Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Coleslaw With Avocado and Pumpkin Seeds

It's not that boring type coleslaw you can order in every restaurant. It's a healthy version of complete meal I often choose as a dinner.  Nutritionally balanced and delicious, it is also a flexible and easy to cook option for after work meal at home.

Blog's Category: Effortless, Healthy, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian



My usual dinner is Big Salad as known in my house. Anything can go there, from a piece of cabbage left from cooking borsch to frozen edamame or tortilla chips leftovers. The magic is in the fact it's always delicious! But sometimes, like this time, my spontaneous salad turn out really well - not that many ingredients, very well balanced and, of course, delicious. It makes me want to document it and share with you, so here we are, Coleslaw with Avocado and Pumpkin Seeds. 

Coleslaw with Avocado and Pumpkin Seeds

For one huge, one-meal salad:
  • 2  cups of nice, preferably young, crispy and juicy, cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 carrot, grated
  • 1 Persian cucumber (about 6 inch)
  • 1/2 avocado, peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
Dressing:
  • 1 tbsp liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos (or 1/2 tsp sugar)
  • 1 tsp dill (fresh, frozen or dried)
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tbsp water
- On your dinner plate, place all ingredients in layers in the order above.
- Make dressing combining all ingredients with whisk.
- Pour over the salad and dig in. Enjoy!


Notes:

- Don't shy away from the recipe just because I use not so common ingredients such as vegan staples Liquid Aminos and Coconut Aminos. Use Low sodium soy sauce and sugar instead. But I insist you try those aminos, they are delicious and healthy. You can find them in any good grocery store such as Whole Foods, Giant Eagle etc. Liquid Aminos has really great umami taste, Coconut Aminos  are more on a sweet side and can be added as dressing ingredient balancing acidic ingredients such as vinegar in this recipe.

- This is the basic recipe, which can be easily expended by adding additional ingredients, such as tomatoes, other veggies, nuts, seeds or legumes, croutons etc  But I'd like you to know that this salad is perfect as it is, with a minimum ingredients and maximum satisfaction.

- One note of warning. You have to have a good quality cabbage, crispy and juicy. This recipe, in fact was born from a simple event - at a local market, my favorite Sweet Berry market, I come across the most beautiful cabbage I ever seen. It was labeled Dutch Cabbage, huge, about 12 inches in diameter, flat-shaped, shiny, crispy and light on weigh when I took it in my hands. See picture of this beauty below. If you ever see this kind of cabbage, grab it and make fresh salads, non-stop, like this one!


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IN PICTURES

 Young cabbage, like this, is yellowish inside, becoming greener toward outside layers. It's light, airy, crispy and juicy. It can be eaten as is, just like you would be bunny :)

I apologize for low quality picture with artificial light yellowish tint :) Trust to my word - this cabbage is real-deal beauty.

Dressing - easy peasy :)

It is served as layered salad. When you start eating, just stir it lightly as you eat. My camera didn't catch the presentation moment. So here it is - working one :)

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Flourless Dairy-Free Muffins

Are you up to very healthy version of muffins? Here is the recipe for fantastic, moist and delicious muffins. They are based on almond and coconut flour, use no sugar or dairy, with raisins, white chocolate morsels and pumpkin seeds added.

Blog's Category: Dessert, Healthy, Muffins, Perfect Breakfast, Vegetarian



Those are so moist and delicious! Your kids will be asking for them again and again. And the most remarkable about it is the fact these muffins are very healthy with a lot of good stuff hidden inside inside - goodness of nuts, raisins, dates, eggs, pumpkin and spices.

Flourless Dairy-Free Muffins

For about 12 small muffins:
  • 1/2  cup of dates
  • 2 tbsp blackstrep molasses (or maple syrup)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 1/3 cup of coconut oil, melted (or olive oil)
  • 1.5 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate morsels
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

- Preheat oven to 350 F

- Make date puree - pour 1 cup of boiling water over dates and let them sit while doing next steps.

- In one bowl mix together molasses, pumpkin puree, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and coconut oil.

- In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients - almond and coconut flour, baking soda and baking powder.

- Blend soaked dates to get date puree. I use immersion blender for this. Add date puree into the bowl with a wet ingredients. Stir.

- Combine wet, dry ingredients and chocolate morsels and raisin together.

- Line silicon muffin forms on a baking sheet and, using cookie scoop, distribute batter between muffin forms. Top with pumpkin seeds.

- Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated to 350 F oven.

- Enjoy!



Notes:

- Feel free to substitute raisins with any other dry fruit, such as cranberries or chopped dried apricots. Or  white chocolate with dark one. Or skip fruits and chocolate morsels all together.


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IN PICTURES