Pure Thyme

For a Balanced Life

Giveaway! Chef AJ’s Unprocessed Cookbook

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Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nachos

 

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I recently had the pleasure of receiving three cookbooks to host my first giveaways, which is something I’ve never done here before. Life has been hectic and these giveaways have been on the back burner. But, finally after much delay, I’m starting with Chef AJ’s cookbook Unprocessed, and what a great place to begin.

The cookbook not only has pages of amazing recipes, but it also details her personal story and how diet and nutrition can reverse and cure disease. It’s all about obtaining your ideal weight while creating easy, healthy and delicious recipes. This has been my main goal since I started this blog and I know it’s the goal of many. We want to eat healthy, but we also want recipes that won’t make us feel we are missing out on anything, me included. Well, that’s what you get with this cookbook. Chef AJ knows how to make incredibly tasty food and still make it healthy. Here’s a peek at some of the recipes you will find. How does Banana-Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Torte sound or Perfect Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms – oil-free and amazing. I have tried several of her recipes and have yet not been disappointed. Chef AJ’s Unprocessed is a great addition to any bookshelf.

Out of all the irresistible recipes I could have chosen to share for this giveaway, I decided to share Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nacho recipe. A very simple recipe to make, but my family loves nachos and the thought of sweet and spicy – a combination I can’t resist – was extremely appealing to me and I just had to try it. This recipe was easy to make and had all the flavors I love. My family pretty much licked the plate clean and I won’t hold it against you if you do the same – go for it. =)

Only recommendation that I have is to keep a close eye on the sweet potatoes so they don’t burn. Oven temperature and times vary as we all know so take that into consideration. These baked amazingly well on my non-stick baking mat and is a great investment if you don’t already have one. I highly recommend purchasing, it will save your trays and you money in the long run. =)

Printable Version

Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nachos

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes (one per person)

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut sweet potato in uniform slices, approximately 1/4″. Place on Silpat or non-stick baking sheet and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and bake for another 10-15 minutes until done. These are “the chip” part of your nachos.

Assembly:

Place several sweet potato “chips” on a plate and fully load them with oil-free refried beans, chopped tomato, corn, cilantro, onion, olives, jalapeño peppers or anything you would normally enjoy on your nachos.

Chef’s Note: I like to create a “nacho bar” and let guests build their own nachos. If you use organic sweet potatoes there is no need to peel. Lots of fiber and nutrients in the skin.

* I topped our nachos with pan-toasted black beans, fresh salsa, jalapeño pepper slices (only for the adults), green olives, cilantro, some Daiya, drizzled with some fresh lime juice. The results were fantastic. =)

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

One lucky reader will win Chef AJ’s cookbook Unprocessed.

To enter the contest, leave a comment telling me what recipes or something new you would like to see on Virtually Vegan Mama. Don’t forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you win. =)

BONUS ENTRIES

You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count.

  • Subscribe to Virtually Vegan Mama
  • Like Virtually Vegan Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
  • Follow Virtually Vegan Mama (@virtveganmama) on Twitter
  • Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win Chef AJ’s cookbook from @virtveganmama”
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook Page and tell me that you did so in the comments section
  • Stumble this giveaway
  • Pin it

****This Giveaway is now closed****

All entries must be completed no later than Monday, February 27th 2012,  at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 28th 2012, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Good Luck!!!

xoxo,

Jen

My Vegan Thanksgiving Menu and Recipe Round-Up

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This is what’s on the menu for Thanksgiving at my house and I am proud to announce it will be my first Vegan Thanksgiving. I am really excited about this and can’t wait to see what my family thinks. This is a pretty traditional Thanksgiving sans Turkey, butter, oil and low-sodium of course. There are some major carbs here, but I have requests to deal with and I’m thankful enough I get to make it vegan!! lol =)

Here’s my Vegan Thanksgiving Menu:

Vegetable Wellington with Mushroom Gravy

Baby Spinach Salad with Shaved Apples and Cranberries – Apple Cider Dressing

Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Smoke Apple Sage Sausage and Almonds – still vegan!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots

Mashed Potatoes with Fresh Chives

Cranberry Orange Date Sauce

Pecan Pie

If I could make this twice and post it for you today I would, but that’s impossible isn’t it? Unless I was Wonder Woman, but alas I’m not =).

What I can do for you, is give you some AMAZING recipes from some fantastic blogger friends from around the web.

