For My Love-Blueberry Coconut Pecan Pancakes with Maple Coconut Syrup

Hey friends! Well after drudging through busy season and battling my first cold in over three years for the last 8 days...I think I can safely say that I am back! In honor of February beginning tomorrow, the month of our third wedding anniversary (2/2) and Valentine's Day...I made pancakes for my love this morning. They were a huge hit, and are a healthier, whole grain, low sugar, good oil, breakfast option.

Here's my recipe:

1 1/2 cups of whole grain spelt flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 pinches of salt
1/4 tsp Maca powder (optional)
1 1/3 cup of almond milk
fresh blueberries
pecan pieces
shredded unsweetened coconut

Syrup recipe from Angela with Oh She Glows:

1 heaping TB of coconut oil
3 TB of maple syrup

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and slowly stir in the almond milk. Heat a griddle over medium heat and spray with olive oil (or any cooking spray). Drop 3 spoonfuls of batter on griddle and sprinkle with pecans, blueberries, and coconut. Flip when bubbling (about two minutes) and cook other side. Makes about 6-7 small pancakes.



For syrup, mix oil and maple syrup together on low heat in a saucepan. Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ovenight Oats

Breakfast needed some "jazzing" up around here, and I was on a mission to find some recipes that could be prepped the night before. So, I found Angela's blog. My overnight oats recipe is done in a crockpot overnight with green apples and it's good and hearty, but I loved her recipe for Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats and it's Fall, so anything pumpkin is on my list!

These are super easy and you put in a tupperware before bed and when you wake up toss in walnuts and raisins and voila, breakfast!

I should highlight chia seeds before we begin. These tiny seeds are a nutrition bomb!

• 30% of the chia seed’s oil is Omega 3 oil. 40% of its oil is Omega 6 oil. This provides the nice balance those who take supplemental Essential Fatty Acids are looking for. The chia seed’s substantially dense percentage in alpha-linolenic fatty acid also makes this seed a healthy dietary source of fatty acids.
• You do not need to grind the Chia Seeds to digest it. It is a relatively easy to digest seed, whereas flax seeds are not. Often, one has to grind flax seeds to be able to process them in their digestive system. That is not the case with chia seeds.
• The chia seeds are great for athletes because they are highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs large amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over 10 times their weight in water making them a great enhancer in hydrating our bodies. They absorb the water we drink holding it in our system longer.
• Studies show that eating chia seed slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe that the chia seed may have great benefits for diabetics.
• The chia seed gels when becoming wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, helps prevent some of the food, hence calories that we eat from getting absorbed into our system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes the chia seed a great diet helper. Eating the seeds also helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry!
• Chia seeds provide antioxidant activity
• Chia is a great addition to a detoxification program. Chia seeds are high in fiber and in healthy oils making them an excellent addition to many detox programs


Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats


Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup oats
1.5 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp nutmeg, 1/8th tsp ginger)
3/4 cup Almond Milk
1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
Walnuts (topping)
Raisins (topping)



Directions:

Mix the oats, chia seeds, and spices in a small bowl. Now add the Almond milk and maple syrup and whisk until mixed. Add in the pumpkin and whisk again until fully incorporated. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. Top with raisins, walnuts, and more milk if needed and enjoy your creamy pumpkin pie oats!

Dinner Winner-Vegetable Pot Pie

We LOVE this recipe at the Martin house! Adapted from "Clean Food" by Terry Walters . We also love this cookbook, it's never failed me and this recipe is quickly becoming a fall staple. Seriously, and we've even had a few non-vegetable eaters tell us that they love it. It takes some advanced prep for roasting the squash. The chopping is the hard part, the cooking is easy.

My two "what are those" food highlights are delicata squash and arrowroot powder.

Delicata=delicious! This is one of my favorite winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed and the skin is also edible.

Arrowroot powder-one of my "go to" thickners. Made from the Arrowroot plant and used as a gluten-free replacement for wheat flours in baking. It is also considered more desirable for gravies, sauces and pastries than some of the more common starches and flours. It thickens at a lower temperature over cornstarch and flour. It doesn't mix well with dairy. Substitute two teaspoons of arrowroot for one tablespoon of cornstarch, or one teaspoon of arrowroot for one tablespoon of wheat flour. It's acutally nutritous as is the only starch to contain calcium ash, making it a preferred in baby foods. It's alkalizing as well.

Ingredients:

2 med delicata squash
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 TB of mirin
1/2 lb of green beans trimmed
1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen corn
3/4 cup water
2 TB Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 TB of arrowroot powder
Fresh ground black pepper
1 frozen 9 inch pie crust, defrosted-I used organic spelt

Preheat oven to 400.

