To be written up shortly...
OK, ready to share now. Between cooking and blogging, I needed to carve some time out for an insane workout. After all, that's really what drives my passion to eat really good food.
Having a beyond-my-wildest-expectations yield of tomatoes in my debut garden, I wanted to indulge in the act of roasting perfectly succulent and ripe tomatoes.
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of fresh tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, sliced
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
sprinkle of balsamic vinegar
sprinkle of olive oil or grapeseed oil
freshly ground sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Procedure:
Place the tomatoes skin-side up on baking pan (I used my stone bar pan, like a jelly roll pan).
Surround with onion and garlic.
Sprinkle the vinegar and oil, pepper and salt.
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture into Blendtec and process until smooth, about 30 seconds on power level 10.
Leftover note:
When it came time to eat the other half, I decided to add cooked cauliflower. I took my immersion hand-held blender and blended the remaining soup with the steamed cauliflower. It added a nice touch or enhanced creaminess. Both version were, nutritious and delicious.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Chocolate Almond Torte (sprouted- I'll explain later)
I was inspired to try this as soon as I got home from school this afternoon. Now, it's chilling in the freezer and I had to post this right away while my tea is brewing. It was so good warm but meant to be frozen...we'll see.
Ingredients:
You should know: this recipe is extremely flexible but I'll explain how I made this one and add the flexible part at the end.
1 cup 'sprouted' raw almonds (not roasted, soaked overnight or several hours and drained)
1/4 c cocoa powder
8 dates, pitted
1/3 c peanut butter and almond butter combined
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 T wheat germ
OPTIONAL toppings: toasted walnuts and ground flax meal
Directions:
Into a powerful food processor (or a Blendtec blender), add everything. Process until smooth, right after a soft ball is formed.
Roll in the palm of your very-clean hands to form small balls, about 1/2 inch in size.
Roll in desired topping, such as coconut, toasted coconut, chopped toasted walnuts, chopped fruit, etc
Place in freezer.
The flexible part includes replacing the dates with any other sweetener such as maple syrup, honey, rice syrup, agave nectar, etc.
Omitting the nut butter, but that gives is a rich texture and "mouth-feel" we so enjoy.
Adding wheat germ is an option, if you'd prefer gluten-free, it can be omitted.
Instead of vanilla extract, you can use rum or almond extract. But do stick to pure extract.
If you like it velvety smooth, process like I described. Stop sooner if you'd like nut bits.
The "sprouted" part comes from the actual "soaking" of the almonds. They won't actually sprout, but they will plump up with the soaking water. They are commonly calls "soaks" instead of sprouts because of this. Once any dry (dormant) seed soaks up water it comes to life and the action of the enzymes makes is a super food.
There is no butter, added fat, or sugar, but lots of sucrose if you opt for the liquid sweeteners instead of dates. All the fat comes from, you guessed it, delicious, nutritious nuts.
Ingredients:
You should know: this recipe is extremely flexible but I'll explain how I made this one and add the flexible part at the end.
1 cup 'sprouted' raw almonds (not roasted, soaked overnight or several hours and drained)
1/4 c cocoa powder
8 dates, pitted
1/3 c peanut butter and almond butter combined
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 T wheat germ
OPTIONAL toppings: toasted walnuts and ground flax meal
Directions:
Into a powerful food processor (or a Blendtec blender), add everything. Process until smooth, right after a soft ball is formed.
Roll in the palm of your very-clean hands to form small balls, about 1/2 inch in size.
Roll in desired topping, such as coconut, toasted coconut, chopped toasted walnuts, chopped fruit, etc
Place in freezer.
The flexible part includes replacing the dates with any other sweetener such as maple syrup, honey, rice syrup, agave nectar, etc.
Omitting the nut butter, but that gives is a rich texture and "mouth-feel" we so enjoy.
Adding wheat germ is an option, if you'd prefer gluten-free, it can be omitted.
Instead of vanilla extract, you can use rum or almond extract. But do stick to pure extract.
If you like it velvety smooth, process like I described. Stop sooner if you'd like nut bits.
The "sprouted" part comes from the actual "soaking" of the almonds. They won't actually sprout, but they will plump up with the soaking water. They are commonly calls "soaks" instead of sprouts because of this. Once any dry (dormant) seed soaks up water it comes to life and the action of the enzymes makes is a super food.
