Herb-Roasted Cremini Mushroom Tostadas + Hemp and Greens Power Pesto

Our cooking assignments for The Academy of Culinary Nutrition focus on developing our own recipes now which I find a lot of fun, but also frightening. I don't like wasting food so I'm afraid of doing something that tastes awful only to throw it out! Putting that aside, I find it really fun to think about what tastes go well together and then develop something that resembles dinner.

I served this dish to my kids without the mushrooms (how can they not like mushrooms!) and they loved it. I developed this recipe for someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis for my assignment, so it's super nourishing for your joints, tasty, gluten-free and dairy-free.

Herb-Roasted Cremini Mushroom Tostadas + Hemp and Greens Power Pesto

Makes 7 tostadas*

Ingredients

Mushrooms

1 package of cremini mushrooms (227 g)

1 tbsp of dried thyme

2 tbsp of fresh parsley

1 tsp of dried rosemary

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

Tostadas

Adapted from Spiced Chickpea Pancakes, by Lindsey S. Love

1.5 cups of almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup of chickpea flour

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tbsp of olive oil, plus more for the pan

2 organic eggs

1 cup of Hemp and Greens Power Pesto (recipe below)

Cashew cheese for drizzling. Optional (recipe below)

Directions

Make the pesto and cheese, if using, ahead of time so you can focus on the main dish.

Prepare the mushrooms
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Wipe away debris from mushrooms and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together oil, herbs, salt and pepper and add in mushrooms. Stir making sure all the mushrooms are coated in the oil/herb mixture.
4. Place the mushrooms evenly on the baking sheet. 

5. Bake for 20 minutes.

Tostadas (Makes 7 Medium-sized tostadas)

While the mushrooms are roasting, make the tostadas

1. In a small bowl, mix milk and apple cider vinegar together and let sit until it bubbles a bit (5 minutes).

2. In large bowl, mix together flours, salt and pepper.

3. When it’s ready, add the milk mixture to the flour. Add the olive oil and eggs. WhisK together until everything is incorporated and no lumps remain.

4. Heat a skillet to medium and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

5. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, pour batter into the skillet, trying to keep it in a nice circle and cook until small bubbles form in the batter. Flip and cook the other side. Keep warm. Repeat until you have used all of the batter.

6. When the mushrooms are done, slice and set aside.

7. Spread a heaping tablespoon of pesto on a tostada and top with 5 or 6 sliced mushrooms.

8. Drizzle cashew cheese on top and enjoy!

Notes

*This recipe makes 7 tostadas, but you will have some mushrooms and cashew cheese leftover (great toppings for eggs the next morning!)

**All of the elements to this meal can be made ahead of time then put together the day you need them. Everything will stay in the fridge for two days.

Additional recipes:

Cashew Cheese

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup of cashews, soaked overnight in water

1/4 cup of nutritional yeast

1.5 tsp salt

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup water +2 tbsp

1. Process all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor, scraping down the sides as needed. Blend until smooth.

Hemp and Greens Power Pesto

Adapted from Protein-Packed Hemp Seed Pesto, by Oh My Veggies

Makes just under 1 cup

1 large clove of garlic or 2 small

2 large cups of greens (I used a baby kale, chard and spinach mix, but just kale will work fine), washed

1/4 cup of vegan parmesan
3 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tsp salt

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1. Put garlic in the food processor and chop until small, then add all of the other ingredients and process until smooth.

Vegan Parmesan

Makes about 1.5 cups

1 cup of cashews

1/4 cup of nutritional yeast

1 tsp of salt

1. Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until fine. Store in an air tight mason jar in the fridge.

Date balls with coconut + walnuts

I've been bringing the kids an after-school snack since Leo began JK to help take a load off their hanger. You know it happens. My kids are exhausted and if you add hunger to that, watch out. I'm lucky to make it home. Most days I bring a smoothy, but Mila really isn't into smoothies so I change it up now and again. Last week I brought these date balls and they were a hit. Here's the rundown:

Date balls with coconut + walnuts
2 cups of organic medjool dates, pitted
2 tablespoons of camino cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 handful of walnuts (or nut or seed of choice)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of shredded coconut

How to make them:
1. Put all of the ingredients except the shredded coconut into a food processor and process until everything is incorporated.
2. Put the shredded coconut into a bowl and put aside.
2. Take about a tablespoon of 'dough' at a time and roll into balls.
3. Roll each ball in the shredded coconut.
4. Enjoy!

My favourite cookie recipes

I've been a cookie making machine lately and although I like the oozy, gooey buttery kind, I prefer to make cookies that pack a nutrition punch. I also want them to be easy.

Here is a list of my go-to cookie recipes:

Flourless Almond Butter Cookies from Janet and Greta

I made these with cashew butter and they were heavenly!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies from Joyous Health

I made these twice in one week they were so good!

Easy Almond Cookies via Oh She Glows and Ricki Heller

I've made these cookies several times and they're always a hit.

Two-ingredient Cookies via Pure Ella

These are super simple to put together an hour before friends come for a visit! Love this one.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies via Running with Spoons

Again another super quick one to make if you have the pumpkin on hand.

Grab and go breakfast cookies via How to Eat

My ultimate favourite breakfast cookie. So easy to make and packed full of goodness.

Ok clearly I love cookies and may have a problem :). I hope you get to enjoy one or more of these!

PS: When it calls for sugar I use coconut sugar.

My favourite go-to healthy salad dressing

I stopped buying salad dressing years ago when I realized that it's super simple to make healthier versions at home. Like really simple. You likely have olive oil and some type of vinegar in your cupboards and that alone is fantastic. If I'm too lazy to make a proper dressing, I'll just pour a bit of each on my salad and that's it. But my go-to salad dressing is the Everyday House Dressing from the book Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health. It calls for balsamic vinegar but I've been using apple cider vinegar lately to give it even more of a health boost. (Read about the benefits of apple cider vinegar here).

Everyday Power House Dressing
Adapted from Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (like Bragg or Eden Organic)
1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey*
1 clove of garlic, chopped**

Mix everything into a container with a lid, shake and use! It's that simple. The recipe in the book says that this will be good in a sealed container in the fridge for a week.

*The dressing is great without the garlic if you don't have it on hand.
**Use raw honey to make this a power house dressing!

Make it! You'll never buy store-bought dressing again.

Lemon + Ginger Tea | Cold & Flu Fighter

At the moment that I'm writing this I have a bit of a scratchy throat. My voice has already checked out a couple of times. My nose is runny.

It seems as though I'm getting a cold. Womp. Womp.

But instead of crying about it, I decided to make something for it: Lemon & Ginger Tea. The truth is that I've been drinking this first thing every morning for weeks. It's super yummy. Feels good in your tummy and gets things moving if ya know what I mean. It also helps to protect against cold and flu.

I've taken this when I've felt a sore throat coming on and the next day it's gone. It's truly a miracle maker! Ok enough of that hoolaba.

Here are the details of this yummy concoction:

• Boiled water
• 1 quarter of a lemon
• About a teaspoon of honey (it really should be raw honey for the full effect)
• A few grates of ginger
• A dash of cayenne

Directions:

• Pour the boiled water in the cup, but leave a bit of room at the top. I then add some room temp water. I don't know why I do this but I feel like I read something on Food Babe about the properties of lemon juice diminishing in super hot water (I could be just imagining this).
• Squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Add the honey and stir.
• Grate some ginger into the cup with a microplane.
• Shake a bit of cayenne on the top. 
• Stir and sip!

Wait! Before you go, I have a little tip about ginger and I'm going to tell you it's life changing if you like having real ginger in the house. Did you know you could freeze it? I learned about this from an episode of Best Recipes Ever and I haven't looked back since. You can freeze the whole thing and then just grate it when you need it and throw it back into the freezer. Amazing.

Recipe: slow cooker vegetarian chili with chickpeas and lentils

Mondays are my veggie box days from MamaEarth Organics which means that before the box comes to the house, I don't have a ton of food in the fridge. I tend to organize my meals around the box, so Mondays are typically make whatever I can find in the house days.

This Monday was no exception. It was damp and a bit chilly so I was craving chili, only I didn't really have any beans in the house and I was lacking a few staple vegetables like carrots. Not to worry, I combed through my freezer and found some chickpeas and frozen corn and went to my pantry for some lentils. A dash of this and a squirt of that and I had super yummy chili! I was a bit worried but it turned out fantastic so I thought I'd share. Feel free to mix it up!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Chickpeas and Lentils
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Half of a red onion, chopped
1-1.5 cups of canned or cooked chickpeas
1-1.5 cups of dried green lentils (soaked over night)
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of celery, diced
1 cup of salsa
1 can of whole or diced tomatoes
1 pepper, diced (yellow, red or orange)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
A few dashes of liquid smoke
Cooking oil of your liking
Salt and pepper to taste
Slow cooker

Directions
1. Sautee onions and garlic in a tablespoon oil for about 5 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of chili powder to the pan. Transfer to the slow cooker.

2. Add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker, mix and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

3. Serve with greek yogurt and shredded mozzarella for extra yummyness.

Notes:

• I used dried lentils and didn't make time to cook them so I soaked them over night and threw them right into the slow cooker. You can obviously use canned if that's what you have.
• Also as mentioned above, I didn't have any carrots, but if I had had them I would have used them here.
• I cooked my chili all day and it was a perfect consistency by the time we ate it (about 10 hours). I left it extra long to make sure the lentils were cooked since I didn't precook them.

PS- The chili tastes even better the next day! I even ate a bit for breakfast in a breakfast burrito with eggs.

Happy cozy eating friends!

---

Other cozy recipes you might like:

Chickpea flatbread with onions and rosemary

Healthy spelt banana nut muffins

Kamut pasta with Roasted veggies

What's for lunch? Grilled Pear & Goat Cheese Sandwich with Honey & Chocolate Mint

There's nothing I like better than a quick lunch and this is it! The best part is that it seems like a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, but kind of like you're eating dessert.

I've made this sandwich before a few times, but there's an extra little kick in this one: chocolate mint! Our neighbour is growing a ton of it and offered some to me so I snuck a couple leaves in for fun.

By the way, this is kid-approved! I made this sans-mint for Leo and Mila a while back and they loved it.

Recipe: Grilled Pear & Goat Cheese Sandwich with Honey & Chocolate Mint

• 2 slices of bread (I eat thin rye bread from Dimpflmeier, but thick and crusty French bread would be amazing here)
• 1.5 oz of goat cheese
• 4-8 thin slices of pear
• A drizzle of honey
• A couple leaves of chocolate mint
• Oil for grilling

Method

• Spread goat cheese on both sides of the bread - don't be shy! Use lots!
• Layer the pear on one slice of bread
• Drizzle with honey & top with mint
• Grill!

Notes:

• If you have it, use coconut oil in your pan. It's super yummy with this sandwich!
• I used two mint leaves and it was a tad much. I really liked it, but if you just want a taste go with one.
• I used my cast iron pan, but I've also used my panini press which is fun because you get nice grill marks.

Enjoy and let me know if you make it!

-Steph

Easy and delicious immune boosting blueberry muffins (Vegan + Gluten Free)

I remember in high school my best friend Carol worked in the bakery in the local grocery store. She was always making muffins. Big yummy muffins. The muffins she made back then were, I'm sure, not very good for us.

Fast-forward 20 years (ack has it been that long?) and she's still making muffins. But this time they're good for us and they taste damn good too.

Carol put this recipe for muffins on Facebook the other day and I decided to make them with Leo. When I asked where the recipe came from, she said: "It's mine!"I had a feeling it was. So with her permission, I give you her Easy and delicious immune-boosting* blueberry muffins.

Make them. They rock.

EASY AND DELICIOUS IMMUNE-BOOSTING BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

Makes 12

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tbsp psyllium husk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cups almond milk

Mix dry ingredients, add in wet ingredients, mix and bake in a muffin pan for 20-25 minutes. (See easy!)

Notes: Use the coconut oil if you have it. If you don't, go get some. It really brings these muffins up a notch and is a huge part of the immune-booster. I didn't have enough maple syrup so I used a combo of syrup, honey and brown rice syrup and they were equally delicious.

*So what makes these muffins immune-boosting anyway?
Coconut oil and blueberries have been said to boost immunes and help fight against cold and flu. Read more here and here.

That's it! Happy Friday and have a great weekend eating these up!

Chickpea & Rosemary Birdie Crackers (goldfish cracker alternative)

So ya I made crackers. I'm actually not sure what possessed me to choose yesterday to make them either. I had spent the early morning at the hospital with Mila where she got a procedure done to unblock a tear duct. We were home at 9:30. She was exhausted so she went to bed for a few hours. Leo was playing very nicely with his trucks. I was exhausted. I know... let's make crackers! Even better... let's make birdie crackers!

I wanted something that was gluten free so I used this recipe and thought it would be cute to use my little Easter birdie cookie cutter for them (don't have a cute cookie cutter? Check out these fun ones I found on etsy!).

As the commenters to the recipe suggest, add more salt. I didn't and they needed it. Also I added some dried rosemary and garlic powder to the mix for some extra zip. I will add some sort of cheese next time for fun.

They're so cute! I smooshed a few heads and gave a few of the chickies some leg amputations when I was lifting them off the mat but overall they turned out quite nice.

When they were all done I put them in a fancy Ball jar to keep in the cupboard. The kids love them. Well Leo loves the chicks. Mila just shoves them in her mouth and likely couldn't care less what it looked like.

Happy chirping!

kamut pasta with roasted veggies

I have a few food posts coming up so I'm deeming this food week! Why not? First up - the easiest, yummiest, go-to pasta ever: pasta with roasted veggies. I actually typically make this with quinoa but last week I wanted pasta so that's how I made it.

I use kamut pasta a lot because it's considered an ancient grain so not overly processed, it's organic and also has loads (loads!!!) of protein (13g per 85g serving [!] which is about 0.35927 cups in case you were curious :)).

NOTE: this pasta isn't gluten free but it works with any type of GF pasta!

Here are the steps and oh are they hard!

Step 1: Cut veggies in chunks & slices. Here I used eggplant, zucchini, a red pepper, a yellow pepper, a pint of cherry tomatoes, garlic and onions.

Step 2: Mix in oil of choice. Add salt, pepper, oregano, basil and whatever else you fancy.

Step 3: Throw them on a tray and then onto the BBQ (or oven). Roast for 15-20 mins at 400 degrees.

Step 4: Cook your pasta according to directions. 

Step 5: Do a taste test for your veggies and add more spices if needed.

Step 6: Add pasta to your fancy pasta bowls and top with veggies, goat cheese and pepper. If you're vegan use this vegan parmesan. I keep some in my fridge and use it all the time.

Step 7: EAT IT.

Step 8: Eat more if you want!

That's it! Enjoy!

chickpea flatbread with onions and rosemary

I hearby introduce you to one of the easiest and yummiest flatbreads known to humankind. This recipe is from the book Food Matters, by Mark Bittman and I made some this morning for a little brunch I had with my sisters. I took the photo for my January 6th 365 project.

When I posted the photo, a couple of people wanted the recipe, so I hope Mr. Bittman doesn't mind that I relay it here (maybe it will help if I tell you all to buy the book because there are some yummy recipes in it!). You're going to laugh at how simple it is.

Chickpea Flatbread with Onion and Rosemary
(Or Easy Whole Grain Flatbread which is what it's called in the book)

• 1 cup of chickpea flour (also called garbanzo flour or besan)*
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons or so of coconut oil
• 1/2 a large onion, thinly sliced (Mr. Bittman says this is optional, but I highly suggest you use it)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves (also optional, but why would you leave it out?)

1. Put the flour in a bowl, add salt and slowly add 1.5 cups of water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Cover with a towel and let is sit while your oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be the consistency of thin pancake batter.

2. If you're making this right away, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the oil, onions and rosemary to a cast iron (or oven proof) pan and put it in the oven to heat up until you start to smell the rosemary and onions. About 5-7 mins or so. Just keep an eye on it. Remove the pan (make sure you're wearing your oven mitt!) and set it on top of the stove until the oven is ready.

3. Once the oven is ready, add the batter to the pan and swish around the onions and rosemary for equal distribution in the batter. Then return the pan to the oven.

4. Bake for 30-40 mins depending on the size of your pan and the heat of your oven. Mine was done in about 35 mins (my pan is about 10 inches). The bread should be slightly browned, firm and crisp around the edges and will release easily from the pan when it's done. Let it rest for a few minutes and then cut it into wedges to devour.

You honestly don't need a dip or other accompaniment for this - it's delicious on its own - but I'm sure it would be yummy topped with roasted tomatoes or peppers. Oh how I wish I had some left!

The recipe also gives an option for using this as a pizza crust which I want to try soon, as well as one for a custardy type dish. Get the book to try them all out!

*You don't need to use chickpea flour for this recipe (you can also use whole wheat, cornmeal or buckwheat), but I think it truly adds to the flavour of the flatbread and it is an excellent source of protein since chickpeas are legumes and not a grain. Win-win in my book!

Try it and out and let me know if you liked it!

healthy spelt banana nut muffins

I've been on a bit of a baking kick over the past two weeks, likely for two reasons: 1. I'm pregnant and want baked goods 2. My past is coming back to me (I was once told by a psychic that I was a baker in a former life, so this reason is making total sense to me!).

Anyway, I had some gross looking black bananas in the freezer, so I put them to good use in some banana muffins.

I like pretty healthy baked goods, so I typed "healthy banana muffins" into Google and this is what I found: Healthy Banana Muffins by DDHMAMA on Spark Recipes. I changed it up a bit. Here's what I did:

Minutes to Prepare: about 15
Minutes to Cook: 20 (my oven is a bit cooler than most)
Number of Servings: I got 12 out of this but DDHMAMA got 20 somehow

Ingredients:
- 2 cups spelt flour
- about 1/8 a cup of agave nectar (I basically squiggled it around the bowl)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- dash or two of pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 bananas)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400

Directions:
- Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl: spelt flour, baking soda and powder, salt, nuts, spices, ground flax
- Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Whisk in milk, applesauce, agave nectar, and vanilla to the eggs.
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold bananas in.
- Divide the batter among a greased or paper-lined muffin tin. I used a flowery, silicone Pampered Chef pan which I have to say I really love.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Yield:
- Makes 12 muffins

Review
I could have added more agave nectar (these turned out a bit on the slightly blandish side which is fine by me because I can sweeten them up with some apple butter ;)) and the recipe called for molasses which I totally forgot to add. I also think I could have added one more mushy banana. Overall, they're good for me, pretty healthy and I don't feel bad about giving them to the little one.

veganeasy

Source: happyherbivore.com via sheknitupthat on Pinterest

Ever since Leo was born I've had to adjust the things I eat because it seems he has a bit of an intolerance to things like wheat and dairy (his poor cheeks flare right up!). As a result I'm always on the look out for yummy vegan and gluten free foods. Check out these brownies. Honestly HOW are they vegan and gluten free??? I have to give a shout out to all the vegans out there who've tried and tested these types of recipes to make them as delish as the traditional ones. I love you. :)

swiss chard pesto

Every week I get a Rubbermaid box delivered to my front door chalk full of fruit and veggies from Mama Earth Organics. Most of the time I know what to do with the veggies but sometimes there's something in the box that I just don't know what to do with. Swiss chard is one of these things. It all started when I was pregnant: I just couldn't eat the darn stuff (it was one of my aversions) so it sat in my fridge until it rotted. After my aversion subsided I didn't really know what to do with it other than saute it and I was getting a bit sick of that.

Last week I got another batch of swiss chard in the box so I set off to the grand 'ol Internets to see what I could make. Lo and behold: the pesto. You can make pretty much anything into a pesto so why not swiss chard?


I used this recipe and was able to use up all my swiss chard which was nice.

That was last week.

Check out what I got in my box this week:


Guess it's backed to the 'net to find more recipes!

Until then, I think I'll hang out with my little sous chef.