Backpacking cacao-spinach-chia pudding

Bad boy Misha investigates dinner and backpacking foods on counter.

Freezer bag backpacking meals

Backpacking or easy-travel cacao chia pudding

My husky puppy, Misha's latest trick is to stand on his hind legs to try to reach whatever food items are on the kitchen counter. What this means is never leave the kitchen unsupervised when food is out. The picture above was taken after I didn't follow this rule and left the kitchen to return to find "you know who" trying to reach our dinner. Of course, my husband had to encourage him to do it again so he could snap a picture.

At least, the masked-bandit Misha wasn't successful in making off with any of our food. It's hard to stay mad at him but I admit I could have if he had taken any of the backpacking foods I had labored over preparing for hours.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started preparing my own backpacking foods for a two trips, one for two days and the other for three days. It took forever and didn't help that husband simply grabbed some Mountain House entrees off the shelf at REI.

I spread the task over several days and ended up spending about four hours. All those freezer bags in the photos above contain all my meals, treats, snacks for the trips. Everything had to be pre-assembled in freezer bags and ready to simply add hot or cold water on the trail to rehydrate. Fortunately, I got some great ideas from a website called http://www.trailcooking.com/

I tested out some of my backpacking meals at home and found out how easy it is to rehydrate foods in freezer bags. The idea of pre-packaging foods in freezer bags can be used for taking lunch items to work or packing along foods for travel, biking trips, hiking. I'm sure there are more possibilities!

One of my favorite backpacking recipes is Backpacking Cacao-Spinach-Chia Pudding. If you are not a backpacker or hiker, it could easily be taken along anywhere or just kept on hand for easy preparation when you are in a hurry.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

1. 2 T. freeze-dried spinach (can be purchased from http://www.beprepared.com/)
2. 1 1/2 T. chia seeds
3. 1 1/2 T. cacao powder
4. Stevia to taste
5. 2 T. seeds of your choice (I used half each pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
6. 1 T. hemp seeds
7. 1 T. rice protein powder
8. 1-2 tsp. cacao nibs
9. Optional: 1 T. unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 T. powdered soymilk (purchased from http://www.iherb.com/)

Directions:

1. Place chia seeds, pumpkin, sunflower and hemp seeds in a coffee grinder and grind until a coarse meal.
2. Place all ingredients in a pre-labeled pint or quart-sized freezer bag.
3. To rehydrate, simply add 1/2 cup cold or warm water. Can be eaten immediately but best if you wait several hours.

Get more healthy, vegan recipe ideas at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/25/wellness-weekend-august-25-29-2011/

Backpacking with candida and food allergies

Bailey, the new fur kid, on the kitchen counter again!

Bailey and Misha rampage in the living room.

Backpacking seed bars with other assorted freeze-dried foods

More than a decade ago, I considered myself an avid backpacker. It didn’t seem unusual for me to hike into a remote lake with all my gear and food loaded into a backpack. Stomach issues that turned out to be delayed food allergies curbed my enthusiasm for the activity.


Now, I am preparing for my first backpacking trip in 12 years. The last time I headed into the woods was when my daughter was still in high school. No, it’s not a mid-life crisis that’s prompting me to dust off my backpacking gear. My son has fond memories of backpacking with his parents and has invited us to go along with him on several short trips.

Regular car trips have posed problems for me because I have multiple food allergies. I have dealt with the problem by taking along lots of my own food and limiting eating out.

Locating “safe” foods for backpacking is a challenge on another level. Sure I am still taking along my own allergen-free items but whatever I pack must be lightweight which rules out regular food.

Backpackers usually pack easy-to-prepare meals that are pre-packaged and can be made ready by simply adding water to rehydrate the freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Unfortunately, the meals are loaded with many of the foods I need to avoid, such as dairy, gluten, legumes and eggs.

In my search to find suitable food, I found some companies that manufacture meals for backpackers have begun to take note of the fact that there are vegans and people with gluten sensitivity. There also are companies that produce organic meals.

I didn’t expect companies to prepare foods for individuals like myself with multiple food sensitivities. My plan was to purchase freeze-dried foods and assemble my own safe meals.

I found all kinds of freeze-dried vegetables, meats and fruits at http://www.nutsonline.com/search?q=freeze+dried+vegetables and http://beprepared.com/. I purchased carrots, broccoli, asparagus, celery, chicken, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, dried soup mix, soy milk powder, brown rice and quinoa. I can make a variety of meals and snacks from these ingredients as well as some items I already have in my pantry.

