Spiced Teff Bars

Summer is my favorite time of year. No doubt about that. But lately, the cooler temps we’ve been experiencing have my mind drifting towards cinnamon spiced treats. Nothing says autumn like cinnamon!   

Now, these tasty treats are made with teff. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it. Many people are unfamiliar with this grain. Teff has a long history and has been used for ages in North Africa. More specifically; teff is used in Ethiopian cuisine to make injera, which is an Ethiopian spongy flatbread that tastes a bit like sourdough.  Fun fact: teff is one of the smallest grains in the WORLD! 

Health benefits of teff:

• high in fiber
• good source of protein
• great source of iron
• good source of calcium

Teff has a very distinct and almost earthy taste to it that goes well with the spices and molasses in these bars. These guys seriously taste out-of-this-frickin-world with a cup of coffee! 

Spiced Teff Bars

the original recipe is over at Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

I only made a few tiny changes though (added some more spices)!

2/3 cup of softened coconut oil

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup blackstrap molasses

1/2 cup Sucanat

1 Tbsp. maple syrup or agave

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 cups dark teff flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon guar gum (or xanthan gum)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger (I didn't have any, so just used some minced/pureed ginger)

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9x9 square pan or line with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the coconut oil, applesauce, molasses, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla until combined.
3. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat again until dough thickens. 
4. Spread the dough into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes in preheated oven at 350. Let the bars cool for at least 30 minutes before trying to cut. Serving suggestion: drizzle some coconut butter on top!

Note: I've found that these need to be stored in the fridge because they tend to crumble if left out at room temp. 

Sunrise Energize - juice

To be honest, the end result of juicing isn’t all that photogenic (at least when you're adding carrots to the greens). Mixing neon orange carrot juice to electric green gives way to an unappetizing muddy-brown color. But I can assure you that the juice tastes much better than it looks!

So … here’s a tasty juice I made the other day.  Usually when I first wake up I don’t want a juice that’s heavy on the greens. I save those juices for later in the day. This juice is definitely a sweet one! Here is a nutritional breakdown of the juice (with the exception of the fiber part): Holy vitamin A!!!!

Sunrise Energize

• 1/2 beet (I used chioggia, any kind will work)
• 1 cucumber, peeled if not organic
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 3 carrots

Wash all fruits and veggies. Cut to fit size of your juicer's chute. Juice. Add a few ice cubes and enjoy!

BBQ Chickpea Burgers

I always have trouble finding the perfect vegan (and gluten free) veggie burger recipe.  I know many of you out there have the same problem.

Vegan veggie burger recipes are notorious for making patties that don’t stick together well.  When I saw this recipe (@OhSheGlows) for burgers with a chickpea base I was curious as to how they would hold up.  For as many times as I’ve made falafel (and for the record, I LOVE to eat falafel), it has never occurred to me that making a veggie burger with a base of chickpeas (and rice) just might work.  The verdict: it does!

Because it has been so hot lately, I’m totally a fan of any recipe that allows me to make a big ol’ batch of somethin’ that can be stored in the fridge for a few days.  I tend to snack a lot throughout the day so it’s always nice to have something with a decent amount of protein and fiber to grab instead of tortilla chips or some other nutritionally flimsy snack. 

I only used half a jalapeno because I’m not too fond of spicy things, but did want a little bit of the flavor that jalapenos contribute.  I also substituted grated zucchini for the red bell pepper.  I like to eat these pretty simply; wrapping them up in a huge romaine lettuce leaf, perhaps with a small dab of BBQ sauce, hummus, or just as is. 

• 1 cup dry/uncooked chickpeas (or 2 & 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup dry brown rice (or 1 & 1/4 cup cooked rice)
• 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup grated zucchini
• ½ - 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup GF breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• Fine grain sea salt, to taste (I used 1 tsp)

For dry chickpeas: Soak overnight (or at least 12 hours) in a large bowl filled with water. The next day, drain and rinse chickpeas well. Place chickpeas in medium-sized pot with plenty of water (I don't really measure). Bring water to a boil, lower heat, then cover and allow to simmer for about 1 hour. At this point, chickpeas should be tender and you can let some cool down and test them out. Drain and rinse. Allow to cool (at least 15 minutes) before using.

Cook that rice: Bring 1 cup of filtered water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add 1/2 cup dry brown rice. I also add about 1/4 of a veggie bouillon cube. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Turn off heat and let sit (covered) for 10 minutes. 

