Guilt-free Whole Wheat Banana Farro Bread

Posted on January 30, 2014 by eatlessvelveeta

Lately I’ve been a little obsessed with farro. It’s a whole grain with a nutty flavor similar to brown rice, but larger and has a more substantial bite. It is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C, and E. I’ll post some farro-centric recipes in the near future, but I thought I’d start with a banana bread that is free of oils and uses primarily fruits to sweeten the batter. The addition of oats with the farro gives this bread a great, satisfying texture.

RECIPE: Guilt-free Whole Wheat Banana Farro Bread

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats (2 TBSP reserved)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup of overripe banana, mashed
1/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup cooked farrow
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (almond, goat, skim or coconut)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large mixing bowl combine banana, applesauce, syrup, egg, milk and vanilla until well mixed. In a separate bowl, add flour, oats, farro, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined, being careful to not overmix. Pour batter into pan, sprinkle the top with oats and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake. Wrap leftover bread tightly to keep from drying out. Enjoy!

Veggie Chop Quinoa Salad

Posted on January 30, 2014 by eatlessvelveeta

After a couple months of heavy holiday indulging, it feels much better to be back on the clean eating routine. Another cooking-obsessed friend of mine got a couple of new cookbooks and this dish caught my eye. Obviously there could be variations galore, but this combo works pretty well. I can’t wait to make it again next week with some different fresh herbs and other veggies.

RECIPE: Veggie Chop Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa, room temp or chilled
1 cup chopped carrots
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup sliced, steamed green beans, room temp or chilled
1/2 cooked, sliced mushrooms (lightly sauteed in olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
juice of 1 lemon
3 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS: Add all chopped veggies and walnuts to a large bowl and toss to combine. Add quinoa and toss again. Then whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, tarragon, salt and pepper. Pour over the veggie/quinoa mixture and toss well. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!

Really Neat Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Posted on October 3, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I’m really excited to write this blog post because it features a product I’ve wanted to try ever since I read about it in August. I local family right here in Lancaster County is rolling out a new meat alternative called ‘neat.’ Described as the market’s first shelf-stable, soy-and-gluten-free meat alternative, the goal was to appeal to more than vegetarians; they were looking to create something that would satisfy any meat-etarian, too. More importantly, they were wary of meat stand-ins already out there, which typically contain chemical additives and genetically engineered soy. Neat is a perfectly balanced combination of pecans, garbanzo and white beans for protein, plus organic cornmeal. When you add a little egg (or vegan egg replacement) and a splash of water, you have the fixins’ for an awesome ground beef alternative – perfect for anyone trying to lower their cholesterol through diet. Did I mention it’s delicious, priced comparably to a pound of ground beef, and if you don’t live in Lancaster County, can be purchased on Amazon?

This morning I came home with my very first package of neat. I decided to make stuffed peppers because I had some veggies that I wanted to use and always have organic canned tomatoes on hand. But since neat introduced its product to the marketplace leading with their Mexican mix, that was all I could find – so my stuffed peppers which are usually filled with ground beef and Italian style, turned vegetarian and Mexican on the fly.

RECIPE: Really Neat Mexican Stuffed Peppers

1 pkg of neat, prepared per package directions – 2 eggs + 2 TBSP water
1 cup of cooked brown rice
3 bell peppers (I like red, but you can use whatever you like), cut in half, seeds removed and blanched for 5 minutes to soften
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, sides removed and diced (core is discarded)
1 carrot, diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes, whizzed in blender for just a moment to break up large chunks (no need to drain)
3 cloves of garlic
dried oregano
1 cup shredded monterey jack, pepper jack or mexican blend cheese
scallions chopped for garnish
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: After blanching and draining the pepper halves, arrange on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil on high just until the edges of the pepper start to blacken. Remove from oven and set aside. Re-set the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and brown neat like you would ground beef. Set aside. Add a little more olive oil and add the onion, zucchini, carrots, dried oregano, salt and pepper to the pan. Saute just until veggies start to brown (approx 5 minutes); pour in tomatoes; let simmer for 5 minutes; adjust salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 2 cups of sauce for topping.

