Almond Sauce

The house has shown 7 times this weekend!! I'm supposed to disappear when people come so I've been bopping in and out. I even sat at the neighbors once while people where here routing through my closest (you know they were!)  Not cooking much. Stinky things like kale are followed by and airing out and quick spray of citrus. 

on to the recipe
This has been a vegetarian/vegan secret sauce for a while now. Time for the rest of us to embrace it.  
There is a lot of gobbly gook out there on the net about sourcing your "raw" almonds. I encourage you to look into it and to find a source you are happy with. 

The FDA has taken it upon themselves to say that from around Sep 1 2007 all almonds in the USA, Mexico and Canada can no longer be raw. While they will still be labelled 'raw', they will be 'pasteurized'. Some will be pasteurized with steam but many will be treated with a carcinogen Propylene Oxide

 'Nuff said.
I have also sampled a fantastic creamy cashew sauce (heaven) and if you search the net you'll find a few other variations. 

Creamy Almond Sauce
1 C raw almonds
juice of 1-2 lemons 
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 cups of reserved cooking liquid 

Fill a small saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil. Add the almonds and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the almonds and reserve the cooking water.  Allow nuts to cool a few minutes then you squeeze the nuts to slip the skin off. (it's fun and sometimes they shoot across the room so watch out!)
Place the skinned nuts, garlic, salt, vinegar and lemon juice in a blender. 
While blending slowly add in the reserved cooking water to the desired consistency. 
Voila!

Serving suggestions
*on top of a baked potato (and you can skip the fat stuff like butter and sour cream) 
*thin into a sauce and serve over steamed collard greens, kale or spinach
*use thick as a dip for raw veggies
*on crackers
*as a  pasta sauce (add some brewers yeast for a cheesy taste..fake alfredo sauce) 
*go for a protein load and pour it over a bowl of quinoa with some chopped veg 

or just get a spoon and sit and eat it right out of the container. That's what I find myself doing. Maybe I can skip the garlic and bake it into a desert...hmmmm..

Beans and Greens

It's Saturday afternoon and my weekend cooking spree is in progress. 
I'm making the recipe from Wednesday night's class, some  cranberry orange scones (because fresh cranberries are now at the grocery store for $1.99 a bag) and if  the oven is going to be on  I'll throw in a batch of blondies or brownies. 
I've been stewing with the idea of a brownie cook-off. I have one fail-proof go-to brownie recipe that I've used for years in different ovens, different countries and a variety of small changes in ingredients but I continue to "collect" brownie recipes and stash them in my hard drive brownie folder. Before I commit to a huge purge I think I should cook a few of them and see how they compare. 

Here's the Beans and Greens recipe

1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
1/2 lb ground chicken or turkey sausage
4 C cooked pinto beans (or canned beans drained and rinsed) 
1 bunch collard or turnip greens or kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1 Tbs olive oil
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

heat the oil in medium size stock pot. Saute the onion 3 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute until soft, another 5 minutes. 
Add sausage and cook until lightly browned. 
Add broth, beans, tomatoes and greens to the pan. Cook at a gentle simmer about 15 minutes until the flavors meld. 
Remove from heat and add Cilantro. 

I made mine vegetarian and shared  with the neighbors. Cooked some cornbread to go along side and added chopped fresh Serrano peppers to that. I think a can of spicy  rotel would be nice in this recipe. 

 De-stem the greens, roll the leaves and chop. It looks like a lot of greens but they cook down quickly

tricks with beans
Soak them first, it will cut down on cooking time
do not add salt or other spices while cooking
bring to a boil then drain and rinse, add fresh water and bring back to a boil to cook until done.

Speaking of beans and greens I have some lovely little green beans growing on my patio! 

Bonus recipe

Most of us think of crumble as a dessert. This one is sweet/savory and packed with protein. 
Lifted from a blog I love;  cannelle et vanille 
http://www.cannellevanille.com

Red kuri squash, apple and quinoa crumble

serves 4 to 6

Crumble topping

1/2 cup (70 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup (70 g) quinoa flour
1/2 cup (70 g) cold cooked quinoa
1/2 ounce (15 g) finely grated Idiazabal or Manchego cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients. Add olive oil and stir until a sand-like crumble forms.

Chill the crumble while preparing the filling.

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium leek, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium red kuri or hokkaido squash, peeled and diced (about 3 cups diced)
1 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 medium Gala apples, peeled and diced
3/4 cup (185 ml) chicken stock
1 ounce (30 g) goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400F (200C)

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until tender, but not browned. Add the squash, parsley, sage, salt, pepper, and coriander. Increase heat to medium high and stir. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook another 5 minutes until soft but not mushy.

Transfer the filling to a greased baking dish or individual over-proof bowls. Top with the crumble.

Bake the crumble until topping golden and filing bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes for a larger dish and 20 minutes for individuals. Serve warm.

http://www.cannellevanille.com

Class Notes & a recipe

Tips:
Cinnamon  is  a natural appetite stimulant. 
Lemon juice stimulates digestive and liver function. 
Wash your fruit and veg in a vinegar and water solution (skip those expensive vegetable washes you find in the produce department at the store. Rinse you veggies at home in a sink or bowl full of water with a dash of white vinegar. Vinegar is antimicrobial. 

Wednesday night's class recipe. Seasonal fruit. For all of you in colder climes you might not want a cold dinner but it was 88 degrees here today. 

Waldorf Salad
3/4 Cup cooked wheatberries 
3 Cups apples diced
1 1/4 Cup celery thin sliced
1/4 C raisins
1/4 Cup walnuts, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS  mayonnaise
2 TBS non-fat sour cream

In a large bowl mix together the apples, celery, cooked wheat berries, raisins and walnuts. 
In a smaller bowl combine the lemon juice, sour cream, mayonnaise and cinnamon. Mix well
Add the mayo mix to the apple mix and toss
Cover and chill at least one hour before serving 

Notes:
wheat berries. Cook in simmering water about an hour ratio of berries to water 1:3. 
you can sub spelt berries or farro
other ideas for changes and substitutions: grapes, cranberries, dried cherries, pears, yogurt (for the mayo, sour cream or both) 


if you are unfamiliar with  wheat berries here is a link
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/W/Wheat-Berries-5586.aspx

Have you had a Bahn Mi? I'm hooked on the  vegetarian version at Tam Deli on North Lamar and I just found a recipe that looks feasible (I actually have all of the ingredients on hand except the buns). I'll give it a try soon and let you know the results. 
Happy Weekend.  Eat well and stay fit. 
I'll be walking the Austin Komen 5 K on Sunday morning.