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4/18/2019 0 Comments

PLANTBASED CREAMY AVOCADO DRESSING (Non Dairy, Gluten-Free, Vegan)

vegan salad dressings
Last week I made this dressing for one of my client's - that      went on a Mediterranean "Roasted Cauliflower Salad" and let me say - this dressing was SPECTACULAR. So creamy, so fresh, so yummy! You could literally spoon it out with your fingers and eat it by itself if no one was looking. 

It's so easy to make and would be great on so many things like a Taco Salad - maybe take some Beyond Meat and mix it with your taco seasonings, add a little lettuce, chips, tomato, vegan cheese and top it with this?? Oh my! 

Or maybe, a Black Bean Quinoa and Corn Salad with cilantro and sliced avocado - yea! That's the ticket. You can pretty much use it on anything and it would be delicious. My client LOVED it. 

cooking classes dothan
So I knew when I posted the photo on Facebook that folks would ask for the recipe and sometimes I find the time to jot them down, sometimes I don't and then have to go back and do so. 

That being said, I would love to share this deliciousness with you and just know you are going to love it! 

You're welcome :)

Creamy Avocado Dressing (Vegan, Dairy-free, GF)

Ingredients:

  • 1 Avocado
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill
  • 1 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup warm water (may need more)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

To make the dressing, chop avocado, place the avocado place in food processor. Add the yogurt, dill, lemon juice and water. Blend until smooth and creamy. You may have to add more juice or more lemon - play around until you get it to just the right consistency.  (The lemon juice will keep the avocado from turning - and this should keep in the fridge a couple of days). 
​


This post was written by Susan Avello, Personal Chef at Lean Bean Chef Personal Chef Services in Dothan Alabama - offering , Personal Chef Services, Meal Planning,  Cooking Classes, Private Dinner Parties and Education on Healthy Eating. ​


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10/3/2017 0 Comments

Vegan Chai Latte - you make from Scratch!

Vegan Chai Latte
One of my goals to getting healthy was to cut out caffeine! HOLD UP, NOW! I know some of you are saying, "Wait a minute, didn't they just tell us that coffee is now good for us?"

In small, occasional cups there is possibly a case to be made for some benefits to coffee. If it’s fresh, high-quality and ideally organic (regular coffee is one of the most pesticide-intensive crops in the world) then studies have shown that it can improve alertness and long term it may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, and even kidney stones for heavy drinkers. On the other hand, it has also been associated with an increased risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
​
I'm not going to debate these issues with you. I know for me personally, caffeine is not my friend. It makes me anxious and jittery if I have too much of it and I don't sleep at night. For me, it's just not worth it. And, my doc has told me to cut back. 

Though I haven't cut it out completely, I have been able to cut back to one cup of really good organic coffee in the morning. For me, an avid coffee drinker, I think this is quite the achievement. Seeing how at one point I was at 3 - 4 cups (That's an average of 500 mg of caffeine a day - give or take) a day.

What I have tried lately is switching to tea in the afternoons. Though still caffeine, tea has only about 25 - 30 mg (half that of coffee) of caffeine. Baby steps, people. Baby steps. 

In the beginning, I started ordering these out and about at either Starbucks or a local coffee shop in town. I noticed they were TOO sweet for me. I also noticed they were using a premixed coffee liquid. I get it, it makes life easier. You can even save time and buy these in Target and other stores (TJ MAXX has an organic blend) and cut down the time it takes to make one old school. But I will tell you, there's nothing like the taste you get when you make it from scratch!
I researched high and lo and probably combined a few recipes until I got it to where I really liked it. Now, it's one of my favorite things to make at home. It makes me feel like I'm spoiling myself. It does take a little time to prepare, a few key spices but the great thing is you can make a batch that will last an entire week in the fridge and YOU control how much of what goes in. That's always the great thing about making things in your own kitchen. 

I choose to use coconut milk or almond milk because I'm trying to reduce the dairy in my life. If you are still having dairy, feel free to use regular milk, by all means. 
Vegan Chai Latte
Picture

​For the Tea you will need:
  • Loose Black or Chai Tea
  • Ground Chai Spices (see below)
  • Sweetener of choice (maple syrup, stevia)
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Dairy-free Milk of choice (almond is best) or your regular milk
  • Small strainer 

Chai Spice Blend: 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp each black peppercorns, ground cloves + cardamom (a few sprinkles). You can use whole cardamom if you have it. Mix these spices together and then add according to desired spiciness.