The Ultimate Thanksgiving recipe inspiration is just one more sentence away.

I hope you enjoy, I know I am salivating just looking at these photos!

Quinoa with Roasted Grapes and Brussel Sprouts

brusselsprouts
Photo and Recipe courtesy of the beautiful Junia over at Mis Pesamientos and you can find this wonderful recipe, along with many others HERE

Dried Fruit and Toasted Nut Stuffing and Easy Sweet Potato Puree with Maple Syrup

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Who can have Thanksgiving without stuffing and sweet potatoes are always a welcome staple. Photo and Recipe courtesy of Jesse over at The Happy Go Lucky Vegan and you can find all her fabulous recipes HERE.

Healthier Sweet Potato and Apple Mash

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This healthy and amazing Photo and Recipe courtesy of Badger Girl Learns to Cook. For the recipe and more cooking inspiration click HERE.

Roasted Parsnips with Cranberries and Orange

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Thanks to Jessica over at Oh Cake for sharing this colorful photo and recipe for you to enjoy. You can find this and many more recipes HERE.

Michael’s Maple Cranberry Sauce with Toasted Walnuts

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Is this absolutely gorgeous or what? I am definitely craving cranberry sauce right now. Thanks to Ann from Sumptious Spoonfuls for sharing this photo and recipe. Check out this recipe and more HERE.

Pumpkin Hummus

pumhummus

What are great idea for a fall-inspired appetizer. This is one I am definitely going to have to try. Thanks Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack for sharing your photo and recipe with us. You can find this amazing recipe and many more HERE.

Fluffy White Dinner Rolls

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All I can say is *YUM* for this awesome vegan dinner roll recipe from Richa at Hobby and More. Check out this and other fabulous recipes HERE.

POM Perfect Thanksgiving Appetizer: Muhummara

 

Muhummara

This looks so fresh, delicious and absolutely wonderful. Thank you Kathy from The Colors of Indian Cooking for letting me share your photo and recipe. Get the recipe HERE.

Cranberry Salsa

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Never would have thought to make a Cranberry Salsa. What an inventive recipe from Linda at Savoring Every Bite. Thanks for sharing this beautiful photo and recipe. Get the recipe HERE.

Thanks to everyone for sharing these wonderful recipes. I might have to change my menu and make some of these instead.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

xoxo,

Jen

Vegan Spinach Dip

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ogpspinachdip

Who doesn’t love spinach dip? It’s the perfect appetizer for any occasion, any time of year. Served with crudités of choice it’s abundant in antioxidants and sure to please any palate.

Vegan Spinach Dip
 

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Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer

Ingredients
  • 1 (16 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dried
  • ½ cup shredded carrots
  • 1 (12 oz) container Tofutti Sour Supreme Non-Hydrogenated
  • 1 cup Earth Balance Mindful Mayo
  • 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Salt-free Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • ½ tsp garlic granules
  • ½ tsp celery seed
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • Crudités (vegetables of choice)

Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients and chill in refrigerator for two hours. Serve with crudités.

Is this the shortest blog post ever? Why, yes it is! This dip just rocks, what more can I say about it? 😉

This recipe was originally featured over at One Green Planet and is on Earth Balances Top Vegan Recipes List of 2013.

xoxo,

Jen

Asian Baked Tofu

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Occasionally I enjoy eating tofu – I REALLY have to be in the mood for it though – and I only like it marinated and baked until it’s super crispy and firm. Tofu sauces – BLECH – tofu desserts – DOUBLE BLECH BLECH – maybe I will experiment with desserts again, but for now here is my favorite way to enjoy tofu.

This is my go-to marinade for baking tofu because I love to have it in a stir-fry with whatever vegetables I have on hand over some rice noodles or brown rice. This is also great thrown in a salad with a nice spicy peanut dressing or served with a dipping sauce. Go ahead, just eat it straight out of the oven, allowing it to cool slighty so you don’t burn your little tongue of course.  =) My family gobbles it up right away after I take it out of the oven before I can even make my beloved stir-fry – so make a double portion if you think this might happen at your house. It actually doesn’t seem like that much tofu anyway after it’s baked, so make the double batch and eat it all the ways I suggested because you are going to love this recipe.

I don’t press my tofu, but I guess you can if you want. Pressing tofu allows it to soak up more flavor. I’ve found by marinating my tofu overnight it soaks up plenty of flavor, so I skip the pressing part. I bake it at a high enough temp and long enough that it is the perfect texture for me – crispy, crispy, crispy!

