Monday, July 28, 2014

Glutenfree, Nutfree Chickpea Hemp Vegan Burgers
These tender burgers don't need many ingredients to taste delicious.


We just got back from a family vacation that involved a 14-hour drive. That equates to a whole lot of not-so-great-for-you food if you're in my family.

After indulging on vacation, and then eating a lot of easy food on the road, I really needed something fresh (but easy, I'm still unpacking!) that I could feed my guys.

These burgers use one of my favorite ingredients, hemp seeds for their nutty flavor, high protein content and lots and lots of nutrients. (They are one of the seeds featured in my new book, SUPER SEEDS.) They get a freshness punch from parsley and rolled oats (gluten-free if you need it) helps hold them together.

I served these tender burgers with a baked potato and some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. You could also wrap them in a lettuce leaf or tortilla or serve them on your favorite bun.

I hope you're enjoying easy-going days and tasty treats this summer!

Chickpea Hemp Vegan Burgers (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free)
Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed or 1 3/4 cups cooked
  • 2 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds (or hemp hearts)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats or old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Preparation:
  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, but not brown (a couple of minutes).
  3. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients including sauteed vegetables until blended together. The beans should still have some texture, but there shouldn't be any whole beans left. Don't wipe out skillet.
  4. Reheat skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Form bean mixture into four patties.
  6. Cook on each side until brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. 
Happy Cooking!
Kim


My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.
 

Friday, July 25, 2014


Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary





Pigs! Chickens! Goats! Cows!

On our summer trip, my family and I visited the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. While were there, we learned a lot about the hardships faced by farm animals, and we got to meet and pet and play with some pretty amazing characters!

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary



Our tour guide, Scott, taught us a lot about the suffering farm animals face in our modern animal agriculture system. We saw veal crates, hen cages and other artifacts. We learned about the strong bond between mother animals and their babies (did you know that a mother hen can communicate with her chick while its still inside the egg?!), and the relationships among animals. Seeing the hens playing together and the goats hanging out together and the cows nuzzling each other was one of the best parts of the tour.

My favorite part of the experience was interacting with the animals. Right when we got there, we were greeted by two goats who were just hanging out. There were chickens and turkeys walking around. Once the tour started, though, that's when we really got to meet some of the feathered and furry residents of the sanctuary.

Woodstock Animal Sanctuary




It turns out, pigs LOVE to get their bellies rubbed. 




Our trip was full of beautiful and exciting experiences, but both of my boys will tell anyone who asks that visiting Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary was the high point of the vacation. If you find yourself in upstate New York, I strongly urge you to visit. If you want to donate to a good cause, check 'em out for that, too!

Happy Cooking!
Kim


My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

Monday, July 7, 2014

SUPER SEEDS: The Complete Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Chia, Flax, Hemp, Quinoa & Amaranth



I am so excited for you all to see the beauty that is SUPER SEEDS! I can say that since I had nothing to do with the gorgeous photos or super-cute design. All of the recipes are vegan, almost all are either gluten-free or have a gluten-free option, and almost all have a nut-free and soy-free option, too.

This week I whipped up a batch of the brownies from SUPER SEEDS. They use chia as the egg replacer, and I since I almost always have some on hand, it was easy to indulge our desire for a sweet treat.

Seeing that container of brownies sitting on my counter gave me an irresistible urge to transform those chocolatey treats into an ice cream. With a container of light coconut milk in the pantry and my ice cream maker ready to go, we were enjoying this delicious ice cream for dessert in just a couple of hours!


Vegan, gluten-free Brownie Ice Cream from Kim's Welcoming Kitchen



If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture in a lidded container, and fluff with it a fork every half hour or so, until it's frozen.

Since you don't have the SUPER SEEDS brownie recipe yet (though you can pre-order the book, so you're ready as soon as it ships), you can use the one from Welcoming Kitchen.

Vegan, gluten-free, allergy-safe brownie ice cream?  Now that's something to scream about!

Brownies & Cream Ice Cream (vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free)
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
  • 1 14-ounce can of light coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk 
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice or coconut palm sugar)
  • 1 1/2 cups brownie chunks

Preparation:
  1. Combine all ingredients except brownies in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Stir over heat until sugar is completely dissolved (2 or 3 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat, pour into a non-reactive bowl, and chill in refrigerator for an hour (or more.)
  4. Prepare according to ice cream maker's directions.
  5. Add brownie chunks in last couple of minutes of freezing.
  6. Ice cream will have a soft-serve consistency straight from the machine.  For firmer ice cream, chill in the freezer for another hour or two. 



Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.