Warm Rosemary Olive Oil Bread May 23, 2012

Whole-Grain Rosemary Olive Oil Bread made with Organic Spelt Flour

Warm Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
with Organic Spelt Flour & Honey

Adapted from the recipe on the package of Arrowhead Mills Organic Spelt Flour.

Ingredients

-1 Package of Active Dry Yeast
-1 Cup Warm Water
-2 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary Leaves
-2 Tbsp. Honey
-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
-1 tsp. salt
-3 1/2 cups Arrowhead Mills Spelt Flour

Method

Active Time: About 20 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour and 45 minutes

While this recipe is easy to make, you will need to plan at least an hour and a half for it to rise and bake. No bread machine needed!

1) Combine warm water, yeast, honey, rosemary, and olive oil. Stir in salt and 1 1/2 cups Spelt Flour. Beat well for a few minutes until ingredients are well mixed.

2) Cover with a damp cloth (I used damp paper towels) and leave dough in a warm place for 30 minutes.

3) Add remaining flour, mix well, and knead by hand. Set aside again (I placed my dough at this point in a pie tie that I had coated with olive oil) in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

4) Bake for about 30 minutes until brown. Serve warm. Delicious with a little olive oil, butter, or coconut spread to add to each slice.

Tip: If you are cooking for one, slice half the loaf and place the sliced half in your freezer so you can use some later in the week (or even a later month). When you are ready for a slice of your homemade bread, take the slice from your freezer, microwave for 30 seconds, then toast in a toaster, toaster oven, or lightly oiled pan on the stove.

Mustard Dill Potatoes April 3, 2012

Brown spicy mustard, fresh dill, and roasted garlic add lots of flavor to this savory side dish.

Mustard Dill Potatoes
with garlic and olive oil

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients
4 side dish servings

-6 medium red potatoes (also called new potatoes) rinsed and quartered
-1 medium sweet potato rinsed and cut into large bite-sized slices
-2 tbsp olive oil
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 cup fresh dill leaves, rinsed (or 3 tbsp dried dill leaves)
-1/4 cup brown spicy mustard

Optional extras–not necessary to enjoy this dish but they add an extra boost of nutritional benefits– Add one or two of these extras to the dish if desired: dash of turmeric, dash of cayenne pepper, dash of ground black pepper, 1 tsp red wine vinegar.

Method

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse and cut potatoes into large bite-sized quarters. Peel and mince garlic. Toss 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/8 cup fresh dill leaves, minced garlic and potatoes in a bowl to mix.  Prepare baking tray by coating with 1 tbsp olive oil.

2) Add tossed mixture to tray and place in oven to roast at 375°F for 45-60 minutes until potatoes are slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, shaking tray or stirring ingredients with spatula ever 15-20 minutes.

3) When potatoes have reached desired crispness, carefully remove from oven and place in serving bowl. Combine 1/4 cup spicy mustard and remaining fresh dill. Stir well. Add more mustard or dill if desired.

Delicious when served hot or cold. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Lush Cabbage-Carrot-Avocado Rolls December 21, 2011

Shredded Purple Cabbage, Sauteed Onion, Shredded Carrots, Mini Broccoli Pieces, & Sprouts combine with Avocado and Hummus for a fresh, nourishing meal. Wrapped in a large collard green leaf with green onion tie.

Cool Components: Prep well-rinsed leaf, sprouts, green onion slices, avocado, and hummus while the onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, & carrots simmer on your stove.

Lush Cabbage-Carrot-Avocado Rolls
wrapped in Collard Green Leaves

–a perfect lunch or snack–

Ingredients
Serves 2-4
-Large, fresh collard green leaves
-Purple cabbage (I used fresh sliced thin)
-Alfalfa Sprouts (optional- wash well)
-Green onion (chopped)
-1 large carrot (shredded)
-1 ripe avocado
-1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
-3 cloves garlic (minced)
-2 tbsp olive or canola oil
-Your favorite hummus (lemon or spinach & artichoke work well)
-1 small head of broccoli (break off small, thin pieces)

Wrap Filling: Sauteed onions, garlic cabbage, carrots, & broccoli.

Methods

1) Finely chop/slice onion, garlic, cabbage and green onion. Peel and shred carrot. In a medium sauce pan, add olive oil and set to medium-high heat. Add onion and stir frequently for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add cabbage, garlic, and carrots. Break off small pieces of broccoli and add to pan.

2) Rinse and dry large collard green leaf and spread about 1/2 tsp hummus around center. Add sprouts, a few small avocado slices, and chopped green onion. Be sure to thoroughly rinse all ingredients before using and be mindful of any recent recalls in your area (sprouts have had several bad press spotlights in recent years. Skip these if you or a guest has a compromised immune system. For a healthy adult, fresh, well-rinse sprouts are an excellent source of nutrients including vitamin C.)

3) Add ~3 tbsp of your sauteed mix to the wrap, roll it up and serve fresh. Tie with a green onion string or slice in half. For a snack, enjoy with a large glass of water or unsweetened tea (iced or hot). For a meal, serve with a side of brown or wild rice and your favorite fruit-packed smoothie.

Thanks to Tin for the awesome idea to use collard greens for the wraps! I love them!

Spicy Roasted Squash Seeds February 11, 2011

Spicy Roasted Squash Seeds

A unique blend of spaghetti squash seeds, unsweetened cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, olive oil, rosemary and a dash of brown sugar give these seeds a sweet and spicy flavor.

Try it at Home:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse seeds thoroughly (if you just removed them from your squash) and place in a bowl with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix in 1 tablespoon unsweetened (alkali-free) cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder. Shake it a small pinch of crushed rosemary leaves, a pinch of brown sugar, and just a small dash of salt.

Mix together and spread onto baking sheet. Set your timer for 10 minutes. Check the seeds often during that time and stir them with a spatula so that they don’t get baked on to the pan.  When you seeds start to appear crisp (after about 10 minutes) remove them from pan and enjoy!

Cocoa Note: Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is a gem to keep on hand. You can use it in dessert recipes to amp up the chocolate flavor without adding extra fat or sugar, like in my original hot banana with chocolate and cocoa recipe, or in small amounts to compliment spicy flavors as shown here.  Cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants, particularly flavanols which are good for the heart. For the best health punch, opt for the alkali-free or the non-dutch version. The dutching process mellows out the flavor but also destroys some of the naturally occurring flavanols.