Here’s a recipe for a packable backpacking seed bar that can be taken along on your next adventure whether it is backpacking, camping, biking, traveling. I used Ricki's coconut brittle as my inspiration. http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/?s=coconut+brittle&submit.x=9&submit.y=7

Backpacking Seed Bars

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups raw or toasted seeds of your choice ( I used 1/2 cup each of hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower, and 1/4 cup each of sesame and amaranth)
2. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3. 2 T. raw cacao nibs
4. 2 T. chia seeds
5. 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
6. 2 T. tahini
7. 2 T. olive oil
8. 2 T. water
9. 3 T. yacon or agave nectar
10. powdered stevia to taste
11. Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with pan spray.
2. Grind all seeds and cacao nibs in a coffee grinder. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the applesauce, oil, tahini, water, yacon, stevia and sea salt in a food processor. Add the coconut and ground seeds and nibs and process until the mixture comes together into a sticky dough.
4. Spread the dough in a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick on the sprayed cookie sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. If the top is dry, cut the rectangle into 16 pieces and separate the pieces to leave space between them.
6. Continue baking for up to another hour until the bars are crispy.
7. Allow to cool and store in ziploc baggies in the freezer for your next adventure.

Don't forget to check out more vegan recipe ideas at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/18/wellness-weekend-august-18-22-2011

Cold avocado-spinach soup

Bailey's version of Where's Waldo?

Cold avocado-spinach soup

Can you find camocat, A.K.A. Bailey, in the photo above? He likes to play his version of Where's Waldo? On numerous occasions, I have searched high and low for Bailey only to finally find him playing camocat with Kona. The two are nearly a match colorwise. Sometimes you have to look several times to spot him nestled in the crook of Kona's body.

I remember when I was a kid growing up in sunny Southern California. We had an avocado tree in our yard and a backyard chicken, named Henny Penny, who always perched in the tree. Henny Penny had the opposite problem of Bailey. She was white and always easy to spot up in her avocado tree.

These days, the price of avocadoes has me wishing I had an avocado tree in my backyard. Avocado is one of the top twelve supermarket remedies to inhibit candida. It contains antifungal fatty acids and is low glycemic. Best of all, avocadoes are delicious!

Recently, I saw a recipe called Avocado Soup. It looked refreshing and yummy but needed some modifications for my diet. Here is my version.

Cold Avocado-Spinach Soup
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

1. 2 ripe avocadoes (reserve 1/2 of a whole avocado for garnish)
2. 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk (or other alternative dairy beverage of your choice)
3. 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds + 1 T. for garnish
4. 1/4 cup chopped red onion + 1 T. for garnish
5. 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
6. salt to taste
7. juice of 1 lemon
8. 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Cut the avocadoes in half. Reserve 1/2 for garnish. Scoop out the meat of 1 1/2 avocadoes.
2. Place the avocado and other ingredients in a food processor.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Serve in bowls garnished with extra red onion, pumpkin seeds and diced avocado.
5. Use any extra "soup" as a sauce or topping for tacos, pasta. It also makes a delicious salad dressing.

Get more healthy, delicious recipes at Weekend Wellness at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/11/wellness-weekend-august-11-15/ I know I have benefitted from all the great ideas/recipes shared here.

Sunbuttery zucchini noodles

Misha "helps" me in the vegetable garden.

Sunbuttery zucchini noodles

Whenever my husky puppy, Misha, gets really quiet I know, if he is not asleep, that he is up to no good. The picture above shows one of those occasions. I took him out to the garden expecting him to do some exploring while I did some weeding. Silly me.

He decided to "help" me while I was pulling weeds. When I turned around, there he was digging a huge trench where I had just planted seeds. Lucky for him, he is so cute. Otherwise he'd be in the "doghouse" every day.

Despite Misha's digging in the garden, I am experiencing a bumper crop of zucchini and cucumbers. I used them to make a yummy meal of raw veggies topped with my version of Thai peanut sauce that substitutes sunbutter for peanut butter.

Sunbuttery Zucchini Noodles
(serves 2-4)

Ingredients for the Sauce

1. 1/3 cup sunbutter (unsweetened)
2. 1/4+ cup water
3. 1 T. sesame oil
4. 2 T. aminos
5. 1 T. lime juice
6. salt and pepper
7. Optional: pinch of stevia and 1 clove of garlic

Directions:

1. Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add additional water if mixture is too thick.
2. Serve over zucchini ribbons piled with other veggies, cut into matchstick pieces. Use carrots, cucumber, jicama, radishes. Top with toasted sunflower seeds and sliced green onions. Optional: Serve sliced grilled chicken breast.

This recipe and other healthy ones are linked to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/04/wellness-weekend-august-4-8-2011

No bean, no soy, no gluten veggie burgers with rutabaga fries

Veggie burger with rutabaga fries

I've been going crazy for a veggie burger but every pre-packaged variety has all the stuff I can't eat, and recipes are the same. I finally decided to re-invent the veggie burger, free of all the stuff I cannot eat because of delayed food allergies. This means my recipe has no beans, no soy, no gluten, no oats, no peppers and no mushrooms. I omitted spices/herbs but these can be optional. The burgers had plenty of flavor without them.

