Pad Thai with Kelp Noodles

This is a great raw and vegan alternative to the traditional pad thai dish! These noodles can also be substituted for other noodle or rice dishes and is a great source of iodine, calcium, and iron. You can find them at certain natural-foods stores or Asian markets but be sure to buy the clear noodles, as the green ones are tough and taste like seaweed. For the sauce you can use raw almond, cashew, or peanut butter - whatever your heart desires!

Adapted recipe from Real Raw Health and found at http://realrawhealth.com/pad-thai/

Yield: 2-3 servings

Prep time: 15min

Ingredients:

Salad

½ package kelp noodles (raw)

1 carrot (cut into matchstick slices)

½  small head of red or green cabbage (shredded)

1 large handful basil (chopped)

1 cup alfalfa or bean sprouts
1 stalk of celery (cut into matchstick slices)

Sauce

¼ cup nut butter

¼ cup coconut butter

1 lime (juiced)

2 tablespoons tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon coriander

½ -1 jalapeno or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

Directions:

To prepare the sauce, mix all of the ingredients in a blender and set aside. Mix the salad ingredients together and add the sauce, blending evenly. You can garnish with some cilantro and chopped nuts if you wish.

Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes, oh my!

Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I found this fantastic alternative (and raw!) carrot cupcake recipe modified by Sonnet over at For the Love of food. I can’t wait to try it for a friend who has a birthday coming up really soon. Let me know if you try it first! Yum!

Adapted from Choosing Raw and found at http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/

Yields: 6 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 cup raw walnuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts

1 cup dates, pitted

2 cup grated raw carrots

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup raisins

Process the nuts and dates in a food processor (with the S blade) until it is well-incorporated.  Wrap the carrots in a paper towel and squeeze out any excess liquid (you can also substitute carrot pulp from a juicer and skip this step).  Add the carrots, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and ginger to the food processor.  Process until the mix is a smooth "dough."  Add the raisins and pulse to combine.  Stuff the carrot cake dough into muffin tins and refrigerate for about an hour. 

Frosting:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked 1+ hours

2 pitted medjool dates

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

10 drops liquid vanilla stevia, or to taste (I used NuNaturals brand)

Dash sea salt

Water (start with 2 tablespoons and work your way up as needed.  The soaking time of the cashews will determine how much water you actually need)

Drain the cashews and place in a food processor with the dates, lemon juice, coconut flakes, stevia, and sea salt. Add 2 tablespoons of water and begin to process.  The soaking time of the cashews will determine how much water you need.  Add more water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.  

Remove carrot cakes from fridge and frost!

Raw Tahini Dip

Sayward over at Bonzai Aphrodite created this luscious raw sesame seed tahini dip that is great for veggies on busy days or long car trips. It’s also totally kid proof with the nutty tahini and salty soy sauce. You could make it from almond or peanut butter instead if you prefer the flavor of those. Check out the other great ideas to switch it up at the bottom of the recipe! Yummy!

http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2011/10/recipe-the-raw-tahini-dip-that-done-stoled-my-heart/

The recipe is written in approximations, that’s why it’s fun! You can work with what you have on hand and you can adjust to suit your tastes. Get creative with it and play around!




Ingredients:


1 cup tahini (raw, made from unhulled sesame seeds)


2-4 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or any combination of the two


2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast


1-4 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari/nama shoyu (raw), depending on how salty you like it


1-4 cloves garlic OR 1/2 – 2 teaspoons garlic powder


1/4 – 1 teaspoon cumin


water to thin, as needed

Optional:


-   use less soy sauce and add fancy salt, like smoked salt

-   add liquid smoke (I almost always do this – SO GOOD)


-   add diced jalapeño OR jalapeño powder OR red pepper flakes

-   add curry powder

-   add diced red onion, or onion powder


-   use less soy sauce and add some miso paste

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend! Add water to thin to desired consistency (runnier for dressing, thicker for dip) (also, it will thicken up some after being refrigerated). This will store for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Spicy Black Bean Ragout with Quinoa and Avocado Crema

I love this recipe from Daily Bites for a healthy solution on a busy weeknight. It makes great leftovers for a healthy lunch and is a crowd pleaser so the whole family will be happy! (http://www.dailybitesblog.com/)

Spicy Black Bean Ragout with Quinoa and Avocado Crema - Serves 3-4

For the quinoa and ragout:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

2 tbs. olive oil

1 small-medium yellow onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juices

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or one 15-ounce can)

1 (4-ounce) can whole green chilies, drained and chopped

1 cup frozen corn (use fresh if in season)

1/3 cup water

Salt, to taste

For the avocado crema:

1 medium ripe avocado

Juice of one lemon

1/4 cup canned coconut milk (see *note below)

Pinch of sea salt

For garnish:

Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Chopped scallions

Start by making the quinoa: bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low and simmer 12-15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.

