Gluten Free Blondies and Pancakes

Howdy!   I hope everyone has been enjoying their weekend so far!

It's been so beautiful outside.

Gluten Free Vegan Blondies

I made these treats above this past week.  I found the recipe at Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats.

They came out a little dry for me but they tasted pretty good.  I made some tweaks to the recipe due to the dryness. I also used my own gluten free flour blend.  My adjustments are listed in parenthesis in the recipe)

gluten free vegan blondies

adapted from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free

*makes 16 bars (only made 12 for me)

• 1/4 cup coconut oil(I used Earth Balance and melted it)
• 1 cup brown sugar(1/2 C)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups Sarah's gluten free flour blend
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 3 T. non dairy milk
• 1/2 cup dairy free mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 8x8-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In microwave safe bowl, melt coconut oil on high for 30 seconds until completely melted.  In large mixing bowl, combine melted coconut oil and brown sugar.  Add pumpkin puree and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Mix in the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour mixture into prepared baking pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Cool in pan for 10 before cutting.

These pancakes would look a lot yummier with some Earth Balance/walnut oil and pure maple syrup drizzled on them right?  Well they were!  Ha ha ha.

I'm always on the lookout for the perfect gluten free pancake and I think these really are them!

gluten free vegan multigrain pancakes

adapted from Sarah Bakes gluten free treats

gluten free vegan multigrain pancakes

makes 10-12 pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups Sarah's gluten free flour or your own
• 1/4 cup certified gluten free oats, ground into flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal(millet flour or another gluten free flour)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups almond milk or any other non dairy milk
• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance or coconut oil melted
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*note- if there is not xanthum gum already in your gf flour blend than add 1/2 tsp. to this.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oat flour, millet flour or other flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In medium bowl, mix together the non dairy milk, melted Earth Balance/coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. The batter will thicken as it sits.

Heat large skillet over medium low heat. Coat with cooking spray or a tablespoon of coconut oil. Add 1/4 scoop of batter to the pan and slightly smooth out. Flip pancake when golden brown on the underside and can easily be lifted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook on other side. Repeat with remaining pancake batter. Serve warm. 

I hope you enjoy these recipes!  We did!

ciao!

Breakfast Pizza

Happy Friday!
It's going to be a great weekend, minus the bit of rain we are supposed to get by tomorrow morning.
We have a concert to go to tomorrow night..... Folsom Live, 5 stages and one of my all time favorite bands
The English Beat is playing!  I can't wait!!!

Yesterday morning while my stomach was growling I noticed in my refrigerator that I had a little bit of pizza dough left.  Light went off.  Breakfast Pizza!  I had some cashew cream chipotle sauce leftover as well.  So this is how I put it all together! It got a huge thumbs up from my husband.

Preheat oven to 450. While letting the pizza dough warm to room temperature I sauteed up some fresh spinach.  Next I cooked up some scrambled tofu (tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder) in a bit of oil.  Then I heated up some Soyrizo.  When the dough is ready I rolled it out and put on my pizza stone,  sprayed some olive on it and put in oven for 5 min. to partially cook.  Took it out and spread the cashew cream on it, spinach, tofu scramble and Soyrizo.  Put back into the oven for about another 5 min or until the pizza crust started to turn golden.  A couple of nice additions would be to top it off with cilantro and avocado, which I had neither on hand.
The end result did not disappoint!  It tasted as good as it smelled.

My go to pizza crust:
from Organic Style
1 C. warm water (110-115 degrees)
Pinch of sugar
1 Pkg.(1/4oz)active-dry yeastt
3 C. all purpose flour, plus more as needed
(you can substitute 1C. whole-wheat flour for 1C. all purpose flour)
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl

1. Pour water into small bowl.  Add sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top.  I like to do a quick stir to mix it all in. Let it sit in a warm spot until the mixture proofs, is bubbly and active, about 8min.
2. Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl.  Add the yeast mixture and olive oil, mix to combine scraping down he sides with a rubber spatula.  The dough should form into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 10-12 times with your hands, until dough is no longer sticky and appears smooth and elastic.  Shape the dough into a ball.
3. Transfer dough to a large bowl coated lightly with oil.  Turn dough to coat.  Cover with a clean dish towel .  Leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Punch dough down and knead 3 or 4 times.  Divide the dough in half or if you really want a thinner crust you can divide it into 3 balls.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface and use as you wish or you can pat each disk and wrap  in plastic wrap, place in freezer bags. You can freeze it up to 3 weeks.  (I usually use it all so freezing isn't an option for me). Before using the dough from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature until it becomes springy and pliable 1-2hrs.

Chipotle Cashew Cream
from Veg News
adjusted by dreaminitvegan

1 C. raw cashews
1 C. filtered water( you can add a little more water at a time to make thinner)
*1 canned chipotle pepper with seeds taken out
1/4 C. nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp. sea salt

In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth.

*note: canned chipotles can be very hot so add according to desired heat. You may only need half a pepper or maybe more due to the heat.
You can also make this sauce without chipotles.

Have an amazing weekend!

Organic goods from Costco and a quick gnocchi.

Good morning! 

It's definitely feeling like autumn and I'm having some mixed feelings about it.  Most of this year so far has felt like a blur maybe that's why I'm just not ready.  Change is good I tell myself.   It's interesting though, the different feel and smell in the air when the weather starts to change.  I think of being bundled up, the rain, old movies and the smell of spices. I guess that's not so bad.   

How do you feel about the changing of the seasons?

