I’m always trying to think of ways to make food more healthy, but still get our girls to want to eat it. I came up with this idea a few days ago when I found some nice strawberries at the store on sale. No refined sugars are used to make these and you would never know it. These dips would be great to serve at a party. You could also cut the recipe in half or just make one flavor as each individual recipe makes about 2 3/4 cups of dip.
For the whipped cream:
Whip all ingredients together until stiff peaks form.
For the dips:
In a mixing bowl, mix together all of the ingredients (except for the whipped cream) on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Then mix high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Fold in whipped cream by hand using a spatula.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serve with cut up apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, kiwi, etc.
Sounds like a fancy gourmet option, but it’s really a very quick snack that I whipped up with some fresh figs. All kinds of flavors are going on here: sweet, spicy, tangy, savory and fresh. Real ingredients paired together in a delicious way.
Cut figs lengthwise and arrange in a small baking dish. Cut cheese into 16 equal squares and stuff into the middle of each fig half.
In a small bowl whisk together honey, vinegar and oil.
Drizzle the oil mixture over the figs. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Place under a broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese has browned slightly and is melted.
Garnish with chopped mint leaves.
* I happen to like cheddar in these, but they are also great with cream cheese, Goat cheese, blue cheese and Gruyere. Experiment with your favorites!
One of my favorite snacks is raw yogurt cheese, flavored in a variety of ways. I made this one today, and it tastes like apple pie in a bowl! Chock full of probiotics and enzymes from the raw yogurt and raw honey, your body will love it as well as your taste buds! Serve with crackers for a classic apple pie flavor, or fruit for a grain-free option.
Saute peeled and chopped apple in butter until soft and fragrant, adding a splash or two of water if it gets too dry. Let cool to room temperature. Mix together yogurt cheese, honey, and spices, and then stir in apples. Serve with fruit or graham crackers, or eat with a spoon!
If you can, it is good to refrigerate this for several hours to let the flavors meld. This also makes a great packed lunch!
What’s better than Nutella? A homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread made of real food ingredients in your own kitchen, of course. This creamy chocolaty spread is perfect when paired with fresh berries, in raw desserts, or right off the spoon with a glass of raw milk. Absolutely delicious, and quite healthy too!
Soak the hazelnuts overnight. This step is pretty important to make the hazelnuts more digestible, and get rid of some of the phytic acid that can inhibit the absorption of other nutrients. Cover 2 cups of raw hazelnuts with warm water and a dash of salt. Leave to soak overnight, or for as long as 24 hours. Rinse well before use.
Toast the hazelnuts. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheed and roast for about 15 minutes, or until fragrant. Make sure to roll the nuts halfway so all sides can roast evenly.
Peel the hazelnuts. When hazelnuts have cooled, place in a bowl, add another bowl on top and shake vigorously between the two bowls so the skins can come off. You can also try rubbing the nuts between paper towels, but I have found the bowl method to be easier.
Blend hazelnuts to a nut butter consistency. Add the peeled hazelnuts to your food processor and blend on and off for about 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the processor container throughout, until the nuts have become completely smooth.
Add other ingredients and blend. Add sweetener (I prefer maple syrup), unsweetened raw cocao powder, coconut oil, heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla, and salt, and blend for 2-3 minutes on and off until all ingredients are very well integrated. Taste test the mixture, and adjust ingredients to your liking.
Refrigerate and enjoy. Add blended spread to a glass jar and refrigerate. It will keep for a couple of weeks (if it stays that long!)
*To make this vegan, use coconut manna instead of the heavy cream and homemade (unflavored) almond milk or coconut milk instead of the dairy milk. I will not lie - the one with dairy is much tastier than the vegan version (at least it is to me), but the vegan version is pretty good too.
**Adapted from Nutmeg Nanny with my own modifications.
These authentic Carribean treats are not as sweet as you might think. Many recipes call for the addition of sweeteners, but they are really quite delicious on their own. They are only slightly sweet, with a tang. We loved them. Be sure to use super ripe plantains that are covered in brown spots, but not black.
Cut the ends off of the plantains and make a slit down the length of the skin . Peel off the skin and discard. Slice the plantains into 1/3-inch thick diagonal slices.
Place the coconut oil or ghee into a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot, carefully put plantain slices into the skillet.
Cook the plaintains slowly until caramelized on that side, about 7 minutes. Then flip over to caramelize the other side for another 7 minutes or so.
Drain on a cloth or tea towel.
Season with salt to taste and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
This dip is a great way to incorporate an inexpensive type of seafood into your diet, and tastes especially good on sourdough crackers or celery.
