1. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
2. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the almond flour, and pulse. You want to add enough corn flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
3. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts or small patties, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
4. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add more corn flour/meal. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

The post Gluten Free Vegan Falafel appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

2 medium heads cauliflower
4-6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp minced fresh sage
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flake
1/2 tsp green or red lentils, rinsed
juice of one lemon
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter
Chopped parsley
chili oil or olive oil (optional)
thin lemon slice (optional – for garnish)

Cut each cauliflower head in half lengthwise through the stem (to hold the entire “steak” together). Cut each half again in the same direction so that you get 1″ thick slices. The ends may break apart – which you can just roast with everything else or save for another dish later.

Saute garlic, onion, sage, fennel, red pepper flakes, and lentils with the coconut oil or butter over medium heat for 3 minutes in a medium saucepan until fragrant. Add vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat back to a simmer. Cook covered for 45 minutes or until lentils are very soft. If you lose a lot of water from the boiling process, add more water to keep it loose.

Once the lentils are tender, remove the saucepan from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Blend the mixture in an immersion (“stick”) blender or a regular blender. During this blending process add salt and pepper to taste. Also add the lemon to taste (usually 1 tablespoon of lemon juice should do it).

Heat the grill on high or set your broiler to high with the rack at the top most position. Place the cauliflower “steaks” on the grill and cook each side for 5 minutes until the “flowers” have a nice char to them. Remove to a plate and cover to finish cooking. If using an oven, place “steaks” in a baking sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes until edges have similar char. Remove and rest for 5 minutes to finish cooking process.

Carefully plate one “steak” on a plate. Add a ladle of the lentil sauce. Top with parsley, a dash of sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and chili or olive oil drizzle.

The post Grilled Cauliflower “Steaks” with Spicy Lentil Sauce appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

Picture by Flickr user danuv.

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 head cauliflower in 2″ pieces, greens removed
1 cup finely chopped kale
4 large garlic cloves (whole)
1 sm (or 1/2 large) onion – chopped.
3 tbsp Miso Paste
2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
salt and pepper to taste

Set broiler on High. Arrange cauliflower on a baking sheet in one even layer. Roast until tips are brown and steam is produced. Take out of oven and set aside to cool slightly. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a stock pot or large saucepan. Sautee onion and garlic until fragrant or until garlic cloves are slightly . Add kale and roasted cauliflower and saute for 3 mins until cooked. Add 2 cups vegetable broth and 3 tbsp miso paste. Stir until completely mixed. Simmer for another 5 mins. Add any additional seasoning if needed (I found I didn’t need any more). Add tons of black pepper. Blend everything in an immersion blender or in a normal one. Should be the consistency of loose grits. Add more stock if you need it to be thinner. Or you can set the pot on a low heat and evaporate any additional water if it’s too thin.

The post Roasted Cauliflower, Kale, and Miso “Grits” appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

Picture by Flickr user wintersoul1.

3 large bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup blackberry jam
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Sliced scallions, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Arrange the chicken breasts in the slow cooker so that they are not overlapping.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, blackberry jam, hoisin, olive oil, garlic, onion and crushed red pepper flakes, and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook the chicken on LOW for 4 to 5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked.

Using tongs, remove the chicken from the slow cooker (reserving the liquids) and place it on a cutting board. Remove the bones then use two forks to shred the chicken into smaller pieces. Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.

Transfer the liquids from the slow cooker into a small saucepan set over medium-high heat and whisk in the slurry. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook it until it reduces and has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour enough sauce over the chicken to cover (you won’t use all of it), tossing to combine. Serve the chicken topped with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

NOTES:
Depending on the kind of chicken you get, you’ll end up with a LOT of sauce. You only need to use a little to cover the chicken as much as you want. You can use the remaining sauce later to marinade shrimp or salmon OR as dipping sauce for any other dish.

The post Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 lb red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp whole fennel seeds >> *if you don’t have whole seeds, just use 2 tsp each of cumin powder and fennel powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 carton 32 oz vegetable broth
1/2 cup organic ketchup OR 2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tbsp black peppercorn >> if you don’t have peppercorn, then 2 tsp ground pepper
1 can great northern, cannellini, or navy bean
4 stalks green onion (for garnish)
sea salt

1. In a large stock pot, melt butter on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes until it starts smelling good. Add celery, cabbage, vinegar, and sprinkle 1/2 tsp sea salt. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to turn the heat down to medium-low depending on your stove so that it simmers.
2. Add cumin, fennel, garlic powder, broth, ketchup, and beans (yes – just dump the entire can, no need to drain). Also add 1 tsp of salt. Stir well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. (If you don’t mind having peppercorns in your soup, just add it here. Or if you happen to have tea strainer or cheese cloth – add it to that and throw it in the pot. If you don’t have peppercorns, don’t add the pepper yet.)
3. Stir everything well. If you used a strainer, pull the peppercorns out. If you don’t have peppercorn, add your ground pepper here – stir, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes).
4. Take off the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Serve in bowl and top with poached egg, or kielbasa, or scallions (or all of the above!).

The post Savory Red Cabbage Soup appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

Picture by Food.com user Lavender Lynn.

Taken from Food.com user Mille. Original link here.

2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Mix all in a bowl. Store in air tight container. That’s it!

(We reduce the amount of cayenne powder for the kids.)

