Recipes Archives - Page 81 of 113

Balsamic-roasted broccoli and cherry tomatoes recipe

I’d like to sneak in a nutritious recipe before Halloween if you’ll let me. I need to one last swan song before local tomatoes go out of season until next June. Moment of silence. Until then, I am enjoying these sweet little orbs as much as I can. I have always had a soft spot for cherry tomatoes, which seem to be consistently sweet as sugar. I love to make a quick sauce out of them for pasta and they don’t weigh down salads like a chopped up beefsteak. And as sweet as they are raw, they are even more so and more tomato-y roasted.

This is a super easy and delicious way to enjoy broccoli and tomatoes while they are in season at the same time. What I love about this combo is how the juice from the tomatoes mingles with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and gets trapped in the nooks and crannies of the broccoli florets. So delish. You can keep it really simple here and just roast the veggies with garlic, balsamic and oil or add a little fresh basil at the end like I did. If you want to get fancy, toss on some toasted pine nuts and a few shavings of Parmesan cheese. You can’t go wrong. I think you could also make the same thing with eggplant and cherry tomatoes or zucchini and cherry tomatoes. I served this the other night with some roasted salmon and corn-chimichurri sauce. Yum!

Forgive the short post today, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I’m not very organized in areas of my life that don’t relate to food. As I predicted, Mr. Picky’s birthday party is being held tomorrow, 3 1/2 weeks after his real birthday. I can’t remember the last time his party was actually in September. Am I lame, or what? He’s being a good sport about it and said, “That’s okay, Mom. It makes my birthday last longer.” Love that little guy. I was actually so proud of myself that my son and I pulled together his Halloween costume already. That’s about 2 1/2 weeks earlier than normal! And then I opened my mail today and saw two catalogs for holiday cards. I mean, really.

4.7 from 3 reviews

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Balsamic-Roasted Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

Author: Pamela

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into florets and stems sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 garlic cloves, chopped (or halve the garlic cloves for a more subtle flavor)
2 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil or melted coconut oil (I prefer the taste of olive oil here.)
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (don’t use the super expensive kind in this recipe)
¾ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
some fresh slivered basil to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the broccoli, tomatoes and garlic on the prepared pan. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and toss to combine. Spread out in a single layer on the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh basil if you have it. Don’t worry about it if you don’t.

Notes

Broccoli "crowns" refer to just the tops, with minimal stalks. I use the stems for juicing or for this delicious Broccoli Stalk Soup.

Vegan mac and cheese recipe

If someone tried to coax me a year ago with a “vegan mac and cheese” recipe, I would have politely said, “no, thank you.” First of all, I actually don’t really like mac and cheese. Not the boxed kind and not even the homemade kind. Weird, I know. And sad for my husband who looooooves it. I used to have to make him the famous “Ronald Reagan’s favorite mac and cheese” recipe all the time when we first got married. Tons of butter, cheddar cheese, milk, stomach ache for me. Just not my thing. It’s now the 21st century, and we’re both eating differently and I am open minded to alternative recipes.

Although open minded or not, I’ve always felt if I’m not going to like the real deal, why would I like something pretending to be the real deal? And most vegan mac and cheese recipes call for fake processed cheese or nutritional yeast and they’re just not that tasty, in my opinion. Are you with me? Well, according to myself and according to Mr. Picky who still doesn’t like cheese except Pecorino Romano in some soups and on pizza crust, this mac and cheese is the bomb. I think it’s better than mac and cheese and he likes it because he has watched me make it and is confident there is not a morsel of cheese, real or fake, anywhere in this dish.

You may have seen on a month ago a picture I posted of “vegan nachos” I made for the kids. Here it is below. That’s the same sauce for this! You may have also seen a strange looking bowl of yellow stuff on my baked potato bar. Same vegan cheese sauce! Do you see the potential here? What about as a dip for steamed veggies? I might even make a soup out of this. We are not just talking about a mac and cheese recipe. We are talking about a life-changing delicious not-cheese sauce. This sauce is a miracle. It is made from potatoes, cashews, carrots, onions and a bunch of other completely natural foods blended into creamy, cheesy deliciousness. Completely digestible (unless you are nut-free, in which case I am so sorry. Buggers.) I know I sound crazy. I wouldn’t believe me either.