Printable Recipe

Asian Baked Tofu

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (14) oz container extra firm tofu

2 tbsp Bragg Liquid Amino

1/3 cup brown rice vinegar

½ lime, juiced

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp date syrup, Organics are for Everyone, or maple syrup (optional)

3/4 cup vegetable stock

Pinch black pepper

Directions:

Cut tofu into equal sized cubes or desired shape of choice. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together Braggs, brown rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger, garlic, date syrup, vegetable stock and black pepper.

Transfer tofu cubes to a casserole dish and pour marinade over tofu. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning once halfway through.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a non-stick baking
tray with cooking spray. You can also line a baking tray with parchment or a
baking mat.

Bake tofu for 30-40 minutes, turning once.

 

Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite ways to eat tofu?

Do you have a must try recipe using tofu in a sauce or dessert?

Vegan Broccoli Salad

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Summer Fest is officially over and what a great way to end it with broccoli. The health benefits of broccoli are never-ending. Broccoli contains high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, fiber and potassium. Broccoli aids in detoxification, has anti-inflammatory benefits and has anti-cancer nutrients. Broccoli is also easy to find and extremely versatile – I use it almost daily at my house.

Broccoli might be a dreaded addition to your meals at home, but is loved at mine. I have served it to my children since they could eat it and they love it. If your kids don’t like it I suggest continuing to put it on their plate and experiment with different recipes – I bet your children will love it eventually too. My daughter wouldn’t eat salad and I kept putting it on her plate and trying different dressings – she loves a homemade raspberry dressing I make. It took some time, but now she loves salad and asks for it daily. My 18 month old is starting to love salad too! Keep trying and don’t give up! =)

My mother-in-law serves a similar broccoli salad for guests and is one of my favorite things she makes. I decided to recreate a vegan version and cut down on the amount of mayo by blending an avocado to make the dressing. The avocado adds some good fats and so many nutritional benefits that mayo cannot offer – it was a good choice for this recipe. The recipe does contain a small amount of soy-free vegan mayo for the traditional flavor of the broccoli salad I love.

Next time, I would add fresh cut-up grapes instead of raisins and some cut-up apple to this salad. You an also substitute the sunflower seeds with your nut of choice – walnuts would be great – or leave the nuts out all together to decrease the fat or if you have an allergy. Also, I used Dr. F’s vinegar, but you can use all apple cider or if you think something else would work try that.

broccolisalad1

Summer Fest: Vegan Broccoli Salad
 

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Author:
Recipe type: Side

Ingredients
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp date syrup or pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dr. Fuhrman’s Riesling Raisin Vinegar or other sweet vinegar
  • ½ tsp minced garlic
  • ½ cup unsweetened non dairy milk of choice
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into bit-sized pieces
  • ½ cup shredded carrot
  • ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
  1. In a blender or food processor, add avocado, mayonnaise, date or maple syrup, lemon juice, vinegars, garlic, and non-dairy milk and blend until smooth.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, carrots, red onion, raisins, and sunflower seeds. Add dressing to bowl and toss until well coated. Season with freshly ground black pepper and chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

 

My leftovers kept nicely in the fridge for two days so far, still munching on this delish dish! (after that you’re probably pushing it because of the avocado)

Enjoy!

 

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Check out these other great recipes for Summer Fest featuring broccoli:

 

*I received a free coupon from Earth Balance to try out their new Mindful Mayo in some of my recipes. =)

Green Power Smoothie

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In the mood for a new green smoothie? I know we were at my house this week and this is what I came up with.

This smoothie is nutrient-rich and delicious. Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients including iron, beta-carotene and vitamin C that fights heart disease and provides anti-cancer benefits. Cucumbers provide us with valuable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits as well. Coconut water is full of potassium and electrolytes which makes this the perfect after-workout smoothie. I have it right after my morning run and it gives me the boost and energy I need to keep me going for the rest of the day chasing around two small kids. =)

We are loving this smoothie and will be drinking it every morning this week. Enjoy and let me know how much you love it too. =)

Green Power Smoothie

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups baby spinach, washed

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 banana

1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy vanilla milk of choice

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 cup 100% pure coconut water

2 tbsp flax, hemp or chia seeds

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth and serve.

