Sweet & Sour Lentils

I was skeptical about this recipe...an entire meal with just lentils? Weird. However, it actually turned out quite well and hubby said it was decent. Although he did say it would be better with pork :)

I didn't take a picture because I didn't think it was going to be any good, and it's not very pretty!

The original recipe is from Hillbilly Housewife, and I made very few changes to it. I think next time I would also add pineapple chunks to it, and maybe add a small amount of pork for an 'almost meatless monday' meal. Also, hubby suggested that some roasted peanuts sprinkled on top before eating would add extra tastiness...I love it when hubby has culinary suggestions, often he just gives a thumbs up or a thumbs down, so input is appreciated!!

Ingredients

1 Cup Lentils

2 1/2 Cups Water

2 Beef Bouillon Cubes (Mine are vegetarian due to those being the only gf ones I could find!)

A sprinkle of Bay Leaf Pieces

1/4 Cup Pineapple or Apple Juice

1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 Cup White Vinegar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 Tbsp. Oil

1 Red Pepper, Diced (I'm sure other peppers would be just as good, that's just what I had)

1 Large Onion, Diced

2 Cups Rice, Cook as Directed

Pineapple chunks (optional)

Peanuts (optional, obviously leave out if you are nut free!)

Place lentils, water, beef bouillon cubes and bay leaf pieces in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Stir occasionally. 

While that is cooking, in a large frying pan, saute onion and pepper in oil, until tender/onion is translucent.

In a small bowl, mix together pineapple/apple juice, apple cider vinegar, vinegar, brown sugar and garlic. (If using pineapple chunks, add them here.)

When lentils are tender (most of the liquid will be absorbed), add them to the frying pan with the cooked onions and peppers. Add the juice mixture and stir to mix. Heat until bubbling and serve hot over rice. (If adding peanuts, add them to the top.)

Apple Crisp

I often try to come up with desserts that aren't really desserts, but are good enough to classify as such. Although my kids do get sugary desserts from time to time, I definitely try to limit them (even then, I do try to find the healthier route to it, such as the Puffed Quinoa Squares). I never thought I would be the type of mom that would serve fruit for dessert, or that I would have the type of kids who are excited by apples and peanut butter, but here we are :) I decided today to spruce things up a little bit and make it a little more dessert-y. We eat a LOT of fruit in our house. Being gluten free limits a lot of things we would normally have for snacks, so by default we go to fruit for snacks (and tomatoes, but that's another story). The amount of bananas I buy would make you laugh, and the amount of apples in our fruit bin could cause a small avalanche. 

Today's dessert is apples. Apple crisp to be exact. Just a unique, very easy version :)

Ingredients
Apples, halved and core cut out (see picture)
Cheese
1/2 Cup of Butter, or Oil works too. Coconut oil would be delicious I think!
1/2 Cup Oats (make sure they are GF oats if you are gluten free!)
1/2 Cup Quinoa Flour (If you are not GF, use regular AP flour here)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
Pinch of salt.

Melt the butter (or if using oil just pour in!), and add oats, quinoa flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. \Mix well until everything is moistened. 

Cut cheese into small pieces and place inside apple holes (see picture). 

Place the crumble mix on top of the cheese and apple. 

Place on a pan in the oven and bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes. 

Enjoy hot with ice cream or frozen yogurt, or just by itself. 

The measurements above made more then enough for 2 apples (4 halves), and I have enough left over for probably another 2-4 halves, depending on how thick you top the apples. 

The type and amount of apples and cheese is up to you. Cheddar does taste wonderful with apples though!

Slice apples in half and scoop out core.

Add cheese cubes to the holes.

Add crumble topping and bake @350F for 20-30 minutes.

Serve warm. With or without ice cream or frozen yogurt.

These have a really cute presentation and the cheese adds that extra little taste that makes them delicious!!

Using Dried Beans

I have had a friend request a 'how to' on using dry beans, so here is my method :) 

It can seem intimidating at first if you haven't done it, but once you have done it once you'll realize just how simple and convenient it is to always have beans ready to go. I do this once or twice a month.

1. Sort beans to remove any bad ones, or any dirt or rocks that may be in your bag. (You will be surprised what you can find!). I also remove any beans that float...my rationale is that if only a few are floating and most have sunk I go with the majority!

