TAHINI CHICKPEA DRESSING

Based on the reviews of this tahini chickpea dressing, I thought it would great as a dressing for salads and vegetables.  What is interesting about it is that it includes chickpeas.  It reminds me of hummus but it also includes ginger and nutritional yeast which is not found in typical hummus recipes.

In making this recipe, I used 1/2 tsp of store bought minced ginger.  I have bought several items from this company including minced ginger and sushi ginger.  I like using minced ginger because of the convenience.  I also used ground flaxseed instead of chia seed.  Because chia seed becomes more gelatinous after it sits in liquid I think it would be a better ingredient to use in the dressing as it would help make the dressing more thicker than ground flaxseed.  One to two cloves of garlic can be added to the dressing.  I used one clove as the cloves were not small and I didn't want to make the dressing overly strong with garlic.  The dressing lasts for several days in the fridge.  I will definitely make this dressing again.   I really enjoyed the taste.

A great condiment to have in your fridge

The dressing is ready to be stored in the fridge.

The dressing is added to a vegetable salad.

Tahini-Chickpea Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup chickpeas

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp tahini

1/2 tbsp gluten-free tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp chia seed or ground flaxseeds

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ginger-root, minced

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients into blender and process on high speed until thoroughly blended.  Refrigerate until well chilled. Dressing will continue to thicken while chilling.  Add extra water by the teaspoon if dressing is too thick.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Adapted from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

UPDATE - ICE CREAM PAIL PICKLES

The cucumbers are plentiful in the garden this year.  It helps that the DH waters them, they grow up on a kind of ladder cages and we planted enough to counter any plants that might not survive during the early stages of growing.  A small challenge that is encountered is the DOG.  He likes to pull cucumbers off the plants, chomp on them and leave half eaten cucumbers on the lawn.  So it does require some vigilance at times to ensure he is not sampling the cucumbers.

I decided to tweak the recipe that I posted a few years ago for ice cream pail pickles.  I made the same recipe with a few adjustments.  I put the sliced cucumbers in a large mixing bowl.  I used a mandoline to thinly slice them.  I heated up the sugar, vinegars, salt and spices in a medium size pot to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minutes to ensure that the sugar had dissolved.  I think dissolving the sugar is important and making a non heated mixture doesn't ensure that the sugar is really dissolved.  I then poured the liquid over the cucumbers sitting in the mixing bowl.  You may think you don't have enough liquid but the cucumbers have their own juices and the volume of liquid does increase.

Instead of putting the cucumbers and liquid into a large ice cream pail and then placing in the fridge, I decided to use large canning jars instead.  I ensured that the jars and lids were clean but I didn't sterilize the jars in the oven.  There was enough made to fill four large jars.  It is easier to store and use the pickles in a jar than a large ice cream pail.  In the past I would be transferring the pickles from the ice cream pail that is kept in a fridge in the basement to a canning jar for storage and use in the kitchen fridge.  Now I cut out one step and made serving the pickles easier.   It will be a few days before I sample the first jar. 

FLOURLESS ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

My friend Marg posted this recipe on facebook and it looked too good to pass up.  Plus I had zucchini from the garden as an excuse to make these brownies.  These brownies don't require flour and are gluten free.  In making these brownies I used agave syrup for the sugar and only used almond extract in place of vanilla or maple extract.  I also toasted the pecans beforehand while the oven was warming up to bake the brownies.  Since I had an open jar of cashew butter in the fridge, I used that instead of the almond butter.  You can also use peanut butter.  I found that I needed to bake these brownies for over 40 minutes.  I added a bit more than 1.5 cups of shredded zucchini so the brownies were extra moist.  It is no use to save ends of zucchini in the fridge as the likelihood of ends being used up is not going to occur.  The batter and brownies are dark as I used dark cocoa.

The brownies are delicious and won't last long between ourselves and friends inhaling this baking.

Mixing the batter.

Ready for sampling.

Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup natural almond butter

1 ½ cups grated zucchini

½ cup maple syrup or agave 

1/3 cup raw cacao or cocoa

1 egg (vegans use 1 egg replacement)

1 tsp vanilla extract (option - use almond extract)

1 tsp maple extract (or use vanilla)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup pecans 

pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour mixture into an 8×8 or 8X10 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

adapted from http://www.beyondthepeel.net

RANCH STYLE DRESSING

Using a recipe from the cookbook 'Let Them Eat Vegan', I made a ranch style dressing using cashews. I have been using raw cashews in a number of recipes.  I like to soak them for about an hour before using them.  I will soak nuts for less time than that.  It depends on how far in advance I started to prepare a recipe.  I have read that soaking raw shelled nuts removes toxins, residues and tannins and the nuts are softer and smoother in taste and more digestible.  After soaking the nuts, the water is discarded.

