Vegan, Gluten Free, Yogi Mom

Monday, May 6, 2013

Kid Friendly Dessert: Avocado Chocolate Mini Torte

So what kid doesn't love dessert? But the thing I like most about this is the natural ingredients and the ease at which it's made so the kids can help. But I have a feeling, the adults in your life will be pushing the kids out of the way to get to more.

The Vegan, Gluten Free Avocado Chocolate Mini Tortes are sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings and lets face it making Mini tortes allows you to sample after made, and your guests or family will have no idea. This is a no bake dessert as well, does it get any better than that?

Ingredients:

No Bake Crust:

2 cups nuts (I used Almonds; Pecan, Walnuts, or Cashews would work too)

1/4 C cocoa Powder

2 Tbsp Vegan Shortening (or Coconut Oil)

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Salt

Avocado Mousse:

2-3 Avocados (about 2 cups)

1/3 Cup Almond Milk

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 TBSP Arrowroot Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

2 tsp-1 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

3 squares of a 3.5oz Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar

Direction:
For the Crust
Process nuts in a food processor until chunky, add additional ingredients and process until combined.

Line 24 cupcake tins with foil lined baking cups. Using a 1 tbsp scoop, scoop mixture into pan and press with the back of a spoon until level and packed down. Place in freezer while making Mousse.

For the Mousse:
Process Avocados in avoid processor until smooth. Meanwhile heat the almost milk to a boil, then add the chocolate bar, mix with a small whisk until chocolate is creamy.

Once avocado is smooth begin adding the remaining mousse ingredients until rich, fudgey and smooth.

Using a 2 TBSP scoop, scoop the mousse into the already frozen crusts. Smooth with the backside of a spoon and freeze 1 hr.

Options for serving: leave in freezer and remove 20-30 mins before serving. For a more pudding like consistency (thick pudding) move to fridge and serve from there.

Top with berries, whipped almond or coconut cream or just eat standing in front of the fridge when no one is looking..... You know you want to!

Enjoy and Namaste!
Pam

Tempeh and Greens oh my

So not Marley's favorite as it is a little spicy, but certainly one of the grown up favorites in the house hold.

This recipe was adapted from my lovely Yoga Teacher and friend Ame Wren's Wok Fried greens with Chickpeas, Ginger and Turmeric. Another favorite.

Ingredients:
2 bunches of greens (Collards, Kale, Spinach, Chard etc), de-veined, washed and chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 chunk of ginger sliced or grated (to taste I like A LOT)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 package of Tempeh, diced*
Toasted Sesame Oil
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
Turmeric (to taste)
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (soy sauce replacement)
Black Pepper ( to taste)
Sesame seeds

In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Once hot add onion, garlic and ginger until softened. 3-5 mind. Add Tempeh to brown along with Turmeric and Red Pepper Flakes. About 5 mins.

Once Browned add greens and a few squirts of Bragg's. Go gentle at first with the Bragg's as it adds a bit of saltiness.
Cover to steam. When cooking a tougher green like Collards, I also add a 1/2 cup of water during the steaming, but I don't use much Bragg's.

Top with Sesame Seeds and black pepper then Serve.

Play with the heat level and find what works for you.

*If looking to make this gluten free, read the Tempeh label, there are many kinds and some are NOT gluten free.

This meal is mad good and great for a night when you have a lot to get done after dinner. Packs so many nutrients you will feel like the Energizer Bunny.

Enjoy and Namaste!
Pam

Friday, May 3, 2013

Kid Friendly Recipes: Tomato Sauce with hidden nutrients

This Sauce happened by mistake. I was desperately in need of food shopping last Friday night and Marley really wanted pasta and red sauce for dinner and I went to the Pantry and my supply of lazy man organic sauce was gone.

Oh Crap, now what? I am really good at improvising in the kitchen so that's what I did. I had a large can of Organic Diced Tomatoes, low sodium, along with Vidalia Onions and Red and Orange Peppers. And this sauce was born.

Ingredients:
1 Sweet Onion
1-2 sweet peppers (any color)
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (preferably organic)
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 Cup of greens (spinach is well masked by this, can also try zucchini, summer squash or whatever comes out of your garden)
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, soften Onions and garlic, until translucent, then add Peppers, allow vegetables to soften, and add Diced tomatoes, Basil and Oregano and other veggies if using. Let simmer 5-8 Minutes until flavors mingle, add salt and pepper and simmer another 2 minutes.

For adults or older kids you can serve this straight over pasta, or as a Pizza sauce, for smaller kids, pulse is a food processor or blender until smooth (or desired consistency), then top pizza, pasta or whatever else your mind can think of. This would also go great with my roasted Italian Veggies Recipe.

This Sauce was so yummy, now she wants Pasta with "Your sauce mom".

Up next Desserts and some Veggie side dishes, then maybe her favorite smoothie!

Namaste,
Pam

Kid Friendly Recipes: Avocado Pasta

Marley's Favorite Pasta Dish is not my recipe, it comes from Angela Liddon's blog Oh She Glows. I have to say I have not found one recipe on there I don't like.

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

Creamy, thick, and rich with lots of garlic flavor and a hint of lemon. This is my newest favorite pasta dish. The avocado works wonderfully in this recipe to create a sauce so creamy and thick, you will think there is cream hiding in there.

Inspired by Oh She Glows

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
3-5 cloves roasted garlic , to taste (roast in oven, drizzled with Olive Oil, until soft, 300 degrees for 8-10 mins)
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
~1/4 cup Fresh Basil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I use Gluten Free Brown Rice Pasta)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the roasted garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Please note: This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.

