Carrot Cake Cookies

When cookies are small, is it okay to have more of them? Discuss.

I’m sure you’ll want to eat these tasty little cookies by the fistful once you get your hands on them. They’re aromatic, tender and delectable, plus they only take about 10 minutes to prepare – which is convenient, because then you’ll have time to whip up a second batch after you devour the first one.

I don’t always have fresh ginger on hand, but I had a leftover knob in the fridge and now I wouldn’t make these cookies without it. They tasted as if they had a wide array of warming spices, even though there wasn’t much spice in here at all.

The recipe yield is 30 cookies. I made mine small, but I only got 22. If they were tinier, I guess they would have been one-bite cookies instead of two-bite treats – and probably even more irresistible.

Carrot Cake Cookies
From With Style and Grace
gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free, egg-free, vegan, vegetarian

3/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used equal parts brown rice, millet and garfava flours)
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed slightly
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, oats, coconut, baking powder and salt. Add in the carrots and raisins.

In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, coconut oil, ginger and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until just combined.

Take a large tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball, flatten slightly, then place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Continue until the batter is gone – leaving about two inches between each cookie.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Fruity, Nutty, Seedy Bread

Don’t you love it when you find a yummy-looking recipe and you already have all the ingredients to make it in your kitchen?

That’s what happened to me with this bread.

I can’t quite explain it, but I was entirely delighted with this little loaf. It just made me happy. Packed with high fibre flours, protein-rich seeds and sweet dried fruits, this bread was hearty and satisfying.

It’s perfect for snacking and travelling, plus it’s super simple to make. A teensy bit of mixing and stirring and you’re done.

The only thing I’d add next time would be some chocolate chunks, because let’s face it, everything is better with some chocolate.

How often do you have all the ingredients on hand to create a recipe you find online or in a cookbook?

Fruity, Nutty, Seedy Bread
From Healthful Pursuit
gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian, soy-free

3/4 cup garfava flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup of dried fruit (I used dates, raisins, goji berries and mulberries)
1/2 cup mixture of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp dried coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add wet. The consistency should be similar to a muffin.

Add dried fruit, seeds and coconut. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until sides begin to brown and the top will be cracked and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, lift from the pan and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before cutting with a sharp knife.

Cream of Spinach Soup

I probably should have called this ‘fridge and freezer scraps’ soup, as this recipe came about after I rummaged through the fridge, selected what was old or about to go off and turned it into a meal.

This soup was so simple, and yet I can’t tell you how delicious it was. The texture was incredibly velvety, and the key to this is not adding too much liquid. Make sure you barely cover the veggies with water to create the creaminess.

What’s your favourite fridge bits creation?

‘Cream’ of Spinach Soup
gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan, vegetarian

1/2 a small onion
1 small leek
1 cup sweet potato, diced small (about half of a sweet potato)
2 cups frozen spinach, or 4 cups shredded fresh spinach
2 cups water
1 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp salt

In a medium-sized pot, sauté the onion, leek and sweet potato until soft. Add in the spinach and water, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add in the cup of almond milk, then blend in a blender until creamy and smooth.

Add in salt to taste.

How to be grateful for disease and illness

You probably think I’m nuts.

Sickness can be painful, ugly, stressful, agonizing, tragic, wretched, humiliating, sad.

So what’s to be grateful for?

Head on over to my guest post on the Love in the Kitchen blog to find out. It’s a post that was important – and therapeutic – for me to write. I hope that it’s meaningful for you to read, too.

Spicy Butternut Squash Pie

I could eat butternut squash every single day.

Not only is it sweet, comforting and creamy, but butternut squash is also packed with fibre, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Winter squashes like butternut squash are especially high in beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A to maintain our skin, mucosal tissues, vision and immune health.

I usually use squash for soups like this one, but this soufflé-like pie was totally addictive and might be my new go-to for using squash. It tasted really rich, decadent and creamy, with a subtle hint of spices. You could certainly add more heat if you wanted, but I liked the spices hovering in the background.

While this dish would be a crowd-pleaser around the holidays, it’s easy enough to whip up for a weekday dinner and pairs nicely with a salad or some roasted vegetables.

I’m thinking I could change the flavour combinations here, too. Oregano, parsley, thyme and basil would be delish; a cumin, coriander, fennel and turmeric combo would work well, too.

What kind of flavours would you use to jazz this up?

Spicy Butternut Squash Pie
Inspired by Elana’s Pantry
gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, soy-free

1 small butternut squash, cut into cubes (I got about 2 1/2 cups from mine)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ground chia, mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp ground chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Steam the squash in a vegetable steamer for about 15 minutes, or until it can be easily pierced with a fork. Allow it to cool slightly.

In a food processor, blend the squash with the olive oil, chia and spices. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, until top is dry and lightly browned.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

There’s a bakery in Seattle’s Pike Place Market that bakes monstrous, soft pumpkin cookies. Whenever I visited, I always made a beeline for them.

I haven’t had one in years, but when my husband accidentally bought a can of pureed pumpkin pie mix, those cookies instantly popped into my brain. And suddenly I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could create a healthy version of them.

These cookies were phenomenal. They have the perfect consistency – they’re soft, chewy and keep together even though there are no eggs or flax in them. They have a mellow, nicely spiced flavour and they’re not too sweet.

And you know what would make them even more spectacular? A smear of this icing on top.

You should really go and make these. Right now.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies
gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free

1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour of choice (I used a mix of brown rice flour, garfava flour and sorghum flour)
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened (not melted – you want it to have the consistency of soft butter)
1 cup organic pureed pumpkin pie mix (or 1 cup regular pumpkin mixed with dashes of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove)
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp vanilla powder, or 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate, smaller bowl, cream the coconut oil and coconut sugar until well mixed, then add the pumpkin, applesauce, vanilla and hot water. Mix well.

Combine the wet and the dry mixtures and mix well.

Grab dough in scant 1/4 cup amounts and roll it into balls, then flatten them slightly. You can make them larger or smaller, depending on your preference. Place on two baking sheets lined with a silpat or parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and lightly browned at the edges, and the bottoms are slightly golden brown.

Buckwheat Risotto with Spinach and Mushrooms

I cook a lot of things that don’t end up on this blog. Some dishes aren’t spectacular enough to share, while others are simply failed experiments.

Most of the failures happen when I try to cook something without using a recipe. They’re not all inedible creations, but they’re mostly ones I reluctantly eat because I hate wasting food (and expensive ingredients).

This experiment, however, was one worth sharing.

I’ve been wanting to try a risotto using a whole grain for awhile now. There are plenty of  recipes that use barley as a replacement for white arborio rice, but since barley isn’t gluten-free it’s a no-no for me. I suspected buckwheat might be the kind of grain that could stand up to the risotto-making process and still retain some bite along with the creaminess.

If you’re expecting an ultra-decadent risotto that tastes identical to the original thing, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a hearty, creamy and comforting dish, then this might just be for you.

Buckwheat Risotto with Spinach and Mushrooms
gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, soy-free

1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup buckwheat groats
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups spinach, shredded
1 green onion, chopped
½ tsp salt, or more to taste
2 cups vegetable stock

In a medium-sized pot, sauté the onions and garlic in a bit of water until soft. Add the buckwheat and stir it around until it gets coated by the onions and garlic.

Add the mushrooms and ½ cup of stock and stir. When all the liquid is absorbed, add another ½ cup of stock. Repeat until the buckwheat is tender, or until the stock has been used (you may not need to use all of it, though).

Mix in the spinach, green onion and salt and stir until the spinach has wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.