Barnana: New Flavors!

I met Barnana back during the first annual Gluten Free Oktoberfest and became hooked. These little nuggets of tastiness are gluten free, vegan, non-gmo, and organic. The best part of Barnana is they are packed with flavor, potassium, and give you all the benefits of raw bananas. 

Barnana introduced two delicious new flavors, Organic Coconut and Organic Peanut Butter. These happiness inducing snacks blew my mind! The peanut butter made me do a happy dance and although I am not a huge coconut lover, I inhaled that bag as well. I love finding products to share with you all, and this one is not to be missed. All of the original Barnana flavors are incredibly delicious too. Head over to Barnana to find out some more information and where you can get your hands on a bag... or 6

Roasted Poblano White Bean Dip

I love me some poblanos. Roasting them is my favorite way to cook them and it makes your house smell amazing! This dip is super easy to make and only takes a few ingredients. Be patient and roast your poblanos, it is so worth it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-1 Poblano Pepper, Roasted and Peeled 
          *How to roast peppers in an oven
-1 Can (15oz) Cannellini beans (Or other white bean), Rinsed and Drained
-2 TBSP Fresh lemon juice, About 1/2 Large Lemon
1 Clove Garlic, chunks
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Cold Water, more if needed. 
1/2 TSP Pink Sea Salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until desired consistency! Easy as dip!
Pair with some persian cucumbers or your favorite Gluten Free Cracker (Like Crunchmaster, pictured above) 

Coconut Kale Jasmine Rice

A simple super side dish that can be cooked up in 15 minutes. Use up your leftover rice, and create a whole new meal. Gluten Free, Vegan, and tasty

Ingredients: (Serves 2 really hungry people or 4 small servings)
-2 Cups Cooked Organic Jasmine Rice  
-1 Cup Organic Green Kale, Chopped Finely
-1 Small Shallot, Minced
-2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
-2.5 TBSP Coconut Cream (**Not Coconut Milk, although I'm sure that would be delicious. See note)
1 TBSP "Coconut Secret" Coconut Aminos 
1/2 TSP Pink Sea Salt
1 TBSP Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté for 1-2 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add in chopped kale and coconut aminos, continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes until kale is cooked. Lower the heat, add in coconut cream and stir until all ingredients are combined and the coconut cream has melted. 

In a large bowl, heat 2 cups of cooked rice (I used leftover jasmine rice, but you could use any type of rice you have on hand) Add the kale mixture to the rice and mix gently until combined. Serve hot. Enjoy!

**Coconut Cream differs from Coconut Milk as there is less water content in the cream giving it a thick creamy texture. You can use coconut cream in curries and stews, as well as desserts. Read about it here on The Kitchn 

Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

Now that I have moved to Portland Oregon all I want is soup. It's warm, it's cozy, and it tastes like love. This hearty and nutritional soup is packed with flavor and the chipotle peppers will be sure to keep you warm this winter. The soup is of course gluten free, wheat free, organic, and vegan (just not all that delicious feta in the picture). 

Ingredients: (Serves 2 Main or 4 starters)
-2 Cups Vegetable Broth *Make sure your broth is gluten free, broths can be a hidden source of gluten. Most organic or free range broth is gf, but always check labels.
-1 Can Black Beans, Drained 
-1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
-1/2 Small Red Onion, chopped
-1 Small Zucchini, Cut into small chunks
-1 Cup Kale, Chopped Roughly 
-1/2 Cup White Corn
-1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce, chopped *Be careful! Some adobo sauce contains gluten, The Embasa brand contains wheat flour. La Costena is a gluten free brand, but always check labels. 
-2 TBSP Adobo Sauce from the chipotle peppers
-1 TBSP Coconut Aminos (Braggs or Tamari could work too)
-1/2 TSP Chipotle Pepper Powder
-1/4 TSP Cumin
-1/8 TSP Sea Salt
-1 TBSP Olive Oil

I have a crush on my soup. It's just so darn pretty and colorful. 

Prepare your ingredients.
-In a large pot heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. 
-Reduce the heat and add chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, chipotle powder, and sauté for another minute.
-Add the vegetable broth, sweet potato, kale, zucchini, corn, coconut aminos, sea salt, and black beans. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and cook uncovered stirring often for about  1 hour to 1.5 hours.
-Serve and garnish with toppings such as cheese, sourcream, cilantro, greek yogurt, green onions,  more hot sauce, or gf croutons. 

