Peanut Sauce (with non-peanut option)

This is a perfect topping for the lettuce wraps.  You can make this peanut-free if you’d like by using all almond butter instead of half almond, half peanut.  Or, if you prefer, use all peanut butter.  Either way, it’s super quick – no cooking needed.

• 3 heaping Tbsp almond butter (preferably just ground almonds)
• 3 heaping Tbsp peanut butter (preferably just ground peanuts)
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium tamari
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 2 Tbsp hot water (or more as needed)

Combine everything in a bowl or measuring up and whisk well.  Serve with lettuce wraps or spring rolls or anything you’d like!

Kohlrabi Hash

This was a delicious use of a veggie that isn’t generally my favorite.  Win!

• 2 Tbsp Earth Balance
• 3 cups shredded kohlrabi (thick outside peeled first)
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup shredded carrot
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• ground black pepper
• Optional:  top with this topping

Heat a large saute pan on medium-high heat.  Add Earth Balance and heat until melted.  Add remaining ingredients and cook about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.  Do not overcook – the pepper should still be a little crunchy.  Serve immediately.

This recipe was modified from a recipe on our local CSA’s website, http://www.GrantFarms.com.

Goatless Goat Cheese

This “cheese” makes a great cracker spread or is fantastic in a salad.

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked in warm water an hour or 2 in advance, then drained
• 1 – 2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• pinch of salt
• water, as needed (about 1/4 cup)

In a blender (high speed blender like a Vitamix would be best), combine all ingredients, added as little water as possible and blending until smooth.  (Let the blender run a couple of minutes to get it as smooth as possible.)

Place a standard coffee filter in a colander and place on a plate.  Pour the cashew blend into the coffee filter and place in the fridge.  Allow to chill and drain any additional water.  (The less water you have to add, the less that needs to drain.)  Once the consistency of a soft cheese, transfer to a container in the fridge until you need it.

Gluten-free Corn Bread

This was delicious and paired nicely with Joe’s Chili.  You wouldn’t have guessed it was gluten free!

• 2 Tbsp ground flax meal
• 6 Tbsp warm water
• 1 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened original)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups corn meal
• 1 cup oat flour (I processed rolled oats to make this)
• 1/4 cup almond flour (you could process almonds to make this)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or oil of your choice (you can taste the coconut if you use coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Combine flax and water in a small bowl.  Combine almond milk and vinegar in a 2 cup measuring cup or medium bowl.  Set aside a few minutes while you prepare the next step.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine corn meal through paprika and stir well.

Dump the flax-water mixture into the almond milk mixture.  Add melted coconut oil and maple syrup.  Stir well.  If your coconut oil solidifies, heat up a bit.

Add the liquids to the dry mixture and stir until combined.  Prepare your pan (I used a glass pie pan) with a light greasing.  Pour mixture into the pan and bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Based on this recipe.

Cucumber Salad

An easy side dish to accompany the New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Peas or anything else you want.

• 2 cucumbers, peeled (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut in half lengthwise and sliced
• 1/4 – 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 – 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 – 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• dash of cayenne pepper

Combine and refrigerate until serving.

Sauteed Bok Choy

I’m more of a fan of baby bok choy, but we’ve been getting large bok choy in our CSA box recently.  This is probably the best way I’ve prepared it.  It’s simple, but strongly flavored, which masks the bitterness of bok choy that I don’t care for.

• 1 large bok choy
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari (or to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 Tbsp minced ginger

Chop the bottom inch or two off of the bottom of the boy chok.  Chop the white stems into inch-long chunks.  If they are particularly thick, carefully slice their thickness in half.  Separately, coarsely chop the greens.

Heat the sesame oil in a saute pan.  When hot, add 1 Tbsp of the tamari and white stems of the bok choy.  Cover and cook, stirring every couple of minutes.  After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and ginger and stir well.  Cook until the stems are starting to become transparent.  At that point, add the greens and the other tablespoon of tamari.  Cover and allow to cook until the greens are wilted.  Uncover and stir well.  Cook uncovered until done to your liking.  Serve immediately.

