The blog of JoAnn Farb - JoAnnFarb.com

Lentil Rolls

3/21/2025

These amazing little rolls are so incredibly simple to make -- and they are not only gluten-free, but also entirely grain-free, nut-free, oil-free and sugar free! They don't even need salt in the recipe -- but you can sprinkle it on lightly after you cut them open if you think they need it.

My friend Nina emailed me one day asking if I had seen any of the buzz on the internet about making bread rolls from red lentils, and telling me that she had been making them and really liked them.

She sent me a couple of videos showing different recipes for them -- and that's all it took, I was off and playing around with this entirely new idea.

I have now come up with two different versions of my own that I really like. The first is the simplest and it is just a very plain lentil roll. Following this recipe, I will post (in a separate post below this one) my "Chedda" Biscuit version.
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils (picked over, rinsed, then soaked in water for 3 hours)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup psyllium powder (use powder not whole husks)
1 TBS onion powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup water
1 TBS raisins
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. F and place either a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper onto a cookie tray and set aside.
Place the flax seed, psyllium powder, onion powder, and baking soda into large bowl and mix well with a wire whisk or fork, and set aside
Place the water, raisins and lemon juice into a powerful blender and blend on high for about a minute until raisins are completely broken into tiny bits you can't see.
Fill a separate bowl with about 2 cups of tap water and set it on the counter near where the prepared cookie tray is -- you will use it to dip your hands into before forming each roll so they don't stick to your hands.
Thoroughly drain the lentils in a strainer and add them to the blender, with the lemon juice and blend on high for a couple of minutes until creamy, then pour this mix into the bowl of dry ingredients and quickly mix with a spatula just enough so there is nothing dry left.
Working quickly, dip your hands into the water and then use the spatula to grab about 2-3 TBS of the lentil "dough" and place it into your wet hands -- toss it back and forth rolling it into a ball and then set it onto the tray. Wet your hands and repeat this until you have used up all the batter, leaving about 1 inch of room between the rolls.
Pop the tray into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes just until they begin to brown. Let them cool before slicing and they will firm up inside.

Cranberry Mold Recipe

9/6/2020

Cranberries are one of the foods I have always most associated with Thanksgiving, but I never really liked the cranberry sauce I remember being served growing up.

I hope you enjoy my redo of that classic, made with less sugar and it tastes better.

Ingredients:
12 oz package of fresh cranberries
1 cup water
3 tsp agar powder
1/4 tsp liquid stevia extract
2 cups freshly squeezed OJ
2TBS maple syrup
1/4 tsp orange extract.

Directions:

1) Place cranberries in a large bowl and pick over and remove any that are soft. Fill bowl with water, swish berries well and drain in a strainer. Do this several times until berries have been well rinsed. Drain them very well.

2) Place berries in a covered pot along with the one cup of water and the 4 tsp of agar powder and bring to a boil. When you hear the berries starting to pop, cover and turn heat to low and allow to simmer about five more minutes until berries start to fall apart. Stir in the remaining ingredients remove from heat. Allow it to cool slightly and barely thicken before transferring it into a mold. To transfer, stir well and then spoon it into a mold and chill for several hours until firm. When ready to serve, place the mold in warm water for a couple of minutes to loosen it from the container. Place your serving plate on top and then carefully invert the whole thing. You might need to tap it some to get it to fall out onto the plate.

Millet Milk -- easy to make, fat free, nut-free, low -cost

2/17/2020

      I rarely buy packaged plant-milks from the store anymore because it's so hard to find milks that are free of additives that I don't want.

    Carrageenan and vitamin A are two things in particular I do not want to consume. If you are not familiar with why it might be a good idea to AVOID vitamin A, I wrote about that HERE.

    This milk is easy to make and costs me under a dollar to make 6 cups. It is also fat-free, and nut free. This recipe makes a very thick finished product -- because I then go on to turn it into a wonderful hot latte-like

A HUGE Pan of Healthy Lasagna - to Make your own Frozen Entrees

8/3/2019

ATTENTION FOOD MANUFACTURERS:

I have a suggestion for you -- how about creating a new line of "inclusive" frozen dinners? (Feel free to use this recipe for your first entree!)

There is a HUGE untapped market for gluten-free-vegan, low-sodium, little to no-oil frozen dinners.

Strawberry Shakes - Raw and Whole-Food Plant-Based

5/31/2019

We'd been out of town -- and when we came back, our strawberry patch was way over-due to be harvested. What to do with all those strawberries?