Add neat and brown rice to the mixture and combine. Spoon mixture evenly among pepper halves. Top with reserved tomato mixture and cheese; bake covered with foil for 45 minutes. Remove foil for the last ten minutes to get a little color on the cheese. Garnish with fresh scallions. Enjoy!

Warm Quinoa and Radicchio Salad with Balsamic Glaze and Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Posted on September 30, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

A friend of mine posted a pasta dish she made with radicchio recently and the flavor combination was interesting. Since I don’t eat a whole lot of pasta, I wanted to use those flavors in another way. Of course quinoa is my go-to carb because it’s super clean and has more protein than any other starch. So yes, here is another quinoa recipe that even my picky strongman boyfriend ate with very little grumbling.

RECIPE: Warm Quinoa and Radicchio Salad with Balsamic Glaze and Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 1/3 cups chicken (or veg) stock (reserve 1/3 for assembly)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 small head of radicchio, sliced into thin strips
3 TBSP roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, reserve 1 tsp for garnish
balsamic glaze
1/2 shaved parmigiano-reggiano
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Bring 2 cups of stock to a boil and add quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid evaporates; about 20 minutes (do NOT overcook). Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds; then add tomato paste and stir for another 30 seconds. Pour in reserved 1/3 cup of stock and stir garlic/tomato paste until it reduces by half and it’s all incorporated. Add quinoa back into the skillet and stir until garlic mixture is evenly distributed. Drizzle a TBSP of balsamic into quinoa along with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; toss in radicchio and parsley. Pour onto a serving platter. Drizzle with more balsamic glaze and top with the shaved parm and reserved parsley. Enjoy!

Salmon Kale Cakes with Sweet & Spicy Mustard Jam

Posted on August 30, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

Sometimes dinner comes from the pantry because I can’t spend every day shopping or waiting for something to defrost. This recipe happened one day when the fridge was pretty bare. With the exception of the kale, everything else tends to be a staple for most. The jam is something my mom recently made for shrimp, so I thought it would be tasty on the salmon cakes, and it was. Serve the whole shebang on top of a large arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette. This recipe makes 2 large or 3 average sized cakes.

RECIPE: Salmon Kale Cakes

1 cup finely chopped kale
1 5oz pkg skinless/boneless wild salmon
2 slices of bread, crumbled in food processor (use whole grain or gluten free)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup mayo
salt & pepper
olive oil
chopped green onions (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly with clean hands. Form into patties. (They’ll be kind of loose, but pat them together as tightly as possible and handle with care while putting them into the pan.) Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan. Gently set salmon cakes in pan, leaving enough room to flip when it’s time.) Cook over medium heat until the first side is brown. Carefully flip over and cook until the second side browns and the cake is heated all the way through.

RECIPE: Spicy Mustard Jam

1/2 cup peach, apricot or pineapple jam or orange marmalade
2 tsp thai sweet chile (optional)
3 tsp spicy chinese or coleman’s english mustard
pinch of salt
2 TBSP water

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Add as much or as little of the water as you need, depending on the consistency of the jam you choose. Top the salmon cakes with a generous spoonful of jam and sprinkle liberally with chopped green onions. Enjoy!

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Goat Cheese Dipping Sauce

Posted on August 27, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I saw this idea in Bon Appetite last time I traveled to Santa Fe. Roasting a whole cauliflower? Brilliant. Immediately I thought of it as the new “bloomin’ onion” because lord knows that dish will kill us in a heartbeat. This, conceptually, is the same. It has the same wow factor on the table and is great for sharing. Plus it has a dipping sauce to make it complete. The only problem with the Bon Appetite version for me, is the amount of fat in the cheese accompaniment because it uses four cheeses plus heavy whipping cream. So I wrote a new recipe to give it some health value. This is important because when you eat this once, you’ll want to make it all week long. In fact, I’ve considered just throwing another cauliflower in the pot while the brine is still hot because the other one was gone in five minutes flat. It also makes a great side dish when quartered and drizzled with the sauce.

