Sweet Potato Ravioli (dairy and gluten-free)

For months, I've been obsessed with making homemade ravioli. First, I tested a whole bunch of gluten-free flour recipes that would work in a pasta roller. I even practiced with semolina flour to get the hang of the machine (much easier!). I finally found a gluten-free recipe that works consistently and easily. Then, I began to play around with fillings, a ravioli tray and a ravioli cutter. Did I mentioned that I am obsessed?

I learned a few key things throughout this process:

1. I love rolling pasta with a machine. Yes, I can use a good old-fashioned rolling pin but you don't get the same results. And, I find rolling therapeutic. 
2. In general, gluten-free recipes are harder to use in a pasta roller but once you find a good recipe, it's easy.
3. Gluten-free ravioli dough shouldn't be too thin or the ravioli will fall apart when boiling. With an Imperia roller, I don't go any thinner than #4.
4. My ravioli tray is a useless pain in the butt. Hand-cut ravioli has more character anyhow!
5. Now that I have done it successfully, I am no longer obsessed. This time-consuming venture will be saved for occasional use only.

The filling below was inspired by this one, especially the idea for light, pan frying. Decadent.

 

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 or more cloves of garlic
• 1.5 small-medium onions
• 1cup of almond-coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
• Fresh herbs, extra garlic, salt to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.  Slice potatoes in half and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until tender (I put about half an inch of water in the roasting pan).
2. While you’re waiting for the potatoes to finish roasting, make your gluten-free dough 
3. Saute your onions and garlic
4. When the sweet potatoes are soft, remove them from the oven. Once they’ve cooled, remove them from their skins and mash in a large bowl. Add the sauteed onions, garlic and the milk, and stir until well combined.
5. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface to keep the dough from sticking. Brown rice flour works well. 
6. Roll one round of pasta dough into a rectangular shape, until thin but not in danger of tearing.
7. Place evenly-spaced spoonfuls of filling along the surface of the dough. Roll the second half of the dough out, replicating the size and shape of the first. Brush a little bit of water in between the spoonfuls of filling, then place the second rectangle on top and press to seal.
8. Cut out ravioli with a sharp knife or a pasta wheel. To make extra-sure they are sealed, press all around the edges with a fork. Freeze or refrigerate any ravioli that you won’t eat immediately.
9. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the ravioli. Cook until they begin to float (this should only take about 5-6 minutes at most). If you like your ravioli a little crispy (I know I do!), heat a little olive oil in a pan, then add the cooked ravioli and pan-fry over medium heat for a few minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. 
10. Top with a little bit of garlic, fresh herbs and serve!

Note: I'm not crazy about the texture of the leftovers. Freeze or refrigerate - boil them up as needed.

Honey-Ginger Tofu

This is an easy, flavourful, not-too-sweet tofu dish that tastes even better the next day. Adult and toddler-approved. I doubled the recipe to ensure we had lots of sauce.

Ingredients

For Tofu:

• 350g Extra Firm Tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 stalk Scallion, chopped

For Honey-Ginger Sauce:

• 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (21g) honey
• 2 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp olive oil

 

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce and marinate the tofu with it for at least 15 minutes.
2. With a slotted spoon, lift the tofu into a large pan on medium-high heat and gently stir-fry the tofu until brown and cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve remaining marinade.
3. Plate tofu, drizzle over reserved marinade and sprinkle scallions over top.

Butter Chickpeas (Vegan)

To me, Indian cuisine is comfort food--- especially during the winter months. Many dishes are spicy, fried and made with butter and cream, served up with a heavy dose of carbs. Deeeeelish!

I've posted a great vegan butter chicken recipe before but this one takes less time to prepare and has even more flavour. Chickpeas are not my favourite but I loved these! My toddler wasn't impressed but what does she know?

This recipe from fitfromconception.com has very little fat and is a super alternative to butter chicken. Serve as a main or side dish. 

Ingredients

• 1-2 onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 t garlic powder
• 2 t curry powder
• 2 t garam masala *if you do not have this on hand see recipe below
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1 t ground cumin (I use less since I'm not a fan)
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
• 1 can (540 ml or 2 cups) chickpeas
• 2 cups (about 4 sm/med) cooked potatoes, cubed
• Sliced red pepper (optional)

The equivalent of 1 can condensed tomato soup:

• 1 cups water
• 2T corn starch
• 2T vegan butter (I used Earth Balance - my homemade butter is heavy on coconut flavour)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• season with salt and pepper 

In a small saucepan, whisk water and cornstarch until well blended. Heat to a boil until thick, whisking constantly. Stir in vegan butter and tomato paste and blend well with whisk.