I bought the cookbook 'Let Them Eat Vegan' earlier this year.  It has about 200 recipes and covers the range of recipes from breakfast to salads to sauces to soups to entrees to pastas and to desserts.  In one of my previous posts I described what I liked about this cookbook in terms of how a recipe is presented and alternatives that can be used.

This recipe uses raw cashews instead of tofu or soy milk to make the creamy base.  It takes a few minutes to make as it is made in a blender or food processor.  The dressing can be used on other things besides salad.  It can be used as a dip with veggies or spooned onto roasted baby potatoes.

Dressing mixed up and ready to be added to salad.

Here is the salad I ate using the ranch dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp fresh chives, chopped (if available)
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave
1/2 cup water or milk or nondairy milk
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  You can thin it with water if you find it is too thick.   Store in the fridge.  Makes 1 1/4 cups.

QUINOA AND SHREDDED ZUCCHINI SALAD

Quinoa is one of my favourite grains.  I especially like to use quinoa to make a vegetable salad.  With zucchini making regular appearances in the garden, this salad is a great way to use fresh zucchini.  This is a simple salad to make and you can add or substitute other vegetables to the ones listed in the ingredient list.   This salad also tastes good the following day and leftovers are great for lunches.

I usually cook the light coloured quinoa.  I have bought the reddish brown coloured quinoa but haven't cooked it with the same frequency.  To use up the darker coloured quinoa, I mixed what I had with equal parts of the light coloured quinoa.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 coloured pepper, chopped
1/2 small shredded zucchini
a handful fresh parley, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the quinoa according to the directions.  Let cool.  In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well.  Serves 4 to 5.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI LOAF

One of the blog sites I follow is the chubby vegetarian (chubby vegetarian).  It is a great foodie site.  He had a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread or what I call a loaf.  It looked delicious.  Both he and the site where he got the recipe from say that a mouthful of this is to eat and moan.  I agree.  It is a really good recipe and it is quite chocolately from both the cocoa and chocolate chips.  This loaf won't last long before it is inhaled!!!

I made a few modifications.  For the sugar I used three quarters of a cup of splenda and I used chocolate chunks instead of chips.

Ready to go into the oven.

The first sample.

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups Shredded Zucchini

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup high quality Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Dash of salt

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 cup Canola Oil

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixer, combine the oil, sugars and vanilla. Mix in the eggs and shredded zucchini. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add this dry mixture into the wet mixture. Beat until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Place the batter into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes, or until done.

Adapted from http://www.sliceoffeist.com/2010/08/very-grateful/ 

QUINOA KALE SALAD

What is not to like about kale?  The combination of kale and quinoa and vegetables makes a great salad.  This salad keeps well in the fridge for a day or two and makes a great lunch to take to work.  Both the DH and I really enjoyed this salad.  The other thing I liked about the salad dressing was that the chia seed acted as a thickener in the dressing.  This salad is can be served any time of the year and is not just a summer salad.

Chopped carrots and pepper.

Baby kale before steaming.

Parsley has been added to the bowl.

Kale draining in the steamer.

Salad ready for serving.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
3 to 4 loosely packed cups of kale leaves, chopped
1 glove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp lemon juice
a bit less than a 1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp agave
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 coloured pepper, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cooked the quinoa according to directions on the package.  Let cool.  While the quinoa is cooking, mix together the dressing of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, chia seeds, agave and cumin.  The dressing needs to sit for at least 10 minutes in order for the chia seed to soften and thicken the dressing.  Steam the kale for three minutes in order to soften it.

To a large mixing or serving bowl, add the quinoa, kale, parsley and vegetables.  Combine.  Add the dressing and mix.  Serves 4 to 5.

LENTIL LOAF - LET THEM EAT VEGAN COOKBOOK

I recently purchased the cookbook by Dreena Burton titled 'let them eat vegan'.  I had bought this book based on reviews I had read.  I am not disappointed.  It is a wonderful cookbook.  Dreena Burton doesn't used processed vegan products in her recipes, like meat substitutes.  She creates healthy recipes, that are real food, and not difficult to make.  Her recipes stay away from using white flour and many of the recipes are wheat free and gluten free.  The recipes try to cover across section of tastes and nutritional needs.

