spreads « crunchy bits

Archive for the ‘spreads’ Category

Summer Pizza and Pesto!

August 24th, 2011

I love the bounty of summertime and basil is one of the tops for me. First of all, I think it is such a beautiful plant. The green of the leaves, the delicious aroma and the possibilities in the kitchen that are endless. It is part of the mint family nd in Greek, basil means “King”. It is high in Vitamin A, beta-carotene, magnesium and potassium. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is used for skin ailments as well as cold, headache, reducing fever and digestive aid. Medicinally, not only the leaves but the seed and oil of the plant are used for treating various ailments.

Basil is fairly easy to grow especially in the garden. It will also do well as a potted plant. Since it likes humidity and lots of sunshine, it is easier to grow in the summer than indoors in the colder months but it can be done and is quite worth the efffort. If you pinch back the plant, it will bush out a bit creating more and longer growth. Use the leaves as they are picked. Keep those stems! When mincing up basil for use in sauces or making pesto, use those stems.

Oooooo, speaking of pesto, what a treat it is to have in the summer! It is so fresh and makes you feel incredibly alive. I swear I get a jolt of energy when I eat the stuff. It is so easy to make and I recommend making a lot, I mean a hge batch so you can store the goodness away for the middle of winter as well.

Pesto!

2 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium sized cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well blended.

Now, the great thing about making pesto is it lends itself to a lot of variation. Instead of pine nuts, you can use walnuts or a comination of the two. I like to use a bit less oil while making the pesto when I am going to be storing it. To do this, make the pesto minus a little oil. Fill an ice cube tray wwith eh pesto. Then, here is the little trick, top the pesto cubes with a little more oil. That helps seal in the color and it will brown less. Once the cubes are frozen, pop them out and store in the freezer in a container until you are ready to use it. The otehr reason I like to use less oil is so I have more flexibility withe the cubes. In winter, it is lovely to pull out a pesto cube, add some coconut milk and serve over veggies.

Let’s not rush things though. After all, it is still summer and we have plenty of sunny basil picking days ahead of us. Pesto is a great way to dress up a plate of veggies or add some fresh basil to your homemade salad dressing. A perfect appetizer or main meal for two is summer pizza. Using your favorite raw bread or cracker recipe, make one large or a couple smaller rounds and dehydrate. My new favorite is a cheezy cracker recipe. It is made with cashew and sunflower seeds as the base. Added in are tomatoes and red pepper. It is the loveliest orange color and really tastes like cheezy crackers. It compliments the color of the pesto superbly. Top your pizza with pesto and fresh sliced tomatoes. Rigth now there are a lot of great Heirloom tomatoes available in your garden or at local farmers markets and stands. The pizza takes only five minutes to make if you have preparred pizza flats stored away and is filling, full flavored and a divine treat!

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Ready, set, go!

January 12th, 2011

What am I going to eat? Do you ever say this? I feel like I say this a lot unless…..

I plan a day to make lots of goodies. We are quite a mixed bunch in this house. My husband eats whatever I make at home and thoroughly enjoys the variety and surprise of what might adorn the table. My 10 year old has unique tastes that always surprise me and I can never seem to know if he will love it or hate it. he loves spicy and things that frankly, are notso pleasing to me such as sardines! My six year old is in the pickier phase of food choices and says, "I don’t like it" before even trying it. He loves mashed potatoes and noodles with marinara sauce and don’t mess with changin’ it up! On the flip side, same said six year old loves raw mediterranean dolmas, kale salad, kale chips with lots of nutritional yeast on them and salad. Go figure! Then there is me. I have horrible self control when I bring junk food in the house or sweets. So, I have a plan!!

I have days of mass food prep for raw foods so when I feel not much like making raw foods for me and still cook for the family, I don’t have to. Here is what I do. Figure out what I am in the mood for and peruse my recipes and cupboards. Next, I lay out all those recipes and start the process. I start soaking anything that needs it and look over what order I need to make things in. If anything is for the dehydrator, I make sure I have enough going in that will fill it. Moore bang for your buck doing it this way. This is all done in the afternoon or early evening.