2. Place the amount of beans you want into your slow cooker pot, keeping in mind they will almost double in size! (My rule of thumb is less then half a pot, but more then a quarter). This can be done in a regular pot as well, but a slow cooker allows you to cook them the next day without monitoring them on the stove top.

    note: some people add a few tsp. of baking soda at this point to help reduce gassiness after eating...our family is used to eating beans and it doesn't seem to bother us so I skip this step. 

NEVER add salt when cooking or soaking your beans or they will not become tender no matter how long you cook them!

3. Fill with water, almost to the top of the pot.

4. Let soak overnight. (8-12 hours)

5. The next morning, drain the water, rinse the beans and place back into the slow cooker. 

6. Fill with water, almost to the top of the pot.

7. Cook on low for 8-12 hours (depends on heat of slow cooker, amount of beans etc.)

8. Beans are finished when fork tender (or if you like crunchier beans, stop cooking when they reach your desired texture).

9. Divide into containers (I do 3 cup portions, including bean juice) and freeze for later use.

There you have it. Easy peasy and so much cheaper then buying canned beans! I have done this with black beans and kidney beans, and both have worked really well. I always freeze them in their juices to avoid drying out and then depending on what recipe I'm putting them in I either rinse them or add everything in. I add black beans to almost every ground beef dish that I make. Sometimes as Refried Beans, and other times I just add the beans plain.

Dry lentils do not need to be soaked, nor do they need to be cooked very long. For lentils, I rinse them well and then I boil them on the stove until tender (5-10 minutes) and then I blend and add them to things like macaroni and cheese for extra protein!

Quinoa Oat Muffins

I was so excited to find a GF recipe that didn't call for many different flours that I had to try this right away. I had just picked up some quinoa flour at Bulk Barn and was itching to try it out. I am a frequent shopper of bulk barn and I love it when they get a new gf product, I always get some to try right away! I love quinoa because of it's high nutritional content, and now I can use it more often! I use GF oats for this recipe, obviously if you aren't avoiding gluten then by all means use your regular oats!! This recipe is from Virtually Vegan Mama so these are vegan depending on the type of milk you use. I've made these with coconut milk (the drinking kind, not the thick canned kind) and also with cows milk and they both turned out great! Whether you are a gf house or just trying to eat healthier I would say give these a try. My kids love them and they are packed full of all sorts of good for you things!

1 Tbsp. Ground Flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp. Water
1 1/4 Cup Quinoa Flour
1 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (not instant, but not steel cut either)
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Cup Milk (any type is fine)
1/2 Cup Date Syrup (Recipe coming soon, if you don't have this use maple syrup or even honey instead)
2 Tsp. Vanilla
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup Chopped Dates
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a muffin pan (or mini muffin pan).

Mix 1 Tbsp. of Ground Flaxseed with 3 Tbsp. of Water, set aside.
Mix together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl mix together flaxseed mixture and other wet ingredients.
Mix everything together. Fold in raisins, dates and nuts. Mix until just combined. Spoon batter into muffin pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from the pan. Enjoy! These are best enjoyed within a few days of baking but will last longer if stored in the fridge.

Cake Pops!

This was my first try at cake pops, and they were surprisingly easy yet time consuming. I think they turned out pretty good and were very tasty...just ask my kids who have been running off sugar rushes for the last hour! I forgot to take pictures while I was making them, but I did manage to get a picture before they were all eaten. I made them with a (gasp!) cake mix because I needed them to be gluten free and I have yet to find a cake recipe that tastes like the real deal. You can make them with whatever cake recipe or mix you want.

Ingredients
A baked cake
Icing
Candy Melts/Melting Chocolate
Sprinkles, crushed up chocolate bars etc.
Lollipop sticks if you want them

Bake your cake as directed by your recipe/box. Let it cool. Do the unthinkable....Break it up into a million little pieces in a mixing bowl. Add some icing. This part is by feel. Add some icing and then mix it up. You should get a 'dough' forming. Add small amounts of icing at a time because you can always add more but you can't take any out! A formable dough is what you are going for. Roll into balls, place on wax paper/parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for AT LEAST 30 minutes. More is better.