Dont’ forget to check out my article which was published on Wednesday, September 7th in print and online here Jackson Sun including an interview and featured recipes. Very exciting for me and I can’t wait to get the print version! =)

Have an amazing day folks!

 

Portobello Wellington

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Portobello Wellington
with Shiitake Duxelle, Vanilla Glazed Baby Carrots and Roasted Red Potatoes
Portobello Wellington with Shiitake Duxelle, Vanilla Glazed Baby Carrots and Roasted Red Potatoes
It was finally time to plan out a Vegan Dinner Menu to show all you doubters out there – you know who you are – that gourmet vegan is not only possible , but can stand up to its non-vegan counterparts. This recipe is only the beginning – I have so many recipes swimming through my head.  I even got someone who would never eat a mushroom to devour this – literally lick their plate clean – you know you have done it when that happens. This meal could not have come out any better and was well worth the planning and preparation. My old friend Beef Wellington can take a back seat to my new vegan version. Say hello to Portobello Wellington!
This dish is earthy, naturally sweet and full of flavor. Make this for your next dinner party and you will be sure to impress your friends.
Thank you to Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Beef Wellington recipe for baking times and duxelle inspiration.
This recipe is pretty easy to make as you can see.
Blend up your ingredients for the duxelles…
duxelle

Add the mixture to a large sauté pan with a small amount of butter and veggie stock and cook for 10 minutes…

duxellepan

Slice your pastry into four equal parts…
pastry

Using a spoon, cover each mushroom with a layer of the duxelles…

stuffinf

Place a mushroom in center of each pastry sheet, cavity side up…

stuffing2

Fold pastry around the mushrooms and enclose entirely, press down lightly with fingers to make sure it is sealed tight.

wrapped

Place mushrooms, with folded side down, on baking tray lined with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat…

 glazed

Bake mushrooms in oven until pastry is golden brown for 20-25 minutes…

 baked

Serve with roasted red potatoes, glazed baby carrots and drizzle with red wine reduction…

5.0 from 2 reviews

Portobello Wellington with Shiitake Duxelle, Vanilla Glazed Baby Carrots and Roasted Red Potatoes
 

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This dish is earthy, naturally sweet and full of flavor. Make this for your next dinner party and you will be sure to impress your friends.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 4 Portobello mushrooms
  • 1 sheet vegan puff pastry (Aussie Bakery All Natural Puff Pastry Sheets)
  • 3½ ounce(s) of shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 cup(s) of white button mushrooms
  • 2 cup(s) of baby spinach
  • 3 small shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, stemmed
  • 6 red potatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp. of minced fresh parsley
  • 8 ounce(s) of baby carrots
  • ½ cup(s) of red wine
  • 1¾ cup(s) of no salt added vegetable stock
  • 3 tsp. of vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp. of date syrup
  • ¼ tsp. of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. of olive oil

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. For the Red Wine Sauce: Combine ½ cup red wine and 1 cup vegetable stock in small saucepan. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp date syrup and set aside. Reheat on low right before serving and drizzle over Wellington’s.
  3. For the Roasted Red Potatoes: Combine potatoes, olive oil, ¼ cup vegetable stock, fresh parsley and black pepper in a small Pyrex or roasting pan and toss to coat potatoes. Roast 40 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add extra vegetable stock if needed and stir occasionally to prevent sticking/burning.
  4. For the Duxelles: Add spinach, shiitake, button mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and tarragon to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 2 tsp. Earth Balance Butter to a large sauté pan and set over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture, ¼ cup vegetable stock and sauté for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with a pinch of black pepper and set aside to cool.
  5. For the Glazed Baby Carrots: Combine 1 tbsp date syrup, vanilla and ⅓ cup vegetable stock in small bowl, stir to combine. Melt 1 tsp. Earth Balance butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add carrots and sauce; simmer on medium heat until carrots are cooked through about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with more vegetable stock if needed.
  6. For the Portobello Mushrooms: Gently scrap gills from Portobello mushrooms with a spoon. Place mushrooms on baking tray lined with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, set aside. Cut pastry sheet into 4 equal parts.Using a spoon, cover each mushroom with a layer of duxelles (make sure to fill the back cavity of the mushroom with the duxelles).
  7. Place a mushroom in center of each pastry sheet, cavity side up. Fold pastry around the mushrooms and enclose entirely, press down lightly with fingers to make sure it is sealed completely.Place mushrooms, with folded side down, on baking tray lined with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat. Bake mushrooms in 400 degree oven until pastry is golden brown for 20-25 minutes.