The only trick with this recipe is that you have to follow it exactly! No eyeballing measurements. No leaving things out. Anytime I have guesstimated an amount with this recipe, it hasn’t worked quite as well, especially with ingredients like cayenne, lemon juice (you can leave this out, but just don’t add more than indicated) and garlic. Some of the images on this post were taken of light spelt macaroni and some of whole spelt macaroni. My family much prefers the light spelt pasta with this sauce, but you should use whatever suits you. I have also tried this with brown rice pasta and a corn-quinoa pasta — both super! Once I threw some small cauliflower florets into the pasta pot two minutes before the pasta was done and made a cauliflower mac and cheese. (See above.) I’m sure broccoli and kale would be great, too! Can you see how much fun we are going to have with this??!!

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4.9 from 14 reviews

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Vegan Mac and Cheese

Author: Pamela, adapted from VegNews

Serves: 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

8 ounce package elbow macaroni pasta (I like spelt.)
2 slices bread, torn into large pieces (whole grain works!)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (not vegan) or organic Earth Balance (vegan), divided
¼ teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
1 cup (about 7 ounces) chopped Yukon gold potatoes (you can leave the peel on)
¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1 small carrot)
⅓ cup chopped onion
1 cup water
¼ cup raw cashews (soaked for 1-5 hours and drained if you your blender is weak)
2 teaspoons sea salt (use 1 ¾ teaspoons if using Earth Balance)
¼ teaspoon garlic, minced (about 1 medium clove)
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, add the shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and put back into the pot.
Put the bread pieces, 1 Tablespoon of butter and paprika in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until combined to a medium-fine texture, set aside.
Place the cashews, salt, garlic, 5 Tablespoons butter, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne in a blender or food processor. Add the softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender or food processor and process until perfectly smooth.
Pour the “cheese” sauce over the cooked pasta and combine until completely coated. Spread the mixture into an un-greased 11 x 8 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. If you add veggies (such as 1 or 2 cups of blanched cauliflower or broccoli) to the macaroni, cook in a 13 x 9 dish.

Notes

I actually don't make the vegan version for us because we can eat butter. But I have made this with Earth Balance (which is vegan) many times and it has always turned out great. I have never made this without the bread crumbs, though. I think they provide a nice contrast in texture to the soft and creamy macaroni, but if not everyone will eat the bread crumbs, I am sure you can leave a square of the baking dish free of them.

carrots cashews cayenne mustard onions pasta potatoes shallots

Apple-Dipped Pancakes recipe

Huh??? What is an apple-dipped pancake? I know. It’s really the silliest name, but I didn’t want to call these beauties “apple pancakes” because that makes me think of something that these are not. These are better than just dropping a few pieces of diced apple into pancake batter or using apple cider instead of milk. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. These are literally slices of apple dipped in pancake batter and then cooked so there’s a tender apple slice nestled inside the pancake. Beyond delicious!!! The first time I made these, Mr. Picky asked, “Mom, I can’t figure out how you got the apple in there.” And then he ate six. And then I ate six. And so did everyone else in the kitchen because they all woke up to the house smelling like apple cinnamon doughnuts. Deep inhale. Can you imagine that? Heaven.

Here’s the deal — even though I am sharing a fantastic spelt pancake batter with you that is perfection with apple slices, you can dip apples into whatever pancake batter you like. Just add a little cinnamon and nutmeg so you get that apple pie thing going on. The only trick is to slice your apples just so. Not too thick or they’ll stay crunchy in the middle. But not too thin or you’ll have a hard time dipping them into the batter without breaking. You can use a skewer or a toothpick to dip them in and out, but I found my fingers to be perfectly fine for the task.

My husband observed that these pancakes hold their heat longer because of the apples. So you can make a whole bunch at once and have them ready for everyone for breakfast. I know you may think these are impossible on a weekday, but if you start making your pancake batter the night before , these are a snap in the morning!

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Apple-Dipped Pancakes

Author: Pamela

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

2 large or 3 medium apples, cored and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch slices
1⅔ cups whole spelt flour (or 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour)*
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk or plain, unsweetened kefir**
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Melted, unrefined coconut oil for brushing the griddle

Instructions

Preheat a griddle to 400 degrees or medium heat.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
In a medium bowl or 4-6 cup measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and melted butter until well blended. (A blender can do this easily, too.)
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Grease the griddle with a little coconut oil.
Dip the apple slices one at a time in the batter and turn to coat. I like to use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to do this.
Cook dipped apple slices like you would regular pancakes, flipping once the bottoms are golden and the edges are dry. Cook until the second side is golden brown and the pancake is cooked through.

