Warm Fall Salad

I've thoroughly mourned the summer and come to accept that Fall is here. It has been stupid cold the last few weeks and there's no denying it now! In the spirit of embracing it, I've let go of cold salads and welcomed the warm comfort of an all cooked salad. Delicata squash is my all time favorite, so anything with that is going to lift my summer mourning spirits! Behold my improvisation / adaptation of Deb Perlman's Fall-Toush salad from smitten kitchen.

Salad

1 delicata squash sliced into approximately 1.5 inch slices (no need to remove the skin!)

1 large head of broccoli chopped into medium size florets

1 slice of pita bread sliced into crouton sized squares

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons of sumac

3 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1 tablespoon mint

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 talespoons of sumac, and 2 tablespoons salt into a covered jar and give it a good shake. Toss delicata squash, broccoli in oil, sumac, and salt mixture in a large bowl. Spread out over a large baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overchar the broccoli. Remove and combine with parsley and mint in a bowl. While that is cooking, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pita bread and sprinkle over with 1 tablespoon of sumac followed by the last tablespoon of salt. Place it in a toaster over to toast at 350 degrees. If toaster isn't available, simply wait until vegetables cook and then turn down the heat of your oven. Combine all dressing ingredients into the same jar you made the vegetable marinade and pour over the warm vegetables and pita combination. 

Simple Daal with Rutabaga Relish

The dreaded rutabaga. I have to confess that I do cringe every time my CSA email proudly announces that yet another rutabaga will be in this week's box. I tried so many different recipes, but I was left with the conclusion that without copious amounts of butter, they just aren't tasty. That brassica bitterness is ridiculously hard to shake and roasting doesn't do it.

Then comes the best Christmas present of 2016, Vivian Howard's Deep Run Roots! If you are a fan of a Chef's Life, you know that Vivian exalts the simple ingredients of her native eastern North Carolina and the traditional recipes that pre-date widespread availability of processed food. She has a whole episode dedicated to the rutabaga as well as an entire chapter in this incredibly entertaining and functional cookbook.

When I got that first rutabaga in my CSA in 2016, I knew its fate! I set out to make her rutabaga relish. I did not process mine, so it will keep for 6 months. She advises it's best after a week in the fridge. I tried mine after 12 days on top of this daal and it was delicious! Truly the first time I have ever genuinely enjoyed eating a rutabaga.

Simple Daal adapted from the nytimes recipe here
1 cup lentils (I used red)
1 large sweet potato, roughly cubed
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 inch knob ginger, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons chili flakes (or more if you like more heat)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 cups water
Salt to taste (2 tablespoons worked for me!)

Heat the coconut oil in a pan and add the onions. After a minute or so, add the sweet potatoes and let them cook until they start to soften (5-7 minutes) then add the fresh ginger and garlic for 2 more minutes. Add remaining spices (including chili!) along with the lentils and stir to thoroughly coat the lentils with oil.
Add the tomatoes, the water, and salt before turning the heat up and covering the pan to bring the mixture to a boil.
Once it boils, turn the heat down and remove the cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes depending on how soft you like your lentils.

Keep an eye on the liquid level, if it simmers too hot you may need to add more water especially if cooking on the longer side.

Rutabaga Relish
1 large rutabega
2 quarts water for overnight soak
1/2 cup of salt to soak rutabagas
1/4 cup of salt fo peppers and onion
2 cups water for peppers and onion
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
1+1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspooons chili flakes
1 tablespoon turmeric

This way of cutting the rutabegas is a pain, but it's worth it! Peel and halve the rutabaga through the stem end. Lay the flat surface half on a cutting board and slice into 1 inch wedges, then slick them into triangles. Add half a cup of salt to the two quarts of water and stir until dissolved. Add the now triangle shaped rutabaga slices and let them soak overnight.

Combine 1/4 salt  and 2 cups of water with peppers and onions and let soak for 1 hour while you prepare the brine. After the hour drain and combine with rutabagas in the jar they will be stored. Make sure this is a heatproof container if you're going to process. I used a mason jar and didn't preserve.

