Sweet Potato Protein Patties

Hello again! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week and weekend. While I was visiting my family in Texas, I reworked my Game-Changer patties for my aunt (who's vegan) and they turned out wicked good, so I thought I would share the new version of the recipe as well. You don't have to be vegan to enjoy these (and if you're serving them to your non-vegan friends, you can just call them a vegetable side if you want), but if you are - you'll find that they have a full serving of protein and delicious, healthy cruciferous vegetables. These are great for a protein-rich side dish or a meal on the go. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Protein Patties

Makes 16 

1 lb sweet potatoes, cooked  

3/4 cup onions   

1/4 cup flax seed meal   

1/2 cup gelled chia seeds  

6 tsp olive oil

4 loose fist sized clumps of baby spinach, raw  

3 loose fist sized clumps baby kale, raw 

2 tsp salt 

1 tsp black pepper

2  sage leaves, crushed

1 sprig rosemary, crushed

1 tsp white pepper

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Clean your sweet potatoes and brush them with olive oil. Pierce the potatoes with a fork. Bake them for about 45 minutes. 
• Pan brown onions and spinach and kale with ~6 tsp olive oil.  
• To make your gelled chia seeds, take 1/3 cup chia seeds and place them into a sealed container with 2 cups water. Stir them, let them sit for ten minutes, and then stir again. (You can keep the gel that you don't use for this recipe in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Mix it into salad dressings or juice for a little extra protein in whatever you like.)
• Peel your baked sweet potatoes. (I munch on the peels because they are delicious!) Puree baked sweet potatoes in food processor. Puree cooked spinach and kale and onions. Place pureed vegetables into a large bowl. Puree browned onions, cooked spinach and kale in food processor. Move to bowl. 
• Combine blended sweet potatoes, onions, chia seeds, flax seed meal, green onions, herba salle, egg whites, blended spinach, herbs, salt and pepper. 
• Form and flatten portions of the “dough” into patties.
• Lay the patties onto parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray (or stoneware) and bake for 15-20 minutes, remove, flip them over, and bake again for another 20 minutes until they’re lightly brown and crisp on the outside.
• Serve warm, at room temperature, or straight from the fridge.

Go on, have a peace! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Mookies

I love autumn. The moment that first swell of cold hits me in the street in September, I get a thrill of anticipation that sends me to the store in search of pumpkins and squash. I lived in New York for a while and I remember how excited I got as I drove to school and saw the first leaves turning from green to red. Now, in California, I don't get to watch the leaves turn, but I can still get my pumpkin fix!

Here's a tasty little treat I came up with today which is simply and awesomely autumn-y. :) They were supposed to be cookies, but they came out with more of a muffin consistency than I had anticipated. So, for your munching pleasure: mookies!

Pumpkin Mookies

(makes 18-24)

2/3 cup IC's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter (recipe at the bottom)

2 tbsp almond milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp flax seed meal

~1 cup all purpose flour

~1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Set oven to 325 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together your liquid ingredients until they are smoothly combined. Sift in the powder ingredients, then stir until the batter is consistent and lumpless. 

Spoon out 1-2 spoonfuls batter onto the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes. 

Enjoy!

IreniCineri's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter

(makes 2 claussen pickle jars full)

1 can canned pumpkin

3/4 cup apple cider

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1.5 cups brown sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat. Simmer there for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Let stand on the stovetop for about 15 minutes, then scoop into your prepared jars.

This pumpkin butter makes an excellent autumnal addition to baked goods and pastries, but can also be enjoyed simply spread on a piece of toast or (if you're feeling decadent) sucked off a spoon. 

Note: You can buy mason jars at Costco or Michaels. Personally, I just save all my jars from everything, clean them, and store them until I find a use for them. (You will see one of the many uses I have found for them when I get around to talking about my fun halloween decor...)

Go on! Have a peace!

Bad Ass Yamekins

My mom calls me a "sweet potato kid". Apparently, when I was in the womb, sweet potatoes always made me rumble around in her tummy like a happy kitten. You can take the girl out of the womb, but sweet potatoes still make me grin like a loon.

So, I had a satchel of small sweet potatoes from TJ's and was in a savory snack mood. Plus, I have friends who don't like bananas or raisins.... What to do, what to do... Oh! Right! Invent cookies!

These are easy, healthy, and delicious. They require no tools more complicated than a fork. You're welcome. :)

Bad Ass Yamekins
(makes ~35 cookies)

4-5 small sweet potatoes, baked (makes about 1.5 cups sweet potatoes, mashed with a fork)
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup egg whites
1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sliced almonds (toasted, unsalted)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Paper a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scrub the sweet potatoes well, lightly brush the outsides with olive oil and lay them on the cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

When the potatoes are cooled, remove the skins. [Sweet potato skins are a yummy snack. You can munch them as you cook or set them in a bowl in the fridge for later. Nom nom.]

