A Little More About Me and My Cooking

Before I get into the recipe (or two) I want to share there is a little bit about me that I cannot help but share. I am a bird person. I didn't used to be, but now I am, I LOVE birds. And bird people are a little weird so I cannot help sharing about my babies (there will probably eventually be videos).

How did I become a bird person? Well when I was in grade school the sweetest, most beautiful cockateil landed in our yard. He bonded with me and became mine. Then ten years later I saved a "poor little" dachshund who was running around in the middle of the street (I save everything, yesterday I saved a worm which was struggling for life). We took him home because the animal shelter said they would euthanize him if the owner didn't show up and they decided he was too old to be adopted. Well he wasn't in our house for a half hour when he killed my baby. I watched him die in my arms and buried him. Then I because absolutely obsessed with birds and visited Petco everyday to get my bird fix-thus was born the bird person.

 

 

 So my wonderful husband surprised me about a week later with a beautiful bird I had been eyeing at the store. He bought Oscar for 50% off because no one else wanted him and he was mean! But he is the sweetest bird now, and will not let me go anywhere without him. I bring him to school with me everyday and both he and the kids love it! Oscar has the biggest personality I have ever seen in a bird-he is a beautiful 5 year old, blue Indian Ringneck Parakeet (perfect for my India obsession because they are all over in southern India) We have now had him for 4 years. 

 

We said no more birds, then last year One of the moms of one of my cutest kindergarteners told me she had to get rid of her 15 year old African Grey and she wanted me to take him. I said "I can't". But I really wanted an African Grey, so we inherited this sweet, smart bird. His name is Taz and he is so sweet, my big baby!




Ok, now that I got that out on to recipes, I am the kind of cook who will decide on a recipe to make and completely change it to what I think will make it better. So I thought I would give you an example of my cooking. I made this recipe for our Young Adult Sabbath School class so it is not the most healthy recipe in the world, but if you are vegan, gluten free, and like to eat bread this recipe is for you. (I am also trying to clean my house of flour so I may post a couple recipes which include flour).

Strawberry Rhubarb (Pulp) Muffins

I originally found this recipe at http://www.thekitchn.com/strawberry-rhubarb-muffins-fro-148097. I had strawberry rhubarb pulp from a juice I had made (I am trying to perfect strawberry rhubarb pie juice because I love strawberry rhubarb pie. If I ever do I will post the recipe) and wanted to use it in my muffins so I found a recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb muffins. 

First thing I changed was the strawberries and rhubarb, I did not put any in the recipe instead I put about a cup of the pulp in plus about 2 cups of a carrot pulp mixture (putting carrot pulp into gluten free muffins makes them nice and fluffy). 

I didn't have any milk so I made my own almond milk (1 cup almonds to 4 cups water - soaked, blended, honey added, and squeezed through a cheese clothe) and one cup of that went in. 

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil

Then I stared at that 1/3 cup of sugar and decided if I was going to eat these muffins I just couldn't do it so in went a little less than a third of a cup of Now Xylotol Plus. Instead of the brown sugar I used sucanat and I substituted coconut oil instead of the canola oil. 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely diced fresh rhubarb
1 cup chopped strawberries

Of course I didn't have strawberries or rhubarb (the muffins would have been very good if I had) so in went the three cups of pulp. 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour

Someone in our group has a gluten intolerance so of course there was none of this flour involved. My uncle has Celiac's so my Grandma (who is an AMAZING cook) came up with a flour mixture which is just about perfect- 2 cups brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour - put into a ziplock bag a shaken up. You also have to add 1/2 tablespoon of xanthum gum to the recipe for each cup of this mixture you use. 

Guess what, I had no brown rice flour so I substituted 1 cup sorghum flour and 1 cup oat flour (both certified gluten free) and it turned out nicely. 

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

I looked at the pile of ingredients and said, "what! no cinnamon! this cannot be!" and in went 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of cinnamon. 

Then I mixed everything up and didn't like the look of the consistency so in went about 1/2 cup more of almond milk about a 1/2 teaspoon more of cardamom and cinnamon. Then I decided it was good. 

Ok, so I have a muffin maker and I love it! (I love cooking for people, its way too much fun!)

On top I sprinkled Gluten Free Oats, sucanat, and (can you guess?) cinnamon. 

And VIOLA! Yummy, Gluten Free, Vegan, Healthy Muffins! 

And a great way to use pulp from your juices (on a side note the muffins are not really that pink-that is a combination of bad lighting, my bad picture taking skill, and my husband not seeing the pics before I posted them)

Ok, one more thing, I have to post my lunch today a great salad (I don't use recipes for salads and I rarely make the same salad twice) 

Sweet Miso Salad

1 Handful lettuce (your choice)

2 handfuls sprouts (depending on how far you can get your hand into your sprouting jar)

5 - 6 Cherry tomatoes or yellow pear tomatoes (I used both, fresh from my tomato plants)

1/2 parsnip
1 medium radish (both graded through my Salad Shooter)

1/2 cup sliced beets




1/4 cup mushrooms (I will post a picture because I don't know what type they are, I was convinced to buy them at the farmers market and they are yummy)


About 1/4 cup shredded Gjetost cheese (this is a sweet goat cheese, used it because the dressing I was going to use was sweet.

Flax seed sprinkeled to taste

The dressing I used was a recipe I found on the top of my Cold Mountain Light Yellow Miso.

4 1/2 Tbsp miso

4 1/2 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp rice or wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar

3 Tbsp mustard 

Combine and mix well (I used a fork to stir)

Eat Up!

 The mushrooms really are this color, and they are yummy.

Tomorrow I will post a yummy shake recipe that I am soo excited about. Till tomorrow, 

 HAPPY JUICING!