Sugar-free Apple Crisp

When our son was born almost 4 years ago, I really started to think about what we eat.  The responsibility of raising him to be as healthy as possible made me totally reconsider how and what I cook/bake.  I had never even heard of agave nectar pre-Tobias, but in searching for alternatives to the often sugar-laden foods for babies/children, I discovered it, and it's been in my cupboard ever since.  Here's how I make apple crisp.

2 cups unbleached flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup butter or margarine
10 apples, peeled, cored, & sliced
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1.  Combine flour, oats, spices, raisins, and butter until coarse & crumbly.

2.  Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish, and add apples.  Drizzle agave nectar on the apples.

3.  Add flour/oat mixture.  Drizzle some more agave nectar on top.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Vegan Banana Muffins

A great go-to recipe when I'm out of eggs, and need to whip something up quickly.  I often use this recipe for Banana Bread as well (takes about 50 minutes to bake).

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.  Cream the margarine & sugar in a mixing bowl.
3.  Sift in remaining ingredients.
4.  Blend in bananas.
5.  Fill baking cups with batter.
6.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Recipe: Vegetarian Tandoori "Chicken"

I've been doing so many sewing posts lately, that I figured it's time for another recipe.  Here's one of my easy go-to dinner recipes.

1 cup Vital Gluten flour

6 cups water

3 Tbsp curry 

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 jar of Tandoori sauce (or any other Indian sauce you like...Butter Chicken sauce is yummy, too, but has a LOT of fat)

Your choice of veggies (I used broccoli, carrots, and also 1/2 can of leftover chick peas)

Boil 5 cups of water with all of the spices.

In a bowl, stir gluten flour with the remaining 1 cup of water.  Knead dough for about five minutes and form into a long log.

Once the broth is boiling, tear chunks of gluten dough and add into the boiling broth.  Simmer covered for 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times during cooking.

Chop/prepare vegetables and place in a casserole dish.  Add cooked gluten, and tandoori sauce.  Stir.

Ready to go into the oven:

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with naan bread and rice.  I garnished with some cilantro, Masala dressing, and pappadum on the side.

Chocolate Truffles

More Christmas goodie creations!  You don't get much more decadent than these truffles.  They are rich, chocolatey, and sweet...don't eat too many at once!

3 cups melted chocolate

2 1/2 cups icing sugar

8 ounces of cream cheese

Mix the chocolate and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the sugar.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for about an hour.

Roll into balls about an inch in diameter.  Then roll in something tasty!  I used ground hazelnuts and cocoa.

Cookie Decorating Technique...Stamping!

Simply get your favourite Christmas rubber stamps, dip them in a bit of oil (I used canola), and stamp!  Press firmly because once the cookies bake, the imprint won't be as prominent.  Now this is an easy technique that any busy mom can do (as long as you have the time to make the cookies!).

Now, speaking of making cookies, I have to include the recipe for these delectable gingerbread morsels. I've had no problem hiding away all the other cookies I've baked so far...except for these.  We have eaten every single one!  Shameful, I know, but these are my weakness.  I'll have to wait until the 23rd to make another batch if there's any hope of serving these for Christmas!  And if you're out of eggs...no problem, because this recipe is eggless.  And if you want your little ones (or you!) to avoid a major sugar rush while feasting on holiday treats, these are perfect because they are mostly sweetened with molasses.  And substitute the butter for margarine if you'd like a vegan alternative.  

Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger 

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup molasses

3 cups unbleached flour

1. Cream the butter, sugar, soda, spices, and salt.

2. Blend in molasses

3.  Mix in flour until just barely combined.  (over mixing will create gluten in the dough which will affect the texture of your cookies)  Add a little cold (no more than 1/4 cup) water if the dough is too dry.

4.  Wrap and refrigerate for an hour before you roll.

Checkerboard Cookies

Finished another type of Christmas cookie this morning...the Checkerboard Cookie.  Surprisingly easy, it looks pretty neat when it's done.  This is Tobias' favourite because of the squares.

Make two types of sugar cookie dough, and make four rectangles, two in each colour. Roll about 1/2 inch thick.

Stack them on top of each other using some water as 'glue' for each layer.

 Slice in a total of eight equal long pieces.

Stack them again, using water to stick them, alternating the colours.   Your squares should be equal...mine were about 1/2 inch.

Slice and bake.

Marbled Christmas Cookies

Yesterday, I baked my first batch of Christmas cookies, while joyfully listening (and singing to) holiday tunes!  I got the recipe from a book I borrowed from the Library: The Artful Cookie.  

I got ambitious and tried one of the decorating techniques Aaron Morgan demonstrates called marbling.  Here's how it's done:

Make a parchment cone.  I watched this tutorial to learn how.

Melt two kinds of chocolate and dip the top of each cookie in your base chocolate.  I did five at a time so that the chocolate didn't start to harden before I was ready to marble.

Fill your parchment cone with the other chocolate, and make this pattern on top of each cookie:

Drag a toothpick through the pattern alternating from top to bottom and bottom to top.  (This was not easy to do while taking pictures!)

The 'reject' cookies that got ruined during the process (I waited too long and the chocolate started setting...not pretty).  I'll call them Chocolate Cashew Clusters.

 Now I must go and hide them before Michael gets home or there's no chance these will last 'till Christmas!

Pizza Dough

Here's a recipe for pizza dough from scratch...super easy.  I haven't bought ready made dough since I found this recipe (and tweaked it a little).  For a thin crust, this recipe is enough to cover two rectangular cookie sheets.

3 cups unbleached white flour (or whole wheat...just be prepared to bake it longer)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp brown sugar (or white)

2 tsp basil

2 tsp rosemary

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup warm water

1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl

2.  Mix in oil & water

3.  Knead until all ingredients well combined.  Let rise while you prepare the toppings & sauce.

4.  Spread and top with your choice of toppings

5.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 mins for thin crust, or until edges are slightly browned

Recipe: Gluten Steaks

One of our favourite meals is gluten steaks, but for a long time, I was too afraid to try and make them.  The recipes I had found seemed so complicated and the process too long.  I finally was brave enough to give it a try, and it was a lot easier to make, once I simplified the recipes.  I just love serving this protein-rich meat alternative to my family.

Broth:

8 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce OR a 2 vegetable bouillon cubes*

4 cloves chopped garlic

2 tbsp your choice of herbs (I usually use oregano and thyme)

1/2 cup of barbecue sauce 

* I try to keep my cooking low sodium, but feel free to add more depending on your personal taste

1.  Bring to boil in a large pot

2.   Mix 1 1/2 cups of vital wheat gluten and 1 1/2 cups of water in a bowl.  It will have a spongy consistency.

3.  Form dough into a log, similar to a loaf of bread.  Slice into 'steaks' about a half an inch thick.  Normally, gluten is quite difficult to slice.  I've discovered if you dip your knife in very hot water before each slice, it's so much easier.

4.  Drop steaks into boiling broth, turn heat down to simmer, cover, and stir about every 20 minutes or so (when the gluten is floating at the top).  Cook for about an hour.  The gluten will more than double in size as it absorbs the broth.

5.  In a shallow bowl, prepare 1/2 cup whole wheat (or unbleached white) flour, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes, and 1 tsp salt.  Once the gluten is cooked, dip each steak in this mixture and fry.  I make a gravy out of the remaining broth.  Serve.  Eat.  Yum!