Towards the end of the freezing time melt the chocolate/candy and dip the ends of your sticks into it (about 1/2 an inch). Let these set in the fridge/freezer for a couple of minutes. It helps to hold the cake balls on. Make sure your candy/chocolate it melted properly. Take everything out of the freezer. Stick the chocolate/candy ends of the sticks into the cake balls. Dip them into the melted chocolate/candy, roll in whatever topping you desire and put back on the wax paper, ball side down (obviously!) (Unless you happen to own a cake pop stand or have styrofoam kicking around this is the easiest option. It does make the tops a little flat, but really...who cares?!)

Let set in the fridge. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. The icing mixed with the cake makes them very soft and the longer they are at room temperature the messier they are to eat. Much better directly from the fridge!
I dipped mine in Wilton Candy Melts and then rolled them in sprinkles or cut up Crispy Crunch bars or smashed up M&M's.....soooo tasty!


A couple of things I learned on this first time around: 
1. If you are going to dip in chocolate, melting chocolate is the best option. I tried with chocolate chips and it was too thick and really ended in disaster!
2. Keeping the cake pops cold and working in small batches works best
3. They use up a lot of sprinkles! Have a lot on hand!
4. Don't attempt if you have to have dessert ready to serve in 3 hours...this results in frantic rushing around the kitchen and lots of ignoring everything else that needs to be done lol!

The best thing about these is you choose the type of cake you want to make them with. This way, it can be vegan, egg free or anything 'free' that you need!

Homemade Refried Beans

Step 1: Saute Onions and Garlic

Step 2: Add Beans (Soaked & Cooked)

Step 3: Add Spices

Step 4: Add water if necessary. Simmer

Step 5: Finished Product. Not pretty, but pretty tasty :)

We have started eating more beans in our house lately. Not only are they Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free and Egg Free they are an inexpensive source of protein!
I buy dried beans and I soak and then cook up a huge batch and then freeze them in 3 or 4 cup portions. Way cheaper then even buying No Name canned beans :) (For example I spent less then $6 buying dried beans and got 18 cups of cooked beans. This would have cost me just over $14  buying No Name canned!)
This recipe is from The Prairie Homestead and it is so tasty! I have made this recipe so many times in the last few weeks that I have it memorized already! I make a batch of this and mix it with 1lb (or less!) of hamburger meat and we have taco salad. It makes enough for supper for 4, plus several lunches. Very economical and so flavourful!
Ok, enough ranting...more recipe-ing (that's a word right?)

4 cups cooked black beans (I add them with their bean broth)

4 T. butter/Margarine/Oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
Water, Bean Broth or Milk 

Saute onions and garlic in butter (or margarine or oil) until soft and tender. Add beans. Add Spices. Add water if your mixture is too dry. You want have it simmer, so some moisture is required. Simmer for 20 minutes (covered). Mash with potato masher, adding more water as necessary depending on the texture you want. Enjoy! Mix with hamburger meat, or eat plain topped with cheese or anything else you desire!

Bite Size Apple Pie

These are a delicious treat if you need something tasty in a hurry! From the Cookin Up North blog via Pinterest (of course!) The original recipe calls for using Pillsbury Premade Pie Dough. I just can't bring myself to eat that stuff, so I used the Lardless Pie Dough recipe (made with Almond Milk), and it was probably almost as easy! But way better tasting!

Ingredients
Pie Dough (1/2 the ingredients below if you only make 1 batch of Lardless Pie Dough)
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. melted butter, divided (I used margarine so my son could eat them, it worked fine!)
2 medium apples, each cut into 8 wedges

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, set aside 1 Tbsp. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry. Brush with  2 Tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Cut into one inch strips, about 8 in. long. Wrap one strip around each apple wedge, placing sugared side of pastry against apple.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve warm or cold was pretty good too!

So the next time you want some dessert but don't have much time, give these a try. I'm pretty sure you wont be disappointed!

I think next time I'm going to try with different fruits. I think peaches would be amazing, just a few different spices of course!

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Mug Brownie

I found this on, yup you guessed it, Pinterest!
Such a great idea if you are craving a little dessert but dont want to make something big. Ive made these a couple of times and every time I have forgotten to take a picture...they are that tasty!