-Enjoy! 

Super Green Veggie Quinoa with Spinach Cashew Cream Sauce

Protein packed quinoa mixed with every green veggie I had in my fridge...perfection! This is an easy vegan dish for any meal. In my previous post, I showed you all how to make my spinach cashew cream sauce. This is one of the many ways to use it. I always have some leftover quinoa in my fridge for reasons like this. It is versatile and packed with nutrients. My favorite, of course is Ancient Harvest Quinoa company so head over to their website and check them out Ancient Harvest This dish can be served cold or warm and tastes amazing both ways! Enjoy XO

1 Cup Broccoli, Small Pieces

1 Zuchinni, Cut in Chunks

5 Asparagus, Cut in Chunks

1 Cup Kale, Small Pieces, Loosely Packed 

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa

1 TBSP Olive Oil

2-3 TBSP Spinach Cashew Cream

Use leftover quinoa or cook some quinoa. 1 Cup dry quinoa turns into about 3 cups cooked.

Cut and prepare your veggies.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Quickly sauté the veggies and garlic for about 2 minutes. I personally don't like my veggies super cooked so it's all about preference on this step.

When the veggies are cooked, add in 1 cup quinoa and mix.

Add the spinach cashew cream and mix!

Easy! Vegan! Gluten Free! Enjoy XO

Chickpea Blondies

Chickpeas? What?

Yes, you read that right. Chickpea Blondies. I kept seeing recipes that used chickpeas for a sweet dessert and I just couldn't believe it could work. This is the craziest thing ever because these taste exactly like cookie dough. It's impossible really but it totally worked. Most of the recipes I saw used refined white sugar or powder sugar so I tried switching things up to make this healthy recipe a little healthier. Go ahead, eat the whole tray. If you are feeling nice maybe share one or two but I won't tell if you don't.

1 Can Chickpeas, Skins removed

1/2 TSP Baking Powder

1/2 TSP Baking Soda

1/4 TSP Sea Salt

1.5 TSP Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar

1/8 Cup Ground Flax Seed

1 TSP Coconut Oil, Melted

1/3 Cup, Cup4Cup All Purpose Flour

1/3 Chocolate Chips or Vegan Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

First, rinse and remove the skins from the chickpeas. It takes awhile to do but is worth it in the end. Roll the chickpeas between your fingers and the skin should start to come off. Discard the skins.

In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until smooth. 

In a large bowl, add the blended chickpeas and combine with baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, vanilla extract, coconut palm sugar, flax seed, melted coconut oil, cup4cup all purpose flour. Mix all the ingredients until everything is combined. Add the chocolate chips.

In a glass baking dish, spray with olive oil spray or wipe lightly with olive oil.

Spread the chickpea "dough" mixture evenly into the dish.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Let stand and cool.

Then cut.

They are fairly squishy but harden up while they are cooling. They are even better the second day if you let them last that long. 

Enjoy! xo

**This recipe can be made vegan by using vegan chocolate chips. Cup4Cup All purpose flour contains milk powder so you would have to use a different all purpose flour as well. 

Jalapeno Kale Almond Dip

I really can't stop combining jalapeño and kale. This dip is so flavorful, slightly spicy and packed with vitamins and nutrients. Serve it cold with rice crackers or cucumbers.

1 Cup Raw Almonds

1/2 Cup Grapeseed Oil

1 Jalapeno, Seeded and Chopped

1/8 Cup Lemon Juice 

5 TBSP Nutritional Yeast

1/2 Cup Kale, Stems Removed

3 Cloves Garlic

1 TBSP Braggs Liquid Aminos

1/2 TSP Salt

3/4 Water

Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender until smooth. 

Enjoy! Xo

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Brussels Sprouts

Yep, I went there. 

I never liked many vegetables when I was younger and brussels sprouts was just one that I just avoided. I didn't try one until I was about 23, but ever since then we have been pretty good friends. I usually just toss them in balsamic and roast them, but this time I wanted to switch things up a bit. These spinach artichoke stuffed brussels are so addicting. Any spinach artichoke anything is usually addicting right? But then we stuff ourselves full or tortilla chips or bread for some and it makes us feel a little more guilty. While these are totally satisfying and maybe a little guilty, at least we can say there are no chips! 

