oats and toss well to coat. Spread the granola out on 2 lined baking sheets and bake for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Cool granola completely before stirring in the chocolate. Store in an airtight container.

Spiced Hummus

Hummus is a great snack. It's easy to make and packs a huge protein punch.

I like mine with cilantro, cumin and a touch of ginger to give it heaps of flavor. 

(I say that, but it was initially a way to disguise some wilty cilantro.)

Make a batch and keep it in your fridge for a healthy snack with fresh vegetables or whole wheat pita.

Spiced Hummus

Makes: about 2 cups

Adapted from Martha

1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained with ¼ cup liquid reserved

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cumin

¼ cup cliantro leaves

freshly ground pepper

coarse salt

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, garlic, cumin, cilantro and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

2. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper.

Frosted B-raw-nies

I couldn't turn on my shower for 3 days. 

It was not a good situation.

I had to use dry shampoo (not dried out shampoo) and I didn't work very well.
I don't recommend it.
Just get your shower fixed if it's broken.
And use wet shampoo.
Always use wet shampoo.

In other news, I made these b-raw-nies. 

Do you get it?

Aren't I clever?

They're a raw brownie. Oh, and they're gluten free.

Don't worry though, they don't have raw eggs in them. 

They're really just ground up dates and stuff.

And they'll rock your world.

Believe me and trust me about the wet shampoo.

Frosted B-raw-nies

Makes: about 12 small pieces

Source: The Rawtarian

For the brownies:

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dates

5 tbsp raw cacao powder (or regular cocoa powder)

4 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tbsp honey or agave nectar

¼ tsp sea salt

For the frosting:

1 cup dates

¼ cup coconut butter (or cold expelled coconut oil)

¼ cup raw cacao powder (or regular cocoa powder)

¾ cup water

Directions:

1. Process walnuts in the food processor until small and crumbly. Add dates and continue processing until finely ground and mixture sticks together. Add the remaining brownie ingredients and process again until chocolatey brown and only small bits remain. (Don't over process or it'll turn buttery.)

2. Dump mixture into a small cake pan or loaf pan. Smooth out with a spatula and place in the refrigerator. Meanwhile prepare the frosting. 

3. Place all the frosting ingredients in a blender a let sit for about 15 minutes to allow the dates to soften. Turn on the blender on low and gradually increase the speed until the frosting is smooth.

4. Spread over the brownies and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.

Linked to: April in the Raw

Crunchy Quinoa Parfait

I was actually pretty impressed with this easy breakfast parfait. 

We eat a lot of quinoa around here and this seemed like an interesting way to incorporate it into breakfast.

The quinoa is toasted in the oven with a bit of sweetener and olive oil and transformed into a nice, crunchy treat. Add that to some creamy, thick Greek style yogurt and fresh fruit and you have yourself a plethora of texture and flavor.

I toasted the quinoa the night before making it super fast to throw together in the morning.

Try it out for a variation to the usual yogurt and granola parfait.

Crunchy Quinoa Parfait

Adapted from: Whole Living

Serves at least 4

For each cup of quinoa (red or white), mix with 1 tbsp of honey or agave nectar and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Spread in a single layer on parchment paper. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Let cool and serve with thick Greek yogurt and fresh seasonal fruit.

Molasses Bran Muffin

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I'm on a mission to use up some amaranth flour.

I shouldn't really say 'mission' because it's more of a casual attempt to use up the flour.

I figure I have at least a year before I need to actively get rid of the stuff.

Last week while I was browsing through recipe books in the library (who doesn't love the library?), I came across 'Good to the Grain' by Kim Boyce. I was already familiar with the cookbook from these honey amaranth pancakes but what I didn't know was that this cookbook has a whole section on amaranth. 

How perfect is that? 

Unless of course you don't have any amaranth flour, then it's probably not ideal for you.

Kim Boyce pairs amaranth with ''strong-flavoured sweeteners like honey, molasses and muscovado sugar as they temper the boldness of the flour without masking it's flavour."

These muffins are a great example of the above. The molasses makes them thick, chewy and uh.... molassesy(?) while still allowing a hint of amaranth's earthiness to shine through.

Not too much though.... I don't want my muffins to taste like grass.

I had to make quite a few adaptation to the recipe to fit what was in my cupboard. Her recipe called for cooking prunes in orange juice, which I'm sure would've tasted great, but since I didn't have any prunes or orange juice I subbed in bananas.

I'm a simple girl with simple ingredients.... it works for me.

Molasses Bran Muffin

Makes: about 18

Adapted from Good to the Grain

½ cup mashed banana (you could also try pumpkin, pureed berries or date spread)

1½ cups wheat bran

½ cup amaranth flour (or substitute quinoa flour or whole wheat)

1½ cups whole wheat flour

2 tbsps brown sugar

1¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp cinnamon 

2 cups buttermilk

½ cup molasses

3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease muffin tin. 

2. Measure the bran into a medium bowl. Warm the buttermilk until lukewarm and add to the bran. Set aside.

3. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the molasses, butter, egg and banana, making sure the egg is thoroughly mixed. Add this mixture to the bran, stir, then add the entire wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined.

4. Spoon batter into muffin cups (about ¾ full). Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool completely. These freeze well.