RECIPE: Whole Roasted Cauliflower

2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sea or kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon honey
2 bay leaves
1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring wine, oil, kosher salt, juice, butter, red pepper flakes, sugar, bay leaf, and 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add cauliflower, reduce heat, and simmer, turning occasionally, until a knife easily inserts into center, 15-20 minutes.

Using 2 slotted spoons, transfer cauliflower to a rimmed baking dish, draining well. Roast, rotating halfway through, until brown all over, 30-40 minutes.

RECIPE: Goat Cheese Dipping Sauce

8 ounces lowfat cottage cheese
4 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Add cheese to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to your liking and a generous amount of cracked black pepper. NOTE: you can do this in a blender, but it may require a splash or two of water to get it going.) NOTE: If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can swap it out with Feta or Greek cream cheese.

Transfer cauliflower to a plate. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Peach Syrup

Posted on August 17, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I came up with this recipe one day because I was really tired of the same bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. So instead of pouring the oats into a measuring cup while I was waiting for the water to boil, I threw them into the blender with a couple other things and made a batter. Traditional pancakes have no nutritional value whatsoever – a slurry of cooked white flour slathered in butter and pancake syrup. But this recipe has no flour whatsoever; instead it uses oats for fiber, nuts for protein, hearth-healthy flax seeds topped with homemade peach syrup and a dollup of nonfat greek yogurt for even more protein. Super healthy and really satisfying if you’re craving pancakes but feel guilty veering away from your oatmeal regimen.

RECIPE: Oatmeal Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes with Homemade Peach Syrup

1 cup regular oats
½ cup raw almonds
½ cup buttermilk
½ unsweetened almond milk
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon
1 TBSP flax seeds
¾ cup blueberries (optional)

Put everything in a blender and blend until fairly smooth, like the consistency of pancake batter. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and add another splash or two of almond milk to adjust the consistency. (Because you’re working with raw oats, they will absorb the liquid the first time around and the batter will get thick after sitting for 15 minutes; that’s why you have to adjust the consistency again.) Cook in greased skillet as you would a regular pancake. If you wish, sprinkle with blueberries before flipping. Makes 3 hearty 6-inch pancakes.

TO MAKE THE SYRUP:
The peach syrup pays homage to my Aunt Ginny and her mother, Alice Hendrick. When she was a little girl, her mother gathered all the peach peelings and seeds which were left over from another peach project (such as pies or canning sliced peaches) and put them into a saucepan with a 2-to-1 ratio of sugar to water – just enough to barely cover the peach trimmings. After simmering for about 2 hours, watching and testing throughout, the syrup is finished when most beautiful color appears, and the taste and consistency follow.

NOTES: Like most homemade syrups, it will be thinner than actual maple. But if you want, you can continue to cook until it gets closer to a candy stage. Instead of white sugar, I recommend using organic raw sugar or maple sugar. I also added a small pinch of salt and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice as I do to any jam or chutney I make.

The peach syrup pairs perfectly with these pancakes, but pure maple syrup and a dab of butter do just fine if that’s what you have. Either way, enjoy!

Perfect(ly healthy) Chocolate Sauce

Posted on August 16, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I don’t really like to bake, but I really love dessert. And by dessert, I mean chocolate. If there was a way to eat a huge piece of chocolate cake everyday and stay healthy, I’d do it in a heartbeat. So until someone figures that out, I’ve created something to tide us over. It’s simple, healthy, made from clean, whole ingredients. And you don’t have to feel the slightest bit guilty about eating it.

Chocolate sauce is the answer. It’s the perfect way to have your cake and eat it, too. Especially if you’re like me and don’t want to make a whole dessert during the week that you feel obligated to finish just so it won’t go to waste. We are a family of two here at my house, and I work from home. So you do the math on who might consume most of those calories.

