Like Healthier Hostess Cupcakes: Flourless Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter, & Banana Mini Muffins

I have, again, been remiss in posting as our family has been living out of suitcases for a month or so and then moved across a few states. Life is chaotic most days, but I recently found myself craving the need to bake in a new home surrounded by boxes. Therefore, I am doing the second best option and posting something decadent and healthy for those that are willing to brave the summer heat by turning on the oven....if you're not willing to turn your oven on yet, bookmark this recipe, because they are truly worth trying! Even the kids love them!

I cannot get over how these delicious mini-muffins don't taste like they have healthy ingredients!--Ok, except for the chocolate chips on top. The best part is, the blender/food processor does all the work for you. Here is the original recipe from Dashing Dish that also shows nutritional information. Thank you for such an awesome recipe, Katie! I have adapted the recipe to use DARK chocolate cocoa, semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, (these latter two ingredients make it 'double dark') and added flaxmeal (this affects fat content a bit). Feel free to try it with peanut butter chips instead if you prefer more of a peanut butter flavor. Or skip the chips and frost for healthier cupcakes. Either way, the banana and peanut flavors make for terrific pairing with the chocolate. My daughter thinks she's getting cake when these come out.

Oh guys.....I am in awe of how delicious these muffins are--we are calling them chocolate 'treats' in our house. They have the softness and texture of a cupcake. I have made them several times now...you will think you are cheating on your diet when eating these...we even took them on a picnic in the mountains last month. Here are some pictures of that glorious day where the mini-muffins were just part of the delights:

And here are the mini-muffins (or cupcakes) thawing out from our cooler:

Flourless Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Mini-Muffins


Adapted from www.dashingdish.com

Yield: 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini-muffins

• 1 ¾ cups old fashioned oats
• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa)
• 1 ½ bananas (this makes ½ cup mashed banana)
• ½ cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp. vinegar (or ½ tsp. cream of tartar)
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup hot water
• ½ cup baking stevia OR 1 cup sweetener of choice that measures like sugar (I like raw sugar)
• 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds (also called ‘flaxmeal’)
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ‘natural’ preferred
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini-morsels (or more)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 24 cup mini muffin pans with silicone mini muffin liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. OR, you can use one 12 cup regular muffin tin pan. Set aside. 

Place the peanut butter in a mug or microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until melted.

In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. (The batter will be sort of liquid-y, but that’s ok!)

Divide batter between muffin tins. Sprinkle each muffin top with mini-chocolate chips, dividing them evenly.

Place muffin tin(s) in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool muffins before removing from pan. ENJOY!!!

Individual Breakfasts: Baked Eggs In Tomato Sauce

I first saw this idea years ago in a Self Magazine. What a neat concept--individual baked eggs with sauce! We love them because they are easy, delicious, and 'recipe' is so versatile. It's not much of an 'exact' recipe, so your imagination is key. This breakfast requires only a few ingredients and they're usually things you have on hand: cheese, tomato sauce, and eggs. Then you can dress them up with whatever seasonings you want. These eggs are one of those perfect breakfasts to make when having guests over because ALL the eggs come out at once and you don't have to make them to order--yet, they are still customizable.

I have only made them with an 'Italian' flavor (as described below), but have yet to try them with salsa, cumin/chili powder, and a Mexican cheese blend instead. I can't imagine that wouldn't be good!

You will love these--play around with different cheeses--for a sophisticated breakfast, I bet Talegio, vodka sauce & rosemary would be a good combo with some crusty ciabatta :) While your eggs are baking, you can brew coffee, make hash browns, and cut up fruit. Breakfast can be ready in 30 minutes from start to finish.

By the way, I HAVE noticed that the type of egg you use, does make a difference as I have made these with both organic and non-organic eggs. The organic eggs tend to taste a bit better--too bad the price isn't better also!

INDIVIDUAL BAKED EGGS 

Yield: Servings vary-see below.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease as many ramekins (4 oz or 6 oz) as you plan to have portions.

For each serving--layer in this order:

• 3 tsp. pasta sauce (any flavor)
• ~2 Tbsp. Mozzarella cheese or 2 tsp. Parmesan cheese, or a little of each (preferable)
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. dried basil or Italian herbs
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Bake them for less time (15-18 minutes) if you like your centers running--bake them longer (22-24 minutes) if you prefer your yolks hardened like us.

Serve with buttered toast :)

NOTE: It's easier to place all the ramekins on a baking sheet and take the baking sheet in and out, than take each ramekin out one by one.

