Tomatos, Cukes & Avocados 

Do I really need to say more? Such a pretty, fresh salad.  I ate it as my main course last night and it was delicious and filing.   I did make a few changes to the recipe to try to lighten up the fat content.

Here is what you will need for my version:

1 English cucumber, peeled & diced

4 tomatoes, diced

2 avocados diced

1/2 small red onion sliced thinly

The juice of one lemon

1 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

black pepper, to taste

Mix your veggies in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together your lemon juice, tahini & vinegar. Pour your dressing over the veggies & toss. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately. This makes about four generous side salads or two very generous main salads. 

Notes

I subbed tahini paste, which is made from sesame seeds, for the olive oil in the recipe because, I am trying not to add oil to my food. The tahini paste is high in fat but about half the fat of olive oil. Tahini paste also has protein, fiber, calcium and iron. Here's how the two stack up:

Olive oil (Trader Joe's)

(per serving of ONE Tbsp)

120 calories, 14g of fat, 2g of saturated fat, 0 Carbs, 0 fiber, 

0 Protein

Tahini paste (Whole Foods organic) 

(per serving of TWO Tbsp)

170 calories, 16g of fat, 2g of saturated fat, 6 Carbs, 3g fiber, 5g protein. AND 10% of your daily recommended intake of calcium & iron.

So for one Tbsp of tahini, the calories are 85 & the fat is 8g. That is for the entire salad, which easily feeds at least two people. The tahini adds a rich, nutty flavor and makes the dressing very creamy. Olive oil, or any oil, for that matter is just pure fat. Oils do not bring any protein, fiber or nutrients to the dish. 

Next time I will make this with only one avocado to further lower the fat content. The addition of chick peas or beans will boost the protein content. Or better yet: Put the salad in a pita bread with some tempeh bacon. Oh the possibilities  are endless.

The original recipe was on FB. Click on this: Salad

Granola, anyone?

Peanut, raisin, chocolate chip granola.

Who doesn't love granola? 

There are a plethora of uses for the sweet,  crunchy and delectable tidbits. I have sprinkled it on my homemade soy Greek yogurt and on Trader Joe's soy vanilla ice-cream. I've even eaten it straight up out of the container. Some people claim that it is not healthy because of it's high fat & sugar content. I also struggle to find granola without nuts or sunflower oil, which are the things that I am deathly allergic to. Such a drama queen! But there is no reason for  me to despair. I can make my own, of course! 

"But why, Ellie, would I want to take 30 minutes out of my life to make it, when I can grab a bag off the shelf?" 

Here's why:

You control the quality of the ingredients: Organic  and NON-GMO or not. 

You control the amount of fat and sugar.

And my favorite reason: You can customize it to your liking. Add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips. Or don't add anything!

I have not figured out the cost per batch, but I am pretty sure it costs less to make your own.

Here's what you need:

An 8" x 8" brownie pan, or 11" x 7" pan. Lightly spray the bottom of the pan with your oil mister using vegetable, safflower or sunflower oil. Or cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

3 Tbsp of flour (regular or gluten free) ONLY, if you are making  granola bars. I use white whole wheat flour for everything.

Your add ins. These are optional. Add one, some or none: 

1/2 cup raisins, raisins or other dried fruit

1/2 cup of almonds or peanuts or cashews

1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp ground flax seeds

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 cup of packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 Tbsp of maple syrup

2 - 6 Tbsp of oil (optional, see note below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add your add ins to this bowl and stir until well combined. In a small bowl mix your wet ingredients thoroughly. Add the wet to the dry and mix well. Add to prepared pan and if you have not added any oil to the mix you can spray the top of the granola lightly with your oil mister. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Please stir it once after 10 minutes in the oven. Let it cool in the pan and then place in a sealed container. Will keep for at least a week, but I doubt it will last that long!

Notes:

The oil is totally optional, however if you want to make a bar that will hold together, you will need to add all of it (6 Tbsp). To make granola bars, also add the 3 Tbsp of flour to the dry ingredients. I suggest using parchment paper in your pan to make it easier to remove the entire block from the pan. When your block is totally cooled, cut into 8 individual bars.

A little bit of oil does make a yummier batch of granola, but if you are trying to avoid any added fat; the recipe works well without it.

My granola is based on this granola bar recipe, by Jamie Geller, click on the link for more ideas!

Chickpea Burgers

My love for the garbanzo is never ending. Today, I sculpted the little treasures into burgers that can be served on a bun or on a bed of fresh greens. Chickpeas are higher in protein per serving than soy beans and by nature are gluten free.

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper, spices
Garbanzo flour ( I use Bob's red Mill)

Oil for frying

A note about the ingredients: This is only a basic recipe for you to start with. If you prefer green bell peppers, switch out the red. Don't like peppers at all? Don't use them. Add cajun spices or curry powder for a different tasting burger. The chickpeas base can be flavored in any way desired. Regular all purpose flour can be used in place of the garbanzo flour, but then your burger will no longer be gluten free.

Warm up a large skillet on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of oil. Saute  the diced vegetables until they are softened. Add salt, pepper and desired spices. Set aside to cool off a bit.

In the meantime, mash the chickpeas with a fork or use a food processor, until they mushy but not quite even in texture.

Before

After: Next time I think I will mash them a little more.

Add your vegetables to your chickpea mash and stir together with your hands until  the mixture is even. Add the garbanzo flour in tablespoon increments until the mixture begins to hold together. Depending on the moisture of your vegetables, about 1/2 a cup of flour will be necessary. Form a patty in your hands. If it holds together you are ready to cook it; if not add a little more of the flour until you have a good consistency. This takes a little trial and error. If unsure about the right consistency, fry a small one up and see if it holds together in the pan.

Wipe your now cool skillet down with a paper towel to clean it off and place it back on medium heat. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom and once the oil is warm (drop a little mash in and see if the oil sizzles), add your patties. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until each side is golden brown. Carefully remove with a spatula from the frying pan unto paper towels to absorb excess oil. 

Next time I make these I might try to bake them instead by placing them on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, spraying them lightly with a little oil, and baking in a 375 oven until brown.

Veggie Potato Pancakes

Whether you call them potato pancakes or latkes, there is no denying that these dense cakes are filling and delicious. I updated this old recipe by adding sauteed vegetables and by using garbanzo flour. Chick pea flour is higher in protein than wheat flour and has the added bonus of being gluten free.

Ingredients

4 large red potatoes, peeled
1 small head of broccoli, florets removed and chopped small
1 medium size onion, diced
3 or more cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped(optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & pepper
About 1/2 cup of garbanzo flour
Oil for frying

Start out by cooking your veggies in a pan with a very small amount of oil on medium heat until they are softened. Set aside.

Grate your peeled potatoes with a cheese grater or a food processor. Squeeze out any excess liquid immediately.

Mix the vegetables and spices of choice with the shredded potatoes. Add about half a cup of garbanzo flour and form into patties with your hands. If mixture does not hold together fairly well, add some more flour. Warm a skillet on medium heat and add enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Place your patties in the pan and use a spatula to flatten them slightly. Fry your pancakes for about 5 minutes on each side. They should turn a nice golden color. Serve with ketchup, chili sauce, or apple sauce.