My veggie burgers looked more like giant cookies, according to my son, but hey, that means I can imagine I'm getting my entree and my dessert, all at the same time. I  replaced the beans with sweet potato and the typical red peppers and mushrooms with zucchini, which I have in abundance from the garden. Quinoa in various forms, flour, flakes and whole grain, replaced your typical oats and wheat flour. Rice protein was used instead of soy. Voila, a veggie burger for Sheree was born. And don't forget the fries. I chose to use rutabagas because they are low glycemic.

No bean, no soy, no gluten veggie burgers

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 medium sweet potato, baked
2. 1 carrot
3. 1/2 medium yellow onion
4. 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
5. 2 handfuls of spinach
6. 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
7. 1 T. chia seeds
8. 1/4 cup (possibly more) quinoa flour
9. 1/2 cup cooked red quinoa (or black or regular)
10. 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
11. 1 T. vegan rice protein powder
12. 1/4 tsp. sea salt
13. dash of black pepper
14. optional: spices/herbs such as basil, garlic

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except flour in a food processor and pulse to blend and chop.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add flour a little at a time until mixture holds together and is somewhat dry.
3. Shape into 6-8 patties. Freeze patties not needed for your meal.
4. Spray a skillet or grill with pan spray and olive oil. Cook veggie burgers on medium-high heat, about 5-8 minutes on each side.

Rutabaga fries

(2 servings_

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel 1 large rutabaga and cut into steak fries.
3. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Spray and oil a shallow baking sheet.
5. Add to the pan in one layer.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or more until crispy and golden. Flip after about 15 minutes.

This recipe is linked to other healthy recipes at Wellness Weekends on http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/07/28/wellness-weekend-july-28-august-1/

Whole amaranth and quinoa granola

Kona babysitting Misha and Bailey

Three for fun

Whole amaranth and quinoa granola

Granola topping on berries and coconut cultured milk

Today I awoke to find another one of my houseplants overturned. Potting soil was spread everywhere on the dining room floor. The guilty parties, Misha and Bailey, had tracked the wet potting soil in every direction. They hung their heads as if to say, "We're sorry."

Once I got that cleaned up I turned around to see Bailey hanging like a monkey from one of my houseplants as it toppled to the floor. Yes, I know they look so cute and innocent but I have nicknamed them big Chaos (Misha) and Destructo Cat (Bailey). I never know what to expect next. If it weren't for their interactive toy (Kona), I cannot even imagine what chaos and destruction they would create.

Somehow in the midst of this pet chaos, I still managed to find time to try a new recipe: Whole Amaranth and Quinoa Granola. It's chocked full of whole grains, fiber, healthy seeds and low-glycemic sweetener. It makes the perfect topping for my new favorite, vegan So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk, and summertime berries. My raspberry bushes are producing an abundant crop.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup amaranth seeds
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup coconut nectar + 1 tsp. pure powdered stevia (substitute agave or yacon syrup if desired)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup quinoa flakes (or substitute rolled oats)
• 1 cup dried yacon slices (crumbled) or substitute dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees and put rack in the middle of the oven.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the amaranth when the skillet is heated. Cover with a glass lid and shake the pan until the amaranth is about half popped (approximately 1-2 minutes). Transfer the seeds to a large bowl. Add the quinoa flakes and other seeds.
• Combine the canola oil, syrup and stevia in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
• Pour the syrup mixture over the seeds. Stir until mixture is moist throughout.
• Evenly spread the mixture on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. Stir and continue to bake until lightly browned all over, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Blend in the crumbled up yacon slices or other berries.
• Store the granola in an airtight container in the fridge.

Find more healthy recipes ideas at Wellness Weekends at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/07/21/wellness-weekend-july-21-25-2011/

Whole Amaranth Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies




Kona makes a great pillow for Misha.



Those little seeds are whole amaranth.

My husband and I are celebrating four decades of marriage this weekend. I decided to celebrate by making his and her's chocolate chip cookies. His have almost all the regular ingredients and mine are well, different but tasty.

The unique ingredient in my cookies is whole amaranth seed. Actually, I mixed in some whole amaranth in the cookies I made for my husband and he loved the extra crunch. I confess too that I used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips in both versions and replaced the sugar with low-glycemic yacon syrup.

Whole Amaranth Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies
 (makes about 12 small cookies)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1/4 cup whole amaranth seed
• 1/4 cup amaranth flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 T. flax mixed with 3 T. water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• dash sea salt
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 2 T. cacao nibs
• 1/4 cup yacon syrup
• 1 tsp. powdered stevia

Directions:

• Mix all the dry ingredients and blend in the oil, syrup and flax mixed with water.  Add an extra tablespoon of water if mixture appears too dry. Blend in the seeds and nibs.
• Use a teaspoon to measure out the dough onto a sprayed baking sheet.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes in oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Dairy-free coconut kefir

Misha thinks he's a cat too!

