DIY: Toasted Pepitas
July 19, 2012 § 1 Comment
Many store-bought, pre-toasted and -salted nuts and seeds are processed and coated with starches to help salt/spices adhere to the nuts/seeds. If you are steering away from added starches in your diet, or if you simply would like to have more control over the ingredients in the food that you eat, try buying the raw materials and then dressing them up yourself — it’s a resourceful, creative alternative to what’s commonly available in a standard supermarket.
I like to roast/salt/season big batches of nuts and seeds at a time. They’re wonderfully shelf-stable and then I have them at-the-ready. Included below is the simplest recipe for roasting pepitas (pumpkin seeds), but feel free to dabble. You can try roasting them with a little tamari (or soy sauce) or toss them with dill and nutritional yeast. I enjoy pepitas out-of-hand, a-top mammoth leafy salads, soups and pasta or brown rice dishes.
Ingredients:
raw pepitas
sea salt, to taste
a few teaspoons olive oil
spices, to taste (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss pepitas with a little olive oil – just enough to cover all the surfaces. Sprinkle with salt (and spices) to taste.
2. Bake for 15 minutes; stop and stir half-way. Cool completely before packaging.
Diet Notes: Gluten-free, SCD-safe, nut-free, vegan
Preserving Summer’s Bounty: Dried Tomatoes
June 5, 2012 § 4 Comments
Today is the fifth of June and down in the southwest, we’re harvesting tomatoes in full swing. In fact, we’ve been popping sweet cherries into our mouths for the last month. In light of this fact, and given that we have several more months of lycopene-glory ahead, it’s never too early to start preserving these suckers. Canning recipes are coming, but for now, I thought I’d start with a dehydration recipe. Don’t worry if you don’t own one of these mammoth electrical appliances. If you’re eating tomatoes now, your backyard is an oven.
Ingredients:
tomatoes sliced 1/4 – 1/2″ thick (cherries cut in half)
sea salt
Method:
Slice tomatoes in thick slabs and remove seeds. Arrange evenly on a dehydrator (or mesh screen for outdoor use). Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Dehydrate at 135/140 degrees for 10-16 hours (depending on thickness) or until chewy and crinkled. If dehydrating outside, keep a fine mesh cloth (ie. cheese cloth) over the tomatoes to keep bugs and debris at bay. When cool, store in an airtight container. Will keep for several months.
Diet Notes: SCD-safe, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan
Apple Preservation: Fruit Roll-Up Style
December 1, 2011 § 2 Comments
I get such a kick out of edible table decorations; along those lines, I like consumable party favors (or wedding take-home goodies), too. This year, for Thanksgiving, I whipped up a double batch of apple fruit roll-ups and put a small wrap on each plate. It was a seasonal palate cleanser and was a fun story-prompter. I might’ve even convinced my uncle David to buy a dehydrator!
Ingredients for the Roll-Up:
apple sauce
honey
cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, ginger
Tools:
food dehydrator
parchment paper
scissor
string
Method:
Cook down apples into a sauce or scoop from a jar. Heat on the stove; add honey and spices to taste. Remove from stove and spread on a plastic dehydrating sheet (like this one) about 1/2 cm thick. Turn dehydrator on at 135 degrees and dehydrate for 10-12 hours. Peel away from plastic, rip or cut into thin strips and roll up in parchment paper.
Diet Notes: SCD-safe, gluten-free, nut-free
Quick Bread & Butter Apple Pickles
November 17, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Quick pickles are my go-to recipe when the cucumber crop goes gang-busters. But it wasn’t until this past fall, when I cooked side-by-side with Cammy at Super Chilly Farm, that I added apples into the vinegar brine. We made this recipe six times in three weeks and since coming home to Arizona, my mom has kept the crisper drawer stocked with cucumbers.
Two things to note:
(1) Use the very best apple cider vinegar you can find. If you can, seek out a local apple orchard and buy vinegar in bulk (we buy gallon jugs). The cost isn’t prohibitive (in fact, it’s often comparable to grocery store prices, or cheaper when purchased in larger quantities); it only requires a bit of extra effort. While I lived in Maine I tracked down Sewall’s cider vinegar. I brought home a bottle for my mom who tried it and said it tasted like wine and was the best she’d ever tasted.
(2) At Super Chilly Farm I was fortunate to have a stock pile of heirloom apples at my disposal. With each batch of pickles, I sliced up different kinds of apples — softer, crisper, sweeter, tarter. My favorite pickle batch used sweet, only slightly acidic, very crisp crab apple varieties called Chestnut and Pipsqueak. Close runner-ups were Red St. Lawrence and Garden Royal apples. (Photographs here.) I suspect that this recipe would be quite good with the conventional varieties Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn or Gala. Or, if you live in apple country, visit an orchard growing out apples native to your area and try out a couple that strike your fancy.