1. Chop/grate vegetables. Place all veggies together in large bowl and add half the salt (or about 1/2 tsp.).
2. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse now.
3. Add parsley to food processor and chop until fine. Add chickpeas and cooked rice to food processor and pulse until coarsely ground (be careful not to process too much, it will be too mushy and leave you with sloppy patties)!
4. Add the parsley, chickpeas, and rice mixture to the bowl with veggies. Mix well. 
5. Now, stir in the sunflower seeds, BBQ sauce, breadcrumbs, and flax meal. Add the other 1/2 tsp. of salt, or to taste. 
6. Preheat non-stick skillet over med-high heat. 
7. Form patties and cook on skillet about 5 minutes for each side, or until browned. I forget exactly how many this recipe made, but it was at least 8. I like mine on the thinner side, however. 

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Juice!

A few months ago I got a great birthday gift from the boyfriend. He got me a juicer! So since then I have been experimenting with many different veggie juice combos, and reading a lot about juicing and how beneficial it is for detoxing the body.

Drinking veggie juice may take a little getting used to at first, so if you're new to juicing I suggest starting with a base juice of beet and/or carrots (they're higher in sugar than other veggies) then add your greens to the base. 

 Although acidic tasting, lemons actually help to alkalize your body. This helps to reduce inflammation. Lemons are also a good source of vitamin C. *

Another staple of my juices is parsley. I actually hate parsley, but I've found that its taste is milder and more tolerable in juice form. Parsley is a decent source of iron and is high in vitamins K and C. As you may know, iron absorption is facilitated by the addition of vitamin C! Bonus! Parsley has awesome detoxifying properties. From what I've read, though, don't go overboard on the parsley juice, it can be toxic in amounts greater than 1/2 cup - 1 cup. This potential toxicity is increased in pregnant women, so if you're preggers maybe just steer clear of the parsley juice. 

Golden beets

Beets are another one of those detoxing powerhouses. Because of their higher sugar content, always mix these with green veggie juice (cucumber, kale, spinach, parsley, etc.) to avoid a blood sugar spike. Beetroot contains high amounts of nitrates, which are converted by the body into nitrites which then act as vasodilaters. This means that beets can increase blood flow (and therefore, oxygen) to areas that need it... like the brain! In addition, beet juice helps to cleanse the liver and gallbladder. 

Parsley-Lemon-Beet Juice

• 1 small to medium-sized beet
• handful of parsley (or about half the bunch)
• 1/2 lemon, peeled (the skin contains oils that might make your juice taste a little funky)
• 1 cucumber, peeled if not organic
• 1-inch chunk of ginger root, peeled (optional)

Put all ingredients through the juicer. Enjoy as soon as possible!

* I am not a medical professional. If you have health conditions (diabetes, gallstones, etc), please consult your doctor before consuming juices. Thanks! * 

Karyn's Cooked restaurant - in Chicago

Karyn's cooked has been on my restaurants to visit wish-list for quite some time. The boyfriend and I dined here a few weeks ago. Here are my thoughts on our visit…

I ordered the carrot-tofu Flautas, which were $13. The flautas were a little too greasy for my liking, though the description does state that they are fried so I suppose I was warned. The carrot-tofu filling tasted a little soapy(?) and could have used a great deal more tofu. If I’m paying $13 bucks for a dish, it better have a substantial amount of protein, ya dig? I’m guessing the flautas barely had a serving’s worth of tofu in them.  But the flautas did come with a decent side of refried black beans, some tortilla chips, as well as a huge scoop of guacamole and some mixed greens with salsa.

I wasn’t impressed with what the boyfriend got (Southern Comfort entrée). I’m not that fond of collards in the first place, but these didn’t taste that fresh to me and looked like maybe they were prepared from frozen greens? The dish did come with a HUGE portion of beans, though, with rice and cornbread on the side (not gluten-free, by the way).

I really liked the carrot ginger soup. Not too gingery, and it had the perfect consistency.  They also serve Mighty Leaf tea, so that’s pretty rockin'. Overall, I would probably give Karyn’s another shot, as I was not that impressed with our first visit. It wasn’t BAD, but it wasn’t GREAT

"Ritz"-y Flax Crackers

These buttery little crackers are very similar to Ritz crackers! I always ate Ritz crackers with chicken noodle soup when I was a kid. Like Ritz crackers, these gluten free flax crackers love spending quality time with a hot cup of soup or chili.

I made mine a wee bit tiny because I ended up ordering some cute little Japanese carrot shape cutter things from internet land. Their tiny size really makes them perfect for scooping up a handful and sprinklin' them all up in a soup!