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl, mash with fork. Add the cinnamon. Stir. Add the honey. Stir. (Make sure each time you stir that you're combining the elements well and leaving no lumps.) Add the almond meal and flax seed meal. Mix well. Add the coconut oil and egg whites. Stir. Add the baking powder. Mix until well combined. Add the agave nectar. Stir. *If you want, you can use a hand mixer, but I simply used a fork and whisked it through the mixture firmly and that turned out fantastic.

Once you've got your "batter" all mushy and blended, add the sliced almonds and mix with your fork until they're all through the mixture.

Paper two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using the same mixing fork, drop one scoopful of the mixture, separated by about an inch. They won't expand outward.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven; let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes. Then remove to a drying rack to finish cooling the rest of the way. Enjoy! 

I was so excited about how these turned out, I dragged Janet out and made her try one. They have been approved by taste buds other than my own. These are simply awesome. Soft, moist, not too sweet. And best of all: there's no flour, no butter, and you get the protein from the eggs and the antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin C from the sweet potatoes. Crazy, right?

Sunflower Bites

Another pair of bananas going dead, so I had no choice. I was forced to make breakfast cookies once more. Now, there's just no point in repeating a recipe when I'm always trying to think of new, interesting recipes to share with you, so I decided to go a little off script for this. 

Sunflower Bites

2 bananas

2 heaping spoonfuls of crunchy sunbutter (This is sunflower butter. Delicious!)

1/8 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup rolled oats

1/8 cup almond meal

1/8 cup flaxseed meal

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup golden raisins (alternatives: diced apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Paper two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mash two bananas. Stir in sunbutter, honey, and vanilla until well combined. Add pumpkin pie spice. Stir. Add almond and flaxseed meal. Stir. Add in raisins (or alt of your choice) and rolled oats.

Using a large spoon, scoop one large spoonful at a time on to the cookie sheets, leaving the scoops a couple inches apart. Flatten the cookie scoops with a fork.

Bake for about 16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Lemon Cashew Cream Pie

My cousin Kelly signed me up for this wicked awesome magazine - the Vegetarian Times (thank you, Kelly!!). In the February issue, Lauren Ulm (author of the awesome blog VeganYumYum) offered a recipe for vegan Key Lime Pie, which sounded awesome. Except I didn't have any limes, and it seemed that my brain was categorically opposed to letting me remember I needed them when I went to the store. And I couldn't find cream of coconut (apparently I was supposed to go to BevMo or something to find this). And I'm not a huge fan of cornstarch, so I replaced that too.... Anyway, here is a mild (and delicious!) variation on the recipe's theme.

Lemon Cashew Cream Pie
(10 servings)

Crust:
1.5 cups crushed vegan graham crackers
1/4 cup earth balance spread, melted (or other suitable vegan butter substitute - check the label)
1/4 cup agave nectar

Filling:
1 cup coconut milk (remember to shake well before opening the can)
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
7 oz extra firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tbsp
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest, plus 1 tsp dried lemon zest

To make the crust-
Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir together the mashed graham crackers, earth balance, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and agave nectar in a bowl. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Place crust in the freezer while oven preheats. Bake crust 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

To make the filling-
Put coconut milk, cashews, tofu, lemon juice, flax seed meal, agave nectar, and lemon zest in a food processor; blend until very smooth. Transfer the filling to a saucepan and warm over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until the filling thickens.
Spread the filling into the crust. Chill 4 hours before serving.

This is a delicious, creamy pie with just a tinge of citrusy delight. Yum yum!

Guilt-Free T.C.

Due to the fact that I expect to be rather busy for the next few days, I decided to make a casserole to tide me through the coming week. And then I realized, hey! I haven't showed you guys any of my wicked fun casserole dishes. So you, my friends, are in for a treat. This dish makes about 8-10 servings. It's delicious, wholesome, guilt-free, and utterly satisfying. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed inventing it. :)

Guilt-Free Tuna Casserole
(Serves 8-10)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs
8 oz vegetable rotini pasta (this pasta is made from compressed veggies and is super delicious)
olive oil cooking spray
3 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and diced
1 head cauliflower
1 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp almond meal
1 Tbsp flax seed meal
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup water
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and diced
~14.8 oz canned tuna - unsalted, packed in water, drained
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
~1 Tbsp dried dill (make sure it's finely minced)
~1 Tbsp low-fat Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a stockpot filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.