Combine white and brown sugars, vinegar, garlic, and all spices to a boil and let cook for 1 minute Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the vegetables until completely submerged. Store in the fridge for up to six months.

Radishes, radishes, radishes

Daikon radishes two weeks in a row is not something I'm every going to be fully prepared for, but I did find a few creative ways to use them that I didn't know last year. I threw them in this radishes two ways avocado toast I came up with and I've eaten it more times than I can count this month.

When the first bunch arrived, I went with a variation on this pickling recipe from the NYTimes in which I used pretty purple carrots that came in the same week's CSA to get the beautiful dark rich color you see on the radish carrot mixture on the top of the avocado toast above. They are a great addition to any asian style rice bowl that I like to bring for lunch or a little snack all by themselves.

Avocado Toast with Radishes Two Ways
serves 1
1 slice of good quality bread (I used homemade wild culture sourdough)
1/4 of an avocado
8-10 mandolin thin slices of daikon radish
Juice of half a lemon
Sprinkle of fleur de sal to taste
Sprinkle of table salt
8-10 Daikon and carrot pickles

Place slice of bread in the toaster. Thinly slice daikon radish with mandolin or knife and mix with juice of half a lemon. Add a sprinkle of table salt and let sit while preparing the rest of your dish. When the toast is done slice the avocado in half and use a butter or other dull knife to slice the thinnest wedges you can imagine and spread one at a time onto the bread into a even layer. Sprinkle the avocado with fleur de dal. Add the lemon daikon radishes and then the pickled carrots and daikon to the top. Enjoy!

Green Bean Summer Salad

Adapted from Marie Simmons Fresh and Fast Vegetarian (this is a great cookbook and you should get it!)

This may be the best time of year for those of us who try to eat locally and thus with the seasons. Tomatoes are finally here! This along with everything fresh, bright, and crunchy that makes you think of summer (I'm looking at you corn!). This almost absurdly simple salad looked too boring to be delicious, but I was wrong! It really reminded me of an episode of the a Chef's Life on PBS in which Chef Vivian Howard opts to simplify her dishes in the spirit of letting the ingredients shine. There is something really beautiful about that concept and this salad is a great way to celebrate it.

Green Bean Summer Salad
1 pound green beans split into 1 inch pieces  (wax beans work here too!)
2 ears of corn, kernals cut off the cob
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup basil, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste (don't hold back!)

Combine all ingredients vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Make sure that the toss has spread out the basil thoroughly since it's the heart of the flavor profile Combine olive oil and lemon juice and give them a good stir before pouring it over the salad. The freshness of the ingredients is key here, so consider this a good option to make as soon as you get home from the Farmer's Market or store.

(Mostly) Vegan Bolognese

I owe you a photo, I know. I promised myself I'd make this again and catch a photo this time, but I've failed you and am posting without one. This is such a wonderful comforting while still remaining decently healthy recipe, that I couldn't wait any longer to post. Make this the next time it is awful outside and you need something comforting to cheer you up!

(Mostly) Vegan Bolognese

8 oz package tempeh (I like Lightlife Organic)
4 white button mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire (sub with vegan Worcestershire to make this truly vegan/vegetarian)
2.5 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
Feel free to use your favorite jarred tomato sauce
- OR -
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
4 leaves fresh basil, diced
1.5 tablespoon tomato paste

The key here is that you are flavoring the tempeh before you do anything to try to create a sauce. Start by sauteing the onions, celery, and carrot in your tablespoon of oil while crumbling the tempeh with your hands until it starts to resemble texture of ground turkey. Add the tempeh and mushrooms and sautee until the mushrooms release their liquid. Add Worcestershire and soy sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes. At this point you can simply add your favorite jarred tomato sauce or continue on if making your own.
Tomato Sauce
In a separate pan, start sauteing minced garlic in olive oil, be careful not to burn your garlic! After about 3 minutes, add the tomatoes, with salt, herbs, and tomato paste. Let everything simmer for at least 20 minutes prior to pouring it over the tempeh mixture. Serve immediately, although it all does heat up nicely the next day too.