Kona gives Misha a hug.

So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk with berries

It has bummed me out for years that I have had to take probiotic supplements rather than getting to eat healthy stuff like yogurt and kefir. But dairy intolerance and candida is what it is. 
 
It was a pleasant surprise to discover that now I have an alternative in the form of So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir.This drinkable yogurt-alternative is dairy and soy-free, vegan and certified gluten-free. The kefir comes in four flavors: original, strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.
 
I have been drinking the original flavor, which has the lowest sugar content. It’s a delicious way to get your daily dose of probiotics, which can prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. Other studies have shown that you may be able to reduce your allergy symptoms by improving the health of your gut.

I chose the original because it is the lowest in carbohydrates and has no added sweetener. One cup has 70 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and one gram of protein.

It can be a bit of a shock to your taste buds if you are used to sweet-tasting beverages. Drinking it straight from the bottle or pouring it on cereal is not something I would recommend. Rather it pairs well with berries, either in a smoothie or in a bowl with granola. Don’t use it in cooked recipes as heating will destroy the live bacteria.

So Delicious kefir is fortified with calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12. It contains prebiotics (inulin from chicory root extract); active, live probiotic bacteria and coconut fat which is comprised of approximately 65 percent medium chain fatty acids (MCFs); 10 active and live cultures including L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus. L. Plantarum, L. Rhamnosus. L. Paracasei, Bif. Lactus, Bif. Bifidum. Bif. Animalis, L. Acidophilus, Leuconostoc Cremoris.

This product has not been on the market long and may be a little difficult to find. I located it at Fred Meyer in their health and nutrition section. It runs about $4.29 for a 32-ounce bottle compared to $3.70 or so for dairy kefir.

My recommended serving suggestion is: Coconut Milk Kefir with Frozen Berries (Slightly Thawed)

Ingredients for one serving:

• One cup So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk (original flavor)
• 3/4 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.); slightly thawed
• Powdered stevia to taste

Directions:

• Place the slightly thawed berries in a bowl. Sprinkle with stevia. Pour coconut milk kefir on top. It instantly forms a yummy slightly frozen bowl of deliciousness.
• Additional serving ideas: sprinkle with unsweetened coconut, cacao nibs, toasted sunflower seeds and/or homemade quinoa granola.

Gooey Chocolate Amaranth Brownies

Dog tired

Boxes make the best toys

Gooey chocolate amaranth brownies

Misha and Bailey, my two new pets, have only two speeds, either full throttle or out like a light, as they demonstrate in the photos above. In many ways, they are like human babies. They take hours and hours of time each day, just like my human kids did. They prefer boxes to expensive toys and can fall asleep just about anywhere.

 The July 4th weekend seems like the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors with my two new pals plus Kona and eat some chocolate brownies. The Gooey Chocolate Amaranth Brownies pictured above taste decadent but are filled with quality ingredients, and are gluten, dairy and egg free.

Ingredients for 12 brownies

• 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
• 2/3 cup organic cacao powder
• 1/2 cup amaranth flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 T. yacon syrup + 1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled, baked and pureed with 1/4 cup hemp milk
• 1 flax egg (mix 1 T. ground flax with 3 T. hemp milk)
• Optional frosting: 1 T. sunbutter, 1 T. coconut oil, 1/2 T. yacon syrup

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with pan spray. Set aside.
• In food processor, puree the sweet potato with hemp milk. Add in other ingredients and continue blending until smooth.
• Pour mixture into baking pan.
• Bake until a knife comes out of the brownies with few moist crumbs, about 20 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Frost with a mixture of sunbutter, coconut oil and yacon syrup. Melt in a saucepan and then pour over brownies and spread evenly.

Fish tacos with crunchy squash topping on quinoa tortillas

Bailey (in middle) sandwiched between two dog pals, Kona (left) and Misha (right)

Misha and Bailey being mischievous

Fish taco with crunchy squash topping on quinoa flour tortilla

"The Bailey, Misha and Kona Show" continues daily at my house. It's way more entertaining than what's on TV.

Today, Kona (just turned 13 years) decided to greet the UPS man by jumping in his truck while he was in the back fetching a package. Imagine his surprise when he turned around to see Kona wagging her tail to greet him in hopes of retrieving a doggie bone. Of course, her efforts were rewarded.

In the meantime, Misha and little scrapper Bailey are doing their version of "wrestle mania" over on the grass lawn. Bailey can hold his own despite being outweighed 3:1. First, Bailey is on top; then Misha: and so on and so forth. Finally one of them squeals, "I give up," and the match ends.

