Building an Ark - Our Seventh-day Adventist homeschool and family life
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Oatmeal

The secret to fancy flavored oatmeal with no sugar, is to use flavored hot teas as your liquid and optionally additional unsweetened fruit puree.  Below are some examples that we like.
Apple Cinnamon
Peach Cobbler
Blueberry
Chamomile Cream
Strawberry Cream
Apple Cinnamon
  • 1 c. quick oat
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine and or Flax Oil
  • 1 t. Truvia
  • 3 shakes Apple Pie Spice
  • 3/4 c. Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice prepared tea (1 c. boiling water to 1 tea bag)
  • 2 T. Apple Sauce, unsweetened (optional)
Peach Cobbler
  • 1 c. quick oat
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine
  • 1 t. Truvia
  • 3 shakes Apple Pie Spice
  • 3/4 c. Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion prepared tea (1 c. boiling water to 1 tea bag)
  • 2 T. Gerber Peach Puree baby food (optional)
​
Blueberry
  • 1 c. quick oat
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine and or Flax Oil
  • 1 t. Truvia
  • 1 pinch True Lemon
  • 3/4 c. Celestial Seasonings True Blueberry prepared tea (1 c. boiling water to 1 tea bag)
  • 2 T. Gerber Blueberry-Apple Puree baby food (optional) or local no-sugar berry jam
​
Chamomile Cream
  • 1 c. quick oat
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine and or Flax Oil
  • 1 t. Truvia
  • 1 pinch True Lemon
  • 3/4 c. Celestial Seasonings Chamomile or Honey Vanilla Chamomile prepared tea (1 c. boiling water to 1 tea bag)​​
Strawberry Cream
  • 1 c. quick oat
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine and or Flax Oil
  • 1 to 5 t. Truvia (my Zippy likes the high end)
  • 3/4 c. Celestial Seasonings Watermelon Zinger prepared tea (1 c. boiling water to 1 tea bag)
  • 1 T. Strawberry Jam, reduced sugar  or Local Unsweetened Strawberry Jam
  • Drizzle of Non-dairy milk or creamer (optional)

Grits Plus

Sausage
Radish
Garlic
Sausage
Grandma Freida (Weston's mom) showed me how she likes to prepare grits. Make grits with boiling water. Then, pour in some sausage grease. She ate her sausage on the side. We are vegan and like to combine everything, but I still like to call my variation - Grandma Freida's Grits, so my children have a way to connect with her memory since she is gone.
  • 2 packets Instant Grits
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine
  • Veggie Sausage, sauteed, plus grease OR Oyster Mushroom Sausage Bits
  • 3 T. Riced Cauliflower, cooked
  • boiling water
Radish
  • 2 packets Instant Grits
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine
  • Radish Microgreens, chopped
  • 3 T. Riced Cauliflower, cooked
  • boiling water
Garlic
  • 2 packets Instant Grits
  • 1 T. Earth Balance margarine
  • minced garlic
  • 3 T. Riced Cauliflower, cooked
  • boiling water

Granola and Breakfast Cereal

Fruity Granola
Nut Cereal
Fruity Granola
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl mix:
  • 2 c. Quick Oats
  • 1 c. Rice Krispies
  • 2 T. Baobab Powder
  • 1/4 c. almond flour
In small bowl mix:
  • 1/2 c. Unrefined Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
  • 1/4 c. Water
  • 3 T. Truvia
Mix wet ingredients with dry. To chunk up the granola more, add a little more water and mix with a fork.
Spread on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake up to 15 minutes till dry and gently browned.
When cooled, mix in...
  • 1/2 c. Coconut Flakes, unsweetened
  • 1/2 c. Almond Slivers
Nut Cereal
My husband (Weston Goodwin) created this recipe for a no-carb cereal that is filling and keeps you going for hours without starch! The ingredients are in order from most in volume to least in volume.
  • Cashew nuts, roasted and unsalted
  • Pumpkin seeds, unsalted
  • Carob chips, unsweetened
  • Coconut flakes, unsweetened
  • Chia seeds
Add your favorite non-dairy milk. Over here, we like to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Pasta or Pasta Alternatives

Mac N Cheez
Spaghetti Squash
Better Than Noodles
​
Mac N Cheez
My Mama T's Mac N Cheese used to be my favorite food in the world.  I vowed when I became a vegan that I would have the best vegan mac n cheez.  This recipe must be followed EXACTLY.  Eyeballing portions does not result in good flavor.
​
for 1/2 box of elbow noodles
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
In Vita-Mix blender, blend...
  • 1 1/2 c. Cashews, raw and unsalted
  • slightly less than 1 t. Onion Powder (i.e. do not mound up)
  • slightly less than 1/2 t. Garlic Powder (i.e. do not mound up)
  • 1 t. Sea Salt (or Kala Namak Salt preferred)
  • 2 t. Seasoned Salt
  • 2 t. Paprika
  • 1/4 c. Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 T. Cornstarch
  • 1 to 2 T. Lemon Juice (taste it as you add for desired sharpness) OR 1/4 t. True Lemon crystals
  • 3 1/2 c. Cold Water
  • 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
Grease a 9 x 13 in. squared baking casserole dish.
Pour cheez sauce in baking dish, then fill to desired saturation with cooked elbow noodles. 
Lightly shake on Baco Bits.
Optionally, top with Daiya Cheddar Shreds.
Bake for 20 minutes or until center doesn't shake anymore, top is browned, and sides are bubbling. OR for a creamier version, transfer drained elbows to a non-stick pot, add sauce, then simmer till thick. This sauce easily burns, so you need to keep stirring during the thickening process!

