Eat your beans!!!!

I wasn't planning on posting today...but it's 'National Eat Beans Day'!!

So, seriously how could I not resist!!

I don't have a new recipe lined up but I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a round up as I haven't done one of those in a while.

So here we are (a small selection) in all their beanie glory. I always have numerous beans hand as I am a huge believer in soaking and cooking large batches of dried beans (so cost effective too) and then freezing them in portion sizes ready for a quick dessert, stew or salad!

So go cook up a big batch and let me know your favourite beanie recipes :-)

Some savouries....

Homemade smoky baked beans

Black bean beet burger

Bean and pea dip (or sandwich filler)

Roasted chickpeas...they count as beans!!

Some sweets....

My absolute favourite healthy truffles in the whole wide world!

Single banana blondie muffin top...yum!

Creamy dark chocolate pudding or shake...two ways!

Cookie pie toped with dark chocolate ice-cream (double bean action!)

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

'Power parfait'... with chocolate, quinoa, banana, peanut butter...

The chocolate power pudding has now been made with various toppings on a number of occasions. I just love the warm comforting feeling of an 'oatmeal-esque' bowlful but with a protein powered alternative texture to change things up from time to time.

One morning when I had made a big batch of chocolate 'base mix' to keep in the fridge for a couple of days, I layered it up in glasses for a 'power parfait' (having too much fun with aliteration today!)  The youghurt topping was simply soy yogurt mixed with peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I mashed some banana through the chocolate base mix and sliced the remaining on top.

It made the perfect mid morning snack (after my early morning green smoothie) and once again since the quinoa mix was pre-made it only took mere minutes to throw together, this could easily become a dessert with a little extra sweetness thrown in.
Oh, on a quick side note, I also tried blending up the mix in a processor to get a smooth and creamy base, but it didn't really work that well and the texture didn't change much, but that's cool with me as I love the texture- just saying in case you had wondered...

Recipe: Power Parfait

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

I cup of this chocolate power pudding (chocolate quinoa)

2 small or 1 large bananas

1/2 cup vegan yoghurt

1 tbs peanut butter

2 tsp maple syrup

Cacao nibs to decorate- optional

Method:

Mash half of the banana and mix through the chocolate quinoa pudding. Spoon the pudding into two serving bowls or glasses.

Mix the yoghurt with the peanut butter and maple syrup and spoon over the top of the quinoa layer. 

Chop the remaining banana to top the yoghurt and decorate with cacoa nibs or other toppings as preferred. Chill if necessary (if the quinoa pudding is not chilled) prior to serving.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Creamy quinoa porridge

I love quinoa, and I don’t eat it nearly enough. Since going through my (seemingly never ending) fitness bar development phase I learnt that a high quantity of nuts and seeds just doesn’t agree with my digestion. Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein but I’m taking a little respite from them to get my body back on track so I need to fill up on alternative protein rich whole foods.

Quinoa! 

This seems to sit well with my digestion and is so endlessly versatile I need to bring this food into my everyday diet a lot more. These chocolate cookies and also these banana ones are a great option- they will be my new ‘grab-and-go’ snack fuel for the time being.

Whilst I am familiar with adding quinoa to top a bowl of soup or to form the base of a salad, I have only recently started experimenting with sweet versions. With the freezer now stocked with batches of cooked quinoa portions I figured this a was the perfect opportunity.  

Here I’ve kept it simple with a breakfast quinoa porridge, this was inspired by my recent foray with buckwheat porridge so I felt pretty confident it could work!  I lightly spiced it with cinnamon and nutmeg to compliment quinoa's 'nuttiness' and sweetened with mashed banana for an extra breakfast boost and then topped with just a few chopped walnuts, date sugar and raisins (and more cinnamon)....mmmmm, gives my oats a run for their money!

This would be fab topped with my breakfast sprinkles to further sweeten and jazz things up too!

Recipe : Creamy quinoa porridge

Serves 1

Ingredients

3/4 cup cooked quinoa (I defrosted a freezer prtion)

1 mashed banana 

1 tbs peanut butter or almond butter (for extra creaminess)

1/2 - 3/4 cup non dairy milk to reach desired consistency (I like mine loose and creamy)

approx. 1/4 cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

2 tsp chia seed (optional)

nuts and fruit and date sugar or my breakfast sprinkle for topping

Method

On the stove top add the cooked quinoa and milk and warm through on a medium heat, after 2-3 minutes add the mashed banana and nut butter and mix through evenly until creamy. 

Add a little extra milk if needed and add the spices and chis seed in the final minute. 

