While I love being creative and combining various ingredients, most of recent “creative” meals have been out of necessity. You see, the last few times I’ve made it to the grocery store, I’ve gone without a list…leaving me with random items and unplanned meals. When faced with the question of ‘whats for dinner’, I grabbed items in the fridge that needed to be used up – cooked black beans, cooked green beans, one lonely squash, the remainder for hummus and an uncooked turkey burger patty. Random, yes but delicious and filling, it sure was!

You could make this a vegetarian/vegan friendly meal but using your favorite cooked grain instead of the meat. Use your favorite flavor of hummus as this drives the main flavoring of the dish. Hummus sauce is versatile and is scrumptious over any cooked vegetables, grains or meat. If you don’t have all of these ingredients on hand and you are a hummus fan, still try this “sauce” – I am in love

Clean Out the Fridge Saute with Hummus Sauce

Ingredients

1/3 lb ground meat (I used turkey) for vegetarian, could sub 1-2 cups cooked brown rice, millet, sorghum or quinoa
2-3 tsp coconut oil, butter, ghee or olive oil (use oil for vegetarian)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 cup cooked green beans
2/3 cup cooked black beans (white beans or chickpeas would work too)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup prepared hummus (or homemade) - I used original but use your favorite flavor
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice + water to thin

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil/butter over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir or whisk together hummus, lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water until makes a sauce with a drizzle consistency. Set aside.
2. Add meat and onions to the pan and saute until meat is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes and stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic and squash and saute for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Toss in cooked green beans and black beans and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dishes and drizzle with prepared hummus sauce and enjoy!

Serves 2

This meal would be complete served with my hummus bread!

Instead of letting it sit there “looking pretty”, I decided to make two dishes: the first being a vegetarian skillet hash and the other was a soup  substituting butternut for the squash in my spicy kabocha coconut soup recipe !

This hash combines butternut squash with sweet raisins, sauteed mushrooms and creamy tangy goat cheese for a simple but flavor-packed vegetarian meal. I have noted substitutions for a vegan dish and other ingredients for different flavor variations – this is one of those flexible meals so use what you like!

Butternut Squash Skillet Hash

Ingredients

4 cups butternut squash cut in small cubes (1/2 in) or 3 1/2 cups shredded butternut squash (sweet potatoes would also be delicious)
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil, olive oil, butter, ghee or Earth Balance (use oil or Earth Balance for vegan)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder (I was out of onion and had to use a back-up – could sub 1/2 cup diced onion and add while cooking the squash)
dash of crushed red pepper (omit if you don’t like heat)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (I bet red bell pepper would be good too if mushrooms aren’t your favorite)
1/4 cup raisins (cranberries or golden raisins could be subbed)
2 handfuls of baby greens, optional but a variety of color (I used baby spinach, about 2 cups)
3-4 Tbsp goat cheese (or feta) (could use nutritional yeast for vegan for different flavor)
3 Tbsp chopped nuts or seeds (I forgot to add before taking photos, optional but good – I used a combo of walnuts and hemp seeds)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil/butter over medium heat. Add squash and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 9-10 minutes until softened and cooked through, stirring occasionally.
2. Add garlic, onion powder, red pepper and mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are cooked. Toss in the raisins and greens and cook until greens are wilted, a minute or so.
3. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper if needed and toss with cheese and nuts/seeds.  Serve while warm and enjoy!

Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side dish (or one really hungry person)

I can always come up with good reasons why I should and must consume more chocolate

I am really enjoying the “black cocoa” I received for my birthday. The end result truly does come out to be an incredibly deep black color that screams “DARK CHOCOLATE”.

Healthy, no-cook fudge was a must-make. A quick and easy chocolate recipe in chewy, gooey form – yes please!

Midnight Fudge (adapted from my Make-it-your-own-Chocolate Bark)

Ingredients

1 cup nut butter (I used half almond butter, half peanut butter before, all cashew butter and all almond butter – all good!)
5-6 Tbsp black cocoa powder (or you could use 1/2 cup regular cocoa or cacao powder)
2 Tbsp coconut oil (use refined for no coconut taste, use unrefined for a slight coconut taste)
5-6 medjool dates (soaked for 30 minutes in water if too dry)
2-3 Tbsp honey, agave, maple syrup or brown rice syrup OR 3 more dates (or more to taste if you like a sweeter fudge)
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or other add-in, optional)

Directions

1. In a bowl of a food processor, add all ingredients except for walnuts. Pulse until well combined. 
2. Stir in walnuts or other add-ins and stir until well combined (use your muscles!).
3. Press fudge mixture into a small loaf pan lined with plastic wrap or wax paper and let chill in freezer for a couples hour or refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Cut into small bars and enjoy!

