Vegan No-Cook Sour Cream

1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or Volcano Lemon)
1 1/2 tsp turbinado sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt

1. Place all ingredients in your blender and let it run for at least 3 minutes.  (If you have a vita-mix, let this run for only 30-40 seconds.)
2. Pour into a glass jar and cover.  Place in the refrigerator to chill.  It will firm up more as the mixture gets colder.

Notes:

This is yummy mixed with your favorite salsa and use as a dip with organic corn chips.  *Lick!*  You can, also, use this as a base for a huge number of other types of dips…or use in recipes that otherwise would call for a dairy-based sour cream.

This is just one of those yummy meals that soothes the soul and happily fills the tummy.

Collard Greens and Black-Eye Peas

2 cans of black-eyed peas or 3.5 cups of cooked peas (beans)
4-6 large leaves of collard greens*, leaves are ripped from the stem
1/2 – 3/4 cup of filtered water or vegetable broth
1/2 – 3/4 cup of Homemade BBQ Sauce**
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Drain the cans of peas into a colander and rinse until the black-eyed peas are clean and any foam is gone.  (Same holds true if you use home-cooked beans [peas].)  Place the peas/beans into a 1.5 qt saucepan.

Rinse to clean the collard greens.  Rip the leaves off the big stem and rip into smaller pieces.  If you have a salad spinner to remove additional water, this is best.  If not, no worries; you can skip this step.  Place the collard greens into the saucepan.  Do NOT mix.  Let the collard greens stay on top of the beans.

Add the 1/2 cup of water (or veggie broth) and turn on the stove.  Again, NO STIRRING.  Eye-ball the mixture.  You might need to add another 1/4 cup; so, the mixture doesn’t dry out before the collard greens are done cooking.  Cover the pan.

Once the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the steam gently cook the greens.  Set your timer for approximately 5-7 minutes.  At 5 minutes, test the leaves to see if they need more cooking.  (You want them lightly steamed – enough to soften the leaves but not enough to turn them into mush.)

When the collard greens are done, add the BBQ sauce and stir.  Let cook for maybe 30-60 more seconds – only enough to warm the sauce.  Taste and add the sea salt and/or black pepper, if needed.

Serve and enjoy! 

* If you don’t have collard greens on hand, you can try making this with kale.  We’ve done that with success.  Another option is swiss chard.  However, I haven’t tried that.  So, try it at your own (palate) risk.

** If you don’t have the homemade BBQ sauce on hand, you can try using one from a jar.  Keep in mind that BBQ sauces vary in flavor greatly!  So, stick with one that is dark red in color, which tends to mean it is free from too much mustard.  A BBQ sauce (on the orange side of red in color) too heavy in mustard won’t likely go well inside this recipe.  You’re looking for a sweet, tangy, dark red sauce.

Channa Masala

- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (even better, use ½ cup of crockpot cooked onions & reduce oil used)
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon curry (reduce to ½ tablespoon if you find this too zippy)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala (see recipe or buy it already made)
- 2 tablespoon organic tomato paste
- ⅓ cup of Coconut Milk (use good quality brands only)*
- 1 tablespoon of Sucanat (optional or use Stevia instead)**
- 15 oz can of organic chick peas (or Garbanzo beans) drained & rinsed
- 3 tablespoon water or tomato juice
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (see below before preparing recipe!)*
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon soy-free Earth Balance spread (optional)

1.     Heat oil on medium high heat.  Fry onions until slightly browned.

2.     Reduce heat to medium.  Add garlic, curry, garam masala, tumeric and paste.  Stir and simmer about 2 minutes.

3.     Add chick peas, water (or tomato juice if you have it), lemon juice (if you’re using this version of the recipe), and salt.  Simmer 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.     Add coconut milk and sucanat, heat through until hot.

5.     Add margarine, stirring through to melt it.  (What’s actually nicer is if you serve this with a bit of the soy-free Earth Balance right on top of the individual serving and let it melt and stir it in.  MMMMMMMM!  But not exactly low fat. 

6.     Serve over white or brown Basmati rice.

* If you do not have coconut milk, use the lemon juice instead, but you’d only need maybe a ½ fresh-squeezed lemon.   Also…If you go with the coconut milk method, be sure to buy a good quality brand.  Some cheaper brands call their “coconut milk” but it’s really only a cheap coconut oil, and that will completely change the flavor and outcome of this recipe.  You’ll know it’s milk if it looks like a bright white milk.  Although sometimes, one end of the can has the thickened coconut milk with the watery part on the other end.  If that happens, empty the entire can into a bowl and stir until the milk is properly blended and smooth.  Then, measure and use the amount you need and store the rest in a glass container in the refrigerator.

