Sweet Potato Roti

I've been meaning to share this simple, delicious, versatile recipe with you all for a while. If you are looking for a wheat free or gluten free alternative to bread, tortillas, naan, or what have you, look no further!

What is roti, you ask? Roti is an Indian flat bread, usually made with a wheat flour.

Due to a wheat allergy, I have welcomed any and all bread alternatives and this one is my favorite!

I first heard of using sweet potatoes from my wonderful friend, Melissa. This is a super simple recipe, literally two ingredients.

What you will need:

1. Baked or boiled sweet potatoes, peeled. (I boiled mine and then the peel slips right off. You can always bake if you prefer.) If I bake, I bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. If you boil, just rinse them and boil for about 20 minutes and check to see if they are soft enough by piercing them with a fork. 

2. Equal parts flour to sweet potato.
(I prefer a wheat free blend I found at Costco by Namaste.).

Let your sweet potatoes cool.

Once cooled, mash your potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

Slowly add your flour and mix together, I ended up using my hands.

Form mixed dough into a log and cut into inch wide slices (or bigger if you prefer).

Scatter your surface with flour to avoid sticking and roll out your round slices.

Simply heat a few minutes on each side in a pan. I use a flat cast iron pan. You have roti!!

My favorite part is that it is freezable! I had took my round slices and froze them on a cookie sheet and then sealed them in a freezer baggie. Months later I thawed them in my refrigerator and had roti dough ready to go for a week! You may need dust with flour when you roll the thawed dough.

Heat and eat!

I have enjoyed them with savory meals, like crack slaw or chicken. I have used them as a sandwich wrap for tuna as well as peanut butter and jam. It's also a nice dessert when dusted with cinnamon and butter. My favorite so far, inspired by an apple and brie toast I had at a coffee shop, was sweet potato roti with apples, brie cheese, sliced almonds, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. There is so much you can do with this roti!

Let me know what you think if you give it a try or if you add anything special and make it even better!

All the love,

Caffeine and Freckles

More Healthy Meal Prep Ideas

I thought I would share with you some of the healthy lunches I whipped up for the rest of this week. I never regret meal prepping. It ALWAYS comes in handy. Next week I start a new chapter, I will be going back to work part time at the elementary school that my two youngest children attend. I will also have delicious, healthy lunches without a lot of effort :)

I made a cup of quinoa (which goes a long way) that I cooked in vegetable broth with a touch of curry powder. I added zucchini and yellow squash that I had sautéed in olive oil and garlic, plus some peas, cilantro, and a little Parmesan cheese. I might add avocado when it's time to grub. I made two servings of this particular mix.

If you are afraid you will get bored of the same meal over and over, mix it up a little. I used the rest of the quinoa and added chili beans, salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Avocado would be a tasty addition to this version as well. I made two servings of this version and STILL had quinoa to spare!

I took the rest of the quinoa and added the left over squash, chili beans, and cilantro, kind of a mix of the two together. I can always have it for dinner one night.

Filling, nutrient-rich, wheat-free, dairy free if you omit the Parmesan, lunches with no on going effort during the week.

You could try adding corn, black beans, pinto beans, mushrooms, water chestnuts, or even dried cranberries.

Let me know if you try it!

All the love,

Caffeine and Freckles

Recipe Share - Vegetarian - Mushroom Spinach Quinoa Bowl

Are you ready for a delicious, healthy, and simplistic plant-based lunch or dinner idea? I'm going to start sharing more. I've been coming up with the tastiest treats for myself and figure I should share the love. I've never been a huge fan of meat, sticking to mostly chicken and fish. Over the past 10 years or more I would suddenly be grossed out by meat of any kind and omit it from my diet for a while. Lately, I have had little desire for meat, so I'm focused on creating more tasty, nutrient-filled, plant-based dishes.

Quinoa! What is not to love about quinoa?! It has become a staple in my pantry, unfortunately just for me, not the rest of my family. They still dig rice, but I'd choose quinoa over rice any day. It substitutes rice perfectly all while being a super food with all kinds of super powers.

Today's lunch I tossed together based on what I had. I boiled the quinoa in vegetable broth rather than water for some extra flavor and I added turmeric for extra health benefits. Be sure to add some black pepper to help your body absorb the turmeric. I pretty much try to add turmeric to anything I can (especially soups!). It gives it a beautiful golden color and offers too much to get into.You can read about the Benefits of Turmeric here.

So! Quinoa amped up with turmeric and pepper. While those little rascals are simmering away, it's time to chop and saute your veggies. What I had today was mushrooms, red onion, garlic, and spinach. I used avocado oil, my current favorite oil for cooking. I use a lot of coconut oil for all kinds of things, but I absolutely love the avocado oil. It is great for high heat and has no flavor, but who wouldn't want some avocado flavor in your food?

I chopped the mushrooms and onions and added them with minced garlic to my heated cast iron skillet. 

After a few minutes I tossed in a few handfuls of spinach. Don't be shy! They wilt up to be small so throw those handfuls in liberally!

I topped my bowl of quinoa and veggies off with some Himalayan sea salt and added a teaspoon of pesto. Some pesto has dairy in it, so be sure to check labels if you are vegan or you stay away from dairy.

I just made the one bowl for lunch. I have enough left for another meal, plus quite a bit more of the quinoa by itself. I can pop it in the fridge and use it in a soup, salad, or another veggie dish.

Add in whatever veggies you have on hand. Let me know if you try it and what you think!

Quinoa

2 cups Vegetable Broth

1 cup Quinoa

1-2 tsp Turmeric

several cracks from the pepper grinder

Vegetable Saute

1 Tbsp Avocado Oil (or oil of your choice)

3-4 handfuls Mushrooms, chopped

1/4 Red Onion, chopped

1 Tbsp Garlic, minced

3-4 handfuls Spinach

1 tsp Pesto

dash of sea salt

Bring Vegetable Broth to a boil. Add rinsed Quinoa. Return to boil and simmer on low for 15 minutes, covered.

While Quinoa is simmering, heat a skillet with oil to medium to medium-high. Saute Mushrooms, Onion, and Garlic until onions are almost transparent. Add spinach and saute until spinach is cooked but not completely wilted.

Add quinoa to your dish and top with veggies. If you like, add your pesto and mix together along with your sea salt.

Eat it. Enjoy it. Love it.