Store bars in fridge or freezer.

Thank goodness my guest was not picky at all; that makes for a stress-free and fun-filled evening. I had my eye on Lindsay’s Kickin’ Cashew Chicken at Pinch of Yum so Indian food was on the menu I increased the tomato paste along with a few of the spices, added a serrano for a kick and tossed in some fresh veggies to bulk up the meal. Winner! Both my food-loving guest and the hostess were delighted with the results!

Classic — the original recipe called for the cashews to be blended into the sauce. I got to talking (and of course, not paying attention) and wound up adding them in with the golden raisins toward the end of cooking. This was fine by me since I love texture in my dishes – another happy accident

Kickin’ Cashew Chicken (adapted from Pinch of Yum)

Ingredients

2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
6 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup cashews (I bought raw and toasted them but already roasted is fine too)
1 1/2 Tbsp garam masala
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder (I used mild)
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
2 Tbsp plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1 serrano chili pepper, deseeded and deveined (omit for mild dish)
1 Tbsp coconut oil (grapeseed, canola, ghee or butter can be used)
3/4 to 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 1/2 cups fresh mushroom slices
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 handfuls of fresh spinach (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup water

For serving: cooked rice, quinoa, millet etc (I used brown rice)

Directions

1. In a food processor, process the onion pieces for about 1 minute or until a smooth puree forms. Add the next 9 ingredients (paste through serrano) to the onion mixture and process for another 1-2 minutes. If you want a chunkier sauce, pulse until desired texture is reached.
2. In a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the spice mixture from the food processor into the pan and saute for 2 minutes. The lightly cooked spices will start to give off a nice aroma.
3. Add the cubed chicken breast, veggies, half of the cilantro, and the golden raisins. Stir-fry for another minute or so.
4. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice and garnish with remaining cilantro and/or cashew pieces. Enjoy!

Chris and I enjoyed this for dinner one night and I hid the leftovers. I wanted them all to myself so I shoved the container in the back of the fridge behind tofu (the husband won’t touch that!) so it was “out of sight, out of mind”. Thank goodness I did too because this dish was even more flavorful the day after!

There was no real inspiration for this meal; I was in the mood for chickpeas and I needed to use up the last of paneer cheese I had in the fridge. I added in some vegetables for variety of color and texture along with garlic and spices and I was set! The paneer cheese lends a nice subtle cheese flavor to the dish that I really, really enjoyed but you could substitute tofu for vegan if needed and possibly add some nutritional yeast to mimic the cheese flavor.

I enjoyed this dish both served alone and served over cooked millet, though any cooked grain would be work here (rice, quinoa, sorghum) for an even heartier meal.

Chickpea and Paneer Stew 

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil, butter, ghee, or other oil (use oil for vegan)
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced or or small diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp garam masala (Indian spice mix)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp paprika, smoked or regular
1 cup of paneer cheese (could sub cubed firm tofu for vegan and different flavor)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
1 15-oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 cups of vegetable broth (you can add more if you like more liquid, I prefer mine really thick)
5 cups of fresh baby spinach or other leafy green
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium soup pot, heat oil/butter over medium heat. Add onions and carrots, saute for 7-8 minutes until cooked through and onions are slightly golden brown (this helps deepen the flavor), stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in garlic cloves and spices (garam masala through paprika) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly.
3.  Add paneer cheese and saute for 1 minute then add chickpeas, tomato and broth and let simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add remaining ingredients and cook until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

If everything goes according to plan, The Frozen Moose yogurt store should be open today (keep your fingers crossed for me!). I wrote this quick post ahead of time in anticipation that I wouldn’t have time to sleep or breathe anything but frozen yogurt but I still wanted to share a festive post. I couldn’t stay away from you all!

Chocolate + Wine sounds romantic, doesn’t it? Continuing on with my love for donut pan, I was set on coming up with a recipe that used wine and chocolate for Valentines’ day. I am not a wine drinker myself but I sure enjoyed this combination in these cake donuts. I tried multiple batches of these vegan donuts for Fork and Beans Valentine’s Day bake-off with many failures (ie. coming out completely flat and gummy).