In between all this entertainment, I found the opportunity to make fish tacos with the quinoa flour tortillas I posted about last time. Find the recipe for the tortillas at:  http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/quinoa-tortillas.html

Fish Tacos with Crunchy Squash Topping and Butternut Spread on Quinoa Tortillas

Ingredients for two tacos:

• 2 fish filets such as perch or tilapia (use wild caught)
• 1-2 T. quinoa flour for breading
• 1/2 small spaghetti squash, baked until fork tender in oven or microwave
• 1/2 small butternut squash, baked until fork tender in oven or microwave
• 1 T. unsweetened sunbutter
• 1/4 cup hemp milk or alternative dairy beverage
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 cup diced jicama
• 2 T. chopped green onion
• optional: chopped cilantro
• 2 T. + grapeseed or other oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Several hours ahead or a day ahead, bake the squashes, either in the microwave or oven, until fork tender. Keep in the fridge until ready to use. 
• Prepare the shredded cabbage, jicama and green onion, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Rinse fish filets and roll them in quinoa flour, mixed with a little salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet. Crispy fry the fish filets. Wrap in foil and keep warm in the oven. (For extra flavor, add 1/2 tsp. of cumin to your flour coating. For extra crunch, add some ground whole quinoa to your flour mixture.)
• Heat quinoa flour tortillas in the oven on low setting. Wrap in foil until ready to use.
• Scoop out the flesh from the squashes. Keep them separate.
• Take the butternut squash flesh and place it in a food processor with 1 T. sunbutter and 1/4 cup alternative dairy beverage, such as hemp milk. Adjust the hemp milk if needed. Add some salt and pepper if desired. Blend until smooth. Set aside for serving with the tacos.
• Heat additional oil in a clean skillet. Toss in the stringy pieces of spaghetti squash and fry until crispy. Remove to a paper towel.

To plate up the tacos, place 1 T. butternut squash mixture on each tortilla and spread. On top of this, place a crispy fish filet, cabbage, jicama and green onion. Finally, top with crunchy spaghetti squash.

Quinoa tortillas

Bailey, my new sidekick, in watering can

Bailey, Kona and new pal, Misha.

Quinoa flour tortillas

I've added yet another new pet to my household, Misha, a two-month-old Husky-Malamute cross. He and Bailey, just three months, are great interactive toys for each other. They wrestle for what seems like hours and then cuddle up with their older, wiser pal, Kona.

Their favorite place to nap seems to be the doorway to the kitchen. This has always been Kona's favorite spot but now I have quite an obstacle to get across when the threesome are napping.

I still manage to get past the pile of dogs and kitten to get to the kitchen. Recently while the trio were napping, I experimented making quinoa flour tortillas. I enjoy eating these, smeared with a little tahini or sunbutter for breakfast. They also are great for fish  tacos.

These are super simple to make if you have a tortilla press and cast-iron tortilla pan. You can make them without but they may look like blobs from some other universe.

Quinoa Flour Tortillas
(makes 10-12 small tortillas)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup quinoa flour plus more for shaping dough balls and pressing tortillas.
2. 1/2 cup ground whole quinoa
3. 1/2 tsp. baking soda
4. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
5. 2 T. olive oil
6. 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Grind 1/2 cup whole quinoa in a coffee grinder.
2. Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
3. Add olive oil and water and mix.
4. Now the fun begins. Add more quinoa flour and knead until the dough is dry to shape into balls.
5. Press dough into tortillas using the tortilla press or rolling pin on flour dusted cutting board.
6. Cook tortillas one at a time in cast-iron tortilla pan. Cook about 30 seconds each side.
7. Extra tortillas can be stored in the freeze for future use.

Amaranth-millet tortillas



Kona with our new friend, Bailey.

I have a new kitten friend in the kitchen. His name is Bailey. At 10 weeks old, he already is making his loving, curious personality known. He makes it more enjoyable for me to be in the kitchen or in any room in the house as he provides constant entertainment as he explores everything.

Tiny Bailey weighs in at less than two pounds.

We adopted Bailey from the local animal shelter. We've had him for just three days. In the photo above, he shows his diminutive size in comparison to the pillow he is perched on.

Amaranth-millet flour tortillas

 Bailey has succeeded in getting me back into the kitchen to experiment with new recipes, including the amaranth-millet flour tortillas,pictured above. The purchase of a tortilla press is a must for these unless you are more skilled than I am with a rolling pin. Another essential is a cast-iron tortilla pan. Before purchasing these two items, the tortillas I made were edible but looked like something from another planet.

