Inside-Out Sweet Potato Pie Fritters

There has been a lot of conflict at the dinner table lately. Anthony and I want the kids to eat; they simply don't want to. We are at an impasse. I try not to cry in frustration as they squirm as far away from their plates as possible, fall off the bench, giggle uncontrollably, make up nonsensical words, giggle again, laugh harder when we threaten and cajole.... It goes on and on and on.  I am trying to remember what Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in his "Good, Better, Best" talk: "What your children really want for dinner is you."  Me not screaming is what I assume he means.  So let's just minimize the conflict and have enjoyable family time, for goodness sake. Enough with the toddler rebellion! Bring on the pie for dinner!

Yes, these inside-out sweet potato pie fritters were actually eaten with gusto. Sawyer and Abiline usually like when I make the sweet potato pie from the Clean Foods cookbook, but the other night I did not have time to bake a pie before dinner, so I made these cheater patties on the quick and had an instant hit side-dish. Three cheers for a few moments of peace at the dinner table!

1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp.  + 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
*This made about six, three inch patties. You may want to the double the recipe if you want leftovers.

1. Cook the sweet potato until very tender in preheated 400 degree oven (takes 45-60 mins, usually, for me.) Let cool and peel off the skin.
2. Place the pumpkin seeds and 1/8 tsp. cinnamon in your food processor and pulse to form a crumbly meal.  Spread the seed crumbs onto a large plate.
3.  Clean out your food processor and then add the sweet potato, oats, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt. Puree until smooth.
4. Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Scoop out large spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture, roll them in the pumpkin seed crumbs to coat (this may be a bit messy), and place in the skillet. Fry for 2-4 minutes on each side, just until the seeds are a bit toasty. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wellness Weekend and Healthy Vegan Friday.

This is the face of my best eater by far. If only everyone were so content eating the same thing day in and day out...

Lemon Poppyseed Secret Squash Quinoa Muffins

Today was not the happiest day in Mommyville: lots of hitting by one eldest child, some serious tantrum action by the second, and I'm starting to tire of the baby-weight from number three.  I don't feel like I accomplish much more than constant chastising on some days. Which is why I think I keep writing this blog even though I'm certainly never going to be blog-famous--it makes me feel like I did something productive. At least I managed to nourish these dear children that are nearly impossible to feed!

I have posted a squash lemon poppyseed bread before, but this new edition is more nutritionally dense with the addition of chickpeas and quinoa. They are low in sugar as well!  The kids ate them without complaint, and I felt like I had at least had one small victory this day...

 


1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. stevia powder
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup plain non-dairy milk
1/2 Tbsp. lemon extract
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 small yellow squash, finely grated
1/3 cup poppyseeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 12 muffin cups.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and stevia.
3. In a food processor or blender, blend together the quinoa, chickpeas, non-dairy milk, lemon extract, lemon zest and juice, coconut oil, and maple syrup until smooth.
4. Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir just until completely combined. Fold in the poppy seeds and squash. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks before serving.

Here are some of our happier moments recently...

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday,  Whole Food Wednesday and Wellness Weekend.

Sunflower Seed Ranch Roasted Chickpeas

Emelise Marie was born 5 1/2 weeks ago, and I am slowly figuring out how to do life with three kids. After months of ignoring all the cooking blog posts in my inbox, I like food again and am starting to find time to putter around in the kitchen, trying to satisfy that seemingly insatiable nursing mother's appetite in healthy ways.

In the first few weeks after Emie's birth, when I was in full recovery mode, Anthony did the grocery shopping. I sent him to the store for some dried beans, and he came home with about $50 worth.
(I should have been more specific as to how much exactly we needed.) As a result, I have been seeking ideas for new ways to use chickpeas. When I ran across a post for BBQ-ranch pizza on the Sweet Roots blog, the thought occurred to me that BBQ ranch roasted chickpeas may be good. So I gave it a try tonight, whipping up a sunflower-seed based sauce instead of the usual tofu-based. I couldn't stop munching them! We did try them on top of pizza, which was yummy, but I think I prefer to eat them straight so that the flavor is undiluted.

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed, if canned)
1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4. tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried dill
dash of pepper
3-4 Tbsp. plain non-dairy milk, to thin

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In your food processor or blender, blend all of the ingredients except the chickpeas, starting with 3 Tbsp. milk and adding more if necessary to get a smooth, dressing-like consistency.
3. In a medium bowl, add the chickpeas and blended sunflower seed ranch and stir to evenly coat all the beans.
4. Spread the chickpeas out in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Flip them around and then bake for 20 mins. more. They are done when golden and a bit caramelized.

This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesday  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday Allergy-Friendly Friday 
Wellness Weekend.  

