Almond Meal Cookies with Raisins and Pepitas

Last week I made 3 different kinds of cookies, in anticipation of having dinner guests.  The Captain’s sister and her husband were on the Island while he was attending a business conference… and they skipped their scheduled Friday night activities in order to come and spend some time with us!

I kept dinner very simple, and for dessert served a rich vanilla ice cream with balsamic strawberries on top… and some cookies.

I made gluten free chocolate chip cookies, some oatmeal and raisin cookies, and I wanted to do an almond meal cookie of some kind so that there would be a grain free option for me in case I decided to indulge!  And of course using almond meal and flax, instead of flour, means that they are grain free as well as gluten free.

I made up a batter that I have used previously and this time, instead of the peanut butter chips, I added raisins and pumpkin seeds (do you know them as pepitas?) to the mix.  The result was 14 moist and chewy cookies.

Although I used agave again  I am not sure I am a real fan. It has a markedly different taste from honey, and although it does add sweetness, I think it might be an acquired taste.  I am pretty sure that next time I will use honey instead.

But I think they were a hit... My sister in law took the last few home with her, and I don't think she was just being polite!

Almond Meal Cookies with Raisins and Pepitas
Makes 14 cookies

• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/8 cup pepitas 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbs agave nectar

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Mix the almond meal, flax, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in the raisins and pepitas.
3. Combine the egg, vanilla, and agave together in a small bowl.
4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until well blended.
5. Scoop dough by the spoonful and place on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.
6. Slightly flatten each cookie.
7. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to rest for a few minutes before removing to baking sheet to finish cooling.

Per serving of 1 cookie.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 85; Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 7g; Fat 5g; Fibre 1g.

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Do you like the taste of agave?

Do you use it in your baking?

Fruit and Nut Ginger Ballz for your Valentine

I have been wanting to make something sweet to have as a little tea treat some afternoons but didn’t want anything that required a lot of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. It couldn’t be cake, or cookies, or brownies…. I have not had any food cravings for about 6 weeks now and don’t want to give that sugar monster any reason to rear his ugly head….

But Valentine's Day really requires some special sweet to mark the occasion so, I came up with these Fruit and Nut Ginger Ballz and they are delicious… very similar to a Ginger Snap Larabar, in flavor, but a bit milder.  I love them.  The Trader Joe’s uncrystallized candied ginger that I used does have some sugar so if you prefer you could use about 1 Tbs of raw grated ginger root instead.  Of course that would change the N.I.

Now these are a generous size, so you could make them half the size if you want a two-bite style treat, or you could share one with your Valentine!

 

Fruit and Nut Ginger Ballz
Makes 14 balls

• 5 ounces dates (about 1 cup)
• 4.5 ounces raw cashews (about 1 cup)
• ounces raisins (about 3/8 cup)
• 1 ounce candied ginger (about 2 Tbs)

1. Place all the ingredients into your food processor and run till the nut pieces are quite small and the mixture clumps together.
2. Run warm water over your hands and use your wet fingers to form 14 golf ball sized ballz.
3. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them and then allow to thaw before eating.

Per ball.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 103; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 15g; Fat 4g; Fibre 1g.

Dough will clump when it has been processed long enough.

 

 

Roll into 14 golf ball sized balls.

 

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Choice and Chewy Apple Chutney

Many years ago, back in the pre-sailboat years, we had a lovely garden and a huge kitchen where we spent many happy hours canning and preserving the harvest we gathered every Fall.

We picked berries to make jams, and crabapples and rosehips to make jellies; we chopped veggies to make antipasto; we made cucumber and bean pickles; we canned fruit, and I made pear chutney.  I loved that pear chutney, and it has been on my mind for the last several weeks now... whenever I bite into a lush ripe pear, I recall the chewy raisins and the sweet and sour flavors.  The cloves and other spices smelled so lovely as it cooked away on the stove.

So, when recently I saw a recipe for apple chutney in a local grocer's newsletter, I decided to give it a try... it called for currants, which I don't really care for, and mint, too, which just didn't sound right to me... so after making a few little tweaks to the ingredients, I came up with this Apple Chutney.  Apples are so plentiful and such a great price right now.

The chutney is delicious!  And the kitchen smelled wonderful while it was cooking, too.  It is particularly nice along side some roast pork or baked chicken, and also swirled with a bit of cream cheese on a cracker.  I also served it as a side dish on a piece of baked Carnival squash... Mmmmm.  I hope you will give it a try. 

 



Apple Chutney
Makes 3 cups (12 servings of  approximately 1/4 cup each)

• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 3 medium to large apples

1. Halve and core each apple and then cut into 1/4-inch chunks..
2. Place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with all of the other ingredients.
3. Set the pot over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and bring to a light boil.
4. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer till the apples are tender and the chutney thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature .  It will thicken as it cools.
6. Cover and refrigerate chutney till ready to serve. 
7. It can be frozen if you are going to keep it for any length of time or you could preserve in sterilized glass jars using a basic hot water canning bath.

Per serving of 1/4 cup.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 49; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 13g; Fat 0g; Fibre 1g.



Dice the apples fairly small.

 

Add the other ingredients and cook on simmer.

 

The apples will get soft and the broth will reduce and thicken a bit.

 

Sweet and sour, such a tasty delight!

 

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Gluten Free Almond Meal and Raisin Cookies

Since I gave up gluten I have only eaten one cookie!

It was from a batch made by a lovely gentleman who was giving a lawn bowling lesson to The Captain and me, a few weeks ago.  After the lesson, several of us went into the clubhouse for tea and he offered these lovely looking homemade cookies... I didn't have one because I assumed that they were a traditional, flour-based cookie.  But, later, when he was putting the lid back on the container, he mentioned that they were gluten-free... of course my ears pricked up!