Notes

*Gluten-free: substitute half buckwheat flour and half brown rice flour for the spelt flour. Or you can use GF oat flour, too, such as part oat flour, part buckwheat flour and part brown rice flour.

**No buttermilk? Sub half unsweetened yogurt and half whole milk. Or use milk or an alternative milk and add 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

apples buttermilk cinnamon nutmeg spelt

Indian basmati rice with peas recipe

I am 100% Italian and I absolutely love pasta, but I also looooooove rice. Love! I am crazy about all kinds of rice and it shows in my pantry. I have so many varieties of both white and brown rice and I never get tired of it. Overeating pasta doesn’t make me feel great and makes it very hard for me to maintain any semblance of an ideal weight. But I digest rice really well and I think it’s so versatile and really easy to pair with food from any cuisine, even Italian!

I have made rice into pudding, baked it with eggs and vegetables for a scrumptious breakfast, wrapped seaweed around it, and topped it with beans and vegetables. This week I made a delicious vegetable paella for dinner which I know I am going teach in a class one day. Total winner!

I know rice has gotten some bad media attention in the last year due to some scary reports about unsafe levels of arsenic found in many rice products. Please read this article I wrote last year so that you are informed and don’t get freaked out. There are ways you can significantly reduce any arsenic present in whole rice (not much you can do about arsenic in rice cakes or rice cereal, which is why I have reduced the kids’ exposure to rice-derived products.) Basmati rice, which I think has the best flavor and is my favorite variety, also seems to have the least amount of arsenic. Lucky me!

I have a beautiful and very healthful rice recipe I’d like to share and I don’t want you to get scared off by the unusual color or that I labeled it “Indian.” I know there are some of you out there who think you don’t like Indian food. And maybe you tried some from a not-so-great place and it was lousy. In that case, I don’t blame you. BUT. Let’s leave the past behind and look forward to something that IS delicious. Furthermore, this rice recipe is so basic and neutral. It’s not spicy nor doesn’t it have a flavor that is outside of most people’s comfort zone. It will go with that roast chicken you’re making later or my spice-rubbed salmon. And if you’re vegetarian, you can just eat this bowl of golden goodness with a green salad or some roasted vegetables (eggplant is nice right now) and you’ll be all set. Rice and peas together will give you plenty of protein, not to worry.

The crazy beautiful color of this rice comes from turmeric, the most talked about, most popular spice of the moment that is basically anti everything you don’t want. Anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, etc. Someone just told me that there was a study done on Indians (people living in India) because they have the lowest incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and it is attributed to their abundant intake of turmeric. I try to use fresh turmeric when I juice and I have been using it in place of saffron, as well (like in that vegetable paella I was talking about.) I have also included turmeric in my DIY taco seasoning and Chicken and Vegetable Curry. Just be forewarned, it stains like mad so use extra caution when serving anything with turmeric, even be careful of your countertops. (As a last resort, I have had success using a drop of Clorox Clean-up to get out a stubborn turmeric stain in my white marble countertops.)

If you have leftovers of this rice, definitely consider using it in lunchboxes the next day. Are we surviving making lunches?? See this post if you’re still at a loss. Back to rice — make this! Try something new! Let me know how it goes!

4.8 from 11 reviews

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Indian Basmati Rice with Peas

Author: Pamela

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 ½ cups basmati rice, either brown or white
3 cups water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, coconut oil or olive oil (I think butter tastes best.)
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric (you can use more, but you’ll taste it)
2 cloves crushed garlic
½ cup frozen peas
chopped cilantro to taste, if desired

Instructions

Rinse your rice in a fine mesh sieve, if desired. Transfer rice to a medium saucepan and add all ingredients except peas and cilantro.
Bring to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer. Cook white rice for 18-20 minutes, brown rice for 45-50 minutes, or until all water has evaporated.
Add frozen peas to rice and allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Notes

If you are concerned about arsenic, you should soak your rice in water for 1-8 hours before using it. That process also makes brown rice more digestible. If you do soak the rice, you will cook it in less time and you can use a few Tablespoons less water, depending on how long you soaked it. Test brown rice for doneness after 35 minutes, and white rice after 15 minutes.

butter garlic peas rice turmeric

Lentil and rice-stuffed baby eggplants

I had a dream the other night that I was swept away by a strong current of water and I was being pulled quickly down a stream. My head was above water, barely, but I could not neither stop the raging rapids nor could I find a way out of the water. And then I saw the sign, “Welcome to September.” Seriously, this month has been a whirlwind, a blur. My three kids started school (three different schools, mind you), I cooked and cooked for the Jewish holidays which came very early this year, I resumed teaching cooking classes four days a week, soccer season started and two of my kids have September birthdays. I told Mr. Picky that his birthday party, as usual, would be in October. Can I ask you people a question? How do you do it all? I am in awe!