Jelly Donut Pancakes

I had been dreaming about chocolate chocolate chip pancakes all night, but of course when I mentioned pancakes in the morning, Sawyer insisted on the white ones.  Bummer for me, until I thought up this yummy idea of putting jam on the inside and powdered sugar on the outside for a healthier take on the donut treat.  Sorry gluten-free folks--I made these with whole wheat flour because I live in gratitude daily that we actually aren't allergic to that, but you could certainly try subbing your favorite GF flour blend.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. preferred sweetener (I used evaporated cane juice.)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
A few Tbsp. jam of choice
1/3 cup powdered sugar

1.  In your food processor, combine flour, oats, seeds, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until oats and sunflower seeds are completely ground up.
2. Add the coconut oil and buzz until crumbly. Then add the milk, sweetener, and vanilla and process just until smooth.
3. Heat your pancake griddle or frying pan over medium heat and drop large spoonfuls of batter onto the heated pan. Dollop about a tsp. of jam in the middle of each pancake and then cover up the jam with a bit more batter. Flip when bubbles form around the edges and cook for about 2 mins. more on the other side, until just lightly browned.
4. Let the pancakes cool for a few minutes so as to not melt the sugar. Spread powdered sugar onto a large plate and place pancakes one by one in the sugar, lightly coating each side. Serve warm--no butter or syrup needed!

We decided we were tired of the cold and pretended it was summer all morning. The kids even wore their bathing suits to the grocery store. Heck, I already get enough looks from people as it is with all the ruckus we make going up and down the aisles while struggling through crises of lost gum in hair, towers of bread and beans tumbling from the cart, wails of despair for unrequited cookie cravings, etc.--I figure I might as well give people something to really snigger about!

This recipe is shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Allergy-Free Wednesday.

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Caramel

Oh, you mean to tell me that it isn't fall anymore?  Well, while this post is a bit late, and pumpkin is not all over the stores in February, I didn't want to wait another year to share this recipe. My kids don't wait until Halloween to play dress-up, so why wait until autumn-time to enjoy the magic of pumpkin caramel? This makes a great filling for ridiculously simple oatmeal bars, or you can use it as a fruit dip, or just eat it out of the pan like Abiline did.  It is thick, creamy, and sweet, with no butter or sugar. And easy to make, too!



1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup, packed, pitted dates
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the dates are very soft.
2. Add the vanilla extract and transfer the mixture to your food processor or blender. Puree until totally smooth. Enjoy!



Now that I've got you in the mood, I'll take this opportunity to reminisce about our autumn adventures. It doesn't seem that long ago, considering that we just finally threw out our pumpkins last week.   Happy Halloween in February, everyone!

  This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, and Wellness Weekend.

Still Alive and Cooking...A Little

So, my "farewell to food" has lasted much longer than anticipated.  Suffice it to say, I have never really gotten over my nausea with this pregnancy.  I do not know how my poor family has survived the many regrettable meals that I have thrown together over the last few months. I do not need to go into detail about the green sludge from Saturday night: I'm not sure who cried more about having to eat it--me or the kids. The good news is that, hopefully, in the next two to three weeks, my baby "bun" will be out of my oven, and food will become good again!

While overall I have been completely uninspired in the kitchen, there have been some rare occasions when I created something worth making again. These gluten-free, sneaky ingredient chocolate chip cookies were a big hit with the Sawyer and Abiline crowd, who, as you can see below, are as cute and nutty as ever.  I even liked these little treats.  It's a funny thing--while most food has been unpalatable, chocolate has kept its appeal for me. Good ol' chocolate: a pal through thick and thin!

 

Beanie Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes about a dozen cookies)

1 1/4 cup buckwheat groats, ground
1 tsp. baking powder
rounded 1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates (about 6)
1 cup white beans (rinsed and drained, if canned)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3-1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Grind your buckwheat groats in your food processor. Measure to make sure you have enough to equal the 1 1/4 cup, then add the baking powder, salt, and coconut sugar, and buzz to mix them all together.
3. Add the dates, beans, vanilla, and coconut oil to the dry ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well incorporated and evenly moistened. Mix in the chocolate chips with a spoon.
4. Form into a dozen balls, place them on the prepared pan, and flatten them slightly with your palms. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden on the bottom.

Did I say the kids are nutty? I take it back; Abiline is very serious about her chap-stick. (This one from Grandma was a bit too much like lipstick...)

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, and Wellness Weekend.

A Farewell to Food

I think I need to do a quick post here to explain the absence of any new recipes to anyone who reads my blog.  A few weeks ago in church I started to feel that particular nausea that can only mean one thing: Yep, baby number three is on the way.  I have been so sick that my bile rises if I even go near the fridge, so Anthony has taken over almost all kitchen duties.  With my first two pregnancies, my nausea lasted well into the second trimester, so there will be no new recipes anytime soon. Sorry, folks! I'll be in touch when I am closer to having another adorable mouth to feed...