10 Brussels Sprouts, Cut in half (long ways)

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 TBSP Neufchatel Cheese (Light Cream Cheese)

1 Cup Spinach, Loosely Packed and Chopped Finely

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

3 Artichoke Hearts, Chopped Roughly

First, we have to make things a little easier to core the brussels.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and place the brussels insides down into the water. Cook for about 1-2 Minutes until they become a little soft.

Drain the brussels and let them cool.

After they have cooled down, very carefully with a knife or spoon (whatever you feel more comfortable with) Take out the middle of the brussels. They should pop out fairly easily.

Save the insides of the brussels that you scooped out and chop them up.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In a medium bow, add all the rest of the ingredients.

Neufchatel Cheese, spinach, garlic, artichoke, parmesan cheese and the chopped brussels. Mix together and then stuff the brussels sprouts.

Cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

Put the broiler on to crisp up the tops for a minute or two.

***Be careful though because parchment paper can't go above 400 degrees and a broiler starts at 500 degrees. If you are using parchment paper, take it out and just put the brussels on the pan without the paper.

Serve hot and enjoy! xx

Spicy Glazed Mushrooms

I debated posting these mushrooms because they are SO easy to make but everyone is always looking for quick and easy side dishes! Literally, this takes less than five minutes to make especially if you are using pre-sliced mushrooms. Not only is this sauce great on mushrooms but could go on any vegetable to make a saucy, spicy, yet healthy side dish. 

1-2 Cups Mushrooms, Sliced

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

2 TSP Tamari (Gluten Free Soy Sauce)

1 TSP Chili Garlic Sauce

1/4 TSP Sesame Oil

1 TSP Grapeseed Oil 

Mix your sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

In a skillet, head the grapeseed oil over medium heat.

Add your mushrooms and sauté until cooked. 

*I personally don't like my mushrooms too cooked so I only sautéed them for about a minute. 

When the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, add the sauce. Heat sauce and mushrooms for about 20-30 seconds and you are good to go!

Jalapeño Almond Dip

Dips usually mean guilty eating. They are filled with cream cheese, fats, cheese, sugars, and all around unhealthy ingredients. Here is a dip that is free of guilt and super delicious! It uses almonds as the base which gives you major nutritional benefits. Almonds are high in vitamin E, aid in weight loss, rich in flavonoids, and help stabilize blood sugar.  

Take the guilt out of eating dips and make this flavorful dip for your next party or just for yourself!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, but it will get eaten before that!

1/4 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Grapeseed Oil

1/2 Cup Raw Almonds

1/8 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

3 TBSP Nutritional Yeast

1/2 Jalapeño, Seeded 

2 Cloves Garlic

2 TSP Braggs Liquid Aminos

1/2 TSP Salt

1/2 TSP Cumin

1/4 TSP Paprika

Mix all ingredients and blend in a food processor or blender. That's it! 

Serve with rice crackers or cucumbers! Enjoy! xx

Basic Basil Pesto

Every person needs this recipe in their back pocket. It is so easy to make and takes less than five minutes to put together. You can use this pesto on gluten free pastas, fish, chicken, potatoes and anything you want. The fresh basil tastes so much better than anything store bought and has tons of benefits. Basil has powerful antioxidants and tons of vitamins, especially vitamin K. 

 Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. 

2 Cups Fresh Basil, Loosely packed

1/3 Cup Pine Nuts

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic

1/3 Cups Parmesan Cheese

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. 

*You can use fresh garlic if you like the taste of fresh garlic

To mellow out the flavor of the garlic, boil 1 inch of water and add garlic cloves for 1 min. Take out and cool down. 

Vanilla Quinoa Pudding

My love for quinoa was taken to a whole different level this weekend with this sweet treat. Using nutty quinoa gives this take on rice pudding a different sweet twist. Substituting quinoa for rice adds extra nutrition like 3 extra grams of protein and more immune boosting iron. Serve it hot and enjoy this comforting dish.

1 Cup Quinoa

2.5 Cups Vanilla Almond Milk 

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Sugar or Stevia

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

1 TSP Cinnamon

Rinse your quinoa well for at least 1 minute under cold water.

*Make sure to rinse your quinoa well as it will have a more dirty earthy flavor if you dont.