** Optional to use sucanat or Stevia.  You can skip it if you prefer or add it if you like slightly sweet flavors in your dishes.

One last note – if you do use the soy-free Earth Balance, it does have a bit of corn in there.  I still show this recipe as being corn-free, b/c if you skip the margarine, it is.

Garam Masala Spice Blend

3 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves

1/4 cup cardamom seeds
3 Tbsp cup whole cloves*
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp ground mace

Break cinnamon sticks into small pieces (as small as you can reasonably get).  Crumble the bay leaves.  Using (preferably) a dry cast iron skillet, place it on your stove and turn on the heat medium-low.  Toss in the cinnamon and bay leaves.  Dry roast these two ingredients for 2-3 minutes.  Now, add the next 5 ingredients in the list above.  Stir, shake or lean the pan in order to distribute the various ingredients and keep things from burning.  You want the natural oils to release which will cause things to get rather fragrant.  This may take another minute or less.  Once you can start smelling some of the seeds, remove from heat.  Let cool and grind in a coffee grinder.  (I have one that I use only for grinding spices and/or nuts and seeds.)  Pour the mixture into a small bowl, add the mace and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Store in an airtight glass container.  (I re-use old, clean spice jars.)

Another way to do this is using the oven.  If you go this route, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  On a flat pan/tray, roast cinnamon sticks and bay leaves for approx 5 minutes.  Now add the next 5 ingredients and roast for another 12-15 minutes.  Stir 2-3 times during the entire process.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Then, follow directions as written above to finish the recipe.

*If you are trying to remain Feingold Stage 1, you may eliminate the cloves from this recipe.

Palak Dal

(Group A)

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Clive Oil
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida) (Indian spice – very stinky but very good once cooked)
½-1 tsp of Cardamom powder
1 bay leaf

(Group B)

½ tsp organic garlic granules

(Group C)

1 cup organic Split Red Lentils  (Indians call this Masoor Dal – pink lentils)
4 cups filtered water (or a bit more as needed)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne  (up it to ¼ tsp if you like really spicy stuff.  True Indian recipes call for 1 full teaspoon, but you better have an iron system to handle that much!)
1 tsp garam masala (see recipe or buy this)

(Group D)

8 oz organic frozen baby spinach
½ of a 6oz can of organic tomato paste
Sea salt to taste     (I use about a ½-¾ tsp.)

Warm a medium-sized pan on medium heat then, add oil.  Swirl pan to spread oil.  Carefully, pour in the bay leaf, plus the mustard, cumin and fennel seeds of “Group A”.  Let the seeds get warmed, but don’t let the oil get so hot that it splatters.  (I put the pan on and off the burner to keep things warming but not get too hot.)  Next, add the cardamom powder on top of the batch of seeds.  The oil will moisten this, and the warmth will make it fragrant.  (What you’re going for here is allowing the oil in the bay leaf, seeds and the powder to release.  This will make the dish much more flavorful as a result.)  This whole process will take you about 30-60 seconds.

As soon as you can smell the spices, add the garlic granules (NOT POWDER!) on top of the cardamom.  Then, immediately add all of “Group C”.  Stir and turn up the heat to high.  Bring to boil, and then, turn down the heat; so, the mixture is at a simmer.  Stir frequently.

Depending on the age of your lentils, it will need to simmer for 20 and possibly up to 30 minutes. Once the lentils are well-cooked, add “Group D”, stir, and serve!

You can serve this hearty dish on organic long-grain brown rice, with papadums or just eat as is.

Spreadable Dairy-Free Nacho/Cheddar Cheese

1 1/4 cup of filtered water
3/4 cup organic raw cashew pieces
2 Tbsp chickpea miso * (see note below)
2 large organic, roasted, red peppers
3 Tbsp organic fresh squeezed lemon juice (or 2 Tbsp of Volcano Lemon Juice) **
1/3 cup sweet white rice flour
1 1/4 tsp organic garlic granules
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp organic mustard powder

The directions for these are just like my mozzarella recipe.  So, I’ve copied them below.

