Recipes, Cooking Class March 7, 2015

Photo: Martin Lane Cochran A friend asked if we could do a cooking class for her kids and some of their friends.  She said, "they do not want to decorate cupcakes they want to de-bone a chicken."  We found a mutually free day and de-boned a few chickens, made some pasta, made chicken stock, turned that plus some veg into a chicken noodle soup and then made a quick batch of chocolate cake with chocolate ganache.  Thanks Sophie, Dylan, Julien and Ethan–– great day... looking forward to the next.

Chicken Stock, After de-boning place chicken carcass in a 400 degree oven and cook until deep brown.  Remove from oven, place in a pot, cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook over very low heat, being careful not to boil, for 6 hours.  Drain, discard the chicken and keep the broth.

Chicken Soup, Place broth in a pot and add vegetables of your choice, we used chopped carrots, celery and onion.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Chicken, Heat a heavy bottom skillet over high heat.  Once hot add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom.  Place chicken skin side down into the pan and cook until deep golden brown.  Flip the chicken so the skin is facing up and place in a 375 degree oven until just cooked through, about 7 minutes.

Pasta, In a bowl combine 1 cup all purpose unbleached flour, ½ cup durum flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 egg, ¼ cup water and a pinch of salt.  Mix with your fingers until the ingredients are combined and you can make the dough into a ball.   Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a half hour.  After resting shape into noodles of your choice using a pasta machine or with a roller.  Cook the pasta in boiling water being very careful not to overcook, time will vary depending on the thickness of your noodles but it will take approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes.  Drain pasta, rinse under cold water and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together.

Chicken Noodle Soup, Assemble soup by placing pasta in a bowl, sliced roasted chicken and top with hot soup.

Chocolate Cake, In a bowl or mixer combine 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar,3/4 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup olive oil, seeds from 1 vanilla bean, 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa and  1/4 teaspoon salt.  Mix until just thoroughly combined.  These can be made into about 8-12 individual small cakes or 1 10" cake.  Cook at 350 degrees until a toothpick in the middle tests clean, the time will vary depending on the size of the cake and your oven.  Test doneness with a toothpick stuck in the middle, once it comes out of the cake clean it is done, approximately 15-25 minutes.  Take care not to over cook.  Top cake with the ganache recipe below.

Chocolate Ganache, Bring ¼ cup water to a boil,  turn off the heat and wisk in 4 ounces bittersweet chopped chocolate, wisk in 2 tablespoons maple syrup.  Let cool slightly before using to top chocolate cake.

Recipe- Macadamia Nut Coconut Macaroons

I had a few requests for this recipe over the last week...

Macadamia Nut Coconut Macaroons

6 cups tightly packed coconut flakes 3 cups finely ground macadamia nuts (I do them in a food processor) 1 1/2 cup maple syrup 2/3 cup coconut butter 1 vanilla bean, split in half seeds scraped out and bean discarded 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

In a mixer thoroughly combine all ingredients, shape into small balls about 3/4 inches in diameter.  If the dough is sticking to your hands wet hands with cold water in between shaping cookies.  Place in a 100-120 degree oven until crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, about 6-8 hours.

Recipe– Sesame Coconut Cookies

We have been working on a bunch of cooking projects lately––  writing, developing recipes, testing and editing.  This recipe is a new favorite:

Sesame Coconut Cookies 

16 cookies, Prep Time: 5 minutes, Total Time: 20 minutes

1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup coconut flakes, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon tahini, dash salt

1. Combine the flour, sugar, coconut, sesame seeds, baking powder and baking soda.  Mix in the oil, tahini, salt and 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water.  Combine thoroughly using your fingers.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide the cookie batter into 16 parts.  Wet your hands and roll each portion into a ball.  Place cookies on the parchment paper and gently flatten with the palm of your hand.
3. Bake until cookies just start to turn golden brown, about 12 minutes.
4. Enjoy warm or room temperature.

Calcium Without the Cow

 

Davina Sandground of Nutrition Groove and I taught our second class today on getting calcium through non-dairy sources.  A few days ago Mark Bittman wrote a piece a for the New York Times, Got Milk? You Don't Need It.   

