Gabe's Mac and Cheese ....

Mac and Cheese Sauce
"Every Body Eats" by MHW Hill, page 87

15 ounces (1-1/2 cups) Cannellini (white kidney) beans

1 cup roasted red peppers; skins fully removed, washed and drained, or 1 cup diced cooked carrots

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chickpea miso

2 tablespoons cashew butter, or chopped and boiled carrots, or bean butter

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon mustard powder

1. Drain beans into colander; thoroughly wash; shake off excess water.
2. Pour beans into food processor or blender; add roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, chickpea miso, and hummus.
3. While blending, add onion powder, sea salt, garlic powder, and mustard powder; blend until very smooth.

Use immediately or pour into airtight storage container and refrigerate up to 5 days.

To serve: measure out 1 cup cheese sauce and mix with 1/4 cup chicken broth or water. Stir over medium heat until bubbly.

To prepare a cheesy pasta dish: While heating cheese sauce with broth or water stir in cooked pasta, vegetables, and meat of choice; serve when heated through.

Variations

To replace Cannellini beans: omit Cannellini beans; add Navy beans, or Pinto beans, or black-eyed peas in same quantity as called for; proceed with recipe as stated.

Notes

Any miso can be used to make this recipe. Chickpea miso is the only miso that is free of soy. There are several kinds of wheat-free miso on the market that can be used in equal replacement.

Servings: 2 cups

Prep time: 10 minutes

Butter-to-Pure Olive Oil ... and back again

To replace butter in a baked good, such as a chocolate cake or cookies, pure olive oil (not extra virgin) is an excellent substitute. Here is a very useful conversion chart to show you how to make the transition. The difference in measurements is due to the water content difference in butter versus olive oil. Of course the chart will work when going between both - so if you want to convert a recipe FROM olive oil TO butter, just read the chart right to left.

Butter/Margarine	Olive Oil
1 teaspoon	3/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon	2-1/4 teaspoons
1/4 cup	3 tablespoon
1/3 cup	1/4 cup
1/2 cup	1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
2/3 cup	1/2 cup
3/4 cup	1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon
1 cup	3/4 cup

Pumpkin Butter

This was a big hit at class tonight ....

Pumpkin Butter

Every Body Eats by M.H.W. Hill Page 76
Ingredients 
2 cups (15 ounce can) solid-pack pumpkin
6 tablespoons (5 ounces) apple juice or apple cider
1/2 cup agave nectar, or honey of choice
1/4 cup light brown sugar, or cane sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Method

1. Place saucepan over medium heat; add pumpkin, apple juice, and agave nectar; stir to combine.
2. In small airtight container combine light brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves;
3. place on lid; shake vigorously to combine.
4. Add spice mix to saucepan; stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes; stir occasionally.
6. Test for thickness; cook up to 15 minutes longer if desired; stir frequently to prevent burning.

Pour off into wide mouth glass jar(s); place on airtight lid; cool then refrigerate. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

Servings: 2 cups

Preheat: None

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 45 min
 

Variations
To use pumpkin pie spice mix: omit ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; add 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix of choice.

Silver Dollar Pancakes

Silver Dollar Pancakes  
Every Body Eat s by M.H.W. Hill Page 170

Thin, almost crepe-like, these little beauties can be served sweet for breakfast, or savory for lunch and dinner when smothered in cream of mushroom soup (recipe page 100) then topped with cooked homemade breakfast sausage (recipe page 159).

Ingredients
5 tablespoons DariFree powder, dry milk powder of choice
1/3 cup light brown sugar, or cane sugar, or turbinado
3 tablespoons almond meal, or hazelnut meal, or quinoa flour, or GF oat flour, or teff flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch, or cornstarch, or potato starch
3 tablespoons brown rice flour, or amaranth flour, or teff flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour, or GF oat flour, or quinoa flour, or pure rice bran, or teff flour
1 tablespoon pure rice bran, or GF oat flour
2 teaspoons egg replacer powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons very hot water
2 teaspoons coconut oil, or grapeseed oil, or safflower oil, or sunflower oil, or pure olive oil

Method

1. In large airtight container combine DariFree powder, light brown sugar, almond meal, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, coconut flour, pure rice bran, baking powder, xanthan gum, and sea salt; place on lid; shake vigorously to combine and to introduce air; set aside.
2. Place very hot water into mixing bowl; add coconut oil; stir to melt.
3. Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl; stir to combine; set aside to rest until griddle is at temperature.
4. Preheat griddle to 325°F (medium-high heat); once hot, lightly coat griddle surface with grapeseed or coconut oil.
5. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter onto prepared griddle to create small pancakes; cook until bubbles rise to surface of pancake, flip and cook other side until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve immediately with maple syrup or agave nectar, or jam and/or nut butter (recipe page 71).

Servings: 12
Preheat: 325°F
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 10 min

Variations
To replace DariFree powder: omit DariFree powder; replace 1 cup water with milk of choice.
To use egg: omit egg replacer powder; reduce very hot water to 1 cup; beat 1 egg in at end of step 2.
To use flax meal for egg replacer: omit egg replacer powder; reduce very hot water to 1 cup; stir 2 tablespoons very hot water into melted coconut oil; whip in 1 tablespoon flax meal; rest 5 minutes; add 1 cup water; proceed with recipe as stated.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let It Snow!!!

Wow major snow in early October - the last time it snowed this early was 1978 so no wonder I don't remember it! My kids sure love it. Gabe is so excited - he keeps asking me if it is birthday (January) and Matthew insists Santa is on his way! Cute!

So I have been playing in the kitchen and have come across Agar Agar Powder as an egg replacer - awesome!!! I made chocolate chocolate chip cookies the other day with it and boy were they good - no, they were great!!! Here is the recipe ....

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every Body Eat's by M.H.W. Hill, Page 234

1/4 cup pumpkin seed flour, or almond meal, or brown rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch, or tapioca flour, or cornstarch

2 tablespoons chia seed flour, or hazelnut meal, or flax meal, or brown rice flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum, or 1/4 teaspoon guar gum, or 1/4 teaspoon arrowroot starch

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

8 ounces vegan, soy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)

4 tablespoons coconut butter

1 teaspoon agar agar powder

6 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract

3/4 cup light brown sugar

12 ounces vegan, soy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Place oven rack in second position; preheat oven to 350F.
3. In airtight container combine pumpkin seed flour, potato starch, chia seed flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and sea salt; place on lid; shake vigorously to combine; set aside.
4. Melt 8 ounces chips with coconut butter; stir to cream together; set aside.
5. Dissolve agar agar powder into water; bring to a simmer; remove from heat; stir in GF vanilla; set aside.
6. In large mixing bowl beat together light brown sugar and melted chocolate mixture.
7. Add dry ingredients; beat to combine.
8. Add agar mixture; beat to combine; beat in 12 ounces chocolate chips.
9. Form cookies using tablespoon; place 12 balls evenly-spaced onto prepared baking sheet.
10. Place in preheated 350 oven; bake 15 minutes.
11. Remove sheet to cooking rack; cool cookies on sheet 5 minutes; move to wire rack to cool completely (careful, they are flexible at this stage).

Cool before storing in airtight container up to 5 days (if they last that long!).

Servings: 30

Preheat: 350°F

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Variations

To use egg: omit agar agar powder; omit water; beat in 2 large eggs at end of step 6.

To use egg replacer powder: omit agar agar powder; decrease water to 1/4 cup; add 1 tablespoon egg replacer powder during step 3.

To use dairy: omit coconut butter; add unsalted butter of choice.