Now, back to chocolate sauce. This is the key to making every dessert just a little better. Put it on ice cream, cheesecake, or brownies. Use it as a dip for strawberries, cookies, pound cake, or churros. Even drizzle it over a grilled banana and garnish it with a handful of your favorite nuts. I mean, the possibilities are endless. So tonight by adding a spoonful of chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of sliced almonds, I turned this teeny little dairy free ice cream sandwich* into a decadent dessert to die for.

RECIPE: Perfect(ly healthy) Chocolate Sauce

2 TBSP coconut oil
2 TBSP raw honey
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 TBSP nonfat greek yogurt
2-3 TBSP almond milk

Combine the coconut oil and raw honey in a small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds until it’s melted together. Stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Once combined, stir in the greek yogurt. Slowly add almond milk to thin out the mixture to the perfect consistency. Because you’re using cocoa powder instead of melting chocolate solids, adding liquid will not cause the sauce to seize up. It’s very easy and completely forgiving. Adjust the amount of cocoa and sweetness to your liking. This recipe makes approximately one cup of sauce. Enjoy!

* The SO DELICIOUS brand of ice cream sandwiches make the perfect size small dessert. They can be found in the natural food freezer section of your grocery store.

Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Posted on August 14, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

Seemingly one of the most widely spread Facebook recipes I’ve seen, these cookie bites are pretty good when you’re craving melty, homemade chocolatey chip cookies. They are wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and pack a nice punch of protein and fiber. In my opinion, they’re only good when they’re warm, so I recommend making the batter and keeping it in an airtight container in the fridge, only baking the amount you want to eat each time. Plus, it’s a good way to not over indulge.

RECIPE: Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

1 can chic peas (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
2/3 cup almond butter (or any kind of natural nut butter you have on hand)
1/4 cup maple syrup, honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of sea salt, optional
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to

350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silpat. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, drop cookie dough on baking sheet. You don’t need to leave a lot of room between the cookies as they don’t spread out or rise up much at all. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before eating.

Kale Salad with Tahini Goddess Dressing and Spicy Garlic Croutons

Posted on August 13, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I learn a lot from my gluten free friends. Including realizing certain products contain wheat. Goddess dressing is one of those products – and while I really don’t like bottled salad dressings at all, I will grab a bottle of Annie’s Goddess Dressing in a pinch. Not any more. This dressing is so similar made with just a few ingredients you can throw right in the blender. I apologize for another kale salad, but this superfood tossed with a homemade tahini dressing and crispy croutons with a kick is just too good not to share. I also recommend doubling the dressing recipe and keeping it in the fridge.

VARIATION: After making this a few times, I started adding 1 large carrot (peeled and rough chopped) to the blender. This increases the health value exponentially, while lowering the fat and improving the thickness. This variation is like goddess dressing meets ginger carrot dressing from your favorite Japanese place. I’ll never make it without carrot again.

RECIPE: Kale Salad with Tahini Goddess Dressing

a bunch of kale, washed, stem removed, leaves chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tamari
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic
1 large carrot (peeled and rough chopped) ** see VARIATION above
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Prepare kale; set aside. Mix all remaining ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings to your liking. (I added another tablespoon of olive oil, water for consistency and an extra splash of tamari for a little more saltiness, but to each his own.)

RECIPE: Spicy Garlic Croutons

4 slices of bread cut up into cubes (I like Udi’s gluten free whole grain millet, but anything will do)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
6-8 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan, heat up olive oil with chopped garlic and red chile flakes. Remove from heat just before garlic starts to brown. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange bread cubes close together on a sheet pan and drizzle with hot garlic oil, a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly (be careful, the oil is hot!). Taste to make sure the seasonings are right and then spread out croutons on the sheet. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, tossing once. Keep your eye on them so they don’t get too brown.

ASSEMBLY: In a large salad bowl, toss kale with the amount of dressing and croutons you like. This keeps pretty well in the fridge, but you might want to reserve the croutons just before serving, in that case. Enjoy!