Raised from Scratch

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

End of Summer Blue Pineapple Smoothie September 13, 2012

Filed under: Breakfast,Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks,Smoothies — annalope @ 8:25 pm
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Did you know that your pineapple cores don’t have to go to waste? The core is too tough and fibrous to be enjoyable eaten raw, but after freezing, it makes a great addition to smoothies, tastes a little more muted than the rest of the pineapple, and is scrumptious paired with coconut milk. Ella loves her smoothies thick and served in the cap of our cocktail shaker because it’s in the shape of an ice cream cone. She, naturally, calls it smoothie ice cream and will ask for 5 or 6 refills in the metal “cone”. A little creativity really helps make healthy food fun for toddlers!

Blueberry Pineapple Smoothie

1 banana, peeled and frozen

1 cup pineapple core, cut into chunks and frozen

1 cup coconut milk

3/4 – 1 cup cow’s milk or nondairy alternative (depending on desired consistency)

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 t. ground ginger

1 t. honey

Place all items in blender and process until smooth. I had a very thick smoothie using 3/4 cup milk and 1 cup coconut milk, but that’s how my daughter likes it so she can pretend it’s ice cream. Add a little more milk if you prefer it thinner.

Makes about 32 oz.  Serves 4

 

Two Recipes Spreading Gluten-Free Biscuit Bliss September 2, 2012

Filed under: Breads,Breakfast,Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks — annalope @ 4:04 am
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Surprisingly, there aren’t too many things I’ve missed since giving up gluten six months ago, with biscuits and scones being the two main exceptions. With some modifications I could probably turn these into scones fairly easily, but the following two recipes definitely fall into the biscuit category, and they’re so tasty I’ve been making a new batch every time we run out. It has become one of my bread substitutes because I don’t care for most GF breads available in grocery stores due to the high starch content. In case you’re not familiar with gluten-free breads, most call for large amounts of tapioca/rice/corn starch, which are nearly void of nutrition (potato starch seems to be the exception as it still contains many vitamins and minerals). True, some starch is typically required in gluten-free baking if you’re hoping to see a resemblance to wheat goods, but by changing our expectations, and the expectations of our taste-buds through more adventurous eating, we can easily incorporate a great number of gluten-free flours that are packed with nutrition and flavor. Teff flour is a prime example, with large amounts of manganese, copper, phosphorus, magnesium and iron, in addition to many B vitamins (nutritional bar graphs are available at traditional-foods.com), it’s a grain worth incorporating in your diet.

Rosemary Teff Biscuits (gluten-free)

1/2 cup teff flour

1  1/2 cups oat flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t. xanthan gum

1 t. fine sea salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

¼ t. crushed rosemary

1 T. natural cane sugar

1 T. chia or salba seeds (optional)

1 T. golden flax seeds (optional)

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter (5 1/3 T.), cubed

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°.

Whisk all dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in cold butter with hands or pastry cutter until butter pieces are no larger than pea size. Add cold milk and stir with spatula.

Portion with cookie scoop, or large spoon, and place on ungreased baking stone or baking sheet; bake until lightly golden brown, 10-13 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

Makes 18 medium biscuits.

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I’ve made a biscuit fan out of my daughter this week for sure. Yesterday she ate five Teff Amaranth Biscuits after dinner, lifted her shirt to make her belly talk to me and said “Mmmm I’m full and happy”. Amaranth flour is very high in protein, iron and fiber, and contributes a unique earthy malt flavor that I really like paired with other less dominating flours, such as oat. A drizzle of honey makes these pretty darn addictive.

Teff Amaranth Biscuits (gluten-free)

½ cup Teff flour

½ cup Amaranth flour

1 cup oat flour

1 T. baking powder

¾ t. xanthan gum

4 t. natural cane sugar

1 t. sea salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter (5 1/3 T.), cubed

1 cup + 3 T. milk

1-2 t. turbinado sugar, optional, for topping

Preheat oven to 400°.

Whisk all dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in cold butter with hands or pastry cutter until butter pieces are no larger than pea size. Add cold milk and stir with spatula.

Portion with cookie scoop, or large spoon, and place on ungreased baking stone or baking sheet; bake until lightly golden brown, 10-13 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

Makes 18 medium biscuits.

 

Pumpkin Mascarpone Dip September 1, 2012

Filed under: Dessert,Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks — annalope @ 2:44 pm
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Pumpkin Mascarpone Dip

½ cup mascarpone Italian cream cheese

¼ cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)

½ t. – 1 t. pure maple syrup

½ t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground ginger

2 apples, cored and sliced (Pink Lady apples are my favorite for snacking)

Mix pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon and ginger together in medium bowl (1/2 t. maple syrup is enough for me because pumpkin and mascarpone are both naturally sweet, but if you prefer it a little sweeter adjust to taste). Add mascarpone and blend briefly until fully incorporated. Serve with sliced apples.

Looking for another way to use extra pumpkin puree? Check out my Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie recipe!

 

Purple Cabbage Pasta with Swiss Chard August 31, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner — annalope @ 4:57 am
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Even toddlers like eating soft purple cabbage! It’s super sweet when caramelized with red onion, and slippery fun for playful fingers that make their way into the bowl. Read all about cabbage’s amazing health benefits and cancer fighting compounds here.

Purple Cabbage Pasta with Swiss Chard

2 T. olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium head cabbage, thinly sliced (4-6 cups)

16 oz pasta (Tinkyada brand recommended for gluten-free pasta)

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, leaves washed and roughly chopped

1 t. apple cider vinegar (optional)

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender and glistening, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes longer, uncovered, stirring periodically. Add the cabbage, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large pot, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions (when cooking the gluten-free pasta I notice it never takes as long as the package instructions indicate…check frequently to prevent mushy noodles). Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Allow pasta to sit in colander covered with a lid or plate while returning reserved cooking liquid to empty pot in which to cook the greens. Over medium-high heat boil swiss chard 3-4 minutes until greens are tender and tasty (too short and they will taste bitter, too long and they loose their flavor). Drain swiss chard, add 1 t. apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Return drained pasta to cooking pot.

