Archive | November, 2011

Creamy Hemp Tahini Salad Dressing

16 Nov

I always go through these phases where I will be super healthy, feeling like a million bucks eating kale salads, mesclun salads and whole grains and then I will go through a different little phase where Julie and I will bake up a storm and go out to eat every night… both phases are highly enjoyable… just for different reasons. (:

Well, I’m in the health phase right now.  I’ve made two different dressings for my raw kale salads this week and I’ve been chowing down feeling great!  The weather has also been out of this world amazing (freaky… yet amazing) and so happiness levels are sky high!!

Creamy Hemp Tahini Dressing

Yields about 3/4 cup

3 Tbsp. cold pressed hemp oil

2-3 Tbsp. raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. tahini

1 Tbsp. miso

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. adobo seasoning

1/2 tsp. liquid trace minerals

Directions:

Put all in a food processor and blend until combined and creamy.

Creamy Kale Salad

Serves 4

2 large bunches kale, rinsed, de-ribbed and shredded

1/2 cup Creamy Hemp Tahini Dressing (recipe above)

1/2 medium red onion, cut to half moons

3 Tbsp. hemp seeds (optional, but recommended)

Directions:

Combine in a large serving bowl and massage with your hands.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes to marinade.  Serve and enjoy!

Look at this stick bug!! I haven’t seen one of these since I was a little kid!!!  So amazing.

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Guilt-Free Cookies

13 Nov

So I always get a hankering for sweets… it is bred into my soul.  I could live the rest of my life without salt, but I can not (will not) go a day without something sweet.  So when I came across these cookies in my effort to reduce my sugar intake, I couldn’t resist.  These have no added sugar, no oil, are vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free, and delicious.  Don’t believe me?  Make them yourself and you’ll see!!!

This recipe was based on Whole Foods Market’s recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Cookies.

Health Nut Cookies

Yields 48 cookies (but this all depends on the size cookie you make)

2 cups mixed nuts:  my mix = 3/4 cup pecans, 1 cup hazelnuts, and 1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup sweet potato puree

3/4 cup pure orange juice

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

In a food processor, process the nuts and oats until they become a fine meal.  Combine in a large mixing bowl with the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Whisk together to combine.

Next, in the food processor, combine the orange juice, vanilla, sweet potato puree, and raisins.  Process until smooth.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the sweet potato mixture.  Fold gently with a wooden spoon until combined.  Use a scoop, spoon, or tablespoon to portion out the dough onto a parchment (or foil – but my foil lined baking dish definitely made the cookie bottoms burn a little) lined baking sheet.  Flatten gently and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to cooling racks.  Enjoy as many cookies as you please today GUILT FREE.  Though one should never feel guilt when the cookie is vegan. (:

One of the batches I made I forgot to flatten the cookies… whoops!  They still came out delicious, but they were much more cakey on the inside.

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Sweet Potato Sticky Buns

10 Nov

A couple weeks ago I made some sticky buns… I wanted to give them all away… but I was not successful.  These buns are really irresistible!!

This recipe is based on Golden Cinnamon Buns.

Sweet Potato Sticky Buns

Yields 6-8 buns

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tbsp. organic vegan sugar

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar + enough liquid to make 1 1/4 cup

2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or oil of your choice)

Filling:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup organic vegan sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Pinch sea salt

3 Tbsp. sweet potato puree

Directions:

Prepare filling:  

Combine filling ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

Prepare buns:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare a 9 inch baking dish (round or square) by lining it with parchment or foil and spraying with oil.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a separate small mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, liquid (water or non-dairy milk), and oil.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the mixture just comes together.

Dump the dough onto a clean floured surface.  With floured hands, gently work the dough, adding flour by the tablespoon, until it is no longer sticking to everything.  But be careful not to add too much flour or over mix.  Flatten the dough out into a rectangle.

Spread the filling onto the dough, leaving 1/2 to 1 inch edge.  Using your floured hands and/or whatever utensil you can (I used a flat metal spatula… but be ready because this dough is going to make you angry), to roll the dough into a roll.  Your roll will look ugly.  It’s inevitable.  Embrace it.  But don’t worry because when it bakes it all comes together and you can’t tell!!

Cut the roll into 6 or 8 buns and place into the prepared baking dish.  Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Let cool a few minutes before cutting the buns evenly out of the dish.

I left these buns plain, but feel free to add some icing (rum spiced icing) or golden syrup to sweeten them up even more (:

Yay sweet potato!!!

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