As a long time vegan with a healthy vegan child/young adult this is good!   Davina's sources for information about non-dairy calcium sources include  The Nurses’ Health Study and the work of Dr Walter Willett. Davina began the class with the question– Did you know that the countries that consume the most dairy in the world also have the highest rates of osteoporosis?  Several studies seem to show that there is no connection between dairy consumption and strong bones in fact it appears the opposite may be the case.  She talked about the reasons why dairy sources of calcium may not be working for us and identified best non-dairy sources of calcium to nurture strong bones including– almonds, edamame, figs, blackstrap molasses, brown sesame seeds, wakame, bok choy, white beans, sardines, collard greens, wild salmon, hazelnuts…

Based on the foods Davina identified I came up with easy to make, family friendly recipes to eat throughout the day.  Below is what we cooked in class today, with a few slight changes from the first time we taught the class, some are detailed recipes and some are lists of ingredients–

BREAKFAST

Carrot Muffin

2 tablespoons ground flax seed thoroughly mixed with 1/4 cup water, ½ cup almond milk, ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup date sugar, 3 tablespoons coconut butter softened, ½ cup almond meal, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup wheat bran, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 cups grated carrots, 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, pinch salt

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Bake immediately in a 350 degree oven until they test clean, 10-20 minutes depending on the size.  Or refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking.

Calcium Shake Ingredients

Kale, almond milk, raw almond butter, orange, date, macca, brown sesame seeds, molasses, ice

SIDES

Wakame Salad

½ ounce wakame dried, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon mirin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber, ½ cup cooked Edamame white if possible

1. Soak the wakame in a bowl covered with lukewarm water for 20 minutes, drain, chop and remove any hard bits.
2. In a small bowl combine soy, vinegar, hone, mirin and salt.
3. In a large bowl combine seaweed, sauce, cucumbers and edamame.
4. Serve immediately or make in advance, chill and stir before serving.

Marinated Collard Green or Turnip Green Sesame Salad

Brown sesame seeds, cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, turnip greens or collard greens julienned

1. In a high speed blender combine sesame seeds, vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl combine the turnips greens with the sesame mixture, taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Fig and Kale Salad

Fresh or dried figs if dried soak in water for 15 minutes and drain before using, roasted garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, kale julienned

1. In a high speed blender combine the figs, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl combine the kale with the fig mixture, taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Baked White Beans with Molasses

4 cups cooked white beans, 1 cup very finely sliced onion, 1 clove garlic very finely chopped, 3 tomatoes chopped or 2 cups pureed winter squash, ¼ cup molasses, 2 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, freshly ground black pepper, pinch nutmeg, pinch cinnamon, salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine beans, onion, garlic, tomato, molasses, honey, vinegar, mustard, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
3. Place in a casserole dish and cover with tin foil.  Bake for 2 hours.

FISH

Sardines, Mustard, Bok Choy Salad

1 tablespoon grainy mustard, 1 ½ teaspoons sherry vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1 tin Sardines packed in water and drained, 1 medium head Bok Choy julienned

1. In a large bowl wisk together the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Add bok choy and toss, add sardines toss and serve immediately.

Salmon Patty

1/2 cups cracked wheat (or 3/4 cup cooked quinoa), 1- 7.5 ounce can wild salmon with skin and bones or 7.5 ounces of wild salmon cooked and cooled (this is a great use for left over salmon), 1 egg beaten or 1/4 cup pureed soft tofu, 2 teaspoons chopped chives, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place cracked wheat in a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup boiling water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. In a food processor combine half of the can of salmon, egg if using and chives.  Process until smooth.
3. Place cracked wheat, salmon mixture and remaining half can of salmon in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Form into patties.
5. Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat, spray the skillet with grape seed oil spray.  Cook until browned on one side, flip and cook to brown on the other side.

DESSERT

Figs (fresh or dried) Stuffed with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Calcium without Dairy

Davina Sandground of Nutrition Groove and I collaborated on a class today focusing on getting calcium through non-dairy sources.  Davinas sources for research on the subject include  The Nurses' Health Study and the work of Dr Walter Willett. She began the class with the question– Did you know that the countries that consume the most dairy in the world also have the highest rates of osteoporosis?  Davina talked about the reasons and identified best sources of calcium to nurture strong bones including almonds, edamame, figs, blackstrap molasses, brown sesame seeds, wakame, bok choy, white beans, sardines, collard greens, wild salmon, hazelnuts...

Based on these foods I came up with easy recipes to eat throughout the day.  Below is what we cooked in class today, some are detailed recipes and some are lists of ingredients–

BREAKFAST

Carrot Muffin

½ c silken tofu pureed, ½ cup almond milk, ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup date sugar, 3 tablespoons coconut butter softened, ½ cup almond meal, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup wheat bran, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 cups grated carrots, 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, pinch salt

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Bake immediately in a 350 degree oven until they test clean, 10-20 minutes depending on the size.  Or refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking.

