Tofu-Avocado Salad + GF Day 1

One of the most popular recipes on this blog is Avocado-Egg Salad. And for good reason -- that sandwich is dynamite. Now, as I look back on the most recent recipes I've been giving you guys, almost all of them are for cookies, scones, breads, or some other flour-heavy concoction. One-track mind, I guess.

So, in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, here's something GREEN!

TOFU-AVOCADO SALAD
vegan alternative to Avocado-Egg Salad

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 block of extra firm tofu, drained and ripped into chunks 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced out of skin in chunks
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard 
• 1 tablespoon dill, fresh or dry
• Juice of 1/2 to a whole lime, depending on your preference
• Salt + pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Vegenaise (you can also try Tahini!)

Method . . .

1. Put all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. 
2. Note: You can play around with the seasonings to fit your specific preferences. We never make it the same way twice.
3. Then just blend all ingredients together using a knife. More about this technique, check out my Easy Guacamole recipe. I learned it from one of my writing professors in college. 
4. Then eat on its own or use it to top crackers, toasted bread or inside wraps, etc.

I didn't get a great photo of the finished product, but it really just looks a mess like in that last process picture. Makes two gigantic servings or four "normal" ones. We ate ours in Mission Wraps, which I've said goodbye to in this gluten-free adventure.

GLUTEN-FREE

Tofu's gluten-free, right? I mean, I know it is -- I think? -- but I feel like everywhere I look, gluten is lurking. In oats of all places (though we have a package of Bob's Red Mill GF), soy sauce (really???), malt vinegar, some dairy products, etc. Crazy. Just crazy.

I'm going to do the best I can for the next 28 days, but I would like to note that I do not think I have a gluten sensitivity. I got a couple emails urging me not to "self-diagnose" -- which I'm certainly not doing. This period away from gluten is purely to get myself off eating TOO much of a good thing.

Overindulging in chocolate or alcohol or carrots or anything, for that matter, wouldn't be a good thing either . . .

I would say almost all our meals revolve around bread in some capacity. If you go back a few pages in the archives, you'll see what I mean. Naan buns for veggie burgers, pizzas, dinner rolls, scones + waffles for breakfast, the list goes on. Truth is, I got lazy with my cooking. It's easier to grab a slab of crusty bread than it is to take time stir-frying up some veggies.

I will not be going totally gluten-free at the end of the short experiment, I'm just hoping to gain some fresh perspective and start thinking OUTSIDE the bread box.

I'm also seeking . . .

• Better digestion. My stomach is upset a lot of the time and I feel bloated constantly. Maybe from the inflammatory properties in gluten, maybe not. I think this might also have to do with too much salt intake. 
• Beer, too. I have a beer a day -- but I'd like to swap that for wine or cut out alcohol entirely more nights of the week and see if my stomach feels better. (However, any suggestions on good GF beers? I hear Dog Fish makes one.)
• Brighter skin + aura of health. Yes. I just wrote that. I feel dull inside and out. Like the bread soaked the life-juice out of me. 
• Alternative carbohydrate sources to fuel running. I don't need to eat half a large pizza the night before a race, eh? There's got to be other, high-quality foods that can help my running performance.
• More variety in the foods my family eats. I still want to eat pizza every week, but I think we could mix it up a bit and try cauliflower crust and other swaps every now and again. More veggies = more nutrients = healthier family with or without bread.
• Energy. I guess this is an overarching thing -- but my energy levels aren't, well, level at all. I go through lots of peaks and valleys, and I think sugar consumption is also to blame. Of course I can still eat sugar without the gluten, but I think it will be at least slightly more difficult, thereby making me think twice before baking a huge chocolate cake.
• Fewer cravings. Apparently "Eating grains makes you crave grains and sugar since grains break down into sugar, they create a rise in insulin levels when those levels fall you crave more grains and, thus, the vicious cycle continues" (Source).

A lot of how I'll be "measuring" the results of this experiment is by feel. I won't necessarily do measurements or weight because that's not my primary goal. Also, I've started weight training and have been simultaneously getting fitter and heavier with the added muscle, so I don't think it'd be an accurate gauge anyway.


I suppose I'll update you guys a little bit after most of my posts. I hope you enjoyed the Tofu + Avocado Salad recipe. It's a sign of more vibrant, healthy foods to come this month and beyond.

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Stephen's Garden Hummus

I came down to the kitchen after a shower to find THIS in our food processor.

I knew was he was up to, but I'm always amazed at how many ingredients Stephen can toss into a hummus recipe. His results are always delicious. But it's so different from how I approach making the spread.

After adding some water and blending until smooth, we had THIS to enjoy for dinner with a plate of veggies and pita bread:


What's in the mix:

• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 1 small onion (or several tiny ones from your garden)
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons tahini
• Water

How THIS guy makes it:

1. Toss all ingredients into a food processor. (You may wish to add the salt and pepper last.)
2. Add water slowly -- tablespoons at a time while blending -- until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. NOTE: Makes enough for several lunches and dinners.