 

Mashed Turnips with Roasted Garlic

Ok, so we aren’t really turnip fans in this household.  They are just too bitter for us.  I gave this recipe a try and I can definitely say it was the best turnip recipe I’ve had yet… but I still don’t really love turnips!

• 2 large turnips, peeled and cubed
• 1 head garlic
• olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp thyme
• ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Place cubed turnips in a sauce pan with water.  Bring to a boil and simmer, covered until tender.

Roast the head of garlic.  Remove the outside papery stuff.  Chop the top of the head of garlic to expose the tips of the cloves.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Wrap in foil and bake for about 20 – 30 minutes or until soft.

Drain turnips completely and return to pan.  Carefully (don’t burn yourself), squeeze out each soft garlic clove into the pan.  Add spices.  Using an electric beater (or potato masher), mash well.  Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

These were delicious and enjoyed immensely by even my daughter who hates sweet potatoes (how could you!?!?).  Oh, and they are super easy, too.

Makes about 8 – 10 biscuits.  Consider doubling!

• 1/4 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened original, but other varieties might be good) or non-dairy milk of choice
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups spelt flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• heaping 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed meal
• shakes of cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar of choice

In a large bowl, combine apple cider vinegar to almond milk and allow to sit a bit.

Meanwhile, in a smaller bowl, combine spelt flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Stir until combined.

In the bowl with milk, add sweet potato, coconut oil, salt, flax, cinnamon and sugar.  Whisk until well combined.  Slowly add dry mixture, stirring as you go.  You may not need to add all of the dry mixture to get a soft dough.

Preheat oven to 400.  Flour a clean surface (use the extra dry mixture if you have any).  Dump dough onto floured surface and use your hands to form a flat blob, about 1/2″ thick.  Using a biscuit cutter/round cookie cutter, cut out circles, placing them on a baking sheet with parchment as you go.  When no space for a circle remains, combine dough together and smush again to a 1/2″ blob.  Cut out more circles until you use up all/most of the dough.  Bake about 11 minutes or until done and slightly golden.  Enjoy plain, with chili, with jam… however you like!!  🙂

 

Modified from this recipe.

 

 

Creamy Spinach Dip

A creamy spinach dip for crackers, chips or bread.  We spread it on the Avocado Naan and served it like that.  Yum.

• 1 cup cashews, soaked ahead of time for several hours if possible – otherwise, soaked in boiling water for about 10 minutes
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• ground black pepper
• pinch cayenne
• water as needed
• 8 oz fresh spinach, boiled until wilted; then drained and squeezed – yielding 1 cup once wilted

In a food processor, combine cashews, garlic, sesame oil, onion powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne.  Add a bit of water as needed/desired for good consistency.  Puree well.

Add prepared spinach and pulse.  Serve warm.

Based on this recipe.

 

Avocado Naan

A delicious, moist Indian bread recipe that was easy!  No clay oven required.  🙂  Makes about 6 naans 4″ x 10″ or so.

• 1/2 cup warm water (not hot!)
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 2 tsp sugar of choice

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• heaping 1/3 cup mashed avocado (about 2/3 – 1 avocado)

• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
• 2 – 3 Tbsp more whole wheat pastry flour
• optional seeds for topping – e.g. sesame

In a medium bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar.  Allow to sit about 5 minutes and become frothy.

Add in flour, onion powder, baking powder, salt and avocado.  Knead for a couple of minutes.  Place back into the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.  Allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

Place some additional flour on your kneading surface.  Knead in the nutritional yeast if you use it.  By hand, form into ovals, about 4″ x 10″ or so.  Sprinkle with seeds if you wish, and lightly push them a bit so they stick.

Heat a griddle on medium heat.  Place one or two naans on the griddle at a time and cook for a couple minutes per side until browned a bit.  Continue with the rest of the naans.  Serve immediately!

Inspired by this recipe.