Quite honestly, the only area of my life where I am organized is food. I sit down every Sunday night and plan my meals and grocery list for the whole week. If I didn’t do that, I can guarantee we’d be eating cereal and not-homemade almond milk for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or at least meals that could be prepared at the last minute. And whereas there are a lot of fabulous quickies out there, I would hate to miss out on a recipe like this one here.

Lentil and rice-stuffed baby eggplant will never win an award for fastest dish in the West, but it’s also not that complicated either and it is mighty, mighty tasty. In fact, it is one of my favorite vegetarian entrees. I only make it in summer and early fall when I can find these adorable baby eggplants, sometimes referred to as Italian eggplants, Baby Bells or bambino eggplants. So cute! By the way, eggplants contain many heart-healthy nutrients including dietary fiber, folate, Vitamins B3 and B6, magnesium and potassium. Eggplant is also rich in many phytonutrients and antioxidants which are important for reducing free radical formation and preventing cellular damage. However, eggplant is a member of the nightshade family of vegetables which also includes tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. Nightshades can aggravate nerve-related or inflammatory health conditions, such as arthritis. Just good to know.

My family loves this dish, although Mr. Picky will only eat the rice and lentil mixture from the inside. No problem. The recipe that inspired this one was a meat and rice-stuffed eggplant, which is good, but I like this veggie version much more. I almost always do this dish ahead or in stages, so at the end of the day all I have to do is put it back on the stove to simmer and cook through. You can prep all the ingredients in advance and then sauté and cook everything later. Or you can go so far as to stuff the eggplant and refrigerate everything in the pan until the end of the day. Keep in mind this recipe calls for uncooked white rice because uncooked brown rice wouldn’t cook properly inside the eggplant. If you wanted to use brown rice, you will have to precook it. Use 1/2 cup raw or 1 1/2 cups cooked. You can also use precooked lentils and this recipe is much quicker.

I have even eaten this eggplant the next day as a cold or room temperature leftover and it is delicious. I hope you try this one!

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Lentil and Rice-Stuffed Baby Eggplants

Author: Pamela, inspired by epicurious

Serves: 6

Ingredients

½ cup uncooked black or French lentils (or 1 ½ cups COOKED)
6 (6- to 7-inch long) small Italian eggplants (about 7-8 ounces each)
¼ cup unrefined cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced or boxed/canned with juice
2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 ¼ teaspoons sea salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup uncooked long-grain white rice (I like basmati)
3 Tablespoons golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground allspice
a few tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional, but pretty)
½ lemon

Instructions

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add the uncooked lentils and a healthy pinch of salt. Simmer 20 minutes and drain. Skip this step if you use cooked lentils.
Slice a sliver off the bottom of each eggplant and discard. Using a melon baller, a mini ice cream scooper or a small metal measuring spoon, hollow out each eggplant while keeping the skin intact. Reserve scooped out eggplant flesh, if desired.
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the pine nuts until golden, about 1 minute. Do not walk away from the pan! Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Sauté onion and garlic in the skillet until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer ½ cup of onion mixture to the bowl with the pine nuts. To the skillet add the tomatoes, a little of the reserved eggplant flesh if you want, stock, 1 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer while you stuff the eggplants.
Add cooked lentils, rice, raisins, cumin, allspice, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste to the bowl with the onions and pine nuts. Combine well. Stuff the mixture into the eggplants and transfer the stuffed eggplants to the skillet (along with any unstuffed filling). You don’t have to fill the eggplants to the top since the stuffing will expand a bit. Simmer, covered, carefully turning once (if you remember), until everything is cooked through, 50 – 60 minutes.
Squeeze lemon over everything and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

You can substitute ¾ lb. ground beef or lamb for the lentils. If using grass-fed beef, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the meat mixture, otherwise it will be too dry.
You can also use this mixture to stuff halved bell peppers.

Overnight Refrigerator Oat and Chia Porridge Recipe

I know not all my dear readers and cooking class students have children, and therefore are not likely submerged chin-deep in back-to-school chaos right now. You lucky ducks. I have three kids in three different schools and I can’t keep track of all the back-to-school nights and picture days. And it’s only September! I’ve got my priorities straight though. Mr. Picky hasn’t had a haircut in three months, but I’ve got a freezer full of blueberry-banana bread and vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough. Yes, ma’am.

