Recipe: Arugula-Cashew Spread

Week 2 of my class on healthy living and whole food, we're talking about getting more greens and plants into our diet.  This is a a lot like pesto but it doesn't have any cheese, and when you taste it you won't even miss it.  We also made home made hummus, with garbanzo beans that we'd soaked and cooked until tender.  This is a link to the recipe I've posted before.  

One day last summer we went to a restaurant in Irvine called Native Foods Cafe for a cooking demonstration, this recipe was one of the things they served.  They called it a crudité but it’s really more of a spread or pesto.  I’ve made it a few times and it’s excellent as a pesto on spaghetti squash or pasta or as a dip for crackers or vegetables.

 

Arugula-Cashew Spread

Ingredients:
3 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I used Braggs)
2 cloves of garlic
6 cups of arugula or baby spinach or a combination of both
1/2 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
dash of fresh ground pepper
dash of red chili pepper (optional)
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the cashews, nutritional yeast and garlic, so that the ingredients are mixed but the cashews are still crunchy. Empty into a medium sized bowl and set aside. In the food processor, add the olive oil and lemon juice first, then add the greens. Pulse to blend well. Mix the two together and add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or flat bread. Enjoy.

Recipe: Greek Seven Layer Dip

I think this is what I'm going to make for the Super Bowl.  What's your favorite game day snack?


Greek 7 layer dip

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hummus
1 cup tzatziki
1 cup tomato (diced and mixed with 1 tablesoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon oregano)
1/2 cup cucumber (cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup red onions (diced)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 handful mint (chopped)
4 whole wheat pitas (cut into triangles and toasted until just crispy) or pita chips and cut vegetables.
Directions:
 Assemble dip starting with the hummus and stacking each ingredient on top of the last on a tray or in a pie dish and serve.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Spicy Peanut Sauce

I've been making this sauce for a long time....the first time I made it was over spring break my junior year of high school in Park City, Utah (my dad and I were there skiing for the week). You can use this on stir fries, marinate chicken in it or use as a base for Pad Thai. I usually use unfiltered apple juice in the jar, this time I juiced an apple. For those who have an allergy to peanuts you can use almond butter or any nut butter. I used raw peanut butter that I made myself and Mother's Market but you can use any kind you like. Let me know what you think. A Votre Sante!


3/4 to 1 cup of apple juice
1/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste

Pour the apple juice in a sauce pan, add the peanut butter and stir until smooth, add pepper and salt. Serve while warm over vegetables or refrigerate and use as a marinade or dipping sauce. Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I make this dip for parties and its always a big hit! I mean what's not to love, cheese, artichokes, spinach? Yummm. I've made it with just Parmesan, a combination of Parmesan and feta cheese and most recently with the Parmesan and Swiss, and that's my favorite. I am not afraid of fat, but prefer to get my fat from the cheese than the mayonnaise, that's why I use the low fat mayonnaise. Try it and let me know what you think. A Votre Sante!



Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 cup low fat mayonnaise
1 can artichokes in water, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Swiss cheese grated
2 cups spinach, uncooked

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and then fold in the 2 cups of spinach. Transfer to a 8X8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with sliced baguette or crackers. Enjoy.