In a large skillet or saucepan (I used a large skillet) mix together with a whisk the almond milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do not let it boil. 

Add quinoa.

Turn down the heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Stir frequently because a film will form on top.

The longer you simmer the thicker the pudding will be. 

Serve hot and enjoy! xx

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

The worst part of the week is going through your fridge and seeing how much produce was wasted. My goals for the year was to save more money and waste less food. It has been a refreshing challenge trying to create new dishes before our fresh veggies and produce go bad. This dish all started with a bag of cabbage. The cabbage stared at me for a week saying "maaakeee something with me." I have never been a big cabbage fan, and seems like the only way I eat it is with fish tacos (I end up picking off most of the cabbage too) Well friends, here it is! An amazing, delicious way to eat cabbage. I made it two nights in a row because it was so satisfying, and because it was a huge bag of shredded cabbage. 

This quick and easy side dish is a great addition to any asian themed meal. 

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 Onion, Sliced

3/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Halved or Quartered

2 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar

1 TBSP Sambal Oelek (Chili Garlic Sauce)

1 Zucchini, Cut in Chunks

8-10 Ounces, Shredded Cabbage

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP Olive Oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes until onions start to turn translucent. 

Add the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, rice wine vinegar, cabbage and sambal oelek and sauté for a few more minutes until cabbage is tender.

Serve hot and enjoy! xx 

Southwestern Quinoa Bake

Remember how I told you that I have a 5 pound bag of organic quinoa?

I am pretty sure that the quinoa keeps multiplying because there is barely a dent in the bag. Here is another quinoa recipe. You can never have too many quinoa recipes at your disposal. Quinoa is a supergrain! 

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa

1 Zucchini, Cut in Chunks

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1/2 Cup Corn, Frozen or Fresh

1/2 Small Red Onion, Chopped

1 Small Can of Green Chiles (4 Ounces), Chopped 

1 Jalapeño, Seeded and Diced 

1/2 Cup Black Beans, Rinsed

1/4 TSP Salt

1/2 TSP Cumin

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

Cook quinoa according to package or use plain leftover quinoa.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix.

Pour into an oven safe dish.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until zucchinis are cooked.

Serve hot and enjoy! xx 

Curried Cashew Green Beans

One thing I love about Indian food is the majority of it is Gluten Free. When I first became Gluten Free, it was tough. Changing my lifestyle from eating California burritos all the time to a Gluten Free lifestyle was a drastic shock to my carb loving system. I took a trip to San Francisco during the first few months of being Gluten Free, and was stressing that I would be the "difficult" friend. We ended up at an Indian restaurant in the Mission District. As a Gluten free newbie, I went straight to the manager and talked to him about my options (I still recommend talking to the manager or chef when eating out). The menu was huge. In my mind I was about to have a choice of two things. The manager then pointed out two things on the menu..."You can have everything but this and that" 

My jaw dropped and my stomach started grumbling. You mean I can have all of this?!?! That's when my love affair for Indian food started. I began trying Indian food restaurants and sampling different dishes and curries. I try not to eat out too often so creating satisfying Indian dishes was a goal. Here is a great little side dish to accompany an Indian style meal. I always prefer to get vegetables fresh and organic when possible. Skip the canned veggies and stick to fresh to obtain all the benefits and vitamins you can. 

Green Beans or French Green Beans, trimmed

1/2 Cup Cashews

1/4 TSP Salt

1/4 TSP Garlic Powder

1/8 TSP Ground Ginger

1 TSP Curry Powder

2 Egg Whites

Heat oven to 400 Degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. 

In a food processor, add cashews and grind. Some small chunks of cashews are fine. My food processor doesn't get all of them!

In a bowl, mix ground cashews and all the spices. 

Pour cashew spice mixture on a plate.

In a different bowl, separate the egg whites and toss the yolk in the garbage.

"Bread" the green beans by dipping them in the egg white, then the cashew spice mix.  

Line the cashew "breaded"green beans on your baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until green beans are cooked and cashews are crispy.

Serve hot with sriracha and enjoy! xx

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

This delicious low carb dish will satisfy your asian food fix while keeping your belly and booty happy. Cauliflower replaces the rice so goodbye carbs and hello benefits! Cauliflower has great antioxidant powers with Vitamin C and manganese. Not only is cauliflower high in antioxidants, it contains fiber, folic acid, vitamin B and potassium. This is a delicious way to get more veggies into children as well. They won't even know it's cauliflower and will be begging for a second serving! Try adding this great side dish to any meal and enjoy the sneaky benefits of Cauliflower fried rice!