Fast forward to the next day. Everything is soaked and the recipes are out and I am in the kitchen ready to rumble. The recipes I am making today are Mediterranean dolmas out of Ani Phio’s book that are just fantastic. I make them all at once calling in Gatlin, the six year old to do the rolling. When I first started making these, he didn’t like them. After the I don’t know how many times later, and having participated in making them several times, he started to try them again and now loves them. Having them all rolled, I keep them in the fridge and it is quick to grab one for a snack, send with hubby to work or pack up and bring for us for lunch.

Next in the line up is the classic Cashew Mayo. Everyone in the house loves this dip and it is quick, easy and filling to serve for lunch with cut up veggies, smear on a romaine leaf topped with tomato and any other toppings around like shredded carrot, eggplant bacon or some seaweed. It is a perfect appetizer for hungry bellies while dinner cooks or a good pack and go when heading out for a playdate.

One of my favorites and more on the heartier side are some burgers. The base is walnuts and they have a little spice from a jalapeno thrown in. These will go in the dehydrator and then can be a substantial lunch or accompany an evening meal. The kids aren’t fans but Dan and I are.

A new recipe to me are rosemary flax crackers from a recipe put out by Carmella at the Sunny Raw Kitchen. Those will help to fill the dehydrator trays and be the crunchy item on the menu for the week. I may get ambitious and make some Walnut Hemp crackers but time will determine that.

Rounding it all out are Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I got the recipe from Renegade Health but am going to make some changes and switch out the peanut butter for almond butter. The whole family loves these! They stay in the freezer and are perfect when we have a hankerin’ for chocolate.

So, there you have it. Lots of choices for me this week that are nice and varried and qwill keep me smiling!

So, go soak your nuts!!

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Blushing Almond Sundae

August 7th, 2010

The other night, I made a decadent dessert of banana crepes with cashew whipped cream and strawberry sauce atop. Gatlin ate two he loved them so. River is not a banana fan and so I am going to make apple crepes next time. They were lovely but I wanted a little twist and wasn’t in the mood for a crepe.

Into the fridge I went……. I came out with a new favorite sweet treat that truly makes me blush. Almond butter seems to have that warming effect on me.

I scooped a big dollop of raw almond butter into a bowl and topped it with strawberry sauce and a nice dollop of whipped cashew cream. Ooooo wheeeee! It is quick and easy!

I used the cashew cream recipe in Ani Phyo’s Raw Food Essentials since I have it on loan from the library right now. This book also has the wonderful crepes mentioned earlier.

Strawberry Sauce

2 cups fresh strawberries or 15 oz frozen strawberries
1-2 TBS ground chia seeds

Mash the strawberries in a bowl. I use a potato masher.
Grind chia seeds in a spice or coffee grinder
Mix ground chia seeds with strawberries until well combined
Leave to sit 5-10 minutes.

The chia seeds absorb moisture. Chia seeds also help to keep you hydrated since they absorb so much water. Adding more or less ground chia seeds allows you to reach a sauce consistency or a jam like consistency. This stays fresh in the fridge 3-5 days.

Go ahead and be creative! place sliced bananas on the bottom of your sundae or over banana ice cream. Add different toppings like chopped walnuts, whole chia seeds, cacao nibs, buckwheaties or dried coconut.

Have a sundae party and put everything in it’s own bowl and let everyone make their own. Especially fun for kids!

Enjoy!

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Almond Pulp part 1

May 15th, 2010

We have been going through quite a bit of almond milk lately and so I have been looking for recipes to use the pulp. I will sometimes dehydrate it and store it in the fridge for later use but I notice, there it is, still in the back of the fridge and I don’t often find a use for it.

