Blueberry Sauce

Be careful, this stuff is addicting! I use it as pancake syrup but honestly I think you could use it for anything. I plan on throwing some into a recipe I have for frosting so I can have some fun blueberry frosting to put on cupcakes later today.

Ingredients
1 pint blueberries frozen or fresh
1/3 cup water
4 tbsp sugar (brown or white)
Optional: Juice from 1/4 of a big lemon

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a pan over high heat.
2. Bring to a boil stirring to make sure all the sugar dissolves. Leave on the heat for about a minute of two after the sugar dissolves.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 2 minutes. Add in lemon juice as your mixture is cooling.
4. Strain your mixture. Make sure you really crush all the blueberries to get out as much flavor as possible. You can store this in a jar in the fridge for at least 2-3 weeks.

By the way the picture above is only about half as much sauce as you get I was just too impatient to take a picture before I used some!

Toasted Almonds & Flax Seeds

OK! So, I definitely procrastinated going to bed today with this recipe. It all started when a certain short runner reminded me that almonds are the best post-lunch munchies cure. That combined with someone else reminding me that I need Omega-3's in my diet resulted in this recipe... So simple, but so good.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 to 1 tsp salt depending on how salty you like things.
1 cup raw almonds (Honestly, I bet you could substitute ANY nut in here)
1/4 cup raw flax seeds
Optional: 1/2 cup raisin or craisins (If you're feeling particularly rebellious throw in some chocolate chips!)

Directions:
1. Combine salt & lime juice
2. Add in almonds and flax seeds
3. Pop them in your toaster for 5 minutes.
4. Let them cool down before tasting. If they're not crunchy enough toast on for a few more minutes. Also, if you want you can add in some craisins or raisins after your mixture has cooled.
5. Divide into 5 plastic baggies to create an entire work weeks worth of a crunchy snack! MMMM
6. Feel good about life because according to lecture number 3495834095 from the other day Omega-3 fatty acids can help ward of depression and anxiety! Not to mention heart disease! YAY!

Veggie "Crepes"

This recipe may stem from my desire to eat pancakes as often as possible. I did some major tweaking to my whole grain pancake mix and the result was YUMMY. Here it is:

1/2 cup whole grain pancake mix (I used an oat based one)
1/2 cup other pancake mix (I use Aunt Jemima)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
2-3 tbsp of chopped cilantro
1 spring onion (optional)
2-3 tbsp chopped spinach (optional)
1-1 1/2 cups of water



Directions:
1. Place all your ingredients and 1 cup of the water in your blender. Your mixture should look a little thinner than pancake mix. You may need to add water to get it to the right consistency.
2. Heat up some olive oil in a pan and pour some batter on the pan. I find a size between 5-7 inches in diameter to work pretty well.
3. Cook like you would a pancake.
4. Serve with any assortment of grilled veggies you want. Actually, I served these last night with left over baked falafel and hummus! YUM!

"Baked falafel"

OK, so this really isn't falafel at all. Basically, I've had this box of falafel mix sitting in my cabinet for way to long. I've been avoiding it because I have no idea how or desire to deep fry anything. Anyway, as I was putting together some veggies the other day I thought I should really add some protein to my meal.... the end result was this recipe. It's pretty tasty and can really be put thrown together with whatever vegetables you have handy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup falafel mix (I used the Ziyad brand but I can't imagine it matters)
1 cup water
1 red or orange bell pepper chopped into bite size pieces
2-3 green summer squash chopped into bite size pieces
1 package firm tofu cut into bite size cubes
1 clove of garlic grated
1-2 spring onions finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 red chili powder (Totally change this depending to your taste!)
1 tbsp olive oil
Optional: cilantro or parsley, lime, carrots and really since most falafel mixes have a good amount of spices etc. in them you can pretty much do with or without the cumin, turmeric, chili powder, garlic or even onions... depending how savory you like your food. Also, you can probably substitute the bell peppers and squash with most veggies. I think broccoli would probably work well!

Directions:
1. Mix your falafel mix and water together and put on the side. The mixture should look the consistency of pancake batter and you may need to add water to get it to that consistency.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Heat up your olive oil in a pan and brown the garlic and onions.
4. Throw in your tofu and spices (and cilantro or parsley if you choose) Cook until the tofu starts getting a little crispier/tougher
5. Next your veggies go in. Cook them for about 5-10 minutes
6. Mix together your cooked veggie mixture with your falafel mix and pour it into a casserole dish.
7. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.

You'll end up with a pretty filling dish that can be served in so many ways! I've served it as a side and in a pita with romaine lettuce and fresh tomatoes. I bet it would go really well with some vegan sour cream. Yum! Also, if you're someone who likes to bake your veggies I've definitely bypassed the stove top stuff and thrown the mixture of veggies/spices/tofu/onion/garlic in the oven for 20 minutes before mixing them with the falafel mixture.