Option (A) Place everything in your vita-mix and run for several minutes until you hear the blender sound change, which means the mixture is hot and has thickened enough.  Pour into a glass container.  Let the mixture cool before placing into the refrigerator.

Option (B) If you’re using a regular blender, place everything in there, and run for 2 minutes.  Then, pour it out into a saucepan and cook on medium heat.  Using a whisk, stir constantly (!) until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble up.  Immediately remove from the stove.  Pour into a glass container.  Let the mixture cool before placing into the refrigerator.

You can use the mixture immediately while it is still warm, if you like.  In the refrigerator, I find that this will keep for just under 2 weeks.  (Though my cheeses never last that long in this household!)

* My mom makes this recipe but could not find chickpea miso in the stores in her area.  (They live near a small city with limited access to “exotic” foods.)  She and my father–who are retired dairy farmers, by the way–swear it tastes just like regular cheddar cheese even without the miso.  So, you’re welcome to eliminate it.  I, personally, find that the miso gives it that nacho-y kind of flavor.  Go with what you like or with which have access!

** What is “Volcano Lemon”?  That’s a brand of lemon juice that comes in one of those balls.  I mentioned this brand specifically because they don’t use any chemical preservatives.  In fact, the essential oil of lemon is what naturally preserves the juice…and it gives it a heightened lemon flavor.  That’s why you would use less of it.  (Please do NOT use reconstituted juice or any other juice that has a chemical preservative in it.  The flavor is not the same [bleah!], nor is it good for your body.)

Enjoy! 

So, tonight, I decided to come up with my own mozzarella spreadable cheese.  Here’s what I devised.  (It came out so nicely that I immediately used it on some freshly, steamed kale – yum!)

Spreadable Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

1.5 cups of filtered water
1 cup organic raw cashew pieces
2 tsp organic onion powder
1 tsp organic garlic granules
1 1/4 tsp turbinado sugar
1/4 tsp organic mustard powder
3 Tbsp organic fresh squeezed lemon juice (or 2 Tbsp of Volcano Lemon Juice)
1/3 cup sweet white rice flour
1 tsp sea salt

Option (A) Place everything in your vita-mix and run for several minutes until you hear the blender sound change, which means the mixture has thickened enough.  Pour into a glass container.  Let the mixture cool before placing into the refrigerator.

Option (B) If you’re using a regular blender, place everything in there, and run for 2 minutes.  Then, pour it out into a saucepan and cook on medium heat.  Using a whisk, stir constantly (!) until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble up.  Immediately remove from the stove.  Pour into a glass container.  Let the mixture cool before placing into the refrigerator.

You can use the mixture immediately while it is still warm, if you like.  In the refrigerator, I find that this will keep for just under 2 weeks.  (Though my cheeses never last that long in this household!)

Enjoy! 

Vegan Mayonnaise

1 cup raw cashew pieces
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (or “Volcano” Lemon)
1-3 Tbsp organic distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup, agave syrup or Turbinado sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup safflower oil

1. Place everything (except the safflower oil) into the blender and run for 1 minute to blend thoroughly.  (If you like a mild mayo, use 1 Tbsp vinegar…if tangy use all 3 Tbsp.)
2. With the blender running on your highest speed, slooooowly drizzle in the safflower oil.  This process should take you about 2 minutes to complete.
3. Once you’re done putting in the oil, stop the blender.  You’ll notice the mixture has thickened but may not be as stiff as some of the store-bought mayonnaises you’ve used in the past.  That’s okay.  This will stiffen more in the refrigerator.  Store in a glass jar.

Notes:

I recommend doing this with a blender than has at least 500 watts of power.  “Weaker” blenders may not allow the oil to emulsify as needed.  You can always try it to see how it comes out for you, but if it doesn’t then, you’ll know why.

If you do use lesser amount of vinegar,  you might notice this has a sour cream-like taste.  While you could probably use this in sour cream recipes, I do have another recipe for sour cream (that is better), coming soon.  Keep reading!

Rapunzel’s Vegan “Baked” Beans

2 (14 or 15oz) cans pinto beans
1 – 6oz can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup crock-pot onions
3/4 cup Turbinado sugar
1/4 molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3-4 drops Hickory Smoke
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic granules

1. Drain and rinse pinto beans.  Place into a large saucepan along with all the other ingredients.
2. Bring up to a boil and lower heat to a slow simmer for about 15 minutes.  (Of course, this is even better the next day!)
3. Or…you can throw this all into a crock-pot, turn it on low and let it sit for 4-6 hours.  Just watch it after 4 hours because you might need to add a bit of water and stir it.

