Tasty in my Tummy OSM Crumble Cookies

Tasty in my Tummy OSM Crumble Cookies
(About 50 cookies)

1/2 tbsp agave nectar

3/4 cup organic brown sugar

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

4/3 cup chopped prunes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 1/3 cup sorghum flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups OSM hot cereal mix (you could also use plain rolled oats)

water for shaping (I used about 2/4 cups, but you'll want to add it bit by bit)

Preheat 350 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Combine all the ingredients. Wet first. Dry second. Mix until well-combined and "doughy". 

Add water a little bit at a time if the dough is too dry. 

Roll the dough into golf-ball sized drops between your palms and place them on the tray. 

These will not expand as they cook. They'll be the same size when they come out as when they went in.

Bake for 12 minutes, then move to cool on a drying rack. 

These are tasty, crumbly, and awesome. They have a consistency sort of like soft shortbread. Go on. Have a peace. :)

Note: OSM Hot Cereal is a warm tasty treat made of oats, cracked-wheat, oat bran, millet, and sunflower seeds. That's it. It makes for a great oatmeal substitute in the mornings and it also makes these cookies very, very tasty. OSM products are available from The Bunnery in Jackson Hole. They are also soon becoming available in certain independent grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Nevada. 

Potato Latkes

Just finished the first portion of Critical Mass Performance Group's Polish Project. Inspired by several weeks worth of research, I decided to try to make healthified latkes. Brought these to the rest of my cast and they were gone in a hot second. :)

Potato Latkes
~20 little potato pancakes

1/3 cup egg whites
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onion stalks, chopped
3 tbsp sweet sorghum flour
3/4 tsp sea salt (more to taste)
~15 turns of a pepper grinder
3.8 lbs small red potatoes, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Combine egg whites, onions, garlic, flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Shred the potatoes - you can do this using a normal food shredder or you can do what I did and throw them in the food processor with the shredding mechanism on (or not). The main idea is to achieve a coarse consistency. If you use just a normal food processor, use it on pulse and don't let it get too mushy.

Take the shredded potatoes and drain in a colander over a bowl, pressing at the potatoes to squeeze out any extra moisture. [I did this in several waves, dumping the squeezed potato shreddings into the bowl as I finished with them because my colander is teeeensy. :) ] Pour off the potato water from the bowl and there should be a thick, white residue on the bottom. That is potato starch. I used about half of that in my recipe. You can use more or less, depending on your personal taste.

Mix all ingredients together well. Then scoop a large spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then flatten it out a bit. You'll want to leave a good couple inches between each pancake.

Put in the oven for 15 minutes, then take out, flip over, and put in for another 15 until they are nice and crispy. Serve with non-fat sour cream or applesauce (the applesauce combo is my favorite) or just munch plain. :)

Go on. Have a peace. Have two. :)

Mouthwatering Muesli Cookies

I have returned home, cleansed of blood and debris (I was shooting a zombie film), and thought a nice way to say hello again here would be to offer sweets. So here's a treat for all of ya'll who are still reading/subscribing/feeding good things to the people you love.

Mouthwatering Muesli Cookies
(makes about 24)

1 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1.25 cups muesli (I used Trader Joe's Fat Free Blueberry Muesli, which is awesome. It has dried blueberries, raisins, currants, and apples in it and is made with whole rolled barley flakes and whole rolled rye flakes.)
~1/4 cup water

Set oven to 375F.

Stir the melted coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract together, then beat in two eggs. Add flour and stir. Fold in muesli. Add water little by little until the consistency is a little looser. The batter looked a little runny when I put it onto the cookie sheets (covered in parchment paper like always) but they fluffed up nicely in the oven.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Longer if you like them a little crispier. Please note that they continue to become crispier as they cool, as well.

These are so tasty, and they make your kitchen (and the rest of your house) smell delectable. :)

Go on! Have a peace!

Sesame Sweet Potato Morsels

Here's a delicious recipe I rolled out of my brain today. Another sweet-potato snack that will make you smack your lips in delight. :)

Sesame Sweet Potato Morsels
(makes 44 bite sized morsels)

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 small spoonfuls brown sugar
1/2 cup sorghum flour
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup carrot juice
1/2 tsp baking powder

Brush the outsides of the sweet potatoes with a thin layer of olive oil and bake at 425 F for 1 hour.

Remove them, peel them [judiciously eating the skins to minimize clean up ;) ], slice them, and throw them in a mixing bowl. Mash them up (you can use a potato masher - I used a spoon). Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Next using a small spoon (I used a melon ball scooper), dollop out a little round of the batter onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Should make 2 sheets of 22 dollops.

For one sheet, I dribbled a little drop of honey on top of each cookie and then sprinkled sesame seeds on top of that. For the other, I drizzled a little olive oil over the top of each, which caramelized gently during the baking process.

I wasn't sure how these were going to come out, but they ended up sort of like a cross between a soft cookie, a delicious baked yam, and a sesame bar. So good, and not too sweet. :) Go on! Have a peace!