As you can see when compared to the size of the apple,
 these are some tiny crackers!

"Ritz"-y Flax Crackers

Recipe from Free Eats Food

• 1-3/4 cups gluten-free flour mix
• Mix: 2 cups brown rice flour, 1/3 cup tapioca starch, 2/3 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 3/4 tsp. guar gum (or xanthan gum if you tolerate it)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1.5 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 6 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated shortening (Earth Balance)
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy/almond/rice milk + 2 Tbsp. if needed

* Note: I had a hard time with this dough. You most likely will too. It appears extremely dry and I ended up adding an extra 3-4 Tbsp. of liquid before refrigerating it in plastic wrap. The original recipe said to refrain from adding too much liquid, but I had no problem adding the amount that I did. 

1. Place the 6 Tbsp. of shortening in freezer until chilled and firm.
2. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. Mix well. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the liquids. Set aside. Reserve the extra 2 Tbsp. of liquid if needed (if dough is too dry).
4. With a fork (or pastry cutter if you're super fancy) work the chilled shortening into the dry ingredients until you have a bunch of tiny crumbles.
5. Add liquid ingredients to the dry/shortening mixture and mix with fork. The dough does not really hold together at this point. If it does for you, great. For me it didn't, so this is where you want to add that extra liquid if you need it.
6. Get out a piece of plastic wrap and scoop the dough onto it. Kind of knead the dough a bit for a few minutes until it seems sufficiently combined. 
7. Press down the dough into a little compact nugget and wrap the plastic wrap up around it.
8. Place dough in fridge for 1 hour.
9. Preheat oven to 375F.
10. Roll dough out on floured surface (or a cutting mat) with a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough. Roll dough out to about 1/8" in thickness
11. Cut out whatever shapes you want for your crackers. 2" diameter rounds is more of a typical cracker size : )
12. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness of crackers. 
13. When golden brown remove from oven and cool on racks.

Savory Caramelized Onion "Quiche"

This awesome recipe comes from Diet, Dessert and Dogs. I suppose I never really considered having something so savory tasting for breakfast. I've always thought of cereal or oatmeal with something sugary and/or fruity thrown into the mix. But this onion quiche is kind of a game-changer!

You can store in the fridge for at least a few days, enabling you to simply wake up (as if waking up is really ever that simple, hehe) and heat a slice in the microwave for a quick breakfast/lunch/whatever. Either way, this caramelized onion "quiche" is pretty great stuff. I like to top it with some roasted garlic! 

Recipe at: Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Black Bean Brownies

In the years that I've spent browsing recipes on the inter-webs I've always come across a recipe for brownies... made with black beans. The thought of beans in brownies always grossed me out, to be completely honest. But I'm here to tell you that adding beans to brownies is totally NOT gross! I promise. The beans add a moist fudgy-ness to the brownies and your tongue won't even be able to detect them!

I came across this recipe for black bean brownies which were made with 3 eggs. I just took out the eggs, and added in the equivalent of 3 flax "eggs".

• 3/4 cup dried black beans, rinsed, and soaked overnight in water in the fridge, 
• or use 1 can black beans (Eden foods canned beans are packed in tins that are BPA-free)
• 3 flax "eggs" --> 3 Tbsp. flax meal + 8 Tbsp. warm water, mix and let sit for at least 15 minutes to "gel up"
• 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil, I used a mixture of 3 Tbsp. canola + 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 cup sugar/muscovado/sucanat
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup GF oat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (I use EnjoyLife brand)

If using dried beans: drain soaked beans, place in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour until beans are tender. Drain. Let cool.

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a 11x7in. pan with parchment paper or grease with cooking oil.
2. Add the cooled cooked beans to food processor and blend until a smooth paste has formed.
3. Add the flax eggs and oil to processor, pulse to combine.
4. Add sugar, cocoa, almond meal, vanilla, and baking powder. Process until well combined.
5. Add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and pulse until mixed. 
6. Spoon the mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. I first baked mine in a 9x9in. pan and it took quite awhile for them to bake! Definitely took over an hour. If baking in an 11x7in. pan it might take less time to bake. Let cool before slicing!

Red Lentil Soup

This lentil soup is simple yet so tasty and comforting!


The apartment we're currently leasing here in Chicago has old-school radiator heating (which the landlord pays). This basically means that the radiators turn on about three times during the day/night, making it unbearably hot. The heat then quickly dissipates due to the apartment's poorly insulated windows and doors. We keep heated blankets and a sleeping bag (seriously!) on our couch to keep warm. Needless to say, I'm always decked out in multiple layers of clothing from head to toe (and yes, I really do mean head-to-toe, that includes wearing beanies indoors). In addition to snuggling in sleeping bags, we also eat generous amounts of hot soup to keep warm! 

