Quinoa Cranberry Cookies

These cookies were inspired by a recipe on Amy Greene's blog, Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free this morning, 'Quinoa Raisin Cookies' - I veganized the recipe by removing the egg, the dairy, cut down the sugar, used my own mix of flours, and used walnuts and cranberries in place of the raisins.  They taste so good!  David came home and said, "I don't like cranberries!",  (okay, at my age, its difficult to keep track of everything several people do not like, can't have, are allergic to... I need to start writing this stuff down), but after eating several of these cookies, he proclaimed that they were very good.  Too bad, I was secretly hoping to eat them all myself.

I shared linked this post to Slight Indulgent Tuesdays and at Cybele Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

Flax Meal Slurry:
2 tablespoons golden flax meal
3 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup earth balance buttery spread (or butter) room temperature
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar * (see note below)
1 - 2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coconut milk (or water)

Dry Ingredients:
1/3 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/3 cup blanched almond flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries (not sugar sweetened)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper.

Mix the ingredients for the flax meal slurry in a small bowl and set aside to thicken for a few minutes.

In a large bowl (or bowl of your stand mixer), cream the butter until light, add the coconut palm sugar and mix well.  Add thickened flax meal slurry, vanilla and 2 tablespoons coconut milk.

In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.  Add quinoa flakes, walnuts, and cranberries.

Use a small scoop to drop cookies onto parchment lined sheet tray (the cookies do not need much space between them, they do not spread much).  Bake for 12 - 14 minutes (mine baked for exactly 14 minutes), until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges (do not over bake).  Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack.

My cookies were about 1 1/2 inches in size when baked and the recipe make 30 cookies.

Options:
- substitute raisins (or any kind of dried fruit) or chocolate chips for the cranberries
- use whatever nuts your like
- substitute gluten-free oatmeal for the quinoa flakes
- substitute 1 egg for the flax meal slurry
- if you do not have the flours I used, try 2/3 cup of any whole grain gluten-free flour (e.g. brown rice, millet, garbanzo bean/fava bean, quinoa, teff etc.), and 1/3 cup of some kind of starch (e.g. arrowroot, cornstarch, potato starch)
- and, if you want to try this with a purchased flour mix (such as Pamela's, or Bob's Red Mill) - I bet it would taste great

*Note: coconut palm sugar (sometimes referred to as palm sugar) is very lightly processed, low glycemic index (35 GI - which is comparable to agave), and high in minerals.  This sugar is traditionally used in south Asian cooking.  It has a wonderful taste, similar to brown sugar.  Its becoming widely available.  (just for reference, the GI for table sugar is 80)

Quinoa Gluten-Free Vegan Pancakes

I haven't made pancakes for years, although I have wonderful memories of making light, fluffy pancakes (actually my memories are of eating the pancakes).  And I remember that they were easy to make - so why has it been so long?  And I think I may have issues about cooking in the morning.  So, pancakes for supper is the solution. 

Today, I won't be making the same pancakes as years ago, they need to be vegan (eggs and dairy are the biggest bad guys in our house) and we try to stay away from gluten when we can.  So, I could have made pancakes with wheat flour - but I get a kick out of using gluten-free flours, its an interesting challenge and flours other then wheat flour taste wonderful.

These pancakes are an adaptation of a recipe on Irwin Lin's blog Eat the Love  his Quinoa Cornmeal Lemon Honey Pancakes.  I veganized his recipe and left out the lemon and also his yummy sounding Rosemary infused Maple Syrup - I wanted a simple pancake.  I love the combination of quinoa and corn - so for my first gluten-free pancake, I tried this.  And, these pancakes were incredible!  First bite - heaven...


Flax Meal Slurry:
4 tablespoon golden flax meal
6 tablespoon coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons quinoa flour 
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons corn meal
1/4 cup play 2 tablespoons corn starch (non-GMO)
1/4 cup play 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons coconut oil (melt before measuring) or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey

Mix together the flax meal 6 tablespoons coconut milk in a small bowl and let sit (this is the substitute for 2 eggs).

