redo on curried cashews

Curried Cashews

Serves: 3 cups

I have made this recipe for many years, even posting it a while back. This year I researched how to make my own curry powder and wowza- it added something wonderful.  That's the reason for a re-post. Enjoy!

They make wonderful gifts.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons curry powder (see below for my home made curry powder)
• 1 Tablespoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 Teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cups cashews, whole or pieces (12 ounces)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the first five ingredients and toss with the cashews. Make sure to coat those cashews well.
3. Spread the nuts in an even layer and roast for 35-40 minutes.
4. Transfer to an airtight container. I made a bigger batch and put most of it in the freezer.

homemade curry powder- rich and delicious!!!

       ·  5 tablespoons ground coriander seeds

·  2 tablespoons ground cumin seeds

·  1 tablespoon ground turmeric

·  2 teaspoons ground ginger

·  2 teaspoons dry mustard

·  2 teaspoons ground fenugreek seeds

·  1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

       ·  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

       ·  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

·  1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

"Sweets" aka- mashed and spiced sweet potatoes

This recipe is for 2-4 depending on the amount you serve. It's yummy and takes no time at all.

2 medium- large-ish sweet potatoes, washed with skin removed
about 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond)
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 large date, mixed and mashed with boiling water

Cut the potatoes into small pieces and steam them. When soft, mash them and add other ingredients to desired texture and taste.
SO good they taste like dessert!

Yummy Sauce

Yummy Sauce

This is one of Chef AJ's delicious recipes.
The cannelini beans create a  texture similar to nuts and have the mouth feel without all the fat.

Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can of cannelini beans, rinsed and drained (or 1½ cups of cooked beans)
zest from one lemon plus 1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic (or less, to your liking- I like garlic)
2 tablespoons salt free mustard (I use Westbrae stoneground mustard)
3/4 ounce pitted dates (about 3 Deglet Noor)

Preparation: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add water If necessary. If you make this in a high-powered blender you can make the sauce warm. This is delicious served over veggies and brown rice.

Hot Caramel Matcha ☕ Tea Latte

Hot Caramel Matcha Tea Latte

I confess, I have an addiction. Matcha tea. Once you learn about how good it is for you I think you will love it too.  To learn more, check out Dr. Greger's link here at Nutritional Facts. 

Maybe you have tried Matcha at Starbucks.....but let me tell you that is a very distant relative to real Matcha. Unfortunately they have placed tons of sugar In the powder making it a sweet confection rather than a delicious Matcha. 

This summer, on this blog,  you saw a recipe for iced mint Matcha. Now I introduce the hot version with caramel extract. You can always just have the regular latte or even the Matcha powder in water. Here is my"Sunday morning" Matcha.  I use my Vitamix to make it but you can just as easily use a whisk. 

1/2 cup boiling water

Place in Vitamix

Add 1-2 teaspoon Matcha powder  My favorite is Do Matcha.

Whip them together.

Add  a drop or two of caramel extract- I use Watkins. You of course can favor it with the extract of your choice.

Add sweetener. I use maple syrup or Xylitol.

Heat 3/4 to 1 cup almond milk and then add to mixer.

Whip till frothy. Enjoy!

Quickie Delicious Black Beans

One of my favorite quickie meals is the "Aztec Princess." Pretty much it's a pile of different yummy veggies that you have in your fridge, black beans and corn tortillas.

Tonight's versions of the beans blew me away. (Thank you Domi for the inspiration.)
It led the way to the most recent version of the Aztec Princess which has beans, roasted butternut squash (with herbs), steamed kale, and a little smashed avocado. The beans and the squash were so tasty that I put the salsa (Muir Glen, jarred) away.

 Ingredients:
1 28 oz can black beans- drained and rinsed
1 inch piece of ginger (I keep mine in the freezer. It keeps it fresh and delicious.)
1 medium onion
1-2 tsp oil of choice
1-2 tsp bouillion or "better than bouillon" and water
1 to 2 tsp cumin seed (depends how spicy you like them)
1 to 2 tsp coriander

Directions:
1. Saute onion and ginger with oil.

2. Add drained beans, cumin seeds, coriander, water, and bouillon.
3. Saute till fragrant and yummy.

My Favourite Flower Salad

I first made this salad from a recipe developed by Angela Liddon of  Oh She Glows fame. Props to our famous Canadian vegan cook! It was her version of a salad that she had purchased at Whole Foods. I made Angela's recipe the first time but then made some minor adaptations of my own. My version uses more sunflower seeds & fewer currants because I found the salad too sweet & I like to have an extra boost of protein. I also halved it & renamed it. It's an adaptable recipe, so try it out & add your own twist.

1 head broccoli
1/2 head cauliflower
1&1/4 cups shredded carrots
 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cups raisins
1/4 cup parsley
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper

I use my 7 cup Cuisinart food processor for this recipe.
Using the grater attachment, shred a large carrot & place in a large bowl.
Remove the flowers from a head of broccoli & place in the food processor, fitted with chopping blade. Chop until fine & place in the bowl with the carrots.
Remove the flowers from 1/4 head of cauliflower. Process until fine. Place them in the bowl with the other veggies. Repeat for the remaining 1/4 head.
Remove the leaves from a small bunch of parsley. Process until fine. Add to bowl.
Add the sunflower seeds, currants, raisins, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
Stir until everything is well mixed. Salad will keep, in the fridge for several days.
I love having this salad on hand. It goes with everything & is delicious on it's own for a quick snack.

vegan corn muffins for 2

Vegan Corn Muffins for two

I found this  wonderful, quickie recipe online at The Minimalist Baker. They are light and fluffy. I used a mini muffin pan so rather than 2 larger muffins I made 12 tiny ones (more muffin top, yum!)

Heat stove to 350.

Ingredients
*1 small flax egg (1/2 TB flax meal and 1 1/2 TB water)

*1/4 cup plus 3 TB plain unsweetened almond milk +1 tsp apple cider vinegar

*1/4 tsp baking soda
*2 TB vegan butter melted
*1/4 sucanat or whatever dry sugar you have
* 1TB unsweetened applesauce

Dry-
*1/4 cup plus 3 TB fine yellow cornmeal
*1/4 cup plus 3TB whole wheat flour
*pinch salt

Directions:
Mix flax egg and set aside
Mix almond milk and vinegar and let sit for a couple minutes. Then add baking soda.
Melt butter (I melted in the microwave) and then whisk in sugar. Add applesauce. Whisk again.
Add butter mixture to almond milk. Whisk. Then add flax egg. Whisk to blend.

In separate bowl spoon together dry ingredients.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Slowly. Just mix well enough to moisten.

Lightly grease your choice of muffin pan. And then pour in your cornmeal mixture.
Bake large muffins for 25-28 minutes. My mini muffins took 15 minutes.