Sunday, March 28, 2010
Almond Buckwheat Pancakes
Well, it is Sunday and HEAB says time for pancakes!  So, I have fallen in love with pancakes.  First (food) love oatmeal...second (food) love pancakes.  (I had to go back and clarify that since the illustrator is clearly my first love!)  I normally incorporate the two (oatmeal and pancakes, not the illustrator and pancakes), but lately I have been playing around with some other high protein flours.  I got some almond flour recently and thought it would be fun to play around with some pancakes. 
Now, when I make pancakes they are all types of thickness, thinness, cakey, creamy...you get the idea.  These were very cakey.  Like cake/muffin texture.  I loved the combination of the buckwheat and almond flour.  Buckwheat gives them a cakier texture (and helps hold it together) while the almond flour gives these a nice chew.  The flavor combination was so good.  I decided to use some of my Crofters Europe microwaved with a firm, sweet Fuji apple as the topper and wow, these hit the spot!!!  I loved the sauce the apples and Crofter's made.  I really liked the pink color!  Very Spring like in color!  See the chunks of fruit from the spread?  Impressive!
Almond Buckwheat Pancakes
(makes 1 big pancake)

1/4 cup blanched almond flour
2 TBSP buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 TBSP almond milk, water or whatever liquid you would like
10 drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia

Mix everything together and cook in a nonstick griddle.

The apple topping was 1 small Fuji apple diced and microwaved for 2 minutes.  Then I added 1 TBSP Crofter's Europe and microwaved for one more minute.  This mixture would be so good on ice cream too!  YUM!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 11:45 AM   12 comments
Friday, March 26, 2010
Jams and Soups
Where did this week go?  Seriously, it has flown by.  I hate it when that happens because I always feel like it's time I will never get back.  I don't feel like I have accomplished anything in particular other than kicking that upper respiratory infection out!  I will take that though!  Since I never get sick...I felt like a big baby with this one.  It sounds like everyone has it though.  Just so everyone knows, I love ya, but I don't need to share this kind of stuff with you.  So, if you have it...don't share!
Now, food.  Um, was I supposed to cook?  I guess I have done a little here and there...nothing major.  I was so freakin' happy when I got the Crofter's supply at my doorstep!  I took no time opening that up.  I have decided on one jar at a time.  We have a problem here with opening jars of jam/jelly/preserves and then not eating them.  I don't think there will be a problem with that with the Crofter's jars.  I started with Europe.  This one is a mix of black current and pomegranite with cherries and grapes.  It is YUMMY...that's what it is!  I realize this is not cooking, but I did toast the bread... 
Look at all the chunks of fruit in it!  Just so ya know, I am not really a "jelly" fan.  I like texture to my food, so I love preserves and jams.  Also, I am not a super sweet person (well, I am, but my food...not so much) so this is right up my alley.  You can actually taste the fruit.  All organic and natural ingredients.  So, I will be throwing globs of this stuff on anything I can! 
(Max kept poppingh his head in these, so I am posting this picture...just for him.  His faux hawk head is on top of the jar.)
Oh and I made the Carrot Lentil Stew again this week.  I threw everything in the pot and let it cook for an hour.  It really hit the spot!  I love simple things like this when you don't feel like standing in the kitchen for hours on cooking and cleaning dishes!  I decided to put some cabbage slaw in my soup at the last minute, so I microwaved a couple of handfuls of the cabbage in my bowl and then ladled the soup on top.  So good!  I have eaten' this for the rest of the week.
     
Then I decided to put hot sauce on it.  Seriously, isn't everything better with hot sauce???

I am really looking forward to this weekend!  Sunshine tomorrow!!!  I hope everyone has a good weekend!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 5:33 PM   8 comments
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I Won, I Won, I Won!!!

