Today I'm going to highlight my food processor. I've been giving it quite a workout lately as I have reinstated "January eating". You know what this is, don't you? It's moving from delicious, fattening, high sugar & carbs, no-boundaries eating in December to veggies and water for the New Year. More or less. Oh, you too? Well then you may enjoy what I have for you.
Let's start with hummus. Jam packed with good nutrients and in my opinion, a no-brainer exchange for fatty dips. Scott even likes to make this when he's bored in the kitchen. He throws in all kind of extras that we just happen to have in the fridge or pantry. And it's tasty everytime.
Well, except for the time he accidentally added 1 TABLESPOON of salt instead of a teaspoon. For the record, even though we proceeded to triple the rest of the recipe. It could not be saved.
The cool thing about making your own hummus is that if you keep a can of chick peas and tahini stocked, you likely will always have the rest of the ingredients on hand, so you can whip it up in no time.
What's tahini you ask? It's a sesame seed paste, sometimes tricky to find at the store. Just ask. And even though it may seem pricey, you will get many batches out of it. Hummus is really cheap to make, much more economical than buying it premade.
Hummus
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. water
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (or from the bottle)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, packed (I also use dried or fresh cilantro)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until mixture is a smooth paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Refrigerate or serve immediately with veggies or chips (baked). See how easy?
Ta da!
As with most of my recipes, I encourage you to play with it. Add different ingredients to make it your own. I often add roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives are terrific, cucumbers, black beans, whatever you like. Have fun!
Great to bring to a party to make sure you can stick to your eating plan.
It takes a little pre-preparation in order to make some food items that are loaded with alternative ingredients to sugar and butter/oils. Don't be put off by the extra work. It doesn't take that long. Just have a family member come behind you and do the dirty dishes. Cooking is always more enjoyable when this happens.
Almond Butter - a substitute for butter and peanut butter.
Date Honey
1 c. pitted dates (about 6-8) - without sugar
1 c. water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
What did I use this and the almond butter for? Both granola and oatmeal raisin cookies. Recipes below.
I also made my own oat flour. Get ready, this will blow your mind.
Place old-fashioned oats in food processor. Grind until they are a fine flour. Done. I know, right?
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(sorry no pic - we ate them up too quickly)
1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 c. almond flour or oat flour (see above for complicated procedure)
1 c. creamy cashew butter, almond butter (see above) or peanut butter
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 c. date honey (see above)
1/2 c. raisins
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oats, flour, butter, applesauce and date honey in a large bowl until well combined. Add raisins, walnuts and cinnamon. Stir well.
Drop by spoonfuls, two inches apart, on an 11x17 in. baking sheet. Flatten and shape into circles. Bake 10-12 min.
At first, I described these as the no flour, no sugar, no taste cookies but it turns out they grow on you. Scott and I both liked them. And as always, you can play with it. Add more cinnamon or nutmeg, different nuts, use almond butter once and peanut butter next time. You can see how healthy they are. A good choice for January eating!
Gimme More Granola
1/4 c. dried plums (prunes) or pitted dates
1/4 c. water
1 c. old-fashioned oats
2 TBSP unsweetened apple (or any) juice
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. raisins
2 TBSP chopped almonds
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
2 TBSP raw sunflower seeds (pumpkin seeds also good)
2 TBSP unsweetened shredded coconut (I omit this because I hate coconut)
Preheat oven to 350. In a small saucepan, add plums and water. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until plums are softened. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until mixture is a thick paste, about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Spread mixture into an even layer on an 11x17 baking sheet lined with parchment paper or rub lightly with olive oil. Bake 5 minutes, stir and bake another 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (this may take longer than 10 min). Let cool on pan. Granola will become crispy as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks or up to 1 month in the refrigerator. I usually double this.
I gave away granola in cute canning jars at Christmas time. A good gift!
Just a few FYIs:
When I make things like those oatmeal cookies or granola, I always try to sneak in more good stuff because you simply don't notice. So I add flaxseed, wheat germ, oat bran and wheat bran. I figure, why not?
All these recipes came from The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola
Enjoy and let me know if you try them and how it turns out.
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