The point I was actually trying to get to is that these most recent posts aren’t just meant for those whose Monday-Fridays are considered “school days.” I’d like to think all the recipes I post are relevant to anyone trying to eat well. And one thing we all have in common these days, whether you have kids or not, is lack of time. Unfortunately, I don’t think little old me is going to change that.

I used to think that it was silly for me to post recipes with 3 ingredients, that take 30 seconds to make, and that have probably been pinned more than a certain VMA performance has been viewed. (Sorry for the reminder.) But then my students plead with me, “we want more 30 second recipes!” So if you haven’t been introduced to raw chia and oat porridge, and at least one person on instagram asked for the recipe last week when I posted a picture of my breakfast, here it is! I probably eat this 3-4 times a week from July through October, because it is a refrigerated dish and slightly cooling so it’s better for you during the warmer months. It is super healthful since the oats are soaked overnight, which makes them much more digestible. On its own, this is a well-balanced breakfast with protein, fiber, complex carbs and high quality fat. But we usually add either fresh or dried fruit to it. And like I said, it is a cinch to make, almost disappointingly easy. But this time of year, I’ve got nothing to prove. Enjoy!

4.5 from 2 reviews

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Overnight Refrigerator Oat and Chia Porridge

Author: Pamela

Serves: serves 2-4 (this amount is perfect for my two girls and me)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons chia seeds (I like Barleans)
1 cup rolled oats (look for certified gluten-free oats to make this a gluten-free recipe)
2 cups almond milk, preferably homemade, or milk of choice
sweetener of choice to taste, if desired

Instructions

Place chia seeds and oats in a 4-cup container. Pour almond milk and sweetener, if using, over mixture and stir to combine, making sure to break up any clumps of chia seeds.
Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight so the mixture has time to thicken. Stir before serving.
This will last as long as your almond milk, meaning if you use homemade almond milk, this porridge will only stay fresh a few days.

Notes

I usually use date-sweetened almond milk and no other sweetener, or unsweetened almond milk and a couple drops of stevia.

almond milk chia seeds rolled oats

Almond Butter-Millet Blondies Recipe (gluten-free)

We have survived the first week and a half of school and an early Jewish holiday! I started this year right by having my girls order their own school supplies and Mr. Picky helped me out by writing out a list of lunch box-approved foods. Not sure we’ve expanded the repertoire since last year, but at least I don’t have to think too hard. I am also so glad I was inspired to bake and freeze a few treats before school started this year. Those are coming in very handy for lunchbox and after-school snacks. Plus it has been so hot here, I can’t imagine turning on my oven to bake banana bread right now!

These Almond Butter-Millet Blondies are a new favorite around here. Don’t automatically say “my kids would never eat those!” Guess what? Your kids were probably at my house in the last 6 months and did eat these. Did I say, “Jimmy, would you like an almond butter-millet blondie?” What am I, a rookie? Of course, not. I ask the kids, “would you like a chocolate chip blondie?!” Only people that do not like chocolate ever say no.

Blondies are similar to a non-chocolate brownie. They are less spongy and a little denser than cake. I love them right out of the fridge so you can really sink your teeth into them. Because blondies don’t have the same lift and airiness of a cake, I tried these with two gluten-free flours, millet and quinoa. Even if you’re not gluten-intolerant, it’s a great idea to not overdo wheat and other gluten-containing grains. Gluten is not only hard to digest, but acid-forming and pro-inflammatory.

The quinoa blondies were not a hit because they totally tasted like quinoa. I love quinoa, but not as much in dessert form. Millet is much blander and really has no flavor to fight with chocolate. My kids and I had no idea the millet blondies weren’t made with wheat flour. I also tried the recipe separately with peanut butter and almond butter and not only were they both delicious, the blondies kind of tasted the same, as in both tasted a bit like peanut butter. Even though I give my kids peanut butter now and then, it’s actually not a fantastic choice. The fats in peanut butter are very pro-inflammatory and if you don’t buy organic, you are also consuming a lot of pesticides and fungicides since peanuts are very heavily sprayed. Even organic peanuts have a tendency to develop a mold called aflotoxin. In moderation, fine, but almond butter is far and away a better, more healthful choice. Did you know almonds are the only alkalizing nut? And if you have a solid food processor, you can make your own almond butter!