Ingredients
1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
2 Tbsp. Cocoa
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp. Oil (use Canola or something else plain)
2 Tbsp. Milk (of any kind), water or coffee.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a coffee mug then add the liquids. Mix well to make sure all the dry is incorpoarted and you have a gooey paste. Pop into the microwave for 1-2 minutes. There might be a tiny bit of liquid on top that you could pour off after cooking. Because there is no egg in the recipe there are no raw ingredients that have to be cooked thoroughly so undercooking is not a huge deal. If you want gooey brownie then cook it less!
Top with ice cream, whipped cream etc. and enjoy! Such a good 'need a late night snack but theres nothing tasty in the pantry' snack!! Its better tasting then a chocolate bar but its almost as instant!

I think I might try added chocolate chips next time. Or maybe walnuts...or maybe both! Or maybe chunks of cream cheese. Oh the tasty possibilities!!

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Fall is here and that means a good excuse for tasty pumpkin recipes :)
These cookies are delicious!
They turn out really soft out of the oven but as they cool they are nice and chewy.

Ingredients
2 Cups Flour (I used AP but Im sure WW would work too)
1 1/3 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg
1 2/3 Cups Sugar (I think less would be good too)
2/3 Cup Canola Oil
2 Tbsp. Molasses
1 Cup Canned/Pureed Pumpkin
1 Tbsp. Ground Flax Seeds (optional)
1/2 - 1 Cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
Mix together the first 6 ingredients. In a seperate bowl mix together everything else except the raisins.
Add dry to wet and combine. Fold in raisins.
Drop by Tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Use fingers or fork to flatten. They dont spread much so you can put them about an inch apart. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Dont overbake remember there arent any 'raw' ingredients that have to be cooked well. Cool on pan for 3 minutes. Remove to wire rack for cooling.

If you can manage to wait these taste even better the next day...but they are so good the first day its hard to wait!

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Egg-Free Bread Take 2

This is my second attempt at egg-free bread, and I LOVE this recipe! It's light, fluffy and holds together, all the things you want in a bread recipe!
Once again from VegWeb, these insightful vegans have some truly inspired recipes!

100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread
(I didn't change a thing so here is the recipe directly from the source!)
Ingredients

    2 3/4 cups hot water
    1/3 cup oil
    1/4 cup raw sugar
    2 tablespoons molasses
    1 tablespoon salt (I use sea salt)
    7 1/2 cups (max) 100% whole grain wheat flour, divided
    2 tablespoons dry active yeast

Directions:

1. Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix. Add 2 cups whole grain wheat flour. Mix, then add dry active yeast. If you're not sure about your yeast, proof it in a little warm water first (to make sure it bubbles). Add 4 cups flour, and mix until the consistency is somewhat even.

2. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour, so the bread will be fluffy. Do not exceed 7 1/2 cups wheat flour. I use 7 cups. You can trade 1 cup wheat flour for 1 cup all purpose white if you wish. Don't over mix, or the bread will be tough.

3. When your dough is finished, cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will be larger, but it doesn't need to double when using a heavy mixer. Grease two bread pans with nonstick spray. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.  Mix again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.  Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Roll it in the flour and shape it in your hands to make a nice ball, getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky. Divide the ball in 1/2 and do it again. Shape the loaves by turning the dough under itself over and over. When the dough is shaped right, the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top.

5. Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled.  Bake for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat, 41 minutes. (gas oven). When done, turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away.  Don't wrap it until completely cooled. (Condensation will make it soggy) Put in tinfoil to store on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn into a brick. Enjoy.

If you like fluffy brown bread, this is it. This bread is not heavy like most 100% whole wheat breads.

Source of recipe: This recipe has been in my family for years and we all make it. We make a lot more now that we have powerful mixers and the hand kneeding is bye bye.

Serves: 12, Preparation time: 3 hours

I think this may become my new go-to bread recipe. Because it makes 2 loaves at a time, my Kitchen Aid stand mixer can handle it, therefore no kneading on my part was required. It does have 2 rises, but it went by very quickly (only 30 min(ish) each time), and it cooked nicely in the oven.
I know egg substitutes will work in other recipes, but I decided why try to fix my recipe when I can easily find a vegan one that someone else has already perfected...lazy I know, but also very practical!

