sesame balsamic bok choy with brown rice pasta

This took about 10 minutes to make. Bok choy is a mellow, simple and accessible green. I just diced them (stems and all) and sauteed with garlic and deglazed with some balsamic vinegar. Deglazing is just a culinary term that simply means adding a liquid (most often a vinegar or wine) to loosen and dissolve the caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan that form during cooking. It really brightens up the dish and gives it a lovely sweet flavor. I used a brown rice pasta that also adds a nice nuttiness and bite. 

2 heads of bok choy

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

8 to 10 oz brown rice pasta

salt and pepper

sesame seeds

chives

Fill a pot with water. Add salt and heat until boiling. Add pasta and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. While pasta is cooking, chop bok choy into bite sized chunks and add to a heated pan with garlic and olive oil. Saute for a couple minutes and deglaze with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped chives, add to the drained pasta and serve. 

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Some seasonal autumn goodness. I didn't have any white sugar, so I used a combination of sorghum syrup, barley malt and brown rice syrup. All of these sweeteners are super high in minerals and don't give you such a sugar rush like regular ole cane sugar does. Of course, the chocolate chips in here definitely have sugar, but really, sometimes we just need a little extra chocolatey sugar high. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup mixed sorghum syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt

2/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup canned pumpkin 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. 

Mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, mix together the syrups, oil, pumpkin, vanilla and flaxseeds until well combined. Add the wet to the dry, slowly. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for a couple minutes on a wire rack. Then eat it!

homemade crackers!

Ingredients: 

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons sea salt

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped basil/parsley or other greens/herbs can be added to dough 

garnish with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or any dried herb that's handy!

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

2. Put the flour, salt, oil and optional added greens in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add about 1/4 cup water and let the machine run until the mixture holds up and is not sticky. 

3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick or thinner. Add flour as needed. Score lightly with a sharp knife into rectangles or any shape you desire. 

3. Transfer dough gently to prepared sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt, seeds or dried herbs. 

4. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.