12 Ounces Cauliflower Florets

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 Green Onions, Chopped

1/2 Cup Peas, Frozen or Fresh

1 Whole Carrot, Chopped

1 TBSP Tamari (Gluten Free Soy Sauce)

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 TSP Sesame Oil

In a food processor, "rice" cauliflower florets. Pulse gently so that the cauliflower turns into little rice looking pieces. Do not puree cauliflower. 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. 

Cook garlic, green onions, peas and carrots for about 5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. 

When mixture is soft and aromatic, add cauliflower "rice"

Add Sesame Oil and Tamari.

Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve hot and enjoy! xx

Roasted Blueberry Goat Cheese Quinoa

Goat cheese is one of my favorite cheeses. Well, actually all cheeses are my favorite cheeses. Pair the tangy goat cheese with sweet roasted blueberries and you have a winning combination. Head on over to Whisked for this original delicious recipe as well as others. I adjusted the recipe a bit to satisfy my tastebuds but I am sure the original is just as tasty. This cold quinoa salad would be great to bring to a summertime barbecue or a light lunch. Blueberries are a great fruit to put in to your weekly diet as they are packed with antioxidants, neutralize free radicals, and support heart health. Combine that with quinoa and you have a flavorful and nutritious dish. 

1/2 Cup Blueberries

1 Cup Cooked and Cooled Quinoa

1/3 Cup Goat Cheese, Crumbled

Fresh Basil, Chopped

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar

1 Small Shallot, chopped

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place blueberries in a single layer.

Roast in oven for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar and shallot. Mix well. 

Place quinoa in a large bowl and gently stir in blueberries, goat cheese and basil.

Add your dressing and gently mix.

Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve cold and enjoy! xx 

Jalapeño Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are any gluten free foodies best friend. They go well with everything, super easy to make, and naturally gluten free. Hey, carbs are okay sometimes right? Here are two easy potato recipes to add some spice and flavor to any meal. You can make them and leave them as mashed potatoes or keep going and make them into little crispy potato cakes. Eat up and enjoy! 

3 Pounds Golden Potatoes, Peeled

3/4 Cup Sour Cream

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Jalapeño, Seeded and Diced (or more if you like them!)

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated

1/4 Cup Vegetable Broth

Rice Flour 

Boil peeled potatoes until soft enough to mash. Mash potatoes. Add in sour cream, broth, garlic, parmesan cheese and jalapeño. Mix and enjoy! xx

Potato Cakes

Follow instructions for mashed potatoes. Let potatoes cool and form into cakes. Heat 1 TBSP grapeseed oil in large skillet. Sprinkle rice flour on both sides of potato cakes. Crisp until golden brown. Enjoy! xx

Spiced Lime Cashews

A perfect snack for an afternoon pick me up. These little cashews are bursting with tangy lime and smokey spices. 

1 Cup Cashews

1 TBSP Olive Oil

Juice from 1 Lime

1/2 TBSP Smoked Paprika

1/4 TSP Chili Powder

1/4 TSP Garlic Powder

Sea Salt for tossing

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss until cashews are coated with spice mixture.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place cashews in a single layer on baking sheet.

Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes until toasty brown color.

Shake around cashews halfway through cook time.

Cool and toss with sea salt. Enjoy xx. 

Toasted Cashew Butter

I try to grocery shop by what's on sale each week. I wait patiently every week until wednesday morning when I open my email, and see the new weekly sale flyer and do a little happy dance as I get to plan the weeks recipes. This week, cashews. For the first recipe, is this delicious Toasted Cashew Butter. This cashew nut butter is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Toasting the cashews brings out their sweetness. They make your house smell heavenly too!

1 Cup Raw Cashews

1/4 TSP Sea Salt

1/4 Cinnamon 

3 TBSP Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Spread cashews in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. 

Roast Cashews for 10 minutes, toss around at 5 mins.

Let the cashews cool (You can speed up the process by sticking them in the freezer for a few minutes)

In food processor, combine cooled cashews, sea salt, cinnamon and olive oil and blend until desired consistency.