Ancient grains

Healthy coconut black rice pudding, an equally perfect breakfast or spa-style dessert. Made with only 5 ingredients, it is vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make. A Healthy, Thai-Inspired Take on Rice Pudding I am in love with this little recipe. A simple concoction comprising 3 primary ingredients–black rice, coconut milk, and coconut sugar–plus two (favorite) …

A remarkable loaf of delicious, nutritious, 1-ingredient flourless buckwheat bread ! Made with whole buckwheat (plus water and salt), it is flourless and naturally oil-free, gluten-free and vegan. Gluten-Free Bread Made with 1 Ingredient: Buckwheat A loaf of bread, made with nothing more than buckwheat, plus some water and salt? It is difficult to believe, …

4-ingredient chocolate quinoa muffins make on-the-go breakfasts & snacks grand! They are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, added sugar free,  91 calories each, and 100% delicious and satisfying. If I have learned anything from writing a food blog, it is how often I am wrong. It is true for issues big and small, but especially for predicting …

Get your instant energy boost with these easy-to-make lemon & strawberry puffed millet bars! They are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free and made without baking. No-Bake Strawberry Energy Bars  I have not posted an energy bar for awhile. Also, I have not cleaned out my pantry for awhile. The latter led to my discovery of a package …

Carrot cake in the morning? Yes! My Carrot Cake Millet Breakfast Bars are vegan, gluten-free, low fodmap, and only 94 calories per big square. Your morning grab & dash is going to be delicious! Try Millet for Breakfast in Place of Oats I cannot live by oats alone. Despite being so handy and delicious, sometimes …

My gluten-free teff & oat bread is a perfect power up, any time of day. It is also vegan, yeast-free. easy to make in minutes, and ideal for fueling your next marathon, or any of your epic adventures! Happy Monday, everyone! The Houston Marathon is fewer than 6 days away, whoo-hoo! This will be my …

Healthy and wholesome 4-ingredient buckwheat flax chia bread is a perfect go-with everything bread! It is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, & easy to make, too. Good morning, everyone! I hope you had a happy Labor Day weekend. Mine was busy, with relatives in town, water-skiing at the lake, and long runs with running buddies. I also …

The amaranth recipes keep coming, so I hope that you are ready for an especially easy, delicious option: Green Onion Amaranth Fritters. These are so simple to prepare and taste like an expensive tapas, but they are definitely last-minute weeknight fare.

If you love granola bars and baked oatmeal, then I am confident you will gobble up these amaranth, almond and pear energy balls, which are yet another way to eat your cereal on the go, sans spoon! They require no baking, a short list of ingredients, and, in addition to breakfast, are an ideal snack (think energy boost …

I am not the only one thinking about amaranth in recent days. After I posted my popped amaranth energy bars recipe on Thursday, I stumbled upon the following article about amaranth, published just three days earlier:

Happy Thursday, everybody! I hope this post finds you happy and well, wherever you are planted. It is absolutely gorgeous weather here –more like my native SF Bay Area weather than East Texas. I try to avoid the air conditioner as late in the spring as possible here, but sometimes that has meant mid-March, so …

Whole grain amaranth breakfast treats that are vegan, flourless, gluten-free, high in fiber, almost 5 g protein, and only 119 calories. Amaranth. Have you made its acquaintance? I am enamored of this super-grain, but have been remiss in posting a new amaranth recipe in a while, despite having two pounds worth stored in the refrigerator. …

Start your action-packed day with chocolate chip banana quinoa muffins! They use cooked quinoa (no flour) and are vegan, gluten-free and oil-free. Muffins, The Perfect Portable Breakfast (or Snack) I am not sure who “invented” muffins, but I am grateful for the inspiration. Whether running out the door, heading off for a bike trek to …

A batch of healthy blueberry quinoa oat muffins can make anyone rise and shine! These humble muffins are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and only 105 calories per serving. Hello, one and all! Unknown to many, a breakfast comprising a combination of quinoa, blueberries and oats is instant therapy. Allow me to elaborate. It is a beautiful …

So satisfying, and packed with nutrition, my 90-calorie mushroom kale quinoa muffins are perfect portable mini-meals! They are vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, & flourless, too.     Hi everyone! I hope that it’s been a good weekend all around for each of you. I managed to squeeze in a long run on Saturday morning (before it …