What I also like about this cookbook are the tips, techniques and comments with each recipe.  There are  pointers called 'if this apron could talk, ingredients 411, kid friendly, savvy subs and adds and serving suggestions' alongside the recipes.  Each recipe does not have all of the pointers, just the ones that are relevant.

I made a lentil loaf recipe from the cookbook.  It tasted good, but I should have added less thyme.  When I told the DH what we were having for lunch, I used an analogy of a meat loaf.  He thought otherwise and was looking at it and said it is really about lentils and I am eating lentils.  He couldn't finish his portion as it is filling so the dog had a mouthful of the loaf and he did not hesitate in vacuuming in the remaining morsels.   I will definitely make the recipe again.

Here is the link for the recipe to make the Lentil loaf.

Putting the final touches on the loaf before baking.

FRESH BASIL PESTO

With the basil plants growing madly in this hot weather, I needed to trim the plants so that they would not start to produce flowers.  I picked a lot of leaves one night after work and ended up with 8 cups of fresh basil leaves.  Using my vitamix blender I went to work and quickly made this pesto.  I did not have enough pine nuts so I used pecans instead.  I never used pecans before to make pesto.  Because I made such a large batch I froze the pesto in ice cube trays and several very small containers.  Besides using the pesto with pasta, I also add it to soups.  A friend of mine told me that she adds pesto to cooked rice.  I am going to try that in the future with cooked rice.

This Eating Well recipe is available on the internet but I actually have an eight year old printed copy from the actual magazine.  The magazine did a whole series of recipes making pesto with different herbs and some vegetables.  Besides the basil pesto, the recipes include a chile pesto, tarragon pesto, goat cheese pesto using oregano, mint pesto, and a sun-dried tomato pesto.

Making pesto in the vitamix.

Freezing pesto in ice cubes.

Extra containers found to freeze presto.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup walnut pieces, pine nuts or pecans toasted

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 large clove garlic, quartered

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process for a few minutes until it is fairly smooth.  Makes about one cup.

You can freeze unused pesto in ice cube trays.  Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag.

Adapted from Eating Well, Aug/Sept 2005

VITAMIX MACHINE

Over the past few years I needed to replace my blender and juicer.  Two years ago we got a Breville juicer and last year we got a Breville blender.  Both work equally well and of course take up counter space.  I haven't had to replace my food processor as a number of years ago we bought a Bosch system with all of the bells and whistles and a number of attachments.  I can blend, grind, knead, chop, mince, mix, grate, puree and even roll whole oats with this machine.  It is like a tank but has a soft throttle.  I have components of this food processor stored in kitchen cupboards and in the basement on shelves which holds a number of kitchen tools and toys.

About twice a year Vitamix is featured at Costco with a demonstration booth set up and samples to try. I contemplated getting one last year but instead got the blender.  The Vitamix booth was back at Costco recently for its one week stay.  When I first saw the set up I managed to stay away.  Costco sells the product for a price that is less than if you were to order it directly from Vitamix.  Volume sales says it all.  So what tipped me and spoke into my brain to sell out dollars to replace gadgets that are relatively new?  Frustration.  I had a new recipe that I wanted to try from Mark Bittman's new book VB6.  It is falafel and you have to mince the uncooked chick peas which already have been soaking for 24 hours.  I tried to mince the chick peas with the rest of the other ingredients in the Breville blender but it was too dry.  I then had to haul out the monster Bosch system to mince the chick peas and then blend all of the ingredients together.   My subconscious mind was already at work after washing all of the tools and gadgets that I used to make the falafel which by the way turned out great.  I was thinking about the Vitamix.

Sampling the soup and frozen strawberry dessert/sorbet at the Vitamx booth at a return visit to Costco had me sold on getting a Vitamix.  It was not a hard decision, just some guilt for now having to decide what to do with relatively new tools that I already had in the kitchen.  The Breville gadgets have now found new homes with some of my friends and I will keep the Bosch food processing system for awhile yet.

The following pictures show a vegetable soup I made using my new toy.  The colour of the soup may not look appetizing as it has spinach in it and the soup is green in colour.  It contains a lot of vegetables and it is delicious and very filling.  I followed one of the recipes in the material that was provided with a little bit of alterations.  Mixing the soup on high for six or so minutes actually heats the soup and it is ready to serve.

I can't wait to try other ingredients profiled in the material I got.