Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Cranberry-lemon oven pancake

Hello lovelies!

We're snowed in here today, and you might be too. Today I offer a recipe that is easy, flexible, and you probably have everything you need on hand already.

It may seem that all I eat these days is egg-based dishes, and while that's not entirely accurate, I do love me some eggs. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner - eggs are easy, fast, and if you buy eggs from pasture-raised chickens from a farmer you trust, they couldn't be better for you. Plus, some days you just can't get to the farmers market or grocery store, and you want something easy you can make out of what you have on hand.

One problem with egg-based dishes is they don't photograph very well, so I don't have pictures today but I promise, in real life, my dinner is gorgeous and delicious.

I've posted about similar easy oven pancakes before, but I just can't say enough about how yummy and easy this is. Enjoy!

Preheat your oven to 385 with your cast iron skillet inside. (I know, it's a weird temperature. You can go a little bit in either direction, but I have found I get the best results right here. It's not rocket science; play with it.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 or 4 eggs, a splash of water, a couple spoons of arrowroot starch (feel free to use all-purpose flour if you tolerate gluten), a pinch of salt, and seasoning of choice - I used a shake of nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract today. (If I'd had an organic lemon on hand, I'd have zested it in, but I had to settle for getting my lemon fix from a jar of lemon curd. One day I'll show you how to make lemon curd, but really, bought curd is pretty delicious too.) You can add cooked vegetables and herbs, or raw or cooked fruit. Today I added about a cup and a half of raw cranberries from the freezer.

Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add a good spoonful of coconut oil or whatever high heat fat you like. Swirl it around the pan, then pour in the batter. Pop it back in the oven and set the timer for twenty minutes.

If it looks about done, then it's done. Not a precise science over here. If it's too jiggly, give it another 2 - 5 minutes. Denser veggies take longer. Light fruits are faster. Heat your fillings up and it will be even faster. Keep a super close eye if you use really sweet fruits like ripe bananas.

Let it rest for a couple minutes, then flip out onto your plate. Remember, the handle of your skillet is HOT! Don't lick it.

Eat as is, or add some honey, maple, jam, or whatever you like. Today I've got a light sprinkle of maple sugar and a spoonful of lemon curd. Hey, I ate lots of veggies earlier! Sometimes it's okay to have fruits for dinner. Savory breakfast, sweet dinner - it's all good. If you didn't have enough veggies earlier in your day, throw some in a savory pancake, or start your meal with a crunchy green salad.

So good, so easy, and cleanup is next to nothing. It's the perfect meal!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Delicious Cherry Smoothie for Joint Support, Immune Support, and Arthritis

Good morning!

Time to yawn, stretch, and prepare for the day.

But what if that morning stretch is hard? What if arthritis means your morning is full of achy soreness, stiffness, and pain?

There are many ways to approach arthritis and other kinds of body pain. Yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness practices can help a lot. Moderate exercise has been shown to help manage the stiffness. I can't currently do some of the things I used to, but I hope to do them all again soon. Even on really tough days, I try to do at least a half hour of yoga. There's a lot of creaking, but it helps.

Acupuntcure is helpful for a lot of people. There are herbs and other supplements you can take to help keep your body moving. There are lots of foods that help. Many people find NSAIDs and steroids helpful, but there are potential side effects to consider, especially with long term use.

I'm not your doctor. I'm not here to judge the combination of treatments you choose. What I do have is a delicious recipe to start your day off well. The ingredients in this smoothie work together to support your joint health, and they're delicious!

CHERRY SMOOTHIE

Cashew milk  or other milk or yogurt of choice
Lemon, peeled with a knife or juiced
Cherries, pitted (frozen or fresh)
Blueberries (frozen or fresh)
Ripe banana (frozen or fresh) or a spoonful or raw, local honey to taste
Romaine or spinach
Water

First, make your cashew milk. It's easy - blend cashews with a little water until smooth. That's it! Save some in a jar for other uses if you like. Using only a tiny bit of water makes a thick creme. More water makes a thin milk. You don't have to strain cashew milk; just blend and go.