Egg-Free Bread

Recently my 2.5 year old son has been having a lot of digestive issues and we are frantically trying to figure out what it is in his diet that is causing it. We have had him completely off dairy since early September, and I have been keeping track of everything he eats. Yesterday it seems like a pattern is developing, and the picture coming through is eggs. Sigh. Eggs are in everything! As of today he is on an egg free, dairy free diet until further notice. We are  hoping it's temporary but in the meantime it's the adjustment period around here!
This complicates a lot of baking, and buying products. I have been slacking off this summer and buying bread, and I thought I was buying a dairy free bread only to read the fine print and it says 'may contain traces of milk products'. My regular bread recipe has no dairy, but 2 eggs. So I went on the hunt for a recipe. I find I'm pretty much limited to vegan recipes at this point. Thankfully he can still eat meat, so at least it's only vegan baking and not completely vegan! I find my grocery shopping is taking forever now due to having to read and re-read labels, hunt for unknown (to me) products and try new weird things!
I tried this recipe today from VegWeb, and it turned out pretty good. It's super easy, no waiting for it to rise and it tastes pretty good. It is a dense bread and it doesn't rise too much, but both my kids gobbled it up! I made it pretty much according to the posters recipe, but I upped the yeast just a little on the advice of some reviewers.

Ingredients
6 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Yeast
3 1/4 Cups Warm Water

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the warm water, and mix until it becomes a thick batter. 
Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and smooth out the tops. 
Bake at 400F for approx. 45 minutes or until a cake tester/fork/knife inserted comes out clean. I thought they were done at the 30 minute mark but when I stuck a knife in, it came out with batter on it. You might need to cover the tops with foil at about the 30 minute mark as they go quite dark on top in the last 15 minutes. 
Remove from pans and cool on a rack before slicing.  

Even if you are not trying to avoid eggs, this is a great recipe if you want to bake bread but don't have the time for a traditional knead, rise, knead, rise loaf. I think I might try to do 4 cups whole wheat, 2 cups of white flour next time just to see if I can lighten it up a little bit.

I know there are egg-substitute products on the market, I just haven't had a chance to look for any yet. I am starting to appreciate Planet Organic Market in Edmonton a whole lot. They are one of the only places that caters to special diets. I actually managed to get a cream cheese substitute and 'cheese' slices for sandwiches by Tofutti and shredded 'cheese' by Daiya there that taste good! Also powdered Soy Milk which is so handy to have in the pantry for baking. And the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful! Superstore seems to have a decent selection of some things as well. I found plain dairy-free soy yogurt, and a rice vegan cheese that the kids don't seem to mind either.

Anybody have egg allergies/intolerances at their house? Any product recommendations for egg replacements would be much appreciated! I know you can substitute flax and water, applesauce, baking soda/baking powder and a number of other things, but I'm at a loss when it comes to the products sold in the stores for egg replacement!

Rice Milk...Take 2

I made rice milk again today and Im happy to say a mesh strainer makes ALL the difference!! Apparently I wasted a lot of milk last time with all the pouring and restraining because I got almost double the amount! I strained it twice and it was done!
I think Im going to try to use rice milk for all my baking and see how much it cuts our grocery bill :) I go through a lot of milk since I bake so much!! I flavoured most of it with vanilla and I like the slight taste it adds to everything :)

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Rice Milk

Again, I'm not turning vegan, but I am enjoying how creative these people are! I love a challenge and decided that making rice milk should be my next one :)
I did this yesterday and it tasted ok last night, but after a night of sitting in the fridge, I'd have to say it's actually quite good. I go through a lot of milk around here. From Sunday to Wednesday I went through about 5L! Obviously I still want my kids to drink whole milk since they don't have any allergies, but for baking and extras, I think I might try to use this. 1 Cup of Rice yielded about 7 Cups of milk. I did sweeten it on the recommendation of the author of the article, and I added a little oil for flavour as well. 1/3 of the milk I scraped out a vanilla bean and re-blended it. So I have 2 jars of plain sweetened rice milk, and 1 jar of vanilla rice milk...yummy!
To give credit where credit is absolutely due, please read this lady's article at VeganReader. She has a very interesting site, and is very informative. I will just give a brief recipe summary here for those of you that just want to make and don't want to read about it!
I will point out that you will be doing yourself a HUGE favour if you go to your local dollar store or wherever and buy a mesh strainer! I did not have this, and it took a long time to try and get all the gunk out! It's too heavy for cheese cloth, and the pieces are too small for a regular plastic strainer (as I found out the hard way!)

