Ghosts of Christmas rePast, part 2
These are recipes from Christmases past.
2 servings ~ $1.03 per serving
2 cups almond milk ($.80)
1 banana ($.15)
1 date ($.50)
1 tsp vanilla extract ($.20)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
This is smooth, thick, creamy … just like the real thing.
Puree all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon.
Stuffed Mushrooms
2 servings ~ $2.27 per serving
12 oz button mushrooms ($2.49)
2 ribs celery, minced ($.30)
1 carrot, grated ($.10)
1 medium onion, minced ($.25)
1 small zucchini, grated ($.65)
2 tbsp olive oil ($.20)
2 tbsp agave ($.20)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar ($.20)
2 cloves garlic, pressed ($.10)
1 tbsp basil ($.05)
salt & pepper
I love mushrooms and so, for me, this is just an amazing dish.
Dehydrating for a bit softens and warms the mushrooms and filling
nicely.
Gently clean and remove the stems from the mushrooms. Some people brush
any dirt off mushrooms with a soft cloth, but I usually wash my
mushrooms with water. Mince the stems and set them aside, because
they’ll go into the filling.
Grate the carrot and zucchini and mince the onion and celery. Fine
ingredients are easier to get in the mushroom. Mix these together with
the olive oil, garlic, basil, agave, balsamic vinegar, minced mushroom
stems and salt and pepper and stir well.
Use a teaspoon and fill the hollow in the underside of the mushroom.
Place on teflex, plastic or parchment sheets and gently dehydrate for
about 3 hours, or until warm and slightly softened.
fat: 14 gr
carbs: 34 gr
protein: 7 gr
two servings ~$3.02 per serving
10 oz mixed greens ($1.89)
1 pomegranate ($1.39)
4 oz strawberries, sliced ($.42)
2 oranges, sectioned ($1.00)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped ($.30)
1 small onion, sliced ($.25)
salt and pepper
dressing
2 tbsp olive oil ($.20)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar ($.10)
2 tbsp agave ($.20)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar ($.10)
The combination of sweet and savory is hard to beat in my book. I love
this salad. The taste tester I tried this out on today said, “It’s like
eating food for the first time.” I think I understand what he meant,
since this is so fresh and clean while also packed with lots of flavor.
This makes two servings. Divide the greens, putting half on each plate.
Add the orange sections, sliced strawberries and onion. Sprinkle with
the chopped walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
To make the dressing, just put all dressing ingredients in a small bowl
and whisk until emulsified. This should only take a minute or so. It
will be creamy and not separated at all when fully emulsified. Add to
salads.
calories: 411
fat: 24 gr
carbs: 79 gr
protein: 7 gr
2 servings ~ $2.90 per serving
2 heads broccoli ($1.89)
8 oz mushrooms ($2.50)
1 medium onion ($.25)
sesame seeds ($.10)
3 tbsp olive oil ($.30)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar ($.30)
3 tbsp agave ($.30)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced ($.10)
1 tsp paprika ($.05)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
red pepper flakes to taste
This is my new favorite raw food dish. It’s savory and sweet and just
yummy. Marinating followed by dehydrating softens the broccoli and
onions nicely, and the mushrooms are just luscious.
Whisk together the olive oil, agave, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt,
pepper, and paprika. Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces, and diced
the onion. In a container (I used a Glad Lock box), put the broccoli,
mushrooms and onion. Pour the marinade over, shake to coat, and let sit
overnight in the refrigerator.
An hour before serving, dehydrate on plastic or teflex sheets. About an
hour should make these warm and slightly softened. Sprinkle with sesame
seeds and, if you want a little bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper
flakes.
calories: 415
fat: 22 gr
carbs: 53 gr
protein: 11 gr
4 servings ~ $1.57 per serving
1 cup nuts ($4.90)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice ($.50)
dried or fresh herbs for rolling
1 lb grapes ($1.39)
This “cheez” is amazing, and surprisingly simple to make and can be made
with your choice of nuts … I made mine with Brazil nuts. In a
blender, add all the cheez ingredients. Puree for several minutes until
as smooth and creamy as possible. Pour into a jar or other glass
container and cover with cheese cloth. Let sit overnight or longer to
develop the desired sharp taste. As it sits, the nut “cream” will
thicken up as well, making it easier to handle.
Once the flavor has developed to your liking, divide in two equal
portions. Place in center of several layers of cheese cloth and form
into roughly a circle shape. Wrap each in the cheese cloth and place
them in a colander with a weight or weighted plate on top. Put the
colander in a sink or over a plate or bowl to catch any drips. A lot of
the liquid will be pressed out of the cheez this way. Let it press for
several hours.
This doesn’t get gooey, but it will be the consistency of cream cheese. Further pressing can make a firmer cheez.
When it has the desired consistency, remove from the cheese cloth, shape
into a wheel and roll in dried or minced fresh herbs. Serve with
grapes.
pieces about 1/8 in thick. In a lidded container (I used a zip lock
box), toss the apples and 1/2 cup raisins with the agave, lemon juice,
cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until well coated. Spread out on a lined
dehydrator sheet and dry for about 2 hours, stirring once or twice.
This isn’t meant to dry the apples, but to soften them and let the
flavor intensify.
the “S” blade, process the walnuts and 1 cup raisins until the mix
starts to stick together. This takes a couple minutes. Press the mix
into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of an 8 inch spring form pan.
Put in the freezer for a half hour to firm.
dehydrator into the chilled pie crust and pour the caramel evenly on
top. Chill for another half hour, if desired. For extra creamy goodness,
serve with a scoop of vanilla banana ice cream.
1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder ($.80)
a food processor with an “S” blade, process the walnuts, raisins, and
pinch salt. just until the starts sticking together a bit, which takes
about a minute. Press into a tart plate and chill.
in the food processor with an “S” blade, process the avocado, bananas,
agave, vanilla, olive oil, and salt until very smooth. Pour into tart
shell, top with raspberries, and chill until slightly more firm.
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.
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.
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.
carbs: 10 gr
protein: 4 gr
creamy chocolate center of conventional truffles. It did turn out quite
creamy, although it’s a bit tricky to work with. I’ve used truffle
molds here, though they can be dipped.
is not raw, but it’s far less processed than regular sugar.The crystals
are fairly large and so the chocolate will be smoother if the palm
sugar is finely ground first. I just grind it using the bullet type
blender. It only takes a few minutes. Process until it resembles
ordinary powdered sugar.
combine all chocolate filling ingredients in a bullet type blender and
puree for several minutes until very smooth, but thick. Chill for about
an hour, until the mixture has stiffened and can be handled. Form into
balls that will fit the inside of your truffle mold with a small area
around the sides for the chocolate shell. Freeze the formed balls until
hard. Chopped almonds can be added to all or part of this mixture, just
stir in before chilling.
filling, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth and
well combined. Chill until able to be worked with, then form into balls
that will fit in the truffle molds. Freeze until firm.
cacao butter and coconut oil until melted. A double boiler works wells
for this, but use hot water, not boiling (chocolate can scorch over 130
degrees). Also, be careful not to allow any water of any kind to get
into the chocolate as this will cause it to “seize.” Add the remaining
ingredients and stir well.
the tops of the truffle molds about 1/8 – 1/4 inch of chocolate shell
and pop in the fridge until firm. Place a chocolate or “peanut butter”
ball in the center and pour chocolate shell over, allowing it to fill up
the sides and cover the bottom. Place in the fridge until firm. Pop out
of the molds and allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes
before serving.
carbs: 15 gr
protein: 3 gr