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with toppings.  

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Quinoa-power breakfast cakes

These little bites of chewy moreishness were inspired by my chewy choc quinoa cookies that I have formed a bit of an addiction too, now every time I cook up a batch of quinoa, I reserve one cup to make a little batch of these cookies straight off, as they literally takes a mere 5 minutes to whip together with pre-cooked quinioa...  anyway I digress...

As much as can I just about justify eating the choc version for breakfast, I wanted something that upped the health factor even further, and to be honest I don’t typically want chocolate for breakfast! How about a quinoa-banana concoction? Now that sounds like a powerful start to the morning, or any time of day.  

I added a peacan half to the top of each and oh my goodness when I tasted these little chewy cookie cakes fresh from the oven the toasted pecan made the whole thing taste like a maple pecan pastry...you know the sort, flaky layers of plaited pastry loaded with sugars and syrups with a few toasted pecans nestled between the goeey layers. Well let me tell you- the toasted pecan combined with a little drizzle of date syrup really does nail it....don't leave the pecans out!

So, 5 minutes to mix, 10 minutes in the oven (perfect time to have a quick shower) and then these beauties are on your breakfast plate or stashed away in your bag for a mid morning pick-me-up. I don’t think you  can ask for much more than that?

This post also ties in very nicely to a new category of recipes that I will be revealing tomorrow...my favourite collection of recipes to date! Hold tight... :-)

  

Recipe: Quinoa pancake patties

Makes 6 pancake patties

Ingredients

1 banana

Pinch stevia

1 tsp chia/flax

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup pre-cooked quinoa

3 tbs oat flour (or other GF flour)

Pecans to finish (either whole or chopped)

Date syrup to drizzle- optional

Method

Mash the banana and mix through all ingredients adding the quinoa and oat flour last.

Scoop into balls and press into flat patties with moist palms or the back of a spoon. Place flattened patties on a lined baking sheet  and press pecans into the top of each. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes until just beginning to turn golden at the edges.

Serve with vegan yoghurt and a drizzle of date or maple syrup

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Lentil sloppy joes

So who's given themselves a challenge for lent this year? I'm still going strong with the Whole Foods Lent Challenge and I've now concocted quite a few new exciting sugar free recipes. I will be sharing some of those later this week.

For those also following my six-pack challenge will know that I am focussing more on lentils (i.e smaller pulses) this week after the 'bean effect' last week! That sounded a fine plan to me since I love lentils in their various forms- red for a great soup base and a firm green lentil for a meat substitute. I warn you now there are likely to be a fair few lentil based recipes to throw your way. But I

figure that’s ok, since lentils are a fabulously protein, iron and fibre rich warming winter staple...plus they are generally very cheap and easy to cook up. I’ve mention before that I buy dried lentils and beans in bulk and then cook them up in large batches to freeze.

This recipe was inspired by photos of Rachel Ray's lasagna pizza bread but turned into something all of its own, more of a 'sloppy joe’s' type concoction (or what I would imagine one to be since Sloppy Joe's would seem to be a US phenomenon!) I served the lentil mix over two of my flatbreads sliced in half. You can use any bread recipe or serve over slices of polenta a little more like this bruschetta recipe. The ‘quick cheese sauce’ is a cheesy dollop topping and is optional. I think it works really well as a flavour hit in this recipe although I wouldn’t be inclined to serve it on it’s own in a recipe- you’d want to add more creaminess. This cheese sauce recipe is the best if you want something more substantially cheesy to dominate a recipe.

The lentil topping can be made as a larger batch and chilled for a few days. I ate it the following day as spag-bol over a bed of rice-quinoa pasta that caught my eye in a health food shop.

 

Recipe: Lentil sloppy joes

Serves 2

Ingredients 

2 slices GF bread (see note*)

Lentil bolognaise:

1 tbs olive oil

1 small red onion

1 1/2 cups cooked dark green lentils- either cooked from dried or tinned (important to use lentils that hold their shape stay firm once cooked)

1 small tin (200g) chopped tomatoes

1-2 cloves garlic or ¼ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp chipotle sauce or other flavourings to taste (e.g Cajun mix)

Quick cheese drizzle:

1 tsp ground chia

2 tbs nutritional yeast

Pinch mustard powder

Scant ¼ cup ‘milk’

*For the bread I used my flatbread recipe and halved each of the 2 flatbreads to make 4 slices.

Method

 

To make the lentil sloppyjoe’s, saute the onion for 5 minutes until softening. Add all remaining and simmer for 5 mins.