We are LOVING these strawberry shakes. This recipe makes two large shakes -- but that never seems to be quite enough...

Home Made Oil Free Vegan Mayo

5/4/2019

This recipe is one that I adapted from Bryanna Clark Grogan's Vegan Feast Kitchen blog. It is really an amazing creation that allows me to enjoy the flavor and texture of mayonnaise without all that fat. Though this recipe is not fat-free -- it is entirely oil-free -- the only fat in this recipe is a tiny bit from a few raw nuts and seeds. For some amazing history on how she created this recipe, you can click on over to Bryanna's and see her recipe.

Chick Pea "Faux Tuna Salad"

3/18/2019

This has been a favorite of my family for a long time. When I make it for others, I almost always make it using Follow Your Heart's Veganaise -- which I think is the BEST tasting vegan mayo. However when I make for myself I use my own home made vegan mayo following this recipe which is entirely oil free.

Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas

2/12/2019

These are actually super simple to make, and so delicious. They are a great alternative to a grill cheese sandwich, and can also pack well in a lunch bag. Made without any oils, these have only a very tiny bit of fat from 2 TBS of sunflower seeds which makes more than 4 servings (of 2 quesadilla's each). This recipe will make at least 8 fat quesadillas -- or if you spread them a bit thinner, you can probably fill an additional 8 pack of tortillas. The filling can be made several days ahead and stored it in the fridge for several days, making it possible and then make up just one or two quesadillas fresh in about five minutes time.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of peeled and sliced russet potatoes (about one large)
1/4 pound of carrots sliced (about one large)
2 cups water
2 TBS raw sunflower seeds
5 TBS nutritional yeast (unfortified!)
1 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS rice vinegar
1/2 to 1 tsp salt (I use a full tsp when making them for others)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder

3 cloves garlic pealed and finely chopped
1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and pressed in a strainer to remove all liquid
1 1/2 or 2 cups canned or cooked white beans -- rinsed and drained
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander

8 small corn tortillas

Directions:

1) Place the potatoes and carrots into a covered saucepan with 2 cups of water and boil until soft (about 10 minutes)

2) Transfer the potatoes, carrots and cooking water to a blender. Add the sunflower seeds, yeast, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, chili powder and onion powder and process until smooth and creamy.

3) Saute the chopped garlic in a large saucepan in 1/2 cup of water, stirring frequently until water boils away. Add the drained spinach and stir around for a minute while continuing to cook, then add the drained white beans and smash with a potato masher, until all beans are flattened. Sprinkle with the cumin and coriander and stir well.

4) Add the blended potato-carrot mixture and stir well with spatula, continuing to heat on medium until it starts to bubble. Then turn off heat.

5) Place a dry cast iron skillet on high and set 1-4 corn tortillas in it turning them a few times until they get nice and hot and very flexible. Then spoon about 3-4 TBS of the spinach mixture onto each tortilla and then fold in half making a half-round sandwhich. Gently press each half circle with the spatula while they cook turning them every minute or two until each side gets a tiny bit brown, then transfer to a plate and serve hot.

Cream of Broccoli Soup (oil-free)

1/17/2019

We are LOVING this new soup --- and it's really simpler than it may seem looking at the list of ingredients. I ended up creating this recipe after scouring my cookbooks and looking on line -- and not finding a single soup that LOOKED like what I wanted to create (A thick creamy base with soft florets of broccoli in it. as opposed to algae on a pond LOL) while being vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free.