Rapunzel’s Raw Brownies

1 1/4 cups organic quick rolled oats
1 cup raw cacao powder
3/4 cup raw organic pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup raw organic sunflower seeds
1 cup raw organic cashew pieces
1 cup raw honey

1. Mix all nuts, seeds and oats together in your large food processor until it becomes a very fine “meal”.  (Give it at least 2 minutes.)
2. Add raw cacao powder and two versions of honey.  Run your processor until everything comes together.  It may run around as one huge clump, that’s normal.  What you’re looking for is the absence is any large chunks of nuts or seeds.
3. Adjustments:  if your mixture is super dry and not holding together, add more honey.  If too runny, add a tad more oats (or nut/seed meal…if you already have some ground and set aside).
4. Remove mixture and pat into a greased 9 x 9 pan.  Refrigerate for a couple hours.  Remove and cut into approx 1″ squares.  (I ended up with about 49 of them.  So, they were obviously a tad larger than 1″, but you get the idea.)
5. Remove and throw into a baggie.  Store in your refrigerator.

Notes:

The reason I say this recipe is so forgiving is basically, you can use cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts and/or sesame seeds.  As long as your nut/seed mixture adds up to 2 1/2 cups and isn’t overbearing with one flavor (for example, don’t go overboard with the sesame seeds), you can use what you like/have on hand.  Just make sure you’re using raw nuts/seeds.  Why?  Well, you get more nutrients this way, and the taste is better than if you use toasted.

Raw cacao is awesome and does not have the theobromine that “cooked” cocoa powder does.  Theobromine tends to cause many women to have worse PMS symptoms, whereas raw cacao does not.

I wouldn’t use agave in this.  New information has come about the truth of how agave is made.   Remember: the source is irrelevant if the processing renders the product unsuitable for healthy consumption.  I’d rather use raw honey.  [Side note: I'm not one for "political" debates.  Some in the vegan world don't consider honey to be vegan.  Others do.  Whatever. ]

I do quite a bit of cycling outdoors, and I love these bars for quick, high-powered snacks when I’m out on the road.  Plus, these are great for that chocolate “fix”.  You can satisfy it without the guilt!

Oh…and in case you’re wondering, yes, I have extremely long, blonde hair.

My Vegan Block Cheddar Cheese Recipe

2 large roasted red pepper skins
3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp chickpea miso
3 Tbsp sesame seeds, ground (measure before grinding)
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (just in case for taste purposes – see below)

2 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp Agar Powder (not flakes!)

1. Prepare a 3-4 cup sized glass container by lining it with some EVOO.
2. Take the 1st 8 ingredients and place into a blender.
3. Now, pour the water into a small saucepan (usually your smallest one).  Add the powder and use a whisk to stir.  Turn on the heat to medium-high.
4. Use your whisk to stir constantly.  The agar will dissolve, and as the mixture heats, it will thicken some, too.  Once it begins to boil, remove from heat and pour directly into your blender with the other ingredients.
5. Immediately turn on your blender on high and let it run for about 2 minutes.  Taste once the mixture is initially blended.  You might need to add the extra 1/2 Tbsp of lemon to it.  Also, keep a spatula handy to stir in the items at the top that aren’t blending well because the mixture will thicken.  If the mixture thickens too much and the top is not moving at least a tiny bit, use the spatula to stir.  (Again, just stir at the top.)  If the mixture still isn’t melding, add a 1/2 tbsp of water.  Again, I want to reinforce that this will get very thick.  It’s supposed to do that!
6. When it is done blending, pour the mixture into your glass container.  Cover and let cool on your counter-top before placing into the refrigerator for storage.  This will harden to a block cheese consistency, and you’ll be able to cut slices from it for use.  You may even grate this cheese, too.

Notes:

While you can roast your own red peppers, I suggest going the easy route and buying them in a glass jar – already roasted and ready for use.  This will save you time and headaches.

Use UNhulled sesame seeds.  The hulled variety causes liver and kidney stagnation as per my health books.  What that means is different to different people.  What it means for me is the hulled sesame seeds give me more uric acid kidney stones.  The UNhulled ones don’t.  (Btw, tahini is made from hulled sesame seeds, and I never buy it anymore.  Whenever I use a recipe that calls tahini, I’ll sub in the unhulled seeds that I ground myself using a regular little coffee grinder – kept separately for purposes just as this.  My substitution works nicely, and you’d never know the difference!)

