Okay, okay, if you tell me this is just decorated oatmeal you'd be right - but it is DELICIOUS decorated oatmeal. It's full of protein, fiber and Omega-3's, so it's not only wonderfully good for you, but it keeps you full. Perfect on mornings when you wake up to snow.
1 1/3 c. water
Scant 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. ground flax seed
1 to 2 T. agave nectar
2 T. almond butter
1 t. Sucanat
1/8 c. pecans, crushed
Bring water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add wheat germ and flax seed and cook an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in agave nectar and almond butter.
Pour cereal into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with Sucanat and crushed pecans. Serve with almond or cococnut milk, if desired.
Note: When I make breakfast cereals, I usually only make 1 serving because the kids don't like it. They usually eat dry cereal with milk or bagels for breakfast. Any of my breakfast recipes can be doubled, tripled or more to feed a family.
Showing posts with label Nuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nuts. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 15
Wednesday, November 17
Thai Peanut Pasta
When I was a kid, my family ate spaghetti at least twice a week and sometimes more. The result? Neither my brother or I can stand the sight or smell of spaghetti. Unfortunately, it is my oldest son's favorite dish. We came up with an agreement that I would, on occasion, make spaghetti noodles but I get to pick the sauce. This was a tasty dish that met both our desires.
1 12 oz package whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles (you can substitute rice noodles for a more authentic Thai dish - but you will need to adjust the cooking method accordingly)
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into small florets*
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. hot water
4 T. lime juice
2 T. rice vinegar
4 T. tamari or soy sauce
4 T. minced garlic (use more if you like garlic)
1/2 t. ground ginger
2 scallions, minced
1/4 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 c. bean sprouts
1 16 oz package extra firm tofu (not silken)
Fill a large pot 2/3 full of hot water. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli, cook for 2 minutes, then add spaghetti and boil according to package direction. Stop on the lower end of the cooking range so noodles don't become mush.
Prepare sauce while spaghetti is cooking. Combine peanut butter, hot water, lime juice, rice vinegar, tamari, garlic and ginger in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until peanut butter melts and all ingredients are combined. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. If mixture becomes too thick, add a little water. If mixture is too thin, mix a little cornstarch and cold water and pour into sauce.
When noodles and broccoli are finished cooking, drain water. Place cabbage, green onions and tofu in empty hot pot. Pour noodles and broccoli back in pot, cover securely with lid, and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Add sauce and toss to combine.
Serve immediately. If desired, top with crushed peanuts and garnish with cilantro or parsley and lime wedges.
Variation: If you like your Thai dishes hot, add some crushed red pepper or thai chili to the peanut sauce. The milder the better for me, but if you like the zip this will help.
*Note: I hate waste. I buy the bunches of broccoli rather than the florets because I know I will use the stalks and they won't go to waste. Once you remove the florets, use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin of the stalk. Slice the stalk thinly and cook stalk pieces the same way you would cook the florets.
Note #2: This does not reheat well. I do not recommend planning on leftovers.
1 12 oz package whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles (you can substitute rice noodles for a more authentic Thai dish - but you will need to adjust the cooking method accordingly)
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into small florets*
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. hot water
4 T. lime juice
2 T. rice vinegar
4 T. tamari or soy sauce
4 T. minced garlic (use more if you like garlic)
1/2 t. ground ginger
2 scallions, minced
1/4 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 c. bean sprouts
1 16 oz package extra firm tofu (not silken)
Fill a large pot 2/3 full of hot water. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli, cook for 2 minutes, then add spaghetti and boil according to package direction. Stop on the lower end of the cooking range so noodles don't become mush.
Prepare sauce while spaghetti is cooking. Combine peanut butter, hot water, lime juice, rice vinegar, tamari, garlic and ginger in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until peanut butter melts and all ingredients are combined. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. If mixture becomes too thick, add a little water. If mixture is too thin, mix a little cornstarch and cold water and pour into sauce.
When noodles and broccoli are finished cooking, drain water. Place cabbage, green onions and tofu in empty hot pot. Pour noodles and broccoli back in pot, cover securely with lid, and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Add sauce and toss to combine.
Serve immediately. If desired, top with crushed peanuts and garnish with cilantro or parsley and lime wedges.
Variation: If you like your Thai dishes hot, add some crushed red pepper or thai chili to the peanut sauce. The milder the better for me, but if you like the zip this will help.
*Note: I hate waste. I buy the bunches of broccoli rather than the florets because I know I will use the stalks and they won't go to waste. Once you remove the florets, use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin of the stalk. Slice the stalk thinly and cook stalk pieces the same way you would cook the florets.
Note #2: This does not reheat well. I do not recommend planning on leftovers.