After making pulp today, I made a couple different recipes with the fresh pulp. The pulp was unflavored to start with. If I make cookies, I falvor the milk before blending and straining so they base of pulp already has a yummy flavor perfect for cookies. Since I was making cheese and crackers with this pulp, I wanted no flavor to start with. I blended my almonds and water, strained the pulp out and then added the milk back into the blender to add my honey, sea salt and vanilla just the way we like it.

Both of the recipes come from Sergi and Valya’s Eating Without Heating book.

Valya’s Spicy Almond Cheese:

Mix the following in a bowl
2 c. almond milk pulp
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2. tsp salt
1/2 bunch fresh or dried dill
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced red pepper
Serves 4

This was a last minute endeavour so I had no fresh dill on hand. I also had no red pepper and didn’t feel like chopping onion. So, I used dried dill, dried onion, threw in some garlic powder, oregano and basil and mixed it up. It is yummy. I would like the addition of some diced red pepper or other veggies cut in would be tasty.

It would make a lovely addition to a raw sandwich or to add to top a salad. I also set some aside for a raw pizza in the making. The cheese with the red pepper and diced tomato can accompany crackers or make a nice pate. The way I made it makes a nice spread or to layer with other dips or as a cheese for a raw dish with tomato sauce.

It was super easy to make requiring no appliances and will last several days in the fridge. Adding some nutritional yeast would change the flavor slightly and make another great cheese topping. This is a versatile recipe and can take on any seasonings you are in the mood for!

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cinco de mayo spanish rice

May 10th, 2010

At this weekend’s raw potluck, the theme was Cinco de Mayo and delicious dishes were everywhere, including (at the time I took the picture — a salad with sprouts and some desserts appeared later, but I was too busy eating and forgot to snap a picture):

* gazpacho — a creamy, blended version, with chopped tomato, cuke and cilantro for garnish

* corn chowder

* Ani Phy’s walnut cranberry butternut squash rice

* Spanish rice with mockamole

* chunky chili

* almond pulp cheese with crackers

* fajitas

* green salad with sprouts, pecans and mesclun mix

* mango pie

* chocolate coconut macaroons

One of the guests, who has a severe allergy to avocados, found a delicious alternative — peas! She recommends fresh if you can get them, but says you can use frozen. Measure the frozen peas out and let them sit in cold water until they’ve begun to thaw but are still slightly frozen. Drain and “blend the heck out of them” until they have a smooth, even consistency. She used about 1 cup of peas to replace 1 avocado in the Spanish rice recipe, and said that her avocado-loving husband was devouring the avocado mixture, surprised that it wasn’t made with avocados.

Spanish Rice

1 head shredded cauliflower
1 red peppers, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
5 green onions, sliced thinly
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 recipe of Spanish Avo Mix

Spanish Avo Mix

1 avocado, mashed
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbs basil
1 Tbs paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbs sweetener
crushed red pepper, finely chopped, to taste
sea salt, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Mix Avo mixture in a separate bowl, the add it to bowl with veggies and stir to coat.

This was tasty and light, and I will definitely give the avo mix recipe a try with the peas as a dip, or try replacing avocados in a recipe when I don’t have a ripe one on hand. Thanks for the recipe and the idea for an avocado replacement!

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dinner, potluck, salad, soup

our class raw potluck

May 6th, 2010

Hi everyone!

Yesterday was the last day of the raw class we taught at Greenspring. It was a fantastic 12 weeks and we received lots of positive feedback which we are ever so grateful for!!

For the last class, we had a raw potluck to share a couple of our favorite dishes and give the students a chance to spread their wings and bring in a raw recipe and dish to share with the class. What a beautiful display!! We were so happy to see how everyone really took on the challenge and made some remarkable dishes. We’ve left the pictures really big, so if you click on them, you can see the dishes better.