Calcium Shake Ingredients

Kale, almond milk, raw almond butter, orange, date, macca, brown sesame seeds, molasses, ice

SIDES

Wakame Salad

½ ounce wakame dried, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon mirin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber, ½ cup cooked Edamame white if possible

1. Soak the wakame in a bowl covered with lukewarm water for 20 minutes, drain, chop and remove any hard bits.
2. In a small bowl combine soy, vinegar, hone, mirin and salt.
3. In a large bowl combine seaweed, sauce, cucumbers and edamame.
4. Serve immediately or make in advance, chill and stir before serving.

Marinated Collard Green or Turnip Green Sesame Salad

Brown sesame seeds, cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, turnip greens or collard greens julienned

1. In a high speed blender combine sesame seeds, vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl combine the turnips greens with the sesame mixture, taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Fig and Kale Salad

Fresh or dried figs if dried soak in water for 15 minutes and drain before using, roasted garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, kale julienned

1. In a high speed blender combine the figs, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl combine the kale with the fig mixture, taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Baked White Beans with Molasses

4 cups cooked white beans, 1 cup very finely sliced onion, 1 clove garlic very finely chopped, 3 tomatoes chopped, ¼ cup molasses, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, freshly ground black pepper, pinch nutmeg, pinch cinnamon, salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine beans, onion, garlic, tomato, molasses, honey, vinegar, mustard, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
3. Place in a casserole dish and cover with tin foil.  Bake for 2 hours.

FISH

Sardines, Mustard, Bok Choy Salad

1 tablespoon grainy mustard, 1 ½ teaspoons sherry vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1 tin Sardines packed in water and drained, 1 medium head Bok Choy julienned

1. In a large bowl wisk together the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Add bok choy and toss, add sardines toss and serve immediately.

Salmon Patty

1/2 cups cracked wheat, 1- 7.5 ounce can wild salmon with skin and bones, ¼ cup silken tofu processed with calcium sulfate, 2 teaspoons chopped chives, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place cracked wheat in a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup boiling water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. In a food processor combine half of the can of salmon, tofu and chives.  Process until smooth.
3. Place cracked wheat, salmon mixture and remaining half can of salmon in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Form into patties.
5. Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat, spray the skillet with grape seed oil spray.  Cook until browned on one side, flip and cook to brown on the other side.

DESSERT

Figs (fresh or dried) Stuffed with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Coconut Butter

Artisana Coconut Butter is a staple in our kitchen.  It is made from the pureed flesh of raw mature coconuts unlike coconut oil which is the pure oil extracted from the coconut meat.  The butter is an essential ingredient in our non-dairy ice creams, we used a little in a savory curry, whisking it in a sauce the way one would traditionally use butter.  I also use it in Macaroons... Coconut Macaroons

6 cups tightly packed coconut flakes 3 cups almond flour or other nut flour such as pistachio, macadamia nut, walnut 1 3/4 cup maple syrup 2/3 cup coconut butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon sea salt

Thoroughly combine all ingredients, shape into small balls about 3/4 inches in diameter.  Place in a 100-120 degree oven and cook until crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, about 6-8 hours.

Kitchen Experiment, Young Coconut Curry

Most days I eat at least one young coconut.  John has been curious about making a curry sauce using both the water and meat from a young coconut, the idea being that it would be cleaner tasting and the spices more prominent without a traditional coconut milk base. For dinner one night last week he prepared a coconut curry sauce by blending the water and meat of a young coconut in a high speed blender.  The coconut mixture was gently heated and he wisked in a small amount of coconut butter.  Added, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, whole tumeric, cumin seeds and let the seasonings flavor the coconut while maintaing the temperature at 125 degrees for about 20 minutes.  We strained the sauce before serving over potatoes, salsify, black rice and spinach.

Kitchen Experiment, Eggs

We like to serve eggs at Home Restaurants, two of our favorites are from Path Valley Cooperative and Whitmore Farms.  We wanted to try some variations with a thermometer, a pot of water, and our new stove which allows us to regulate the cooking temperature on the low end, for example we can hold a pot of water at 140 degrees.  Sous vide without the machines– Image 1. Sous vide in plastic wrap, 7 minutes at 190 degrees

Image 2. Sous vide in shell, 55 minutes 143 degrees

Image 3. Traditional medium boiled egg, 7 minutes, 212 degrees

Kitchen Experiment, Potato Foam Spherification Gnocchi

I am very sceptical of the additives used in so called, modernist cuisine.  However since I use baking powder and baking soda all the time, which were once considered new, I do not want to outright reject all "modernist" ingredients.  Sodium alginate is actually made from seaweed and I use seaweed often in cooking.