Wednesday, October 27
Cashew Sour "Cream"
I totally have to give props to Vegan Coach and Sassy Knutson for this, although I did tweak her version a little to suit my own personal taste. It's absolutely unbeatable when it comes to something creamy for spreading in a burrito or dalloping on a potato. The cashews are a "healthy fat" so it's super creamy. You really do need a high power blender for this, because it will stay a little too chunky in a regular blender or food processor.
1 1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. raw apple cider vinegar
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. Real Salt
1 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. white or yellow miso
1 t. olive oil
Soak cashews in very hot water for at least 30 minutes. Use enough hot water to completely cover the nuts, keeping in mind they will expand slightly as they soak. Drain, but reserve water and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a blender. Add a small amount of the reserved soaking water (a tablespoon or so) and process, on very high speed (I used speed 9 in my BlendTec), for about 15 seconds. Stop and scrape sides. If mixture is too thick while processing, add a little more water at a time until it will process easily. Taste mixture, adding additional salt, vinegar or lemon juice if needed. Continue processing, 15 seconds at a time and scraping sides of blender in between, until all nuts are blended and mixture is creamy. Keep in mind you want the final consistency to be like sour cream. It takes some work, so be patient!
Makes about 1 cup of sour cream. If you're not using it all right away, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.
1 1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. raw apple cider vinegar
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. Real Salt
1 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. white or yellow miso
1 t. olive oil
Soak cashews in very hot water for at least 30 minutes. Use enough hot water to completely cover the nuts, keeping in mind they will expand slightly as they soak. Drain, but reserve water and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a blender. Add a small amount of the reserved soaking water (a tablespoon or so) and process, on very high speed (I used speed 9 in my BlendTec), for about 15 seconds. Stop and scrape sides. If mixture is too thick while processing, add a little more water at a time until it will process easily. Taste mixture, adding additional salt, vinegar or lemon juice if needed. Continue processing, 15 seconds at a time and scraping sides of blender in between, until all nuts are blended and mixture is creamy. Keep in mind you want the final consistency to be like sour cream. It takes some work, so be patient!
Makes about 1 cup of sour cream. If you're not using it all right away, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.
Sunday, June 20
Homemade Granola Part 2
I got this recipe for homemade granola from a girl at work (except that I added the agave nectar and reduced the amount of maple syrup). She tried the recipe I had previously posted on this blog and, after remarking it "smelled good but had no taste," offered me her recipe. It wasn't quite as sweet as I'm used to with granola, but it was very tasty. The next time I make it I will probably add a little Sucanat.
3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. raw pecans, chopped
1/2 c. raw almonds, chopped
1/2 c. raw walnuts, chopped
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 t. cinnamon, more or less to taste
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Do not grease.
Place oats and chopped nuts in a large bowl. Feel free to chop the nuts as coarsely or fine as you choose. Toss to combine. (Add Sucanat at this stage if you prefer your granola sweeter). Pour agave and maple syrup directly on top of the oats mixture. Stir well with a wooden spoon until all oats are moist.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 10 and 20 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight bag for up to one week.
Variations: Add raisins or other dried fruit with the chopped nuts. Think cranberries, blueberries, strawberries or mangoes.
3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. raw pecans, chopped
1/2 c. raw almonds, chopped
1/2 c. raw walnuts, chopped
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 t. cinnamon, more or less to taste
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Do not grease.
Place oats and chopped nuts in a large bowl. Feel free to chop the nuts as coarsely or fine as you choose. Toss to combine. (Add Sucanat at this stage if you prefer your granola sweeter). Pour agave and maple syrup directly on top of the oats mixture. Stir well with a wooden spoon until all oats are moist.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 10 and 20 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight bag for up to one week.
Variations: Add raisins or other dried fruit with the chopped nuts. Think cranberries, blueberries, strawberries or mangoes.
Monday, June 14
Almond Fried Rice
I got my youngest son involved helping with this recipe. We served this as a side dish, although it could easily be served as a main dish with a salad on the side. I had to fight to keep some leftovers for lunch today. If you have brown rice already cooked, it comes together in a snap.
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. thinly sliced scallions
1/4 c. raw almonds, coarsely chopped*
2 c. cooked brown rice
1/4 c. diced roasted red and/or yellow bell peppers
2-3 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Garlic Powder and Real Salt to taste
*This is a fun thing for kids to do. I put the almonds in a zip-closed bag on top of a cutting board, gave my son an unopened can of dog food (although any heavy can or object will work) and let him go nuts - no pun intended. :~) Supervise so that little fingers do not get smashed and provide direction to ensure some level of uniformity to the coarsely chopped almonds. You don't want a powder, but you don't want giant chunks of almonds either. Finish with a knife on the cutting board if necessary.
If you don't already have cooked rice on hand, fill a medium sized saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add as much rice as desired (I always cook extra to have on hand for quick meals during the week - I usually cook 2 dry cups at a time). Regardless of how much you are making, be sure you have about 3 times as much water as rice. Boil for 45 minutes and drain. Do not rinse. Measure out 2 cups of rice for recipe. The remaining rice, once cool, can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for several days.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add scallions and almonds, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes or until almonds are lightly toasted. Add rice and peppers, stirring to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, still stirring constantly, until rice and peppers are heated through. Add remaining ingredients to taste. Serve immediately.
