pear energy balls

 Haven't made these pear energy balls yet, but I'm trying to clear tabs. :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick oats)
• 1/2 cup dried pears (soft, not rock-hard—check that they’re pliable)
• 1/2 cup almond butter (natural, at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup honey (real honey, not the fake stuff) [i will probably substitute date paste]
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt (seriously, don’t skip this)

---

Instructions

1. Toss your rolled oats into a food processor and pulse until they’re finely ground—think flour-like texture with a bit of texture remaining, not turned into complete dust.
2. Add the dried pears, almond butter, honey, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt right into the processor with the ground oats. Pulse everything together until it’s well combined and the mixture sticks together when you pinch it between your fingers (if it crumbles, pulse more or add a tiny bit more honey).
3. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes—the chia seeds will absorb moisture and everything holds together way better (trust me on this one).
4. Roll the mixture into small balls about 1 inch in diameter—roughly walnut-sized—and line them up on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t stress about making them perfectly round; rustic works just fine.
5. Pop the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set and firm up. This step is key—skip it and you’ll have a smushed mess when you try to pack them.
6. Once they’re firm, transfer the energy balls to an airtight container for storage. Keep them refrigerated and enjoy whenever you need a quick nutritious boost that actually tastes good!

 

quinoa tzatziki bowls

I see reels from various people on Facebook from various sources, and I like to see some of the food preparation ideas.

This was from Liam Layton, reposting from @mariannas_pantry.  

They stacked these in jars which were then dumped out and mixed up for a salad serving.  It looks tasty and satisfying so I may try.  I'll definitely be eating this when I'm drowning in cucumbers this summer, but I may not wait!  I haven't had tzatziki in forever.  

- container of tzatziki

- quinoa (I'd maybe cook a cup of it) 

- chopped cucumber, bell pepper, red onion

- chickpeas 

- Kalamata olives

- banana peppers

- feta

 

protein biscuits

 I am for sure making these "protein biscuits" as they seem like a satisfying breakfast option.  From here.  Seems like I can make a lot of substitutions in them.   

Ingredients

• 3 tsp baking powder + flour to 250 g (2 cups total)
• 1 cup (240g) yogurt (they call for dairy free but I'll use dairy) 
• 1 cup (190 g) red lentils, rinsed 
• 1 1/3 cup (320 mL) vegetable stock  
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• 1 1/2 cup (45 g) spinach, finely chopped (I'll replace with zucchini and other vegetables) 
• 1/2 cup (55 g) sundried tomatoes (not stored in oil ... so perhaps reduce oil if using from oil) 
• 3/4 cup (100 g) sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup (15 g) nutritional yeast  

Instructions Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil paper with olive oil. Set aside. Place the rinsed red lentils in a saucepan with vegetable stock. Cover the pan, bring it to high heat until the liquid boils, reduce to medium heat, and cook covered for 10-12 minutes until the lentils are mushy and the liquid is absorbed. Remove the lid and let it steam out for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). In a large mixing bowl, add flour, onion powder, Italian herbs, yogurt, olive oil, cooked red lentils, chopped spinach, chopped sundried tomatoes, seeds, and nutritional yeast. Combine everything together until it forms a sticky dough. Divide the dough into 8 portions and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C) until golden brown. Let them cool down for a few minutes before serving.

raspberry apple oat dessert

Have some raspberries and apples to use up.  Saw this on Forks Over Knives, and I'm giving it a try with modifications.  I plan to freeze portions in jars to eat in the future with oats.

Apple-Raspberry Crisp 

Ingredients

• 8 medium sweet apples, such as Gala or Fuji, chopped (48 ounces)
• 1 pound frozen raspberries, thawed (4 cups)
• 2 cups oat flour (which can just be oats pulverized in a food processor; I used cassava flour)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup pure maple syrup (I did use 1/4 cup maple syrup, and substituted 1/4 cup dried plum puree)
• ¼ cup almond butter (I used peanut butter) 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook chopped apples, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add a bit of water if needed to keep apples from sticking. Transfer apples to an 11-inch square or 13x9-inch rectangular baking dish; top with raspberries.  (NOTE: I'm skipping this step because my apples are a little soft already; I'm going to put them into the pan and bake for 10 minutes, then add raspberries for some more time, and then add the topping and bake as below)
• In a bowl, combine oat flour, rolled oats, maple syrup, almond butter, baking powder, and salt; rub in with fingertips until mixture comes together in small clumps. Spread the crumble over the fruit. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

 

chocolate peanut butter tofu pie

 A vegan friend made this pie for me more than 20 years ago, and it became a favorite though I haven't made it in many years.  I've been craving it for over a year, and I gradually acquired the ingredients, and boom I just made it.  i plan to have a slice tonight and then to slice them and stash with parchment paper in the freezer, to pull out a slice from time to time when I want a rich treat.  

There are a lot of iterations of this but I just wanted to dump things in and not add sugar besides the chocolate.  So here's what I did.