Let me start with...I never win anything.  Guess what?  I won...4 jars of Crofter's Superfruit Spread!  I am so excited to give these all a try!!!  I will definitely be letting you know how these are soon!!!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 7:25 PM   3 comments
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Feel Good Favorites!
Thank you to everyone for your kind words!  So, things are getting better!  Finally, I got some sleep last night.  I think I have actually been keeping everyone awake with my coughing.  My youngest son, Max, told me yesterday morning that he has been having a hard time sleeping.  This morning, he woke up and told me that he finally got some sleep.  Ugh, I can't believe this has been bothering everyone at night.  It has been bad though, I haven't even been working out.  Those of you who know me, know that is not like me!  I did get up this morning to do some yoga.  I figured some sleep and a nice slow workout would be a good way to get motivated in the right direction.  I have felt better today, so I am going to just go with it!  Thank goodness!
Like I said before, cooking has really not been a top priority.  Today's post is all repurposed pictures, but it definitely highlights our favorites.  Some old and some new.  Speaking of old and new...I made our family favorite gluten free cinnamon bread the other day.  This went in a flash.  With a shmear of almond butter and you will be in heaven!  It is really easy to throw together and it goes so well as a breakfast or a snack with a cup of coffee (which I have been drinking like a mad woman!). 
If you don't do the gluten free thing...the original one is great too!  I know it seems crazy that I bake when I am not feeling well, but it always makes me feel a little better and I like making things for my family.  Besides, the 15 minutes of exertion to make this then gives me loads of time that I don't have to think about making something for them.  Besides, they love it so I know it is appreciated.
Cantaloupe was on sale and I really can't turn down a good melon!  These have really hit the spot for me.  So refreshing and tasty with orange juice and zest!
Tonight I am making our new favorite...the pantry raid Carrot and Lentil Stew.  I can't wait for this to be done!  It sounds so good tonight.  Very comforting meal!  I will be back tomorrow with somehting new...I promise!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 5:59 PM   6 comments
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Healing Foods...I hope!
(Brown sugar pumpkin oatmeal)

We have been keeping meals really simple around here lately since the illustrator is busy working on a book and I have not been feeling well.  I am getting kinda frustrated with not feeling well because I went to the doctor on Thursday (1st time in 2 years) - I have an upper respiratory infection - and even with the antibiotics...I am still not well.  I guess when you aren't sick for longer periods of time, it hits you really hard!  Oh well, hopefully things will start to improve!  While my glands are not swollen anymore, but I have a rockin' cough that won't let me or my husband sleep!
(Soft fried egg with sauteed peppers, onions and potatoes topped with salsa.  The yolk makes such a great sauce on the veggies.)

I am a firm believer in eating well even when you are sick!  I think it is really important to get proper nutrients to help your body get over illnesses!  So, I make sure to get all of my meals in and that they are very well balanced!
(Vegetable broth with cabbage slaw.  Really easy and so delicious for a quick sick lunch.)

Do you eat well when you are sick or do you let it all go?  What is your favorite thing to eat when you are sick?  For me, everything has been really warm or really cold and easy to swallow.

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 11:46 AM   8 comments
Friday, March 19, 2010
Maple Peanut Butter
Truth be told, I am cheap.  I know, shocking!  I live on a budget (who doesn't these days) and splurging on flavored peanut butters is just not a priority.  I have seen different brands in the stores that incorporate flavors in different nut butters and since I had a bad of roasted peanuts (in the shell) sitting in my pantry (and no peanut butter), I figured it was time to put those peanuts to some good use!  I kept putting it off because I had to shell the nuts, but when I finally pulled the bag out of the pantry, I had no problem getting to work.
It's funny how a huge bag of peanuts turned out to be just shy of two cups of actually peanuts.  I guess that will slow you down if you are just eating the nuts. 
A must have for ease in the kitchen is a food processor!  I love mine.  I am not sure how I ever lived without it.  Seriously, this thing makes chopping, mixing and pureeing so easy.  I have this one and I absolutely love it!
Now, back to the peanut butter...It takes a little while to get it to a creamy state, but I like making it at home because you have so many options from flavors, to smooth or crunchy...you decide.
This got super creamy, but when I added the maple syrup, it turned into an almost candy consistency.  I wanted it to smooth out a little more, so I added some almond milk.  I have done this before with other nut butters I made and I love the velvety texture it becomes.  This did not disappoint!  It has a real peanut flavor that is kissed with a subtle maple flavor.  This stuff is all real with no flavorings and no funky oils!  Oh, and half the price of the expensive ones!!!