Either use my flatbread recipe or your own bread variation. Or serve over polenta sliced as per this bruschetta.

To make a cheesey drizzle, mix all ingredients together to form a thick smooth paste.

Layer up the lentil mix over the bread and top with the sauce.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Cauliflower and white bean soup

Souping it up! The perfect way to get a light but protein rich meal.

This one is a little different to my normal tomato based soups and is a beautiful creamy white which a beautiful creamy texture to match.  This a beany based soup that I made earlier this week, but for those who read the update to my challenge...you should be seeing a lot more lentil and tofu based recipes in the coming days.

Don't ask why there are mushrooms on the side...I just fancied them and they looked nice! (they are not in the soup itself)

My soups often tell a lot about the contents of my fridge and on this occasion I had a surplus of cauliflower. Throw in some beans, a little onion and some herbs and you are good to go.

When it comes to soups I do love my Thermomix as it literally does everything for me! It chops and sautes the onion and then I set it to 100C cook/stir as I prep the remaining ingredients, then I throw those in too and increase the speed to chop them up a little before reducing back down to 'stir' mode and adding the veg stock to simmer for as long as necessary, then with one final blend you have a silky smooth soup. It totally frees me up to get on with washing up and photo shoot prepping. It's also particularly good for recipes that need to be stirred more constantly, like risotto or polenta.

That said, soup making is not difficult in any situation...a big pot and hand blender is usually all you really need, and since I know most of you don’t have a Thermomix, I tend to write up my recipes accordingly, just thought I’d share that little explanation with you.

I recently had a reader request to share some videos on my blog...in particular the ‘legendary’ TM in action. Videos are something  I’ve never considered before- a whole new world to me. I will see what I can set up in the next few weeks once I transition my blog to it’s new platform...that’s taking a lot longer than I originally anticipated (isn’t that always the way!)  but hopefully it won’t be too much longer!

Recipe: Cauliflower and white bean soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 ½ cups cauliflower

1 400g can cooked white beans (i.e cannellini or butter beans)

1 small white onion- sliced

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic- crushed

2 ½ cups vegetable stock

1tsp mixed dried herbs

Fresh parsley to garnish- optional

Method

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and cook for approx. 5-6 minutes until beginning to soften.

Meanwhile saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 4-5 minutes until soft.

Add the onion, dried herbs and can of beans and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and blend the soup until smooth.

Serve immediately garnished with parsley or other herbs as desired.

 
For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Hemp protein superfood ‘candy’ bars

I wouldn’t want to mislead you in any way with the wording on this title…but these bars are like ‘candy’!

I don’t mean the synthetic sugar rush induced by candy, but  instead I mean 'popping candy' which is exactly what the little hemp seeds in these bars reminded me of as they ‘pop’ when you bite into them…such a fun texture, why have I not played around with hemp seeds before!

I have made a few versions of these bars now, modifying the proportions of hemp protein each time to try and achieve the optimum taste vs highest protein content, after all these bars were originnaly conceived  as a high protein hit so this ratio was important to me.

 I’ve think I’ve nailed it with this recipe….but of course everyone is different, so if you find it a little too ‘hempy’ for your taste simple reduce the protein powder content accordingly or add more of the other ingredients into the mixing bowl to reach your desired effect.

These bars are also a superfood bar infused with chia seeds and maca powder…my perfect training buddies. I have recently read Thrive Fitness by Brendan Brazier, and even though I’d be aware of Maca before I wasn’t so aware of it ability to assist the body in post workout recovery and ‘adrenal fatigue’. Feel free to add any of your own superfood supplements if you fancy, just make sure you watch the balance of wet to dry ingredients since these bars will become very crumbly if the dry ratio is too high. I also experimented with adding a teaspoon of greens powder, but for me that tasted to green- some more experimentation needed I think!

I originally made these bars as a way to consume protein in a  non-smoothie form (not a huge fan in smoothies), so taste wasn’t the main factor for me…but these surpassed my expectations on that front, even my family agreed they were a great all round snack bar. A perfect alternative to my usual smoosh bars.

Recipe: Hemp protein ‘candy’ bars

Makes 8 x 45g bars (approx.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup (80g) pumpkin seeds

½ cup (50g) shredded coconut

¼ cup (40g) hemp seeds

¼ cup (50g) hemp protein

2 tbs chia seeds (15g)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbs cacao powder

1 tbs maca powder

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup packed raisins (or 10 dates)

3 tbs melted coconut oil

3 tbs oats or quinoa flakes

Method

Pulse the dry ingredients (other than oats/quinoa) together in a food processor so there are still coarse pieces remaining. Set aside whilst blending the dates/raisins with the coconut oil. Add dry ingredients and pulse to achieve a slightly crunchy sticky mixture. Mix through the oats/quinoa flakes last.