Ingredients:
4 medium-sized pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
4-5 small/medium apples, unpeeled, cored
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 early onions/shallots
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup honey (or more, to taste)
1 cinnamon stick
Method:
1. Prep cucumbers: Cut off ends, discard, and thinly slice with a cabbage shredder, mandolin, food processor or sharp knife. Place cucumber slices in a colander and toss with sea salt. Let sit for 20 minutes. Prep apples and onions using the same slicing utensil—aim for uniform thinness and size.
2. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, water and honey until full incorporated. Add cinnamon stick and pour dressing over apples and onions.
3. Rinse cucumbers and lightly dry. Add slices to bowl with apples and stir well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Diet Notes: SCD-safe, nut-free, gluten-free
Dried Fruit Trio Granola Bars
May 30, 2011 § 4 Comments
When it comes to grab-and-go snacks, I’m positively addicted to salted peanuts & brazil nuts plus a few banana chips. But after overdosing on a shockingly large freezer bag of the above blend on a recent road trip, I’ve decided to cool off on the ‘nana-crunch snack attacks and instead, create a fantastic bar that offers additional nutritional benefits.
Through my recipe tweaking I’ve learned the following: Substituting OJ for water does not yield good results. Honey can be used as a substitute for agave nectar; however, the agave makes a sweeter bar, which is a good thing in my book, and better chew. Have fun fiddling with the dried fruits. Everyone agrees, the dates are a MUST. Dried figs are also exceptionally good. I’ve tried a couple different kinds of nuts, but pecans (shelled from my aunt and uncle’s tree!) were the clear favorite.
Ingredients:
1 + 1/4 cups dried fruit (favorites: dried peach, date and orange-hinted cranberries)
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 + 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons teff flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/3 cup agave nectar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 on convection (or 350 in a standard oven.) Grease a 9 x 13″ baking pan.
2. Chop dried fruit and pecans. Set aside. In a separate bowl, begin adding dry ingredients. (HELPFUL HINT: While doling out teff flour, sprinkle some of the measured amount directly onto the dried fruit and nuts and toss with hands. This will prevent the dates, peaches and cranberries from clumping and sticking into a large mass.)
3. Once all the dry ingredients are assembled, set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients. Combine with dry and stir until completely incorporated and all oats are coated. Spread in greased baking pan. (HELPFUL HINT: Dab the tips of fingers with water and press oats into pan; this will prevent stickage.)
4. Bake until golden and slightly browned on surface, about 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing and removing.
These granola bars stay chewy on the counter for several days, but also freeze and thaw very well.
Diet Notes: Gluten-free
Black Bean “Humus” Bean Spread
May 12, 2009 § 2 Comments
Last summer I farmed in Vermont with five other ladies. My dear friend Jo would always slather her sandwiches with the most interesting combos of bean spreads — some days the spread would be red, other days purple, sometimes black and white. Meanwhile, Lauren and I’d hover over the sink, eating garbanzo beans straight from a can.
But today I decided to channel Jo. I made a big lunch for the fam and wanted a not-boring hors devours to gather everyone in the kitchen. I wanted something savory, light and more aesthetically pleasing than a gloppy bowl of pre-made ranch dressing. This dip was a hit; we polished off the bowl in no time, just in time for the big springtime lunch. Thank you Jo, for the inspiration!
Ingredients:
2 cups black beans, pre-cooked*
1 + 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
*For those on the SCD-diet: If symptom-free for a month, you can try incorporating black beans back into your diet. Be sure to soak them for 24 hours prior to cooking.
Method:
Add all ingredients in a blender/Cuisinart and pulse until smooth. Feel free to add some olive oil if you prefer a creamier, thinner consistancy.
Diet Notes: SCD-safe (see asterisk), vegan, gluten-free, nut-free
Almond-Cashew Butter
March 23, 2009 § 2 Comments
Let me put this bluntly: I ADORE nut-butters. I like cashew butter far better than I like cashews. I like almond butter about as much as I like almonds. I’ve never tried walnut butter, but toasted walnuts are my topping of choice for just about everything; I’m sure I’d like walnut butter.
After a quick perusal of my pantry this morning, I discovered two solitary bags of cashews and almonds. I roasted them on a large sheet pan and blended them together into a mixed-nut butter and it just might be better than the sum of its respective parts!
Ingredients:
1 cup organic cashews, raw
1 cup organic almonds, raw
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 7-12 minutes until fragrant and slightly brown.
2. Remove nuts from oven and cool on counter top for a few minutes. Add to food processor and blend. First, the nuts will reduce to a fine powder (think: almond flour or cashew flour — great as a thickener or in gluten-free breads). Soon, the nuts will start to form a ball that will roll around the Cuisinart a couple of times. Keep blending. After a minute or two, the ball will start to loose shape. Keep whirring until the nut butter has essentially oozed to the bottom of the blending container; it should be smooth and stir-able. Total blending time = approximately 5-7 minutes.