Amaranth-millet flour tortillas
(makes approximately 10-12 tortillas)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup amaranth flour to start + ? more
2. 1/2 cup millet flour to start + ? more
3. 1 T. olive oil
4. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
5. 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup of each flour in a large bowl. Add sea salt and oil.
2. Add water to mixture and combine. Add more of one or both flours until dough is no longer sticky to the touch.
3. Shape 10-12 balls adding more flour to get the right consistency for pressing.
4. Heat the cast-iron skillet.
5. Press the balls of dough into tortillas using your tortilla press or rolling pin.
6. Cook one tortilla at a time once skillet is hot. These are done in a flash so be vigilent.

Keep your tortillas hot in a tortilla warmer or by wrapping in aluminum foil. I like spreading them with sunbutter. Yum! Extras can be frozen until you are ready for more. Next project: make quinoa flour tortillas.

Quinoa granola bars

Quinoa Granola Bars

I think my dog Kona is missing our little pal, Pumpkin, as much as I am. Pumpkin died last week from Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FEV), kind of a feline version of AIDS. The veterinarian isn't sure how he got it but no matter, it's really bad stuff.

There is no vaccine for it. Pretty much, all you can do is make sure your cat is screened for it before adoption. Pumpkin was a feral cat that we adopted from a friend who knew nothing about the disease and neither did we. Even our vet never mentioned it until Pumpkin got sick.

Kona and I are spending more time together. We just got back from an hour-long walk with lots of stops for Kona to dip in the irrigation canal. Now, it's time to snack on one of the Quinoa Granola Bars I recently made. Kona will have a few of her Hill's dental kibbles.

Quinoa Granola Bars
Ingredients:

1. Nonstick cooking spray
2. 1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
3. 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa grain, toasted
4. 2 T. cacao nibs
5. 1/4 cup yacon powder
6. 1/2 cup yacon syrup
7. 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Spray an 8-X-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes in a large bowl.
3. Spread 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa grains on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.
4. Once cooled, add the toasted quinoa to the large bowl with the quinoa flakes. Stir in the cacao nibs. Set aside.
5. In a medium saucepan, mix together the yacon powder, yacon syrup and olive oil. Place over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and add to the quinoa flakes and grains. Stir until all the grains and nibs are coated and combined.
7. Evenly pour the quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cut into bars.
8. Store in an airtight container and wrap individual bars and freeze for future snacking.

Chocolate sunflower seed tart-ACD friendly

Chocolate sunflower seed tart

It's been a really sad time for me the past week. My little cat pal, Pumpkin, died after a long illness. He was barely four years old so it was unexpected. I'm having a hard time dealing with his loss. Right now, there are no cats in the kitchen, only my dog pal, Kona.

I'm somewhat of an emotional eater but I'm trying to avoid eating foods that will increase my candida symptoms. I did make the Chocolate Sunflower Seed Tart, pictured above. I shared it with others to avoid being tempted to eat more than I should. It's especially good topped with berries of some sort.

Chocolate Sunflower Seed Tart

Crust Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups toasted sunflower seeds
2. 1/4 tsp. salt
3. 1/4 tsp. baking soda
4. 2 T. olive oil
5. 2 T. yacon syrup

Crust directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grind the toasted sunflower seeds to a flour-like consistency in a food processor.
2. Add in the salt, baking soda and give another pulse to blend. Then, blend in the olive oil and yacon syrup.
3. Spoon the crust mixture into a sprayed pie pan. Using damp fingers spread the crust evenly along the bottom and sides of the pan.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
5. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.

Filling Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sweet potato, baked and peeled
2. 2 T. sunbutter
3. 3/4 cup hempmilk
4. 2 T. ground flax mixed with 1/4 cup hempmilk
5. 1 T. yacon syrup
6. 1 tsp. chia seeds
7. dash of powdered stevia
8. 1 T. cacao powder

Filling Directions:

1.  Place sweet potato in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in other ingredients and keep blending until everything is mixed and smooth.
2. Spoon the filling evenly into the cooled sunflower seed crust.
3. Chill in the fridge.
4. Serving suggestion: place the tart in the freezer for 30 minutes or so before serving.

Zucchini fries

Zucchini fries ready for the oven

Zucchini fries ready to eat

Candida may have reared its ugly head again for me which is probably due to me getting too lax with carbs. It's mainly impacting my stomach. All I'm craving is salty things to soothe my irritated tummy.

Low-carb salty snacks are in short supply but zucchini fries fills the bill for me. All you need is a mandolin slicer with a fry-cutting blade to make these. This recipe also will come in handy later in the gardening season when zucchinis are in abundance.

Zucchini fries (1 serving)
Ingredients:
1 or 2 zucchinis depending on size and your appetite
dash of olive oil and pan spray
lots of salt

Directions:
Wash and trim your zucchini. Slice into fry-sized pieces with a mandolin. If you don't have a mandolin, use a sharp knife. Mandolins are a great kitchen utensil. You can pick up a cheap one for less than $20.

Toss the zucchini fries with a dash of olive oil. Lay the fries on a pan-sprayed baking sheet. Salt the fries as desired. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and check the fries frequently to avoid overcooking. As an alternative, the fries can be cooked in oil in a skillet.