There was so much variety:

* a beautiful garden salad with homegrown sprouts with a citrus dill vinaigrette – nice and light and the dressing had a fabulous tang.

* an Italian salad of simply cut oranges with red pepper flakes, onions and oil and vinegar was a flavorful and colorful dish

* guacamole beautifully dressed up with red pepper left nice and chunky

* one student got so excited she just couldn’t stop the creative juices from flowing and brought three dishes in! One was a balsamic dressing served over tomato and avocado. The lemon bars were superb with strawberries and chocolate sauce. Her last dish, black bean brownies, demonstrated nutritious cooked options. They were rich, fudgy and all gone!

* dehydrated pear and peaches looked pretty and were a light, sweet chip.

*crudites were served with a pumpkin seed pate which was a lovely light green color that really felt like spring. This same student brought in a dessert – chocolate coconut balls.

* another student who is obviously an artist in the kitchen brought in a version of the coconut white cake in the form of cupcakes with filling in the middle, cashew cream frosting and elegant decor of slivered almond atop. She made a chocolate version, and an alternative made with almond butter instead of tahini as well. They looked stunning.

* a big bowl bursting with nutrient packed homegrown sunflower sprouts with velvety white cream sauce was a hit among the little ones as they went back for seconds and thirds. I heard Lucia say, “I could eat these every night for dinner if I wanted to ya know!” I loved it!!

* fruit salad was also gobbled up by the littles with big smiles on their faces

* Pad Thai seemed to be a hit and I happily recited the ingredients to many who said, ” I must have that recipe.”

One of the best parts of getting together with others in this way is everyone brings such a unique quality to the experience. I love sharing my favorite dishes and trying others creations. It is a wonderful way to sample recipes you may have not come across yet or ones that include flavors you do not typically use in your kitchen. You go with one recipe and come away with so many more and you now know how they taste. Potlucks are a great way to quickly expand your repertoire.

It is also important to have community. Going to a raw potluck or hosting one does just that. It is a good way to connect with others and discuss successes and challenges, get feedback and share experiences.

So, here’s to you, our raw class participants and friends!! We so enjoyed the experience and hope you did as well!

In gratitude!!

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Tomato Tahini Dressing

March 28th, 2010

Start those tomato seeds! You won’t want to miss out making one of the most de- licious dips/dressings ever!

I used to enjoy this dip at our very good friend Brigid’s house. Finally, we had her make it in front of us and another foodie friend and I made educated estimates on the amounts she was putting in of the ingredients. After a couple taste tests and additions, we had it! This recipe makes a whopping 7 cups. Sometimes I cut it in half and other times I make the whole batch since it is the perfect dip or salad dressing.

Brigid’s Tomato Tahini Dressing

1 1/2 c. cold pressed extra vigin olive oil
1 1/4 c. water
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. wheat- free tamari
2/3 c. nutritional yeast
2 tomatos
1/3 c. tahini (homemade, of course!)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. raw sesame seeds
2 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder

Blend all ingredients. That’s it!

This is pretty thick and holds up fantastic as a dip but is light enough to be a dressing as is. If you would like it thicker or thinner, adjust the psyllium husk powder to your liking.

The color of this dressing is a beautiful red. It is a sure sign that warm weather is here!

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dip, dressing, tahini, tomato

homemade tahini

March 25th, 2010

I just love tahini! I love it even more since I started making my own. It is so eay and simple and will never have you running to the store again.

Sesame seeds are a good source of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and has good fats for our body. Sprinkle some on a salad or over some zucchini noddles to bring some more nutrition, decoration and variety. Tahini is great as a spread and a major component of hummus and other dips and dressings.

I have to admit, I do not measure this but go more on looks. I will give you approximate measurements but you may need to play around a bit.

I pour sesame seeds in to the food processor. Little tip here, make sure your food processor is completely dry. Otherwise, the seeds will not break down and it becomes a waste or if you want to look on the bright side, an opportunity to make up a new recipe with all the sesame seeds that now won’t grind!