My vegan quinoa muffin tin burgers are just what you need for a savory snack, packed lunch, or quick dinner (sliders!). They are oil-free, gluten-free, and only 91 calories each. Summer is coming to a close, and grilling will soon be replaced by stews, soups, and slow-cooker meals. But that doesn’t mean you have to …

Vegan quinoa omelet muffins, made with chickpea flour in place of eggs! Made in a muffin tin, they are gluten-free, high protein, and only 154 calories each. Google “quinoa egg muffin;” you’ll generate more than 4 million hits. It’s a wee bit popular. The reason is self-evident: take a super-grain (quinoa; one of the only …

3-ingredient banana quinoa muffins, made with bananas, quinoa and oats! They are vegan, flourless, oil-free, refined sugar free, and only 101 calories each. Happy Thursday, everyone! Today’s post is worthy of a leap of joy for their 3-ingredient ease (quinoa + banana + oats) and wholesomeness: A Modern Approach to Oil-Free Muffins They have a …

You need to make a batch of my super-simple 2-ingredient quinoa flax breads asap! They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and perfect for all kinds of toppings. Two. Ingredient. Bread. Toothsome, crispy-edged, tender in the middle bread. It’s real. And it’s d#*n delicious! It is also the direct product of committing to a year of …

Gluten-free tabbouleh, baked into portable, muffin tin “bites.” They are easy-to-make, vegan, gluten-free and perfect for packed lunches and snacks.

Healthy no-bake buckwheat granola bars made with ease! They are vegan, gluten-free and pressed into a muffin tin (no cutting required!). No-Bake & No-Cut Buckwheat Granola Bars Homemade granola bars can be easy to make. Slicing granola bars into neat, perfectly-portioned bars? Not so much. Without the magic of industrial machinery, it can be pretty …

Super-nutritious & delicious Boston Brown Bread minis, made with whole teff grain and chickpea flour! They are gluten-free, vegan, and packed with flavor. With apologies to the fair citizens of Boston, this (wicked good) interpretation of Boston Brown Bread is a far cry from the original. But only so far as the ingredients are concerned. As …

Flourless apple millet muffins are a delicious alternative to baked oatmeal! They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and fruit-sweetened. Confession: I eat an average of three breakfasts. Every day. For years, I thought there was something terribly wrong with me. I’d get up, eat a healthy breakfast–for example, oatmeal, yogurt, whole grain toast with peanut butter, …

Flourless chocolate fudge teff muffins are packed with nutrition, yet taste like decadent brownies! They are gluten-free, vegan and flourless, too.

Vegan millet kale quiches are perfect grab & go mini meals. Made with chickpea flour, they are gluten-free, high protein & scrumptious! I am so excited to share this first recipe for this series of sweet and savory muffin tin recipes! The inspiration comes from the ever-talented Heidi Swanson over at 101 cookbooks. She has …

I dub this the “pack and scramble” post, because, no matter how much I plan and pack ahead of time, I am inevitably packing and scrambling the morning I leave for a family trip. Granted, I could have cancelled my 6 am spin class this morning to give myself more time, but a pre-Thanksgiving workout …

It happens more times than I can count that my new favorite recipes are ones thrown together on the fly with what’s on hand. Add this Winter Tabbouleh to the list. A friend sent a message Thursday night inviting us to come to a “Friendsgiving” get-together on Friday before everyone heads out of town or …

Oat-free & oil-free buckwheat granola that is crunchy and scrumptious! It is naturally vegan & gluten-free, and mostly sweetened with banana. Oil-Free Oat-Free Buckwheat Granola Oh, this? This golden-brown avalanche of nuts, seeds, coconut and dried fruit-flecked deliciousness? I know, it doesn’t look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill cereal. Because it’s not. And that’s why you …

Easy, nutritious, and delicious porridge made with the ancient grain amaranth. It is high in protein and fiber and naturally gluten-free.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s finally rain-free so it took less will-power than usual to get out the door and onto the road for a long run. Still, there’s nothing wrong with some added incentive to (quite literally) go the extra mile. For example, chocolate. I’m not kidding about these muffins providing extra stamina. Teff, an …

3-ingredient teff crackers are a wonder: made with whole grain teff and flaxseed meal, they are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, and packed with great flavor and super-power nutrition! If you’re trying your darndest to avoid snacking between meals, you’re wasting your time. If you’re really serious about eating well, and feeling great amazing, you need to get …

