foodie: almond-flaxseed cereal

lately, this has been my go-to breakfast.  yes, that's right, something has replaced my beloved overnight oats!  but, this hot cereal -- made with almond meal and ground flaxseeds -- it much higher in protein, has great flavor and keeps me from craving lunch at 11am.

here's what you'll need for one serving...

2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
3 tbsp almond meal
1/3 ripe banana
1/2 cup almond mind (or milk of your choice)
cinnamon
nutmeg
1 tbsp peanut butter
chopped cherries

1. mash the banana is a cereal bowl, and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg (however much you desire -- i like a lot of cinnamon).

2. mix in flaxseeds and almond meal until pasty. then add in almond milk -- i like to serve a tablespoon or two of the milk to pour over at the end, but it's your call.

3. heat in the microwave on power level 5 for 2 to 2.5 minutes, take it out and stir.  (it will continue to thicken as it cools.)

4. top with a dollop of peanut butter, more cinnamon, reserved milk, and toppings of your choice.  i used fresh, chopped cherries, but raisins, sliced bananas, or chopped nuts would be great, too!

enjoy!

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a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian - installment 2

last week i shared what a day of meals looks like for me.  continuing in that vein, i thought i'd share another day of delicious gluten-free, vegetarian food.

breakfast - sauteed zucchini and garlic with a scrambled egg cooked in olive oil, topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

lunch - chickpea salad with tomatoes

snack - bowl of fresh sweet cherries -- they're in season now, and sooooo delicious!

dinner - homemade cauliflower crust pizza

after dinner - decaf coffee with soy milk

bon appetit!

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a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian

a friend of mine requested that i post what i eat since she was wondering what i was subsisting upon after announcing i was "going gluten-free" about a month ago.  since i was already a vegetarian, i was used to cooking lots and lots of veggies, but going gluten-free took that to a whole new level!

breakfast - almond meal hot cereal with ground flaxseeds (prepared with almond milk) and topped with cherries and peanut butter

lunch - 1/2 avocado topped with goat cheese, sauteed onions and tomatoes

snack - carrots "chips" (i.e. carrots sauteed briefly with olive oil and curry) and hummus

dinner - eggplant lasagna (all veggies -- no gluten-free pasta here!) and a glass of red wine : )

after dinner - decaf tea with half and half

so, that's what a day of meals looks like for a gluten-free vegetarian : ) yummy!

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foodie: banana nut bread (gluten-free)

since beginning my gluten-free experiment 6 weeks ago, i haven't had any bread in the house...not even gluten-free varieties.  but with weekend visitors on their way, i decided i'd try my hand at making a gluten-free breakfast bread for our morning meal.

here's what you'll need...

2 cups plantain flour
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 banana (over-ripe and mashed)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup

topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts (i used more walnuts and pecans)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

preheat the oven to 350

reseaching recipes for inspiration....

1. combine flour, chopped nuts, flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. in a large bowl mix together the eggs, banana, vanilla, yogurt, coconut oil and syrup until well combined.  slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold together.

3. pour batter into well-oiled 9 inch pie plate.

4. mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over the bread.

5. bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

to top our bread, i made a spread with equal parts butter and greek yogurt, and then i flavored it with maple syrup and cinnamon to taste : )  makes 8-12 servings, depending on how big of a slice you want.

FYI - the bread had good flavor, but was a little dry (it definitely was better with the butter/yogurt spread i mentioned above).  next time i make it, i would probably add 2 bananas or extra yogurt to moisten it up a bit!

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