Strawberry pie, gluten-free, ACD friendly

Strawberry-fruit pie, ACD friendly

I can't eat a lot of fruit on the ACD diet so I stick to the low-glycemic ones, like strawberries, blueberries, kiwis and papayas. For Mother's Day, I've been thinking I want to treat myself to strawberry pie because strawberries are in season.

I wanted to have the recipe perfected by Mother's Day so I started practicing early. The result was a strawberry-fruit pie with all my other low-glycemic favorite fruits added. The recipe is easily adaptable to any kind of fruit and could be made with strawberries only.

Strawberry-Kiwi-Blueberry-Papaya (or whatever kind of fruit) Pie: ACD friendly

Ingredients for the filling:

1. 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
2. 1 cup blueberries
3. 1-2 kiwis peeled and sliced
4. Fruit of one small papaya, diced
5. 2 T. agar agar
6. 1 3/4 cups water + 1/4 cup lemon juice
7. stevia to taste 

Ingredients for the crust:

1. 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
2. 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
3. 1/4 cup sunbutter, unsweetened (or tahini or almond butter may be used)
4. 2 T. cacao nibs

Directions:

Prepare the crust by grinding the sunflower seeds in a food processor. Add the coconut and nibs and continue to pulse. Fold in the sunbutter and blend the mixture until it sticks together. 

Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. Allow to set while making the filling.

 Prepare and cut all the fruit, and evenly distribute in the pie pan. In a saucepan, bring to boil the water-lemon juice mixture with 2 T. agar agar. The liquid mixture will begin to thicken slightly like gelatin. The majority of the thickening will occur after the liquid is cooled.

Allow the liquid to cool slightly and then pour over the fruit. Place the pie in the fridge to set.

As a variation, you can make individual pies by distributing the ingredients in smaller containers.

Easter treats-ACD friendly

Haystacks, upper left; chocolate-covered strawberries, upper right; sunbutter crunchy cup, right front; quinoa chocolate cookies, left front.

There will be no Cadbury eggs for me this Easter but at least I have some ACD-friendly treats stashed in the freezer that will quell my longing for an Easter basket of goodies. The good thing about these treats is they can be made with either chocolate or carob, depending on your sensitivities.

I purchased some dried gooseberries and mulberries from Navitas Naturals. They are dried without added sugars or preservatives. They became the inspiration for the Chocolate Haystacks.






Chocolate or carob haystacks


Let your food sensitivities guide you in making this recipe. You can use chocolate or carob.

1 4-ounce chocolate bar, 100 percent cacao (or substitute 1 cup carob chips)


1 cup trail mix (toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried blueberries; include nuts if tolerated)


Dash of powdered stevia or 1 T. maple sugar


Optional: 1 T. coconut oil to make it easier to pour

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop tablespoons of trail mix about 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Melt chocolate or carob (with coconut oil if desired) in a small saucepan. Add sweetener. Stir until chocolate or carob has melted.

Spoon the chocolate or carob evenly over each pile of trail mix on the baking sheet. Add additional piles of trail mix and spoon on chocolate/carob until all is used up.

Refrigerate haystacks until they are hardened. Store them in a container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.






Crunchy Chocolate or carob sunbutter cups


¾ cup sunbutter


¾ cup crumbs made from homemade quinoa chocolate cookies (pictured above) or substitute gluten-free graham crackers


dash of powdered stevia


1 4-ounce baking bar 100 percent cacao with 1 T. coconut oil or substitute 1 cup nondairy chocolate or carob chips melted with ¼ cup dairy beverage (soy, rice, hemp or nut milk)

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Soften sunbutter and add crumbs, and sweetener. Remove from heat and divide evenly among muffin cups, about 2 T. per treat.

In another saucepan, melt chocolate or carob chips, combined with dairy beverage. Or melt 100 percent cacao bar with 1 T. coconut oil and add a pinch of stevia. Stir until smooth.

Spoon chocolate/carob mixture evenly over sunbutter in muffin cups. Top with seeds or nuts if desired.

Refrigerate until firm. Store them in a container in the fridge until ready to serve.






Chocolate or carob-covered strawberries

Use up any extra melted chocolate or carob from the recipes above to coat fresh or frozen strawberries. Or mix up more of the chocolate mixture from the haystack recipe to coat a batch of strawberries.

Choco sunbutter bars with sweet potato

Choco sunbutter sweet potato bars

Easter is coming up and I'm thinking chocolate! Of course, my Easter treat has to be whole grain plus free of eggs, soy, nuts, dairy, sugar, corn, potatoes and gluten. That seems like a pretty tall order but I think I created a keeper, at least for me. My choco sunbutter bars include a crust made from black quinoa, amaranth flour, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut and cacao nibs. The filling is a blend of sweet potatoes, sunbutter, cocoa powder, cacao nibs and coconut. It's yummy slightly frozen.

