Raw Chocolate "Birthday Cake"

In food processor:
1C. Walnuts
1 1/2 C. Pecans
1 C. Almonds
3 C. Dates
1t. sea salt

Transfer to large bowl and mix in:
3/4 C. Raw Organic Cocoa
1C. Organic Unsweetened Coconut
1/8C. Agave (optional)
 

Press in a pan or shape into balls.

Rice Flour & Whatever Muffins (wheat-free and potentially milk-free and egg-free)

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg (or use an egg replacement such as 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water for 1 minute, then let sit 5 minutes to gel)
• 1/2 cup liquid of choice (fruit juice, lowfat milk, soy milk, water, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or banana)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (or banana)
• 1 cup brown rice flour (white rice flour can be substituted)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped nuts -- whatever type you have in pantry (optional)
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen fruit (blueberries or raspberries, finely chopped apples, or peaches, etc.)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 6 muffin cups with foil or paper liners or coat the cups with canola cooking spray.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine egg or egg replacement, liquid of choice, sugar, and canola oil, beating on low until smooth.
3. In medium bowl, combine brown rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Add all at once to egg mixture and beat on low just until combined. Stir in nuts (if desired) and fruit of choice.
4. Divide batter among the prepared 6 muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick or fork inserted in the center of largest muffin comes out reasonably clean.

Yield:
Makes 6 muffins

Gluten-free Waffle - the rules

via thedailydietribe.com

Here are my rules for making gluten-free waffles: 

1. Start with 1 cup of a mediumweight flour, such as amaranth, sorghum, or millet. You can use all one type of flour or mix two or more together. For a heartier waffle, try replacing some of the flour with a heavyweight flour such as almond flour or buckwheat.
2. Add in 3/4 cup of starch, such as tapioca or potato starch. Again, you can use all one kind or do a mix. If you want a lighter waffle, you can increase the starch and decrease the mediumweight flour. For a healthier, whole-grain waffle, increase the flour and decrease the starch. Either way, you should end up with 1 3/4 cups total of flour and starch. 
3. Add 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2-1 tsp. salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together. 
4. For your wet ingredients, you have a lot of options. You want to start with 1/4 cup of pureed fruit, applesauce, oil, or melted butter/Earth Balance. I'm pretty sure yogurt would work well here too, although I haven't tried it myself. If I'm thinking healthy, I go with applesauce or pureed fruit. For savory waffles, I use canola oil. For a richer taste, I would go with melted Earth Balance. 
5. Next, eggs. I've tried the same recipes with and without an egg, and I barely notice a difference. In fact, in some cases, they taste better without the egg. I add one in for extra protein, but if you want to skip it, go ahead. 
6. Liquid. You'll need 1 3/4 cup of liquid, although you may need more or less depending on the types of flour you use. You can use water, any type of milk including coconut milk, even fruit juice in some cases. You can use all one or a combination, although if you're using fruit juice, I recommend mixing it with water or coconut milk to dilute the flavor. 
7. Optional add-ins: If you're planning on drizzling your waffles with maple syrup, they don't need to be that sweet, so 1 Tbsp. of honey/agave nectar/maple syrup should be plenty. You can also skip that and chop up some fresh or dried fruit to add in. Chopped walnuts and pecans, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, even sesame seeds (in a savory waffle) add a nice texture. Play around with spices and herbs: cinnamon is wonderful in a sweet waffle. Fresh dill, basil and garlic powder go well in savory waffles.  
8. This should make 4-6 servings (2 squares each).

Because that was long, I'll summarize: 
1 cup mediumweight flour
3/4 cup starch
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2-1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup applesauce, melted butter, oil, etc.
1 egg (optional)
1 3/4 cup water, milk, fruit juice, etc.
optional: chopped nuts, fruit, seeds, spices, and herbs


Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients into dry. Pour onto (greased) waffle iron.