Although they aren’t perfect, these donuts are moist, chocolately and easy to pull together. They could be a little bit lighter in texture and height (maybe add an egg or use egg replacer for vegan?) but I still enjoyed them very much…what’s not to like when something is covered in chocolate?

Chocolate Kissed Red Wine Donuts

Ingredients

For donuts
1/4 cup oat flour (millet, brown rice or sorghum could be subbed)
1/4 cup buckwheat flour (millet, brown rice, or sorghum could be subbed)
1/4 cup flax meal
1 Tbsp coconut flour (or could use 2 more Tbsp of oat or buckwheat flour)
3-4 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar or sucanat
1/4 cup Earth balance, or refined coconut oil (no coconut taste), melted (room temp)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (room temperature)

For chocolate glaze
1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate bar, chopped or chocolate chips (I used Endangered Species 72% bar)
2 tsp refined coconut oil (no taste) or all-vegetable shortening

Optional toppings
chocolate shavings or cacao nibs
2 Tbsp fruit-sweetened strawberry or raspberry preserves (mixed with 1/2 Tbsp powdered sucanat and slightly thinned with 1 tsp of red wine, only add this prior to serving)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease donut pan and set aside.
2. Add all dry ingredients (flours through sugar) into a medium mixing and stir to combine. Add wet ingredients (earth balance/oil through wine) bowl and stir together gently.
3. Spoon batter into prepared donut pan and smooth with spatula or press down gently. Bake donuts at 350 F for about 15-16 minutes (should be moist but also cooked through).
4. Let cool in pan for at least 5 minutes before gently removing.
5. To prepare glaze, add chocolate and oil/shortening in a double broiler, stir often until chocolate is melted. Carefully dip tops of donuts into the melted chocolate, sprinkle/drizzle with other toppings if desired and enjoy!

Makes 6 donuts

*If you don’t have a donut pan, you could still make these in mini cake form. Just use greased ramekins or cupcake/muffin liners – will probably make 4-5 so cooking time will most likely increase by a few minutes.

Filed under: Dessert, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged: coconut flour, coconut oil, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, nut free, refined sugar free, vegan ]]> http://naturalnoshing.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/red-wine-donuts/feed/ 5 naturalnoshing red wine choc donuts1 copy red wine donut unglazed red wine choc donuts red wine choc donuts2 red wine choc donuts bite http://naturalnoshing.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/mounds-pancakes/ http://naturalnoshing.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/mounds-pancakes/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:30:18 +0000 naturalnoshing http://naturalnoshing.wordpress.com/?p=3885 ]]> Do you like those chocolate covered coconut “Mounds” or “Almond Joy” candy bars? If so, you are in for a healthy breakfast treat!

Who says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast? I say go ahead because these easy and delicious pancakes are packed with fiber, protein and healthy fats

A couple years ago, I couldn’t stand coconut but now, I love it in all forms. Coconut milk, coconut butter, flakes, flour, oil – it’s all delicious in my mind. I used a combination of coconut ingredients and cacao powder for a Mounds-inspired pancakes. Topping these off with almond butter makes them more like Almond Joy pancakes, so either way you have a delicious, decadent AND healthy breakfast!

I adapted this recipe from my grain-free pumpkin pancakes that were a hit. Don’t be alarmed by the beans in these pancakes, you can’t taste them and they make the cakes really moist!

Almond Joy Brownie Pancakes

Ingredients

2 eggs
3 Tbsp coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa, or carob for different flavor) – I used extra dark
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 cup cooked black beans (white beans or chickpeas could work here too)
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp honey, agave or brown rice syrup
pinch of powdered stevia or 5-6 drops of liquid stevia (or to taste)
1 Tbsp coconut oil, butter or ghee + more for pan (use unrefined coconut oil for more coconut taste)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of sea salt

For serving

Coconut butter (homemade version here)
coconut flakes
cacao nibs or chocolate chips or shavings
almond butter (for almond joy pancakes)

Directions

1. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and grease with coconut oil (or butter/ghee but would not be dairy free).
2. Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth. I liked these thick and fluffy but for thinner pancakes, add more milk.
3. Add several spoonfuls of batter to the pan and spread with the back of the spoon to 3-4 inches each, cooking three pancakes at a time. Cook until ready to flip (mine took about 2-3  minutes depending on thickness). Flip over until cooked through.
4.  Top with coconut butter, cacao nibs and almond butter (or honey/agave/maple syrup) and serve!

