Falafels and sunflower beet cheese

I've started this thing, since new years, to write down my goals the night before every day, and list out ways that I can lower my ecological footprint. One way to do this is through food. 

Where I am currently living -- Brazil -- there isn't a compost collection. However where I am staying there is a small garden, but composting isn't an always. One goal that I have is to stop throwing organic material away and finding a way to always compost the material. 

The other goal, at least in the coming future is to become more and more plastic free, here in Curitiba, I have not found sources of non packaged organic foods -- like grains, beans and nuts. This is something that I would like to research more and find out how I could obtain them in something like cloth bags. However in the meantime before I figure out either how to live without foods that come in plastic or find a way to obtain healthy package free foods, I'm making use of the foods in the cupboard already available. 

Falafels 

3-4 cups of soaked chickpeas

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp alho (garlic) powder (portuguese popped out for a second ;))

1 red onion chopped.

Put all ingedients into a food processor and process until finer than couscous and almost a paste, but not quite. 

Shape into balls and put into the oven 200 C for 30 minutes – roughly estimated. They should be well cooked and not taste raw on the inside and slightly browned on the outside.

Sunflower Beet Cheese – 

1 cup of raw unsalted sunflowers soaked for atleast an hour

1 small beet chopped

½ tsp turmeric

 ½ tsp curry powder

2 garlic cloves

½ tsp salt

juice of 1 and ½ limes

enough water to reach the top of the ingredients in a blender, 1 tsp of agave.

Blend until smooth.

Serve falafels with cheese and can add some cilantro and sliced limes as garnish :)) 

Tomato Spice Muffins

Made some tomato spice muffins this morning. I adapted a regular cinnamon muffin recipe, since my fridge full of tomatoes needed to be put to good use  Surprisingly the muffins had more of an apple flavor  

1 cup sorghum flour + 1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder
3 tomatoes blended with 6 dates and a 1" piece of dried tamarind
2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp of agave + 2 tbsp of 'honee' (its this amazing plant based honey made from apples! Additional agave would also work)
topping:
1 tbsp cinnamon sugar mix

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with 2 tsp oil.
mix the flour, baking powder, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir well.
In a blender, add the tomatoes, dates, oil, vinegar, sweetener, and tamarind. Blend until smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until a batter forms.
Spoon batter into muffin tins and top each muffin with the cinnamon-sugar sprinkle - generous amounts.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 8 minutes. Serve warm or store in the fridge or freezer if not eating within a day.

Raw tomatillo soup plus black bean basil muffins

raw tomatillo soup:

1/4 cup kalamata olives

2 cups tomatillos

1 bunch kale

juice of 1 lemon

handful of cilantro

1 tbsp brown rice syrup

1/2 avocado

1/4 tsp red pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients :) 

Great with Black bean basil muffins :):)   
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups black beans cooked
1 cup non dairy milk
2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (leave out for the kids)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F and oil muffin pans

Mix dry ingredients

Puree all wet ingredients apart from basil.  

Add the puree to the dry ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon and pour into
muffin tins.  Bake for 20- 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Chocolate Cake

I made this yesterday, just before we had dinner at a friend's house I doubled the recipe and ended up with 3 pans. The cake turned out good, however, would have been perfected if frosting was put on it.

Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of coconut yogurt (alternatively yogurt and water can be replaced by 1 1/2 cup of dairy free milk)
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of oil
2 tbsp of ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp of agave

This made a very fluffy cake, kind of like the traditional ones you find in the store.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine all dry ingredients except flax seed and mix.  Combine all wet ingredients in addition to flax seed and mix.  Combine both the wet and the dry ingredients.  Pour mixture into a lightly oiled pan or two, I doubled the recipe and used two pie pans and one 8x8 pan.  (For the doubled recipe, the yogurt doesn't necessarily need to be doubled)

Bake for 30-25 minutes.