Apple Pie Quinoa

Full disclosure: I invented this recipe in a desperate need to figure out ways to use a gallon of apple juice that was purchased to make cider for a party that never got put out. I found myself with a giant glass jug of apple juice in a two person household that never drink juice. You know I love a sweet quinoa, so when I woke up on this cold and rainy morning craving something warm and comforting, inspiration struck! Why not cook the quinoa in the cider and see how the flavor gets absorbed? I have to say it turned out even better than I'd imagined, and I think this could be a really healthy, gluten free, vegan alternative to an apple pie (if one were so inclined). It also made for that warm and comforting breakfast I craved.

Apple Pie Quinoa (serves 2) 
1 cup quinoa
2 cups apple juice
1/2 apple (sweeter varieties work best)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice 

Slice the 1/2 apple into bite size pieces (about an inch thick). Add quinoa, apple, and apple juice into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. After boiling, turn burner to low and add cinnamon and lemon juice. Let the mixture simmer until quinoa and apples are soft (about 15 minutes). If you are not concerned with this being particularly low in sugar or vegan, I imagine a dollop of whipped cream on top would make it a really pretty and extra delicious dessert.

Breakfast Quinoa

It's that time of year when all that I want when I get out of bed in the morning is something warm to fill my belly. The only problem is that oatmeal gets old. That processed instant crap that is full of sugar is just no good for you and sometimes there's no level of flavor change up that gets me passed the boredom with that steel cut oat texture day after day. Luckily I attended a fantastic nutrition workshop at Yoga District Tea Lodge this past spring that had a fantastic idea for changing it up, breakfast quinoa! It's hearty and comforting the same way that oatmeal is, but can be a nice switch up to the texture routine. You can add a lot of different flavor combinations to it, but below is my favorite maple almond blueberry combo. If you're generally weirded out at the idea of a sweet flavored quinoa, just try it once and I have a feeling you will be sold.

Almond Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa
(serves 2)
1 cup quinoa
1.75 cups water
15 dried blueberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup (make sure it's really maple syrup and not corn syrup in disguise!)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Boil water and then add quinoa and dried blueberries to the pot. Note that the sweetness of blueberry is going to permeate all of the grains, so if you are choosing a tarter berry you might want to hold off on adding it until the quinoa is cooked. Let it simmer until quinoa is soft (about 12 minutes). The quinoa doesn't need a lot of attention, so feel free to spend this time making your lunch or other morning routine activities. After the quinoa is cooked, scoop it into a bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of maple syrup and quarter cup of almonds in each bowl. Enjoy!

Garbanzo Bean "tuna" Salad

I'm back to my whatever I can smear on a cracker phase. For years I was a huge tuna salad eater. It was one of the first things my mom taught me to make and it was a quick and easy meal on my shoe string college budget. Then I learned about mercury poisoning, over fishing, dolphins in nets, you know the list and sought to drastically reduce my seafood consumption (or at least save it for really special sushi restaurant occasions, see Sushi Taro). While learning more about vegan and vegetarian alternatives, I stumbled across the approach of using macerated garbanzo beans (or chick peas as I've learned to call them on the East Coast) in lieu of tuna for a great "tuna" salad. The inspiration for this particular recipe came from Sticky Fingers former menu item the "tuna" melt. I don't know that I've fully recreated their amazing dish, but it's pretty close. As you can see above I usually pile the salad on a cracker along with some sliced up cherry tomatoes for a really delicious and filling lunch.

Garbanzo Bean "tuna" Salad
1 can garbanzo beans
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons mayonaise or veganaise

Combine garbanzo beans and carrots into a food processor and mash on high until it's a nice thoroughly mashed substance. Scoop mixture into a bowl and add diced celery and onion, mayo/vego, garlic powder, paprika, celery seed, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until all the mayo/vego chunks have been thoroughly spread out. Serve with crackers, tortilla, chips, or make into a sandwich. Essentially do anything you'd do with tuna salad, enjoy!

