Trio of Pesto

Left to right: cilantro pesto, parsley pesto, and mint pesto.

As you might know, Rachel is constantly bringing home produce, including parsley, cilantro, and other herbs. I decided to make several varieties of pesto just to use up some of the herbs, because this week brought the most herbs yet. Each recipe is nutritious and delicious in its own right. Here are the recipes:

This one is definitely for cilantro lovers!
Cilantro Pesto:
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large bunch cilantro
1/2 cup raw pine nuts
1 tbsp shoyu or tamari
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2-4 tbsp water, or as needed

This one is slightly pungent. Feel free to cut back on the garlic if you would prefer a milder pesto.
Parsley Pesto:
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp hemp oil
1 large bunch parsley
1/2 cup whole raw almonds
1 tbsp shoyu or tamari
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2-4 tbsp water, or as needed

This one is not for everyone, only for the adventurous!
Mint Pesto:
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp flax oil
1 large bunch mint
1/2 cup whole raw pistachios
1 tbsp shoyu or tamari
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2-4 tbsp water, or as needed

For each recipe:
Decide which pesto recipe you will use, and place all the ingredients in a food processor. Buzz until smooth, adding small amounts of water if needed to ease in processing.

Serve on crusty bread, over cooked whole grains or pasta, as a condiment in a sandwhich, etc. (Just like regular pesto.) I especially like pesto tossed with quinoa.

The pesto can also be frozen.

Enjoy!

Adzuki Bean Hummus

Mmmm, this hummus is yummy! Adzuki beans are quite high in zinc, as is tahini, making this hummus not only delicious but a good source of zinc.

Adzuki Bean Hummus:
2 cups cooked adzuki beans, drained
1 tsp kelp powder
2 cloves garlic
a pinch of cayenne
1 tbsp umeboshi vinegar
2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
4 tbsp tahini

In a food processer, place the beans, kelp powder, garlic, cayenne, and vinegars and buzz until smooth, adding a little water if necessary. Add the tahini, and buzz until well combined.

Serve with cut vegetables and/or rice crackers for dipping.

Enjoy!

Creamed Mushrooms and Spinach with Quinoa

In case anyone thought this was a muffin/dessert/sweets type of recipe blog, rest assured (or maybe, go sulk in a corner) that it's not. It might seem like it is, but I can indeed create recipes with a savory flair. This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Cooking On The Right Side of The Brain by Vicki Rae Chelf.

This is a nice light summer meal either by itself or served with a crisp salad.

Please note that although it seems like there are many components to the recipe, it comes together quite easily.



Creamed Mushrooms and Spinach with Quinoa:

Serves 4

Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed extremely well to get the bitter saponins off
2 cups water

Vegetables:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 large shallots, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. button or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 lb. spinach, rinsed well to get all the grit out and chopped or shredded

Sauce:
12 oz. firm silken tofu
1/4 cup water
4 tbsp mellow white miso
2 tsp dried basil

Garnish:
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Begin by cooking the quinoa. Bring the 2 cups water to a boil, add the quinoa, allow to come back to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. After it's done, let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and shallots, cover, and cook until they're tender, adding a little water if neccesary to prevent sticking, about 10 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, buzz the sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Back to the vegetables:
When the mushrooms and shallots are tender, add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Reduce heat to low, add the sauce, and simmer until the sauce is just heated through (don't kill the miso enzymes, don't do it).

Dish up the quinoa evenly, then spoon the sauce on top and garnish with the walnuts.

Enjoy!

Buckwheat Apple Muffins

I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and today I decided to make these because I wanted to use up some apple cider. I really liked these muffins, which are wheat free and lightly sweetened. I tend to not use a lot of sweetener, but if you want you can fool with the amount of sweetener. These would be delicious spread with almond butter and served along side a cup of steaming hot or ice cold tea. Enjoy!




Buckwheat Apple Muffins

Dry ingredients:
2 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Wet ingredients:
2 cups apple cider
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp safflower oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil 12 muffin cups. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients until well mixed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and divide evenly between the muffin cups.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Oatmeal Pudding

I was making rice pudding one day, when I thought to myself, I bet I could make oatmeal pudding almost exactly like this. This is what came out of my experiment, partly based on a recipe for rice pudding in a Moosewood cookbook. I've made this three times now, each time using different toppings, and each time everyone liked the toppings. So whatever you choose to put on top (if anything at all), remember that it's only limited to your imagination.



I've made this using unsweetened soymilk as well as vanilla oat milk. The larger amount of maple syrup is for if you're using unsweetened soymilk, and the lesser amount is for if you're using vanilla oatmilk. (Of course you can use sweetened soymilk if you would like, just adjust the amount of sweetener.)


Oatmeal Pudding:
4 cups unsweetened plain soymilk or vanilla oat milk
2 cups rolled oat flakes
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 tsp sea salt

2-4 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
a dash or two of nutmeg
1 tsbp lemon juice

extra cinnamon for sprinkling on top

Optional toppings:
soy yogurt
soy creamer
fresh or dried fruit (bananas are always a big hit)
chopped nuts or seeds, or nut or seed butters
flaxseed oil or meal

In a heavy saucepan, place the milk, rolled oats, raisins, and sea salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid. If the oats are getting stuck to the bottom of the pot, don't worry, it will be okay in a little while.
After the oats have absorbed the liquid, add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice and stir well. Cover the pot again, and let it sit (off of the heat) for a few minutes. When about 5 minutes have passed, lift the lid and stir again. The oatmeal that was stuck to the bottom should have loosened up, and it is now ready to be dished up. Serve hot, warm, or chilled with or without optional toppings.

Serves four

For the toppings, here are some I have used before:

*vanilla soy creamer, chopped walnuts, sliced bananas
*chopped walnuts, chopped apple
*almond butter, sliced banana, flax oil

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!