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!

Sweet and Spicy Trail Mix

The other morning I made a big patch of trail mix. Basically for the mr for when we go camping, but that didn’t stop him from eating some, not camping, but watching tv. So you see trail mix is not just for the trail! HA

A big batch of snack for any snack related needs. This trail mix is a mixture of Chex and Cherrios, pretzels, walnuts and seeds, and dried cranberries all seasoned up with some maple and smokey and spicy chili. Sweet, savory, crispy, deliciousness. What else can you ask for when snacking on a trail mix? Nothing.

To the trail mix!

The stuff. A big ass bowl of cereal. I used Cherrios, and wheat and rice Chex. Also have pretzels. walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, maple suyrup, chili powder, melted vegan butter, and salt.

Mix together the melted butter, maple, an chili powder.

Drizzle the wet mixture all over the cereal and nuts (not the cranberries) and toss until evenly coated.

Dump the mixture onto a lined baking sheet and spread it out evenly and sprinkle with salt. Pop into hot oven and bake for 3ish minutes, removing and toss after 15. After 30 minutes, keep in oven but turn oven off and crack door. Let mixture cool in oven for 15 more minutes.

And once you pull it from the oven, toss in the cranberries .

That is it.

Now it is time for you to trail mix it up.

-C

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Sweet and Spicy Trail Mix

makes about 10 cups ( a good amount to share or have on hand for a week)

• 5 cups plain Chex cereal (wheat (if not gluten free) rice, and or corn)

• 2 cups plain Cherrios

• 2 cups pretzels (any shape will do and use gluten free if you need to)

• 1 cup raw walnuts

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1 cup dried cranberries

• 1/3 cup real maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (Optional. Adds a little more heat)

• 2 tablespoon vegan butter melted

• 1-2 teaspoons flakey sea salt

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, mix together all the cereals, the pretzels, the walnuts and sunflower seeds. In a smaller bowl mix together the melted butter, maple, and chili powder. Drizzle the wet mixture all over the cereal mixture and toss with a spatula until everything is evenly coated. Dump and evenly disputemixture onto a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt.

Place mix into preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, carefully removing from the oven at 15 minutes and mixing it around. At 30 minutes, keep in oven but turn heat off. Crack oven door and let mixture cool for another 15 minutes then remove and let cool completely. Once cooled, toss in the cranberries.

Eat however much you want and then store the rest on a airtight container. Should be good and crisp for a week.

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…

Savory Carrot Dill Waffle Iron Fritters with Creamy Maple Mustard

The other day I went to grab the cookie cutters out of the pantry and had to move the waffle iron out of the way. That is basically the only reason I used the waffle iron. And just like every single time I grab it out to use, I wonder to my self why the hell I don’t use it more. Maybe it’s time to move the waffle iron to a bette spot in the pantry.

So anyway these carrot waffled fritters. Theyare so so so freaking good! I could barely stop eating them before I got a chance to take a couple pictures. So simple, yet so satisfying. Carrot and dill are such a great combo and when made into a crispy fritter situation with chickpea flour and dipped into with the maple mustard. WOW! I was going to make most of this batch for the mr for dinner but I ended up eating more then half (so I ended up making him a waffled sandwich too).

I think these carrot dill waffle fritters might just be the reason the waffle iron gets a new spot in the pantry. Heck I might even leave it out for while because I am definitely making another batch (or 3 of these before I put it away)

Now to the carrots waffle fritters!

The stuff. Carrots, a small onion, dried dill and garlic powder, chickpea flour, water, salt and pepper, maple syrup, brown mustard, vegan yogurt, and a little oil.

Maple, mustard, and vegan yogurt get mixed together and that is that. Set aside.

Shred carrots and onion into a bowl. Add in the chickpea flower, spices, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a bit of water and mix until evenly incorporated.

Ready to go

Lighy oil hot waffle iron and scoop a portion of the batter in. CLose iron and cook until the top and bottom are browned and crispy. (Use your iron settings but also check to see how the iron is cooking)

Crispy and brown and smelling so good. Remove form iron.

Fritters can go straight to plates or on a rack… Whatever you want.

But eat them. Dip or cover them in the maple mustard sauce (it is so good!) and be happy.

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Savory Carrot Dill Waffle Iron Fritters with Creamy Maple Mustard

serves 1-3

• 3-4 carrots ( 2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded)

• 1 small onion

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour

• 1 1/2 easpoon dried dill

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water

• 1 tablespoon REAL maple syrup

• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard

• 1/3 cup plant based plain yogurt

• tablespoon or so of high heat oil

Preheat waffle iron.

Mix maple, mustard, and vegan yogurt together in a small bowl and set aside.

Shred carrots into a large bowl until you have 2 1/2 to 3 cups of shedded carrot. Then shred the onion into bowl as well. Mix around then add in a pinch of salt and pepper, the dill, garlic powder, and chickpea flour.Mix tighter with lesser amount of water until everything is completely incorporated. Add a bit more water if the mixture is still dry.

To make the waffle fritters , lightly oil the iron and add a large scoop of the batter to the iron while it is hot then close and cook until the fritters are browned and crispy. Once cooked to you liking, remove the waffled fritters and place on a plate or rack and continue with the rest of the batter until it is gone.

Serve right away or warm and serve with the creamy maple mustard. Dip it in or scoop it on… It’s all good!