Butter Beans are my new favorite bean. They are large and in charge! Butter Beans are sweet, creamy and hold up perfect in soups! This is my new favorite soup… at least for this month. I have made this soup a few times now and it never disappoints. It has a nice heat from the chili flakes and a fresh from-the-garden taste from the basil. And the butter beans are sooooo amazing! You could sub with white beans but if you can find butter beans please try them – you will LOVE them!
I have been making date balls for years now. I just love them! I started making them when I had my first LaraBar – I loved the idea of dates and nuts all mixed together. It is a food marriage that is a match made in heaven!
I normally add chocolate and coconut… because anything with chocolate and coconut is a winner in my book! For this batch I simply combined medjool dates, almonds, coconut flakes and cocoa nibs. Simple perfection.
Ingredients
Directions
In a food processor using the “S” blade, pulse the dates until they are medium sized chunks ( about 30 seconds ). Add almonds and pulse until a paste ( about 1 minute ). Add coconut and chocolate. Pulse until combined ( about 30 seconds ). You will have to scrape the sides of the food processor down as the date will become a paste and will not want to blend. I like larger chunks of almonds and coconut in my date balls so I wont over process.
Once the dough is the consistency of your liking, roll into balls. It is much easier if you wet your fingers before doing this. Place in a container and store in the fridge/freezer. I will have a few as dessert or crumble up over yogurt or as an afternoon snack.
Here is another recipe I created but this one is loaded with chocolate goodness 🙂
XxOo Tasha
Brrr! It’s COLD! I miss the summer nights, wearing tank tops and flip flops, frozen smoothies and the SUN! But what I do love about the winter is that I am able to make endless pots of hot soup to warm my bones!
I made this soup last weekend and it was the perfect batch to kick off my soup making season! Full of flavor and veggies, I ate this for lunch and dinner until it was gone!
The great things about soup is that you can sub different veggies or herbs and it will alter the flavor of the soup. But in a GOOD way! Is there such a thing as a bad soup? I think not!
Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped into small pieces
3 carrots, chopped into small pieces
1 head of collard greens or kale, chopped into small bite size pieces
1 Japanese sweet potato, chopped into bite size pieces
2 regular size cans of unsalted chopped tomatoes with the juice
herbs of choice – I used salt, pepper, dried basil, dried thyme, sage powder
Handful of noodles (optional – omit for paleo and use GF noodles for GF) – I used spaghetti noodles that were broken in half. Only a handful as I didn’t want a lot.
4-6 cups of water or stock – I always use water in my soups and they turn out great!
In a cast iron pot or a soup pot, add a few swirls of EVOO. Once hot, add your onion, celery and carrots. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until the veggies are soft.
Add your potato and tomatoes and seasonings. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Then add your water – add 4 cups a the beginning and save the remaining cups for later, if needed.
Turn the pot up to a boil. Once at a boil, turn back to medium-low and add your greens. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Check to see if you need to add more spices, salt, pepper and/or water. Your soup should be ready to serve at this point!
If you are using noodles:
Turn the pot back up to a boil. Add your noodles. Cook until the noodles are done.
Serves 6-8
What is your favorite soup to make?
XxOo Tasha
You all know that I eat fairly simple. I do like to add several spices to jazz up my dishes but the ingredient list is normally small and to the point. This dish is not only simple but it’s family friendly, clean and satisfying.
This recipe can be created to your liking. When I create my turkey meatballs and turkey burgers I don’t really measure my ingredients – it’s been one of those things that I make so often that I know how it’s supposed to look so I just eye ball it. Just remember that they need to be moist and full of flavor!
Turkey Meatballs:
I combine Organic ketchup, Organic mustard, basil flakes, garlic powder, dried oregano, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix until well combined. ( I used the leanest grade of turkey so I added a bit of olive oil to a large pan to cook them in. ) Roll meat in to small meat balls – about 1-2 inches. Cook until well done.
Sautéed Vegetables:
In a sauté pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add a cup of diced yellow onion, sliced bell pepper ( I used an entire orange bell pepper ) and 4 cloves or minced garlic. Add a pinch of sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. Sautee until the veggies are soft. At the very end, add a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves and cook until soft and wilted.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add your rigatoni and cook for 3 minutes. Drain. in a large bowl toss pasta with dried basil, a pinch of sea salt and a teaspoon of olive oil. Add your sautéed vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly.