Namaste and eat on,

Pam

Kid Friendly Recipes: Hummus

All of Marley's Favorites, then again she is kinda wei(r)d.

Marley's Favorite Hummus:

Chick Peas:
1 Lb of Dried Chickpeas sorted and rinsed
7 Cups of Water
1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt

Cook in a 2 1/2 quart slow cooker on Low to 8-10 hours or High for 4 hours. (Until they are ready to eat, soft but not mushy.) If you only have a large family sized Crock Pot or Slow cooker that works as well.

For the Hummus,
1 lb cooked Chickpeas (from recipe above)
2-3 Cloves Garlic
1/3 cup of Tahini, stirred well (Natural Peanut butter works as well)
Juice of 1-2 Lemons (about 1/4-1/3 of a cup)
1/4 cup of water from Chickpeas or tap water
1 1/2 tsp of Sea Salt
upto 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
2-5 dashes of Hot Sauce

In a food processor, process the garlic and Tahini until smooth, add chickpeas and water slowly and process until smooth and chickpeas are gone (or your food Processor is full, it requires a big one). Add in Lemon juice, salt, Hot Sauce and Olive Oil until you reach desired consistency.

*Note, the Hummus tends to tighten up in the fridge so don't make it too try or it will loose it's dip-ability and really isn't that where all the fun it??

Also the Garlic and Hot Sauce are kid friendly, feel free to go wild, but remember raw garlic can have quite a bite!!

Her favorite way to eat it is out of the food processor with Carrots of Crackers, so have the dippers ready, the whole family will love it.

Namaste,
Pam

Getting kids to eat healthy too

People always say to me, so your daughter is Vegan and Gluten Free too and I feel guilty saying, well she eats yogurt. But, although I understand the process and he nasty stuff hat happens in the dairy industry, I haven't found it in me to deny my daughter her favorite food, plain Greek Yogurt, that along with eggs in spring and summer from a friend with chickens, she is without Animal Products. We are works on the gluten.

But what if I eat animal products? (Knock it off!!! Oh ok, you decide) To be totally honest I would rather feed my daughter organic animal products then some of the "Vegan" crap out there. Oreos, Pepsi, Fritos, potato chips, all Vegan but combines they don't have enough nutritional value to keep my health finger healthy. So keep in mind, Vegan, Gluten Free, Whole Grains, none of this automatically means healthy.

So why then do we allow our kids to eat fruit snacks, sugar laden cereals, sugar laden granola bars and Chips? Maybe you are saying, 'I don't feed my child that junk,'but are you compromising your standards on food because its not worth the fight, or just easier. Well then for real this time, CUT IT OUT!

I recently had a major issue with Marley's preschool/daycare. (Rainbowland in Bedford, NH, in case you were considering this place). I had known since she started there in the Fall of 2011 (at age 2 1/2) that they would often feed them things like Cookie Crisp and cheese balls for snacks. I had mentioned on several occasions that I was not happy about the snacks , as she had never been exposed to his type of food before. After many conversations I finally have up (my first mistake). I turned a blind eye until I began to notice behavioral issues with my once angelic 3 1/2 year old.

So I went to the daycare Director and owner about changing what they were feeding the children and was met with denial and a negative attitude towards me. I finally told the school I would provide her snack. In NH, licensed child care centers need to do what the Families want with food. Instead they attempted to feed my child behind my back and told my now 4 year old that she could not have her avocado, she had to have what her friends were having. After many e-mails and some extremely negative words (from them, not me), I had to get a doctors note to provide my daughter with her own healthy snacks.

So after all this (and it is not over), I have recommitted to providing Marley wholesome, healthy snacks and I will fight the school all the way on this. What I learned from this is you can reverse the bad eating habits. Marley went from crying over wanting Goldfish for breakfast to eating gluten free oatmeal, or fruit and coconut water smoothies. Our treats are now, coconut water, homemade granola bars, or avocado chocolate pudding.

I will post a few healthy recipes that kids (at least my 4 year old) loves.

Good luck with the schools and outside influences, and just remember the battle is worth it!!!

Namaste,
Pam

Happy and Healthy!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Tofu, it's what's for Dinner

Actually Tofu itself is not my favorite food. But I have become quite the fan of Pad Thai with Tofu. My husband has always been a huge fan of Pad Thai, and I have made it for him in the past for special occasions and have always bought the sauce, well being Gluten Free that has posed an issue as most Pad Thai sauces adn recipes contain Soy or Tamari, which often contain wheat.

After much searching and a little bit of playing around I found the perfect fit for us, sweet, but spicy. We love the heat!

This recipe has been adapted from The Gluten Free Vegan (Thanks Christa).

As a side note, I always go for Organic so it is not typed in the recipes as it is just understood, when you can, opt for Organic.

1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 large Onion Chopped
6 Carrots Diced
2 cups of spinach chopped (or baby)
12 Oz extra firm Tofu Cubed
1/4 Cup GF Apple Cider Vinegar (Bragg's)
1/4 cup Braggs Aminos (or Wheat Free Tamari)
2 TBSP Agave nectar
1- 1 1/2 Tablespoons red curry paste (this is alot, and makes it pretty hot)
2 Tablespoons organic natural peanut butter
1 package washed and drained bean sprouts
10-12 ounces Rice noodles prepared according to directions
4 green onions, chopped
Juice of 1 lime

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add onions and carrots. Saute until the onions become soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add tofu and continue to cooks another 4-5 minutes.