There is no butter, added fat, or sugar, but lots of sucrose if you opt for the liquid sweeteners instead of dates. All the fat comes from, you guessed it, delicious, nutritious nuts.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Cashew cream
Not sure I like calling this "cream" but it's a sought-after item in my house.
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews that have been soaked overnight
4 large pitted dates
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 T water, to desired consistency
Directions
Drain cashews and discard water.
Add nuts, dates, vanilla and 1 T water to Blendtec, or high-speed blender. Blend until creamy and smooth, adding water as desired.
Chilling it will make it thicker so spread warm or chilled, depending on your preference.
Serve with fruit as a dip or spread on your favorite desserts.
Delicious Nutritious
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews that have been soaked overnight
4 large pitted dates
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 T water, to desired consistency
Directions
Drain cashews and discard water.
Add nuts, dates, vanilla and 1 T water to Blendtec, or high-speed blender. Blend until creamy and smooth, adding water as desired.
Chilling it will make it thicker so spread warm or chilled, depending on your preference.
Serve with fruit as a dip or spread on your favorite desserts.
Delicious Nutritious
Fudge-like Brownies
The only things I changed on Dr. Oz's Black Bean Brownie Recipe are the amount of agave, from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and whole eggs (3-4) instead of egg substitute. AND, I topped mine with cashew cream and mint leaves. Oh yeah, I started with dry black beans and cooked up my own rather than using the canned beans. I opted out of the espresso powder and used Pero instead.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp Pero
4 eggs
3 T whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c agave nectar
1 T melted butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
Place black beans, cocoa powder, eggs, Pero and flour into a Blentec or high speed blender.
Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Add vanilla, agave and butter.
Blend again to fully incorporate everything.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, turning pan halfway though cooking.
Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove brownies from pan. Let them cool to room temperature.
Top with a layer of Cashew Cream and garnish with a few mint leaves and cashews.
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
This will be like a fudge brownie, dense with a full-cocoa rich flavor.
Delicious Nutritious.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp Pero
4 eggs
3 T whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c agave nectar
1 T melted butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
Place black beans, cocoa powder, eggs, Pero and flour into a Blentec or high speed blender.
Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Add vanilla, agave and butter.
Blend again to fully incorporate everything.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, turning pan halfway though cooking.
Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove brownies from pan. Let them cool to room temperature.
Top with a layer of Cashew Cream and garnish with a few mint leaves and cashews.
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
This will be like a fudge brownie, dense with a full-cocoa rich flavor.
Delicious Nutritious.
I-Can't -Believe-It's-Cake Cake
Don't be intimidated by the lack of added fat or sugar in this cake. Rather, bask in delight that it has neither. Adapted from the folks at Whole Foods.
Ingredients
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, ground to yield 1 cup oat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 ripe bananas
8 large dates, pitted
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 T water
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, or coat lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine cocoa, both flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Eliminate any lumps and set aside.
To a Blentec or powerful blender, add bananas, dates, coconut milk, water and vanilla. Blend until dates are chopped very small and the mixture is smooth.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the banana mixture, and fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Do not overwork the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the baking pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove cake from the pan and cool completely. Peel the parchment off the cake and cut into squares. Wrap any remaining cake tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Nutrition notes
1/12 cake: 170 calories; 3.5 g fat, 34 g total carbs, (5 g fiber, 13 g sugar) 3 g protein.
Ingredients
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, ground to yield 1 cup oat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 ripe bananas
8 large dates, pitted
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 T water
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, or coat lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine cocoa, both flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Eliminate any lumps and set aside.
To a Blentec or powerful blender, add bananas, dates, coconut milk, water and vanilla. Blend until dates are chopped very small and the mixture is smooth.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the banana mixture, and fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Do not overwork the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the baking pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove cake from the pan and cool completely. Peel the parchment off the cake and cut into squares. Wrap any remaining cake tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Nutrition notes
1/12 cake: 170 calories; 3.5 g fat, 34 g total carbs, (5 g fiber, 13 g sugar) 3 g protein.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Sprouts
Where to begin talking about sprouts...let's start with how easy they are to grow.