Ingredients
1 Cup Uncooked Long Grain Brown Rice
8 Cups Water for Cooking
Water for Diluting
1 Tsp. Salt
4-5 Tbsp. Maple Syrup (Optional)
2 Tbsp. Oil (Optional)
Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Extract (Optional)

Items Needed:
MESH strainer
Glass Mason Jars for Storage (Plastic will work, but things always taste better in glass!)
A Blender (Doesn't have to be anything special)

1. Thoroughly wash the rice.
2. Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a LARGE pot over high heat.
3. Pour in the rice.
4. Cover the pot and reduce to low heat and let the water simmer.
5. Cook for 3 hours. 

At the end of 3 hours, you will be left with a disgusting mash of soupy rice! Add the salt and stir well. 
6. In batches fill your blender 1/2 way with the soupy mixture and 1/2 way with water. 
7. Blend until very smooth. 
8. Strain twice through a fine mesh strainer. Continue on with the rest of the milk. 
9. Once strained add oil, maple syrup and vanilla/vanilla bean, if doing so, and re-blend. 
10. Pour into mason jars and screw the lids on tightly to prevent your milk from taking on a 'fridgy' smell!

This should store in the fridge for a week tightly covered, maybe longer :)

Apparently this is a lot thicker then Rice Dream, so if you are used to thinner, just dilute it until it's how you like it.
Shake the jar before using the milk as some settling will occur.

If you want to make a blended rice/nut milk, just add some blanched raw almonds, hazelnuts or some cashews at the blending stage.

As I mentioned above, it tastes a lot better after a night in the fridge :) I think you could probably do the rice in your slow cooker and cut down on cooking time, but you would have to experiment. You can also do this with white rice, but brown has more nutritional value. And the milk still comes out white!

I hope this can help someone who has no choice but to drink rice milk or just wants to lessen their grocery bill in the milk department! This is a lot more economical then the small boxes in the store. If you are worried about the nutritional value, since Rice Dream is fortified, please read article linked to above as she discusses that. Personally if I was going to drink this all the time, I would probably just make sure I was getting enough vitamins etc. from food and/or take a good multivitamin, but that's me. I am NOT a doctor, so especially if this is for your kids, I would recommend you consult their doctor if you are concerned!!

Spinach Mookshake

Or at least that's what my 2 year old calls it. Mookshake, milkshake, smoothie or green milk....however you label it, it's delicious and it's chalk full of nutrition!! Made with slight modifications from Weelicious.

Ingredients
4 cups (packed) fresh spinach
2 Large Bananas
2 Cups Milk
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp. Honey

Put it all into the blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerates well for a day or two if there is any left over. There's not usually! Sometimes I blend it up before adding the honey and take some out, mix it with some plain yogurt and xanthan gum (you could use other thickening agents) and feed it to my not quite 1 year old as pudding! She loves it!


It's definitely a vegetarian snack, and could easily be made vegan and or milk free. Maple syrup would be a good substitute for the honey, and you could use soy, rice or even almond milk!

Lately anytime I ask my son what he wants for a snack he asks for a spinach mookshake. He loves them that much. I tested it out on some other children this morning, and they were actually fighting over it...fighting over spinach!! Imagine that!