These blondies are awesome the next day, which is so nice if you have to bring a dessert to a potluck. If you have leftovers more than a couple days, it’s best to keep them in the fridge. And if you have no self control like me, you may want to just keep out what you need for the day and freeze the rest. Happy baking!

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Almond Butter-Millet Blondies

Author: Pamela, inspired by Eating Well Magazine

Serves: makes 16 2 x 2-inch blondies

Ingredients

¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter or organic Earth Balance, softened + additional for greasing pan
¾ cup creamy or crunchy almond butter or other natural nut butter
2 large eggs
¾ cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup millet flour*
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper so that the bars are easy to take out.
Beat butter and almond butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs, coconut sugar and vanilla until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together the millet flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it, about 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before cutting into 16 squares. Leftovers can stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. These also freeze beautifully.

Notes

*Look for millet flour in the baking section or near gluten-free flours. Or, to make your own, grind whole grains of millet into a powder in a clean coffee grinder.

almond butter butter chocolate chips coconut sugar eggs millet

Tex-Mex Tofu Scramble Recipe

I haven’t posted too many recipes with tofu because I am on the fence about it. Unfermented soy, which includes tofu, is not very easy to digest. On the other hand, fermented tofu, such as tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari have all been innoculated with a good bacteria, which has started the digestion process for you, in a way. Then there’s the controversy about soy, fermented or not, and the presence of phytoestrogens which mimic estrogen in the body and can cause disruptions in a woman’s natural processes. Lastly, most of the soy in this country is genetically-modified, the safety of which is debated. Personally, I think genetically-modified foods are about as natural as and I don’t think they have been around long enough for us to really know what the long-term side effects are. See why I’m kind of not super gung-ho about tofu?

That said, I do occasionally eat tofu and fermented soy products, most often as a condiment and always organic, which implies non-GMO. I recently found a sprouted, organic tofu at my local Whole Foods by Wildwood Organics. Sprouting is a process that makes the soybean more digestible and increases availability of nutrients. This is a big plus to me. Whereas some people think that tofu is not a highly processed food, I don’t think it looks much like a soybean and that makes me think otherwise. But I do like the idea of a sprouted tofu, so on the rare occasions I eat tofu, it’s this one.

This scrambled tofu dish was really popular when I taught it in a breakfast class I did a few months ago. The idea is to create a scramble that resembles eggs, which this most definitely does. What’s wrong with eggs? Absolutely nothing. Unless you are either allergic to eggs, vegan, adversely affected by foods high in dietary cholesterol, or you are a 9-year-old who goes by the nickname “Mr. Picky.” And there are a lot of you out there who fit in there somewhere, so I thought this would be a fun way to enjoy your “eggs!” The tofu, which is nice and soft, is crumbled and then tinted with a little turmeric to turn the color a beautiful yellow. You also add a little nutritional yeast for flavor and it’s the closest thing you’ll ever come to scrambled not-eggs. I found nutritional yeast, also referred to as nutritional yeast flakes, in Whole Foods, both in the bulk bins and packaged in bags. Nutritional yeast is NOT the same yeast for baking bread or brewer’s yeast. It actually grows on the outside of sugarcane and molasses plants and is a good source of Vitamin B12, which is almost impossible to find from non-animal sources. It has a little bit of a cheesy flavor and goes nicely on popcorn, just FYI.

Although I am partial to anything in a tortilla, especially if salsa and guacamole are involved, I would also make this with spinach and mushrooms or chives and herbs. And it’s actually doable for a fast weekday breakfast if you prep in advance. (Just read the notes in the recipe to learn how.) Prepping in advance is my life. Hoping you all got off on the right foot to start off the new school year! Don’t forget to check out my Instagram page and Facebook for weekly lunch and daily dinner ideas! Nothing fancy, just keeping it real.

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Tex-Mex Tofu Scramble Recipe

Author: Pamela, adapted from "True Food," by Andrew Weil

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 14-ounce containers extra-firm tofu (I like Wildwood Organics), crumbled
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (gives the scramble a yellow color)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
Suggested accompaniments: sprouted or whole grain tortillas, sliced avocado or guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced scallions

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the tofu, yeast flakes, salt, cumin, turmeric and black pepper.
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and sauté until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the tofu mixture. Mix until well combined. You can do all of this the night before and keep refrigerated.
Cook the tofu scramble until heated through and slightly golden brown. Fold in the tomato.
Serve warm with desired accompaniments or rolled up in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito.