Grain Free, Vegan Pizza

I have posted an almond flour crust here before. Now that I make my own almond milk, I save the pulp and dehydrate it to make my own organic almond flour. It has a darker color than the blanched almond flour I used to buy, but still tastes great. If you do make your own, all you have to do is save it in the freezer until you are ready to use it, and then put it in the blender to break it up into a flour consistency. It's ok if it's not perfectly smooth feeling, it will still work great.
So, I used these simple ingredients for the crust:
Almond flour
Sea Salt
Ground chia seeds mixed with some water (as an egg replacer and binder)
Water
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Basil

Directions:
Mix together adding just enough water so that you get a doughy consistency. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 until the crust feels firm. You could do this in a dehydrator, but I was so hungry and wanted it that day. Add your toppings.
I used Daiya cheese, (but it would have been good without any cheese), sauce, portabella mushroom, and yellow onion, and bake for a few minutes until veggies are cooked and cheese is melted. I added some spinach leaves in the last two minutes and drizzled them with coconut oil. This was sublime!

Quinoa and Peas

Simple can be so good. This is a dish I made with just quinoa, peas, garlic, sea salt, and a little olive oil. Cook some quinoa (I soaked mine first). Saute organic frozen peas and a clove or two of chopped garlic in a little water. Once the peas are cooked, add the quinoa, some sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil, or coconut oil if you like the flavor. This dish has plenty of protein and flavor. Enjoy!

Maple Cinnamon Nuts

Yum! Spiced nuts, vegan style! My family went crazy for these. The walnuts were so good, but they got eaten up before I could take a picture. These are so easy to make: 

Ingredients:
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
Raw Nuts of your choice
That's it!

Directions:
Place some maple syrup and cinnamon in a skillet over low heat. Mix together. Add some nuts and coat them well with the maple mixture. You can either place them into a dehydrator or the oven to set the coating. I used the dehydrator because then I could preserve all of the nutrients. It takes a couple of hours in the dehydrator, and if you use an oven on a higher setting, it will be faster, so keep and eye on them so they don't burn.

Note: To make the nuts more easily digestible, you can soak them for several hours in filtered or spring water and then dehydrate them until they are crispy again. Then, follow the instructions above. I did this for the almonds and walnuts, but not the cashews. Enjoy!

Vegan Chana Masala

I love Indian food! I don't eat at the restaurants anymore because I avoid GMOs, dairy, and pesticides, and I'm not great at being able to mimic those delicious flavors. Here is a recipe I found last night that turned out great! The only changes I made were that I added a tiny bit of coconut sugar because I like sweet flavors and it was pretty tangy. I used only 1/2 a lemon and did not add the pepper or the cumin seeds. I don't like spicy foods. But, if you do, I'm sure the recipe is great the way it stands. I did cook my own garbanzo beans for this, which turned out delicious! You can eat this with rice or another grain, but I ate it plain and it was wonderful. http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/chana-masala/

Gluten Free Asian Noodles

Sometimes I just get a craving for some Asian style noodles! This is one of my new favorite dishes to make. I don't have the exact measurements down yet, but I wanted to share it to show that you can make what you want that also tastes good with very little ingredients, usually what you already have at home. I used all organic ingredients. Ingredients: Package of brown rice noodles, spaghetti style or thinner Broccoli, either frozen or fresh Fresh ginger root - minced Garlic - chopped 1/2 - one (your taste how much you want) Onion - chopped Organic, wheat free tamari (organic is really important here to avoid GMOs in soy) Agave nectar (because I have a sweet tooth) Water Peanuts or peanut butter (I use the crunchy kind with nothing added) Sesame Oil (Do not cook with this, add it at the end) Directions, cook the noodles by boiling and then drain them in a colander. I have made the sauce for this two ways. First, sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger in some water in a pan. Then, add the broccoli to it with some more water, and add the tamari and a little bit of agave once the broccoli has cooked a bit. Add cooked noodles and then some peanuts and sauté another minute or two. Add sesame oil on top when ready to serve. I have also made this by placing the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, water, agave (just a little bit), and tamari into a blender to make a smooth sauce. Then, cook the broccoli and onions in some water in the pan and add the sauce to it, followed by the noodles once the broccoli is finished cooking. The peanuts and sesame oil add proteins and fats to balance out the rice and veggies. It's delicious and so easy to make. Enjoy!