Without any avocados in the house to experiment with, I was determined to find a healthy pudding that was reminiscent of butterscotch. I found this recipe online that inspired my health-ified version. I whipped up (or blended up) this pudding made from carrots, dates and nuts with a hint of maple and almond. I was quite surprised at how yummy it turned out!

Confession, I don’t actually remember what true butterscotch tastes like but this pudding has caramel-ish undertones from the dates and has a bit of buttery notes from the almond butter. Also, I used my Magic Bullet blender when I should have used my food processor or Vitamix to make the pudding ultra smooth – what can I say, I was lazy and didn’t want to wash more dishes that I had to

“Butterscotch” Pudding (adapted from BeStrixed)

Ingredients

2 cups of diced carrots
drizzle of maple syrup (to taste)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2-4 Medjool dates, pits removed and roughly chopped (soak for 2 hours beforehand if really dry)
2 Tbsp raw cashews (I recommend soaking them for a few hours to help process)
2-3 Tbsp roasted (or raw) almond butter (or pecan butter)
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or more if needed)
pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a medium pot or steamer, steam carrots until cooked through (mine took about 5 minutes?) and drain.
2. While carrots are still hot, ladle carrots into a food processor or blender with the maple syrup and vanilla and blend for a minute. (Be sure to put the lid on, but leave off the cap to allow air to escape; hold a cloth over it to avoid sputtering and getting burnt.)
3. Add dates, and blend again, adding milk.
4. Add in almond butter, cashews and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add a drizzle more of milk to your desired consistency (it will stiffen up after chilling).

This pudding is ready to eat, warm, if you like; but it’s better after it sits a while and flavors marry. It tastes better the next day, and will also set up to a more pudding density after being chilled.

Serves 2

For those of you who missed my post about our new business venture, my husband Chris and I are getting ready to open up our own frozen yogurt store called The Frozen Moose! It’s a non-franchise locally owned self-serve yogurt shop with 14 flavors offered at one time and 40+ toppings. The opening date is set for Valentine’s Day if all goes as planned and we are excited, anxious, nervous and can’t wait to get this little store up and running

That being said, I have pre-scheduled posts up until the first week of March so I don’t leave all of you hanging – that would be way too long for me to stay away from you all! Some may be shorter than others but I will continue to blog and post updates but if I am slow to respond to anyone, I hope you can understand a bit of a lag time on my end I still have SO many recipes I would like to post but I simply do not have enough time in the day – I keep telling myself “when things slow down”…and they will!

I am ready for my sweets fix! Frozen yogurt here I come!

The flooring is going in this afternoon, we have machine training in the morning and tons and tons of work to do this weekend. Here are a few photos of the cabinetry and decor from last week – we went for a unique and non-traditional yogurt store look and feel that was “more  Montana”. Once I have more complete photos, I will make sure to post them

Slate fireplace

Hammered copper on the cabinetry

Granite countertops and cool colors

Wish me luck

This smoothie recipe seriously tastes like an apple pie cheesecake in liquid form. I was dancing around my kitchen doing a fist pump as I was trying to sip this smoothie and savor all it’s deliciousness. After several near-spills, I quieted down and drank my smoothie with a giant smile on my face instead of a full-out dance

This is a must try smoothie recipe if you are a fan of apple pie and/or cheesecake. It’s thick, creamy and decadent – it might just be my favorite smoothie yet. Though I used cottage cheese, you might be able to make this vegan/dairy free by using silken tofu and adding a bit of nutritional yeast for the cheese factor, I’d like to try it for myself!

Apple Pie Cheesecake Smoothie (adapted from The Healthy Foodie)

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup raw red apple, diced (I used Gala OR 2 more Tbsp applesauce)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (vegan might be able to sub 1/2 cup  silken tofu & add 2 tsp nutritional yeast)
1/2 scoop vanilla or plain protein powder, optional
1 Tbsp roasted or raw almond butter
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (or chia seed)
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I use the latter)
one shake of ground cloves (small pinch)
splash of pure vanilla extract

chopped or sliced almonds + cinnamon for optional garnish

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except for garnish in a blender or a Magic Bullet and process until very smooth and well incorporated (about one minute). Pour into a glass, top with almonds and a shake of ground cinnamon. Enjoy!

Serves 1