Enjoy!

Mississippi Comeback Sauce: Y'all Come Back, Ya Hear?

A few weeks ago, on Easter, our sweet friends invited us to go down to their family farm. We had an AMAZING day with their wonderful, tight-knit family. And it got me thinking about Southern food and traditions now that we are moving. And I realized that I've come to love a lot of things about the South--so much so, that I feel more at home down here than I do back in a big city environment of the North. They're all about Faith, Family, & Football. LOVE that. Even if I'm still struggling with the last one.

Anyway, here's a lovely view from Slayden, Mississippi.

And a couple other things that made me smile:

Since it was Easter, the kids were lucky enough to dye some eggs. Here's another great love the South has cultivated in me--MASON JARS!

So, with Mississippi on the brain, I had to try this Southern sauce I had heard about--it's origin is unknown--some say it was invented by a restaurant chain (Outback Steakhouse, I think) and others believe it was created by a Greek immigrant after the second world war. Whoever made it up was onto something GENIUS because this sauce is simply DELICIOUS! It goes with everything...like a pumped up version of Thousand Island dressing, sweet, salty, tangy, and just a tad spicy. We loved it with grilled vegetables, bread, and fish. It was awesome as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers. It would be terrific as a salad dressing or drizzled onto a baked potato as well. Or use it as a sandwich condiment.

You'll find new uses for it, surely. And, you really will keep coming back for it!

One of the ingredients is chili sauce. You can use this Heinz kind, but I used this Nestle Maggi kind. Southerners love Duke's mayonnaise, but I perverted the recipe by using my favorite vegenaise--so delicious! The sauce will keep for a couple weeks. In a Mason jar, of course.

COMEBACK SAUCE
Adapted & loosely changed from Southern Living

·         1/2 cup mayonnaise 

·         1/4 cup olive oil

·         3 Tbsp. chili sauce

·         2 Tbsp. ketchup 

·         1 Tbsp. water

·         1 tsp. lemon juice

·         1 tsp. white wine vinegar (optional)

·         2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

·         2 tsp. prepared mustard (I used yellow-but I think they mean Dijon or ground mustard)

·         1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

·         Dash of paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)

·         Dash of hot sauce

·         1 small onion, minced or grated (or 1/2 a medium onion)

·         1 garlic clove, minced or grated

Mix all ingredients together. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

This stuff is FABULOUS on fish! (that's salmon below) And some other things too. Hope you'll give it a try!

And yes, we do grill bread--it's amazing! Spray it with olive oil, rub some garlic on it, and grill away!

Hope you guys like this sauce as much as we do--I served it to my visiting dad who couldn't get enough.

Banana, Chocolate Chip, and Granola Cookies

So, with two months left until we leave our house and downsize to less than half of what we have now....I've got a myriad of foods and odds and ends ingredients that need to be used up. Powdered sugar, lentils, Swiss cheese, dried papaya, dehydrated mushrooms, corn flakes, etc. In fact, I got really creative this weekend and made waffles from random pantry items: coconut oil, quinoa flakes, eggs leftover from Easter, leftover buttermilk, sorghum, cornstarch, etc. My family ate them and ate them again. While I watched silently. And enjoyed the smell of coconut in my house. And then decided to tackle more ingredients...like granola.

What's a person to do with leftover granola when they're burned out on parfaits? Well, I saw these cookies online and had to try them. They are VERY good. Moist...flavorful...quite the treat. Glad I stumbled upon the recipe so that I can have another use for bananas and granola. 

The recipe below is my adapted version: I used less sugar (and brown, not white), a not-so ripe banana (so the pieces didn't get smushed), a different granola, and totally upped the amount of chocolate chips--and felt I could have even used more! Delicious.

BANANA, CHOCOLATE-CHIP, AND GRANOLA COOKIES

Adapted from www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com

Makes 3-4 dozen

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 egg
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
• 3/4 cup Cascadian Farms Maple-Brown Sugar Granola (I used Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus)
• 1 medium banana, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix sugars and butter in a large bowl. With a mixer, hand-held beater, or very strong arm, beat until creamy. Then beat in the egg until the batter is fluffy and light.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until basically combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and granola. Now fold in the banana, being careful not to smush the pieces too much.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet (yes, I did add some more chips on top!). Bake 6-8 minutes or until just barely set.

Cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a rack or a plate to finish cooling.

BEST Tofu Sandwich Spread. Like A Fabulous Chicken Salad for Vegetarians.