Stephen's so fantastic at making up his hummus recipes, we simply can't eat store-bought anymore. It just doesn't taste as good. Stephen's is custom (and he's particularly proud to have used onions and parsley from our garden!). Plus, we can make a TON of it on the cheap.

All this chickpea mash has me scheming up new hu-mousse -- dessert hummus -- ideas! Hmmmmm . . .

And today on (never home)maker, baby! I wrote all about all the ways my third trimester is reminding me of my first. Not exactly a good thing, but -- unlike in the first tri -- we're getting closer to our due date!!!

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Tahini-Fudge Squares

What happens when you . . .

a.) are hungry for sweets, but impatient?
AND
b.) run out of peanut butter, but still crave something more than simple chocolate?

You get creative -- no-bake style. With tahini! (Really. Just keep reading. This seemingly icky flavor combo is actually quite amazing.)

TAHINI-FUDGE SQUARES

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method . . .

1. Line an 8 x 8 square pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse together the rolled oats, walnuts, and coconut flakes. You want to form a fine meal.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, tahini, and coconut oil. Heat at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted together.
4. Add your vanilla extract and maple syrup to the chocolate mixture and stir.
5. Then, in a large bowl, add the oat mixture and chocolate mixture together. Start with a spatula. It will be thick -- so you may wish to eventually just use your hands to combine it.
6. Toss the chocolate-tahini ball into your prepared pan and press it down until it is even and smooth (you may wish to use another piece of plastic wrap to help you do this).
7. Then cover and let set in the refrigerator until firm.
8. Cut into squares. Store in the fridge.

The texture is just like fudge. However, I sometimes find fudge boring, so I like the slight crunch from the walnuts, oats, and coconut flakes. (The nutrition doesn't hurt either!) The flavor isn't something that I had experienced before. Sort of like a peanut-butter-and-chocolate-grows-up taste.

I also like how with this dessert, a little goes a long way. I have this immense capacity to gorge myself with sugar. With these, I take a few bites . . . and I'm good. Hopefully they'll last more than just a couple days, which is what's typically the case in our house.


If you're looking for something a bit healthier, check out yesterday's Apple-Oat Bars. I'm having one again for breakfast today! And on (never home)maker, baby! you can check out my latest craft project for the nursery.

I'll give you a hint: It rhymes with kilt.

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Finally! Mayo-Less Egg Salad

I hate, hate, hate mayonnaise. I love, love, love egg salad. There's an easy solution, though, that works extremely well and tastes great. Just use TAHINI! I know it sounds incredibly weird. But I'm starting to use tahini in everything. You may have noticed it in the veggie stromboli recipe we just posted. So, if you're game, you definitely should try this recipe, too. I promise you won't gag. You won't think it tastes bad. Not even for a second.

In fact, you'll probably fall in love and want to discover even more uses for tahini. It's not just for hummus anymore!


First we need to cover how to hard boil an egg (or 5). There are many methods, but this is the one that's worked best for me . . .

1. Put your eggs into a stock pot. Cover with an inch of cold water.
2. Bring water to a boil, then immediately remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 13 minutes.
3. Then transfer to a bowl of very cold water. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. My dad has a trick: Stream a little cold water in the whole time (it's somewhat wasteful, but keeps the temp cold).
5. Then put in a container (or baggie) and refrigerate. You can also eat warm, if you like.

By following this method, you'll likely have some awesome hard boiled eggs to enjoy alone or in this egg salad recipe.

THE MAYO-LESS EGG SALAD

What you'll need . . .

• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled, of course
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 to 2 teaspoons brown mustard
• Half a tomato, chopped
• Handful of spinach, chopped
• A bowl and a fork
• A bagel or English muffin

Method . . .

1. Put the eggs and all other ingredients in a bowl.
2. Use the fork to mash everything together.
3. Toast a bagel or English muffin and serve the sandwich open-faced.
4. Marvel at your creativity and enjoy!

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READER SPOTLIGHT: Eating, Gardening and Living in Bulgaria

My name is Casey Angelova and I am an American living in Bulgaria. I have a blog called Eating, Gardening and Living in Bulgaria, which I write about my adventures learning to cook, grow and live in abroad. Today I would like to share with you all two vegan recipes from my blog.


The first is a beet and cashew croquette with tahini sauce. 10 years ago, I made a beet salad, which was my first beet experience and I wasn't too crazy about it. However, I've since warmed up to them. While not really a croquette, this dish was inspired by a restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria. I tried, rather successfully to re-create the recipe.

You can find all the details and instructions here.


The second recipe I'd like to share is a dessert. Though it was a challenge to use dates, ginger, and couscous in a recipe, I came put with a tasty vegan pudding.

You can find the recipe here.


Casey's blog is all about the the trial and error process of learning how to cook, grow and live in Bulgaria. If you'd like to check out more, just visit http://www.caseyangelova.com/. If you'd like to be considered for a Reader Spotlight, just check out our info post with all the gooey details.

PS: Image credit for the map of Bulgaria is here.