Mix together the 1 cup of coconut milk and vinegar and let sit for a few minutes. 

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. 

In a larger bowl, mix together the flax meal slurry, milk and vinegar mixture, and the remaining wet ingredients.

Heat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.  Film with oil.  When the pan is hot enough, add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix thoroughly.  When the wet and the dry ingredients are mixed together, the baking soda will immediately start reacting with the vinegar  - so get your griddle hot first.

Scoop batter up with a 1/4 cup measure and pour onto the griddle.  Cook until the sides begin to dry out (there may be bubbles on the top) and the bottom side is golden brown.  Flip the pancake over and brown on the other side.  Hold in a warm oven (150 - 200 degrees) until all of the pancakes have been cooked.

(Note: when I made these again, I think I will add a bit more coconut milk to the batter, so that its easier to pour and makes a thinner pancake.)

Serve with a pat of earth balance buttery stick and maple syrup. 

Yum!

Salad of Quinoa and Greens with an Asian dressing

Who doesn't love quinoa?  Its so healthy, easy to work with, and it has a neutral taste so it takes on the flavor of whatever you mix it with.   

I shared a link to this recipe Allergy Friendly Friday at Cybele Pascal's bog, at the Heart and Soul Hop and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop blog.  And a big thanks to Angie at the blog cocina diary for her food photography tips.  This is just my third post taking my own pictures - using the Picnik photo editer she suggested - I think these photos are so much better than my previous ones.  I'm tempted to go back and edit all of the previous photos, but don't have time.

It's a bit awkward posting this recipe, because its hardly a recipe at all.  I've put amounts for the dressing ingredients, but truthfully, I don't measure any of it.

A bit of info for foodie nerds... quinoa is not a grain, but a species of goosefoot, related to beets and spinach with edible seeds.  Quinoa originated in South America, where is was domesticated more than 3000 years ago.  The Incas referred to quinoa as the 'mother of all grains' and held it to be sacred.  After the Spanish conquest, the cultivation of quinoa was suppressed because of its sacred status within the indigenous cultures.  Quinoa's protein content is quite high (12% - 18%) and it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it, very unusally, a plant that is a complete protein.  Quinoa is gluten-free a great source of dietary fiber, magnesuim, and iron. 

Quinoa requires rinsing because in its natural state, it has a coating of bitter-tasting saporins (which makes it unpalatable to birds).  Most quinoa sold in the U.S. has been pre-rinsed - however, I always rinse it briefly for my own peace of mind - although probably not at all necessary. 

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
2 cups filtered water

daikon radish, peeled and cut into small cubes
napa cabbage, shredded
purple cabbage, shredded
dandelion greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
snap peas, cut into bits-sized pieces
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (including the stems - they taste good)
sprouts

dressing:

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ume vinegar
couple drops agave or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
1 - 2 teaspoons grated ginger
Sriracha (or hot sauce or red pepper flake) to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan.  Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a fine meshed strainer and rinsed under cold water.  Add to boiling water.  Cover and turn down the heat so that the quinoa is gently simmering. Simmer the quinoa for about 15 - 20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed.  Turn out onto a sheet tray and separate grains with a fork.  Allow quinoa to cool. 

Place all of the veggies in a large bowl. 

Mix together ingredients for the dressing with a whisk.  Taste and adjust the dressing so it tastes great to you. 

Spoon cooled quinoa in the bowl with the veggies, pour dressing over and mix.

Amounts for the veggies are not given because you can add whatever veggies and greens in whatever amounts that you like. 

Options (are endless...):

just to give one example with an Italian flare - roast some veggies (see my post regarding roasting vegetables) such as broccoli, onion, red pepper, garlic.  Dress the salad with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper.  Add kalamata olives, cubed fresh mozzarella, and chopped flat-leaf parsley for extra wonderfulness. 

don't like cilantro?  substitute basil and a bit of mint.

of course, grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or marinated tofu can be added to the salad.