Choco Sunbutter Bars with Sweet Potato

Ingredients for Crust:

1. 1/2 cup black quinoa, ground into coarse flour in a coffee grinder
2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
3. 1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
4. Pinch of sea salt
5. 1 T. cocoa powder
6. Powdered stevia to taste
7. 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
8. 1 T. cacao nibs
9. 3 T. olive oil
10. 1/4 cup + cold water

Ingredients for Filling:

1. 2 baked and peeled large sweet potatoes
2. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
3. 2 T. cocoa powder
4. Optional: 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
5. Optional: 1 T. cacao nibs
6. Powdered stevia to taste
7. 1 cup unsweetened, plain hemp milk
8. 2 T. ground flax mixed with 5 T. hemp milk
9. Pinch of sea salt

Directions for Crust:
Grind the black quinoa into a coarse flour in a coffee grinder. Toast the seeds in a large skillet. Once the seeds are cool, finely grind them in a food processor. Add the cacao nibs and coconut and continue pulsing to grind. Add the flours, stevia, cocoa powder and blend. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup of the dry mixture for the topping. Put the rest into a large bowl. Add the oil and water, and mix with a fork until combined. Pat the mixture into a sprayed 8 X 8-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or so in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Remove and cool.

Directions for the Filling:
Microwave the sweet potatoes until tender. Allow to cool and peel. Put the sweet potatoes in the food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sunbutter, cocoa powder, salt, ground flax mixed with 5 T. hempmilk, 1 cup hempmilk,  optional coconut and cacao nibs, and blend until smooth. 

Pour the filling into the pan with the cooled crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the reserved flour/cocoa mixture on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30+ minutes until a fork inserted comes out fairly clean.

Once the bars are cooled, cut into squares. Extras can be stored in the freezer for several weeks or more. And they are quite tasty slightly thawed out.

Chocolate/black quinoa pudding

Chocolate black quinoa pudding

Black quinoa has such a nutty texture. It's become my favorite quinoa. I used it recently to create a delicious chocolate dessert but I admit I ate it for breakfast.

Black quinoa/chocolate pudding

Ingredients

1. 1 cup black quinoa cooked according to instructions on package
2. 2 T. cocoa powder
3. 1 T. ground flax
4. 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk
5. stevia to taste
6. Add-ins: cacao nibs, blueberries, toasted pumpkin seeds,  toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Place cooked quinoa, hemp milk, flax, cocoa and stevia in a saucepan. Heat until mixture is thickened.
2. Remove from heat and stir in 1-2 T. cacao nibs.

3. Garnish with blueberries, pumpkin seeds, coconut, additional cacao nibs when ready to serve.

Sunbutter, sweet potato bars



Sunbutter, sweet potato bars

I've stayed free of colds and sinus issues for almost one year now thanks to following an anti-candida diet (ACD). My candida overgrowth was the result of taking too many broad spectrum antibiotics prescribed for sinus infections.My recommendation is: never take antiobiotics unless you absolutely have to! If you do, then make sure you load up on probiotics to replace the good bacteria killed off by the antibiotics. I'm still replenishing good bacteria one year later by taking probiotics.

One year later I'm still following a low-glycemic diet but find that I can lighten up just a bit by adding a few more good quality carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes. I combined sweet potatoes with my personal favorite, sunbutter, to create Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars. They are free of sugar and artificial sweeteners, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, corn and nuts but they still have the texture of cheesecake and the taste of a peanut butter bar.

Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars

Filling Ingredients:

1. 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and pureed
2. 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
3. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
4. powdered stevia (SweetLeaf is my personal favorite.)
5. 2 flax eggs ( Usually made with 1 T. flax dissolved in 3 T. water. I used 2 T. Nutri-Flax ground flax seed powder dissolved in 4 T. hemp milk.)
6. 1/2 tsp. salt

Crust Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
3. 1/2 cup black quinoa, ground in a coffee grinder to a coarse flour
4. 2 T. olive oil
5. powdered stevia
6. 2 T. + water

Directions:

Grind seeds into a coarse powder in the food processor. Grind black quinoa in a coffee grinder. Add black quinoa flour, amaranth flour and stevia to seeds and pulse to mix. Remove all but 1/4 cup to a large bowl and add oil and water until the dough clings together. Press into a sprayed 8 X 8-inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

In the meantime, microwave sweet potatoes until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Cool and peel. Put sweet potatoes in food processor and puree. Add sunbutter, hemp milk, stevia, salt and flax eggs. Pulse until mixture is smooth and thickened.

Once crust is set, pour in filling mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved flour mixture on top.

Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Garnish with a teaspoon of chocolate sauce for an extra special treat.