Sorry I was not able to make this recipe salt-free as well. You CAN omit the salt and reduce or eliminate the tamari -- but I will tell you, as someone who makes many things without salt, this soup really does need the tamari at least. The combination of blended potatoes and silken tofu gives this soup an amazing rich creamy mouth feel ---without using any oil.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup water (plus more -- added 1 TBS at a time to water to saute the onions)
2 lbs of russet potatoes peeled and sliced.
2 cups of water for boiling potatoes
2 cups of chopped celery (stems and leaves)
2 lbs of broccoli (about 10 cups chopped)
5 cups water to complete the soup
1 box mori nu organic firm tofu
1-2 (depending upon size) cloves of garlic
4 oz can sliced mushrooms (optional)
3/4 cups of nutritional yeast flakes
3TBS gluten-free tamari
1 TBS lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Water-saute the onions. Begin by putting the chopped onions and the 1/4 cup of water in a large fry pan on high and cooking the onions for about 15-20 minutes -until they begin to brown. Watch closely -- each time the water disappears and the onions begin to stick, add another TBS of water, and stir with a spatula. This takes longer than browning in oil and they won't get AS brown -- but it will work.
While onions are cooking, peel and slice the potatoes and put them into a covered pot with the 2 cups of water and boil them until they are soft. Then turn off the heat.
While both those pans are going, chop the broccoli and celery and mushrooms if using them. (I chop them to make them smaller and better distributed for flavor throughout the soup) and place these in a large covered soup pot with the 5 cups of water AND the browned onions. Bring it all to a brisk boil -- just until broccoli gets bright green and barely tender. then turn off the heat.
When the potatoes are soft, place them and all their cooking water into a blender with the raw garlic. Blend on high. Add the nutritional yeast and the box of silken tofu and blend again until smooth. Add the contents of the blender to the soup pot along with the tamari, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well and serve

Be sure to use SILKEN tofu, not the usual refrigerated tofu, which will not blend up as smooth and creamy. Here is what I recommend:

You could also use fresh mushrooms --- but using canned really saves a lot time washing and preparing the mushrooms -- I like these from Costco

Artichoke Spinach Pockets -- Without Soy, Gluten, Nor Nightshades

11/4/2018

I won't kid you...there is a fair amount of work to make these, but with a bit of planning they are not THAT hard. And they ARE really yummy! Guests won't believe that they contain no dairy or eggs either --- they are so CHEEZY!

They look nice on a tray of appetizers and make the perfect finger food.

Best of all for those with allergies, they are gluten free, soy free, and nightshade free.

Sunny Mashed Potatoes -- Perfect for Thanksgiving!

10/1/2018

I was surprised to discover when making mashed potatoes recently (shown here with gravy on them) that instead of using a thin store bought plant-milk to make these, that by using a much thicker milk -- they came out super creamy and fluffy --- without using any oils!

Sunflower seed milk is quick and easy to make, and very inexpensive. Normally when I make nut or seed milks, I filter them through a nut-milk bag to remove the fiber. However since the milk is going into something that is already very thick and full of fiber, it is NOT necessary to filter to remove the sunflower seed fiber and THAT makes this recipe incredibly simple to make! Click the, "read more" button if you'd like to see the recipe.

Oil-Free Swiss Chard Dolmas

8/30/2018

I created this recipe a few years ago, when I was looking for new ways to use my garden's abundant swiss chard and basil. These are SO delicious and great for both parties and picnics in the park. You can make them a day or two ahead and they store perfectly in the refrigerator for several days. They travel well, are a great finger food and the perfect appetizer to simply grab from the fridge and serve.

Ok -- so they are a bit labor intensive -- but SO worth it. They make a great addition to any appetizer tray too. You might as well make five dozen of them at once! (Believe me -- you'll be glad you did -- they go fast!)

Basic Bean and Vegetable Burgers Made Without Any Oil

5/5/2018

Before I share with you the recipe for how to make these, I want to frame the process for you. While you can make burgers from just about any combination of beans (or lentils which is what I used here) vegetables and ground up nuts or seeds, the trick is getting them to stay together AND not remain mushy inside once they are cooked. The key is to have enough WHOLE beans (or lentils) that are NOT too smashed up and for the mixture over all to be not too wet nor too dry when you form it into the patties. Keep this in mind and you really don't need to follow a recipe at all. The other thing that matters is getting a really great finished taste. That is accomplished by using a nice variety of vegetables and herbs for flavor. This is especially important when you omit oil (and salt if you choose to.) Beets make a great addition because of the color that they impart as well. Although I didn't use any sweet potatoes in this version, I could have just as easily steamed up a sweet potato and then mashed it and added it to the mixture. Sweet potato pairs especially well when using black beans instead of lentils. This makes about two dozen small burgers. If using

Un-Crepes Filled with Creamed Vegetables Sautéed in White Wine

5/1/2018

Long ago I had a passion for crepes. Miyoko Shinner's revolutionary, Now and Zen Epicure, cookbook is what got me started. Her Gateau de Crepes recipe on page 146 taught me how to make the most fabulous eggless crepes. I loved filling them with all variety of tasty fillings.

Then I went gluten free...AND decided to minimize the use of oil in my food preparation. Eggless crepes made with gluten-free flours and little to no oil...I just couldn't seem to pry them off the pan except in tiny pieces. My crepe days were over.