In a bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, parsley, onion, garlic and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the salmon and dill. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
These gluten-free, paleo, GAPS-friendly parsnip morsels are called Savory Cakes at our house. They can be served as breakfast, lunch, a hearty snack, or a light dinner.
**If your parsnips are raw, bake in 400º oven for 20 minutes, allow to cool slightly, then proceed with recipe.**
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until it’s doughy. You might need to turn it off and push the spinach leaves down towards the blades, then turn it back on to get it all to incorporate. Use your hands to form balls and flatten into cakes, about 1/3 inch thick.
Melt fat of choice in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Cook cakes about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned and crispy. Serve warm with butter, a dollop of creme fråiche, or simply salt & pepper as garnishes.
If you like Kettle Corn like I do but don’t want it made with nasty rancid oils and white sugar this is the way to go. Quick easy and oh so good! Great for a snack or a night of popcorn and a movie. Also great for kids lunches.
Put coconut oil and popcorn in a large heavy bottom pot. Turn heat on Medium/High.
When the popcorn just barely starts to pop put in the Sucanat. Shake pot constantly while it finishes popping so the Sucanat won’t burn.
Put in bowl and add salt to taste if desired.
Enjoy!
Cocoa roasted almonds seem to be the new snack food. But often times they are loaded with unnecessary sugar and not so good for you oils. These are a great snack for any type of snacker, they are slightly sweet, crunchy, have a little heat, and of course chocolatey.
Put the almonds in a bowl and add honey mix to evenly coat all almonds. Warming the honey slightly will help with this but is not necessary.
Sprinkle on the cocoa, salt, and cayenne. Remember just a little cayenne goes a long way. You can always taste it (taste a whole almond not just the coating) and see how you like it and add more if you need. Mix this in to coat the almonds. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 250 for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the almonds are fragrant and the honey starts to dry some.
After you take them out you can sprinkle another tablespoon of cocoa on them and coat. Let cool, place in an air tight container, keep in the fridge and enjoy.
This easy recipe for liver pate’ will be a big hit with your family and guests! It is delicious. Another easy way to eat nourishing liver.
In a cast iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium/low heat, stirring constantly until it is slightly brown.
Add the onion and garlic and turn the heat to low. Stir and cook until the onion begins to brown.
Add the butter to the pan.
Cut the liver into approximately 1-inch square pieces. Add them to the pan and continue to cook, stirring often, until the liver is browned but still a little pink on the inside.
Salt and pepper generously.
Turn the mixture into a food processor with a metal blade. Add the parsley leaves.
Pulse 3 or 4 times until a roughly textured paste is formed.
Line a small bowl (a 2 cup bowl works well) with parchment paper. (You could also just grease the dish)
Press the pate’ into the bowl and smooth the top. Cover.
Refrigerate until the pate’ is thoroughly chilled.
Turn out onto a serving plate and garnish with fresh parsley leaves, if you like.
Serve with sprouted crackers, sourdough toast points, or raw vegetables.
The idea of making a vegan cheese was never on my radar, because I love the taste of grass-fed raw cheese! However, in an attempt to fast from animal products during Lent, and to provide a dairy-free alternative to cheese (that doesn’t have soy!) for those who can’t tolerate dairy, I whipped up a batch of this cheesy-tasting spread made of cashews and real food ingredients. And I swear - it tastes just like the garlicky boursin cheese!
Soak the raw cashews. Rinse the cashews and soak in warm filtered water (just enough to cover them) overnight with a dash of sea salt. Discard the retained water and rinse the cashews.
Add the cashews and other ingredients to a blender. Add vinegar, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, white wine (optional), salt, and pepper.
Blend. As usual, I used my bullet blender, which worked well … but you can use something more powerful if you’d like.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add to a glass container, cover, and keep in the fridge overnight for all the flavors to mingle. It should stay good for 5-6 days after that if refrigerated.
Eat. Enjoy with sprouted grain or gluten-free crackers and wine, as a dip accompanied by some raw veggies or right off the spoon. Your imagination’s the limit!
This crunchy-delight is a staple in our house. If you’ve got a hankering for salt (or you’re trying to wean yourself from potato chips), try giving this nutritious snack a try! Warning: they can be addictive.
Tear kale into desired size pieces (3-4″ in size; larger is better), removing the thick and crunchy stem.
Place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt.
Place on a SINGLE LAYER onto a cookie tray (no need to grease).
Bake 350* for 10-15 minutes until desired crispness is reached. Cool. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Makes a perfect snack for a packed lunch!