Blend your fruits with your cashew milk. Add a little water as necessary. Add greens and blend until completely smooth. If you're not feeling the greens this morning, it's actually okay to skip them. There are no smoothie police to make sure every single one is green. Yes, the leafy veggies are oh-so-good for you, but even without greens, this smoothie will be super nourishing.

Optional but recommended: stir in a spoonful of fish oil, or take some on the side. Alternatively, you may choose to take a vitamin D supplement, preferably D3 suspended in olive oil.

So why these ingredients? Well, cashews are super creamy and delicious, and lend body and good fat to help you absorb all the other good stuff in the smoothie. Cashews make it taste a little more like cherry cheesecake, but you can use coconut milk or a bit of avocado instead if you prefer. Cherries and blueberries are both rich in phytochemicals that decrease inflammation. Blueberries are incredibly rich in antioxidants. Cherries have been shown to help with many kinds of arthritis and pain, especially gouty arthritis. Lemon boosts the smoothie's vitamin C content even higher. Vitamin C supports the health of connective tissue in and around joints, as well as the fascia surrounding muscles. It also helps you absorb the iron and other minerals in the greens.

Spinach and romaine are both excellent greens for overall health, especially for decreasing inflammation. Bananas are delicious and sweeten up your smoothie, countering the tartness of the berries and the bitterness of the greens. They're also rich in vitamins and minerals. Raw local honey is  great for immune support, allergies, and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D in fish oil have been shown to support joint health and overall health. And again, that little dose of good fat will help you absorb all the goodness that's locked away in the fruits and veggies.

So sip that smoothie, relax, and enjoy. Then go for a walk in the sunshine, take a yoga class, and stretch it out! It may be hard to get started, but your body will thank you afterward.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Simple grain-free waffles!

Good morning!

These waffles got gobbled up completely before I got a picture. Oh noes! Next time I will remember to take out the camera.

But right now, I have to share this with you!

I've been working on this recipe for a little while, and now it is perfect! It's based on the 2 ingredient pancakes you've probably seen floating around the last few years. (No? The basic proportions out there are volumetrically approximately equal amounts of ripe banana and egg - about 1 large banana to 2 eggs, or about 1/2 cup each. There are lots of potential additions and variations out there, and huge flexibility. Directions: Blend egg and banana together. Add optional flavorings and add-ins. Heat and oil griddle. Make pancakes.)

Since we reintroduced eggs into our diet, I've wanted to make this recipe into waffles. Why? Because I have a waffle iron, and I like waffles!

I tried with just banana and egg (plus cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt). Delicious, but I wanted them to hold together a little better. I tried adding cocoa powder. I tried adding baking powder. I tried adding almond flour. I tried adding arrowroot starch. I tried separating the eggs, and I tried not separating the eggs.

The verdict? Almond flour and arrowroot starch are both excellent additions. Separating the eggs is unnecessary, and maybe even makes the waffles a little dry. Baking powder is unnecessary, at least in a non-Belgian-style waffle iron. Cocoa powder tastes great in the raw batter, but loses something when baked - needs a little more experimentation. I haven't tried arrowroot and cocoa together; that might work really well.

I loved the flavor and light texture with almond flour. They held together better than without it, but they still didn't hold together as well as I'd like. This morning's arrowroot experiment was perfect! Delicious, light, sturdier than the other variations. You guys, the finished waffle even has some stretch to it. Stretch! It comes out of the iron easily, even when lightly baked. It's a win.

Next time, I might try a little almond flour and a little arrowroot starch. Yum! That might be getting a little too far away from the simplicity of the original, though. Still, worth trying.

