Coconut Granola- DIY

28 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, DIY, Snack, vegan

Tags

This is the third attempt to get this recipe on my blog, not sure what the problem is so I’ll just get to the point. The blueprint for this recipe came from a blog I follow called ‘Kath Eats Real Food’, with a few favorite ingredients of my own and another that I love about a friends granola- VIOLA, homemade granola! Enjoy.

-Coconut Granola-
2 c. raw thick rolled oats (there are gluten free ones available)
3/4 c. raw buckwheat groats (these are gluten free, and they are what we use for our raw cereal)
1/4 c. raw macadamia nuts, chopped (these remind us of Hawaii and for some reason I have a surplus of them in the fridge)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

1/4 c. coconut oil (if its solid, melt gently so it becomes liquid)
1/4 c. brown rice syrup
1/4 tsp. Celtic salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. cayenne (our friend Gwen puts this in hers and we loved it)

3/4 c. raw unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. chopped dried fruit (I used papaya, this also reminds us of Hawaii)

1. Preheat the oven to 300, mix the first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss together.
2. Mix the next six ingredients in a separate bowl, you may want to whisk to ensure that all the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and toss all together making sure to coat everything well.
4. Pour mixture into a baking dish (I used my Le Creuset casserole dish because the first batch I used a cookie sheet and the granola got a little toasty) and place on the middle rack in the oven.
5. Bake for 1 hour tossing every 20 minutes.
6. When done baking, take granola out of the oven and toss in the last two remaining ingredients. Toss well and let cool completely, store in jars or containers with a tight fitting lid.

Quinoa- For Breakfast (Cosmo Hippie Chef Alert!)

25 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, quinoa, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

fruit, nuts, quinoa, vegan

For the last two weeks I have been doing a spring cleaning menu for Billy and I. Since we are trying to transition seasons I wanted to switch up our eating to get us out with the old and in with the new. We usually start our day with a pretty rich antioxidant protein shake and raw cereal, but the new menu has been raw juice (green apples, lemon, ginger, celery) and Quinoa Cereal. It always takes Billy just a few days to get used to something new, but now he loves this recipe. I think it will be our weekly morning cereal for spring and summer, and the cool thing is I will just switch the fruit for whatever is in season. Enjoy!

-Quinoa Cereal- I make a big batch of Quinoa (1c. soaked overnight in water and then cooked) and portion it out for the week, this is a individual serving.

1/2 cooked quinoa (I soak mine overnight, drain and cook. The ratio is 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, but I go just a little less on the water since it has been soaking overnight.)

1/4 c. fresh organic blueberries

1/4 c. fresh pineapple, chopped

1 tsp. raw pumpkin seeds

1 T. walnuts, chopped

dash of cinnamon and nutmeg (freshly grated)

drizzle of agave or honey

*optional: 1/2 c. organic goat or Greek yogurt (this is how Billy likes it)

1. Scoop the quinoa into a bowl or container and put all the other ingredients on the top, it’s ready to eat.

2. I mentioned that I portion this all out for the week, when I do this it’s just the cooked quinoa and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Then every morning I take two containers out of the fridge and top it with the other ingredients.

Quinoa- Is highly appreciated for it nutritional value, and it’s protein content is very high. Quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a great source of dietary fiber, phosphorous and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long duration manned spaceflights! (How cool is that?!)

*I obtained this info form Wikipedia

Pasta Alla Friends- Friday Night Hangout

30 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in pasta

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cheese, lemon, nuts, parsley, pasta

We try and get together with our friends as often as we can, due to the fact that all our friends have kids this can sometimes be a challenge. But lucky for us we could all make it work this weekend. We all bring a dish and a libation of choice and the rest is history. I know these little get togethers really restore all our spirits after a long week. The dishes don’t have to be complex, so is the case in the pasta I brought. I really just made this up on the fly, I looked to see what I had on hand and all I had to buy was some whole wheat pasta. Good luck and I hope you Enjoy!