I always pair this mac n' cheez with turnip greens. 
Spaghetti Squash
Better Than Noodles
​

Rice and or Quinoa

Yellow Quinoa Rice
Spanish Quinoa Rice
Green Quinoa Rice
Yellow Quinoa Rice
Add to rice cooker in this order and cook till done...
  • 1 to 2 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 1/2 of a 16 oz. package frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 "rice" cups quinoa
  • 1 "rice" cup Jasmine rice
  • 2 T. Turmeric
  • 1 T. McKays Chicken-Style Seasoning
  • At end, add enough water to fill to the 6 "rice" cup line.
Spanish Quinoa Rice
Combine in rice cooker in this order...
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 t. minced garlic
  • 1 t. Better-than-Chicken bouillon paste
  • 1/2 t. cumin
  • 1 c. medium chunky salsa
  • 1 "rice" c. brown rice
  • 2 "rice" c. quinoa
Fill rice cooker pot with remaining amount of water needed (for me, I fill to the 6 cup line). Set to cook till it is done.
Green Quinoa Rice
Saute med. onion. Add garlic and 1 bouillon not chicken. Remove leaves from 2 bunches of cilantro and blend them up with the cooked onion and garlic and 1/2 c. water. 1/8 c. rice, then fill the rest of 1 c. quinoa and RINSE them. Saute quinoa and rice a little bit, then pour blender mixture into quinoa/rice. Then rinse blender with 1 and 1/2 c. water to get rest of cilantro. (1 part rice/quinoa to 2 part liquid). Add frozen peas and carrots. Cook till all water is gone (bring to boil, then simmer for 10 min.)

Bread or Bread-based Dishes

French Toast
Oat Bread
Keto Sandwich Bread
French Toast
I learned from My Darling Vegan the secret to making vegan french toast like real french toast in texture -- chickpea flour.
Whisk batter in mixing bowl.
  • 1 c. milk (thick soy or almond milk)
  • 1 t. imitation vanilla flavor
  • 1/4 t. maple flavor
  • 1 1/2 t. Truvia (or 2 droppers full of Stevia Select Premium liquid Lemon Stevia), i.e. sweeten to taste
  • 1/2 c. chickpea flour
Dip whole wheat sandwich bread pieces in batter till soaked through.
In non-stick pan, on medium heat, with virgin coconut oil, fry battered slices on each side till browned.
Serve with margarine, jam, and or syrup.
Oat Bread
Blend dry ingredients:
  • 2 c. quick oats
  • 1/2 t. sea salt
  •  3 T. flax/chia seeds
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon (optional, nice with banana)
Mix in the following:
  • 1 c. gluten-free flour (almond flour)
  • 1 packet Instant Yeast
Blend wet ingredients:
  • 2 c. hot water
  • 2 bananas or zucchini
  • 1 to 2 T. nut butter of choice (optional)
​Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then mix in 1 c. quick oats. Let sit 15 minutes. Stir again. Then transfer into greased pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover aluminum foil. Bake another 30 minutes till completely firm and browned on top.
Keto Sandwich Bread
For a nice whole-grain tasting bread...
Mix these dry ingredients in a bowl:
  • 1/2 c. almond flour
  • 1 T. chickpea flour
  • 1 T. baobab flour
  • 1 T. flax meal
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/8 t. Truvia (optional, sweetener)
Mix in these wet ingredients:
  • 1 T. vegetable oil 
  • 1/2 c. warm water

Put batter in a microwave safe container the approximate diameter of an English muffin to a sandwich slice.
Microwave on high 5 minutes. Center should be firm to touch when done.
Slice in half horizontally to create 2 pieces of sandwich bread. Makes 1 sandwich.
OR Bake in English muffin rings till done.

Cornmeal-based Dishes

Hoe Cakes
Kush Stuffing
Hoe Cakes
My grandmother, Mama T, used to always make hoe cakes on the cast iron skillet and serve them with fried fish. I did not get her recipe before she passed, and so many versions of this do not remind me of what she used to make...until I found this vlogger Emmy in Japan (I know it sounds so random)! Anyways, she replicates a recipe from Michael Twitty. I have made very slight adaptations.

In bowl, mix the following...
  • 1 c. white cornmeal (not self-rising)
  • 1/4 t. salt (her recipe called for 1/2 t., but too salty for my taste)
  • 3/4 c. boiling water
Allow mixture to rest 10 minutes.
Then, scoop out 2 T. at a time and press down on oiled skillet (I use refined coconut oil). Fry on each side till browned. 
Kush Stuffing
Stuffing was always a favorite at Thanksgiving. I finally found a stuffing recipe I can make from scratch that I love. Michael Twitty does not give measurements here, but it has been hard to mess this up. I use hoe cakes instead of cornbread.
Saute in margarine...
  • 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
  • rosemary
  • thyme
  • ground sage
  • tiny dash of cayenne pepper
Then add...
  • 4 hoe cakes, broken into tiny pieces
  • enough chickn' broth to cover bottom of pan (Better than Chicken bouillon according to jar directions)
Mix and cook until all broth is gone and hoe cake pieces are browned (slightly crispy).
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