5-ingredient toasted millet apricot energy bars will power you through any endeavor. They are naturally vegan and gluten-free. Millet as an Alternative to Nuts If you are need to avoid, are have an allergy to nuts, then you need to gain the acquaintance of toasted millet. Millet is humble seed, more likely found in your …

Happy last day of winter, everyone! I think we are all (more than) ready for a spectacular spring. But first, a glorious bowl of porridge. (Yes, I used glorious and porridge in the same sentence.) And some persuasion. It was only a short while ago that quinoa was a mystery to most of us (keen-WHAT? …

I’m going to bowl you over. With teff. Teff is an itty bitty, teeny tiny grain–considered the world’s smallest grain–that has a nutty, subtly sweet flavor (no bitterness). I am falling for it, hard! I am confident you will too. It’s indigenous to Ethiopia, and, if you’ve eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant, you’ve likely enjoyed …

Swoon-worthy buckwheat almond shortbread cookies are equal parts treat and energy snack! Made with buckwheat flour, almond flour and coconut, they are vegan, gluten-free & low in sugar. Bake a Batch of Power Cookies I love my afternoon cup of tea; its a long-standing family tradition to stop everything and savor a cup…or two…or three. …

Curried millet with raw apple relish has bright fresh flavors perfect for year-round meals. It is vegan, gluten-free, and frugal.   Are you vegan? Do you eat dairy? Or eggs? Are you following a Paleo diet? What do you think about eating grains? It’s not surprising that I’ve been getting these questions from readers lately. …

A simple, and simply delicious, way to enjoy your favorite steel cut oats: as a nutty, risotto-like pilaf! Made with only 4 ingredients, it is healthy, fast (soak the oats ahead of time), vegan, gluten-free, and endlessly variable.

You have a container (or two) of protein powder, purchased a while back, and you keep meaning to add it to your smoothies (when you get around to making a smoothie); this is a crunchy, munchy alternative, perfect anytime you need a healthy treat to nibble alongside a cup of coffee. Or tea. Or water. …

  Chocolate & vanilla. Beer & pretzels. Toast & jam. Berries & cream…And now a new match made in heaven: Roasted carrots and quinoa. The success of this marriage is dependent on the roasting. I’ve added raw carrots to quinoa salads. And subsequently thrown out raw carrot and quinoa salads following days guilting myself into …

How about a double post for the start of the New Year and New blog? 2013 is an exciting year for many reasons, not least of which is that The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has declared 2013 The Year of Quinoa to celebrate its nutritional qualities and crop viability to celebrate its nutritional …

                                I know, dear readers, that you likely have a cozy relationship with quinoa. But what’s your status with it’s itty bitty cousin, amaranth? Like quinoa, amaranth is technically a seed, not a grain (specifically classified as a “pseudocerreal”), and …

Healthy, vegan and gluten-free vanilla quinoa pudding, made with ease on the stovetop. Enjoy it for dessert, breakfast or dessert. Superfood Vanilla Pudding Made with Quinoa Happy National Vanilla Pudding Day!  I know, who knew such a day existed?  I researched (in a non-academic, google-y way) origins of this holiday, but came up blank. I …

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day yesterday! Mine was terrific. I spoke with my Mom & Dad, played with Nick, went for a walk in the woods with Nick and Kevin, read a brain candy book, lolled in the garden, pet Cinnamon (cat) and kissed my husband. I ate like a lumberjack at …

I’ve been promising to share photos and a description of how to make your own quinoa flour with plain quinoa seeds, and now (at last!) I can cross it off of the to-do list.  I *LOVE* baking with quinoa flour, so I hope this encourages you to give it a try! Quinoa Flour 101 Quinoa …

And so another food obsession begins: this time, it’s freekeh. Freekeh (pronounced FREE-kah) is an ancient grain that is typically made with durum wheat that has been harvested while still green (not the slightly greenish hue of the grain in my photo below). What happens next in the harvesting process make the grassy flavor of …

I followed through on my promise to myself in yesterday’s post and have set about on a full-fledged cleaning tear. The pantry and refrigerator are scoured  to their bright and shiny sheen of yore, and now I’m on to the closets. Oh, the glamour! I especially need to finish going through Nick’s old toys and …

I’m back from a whirlwind of a trip to New York City to attend the annual conference for the International Association of Culinary Professionals. This year’s theme was The Fashion of Food and upon leaving, I feel like I have a fabulous new wardrobe, replete with dazzling accessories. So many amazing writers, chefs, bloggers, and …

