Saturday Pancakes (Light & Healthy)

On Saturday mornings, I love pancakes so I decided to try a recipe that is healthy,simple and works every time.Here it is!

• 1/2 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of oat flour
• 1-2 tbsp(s) of organic brown sugar
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsps of coconut oil or mashed banana 
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat a lightly oiled non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
2. Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk,vanilla extract and oil. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Beat until smooth.
3. Pour or scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
4. Serve with cinnamon,fruit and maple syrup or caramel sauce!!

Easy Healthy Eggrolls

So we were having game night and I decided it was time to go in the kitchen to stir up a great appetizer! Here it is:


Ingredients:

• 12 Nasoya Egg Roll Wrappers
• ¹⁄₂-1 lb ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
• 1-2 tsps of garlic powder
• 1-2 tsps of chicken saute seasoning(Trader Joe brand/no salt)
• A dash or two of salt & pepper
  
• ¹⁄₄ cup hoisin sauce (Way lower in sodium than soy sauce. You can find it at Whole Foods.)
• 6 ounces of shredded cabbage
• 1/2 red pepper or more shredded
• 1 cup of shredded carrots or more
• 1/2-1/4 onion sliced
• A couple of tbsp(s) of  water
• olive oil (for frying)

 

Directions

1. Brown turkey with ginger and onion,garlic in pan; drain any grease.
2. Mix hoisin sauce. Add to pork and mix well.
3. In large bowl combine cabbage mix and shredded carrots and red peppers.
4. Pour hot meat over vegetables and stir well. Let cool slightly. 
5. I combined this mixture and cooked it slightly in a saucepan.
6. Lay wrap in front of in the shape of a diamond.
7. Place 3 tablespoons or as much as you prefer of turkey filling in center of egg roll wrapper.
8. Brush the edge of the egg roll wrapper,before folding and rolling.
9. Fold bottom point up over filling and roll once.
10. Fold in right and left points.
11. Brush beaten egg on top point.(optional)
12. Set aside and repeat with remaining filling.
13. Heat 2-3 inches oil in large frying pan to very hot (350ºF).
14. Fry a few egg rolls in pan at a time, 2-3 minutes per side.
15. Drain on paper towels.
16.  Serve with sweet and sour sauce,or hoisin sauce very delicious!!

Easiest Chocolate Cake Ever (No Flour,No oil)

 This is like the easiest healthiest chocolate cake I've ever made.I have to give credit to an amazing vegan chef for this recipe,of course I personalized it. This was a quite a easy yet delicious journey in the kitchen. Double the recipe if you want a thicker cake.

Ingredients

4 oz (1/2 cup)of organic semisweet chocolate chips
3 organic eggs
1/2 cup of organic unsweetened applesauce
1 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder
1/4 cup or less of organic brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla



Melt your chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Add egg yolks (set your egg whites aside) ,sugar,vanilla extract,applesauce,and cocoa powder to your melted chocolate. Blend your egg whites until you get stiff peaks. Fold your egg whites in with your chocolate. Be careful not to over-mix. Pour batter into a greased/nonstick/or lined with parchment paper 8 inch pan.Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.Sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder or whipped cream or even drizzle yogurt.Enjoy!




Recipe Inspired by Detoxinista
http://detoxinista.com/2012/05/healthier-flourless-chocolate-cake-refined-sugar-free

Disclaimer : I am not a chef just an experimental chef, I learn as I go and cook. I don't use baking soda or baking powder,little salt and leave out most  leavening agents.
I am not a nutritionist, but I cook from what I've learned about health and nutrition. I cook in small batches so you can double the recipe to make more.Thanks for reading!Please comment below or share any similar recipes you might have.

Easy Quick Naan Bread (Healthy and Tasty)

Greetings everyone,
This past week I was alittle sick so I made some lentil soup  and naan bread.
 I went in the kitchen for a quick and easy kitchen adventure to discover making naan, a favorite of mine. This naan I was going to make had no leavening or oil,just a few tablespoons for cooking on the stove top and a few ingredients. It was seriously and wildly awesome. Check out the recipe below.



