Carrot Walnut Cookies

In my opinion there are two definitions to
'I want a Cookie'

Definition #1:  Give me a cookie loaded with butter, sugar, chocolate chips, chewy on the inside, crisp on the edges, as big as my head cause this day really sucked

Definition #2: I am craving something sweet to have with my afternoon tea...but if I eat a cookie and trash my clean eating I am going to punch myself in the face cause I work SO hard in the gym I want to eat in a way that supports my training efforts :)

#2 is ...well..not as fun.  Sometimes #1 is just the only option.  Everyone deserves a cookie.  Nuff Said.

I for one really like cookies.
Especially with tea (yay tea)
But sugar cookies always make me feel yuck
I am always searching for a cookie that makes me feel good and fills my cookie cravings
I think this is a good example of this type of cookie
THIS is cookie you could eat for BREAKFAST!
THIS in my opinion is a clean cookie!
THIS is a cookie you could feed your tiny kids without loading them with sugar which might often result in high pitched screeching noises and bouncing off the walls...which can often lead to you wanting to punch yourself in the face.....
See this common theme of how I am trying to discourage you from beating yourself up
*helping*
Without further adieu....the recipe

Carrot Walnut Cookies:

1 Cup Raw Unsalted Walnuts
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Rice Flour (you can sub Whole wheat flour, or Spelt or any flour you like)
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 Carrots, grated
1 Apple, grated
1/2 Very ripe Banana, mashed
1/4 Cup liquid Egg white (you can sub juice or even water if you want)

Making Cookie time:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Combine Walnuts, Oats, and Raisins in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
2.  Stir in flour, Baking powder, Cinnamon, and Ginger.  Whisk to combine.
3.  Next add the grated Carrots, grated Apple, mashed Banana, and liquid egg whites.  Stir with large wooden spoon till totally combined.
4.  Drop by rounded Tablespoon full's onto parchment lined cookie sheet (or silicone mat).
5.  Press down on each cookie with the back of a fork or spoon to slightly squish.

Bake 20-25 minutes till Browned.

Your house will now smell like carrot cake yummy cookies
your welcome!

Enjoy!
xoxo
Ashie Girl

Stinging Nettle Soup & Quinoa Breakfast Bites

Growing up I think my sisters and I lived a pretty charmed life
We grew on a little Island off of Vancouver Island
My parents chose a very basic lifestyle
They worked hard *understatement* and did some pretty crazy stuff to make it all work at times
When I say basic I mean ....No running water, electricity ...My parents worked hard to live off the land and to this day still grow a crazy summer garden that they harvest and store and reap the benefits of all year.  Aside from their garden they taught us to harvest things that grew naturally around us.  Things like Berries, mushrooms, and in the spring time Nettles.
Nettles are high in vitamins and minerals Super Super good for you
Wild food!
You can pick your own Nettles easily.  You will definitely want to wear gloves!  Just from working with my nettles last night my fingers are still pins and needles...If you have ever used nettles or picked them you will know what I mean.  It feels like your fingers have fallen asleep.
HOW TO PICK NETTLES???  You only want to pick the young nettle leaves, so springtime is the best time for nettle foraging.  Be sure to wear gloves to avoid stings!!!  Only pick nettles that are below knee-hight, and then just take the flowering tops, with the smallest leaves.  Just cut off the top of the nettle, stem and all.  Take home and you are ready to dry them to make tea, or just cook them up in any dish you want treating them just like spinach.
My Mom went out and picked nettles the other day and was awesome enough to bring me a big bag.
I decided I wanted to make a nice spring soup
Of course I want to share the pic's and recipe!!!
I also made some quinoa breakfast bites from a quick recipe I found on the net.