I've been shopping at Costco more due to their increase of organic foods and items. So exciting!  Below are just a few of the organic items I've bought.  They also have soups, raw sprouted seeds, breads, jams, hemp seeds, chia seeds, frozen berries, and lots more! That huge pack of Baby Kale up above cost less than $4.  Hello!!! Awesome deal and it's very tasty!  First time I've eaten baby kale.

Berries. I actually just picked up a 12oz pack of organic raspberries for $3.49!  The grocery store down the street from us is selling non organic raspberries 8 oz for $3, so this is a steal!

Bob's Red Mill 7 lb bag less than $8.

My new favorite tofu, Hodu Soy.  The company is located in Oakland, Ca.   It is very firm and has a nice slightly nutty flavor.  They have these Yuba Strips as well that are very flavorful and can be tossed on a salad or used in wraps, etc.

I usually use Ecos laundry detergent w/softener.  I was happily surprised to see this at $11.  

I also purchase almonds, walnuts, pecans and seasonings.  So you see if you just take your time you will walk out of there spending more than $100 like everyone else! hahaha!

Can't leave before I leave you with some type of home cooked meal.  This is a store bought gnocchi which I've been serving to my son in place of pasta because it's softer for him to eat while having jaw pain. One day I am going to attempt to make a homemade gnocchi.  Anyone have a good recipe?  I used an easy home made marinara and I added blended cashews for that creaminess.  After the gnocchi is cooked, I heated a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and then sauteed fresh garlic.  After about a minute I added some fresh chopped spinach until cooked and then added the gnocchi and marninara to heat through.  Throw some fresh basil in and wallah!

Have a great day!

I'm back finally!!!

                                                                     Hi everyone!
   It's been way too long since I've blogged or even checked out all of your blogs.  It doesn't mean that I haven't thought about all of you!   A lot of things have happened and I just wasn't in the mood to blog.  I've thought it about it often though. So here I am, determined not to let so much time pass.  I'm also working on being more positive.  Life is too short and I'm not getting any younger.

  I realize that part of my responsibility as a vegan is not only to help others on becoming and enjoying their life as a vegan but also to help people see why adding more plant foods is so important.  So if I even have an impact on one person then I'll be happy.

  Let me start by telling you all that I moved with my family up to Northern California just this summer.

I'm still trying to adjust not living as close to the ocean but a least I'm really close to water right?  Hey nothing is permanent and I'm sure one day we'll be back .

(I miss this pout)

I had to put my Ace dog to sleep earlier in the year. He was only 3 years old.   He had some type of autoimmune disease and his body wasn't reacting well by dropping the Prednisone he was taking.  He was bruising, bleeding, very weak and then starting having seizures in the end.  I miss him so much.  He was such a sweet, gentle dog that taught me so much! I get teary eyed just thinking about him and then look at that face!   It's so different not having a dog around.

Next is my son's health.  He is 15 and had his third arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus back in the Spring and will need one more soon.  The real issue is that we found out he has TMD.  He missed the last month of school last spring because he was in so much pain.  We've been trying to figure out where his ear pain was coming from and in between going to the ENT, dentist, having oral surgery to remove wisdom teeth, back to the ENT once we moved up here and then the dentist again we found out it is his Temporomandibular joint that is causing jaw, ear pain and headaches.  Does anyone of you have TMD?  I have it but I don't have it that bad.  The night guard, soft foods, massage, hot cold compresses and pain meds don't work at all so far to relieve his pain.  I just got him into a chiropractor and have now received a referral to go see a TMJ specialist.   It's hard to watch your child be in so much pain.   If positive thoughts can be sent on over his way so he might finally get his pain under control that would be wonderful!

On that note I will exit for this post.  That way I will have to come back and post food!

May we all be thankful for our health and our pets health.

Peace out.  Unt
til next time.
 

I'm still here.

I'm still here! 

Just took an unintended break from blogging.

Miss you all and will be back up and posting soon.

 

 

Vegan Cooking Show!!!!

Happy New Year!

This year has started out crazy with lots of changes.

How is yours starting out?

 

Speaking of changes if you  haven't already heard there is a new vegan cooking show premiering tonight on main stream cable!  How to Live to 100 airing at 8p.m.ET and 5p.m. PST on The Cooking Channel.  I've already set up my DVR.

Check out who the chef is and a little bit about him here.

 

Simple Thai Tofu and Veggies 

It started raining pretty good out last night and it continues so I think I may just whip up this immune building delicious meal that I found at melomeals a while back to warm me up and has become one of our favorites.  It's inexpensive to make and very flavorful.  It's a great recipe if you are starting to add greens such as chard or kale into your diet because the flavors of the spices and coconut milk are what stand out.

A note on the recipe.  I don't always have cumin seeds on hand so I just  add more cumin and if you don't want to use any oil just add the spices when you are sautéing the onion. 

Enjoy the rest of your day! 

Ciao 2012!

It's almost the end of one year and the beginning of a new one!

Crazy how time goes by so fast.

I thought I would sit down for a few while I'm waiting for a batch of Brutti Ma Buoni(ugly but good) cookies that are baking. I used to love these pre vegan days and I am so excited that I found a way to make them vegan.

A bit of a reflection thinking back at the things good and not so good that have happened this year.

One huge highlight, for me anyways, was eating at The Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco.  It was one of the most delicious meals I've had and spending those few days together away with family were great!

One thing I've worked on this past year was how I deal with stress.  I've realized that stress doesn't do anyone any good so when my husband lost his job I tried to keep as positive as I could and I do believe it helped.  Putting out good thoughts, visions or vibes for good things to happen I believe does work.  This next year I will continue to work on positive thinking and being happy.

I have a good feeling about this coming year. 

Tonight we will be celebrating New Years Eve at home along with another family. 

I hope you all have a very safe and happy New Years!

See you soon!