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast, and like mushrooms is actually a fungus.
It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-Complex. It is naturally low in fat and sodium and is sugar, dairy and gluten free. Vegans make use of it frequently as a protein source or cheese substitute. It has a strong flavour that most people seem to describe as nutty, cheesy or creamy. Can be used in the place of parmesan cheese, or used as a topping for popcorn. 
Now, I am not a vegan, nor do I ever see myself becoming one, so why do I have this? I saw a recipe on weelicious, and it looked like a quick and easy substitute for KD, so I thought I would try it. My toddler has started turning his nose up at KD in preference for real food. I'm not a huge fan of KD, but it is an easy rush thing to put together!
I ordered from Well.ca and eagerly awaited it's arrival! The day it arrived I promptly made the recipe. Ugh. It was the worst tasting, most vile thing I have eaten in a long time! I ate some of it, and then proceeded to be nauseous for the rest of the day :( I had no choice but to find some use for it since I ordered 360g of the stuff! So back to the drawing board...
I found a 'cheese' sauce recipe on VegWeb and decided to give it a try...it's not that bad! I was going to dip tortilla chips into it, but I went to the cupboard and the cupboard was bare! So I poured it over macaroni and added a little salsa for zest and it's actually quite tasty!
I know making real cheese sauce if pretty simple, but it does take some time to grate the cheese etc. This took less then 5 minutes from start to finish :) I think I will see if my toddler will eat it for supper.
Because I am not a vegan, I changed the recipe to include milk. If you are a vegan just substitute soy milk (make sure it's unsweetened), or water and use vegan margarine :)

Ingredients
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Pinch of Salt
1/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/4 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/8 Tsp. Mustard Powder
Sprinkle of Cumin
1 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. Margarine


Mix dry ingredients together in a small pot. Add milk and whisk until clumps are gone. Add margarine and cook over medium heat until it thickens. If it thickens more then you want it to, just add extra milk (or whatever liquid you are using). It is meant to be a fairly thick sauce though.


This seems to be one of the better recipes out there. There are some recipes that even hardcore vegans are reviewing as awful!
Cheese is always something I seem to run out of before grocery day. Now I can make mac 'n cheese from ingredients I will most likely have on hand. The nutritional yeast was $7.67 for 180g. Because it's so flakey and light you get a lot in that container (which I didn't realize when I ordered 2 of them!), so it's actually quite an economical, healthy alternative for some recipes :)

Update: My 2 year old loves it :) He looked suspiciously at the macaroni for a minute and I convinced him to try some. His eyes lit up and I asked him if it was yummy, and his response was 'Yeah!'.  I think I will make up little baggies of pre-measured dry ingredients, and then all I have to do is add milk and margarine to the sauce. Not much harder then KD!

Avocado Shake

I love avocados, but I tend to buy a big bag of them and they all ripen at the same time. It's either make a lot of things with avocados or toss them. As you can tell I opt for using them :)



This sounds like it shouldn't be good, but it is! It's yet another recipe from Weelicious. In case you can't tell I like the site!



Ingredients

1 Large Ripe Avocado

1 Large Ripe Banana

1 Cup Milk (Can use Rice, Soy Etc.)

1 Handful of Ice

Honey or Maple Syrup (Optional)



Toss all ingredients into the blender/food processor (after peeling/pitting the fruit of course!), and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy. I like to drizzle a little honey on top for decoration and a little extra flavour. This freezes well as popsicles, but definitely needs a tablespoon or two of honey (or other sweetener) since flavours are never as strong once they are frozen.

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Easy Pizza Dough

I can't remember the last time I bought a frozen pizza. This recipe makes pizza making so simple that it's easier to throw together then it is to run to the store for a cardboard crust :)
Recipe originally from Recipezaar
(This is for a double recipe because one recipe just usually doesn't cut it for a full size pizza)

4 Cups Flour
2 Tbsp. Yeast
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1-2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning (Optional)
11/3 Cups Lukewarm Water

Mix 1/2 of the flour with all other ingredients. Gradually add the rest of the flour until it forms a ball. Knead with your hands.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a bowl covered with a towel to keep it warm. Spread into greased pan and top with your favourite toppings.
Bake at 375 F for approx. 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Experiment! This recipe makes an excellent stuffed crust pizza, or mix all your ingredients into the pizza dough and form it into balls and deep fry at highest setting possible. Dip in warm Marinara sauce and enjoy! Or wrap the dough around chunks of cheese and deep fry and serve as with the pizza balls. So tasty for a movie night!

If you would like to make a whole wheat version, I would suggest starting with a 50/50 mix first. It will take more flour to get a good dough together.

Recipe for homemade pizza sauce to come soon!