Pesto Lentil Patties

These make a nice alternative to your everyday beef or veggie burger. They are packed full of protein and best of all FLAVOR!

I used the kale walnut pesto to flavor these lean mean lentil machines. If you or your family are not fans of kale, then this is the recipe for you! It tastes just like pesto with the added benefits of the super-food, kale.


Pesto Lentil Patties

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup dry green lentils
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1-2 medium zucchinis, shredded (I used 1.5 zucchinis)
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups breadcrumbs or almond meal (I used 4 pieces brown rice bread, toasted and cut into small chunks)
• 1/3 cup kale walnut pesto or any homemade or store-bought pesto
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper

Bring broth to a boil. Add lentils and reduce heat to simmer. Cook lentils until they are soft and liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes).

In a large glass bowl, combine shredded zucchini, garlic, breadcrumbs, pesto, cooked lentils and salt and pepper.  Place lentil mixture in fridge for 10 minutes to allow to cool. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Once lentil mixture is cool, add egg and mix thoroughly. Form mixture into patties (about 1/3 cup per patty).  Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet or greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then flip patties and bake for another 15 minutes. 

Serve with green salad or roasted veggies. Top with salsa or feta cheese.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

These cookies are grain-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free. They contain all the goodness of sweet potatoes, including potent antioxidant, Vitamin A. Vitamin A is fat soluble so in order to utilize this beneficial nutrient, you need some fat in your meal or dish. This recipe contains good quality fats in the form of coconut oil, coconut milk, almond butter and almond meal. The almond butter and almond meal also add protein to the cookies, which is always something I am looking for in a baked good. This helps stabilize your blood sugar when you indulge in something sweet. This is one healthy and tasty treat!

I tweaked the recipe from the one found on the Primitive Foodie blog. The recipe on this site included 5 eggs- I didn't see a need for this many! I used 2 and they turned out perfect! Also, she uses coconut flour in this recipe (I used almond flour instead). Coconut flour would be fine...I just didn't have it!


Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped sweet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes. I leave the skins on for added fiber and nutrients)
• 1/3 cup almond meal (aka almond flour)
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or butter)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
•  1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup raisins

Boil sweet potatoes in water until soft (about 15-20 minutes). Once the sweet potato is cooked thoroughly, drain water and transfer to a bowl. Add almond meal, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, honey, maple syrup, coconut oil, baking powder, baking soda and almond butter. Set aside and let cool for 15 minutes (can put in fridge for faster cooling). Preheat oven to 350 F.

While cooling, whisk the eggs, vanilla, coconut milk and sea salt together in a separate bowl.

Once sweet potatoes are cooled, combine egg and milk mixture to the sweet potato mixture. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and raisins.

Spoon dough onto a greased pan. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Variation: Use fresh or canned pumpkin.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (Gluten-Free)

With oats, blueberries and almond meal as the main ingredients in this recipe, these muffins make for a great protein-packed, delicious breakfast or snack. Easy to pack in lunches as a desert too- beats a cookie or sugary protein bar and still satisfies your sweet tooth at the end of a meal.

If you are not familiar with almond meal (or almond flour), it makes for a great gluten-free flour that won't spike your blood sugar like many other grain-based flours that leave your stomach growling 2 hours later. Click here for more on cooking or baking with protein-packed nut flours.

Since the almond meal already contains good quality fats, there is no need for a lot of additional oil or butter in this recipe. The apple sauce and the almond meal makes them really moist. I get my almond meal at Trader Joe's- very affordable there!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Wet Ingredients:

¼ cup organic butter, melted

½ cup honey

½ cup organic unsweetened apple sauce

2 organic eggs

Dry Ingredients:

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

1 cup oat flour (just grind 1 cup oats in a food processor and voila- you've got flour)

1 cup almond flour/meal

1 cup frozen or fresh organic blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease muffin pan. Mix all wet ingredients together in one bowl and all the dry ingredients together in another bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Then add the blueberries and mix. Pour into a greased muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Enjoy with a tall glass of chilled almond of coconut milk!