'Spread' the Health

Wanted to share some of my favorite healthy recipes for spreads...these are great to serve your family, your guests, bring to a picnic, a party, and to eat with vegetables, crackers, chips or to spread on a sandwich or wrap with chopped salad.

The tastiest and healthiest chips, in my opinion, are Pita Chips - the ones you make at home...no salt is added, and they are a better value - a bag of pita is significantly less expensive than a bag of chips, plus no extra additives - just rip 'em apart, heat 'em up on a flat pan, and serve warm...

My favorite veggies to dip are baby carrots, celery stalks, red peppers, sweet pea pods, cucumber sticks, and the firm inner leaves of a Romaine lettuce.

* You will need a food processor with an 'S' knife for these recipes...hope you enjoy and create your own!

Hummus

One can chick peas - rinsed very well (or dried beans soaked overnight and cooked)

4-5 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste)

Juice from 1 & 1/2 lemon

Dash of pepper (optional sea salt if you like)

Dash of paprika

A few dashes of cumin

2 garlic cloves minced or a few dashes of garlic powder

Small handful of parsley

* Optional - when serving, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top with toasted pine nuts

In a Food Processor or Blender mix all ingredients and add water, little by little, until the consistency is smooth, rich and thick. Process or blend for at least few minutes.

Black Bean Hummus
Same as humus, just add cooked or canned black beans to recipe.
Lentil Hummus
Same as humus, just add cooked or canned lentils to recipe.
Cauliflower Spread
1 whole cauliflower chopped into florets - lightly steamed
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB mayonnaise (preferably the healthy 'veganaise' or homemade kind)
1 tsp agave or honey

Optional herbs - Dash of sea salt, dill, basil, oregano, black pepper
Put all ingredients in food processor and 'pulse' a few times until consistency is just right for you. Serve immediately or refrigerate, stays for at least 2-3 days.
Vegetarian 'Liver' Pate 1 can of sweet peas (or dried peas soaked overnight and cooked)
1 onion - fried, or a few dashes of onion powder
1 healthy handful of walnuts
Dash of black pepper
1 clove garlic minced  or a few dashes of garlic powder
Dash of sea salt (optional)

Mix all ingredients in food processor until it turns to pate and serve immediately or refrigerate, stays for at least 2-3 days.
Black Olive Spread
1 can of pitted black olives
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 handful of fresh spinach leaves
A few parsley leaves
sun-dried tomatoes soaked (optional)

Mix all ingredients in food processor until it turns to pate and serve immediately or refrigerate, stays for at least 2-3 days. Delicious on everything!

Salsa

Can of Tomato Paste (no salt added)
A few fresh tomatoes
1/2 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 cucumber
A few sprigs of fresh parsley (or dash of dried powder)
A few sprigs of fresh basil (or dash of dried powder)
A few sprigs of fresh oregano (or dash of dried powder)
Dash of black pepper
1 tsp Agave or honey
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion (or dash of dried powder)
Optional cayenne pepper

Mix in food processor with some water. Serve immediately or refrigerate, stays for 2-3 days.
Perfect with pita or corn chips - preferably unsalted, with humus and guacamole nearby.
Vegetarian Tuna Spread 4 stalks of celery 1 can of chick peas
1 TB mayonnaise (preferably the healthy or homemade kind)

Added options: garlic, paprika, dill, seaweed flavor, lemon juice, onions, olives, pickles...

Using the knife in your food processor, chop 4 stalks of celery to very small pieces, a few seconds of 'pulsing' is all it takes. Take celery out and put into a bowl, chop or 'pulse' the whole can of chick peas for a few seconds only so as not to make it too 'mushy', the pieces should be chunky. Add to the celery and mix with mayo...close your eyes and taste - should remind you very much of the taste of tuna fish.
Bon Appetit!

'Shake' it up Baby!

If you like starting your day with fruit (like I do), a great way to do this is to drink your breakfast...all you need is a blender, some frozen bananas, creativity, and you're good to go!

When your bananas get brown after several days of being out, peel and freeze, so you always have some on hand...also keep a few strawberries, pieces of pineapple, mango and papaya in the freezer to make your shakes extra delicious.

Some tips and tricks...