Nettle Soup:

2 Handfulls young Nettle Tops & Leaves
2 medium Onions, Chopped
1 medium Potato, peeled and chopped
2 Cloves Garlic
6 Cups veggie Stock
1 Pinch pf Nutmeg

1.  First Blanch your nettles and drain
2.  Saute Onions and garlic till translucent in a large pot or dutch oven
3.  Add Potato, stock, and nettles.  Bring to a boil, reduce and cover to simmer for 15 mins or so until potato's are soft .
4.  Process in a blender till smooth.  Add more stock if you desire a thinner soup.


Quinoa Breakfast Bites:

1 Banana
2 Squeezes of Liquid stevia
1 tsp flax meal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup of pre cooked Quinoa
3 TBSP Rice Flour
Pecans or almonds to finish

-Mash your banana in a large bowl.  mix in all other ingredients adding quinoa and rice flour last.  Scoop using a Tablespoon form into balls lining them up on a lined cookie sheet.  Squish into patties adding a nut to the top of each one.  Bake at 350 for 10 mins until golden around the edges
Enjoy!

Beet Tahini

BEETS!!!!
Reasons to eat beets....
ehheemm

1.  They are yummy
2.  They are the prettiest colour arent they?!
3.  No seriously though....Beets are super nutritious.  Both Beets and Beet greens are low in calories while being rich in nutrients and fibre :)
Nutrients like......

Folate

Beets and beet greens are both good sources of folate.

Folate is said to pay a major role in cancer prevention :)

Potassium

Potassium is an important mineral for heart function, nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction research suggests that higher dietary potassium intake may decrease the risk for stroke and help prevent osteoporosis.

Magnesium

Beets and beet greens also provide magnesium, a vital mineral for bone health and deriving energy from the food you eat.

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene functions as a potent antioxidant. 

ANNNNNDDD they are yummy and a very pretty colour

Here is a recipe for Beet Tahini

I highly recommend roasting up a couple of beets

whipping this yummy dip up

chop some colourful veggies

set on your kitchen counter in plain sight or dinner table pre dinner hour

and just watch those veggies disappear!!!

kid and meat and potato man have eaten their veggies before dinner has even happened 

Aren't you clever ;) 

......SSSSuper mom 

Yeah you are!!! 

Beet Tahini

Ingredients:

2 beets

Juice of 2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup tahini

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

1. Wash and trim, but don’t peel, the beets, then wrap each one in tin foil and toss it in the oven for 45-60 minutes, until a knife can easily pierce each beet.  Once the beets have cooled enough to handle, rub them with your thumbs and the skins should come off easily.

2.  Roughly chop the beets and the garlic and put both in the bowl of a food processor.  Give them a quick pulse to start breaking down the beets.

3.  Add the tahini and lemon juice and puree until smooth.  Taste and adjust salt as desired.  Serve cold or room temperature with crackers or raw vegetables.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Asia Girl

Post Workout Pancakes

Post Workout Pancakes 

THese are Too Good!!!

Nutritional Info per one Pancake:

(Recipe makes 2 Pancakes)

79 Calories, 1 gram Fat, 3 grams Fiber, 16 Carbs, 9 grams Protein

Ingredients: 

1 Medium sized Banana, mashed

3 Egg Whites 

1/2 Cup Blueberries

1. In a small Bowl mash Banana

2. Add Egg and combine

3. Heat Frying pan med heat

4. Add 1/2 of the mixture and top with 1/2 of blueberries COVER with a lid :)

5. Cook each side until golden..

The hardest part of this recipe is flipping the thing 

You gotta do it fast 

6. Top each pancake with a bit of greek yogurt or maybe some nut butter :) mmmmmmm

You gotta try this!   