  The rain is gone, the sun is out, and spring is here in all of its blooming glory. I’ve taken my laptop outside to work on some editing, but it’s time to take a break and think about dinner. Kevin is off to a dinner meeting this evening, so my thoughts are leaning towards …

Shhh. This banana bread is made with quinoa flour. I’m happy to let you in on the secret, but it is hush-hush at our household. My lovely husband Kevin is all for whole wheat flour (in moderation) and quinoa (as a side dish), but he is wary of what some would call “alternative” flours (he …

Last night, I finally got around to using the remainder of sorghum that’s been sitting in my freezer for several months. I’ve used sorghum in place of barley in several soups, but I have yet to make a dish that has the grain as its primary focus. At this point, you may be asking yourself …

TGIF, everyone! I hope it is as gorgeous where you are as it is here in Texas. I wasn’t sure if I would have time to post today due to my work schedule (combined with staying up too late last night watching Project Runway). But I am enjoying being back in a regular posting mode, …

Nick, Kevin and I went to the Texas State Fair this weekend in Dallas, a first-time experience for all of us. My favorite part was the petting zoo (especially the Scottish Highlands cattle–perhaps the cutest cows in the world–and the baby goats). Nick’s favorite part was the high-speed whippersnapper ride that left me nauseous for …

Cheap. Easy. Fast. It reads like a less-than-discrete ad on Craig’s List. But it’s meant to describe my take on on a fast-food dinner. From the comments I receive, it’s clear I’m not the only one who loves healthy meals that are quick and easy (perhaps 7+ years of graduate school helped me figure that …

Whether you use quinoa frequently, or have a bag of the stuff gathering dust in your cupboard, then this recipe is for you. Despite the persistently warm (hot!) weather, I have been itching to make some cozy, comfort food to get me in an autumn frame of mind. These peppers came together after a long …

Nutritious and delicious quinoa flour almond flour soda bread, made with only 8 ingredients! It is vegan, oil-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, and easy to make. Hi everyone! Apologies for not posting sooner; we have house guests, so I’ve been (slowly) playing catch-up with, well, just about everything the past few days. It’s good to have …

  A whole grain salad chock full of fruits, vegetables and nuts may not be most people’s first thought when “comfort food” is uttered, but if you’ve grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s with parents who love to garden, cook, and shop at the local Co-op, interesting salads are pure …

Vegan buckwheat banana bread may soon be your favorite of all banana breads! It is naturally gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, as well as low in added sugar. Vegan & Gluten Free Banana Bread Made with Buckwheat Flour My whole grain flour obsession du jour is buckwheat. I’ve been using buckwheat flour in combination with wheat …

< I would like to introduce you to these chocolate chip cookies. They have no butter, eggs, gluten, dairy, or wheat flour. But that’s beside the point. What makes these crisp-tender chocolate chippers extraordinary is their sublime flavor (vanilla with subtle hints of coconut), their ease of preparation (no electric mixers required), and the incorporation …

Oh, how I love it when baking experiments work out. The quinoa drop cookies I attempted were a bust, but these quinoa flour drop scones, bursting with Cheddar cheese and accessorized with glints of green onions, were pretty darn sensational. In addition to experimenting with quinoa flour these days, I’ve been trying to cook from …

The months of 100+ heat have finally subsided; it was reaching the point where I could no longer imagine what it felt like to step outside without it feeling like a steam sauna. Literally overnight, the weather dropped almost 40 degrees, reportedly due to a Canadian cold front. Thank you, Canada! It seemed like the …

We have had some beautiful 80-degree days of late, and while I am loathe to look a gift-horse in the mouth, I’ve nevertheless been longing for more mild weather before plunging headlong into summer. Call me crazy, but summer in March is a bit much. My wish came true. I opened the back door to …

Many of you may already know about making quinoa for breakfast, but just in case it has missed your radar (or even if it’s been awhile since last you made it), consider this post a gentle reminder. I was in recent need of such a reminder myself. Last week was my birthday–a happy, quiet day, …

Happy Friday, everyone! I’m short on words today: my in-laws are en route for a short visit, I have a cook-off in Houston tomorrow, this weekend is Kevin’s birthday, and I am behind in my work. It’s the perfect equation for writer’s block. And grumpiness. And panic. It’s particularly frustrating, as I do have a …

It’s been a hectic Friday, one that began at 2 am when Nick screamed “MOMMY!!!” It was indeed an emergency: Ducky (the lovey of his life) was lost. Or more precisely, on the floor. A few more hours of fitful sleep (me, not Nick), then it was off to teach spin class at 6am, followed by …