 Ingredients

• a graham cracker pie crust 9" (or another type of crust that goes well with chocolate and peanut butter)
• 1 bag of dark chocolate chips (I got them from Trader JOe's, 10 oz)
• 1/2+ cup of natural peanut butter  
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 box of silken tofu (mine was about 10.8 oz I think it said) 

Melt the chocolate chips at 30 second increments and stir until melted.  Put all ingredients into a food process and combine.  

Pour into the crust and let chill a few hours before serving. 

lentil recipes

 Saving this here for later.  Recipes written out here.  For sure want to try that Mexican skillet.

red cabbage and quinoa salad

 I saw this video with purple cabbage and quinoa salad which looks good and I want to try it.  She was pretty short on details but I will try to figure it out. NOte: this was pretty bland the first day, but the next day it was really good, ate two bowls of it for lunch and it was satisfying.  Worth making again. 

Ingredients:

• red cabbage
• red onion
• salt
• olive oil
• dates 
• sumac
• garlic (2 cloves minced)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• (1 tsp honey, date syrup, etc.) 
• nuts (she seemed to have a mix; pistachios or cashews or almonds or anything seems fine)
• fresh herbs: chives, mint, parsley 
• quinoa 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice cabbage and slice red onion and put onto baking sheet.  Add olive oil, salt, and massage.  Roast, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes (?).

Chop herbs, put into a bowl.  Add some dates (she just pulled them apart).  

Cook quinoa (she said a cup - raw or cooked, unclear), add to bowl.  Add roasted cabbage and onion, then season with lemon juice, sumac, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, date syrup/honey, roasted nuts

baking salmon

 Every time I cook salmon, I have to look it up again.  So, putting it here. 

Frankly, I really like pan fried fish - I like that crispiness.  But, I hate the smell of fish cooking which is worth in a skillet.  Oven, less smell.

So:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

 

Lightly grease baking dish.  

 

Season salmon.  (I'm using lemon no-salt Dash now and I like it!)   

Bake in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. (No need to flip the fish.)

Flakiness indicates doneness.  It will cook more when out of the oven. 

 

chocolate cherry cake

 this was tasty, from here.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) hot water or coffee
• ⅓ cup (30g) cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour, sifted will try with whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar  recipe called for 1 cup but just 1/3 was fine. 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable/canola oil**
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (230g/8 oz) fresh cherries, pitted and halved (for other options, see notes)***
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup  chocolate chips or chunks 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and grease an 8×8-inch square pan or 9-inch round.  I used parchment paper. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together hot water (or coffee) and cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to let cool slightly until warm.

3. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. In another medium bowl, mix together eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and liquid-cocoa mixture. Add egg mixture into flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix—the less you mix, the lighter the cake will be. It will be a slightly runny batter.

5. In a small bowl, toss cherries with 2 teaspoons flour in order to prevent cherries from sinking during baking. Add cherries and chocolate chips to cake batter and stir just until combined.

6. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (repeat testing if your toothpick runs into a cherry). The internal temperature of the cake should be 205℉ / 96℃ if using an internal thermometer. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Dust the top with powdered sugar or top with chocolate ganache.

8. Serve at room temperature. Cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe Notes

*To make a bigger cake, multiply the recipe by 1.5 and use a 13×9-inch pan. You may need to bake the cake a few minutes longer.

**I used oil to keep the cake moist for longer, but you can replace half of it with 50g melted butter for flavor if you prefer. This would no longer make it a dairy-free cake. However, this cake is already so flavorful that I don’t find it necessary.

***Fresh sour cherries are my favorite option, but you can use any type of fresh cherries you like as well as frozen or canned. If using frozen, use them straight from the freezer, without thawing, mixing them with some flour and then immediately folding them into the batter. Canned cherries can also be used as long as you make sure to drain them well and dry them with paper towels, or else the juices will seep into the cake and affect its texture and taste.

 

leftover cornbread casserole

 I seem to often have a lot of leftover sourdough cornbread, which I freeze.  So in interests of emptying the freezer, I decided to make something with it.  Got a few ideas from online, but I wanted it more about vegetables and less about eggs/breakfast.  I"ll edit depending on how it turns out. 

Ingredients:

• about 4 cups of cornbread, preferably day old and dried up, cut into about 1" cubes/crumbled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2# hot Italian sausage
• peppers (i used jalapeno peppers and a can of green chiles)  
• 4 eggs
• 2 cup milk
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder
• vegetables (I used green beans today but other things would be good)
• 1 cup shredded cheese 

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  If cornbread isn't dried up, but it in the oven for about 10 minutes to try to dry it more.  

Heat skillet and saute onions and sausage until done.  Add vegetables including peppers and stir up.   

Whisk together eggs, milk, and spices.  Set aside.  Shred cheese, set aside.

Put half the cornbread in bottom of pan (I used a 9x13, just in case a smaller pan would be too small).  Put half the sausage/vegetable mix on top, then half the cheese.  Repeat cornbread and sausage layers, then pour egg mixture over the top, and then the cheese.  Bake about 35 minutes. 

baked tofu cubes

 I like to eat this just right hot from the oven, and to add to other dishes such as squash curry for some protein and textures.

From Budget Bytes.  (Tbh, most recipes from there fall flat for me, but this was ok.)

