May 29, 2011

Dinner
Cucumber Noodles
serves 2 ~ $2.50 per serving


2 cucumbers, noodled ($1.59)
2 tomatoes, chopped ($3.00)
1 medium onion, chopped ($.05)
2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)
1 tablespoon vinegar ($.10)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dried basil ($.05)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


This is fresh and light and perfect for a hot summer afternoon. 


Shave the cucumbers into noodles. Top with chopped tomatoes and onions.


Whisk together the remaining ingredients and drizzle over the top.

Dessert
Chocolate Tacos
serves 4 ~ $1.19 per serving


shells


1/2 cup ground flax seeds ($.25)
1/2 cup water
2 ripe bananas ($.30)
4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder ($.80)
pinch salt


banana ice cream


4 bananas ($.60)
4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder ($.80)
pinch salt

nut cream


1/2 cup nuts ($1.00)
1/4 cup water 
1 tablespoon agave ($.20)
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch salt


chocolate sauce


2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder ($.40)
2 tablespoons agave ($.20)
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil ($.20)


a few chopped walnuts and strawberries


These are so much fun. They really do look like little chocolate tacos with all the fixings. And … it’s chocolate, which is always a good thing.


Make the shells first. Use finely ground flax seed and soak in water for about twenty minutes, until gooey. In a food processor with an “S” blade, puree the bananas until smooth. Add in the soaked flax and salt and process briefly. Spread in eight circles on lined dehydrator trays. Let dehydrate for about an hour, until dry to the touch on the side facing up. Flip and peel the sheet away. Let dry another couple hours. Then, gently fold in half. Use a twisted piece of wax paper to make a brace to hold the taco shell slightly open. Let dry this way for another couple hours. Let cool to room temperature.


Make the banana ice cream. Combine all the ingredients in the food processor and puree until very smooth. Then put in an ice cream maker and process until like soft serve. Freeze.

The nut cream is just the ingredients pureed in a bullet type blender until smooth. Refrigerate. It will thicken some as it cools.


The chocolate sauce is just cacao powder, agave, and either olive oil or coconut oil stirred together. Coconut oil will  make a hard chocolatey shell; olive oil will stay liquid. Either way is really good.

To assemble, spoon the ice cream into the shells, add a dollop of nut cream, a few walnuts and strawberries, and a drizzle of sauce.


You can add a bit of heat to the chocolate ice cream by adding a big pinch of cayenne before processing. It adds heat without changing the flavor.