Dice a head of cauliflower into 1-2 inch florets, including as much of the stalk as you can manage without adding the green parts. Set these out over a parchment paper covered cookie sheet, spray gently with olive oil cooking spray and dust lightly with milled sea salt (or kosher). Put this in the oven to bake, should take between 30-40 minutes, until just beginning to brown on the edges.

Meanwhile, heat a large stockpot (the bigger the better, within reason) over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Mist with olive oil cooking spray and add celery and onion. Saute for 2 minutes or until onions become translucent.

In a small bowl (I used a tea cup), combine the almond and flax seed meals.

Add chicken broth, water, and the mix of almond meal and flax seed meal; whisk briskly until it begins to go frothy. [This, by the way, is my cheat to making a healthy roux (or thickener). I think you can also use this to make homemade "cream" sauces, though - considering I just made it up - I have not yet tested this.] Reduce heat to medium. Stir in drained pasta, carrots, tuna, and peas. Add dill. Remove from heat.

By now, your cauliflower should be done roasting. Take it out and load the entire head's worth of little roasted pieces into a food processor. (If you don't have a food processor, you can use a food mill, a potato ricer (these are so awesome!), or at the most rudimentary a potato masher.) Puree the cauliflower until it's well mushed (yes, that's my technical term); add the minced garlic and puree again. Now dump the contents of your food processor into the bowl full of tuna stew. Stir until well combined. It should take on a thick, glutinous consistency.

Pour tuna-pasta-cauliflower mixture into a 11.5 x 15 inch casserole dish (preferably glass). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and a light dusting of Parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on top. Remove and serve hot.

For storage, cover tightly with saran wrap (or put it into a casserole container with a sealing lid like I do) and put it in the fridge. It will keep for about 5 days. If you want it to last for 7 or 8, cut a portion off, seal it, and put it in the freezer, leaving the rest in the fridge. 

Note: This recipe might seem a little low on salt, if you're used to cooking and eating with it. As you may have noticed, I barely use any when I cook, so my tongue isn't super sensitive to it when it's missing. To me, this dish is perfect in its garlicky, mushy, delicious comfort foody way. I'd say taste test before you transfer it to your baking dish, just to make sure you'll be happy. And if you must add more salt, be sparing with it. The less you use, the more you'll get used to not using it, and then you'll eventually find that you don't miss it at all. :)

Awesome Granola Goodness

I was in the mood for some healthy snacking options, so I went looking for all the things I loved and tried to figure out how to combine them into one nutritious dish. These granola bars are what I came up with. The toasted flax seed meal gives the granola a slightly smokey, warm taste, the fruits make it chewy and sweet, the nuts give it a delicious crunch. I made these not too sweet, because my lack of exposure to processed sugar has made my tongue and body more sensitive to such things - did I tell you all about Valentine's Day? Someone brought over this amazing smelling strawberry layer cake. I had a small slice and felt dizzy and jittery the rest of the night, like I'd drunk six cups of caffeinated coffee. Yikes!  All that said, if you're sweet tooth is unstoppable, you can add more honey, agave, or even maple syrup. If you're sweet tooth rules you, add cacao nibs to the top of the bars after they've baked and put them back in the oven for another 1-2 minutes so they melt over the top.


Awesome Granola Goodness
(makes about 21 pieces)

2 large bananas

2 tbsp spoonfuls of sunbutter (could use peanut butter)

2 tbsp earth balance spread

~¼ cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup steel cut oats

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup flax seed meal

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup dried apricots, cut into small pieces

~¼ cup agave nectar

½ cup sliced almonds, unsalted (can be toasted)

½ cup walnut pieces, unsalted

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Parchment paper a square casserole dish, grease the sides.

In a bowl, toss the oats and nuts together. Transfer to the casserole dish and toast for 10 minutes.

Over low heat, toast the flax seed meal in a dry pan for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the apricots and raisins to that mix.

In a soup pan, heat earth balance, sunbutter, honey, agave nectar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon over high heat, until it has all melted together become bubbly. Turn heat back to low.

Take out the toasted oat/nut mix and transfer to the flax seed/fruit bowl. Pour the butter/sugar liquid into the mixing bowl.

Set the oven to 300 F.

Stir until the mixture is well combined. Mash two bananas and stir until the whole mixture is thick and firm.

Pour the mix into the lined casserole dish. 

Put the casserole dish back into the oven for about 35 minutes.

Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes before slicing into bars. Then store in fridge for another 20-30 minutes. The cold of the fridge will help the granola jell into delicious, chewy pieces.