Ingredients

3 cups of unbleached flour
3 tablespoons of organic plain or vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons of coconut milk
2/3 to 3/4 cups of water (add as needed)
2 teaspoons of honey or evaporated cane sugar

For cooking

griddle,skillet or frying pan (or a tandoori oven what it's traditionally cooked in)
a few tablespoons of coconut oil or unsalted butter (as needed)
Additional Ingredients
a handful of parsley
tablespoon of chia seeds or flaxseed (optional) (you can add this in the dough on sprinkle on during the cooking process)

Mix the wet ingredients together and the sugar. Next add the dry ingredients. Mix and form a ball out of the dough. Set it aside for a minute covered. Heat up your skillet or frying pan add a couple of tablespoons of oil or butter for frying. Take your dough and make a couple of medium sized balls and roll them out to be oval shaped to four or five inch ovals. Fry them in the frying pan sprinkle parsley over them while cooking. Brown on both sides brush with additional butter or oil if you like. You can also bake these on a greased cooking sheet at about 450 degrees,instead of frying,but I don't know if the results will be the same,but they will still be tasty. Enjoy with soup or Indian dishes!





Recipe inspired by: vegrecipesofindia
I catered it to my personal taste and diet.




Disclaimer : I am not a chef just an experimental chef, I learn as I go and cook. I don't use baking soda or baking powder,little salt and leave out most  leavening agents.
I am not a nutritionist, but I cook from what I've learned about health and nutrition. I cook in small batches so you can double the recipe to make more.Thanks for reading!Please comment below or share any similar recipes you might have.

Healthiest Friday Night Pizza Ever (Gluten Free,Fat Free)

We all love pizza and I wanted to find  a healthy way to enjoy it. So I ran discovered that a  cauliflower can become a pizza  crust. Who knew anyways, I bought a cauliflower and decided to make my own. NOTE: smell it before you buy it and make sure it's fresh. You know like when Mom would smell the eggs before she bought them. You get what I'm saying so who knew a cauliflower could become a crust that's like trans-formative cooking! I went on an adventure in the kitchen and this is what I came up with. This crust is sensitive but it works and it's full of flavor. Seriously!!!!Hope you guys enjoy and try!

I'm not really a measuring kind of gal but I did my best:

Veggie Crust
2 Cups of Cauliflower (chopped finely in food processor)
3/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of oregano

My Quick Sauce
1/4  cup of organic no salt added tomato sauce
season to taste
 pepper and sea salt
oregano
red pepper flakes
dash of honey


My Toppings
mushrooms
yellow/red peppers
onions
kale/spinach
organic shredded cheese
add additional seasoning if you like

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Grate cauliflower in a food processor, until it's like rice or finely shredded like rice almost.
3. Boil some water and then add the shredded cauliflower rice.Cook it for about 4-5 minutes.Drain it and then put the mixture in a clean/new dish towel or cheesecloth and strain out all the water that you possibly can.
4. In a bowl mix your cauliflower rice, a beaten egg, cheese, and spices.This pizza dough is a  bit fragile so handle carefully.
5. Press the dough out carefully and evenly (not to thick not to thin)onto a nonstick baking sheet or lined with parchment paper.Shape into a crust as desired.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F. Bake until the crust is browned and firm for about 35-40 minutes on 400F.
7. After the crust is cooked top with your favorite healthy veggie toppings,sauce and cheese and bake until done.

Enjoy!!!!!
Now you can enjoy your pizza on a Friday night guilt free! Have a great Friday!
Have you ever made cauliflower crust or if you make it. Share your experiences in the comments!

How I took a Califlower and Made a Pizza Crust

So this post is simply giving you a quick recipe for a cauliflower crust. This crust must be handled delicately and it's a bit different in texture,but totally awesome and flavor packed! Read my other post on Healthiest Friday Night Pizza  for the entire pizza recipe! Enjoy and share your thoughts,experiences and comments.


CRUST:
1/2  head of a big cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Parmesan (or try another kind!)
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of onion powder
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
Lightly Sea Salt and Pepper as desired

Shred or Grate,boil and strain thoroughly. Press the dough into a well greased or nonstick  pan. (make sure you use a nonstick sheet pan or parchment paper to cook the crust on or it will stick!) Don't make your dough to think or to thin just somewhere are the middle. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes are until golden brown. You may cook at a higher temp or spray the crust with coconut oil for it brown well.

