Chile Spiced Seeds

It's time to post another high protein snack recipe. I'm finding myself in a snack rut these days. Now that I'm home with my kids full-time, I am on snack duty three times a day (at least). I let my kids choose their snack of choice (with some wise counsel, of course), and they are really good about incorporating some kind of vegetable or fruit and protein with each snack. I often find myself making a different snack for me as they prefer fruit to veggies (shocker, I know) and I try to limit my fruit intake much more so than is necessary for a child. And these days I am in major need of protein; my body just craves it.

So what do you do when you get sick and tired of celery with almond butter or grain free granola? Toast some spiced seeds!

Chile Spiced Seeds

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch salt

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add seeds and spices; stir to coat. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, shaking the skillet frequently to move the seeds around and prevent burning. Pull skillet off the heat once the seeds start making a popping sound. Let cool and enjoy by the mouthful.

Indian Spiced Chickpea and Chicken Stew

I love a good stew. And I love Indian spices. The pairing of these two loves made dinner tonight: a hearty, healthy, spicy, rustic stew perfect for a cold winter's night. This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Ali Segersten's The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. This has become one of my absolute favorite cookbooks. I adore the creativity in each featured recipe. I find myself scanning this book every afternoon, looking that night's dinner recipe. And I've been so pleased with everything I have tried from her cookbook thus far. I usually end up tweaking a few things from her recipes to make them my own (as is the case with this recipe), but I have to give her due credit for the inspiration!

This stew was so good it surprised me. The dried fruit really sweetens this spicy pot of stew up like a dream. It's packed with antioxidants and cancer-fighting properties, thanks to the assortment of spices and veggies alike. It's a great meal to make if anyone in your house is fighting the cold so persistent in these winter months.

And it makes quite a large pot! Plan on enjoying this with your family and friends.


Indian Spiced Chickpea and Chicken Stew

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large yellow onion
4 cloves garlic

2 carrots

2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch salt and black pepper
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup assorted dried fruit (I used a combination of dried figs, prunes, and raisins equal to a 1/2 cup total)
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a large soup pot, heat coconut oil over medium to low heat. Chop onion and add to pan. Cook 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Mince garlic and chop carrots and sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Add to pan along with spices (through black pepper). Cook another few minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the pot (except parsley) and stir.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Blueberry Scones (gluten, dairy, and sugar free)

If you follow this blog at all, you'll have realized by now that I have this thing for scones... I love them. I adore them. I (often) dream about them... the crisp, crumbly, fall-apart-in-your-mouth feeling you get when you eat them. Scones define good coffee house atmosphere for me. Unfortunately, though, there aren't any coffee houses that I can go to to order a scone with my coffee, because coffee house scones are never gluten free (at least not the coffee houses I have been to). Hopefully this will change in the future as more and more restaurants and coffee shops are realizing the huge impact that gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivities is having on our population.

Thankfully, I love eating at home, and cooking and baking my own food. Therefore I can make gluten free scones anytime I want.

Last night the scone urge hit me again, so I started browsing the internet for a new recipe to try. I stumbled upon Jennifer Esposito's website, Jennifer's Way, where she has a host of great gluten free recipes and information in general on Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. I tried out her scone recipe, making a few changes along the way. I am really happy with the results. I know I say this way too much, but these might quite possibly be my favorite scones to date. If you like rustic scones that are just a tad sweet, I think they'll become your favorite too.


Blueberry Scones (gluten, dairy, and sugar free)

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 coconut flour
1/2 tapioca flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup GF brown rice syrup
1/2 cup ripe mashed banana
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
1/2 cup blueberries (can be fresh or frozen; I used frozen)

1 tablespoon xylitol, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk all wet ingredients (except blueberries) in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. Add blueberries and gently stir again until a dough ball forms (you may have to use your hands).

Place dough ball onto prepared baking sheet and form into a large oval, about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with xylitol. With a wet knife, score scone dough into desired shape (I cut mine crosswise four ways to make 16 scones).

Bake 18 minutes. Remove and cut all the way through the scored dough to separate the scones, so that all sides of each scone are exposed. Put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to crisp up all sides of the scones.

Gluten Free Yeast Bread

When you're craving bread, you're craving bread. I don't have this craving often, but for some reason, I've been wanting a warm, yeasty bread to use for toast in the morning, smothered with some nut butter and fruit-sweetened jam. This bread is perfect for that (and would also be perfect for sandwiches), reminding us gluten free folks that we can have our bread and eat it too.

I use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour here. I really like this stuff as the main ingredient is chickpea flour, lending this blend to it's high fiber and protein count. I have to admit, I was a little nervous that using this blend would give the bread a "bean-y" taste, but was pleasantly surprised that this taste disappears completely once the bread is baked.

I always think that baking gluten free bread is going to be a daunting task, but time and again find that it really is very simple. If you hesitate in making this bread due to the time involved, let me encourage you that it will go faster than you think, and once you smell that delicious bread baking in the oven, your woes over time spent will vanish. In fact, a great idea is to double the recipe and make two loaves at one time. You can use one loaf for your bread needs over the first few days and with the other loaf, simply cool, slice, and freeze it in a plastic bag (with all the air sucked out) for future use. This way you will have great gluten free bread anytime the craving calls.


Gluten Free Yeast Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ACV)

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend (Bob's Red Mill is what I use)
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup arrowroot powder
2 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x4 inch baking pan with parchment paper or coat with coconut oil cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and palm sugar and stir until mixture gets bubbly. Let rest for about five minutes. Then add eggs, EVOO, and ACV. Stir again.

In a separate bowl, GF flour blend, sorghum and arrowroot flours, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir. Add yeast mixture and stir until a dough forms. Place dough into prepared baking pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and set in a warm place to rise for about an hour (until loaf doubles in size).

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing, slicing, and eating.

Brown Rice and Lentil Curry Salad

It must be the fact that I'm lactating, because never in my life have I been craving brown rice and lentils like I am right now. I created this salad a few weeks ago and have made it at least three times already, enjoying it for days on end. It just hits the spot, every time.

(My baby must like me eating it too, because he is just such a good baby.)


I think our bodies have a way of telling us what to eat by our cravings. And this particular craving is so darn healthy that I have no problem indulging (well, it feels like indulging to me) in it at each whim. Thanks to the lentils, it is full of protein, another thing that both pregnant and lactating women need in abundance in this stage of life.

Brown Rice and Lentil Curry Salad


1 cup long grain brown rice, uncooked
1 cup brown or green lentils, uncooked
4 cups water or chicken stock
1 medium or 1/2 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups lightly packed spinach
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup curry vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cube butternut squash into bite size pieces. Place on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, until fork tender.

In two separate medium sized saucepans, heat 2 cups of water or stock in each. Add brown rice to one pan and lentils to the other. Bring both to a bowl, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook the brown rice for approximately 40 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Cook the lentils for approximately 25-30 minutes (ok if not all the liquid is absorbed).

Drain lentils and place in a large bowl. Add cooked brown rice, roasted squash, spinach, and raisins to lentils. Pour vinaigrette over brown rice mixture and stir to combine.

Enjoy right away warm or refrigerate and enjoy cold.

Pumpkin Cornbread

I've been on a blogging break lately. My world has been a bit crazy, as it turns out. In the last month, I've had my third child and moved into a new house (in that order). My dear parents and friends have been so supportive of me and my family during this time, providing us with lots of healthy, gluten free meals. I've been craving a lot of soup lately, and as it turns out, soup is a great meal to make for the new mom, especially one with a gluten sensitivity. (Check out Ali's post on nourishing the new mom for ideas on the perfect foods to feed moms during this phase of life.)

With all of these soups, stews, and chilis we've been eating lately, it's nice to have something "bready" to go along with them, so the other day I found a few minutes between nursing my newborn and chasing my toddler around the house to make this cornbread. The original recipe is one from Ali of the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen; I adapted proportions and made a few ingredient substitutions to fit what I had on hand in my pantry.

Overall, this is an excellent cornbread, getting rave reviews from my husband and four year old (in fact, I was told that it was "scrumptious" at dinner last night). And it is really easy to make, which is what I need right now during this postpartum season of life.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup sweet brown rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (I used a puree from a roasted pumpkin pie pumpkin, but you could use canned pumpkin if that's all you have)
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with coconut oil.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs through coconut oil until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baby News

My husband and I welcomed with love our new baby, Cole Christian, into the world on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. He was born at home (planned home birth) with the help of two amazing midwifes, Kate Saumweber-Hogan and Melanie Gray. I am so in love with this new little miracle, my third son. I thank God that he is healthy and perfect.

Pumpkin Granola (gluten free)

I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin right now. And anything snackie. I decided to combine these two elements in my latest kitchen creation for a granola full of the flavors of fall. Perfect for breakfast or snacks, this addictive granola will have you giddy at the first bite (at least this is the reaction I got from my kids).

Although oats themselves have quite a bit of protein and fiber, I always like to up the ante of these super important nutritional aspects by adding in some nuts and seeds. I also like the use of maple syrup in here verses agave, as maple syrup combines so well with the pumpkin flavor. Of course, if you don't have any maple syrup on hand, agave would be a suitable substitute. A note about maple syrup: always make sure you buy 100% real maple syrup, and don't be afraid to buy Grade B- it's cheaper and I think it has a better flavor.

And I'm happy to report that Trader Joe's now carries a 2 lb. bag of certified gluten free oats for only $3.98! This saves a bit over the Bob's Red Mill brand of certified gluten free oats, ranging from $5.25 to $6.75 per 2 lb. bag. This is great news for a frugal gal like me.

Pumpkin Granola

Dry ingredients:
4 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds (or a combo of both)
1/2 cup Xylosweet (xylitol) or coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chia and/or flax seeds
pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger)

Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 drops liquid stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Combine wet ingredients in a smaller bowl and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry and, using a large spatula, stir a few times to make sure all dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Pour granola evenly between the two prepared baking sheets and, using the spatula, spread granola out to a single layer on each baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Stir granola. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Eat immediately or let cool on wire racks until completely cooled (at least an hour) before storing in an airtight container.