I like to consider myself a reasonable person in most matters, but I am a bonafide snob when it comes to scones. I blame it all on my mother. She made scones–namely buttery, currant scones, from the Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery–on a regular basis, whipping them up in minutes (sans food processor or even …

Every food blog needs an interjection of hilarity from time to time. Mine most often comes from kitchen mishaps: a soup explosion on the ceiling (be careful pureeing those hot soups in the blender!), a gray strawberry cheesecake (thank you aluminum springform pan), or a black bean pound cake (this deserves a post of its …

Ready to mix up your breakfast routine? Then this blended, berry breakfast bowl (I promise, I did not plan the alliteration in advance!) is exactly what you need to try. Part smoothie, part porridge, it is quick, simple, delicious, and packed with power-nutrients to get you going and keep you going all morning long. Despite …

Vegan cinnamon quinoa oat muffins: the perfect combination of cozy & nutritious! The tender, hearty muffins are also gluten-free and a breeze to make. Healthy Vegan & Gluten-Free Quinoa Muffins It’s beginning to feel like spring in Texas, but I am holding on to winter–or, at least, winter baking–with all my might. Today was the …

It’s unlikely you’ve heard this uttered before now: I love spelt. We made our acquaintance almost five years ago when I made the Chocolate Espresso Spelt Cake from the October 2005 edition of Gourmet (sniffle; I still get verklempt knowing that Gourmet is no more). The cake was extraordinary. The combination of chocolate and espresso …

There comes a time in most every home cook’s life when the thought of setting foot in the kitchen seems abominable. The feeling may strike at any time; it bears no correlation to the home cook’s love or loathing of assembling a meal. It can last a few hours, a few days or several weeks …

I need to have a t-shirt made for my husband that reads as follows: “My Wife Went to NYC, and All I Got Was 3 Bags of Quinoa” It’s true, and, in retrospect, pitiful. But it wasn’t pre-meditated. I had a very quick trip to New York city last week to film a Pepperidge Farm …

Healthy toasted millet banana muffins made in one bowl! So delicious, they are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. These crunch-wonderful banana muffins are made with a nutritious, inexpensive, gluten-free alternative to nuts: millet. What Makes these Millet Muffins so Healthy? As banana muffins go, these are already pretty wonderful. In taste, most definitely, but also because …

Have a mouth as sharp as a dagger, but a heart as soft as tofu–Chinese Proverb.

I’ve been on a vegetarian bent since Sunday, largely because it was my husband’s birthday last week, and that meant several days of Kevin’s favorites: steak, cherry pie, fried chicken, red wine… Yum. It was fun to slip into Southern kitchen queen mode for a spell, especially to celebrate, but I was in dire need …

We live in an age of high fashion food; hence, the commonplace banana has no more glamour than a nylon nightgown. But glamour can be exhausting, and slowing down to savor the familiar goodness of a banana is one of life’s pleasures. To celebrate the wondrous ‘nana, I offer a multi-grain banana bread, one I’ve …

Sometimes a food blogger feels compelled to post a recipe, even if she does not quite know what else to say, besides “ta-da!” I planned the last week of meals carefully; not so tonight. By the time the light had gone, the evening was underway and my supper ideas were scarce. I headed to the …

As it happens, quinoa–a superfood grain, high in protein & nutrients, and tasty, too–is an ideal post-root canal repast.

This simple millet pilaf with dried cranberries is a great vegan & gluten-free alternative to stuffing at Thanksgiving or anytime! Make Pilaf a Modern Meal Staple Hi, everyone! Today I’m posting about a tried & true dish worth revisiting: pilaf. Alas, pilaf has been marginalized (along with fricassees, stroganoffs, aspics and all things devilled) as …

Cool, hip, and beautiful from every angle, edamame is the supermodel of the frozen vegetable world. People who shun all other frozen vegetables proudly display their edamame bags in supermarket carts and proffer it as a sophisticated nibble at dinner parties. Edamame is a specialty variety of soybean harvested while still green. Because they are …

I started thinking about the makings for this spicy, North-African-inspired chickpea & quinoa soup while visiting my parents over Christmas. We started talking about Boxing Day on the way home from the airport (on Christmas Day); it brought back a flood of recollections. Here’s why. Along with the trimming of the tree, the four hour-long …