Now you are ready to dish! Simple, clean and very family friendly! I love cooking with turkey as it is very versatile and takes the place of greasy hamburger and sausage.
You all know I love making soup. We have all been feeling under the weather the past week and I thought a big batch of healing chicken noodle soup was in order!
I used boneless chicken thighs, fresh thyme and gluten free noodles. And of course I used Maninis Gluten Free Noodles because Maninis is the only certified gluten free company that uses ancient grains instead of corn and soy and produces FRESH pasta instead of dried pasta. For the chicken noodle soup I used their lasagna strips and cut them into smaller strips. I did this because I wanted my noodles wider and shorter than fettuccini noodles. They came out perfectly!
You can now find Maninis Gluten Free products on Amazon!
SOUP TIPS:
Ingredients
Pre-cook your chicken in the same pot you are going to cook your soup in. Add a few teaspoons of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and add your chicken pieces. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and let it cook through entirely.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the celery, onion, carrots and garlic. Stir until softened but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add a pinch more salt and pepper to taste and your poultry seasoning, if you are using, or your fresh herbs. You can always add more as the soup cooks so go easy at first.
Add the chicken broth or liquid – I used organic, free range chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and let cook until the vegetables are slightly cooked through.
Add the fresh noodles and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. The noodles will continue to cook even once you take the soup off of the heat. They cook fast so continue to watch them.
You can garnish with fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Enjoy!
Happy Sunday! I am getting a lot of great recipe and product requests for Maninis Gluten Free Pasta. I know some of you have been having some trouble finding their fresh pasta but they are adding their product to new stores each and everyday! And remember: if you want to see Maninis in a store near you just let the store know! Your voice is more powerful than you realize! If the demand is there they will stock it!
Want to know if Maninis is in a store near you? You can view the ENTIRE list here!
We had company over Saturday night and made a light seafood fettuccini with almond milk, parmesan, sea scallops, shrimp and lobster tails. It was amazing! Today, I wanted to recreate a similar dish without the seafood. I decided to add fresh spinach, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and a tri-color blend of bell peppers. I also added crumbled blue cheese for creaminess and a nice punch of tanginess.
Start boiling the water for the noodles.
In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add peppers, tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let soften for a few more minutes. Add Spinach, lemon juice and pinch more salt. Cover and let the spinach wilt down – about 5 minutes.
Add the noodles to the pasta and cook per the directions.
Once the spinach has wilted, toss until everything is coated. Stir in the cheese until melted.
Drain the noodles and add to the vegetable mixture. Toss together and serve.
Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the weekend! It was BEAUTIFUL in the Seattle area this weekend! We spent most of the time outside walking, riding bikes, playing at the park and really just enjoying the sun and nice weather!
However, I did make some time to create an AMAZING Gluten Free Sesame Seed dish. Instead of using soba noodles, I used Maninis Spaghetti Noddles – it turned out amazing! It had a great crunch from the onions and radishes and the warm taste of the sesame oil made this dish shine! The best part… 100% gluten free! 
Bring a large pot of salted and oiled water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
Meanwhile, whisk maple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, and chili-garlic sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with the sauce, sesame oil, and vegetables. I prefer to eat these noodles chilled, but you could eat them hot or cold. 
I try to eat gluten free as much as I can. I have ALWAYS been a bread and carb lover ever since I was young but as I started to eliminate it out of my diet, the better I found myself feeling. Although, I always found gluten free products to be hit or miss. Pasta was never soft enough, bread was dry and hard and over all I felt that consuming too much rice was not beneficial to my health. ( Did you know it contains arsenic?!)
When I came into contact with Maninis Gluten Free products, I was AMAZED with the quality, taste and the versatility of their products. Maninis is a Certified Gluten Free local Seattle company that produces FRESH pasta (not dried in a box!) and all of the products are fully sustainable. Maninis is certified by the Global Intolerance Group (GIG). All of their products are made with ancient grains INSTEAD of rice and soy. Grains such as Organic Millet, Teff, Organic Quinoa, Certified Gluten Free Oats, Flax, Organic Amaranth and Organic Sorghum. You can find them all over the Pacific Northwest including Whole Foods! Here is a location finder – and you can also order online!