Lemony Lentil Soup

• 2 cups red lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 8 cups vegetable broth (or water)
• 2 bouillon cubes (Edward & Son makes a great vegan and GF bouillon) see link
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon, a little under 1/4 cup I think
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. tamari or Bragg's

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp. oil. Add the diced onion and sautee for about 5 minutes. 
2. Now add the garlic and black pepper. Stir. Cook another 3 minutes. 
3. Add the rinsed lentils to the pot, along with the carrots, tamari, veggie broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. When lentils are tender, add the dry spices and bouillon cubes (if using).
5. Add lemon juice before serving. Add more salt/pepper to taste!

Pumpkin Granola

Hopefully you aren't too pumpkin-ed out yet! The Holiday season is officially in full-swing, and I'm still lovin' me some pumpkin! Especially when it's incorporated into my favorite breakfast/snack food of all time. Yep. I'm talkin' about granola.

Pumpkin Granola

• 5 cups GF rolled oats (not quick cooking kind)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil melted (or EarthBalance butter, or canola oil)
• 1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and applesauce.
3. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients (except the almonds and pumpkin seeds) and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in the large bowl.
4. Stir, coating well. Spread mixture over two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. 
5. Bake in preheated 325F oven for 20 minutes. Remove and stir. Add in the pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds. Place back in oven for another 20 minutes. If it doesn't seem crisp enough yet, don't worry. It will crisp up as it cools down!

Raspberry Coconut Scones

I think it's safe to say that raspberries are one of my favorite fruits. Definitely my favorite berry. I made these scones a few months ago when I could still get my little hands on mountains of those perfectly ripe end-of-summer raspberries. I'm sure frozen ones would work out here, or even some blueberries, hella yum! Just thaw those berries first.

I had come across this recipe for the scones at Hope for Healing's blog. This recipe marks my first baked good attempt with coconut flour! These scones are probably one of the tastiest baked goods that I've made. They are a tad bit crumbly, so use a plate for those free-falling crumbles. 
I found that storing them in the fridge is the best way to go, considering they do contain coconut oil, the fridge helps to keep that oil solid in the scones.
I also love the fact that there is no xanthan gum in them!

I made a few modifications to the original recipe: because I didn't have millet flour on hand, I subbed 1/3 cup sorghum flour and 1/3 cup brown rice flour for the millet flour. That's it! 


I'm not going to re-type the recipe here, so check it out at: Hope for Healing 

Karyn Calabrese video - vegan, raw

Although I do live in Chicago, I have yet to visit one of Karyn's restaurants. I will hopefully be visiting one in the next few months! I've been feeling under the weather these past few weeks, so I apologize for not posting any recipes! I do have a great video to share with you all, though. It's an interview with Karyn Calabrese. Check it out! Maybe you'll learn something new!




Although I do not follow a raw food diet, I definitely agree with Karyn! 

Roasted Garlic

A few years back, when I was still eating crusty gluten-filled french baguettes, I came upon a how-to for roasted garlic bulbs. I distinctly remember the night when I had my first taste of roasted garlic. It was magical. I had my crusty baguette all ready to go. i seriously just stood at the counter spreading the creamy garlic cloves like butter on my baguette. No time for sitting, this was a life-changing experience, people. Of course when consuming large amounts of garlic, it is totally crucial to have anyone else you may be living with to indulge in the garlic-y goodness as well. This is so you both become immune to garlic-y... umm... body aromas ; ) Enjoy.

Cut the top parts of garlic bulb off, (the pointed end)
exposing the inner cloves.

Side view.

Rub olive oil over top of bulb.

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Peel away the outer layers of bulb - the husk-like papery stuff. Cut the top pointy end part of bulb off, about 1/4 inch. 
3. Place each garlic bulb in a piece of aluminum foil. Rub some olive oil onto the top part of each bulb. I don't measure, but maybe 1 Tbsp?
4. Wrap the bulb up in foil.
5. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, until the cloves are soft.

Served with some roasted delicata squash rings!

Easy Kale Chips

Salty. Crunchy. Extremely versatile and oh so easy to tailor to your specific seasoning needs. Kale is seriously one of the healthiest foods. Ever. In the world. 
It is full of vitamin K - which is important for proper blood clotting and healthy blood vessels, and vitamins A and C. 

