February 19, 2012

 “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”  ~Leonardo DaVinci

Breakfast

Blueberry Fool

serves 4 ~ $.62 per serving

2 ripe bananas ($.30)

juice of 1 lemon ($.69)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup water for blending, as needed

4 ounces blueberries, frozen and thawed ($.50)

whole blueberries

walnuts

agave

I
was looking for ways to cut some of the fat in regular nut yogurt and
decided to use ripe bananas and nuts in about equal amounts. This worked
out wonderfully and as a bonus, eliminated the need for more
sweetener.

A
“fool” is basically a yogurt dish layered parfait style. Greek yogurt,
which is very thick, is traditionally used. This yogurt isn’t that
thick as I’ve made it here, but could easily be thickened by draining
some of the liquid through cheesecloth. 

In
a blender, puree the bananas until very smooth. Add the nuts (I used
cashews) and lemon juice and about a half cup water for blending. Puree
on high for several minutes, until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for
at least a few hours. It will thicken quite a bit as it chills.

To
make the “fool,” take half the yogurt and puree with a handful of
blueberries. In each serving bowl, put a spoon of regular yogurt and
another of blueberry yogurt, add a few whole blueberries to the top.
Garnish with a couple chopped walnuts and a drizzle of agave, if
desired.

calories: 268

 

 Lunch

Nut Butter and Jelly

serves 4 ~$1.15 per serving

1 cup buckwheat, soaked ($.35)

1/2 cup flaxseed, ground ($.20)

1 ripe banana ($.15)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

8 tablespoons nut butter ($3.20)

4 ounces strawberries ($.50)

I’m
really starting to enjoy buckwheat and have been experimenting with it
in bread and cracker type things (you’ll have to get my e-book to see
it all!). This is a simple, basic recipe for a crispy cracker like
bread that goes well with nut butter and any fruit “jelly.”

Soak
buckwheat overnight. Drain and rinse well. In a food processor, puree
the ripe banana until liquid. Add in the buckwheat and process until
fairly smooth. Cover the ground flaxseed with about an equal amount of
water and let soak for about a half hour, until it forms the gel. Stir
the soaked flaxseed, oil, and vanilla into the buckwheat and banana
mixture. Incorporate well.

Spread
about 1/8 inch thick on teflex sheets in the dehydrator. Dehydrate for
about 2 hours on one side, then score in desired shapes and flip and
dehydrate on the other side for a few hours or overnight.

Serve with a tablespoon of nut butter and some mashed fruit “jelly.”

 

 

calories: 577

 

Dinner

Marinated Mushroom Salad

serves 2 ~ $2.98 per serving

1 head leaf lettuce ($.77)

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced ($2.19)

1 zucchini, sliced ($.66)

1 red bell pepper, sliced ($1.59)

1 medium onion, chopped ($.15)

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ($.20)

2 cloves garlic

 whole flaxseeds

This is a very hearty and filling salad. 

Mix
the marinade, which is the olive oil, agave, balsamic vinegar, and
garlic. Slice and chop the mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, and
onion. For this recipe, I cut the zucchini into matchstick sized pieces.
Toss with the marinade in a shakeable container (I just use a large
ziplock box) and let sit for up to a couple hours. Place on teflex
sheets and dehydrate for about an hour, just until warm and slightly
softened.

Chop
the lettuce and top with the warm veggies. Mix up just a bit more
additional marinade to use as a dressing, if desired. Salt and pepper to
taste, and top with a sprinkle of whole flaxseeds.   

 

calories: 322

Dessert

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

makes 12 pieces ~ $.20 each

1 cup walnuts ($1.00)

1/2 cup dehydrated apple slices, about 2 small apples ($.80) 

1/2 cup dehydrated banana slices, about 3 medium fresh ($.45)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla ($.15)

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

pinch of salt

coconut flakes for rolling

I
wanted something fast and easy, but spicy and warm … and something
other than chocolate! I’ll never bore of chocolate, but every once in a
while it’s nice to change things around. 

This
is so simple and takes about 5 minutes to make, not including the
dehydrating time. Peel and slice the apples and bananas and dehydrate
for several hours, or overnight. They should be leathery and pliable,
not crisp.

In
a food processor with an “S” blade, process the nuts, dried fruit,
cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and pinch of salt. Pulse to start,
then let process for a few minutes until the mixture starts to stick
together. Scoop out using a tablespoon or other rounded scooper and roll
into a ball shape. Press into coconut flakes.

 

calories: 105