Maple Peanut Butter
(makes about  1 1/2 cups)

2 cups roasted peanuts
3 TBSP real maple syrup
6 TBSP almond milk

Puree the peanuts until smooth, add the rest of the ingredients a little at a time and continue to puree until smooth. (If you add more almond milk, this turns into an tasty icing or heat a little with a little almond milk and use as a sauce on pancakes or ice cream.)

Fun food fact...did you know that peanuts are actually a bean related to chickpeas and lentils.  I should have known since I have such a love affair with the almighty chickpea and have recently fallen for lentils!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 10:31 AM   12 comments
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Banana Soft Serve with Maple Peanut Butter Sauce
When my throat is bothering me I always crave frozen grapes.  Well, I don't have any.  I thought about buying frozen berries when I HAD to go to the store for cat food (darn cats...I love you), but I forgot because I am in a brain fog from all the swelling by my ears.  My appetite is not very high right now, which is a bad sign for me.  I eat like a horse...literally.  So, I decided to look in the freezer for some cold options.  The illustrator used to do a lot of banana smoothies in the morning and now that he is on the oatmeal bandwagon, the bananas have just been sitting in the freezer.  I normally use them for baking after I freeze them, but I decided to finally join the ranks of the rest of the food blogging community and make banana soft serve for dinner.  Truth be told, I have kind of avoided it because I am not much for banana flavored food other than banana bread.  Let's just say, desperate times call for desperate measures.  So, into the food processer went 1 cup of frozen bananas, 2 TBSP almond milk and 5 drops of vanilla NuNaturals stevia.  I served it with a maple peanut butter sauce that I made from homemade maple peanut butter and a TBSP of almond milk that I microwaved for 30 seconds.  Seriously, this was amazing!  Since it was banana and not banana flavored, it made all the difference.  The peanut sauce gave me some protein and while maybe not the most complete meal...definitely hit the spot!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 9:33 AM   11 comments
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Pineapple Oatbran and JK Gourmet Granola
I still feel horrible.  The cold part seems to be getting better, but the glands in my neck are killing me.  I am working on treating that today!  Suggestions would be welcome for help on this.  I am going to do some warm compresses today along with a mixture of hot and cold beverages.  Hopefully that will help.  So, for now I am mostly eating warm, soft foods like this pineapple oatbran.  This really hit the spot!  Super creamy, warm and a boost of vitamin C from the pineapple.  The pineapple is from a stash we have in the pantry of things you buy on a whim with no real purpose and realize that it needs to go soon!
Pineapple Oatbran
for 1

1/3 cup oatbran
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup water
2 TBSP vanilla almond milk
5 drops NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia

Mix the oatbran, pineapple and water together in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir, then microwave for 2 more minutes.  Stir and then top with the vanilla stevia and vanilla almond milk.
I had mine with a little JK Gourmet granola.  Not necessarily easy on the throat, but really good!
I really liked the mixture of nuts and dried fruits in this granola.  The toasted coconut was a perfect compliment to this mixture too.  It added such a dept of flavor!  I had to stop myself from eating it!  I kept adding more and more to my bowl of oats!  When I first saw the mixture, I was wondering where the oats were.  I am kind of a purest in the way of granola, so I thought it was strange for this to be called granola.  I know they are marketing this for people with celiac, but I would, personally, call this a trail mix.  Either way...it is delicious!  I was very pleased with the list of ingredients and the fact that there was no added fat!  The sweetener is honey and it was the perfect amount because you could really taste the ingredients and not the added sugar!  The illustrator has already asked me to make his favorite oatmeal cookies with it!  If you come across some JK Gourmet Granola, definitely give it a try!