• 1 bunch of organic kale (I used Lacinato/dinosaur kale)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste

After washing the kale, remove the large stem in the middle of each leaf as well as the vein-like tiny "stems" that run throughout the leaf. If you don't remove them they get ridiculously hard after cooking and will taste (and feel) like sticks, thus ruining the otherwise awesome and otherworldly experience that is kale chips ; )

Dry the kale very well. I ran mine through a salad spinner. Or blot super well with paper towel. Put kale into large bowl. Add olive oil and salt. Mix well. 

Other seasoning ideas:

- vinegar and sea salt (add 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar)

- chili powder and cumin

- garlic powder

Arrange kale on baking sheets, I had to use 3 total, lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300F for 20 minutes.

Chewy Nutty Almond cookies

In a previous post I mentioned that I had tried a cookie recipe from the Gluten Free Goddess. These cookies ended up tasting just like caramel! I had to freeze half the batch just to ensure that I wouldn't end up eating them all at once! This tactic didn't really work out because I ended up thawing out the cookies shortly after freezing them... at least I made a legitimate effort, right?
I made some modifications to the GFG recipe - using Honeyville's blanched almond flour instead of Bob's Red Mill. Sometimes I find the taste of sorghum flour a bit too strong so I used a mixture of sorghum flour AND brown rice flour, subbed canola oil for the olive oil, and used a flax "egg".

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl:

• 1 cup Honeyville blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1.5 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sea salt (NOT kosher salt)
• 1.5 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix/"cream" these together in another bowl:

• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1/2 cup sucanat
• 1/3 cup canola oil (or light olive oil)
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar (or honey, maple syrup, etc.)
• 2 Tbsp. flax meal mixed with 6 Tbsp. water

1. Make flax "egg" and allow to sit for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to get gel-like. Then mix with other liquid ingredients. 
2. Add the dry ingredients mixture to the creamed sugar mix.
3. If too dry, add 1-2 Tbsp. almond milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time.
4. Stir until mix has a dough-like consistency.
5. Stir in, by hand, 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or pecans, hazelnuts, other favorite nut)
6. Cover bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes in fridge.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 Celsius) and prepare baking sheet. Line sheet with parchment paper.
8. Scoop little balls of dough onto lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and press dough balls down just a bit to flatten.
9. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-19 minutes, until cookies are golden. I ended up slightly burning my first batch, and ended up being WAY TOO hard to eat after they cooled. Learn from my mistake ; )
10. Remove cookies with spatula, place on cooling rack. 

Quinoa Bean Tostadas

These tostadas were inspired by the Chicago Diner's avocado quinoa tostadas. I quickly became addicted to these after moving to Chicago. For my version I just used store-bought corn tostadas and topped with a parsley-based Chimichurri sauce. You can purchase chimichurri in the store or attempt your own homeade.

I'm a fan of Frontera's Tomatillo salsa!

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water or broth
• 1 can refried black beans
• toastadas
• chimichurri sauce or tomatillo salsa
• Roma tomatoes, diced

1. Rinse quinoa until water runs clear. Drain in fine mesh sieve. 
2. Bring 2 cups water or broth to a boil with quinoa in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Set aside.
3. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Assemble your tostadas by placing a layer of refried beans on top of the tostadas, followed by the quinoa. Place on cooking tray and placed in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until beans are heated through. 
5. Top with chimichurri, avocado and diced tomatoes. 

English Muffins - GF and Yeast-Free!

I've constantly been on the lookout for breakfast-type bread recipes that are gluten-free AND yeast-free. I recently came across this english muffin recipe from The Daily Dietribe. I just bought a bag of blanched almond flour from Honeyville and have been waiting for the right recipe to come along to try it out! The downside of almond flour is that it is very expensive. However, I don't really bake all that often (aside from VeganMoFo, that is) so when I actually do bake I don't mind using a more expensive flour if it means that I will get reliable and fantastic results!

And so far... everything that I have created in the kitchen with almond flour has turned out great! In addition to these english muffins, I've made some almond cookies from Gluten Free Goddess that tasted just like caramel! I will be posting about those in the next few days, so stay tuned!

Now, a word about these muffins. I realize that they don't really look like english muffins at all. I don't have any photos of the muffins that I've cut in half and toasted, but they work just like an english muffin with all the nooks and crannies! I swear!

GF English Muffins 
    check out the recipe from The Daily Dietribe

Bob's Red Mill - Mighty Tasty
Hot Cereal. An ingredient for this recipe!