Lemon juice – use either fresh or the “Volcano” lemon brand.  That one uses the essential oil to naturally preserve the lemon.  No chemicals!  All the other brands in the store I’ve found use some sort of chemical to preserve, which causes problems for us…and quite frankly, they don’t taste as good, either.

Agar Powder – I use the “NOW” brand, but use whatever brand you can find.  Some stores will carry this in their baking section.  Others put it in the supplements/nutrition section.  Also, it is unlikely you will find this in your “regular” grocery store (but you never know until you ask).  Most likely, you’ll have to visit your local “health food store” to get it, or you can order it online.  Try Amazon.

My Homemade BBQ Sauce

3/4 cup organic distilled white vinegar*
2 – 6oz cans organic Tomato Paste
3/4 cup water
6 drops liquid smoke
1 cup fine turbinado** sugar
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup sucanat** sugar
1 cup crock-pot onions***

1. Mix everything into a tall saucepan and stir.
2. Turn up heat slowly to medium-high.  Once mixture begins to bubble, stir constantly until all the sugar has dissolved.
3. Cook until your mixture has reached your desired level of thickness.
4. Let cool and store in glass jars in the refrigerator.
5. This makes quite a bit but lasts a long time.

Notes:

Liquid smoke is one of those things that a “little goes a long way” but use too much, and you’ll ruin the entire recipe.  Measure those drops carefully!  You probably could get away with more than 6 drops, if you like.  However, go one drop at a time, mix and taste.  To be safe, you might measure those drops in a spoon before placing into the recipe.  (I wouldn’t measure the drops directly into the mixture b/c of that “oops” factor.)

*Be sure to buy the distilled white vinegar in a glass jar, ONLY.  The giant, cheap jugs of white vinegar have partially or wholly derived ingredients of petroleum.  Yes, for real.  Gross!  You wouldn’t want to eat that, would you?  No – use that cheap stuff for cleaning purposes, only.

Only have apple cider vinegar on hand?  You can use it, but you’ll probably need to reduce the amount you put into the recipe.  Try a 1/2 cup, first.  Then taste after mix in all the rest of the ingredients and the mixture has warmed.  If it needs more, you can always add it, as needed.

**What is sucanat and turbinado sugar?  Click on the first link, and you’ll answer both questions.  The 2nd link just gives you a tad more information.  If you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can use regular white sugar.  If you don’t have sucanat, you can try molasses, instead.  Start with 2 tbsp at first and then add more after mixing each time.  (Mix well because molasses doesn’t like to come off your spoon, easily.)  Just add a tad extra molasses to make up for the loss of that bit of molasses flavor when you’re only using plain white sugar.

*** This recipe tastes best with the crock-pot onions.  However if you don’t have any already made and really need some BBQ ASAP, you can skip them.  Another option is to make the recipe without them.  Then once you have made crock-pot onions, you can mix them into the finished product, later.

2 cans organic tomato paste
1 cup fine Turbinado sugar
1/2 cup organic distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp garlic granules (or powder)
1 cup crock-pot onions *optional – see below
1 tsp sea salt

1. Mix all ingredients in a tall saucepan.  Turn on the temperature to medium-high.  Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low.
2. Let it cook for a few minutes while continuing to stir.
3. Turn off the heat.  Remove from the pan from stove, and let the mixture cool.
4. Store in glass jars.  (I reuse 16oz glass jars over and over, again.)

Notes:

If your mixture is too “dry” to start (before you turn on the heat) then, add more water.  However if you add too much, you’ll have to let it simmer without the pan cover on in order to let it evaporate back out of the mixture.  The ketchup should be nice and thick when you’re done.  (Of course if you like it runnier, add water to your preference.)

* If you don’t have crock-pot onions on hand, you can make the recipe without them.  I’ve done it both ways several times, and my family is happy, either way.

For extra flavor, add 2 Tbsp sucanat.  (This is the natural cane sugar.  It is brown and is the first product to come from the sugar cane.  It has something of a molasses taste because molasses is made from sucanat.)