While quinoa cooks, make the ragout: heat olive oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook 3-5 minutes until becoming soft, then add garlic, serrano, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes with juices, black beans, green chilies, corn, water and salt to taste. Cook until heated through over low heat, about 8-10 minutes.

As quinoa and ragout finish cooking, make avocado crema. In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients for crema. Blend until very smooth.

To serve, arrange a bed of quinoa on large platter or individual serving plates. Ladle ragout over top and dollop with spoonfuls of avocado crema. Garnish with chopped parsley (or cilantro) and scallions.

Sweet potato hummus

This exciting version of hummus comes from Martha Stewart’s 2010 cookbook titled POWERFOODS.

Sweet potatoes’ orange hue gives away their beta-carotene content, which helps support eye health and immunity. Chickpeas provide a rich source of soluble fiber and B-vitamins for cardiovascular health. By serving this dip with crisp-tender vegetables such as cucumber and broccoli, you will also get vitamin C, selenium, and sulforaphane, an antioxidant shown to prevent certain types of cancers. Whole-wheat pita bread is a healthful, fiber-rich alternative to crackers.

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1to 2 lemons)

¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon hot or smoked

paprika, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water; set a steamer basket (or

colander) inside pot, and bring water to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce

heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12

minutes.

2. Transfer potatoes to a food processor. Add chickpeas, lemon juice,

tahini, oil, cumin, and garlic. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute; thin

with up to 2 tablespoons of water if necessary. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and

season with pepper. Let cool; refrigerate for up to one week in an airtight

container. Garnish with paprika before serving.

Hazelnut Mushroom Pate

  

This savory spread recipe is from Fungi.com’s awesome mushroom recipe archives, created by their webmaster Andrew… It can be adapted to be dairy-free with the addition of rice-based cream cheese substitute if so desired! This recipe is a great way to showcase Pacific NW local foods.

Serves: 6 as an hors d’oeuvre

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 cups hazelnuts

4 cups whole shiitake mushrooms, cleaned of debris

4 cups whole maitake mushrooms, cleaned of debris

2 cloves garlic, peeled and degermed

12 oz organic cream cheese (or vegan cream cheese), warmed to room temperature

1 tsp dried parsley or thyme

Soy sauce to taste

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tblsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Equipment needed:  Food Processor, large skillet

Instructions:

-          Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and slow roast in the oven for 45 minutes (set a timer!), shaking every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 15 minutes.

-          While the hazelnuts are roasting, coarsely chop the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms and garlic in the food processor, and mince finely. Set aside into a bowl.

-          In a large skillet over medium heat, warm up about 1 tblsp olive oil. Add 1 cup of the mushroom garlic mixture, and saute over medium –high heat with a splash of soy sauce, until the mushrooms have sweated off much of their water and they are starting to brown, about 10 minutes… resist stirring them too much or it will take longer to cook them! Remove each batch of the cooked mushrooms into a large bowl, and repeat with the remaining cups of mushrooms (about 4 batches total, 40 minutes in all).

-          Remove the hazelnuts from the oven after 45 minutes, and place in the food processor, blending them finely.

-          Once all the mushrooms are cooked, add them, the softened cream cheese, the herbs, and a ½ tsp pepper into the food processor with the hazelnuts.  Blend until the lot is of a smooth consistency, about 2 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper- add if needed. Add a tblsp of balsamic vinegar, if you’d like the pate more tart!

-          Keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Do not allow to sit at room temperature longer than 3 hours if you want to refrigerate the rest for another day. Anything left out longer than 4 hours should be tossed to the chickens!

Curried Mustard Greens and Garbanzo Beans

This recipe comes from the excellent nutrition website World’s Healthiest Foods.com; head over to their site for a multitude of healthy recipes and great food knowledge!

Cook Time:30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (about ¼ inch) 1 onion, cut in half and sliced thin 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp curry powder ¼ tsp turmeric ¼ cup broth or white wine 1 bunch mustard greens, washed, stems removed, chopped 1-15 oz can cooked garbanzo beans, or 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans 4 Tblsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Instructions:

-          Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a steamer with a tight fitting lid. Steam until cooked through, about 7 minutes.

-          While steaming potatoes, saute the onions and garlic in 1 tblsp olive oil with the spices. Add the broth and mustard greens. Stir occasionally until mustard greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add garbanzo beans, salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.

-          Mash sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. If you need to thin potatoes more you can add a little broth. Serve mustard greens with mashed sweet potatoes.