Delicious Green Juice

I try not to be too over the top with the weirdo healthy stuff on this blog (and believe me that I have had many failures that I never subjected you to), but when done the right way, green juice can be so delicious! This is the prime time of farmers market abundance in the DC area to make really tremendous green juice and I wanted to share my tried and true formula for a sweet and pleasant tasting juice that is loaded with all of the healthy nutrients from lots of green veggies.

Delicious Green Juice
1/4 organic water melon, cut into slices with rind (If you are not able to find an organic watermelon, cut the rind off)
1 bunch kale with stems still on
5 stalks of celery cut into 1 inch pieces
1 apple, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
If watermelon is unavailable, simply add 3 additional apples for sweetness. The core of this ratio is one part sweet, one part green, one part celery, and one part citrus (can be lemon or lime).

My best piece of advice for juicing is to prepare everything before you turn the juicer on. Have everything handy and available and make sure the pieces are small enough to prevent overloading your juicer. Mine is particularly finicky around the stringy celery stalks, so I cut those extra small. Once you're ready, start feeding all ingredients through the juicer with the exception of the lime. Once all ingredients are juiced, squeeze the juice of one lime and enjoy.

Recipe Round Up

Recipes from around the internet that I'm currently getting excited to try:


Sunchoke Kale Hash with Farro from Food and Wine

It looks so hearty and this is just in time for the first week sunchokes will be available at several markets in the area. Local and fresh is always best!












Cauliflower and Leek Puree from Every Day with Rachel Ray

A variation on this dish with no breadcrumbs and less butter is all the rage on several paleo recipe sites. I have had moderate to 0 success with most paleo options, but apparently failure does not deter me!







Turnip Green Salsa Verde from Dan Barber via Food and Wine

This actually comes from a very interesting article Chef Barber contributed to the magazine regarding eating more sustainable vegetables from a soil degradation perspective. I was ignorant to the fact that tomatoes and carrots are soil nutrient drainers while brassicas and turnips are great for returning nitrogen to the soil. It's a great read.

Apricot Breakfast Popsicles from Serious Eats

Just in time for this warm start to September. 

Lunch on the Go - Kale Wraps

Sometimes it's time to bite the bullet and go uber healthy. For example, you spent the end of your summer eating and drinking your way from Charleston to Hilton Head and back and it's time to reel it in and make some responsible dietary choices for a while. This is my favorite delicious lunch that is loaded with tons of vegetables, proteins, but super low-carb. Wrapping them up tightly and storing them in a small tupperware with no extra room as you see above is the key to making to work with them still in tact. I also think using the delicate lacinto/dino kale instead of the curly leafy varieties really cuts out that bitter raw kale taste. If you prefer a different combination of vegetables to tomato, cucumber, carrot, scallion, and avocado feel free to mix and match. The only limit is how much you can stuff in that kale leaf. They are so tasty you won't even notice you're eating something so healthy.

Kale Wraps

3 leaves of lacinto (dino) kale in tact with bottom stem removed

1/2 avocado

1/2 medium sized tomato, sliced and then divide each slice into quarters

1/4 cup carrot shavings (use a vegetable peeler to shave off slivers)

1/4 cup cucumber, sliced and then divide each slice into quarters

1 tablespoon spring onions, diced

1/4 cup hummus

Start by preparing everything as listed above so you're ready to just assembly line this task. I recommend making each wrap one at a time and placing them into the tupperware as they are rolled up. Spread a tablespoon and a half or so of hummus onto the kale leaf. It should cover the whole thing. Start arranging your veggies. I prefer slicing the avocado on the bottom layer, then drizzling in tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and scallions. Start rolling from the bottom end where the stem was removed and then immediately place in tupperware. Repeat that process for remaining two wraps and pack them up very tightly! If this all falls apart, you can always mix it all up into a salad when you are ready to eat it. It's all still delicious in whatever form it winds up in, but there's something nice about the wrap shape if you can achieve it.

Your New Favorite Summer Treat - updated

What could make the Watermelon Mint Smoothie even better? Turn it into a popsicle! I recently acquired a Groovy Freezer Popsicle Molds set and it is such a game changer for home made easy desserts! Ice-cream is a great love of mine, but I know moderation is key with such high-fat and processed sugar treats so I'm always looking for a good alternative. With these molds you can make literally anything you want and avoid preservatives or other less-than-healthy ingredients. I will be experimenting over the next few weeks and posting the successful results, but you can start with the watermelon smoothie because yum!