A few weeks ago however I stumbled upon Petra Scott's Food Blog, and learned how to make the most fabulous, easy, and versatile Flax wraps which are a great stand-in for crepes in my recipes. Now I have a new widget in my gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, no-oil repertoire, and I can't wait for you to taste what I have created with it.

Creamy Low Fat Dill-Mustard Salad Dressing

4/26/2018

Although it uses a lot of ingredients, this dressing is simple and quick to make. It is very low in fat and full of flavor, with just half a gram of fat (from the tofu) per two tablespoons. Just place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until rich and creamy. Store unused portion in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It's a great dip for vegetable slices as well. This makes about two and half cups.

Heart-Beet Salad with Goddess Dressing

4/25/2018

Last night was the first meeting of the new, Plant-Based Paleo Support Group and one of the recipes that I demonstrated and then served was this Heart-Beet Salad with Goddess Dressing. This recipe was originally published in my book, Get Off Gluten.

The Goddess dressing is made entirely without oil or sugar, and the combination of Goddess Dressing with cooked beets is amazing!

Good Fats, Super Simple, and Quick -- Chia Breakfast Pudding

4/6/2018

I love this for its simplicity and that I can have a delicious and satisfying breakfast in about five minutes time. You can use any non-dairy milk in this recipe. I like to make my own, however, for this recipe, you can even use a much simpler home made milk -- simply take 1 TBS of sunflower seeds (or cashews or almonds) and blend them in a blender with 1/2 cup of water -- no need to filter as the added fiber works well in this dish. If you'd rather purchase milk and are curious to know what to look for on the label, I discuss all that HERE. If you are using a store bought milk that is already sweetened and or flavored, you can OMIT the stevia extract and or vanilla. If you don't have stevia, a bit of maple syrup or a 2 finely chopped dates would work too. Also -- you can use any combination of fresh, frozen or dried fruit in this as well -- below is the combination and amounts I typically use. While this does make a terrific breakfast, it can also be a perfect afternoon snack or pick-me-up too.

Sour Tofu Topping

4/6/2018

This is one of the most basic recipe building blocks that I use in the kitchen. It is super simple, and can be made from mostly non-perishable pantry staples. It replaces store-bought sour creams -- which are often not only quite pricey, but contain added oils, high sodium and or other undesirable ingredients. Make sure that the tofu is organic and Non-GMO project verified, as soy products have a high likelihood of being genetically modified and/or contaminated with Round-Up or other chemicals. Silken tofu gives the best result, but you could use another tofu in a pinch. I always buy the firmest tofu I can find -- the difference between soft and firm is simply how much water has been squeezed out. No point paying for extra water.

Ingredients:

Make Your Own Cashew Ice-cream Without Sugar or Oil and Save Money! Maple Vanilla Cashew Ice-cream Recipe

3/6/2018

I rarely buy ice-cream any more, as it is very easy to make my own, and then I can be sure it doesn't have added oils, sugar, carrageenan, or anything else I might wish to avoid.

Not only that but a pint of cashew Ice cream from the store, typically costs about 5 dollars. You can make a pint of this maple-vanilla cashew ice-cream for just a dollar or two! Although this doesn't take much time to make, you must plan ahead, as it does need some time to freeze. I do not own an ice-cream maker --but I assume you could just pop this recipe into one if you own one...but I make this using my Vitamix. You could probably mix the ingredients up using a less powerful blender and just blending for a longer time, but once you have frozen the mixture into an ice-cube tray, I imagine you would need the power of a Vitamix or other powerful blender to turn it into soft-serve. Perhaps a food processor fitted with an, "S" blade would work for this step though.

Hot Carobal -- A Healthy Alternative to Hot Chocolate GF/DF

1/18/2018

Looking for a warm, sweet, rich comforting beverage to enjoy that won't ruin your healthy diet? This hot carob-almond drink is a recipe that I created when my children were young. I was looking for an alternative to hot chocolate, that would be free of caffeine, and saturated fat, and not have too many added sugars. Because this recipe uses carob, which is naturally sweet instead of bitter like cocoa, only 1 TBS of maple syrup and 20 drops of stevia extract are sufficient to sweeten two generous mugs. The combination of chia seeds and guar gum, makes this rich and thick without loading up on calories, fat nor processed starches. An added bonus -- carob is less expensive to buy than cocoa -- ESPECIALLY cocoa that is free of the tarnish of child slave labor.

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