Cheese Bread Rolls with Sheep Cheese (Gluten Free)

These gluten-free cheese bread rolls will make your family or your housemates very happy!

They have a wonderful doughy, chewy consistency with the perfect amount of cheese flavor thanks to the Sheep Cheese! There are other cheese options as I listed below, but for those that are cow dairy intolerant, sheep cheese is a great option if you can find it.

In my home country of Colombia, these are called Pan de Bono, but in Brazil, they are called Pão de Queijo. Whatever the name they are dearly loved for breakfast or an afternoon snack!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ingredients:

¼ cup of precooked cornmeal or masarepa

2/3 cup cassava flour or yucca flour

1 large egg

½ cup of sheep cheese or standard feta or Mexican queso fresco

1 pinch of salt

¼ cup of warm water

First, measure the cornmeal, and add a dash of warm water to make it a paste. Next, add egg and cheese and mix well. Add a dash of salt. Finally, add the cassava flour with the remaining water until mixed thoroughly. On a cookie tray, place a sheet of parchment paper. Using a large spoon scoop onto a tray. This recipe will make approximately 12 rolls.

Bake on the higher tray for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

Enjoy while hot!

Grape Leaf Tacos

Get ready to eat with your hands and get messy! These aren't your ordinary Mexican tacos, and much more exotic tasting. I made this recipe specifically to be able to eat Grape Leaf, which is full of nutrition (please see hyperlink). I particularly appreciate the grape leaf's anti-inflammatory properties, not to mention other great healing properties of this precious plant. Native Americans and Greeks have been eating and using this plant for medicinal reasons for thousands of years. Thank you Mother Earth for giving us this plant full of healing.  

Ingredients

1/2 cup of cooked rice

1 pound of grass-fed lean ground beef 

1/2 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/3 cup parsley chopped

1/2 orange pepper chopped

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 jar of grape leaves 

Spices

1/2 Teaspoon of Garam Masala

1/2 Teaspoon of cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/2 Teaspoon of sea salt 

First, cook the rice in a separate pan. Next, on medium heat sauté onions in the olive oil until translucent. I like to use my iron skillet because it always adds flavor. Add the ground beef with a splash of water to get it cooking while mixing it with the onions. Once the meat is cooked, lower the heat to low, adding the spices, garlic, parsley and orange bell pepper. Continue cooking on low for 5-8 more minutes tossing all ingredients together.  

Turn off heat and add cooked rice to the mixture in the pan. More salt might be need for taste. 

Next take the grape leaves out of jar, and rinse them, as they usually are preserved in brine water. Pat dry the grape leaves and place them on the plate. Finally serve a spoonful onto each leaf. This can all be done at the table with a communal dish in the middle of the table. 

This dish is not likely to be served at a dinner party, but to be eaten with family, so you can laugh and enjoy these exotic beauties without feeling embarrassed to eat with your hands! 

Dish serves 4 people with 9 small tacos each. 

Good Health to you! 

Power Energy Balls

            Balls with Spirulina and Rolled in Coconut Flakes
Halved the recipe, balls less than 1 inch

Single Serving of Spirulina Ball

Balls with Protein Powder and rolled in Hawaiian Sea Salt
Full recipe Balls rolled into 1 1/2  inches 

Plants have undeniable life-force for living creatures to ingest. We eat every day to survive, but do we eat to thrive? Thriving in my mind means eating plants that are full of the sun's energy, planet's minerals, and helps us live our lives' true potential. I eat these delicious bite size powerballs before a hike, a novel writing session, or when I need quick pick-me-up under a stressful situation. Life can be stressful, but we don't have to give into it. Instead we can take charge of our nutrition.

The energy balls presented in the picture above are easy to make and can be adapted to whatever plant energy you need. I used almond butter, but you can also use peanut butter, or cashew butter. I used Protein superfood, which has green vegetables, but you can also use spirulina, which can give the balls a pretty green hue and mega nutrition. I used flax seed meal with high health benefits like high Omega-3, protein, and fiber to name a few. You can use hemp or chia seed ground meals. I used Cacao powder and Maca because of the incredible health benefits (see underlined links for more details). My ingredients can be intermixed in any manner, as I stated above. Just follow the general guidelines and get creative. 

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons of Almond Butter

4 Tablespoons of Flax Seed Meal

3 Tablespoons of Maca Powder (optional)

2 Tablespoons of Cacao Powder

4 Tablespoons of Protein Superfood or Spirulina

4 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup

1 Teaspoon of Coconut Sugar (or flakes)

1 Teaspoon of Hawaiian Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt (optional) 

First set up a cookie tray with parchment paper to set the balls on. 

In a large bowl, measure out the almond butter. Next add flax seed, maca, protein powder or spirulina, cacao powder, and maple syrup. Stir ingredients until all are well blended. Now that you have a nice paste, using your hands roll into small balls. 

Next, take the coconut sugar with sea salt (optional, specially if your almond butter is salty) and sprinkle evenly on a plate. Use the plate to roll the balls until covered and return to the cookie tray. 

I store the energy balls in a glass container with lid in the refrigerator. They last more than a week or two in the refrigerator. 

Enjoy Your Good Health!