Your new favorite summer treat - Watermelon Mint Smoothie

I know it's a little early to be posting about watermelon, but here in DC I can at least get Florida watermelons and that will have to be local enough for the month of June. It's beginning to be that time of year where the body craves subsistence on nothing but cool refreshing fruit concoctions and this one is my favorite. If you're craving something sweet and refreshing, grab some mint from your garden (or the store) and throw it in a blender with some watermelon and ice, you won't be disappointed!

Watermelon Mint Smoothie
2 cups watermelon
2 mint leaves
1/2 cup ice
Blend all ingredients together and serve.

Succotash with Kale and Garlic Scapes

Forgive the photo. You know by now that the recipes taste better than I photograph them. This was the brain child of one of those nights when I open my fridge and try to come up with something that will use as much produce as possible before leaving town for the weekend and risking it goes bad. I had 1 ear of leftover corn from a party this weekend, kale, and some garlic scapes from the farmers market...hmm what to do? I know it's not really late enough in the summer for a corn and tomato dish, but I had the corn and the last of my jarred summer tomatoes were looking ready to go, so I went for it. I think it came out pretty great! It's super healthy, packed with nutrients, vegan and gluten free! If I weren't making an intentionally super healthy weekday meal, I might be so inclined to sprinkle this with Parmesan cheese. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

Succotash with Kale and Garlic Scapes

1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into bite sized leaves

1 ear of corn, cut from the ear

1 jar of tomatoes (canned if you don't have jarred)

1 garlic scape, diced

1.5 tablespoons coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

Start by trimming your kale. I think you can't get those pieces too small. I had few bites that were full mouthfuls of kale and they were much less appetizing. To remove the stem, I typically grab it from the bottom with one hand and pinch either side with the other before running that hand up to the top, stripping the stem in a clean motion. If that makes no sense, just pull each kale bit off the stem. Cut the corn kernals off the ear and set aside. Dice the scapes and place the coconut oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the

garlic scapes first to get some of that garlic flavor permeated through the oil then add kale and corn and stir until kale has cooked down to half the size it was (about 8 minutes). Pour the jar of tomatoes over the top and add salt and pepper before turning down the heat to let it simmer another 5 minutes. Serve with a spoon, enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Coconut Cream Pudding

Vegan and gluten free potluck dish - a serious challenge. I wanted to use seasonal ingredients from my local farmer's market making it even trickier, but I came up with a riff on the classic Vanilla Wafer Banana Pudding that is vegan, gluten, free, low in sugar, and truly delicious. The Tupperware came back completely empty, which is always a great sign of a successful dish! If you like the idea but want to add some crunch, consider a layer of graham cracker or nuts on top.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coconut Cream Pudding
1 pound strawberries, sliced
5 large stalks of rhubarb, roughly chopped (approximately 1 inch cubes)
3 cans coconut milk, refrigerated over night (do not used reduced fat)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 bananas









Start the rhubarb puree first (this can be made the day before)
Pour rhubarb pieces into sauce pan on medium heat with 4 tablespoons of sugar and the cup of water. Gently stir as the stems breakdown eventually turning into an applesauce like consistency. Allow it to cool and then refrigerate at least 4 hours.

 While the rhubarb puree is cooling, slice the pound of strawberries and set aside. These beauties were acquired at the farmer's market a few hours before prep and the flavor was unreal, no sugar needed. If you're strawberries are slightly tart, consider a sprinkling of sugar over the top before assembling.



Coconut Cream: Remove the cans of coconut milk from the fridge without overly shaking or turning over (this will keep the coconut cream separate from the milk. After removing the lid, the thick creamy bit should be easy to scoop out of the can. Add this to your blender first along with both bananas, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk to think the mixture slightly. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and free of any banana chunks.