I have been wanting to try this tofu sandwich spread recipe for years! Recently, my mother in law mentioned she had it at a relative's house and wanted to make it herself. That sealed it--she makes the best sandwich spreads.

We have been in an whirlwind of chaos with life lately and I haven't been in the kitchen as much as I'd like. This is part of the reason--been selling a house! And all the super not-fun stuff that goes with it....if another realtor never calls me again, it will be too soon.

In fact, after discussing this with my funny, honest girlfriends, I realized that the last thing I made for my family was veggie burgers (from a can!) and toppings for Costco frozen pizza--in addition to take out orders. Big fat FAIL in meal-planning. But hey, sometimes you just gotta survive (and let's be honest, I've never been a meal-planning kind of gal--that would require dirty discipline). But, finally this was something quick, easy, and do-able to make that could sort of make me feel like I'm providing for my family. Because I had to make up for the lemon split peas I made from this recipe that my daughter spit out and said, 'GROSS, MOM!' and for the last load of whites I turned pink. Check out the lint proof/shame--anyone else do this since college?

Anyway, we absolutely LOVED this spread! And I think even tofu haters would like eat this spread on a sandwich. It tastes a lot like chicken salad. I imagine it would be delicious served alone on a bed of lettuce for those who like to do low-carb diets, but I'm anxious to try it in a tortilla roll-up.  I think even your kids will eat it...mine was last seen happily munching this and watching Veggie Tales.

The recipe below has been modified based on reviews I read and personalized. What I found to be helpful:

1. Plan ahead--because you will need to freeze the tofu overnight. Something amazing happens when tofu is frozen and thawed--the texture changes considerably--more crumbly. I love to use it in lasagnas after it's been frozen. 
2. To make it vegan, use Grapeseed Vegenaise brand--you can find it at health food stores like Whole Foods. It's the best tasting mayonnaise I've ever had--you will not think 'vegan' when you have it in food. 
3. I used low-sodium soy sauce, and ended up needing to use more than 2 Tbsp. So, keep this in mind if using low-sodium soy sauce. I have not used Bragg's Liquid Aminos, but it may be a good substitute for the soy sauce.
4. This recipe is a great jumping off point for other add-ins. Feel free to add chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Add curry powder if you prefer. I felt it absolutely necessary to use garlic powder. 
5. I added a little extra lemon juice and some pepper. Taste for seasonings.

TOFU SANDWICH SPREAD
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Makes 4-6 sandwiches (depending on how much filling you use)

• 1 lb. firm tofu (1 package)
• 1 1/2 stalks celery, finely minced
• 2-3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce (maybe more if using low-sodium soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Drain the block of tofu. Wrap it in saran wrap or put it in a ziplock bag and freeze the tofu overnight. Then thaw it out--it's best to leave it out wrapped in paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Squeeze out any moisture by hand--you can cut it into quarters to make it easier to squeeze out each section.

When the tofu has been dried out as much as possible, crumble it into a medium-sized bowl.

Add celery and green onion to the tofu. Stir in the mayo, soy sauce, lemon juice, and other seasonings until well blended.

Store leftover sandwich spread in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Blackberry Orange Cake (with or without Ground Almonds)

Now that spring is here and the weather has been so divine, it was about time to post something lovely and inspiring. And that's just what I find this old-fashioned orange-blackberry cake to be.

Thought I'd post some shots I took so far that have made us welcome spring:

There's something about this weather that makes a person want to be outside. So take this cake outside with your loved ones after dinner and enjoy the feel of warmer breezes, the sound of birds chirping, and the smell of new grass growing. And yeah, don't forget to bring the allergy medicine.

I have made this cake several times over the last few months and love it. It's particularly good in the morning too with a hot cup of coffee if you can stare out your window in silence for a few moments before the day's activities overwhelm you. This cake makes me nostalgic. It is a simple recipe that, again, reminds me of the kind of dessert my mother or grandmother would make that highlights the season's best fruits.

If you prefer lemon extract instead of orange, you could easily substitute that. Or replace the blackberries with raspberries. Or you could skip the raw sugar topping and make a glaze of powdered sugar and fresh orange or lemon juice to drizzle on top of the cooled cake--there are several possibilities.


OLD-FASHIONED BLACKBERRY ORANGE CAKE (WITH OPTIONAL GROUND ALMONDS)


Serves 6-8

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. fresh orange zest (zest of about 1 orange)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup ground almonds (optional-but oh so good!)
• 1 cup fresh blackberries (or slightly more)
• 2 Tbsp. raw sugar, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350°F.