Millet Sweet Vegetable Soup

via christinacooks.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup millet-rinsed well
1/4 cup each onion, carrot, winter squash, green cabbage-finely diced
5 cups spring or filtered water
2 teaspoons barley miso
1-2 fresh scallions-thinly sliced for garnish


Directions
Rinse millet by placing in a glass bowl and covering with water. Gently swirl grain with your hands to loosen any dust. Drain well.

In a soup pot, layer onion, cabbage, squash, carrot, and then millet. Add enough water to just cover, careful not to disturb layering too much. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook soup for 30 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth and puree the miso. Gently stir into the soup and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh scallions.

Quinoa Lentil Burgers

Lentil Burgers

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked lentils (save the liquid)
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 Tbsps. lentil cooking liquid (or water)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked quinoa

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except the sunflower seeds and quinoa to the food processor. Process just until mixed and lumpy. Add in sunflower seeds and process another 30 seconds. Put mixture into a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir quinoa into the mixture until evenly mixed. Form into patties.
3. In a pan, saute 1 tsp. olive oil and cook burgers until browned, a few minutes per side.

Makes approx. 6-8 burgers

Find the original recipe at The Daily Dietribe.
www.thedailydietribe.com

Graham Cracker Recipe from Heavenly Homemaker (adapted)

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (I use spelt flour)
1/3 c. cocoa (optional)
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ t. cinnamon
8 T. honey
¼ c. water
1 t. vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt stick of butter in a pan on the stove.  Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
4. Add the liquids: honey, water, vanilla and melted butter.
5. Stir well until a nice ball of dough is formed. (If using spelt flour don't over mix, just enough until everything is mixed together.)
6. Cut two pieces of Parchment paper the size of the cookie sheet.
7. Lay one piece of parchment paper on the cookie sheet.
8. Place the ball of dough on the parchment paper.
9. Lay the other piece of parchment paper on top of the ball of dough.  Squish dough down a little with your fist.
10. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough between the pieces of parchment paper.  Roll until the dough covers the whole cookie sheet.
11. Remove the top piece of parchment paper.  Cut rolled dough into 2 inch squares, or cut shapes with cookie cutters, being sure to separate the shapes from the surrounding dough a little.
12. Bake in oven for 18 minutes.
13. Turn oven off, but leave crackers in the oven to get crisp.
14. Remove from oven after 30 minutes to one hour.  Break graham crackers apart.
15. Store in a air tight container.

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

1 ¼ cups spelt flour

1 cup ground oats

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tbs ground flaxseed

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup agave nectar

½ cup cauliflower puree

Zest of 1 lemon

Low-sugar jam

Mix together the spelt, oats, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed.  Set aside. For the cauliflower puree, put 3/4 – 1 cup fresh or frozen cauliflower with 1 tbs of water into a microwave safe bowl.  Cover and microwave 3-5 minutes til soft.  Puree with an additional tablespoon of water.  It's ok if it doesn't get perfectly smooth. Stir together the cauliflower, canola oil, agave nectar, and lemon zest. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Shape the dough into half dollar-sized balls, then press onto greased pan with deep thumbprint.  Fill the thumbprints with jam. Bake 16-18 minutes, checking to make sure bottoms are brown but not overdone.  Makes about 30 cookies.

source: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegan-thumbprint-cookies/

Whole Wheat Spelt Bread

2 cups of water at 115 degrees

 

2 tsp active dry yeast

 

1.3 lbs of whole spelt flour -- about 4 1/4 cups of flour

 

1 T agave nectar or other sweetener

 

1 tsp salt

 