We have decided to do a few experiments for our own culinary growth...   Our first attempt yesterday was an adaptation of Ferran Adria's famous Potato Foam Spherification Gnocchi.  Not bad for a first attempt!  It was fun and exciting to see the dish come together and to see how these new to us ingredients work.   The texture of the gnocchi was very interesting.  On the other hand my favorite part of the dish may have been the roasted potato skins we prepared for the broth...  This is what we did–

2 cups kombu dashi or other vegetable broth, 450 grams of potatoes, grapeseed oil, 350 grams water (cooking potato water), 5 grams of sodium alginate, 5 grams calcium carbonate, 1000 grams rinsing water, 1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, fresh sorrel

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel potatoes with a knife reserving thick potato skins for roasting.

Place potato skins on a sheet tray, season with grapeseed oil, salt and pepper and roast until edges are browned, add to dashi, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.  Strain broth, discard potato skins (or eat them) and return broth to a pot and set aside.

In a medium pot add potatoes and cooking water and cook until potatoes are soft.

Drain the potatoes reserving 350 grams of cooking liquid.  Place warm cooking liquid in a blender, blend on low and slowly add sodium alginate.  Mix until smooth, about 2 minutes, add potatoes and blend until smooth, approximately 2 additional 2 minutes.  Add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Pass potato mixture through a chinois, and pour into a 1 quart ISI whipper.  Infuse with 2 chargers, 1 at a time shaking the mixture 3 times after each charge.

In a 9" x 12" flat bottom dish add 1000 grams of water and calcium carbonate, stir to dissolve.

Slowly discharge potato contents into calcium bath making a long snake shape.  Cut immediately with scissors into 3/4 inch gnocchis.  Let sit for 2 1/2 minutes until outer casing slightly hardens.  Rinse gently and thoroughly in warm water to wash off the bitter calcium bath.

Fill bowls with hot broth and gently top with hot gnocchi.  Garnish with sorrel and serve immediately.

California White Sturgeon Caviar with Salsify

We recently started getting caviar from California... initially we were skeptical since traditionally the only caviar we served was from wild sturgeon of the Caspian or Black Seas.  However wild sturgeon, once plentiful in many places in the world are now threatened by overfishing, loss of habitat and pollution.  In fact, the sturgeon of the Caspian Sea are nearly extinct.  In response sturgeon are now farmed raised in many parts of the world, some farms are sustainable and others are not.  The California caviar from the Sacramento area we are getting is said to come from a perfected sustainable aquaculture environment.  The taste and texture are of this Osetra-like caviar is phenomenal.  We served the caviar with a long time favorite pairing of ours, roasted salsify.  In the past we have topped it with creme fraiche but this time with fermented grains and wild chives from our neighbors front yard.

Roasted Parsnips

Eat your parsnips, this time of year there are few things better... Roasted Parsnips

Peel parsnips, cut them in half, remove the core and then cut them into thin strips, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, coat the parsnips lightly with grapeseed oil, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, roast them until they start to turn brown, stir them and continue roasting until they brown some more.  Total cooking time will be about 15-20 minutes.

Carrot Muffins

Martin-Lane's favorite breakfast of the moment is a carrot muffin.  We make the dough in advance and bake the muffins while she is getting dressed in the morning. 1/2 cup pureed silken tofu, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons olive oil,  1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup coarse wheat bran, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 3 cups shredded carrot, 3/4 cup walnuts

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Cook in a 350 degree oven until a knife inserted in the middle tests clean, about 20 minutes.  Good hot or room temperature.   Makes 12 muffins, the rough nutritional analysis below is for an individual muffin.

Sprouted Quinoa Granola

Over the years we have made lots of different versions of this granola recipe... this is my favorite of the moment with sprouted quinoa substituted for cooked quinoa that we have used in the past.  Also we have added more seeds in place of some of the nuts in other versions.  This recipe is only moderately  sweet so you may choose to make it a bit sweeter by adding a few fresh dates or additional maple syrup.

3 cups quinoa, 1 cup raw walnuts, 1 cup raw almonds, 1 cup raw cashews, 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, 1 cup raw sesame seeds, 1 cup sunflower seeds, 2 cups dried figs tip of stem removed, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup,  2 cups raw coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon salt

Place quinoa on a large sheet tray, thoroughly moisten with water and cover with a sheet of parchment paper.  Let sit until you see the quinoa has sprouted, little white tails will grow on the end of the grain and will be about the same length of the grain when it is ready.  Check every 8 hours of so to make sure the quinoa is still moist but not sitting in a large amount of water.  The whole process should take about 24 hours.