Roasted Vegetables

If you know the basics of roasting vegetables, you can work miracles in your kitchen, because roasting brings out the natural sweetness of anything.  I know many people marinade their vegetables before roasting - adding things like vinegar or lemon juice.  I don't think that does anything for the actual process of roasting.  When you add an acidic element, not only may you have too much liquid, so that your veggies end up steaming and not roasting, but it immediately started breaking down the fibers of the veggies and you run the risk of a steamed, soggy mess - that may be eatable, but it will not be scrumptious.

So remember - in the oven, all you need on your veggies is oil - nothing else.  If you want to add other flavors, add it after the roasting is complete.

1 large onion
2 red peppers
2 small zucchini
1 large funnel bulb
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
fresh herbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (if you don't feel comfortable with your oven that hot, 400 degrees will work also - you may need to roast a few minutes longer).

Cut the onion in half and slice into wedges.  Cut the peppers into 1 inch chunks.  Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and slice on the diagonal into 1 - 2 inch chunks.  Cut the funnel bulb in half, core, and trim the tough outer layer.  Cut into roughly 1 inch chunks.  Place all of the veggies on a sheet tray, add olive oil and toss until all of the vegetables pieces are coated with oil.

Roast in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, turning the veggies half way thru.  Test with a fork, veggies should be tender crisp and beginning to brown. 

Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Also, add any fresh herbs you like. 

Options:
- substitute your favorite veggies for the ones listed above (broccoli is our favorite)
- after removing from the oven, sprinkle with a good quality balsamic vinegar
- when cooled a bit, roasted veggies are fabulous in a green salad
- also wonderful on pasta, top cooked pasta with roasted veggies, a fresh herb such as flat-leaf parsley, a bit of red pepper flake, garlic, parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup or so of the pasta cooking water - toss.  Lemon zest would be good too.
- add roasted veggies to cooked quinoa (bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil, simmer, covered for 15 - 20 minutes - til all the water has been absorbed).  Might also want to add a bit more olive oil, vinegar, herbs, etc. This could be a warm side-dish, or a room-temp salad.  (I love anything in quinoa!)

Note: when roasting dense vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes or butternut squash, you will probably need to roast 5 - 15 minutes longer (depending on the size of the pieces).  Or you can blanch these vegatable first in salted water for about 10 minutes prior to roasting.

Chipotle-Maple Glazed Butternut Squash

About a year ago, my partner, was told that he had several food sensitivities: eggs, dairy, gluten were the primary issues.  Since then, I've changed that way I cook a great deal.  And, its been so much fun, like figuring out a mystery - how to make muffins w/out eggs or wheat (for example).  I've educated myself about these issues largely by reading a great deal and talking with friends who have similar food issues.  There is so much wonderful writing about food on the web - does anyone really need another blog?  Why not, just for fun?

So here's what we had for supper last night:

Chipotle-Maple Glazed Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce or 1 - 2 chopped chipotle peppers and adobo sauce (use more or less, depending on your taste) or any hot sauce that you like

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together all above ingredients so that the squash pieces are coated.  Bake on a non-stick pan or silpat for 45 - 60 minutes.  Part way thru cooking, turn pieces over with a spatula.

(Note: if you love spicy food, dump a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the blender and whiz it up for 30 seconds or so.  Pour into a glass container, store in the frig and you've got an easy way to add punch to anything (salad dressings, curry's, beans, pasta dishes).  If you're not familiar with these peppers use just a bit at first - you may find yourself adding more and more as you find out how much your love it!)

The squash by itself was so luscious - but I decided to add it to the quinoa I had also planned to cook.

Quinoa Pilaf

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1 bunch of green onions

2 cups purple kale, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

A few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil

1 recipe Chipotle - Maple Glazed Butternut Squash

Salt & pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa in cold water, place in saucepan with water.  Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed.  Fluff grains with a fork and mix cooked quinoa with all other ingredients.  The greens will wilt just enough when mixed with the hot quinoa.

The kale and cilantro can be changed up depending on your taste, this is just what I had in the frig.  Any greens and any herbs would work beautifully (such as spinach, watercress, flat leaf parsley, etc.).