 Take one tub of extra firm tofu and press it for 30-60 minutes in a tofu press or in towels under heavy object.  Slice into cubes about 3/4".  Pat dry. 

Mix together a sauce of:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp approximately of black pepper 

Add tofu cubes and stir until seasoned.

Then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp corn starch and stir again until on each piece.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping over halfway.   

 

kimchi burrito

 I've had some kimchi burritos that I quite liked though I always wanted more kimchi in them, so time to make my own.  Wildbrine kimchi was on sale so I got it, and ... I'll try the other jars there next time.  Or start making my own. I put cheese in it because that sounded good, and it is.  When isn't cheese good?  But it's not really necessary.  I tossed in some leftover black barley and that gives nice texture.  When I made the first burritos yesterday, I put in too much beans so there wasn't enough left really for today when I made up all the rest to eat this week and to freeze, but that's ok.  Also, I keep thinking that I need two burritos to not be hungry anymore, but one is fine.  Live and learn.  This is less a recipe than just reminding myself what I did the next time I get a kimchi craving.  

Ingredients

• whole wheat tortillas, burrito size
• 1 cup adzuki beans (dry)
• gochujang paste (or sriracha or whatever other flavoring seems good) 
• 1 jar of kimchi, chopped 
• accoutrements as found in fridge: leftover grains and/or vegetables, cheese, eggs etc. 

Soak adzuki beans overnight in plenty of water, then cook for about an hour until preferred texture. Eyeball or weigh and divide to match the amount to number of burritos.  

Heat the tortillas one by one in a pan.  As they start to puff, remove and fill with beans, kimchi, and whatever else is going in.   Roll and set aside.  If freezing, once fully cool, lay out on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen, then put into container.  I usually defrost in microwave for a couple of minutes and then heat to cook for a minute or so, but they could be thawed and baked or reheated on the stovetop.  

 

 

chickpea coconut curry

 Taken from a popular NY Times recipe.  It's very tasty and quite decadent with all that coconut milk.  I couldn't get the chickpeas to crispen up and that would have been good, will try again.  I used kale and while it took longer to cook, it was nice to have that texture.  I forgot the mint, that would have been good.  It says 4-6 servings but it cooks down to maybe three; I'll try freezing it to see how well that works.  

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans coconut milk (recipe says needs to be full fat but I don't know about that).  
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
• Yogurt, for serving (optional)
• Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

 

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Add 1½ teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.

3. Step 3

   Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Step 4

   Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!

5. Step 5

   Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.

6. Step 6

   Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

 

tofu broccoli

 This tofu broccoli was good but also too much.  I don't usually fry things in my kitchen because I don't like the mess or the smell, but I tried this and it wasn't bad.  The tofu cooking technique was nice - I made the blocks a bit larger than 1" and I liked the texture - a little crispy on the outside, soft inside.  It wasn't too burdensome to flip each block every couple of minutes with tongs.  The broccoli was good and crunchy - I went the full six minutes or more.  My beef is how salty it is.  I used low sodium soy sauce but it is still just too much.  One issue is that I ate it without rice, so that might be the problem.  It's good without it.  But next time I'll maybe cut the soy sauce in half and maybe use amino acids instead.  Oh, I see water is in the procedure below but i missed that - ok, maybe that would make a difference.  I will definitely make it again.  

Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (I mostly omitted, just added a dash of sugar and it wasn't necessary at all)
• 1/2 cup water  
• 1 teaspoon plus ¼ cup cornstarch, divided
• 1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu, drained
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• Kosher salt 
• 2 medium broccoli crowns, cut into florets  
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (½-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• Rice, for serving

 

Preparation

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and ½ cup water. Set aside.

Step 2

Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes, spread the cubes onto a few layers of paper towels and pat them dry. In a medium bowl, toss the cubes with the remaining ¼ cup of cornstarch and fully coat the tofu.

Step 3

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add the tofu and cook until all sides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the tofu onto a plate and season with salt. 

Step 4

In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat, add the broccoli and cook, undisturbed, until broccoli is lightly charred on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not be tempted to move them!) Toss and cook until the other sides of the broccoli are darkened in spots, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the garlic, ginger and scallions to the same skillet and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the heat to low, add the tofu back to the skillet, and stir in the reserved soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer, tossing frequently, until the broccoli and tofu are evenly glazed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

Step 6

Serve the tofu and broccoli topped with toasted sesame seeds, with rice alongside.

fava bean pesto

 Fava bean pesto, from here.  This worked well with favas I'd frozen after shelling and peeling. 

Ingredients

• 2 lb fava beans with pods , (900 grams) or 250 grams shelled with skin on or 180 grams skin peeled (1 cup)
• ½ cup Pecorino cheese , 50 grams
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil , 110 grams
• 5-8 mint leaves
• 1 garlic clove

Instructions

• Remove beans from the pod. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop fava beans in a pot with boiling water and boil for 1 minute.

  Transfer immediately to a bowl with ice water.
• Remove the skin from each bean. Help yourself with the tip of a small knife, squeeze, and the bean will pop out.
• In a food processor blend mint leaves, pecorino cheese, and garlic clove cut into small pieces.

  Add fava beans and oil. Blend until combined.