Coconut-Spice Roasted Walnuts

Today was a walnut day.

Now, just so we're clear: I ALWAYS soak my walnuts. Always. They have a bitter quality that is very off-putting for me unless I soak them. Soaking nuts in water removes enzyme inhibitors - which are aptly named - and also wakes up the nuts, allowing them to germinate. This leads to better digestibility and higher nutrient content. Walnuts, because they break in the shelling process, can't fully germinate. However, all the bitterness does leach out, leaving a soft, mild, almost sweet nut. Next time I soak my nuts, I'll take a picture to show you the dark, ruddy-brown colored water that's left.

I had a great big bowl left over from a prior experiment, and it was about time for them to be eaten. I didn't want to do a raw dish necessarily (read: "yeah, you really should COOK those... starting to look a bit dodgy") and I hadn't roasted nuts in ages! These walnuts were begging for a spice rub.

Coconut-Spice Roasted Walnuts

3 cups freshly soaked walnuts
3 Tb. dry shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tb. sunflower oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients together, then add lemon and oil. This should make a thick liquid. In a larger bowl, pour the wet spices over the walnuts, and toss to coat. Turn out onto a cookie sheet, and place in the oven.

You'll want to stir up the walnuts every 15 minutes or so, making sure to mix in the smaller bits from the corners. It'll take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours or so, until the pan dries out and the walnuts aren't steaming anymore.

When they're thoroughly dry they make a different sound when they're mixed, almost like they're hollow. You'll hear it when they get there. ;)

Paté Stuffed Mushrooms with Butternut "Cheese" (Raw) - Butternut Showcase #2

My second butternut showcase is a bit less in-your-face.

I wanted to make raw stuffed mushrooms, inspired by Leslie Bega's recipe at GLiving. By raw, I don't mean completely unprocessed, as I used my dehydrator to soften the mushrooms, and make them juicier. The result is warm and soft in the mouth, with flavor bursting in every bite. The paté is creamy, tangy, and spicy. I'm hooked!

I'd made a big bowl of julienned squash with my mandolin for a salad earlier that day, so I decided to marinate some extras to put over the mushrooms. They end up being tender and chewy. Mmmm...

Paté Stuffed Mushrooms with Butternut "Cheese"

4 Tb. Braggs or Nama Shoyu
2 tsp. lemon
1/4 tsp. aji panca hot sauce
12 cremini mushrooms, stems reserved
1/2 cup loosely packed butternut squash, julienned

In a large bowl, whisk liquid ingredients together. Wet the mushrooms one by one, making sure to thoroughly coat the insides. Then toss them around in the bowl, and let them sit while you make the paté.

1 cup walnuts
Stems from the mushrooms
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
1/4 cup bell pepper (I used orange)
2 small green onions, chopped
small handful parsley
2 Tb. marinade
1 small garlic clove
cracked pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp.)
enough water to paste

In the food processor, pulverize the walnuts and mushrooms until you get a coarse meal. Add the rest of the ingredients (except water) and grind down until you have a thick paste. It may ball up on you. Splash the water in small amounts until you get a nice, smooth paté.

Take the mushrooms out of the marinade, shaking off the excess as you go. Add your julienned butternut squash to the marinade, and toss. Carefully press the stuffing into the mushrooms, making good-sized mounds. Then, take the squash and squeeze the liquid out, and lay the bits across the tops of the mushrooms.

Dehydrate at 110 degrees for about 2 hours, or until the mushrooms have softened a bit, and the paté has got a nice crust on the outside. Enjoy!

Puddin' Pie! - Raw

If you remember one of my ealier posts, you'll know that I love raw banana pudding. Since discovering the technique, I've made countless avocado-banana puddings. It's such a silky, nutritious way to feel sinful. :)

This one is more of a vanilla-lemon pudding, but no less delicious. I really enjoy the texture that the flax imparts to this. And, to be a little more fun (and needing the protein) I made a walnut-date crust! I could eat that pie crust alone as a dessert. Oooh... Ideas of date balls are flying through my mind.. like a golden snitch. ;)

The green of the pudding is a little off in the picture, but that's because of the flax and cinnamon. Also, the pie would have been more full if there hadn't been so much tasting... in the name of science.

Puddin' Pie!

For the crust:
1 cup walnuts, soaked and dried
1 cup dates, soaked for 5 minutes
1 Tb. water

Grind in a food processor until almost smooth, or desired coarseness.

For the Puddin':
3 bananas
1 avocado
1 1/2 Tb. agave
sprinkle cinnamon
4 Tb. ground flax
1 tsp. vanilla extract, or vanilla bean pulp
2 Tb. lemon juice

Blend all in the food processor until velvety smooth.

Grease a smallish pan with a chunk of coconut oil. (I just took out a chunk and rubbed it around, no need to melt.) Press the pie crust into the pan, making sure to keep it even. Then, pour the pudding into the crust, and chill in the fridge for about an hour.

This makes a very soft pudding, so it's not going to firm up much. It might even be fun to press the pie into a cupcake pan for individual servings! Less mess that way. We just both ate it out of the pan, so there was no slicing and serving.

Southwest Walnut "Scramble" (raw)

I love watching people cook. Growing up, I'd spend hours watching my family cook, and whenever there was a cooking show on, I was right there. My eyes were glued to the television. I have since given up watching TV, and only have one for the occasional movie marathon with the housemates.

Luckily, YouTube has all kinds of cooking to watch, from the expert chef cooking shows, to amateur videos of people proudly showing off their newest creations. I hope to, at some point, get some of my own videos on YouTube. In the Meantime, I'm an avid seeker of new food porn to watch. :)

Which brings me to my next thought. I love watching people prepare raw food. It can range anywhere from simple preparation, like this dish, to hours of intense work. I really like the foods that Ani Phyo shows us on YouTube. They're very quick and easy recipes to prepare, and it's very easy to elaborate on them.

My recipe today was manipulated from this recipe, the Spanish Breakfast Scramble. I loved the idea of this recipe, but thought it needed a bit more of a kick. So, I came up with this:

Southwest Walnut Scramble

2 cups walnuts, soaked and dried
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 bell pepper (color of your choosing, I chose yellow)
2 small green onions
1 Tb. turmeric
1 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. tamari (use nama shoyu for truly raw)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 small garlic clove, crushed (optional)
splash raw apple cider vinegar (I don't ever use filtered ACV)
squeeze lemon
cracked pepper
1 avocado, chopped

Blend walnuts and sunflower seeds in the food processor until they're nicely minced. Using a spatula, pour contents into a bowl. Add in everything else except the vegetables, and mix well. Finally, fold in the tomato, green onions, and bell pepper. Garnish with avocado and kale.

In the picture, I used a whole kale leaf. Normally, I would chop it fine,
and add a dash of lemon juice, olive oil, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos.