Socca Beet and Onion Casserole

Whoa has It been a while since I have posted a recipe. Not that I haven’t wanted to or that I haven’t been making food, I just have been busy A.F. And truthfully I am as busy as ever but I happen to have my phone next to me when I was making this little casserole dish thing that I have made a few times now and I think it well worth a share.

What is it you ask? It is a creamy but dense chickpea base covered in tender roasted beets and onions with a lemon tahini drizzle. It is simple to make, super delicious, and can be tweaked in a million different ways to your liking.

Is it a fantastic dish to serve at say a Thanksgiving? Well yes, yes it is. You can serve it as a side or even make it bigger and have it as a sort of main dish. It’s a good protein that is naturally gluten and grain free, vegan, and blah blah blah. What really matters here though is that it is damn tasty and also bonus, it is so siimple to make and can even be prepared a day in advance so no stress. We will take all the wins here.

-C

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Socca Beet and Onion Casserole

makes a 8x8 casserole

• 1 cup chickpea flour

• 2 cups boiling water

• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

• ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons cumin (feel free to omit or use a different spice.Thyme or rosemary are equally delicious )

• 2 medium beets

• 1 large onion

• a lemon

• 1-2 tablespoons tahini

• teaspoon or so olive oil.

Note. This dish is excellent made and eaten right away but also gets even better (in my opinion) cooled and reheated. Also you can change up the veggie situation and use whatever ones you like.

Place chickpea flour in a bowl and slowly whisk in boil water with a fork so that there are no lumps. Mix in cumin and a teaspoon of salt and a pepper. Scoop batter into a lightly oiled 8X8 casserole dish (you can use a round cake tin or a cast iron skillet as well) and set aside to rest for a few.

Preheat oven to 400.

Grab beets and onion and slice in about 1/8 thick slices. Layer slices on top of chickpea mixture, making it look pretty if you feel like it. Once the veggies are layered, lightly drizzle the top with a teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

When the oven is preheated, covered the baking dish and place in oven,. Bake covered for 1/2 hour then remove covering and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the beets are nice and tender and a tester poked into the center of the dish comes out clean. Remove from oven,

Once it’s out of the oven grab a little bowl and add the juice of the lemon to the tahini and mix. Season with salt to you liking.

Now serve. Drizzle the top with the tahini mixture and cut yourself a big old piece. Yes drizzle extra tahini on top. Sure squeeze on more lemon. You do you.

Store leftovers in fridge. Reheat in hot oven for 10 minutes..It gets crispy!

Fudgesicles

If you haven’t started making your own frozen treats at home yet, what are you even doing?

Last week I shared a few of the favorites (and I fully expect you to have made at least one of them) but this one is for sure to make the favorite list. Fudgesicles. Creamy cold and chocolatety goodness. A perfect reprieve from all the stinkin hot ass f weather. It’s like chilled happiness on s stick.

So if you like cold chocolate treats, this one is for you.

To the fudgesicles!

The stuff. A can of full fat coconut milk, some cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, flax seed, and a pinch of salt.

Dump it all into blender or jar (if using a hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Pour pinot molds and thats it, stick them into the freezer to freeze.

Don’t forget the sticks if using! (Pull the fudgsicles out after about an hour and they should hold a stick without it sinking).

Once completely frozen, well then they are completely ready to eat.

Stay cool. Eat Fudgesicles!

-C

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Fudgesicles

makes about 6

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (greater amount for sweeter fudgsicle)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (optional)

Place all ingredients into a large jar or blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into popsicles molds and place in freezer util frozen. If using wooden sticks, pull the fudgsicles out after and hour or so and insert before they completely freeze.

Once froze, remove from mold and eat.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Date Balls

This is me here trying to be nice and make a sweet little treat for the mr. And to prove to him (without him knowing) that he really does like dates because really, every one does they just might not know it.

Why do I care if he likes dates or not? Well I don’t think I really care but the past few weeks I have been making batches of trail mix with all sorts of goodies (dried fruits and nuts ) and have been chopping up dates and throwing them in as well. He’s been picking around the dates because he thinks they are gross. And that is just not true. He just doesn’t understand. So I made him understand. And understand he did when I made a batch and he ate them al within a day. Don’t like dates my ass.

These little chocolate covered peanut butter balls are freaking awesome. I would describe them as tasting like a soft, chewy, more nutty peanut butter cup and who doesn't want that? Plus they take little to no hands on time, require no oven, and all you need are just a a few ingredients. Win win win!

Are these little sweet peanut butter date balls made of love? Of course. Are they vindictive? Maybe a little but I don’t really care because they are awesome and everyone loves them. Even if they say they hate dates.

Now to the peanut butter date balls!

The stuff. Pitted delget dates, oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, a little coconut oil, and flaky salt.

Soak the dates in hot water for a few minutes to make sure they are really soft.

Then you place dates, peanut butter, and oats into a food processor and blend unit la smooth stick dough forms.

Scoop and roll dough into balls and place into freezer for 1/2 hour or so to firm up.

And melt the chocolate with the coconut oil until smooth.

Once chocolate is melted, remove balls from freezer and start dipping them into chocolate. After a few are covered, sprinkle the tops with a few flakes of salt before he chocolate hardens.

And that is it. Place balls in a airtight container and keep in freezer. Eat whenever. And you will eat them fast because, BECAUSE! dates are delicious.

-C

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Date Balls

makes 12-16 balls

• 20 pitted delget dates ( You can use medjool but they are twice as expensive and sweeter., and bigger so only use 12 or so)

• 1/2 cup old fashion oats

• 1/3 cup peanut butter

• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

• flaky sea salt

Start by soaking dates in hot water for 5-10 minutes until they soften a bit. Drain water and place the dates, oats, and peanut butter into a food processor. Pulse then blend until a everything is all blended smooth and a sticky dough forms. You are going to have to stop a few times to scrap the sides down. Once dough forms, take a spoon or scooper and scoop out the dough into 12 equal sized balls. With take each ball and roll around to make smooth and place on a plate or a baking sheet. Once all balls are scooped and rolled, place in freezer for 1/2 hour to firm up.

Right before taking the balls out, add coconut oil to chocolate chips and melt either in microwave (15 second intervals until melted) or on stove. Grab frozen balls (they don’t get hard, just firm), and start dipping them into the chocolate. After doing 2-3 three, sprinkle the tops with a couple flakes of sea salt.

Once all balls are covered( eat one) place in the freezer in air tight container until you want to eat them.

They should be good for a least a month in the freezer but I wouldn't know for sure seeing as these were gone the day after I made them. Both times.

Banana Oat Cookies

These are my cookies. I share yes, but mainly make them for my own personal pleasure. Just oats and banana, well cinnamon and salt, but basically just oats and banana. And what a fine fine cookie they make. Soft and a little chewy and taste just like banana bread and a just really freaking tasty. And what I really love to do with these cookies is make a batch and stick them in the freezer. Sometimes a little frozen cookie action is all a person can ask for , you know?

Anyways, these are the simplest of simple cookies that you really can make. And sure, some might argue that maybe they are not even really cookies but why do we care? They are frantic, easy to make, taste amazing and yes, are healthy and breakfast approved. A few cookies for breakfast? Yup, and we can be happy about it.

Now to the cookies!

The stuff. Oats, a ripe banana, some cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

Place about a third of the oats into a bowl or food processor and blend for a few seconds until oats become a chunky flour texture. Add in the banana(peeled) and the cinnamon and blend until incorporated. Next add in the rest of the oats and just mix together with a spoon until completely the mixtures is completely incorporated.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes will you preheat the oven.

Once oven is preheated scoop ball of dough onto a lined baking sheet . With your fingers or a fork, squish each one down a bit flat. Note. These cookies do not spread at all.

Pop cookie into oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.

Out of the oven and ready to go.

Cooling on a rake cause that what cookies need to do. And then you eat them cause that is what you need to do.

-C

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banana oat cookies

Makes about a dozen smaller cookies

• 1 very ripe bananas

• 1 1/3 cups oats

• a pinch of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Place about a third of the oats and the pinch of salt into a food processor or bowl (if using a hand blender) and blend until the oats have become a chunky flour texture. Add in the banana and blend until incorporated. Next add in the rest of the oats, and the cinnamon and mix together with a spoon unitl completely incorporated.

Let mixture sit while you preheat oven to 350

Once oven is preheated, scoop dough onto a parchment or splat mat lined baking sheet. Using your fingers or a fork, gently flatten each cookie (they will not spread). Place cookie into oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire rake to cool.

Eats for a snack, a dessert, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Great smeared with a little peanut butter or chocolate. Also I love to store them in freezer. Something about a frozen banana cookie…

Chocolate Pear Cake

I just love a pretty cake and this cake sure is pretty.

It is a chocolate cake with pears sunken into it. A cake made of necessity because I had (and still do) a giant bowl of pears on the counter that need to be eaten. I love the pears, they are delicious, but I can’t possible eat all of them before I end up having to just sauce them all. (I think most of the rest are gonna be sauce) Plus it is finally not stupid hot out and I am getting that cool weather, hang at home with a sweater on, all the apples and pumpkins, fall time feeling that included the itch to bake things. That feeling, it’s coming on strong and I’ll be honest here, I am soooo over summer. Bring on the fall!

Also, note about cake. Because each piece has half a pear sunken into it, I would there by think that this cake might actually be considered a health food. (hehehe) Yeeeah, no, but it is good. The mr already ate half.

Now to the cake!

The stuff. In the bowl there is flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon. Also need brewed coffee, sugar, oil, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, and some little pears.

Make cake bater. Whisk together all the dry until really really mixed and there are no clumps then add in all the wet.

Mixed and ready batter.

Now cut the pears in half and remove the stem and seeds. Slice each half into 1/4 inch thick pieces but keep each sliced pear together.

And sure, some people might say, should I peel the pears? And the answer is no, you should not, but you can if you want. But don’t. Unless you want to.

Place the sliced cut havles cake down into the batter. Make them look pretty.

Then into the hot oven it goes to bake.

Wow wow! So pretty! Now let it cool a bit.

When cooled off, cut into pieces. Each piece gets a pear.

Cake on plate, grab a fork, and eat.

-C

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Chocolate Pear Cake

• 4-5 small pears (like Forelle Pear or another smaller variety)

• 41 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil

• 1 1/4 cups hot coffee

• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350

Start with cutting up the pear. Cut each pear in half, remove all seeds and the stem, then slice each half into 4-5 1/2 inch thin pieces, keeping the pieces of each half together.

Grab a big bowl and dump in the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk well until completely combined and there are no clumps of cocoa of flour. Now add in the oil, vanilla, coffee, and vinegar and mix until just combined. Pour batter into a well greased pan. (use a 9x9 or 8 inch round)

Grab cut up pear halves and place halves, cut side down into the batter. 3 across and 3 down, or just any way that you think looks pretty. And once you got your pears in, place the pan into the oven. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until you get a clean fork when poked for doneness.

Remove from oven and let cool for a bit on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut it up and eat it

Left over cake is good covered at room temperature for a day or two but should be sorted in fridge, covered, for up to a week.