Crock-pot Onions

- 6-10 large onions (any, but red, yellow or Vidalia onions work best)
- Safflower or EVOO oil

1. The number of onions you’ll use depends both on the size of your onions and the size of your crock-pot.  The idea is to fill it.  (Mine is a 5qt, and I generally use the enormous yellow or red onions – the ones that are the size of a softball.)
2. Plug in your crock-pot and line the bottom and side heavily in oil.  (I prefer the EVOO.)
3. Chop up your onions in whatever size you like.  I tend to chop them into a rough 1″ square, but smaller works just fine.
4. Toss into the crock-pot, and set it for low.  Let the onions cook for a minimum of 6 hours and at least 8 hours, especially if your crock-pot is a large one, like mine.  The onions will caramelize somewhat but remain quite moist and soft.
5. Divide the onions into smaller glass containers.  Let cool and toss into your refrigerator and freezer.  I tend to store them in 1 cup portions.

These are great for pulling out of the refrigerator and just tossing into any number of recipes – from main dishes to condiment recipes (such as ketchup or BBQ sauce).  Stay tuned.  I’ll be posting my homemade ketchup and BBQ sauce recipes, next.

1 can black beans
1 can navy beans
2 cans black-eyed peas
4 carrots
4 large tomatoes or 8 small vine-ripe tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 tiny can jalapenos (optional) *
1 red onion
1 cup Italian Dressing (see my other recipe)
Sea salt to taste

Into an ENORMOUS bowl, you’ll place all of the following:

1. Open all the cans of beans/peas, drain them into a colander, and rinse them off.
2. Clean your carrots, cut into smaller pieces and then toss into a food processor.  Run until the carrots are finely chopped.
3. Do the same as #2 with the red onion.
4. Core your tomatoes and chop into small pieces.
5. Clean cilantro.  Remove long stems and then finely chop them by hand.
6. If you want to use the jalapenos, I suggest getting  gloves before opening the can and trying to finely chop them up.  (I’ve made that mistake in the past.  It’s not fun to have your fingers – especially underneath your nails – burning for several hours!)
7. Add the dressing and mix.  Taste and see if it needs more dressing.  Sometimes, I’ll toss (up to) an extra 1/2 cup in there.  So, be sure to double up on that Italian dressing recipe in the previous post.
8. Mix everything and serve with organic corn chips.  Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Notes:

The recipe works with or without the jalapenos.  You can even ditch the jalapenos and use cayenne pepper powder.  If you do, start with 1/8 tsp, mix and taste.  Add more to the desire of your palate.

I use carrots in this recipe instead of the shoepeg corn called for in the original recipe.  I’ve tried squash and zucchini as substitutes but finely chopped carrots seem to work best, as they give it the sweetness that the corn has.  Up-ing the amount of tomatoes balances out the juiciness lost from eliminating the corn.  Vine ripe tomatoes give the best flavor.

The old recipe called for scallions.  I switched to red onions because they have much less “gas factors” and cause less (or no) tummy issues.

The corn chips are not required.  I quite often will spoon this into a bowl and eat it “plain”.

Enjoy! 

This is a recipe that (if you are watching for salicylates), you can easily edit to keep it FG Stage 1.  (That’s why I checked both stages for categories in this post.)  In fact, I adapted this recipe from Feingold’s recipe collection.

1/2 cup EVOO
2 Tbsp organic red wine vinegar *
2 Tbsp organic fresh lemon juice (or use “Volcano” Lemon)
2 Tbsp organic distilled white vinegar **
1/2 tsp garlic granules (or powder) – always use organic
1/2 tsp basil flakes
1/2 tsp oregano flakes
1 1/2 sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder

Mix together in your salad dressing bottle.  Shake and serve.  Makes just under 1 cup.  I store this at room temperature with no problems.  However, you can store this in the refrigerator if that makes you feel more comfortable.  Keep in mind that the extra virgin olive oil will solidify in the cold.  For use, pull out the bottle and let stand at room temperature for at least an hour prior to use.

* If you choose to make this a FG stage 1 recipe, drop the red wine vinegar and use 1 tbsp more each of the lemon juice and distilled white vinegar

** Never EVER use white vinegar from the plastic bottle or jug.  That stuff comes from petroleum.  Yes, really.  (You wouldn’t eat petroleum jelly would you?  Then don’t use petroleum-based, plastic stored vinegars for food purposes.  Use it for cleaning purposes, instead.  It’s great for that!) For edible purposes:  buy the stuff in a glass jar or buy it organic in glass.  True distilled white vinegar is distilled from grains.