​Instructions:
  1. Add water, tea and spices to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to fully steep.
  2. Remove from heat and add almond milk and sweetener of choice and stir. Warm for 2-3 minutes off the heat, and then pour over 2 serving mugs using a fine mesh strainer.
  3. Take almond milk (or milk of choice) and either use an emulsion blender to froth or you can put in a small mason jar and shake to froth. Use a spoon and add to tea. 
I hope you'll try it. I think once you do, you'll never want to have another relaxing afternoon without it!
​This post was written by Susan Avello, Personal Chef at Lean Bean Chef Personal Chef Services in Dothan Alabama - offering Healthy Meal Prep, Meal Planning, Private Cooking Classes, Private Dinner Parties and Education on Healthy Eating.
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9/18/2017 0 Comments

RECIPE: Easy Gluten-Free Naan you can make at HOME!

Picture
One of the first things that threw me for a loop when being diagnosed GLUTEN INTOLERANT was the fact that my best friend BREAD was out, as I knew it! When I say I love bread, that's an understatement. I love making my own bread and smelling that beautiful aroma as it bakes in my kitchen. Knowing that when it comes out of the oven I am going to slather it with butter and jam it in my mouth! 

When I realized I could no longer eat regular bread or bake my own bread, the thought of never having another piece to dip into homemade sauce with pasta that you can't eat either? Well, you think "I might as well die!" But you don't and you learn to adjust. You find ways to adapt.


​Thanks to Al Gore and the internet there are so many (a holy crap load, really) people out there willing to share their journey and their amazing recipes especially as it relates to dietary restrictions, and that includes gluten-free. And now, we can find a zillion ways to make gluten-free bread. Heck, we can even make CLOUD bread, straight from heaven. 

After having made this beautiful roasted beet hummus earlier this week I was really having a craving for some Naan - which is basically Middle Eastern Flatbread, kind of like Pita Bread -  that if lucky enough, can have beautiful flavors of garlic and onion incorporated into it. I wanted to make a dish with the hummus and flatbread and somehow make something I haven't had in while. Not to mention I cannot find a gluten-free version anywhere. And for those of you who asked me to help you find it in your supermarkets, I was unable to. Google did not come through for me. And what's better than making it yourself anywho? 

I came across this recipe online and gave it a go, but I really had to make some adjustments - so I didn't want to link to it because it's totally changed now. Often, I find myself having to do this when using other recipes and that's okay. You take something and make it your own. You may have to do this here, and hey - whatever works!

Typically, naan is cooked in a tandoor or clay pot and cooked in the oven. But this recipe is cooked on the stove.
Picture
DISCLAIMER: I would have had more on the plate to showcase but I kept eating it while cooking. It was that good! I wouldn't say it's an EASY recipe, but it's not too difficult either.

​The trick would be to make sure to get the right consistency in the batter, keep flipping it in the pan (for Pete's sake, don't leave it and go watch TV), and perhaps use a cast iron skillet. ​It seemed to work great!

I guess most of all I would say it just takes a little patience. You will get to the end of the batter, I promise and you will be so glad you did. 


___________________________________________________________
​This Recipe is Gluten-free, Dairy Free and Soy Free


GLUTEN-FREE NAAN (FLATBREAD)

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup warm water 
  • 3/4 - 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you will have to just keep adding till you get right consistency)
  • 2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Cups King Arthur GLUTEN FREE Flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, room temperature (For egg-free version, use flax, chia or egg alternatives)
  • Coconut oil

Instructions
Combine warm water, warm milk, yeast and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. While yeast is sitting and doing its thing, in a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, seasonings (if using); whisk to blend.
Add liquid yeast mixture and egg to dry ingredients; stir by hand until mixture forms a rather thin batter. Try not to over-stir. This is not going to be a thick dough that you can make with your hands. It is more like a pancake batter.