Add the cabbage-onion mixture to the pasta in the pot and season with salt and pepper. Mix in swiss chard or serve on top of pasta after plating. Serve sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

Recipe adapted from Color Me Vegan cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, which I adore and am so happy no one else has requested from the library, enabling me to renew it over and over again until I can buy it.

 

Cardamom Almond Butter Snack Bites August 28, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks,Vegan — annalope @ 4:38 am
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Here’s a kid approved super easy health snack I created this week. I love making nut-butter snacks because they’re easily transportable, filling, and relatively mess free. It’s also great to see my two year old daughter excited about eating nuts and seeds which contain so many important nutrients. Both flax and sunflower seeds are a good source of protein, calcium, iron and fiber. Also great with a banana for breakfast on the run!

Cardamom Almond Butter Snack Bites

½ cup sunflower seeds (roasted, unsalted)

½ cup oats

¼ cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)

½ t. ground cardamom

¼ t. cinnamon

2 ½ T. pure maple syrup

½ cup almond butter

Combine all ingredients in medium sized bowl and mix well. Pour out batter onto plastic wrap, form log about 12” long, wrap all sides and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and slice into ½” pieces, or to desired size. Store in refrigerator.

Makes 24

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Gluten Free Coconut Rhubarb Muffins August 24, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks,Muffins — annalope @ 3:40 am
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GF Coconut Rhubarb Muffins

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/8 t. sea salt

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

2 T. milled flaxseed (aka flax meal)

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt (if using sweetened yogurt I suggest cutting down on the cane sugar)

1 t. vanilla extract

2 cups rhubarb, chopped 1/4 inch thick

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil muffin tin or line with baking cups (I made 9 large muffins and 12 mini muffins).

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (flour – flax meal), then add applesauce, yogurt, and vanilla and mix well. Fold in chopped rhubarb. Batter will seem stiff compared to a typical muffin batter – it’s okay, don’t add additional liquid.

Fill muffin tins at least ¾ full (muffins don’t rise much) and bake at 350° 18 minutes for mini muffins / 25-28 minutes for large muffins. Cool on wire rack.

 

The Toddler Sushi Roll August 20, 2012

Filed under: Dairy free,Gluten Free,Healthy Snacks,Lunch/Dinner,Vegan — annalope @ 5:20 am
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I could eat sushi every day of my life…but since I can’t afford sushi bars or exposing my body to so much mercury on a regular basis, I’m getting creative making sushi rolls at home. This tofu teriyaki roll is perfect for snacks, play dates, and picnics because it doesn’t require dipping in additional soy sauce – the tofu is already marinated so the roll is adequately salty on its own. A helpful hint for feeding sushi to toddlers: don’t slice the rolls, just leave it whole or cut the roll in half and give it to them burrito style. It’s hard to fit a full piece of sushi in a young child’s mouth, and we all know biting it in half just results in the other half spilling on our laps or the floor, but giving them a full roll allows them to bite off only as much as they can chew. Happier bellies, cleaner floors.

Tofu Teriyaki Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:
1 package marinated tofu (recipe below)
6 sheets Nori seaweed paper
2 cups cooked and cooled short grain brown rice
3 large carrots, sliced into 1/4″ strips and steamed (leave raw if you/your child like them crunchy)
2 avocados, sliced

To assemble:
Place 1 nori sheet on a dry counter or cutting board and spread with a thin layer of cooled brown rice, leaving at least 1/2″ border at the top free of rice so you can seal your sushi roll. Make a horizontal line across the rice with the tofu, carrots and avocado, then tightly roll, and seal the roll by dipping your finger in cool water and running along the seaweed section without rice, then roll completely and allow to sit a couple minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sorry, if I’ve done a bad job explaining how to roll sushi, there are plenty of tutorials with photos and videos online 🙂

*You want to use tofu which has been frozen (left sealed in package) and then thawed for maximum absorption of marinade

Teriyaki Marinade:
1 package extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup tamari soy sauce
2 T. granulated sugar
1 T. toasted sesame oil

To prepare tofu —
Gently squeeze the thawed tofu over a sink to remove excess moisture and cut into large, long strips, suitable for sushi making. In a saucepan, combine the stock, tamari, sugar and sesame oil. Bring to a boil, add the tofu, and cook 5-6 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
— Teriyaki Recipe from “Color Me Vegan” cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

 

Spinach-Basil Pesto Gluten Free Pasta August 17, 2012

Filed under: Gluten Free,Lunch/Dinner,Pasta,Vegan — annalope @ 9:01 pm
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Spinach-Basil Pesto
Used on Gluten-free brown rice pasta with feta cheese for picture. Omit cheese, or use dairy-free cheese for a vegan dish.

*I haven’t tried every GF pasta available in the market, but I must say I’m loyal to the Tinkyada brand

Pesto:
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
one or two pinches of sea salt

Blend all pesto ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour onto cooked, drained pasta, in cooking pot, and warm for 2-3 minutes (I do this so the garlic doesn’t have as much of a bite for the kids…don’t bother if your family likes the taste of raw garlic). Pour pasta into serving bowl and top with feta cheese.

 

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.

 

Peachy Pumpkin Smoothie July 2, 2012

Filed under: Breakfast,Healthy Snacks,Smoothies,Vegan — annalope @ 4:18 am
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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.