Tuscan Beans, Sage & Diced Tomatoes

2 cans of organic Cannellini (White Kidney), Great Northern, Navy or Pinto Beans
2 can organic diced Tomatoes
6-10 fresh sage leaves (I prefer loads of sage!)
1/2 garlic granules*
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp Sea Salt (or to taste)
Black Pepper, freshly ground or dash of red pepper flakes

1. Place a large sauce pan on the stop and turn the heat up to medium high.  As the pan becomes hot, pour in the EVOO (olive oil) and then add the sage leaves.  Turn heat down to medium and saute the sage leaves for 30-60 seconds.  This releases loads of flavor that won’t come out without this step.  (I’ve tried and noticed the huge difference.)

2. Open the cans of beans.  Dump into a colander to let them drain.  Then, rinse them clean.  Pour into the pan.

3. Open cans of diced tomatoes, and pour the entire contents into the pan.

3. Add garlic and sea salt.   Stir and bring up to a gentle boil.  Then, reduce heat, and let simmer for a few minutes.

4. Serve hot in bowls.  Optional: sprinkle your choice of pepper, be it black (my preference) or red pepper flakes.  Stir.  Now, grab your EVOO – yes, it must be extra virgin olive oil – and drizzle on the top of each bowl.  Now, sprinkle the sea salt to taste.  (Skip if you’re following a low sodium diet.)  Important:  Do NOT stir.  Serve with the EVOO, sea salt left on top.

You may serve with your favorite gluten-free bread or eat this as is.  (It doesn’t need the bread.)

With as simple as this recipe sounds, one is lulled into believing that it couldn’t be that good, but it is. Be careful; you might end up eating more than your share.     (I did!)

Notes:

a) I buy fresh organic sage, and I store the unused leaves in the freezer.  Sage isn’t an oft utilized ingredient.  So this way, you get the best bang for your buck and always can have it on hand.  Don’t (!) use dried sage. You’re looking to gently seep out the lovely flavor of this plant in the cooking process.  Yes, it is okay to eat the leaves.  In fact, they are quite yummy!  Dried sage would leave you with a bitter, even a burnt type of taste – bleah.

b) Garlic:  Please use organic garlic granules.  The stuff from the “regular” grocery store is very bitter.  Especially the brand that begins with an “M”.  My favorite brands for spices are “Simply Organic” and “Frontier”.

c) Olive oil – only use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this recipe.  Regular olive oil has almost no flavor.  EVOO is wonderfully flavorful and has more nutrients, and it will “make” the recipe.

d) Sea salt?  Don’t know what that is?  Well, I didn’t either a few years ago.  I have learned about and come to appreciate this type of salt.  First off, never buy sea salt that is completely white.  It is not true sea salt.  Your salt should be gray or be flecked with different colors, making it pinkish in color.  (The latter is my preferred sea salt.)  What’s so special about sea salt?  It adds additional flavor to any recipe that calls for salt, as well as trace minerals.  I never use “regular” salt, anymore…except in my ice cream maker.

e) Assume can sizes in this recipe to be 14 or 15 ounces each.  This tends to vary with area and brand.  Just roll with it.  This recipe is forgiving.

4 cups of filtered water (preferably reverse osmosis water)
1 1/3 cup of cooked organic long grain brown rice
1-2 Tablespoons Safflower Oil
1 tsp vanilla flavoring (use only real vanilla – avoid the “imitation” stuff!)
¼ tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp cup turbinado sugar
6-8 drops liquid stevia – optional

Directions:

1)      Place in to a blender the following:  1.5 cups of water and the 1 1/3 cups of rice.  Blend on high for 2 minutes.  (Set your timer if need be.)  Add a bit more water if mixture becomes too thick.  Use enough so that mixture moves easily in your blender’s pitcher.

2)      Add Safflower oil.  Use 1 Tbsp the first time you make this recipe to see how you like it.  (However, if you like a creamier and a more full-bodied flavor/texture, add the 2^nd Tbsp.  Keep in mind that this adds about 3 grams of fat per tablespoon per 8oz serving.)  Next, add vanilla flavoring, sea salt and natural sugar.  Blend again for at least 20 seconds.  Taste.  Add a bit more sugar if you like or a squirt of stevia liquid if you feel it needs some extra sweetness.

