Shortbread Crust
1 cup shredded dried coconut (unsweetened) 1 cup walnuts 1/4 tsp pure salt 6 pitted medjool dates Place the coconut, walnuts & salt in a food processor fitted w/ the S blade & process until finely ground. Add the dates & process until the mixture begins to stick together. Don’t over-process. Yields 2 & 1/2 cups. Will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. The crust doesn’t need to be thawed before using. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: For those with various food restrictions,...
Read MoreHow to Make Bread Crumbs
Bread crumbs are extremely simple to make at home. All you need is bread. Any and all kinds work – sliced bread, rolls, buns, ends, sourdough, whole grain, spelt, rye, gluten free – whatever you like, whatever you have. If you keep sliced sandwich bread at home, making bread crumbs is one way to put the ends to good use. As you come across end pieces, just keep them together, in a bag in the freezer, and pull out slices as needed. I don’t recommend using stale bread (as is sometimes suggested), unless you want stale bread crumbs. Use fresh or frozen bread. All you have to...
Read More10-Minute Marinara Sauce
2 TBSP butter or ghee 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed 28 oz package crushed or strained tomatoes 1 cup water 1/2 tsp pure salt freshly ground black pepper to taste fresh basil or parsley, chopped (as much as you’d like) 1 – 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil Warm butter or ghee over medium heat and saute garlic for 1 – 2 mins. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add the water to the empty tomato container, swish it around (to collect the remaining remnants of tomato), and add it to the pot. Simmer for approx 10 mins. Stir in chopped basil, drizzle in the olive oil and serve....
Read MoreRaspberry Jam
1 (10 oz) package frozen raspberries 3 TBSP date-paste (I use rounded/heaping tablespoons) Thaw raspberries in refrigerator for 24 hours (or at room temp for 8 – 12 hours) & drain. Mix together raspberries and date paste (with whisk or fork) until combined well. Yields about 3/4 cup. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Very tasty on a sandwich w/ nut butter or used to make these tasty treats: RASPBERRY-SQUARES ~ If...
Read MoreDate Paste
16 pitted medjool dates 1 & 1/2 cups filtered water Soak dates in the water for at least 20 minutes (& up to overnight). Drain the dates but reserve the soak water. Place the dates along with 1/4 cup of the soak water in either a Vitamix or a food processor fitted w/ S blade, and process into a smooth paste. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl if necessary. Yields 1 & 1/4 cups. Date paste will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer (thaw for a few minutes before using)....
Read MoreTahini Gravy
1 & 1/2 cups veggie broth or water (I use broth) 1/2 cup tahini 2 TBSP soy sauce 1 TBSP maple syrup (or 6 drops liquid stevia) freshly ground pepper In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk all ingredients together & bring to a slow boil. Cook (stirring w/ whisk) until it has thickened to desired consistency. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ We especially love this over MILLET-CORN-LOAF, but it’s also nice over tempeh dishes, greens, meats, grains, sauteed veggies, etc… ~ The gravy will thicken up...
Read MoreCoconut Milk Tonic
1 can coconut milk (regular, not “light”) 1 & 3/4 cup water OPTIONAL: 3 drops liquid stevia or other sweetener Heat coconut milk & water in a small saucepan over med-low heat for just a few minutes (just long enough to melt any solids & make smooth liquid). Stir or whisk occasionally as it’s heating up. Stir in stevia (or other sweetener) if using. Store in covered glass jar in the fridge, and shake before using. Makes approximately 3 & 1/2 cups of milk ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~...
Read MoreHemp Milk
1/2 cup hemp seeds 2 cups cold water 1/4 tsp (or more) cinnamon 10 drops liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice) Blend in blender until smooth (a minute or 2 should do it). _________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This is a very simple milk to make at home. Extremely nutritious, with a yummy, nutty flavor. ~ If the flavor is a little too nutty for you, reduce amount of hemp seeds (anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup works depending on your taste preference). ~ Depending on the type of blender you have, the texture will vary (the Vitamix is great at processing small...
Read MoreRice Milk
I’ve made rice milk a few different ways. Here’s the method that works best for us….. 1 cup brown rice* 4 cups cold water sweetener of choice** (optional) Step 1: *Soak rice in approximately 3 cups of water overnight, then drain and discard soak water. OR – Skip the soaking step and use truRoots germinated brown rice – dry – straight out of the bag. Step 2: Blend rice and cold water in a blender for about 2 minutes. Step 3: Strain through a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter. OR – Let sit in blender for about 10 minutes until any...
Read MoreMaple-Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter
1 & 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or butter 1 TBSP maple syrup (or 6 drops of liquid stevia) 3 tsps cinnamon 1/2 tsp pure salt Put all ingredients into a food processor or Vitamix blender, and blend until creamy. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Pumpkin seeds are a delicious, nutrient dense food. They are on the dry side, so need oil if blending into butter. No need to fret about this, as coconut oil is super-nutritious and will not cause weight gain (in fact, you’re likely to lose weight if...
Read MorePecan Butter
Shown above with mashed banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 3 cups pecans Process in food processor or Vitamix blender until creamy. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This is so easy to make, and so unbelievably delicious. Since pecans are softer than almonds, this is something you can easily make in a food processor. You just have to be sure to have enough pecans in there to give the machine something to process. As far as using a blender – the only reason I recommend the Vitamix, in particular is because it has a...
Read MoreLemon Basil Vinaigrette
6 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp pure salt handful fresh basil, chopped 1/4 tsp black pepper pinch of crushed red pepper Mix =) Store any extras in the fridge. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This is a great dressing if you’re avoiding vinegar (or even if you’re not!). ~ Swap out the basil for any herb (or combination of herbs) you’d like. ~ LEMON JUICE TIP – Sometimes I don’t have fresh lemons on hand when I need them. On the other hand, if I buy a bottle of lemon juice, I’m...
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