Quinoa Tater Tots

I got this recipe from my friend, Rachel, who is seriously such an inspiration to me. She recently lost 100 pounds by revamping her entire lifestyle. So, naturally, I really admire the changes she has made and she definitely keeps me focused on WHY we choose this lifestyle and what AMAZING benefits come from treating your body properly. Ok, enough gabbing... Here is my version of the insanely savory recipe for Quinoa Tater Tots!!

 

Ingredients:
2 c cooked quinoa (I had red on hand so that's what I used)
1 onion, very finely chopped
5 mushrooms, very finely chopped
3/4 c four (I had spelt flour on hand, or you can use a GF flour)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp non-dairy milk (or whatever you have on hand)
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix together the cooked quinoa, onion, mushrooms, flour, red pepper flakes and salt.  Keep mixing until it is totally combined and starts to get sticky.

Add the lemon juice and milk and mix again. It should be pretty sticky. If you need to add a splash more milk to get it to the proper consistency, do so- but be careful not to over do it!

Roll into small balls (I used the large end of a melon baller, but a mini ice cream scoop would work, too.) and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan. Add the tots and brown on both sides. I found it helpful to smash them a little flatter to get a nice brown on them. It should take about 5 minutes per side.

These suckers are straight delicious... I couldn't stop eating them! They have the perfect mix of spicy and savory and crispy, but without the guilt that comes with fries or regular tater tots. This recipe is definitely going in my recipe box!

 

Happy Eating!!

Spelt Flour Wheat Thins

So I have all these random different flours around my house from trying various products when I did a gluten cleanse last month. No joke, SO. MANY. FLOURS. Coconut, spelt, rice, oat, almond, flax… Sheesh. Luckily, this was the perfect recipe for me to start using up some of the extra bags I have laying around.  I made this recipe with some pretty "unusual" products, so if you don't have any of them, please feel free to substitute for regular flour, sugar, butter, etc. depending on your dietary needs and what you have on hand!

 

Here is the Spelt Flour Wheat Thins recipe as I made it:

Ingredients: 
2 c spelt flour (or whole wheat, almond, white, rice, etc.)
1/2 c coconut flour (or WW, almond, white, rice, etc.)
1 Tbsp. coconut sugar (or stevia, regular sugar, etc.)
1 tsp. paprika
8 Tbsp. coconut butter (or regular butter)
1/2 c water
1 tsp. vanilla

First, combine all dry ingredients and whisk until completely blended.

 Cut the butter into the dry ingredients, using a fork or pastry cutter. This takes a while, be patient and make sure there aren't any little chunks or it will change the texture of the cracker.

Add the vanilla to the water and slowly add to the mixture. Use the pastry cutter to completely incorporate. This also takes several minutes- make sure you are mixing until a crumbly dough forms. It should look like the picture below. If you need to add more water, add 3-4 tablespoons at a time until the dough is moist enough (I added about 7 Tbsps more, but this will vary). Remember this is a cracker recipe, not a cookie recipe, so the dough won't be as soft as you are used to seeing with cookies.

Once you have a dough, roll it out as thin as you can- remember this is going to be a cracker so we want to get it crunchy/crispy!  If you want to be cute or have a picky eater, cutting the crackers into fun shapes is a good idea. Otherwise, you can save yourself a few minutes and just cut into squares with a knife. (Definitely skipping the shapes next time. They are adorable but oh so time consuming!)

Arrange crackers on a cookie sheet and bake at 400* for about 10 minutes. Watch them carefully! Ovens can vary slightly and cooking time will be shorter the thinner your crackers are (and longer for thicker crackers). Mine took about 15-17 minutes since my oven cooks a little cooler than most.

Let them cool completely before storing or you will end up with soft, soggy crackers- aka NO FUN :( My finished product tasted EXACTLY like the store bought Wheat Thins. I was shocked, actually! All the goodness without any artificial ingredients or preservatives. Score! Be on the lookout for another similar post on how to make Homemade Goldfish Crackers!! But until then..

Happy Eating!!

 

Black Bean Brownies

Ok so I haven't posted in ages… But I've been so obsessed with trying new super healthy recipes, specifically desserts, that I needed a place to catalog them all! I am constantly being asked for tips and recipes for eating natural real foods, dairy free, sugar free, adding more vegetables, etc. I thought I might as well blog about my food experiments so I can easily share them with those just embarking on this journey.

Tonight I made these awesomely easy Black Bean Brownies. Let me just say, sometimes I wonder why everyone doesn't eat like this when it is so easy and so delicious. It should also be noted that as I type this, I have an entire plate full of these on my lap, because.. well, chocolate. 'Nuff said.

First, we have our ingredients. Feel free to substitute based on  your dietary needs and what you have on hand. One of the things I love most about cooking in this lifestyle is how easy it is to change things up based on your needs!  Here is the recipe as I made it:

1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed, or 1.5 cup dry beans, cooked

1/2 cup raw cocoa (100%)

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup honey (or agave, sugar, coconut sugar, etc)

1 tsp vanilla (though in my house we triple the vanilla in everything)

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour (I used gluten free, but whole wheat, almond, coconut, etc. would all work, too)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)



This recipe is fool proof... all you do is through it all into a bowl and mix it together! If you can't handle that, I'm not sure I trust you in the kitchen ;)

I didn't puree the beans this time so this is how the batter looks. Next time I will puree them before mixing it together so I don't have whole beans, though I really didn't mind them. I should note that I made a last minute decision to add a handful of chocolate chips before baking. Turns out this was a REALLY good idea. I always feel like more chocolate is a good idea.

Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. It will be easy to tell when they are done because the top will have a slight crisp to it.

I mean... really... just look at this deliciousness.

So after trying these, I am 100% convinced black beans should be in the baking aisle at the grocery store. I would definitely puree them next time, though. I got to thinking about how easy it would be to come up with different varieties of these brownies... Of course, my brain went right to coconut almond (Almond Joy Black Bean Brownies?? Heaven!), but a friend mentioned macademia nuts as well... The possibilities are endless! These will definitely be a staple for my family and I'll post a new variety when I make them next! Until then... Happy Eating!!