Note #1: The Bragg's Liquid Aminos have a naturally salty flavor, so you will likely need less Real Salt than you would normally put in other recipes. Keep this in mind when flavoring your rice.
Note #2: When I made this, the ingredients had a tendency to stick to the pan. Add additional olive oil while cooking as necessary to prevent sticking.
Variations: This recipe could easily accommodate any variety of vegetables or nuts. Feel free to experiment.
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. thinly sliced scallions
1/4 c. raw almonds, coarsely chopped*
2 c. cooked brown rice
1/4 c. diced roasted red and/or yellow bell peppers
2-3 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Garlic Powder and Real Salt to taste
*This is a fun thing for kids to do. I put the almonds in a zip-closed bag on top of a cutting board, gave my son an unopened can of dog food (although any heavy can or object will work) and let him go nuts - no pun intended. :~) Supervise so that little fingers do not get smashed and provide direction to ensure some level of uniformity to the coarsely chopped almonds. You don't want a powder, but you don't want giant chunks of almonds either. Finish with a knife on the cutting board if necessary.
If you don't already have cooked rice on hand, fill a medium sized saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add as much rice as desired (I always cook extra to have on hand for quick meals during the week - I usually cook 2 dry cups at a time). Regardless of how much you are making, be sure you have about 3 times as much water as rice. Boil for 45 minutes and drain. Do not rinse. Measure out 2 cups of rice for recipe. The remaining rice, once cool, can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for several days.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add scallions and almonds, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes or until almonds are lightly toasted. Add rice and peppers, stirring to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, still stirring constantly, until rice and peppers are heated through. Add remaining ingredients to taste. Serve immediately.
Note #1: The Bragg's Liquid Aminos have a naturally salty flavor, so you will likely need less Real Salt than you would normally put in other recipes. Keep this in mind when flavoring your rice.
Note #2: When I made this, the ingredients had a tendency to stick to the pan. Add additional olive oil while cooking as necessary to prevent sticking.
Variations: This recipe could easily accommodate any variety of vegetables or nuts. Feel free to experiment.
Thursday, June 10
Homemade Granola
This granola is quite tasty, but much softer than commercially prepared granola. Be sure to watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. agave nectar
2 T Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
2 c. oats
1/2 c. almonds, chopped
2 T. ground flax seed
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. dried cranberries*
Other nuts or seeds as desired
Cinnamon, nutmeg and/or allspice if desired
Melt peanut butter, agave and Earth Balance in a very large skillet. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (including seasonings if using), then add to pan containing liquid ingredients. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.
Transfer to a baking sheet covered with foil and coated with cooking spray. Spread granola mixture evenly on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool. Store in a zip-closed gallon storage bag for up to two weeks (for longer storage, keep in refrigerator).
*The most popular variety of dried cranberries are Craisins, which are produced with added sugar (and refined sugar is not vegan because it is bleached with charred animal bones). Recently at the health food store I found dried cranberries with NO sugar that were sweetened with apple juice. They were a little more money, but they were well worth it - if dried fruit can be juicy, these were. :~)
Variation(s): There is no limit to what you can do with homemade granola. Let this recipe simply be a springboard. Add different types of nuts and seeds, dried fruit, coconut, etc until you find something you like. Depending on how strictly vegan you want your recipes, you could even use honey in place of the agave nectar. I personally prefer agave because of the low glycemic index, but it's up to you. :o)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. agave nectar
2 T Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
2 c. oats
1/2 c. almonds, chopped
2 T. ground flax seed
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. dried cranberries*
Other nuts or seeds as desired
Cinnamon, nutmeg and/or allspice if desired
Melt peanut butter, agave and Earth Balance in a very large skillet. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (including seasonings if using), then add to pan containing liquid ingredients. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.
Transfer to a baking sheet covered with foil and coated with cooking spray. Spread granola mixture evenly on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool. Store in a zip-closed gallon storage bag for up to two weeks (for longer storage, keep in refrigerator).
*The most popular variety of dried cranberries are Craisins, which are produced with added sugar (and refined sugar is not vegan because it is bleached with charred animal bones). Recently at the health food store I found dried cranberries with NO sugar that were sweetened with apple juice. They were a little more money, but they were well worth it - if dried fruit can be juicy, these were. :~)
Variation(s): There is no limit to what you can do with homemade granola. Let this recipe simply be a springboard. Add different types of nuts and seeds, dried fruit, coconut, etc until you find something you like. Depending on how strictly vegan you want your recipes, you could even use honey in place of the agave nectar. I personally prefer agave because of the low glycemic index, but it's up to you. :o)
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