cocoa hemp hearts bites

 I somehow convinced myself to get a very large bag of hemp hearts at Costco, and I need to use them up.  So, this recipe for cocoa hemp hearts bites caught my attention.  They're quite tasty, especially with the cocoa doubled and adding some vanilla and salt.  I like the coconut taste and texture, and the peanut butter is there but not overwhelming.  I made about 26 of them, which I'll freeze and take out from time to time to keep a stash in the fridge when I'm wanting a treat.  Edit: continuing to change up the proportions.  Below is latest incarnation. 

Cocoa Hemp Heart Bites

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup hemp hearts 

1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut

1/2 cup cocoa powder

 

10 - 12 pitted dates

1/2 tsp vanilla

a bit of salt if the nut butter is unsalted 

3/4 cup peanut butter (or alternate nut butter) 

Using a food processor or heavy duty blender, blend together the oats, hemp hearts, coconut, and cocoa.  Next add the dates, vanilla, and optional salt, pulsing until they break down. Add the peanut butter and pulse until well incorporated. 

 

Roll the dough into small balls (bites!), and freeze or refrigerate. 

tofu nuggets

 My favorite part of this recipe is that it's very fast to prepare.  No tofu pressing, chopping, etc.  Just ripping and seasoning.  But that leads to my least favorite part - it's not very flavorful.  It needs dipping sauces or something.  Maybe I undersalted, but it was very bland, and I'm a big nooch fan.  But I did like the little crunchy bits, so there's that, and I can probably season it better next time. Chili powder is probably a good idea. (Note: I like this even better reheated the next day in the toaster oven - the texture is nicely chewy.)

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 block (about 14 oz /400 grams) extra firm tofu
• ▢ 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder

INSTRUCTIONS

• Open the package of tofu. Drain off any excess water. Do not press or dry it.
• 
  
  With your hands, tear the tofu into irregular bite sized chunks and place in a bowl.
• 
  
  Add the seasonings and toss well to coat. Cook immediately. Don't let it sit.
• 
  
  To air fry - Grease the bottom of your air fryer basket with a little brush of oil. Add the tofu to the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until super crunchy and golden, tossing halfway.
• To bake - Spread out on a lined baking tray and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and crispy.

NOTES

Storing Leftovers - Store leftover nutritional yeast tofu in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's great enjoyed cold or can be reheated in an air fryer or oven for a few minutes. 350°F for 10 mins in an oven or 350°F in an air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes.

simple sauteed greens

 Here's a recipe for simple sauteed greens that is ... ok.  I had some raab and erba stella that I picked up a few weeks ago at the farmers market, and i really needed to use it, and greens are always good.  But this wasn't very flavorful and needs some zhush.  I did add coconut amino acids and that was good.  And I was hungry and so I ate it.  But next time?  Maybe some gochujang.  

Ingredients

• greens (such as 1 head escarole, 1.25-1.5 lbs)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (or more)
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste

Instructions

1.  Clean and chop the greens. 
   
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, place the oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute or until the garlic is sizzling. At the first sign of the garlic starting to color, add the greens, turn the heat to medium-high, and season with a pinch of salt. Use tongs to rearrange the greens in the skillet and to help them wilt down. (It won't take long - escarole is only about two minutes, and the erba stella and raab wasn't much more than that)
3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Let the greens cool briefly. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. 
   

tahini dressing

 This tahini dressing is quite tasty and I'm using it on various things.  I very much like the Trader Joe's tahini.  It does make a LOT, so reducing is probably a good idea.  

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons ice-cold water, more as needed

Instructions

1. In a liquid measuring cup or jar, combine the olive oil, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and several twists of black pepper. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
2. Add the cold water, and whisk again. The dressing should become remarkably creamy. Taste, and add more lemon juice (for zing) and pepper, if desired. If your dressing is too thick to drizzle, whisk in more cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve!
3. This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week. It may thicken with time; simply thin it with a little more cool water as needed.

rishtayeh - lentils with pasta

 When I asked friends what their favorite lentil recipes are, I got a heap of wonderful ideas.  One, whose husband is Palestinian and they often visit in Jordan, said rushtayeh, which set me on a search and I found this recipe.  It differs from my friend's in several ways - she also fries garlic for the top, she uses brown lentils instead of red, and she uses homemade frozen pasta or dumplings instead of dried pasta.  But it was tasty this way, too!  This recipe only really made two servings of a big bowl as a dinner, so if I make it again I will probably triple it to have plenty to share.  

Red Split Lentils with Pasta (Rishtayeh) عدس رشتاية

Ingredients:

• 1 cup split lentils (red lentils - or another kind)
• ¾ cup pasta (we used pappardelle from Trader Joe's but homemade would be better)
• 4 cups boiled water (or broth)
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric

For garnish:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 1 small onion (red or yellow), to serve raw mixed with sumac
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• handful of parsley

Instructions:

1. Add chopped yellow onions to heated olive oil, continue with occasional stirring and until onions are fried.
2. Rinse lentils and cover with boiled water and let it boil for 10 minutes
3. Add salt, cumin, and turmeric.
4. Add squarely chopped pasta over the mix and stir together, lower heat and let it simmer.
5. Pour whatever little olive oil left from fried onions over the pot and stir one more time.
6. Keep frequent stirring for another 8-10 minutes and until the pasta has softened and the mix looks pasty.
7. Pour into serving plates.
8. Decorate plates with parsley, onion with sumac, and fried onions.

 

roasted winter squash with lentils and feta

 This was really tasty and a great way to use up my larder of winter squash from my garden.  I made some changes (doubled the salad but kept same amount of dressing; substituted ACV for honey).  A comment on the cooking site suggested serving this over a salad green and a grain like farro, and that sounds like a very good idea for next time! 

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 1 cup black or green lentils
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2-3 pound butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons roasted, salted pumpkin seeds

For the Dressing

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pick any debris from the lentils, then rinse the lentils under running water. Transfer them to a medium saucepan, then add the cinnamon, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Step 2

   Add enough water to cover everything by 1 inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and let simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils, discard the cinnamon and garlic, then transfer the lentils to a large bowl.

3. Step 3

   While the lentils cook, prepare the squash: Trim and discard the top and bottom ends of the squash. Peel the squash, halve it lengthwise, and remove and discard the strings and seeds. Slice the squash crosswise ¼-inch thick and place the pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Step 4

   Roast the squash until completely tender, slightly caramelized and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Once cool, add to the lentils.

5. Step 5

   While the squash cooks, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, cumin, cayenne and black pepper. Taste and season to taste with salt.

6. Step 6

   Sprinkle the feta, scallions and pumpkin seeds over the lentils and squash. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing over the lentils and squash. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining dressing on the side.