Celery Root Fries

We made it to the weekend!

What goes along with burgers? Fries of course! I made a batch of my Kitchen Sink Veggie Burgers last night and tried out a new veggie — celery root or celeriac…and in the form of fries

These were a healthy substitute for the fried potato version though they will not satisfy your craving for the original if that’s what you are after. I thought I should throw that out there in case you are looking for the real deal…

Baked veggie fries are a yummy stand-in when you want a lighter side dish. If you are looking for a healthy snack or simply a recipe to branch out and be adventurous, this may be a good start

Celery root has a mild celery taste that is slightly detectable in this recipe. These fries are best served right from the oven to maintain their slight crispiness…with or without ketchup or mustard, I suggest you give them a go!

I followed Kelly’s easy recipe for these fries at The Spunky Coconut, hope on over to her post for the recipe!

I will be purchasing another celery root again for additional experimentation…I hear pureeing this veggie in soup is scrumptious or even making a hash with veggies for a side or main dish. The wheels are turning…

Pizza Quinoa Casserole

This is a must-try recipe. If you are a quinoa fan, you might want to run (not walk) to get these ingredients for your next meal!

To conclude pizza week here at Natural Noshing, I have a Pizza Quinoa Casserole to share that was slightly adapted from the lovely Heidi over at Food Doodles. The moment this recipe was posted, I printed it out to cook at my earliest opportunity. This recipe is a sure-fire winner, even with the few tweaks I made from the items I had on hand. This casserole may or may not be on my weekly menu for a while…I highly recommend you make this dish!

I ate my pizza quinoa for lunch as a main dish two days in a row and served it as a side to grilled chicken for dinner….DELISH! You can easily make this vegan and dairy free by eliminating the cheese on top or using dairy-free cheese shreds. A variety of cheeses would work well here in place of the Italian blend I used– goat cheese, mozzarella, feta etc based on your personal preference.

Pizza Quinoa Casserole (adapted from Food Doodles)

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa cooked in 2 C water or about 3 1/2 cups cooked quinoa* – rice or millet would make nice substitutes too
4 oz can tomato paste (I had a barely used open can, feel free to use the whole 6 oz)
3-4 large cloves garlic, finely minced, grated or pressed
1 small onion, diced (if you aren’t a big onion fan, use 1/2 onion and finely dice)
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, Earth Balance or butter/ghee
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp basil or 2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 tbsp dried parsley
pinch of stevia (or 1/4 tsp granulated sweetener)
3/4 – 1 tsp sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 tbsp nutritional yeast(optional but I used for a cheesy flavor)
1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese, optional (or goat cheese, mozzarella or feta)

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa well and combine with water in a small pot over high heat.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed, the quinoa is tender and completely cooked.  Remove from the heat and leave covered in the pot for 5 minutes while assembling other ingredients.*

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 4 – 1 cup ramekins, 2 – 2 cup dishes or a larger casserole dish, depending on how you want to bake and serve this.

3. In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste with the garlic and onion, water and olive oil.  Mix well.  Add tomatoes and all the seasonings including the nutritional yeast if using.  Mix well again before adding the quinoa.  Once the mixture is completely mixed, taste for seasonings and add more salt as needed.  Then divide evenly among the dishes for baking, sprinkle with cheese if desired and place in the oven.  I baked mine in two gratin dishes and one loaf pan, but this could easily be done in smaller ramekins for individual servings, or in one larger dish.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly or until the quinoa on top is golden and crispy.  If desired, sprinkle with more nutritional yeast and fresh basil or parsley and serve.

*For a quicker prep, cook the quinoa the night before and refrigerate to easily assemble the next evening.

Pizza-Flavored Tempeh Chips

Happy Thursday! We are getting closer and closer to the weekend…I hope the sunshine and warmer weather is bringing a smile to your face as it is mine.

Continuing on with the pizza week theme, I have a fun pizza-flavored recipe to share with you — Pizza Tempeh Chips! This high-protein snack is perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up and/or a healthy replacement for salty chips

I’ll admit, tempeh used to freak me out…but then again, so did tofu until I gave it a real chance and I love the stuff now. I think it’s all about the way it’s prepared…and after this easy dish, I can safely say I am on the tempeh bandwagon.

I intended on making a vegan cheese sauce for dipping. Plans changed as I didn’t have the right ingredients on hand and whipped up a quick tomato-garlic aioli instead (blend 1 plum tomato, a dab of tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves,  squeeze of fresh lemon juice, pinch of salt and 1/2 cup vegenaise or other mayo) . While I loved the aioli (it make a lovely spread on a sandwich and my turkey burger), I wound up eating most of the chips sans the sauce.