Roasting Squash

Wash squash well, cut in half lengthwise, removed seeds and rub each section with oil. Place cut side down in a glass baking pan or cookie sheet and roast 25 min or until soft throughout. Remove and set aside.

Preparing Filling

In Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until soft (about 3 min). Add carrots, celery, and mirin (rice wine) and saute another 3 minutes. Cut green beans into bite size pieces, add to pot along with corn and saute 5 minutes or until beans are starting to soften. Chop squash into bite size pieces and fold into mixture.



In small bowl, whisk together water, liquid aminos, and arrowroot until smooth. Pour into pot with veggies and stir until liquid starts to thicken. Season to taste with pepper. Remove from heat and transfer to a casserole dish.



Finishing

Crumble pie crust over top of casserole and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 8 or until top is lightly browned. Serve.

Are You Hungry? Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

Oh yes, I am about to change your lives with this one my friends. I got this recipe from Angela's blog. The smell is incredible, and you'll surely be in heaven from the first bite!

Ready?

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups of organic turbinado sugar (I used brown rice syrup and mixed in with wet ingredients)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten (veganize and add fiber and make a flax egg, 1 TB of ground flax in three TB of warm water, let sit for 15 min)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil-safflower is my personal fav for desserts
2 cups finely chopped peeled apples

Topping:

1/4 cup organic turbinado sugar or maple sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter or margarine-I use Earth Balance non-soy

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Combine eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.



For topping, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle 1 teaspoon over each muffin.





Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.







I had to get them from every angle, so delightful! Enjoyed with this, a steeping cup of Sencha Green Tea.



Happy Harvest!

Mexican Hummus....Um, Um, Good!

Mexican food is one of my bf's. Of course, we don't do the lard and the cheese around here...but yall this is some tasty business right here. I scored this recipe from Vegetarian Times and added some flare.

Mexican Hummus

1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbs. lime juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup cilantro

Directions

1.Put beans, salsa, lime juice, oil, garlic and cumin in food processor or blender, and purée until smooth.

2.Spoon mixture into bowl, and stir in pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Makes about 1.5 cups.





So, I try and not use canned beans if I can help it...too many metals. I soaked 1.5 cups of pinto beans with kombu (seaweed that's nature's beano) overnight and then drained and cooked by bringing to a boil and then lowering heat to as fast simmer covered for an 1.5 hours in 6 cups water. You'll know when they are done because they fall apart. Yes, I bought the salsa (organic) and didn't squeeze my own limes (organic lime juice)....I am trying to create recipes for ladies who have busy lives!! I'm right there with yall.

It gets better. I broiled squash, zucchini, and red pepper in the oven marinated in EVOO and salt and pepper about 4-6 min a side. I then spread the hummus over a sprouted tortilla and picked basil from the garden, three leaves, some raw red onions, leftover arugula from the quinoa recipe, and voila! Another wrap, easy to assemble and oh so yummy! You can also serve this as a dip with veggies or whole wheat pita. Any left-over toasted pumpkin seeds you have, go great in a jar and eaten as a snack or in oatmeal for breakfast.











Bueno.

Time for A Recipe

Time for some new recipes, it's been way too long! I haven't stopped cooking, this house loves to eat! The more I learn and experiment with cooking, the more I see how it's quickly become one of my great passions. I love to help others strive for healthier and happier lifestyles. A little back story, I was very sick for 15 years. Two years and one month ago, God used food and a major lifestyle change to completely heal my body of the illness I had for so long! It's been an amazing journey and I hope to one day take it even further and start my own business. So, with a husband in school, who eats A LOT, I have been working on recipes that he can put in a wrap and carry with him on campus.

Quinoa (prounounced keen-wah) is a fabulous and versatile grain. It's easily digestible and has a light, nutty flavor. It's has more protein (averages about 16.2%) and calcium than a quart of milk, so it gives you endurance. It's high in iron, magnesium, and potassium. It is strengthening to the kidneys and heart. With this grain, a little goes a long way! It expands to four times its volume when cooked. What's not to love.

Veggie Stuffed Quinoa

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped carrots
1 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup of chopped arugula
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 t sea salt (or to taste)
1t garlic powder
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions (Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup roasted almonds

Method

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until transparent, 8 to 10 minutes.



Add mushrooms and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes more. Add carrots and chopped pepper, cook until just softened, then add parsley and arugula (in batches, if needed).



Let greens wilt then stir in garlic powder, salt, and cumin and cooked quinoa and toss gently to combine. Add salt, pepper and almonds and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Set aside to let filling cool until just warm. Serve as a tasty side dish or in sprouted whole grain wraps. This made a huge pot as you can see, so it should last for a few days and lunches!

Finished dish!



Happy and healthy eating!