Tomato Soup

I really like Tomato soup .....But I am pretty picky about soup ....
Grego would agree the word picky can barely describe how ridiculous I get when we are talking about Asia's food choices...this man is seriously the MOST patient person on this planet! 
I dont mind store bought ...like the kind you buy in the nice tetra packs in the Natural Food section of the grocery mart...Organic Carrot Cashew Ginger...or Butternut squash 
These are passable...but when I flip the carton to inspect the ingredient list and sugar is up there as the second ingredient or something ridiculous like that...sometimes its a deal breaker and it never makes it into my cart
Carrot soup is just TOO easy to make and costs so little 
Tomato soup I am picky too 
I dont want soup that tastes like tomato sauce ....like icky and acidic 
or loaded with sugar...cream ...or thickeners 
yuck 
I want smooth and velvety perfect ripe pretty Roma tomatoes 
This soup works 
quick to make 
and if you want you can put a bit of milk or cream...or cashew cream (cashew butter and warm water) 
to create a thickness that some just gotta have when it comes to Tomato 

This recipe has Sun dried Tomatoes, just a bit of Tomato paste, and just a lil bit of cinnamon
that gives a crazy boost of flavour and warmth to make you feel cozy 
I made some Rice cookies too for a bit of an easy grab and go carb for this weeks soup lunches 
They are kinda boring but I think will do the trick for me ...they are just 2 cups of rice flour mixed with 1/2 Cup warm water then shaped into little cookies and squished with a fork.  Baked @ 400 for 20 mins.

INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil – 1 tbs.
• Garlic, minced – 4 cloves 
• Onion, chopped – 2
• Tomato paste – 2 tbs.
• Diced tomatoes, drained – 2 28 oz. can (I like Muir Glen)
• Sun-dried tomatoes – 8
• Chicken stock or vegetable broth – 3 to 4 cups (In my picture this is what is thawing in   the mason Jars...homemade Veggie broth)
• Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp.
• Cream or Milk (optional) –  1/2

Make it :)

1. Heat a Large Pot or Dutch oven over med-high heat.
2.  Add olive oil and then minced garlic to heated oil. Once you can smell the garlic, add the onions with a pinch of salt and the tomato paste. Saute for 3 minutes. The sugars from the tomato paste helps to caramelize the onions, creating extra sweetness
3. Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp. salt, and enough stock to cover all ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 10 minutes
4. Let the soup cool and then puree.  Stir in cinnamon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and top with cream if using

You can also repurpose this soup as a sauce if you like.

Great for Bodo pizza's 

OR with pasta with a bit of fresh grated Parmesan 

Maybe even throw some cooked Chicken in there too

Pretty great soup

Pretty great sauce too!

Enjoy 

xoxo

Asia Girl 

Invention??? Low GI Tortillas !!!

Today....I declare is Tortilla TUESDAY
Because ToDAY
I think I invented something!!!

The reason I (ahhhemmm I THINK) invented it is....
You see my friends .......I like Carbohydrates
I DO know the best ones to eat....
Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Yams
They are all low glycemic
AND that of course is what I want to support all my hard work!
Waking up at 5 am to destroy the weights in my Young Gun Gym
or
Rocking the latest ZWOW in my living room
But not all carbs are low GI
like...Tortillas
I love Tortillas! 
I love that they are a great bread alternative
Great for toasting for breakfast to pair with my poached eggs
Or with soup
Great al by themselves or smeared with yummy nut butter or honey
buuuuttt....as far as GI goes they are sorta like sugar
drat
SO
lets invent a better corn tortilla !
This is what I whipped up this afternoon and was happy when it was a success
I realize I havent done much to the original recipe but I think it is enough to change the GI
I added leftover oatmeal from this mornings breakfast
The results I think is a lower GI Tortilla
BONUS.....the stickiness that the oats offer makes a less crumbly mix
that is MUCH easier to work with
They toast up great, they taste great...
AND friends I am positive I am experiencing crazy slow burning healthy carb energy here!
What do you think????