The easiest, and probably the greenest, way to grow them is to
get a mason jar or recycle a mayonnaise jar, put your seeds in there, and soak for about 8 hours. Take a small sieve, one that looks like a window screen (you can even use a piece of clean window screen) and strain. Rinse your seeds and strain. Do this morning and night and watch them grow! Keep them out of direct sunlight the first few days then give them a few hours of indirect sunlight after 3-4 days. That's it!!! You can now call yourself a "sprouter". I started with alfalfa sprouts, then added lentils and mung beans and adzuki beans. Broccoli seeds too. They are all super easy to start with…
HOW IT WORKS
Seeds are dormant until you wake them up by soaking. The enzymes are now activated and the nutrients undergo a chemical transformation, converting into an organic food that is higher in protein and phytonutrients that aren't awake in the dry seed state.
USES
Mix in salads, use on a sandwich instead of lettuce, chop and add to soup, chop fine and add to meatloaf, meatballs or vegetable burgers. I love sprouts on whole grain bread with hummus or almond butter.
Delicious Nutritious!
The easiest, and probably the greenest, way to grow them is to
get a mason jar or recycle a mayonnaise jar, put your seeds in there, and soak for about 8 hours. Take a small sieve, one that looks like a window screen (you can even use a piece of clean window screen) and strain. Rinse your seeds and strain. Do this morning and night and watch them grow! Keep them out of direct sunlight the first few days then give them a few hours of indirect sunlight after 3-4 days. That's it!!! You can now call yourself a "sprouter". I started with alfalfa sprouts, then added lentils and mung beans and adzuki beans. Broccoli seeds too. They are all super easy to start with…
HOW IT WORKS
Seeds are dormant until you wake them up by soaking. The enzymes are now activated and the nutrients undergo a chemical transformation, converting into an organic food that is higher in protein and phytonutrients that aren't awake in the dry seed state.
USES
Mix in salads, use on a sandwich instead of lettuce, chop and add to soup, chop fine and add to meatloaf, meatballs or vegetable burgers. I love sprouts on whole grain bread with hummus or almond butter.
Delicious Nutritious!
Where have I been???
I know it has been a while and I have some very good reasons. While the updating may have been slacking, the cooking, creating and chopping definitely were not. Much to catch up on, but one post at a time. I also had the pleasure of sampling some exceptional craft brews from a local brewery. I'm not talking about a basement-type craft beer brewery but the high quality variety, aka Blue Point Brewery. Blueberry Ale is their top-selling fruit beer. I'm particularly pleased that we are able to patronize yet another local business b/c it's awesome, not just b/c it's local.
And I spent quality time growing our first vegetable garden, well, harvesting our garden really, as mother nature gets the credit for growing good food.
And I went back to my college-era hobby of sprouting. What a rewarding and enriching practice this continues to be.
Fast forward to this afternoon's cucina creation. The Baked Coconut Lentils recipe came my way and I could just about taste it. Here's how it goes:
Per serving: 280 calories (30 from fat), 3.5g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium, 49g total carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 16g sugar), 16g protein.
Ummmmmm, delicious nutritious.
And I spent quality time growing our first vegetable garden, well, harvesting our garden really, as mother nature gets the credit for growing good food.
And I went back to my college-era hobby of sprouting. What a rewarding and enriching practice this continues to be.
Fast forward to this afternoon's cucina creation. The Baked Coconut Lentils recipe came my way and I could just about taste it. Here's how it goes:
Serves 8
An Indian-inspired version of baked beans in which dates, coconut and spices give a rich and hearty flavor that intensifies during baking.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon or so Coconut Oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 pound Lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup to 1 cup pitted dates, chopped (I used fewer dates b/c I added about 1/8 c chopped raisins)
splash of Brigg's liquid amino acids, or substitute tamari sauce
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 pound Lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup to 1 cup pitted dates, chopped (I used fewer dates b/c I added about 1/8 c chopped raisins)
splash of Brigg's liquid amino acids, or substitute tamari sauce
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Method
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in ginger and turmeric and cook 1 minute. Add 6 cups water, lentils and dates/raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir in Briggs liquid or tamari and transfer lentils to a 2-quart baking dish or casserole. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then uncover, top with coconut and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until lentils are tender and coconut is golden.
Nutrition
Ummmmmm, delicious nutritious.
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