INGREDIENTS:

1 banana
3 eggs
pinch sea salt
Optional: good shake of cinnamon, splash of vanilla, some pumpkin pie spice, whatever spices you like
1-2 T arrowroot starch, a.k.a. arrowroot powder a.k.a. arrowroot flour (if you don't tolerate starches or you're avoiding them at the moment, try almond flour)
refined coconut oil for your iron

Optional toppings: great plain, or with virgin coconut oil, dark chocolate chips, almond butter, homemade rawtella, fruit, whipped cream, whipped coconut cream, whatever you like! They're slightly sweet, and don't need syrup; but if you love maple, I am not stopping you!

Directions: Oil and preheat your iron. Put banana, egg, and seasonings in food processor. Mix thoroughly, till smooth and light. Add arrowroot starch, and mix again. If you don't have a food processor, whisk eggs thoroughly, until light and fluffy. Separately, mash bananas thoroughly with seasonings. Add bananas and starch or flour to eggs and mix completely.

Bake waffles in iron to desired level of doneness. Re-oil between batches. Enjoy with desired toppings.

That's it!

I encourage playing with the recipe. The only part that I think is not optional is keeping the iron properly oiled. When I went more than two waffles between re-oiling, they stuck and split.

My waffle iron is not Belgian-style, but rather the less-tall sort. I want a Belgian-style iron, and someday when I get one I will try these in it! If you try these in a Belgian-style iron, please leave a comment and let me know how it goes. Did you need to add a pinch of baking soda, or did you separate your eggs?

This recipe is ovo-vegetarian, gluten free, grain free, healthy, real food, paleo, high protein, moderate carb, filling, and delicious!
 
All the ingredients in this recipe are Whole30 compliant, but if waffles and other baked-style breakfast items are a trigger food for you, then waffles in general are not Whole30.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Holiday Treats! Pi Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and Passover are all upon us!




Oh my goodness, Easter and Passover are right around the corner! I've been working on some chocolate treats and other holiday deliciousness, and I'll tell you about them very soon. (It is not too early to start thinking about a plague of chocolate mint frogs for Passover, or raspberry-filled zombie chocolate bunnies for Easter. A variety of chocolate treats will be available regularly, and sold by weight.)

But first, Pi Day and St. Patrick's Day! NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT ORDERING FOR PI DAY AND ST. PADDY'S DAY! What? Ordering? Yup, I'm reviving orders and deliveries for the holidays, because I love cooking for you and I miss you! Plus I'm always happy to come cook for you and your family for a fantastic holiday or anytime! (I'm already booked for the first night of Passover and for Good Friday, but I have some other dates free. Please email me if you are interested in any menu for any date at all, and we'll talk!)

I'll be doing plenty of gluten free, real food, delicious, homemade awesome food for all those holidays. Most items will be vegan, and others will be non-vegan. All will be made with care and attention to your family's specific needs. As always, I avoid all gluten ingredients, all soy, peanut, GMOs, and weird stuff. Keeping your food delicious and safe is the top priority!


A Vegan Cottage Pie Begins

Gluten Free, Vegan Pot Pie
Sweet Potato and Local Beef Cottage Pie
For Pi Day, which is really soon, on Thursday, 3/14, I'll do a pie theme! I can do a vegan vegetable pot pie or a non-vegan, dairy-free chicken pot pie. Either way, it will be topped with a gluten free crust, similar to the one I did last year. I'll also do variations on shepherd's pie and cottage pie - I'm leaning toward a ground lamb filling with a mashed squash topping, and maybe a turkey one with a sweet potato topping, but we can figure it all out together based on customer interest. I'll pack these savory pies in recyclable foil pans so you can reheat easily - just pop them in the oven.

I will also do some sweet pies, of course! Last year's gluten free vegan pecan pie was amazing, and I'll definitely reprise that. I've also been working on a raw vegan avocado lime pie that I'm pretty excited about, and a banana cream pie with coconut custard. Yum!
This is the best pecan pie ever. Ever!