After the quinoa has been soaking for approximately 16 hours fill a large bowl with walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and figs– cover with water and let sit at room temperature for about 8 hours or until the quinoa has sprouted.

Once everything has soaked and sprouted drain the liquid from the nut mixture and place into a food processor, add maple syrup and pulse on and off until the ingredients are chopped but still coarse, you may need to do this in a few batches depending on the size of your food processor.

Thoroughly mix the quinoa (which should not have any extra liquid but if it does drain before adding) with the chopped nut mixture and toss in coconut flakes and salt.

Spread the granola onto two large sheet trays and place in a 120 degree oven to dry. There seems to be some debate about what temperature you need to stay below for food to be considered raw, many experts agree that most food enzymes will not be destroyed if you do not go above 120 degrees.  I find that many ovens can be set as low as 120 degrees and the process of drying at this temperature can happen in 12-18 hours.  If your oven does not go that low, no worries, just dry at a low temperature.  While the granola is drying stir it every several hours and leave in the oven until there is no moisture left and it is crunchy.

The rough nutritional analysis below is based on 1/2 cup servings.  I often eat it with almond milk.  Store in an airtight container.

Quick Pickled Watermelon Radish

Slice thin or make into shoestrings on a mandolin, salt with a fine sea salt and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, dress with gourmet rice wine vinegar and serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Super Immunity Class

 

A friend of mine Davina Sandground recently launched a fabulous new business, Nutrition Groove.  A couple months ago she asked if I would be interested in teaching a class with her based on Joel Fuhrmans book Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free.  I was thrilled!  Dr. Furhman's book talks about eating much the way I already do but also incorporates all sorts of information that was new to me...such as– the need to finely chop or thoroughly chew kale to get full nutritional benefits, why a high dose of vitamin C is not helpful when you have a cold and that the delivery system used in the flu vaccine might be more damaging for most of us than getting the flu...

Davina and I concentrated on 6 of Dr Fuhrman's top foods for Super Immunity– kale, mushrooms, onions, beans, pomegranate and seeds.  Davina talked nutrition and I cooked.  This is what we ate.

Kale

-Roasted Kale– kale stem removed and chopped, grapeseed oil spray, roasted garlic peeled and chopped, salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, place kale on a baking sheet, spray with oil, toss with garlic, salt and pepper and bake until slightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

-Raw Kale and Sesame Salad– 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons coconut nectar or other sweetener, salt and pepper to taste, kale stem removed and finely chopped (about 4 cups kale total)

In a high speed blender combine until smooth sesame seeds, cider vinegar, olive oil, coconut nectar, and enough water to make a thick dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large bowl toss kale and dressing until thoroughly combined, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

-Kale Smoothie– 1 cup chopped kale, 1/2 pear core removed, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk

In a high speed blender combine the kale, pear, banana and milk.  Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Mushrooms

-Roasted Hedgehog Mushrooms–hedgehog mushrooms brushed clean,  shallots roasted and peeled, grapeseed oil, salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place mushrooms and shallots on a sheet tray and lightly coat with grapeseed oil, season with salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms are just cooked, about 7 minutes.

-Shiitake Leek Broth– shiitake mushrooms stems removed, leeks finely chopped

In a pot combine the mushrooms, leeks and cover with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.

-Marinated Button Mushrooms– button mushrooms finely sliced, fresh lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl combine mushrooms, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper.

Onions

We used garlic, shallots, leeks and chives in the kale and mushroom recipes

Beans

We discussed adding Kombu to beans during soaking and cooking to help tenderize them and aid in digestion.

-Bean Dip– 1 cup beans cooked, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs chopped, salt and pepper to taste

In a high speed blender combine beans, oil, herbs, salt and pepper.  If too thick add water until desired consistency.

Pomegranate

I demonstrated a method I use for removing seeds from a pomegranate–

Cut a pomegranate in quarters.  Get a bowl of cold water.  Remove seeds from skin and pith over the cold water and let the seeds fall into the water.  If there is any pith still attached to the seeds it will float to the top.  When you are finished skim the pith off the top of the water, drain the seeds and they are ready to eat or use.

Seeds

We used sesame seeds in the raw kale salad.

-Chia– 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup almond milk, pinch salt, raw cashews, coconut flakes, raw walnuts, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, fresh dates chopped.

In a medium bowl combine the chia, milk and salt.  Top with the nuts, additional seeds, coconut and dates as desired.