I am teaming up with Maninis to help spread the word about Celiac Disease, gluten related health issues and getting the word out about Mananis wonderful pasta, bread and flour mixes! Over the next few weeks I will be showcasing more products and creating more delicious recipes that are gluten free. And I will also be giving away some great product, too!
For more information about Maninis, please visit their blog and facebook page!
Gluten Free Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Boil pasta as directed on package.
As soon as the pasta is ready, put it in a cold bath of water to stop the cooking process. Once cold, pour into a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Taste to see if it is seasoned to your liking. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours (overnight is best) before serving.
Makes 6 servings
What a perfect day.
Jordan and I took a very much needed drive outside of the city for some vegan and gluten free cupcakes and bread from this amazing bakery, Guilt Free Goodness. Dawn, Queen Baker and owner, is very talented! Not only does she serve baked goods, she also has a small lunch menu that I will have to try next time I am there.
I was pleased to see the amount of vegan sweets she has to offer…
I follow her on Facebook and she was stating how much raisin cinnamon bread she had in the bakery today. I knew I had to finally make the trip to visit her. I ended up buying a half loaf of the raisin bread and a whole loaf of her vegan, gluten free bread. The BEST gluten free bread I have ever had. Super airy, soft and the flavor was mild yet distinctive.
I think she should rename her logo to Guilt Free Goddess!
This is going to be a weekly staple – a nice country drive to buy my bread for the week. Perfect.
I am also planning on writing a formal review of Guilt Free Goodness here very soon, too. I am needing to go back and do some more “sampling”. 😉
Afterwards, Jordan and I were listening to the Beatles while driving through the back roads viewing nature at its best. I really do miss living in “the woods”. I am starting to realize city living is not for me. I feel my best when I am surrounded by trees, water and nature.
I have to leave town for business next week and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any food go to waste so I had my parents over for a relaxing Sunday Supper.
Brew
Warmed and ready to serve
And my Mom made snickerdoodle muffins for dessert. I am a sucker for cinnamon.
I hope each and every one of you had an amazing weekend.
XxOo
Vegan Thin Mintz – Yes! Finally! Thank You!
What could be a better combination than mint+chocolate? You are right: Absolutely NOTHING!
Thin Mintz ~ Vegan & Gluten Free
Pictures and recipe by Manifest Vegan
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cream together margarine, peppermint oil or extract and sugar together until creamy and smooth.
In separate bowl, sift together sorghum flour, cocoa powder, potato starch, xanthan gum and baking soda. Use your hands to thoroughly get all of the lumps out so that the flours are very well mixed with no clumps of cocoa powder remaining.
Gradually add flours to margarine/sugar mixture until crumbly. Continue mixing while adding in the almond milk. The dough will seize up and become stiff. Make sure all flour is well incorporated and knead briefly. Press into a disk, wrap loosely with saran wrap or wax paper and chill in freezer for about 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
Divide dough in half and pinch off sections to make about 3/4″ round balls.
Flatten dough ball between your palms and shape gently to form a flat cookie… like a thin mint. (The warmer the dough gets, the easier it is to work with. Don’t let it get too warm, though.)
Place onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet (or silpat mat) about 1 inch apart until cookie sheet is covered.
I found it handy to get it mostly into a flat patty in my palm, and then place on my parchment and flatten it even more with the bottom of a glass or a spoon.
They should look like this before flattening them a second time:
These are “thin” mints, so you want them to be about a 1/4 to 1/5 of an inch (5-8mm) thick. You know, thin. 🙂 The thinner you make ‘em, the crispier they get… which is exactly what you want.
Bake the first tray for 16 minutes, and then remove from oven and let cool.
Repeat with second half of dough and bake for the same amount of time.
Allow both trays of cookies to cool completely.
To coat the cookies:
Melt chocolate chips in double boiler over medium low heat until chocolate is super smooth. Dip one side of the cookie into the chocolate and then carefully spread the chocolate into a thin layer over the entire cookie. Wearing food grade gloves while doing this is very helpful, ’cause then you can just use your fingers to spread it around. A silicon pastry brush is also useful… just try and get a thin layer of chocolate spread onto the cookies. Be sure to coat the bottom and sides too, and then gently place on a silicon mat or wax paper to firm up.
Leave at room temperature until chocolate hardens.
Go crazy over gluten free vegan thin mints!
