Meyer lemons + spinach pesto

Hello internet!  I was lost in the wonderful world of snow this past week, and only today did I emerge (ahem 52 degrees what the heck Earth).

So gorgeous, right?

I haven't done too many interesting food things lately, but I did try Meyer lemons for the first time the other day.  The Willimantic Food Co-op, where I buy all my food, had organic Meyer lemons in stock for the first time I can remember and I brought some home.  They were DELICIOUS!  Tart and tangerine-y!  I made lemonade with lemon juice, water and stevia:

And yesterday I made spinach pesto!  I'm a huge fan of pesto (who isn't, really?) and since basil's not in season, I used spinach to make a delicious spread that I devoured almost instantly.

  

 The recipe's basic and variable:

• 1/2 cup nuts or seeds (pine nuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts)
• 2 cups spinach (or kale or other green of your choice)
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• sprinkling of fresh oregano (optional)

And just throw it in the food processor!  Awesome on collard wraps, cucumber slices, raw pasta.... the list goes on and on.

Today, since it was so warm and beautiful, Claire and I took a nice, long walk down a trail near my house.  Very grateful to live in the beautiful place that I do!

In love-
Mada

Sunshine cookies + salad report

Sunshine cookies!  I've had a huge, beautiful butternut squash sitting on my counter for weeks and I finally decided how to use it.  Recipe as follows:

•  1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut butter (not oil)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• few drops almond extract
• 8-10 drops liquid stevia
• maple syrup (or extract) to taste

Peel, chop and food process the squash until it makes a soft mash.

Then add the rest of the ingredients and process until well combined.  Form into little patties and place on a dehydrator tray covered by a piece of parchment paper (or Teflex sheet).

Let them dehydrate overnight (or until they feel crisp on the outside- keep in mind that once they cool off they will harden more because of the coconut butter). 

Sunshine cookies with a zucchini/carrot latke in the middle- recipe forthcoming.

They're delicious warmed up with coconut oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Now for the salad report.  Here are two recent creations:

Massaged red kale, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, black olives, tomato, cucumber, hard-boiled egg*, hemp seeds, olive oil vinaigrette.

Mixed baby greens, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, avocado, olive oil vinaigrette.

SO DELICIOUS!

Now I'm off into the big wide world of today.  Our Italian group gathers this afternoon!  To help fund our ground transportation while in Italy, click here.  Thank you so much!

In gratitude,

Mada

*A note about eggs: I don't, as a general rule, eat animal products (except honey), but you will see me occasionally eat an egg or two (even though, to be honest, eggs make me a little congested).  This is partially because I think they're very nutritious and partially because they're so crazy yummy.  The other day I was craving an egg like nobody's business, so I made this salad.  Whenever I eat eggs, I make sure they're local and free-range with the reddest yolks I can find (happy hens!).

Cookie dough + MORE SALAD!

One of my favorite raw snacks is 'cookie dough,' an easy and customizable treat which, for me, totally satisfies cravings for things like peanut butter cups and chocolate chip cookies.

Today's cookie dough.

My usual recipe (though, like I said, it's very customizable) goes something like this:

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 2 tbs. coconut oil
• 1 tbs. cacao butter
• 1 tbs. vanilla extract (as you may have guessed, I LOVE vanilla)
• 2-3 tbs. carob powder (you may also have noticed my carob fetish)
• 6-10 drops liquid stevia, to taste
• few drops of almond extract
  
• dash of Celtic sea salt

Then you just toss it all in the food processor, let it rock, and voila!  Delish and nutrish.  AND not a food-combining nightmare.  So an all-around winner!

Now for the salad report.  You may be thinking something along the lines of, "Jeee-zuss, does this chick have taste buds?  So much lettuce!  So much carob!"  Let me assure you, not only do I have taste buds, I have very discerning taste buds, and I promise you all these salads and strange doughy concoctions are scrumptious.*

Here are a couple recent salads:

Mixed baby greens, cuke, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, chickpea sprouts, avocado, black olives, hemp seeds, olive oil vinaigrette.

Mixed baby greens, cuke, carrot, alfalfa sprouts, chickpea sprouts, garlic kraut, black olives, olive oil vinaigrette.

Speaking of chickpea sprouts, I recently came to the important decision to refer to chickpeas as chickpeas exclusively.  I've spent much of my life torn between 'garbanzo beans' and 'chickpeas,' and I have come to the decision, after long moments of deliberation, that chickpeas is the superior term.  Mostly because it sounds cuter.

On another note, I recently attended a lovely raw potluck with my mother and Claire!  I hadn't been in over a year, and I had a great time.  It inspired me and reminded me how much I love being part of a community of loving people and families that share my ideals about food and living and school (or lack thereof).  Claire has a post about it (with lots of yummy pictures!) over on her blog.

In gratitude-
Mada


*I will concede that my palate is probably a little health-warped at this point.  My mother often enters the kitchen to find me moaning in food ecstasy over a mixture of sauerkraut and almond butter, or, on one memorable occasion, soaked prunes with cinnamon.  She finds these encounters hilarious.