For St. Patrick's Day, which is next Sunday the 17th, I will make you delicious gluten free, vegan Irish soda bread. Remember how yummy that was last year? I miss it, and I want to make it for you again. It was so darn good. I'll also make colcannon: mashed potatoes with kale and general yumminess (can be made vegan with olive oil, or with dairy butter) AND I'll do a cabbage side - with or without bacon. If there's enough interest, I might do corned beef brisket too. If you're interested, please email me soon so we can plan! Write to me any time at rathercraftymary@gmail.com

Looking forward to cooking for you all soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Raw vegan hemp and veggies salad

Good morning!

This morning, I have a fantastic breakfast, lunch, dinner, side, or anytime dish for you. Again, there will be no awards for the photos; I was so hungry I ate most of it before remembering to take pictures. Oops!

Just trust me, this is awesome.

I woke up this morning tired of all the animal protein. On Whole30, the guidelines require a dense source of protein at every meal, alongside lots of healthy veggies. Well, I just wanted veggies, veggies, and just more veggies. So how to get some essential amino acids and healthy fats into my balanced breakfast? Hemp seeds to the rescue!

Like all salads, this one is endlessly customizable. Use what you like! Want it 100% raw? Skip the roasted beets. Is it summer where you are? Add tomatoes instead of the beets. Want more carbs to fuel a heavy cardio day? Add more carrots, some leftover roasted squash or sweet potato, orange or tangerine sections, or some fresh or dried apples. Need more protein to recover from an intense strength training session? Add some walnuts, shrimp, tuna, or egg. Need more fat to fuel a long day? Use the whole avocado. Have different salad greens kicking around? Switch them up. Kale would be awesome. Frisee would be wonderful, especially if you top the salad with some egg. Use what you have and like best. Enjoy!

RAW VEGAN HEMP AND VEGGIES SALAD

Serves 1 as a light meal, or 2 as a side

INGREDIENTS

1/3 to 1/2 an avocado
2 T dulse seaweed flakes (if you can't find dulse, try crumbled nori)
A couple glugs raw apple cider vinegar, to taste
Pinch sea salt, to taste
1 large heart or small full head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 large or 2 smaller carrots, chopped small or shredded
1 leftover roasted beet, cubed
2 T shelled hemp seeds

METHOD

Mash the avocado, dulse, vinegar, and salt together in the bottom of your big mixing bowl. Add lettuce, carrot, beet, and hemp seeds. Toss to coat really well. Season to taste, and dive in!


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Vegetarian cottage pie

Remember yesterday how I mentioned you can make cottage pie with almost any combination of veggies? Really, the only requirement is that there be something yummy topped with something else yummy, and the top yumminess is some kind of vegetable mash or puree.

You can use leftover or freshly made mashers, over leftover shredded or pulled or minced whatever. Yesterday for breakfast, I used lovely local sweet potatoes over ground beef with carrots and parsnips.

Then at work, I made something similar but completely vegetarian.


I roasted a bunch of different veggies separately, then combined them. The veggies were seasoned with paprika and sea salt in roasting, then sprinkled with marjoram when I combined them all together.

I topped with a mash of white sweet potato, and gave it the peanut butter cookie treatment with the back of a fork to make it beautiful.

Sprinkled with paprika, and voila! Vegetarian (easily vegan) cottage pie! Take it home, pop it in the oven until hot, and dig in!

Make topping first: White sweet potato, cooked, peeled, mashed with butter, a splash of veg broth, and a sprinkling of sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Inside:

Veggies roasted until golden and delicious with sea salt, paprika, and oil/butter/fat of choice
Sprinkling of marjoram
Suggested veggies:
Carrots
Potatoes (If you're not doing Whole30)
White sweet potatoes
Watermelon radishes
Parsnips
Turnips
Onions

Just roast off the veggies individually. I do them individually because each veggie takes a slightly different amount of time to become perfectly done. Combine in baking dish and adjust seasoning. Top with mash, make it pretty, and bake till hot. Instant veggie dish! Great with everything, including salads, egg dishes, meat dishes, and beans if you happen to tolerate them.

Enjoy!

Love,
Chef Mary