You can serve this with any sides of  your choosing. Any way you choose this recipe will be a hit for sure!

xoxo,

Jennifer

Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Cookies
This healthy and delicious cookie post was inspired by my neighbor’s son who has a nut allergy. The one thing he can eat and does use often is sunflower seed butter. I had never used sunflower seed butter before in baking, I usually opt for cashew, almond or peanut butter for my granola bars or cookies. I purchased SunButter at my local Whole Foods and after dipping my spoon into the jar for a taste test, I was hooked. Sunflower seed butter is naturally sweet, creamy and has a subtle nutty flavor that made me asking myself why I waited so long to try it.
Sunbutter Cookies Batter
What’s so great about sunflower seed butter? It’s peanut-free, tree-nut free, and gluten-free, so it’s great for people with these types of food allergies. It also has 1/3 less saturated fat than peanut butter and 27 percent of your daily recommended allowance of Vitamin E in one serving, and it’s high in iron, fiber and protein. The SunButter brand is also sugar and salt-free which is an added plus.
The first time I made these I was blown away by how delicious these cookies were. My kids kept coming back for more. I brought them over to my neighbors for a taste test and before I knew it the plate was almost empty. I hid the last three to see how the cookies would taste the next day, and you won’t believe what happened? They turned slightly green on the inside. I quickly opened SunButter’s FAQ questions and this is what I found. The chlorogenic acid (chlorophyll) in sunflower seeds will react with the baking soda/powder when baked causing the product to turn green when cooled. This isn’t a bad thing at all and what makes sunflower seeds so good for you, just a little strange.  SunButter recommends adding some lemon juice or reducing the amount of baking soda/powder in the recipe. I made these again and added 1 tbsp of lemon juice to the recipe and this reduced the green color. I am going to make them again and reduce the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. I don’t even mind the green color and I love the flavor of sunflower seed butter. I cannot wait to try it out in other recipes.
Sunbutter Cookies Tray
Anyone use sunflower seed butter before in baking? Please share some of your experiences.
I also added some unsweetened vegan carob chips to the cookies and I’m so glad I did. If you haven’t tried carob chips or carob powder in your recipes I highly recommend trying it, just make sure they are unsweetened. Carob is a great substitute for chocolate (especially if you have a chocolate allergy) and it has about one-third of the calories of chocolate and is low in fat. Carob chips do not taste like chocolate, they are slightly nutty, sweet and completely irresistible. I love the way they melt too.
Sunbutter Cookies Cooked
 Have you used carob chips or powder before? Do you like it?
Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Cookies (vegan, gluten-free)
 

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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24 cookies

Ingredients
  • 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ cup date sugar or light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • ⅓ cup sunflower seed butter
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer plus 4 tbsp warm water
  • ⅓ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened vegan carob chips or vegan chocolate chips

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with either parchment paper, a nonstick baking mat or lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, date sugar (or light brown sugar if you are using that), cinnamon and sea salt.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the apple sauce, sunflower seed butter, vanilla, lemon juice and egg replacer. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine completely. Fold in raisins and carob chips. Place 1 tablespoon of batter, spacing cookies 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten a little.
  4. Bake at 350° for 15-25 minutes (15 minutes for a chewy cookie and 25 minutes for a crisper one). Remove from the oven and cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container.

 
Enjoy!
Jennifer

Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Clusters

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Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Clusters
oatmealmuffins