1/4 cup olive oil

How to make Whole Spelt Bread

Mix the water with the yeast and agave and make sure it bubbles. This will take a minute or so.
Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the flour until there are no lumps. Cover and let it stand for 30 minutes, or until double in size. For a lighter loaf, stir it down and repeat this step.
Stir in the salt and oil and gradually another 1 1/2 cups of spelt flour. When the dough develops into a stiff ball, it is time to knead.
Use about another 1/2 cup of spelt flour to finish the kneading. Add the flour very slowly. When the dough no longer sticks to the counter after a few kneads, it is finished. Kneading will take between 10 and 20 minutes.
Oil the mixing bowl, put the dough in, oil the top and cover. Let it rise for 45-60 minutes, or until double in size. If the room is cold, you may want to put into a warm (110 degree) oven.
After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to degas it. Repeat this step for a lighter loaf.
Lightly oil the bread pan.
To form a loaf: make a ball, pull the sides in to form an oblong shape and then pinch the seams along the bottom and sides.
Place the dough in the pan, lightly oil the top and set aside to rise for 30-40 minutes, or until double in size. Do not let it rise for too long as that may cause the bread to fall or the top crust to separate.
Preheat the oven to 400. Bake for35 minutes.
When the bread is finished baking, take it out of the oven, let cool for 5-15 minutes and remove it from the pan. Place on a cooling rack or across the top of the pan. 

source: http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/whole-spelt-bread

Spelt Banana Bread and Spelt Pie Crust

Spelt Banana Bread
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup or less brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups SPELT flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 or less teaspoon of salt
2 or 3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)

      Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients and finally bananas and nuts. Mix well. Bake in three 3x5 " loaf pans or in one 5x9" loaf pan, well-greased. Bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Spelt Pie Crust

3 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons cool water
1/4 teaspoon seasalt, if desired
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons SPELT flour

      Whisk oil, water and seasalt together. Stir in the flour and mix until evenly moistened. Press into a 9 inch pie plate. Fill and bake as required for the filling, or bake the empty crust for 12 minutes at 375 degrees F and fill when cool. 
source: http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2004/february/0204door3.html

Spelt and Oat Cookies

These popped up on Taste Spotting a few days ago just when I happened to be in a baking mood. This recipe was perfect because I had recently purchased some spelt flour and I have a surplus of organic chocolate chips in my freezer. This recipe also gave me a chance to try out the coconut oil I just purchased. I'm constantly working to make my recipes more nutritionally complete and avoid ingredients that are not pure. This recipe hit the mark allowing me to meet that requirement. Spelt flour is an ancient grain with a lower gluten content than regular flour. Spelt has high water solubility, so nutrients are easily absorbed by the body making it easy to digest. It is high in protein (significantly higher than wheat), higher in B complex vitamins, and spelt is high in both simple and complex carbohydrates. These complex carbohydrates are an important factor in blood clotting and stimulating the body's immune system. These are definitely a healthy cookie, in addition to the spelt flour, these cookies have no butter or eggs in them. Despite, the missing fat, these cookies definitely did not taste like healthy cookies. They had ever bit of flavor that a regular chocolate chip cookie would have. I think Rikki from Diet Desserts and Dogs perfectly described these cookies as ". . . crisp on the edges, chewy in the middle, with lots of texture from the chips, raisins, and nuts." I can definitely say this is one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes I have made in awhile.

Cow Girl Cookies with Spelt Flour and Oats

2 cups (280 g) light spelt flour

2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant) (I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Oats)

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder

1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda

1/2 tsp (1 ml) sea salt

1-1/4 cups (225 g) non-dairy chocolate chips (I used organic)

1/2 cup (70 g) organic raisins

1/2 cup (55 g) coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (I omitted)

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (210 ml) softened organic coconut oil or sunflower oil, preferably organic (I used coconut oil)

1 cup (180 g) Sucanat ( I substituted brown sugar)

1/3 cup (80 ml) room-temperature applesauce

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the oil and Sucanat until well combined. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix again.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix just until all the flour is absorbed. Use a small ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon (20 ml) to place mounds of dough on the cookie sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Flatten slightly.

