Crust for a Savory Dish

I use this crust for savory dishes, like this galette recipe that I will post soon

It is versatile and can easily accommodate for whatever ingredients you have or prefer to use.

Suzy Tip: I often add spices to my crust dough. This is another dimension of flavor not often thought about, and the addition makes the whole dish a little bit more special :)

Savory Crust

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup almond meal
pinch salt
3 T cold water
3 T coconut oil
any spices you like, I often add a pinch of paprika and/or rosemary depending on what I feel like.

Combine all ingredients. Being sure to keep the dough cool (so the coconut oil remains solid), roll it out.

Suzy Tip for rolling out dough: place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, parchment or wax paper and, place another piece of plastic wrap/parchment/wax paper on top (you can even spray so it doesn't stick if your dough is really sticky).

Roll out the dough using a rolling pin or another cylindrical object (between the two papers). Remove the top paper, and place the dough in the pie dish or on the baking sheet
Top or fill with other tasty and wholesome ingredients.
Bake on prepared baking sheet with parchment or cooking spray, at 30 degrees for about 20 minutes, depending on filling (the galette cooks for 25-35 minutes)

Crust!

Other flours I would consider using  in place of buckwheat: (sweet white) sorghum flour, teff flour, corn flour, millet flour, quinoa flour, oatmeal flour (making your own is easy!)
The dough should be pliable, but not too sticky...depending on your flour substitution and humidity you may need to add more water, one teaspoon at a time!

What would you fill this crust with?

Clearly from the photos I made a galette with it, using garden fresh ingredients that I had on hand. It turned out really well, and will definitely be something I'll be making in the future! Be sure to check back, I'll have the recipe up for that soon!!

Cheers,
     Suzy

Banana Almond Breakfast Smoothie

I wanted to make myself think I was drinking almond nut butter. Sometimes you just need an absurd amount of nut butter for all to be right with the world. Luckily for me this smoothie did the trick and I didn't have to resort to the spoon in the jar, before reaching for another spoon because the second scoop always tastes better ;)

Yeild: 1 Satisfying Smoothie
1 Cup Milk of choice (I used almond)
2 Tablespoons nut butter (almond)
handful of ice
1/2 (preferably frozen) banana
1 teaspoon flaxseed meal
splash of vanilla extract

Dump all ingredients in a blender and whirl away!

Tip and Trick: Sometimes I like to add a little chia seed, or a pinch of ground oatmeal flour for not only a fiber boost, but to help thicken the smoothie. If this is the case, then I will let the seeds or oatmeal to sit in the milk for a minute before blending to let it get a head start on absorbing the liquid and thickening the smoothie!

What do you crave by the spoonful?

Cheers,     Suzy

Fan-FREAKING-tastic Bars

Oh yes they are!
It was declared on more than one occasion... by more than one person...
I'll try to convey the greatness of these bars with pictures and as many adjectives as possible; but just so you know, pictures and words can only say so much and you should just make them and let them speak for themselves.

They are chewy and crunchy, yet soft because they are no bake; they are fruity, nutty, sweet, a tad salty, and a little chocolaty. 
They are healthy. They have healthy fats, provide plenty of fiber, and only use wholesome ingredients. 
You can customize them to your heart's delight, they are Gluten Free (of course), Vegan, and incredibly easy to put together.
Did I mention they have chocolate? 
And they are FILLING! So worth it.

I had saved the original recipe quite a while ago, but it took a close friend of mine to make them first and get met to dig the recipe out and make them myself! Oh, what I've been missing out on!

The recipe is from 86 Lemons and I haven't changed it too much because quite honestly, they are perfect.

Someone was being sneaky and taking one from my background

Peanut Butter Chocolate Breakfast Bars
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if desired)
1/2 cup flax seed meal1/4 cup chia seeds1/4 cup sunflower seeds1/3 cup pumpkin seeds1 cup cashews, almonds, walnuts1/2 cup honey/pure maple syrup/agave1 cup natural nut butter
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or coco nibs
1/2 cup dried cherries/blueberries/cranberries

Line and 8x8 inch dish with parchment paper. Combine oats, seeds, and nuts in a large bowl. Add in agave, etc. and nut butter of choice, and gently fold until all ingredients are incorporated (you may need a bit more honey/maple/agave depending on humidity and other ingredients used). Finally, fold in chocolaty and fruity add-ins until thoroughly mixed in. Dump the dough into the lined baking dish and spread evenly using a spatula. 
Let the bars chill out and firm up in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight (or in the freezer, for like, an hour; As 86 Lemons suggests, for those of us who just cannot wait until tomorrow). 
Cut into (12/16) squares.
Enjoy! 
Devour!
Make more!!

Simply Good Brownies

These are those brownies everyone needs a recipe for. They are quick to get a batch in the oven and practically scream for a tall glass of milk.

I'm no brownie connoisseur, but I'd say these are more on the cakey-fudgy side. They remind me of the brownies my grandma used to make for dumping vanilla bean ice cream on and drizzle with Sander's hot fudge. Except, these are made with almond meal. They are perfectly chocolaty, and not too sweet.
I really like the texture of these almond meal brownies. They have a slight crust that forms on top and lends that nice shine that tops classic brownies. It's surprising that the almond meal elicits such an airy crumb, it makes them an excellent vehicle for milk! Because the almond meal contributes extra moisture to the batter compared to the run of the mill flour, they have a little bit of a fudge consistency...but they are not fudge-y where you have to eat them with a fork otherwise you'll end up with melted chocolate all over your fingers. I do have a recipe for that sort of brownie, and those are a great treat for a bit more formal of a gathering, in my opinion. Instead, I literally made these after a lunch out with my grandparents on a whim. And I love them for their simplicity. They were delicious gripping a cold glass of milk in one hand and digging them out of the pan with the other free hand...no plates or forks necessary.

The added fiber and protein from the almond meal make these a healthier alternative to the usual brownie, and even the cocoa powder isn't bad; with it's own contribution of antioxidants and fiber. These are practically health food...practically. ; )

Though I have only made them once and cannot (yet) attest to this, this recipe seems as though it would be fairly easy to play around with and tweak to suit whatever kind of brownie-mood you are in. I would think they could be further health-i-fied with a more natural sugar substitute, or if you feel creative, you could try mashed banana or date paste. I'm sure these variations will end up on this blog eventually, because I will most definitely be making these again!

I found this excellent recipe for Almond Flour Brownies from The Wannabe Chef quite awhile ago. It's too bad it has taken me so long to getting around to trying it, this recipe would have been a staple by now.

I did tweak the recipe a bit to suit my liking, and I would make them just the same next time.

Recipe: Almond Meal Brownies

yield: 9 brownies
3/4 cup almond meal
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t (GF) baking powder
3/4 C sugar of choice
3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg whites
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t instant espresso
1/2 cup butter (I use a yogurt butter from a tub)
1 Cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8 x 8 inch glass dish with cooking spray.
Combine the almond meal, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
Seperatly, carefully melt the butter and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. I use the microwave by heating on high for thirty seconds, stirring, and heating for 5-10 more seconds before stopping to stir. Continuing in 5-10 second intervals until almost melted. Remove the mixture from the microwave before completely melted and stir, the chocolate will continue to melt into the butter without being heated further.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder.
Take a spoonful of the butter/chocolate mix and gently stir this into the egg and sugar mix before adding all of the butter/chocolate mixture. This is so the eggs don't begin to cook from the heat shock the butter and chocolate might provide.
Combine both chocolate mixture and the dry ingredients and stir well before pouring into the prepared baking dish.
Now for those remaining chocolate chips...distribute those over the top of the batter.
Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Oh, except I would add more almond nut butter on top. This is a must, in my opinion. Almond flour brownies...almond nut butter...it was meant to be!

It's the simple things.

Do you have a go-to recipe for casual company?

Cheers,
Suzy