Press the mixture into the bottoms of a small loaf tin or form into balls. Chill for at least 1 hour before carefully slicing onto bars. Store the bars in the fridge.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chana masala

I have a bit of a thing for chickpeas and a bit for a thing for soups, particularly at this time of year! Plus whenever I order an Indian dish Chana Masala is at the top of my list.

So really it was only a matter of time before I made my own version of this warming dish. I admit this is probably not overly authentic, as I have not gone to town on attention to detail in its traditions but instead opted for a tasty quick meal that can be made in minutes with store cupboard ingredients. 

My inspiration came firstly in this recipe by the PPK and similarly I opted for using soaked and cooked dried chickpeas (I cook them in large batches and freeze them), but you could use canned for speed if necessary.  I didn't have any fresh tomatoes to hand and was concerned as to whether canned would impair the flavour, but then I came across plenty of other recipes that opted for canned tomatoes so I decided I’d give it a go! I also had no fresh coriander (cilantro) and so I added ground coriander to the mix.

I love the texture of the chickpeas in this recipe and the fact it is a cross between a soup and a curry. You could add less water for a thicker dish- mine is probably not so authentic in it's 'soupiness'. This freezes easily so is perfect to portion up for nice protein rich work lunches!

overhead shot....ha ha see my reflection in the spoon (oops!)

Recipe: Chana masala

Serves 4

Ingredients

Spices: 1 tbs garam masala, 1tbs ground coriander*, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cumin, oinch cayenne pepper

1 tbs coconut oil

2 onions finely sliced

2 tsp smoked garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic- crushed)

1 dried smoked jalapeno pepper (or 1 fresh)

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tbs tomato puree

3 cups cooked chickpeas

approx.½ cup water

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

*you can use fresh coriander instead of ground if preferred.

Method

Dry fry the spices in a large frying pan for 1 minute, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the onion has softened.

Add the tomatoes,  chickpeas, salt and pepper and cook for approx. 10 minutes. Add the water (to achieve desired consistency) and lemon juice and cook for a final 5 minutes.

If using fresh coriander, add in the final minute of cooking. Add extra to garnish if desired,

Serve on its own as a light dish or with rice, naan or pitta bread.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Quinoa ‘meat’ balls

Remember these ‘meat’balls’?

And these burgers?

Well, it was really just a matter of time before I combined the two to get a gluten free, high protein hit with a nice spicy smoky kick!  I typically eat a lot of nuts, seeds and beans to maintain a good protein intake, but what I love about these balls is that they focus more on pulses and grains, plus the fact they are perfect for a snack on the go, to toss on top of a salad, to wrap up in a tortilla or to slather in sauce….

I’ve now made these countless times and I pretty much keep to the same proportions and flavours each time, although I nearly always double or triple the batch so I have plenty to freeze.  The ones  in the photos were rolled in polenta prior to baking to give a little crispy coating for my wrap but I often just leave them plain and then they look more like the original ‘meat’ balls.  The only significant difference between these balls and the originals that used rice,  are that these balls tend to be slightly dryer, I think it was the rice that gave them more of a chew so feel free the substitute rice for the quinoa to get a GF version closer to the original if you prefer.

Right, I’m off…I’m on a huge baking mission today since yesterday was sabotaged by my broken down car which had to get to the garage at short notice, therefore my plans for the day had to be totally re-written. Oh well, I guess that’s life… you just have to roll with it sometimes.

On my list to do:  this month’s Daring Bakers Challenge, soup, dips and these meat balls to stock up my freezer. Some more smoosh bars, and also some chia pudding experiments planned…watch this space!

 P.S The tortilla sauce in the photo is a lentil and peanut dip (soon to come)....so good!

Recipe: Quinoa ‘meat’ balls

Ingredients

½ cooked lentils

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup mixed wholegrain high protein flours  (gram, buckwheat, oatmeal)

2 tbs ground flax

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs oilve oil

2 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

½ black pepper

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Pinch nutmeg

½ chilli powder

½ parika/cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp molasses

2 tsp mustard

Method

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Mixture should be sticky but manageable. From apricot sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.(optional- rolls in polenta for a cripy coating prior to baking). Bake at 180C for 25- 30 minutes turning over half way through. These freeze well.

(Adapted from my regular 'meat' ball recipe)

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.