Samoa Brownie Treats, Guilt Free,Gluten Free,No bake

 I saw a raw brownie video and wondered could those be good. Vegan brownies Yay or Nay?Well there is only one way to find out.So I experimented with making "raw brownies" and came up with Samoa brownie treats,raw  sounds scary doesn't it? Well think of it as no bake that might make you fell a little more comfortable. I had almost all the ingredients except for dates.So I zoomed off to Whole Foods bought me a $5 container of dates and returned to the kitchen. In placed this items/ingredients in front of me and got to work.

Food Processor
bowl
spatula
parchment paper/pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dates or more
• 1 cup shredded coconut/or coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cacao (more or less)
• 1/4 cup of honey/maple syrup or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chips
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract (pure vanilla extract/ no alcohol added)
• dash of cinnamon
• To make them more fun you could:
  
  • substitute shredded coconut with ground pecans or almonds
  • add ground coffee beans
  • chocolate covered sun-flowered seeds
  • So from there it;s simply throw everything into the food processor and blend good.
  • If you want a raw caramel sauce check out this recipe 
  •  http://thedeliciousrevolution.com/dessert/recipe-for-raw-vegan-caramel/

Take it out and press it into a small pan on parchment paper until it's even and solid. Pop them into the refrigerator  for a couple of hours or eat them right away and presto!


This how they turned out.They were very rich,different but delicious. So if you're wondering should I try this? You should! Make it your own and have fun with it!

Disclaimer : I am a chef just an experimental chef,I  learn as I go cook. I don't use baking soda or baking powder,little salt and leave out most  leavening agents.
Read here for more http://www.alsosalt.com/sodiuminfoods.html
 I am not a nutritionist but I cook from what I've learned about health and nutrition. I love to share what I've learned with you. I cook in small batches so you can double the recipe to make more.Thanks for reading!Please comment below or share any similar recipes you might have.

SALT YaY or Nay?

THE SALT AGE

Written: January 9, 2015 at 6:11pm

  Hey everyone,

I little while ago I wanted to write about what I've learned about salt and this age.
 I was going through life trying to eat healthy when I suddenly started studying the sodium level on food items. Over the years my eyes have been opened to the horrors of the salt age. Do you struggle with health issues,headaches, unexplained weight gain or any strange symptoms well  your problem may be simple  too....much........ SALT! Even if you're not experiencing any of these things this could still be affecting you and over time cause huge problems.Now I understand this might be a touchy subject for you, sometimes getting between someone and their food can be like standing in front of an angry bull at the rodeo untrained. But please hang in there with me.  I know a lot of people say ignorance is bliss and the less you know the better. However, high school and college graduates  know that's not true. I mean are you really okay with possible health issues or your health getting  worse, countless symptoms and  being pumped with enough salt to create a  mountain or several. I believe knowledge is power just like reading the bible and isn't that why we go to school and college? You might say what I don't know won't hurt me,however, let's rephrase that what you don't know is hurting you,because you don't know. The bible says it best My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.(Hosea 4:6)
Okay so if you decided to hear me out why don’t you grab the nearest food item you can find and take a look under the Nutrition Facts at the sodium content?

I'll wait.....................................................................tick tock........


I want you to see for yourself,however, I've provided a little eye sore of an example for you if no food is near.



 Mine eyes have seen the truth and your eyes. We have just been blasted by a shocking amount of sodium. If the amount of salt milligrams  roughly in under 2  bowls of Raisin Bran was actually dollars I would be how do you say  about 1,000 dollars richer. I wonder how you say that in Portuguese?

Anyways, try and think about that number that  bedazzled you just now. Compare this to the amount of salt you sprinkle on an average meal doesn’t compare does it? Now I’m not a licensed nutritionist, but I try to stay well informed and I've  learned from experiences and something isn’t adding up here. These heaping amounts are like pouring all the salt out of the saltshaker. Who pours a heaping cup of salt into their cake or cookie batter? Noone. I mean that would take salty and sweet to a whole NEW level.  The need to preserve and flavor food has heightened into the ultimate SALT AGE with little repentance mind you.