Here is MY recipe (yay)

* 1 1/2 Cups Masa Harina
* 1 Cup Warm Water
* 1 Cup Cooked whole Oats (cooled)

Method:
So First put your Masa into a pretty big bowl and mix in your warm water.  Stir with a wooden spoon to mixed.
Next add your oats and stir it up.
Use clean hands to really combine the mixture and create a large ball.
Cover your ball with a damp paper towel and let rest for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes roll into golf ball sized and squish with a Tortilla press
OR
Roll with a rolling pin between 2 sheets parchment paper
Cook in a dry frying pan till nicely toasted

I like to throw mine in my toaster just before I am going to eat them
This makes them warm & toasts the edges nice and crispy
also if you shape them into a Taco shell shape as soon as you pop them up they sorta stay that way
so you can load them up with goodies
What I built in my picture today was what I had in my fridge:

* 0 Fat Greek Yogurt
* Purple onions (why do they call these red onions when they are clearly purple?)
* Slices of Yellow pepper
* Left over BBQ Salmon
* AND Fresh baby Arugula

This Was SO good
I am happy
Have a wonderful Tuesday Friends
Hope you try low GI Tortillas ;)

xoxo
Asia Girl

Pizza For Bodo's School Lunch

Bodo loves Pizza
I LOVE making and packing lunches everyday :)
To make this easier I do a little bit of pre cooking planning and I am set up to make pizza
Every week
Even whipping up a freshie first thing in the am to pack that day
HOW do I do it ???
I pre make the dough and freeze it in balls
I pre make the sauce and freeze in silicone muffin cups
Then you just need to grab portions from the freezer...thaw...and make
saves you from buying pizza cheese sticks from the Deli (way overpriced!)
plus you get homemade sauce and that makes them delish
Boden declares that his mummy's pizza is the best and begs me to make it instead of ordering Panago
I am Awesome 

Here are the two recipes I use :)

Kids Plain Tomato Sauce from scratch:

Blend a 26 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes in a blender
Now..
Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
ADD: A handful of finely chopped onion, 1 crushed Garlic clove, and a pinch of salt & pepper
Cook 5-6 mins till onions are soft.
Add Tomatoes & 1/2 Cups water  & a spring of Basil
Simmer sauce till it thickens and season with more salt & pepper if desired.

Once cooled I freeze this yummy homemade sauce in my silicone muffin cups.
Once frozen I pop out of the muffin cups and store in a large ziplock freezer bag.

Simple Flat Bread / Pizza dough 
This is a great lil bread recipe that is versatile enough to become pizza dough OR easy dinner bread

Ingredients: 
* 3 1/2 Cups all Purpose Flour, plus more for kneading
* 2 tsp instant yeast
* 1 tsp fine grain sea salt
* 1 1/2 Cups Luke warm water
* 2 TBSP Olive Oil, divided plus more for brushing

In a bowl Mixer bowl mix together flour, yeast and salt with a whisk
Add the luke warm water & 1 TSBP olive oil mix together just until dry ingredients have absorbed wet

Attach the mixing bowl to your mixer fitted with a dough hook.
With the mixer on medium speed kneed the dough for 5 mins
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and finish kneading with floured hands
Knead just until dough is smooth and elastic & springs back when poked.
If the dough is really sticky you can knew in more flour but keep in mind more flour = tougher bread

NOW coat a large bowl with olive oil put your dough in and give a few turns to coat with oil.
Cover with plastic wrap & let rise about 45 mins or until dough has doubled in size

Meanwhile pre heat oven 475 (If you are going to bake on that day)

Punch dough down and divide into 4 balls.
Shape each piece into a ball and place onto a flat surface and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them
Let rest 10 minutes
At this point you can freeze your dough in balls on a silicone covered cooky sheet
when frozen put portions into a large freezer bag
Defrost in fridge when you are ready to use
NOTE:
If you are making bread knead less = more air bubbles & more height
If you are making pizza knead more = flatter :)
To BAKE:  lightly brush bottom of a dark coloured baking sheet with olive oil.
Stretch to flatten for pizza
or
slightly flattened balls for bread
BAKE in the middle of your oven 10 - 15 mins

Enjoy your pizza
xoxo
Asia Girl