Remove the rhubarb puree from the fridge and begin layering with all ingredients handy. Start with a layer of strawberries on the bottom, then a layer of coconut cream, a layer of rhubarb puree (which ends up being more blobs, that's ok!), another layer of all three with sparser strawberries on top so some Jackson Pollack style swirls of rhubarb puree visible on top that I thought made for a pretty presentation. The longer it sits, the more the rhubarb mixes in with the coconut cream, which isn't at all a bad thing. It's very runny and has to be served in cups as more of a mixed up pudding, but it's a real crowd pleaser that is as healthy as a dessert gets.

Pantry Pickins Dinner - Kimchi Fried Rice

I really hate wasting food. I have had a lot of success in minimizing food waste by being flexible with certain recipes that I can throw together whatever I've got left in my fridge at the end of the grocery week. A stir-fry of any kind is a good way to remedy this, and I've found this kimchi fried rice is a particular forgiving combination of flavors. You can literally throw in whatever vegetables you've got left and it will probably taste great (as long as you like some spice!).

Kimchi Fried Rice
1/2 cup jarred kimchi (I use Sunja's Radish Kimchi)
1.5 cups brown rice - cooked and cooled
1.5 oz extra firm tofu (This is 1/2 a standard container) - feel free to skip this part or substitute any other kind of protein
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup onion diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
whatever vegetables you've got! I used 1 red bell pepper and 1 small head of broccoli in the photo above. I've used green peppers and cauliflower, kale and spinach, zucchini and yellow squash. I literally mean whatever you want!

Heat coconut oil in the pan until melted and add onions. Saute until translucent before adding ginger and garlic. Add protein (tofu or meat) and  all liquid ingredients (sriracha, fish sauce, soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil) saute stir for 5 minutes. Add all remaining vegetables and cover until vegetables are slightly tender. Add the rice and stir all together. Cook until vegetables are the desired texture and serve.

Lunch on the Go - Mushroom Pate with crackers and celery

Are we seeing that I am hugely into dips / spreads? If I can smear something salty on a cracker, I will generally be a fan of it. The challenge with this can often be getting enough protein at lunch to keep me full for the rest of the day. Then I discovered the beauty of cooking with wonderful protein and healthy fat rich nuts! I attended a yoga retreat in which the food was all raw and vegan, armed with granola bars in case I left every meal hungry. The granola bars never saw the light of day. Everything was so delicious and completely satisfying, mostly due to a generous portion of nuts usually blended up into a creamery version of itself. I became semi-obsessed with the way they can be used to add texture to completely transform vegan dishes into hearty comfort food. There are about a million ways to do this with mushrooms and call it a pate. If you don't believe me, try googling it and you will find everything from curried nuts, to buttery french style classics, and even some with a bunch of fresh herbs that look interesting. When I started looking for a recipe, however, I wanted something close to what I had at this yoga retreat. It was sumptuous and creamy with some chunkiness preserved for texture. I picked up hints of thyme and a vinegar of some sort that gave it just the right amount of tang. I noticed some recipes included, tofu, others beans, all mixed with nuts so I decided to go for all three. I know they say a variety of mushrooms is best, but plain old white button mushrooms are pretty flavorful after their flavor is brought out with a saute in coconut oil. Give it a try and I hope you enjoy!

Mushroom Cashew Pate
1/4 cup extra firm tofu
2 cups white button mushrooms
1 teaspoon thyme (fresh, use a full tablespoon if using dry)
1 cup of great northern beans cooked (I used canned)
1 cup cashews (don't soak them first, the harder they are the more texture you'll get)
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste

Give the onions, mushrooms, and garlic a rough chop. It's all going into the food processor anyway, but small enough to cook evenly in the pan. Heat the coconut oil and add the onions first. Let them sit about 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms with some salt,pepper and thyme cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid (10-15 minutes). While that's cooking, add the tofu, beans, and cashews to your blender (I like to put the cashews on the bottom so they hit the blade first). Pour the mushroom mixture on top and blend until it starts to get creamy, but still retains some nut texture. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Dip, crackers, celery, carrots, and anything else you've got to enjoy a full lunch. You'll be surprised at how filling it is!