He said that he had simply substitued ground flax seeds for the flour that his recipe called for.  I decided that I must try one... and it was pretty good!  I  have been jonesing for a cookie ever since. 

So I looked in my baking cupboard and found some almond meal that I thought should be used and came up with these.  They are very tasty and certainly met my need for a cookie fix!  Actually, I ate 3 of them, and had to put off lunch for a couple of hours.

The raisins give them just the right amount of sweet.  What I should have done though, is bake them for a minute or 2 less than I did so will give you a range of baking times because your oven may be a bit different from mine.

They are grain-free and that is important to me right now so I think now that I have come up with a basic formula, the possibilities for add-ins and flavor changes will keep me satisfied for a long time to come... other dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips... I am one happy cookie monster now!

 

Gluten-Free Almond Meal Raisin Cookies
Makes 15 cookies

• 1 cup almond meal
• 2 Tbs ground flax
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbs agave nectar

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Mix the almond meal, flax, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in the raisins.
3. Combine the egg, vanilla, and agave together in a small bowl.
4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until well blended.
5. Scoop dough by the spoonful and place on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.
6. Slightly flatten each cookie.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and allow to rest for a few minutes before removing to baking sheet to finish cooling.

Per serving of 1 cookie.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 72; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 7g; Fat 4g; Fibre 1g.

But really, who ever eats just one cookie?  Here is the N.I. for the little snack I made of them:

Per serving of 3 cookies.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 217; Protein7g; Carbohydrate 21g; Fat 13g; Fibre 3g.

It is a sticky dough and easy to scoop out of the bowl with a spoon.

 

Parchment paper is much easier than a greased cookie sheet.

These cookies do not spread so you can crowd them on the sheet a bit if you need.



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Peanut Butter and Oat Ballz with Raisins... Mmmmm.

Happy Victoria Day to all of my Canadian friends.  This  has always been my favorite stat holiday as it is often on my birthday, which actually is May 24th... and now living in Victoria makes it even more special.  The annual parade is so fun... unfortunately this year the weatherman didn't cooperate!

The people we have been house and kitty sitting for since the middle of December came home yesterday.  Last Sunday, Mother's Day, we ran a half marathon, and on Monday we started moving our things into our own little nest... leaving the pantry pretty much bare of everything except the essentials I think we needed for the next several days.

But on Friday afternoon, I decided a treat was in order so I looked to see what I could come up with, and I found a few ingredients and put together some raw Peanut Butter and Oat Ballz.  Just the right sweet to enjoy out on the deck in the sunshine with an afternoon coffee.  If your oats are gluten free then these cookies will be, too.

I had chunky peanut butter on hand, but smooth would be fine, and you could use almond butter or sunflower butter too.  Just make sure it is at room temperature so it will blend easily with the other ingredients.

I used honey and liquified it in the microwave oven because I had already packed my agave nectar.

Store the leftovers in the fridge or the freezer so they will hold their shape.

Peanut Butter and Oat Ballz
Makes 13 ballz

• 1/2 cup peanut butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup quick (not instant) oats
• 2 Tbsp liquid honey
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until well-blended.
2. Put the bowl into the fridge for a bout half an hour to cool the dough... it is easier to handle when cool.
3. Using a scoop, or a melon-baller, or a spoon, portion the dough into ballz and roll in your hands to shape.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 100; Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 5g; Fibre 1g.

Put all ingredients into a medium bowl.

Blend well and then refrigerate for about half hour.

Portion doug and roll into 13 ballz.

Chocolate chips would be good too!

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Adding Protein Powder to My Oats

I do love hot, cooked cereal for breakfast on a cold and frosty morning.  And I am always trying to come up with add-ins or toppings that will help it stick to my ribs till lunchtime.

In the past I have used egg white stirred into the cooked oats and I have topped them with a variety of nut butters, and yogurts.  Today I came up with something I hadn't tried before, and it turned out very well.

I added a scoop of vanilla protein powder into our cooked oats... I happen to have a soy protein powder on hand, but whey or any kind you have would be fine.  The powder did absorb some of the moisture so the mixture became very thick, and the vanilla was a nice flavor addition. 

My powder has 3 WW P+ per scoop.

If you use a plain protein powder, stir in a spoonful of vanilla extract, too.

If you are making them just for yourself, halve the ingredients.

Protein Packed Oats with Raisins
Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 Tbs raisins
• yogurt or milk for topping
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Put the water and oats in a small saucepan and set over HIGH heat and cover.
2. When the water boils, turn the heat to LOW and simmer for about 4 or 5 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let rest on a cool burner for 5 minutes.
4. Stir the protein powder, raisins and vanilla (if using) into the oats.
5. Divide the mixture between 2 serving bowls.
6. Top with yogurt or milk and a dash of cinnamon.

Per serving, without toppings.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 167; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 30g; Fat 1g; Fibre 2g.

Stir the protein powder and raisins into the cooked oats.

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Now I am wondering if I should try the chocolate protein powder...

Shredded Carrot Salad with Raisins

This salad is one that I enjoyed at my Mother's table, as a child.  It appeals to me visually and satisfies my need for something crunchy and sweet.  It is also full of vitamins.

I am sure that my Mother would have have prepared it with regular mayonnaise and white sugar.... my version is much lighter but just as tasty!



Shredded Carrot Salad with Raisins
Makes 4 generous servings

• 3 medium carrots, washed, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup fat free Miracle Whip or other mayo 
• 1 packet Splenda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper

1. Put grated carrots in a large bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.
2. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 71; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

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