Directions

1. Wash, peel, cube and boil potatoes until medium soft, rinse with cold water and set aside
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas
3. Chop the onion very finely while the oil heats in a large pan.
4. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until brown – turn off heat and set aside
5. Prepare tomato soup as directed above and add
6. Add almond milk and mix over med-low heat
7. Stir in the curry powder, garam masala, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin.
8. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for one to two minutes longer.
9. Add onions, chickpeas and potatoes simmer for about five minutes at very low heat
10. Serve over 1/2 cup brown basmati rice

Garam Masala spice recipe (makes ¼ cup):

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 t ground coriander

1 t ground cinnamon

1 1/2 t ground pepper

1/2 t ground cloves

1/2 t ground nutmeg

2 ground bay leaves

1 1/2 t ground cardamom (not mandatory but nice)

BEST Veggie Burgers (Bean and Oat)

A few nights ago, we had the ultimate comfort food dinner: Veggie burgers with Udi's gluten-free buns, homemade gourmet poutine and Zevia soda.  We had carrot cake muffins for dessert, but this time I made the icing :). Heavenly.

I don't love beans or bean burgers so this recipe by Holy Cow! was a really nice surprise. They didn't fall apart, were very tasty and easy to make.

Ingredients 

• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 tbsp organic tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp gluten-free tamari
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick-cooking oats (run them in the food processor for a minute)
• 1 14oz can of mixed beans (original recipe called for 1/2 cup pinto and 1/2 cup red or black beans - dried)
• 1 tsp freshly ground coriander (original called for cumin but I don't really like it) 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

 Instructions

1. Rinse your beans
2. Heat a skillet and saute the onion and garlic with a tiny bit of salt for a few minutes until translucent but not brown.
3. Add the carrot, chili powder, and coriander and cook a couple minutes or until carrot is tender. Turn off the heat and set aside.
4. Mash the beans in a large bowl. Add the carrot mixture, mustard, ketchup, tamari and oats.
5. Mix well and then shape the mixture into eight patties.
6. Heat cast-iron skillet and coat with olive oil
7. Cook patties over medium heat for four to five minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

 

Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins

I had lots of carrots in my fridge and was looking for a healthy way to hide them from my picky toddler. I've made the BabyCakes NYC recipe a few times but they come out pretty dry and my little girl isn't a big fan.

While searching for inspiration, the pictures of this Double Decker Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe caught my attention! Yum.

With all my attempts to add healthy fats to my very petite toddler's diet, I have added them to mine as well (I don't need the extras, thank you very much). So, I decided to try the cupcakes without the frosting.

They came out moist and flavourful. My toddler loved them. With very little sweetener, and key ingredients such as almonds, eggs and carrots, they make a quick and healthy breakfast during the week.

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots, shredded (about 1.5 cups worth)
• 1 cup almond flour/meal
• 2 eggs, whisked
• ¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• ¼ cup raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shred your carrots in your food processor, Vitamix or use a grater.
3. Add all the other ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
4. Place ingredients into a muffin tin lined with silicone liners. Should fill 8-10 muffins.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes (mine needed longer)

2.2.1

Royal Icing (for Elmo cookies!)

Who knew that icing sugar (aka powdered or confectioner's sugar) is simply granulated sugar that has been powdered in a high-speed blender? While obvious to many, I was unaware. Duh.

The nice part about making your own icing sugar is that you have control over the sugar you use. Keep in mind that when you use unrefined organic cane sugar or coconut sugar, it is still sugar--- I use this recipe as a special treat.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup icing sugar (I make my own using coconut sugar or organic cane sugar)
• 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk (like almond or rice milk, or water)             
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla             
• favourite food coloring such as India Tree (optional)

Directions

1. If you are making your own icing sugar, grind sugar of choice in a high-speed blender until it becomes powder
2. In a small bowl, stir together icing sugar and first liquid (water or milk) until smooth
3. Add vanilla and stir
4. Add more water/milk if too thick
5. Divide into small bowls, and add food colouring to each bowl to desired intensity
6. Brush icing onto your cookies. I made Almond Sugar Cookies using an Elmo cookie cutter. I don't have any fancy decorating tools (you can tell!) so I used clean fingers. I painted on one colour at a time, waiting for it to dry before applying the next colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banana-blueberry almond muffins

Since I make my own almond milk, I always have lots of almond flour that needs to be used. These muffins are quick to pull together, no added sugar and tasty. I usually have all the ingredients on hand which makes it a "go-to" recipe for me. They are also toddler-approved and a quick weekday breakfast when trying to get everyone out the door for daycare/work.

Variations of this recipe are all over the Internet, mainly on Paleo sites. The following recipe was given to me by my daughter's nutrition consultant, Sandra Power. She helped us find healthy ways to add a few pounds on our toddler and get rid of recurring constipation issues. We are very grateful. [She got this recipe from a friend, who apparently was inspired by a creation from Elana's Pantry].

Note: I once tried to double the recipe and bake it in an Elmo cake pan but it never cooked fully, 100+ minutes in the oven. Stick to regular-sized muffins trays and you'll be fine!

Ingredients

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 teaspoon each of vanilla and cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon in a bowl
3. Add wet ingredients to dry bowl until combined. Stir in bananas and fold in blueberries.
4. Divide into 12 muffins and bake for 35-40 minutes
5. Allow to cool before removing them from the muffin tins