The post Homemade Chili Powder appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

2 cups coconut milk (the stuff in the carton like “So Delicious”)
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup well rinsed uncooked quinoa (see below if you have left over cooked quinoa)
2 tbsp flax seed flour
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar

Optional toppings:

• handful of your favorite dried berries
• sliced banana
• nuts (sliced almonds, walnuts, cashews)
• almond or cashew butter (1 tbsp)
• your favorite fruit preserves

In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk and salt to a simmer and add the quinoa. Stir frequently over a slow simmer until quinoa looks swollen enough to see the little spouted “tail”. Turn the heat to low and add the flax seed flour. Stir until combined – give a few minutes to let the flaxseed absorb the liquid and thicken it. Add coconut oil, brown sugar, and honey; stir until dissolved. Serve in a bowl and top with favorite nuts, fruit, spread, etc.

If you already have cooked quinoa: You’ll need about 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa to follow the proportions of the other ingredients in this recipe. Since it’s already cooked, you can reduce the coconut to 1 cup. Combine the milk and cooked quinoa in a saucepan heat to a very low simmer. Add the flaxseed and follow the rest of the instructions above.

The post Breakfast Quinoa “Oatmeal” appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

We needed a couple ingredients that we don’t normally use – things like xantham gum and tapioca flour that help create the “stretchy-ness” of gluten in normal recipes. But after creating this recipe, we’ll definitely be using them again.

The DRY:
1 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup quinoa OR coconut flour (*see note 1 below)
3 tbsp tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

The WET:
2 eggs yolks (the whites go in a separate bowl – trust me it’s worth it)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup warm almond milk (*see note 2 below)
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp lemon juice

The FLUFFY:
2 egg whites (separated from above)

Preheat your electric griddle to 250F or a pan on low-medium on your stove top. Combine all The DRY ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make sure it’s large enough to accommodate all the other ingredients that we’ll add later. Set aside. In another bowl thoroughly mix all The WET ingredients together. Then pour the WET mixture in the bowl with The DRY ingredients and mix with a whisk. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whip up the egg whites with a hand mixer at until it becomes white and fluffy. You’ll know when it’s done once you stop the mixer, lift it out of the eggs, and you can see firm peaks. Here’s a video to show you what I mean.

Slowly put the whipped egg whites in with the big bowl that has the batter. You don’t want to over mix b/c you want to maintain all those bubbles. I like using a wooden spoon for this. Now you can pour it out on the griddle to make some yummy pancakes.

NOTE 1: Quinoa flour adds a nutty, slightly bitter flavor (like walnuts). Some like it, but if you don’t want that, you can use coconut flour.
NOTE 2: The milk has to be warm enough to melt the coconut oil (which usually solidifies at room temperature) but not so hot that it cooks the egg. (One minute in the microwave works for us.) If you use sweetened almond milk, you can reduce the sugar in The DRY ingredients to 1 tbsp.

The post Gluten-Free Pancakes That Actually Taste Good appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

A squeeze of lime just before eating tastes amazing.

Pho is a classic Vietnamese street food, much the same way Pad Thai is to Thai cuisine or fried rice is to Chinese cuisine. This dish calls for some ingredients that you may not use for any other recipe, so we’ve included some substitutions. Also – the recipe instructs you to add a lot of whole spices to simmer for hours, then remove at the end. Using a slotted spoon works best. The following recipe does make a lot of pho – which can be frozen and reheated wonderfully on cold winter days. This is almost like the Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup, but the fresh herbs and squeeze of lime just before serving takes it to a new level.

Pho is naturally gluten-free if you use rice noodles (be sure to check the box). You can make this vegetarian/vegan by removing the chicken, using vegetable broth, and replacing the fish sauce with soy sauce. Adapted from Slow-Cooker Chicken Pho recipe on EatingWell.com.

8 cups low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth (two 32-ounce boxes)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce    << Um, fish sauce?
5 whole star anise (or 2 1/2 tsp of regular anise seed)
6 whole cloves
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total), halved
6 ounces wide rice noodles (like pad thai noodles)
6 cups chopped bok choy (or leeks or cabbage)
2 cups mung bean sprouts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 fresh Thai chile or serrano, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible.

1. Combine broth, brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, cloves, ginger and cinnamon stick in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add chicken breasts, meat-side down. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours (or on Low for 6 hours).
2. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Remove spices and discard. Add noodles and bok choy to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 30 minutes.
3. Shred with two forks. When the noodles are tender, stir in the shredded chicken. Serve bowls of soup with bean sprouts, basil, mint, cilantro, sliced chile and lime wedges on the side so everyone can add their own toppings.

The post Vietnamese Noodle Stew (Pho) – Slow Cooker appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

2 TBSP coconut or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 TBSP chopped garlic
1 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 tsp sea salt or Herbamare
4-5 red bell peppers, roasted
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans coconut milk (full fat preferred)
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1. To roast peppers, preheat your broiler and move the rack to top-most position (closest to the heat). Cut the peppers as shown here in this video but no need to cut into smaller strips. Keep the sides as intact as possible. Place the tops, bottoms, and sides of the pepper on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 5-7 minutes – or until most of the pepper is charred black. Remove from the oven and let cool. Proceed with the next steps.
   

   I don’t bother removing the skins. The charring adds a wonderful smokey flavor to the soup. Just throw all the roasted peppers as is in the big pot. Easy!

2. In a large pot, saute onions, garlic, chili pepper and sea salt over medium heat until tender.
3. Next add coconut milk, stock, red peppers, can of tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Puree the soup in small batches OR use an immersion blender in the pot directly.
5. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes and then add basil. Cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Serve in bowls, garnish with more basil, cayenne pepper, cheese or olive oil.

Serve with grilled cheese that you can make with our homemade White Sandwich Bread or Multigrain Bread recipes.

The post Roasted Red Pepper Soup appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.