[Note: I have just been notified that this is a "free" food on the Weight Watcher's program. Can this be true?? Anyway. Eat without guilt regardless.]

Date Dusted Angel Cakes

My dad's birthday was last week, but he was stuck in the Ukraine for it. So this weekend, when he came to visit me, my mom and I decided that I would make his birthday cake.

Now, my dad has a sweet tooth and he really likes angel food cake. So I thought I would make him a healthified, gluten-free version of angel food cake that he could enjoy without guilt.

Date Dusted Angel Cakes
(makes 12 servings)

12 egg whites
1/3 cup warm water
1.5 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup "sweet" sorghum flour, sifted
~1 cup date sugar, processed to super fine and sifted

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Set a rack on the top rung of the oven.

In a food processor, spin the sugar for about 2 minutes until it is a super fine dust. Sift half of it in to the sifted flour and save the other half for later.

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine the egg whites, water, almond extract, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar. Whisk quickly for about 2 minutes - you'll see a change in the consistency eggs. [I recommend stretching before you do this; your arm gets tired quick. :) ] Now switch to a hand mixer - on medium - and slowly sift in most of the leftover sugar (save about 1/4 cup for later), beating continuously. [When you sift the date sugar, you'll end up with little hardened date bits that will not sift. Don't throw these away and don't put them in the mix; save them into a little bowl and use them to sweeten tea or coffee later.] Once you have achieved medium peaks in the egg/sugar mixture, slowly sift the flour/sugar mixture in gently over the top of the foam. Gently fold the flour in using a flexible spatula. Continue until all the flour is combined.

Using a flour-based spray (like Baker's Joy), coat the insides of a 12 tin cupcake tray.

Use a deep spoon and carefully spoon the mixture into the tray. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle a little dusting of the remaining processed date sugar over the tops of the cakes. Return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes.

Place a cooling rack over a paper towel, and cool the cakes upside down in the pan for about an hour.

Gently remove the cakes. Serve with whipped cream and halved, fresh strawberries.

Mine came out a little dense, but still very tasty. The flavor of this cake is deliciously, subtly sweet.  Some recommendations from my chef pal Dave, after the fact: no flour in the cake pan [the angel food texture needs to be able to "climb the sides"]; make sure not to overstir; try using almond flour rather than the sorghum [it's a little lighter].

Happy birthday, Dad!

Baked Falafels Pita Pockets with Mint Tzatziki

I had some friends coming over last night and thought it might be fun to have a DIY dinner, rather than a serve-it-up like I usually do. I've had a yen for falafel since I got back from Israel, so this was my attempt and bringing the tastiness of Jerusalem vendors to my best pals at home. This meal is ridiculously easy to make, and fun - the only thing I would say is that it isn't the best meal to make when you're trying to have a conversation. The food processor is so loud! :)

Baked Falafel Pita Pockets with Mint Tzatziki
(makes ~8 servings)

Falafel:
(makes about 36)
1 can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
1 red onion, finely chopped
A little less than 1/4 cup sorghum flour
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Drain a can of garbanzo beans over the sink, rinsing them well. Drop them, along with all the other ingredients except the baking powder, into your food processor. [If you don't have a food processor, a blender could work. Otherwise, you can use an immersion blender or a potato masher. The processor is just faster.] Puree, until ingredients are a thick paste. When all elements are well combined, add the baking powder and stir in thoroughly.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Now, here, I used my awesome little melon scooper, but you could use a normal, small spoon - your falafels will just be a little bigger. Scoop healthy dollops onto the baking sheet, about 6 scoops on each row.

Put baking sheets into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the falafel patties. Bake for another 15 minutes if you want them soft, 20 minutes if you want them lightly browned, 25 if you want them crispier.

Mint Tzatziki:
1 regular sized cucumber, chopped into small bits
2 cups plain, nonfat yogurt
~1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped into tiny bits
salt, to taste

I actually made this weird tzatziki sauce before as a sauce for grilled chicken. It's based on the recipe my friend Alex uses (she's Greek), but I had some mint leftover (from a fun squash stew I made) that I wanted to put to use. Wow, check out the parentheses use there. It's super easy to make. You just chop the mint really fine (use a big chef's knife - it's easier). You cut the cucumber lengthwise, then lengthwise again, then in slices. Toss these into a bowl, then scoop the yogurt in. Stir, mixing well, and you're done.

Pita Pocket and fillers:

3 whole wheat pita, cut in half

2 handfuls baby spinach, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 roma tomato, diced

Take your half pita, open it up on a small plate. Dollop a couple spoonfuls of the tzatziki into the pita, accompanied by a sprinkling of the spinach and tomatoes. Place 3-4 falafels into the pita. Enjoy!

It was a simple meal, cool and warm, and delicious! Lots of protein from the chickpeas. Vitamin A and K and manganese from the spinach (not to mention Popeye muscles). Vitamin C in the tomatoes. Nom nom nom. Plus, my friends really seemed to enjoy getting to make their own little sandwiches and we all found them very tasty.

[You will have extras. The leftovers are easily stored and will keep in the fridge to make a tasty snack/meal for the next day or two.]