foodie: rainbow chard pesto

my husband and i recently joined a csa (community supported agriculture).  basically it works like this, you pay a lump sum at the beginning of the season (which generally breaks down to $25-40/week) for fresh veggies, fruits, flowers and herbs from spring through early fall!  not only are the fresh pickins' beautiful and delicious, they force you out of your culinary rut when things like kohlrabi and rainbow chard find their way into your basket...

we were heading to an outdoor concert -- concert under the stars put on by the riverside symphonia -- last weekend, and i had offered to bring a crudite platter with hummus and pesto for dipping.  so, i decided to put some of my csa finds to good use!

vegan rainbow chard pesto

1 cup no-salt cashews
1 small bunch rainbow chard or swiss chard (csa)
1 cup basil leaves (csa)
1 tbsp garlic
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup almond milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

clean chard and basil, and but everything into your food processor.  blend until a thick, creamy and relatively smooth mixture develops.  it's that simple!

enjoy with fresh veggies, on a homemade pizza, with polenta, or on a sandwich!

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foodie: polenta pie with cashew "cheese"

this simple, yummy recipe was inspired by the feel good guru's recipe in her forks over knives cookbook. not only is this polenta pie hearty, filling and delicious, it's also gluten-free and vegan!

here's what you'll need for polenta pie for 2...

12 oz polenta (for simplicity sake, i used 1/2 a store bought log of polenta)
toppings -- like sauteed veggies (i used onions and red peppers with garlic), marinara sauce and herbs
olive oil
water

for the "cheese":
1 cup no-salt cashews
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
herbs of your choice
1/8 to 1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional) -- this adds a tangy, cheesy flavor

cashew "cheese" balls

preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. spray baking tray or pizza stone with olive oil.  spread polenta onto tray (1/2 inch thickness).  i had to add a bit of water to the polenta and mash it a bit before spreading it out.  bake for 30 minutes or until edges are crispy.

2. as the polenta crust bakes, saute your veggies and make the cashew "cheese".  in your food processor, combine cashews, lemon juice, salt, garlic, herbs and yeast (if using) -- blend.  add water little by little until you achieve a thick cream cheese-like consistency.  roll cheese into balls.

3. once crust is done, take it out of the oven, and top it with marinara (or pesto!), veggies and about 1/4 of the "cheese".  i sliced up a few of the cheese balls and then pressed them flat on top.

4. put pie back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.  this pie, though delicious, does not hold-its-own -- you'll have to enjoy it with a fork and knife :-)

bon appetit!

on a different note, here are a few pictures of our dog-baby, olive, in the back yard.  she's such a cutie!!!

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foodie: peanut butter banana sandwich cookies

i made this dessert a few weekends back to take to our friends' house.  i had never made them before -- and kind of made-up the recipe -- so, needless to say, i was pleased when they turned out well.  (i had to hide them from craig so he wouldn't eat them all before the party! lol)  even better...they're gluten-free, and if you use agave nectar instead of honey, they could easily be vegan too!

here's what you'll need for 6 sandwich cookies...

cookie:
1 mashed (over-ripe) banana -- about 3/4 cup
1/2 cup creamy organic peanut butter
2 tbsp honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup)
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

filling:
1/4 cup chocolate morsels
2 tbsp peanut butter

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. mix all the cookie ingredients together until combined.

2. divide mixture into 12 cookies (so that you can make 6 sandwiches), and place them on a non-stick baking tray.

3. bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are just slightly browned (you'll see the coconut browning).
4. remove from oven, and allow to cool.

5. while cookies cool, melt chocolate in microwave and combine with 2 tbsp peanut butter.

6. spread filling evenly on 6 of the cookies (you can gently press the cookies flat if you want a more uniform surface to spread the filling on), and then top each with another cookie.

fyi - this is a very, very doughy cookie.  it has the texture and taste of nearly raw dough -- which is exactly how i prefer my baked treats : )

you can store these in the fridge for up to 5 days.  (want to see the recipe that inspired this one?  check it out here.)

enjoy!!!

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black bean cakes

black bean goodness

craig and i have been attempting to do carb-free dinners.  i tend to subsist on carbs, so the transition has given me a much needed daily reprieve from my cereal, oatmeal, rice, pasta, bread lifestyle.  in my ongoing attempt to be creative in the kitchen, i made black bean cakes last night...and they turned out pretty good : )  so, i thought i'd share the recipe in case any of you want a crab-free evening!

black bean cakes (for two)

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed
salt & pepper

chopped peppers

1. saute onion, pepper and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil until softened and lightly browned.  season with salt & pepper.

2. mash all but 1/3 cup black beans and add 1/2 of onion/pepper mixture (reserve other 1/2 for topping).

3. toast the reserved 1/3 cup beans in 1 tsp olive oil  for a few minutes (season with salt, pepper and additional garlic if you want).

4. add toasted beans to mashed beans/onion/pepper mixture.  form patties - you should be able to get approximately 8 small cakes.

5. saute cakes in remaining olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until browned.  season with more salt & pepper.  (beans can be bland, so be sure to "layer in" seasonings.)  fyi: cakes will be soft (like mashed potato texture) with a thin crispy shell.

dinner time.  come and get it!

serve over chopped romaine and top with curry sour cream and remaining onion/pepper mixture.
feeling crazy?  also top with chopped pickles.  they add a great salty crunch!

yum!

for you health nuts out there: 75 calories/cake.  oh yeah, and they're vegan!.