-Pasta All Friends-

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti (cooked according to the directions)

1/2 c. pistachio’s (shelled and toasted)*

1/2 c. pine nut’s (shelled and toasted)*

3 lemons, zested and reserve the juice

1/4 c. parsley leaves

1/2 c. olive oil

1-1 1/2 c. cheese (I used Peccirino and Parmigiana)

salt and pepper

*to toast nuts put them in a dry saute pan over medium heat just until they start to release there oils, you’ll be able to smell them become toasty. Shake pan occasionally, be careful not to burn.

1. Cook pasta according to the directions. Be sure to salt the boiling water.

2. After you have toasted the nuts, place them in the food processor with the lemon zest, pepper and parsley, pulse down to a fine grind. Use your best judgement on the size of the pulsed nuts.

3. Mix the olive oil and reserved lemon juice, whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.

4. When the pasta is done cooking drain and place back into the pot you boiled it in. Drizzle in the lemon and olive oil mixture, the nut mixture and the cheese. Using tongs toss all together and coat all the pasta.

5. Pour into a big bowl and garnish with any leftover cheese or parsley.

I liked the idea of this dish because we are getting whole grains from the pasta, good fats from the nuts and olive oil, and using fresh herbs and lemon bring a fresh flavor and take your taste buds for a ride. Parsley has a number of healing properties such as strengthening the liver, kidneys and the bladder. It’s also a immune enhancer and helps support the nervous system.

How cool is that? Food should always taste amazing but also be nutritional dense, using whole foods will ensure this.

DIY- Herbed Crackers (Vegan and Gluten Free)

17 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, Snack, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

almond meal, nuts, vegan

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can’t, this one belongs to Elana’s Pantry. I have made these crackers more times than I can count, they are easy, taste fantastic and are probably not like any other cracker you’ve had. They are great with soup or with your favorite dip. I recently made these for my mom to go with this yummy, warm, spicy roasted squash soup after her last chemo treatment (YEAH!). This was a perfect combination because I wanted something delicious and comforting, but good for her. Did I mention these crackers are high in protein due to the fact that they are made with almond meal. Enjoy!

-Herbed Crackers-

2 c. almond meal (the last time I bought almond meal I bought it at Cali’s Market, but I’ve also seen it in the bulk section at Whole Foods)

3/4 tsp. real salt, or Celtic salt

2 T. Herbs de Provence (I use Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle)

1 T. olive oil

2 T. water

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together first. Then add the olive oil and water, mix again well.

3. Using a parchment lined baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 in size) pour the mixture into baking dish. Press the mixture into the bottom of baking dish, making sure to even out the mixture. Make sure the mixture is pressed down firmly and evenly.

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top of crackers mixture is browned a little.

5. Take out of the oven and let cool 20 minutes. Then cut the crackers, I get 16 crackers out of my batch.

Happy Halloween- Apple Cider/Pumpkin Seeds

09 Monday Nov 2009

Posted by cosmohippiechef in Drinks, Snack, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

nuts, seasonal, vegan

I know it is a little late for Halloween recipes but these are fun through the fall and into the winter. These two recipes are the request of my sweetie, we always have a Halloween party with our friends that have kids but since the kids were questionably sick we canceled last minute and partied with ourselves. But of course my sweet Bill has to have his ‘treats’. I hope you enjoy these as much as he does.

-Apple Cider-

6 c. apple juice

1/4 c. maple syrup or agave nectar

2 cinnamon sticks

6-8 whole cloves

2 oranges, sliced in rounds

2 1/4 c. pineapple juice

1. I place all these ingredients in a large pot or a crock pot, turn on low and let simmer until warmed through.

2. Ladle into mugs and ENJOY!

-Pumpkin Seeds-

1 1/2 T. melted butter or olive oil

2 c. raw whole pumpkin seeds