Combine sugar and butter, then beat for 3 minutes on medium-high speed with paddle. Add in the flour, baking powder, eggs and zest. Scrape bottom of mixing bowl, then continue to mix for 2 minutes at medium speed.

 

Pour this batter into greased and floured tart pan with removable bottom or cake pan with removable sides. Drop berries over the top of the cake as evenly as possible. Then, sprinkle the raw sugar over the berries.

 

Bake cake until it tests done in center or until the cake pulls from the side of the pan, about 50 to 60 minutes depending on oven.

 

Let cake cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then gently loosen edges of removable tart pan. When cooled, lift from the bottom on the tart pan or simply un-mold the cake pan sides.

 

Dust with powdered sugar or brush with a light glaze of your choice. (totally optional!)

 

This is a delicious cake served with vanilla or blackberry ice-cream. Enjoy!

North African Inspired Tomato, Chickpea & Spinach Stew (Vegan)

Inspired by pantry staples, I made this super basic, but healthy, vegetarian stew a few weeks ago. My intention was to serve it over rice or with pita bread, but instead I ate two bowls plain by myself. Really enjoyed the flavors and textures together. Thought I'd pass it along if you've got a hungry family and a few cans to use up.

If you're not a big spinach fan, cut the spinach amount in half!!! My picture, above, does not show the bright green vibrancy of the spinach because this particular portion was reheated as leftovers :)

I'm sure this stew would benefit from with some cayenne pepper for heat and topped with some Greek yogurt (if you weren't vegan) or fresh lemon/lime juice (if you are a vegan). The stew was also good over a wild rice mix with a little grated cheese on top (Kashkaval is particulary delicious). Enjoy.


NORTH-AFRICAN INSPIRED TOMATO, CHICKPEA, & SPINACH STEW


Serves ~6

• 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced in half moon shapes (1/2 circles)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, pureed (I used Muir Glen's fire-roasted tomatoes)
• 2 cans chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed--(can save a little liquid)
• 1 tsp. coriander 
• 3/4 tsp. turmeric
• Salt & pepper to taste (I used ~1/2 tsp. of each)
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed or defrost, if you prefer) OR 2 cups fresh spinach

In a medium-sized pot with lid (I used a dutch oven), heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion. Add a couple tablespoons of water (or any of the liquid from the chickpeas). Saute until onion is translucent--about 10 minutes--making sure onion doesn't burn.

Add garlic and tomatoes. Stir until combined and cover. Lower heat to medium-low. Mix in chickpeas and spices, including salt & pepper, and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes or until the chickpeas are tender.

Add the spinach (mine was a frozen block that thawed in the hot stew). Gently mix it in and try to break it up if yours is frozen like a block as well (I used a fork to separate it). You can turn off the heat once most of the spinach has thawed--or when the spinach has wilted, if you are using fresh spinach.

Spelt and Sunflower Seed Pancakes

A very rare thing occurred: My husband was home on a weekday morning. Granted, he was using a vacation day to study (boards are coming up) and he was working on taxes (for the umpteenth time)--but he was home! And that made us girls very happy. We needed something special to eat to distract from the paperwork and the painting (I'm tackling the trim on the bathroom--my workmanship is disastrous). Solution? PANCAKES!

I have a new love for spelt flour. I have now tried spelt flour in muffins and banana bread with excellent results. So, it was time to move on to using it in pancakes. Spelt flour just called for something nutty to be added with it--and of course, I paired it with sunflower seeds (been a bit obsessed with sunflower seeds as you have seen from my previous sunflower seed spread and the rustic sunflower seed bread).

(A note about SPELT: it's a member of the same grain family as wheat but is not as heavy as whole wheat flour--you get a more tender result by using spelt flour in baking.) 

And because we're mentioning sunflower seeds, here are a couple pictures from our local trip out to the sunflower field (from this last August)....

Back to pancakes: Well, I'm happy to say, my experimental recipe turned out great! LOVE these pancakes and will be making them again. Serve them with some veggie sausage on the side for some extra protein to take you through until lunchtime.

SPELT AND SUNFLOWER SEED PANCAKES

Makes 10-12 pancakes (depending on size)--should serve at least 4 people for breakfast

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• ~1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds 

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. safflower oil (or canola) + more for greasing pan/griddle
• 1 Tbsp. honey

In a small-medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients (including the sunflower seeds) and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk and oil. Add honey and whisk again until all the ingredients are incorporated.