Written for Go Dairy Free

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 11:14 AM   4 comments
Monday, March 15, 2010
Rosemary Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
So, despite feeling horrible and losing an hour with daylight savings time...yesterday ended up being pretty productive.  Seriously, if you saw the amount of laundry that needed to be folded, washed and then put away (yes in that order since I had a mountain of laundry that needed to be folded), you would have been really proud of me for getting all of it done!  We planned on making buckwheat pancakes, but since I was up at 5am (now 6am) and was generally laking in energy, we decided on oatmeal.  Besides, I was really wanting something warm and soft since my glands are so swollen again!  We did not end up eating breakfast until after 11am, so we decided to do a big Sunday dinner. 
The illustrator and the kids have been on a roasted chicken kick lately, so that's what we did.  Nothing better than a throw in the oven kinda meal on a day when you don't want to do anything! 
I wanted the potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic so I did a seperate dish for myself.  I threw in some chickpeas I had in the freezer for a little extra protein for the day and Sunday dinner was on it's way. 
We seasoned our meals with fresh rosemary, balsamic vinegar (the real stuff...did you know that what you buy in the grocery store is really red wine vinegar???), salt and pepper.  We had both hoped that the flavors would be more intense, but since I can't taste anything anyway, I was not really a good judge in the flavor department.  The meal was good, it just needed a little more umph!  I loved the roasted chickpeas, though!  They got crunchy, like peanuts, but were still soft on the inside.  Really tasty.
I had an idea a little later to make some rolls to go with dinner.  I love buckwheat and thought I could do something kind of like a wheat muffin/roll.  Well, lets just say you can't win them all!!!  Yet again, I failed on the gluten free dinner roll.  The science is just off and these are what we lovingly refer to as bug muffins.  They stink and they taste as bad as they smell!  Oh well, I guess I have some practicing to do in the dinner roll arena!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 9:59 AM   4 comments
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Oatbran Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberry Ginger Sauce
(Oatbran Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberry Ginger Sauce on the side.)

I think I am going to need some sort of intervention.  I am on a serious pancake craze lately!  I can't get enough of them.  I have been going heavy on the protein in my pancakes and I have also been experimenting with the toppings.  No boring maple syrup here!!!  After the oatbran pancake experiment from last week, I decided to play around with that base and add my favorite gluten free flour...buckwheat.  These pancakes are not gluten free, but could be if you used gluten free oatmeal instead of oatbran.  I just happen to be loving the oatbran lately!  The addition of buckwheat gave these more fluff than the oatbran pancakes had.  Buckwheat gives breads such a nice chew especially when you are dealing with gluten free flours.  I LOVE it!
I have been on a blueberry kick lately too.  Do you crave things and then eat them on everything?  I get on a kick with foods when I crave them and can't seem to get enough.  The blueberries are from a frozen stash I have from my in-laws' (sadly, they are gone).  I have seriously been loving them!  I made the sauce with a mixture of ginger preserves (mine are from Trader Joe's, but I saw some at World Market yesterday and I am sure Whole Foods has it), frozen blueberries and vanilla NuNaturals stevia.  The illustrator was scooping the blueberry sauce off my pancakes and putting it on his vanilla muffins!  It was a perfect combination to compliment the buckwheat and cinnamon in the pancakes!
Oatbran Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberry Ginger Sauce
(about 10 small pancakes - 1/4 cup each)

1 1/2 cups cooked oatbran
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup egg substitute (egg beaters, egg whites, 3 eggs or flax eggs)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
20 drops vanilla NuNatural stevia

Mix everything together and cook in a nonstick skillet.

Blueberry Ginger Sauce
(makes enough for one serving)

1 TBSP ginger preserves
1 TBSP water
6 drops vanilla NuNaturals stevia
1/4 cup blueberries

Microwave the ginger preserves and water together for about 45 seconds or until melted.  Add the stevia and blueberries to the preserves and microwave for 1 minute. 

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 2:08 PM   10 comments
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Coconut Oil Roasted Vegetables
I wanted to say thank you to my readers for saying such nice things yesterday!  It is important, to me, to respect all types of diets no matter what the reason people choose to eat the way they do.  I, myself, am a vegetarian, but I am a food lover and I appreciate all types of cuisines.  My blog is about my adventures in dairy free living with a little gluten free/soy free thrown in since those are the issues I deal with on a daily basis with my family's needs!  That being said...

I am trying to embark on a healthier lifestyle.  I have always worked out and watched my diet, but I am starting to learn more about the benefits of a more well rounded diet.  I grew up in the era of Jane Fonda and low fat diets.  I am starting to get the hang of using a little more oil in my diet.  I completely understand that some oils are good for you, but I grew up with the "fat free" fad.  My aunt has always been a fan of coconut oil.  I remember her telling me for years how great this stuff is for your body.  I still have a hard time just slathering on the stuff, but I am starting to take baby steps into the fat arena.  I still think moderation is the key for me because of how my body reacts to fats.  I think everybody is built differently and different approaches to diet are key to each person achieving their health goals.  Besides, I HATE slick food.  I do not like the texture of greasy food.  So, for me...a little goes a long way!
(Quinoa with oven roasted carrots and broccoli)

Now, on to the benefits (look here for details)...hair, skin, stress relief, weight loss (!), fights heart disease (runs in my family), aids in digestion (boy do I need this), strengthens the immune system (always good), fights infections, it is even good for your bones since it aids in the absorption of calcium.  I have really been focusing on why things are good for you.  What does it mean for your body when you eat them.  While I have baked with coconut oil, I have not really cooked with it before now.  I loved this meal!  It was so simple and so good for me!  This was my meal to go along with the pulled pork dinner the boys had.  I actually roasted the broccoli to get rid of the meat smell in the house as a joke.  Trust me, it worked.  Nothing stinks up your house like roasting broccoli, but it was so worth it!  I loved the texture of the broccoli.  It was kinda crispy on the flowery edges and tender on the inside.  The carrots...oh my gosh...were divine!  The coconut oil gives the roasted vegetables such a nice flavor (without a coconut flavor) and texture!  Definitely give coconut oil a try!

Oven Roasted Vegetables

4 medium carrots
2 broccoli stalks
1 TBSP coconut oil (melted)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and slice the carrots on a bias.  Cut off the florets of the broccoli and peel and slice the stalk.  Place the vegetables on a sheet pan lined with parchment.  Evenly coat the vegetables with coconut oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes.  Stir and roast for another 15 minutes or until desired tenderness.  Serve up with your favorite protein.

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 5:35 PM   11 comments
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder
For those of you out there that cook for a family, do you do his and her dinners?  We do a lot of those here (only because I don't eat meat).  I like to make sure that the sides I make (for me) are complete nutrition and go well with the main dish I make (for the boys).  On this occasion, I ended up being the only one that ate the sides because when the boys got a hold of this pork, they wanted nothing more.  The illustrator is a huge fan of smoked pork bbq, but honestly we do it so rarely since it takes so long to prepare.  We started thinking about faster ways to cook a pork shoulder and wether it would be as good in the oven as it is in the smoker.  We don't normally try new things when people are coming over, but the last time we have a large gathering, we decided to give the oven a try anyway since the pork shoulder was on sale.  We are both into food so we talk a lot about flavors and combinations.  We did jerk chicken a few weeks ago and the boys LOVED it.  So, we decided on jerk pork with black beans and rice.  We also did cornbread muffins to bring the whole meal together.  Let's just say, not only did this work, everybody talked about the meat for the rest of the night and I was still getting compliments the next day.  We have already cooked another one and it is gone! 
Ladies, if you want to woo your man (and he will think you are a genius) make this for him!  You can really add whatever your favorite sauce is to the meat.  The preparation is so simple and the meat turns out perfectly!  This one was eaten with no sauce and the guys were in heaven.

Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder
 6 1/2 - 7 lb pork shoulder
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut most of the fat layer off of the pork.  Coat well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.  Place the meat fat side up in a roasting pan.  Roast uncovered for 2 hours, then cover and roast for another 2 hours or until the meat is 180 degrees and the meat falls off the bone.  This cut of meat is very forgiving so 190 degrees is fine too.  Serve with whatever sauce you like or let the flavors just shine!

Veggies...tomorrow!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 12:51 PM   11 comments
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Lentil Carrot Stew and a pantry raid...
I know I mentioned the pork on the last post, but you will have to wait on that because I wanted to share this little stew that came from our pantry raid last night.  Ok, so have you ever looked in the pantry and the fridge and the freezer and thought, what in the heck am I going to cook?  Well, that is exactly what we did last night.  The problem is, every time we go to the grocery store, no matter what we are going to buy, it is always $30-$50.  Neither one of us was in the mood to go to the store anyway, so we started searching.  We are huge fans of stocking up on stuff (like beans and rice), which is great, but when you want something different with those ingredients, then you need to have a few more things in that pantry!  We are also trying to organize the pantry and we discovered some odds and ends that needed to be used up or consolidated!  Beans are great and all, but I really prefer to soak them over night to keep them from being so gassy.  I know, I said it, but it is true!  So, with two packs of open lentils we were off to a good start.  These little gems are so quick and easy to cook!  I have absolutely fallen in love!  I know I say that a lot, but I do love food!  Anyway, this stew started out as a quick family meal of throwing a few things together.  The illustrator was going out for the evening with a friend, so we invited him over last minute to eat before they went out.  CRAP!  This is not the kind of meal you serve to people when you invite them over for dinner.  I started cooking and it was seriously just lentils and carrots.  UGH!  It was supposed to be a stew of some sort.  I started to feel embarrassed and bad for serving this to someone other than just us.  I started looking in the pantry, again, to see if there was something to sex up this stew.  I really wanted a can of diced tomatoes, because, really isn't that the answer to everything in the kitchen???  Well, our stocked pantry is running low and there were no cans of diced tomatoes.  There was a can of tomato sauce though.  I did not want is to taste like pasta sauce, but I really had no where to go with it, so I decided to add it anyway.  Well, we devoured it!  It turned out perfect.  I am sure it was mostly the factor of seasonings, but the combination was comforting and tasty.  The kids loved it too and they swear they don't really like beans! So, new pantry staple must have...lots of LENTILS!
Lentil Carrot Stew
makes 13 cups

1 16 oz bag lentils
3 cups sliced carrots
1 1/2 cup diced onions
3 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
3 TBSP ketchup
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
15 oz can tomato sauce
2 1/4 cup water

Cook onions and garlic in a little water until opaque.  Next add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn to low and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are done.  

about 126 calories/cup

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 6:40 PM   8 comments
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Oatbran Pancakes with Peanut Sauce
With all the pork in the house (more on that later), I decided to have my favorite dinner tonight!  Pancakes, of course!!!  I have to say that I read a lot of HEAB and her food is right up my ally (aside from the bacon, sorry HEAB, but to each his own, right?)  She does pancake Sundays, but I am not good with keeping up a schedule with food.  Tomorrow is supposed to be pizza, but I don't think that is going to happen.  Anyway, I saw her pancakes the other day and then I saw the oatbran she cooked.  I have never had oatbran before, but I got some from the bulk bin the last time I was at Whole Foods.  I got to thinking...oatbran pancakes.  The illustrator is not a huge fan of pancakes for dinner, so since he was covered for dinner, I got creative. 
The texture of these is not your typical bready pancake.  They did puff up and they had a tasty firm outside, but the inside stayed creamy.  I am guessing the addition of a little flour would fluff them up some, but honestly, I loved the creaminess!  With the warm peanut sauce on top, these were some of the best pancakes I have ever had!  We are out of syrup so I wanted something to put on them and I am still on the "how to get more protein into my diet" frame of mind.  My friend Mimi gave me some PB2 and I love the saucey consistancy, but sadly I am all out.  So, I decided to make some sauce by adding some almond milk and a few drops of vanilla stevia (I love this stuff) to my creamy peanut butter and heat it a little.  Then poured it all over this pile of pancakes and then devoured them!!!

Oatbran Pancakes

1 cup cooked oatbran
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs (flax egg would work too)
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
15 drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia
17 grams vanilla protein powder (I used up the other half pack of SunWarrior)

Allow the oatbran to cool.  You could make it the night before.  Next add everything else and stir until smooth.  Cook in a nonstick pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.

A note on the peanut butter sauce...the illustrator tasted it and loved it.  He said he is in for the next pancakes for dinner!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 7:44 PM   10 comments
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Quinoa Vanilla Mousse
Just go with me here.  My brain has been going crazy lately with ideas.  Do you ever get that way when you are looking for something different?  Seriously, I am an oatmeal freak and I am not afraid to eat it all the time (as HEAB pointed out, woman, you know I love the stuff!).  I am trying to branch out on my grains.  I know, step back...I am crazy!  However, I know it is extremely important to get all of your nutrients through your diet.  I am a firm believer that there needs to be a balance in your diet.  Since I don't eat meat or soy, I do a lot of research on healthy food sources that are high in protein.  This past summer I fell in love with quinoa.  After reading about the health benefits of quinoa, I was sold!  Not only is it a great source of protein, but it is a complete protein.  Which means it contains all nice essential amino acids.  One of which is lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.  Since I am an avid exerciser, this is really important to me.  When I took the leap into not eating meat any more, I discovered so many great ways to get the protein I need.  In fact I eat more protein now than I ever did before and I feel so much better!  I actually feel stronger!  

