Sweet Potato Bread: gluten and dairy free

Faced with the challenge of eliminating wheat from my diet this week as part of the 21 Smokin Hot Mom Challenge I am participating in, I decided to try a new variation of snack bread. It combines 2 super foods, lentils and quinoa, with the sweet potato which is high in phyto-nutrients.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked sweet potato (peeled and mashed)
2 cups cooked lentils (cooked soft and pureed)
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
ground fresh nutmeg to taste
raw millet to sprinkle

Combine sweet potato and lentils and mix well. Add quinoa and rice flour, mix well. Add remaining ingredients.

Bake in mini-bread pans (greased) . Sprinkle with millet and press gently into each bread before baking.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

This bread is light and mildly sweet. It makes a wonderful snack on its own and is delightful cut in half and toasted. Drizzle maple syrup or raw honey for a sweet treat or spread with raw almond butter for more protein.

More on Green Smoothies

I have been drinking green smoothies on and off for a year or so. Recently, I started drinking at least one a day beginning with my morning smoothie. It is truly drinking "liquid sunshine". It gives me so much energy and I just feel better in my own, glowing skin. I typically make it fr breakfast and am full until at least noon.

Here is my most basic recipe:
2 cups water
a large handful of raw kale
twice as much raw spinach as kale (I sometimes substitute lettuce which is yummy too)
1/2 raw cucumber
celery if I have it
1 handful of parsley or cilantro
1/2 an apple
1 T bee pollen (loaded with minerals)
1 T chia seeds (protein adn fiber and other good stuff)
1 T hemp seeds ( 3-6 raw almonds)

The nuts really give me that extra filling boost and are loaded with healthy oil, fat and protein. A supreme start to any day.

I found that drinking the green smoothie every morning and then drinking coffee seemed counterproductive. I have dropped caffeine completely and feel even more energized. It has been about 2 months and while I have dropped caffeine in the past this time it was effortless becasue the power of the daily green smoothie is that amazing!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am participating in a 21 day challenge. This week's food focus is eliminating sugar. I am about 90% there. This recipe is both savory and sweet and I am certain will make me feel good while also satisfying my sweet tooth. My hope is that my kids will also enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 can organic pumpkin
1 cup oat flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/2 flax seed meal
4 dates, soaked and minced (I use my mini-processor for this)
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1/2 cup ground raw almonds ( ground them so my kids would not see them, you can use sliced raw almonds too)
3/4 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips (carob chips are also a good substitute)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine the pumpkin and ground dates. Add the flours and mix well. Add the remaining dry ingredients, adding the raisins and chocolate chips last.

Drop rounded teaspoons onto a cooking sheet and bake at 375 for 12 minutes. I baked these on a metal cookie sheet plain and also on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. The cookies on the parchment paper got crisper. If you have it I recommend using it.

Sweet Potato Lentil Beet Breads

I have been on a bit of a baking bender. I am a bit of a stress baker so with all the things I am trying to accomplish these days I find myself resorting to baking and creating recipes since I just love it. It is one thing I can be in full control of even it it flops. So here goes...

2 cups shredded raw sweet potato
3 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
2 cups pureed lentils (cooked soft so they puree smooth)
1 cup raw beet juice ( I made this in my Vita-a-mix which is so amazing it allows me to make raw juice while keeping all the fiber and the whole food)
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 cup flaxseed meal
2 cups brown rice flour
6 oz non fat Plain Greek yogurt
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (This can be left out since the sweet potatoes have so much flavor and sweetness)
2T cinnamon
dash ground ginger
3tsp baking soda

Combine all wet ingredients until well blended. Add dry ingredients. Bake in mini-loaf pans. Grease pans before hand. bake at 350 for 40 minutes. test at 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Lentil Mini-Breads

2 cups baked sweet potatoes, mashed
2 cups pureed lentils (cook soft so it easier to puree them)
1 cup non fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup barley malt
3 tsp cinnamon
fresh nutmeg grated to taste
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups oat flour
2 cups whole oats

Combine wet ingredients then add dry ingredients until well blended. Bake in mini muffin/bread pans. sprinkle whole oats on top before baking. These breads are great as a snack on the go and are so much healthier and more filling than a prepackaged snack. I like them sliced in half, toasted with a small amount of raw almond butter. Yum! Enjoy!

Pumkin and Sweet Potato Waffles

I LOVE Red Mill products. One of my favorites is the high fiber pancake and waffle mix. When I make waffles I tend to make 3-5 batches at a time and then I freeze them. They make a great meal served with berries on top and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. I always struggle at meal time with what to make  so having these on hand and ready to go is great.

Follow the recipe for the waffles but leave out the oil and use only egg whites if you are looking to cut down fat and cholesterol. For each batch add 1 baked sweet potato mashed and 1/3 can of pureed organic pumpkin. Substitute almond milk for water and it gives a great crunch to the waffles.

Pumpkin and sweet potato are wonderful superfoods loaded with nutrition and natural sweetness.

Green Smoothies otherwise known as "Why I LOVE my VitaMix"

Green smoothies are an amazing way to get a number of servings of both vegetables of fruits in one drink. They can be easily modified to your taste and based on what you may have on hand on any given day. The reason they are so amazing in the VitaMix is because the VitaMix keeps the "whole" food as opposed to a juicer which spits out the crucial and important fiber. When I bake I make sure to measure ingredients but when it comes to smoothies I typically measure by the handful or pinch.

Green smoothies are great meal replacements and are perfect for a person on the go. They take some time to get used to, I tend to drink them quickly keeping in mind that no matter how funky it might taste or smell it is so good for me. The benefits of raw juice are numerous including but not limited to quickly feeding the cells with crucual nutrients. They are wonderful for people having a hard time chewing all those greens, people trying to manage the side effects of chemo, and for a quick meal on the go. I find that when I begin my day with a green smoothie that I have so much more energy and a mid afternoon slump is easily cured with a green smoothie. It is possible to even make raw brussel sprouts taste good, yes brussell sprouts.

Here are some of my favorite combinations. Have fun experimenting with it. If you need it to be more sweet I suggest adding more fruits and/or some raw honey.

I typically begin with 2 cups of water and then add from there.Combine ingredients in the VitaMix, begin at speed one and quickly increase to speed 10 and high

Supercharged Lunch Smoothie:

•  2 cups of water
• one large handful of spinach, kale and lettuce
• one carrot
•  a chunck of purple cabbage
•  1 TBS flax seed meal (omegas and fiber)
• 1 TBS hemp seeds (great protein)
• frozen berries

 Brussel Sprouts Can Taste Good:

• 2 cups of water
• 2-3 raw brussel sprouts
• 4-6 frozen strawberries
• a large handful of spinach and lettuce
• 1/2 an apple
• 1 carrot
• handful of grapes