Diet Notes: Gluten-free, SCD-safe, vegan
Comfort Food Granola
March 7, 2009 § 1 Comment
I haven’t posted all of my granola experiments, but I’ve been buzzing around the kitchen trying to create my favorite type. In the past I’ve made sesame granola, agave granola and peanut butter granola. But I keep coming back to this blend of ingredients.
Please tweak to taste. You might like it with other things: maple syrup instead of honey, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds instead of pepitas, more quick oats, less quick oats, chocolate (heck yeah!), cashew butter instead of peanut butter…
Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup quick oats
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup raw pepitas (squash seeds)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter, natural
1/3 cup honey*
pinch sea salt
*If following a strict vegan diet, substitute maple syrup.
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop nuts and mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan on the stove, mix peanut butter, sea salt and honey. Heat on medium-low until melted. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
3. Spread oats on two rimmed baking sheets. Put on two different levels in the oven and cook for 8-9 minutes. Swap sheets and cook for another 8-9 minutes until golden-brown. Leave on counter for at least an hour to crisp-up and cool down. Store in an air-tight container; will keep for up to a month.
Diet Notes: vegan (see asterisk), gluten-free
Sesame Granola
January 17, 2009 § 2 Comments
This recipe was tweaked from and inspired by Vimala Rodger’s “Killer Granola” in her book, Vegetarian Meals for People-On-The-Go. My favorite way to eat this granola is with fresh berries + plain yogurt mixed with good maple syrup. I also eat it like cereal with a few splashes of rice milk.
Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened, organic coconut slivers
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup raw pepitas
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup raw slivered almonds
1/4 cup raw pecan pieces
1/2 cup raw walnut pieces
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup honey*
2 tablespoons vanilla
After baking, add:
1 cup favorite dried fruit (Medjool dates are especially good)
*If following a strict vegan diet, use a low grade maple syrup instead.
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Combine liquid ingredients and whisk for a few seconds. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix with a large spoon until all the oats, seeds, and nuts get covered with the “sauce.”
4. Spread oats on two large pans all the way to the edges. The granola will cook faster if all the oats are nicely spaced out and not piled up.
5. Cook until oats become golden-brown. The oats may feel a little damp to the touch when you take them out of the oven. Leave them in the baking sheet for about 7 minutes and they will dry out. Top with your favorite dried fruit, eat for breakfast and store the rest! This recipe makes a large batch that lasts me a few weeks.
Diet Notes: Vegan (see asterisk)
Biscotti: Maple-Walnut & Double-Chocolate!
November 26, 2008 § 3 Comments
I’m love “dunking.” When I was six years old, staying at my grandparents’ house in the summertime, my grandma and I would dunk cookies, fudge and even crumbly hunks of halvah into small glasses of cold milk (the later of which was totally unsuccessful and left lumpy dregs of liquid at the bottom of the cup). I love swirling around something crunchy in any sort of liquid – be it milk, tea, cocoa – and letting it turn to mush. If you’re a dunker, or if you’re simply a fan of “dunkable” treats, I’ve got a recipe for you.
Here are two biscotti recipes. The double-choclate is a Regina-original, but the Maple-Walnut is adapted from the Moosewood’s Low Fat All Vegetarian Cookbook. Both recipes have no oil, butter or processed sugar.
Maple-Walnut Ingredients:
1 + 1/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat-white flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* In a pinch, I have used a honey substitution but the results were so-so. Initially, upon cutting the biscotti before the 2nd bake, the texture was chewy, almost rubbery. I baked them again, as the recipe directs, at a lower temperature and added a few more minutes on the baking time to really dry them out. Once crispy, the texture wasn’t bad. And a few taste-testers told me they couldn’t tell the difference between my honey biscotti and those that contained all maple syrup. This being the case, I recommend using a low-grade maple syrup, if you have some on hand. (Don’t bother with the good stuff; the maple flavor is marvelous, even with the lesser, wallet-friendly varieties.)
Double-Chocolate Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tablespoons dark chocolate slivers
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease one or two baking sheets (if you’re doing one or both recipes).
2. Pick which recipe you’d like to try and in a large mixing bowl, stir all the dry ingredients.
3. Mix in wet ingredients. Depending on which recipe you choose, stir in walnuts or chocolate slivers (or tiny chocolate chips).
4. Scoop dough out of the bowl and place on prepared baking sheet. Shape the dough into one or two long logs and flatten so they’re about 1/2” thick.
5. Bake log for 20-25 minutes until top of each biscotti log is firm (the maple-walnut log will be a little golden around the edges). Remove log from the hot baking sheet and slide off with a spatula. Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, with a large knife, diagonally cut the log into slices about 1/2” thick. Place them cut side down, on the baking sheet. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
6. If you prefer your biscotti a little softer, remove them from the oven after 8-10 minutes. If you prefer them crispier, cook them until everything’s crispy except the center, which should be a tad soft (it will harden after it dries).
7. If you’re a major chocoholic you could dip one end of the cooled biscotti into melted chocolate — delish!
Diet Notes: Butter and oil-free
Diet Notes for Double-Chocolate Biscotti: Nut-free