3)      Strain the mixture with a fine sieve over a pitcher or bowl.  (Save what’s left in the sieve for another use later.)  Add remaining water and mix well.  Pour in to a 1 quart glass jar and cover.  Store in refrigerator.  Shake well before each use.

Tips and Comments:

Sea salt – use good sea salt.  It should be slightly grey or pink, depending on where it has been gathered.  Avoid white sea salt.  All the good stuff has been refined out of it.  Good sea salt not only imparts important trace elements and minerals in to your diet but also gives a slightly better flavor than plain ole table salt.

Natural sugar – why use this?  Refined white sugar has also been refined to remove all the good stuff.  Also, they make this stuff white by sifting through the bone char of dead animals.  Yuck.  (That’s why it isn’t kosher.)  So, use “raw” sugar, turbinado sugar, or “natural” sugar.

Vanilla – never use imitation vanilla.  Ever.  It’s derived from chemicals that weren’t meant to be in our bodies.

Safflower oil – Avoid any brand that is preserved with BHT, BHA or TBHQ.  (Some hide this.)  If you just can’t find safflower oil then, use sunflower oil.  Since we’re making this for allergy reasons, I’d avoid soybean oil, peanut, corn or any oil labeled as “vegetable oil”.  I’m not a fan of canola oil, either.  Avoid it whenever possible.

As for the remaining rice in the sieve: save this for another instance.  (You can store this in refrigerator if you need to wait until you have another for another batch.)  Follow directions as before.  Re-used rice actually makes for a creamier milk.

If your budget is extremely tight, then by all means use what you can – white sugar, plain white salt, sunflower oil (instead of safflower oil), etc.  (Still avoid imitation vanilla, though.)

While yes, you may use white rice to make this, I would avoid it as the flavor won’t be the same nor will the nutrients.  Plus the white rice will break down in such a way to leave you with a “soupier” milk…brown rice is best.  Even the commercial rice milks use brown rice.  So, take the hint. 

Enjoy!

Also, cashews are quite the versatile nut!  I use cashews to make vegan cheeses, sour cream, spreadable cashew butter and more.  I love this nut!

Organic Cashew Milk Recipe

1/2 cup (leveled off) organic raw cashew pieces
1-2 Tbsp turbinado sugar or 1 squirt of stevia
1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
3 1/2 cups filtered water

Directions:

In a strong blender, mix the cashew pieces, sugar, salt and at least 2 1/2 cups of the water.  Depending on the strength of your blender, run it for a minimum of 90 seconds and up to 2 minutes.  (After your first run, check the milk.  If you still have tiny pieces at the bottom, run it for another 30 seconds.)  The cashews will break down and mix in with the milk.  There’s no need for straining (as almond milk typically requires).  Mix in the rest of the water, and pour the milk into your prepared container.  (I re-use 32 oz glass jars.  Your old mayo jars work great for this purpose.)

Now, you can use this milk in your favorite cereal, coffee, tea or most recipes that calls for milk (dairy or non-dairy).

A few notes: You can add vanilla if you like.  It adds to the expense of your recipe but gives a nice flavor.  I use vanilla in my rice milk recipe, but I found that the cashew milk didn’t need it.  It’s up to you.  Start with a 1/2 tsp and probably no more than 1 tsp, if you choose to add it.  Also, you may substitute stevia for the sugar.  Since the brands vary in their sweetening power, you’ll have to experiment with how much you’ll need to add to please your palate.

Next, be sure to use cashew pieces.  Whole cashews take longer to break down in the blender and are typically more expensive to buy.  Lastly, the cashew naturally has oils within the nut.  So when you are done blending, you’ll notice that the milk has a nice froth at the top.  Scoop it out and use on your favorite latte, if you like.

The cashews have to be raw, because the toasted variety won’t have the same flavor.  (You can try it if you like.  I have never tried it with the toasted kind.  It might make for an interesting milk.  As far as other cashew creams and cheeses I’ll post later, always, always use raw cashews.  I can’t guarantee that the toasted cashews will firm up the way the raw ones do.  Plus, the taste won’t be at all pleasant with toasted cashews in most of these other recipes.)

Cost saver tip:  drop the amount of cashews you use down to 1/3 cup.  Your milk will still taste good.  I happen to like the fuller, more robust flavor at 1/2 cup.  It’s just a matter of personal preference.  Do what you like. 

Lastly, you’ll note that some recipes have the moniker “Rapunzel” attached to the title.  That’s because, yes, I am one.  My hair goes all the way down my back.