~Tarabud

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Chicken Tajine Made Easy

I was searching for a warming meal that had the characteristics of fall, dried fruits and spice combinations. Finding a Chicken Tajine recipe, I simplified it, so that ordinary folks could enjoy the ancient casserole from North African dating back to the 8th or 9th century. The dish was mentioned in a text: One Thousand and One Nights. Also, known in English as Arabian Nights, it is a collection of medieval Arab, Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Jewish folklore. We are lucky to be able to have such knowledge from the past. 

This dish was originally made in a cone shaped tajine earthenware pot, but I cooked my dish in a HEATH 12” casserole dish with lid and it turned out splendidly. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Ingredients: 

3 pounds of chicken thighs 

1 cup of olive oil

2 cups of okra

1 cup of prunes 

1/3 cup of shallots

2/3 cup of onion

1 cup of cilantro

1 cup of Italian parsley

2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

1 ½ Tbsp. of chopped garlic (5 large cloves of garlic) 

1 Tbsp. of chopped ginger

1 Tbsp. heaping of turmeric 

1 Tbsp. heaping of cinnamon

1 Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. black pepper

First, cut and prepare all your ingredients. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, shallots, onion, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mix into a paste.

Next, rinse and pat dry your chicken. Place the raw chicken pieces in casserole skin sides up.

Pour your ingredients over the tops of the chicken, smoothing out the so evenly covered all pieces of chicken.

Cover the chicken with lid and place in oven on middle rack. Bake for 1 hour.

After the hour of baking, add okra and prunes to the dish, stirring in to fit in between chicken pieces. Bake for another ½ hour.

Enjoy this delicious Chicken Tajine main course, served hot to your family or guests! I found this dish goes well with a full-bodied wine. I have tried Pinot Noir and Bordeaux, all complex enough to bring out the flavors of this dish. Cooked cranberries on the side made for a nice tart contrast to the sweet prunes.

This recipe serves 4. 

Millet Pumpkin Bread

This dense and delicious Millet Pumpkin Bread is sure to warm up your house in the cold months ahead! Here is the perfect gluten free bread to please any of your hungry household.

Millet is believed to have been cultivated more than 7000 years ago simultaneously in Africa and Asia. The wonders of millet never seem to end. Millet has a high nutritional value, and is considered one of the super grains, though it is often passed over in the grocery stores. One cup of cooked millet has: 207 calories and tons of mineral content: copper 31%, phosphorus 25%  manganese24%  magnesium19%, according to the Food Rating system. Millet is also, high in fiber and vitamins! Your gut and heart will benefit from this ancient grain!

The Health Benefits of Millet are numerable: Does not feed pathogenic yeast (candida); Acts as a prebiotic to feed important microflora in your inner ecosystem; Provides serotonin to calm and soothe your moods; Helps hydrate your colon to keep you regular; Is alkaline; and Millet digests easily.

And that's not all. Many studies have been done on millet nutrition to identify its benefits for your health. Here are some findings from Body Ecology website :

·       *Magnesium in millet can help reduce the affects of migraines and heart attacks.

·       *Niacin (vitamin B3) in millet can help lower cholesterol.

·       *Phosphorus in millet helps with fat metabolism, body tissue repair and creating energy    

           (phosphorus is an essential component of adenosine triphosphate or ATP, a precursor to    

           energy in your body)

·       *Millet can help lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

·       *Fiber from whole grains has been shown to protect against breast cancer.

·       *Whole grains have been shown to protect against childhood asthma.

Baking Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease you desired pan with butter. You can use a 7x3 inch loaf baking pan, but for this bread I used a deep pie dish, which allowed me to slice it like cake!

Bake for 1.5 hour. Your oven might take longer, because it is a dense bread. 

In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vegetable oil, butter milk and sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and all the spices. Next integrate the two bowls into one, making sure that you blend them slowly, and if need be splash some more buttermilk to keep the mixture moist. Add the walnuts last.

Pour into buttered baking dish, and set on the middle rack of hot oven.

Bread will be done when fork comes out clean.

Let it cool, but best served warm!

 

1 can of (15 oz) pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup of brown sugar

2 cups of millet flour

1 ½ cups of gluten free flour

1 ¼ cup of buttermilk

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

Party Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a very nutritious grain that originated in area surrounding Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia in South America. It was cultivated by the pre-Colombian civilizations of the Andean region over many centuries. It became a highly cultivated grain because of its high balance and essential amino acids and proteins. Of course, the Andean native people of these regions didn't have this type of information, but certainly they knew how satisfied and energized they felt after eating it. 

I made this salad for our uncle's 80th birthday party and it was a big hit, mostly because of its flavor - Bragg's Liquid Aminos was the little secret, made from soy protein and often used as a soy sauce alternative.  

Quinoa can be cooked in large quantities to feed a lot of people! The recipe is for 5 cups of quinoa, but make it to your needs. 

 I used uncooked vegetables, cucumber, orange pepper, red pepper and some fresh tomatoes chopped into small cubes. The fresh herbs I used were Italian parsley and green onions. 

I also added several baked zucchini cooked on a cookie tray in the oven at 400 degree oven, till slightly browned. Make sure to douse the zucchini pieces with olive oil or butter. 

When you mix all the ingredients be generous with the Braggs, I used a 2/3 cup for 5 cups of uncooked quinoa, but you can gauge it by tasting as you go. Also, when mixing salad, add more olive oil, dash of lemon juice, sea salt, dried oregano, and dried garlic powder. Salad will need only a slight sprinkle of salt since Braggs is very flavorful.

Have a wonderful meal with this nutritious grain and be well! 

~Tarabud