(based on Marcona Almond Mayonnaise from www.elanaspantry.com)
1/8-1/4 cup Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ¼ teaspoon Raw Organic Honey
½ cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4+ tablespoons either Marcona Almonds OR Raw Organic Whole Almonds
Begin with smaller amount of vinegar and pour into blender. Add honey and blend on high for 20 seconds until combined.
With motor running on medium or high, drizzle in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
If you don’t get the emulsification, the almonds will thicken up the mixture
Crush the 4 tablespoons of almonds as much as possible before placing them in the blender either by pounding gently with a mallet or rolling pin on a cutting board under a dishtowel or pulsing in a food processor as much as needed.
Place crushed almonds in the blender with vinegar mixture-pulsing and blending alternatively-then check for thickness and texture.
If necessary, blend in another tablespoon or more of crushed almonds, until thick and creamy. Feel free to add a bit more vinegar, depending on your preference.
RECIPE NOTES FROM KITCHEN PORCH:
Sheryl tried this recipe out and shares her thoughts – Sheryl Says: A mayonnaise substitute that’s good for me AND vegan? Okay – I gave it a shot. Since I couldn’t find Marcona almonds on Martha’s Vineyard, I used the raw organic almonds which were available with success. I definitely found that crushing the almonds helped as a standard blender will not break them down on its own as successfully. I was certainly surprised that the results were more than acceptable! I’m a finicky mayonnaise person, but wanted a healthy alternative to those ingredients listed on the mayonnaise jar. This is a great recipe and I encourage you to try it yourself. Use it as a spread on sandwiches, in dip recipes, salad dressings – basically, wherever mayonnaise is called for.
Sheryl’s SURPRISE BONUS RECIPE: During my experimenting using different ingredients for this recipe, I stumbled upon a great salad dressing. If you substitute 4 tablespoons of Organic Almond Butter instead of the raw almonds, you will find a delicious dressing for any green salad – just add a bit of sea salt and pepper and you’ll be all set. My dinner guests all wanted to know “what is in this salad dressing” – it has been a staple in my kitchen ever since… Also, try it with some ginger and sesame oil on organic rice noodles with some veggies – what a treat!
Image credit: scaredy_kat
by Jan on February 11, 2010
Hundreds of people stroll through the farmer’s markets where we sell all sorts of different summer treats from out of the oven popovers to wild rice and cucumber salad. This recipe is among the favorites of our loyal customers.
8 C Shredded Carrot
2 C Dates
2 C Pecans or Walnuts
1.5 C Apricots
2-3 C Shredded Coconut
2 C Raisins/ Currants
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice (to taste)
Cashew Butter Sweetened with Agave or Honey
Shred carrots, then pulp. Squeeze or drain out excess liquid.
Soak dates and apricots and squeeze out excess liquid.
Place dates, apricots and nuts in a food processor and process fine.
Add processed mixture to carrot pulp.
Add raisins, spices and coconut to desired consistency.
Portion into a ring mold to shape.
Grind cashews and add agave or honey to icing consistency.
Top carrot cake with icing.
20 servings
by Jan on January 12, 2010
8 cups water
1 cup tea leaves or 6 tea bags
1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar (I use organic turbinado sugar)
1 qt juice
To brew kombucha, one must make a batch of weak to moderately-strong tea sweetened with white sugar.
The tea is then placed in a large glass container and allowed to cool to room temperature.
At this point I add ¼ to ½ parts juice, usually pomegranate or apple, to the tea.
Next, place the kombucha culture in the tea and cover the container with an air permeable barrier such as cheese cloth or a coffee filter.
Within seven to 5 days, the Kombucha organism will have converted the tea into a fluid that has a palatable balance between sweet and sour. The amount of sourness is directly related to the length of fermentation; the longer the tea ferments, the more sour and less sweet it will be. Also the bigger the culture, the quicker it will ferment.
When fermentation has reached a satisfactory taste, the liquid is strained and bottled. At this point, various fruit additions or flavorings may be added to impart a desired flavor.
As with beer, the bottles are usually conditioned at room temperature for a week to allow yeast cells to produce carbonation. Most people will refrigerate kombucha prior to consumption giving the drink a refreshing sensation not unlike any other carbonated beverage.
At this point, the organism can be placed into a new batch of tea with a small amount of liquid from the previous batch, which helps to reduce contamination by keeping the pH low.
Each successive batch often produces a second membrane, referred to as a “Daughter”. The mother and daughter may be separated which allows the possibility of creating a new kombucha colony.
by Jan on January 2, 2010
4 cups Brussels sprouts, ends removed, cut in half lengthwise
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot sliced thin
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add the sprouts, shallots, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Cook about 10 minutes until they brown nicely and develop a crust.
Transfer the skillet to the oven.
Roast for 10 minutes or until the sprouts are cooked through.
by Jan on February 28, 2009
I baked every kind of squash this way last winter which is so simple and so delicious!
3 lbs pumpkin or winter squash
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 gloves garlic sliced
4 springs rosemary broken into pieces
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Peel the squash, remove seeds, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices at 2′ long.
In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin slices, sliced garlic, springs of rosemary and salt and pepper.
Toss and with olive oil and cook in oven for approximately 40 minutes. The squash will be cooked with brown edges.
Can be served at room temperature.
(based on Marcona Almond Mayonnaise from www.elanaspantry.com)