Hearty Dumpling Soup {with garbanzo beans}

Hearty Dumpling Soup {with garbanzo beans}

Soup:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen organic corn

1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, OR 1 can beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups chicken stock

Dumplings:

2 cups whole wheat flour (ground from hard white wheat)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, palm oil or coconut oil

1 cup milk (dairy, almond or coconut)

For the soup:

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add dried seasoning, frozen peas and corn. Saute 2-3 minutes more. Meanwhile, drain beans and add broth and beans to a blender. Blend on high 1 minute.

Add broth mixture to soup. Bring to a simmer.

For the dumplings:

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add oil and milk and mix until just combined. Drop about 1/4 cup scoops into simmering soup. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until dumplings are baked through.

Remove dumplings and mix soup. Serve a bowl of soup with a dumpling on top.

Makes about 4 servings.

Crumbly Pumpkin Coffee Cake {Egg Free}

This is a delicious dessert but sometimes we eat it for breakfast, too! For a real treat, make a cream cheese glaze to drizzle over the top!

Can sub a gluten free flour in this recipe. (Almond and Coconut will not work)
Coconut oil and butter are interchangeable in this recipe.
Milk can be dairy, almond or coconut.

Crumbly Pumpkin Coffee Cake

----Soak overnight or at least 12 hours.

2 cups whole wheat flour (I prefer whole white wheat or spelt)

2 cups oat flour (grind whole groats, steel cut oats or rolled oats in a blender or food processor)
1 cup milk (almond, coconut or dairy)
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp. acidic medium (whey, raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or plain yogurt)

----When ready to bake, add:

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup coconut sugar

Crumb Topping

6 Tbsp. whole wheat flour (sprouted is best)

6 Tbsp. coconut sugar

2 Tbsp. organic sugar 

4 Tbsp. organic salted butter, melted

1/2 cup rolled oats

3 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° Grease a glass 9x13 dish with nonstick spray, coconut oil or butter).

Combine soaked flour with remaining ingredients.  Spread into greased dish.

Combine crumb topping ingredients and mix well with fork to form a crumble. Sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 30-32 minutes.

Hot Cocoa Mix

I love hot cocoa and the ready to make packets are so convenient but have you looked at what is in them? Not too great for you. I like to make a double batch of this and keep it in the pantry. Makes it a little easier to let the kids have a few marshmallows on top :)

About 4 servings

1/2 cup organic sugar or sucanat(FS)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (FS)

3/4 cup powdered milk (FS)

1/8 tsp. salt

That's it! Mix this together and store. To serve, add 1/4 cup mix to 1 cup hot water. Add a drop of vanilla extract, mint extract or coconut extract for fun flavor!

Whole Grain Banana Mini Muffins

These are a great snack for school lunches or an after school treat. Just put 3 mini muffins in snack size ziplocs and freeze. They are ready to grab and go.

Whole Grain Banana Mini Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (ground from hard white wheat kernals)
1/2 cup oat flour (ground from whole oat groats or pulse rolled oats in a blender until fine)
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2 large
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (dairy, coconut or almond)
1/4 cup coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together. Spray muffin pans and bake for 9-10 minutes at 400°. *For regular size muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.

Double Chocolate Brownies

Food Storage Double Chocolate Brownies

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sucanat OR organic sugar
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. ground golden flax mixed with 4 Tbsp. water (or 1 egg)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° and spray an 8x8 pan. Mix all ingredients and spread into pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until brownies pull away from edges.

Time to stock up!

Yet another reason why food storage is so important! Check out this article about meat/poultry prices rising due to the extreme heat this summer. If you have a freezer, now is the time to pack it full of these protein sources. Of course, you don't NEED meat and poultry in your storage to survive, but if you or your family is used to having it in your meals, it is a good idea to have it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/13/national/main20079032.shtml

Sesame Noodles

Adapted from The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook

2 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. raw almond butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey OR agave
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti OR brown rice noodles
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan combine tahini, almond butter, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Mix with a whisk over low heat until combined and a sauce in made.
Meanwhile boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and add noodles to sauce mixture. Toss with sesame seeds.

Pumpkin Muffins

Another treat/snack I like to make are muffins. I hate calling them that since they are so far from any "muffin" you would buy. I am proud to say that these are my son's favorite food. He told me :) It may seem a little early for a fall treat, but we eat these year round!