• Add water to get the shake going in the blender, no need for milk.
• The fruit is sweet enough, no need for honey or sugar.
• A handful of spinach thrown in is a great way to get more iron & extra vitamins in... it makes your shake green but isn't everything going green these days?
• Mint tastes delicious in a shake.
• A drop of vanilla adds 'yum' to it.
• A spoonful of tahini (sesame paste) gives a special flavor.
• Fresh squeezed orange juice is a good base.
• A few walnuts add a great taste plus Omega 3 to your shake.
• Some crushed flax seeds also add Omega 3 and is good for your heart.
• Coconut adds a special flavor (unsweetened, organic is best).
• Adding one tsp of Carob powder makes a real treat.
• Any kind of berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries - add great flavor.

The cup or glass you drink from makes a difference- should be strong and elegant, with a straw!

On a hot day blend crushed ice with watermelon pieces (seedless) - it is a very tasty and refreshing Summer drink that you can make in less than 30 seconds.

Blended salads are a great way to eat healthy when you're on the go...no need for chopping a lot and you get even better nutrition by drinking it rather than chewing...throw in a pepper, tomato, cucumber, sliced avocado some parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, seasonings and blend baby blend!...experiment with other veggies, add lettuce or spinach for extra green...tastes delicious and very refreshing, kind of like drinking salsa or gazpacho.

Enjoy & Bon Appetit!

Veggie Sushi

While observing a friend make sushi at a party a while ago I was inspired to create my own veggie recipe...it's so easy and fun to make, and a good combination of healthy ingredients is just as tasty (if not tastier!) and filling, without the fish.

I have since made it on at least a 1/2 dozen occasions, for my family, parties and pot lucks, and the feedback is always very positive, so I decided to share the recipe here.

Ingredients:
Roasted Seaweed - each sheet makes 5 pieces

(best value is buying 50 in a bag at an Oriental Food Market)
Brown Rice
Lentils

Thin, matchstick-like pieces of carrots, cucumbers, sprouts

(you can use avocado, red pepper, tomatoes, etc.)

For the sauce blend the following:
2 handfuls of walnuts
2 stalks of celery

1 Tbs lemon/lime juice
1 minced garlic
2 shakes of curry powder

* Optional -Sea Salt

Also use:

Ginger dressing (homemade or from the market)

Bragg (Healthy Soy Sauce substitute)

Cook rice and lentils together - 3/4 cup of brown rice and 1/4 cup lentils to 2 cups water.

When water has boiled, put in rice and lentils on medium low for approx. 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables and sauce.

When all is ready, mix the sauce with the rice and lentils.

Lay out the Seaweed Sheet on a mat, flat plate or cutting board.

Drop a spoonful of the ginger dressing and spread all around.
Put 2 Tbs of the rice mixture along the edge closest to you, and lay a few pieces of vegetables.

Start rolling it away from you until it's done, and set aside on a plate.
Continue the same with each one and then put the plate full of your rolls in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to 'settle'. (Can be longer, but not shorter than that or they may fall apart when you slice them.)

With a very sharp knife, slice each end of the roll off, and then slice your pieces to about 3/4".

To present your sushi attractively, place on a white tray or plate with space between each piece, decorate with garnish and perhaps a few sprinkles of Soy Sauce.

Tastes extra great dipped in Soy Sauce so have some available in a little bowl on the side. Use your fingers, or some chopsticks, and enjoy!

Tasty Thanksgiving Time Treats!

Just in case you need a few extra healthy ideas for the Holiday, here are a few yummy & easy recipes that will impress your taste buds as well as your family and your guests...

If you like hummus, try making it Pumpkin Flavored. It is delicious and brings a unique, sweet, Thanksgiving flavor. It's great with veggies, chips or any kind of crackers.

Make a regular batch of hummus (see previous blog about spreads) in the food processor, and then just add about 1/2 small can of pumpkin puree, along with vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Add more pumpkin or any other spices you need according to your taste.