(TIP: if you use your tablespoon to measure out the oil, the honey will slide out easily when you use the same tablespoon to measure out the honey).

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Feel free to add a little more buttermilk if the mixture seems too dry.

Heat pan, skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly coat with some oil (of your choice--I used safflower again as it is good with high temperatures). 

Pour approximately 1/4 cup of pancake batter for each pancake. (I only got about 3 pancakes in a really large skillet)

Cook pancakes 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown--you will know they are ready to be flipped  when you start to see little bubbles form around the edges.

Serve the pancakes warm with maple syrup and fruit of your choice.

Go out there and make some pancakes for your loved ones this weekend--they're DELICIOUS!

Blew-My-Mind-Delicious-Treat: Vegan (REALLY?) Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Yup. Another vegan recipe. And it's amazing. My friends recently asked me what my obsession with trying vegan recipes was...I really don't know. Maybe it's because it seems like the 'hip' thing to do these days...? Or maybe it's because I'd like to believe that there are delicious vegan foods to discover. Or maybe because I'd like to know I'm not as completely dependent on cheese as I think I am (HA! A life without cheese? Say it isn't so!!!!). I haven't read 'The China Study' or 'Eat To Live'...no time and parenting/bible study material sort of take priority at this point in my life. Maybe I'll get to them later this year...however, I like the idea of 'cleaner' eating. Though we like to live with moderation, trying vegan recipes is my way of staying 'open-minded.' And when I stumble upon recipes like this, I don't miss the dairy or eggs.

I saw this banana bread recipe on www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com and was excited about a way to use up the spelt flour sitting in my fridge (yes, I keep my whole grain flours in the fridge). What a surprise it was to find such a low-fat treat. There is no additional fat in this bread (if you don't use oil) besides the chocolate chips! And yes, I added extra chocolate chips. Also, I realize that I have posted several banana bread recipes--all very good. But this is the only one that didn't require butter, refined sugar, or eggs. So, I will definitely be making it again!

I hope you will try this and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

POLKA-DOT BANANA BREAD (CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD)

Adapted from www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com

(Makes 10-12 slices)

• 2 cups spelt flour (or white, or Arrowhead Mills gluten free, etc.)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup milk of choice (or oil)--(I used almond milk)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 stevia packet (or 1 Tbsp. more agave or other sweetener)--(I used agave nectar)
• 2 cups tightly-packed, mashed banana (measured after mashing)-(I had a little less than 2 cups)
• 1/3 to 2/3 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup and sprinkled more on top)
  
  

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry. (Mix by hand, and don’t overmix.)

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and cook for around 50 minutes. (Tip: If the top is cooked but the inside is still gooey, put tin foil over the top and continue to cook.)

After removing from the oven, let cool for ten minutes before slicing. After the first day, this bread is best stored in the fridge. Or cut it into slices and freeze for later. 

Garlicky Sunflower Seed Spread with Parsley

I got this intriguing sunflower seed recipe from my friend, Carla, after she posted a great picture of it on Facebook. She got it from Ligia Pop, a Romanian raw food chef. I was a bit unsure about trying it because I'm not familiar with raw recipes...however, this was SO delicious! This fabulous dip/spread only requires a  handful of ingredients and tastes nutty, fresh, creamy, salty, tart, and sweet (that almost covers it all, doesn't it??).

It was a delicious spread on the pumpkin, sunflower & flax seed bread I just posted on. Carla said it is terrific served on cucumber slices as an appetizer. But, I liked dipping my carrots in it and my daughter liked dipping her crackers in it--so yes, you can use it as a dip! I imagine this sunflower seed spread would be wonderful drizzled with olive oil, if you preferred, or sprinkled with some smoked paprika before serving. I can't wait to try it again with different kinds of herbs. I especially would like to try it this summer with fresh basil instead of the parsley, spread on crostini, and topped it with fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes--YUM!


GARLICKY SUNFLOWER SEED SPREAD WITH PARSLEY

Adapted from my friend, Carla, who got it from www.ligiapop.com

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds (I used 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds & 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. agave nectar
• 1 small handful fresh parsley, rinsed & lightly patted dry
• ~1/4-1/3 cup water
• Salt & pepper, to taste (cracked sea salt is particularly good)

In a food processor or blender (I used my Vitamix), blend/process all ingredients. Add more water, if necessary, until the texture is to your liking.

All I can say--is YUM!