Cover bowl of batter with a damp, clean kitchen towel and let sit for 25 minutes. In the meantime, grab your cast iron skillet that you will heat over medium-high heat on the stove top and have your coconut oil on standby, a spatula for turning, and if you have an ice cream scoop, use this to spoon the batter into the middle of the pan when your batter is ready. 
​
When 25 minutes is up, heat the skillet to med (or according to your stove top, mine runs hot) be careful not to burn them, add a small portion of coconut oil (about 1/2 teaspoon for each naan as you cook it) and when it is sizzling hot, add about 3 T. (one ice cream scoop) of the batter in the center of the skillet. Because the batter is on the thin side but still a little thick, the ice cream scoop makes this easy and less messy. You may have to use the back of the scoop to flatten out the batter just a bit. Cook 2 or 3 minutes per side until the naan is cooked through and pliable. You will have to flip a couple of times and press down to flatten.  Drain on a paper towel. Eat as you go (just kidding).
Above: You have your dry ingredients, your yeast mixture, and your batter (which looks a little like a pancake batter). 
Picture
In the end, it really came out nicely and I definitely will be making this again. I could not wait to put that beautiful purple beet hummus on this naan and make a veggie sammich!

For the roasted beet hummus recipe go 
HERE!

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9/4/2017 2 Comments

The BEST Black Bean Brownies You Will EVER Eat! AND, They're Gluten-Free!

Best Black Bean Brownies
First off, let me say that though these brownies are DAIRY FREE, VEGETARIAN,  GLUTEN-FREE they are to DIE FOR! 

I know, you're thinking "EW! Brownies with BLACK BEANS?" I felt the same. But after creating a dinner just this past week and having leftover black beans, I thought I would FINALLY give it a try! MAN, was I glad I did. And most of Ya'll know, I really dig sweets! 

When having to switch my lifestyle to Gluten-free it was quite the challenge, especially with baked goods because when baking with Gluten-free flours it is not the same. Am I right? It truly takes practice and a very long learning curve to perfect what used to come easy - and make even BROWNIES eddible.

Well, this recipe is SUPER EASY and is FLOUR FREE using only a few ingredients. Trust me, you're going to love these. You'll see a few black beans in the mix unless you spend a few minutes more at the processor mixing these up. But I didn't have to fool any small children (or husbands) into thinking these didn't have beans in them so I didn't worry too much with that! 

They are super moist, very chocolaty, so scrumptious and packed FULL of Fiber! In addition to these being gluten-free, it uses a cup of black beans. And a cup of black beans has about half the calories that a cup of all-purpose flour has, has 20% of your daily iron, AND it has a slightly higher protein content (15g).
Gluten Free Brownies
You’ll need to rinse, drain, and puree a can of black beans
(or use cooked, dried beans) to make a good pastey base,
then mix in the rest of your wet ingredients (3 eggs,
3 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract).

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients
(¼ cup unsweetened 
cocoa, ⅔ cup sugar, ½ tsp baking
powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp coffee). The coffee can be
omitted if you don’t want to incorporate it and you can use
​decaf if you're worried about caffeine.  But I STRONGLY urge you (see what I did there?) to leave it in. It just seems to
add a depth of flavor. Coffee always seems to work so well with chocolate. Don't you think?

______________________________________

BAKING TIP:
I'm sure most of you know this, but when you're baking,
you'll want most always to mix your wet ingredients with 
your wets and your dry ingredients with your dry. Keep
them in separate bowls then slowly incorporate them 
together after you have first mixed them with LIKE
ingredients.  This helps ensure they get evenly mixed. 

Best Brownies You Will Ever Eat
The BEST Black Bean Brownies You Will Ever Eat
RECIPE
Prep Time:
5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 - 35 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients:
  • 1 15-oz can black beans rinsed and drained (or cooked dry)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup sugar (or honey)
  • ½ tsp gf baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp fine ground coffee (optional)
  • ½ cup semi-sweet dairyfree chocolate chips

Instructions:
  1. Puree black beans in food processor or blender (or you can mash with a fork but this is a little too much like work).
  2. Mix black beans, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl mix cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and coffee.
  4. Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients a little at a time. Then stir in your chocolate chips.
  5. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake about 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, until center is no longer wet (knife will come out clean).
  6. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
This post was written by Susan Avello, Personal Chef at Lean Bean Chef Personal Chef Services in Dothan Alabama - offering Healthy Meal Prep, Meal Planning, Private Cooking Classes, Private Dinner Parties and Education on Healthy Eating. ​​
2 Comments
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