Around this time of year I add pumpkin flavor to all kinds of recipes...like Pancakes...just add pumpkin puree and spices to your pancake mix, it's delicious! And top it off with Pumpkin Flavored Ice Cream...(check out my recipe in a previous post) This time you need to plan ahead and freeze the pumpkin mixture. Blend or process the pumpkin puree, maple syrup or honey, and spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla - plus (soaked) dates & walnuts. Best if you freeze the pumpkin mixture in an ice cube tray so you can just pop the squares out when you need them.

Serve the ice cream on top of the pancakes and sprinkle some cinnamon around, as in the photo. 


Sweet Potato:
Easy and quick, peel, chop and steam the sweet potato until soft. In your food processor, mix with raisins and/or dates (soaked in water for 15 minutes) walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla. Add a dash of sea salt if you need to.
* Please note - use about 6 dates per sweet potato.

Make it a day before and serve cold, or heat it up, either way it is divine and stays for a few days in the fridge.


Cranberry Sauce:
Blend 2 cups of fresh cranberries in the juice of 2 fresh squeezed oranges, and throw in a few fresh apple pieces, plus (soaked) dates and walnuts (or pecans). Blend until texture is to your liking. Add some maple syrup if it needs extra sweetening.

This is an amazing combination when eaten along with the sweet potato.

Use an ice cream scooper to display on your plate - create a design with several scoops on your platter and play with the cranberry sauce to make it a beautiful creation...

Have a happy, healthy and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Why was this Seder different from all other Seders?

Because for the first time the food we ate at this year's Seder was all raw and live, which means no heating, no cooking, no microwaving, no baking...all fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils, blended and food processed delights, using recipes we learned online, from books, trial and error and a mixture of all three...

This year we felt like doing something new and different, and so we created a fabulous menu which showcased a variety of flavors while recreating some of the traditional tastes of Passover like gefilte fish, chopped liver, tzimmes, and macaroons...(recipes below)

We even made our own grape juice by juicing 8 lbs. of grapes in the juicer...absolutely divine!










The Matza we ate was from Israel...some day I'd like to make my own "Living Foods Matza" with a Dehydrator...

This year we used extra-large thick green leaves from trees in our backyard as place mats, and under the seder plate, plus we picked flowers from the garden for decoration. The best part, however, is that everyone in the family helped to create this year's seder, and it was great fun, no stress, and really joyful...

A little history...my husband and I have been raising our family as vegetarians, more like vegans, eating no flesh food and very little to no dairy and eggs...fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts and legumes have been the main source of our diet, which has included steaming vegetables, making stir-fry, baking our own bread, cooking pasta, couscous, quinoa, rice & lentils...now, after about 20 years of eating this way, it seems like a natural progression to become closer to a 'raw foodist' or 'live foodist' lifestyle, since we know how much better it is for our health and body maintenance, and also our energy and spirit.

The benefits of going raw/vegan are boundless. Raw foods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Try eating a raw food diet for one day, one week, then one month, and see if you can tell the difference!

So...here is the menu we put together for this occasion. Hope you have time to try a few of the recipes during this holiday, or perhaps some time when you feel to...in any case hope you enjoy!

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP
Yields 5 servings
1 bunch celery, chopped
4 C water
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
1 avocado
1 tomato
1 Tbs honey
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.


SALADS

Israeli Salad
Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers chopped very small.

Sweet & Crunchy Green Salad
Shredded Romaine Lettuce, Chopped Spinach, Shredded Carrots, Raisins, Chopped Macadamia Nuts.

DRESSINGS

Sweet Mustard - Yields 3/4 cup

1/2 C extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tsp agave nectar or raw honey
1/4 Tsp sea salt (optional)
1/2 Tsp crushed garlic (1/2 clove)
Dash black pepper

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth & creamy. Will keep for up to one week.

Ranch - Yields 1 Cup - so rich and creamy you won't believe it's dairy free!

1 C soaked cashews
3/4 C water 2
Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
1/2 Tsp onion powder
1/4 Tsp sea salt (optional)
1 Tbs fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 Tbs minced fresh dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth & creamy. Will keep for up to 5 days.

Creamy Cucumber - Yields 1 Cup - So creamy you'll never guess it's low fat!

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 Tsp sea salt (optional)
1/4 Tsp crushed garlic (1/2 clove)
Dash cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 Tsp minced red or yellow onion
1 Tbs minced fresh dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth creamy. Will keep for up to 3 days.