Bake for 13 minutes, or until golden. Makes about 3 dozen.

source: http://reservationsnotrequired.blogspot.com/2009/04/cow-girl-cookies-with-spelt-flour-and.html

Blueberry Spelt Muffins from Whole Foods website

Makes 1 dozen

The classic blueberry muffin gets an update with spelt flour and a flavor boost from orange juice and zest.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) softened butter or canola oil, plus more for greasing the pan
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, cream together butter or oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, zest and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter-egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 muffin/about 3oz/87g-wt.): 180 calories (50 from fat), 5g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 4g protein, 30g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 14g sugar), 45mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium

Rosemary Lentils from Martha Stewart website

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 1 cup dried French green lentils
• 2 shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Put lentils, shallots, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water by 2 inches (about 5 cups water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain; discard garlic, rosemary stem, and bay leaf. Return lentil mixture to pan. Stir in salt, vinegar, and oil; season with pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

*Ten Minute Couscous Soup Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

* have not tried yet

This is a soup that should be made to order, if it sits around the consistency changes and the vegetables get that over-cooked flavor no one likes. I like to use whole wheat couscous, which I've been seeing around more often lately. I also picked up a box of barley couscous the other day - delicious. If all you can find is regular couscous, no problem, that will work as well too. I just try to pick up "whole" versions when given the choice. Use a delicious broth, one you wouldn't mind enjoying a bowl of on its own - I've mentioned before that I like Rapunzel Herb Bouillon with Salt (available at many stores). This soup can easily be made vegan by leaving out the cheese.

7 cups great-tasting vegetable broth
2 or 3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole wheat, barley, or regular couscous
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (opt)
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
an ounce or two of goat cheese

In a large pot heat the broth, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. When it comes to a boil remove the pot from the heat and stir in the couscous. Wait two minutes and stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. Wait another two minutes - just long enough for the vegetables to loose their raw edge, and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with some sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and a bit of goat cheese.

Serves 4-6.

*Spinach and Zucchini Soup Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

* not tried yet

I prefer to use a light tasting vegetable stock here, nothing too overpowering. If you'd like a richer version of this soup feel free to finish the soup with a splash of cream, or a dollop of creme fraiche or plain yogurt in place of the finishing drizzle of olive oil.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Serves about 6.

Heather's Quinoa Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

If you don't have the time or inclination to roast cherry tomatoes, substitute some chopped, moist, sun-dried tomatoes. Also, a delicious alternative to the tofu in this recipe might be paneer cheese which can stand up to the heat without losing its form. Vegans can leave out the Parmesan in the pesto and make it more of a basil-nut drizzle - still tasty, and a good fit for this recipe.

a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
a pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 shallot, minced
3 cups cooked quinoa* (or brown rice, or other grain)
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups kale, spinach or other hearty green, finely chopped
2 cups extra-firm nigari tofu, browned in a skillet a bit
1/3 cup pesto
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes** (or chopped sun-dried tomatoes)

In a big skillet or pot heat the olive oil and salt over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallot and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling. Stir in the kale and then the tofu, cooking until tofu is heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the pesto and pumpkin seeds. Mix well so the pesto is spread throughout. Turn everything out onto a platter and top with the cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4 - 6.

*Rinse about 2 cups quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and 4 cups water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

** To roast cherry tomatoes: Heat oven to 350F degrees. Cut each tomato in half and arrange in a large oven-proof baking dish. Mix together a big splash of olive oil, a spoonful of brown sugar, and a few pinches of salt - pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated, finishing with each tomato facing cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mintutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.

Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

You can use unsweetened carob, or grain sweetened chocolate chips, or do what I did and chop up 2/3 of a bar of Scharffen berger 70%. I sort-of shaved half the bar with a knife and then cut the rest into bigger chip-sized chunks. You can make your own almond meal by pulsing almonds in a food processor until it is the texture of sand - don't go too far or you'll end up with almond butter. And lastly, the coconut oil works beautifully here, just be sure to warm it a bit - enough that it is no longer solid, which makes it easier to incorporate into the bananas. If you have gluten allergies, seek out GF oats.

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these as long as possible without burning the bottoms and they were perfect - just shy of 15 minutes seems to be about right in my oven.

Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.