Sesame, Wasabi & Nori Mixed Nuts

Do you ever stand in that aisle in Trader Joe's that has all the mixed nuts and have serious decision making problems? I mean, they have every combination that ever could exist. And it's also an extremely slippery slope because while nuts have great nutritional benefits, they are little calorie bombs.  And who eats just ONE handful of trail mix? Nobody.

So I just stand in that aisle, drool, and move on. Self control. My weakness is the Thai spiced mixed nuts. If you haven't had them, don't. You won't be able to stop yourself.

So when faced with a surplus of asian ingredients and a freezer full of nuts, I did this:

Sesame, Wasabi  & Nori Mixed Nuts

makes 1 cup

2 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp prepared wasabi paste

1/2 c. almonds

1/2 c. cashews

1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp rice seasoning (which is sesame seeds, nori, salt, sugar)

In a small bowl, combine coconut oil and wasabi. 

Toast nuts over medium heat for 2-4 minutes. 

When they start to toast, add coconut oil/wasabi mixture and toss to coat. Let them toast for another 30 seconds or so.

Drizzle over the tamari and toss the nuts.

Sprinkle over the rice seasoning and toss to coat.

Transfer to a foil lined sheet pan, spread out so they do not touch, and let them sit out at room temp for about 1 hour. Then you can jar them up and snack for days!

If you giggled every time I wrote "nuts", we must be friends.

Fluffy Sour Chia Pancakes

It would be just like me to make the best pancakes ever and not take a single picture.

But these were so good, I had to snap a few post-bite pics and share the recipe.

I was craving sourdough pancakes. Though these aren't as sour as sourdough, they have the right sweetness and tang, combined with goodness of oat, whole wheat, and chia.

Fluffy Sour Chia Pancakes

makes 8

Wet

1 medium banana, ripe

1/3 c. light coconut milk (from a can)

1/3 c. chopped fresh pineapple

1/2 c. unsweetened plain almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry

2/3 c. oat flour

1/3 c. whole wheat flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp chia seeds

Blend together the wet ingredients.

Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.

Pour wet mixture into dry. Stir to combine. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to give chia seeds some time to gel.

Heat a pan over med-high heat and spray with coconut oil cooking spray (my new favorite for pancakes and stir fry's)

Scoop by 1/4 cups onto pan.

Flip once you start to see bubbles popping.

I served mine with cinnamon apples, but would be great with maple syrup, fresh berries, or raspberry jam. 

Artichoke Pesto Flatbread

I've recently discovered the joy of no-cheese pizzas. And I realize how crazy this sounds from someone who has previously rattled on and ON about the joys of all things cheese. I mean, cheese defines me.  Well, it DID at least. I haven't purchased cheese in 2 months. (Read: this is huge). I've had some sprinklings here and there, but nothing like I used to... and nothing like my childhood, when my parents would find string cheese wrappers like breadcrumbs in the wake of my dairy destruction...

Making pizza at home means topping it with whatever. I had a beet pizza a few weeks ago. But this one was the best, so here I am to share. Because sharing is caring!

Artichoke Flatbread Pizza

8 servings

1 can artichoke hearts packed in water

2 tbsp basil pesto

1 package whole wheat pizza dough

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced in rings

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 c. pitted kalamata olives, chopped

Preheat oven according to dough instructions (450F is usually on the money). Let pizza dough hang out on the counter to come to room temp and relax.

Pop open artichokes and drain. Quickly chop up with a food processor to a fine dice.

Saute over med-high heat for 5 minutes. This will help to evaporate extra water and soften up artichokes.

Remove from heat and stir in pesto. 

yeah, this pesto has parm in it. sneaky sneaky. but it was already in my fridge when i started this "no dairy" thing, so give me cred for not being wasteful, plz.

Roll out pizza dough on a floured pan using your fancy rolling pin (ikea glass).

Bake for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly brown. Sometimes it gets a giant bubble, just poke a hole in that to steam vent.

Spread artichoke pesto mixture evenly on crust.

Top with onion, mushroom, parsley, and olives.

And bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until onions are soft, crust is crispy, and mushrooms are shrivel-y.

Slice er up and serve with a big salad!

What cheese?