Grind the seeds for several minutes. It may take about 5 minutes. They will begin to break down and here is the key, release some of their oils and start to clump together. I continue processing for another minute or two until it seems it has clumped all it will.

Next, add olive oil slowly. For about 1 cup of sesame seeds, you will use about 1/4 cup olive oil. Drizzle it in slowly stopping occasionally to let it incorporate. Stop when it is a nice creamy consistency and not too oily.

You did it! That’s all it takes. If you are soaking your seeds, you will need to let them completely dry before processing them. So get in there and make some yummy tahini. You will need it for the Tomato Tahini Dressing coming soon!

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homemade, sesame seeds, tahini

Lunchtime!

March 19th, 2010

We had so much fun in our raw class this week and were able to whip up four great lunches! These included two from Ani Phyo — mediterranean dolmas and lemon fennel soup — as well as the very filling celery soup. The fourth light meal we shared is from one of our favorite books called Raw Foods for Busy People: Simple and Machine-Free Recipes for Every Day. Author Jordan Maerin really hit the mark with this little gem of a book. The recipes are just as she says, easy, quick and oh, so yummy!

The other recipe is Jordans Nori Filling that we used in a nori wrap. I love that this recipe requires only a couple minutes, is versatile and requires no equipment other than a whisk.

EZ Nori Filling

1/3 cup raw tahini or almond butter, at room temp
3 TBS unpasteurized miso of your choice
1TBS raw honey
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 cup scallions, minced
1 TBS Nama Shoyu, or more to taste

Mix all ingredients. Yup, that’s all folks!

For our class I used almond butter and red miso. Again, this is an adaptable recipe and I usually use tahini and white miso. If you do not have scallion on hand you can use onion or onion powder. I always use wheat free Tamari instead of Nama Shoyu and 1 TBS is plenty. I do not recommend adding more.

To make a yummy wrap, take a quartered sheet of untoasted nori and put a smear of nor filling on it, some avocado and tomato slice, fold and eat!

Add water to the filling and you have a fantastic dip for veggie crudites or a little thinner and a fine dressing to wow your taste buds atop fresh salad greens.

Enjoy!

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light meal, lunch, quick, raw food

homemade hummus

March 14th, 2010

One of our favorite on-the-road snacks is hummus. Garbanzo beans are high in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc, and are a source of dietary fiber and protein.The tubs in the store can be expensive, and can have preservatives or other unnecessary ingredients.

Soak the beans overnight to reduce cooking time — soak, drain and cook for 1-2 hours, and drain again. You can soak for 12-24 hours, sprout them for 2-3 days until the tail is about as big as the bean, and then steam them for 20 minutes or so until they soften. I’ve found enough information online and in The Sprout Garden to make me wary of eating raw chick peas, so if you decide to go that route, proceed with caution and do your research.

Seeing Lucia making sweet potato chips for the camera, Dante decided he wanted to make some hummus too. Except that was the first day we used the camera, and somehow the main video of him putting in all the ingredients was corrupted. Since he gives the recipe, I asked him to film it again using the extra chick peas and pretending to add the rest. He was a trooper though and acted as tho he had actual ingredients to add to the food processor bowl (love watching him “scrape out” all that tahini!).

Hummus

4 cups cooked/steamed chick peas (~ 2 15oz cans)
2 Tbsp lemon
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp cumin (or to taste)
pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup water (or as needed to reach desired consistency)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil

Put all ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and whizz. We usually add everything but the oil, and once the dip is nearly done, we add in the oil. We taste and add more spices, salt or lemon juice at this point as well. Sometimes we add more garlic, or roast the garlic first. You can add more lemon, 1 red pepper, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, chives or more to keep things interesting. While we tend to use hummus as a dip, we also spread it on rinsed romaine leaves and top with onion and tomato . Sometimes we smear it on toast