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1 /2 cup whole wheat flour (freshly ground from Hard White Wheat)
1/2 cup sucanat, honey or organic sugar (brown sugar works too)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup unsweetened milk (dairy, almond, coconut)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed (opt.)

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet and mix well just until combined. Scoop into papered muffin pans. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes.

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake ~Shamrock Shake~

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake -- Makes about 4 servings

3/4 cup canned coconut milk -- FS (Food Storage Item)
3/4 cup milk (dairy, almond or more coconut) --FS
2 frozen bananas, cut into a few pieces
LARGE handful of raw spinach
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract -- FS
Ice, to desired consistency
Pure maple syrup, for added sweetness, to taste (1-2 Tbsp.) -- FS
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips -- FS

Blend on high until green in color and thick! Serve with unsweetened real whipped cream, if desired.

Almond Banana Bread

I have been experimenting with beans for two reasons, to find ways to get my kids to eat them and to cycle through food storage. It has been fun! Replace a quarter to half of the fat in your recipe with pureed white beans or ground white bean flour for some of the wheat flour. They taste great! You will be surprised how much you can increase the nutrition in your regular baked goods.

Almond Banana Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour (ground steel cut oats)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup prureed white beans (great northern or navy)
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract (vanilla would work, too)
3 Tbsp. ground flaxseed meal (opt.)

Heat oven to 350°. Grease (I used coconut oil) and lightly flour a loaf pan. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix brown sugar, bananas, beans, almond butter, and extract in a separate bowl. Mix into dry ingredients. Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Do not overcook or it will be too dry.

Seed Granola Bars

These are so good! I cannot take credit for them. I got the recipe from my sister in law and made a couple of small changes. I love having these ready to grab in the fridge when I am running out the door hungry.


Seed Granola Bars

1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds-raw)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup puffed millet
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup raw almond butter, creamy and unsalted
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey/agave
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Gently melt/soften coconut oil and almond butter in a measuring cup in microwave, about 15 seconds, stir. Add remaining wet ingredients, coconut oil and almond butter to dry ingredients and mix well. Press into an 8x8 pan that has been lined with plastic wrap. Freeze for a couple of hours. Remove from pan and cut into 9 bars. Wrap individually and store in refridgerator.

Zucchini Lasagna

A combo of marinara sauce, zucchini and quinoa, this is a great light alternative for the traditional lasagna. Have a salad on the side and you have a great meal!



Zucchini Lasagna



2 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 12 thin

1 cup quinoa, uncooked (FS)

2 cups chicken broth/stock (FS)

1/2 cup tomato sauce (FS)

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. dried italian seasoning (FS)

1 Tbsp. dried basil (FS)

2 Tbsp. cream cheese

Salt and Pepper, to taste (FS)

1 24 oz. jar marinara (FS)

1/2 cup cheese, shredded



Cut zucchini. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, stock, tomato sauce, onion and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. When quinoa is cooked, add cream cheese and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently.

In an 8x8 glass dish, spread about 3/4 cup sauce. Layer four zucchini and spread half of quinoa on top. Repeat once. Finish with layer of zucchini, remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting.



Makes 4-5 servings.



I am off to make my meal plan for the week. What are you having for dinner this week?

Zucchini and Lentil Soup

Lentils....I know, they don't sound good. I never had any desire to try them myself and didn't know how to make them. I didn't want to eat just plain boiled lentils. This soup is so good and warming. Lentils taste great! They are a great addition to your diet! With just 70 calories in a 1/4 cup dry (3/4 cup cooked) serving, you get 9 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein plus a ton of other nutrients like iron and folate! Mix that with broth and veggies and you have a great clean meal!

Zucchini and Lentil Soup

1/4 cup oil, coconut or olive
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. italian herbs seasoning
2 large carrots, chopped
8-10 cups water
1 lb. lentils, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
2 medium zucchini, chopped (opt.)
1-2 cups cooked brown rice, quinoa or millet (opt.)
1 TBSP. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots and seasonings. Saute 4 minutes. Add water and lentils. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add brown rice, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cover and cook and additional 5-10 minutes or until veggies are soft. Serve.

*This soup gets thicker as it sits. I like to wait a little bit and then eat it. Also, unless you are like me and my husband and can eat leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is gone, cut this recipe in half. It make a lot!