The number one source of high sodium is processed foods. Which is probably 75% or more of an average American diet. God’s natural fresh and natural foods contain less than 13%. This may be alarming ,repetitive, disappointing or annoying. Why must food be this way? In the long run you might end up replacing some of your favorite  foods with better foods.Or you’ll need to lower your serving size, but don’t you try and do that anyway for calorie sake?The main key is reduce your  sodium intake to a normal level.
Here are some quick and easy  simple tips on how to approach this issue. 

-Drink lots of water this will flush out the salt.
-Choose food options that have lower, reduced or no sodium. They have this option in all the food brands already or upcoming
-Eat fresh foods fruits and veggies with potassium this helps flush out the salt in your body. (Examples bananas and or sweet potatoes.)
-Bake more, dine out less. Use lemon,herbs & spices to flavor instead of salt.It may take time to cook,but your body is so worth the time and energy.

This is a man -made epidemic and it can be stopped one person at a time. I encourage you this New Year  to make an effort  to check the Nutrition Facts sodium amounts before you buy and  your goals for 2015 might be accomplished a little smoother than expected. May I encourage you to  kick the salt out along with 2014 and introduce a minimal salt-free 2015!!!!!I can personally attest to this because I'm in good health and getting better all the time,however, if I lacked in knowledge I might not be in the same situation. Healthy eating is not the final solution,but it's a good start.I guess the conclusion to this note is: Now that you know this, what are you going to do about it? 
 Please comment,share and let me know about your salt journey.


Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,~Proverbs 3:13

Cho Cho Coconut Chip Cookies (Oil Free,Gluten Free,Vegan Friendly)

Hey everyone,

This summer I've been on a chocolate/coconut rave adventure. I don't even really like coconut especially in huge quantities. But with a dash,sprinkle or hint of flavor it tastes just right. Mind you I do not use most leavening agents while baking,read below for more information. Despite this my cookies rise fine.Below are my chocolate chip coconut cookies.If don't mind bananas in your cookies this will be delicious. If you don't like bananas you can substitute with coconut oil or applesauce.

 Ingredients

1 1/2 cup smashed bananas
1/4 cup  brown sugar
3-4 tbsp of honey /agave or maple syrup
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 egg or a tbsp or (2 of flax seed & water mixed together set aside for a minute or so and then use)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup  oat flour (I added 3/4 since the banana adds substance.)
1 cup  chocolate chips
shredded coconut for a dusting on top (optional)



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.In a bowl cream together your smashed bananas,egg/flax-seed,vanilla extract and sugars. In a separate bowl combine your dry ingredients.Next add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time until fully incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips, drop cookie dough  with a tablespoon on a non stick pan or parchment paper. Sprinkle coconut on them at this stage if you want it toasted or you can sprinkle it after you out take them out of  the oven . Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.Makes about 6-8 cookies depending on size.Let them cool and enjoy!


Disclaimer : I am not a chef just an experimental learn as I go cook. I don't use most  leavening agents and little salt.
Read here for more http://www.alsosalt.com/sodiuminfoods.html
 I am not a nutritionist but I cook from what I've learned about health and nutrition. I love to share what I've learned with you. I cook in small batches so you can double the recipe to make more.Thanks for reading!Please comment below or share any similar recipes you might have.

Welcome

Hi,

I'm Rachel I like to experiment in the kitchen. So I thought I'd write a blog chronicling my kitchen ventures. Food is fun and tasty,so why not write and blog about it?I eat clean it has been a process from my early 20's to my later 20's. Now I find myself on the shores of vegan,yet not in the water. My motto id the less ingredients the better,the more whole the ingredients are the better and forget additives/MSG they will not be added here.
I cook using little to no salt, and hardly any leavening agents,however I fuse lots of flavors and a make some serious sweet tooth desserts.If you like food: vegan,raw,vegetarian,healthy or just delicious check out my blog for recipes. Kitchen Diaries does not discriminate all food lovers are welcome here. So go ahead add me to your circles so,we can go on a food adventure together!

Some of my history of food adventures!Note some of these goodies were before my no leavening days.