MOCK "GEFILTE FISH"

Yields 6 Patties

½ C cashews, soaked overnight ½
C almonds, soaked overnight
½ C pine nuts, soaked overnight
½ C green onion, finely minced
½ C parsley or fresh dill
¼ C lemon juice (more or less)
1 clove or more of fresh garlic
1 Tbs sea kelp granules (this gives the "fishy" and salty flavor)

Run the soaked cashews, almonds, and pine nuts in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, a small amount of water, the minced onions, parsley, and other seasonings. Form into balls or patties, and let stand to flavor the paté. Serve on a bed of spinach or lettuce with a small amount of freshly grated horseradish on the side.

MOCK "CHOPPED LIVER"

Yields 6 servings

1 C lentils or peas soaked, and/or sprouted
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
¾ to 1 C walnuts
1 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kelp powder or granules to taste
A pinch of cayenne pepper

Optional: minced celery, red bell pepper, grated carrots, or other chopped vegetables. Process all ingredients in a food processor. Will keep for 3 days.

LIVING FOOD TZIMMES

Yields 8 servings

1 large sweet potato
1 small white potato
½ lb. carrots
1 small sweet apple (Fuji, red delicious)
½ pound mixture of soaked pitted prunes and raisins
(soak these overnight in freshly squeezed orange juice, not water)
1/3 C freshly squeezed orange juice
Optional: 5 or more chopped pitted dates
1 ½ Tsp ground cinnamon, or to taste
½ Tsp ground ginger, or to taste

Finely grate the sweet potatoes, white potato, carrots, in a food processor. Mix the vegetables, and set aside. Peel, core and chop the apple, dates, prunes, raisins, with the orange juice in a blender until it is a consistency of thick sauce. Add cinnamon and ginger to the sauce. Combine the sauce to the grated vegetables as needed. This recipe should be sweet. Because of the heaviness of this dish, serve it with something light.


ZUCCHINI PASTA

Yields 6 servings

Peel 2 big zucchinis and create "natural pasta" in a spiral slicer.




MARINARA SAUCE

Yields 3 cups, 6 servings

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, soaked or oil packed
1 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs minced fresh basil, or 3 Tsp dried
3 Tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 Tsp crushed garlic (3 cloves)
A pinch of sea salt (optional)
Dash of black pepper (optional)
Dash Cayenne

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Will keep for 3 days. This is a staple and favorite of our family!


NOT-MEAT BALLS

Yields 10 small 'not-meat' balls

2 C raw walnuts
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tsp extra-vergin olive oil
2 Tsp tamari
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
Dash sea salt (optional)
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs minced onion

Place all ingredients in food processor and process into a paste. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Make little balls and store on flat plate or in tupperware and serve on top of zucchini pasta with marinara sauce.

MACAROONS

Yields 15 cookies

2 C shredded coconut
1/2 C ground almonds
4 pitted dates chopped very small
4 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 C raw carob powder (optional)

Mix ground almonds and dates with mashed bananas and make into little balls. Roll the balls in shredded coconut, then in carob powder. Freeze, and when ready to eat make sure to thaw for approx. 10-15 minutes before serving. These are amazingly delicious and nutritious.

BANANA PUDDING

Tastes like the old fashioned kind of pudding
Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup Vanilla Creme Sauce (see below)
3 bananas
1/4 cup Crumble Topping (see below)

Place the Vanilla Creme Sauce and half of the banana in a blender and process until smooth. Top with Crumble Topping.

VANILLA CREAM SAUCE

Yields 1 cup

1 C soaked raw cashews
1/4 plus 2 Tbs water
2 Tbs pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Vanilla Cream will keep for 5 days. This tastes delicious on everything!

CRUMBLE TOPPING

Yields 2 cups This topping tastes like it was freshly baked! Use it on Pudding, Mousse and Icecream.

2 C raw walnuts, unsoaked
1/2 C unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 Tsp salt (optional)
1/2 cup raisins, unsoaked
4 pitted dates, unsoaked
1/4 cup agave nectar

Place the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. Don't over process. Stores for one month in refrigerator or three months in freezer.

Bon Appetit!