Category Archives: Recipes

Seriously. So. Easy.

Ok, this post goes along with my fresh hummus recipe. I really don’t buy canned beans anymore unless I’ve not planned well and need something in a hurry. It’s just so much cheaper to make them from scratch and they taste amazing. I also use my crockpot for beans because I can leave it on, then go to bed or leave the house and I come home to food that’s already cooked. Nice.

By the way, when I make garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) for hummus, I usually don’t season them at all while they’re cooking.

Here’s how you make beans from scratch –

If you don’t have a crockpot, you can buy one here or just put your beans right back in the same large pot you soaked them in, cover with fresh water and cook them. Cooking time varies per bean but usually between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. You usually want your bean to still have some shape when they’re done so keep an eye on them. Same rules apply regarding seasoning and salt.

Crispy nuts (meaning almonds, walnuts, pecans etc) are a big hit at our house. I discovered them through a book about traditional food preparations, called Nourishing Traditions, and they have since become a staple in our diet. But what are “Crispy Nuts”? And why not just eat nuts? I’m glad you asked!

While nuts are very healthy for us and a great source of protein and good fat, as well as being in possession of cancer preventing, heart disease preventing and other amazing properties, they can be pretty hard to digest in their natural state. In fact, some of you may think that you can’t eat nuts because they make your stomach hurt or your throat itch. But what you may be experiencing is a reaction to the enzyme inhibitors that exist in nuts. The best way to deactivate those enzyme inhibitors and make those nuts more digestible is to soak the nuts in some water and a little salt and then dehydrate them.

Though I first encountered this information in Nourishing Traditions and other food journals, I can actually vouch for the difference it makes in my own ability to enjoy eating raw nuts. Prior to learning this method, my throat would itch uncomfortably when I ate walnuts and I didn’t really like the taste of raw almonds, though I figured they were probably better for me than roasted nuts because they didn’t have a bunch of salt or artificial flavoring all over them.

After I tried soaking both almonds and walnuts, the itchy problem completely disappeared and I also discovered I loved the taste of the soaked almonds. And, my husband, who has always hated walnuts, thinks these ones taste amazing. They have a toasty, addictive flavor. Healthier than chips and a million times tastier!

Here’s the recipe I use

Crispy Almonds
1 1/2 pounds of almonds a glass container
Filtered water to cover the nuts by a few inches
1 T. SEA salt NOT table salt

1. Leave the nuts in a warm place to soak overnight or for at least 7 hours. See the above pic.
2. After soaking, just pour the water off and dump the nuts on a big cookie sheet and place in the oven at 150 degrees F for 12-24 hours.

When they’re done, the inside of the nuts should look kinda toasty and they’ll have a roasty, crunchy taste and texture.

 
Nourishing Traditions suggests slightly less salt for walnuts and pecans but I confess that I rarely measure for this recipe. I just toss approximately a tablespoon for all three recipes and they always taste great. Also, NT recommends storing walnuts and pecans in the fridge, though ours rarely last long enough for this to be necessary.

Dehydrators work great for this process because the oven stays free for other uses. Unfortunately, my dehydrator isn’t very big and I got tired of making these in batches so, I switched to my oven. It is important to note that according to raw food gurus, you need to keep the temp under 115 F in order to keep those digestive enzymes alive. But, if you don’t have a dehydrator or if your oven doesn’t go below 200, you’ll still be getting a healthier product than what you’d be buying in the store.

I do want to mention that if you have an actual nut allergy – like something that causes anaphylaxis – I am NOT recommending this as a remedy. But, if you find that eating nuts just bothers your stomach a little or you just don’t like the flavor, this is the recipe for you!

Here are the five snacks I took on my visit to Daphne Munroe’s new show, Smart Families on ABC15. They are easy, inexpensive, healthy AND delicious!

As you might have guessed, the fruits and veggies in these snacks are organic though currently the nuts we buy are not. I’m looking for an affordable local provider for the nuts. And, cutting up your own fruits, veggies and cheese and making your own hummus or almond butter definitely saves money. It really doesn’t take long and with the exception of “Ants on a log” – you can prep them the night before and they’ll still be the right texture the next day. I save #4 and #5 for days I’m in a hurry. Of course, if you’re really in a rush, fruit in its purest form – an uncut apple, orange, banana etc and a bag of nuts are always great!

1. Grapes, crispy walnuts and cheese sticks.

Let’s talk about cheese for a minute. We don’t buy much cheese and when we do, it’s usually goat cheese from a local source. Because of that, we know it’s fresh, preservative free and very digestible. But, if we do buy cow milk cheese, it’s always organic and W-H-I-T-E. Yes, I’m a cheese snob. How many times have you seen bright orange milk? If you did see it, would you drink it? Exactly. That’s what I thought. So, why are you eating that yellow stuff? It’s not real cheese!!!

2. Veggies and hummus

This one is sooooo delicious and so easy to make. I just use whatever veggies I have on hand – like sweet red, yellow or green bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini (though my daughters don’t like this one raw!) etc and chop them up into kid sized sticks. Then, we usually make our own hummus because it’s cheaper, tastier and definitely healthier than what you’ll see in the store. But if you don’t want to make it, read the ingredients to find one that only has the REAL ingredients – garbanzo beans, olive oil, garlic, salt & lemon juice.

3. Ants on a log.  Translated – celery with almond butter, topped with raisins. ‘nuf said.

4. Apples and dipping almond butter. Here’s my recipe for almond butter. SUPER easy!

5. “Nuts and Raisins“. This is what we call this treat at our house. It’s a favorite and actually comprised of a little dried fruit (whatever I have in the cupboard – apricots, raisins, cranberries or dates) and crispy almonds.

There you have it. A “five for Friday” – healthy easy homemade snacks. Enjoy!

This is a great gluten-free muffin recipe that I originally discovered on Kimi Harris’s blog, The Nourishing Gourmet after trying numerous recipes with these ingredients and failing miserably (like – 5 times!). I apologize in advance for not sharing a pic today but as soon as I finished the muffins, my test kitchen audience devoured them! I’ll try to make another batch this weekend and post a pic. A note on the ingredients…

• the recipe utilizes coconut flour – a gluten-free, fiber filled and low glycemic option to wheat flour. For the uninitiated, the glycemic index refers to how quickly a particular food triggers a rise in blood glucose levels. Increased fiber = slower release. 
• coconut flour is a little pricey at 6.99/bag but the recipe only uses 1/2 cup for 9 muffins. And, if you’re missing baked goods while eating a gluten-free or low glycemic diet, the extra bucks may feel worth it.
• This recipe is filled with GREAT Fat – coconut oil and good protein in the form of 3 eggs.

I made a few changes to Kimi’s recipe, including adding vanilla, decreasing the cloves and apples and adding apple cider vinegar and zucchini.

Now, before we start baking, a quick tutorial about muffins.
1. A great secret to all good baking is to be sure your ingredients are all about the same temperature before you combine them. You don’t want hot honey and oil hitting cold eggs or you’re going to have a sugary omelet on your hands! ICK!
2. Kimi mentioned in her recipe not to exceed the recommended amount of fruit. Otherwise, these muffins will be wet. I can attest to this from personal experience.
3. Most of all – do not, I repeat, do NOT over-mix muffins. You simply want to combine the ingredients and make sure they don’t have big clumps of dry flour. Be gentle.

• Coconut oil
• honey

• coconut flour
• baking soda
• sea salt
• cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

•  Eggs 
•  Honey and coconut oil 
• Vinegar