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Green Hummus

Over the past year -- and likely longer -- we've been seeing all these new types of hummus pop up at the grocery store. There's even edamame hummus -- crazy times we live in, right?! We rarely (if ever) buy hummus in the store. We just love making it too much . . . and all these new flavors have served as inspiration for our at-home spread making.

Instead of chickpeas, this "hummus" uses peas and spinach for the bulk of its flavor. A healthy dose of tahini and garlic powder round it all out nicely, too. I was certainly skeptical at first. I mean, what would it taste like? Would it be a case of trying to make something way too healthy . . . and then backfire? Nope. The best part about it is that there's little salt (yay!) . . . and you'll also enjoy your greens.


What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup peas (I use frozen and just defrosted them first)
• 2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Method . . .

1. Easy: Blend everything until smooth.

Use as you would any hummus, really. I like mine in a melt. But it would also be great with veggies. I'm sure you can use different seasonings to achieve another kind of flavor. Now that I've mastered making spreads with different types of veggies, I want to try even more interesting combinations. I'm sure you'll all hear more about it soon!

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Garbanzo Bean Salad

I'm loving that you are all enjoying my food diary! I wasn't sure how it'd go, but I'm enjoying it, too. It's one thing to write down the things I eat in a day. And -- confession time -- sometimes in the past when I simply wrote down my intake, I'd LIE to myself. Trust me, it doesn't make sense to me either, but I'd conveniently leave out things like . . . well . . . five cookies. Hahah.

So, the photos are keeping me honest. And in the spirit of honesty, I need to add an 80 calorie serving of bittersweet chocolate chips to yesterday's mix. (I ate them after the post.)

And if you've missed Day 1 and Day 2 of my food diary, feel free to check them out ASAP.


Anyway, lots of you want the garbanzo bean salad recipe. I anticipated this. After all, a good lunch recipe can make your day (just like it did mine). This dish packs around 600 to 650 calories. Sounds like a lot, but when you consider that it keeps you full all day (and who says you need to eat it all in one sitting? I picked at it throughout the day), it's worth trying out.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (I used Xagave, but you could also use honey)
• 1 tablespoon almond milk (or other substitute)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
• Pepper (to taste)

Method . . .

1. In a medium bowl, toss garbanzo beans, carrots, basil, and coconut flakes.
2. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the tahini, agave, and almond milk.
3. Add sauce to veggies/etc., toss, and season with pepper as desired.

The only critique I have of this recipe is that it packs 45% of your daily sodium intake. I guess I didn't realize canned garbanzos have so much salt in them! The good news is that my salt intake yesterday -- not counting this recipe -- was minimal. I'm trying to be more conscious of adding salt to everything (which I started to do this year for some reason). However, the next time we hit the store, I'm going to pick up some dried chickpeas and use them. From now on. After reading this info, I want to use less of the canned variety. There's so much more nutrition when you take a little more time to revive the dried.

So, whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's immensely tasty. Incredibly easy. Unique in flavor. And easily adaptable -- try it with other veggies and fruits (raisins would be a nice addition), and let me know all about it! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

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Black-Eyed Pea Stew

It's easy in fall and winter to devote early Sunday afternoons to chopping veggies to throw into the crock pot. When it's super sunny and 80+ degrees F, however, the last thing on my mind is slow cooking. The heat emanating from the pot isn't comforting and cozy. No, it's just plain awful. And usually the recipes I make in my crock pot and heavy and thick. Just the kind of food I try to steer clear of on a hot day in May.

But this past weekend, I decided to deal with it. To spend some time gathering unused ingredients from the refrigerator and putting them together to make something edible. We had so much yard work to do, so I didn't worry about the heat from the pot bothering me. I'd be outside -- far, far away. I used fresh veggies and a light broth to get over my notion that all slow cooker food must be dense.

You know what? I'm ever-so thankful I got over my slow-cooker-is-only-good-in-cold-weather attitude. Because at the end of the day, we dined on this divine black-eyed pea stew. We used up all the almost-past-their-prime veggies . . . and even had some stew left over for lunches this week.


What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups dry black-eyed peas (BOOM BOOM POW!) -- plus water for prep.
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 2 cans of water (just fill up the empty veggie broth can to measure)
• 1 can of unsalted corn, drained
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 medium to large head of broccoli, each floret quartered (like above)
• 1/2 a medium white onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. Soak the black-eyed peas (BOOM BOOM POW!) overnight. Or, if you don't plan for these sorts of things (like me), fill a medium pot with about 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Throw in the dry peas and let cook for 2 minutes. Take off heat and let sit while you prepare everything else.
2. Pour the vegetable broth, water, corn, broccoli, and onion in the crock pot. Mix and then turn to high and let cook for half an hour to an hour.
3. Then add the black-eyed peas (BOOM BOOM POW!) spices, salt, etc. Stir and go do something outside! Simply let cook until the peas are soft. Which is around 3 hours (stirring occasionally -- also checking on seasonings).
4. Enjoy with pumpkin garlic knots.

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