Nutty Mandarin Quinoa Salad

Just make it. That's all I have to say. My work is done here. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quinoa, dried
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup peanuts, toasted
• 1 can mandarin oranges, cut in half
• 3 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
• a dash of toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt to taste

Cook your quinoa in 4 cups boiling water, and turn down to a low simmer, cover. When all water has been absorbed, transfer quinoa to a cookie sheet and spread out until fully cooled. Toast your peanuts lightly in a frying pan and let cool as well. 

Add all your ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and toss lightly. Add some mandarin orange juice and sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy, it won't last long!

Thom Kha Gai Soup, aka. Thai Curry Coconut Soup With Shrimp

I can't get enough of this soup. It's really the best thing when the weather starts to get cold and damp. Play with the spice a bit,to your liking. This is an adaptation form My Thai Granmother's Cookbook, a must have. Don't overdoo your shrimp! 

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 2 cups chicken or veggie stock
• 1 cup unsweetened thai coconut milk
• 5 thin slices fresh ginger root (or 2 tsp ginger powder)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, using white parts only, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 2 bruised and torn kaffir lime leaves
• 8 torn mint leaves
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup sliced onion
• 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined with tails intact
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped Thai red chilies (optional)

First combine the first 4 ingredients in a cup and mix.  Combine stock, coconut milk, ginger root, lemon grass, and limes leaves and let simmer for 5 minutes until flavored. throw in mint leaves. Add veggies and curry mix and boil low for 6-7 minutes or until veggies are almost tender. 

Next, add in shrimp and boil for 1 minute. Take out so they don't overcook. Take out lemongrass, add the rest of ingredients and add shrimp back in when cool enough. 

Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie- easy pumpkin pie recipe

Amazing pie, I swear! And a great crust. On my search for the perfect gluten-free crust, I found Gluten Free Girl's slightly involved but worth it pie crust. A flaky crust the hold together well and is highly nutritious. Here's my adaptation using no gums and adding chia and flax seeds. I made a triple batch, made two pies, and froze the third for a impromptu pie.  

A note for those with celiacs disease. If you absolutely need to make sure there is no cross contamination of your oat flour, use one like Bob's Red Mill oat flour. While visiting their factory, I was very impressed at the lengths they go to insure that their gluten-free products are truly free. And I just like Bob. After our tour, we found him in the lobby playing piano to his staff during a break.

Crust: 

• 1 cup almonds 
• 2/3 cup oat flour 
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup teff flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 3 tsp flax seeds
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tbs cold water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt                                                                                                                
• 5 tbs cold butter (sub with all coconut oil if you want totally vegan)
• 4 tbs cold coconut oil 
• 6 to 8 tbs ice-cold water

Filling: 

• 1 can pumpkin puree 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 egg (or 1 tab flax seeds ground with 1 tbs water until frothy if needing to be more vegan!)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamon

Process almonds into a fine meal, a powder if you can. Combine all dry ingredients in medium bowl. 

Back to our recipe, use a really good food processor, or better yet, a coffee grinder to grind seeds up to a powder. Mix with cold water in a cup. After frothing occurs, add mixture to flour mixture. 

Next, cut in cold butter and coconut oil. Use your hands towards the end until you get a fine corn meal texture. Add water until you get a dough with a consistency that is moist, but not tacky. Roll up your dough ball and when you push a finger in, it should come out clean. The ball should not fall apart in flakes when you're working it. Now put in fridge for 15 minutes. 

Roll out, and roll out thin if you can onto parchment paper. Flip into pie plate and peel away paper. No mess, thank you. Piece together any part that tears and crimp edges. 

Now for the filling. Just combine all ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour into pie shell and bake for 55 minutes. Pie should be slightly jiggly, but sill firm enough. Put in fridge overnight and it help it firm up a bit. Pie is a bit less firm than most, but oh so good! Pies can be frozen as well. Enjoy!