Raised from Scratch

growing up outside the box: alternatives to processed food and television

Green Eggs and Goat Cheese July 3, 2012

Filed under: Breakfast,Eggs — annalope @ 4:44 am
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Easy, simple way to incorporate leafy greens into your kids diet! This is how Ella began eating her eggs- always with sauteed vegetables and spices, and though I don’t put the effort into adding veggies every single time she wants an egg these days she does still like them this way, especially when there’s a decent cheese involved. We also love using artichoke hearts and parmesan in our spinach eggs. You might be thinking a handful of spinach and a few tablespoons of artichokes doesn’t qualify as a vegetable serving, but adding a handful here and there adds up fast and for me it’s a helpful way to ensure I’m getting enough vegetables in my child’s diet. Besides, green eggs are fun and delicious, and Dr. Seuss can back me up on this.

Green Eggs and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

Splash of olive oil or Earth Balance

One handful of spinach, washed and very finely minced

One egg, whisked with 1 t. water (optional)

Dash of spice such as oregano, basil, or thyme

Herbed goat cheese

Heat oil in small saucepan, cook spinach until soft 30-60 seconds. Add egg and spice, cook completely. Top with goat cheese.

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Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie July 2, 2012

Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie

2 peaches, sliced and frozen

1 banana, peeled and frozen

½ – ¾ cup pumpkin puree*

2 cups almond milk

1 T. soy protein powder

¼ t. ground ginger

¼ t. ground cinnamon

1 T. maple syrup

Blend all ingredients until smooth. If fruits are frozen no ice is needed.

Makes 32 ounces (4 small smoothies)

*For the pumpkin puree you can use canned pumpkin, or make your own with leftover winter squash such as pumpkin or butternut. I had some extra roasted pumpkin in the house when I first created this recipe. To make a puree I blended the extra cooked pumpkin with a little coconut milk until it reached a smooth consistency.

 

Apple Rhurbarb Crumble with Fresh Ginger (includes gluten-free variation) July 1, 2012

I really lucked out with my apartment in Chicago. I’m close to the Brown line train, have a fabulous produce market at the end of my street, and a landlady who maintains a beautiful garden in the back yard and generously encourages me to use as much rhubarb and kale and I am inclined. I’d never done much with rhubarb before last summer when I moved in, but I did manage to come up with a few great desserts using that enormous plant, and I’m happy to say that I’m no longer intimidated by rhubarb. In fact I’ve already come to like and appreciate its unique tartness and beautiful color. I’m happy to share this crumble recipe with you which I created last fall and tested again last week (gluten-free this time). It’s vegan to boot!

Perfect served warm on its own or with ice cream.

Apple Rhubarb Crumble with Fresh Ginger

For Crumble:

¾ cup white whole wheat flour OR gluten-free oat flour

½ cup old fashioned oats (be sure to use GF oats if there’s an allergy)

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

½ t. fine sea salt

½ t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground ginger

4 T. coconut oil

For Filling:

½ cup sugar

2 T. cornstarch

16 oz prepped rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces

16 oz prepped apples, peeled, cored, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1.5 T. fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped

1 T. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 quart container with coconut oil.

Combine ingredients for the crumble in a small bowl, adding the coconut oil last after the dry ingredients have been mixed. Allow the mixture to cool in the freezer while you make the filling.

Rub sugar and cornstarch together in a large bowl, then add the rhubarb, apples, fresh ginger and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into greased baking pan. Top with crumble, allowing medium-sized chunks to hold together as they have cooled in the freezer.

Bake 40 minutes or until crumble is golden and the filling bubbles. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.

 

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Chocolate Cupcakes

Filed under: Dairy free,Dessert,Gluten Free,Vegan — annalope @ 4:59 am
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What these really taste like to me is two-thirds of a Smore. It must be the mesquite flour in the cupcake that smells a little like graham cracker, and when I bite into one with warm chocolate running down, I really wish a toasty marshmallow was waiting inside. They’re great even without it, but someday I might see if I can find a way to sneak one in to the recipe. A great summer cupcake when looking for a chocolate fix.

Also, by using coconut oil and a nondairy milk these are easily made vegan! Because they contain no eggs, the cupcakes are light and delicate. Be careful not to pack flours or your cupcakes may be a little crumbly.

This recipe only made 9 cupcakes for me…a small batch which is rapidly disappearing. I intentionally aim for small batches of baked goods because I’m experimenting here, and am admittedly a novice with gluten-free baking. More importantly, small batches allow me to bake more frequently 🙂

GF Buttermilk Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcake batter:

¾ cup + 2 T. GF Oat flour

2 T. mesquite flour

¼ cup white rice flour

1/8 t. xanthan gum

2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ t. sea salt

½ t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

½ cup buttermilk or dairy free milk (or 1 ½ t. fresh lemon juice mixed with milk to = ½ cup)

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup butter or coconut oil, melted

1 ½ t. vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa) for sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. If mixing your own “buttermilk” add the lemon juice to the milk and allow to sit at room temperature a few minutes. Grease 9 muffin cups with butter or coconut oil.

Mix all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix buttermilk with maple syrup, butter/oil, and vanilla. Add liquid ingredients to dry and mix well.

Pour into greased cups, bake 13-15 minutes. Do not over-bake…soft is better. Allow to cool in pan on cooling rack for 5 minutes before running a thin knife around the cupcakes and removing from pan to cool completely.

Dark Chocolate Sauce:

Chop 1/2 cup of quality dark chocolate (I really like Scharffen Berger) and melt in a double boiler or over very low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan while stirring constantly. Spread over cooled cupcakes.