Flourless, gluten-free granola muffin clusters. These light and healthy clusters boast an irresistible creamy, crunchy sweetness. They will disappear quickly so watch out!
So today I actually decided to clean and organize my pantry…I know what a shocker! I am constantly grabbing things and putting them back in no particular order. I mean, I would like to be more organized about certain things, but this particular feat just gets away from me. You know who likes to do this? My wonderful and amazing husband, Matt. God bless him. He loves to straighten out the pantry and even the refrigerator. Are you saying ‘Whoa’ yet?! I know…I know…I love him too. We seriously balance each other out in so many ways and this is just a small area that most people wouldn’t even mention. For me this little thing he likes to do means so much to me. I feel I just have to tell the world…aaaahhh….thank you my love!
So what I found today, in the abyss I call my pantry, was a package of Turkish Apricots I bought at Whole Foods a while back. Oh, a little light-bulb went off and even though I’ve been stuck on date paste as my sugar alternative, I found myself making apricot paste.  I love my date paste, but why not expand and make all kinds of fruit pastes.
Yeah…superb idea!
Apricots are good for you too. They are rich in iron, potassium, vitamin A and fiber and the Turkish apricot is supposed to be the sweetest, tastiest of all the world’s apricots. I will have to make a different kind to test this and let you know. The apricot paste came out delicious and I was excited to test it out in this recipe and many others.
We are in desperate need of new granola snacks this week. They sure go quickly around here and I wanted something a little different. Since I am big into throwing quinoa into a lot of my recipes, here we go again and why not? It’s the Mother Grain and I love it.
I thought Quinoa Apricot Clusters sounded like fun. I googled to see if there was anything similar out there and I found these from Martha Stewart. I adapted mine into these cute little mini-cluster things or maybe they are more like flourless oat muffins. Whatever they are, they are REALLY good. I had to get my pictures done quickly because they kept disappearing off the plate!
oatmealmuffins2
Since I can’t decide whether they are muffins or granola clusters, I guess I will call them Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Clusters!
I think I like the sound of that.

Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Clusters
 

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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast

Ingredients
For the Apricot Paste: Makes 1 cup
  • 1 cup of unsweetened dried apricots
  • water for soaking
For the Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Clusters: Makes 24 Muffins
  • ¾ cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup ground mixed nuts of choice (I used almonds, pecans and sunflower)
  • ½ cup raisins or unsweetened dried fruit of your choice (I only had raisins, but would mix different kinds here next time)
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ½ cup apricot paste
  • 2 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tbsp warm water
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions
For the Apricot Paste
  1. Cover apricots with cold water and soak for 4-6 hours.
  2. Remove apricots and reserve water.
  3. Place apricots in blender or food processor. Process until smooth. If needed, adjust consistency with some of the reserved water.
  4. Store the apricot paste in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use as needed.
For the Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Clusters
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray.
  2. Cook quinoa according to package directions, set aside.
  3. Mix together flaxseed meal with warm water and set aside.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together quinoa, oats, mixed nuts, and raisins.
  5. In separate mixing bowl, add almond butter, apricot paste, flaxseed meal, almond milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  6. Fold in dry ingredients and stir well.
  7. Spoon the granola mixture into each muffin cup filling almost to the top. Press mixture down firmly into each cup with the back of a spoon and/or your fingers. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before removing.

 

Enjoy these yummy and good for you treats….they are nutrient-rich and delish!

Are you wondering if I got my pantry organized…not a chance!
Okay, now I’m feeling guilty. I think I will try cleaning the pantry now.
xoxo,
Jen

Quinoa Oatmeal Mini-Muffins

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Today, I decided to try out quinoa flour for the first time. I actually want to experiment with all gluten-free flours so I thought this was a good starting point. I am a HUGE fan of quinoa in general for its nutritional benefits and use it often, but I’ve never made anything out of quinoa flour. Quinoa has a slightly bitter taste, but I love it and most of you probably do as well! There are definitely many recipes out there that use it, but I had to try it out for myself. I modified a recipe I’ve had for a long time for oatmeal muffins by just replacing the whole wheat pastry flour with the quinoa flour.

The end result…the muffins do have a distinct quinoa flavor to them, but are they good? My husband thinks they are fantastic, they are kid-approved, and I kind of like them too. These are a great, healthy snack for kids. Every time I eat one I like them even more…they are growing on me…yep. I definitely need to experiment with quinoa flour some more and maybe mix the quinoa flour with another gluten-free flour like amaranth. I think that is what I will do next time I make these, which will probably be in the next couple days because I will obsess about it until I try it!  

Have you tried quinoa flour? What do you think about it? If you haven’t, try these muffins out and let me know what you think!
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Quinoa Oatmeal Mini-Muffins
Yield: 24 mini-muffins
Ingredients:
1 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tbsp water
1 ¼ cup quinoa flour
1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup date syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped dates
¼ cup chopped pecans
Directions    
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.
Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp water, set aside. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda into mixing bowl.  Add oatmeal and stir to combine. In a separate bowl combine flaxseed meal mixture, almond milk, date syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Fold in dry ingredients and add raisins, dates and pecans.  Mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into muffin pans, filling each one almost to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.
Happy healthy eating!