Quinoa Vanilla Mousse
1 cup cooked quinoa
17 grams vanilla protein powder (I have a sample packet of Sun Warrior Rice Protein)
1/4 cup almond milk
10 drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia (I love this stuff)

Puree everything in a food processor until smooth.  Scrape down in the middle of processing to make sure everything gets mixed in.  (Can be eaten hot or cold...I heated it up to go in the jar, it made the peanut butter all warm and swirled throughout the mousse!  So good! 

This recipe is very versatile, you can use as much of the protein powder as you like.  I was just testing things out for the first time.
This stuff is so good!  I had no idea what to expect.  I really did not think that it would get so smooth and creamy, but it did!  You can add more milk if you want it a little thinner, but I liked it just like this!  My husband and oldest son said that is looked like peanut butter.  That reminded me...I had an almost empty jar of peanut butter that I was saving for some oats...this was perfect!  The peanut butter was a perfect addition!

I recieved a sample packet from Sun Warrior after I contacted them inquiring about their product.  Protein powders are pretty expensive and I wanted to try a little before I forked out that kind of money on something I was going to have to choke down.  I know this is going to shock a lot of you, but this was my first taste of protein powder.  I really have no frame of reference as to what they should or do taste like.  I liked this one.  It had a nice vanilla flavor and it really added some good nutrition to my already nutrient filled mousse.  I also like that it is gluten, soy and dairy free so my husband and I can use the same product.  If anyone has any other suggestions on their favorites...let me know.  I know a very popular one is Jay Robb, which I am going to try next.

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 9:16 AM   12 comments
Monday, March 1, 2010
Gluten Free/Dairy Free Blueberry Cobbler
I promise, I will move on after this...

Where in the world has the time gone???  We totally lost Sunday, again.  We are getting so old!  We had a rather large group of people over this Saturday since we had some house guests come in from out of town.  We get together with them so infrequently, so we decided to ask some of our other mutual friends to come over and enjoy the company.  We prepared quite a bit of food that I had every intention of photographing and blogging about the next day, but unfortunately (or fortunately) it was completely devoured that evening!  We like to keep things with a theme so the menu included, jerk pulled pork, black beans with rice and cornbread muffins.  The dessert was going to be coconut cupcakes with seven minute icing, but since it was a larger group, I decided to go a little easier.  With much deliberation over flavors and due to our sorrow that the cobbler was gone so fast, we decided on making a large peach cobbler and a large blueberry cobbler.  I made each of them in a 9x13 pan and all we had left was a small square of each (thank goodness!).  I was so happy that doubling the recipe worked.  I always get worried when I do things for the first time when guests are coming over.  Everyone was shocked that they were gluten free and dairy free (low sugar/low fat too!).  I will admit to having some of both throughout the evening with no shame.  I think a major key to this is the soaking of the flour.  It really gives it the opportunity to absorb the liquids.  I was a little afraid the blueberry one would not turn out as well since it did not have all the juices that the peach does, but since they were frozen, they released a little more water/juice than fresh berries would have.  Again, this gave a great combination of cakey and gooey that you look for in a cobbler.  
Dairy Free/Gluten Free Blueberry Cobbler

2 cup white rice flour
2 cup almond milk
2/3 cup sugar
30 drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia (or an extra 2 TBSP of sugar + some vanilla)
2 TBSP baking powder
pinch of salt
4 cups frozen blueberries
       
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. for 40-45 minutes

Soak the white rice flour with the almond milk.  (I did 4 ½ hours but I would imagine you could do this as long or as you like).  Next add the sugar, stevia, baking powder and salt.  Pour the batter into a 13x9 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Add the blueberries to the top of the batter.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.  Serve warm with a scoop of your favorite frozen vanilla treat.

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 4:45 PM   11 comments

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Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen
Home: Atlanta, GA, United States
About Me: Lactose Challenged
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