Chickpea Waffles

I'm still obsessed with chickpeas.  So much so that I made a trip to 14 Carrot and purchased some chickpea flour.  Lukas is not allergic to wheat (thank goodness) so we haven't had to go gluten free. But if chickpeas taste that good in baked goods (see cookie recipe), then why not make breakfast containing this tasty, nutritious ingredient?  This recipe is so healthy that you won't believe how good they are.

The entire family loved these waffles.  I'm the pickiest one of the bunch and these were the best waffles I've ever made.  I love the subtle flavor of the chickpeas and the sunflower seed butter!

I've adjusted this recipe to make 12 small square waffles which will hopefully be enough to satisfy our family of 4 next time I make them!

(A note to the food allergic - I researched Bob's and found that the facility is gluten free but not nut free.  They run the non allergen products first and then clean after the allergen products, but Lukas did start itching after eating the waffles.  My next step is to figure out where to get some chickpea flour processed in a nut free facility!)

2 cups garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour (add a tad more if too runny)

2.4 cups soy milk

juice of one small lemon

1.5 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

3 TBL sunflower seed butter

1 - 1 1/2 bananas, mashed (microwave for 45 seconds to soften if not already overripe)

pinch of orange zest or a few drops of orange extract (optional)

Since this recipe does not contain oil, it's imperative to coat the waffle iron WELL before pouring in the batter.  These were delicious with some raspberries on top, but all we had left by the time I took a picture were some mangoes!  Enjoy!

Tried and True Playdough Recipe!

I've surfed up and made many different playdough recipes, and most of them could not compare to Play-doh.  I had suspected for a while that Lukas might allergic to something in Play-doh since he seemed to get itchy while playing with it.  I hadn't let him get it out for in months because of my suspicions.  When he received a glorious selection of beautiful vibrant Play-doh from his grandparents, I had to let him have his fun.  A few minutes after playing with it, he started scratching so I had to face facts: Lukas is allergic to something in Play-doh.  

Although advertised as non-toxic it contains not only water, salt, and a starch based binder, but also retrogradation inhibitor, borax, petroleum, lubricant, surfactant, preservative, hardener, humectant, fragrance and color.  That is quite a chemical cocktail so it's no surprise Lukas reacted to it.

There are tons of recipes out there but a reviewer said this one's texture was the most like Play-Doh.  It involves the stove but it's still very quick, easy and worth the hassle!

Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used light olive)
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2-4 cups flour
Natural food coloring
1 drop lavendar oil (scent)

Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.  Remove from heat and add flour until the right consistency is achieved.  I started with 2 cups and then added more until it was right.  (I accidentally put the first 2 cups of flour in the saucepan and it still turned out great).  Stir and then knead until smooth. Separate into as many different colors as you want and mix in the colors!  This was my sons' favorite step. The red food coloring exploded out of the middle of my play-dough so I screamed and tricked my husband and oldest son into thinking I cut myself.  They totally fell for it!  Is that mean?

 

Since this playdough is truly natural, I let him use our pasta maker.  He played with the pasta maker and playdough for HOURS!!!

Delicious Sesame & Nut Free Hummus!

You'd think that having the entire family avoid all the things Lukas is allergic to would be stressful, but serving something he's allergic to is actually way more stressful.  Who has touched it?  What surfaces has it migrated to?  Where do we need to clean?  Sometimes eating allergens means washing hands, mouth, changing clothes, and even brushing my teeth. This is the reason we haven't had hummus in the house in a long time, and I have really missed this healthy tasty snack!

I finally surfed up a few sesame free recipes but I doubted whether they'd be any good.  The last time I tried to make hummus (with tahini) was years ago and it was NOT good, so I really didn't have much motivation to try.

After making chickpea chocolate chip cookies, I've fallen in love with chickpeas again.  Not only are they packed full of nutrition, but they have a delicious creamy texture that can be used for both savory and sweet treats!  It was this newfound infatuation and some pre-dinner munchies that finally spurred me to make one of the 4 sesame free recipes I've been sitting on for weeks now.

My little one had fun helping me put this recipe together in the food processor.  I was shocked to taste this homemade sesame free hummus - it was actually great!  I put in just the right amount of garlic to give it a slightly spicy aftertaste which unfortunately resulted in Lukas fanning his mouth after a bite.  

For me though, this hummus was REALLY good. Not just "good for an allergen free recipe", but really good. I no longer believe that tahini is crucial to hummus.  And, I can eat it without worry of spreading allergens everywhere!

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drain and set aside the liquid

1 lemon squeezed

2 cloves of garlic (perfect for the adults, but too much for kids)

1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs creamy sunflower seed butter

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Put all ingredients except for olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.  If mixture is lumpy or thick, you can gradually add the reserved liquid until you get a smooth and thick puree.  I used very little.

With the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil.  Let the it run for another 3 minutes.  Enjoy with pretzels, pita, or sweet potato chips!