Pizza-Flavored Tempeh Chips 

Ingredients

6 oz gluten free tempeh, sliced thin into about 25 pieces (I used Surata Multigrain Tempeh)
2 tsp tomato powder (I bought this at the bulk section of the local health food store)
3/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp sea salt
several shakes of crushed red pepper
olive oil, a Misto spray or lightly brushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, mix the tomato powder through pepper until well combined.
3. Carefully lay the tempeh slices on the sheet in an even layer and then spray (or brush lightly) one side with olive oil. Sprinkle half of the tomato-spice mixture on the tempeh slices and press slightly to adhere.
4. Turn over the slices, spray/brush with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes until tempeh is slightly crisp, turning once or twice while baking. I let some of mine get a little brown, I like the crispy edges. Enjoy straight from the oven!

Serves two

Recipe Variations – For an easy Southwestern snack, use the spice mixture from my Roasted Fajita-Spiced Chickpeas.

Bite-Size Peanut Butter Layer Cups (No-Bake, Grain-Free)

Happy Friday! Here’s a sweet treat to kick off the weekend

I’ve been a little lazy lately with turning on my oven. I have a toaster oven and a typical stove + oven but these warmer Spring days have me craving chilled dishes and fuss-free snacks and desserts.

Plus, dessert isn’t an option for me. I LOVE SWEETS. I eat dessert every night in some form or fashion which gives me the extra push to health-ify my treats so I can enjoy them without the guilt.

These cute little cups fit the bill. 

I’ve professed my love for nut butters over and over again and here’s another tribute to my all-time favorite food. These grain-free peanut butter cups are little bites of heaven…the perfect ending to my day (or anytime you need a little sweet pick-me-up)!

Bite-Size Peanut Butter Layer Cups (No-Bake)

Ingredients

Crust Layer:
3 Tbsp coconut flour
3 Tbsp peanut flour* (OR almond flour or almond meal)
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp honey, agave,coconut nectar or maple syrup (do not use honey if vegan)

Peanut Butter Filling Layer:
7 Tbsp unsweetened, all natural creamy or crunchy peanut butter*
dash of pure vanilla extract
2-3 tsp honey (agave, coconut nectar or maple syrup could be subbed) + a pinch of stevia if you wanter a sweeter filling
2 Tbsp peanut flour or almond flour (or more if needed to hold together, depends on how runny your nut butter is)
pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Layer:
2 Tbsp raw cacoa powder, cocoa powder or carob powder
2 Tbsp peanut butter (I used all natural, unsalted crunchy but creamy works too)
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp honey, agave, coconut nectar or maple syrup (add a pinch of stevia if you want a sweeter topping)
pinch of sea salt (omit if using salted nut butter)

For garnish, optional
unsalted or salted peanut halves

Directions

1. For crust: Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until well incorporated and mixture sticks together. (I used a fork).

Divide evenly into 11-12 mini silicone cupcakes molds and press evenly to create firm mini crusts. If you do not have a silicone pan, line a mini muffin tin with plastic wrap for easy removal. Set pan aside while you create the filling.

2. For the peanut butter filling:  In the small mixing bowl (you don’t have to rinse the bowl out), add all of the ingredients and stir to combine. If the mixture isn’t holding together and is too runny, add more peanut/coconut flour a little at a time (this will depending on the consistency of your nut butter, I used a fairly thick peanut butter).

Divide evenly onto the crusts and press firmly to form a flat layer, repeat with remaining cups. Freeze the cups for a few minutes while you prepare the chocolate topping (optional but helps harden the topping more quickly).

3. For the chocolate topping: In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until smooth and uniform. Spoon on top of the filling and garnish with peanut halves if desired. Refrigerate the cups until chocolate layer is hardened and enjoy!

Makes about 12 mini cups (can be doubled or tripled). Store in the refrigerator.

*If you looking for a nut-free option, substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter, and use pulsed sunflower seeds to make a seed meal (or buckwheat flour or even finely shredded coconut) for the peanut flour. You may need to increase the sweetener slightly unless you are using sweetened sunflower seed butter; I find sunflower seed butter to be a bit more bitter than other nut butters but it’s completely up to you!

PS. Get ready! I am dedicating next week to pizza, another one of my all-time favorite foods…
Have an awesome weekend