Holiday Recipes Continued!

Chive Cheeze Puffs

2 cups macadamia nuts (soak for 2 days rinsing every 8-12 hours)
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon raw Celtic salt
Fresh chives to taste (1/4 cup+)

1. Add all ingredients, except chives, to Vitamix blender. Using the tamper, slowly increase the speed to maximum. Stop every few minutes to scrape down the sides. Continue until creamy, smooth and slightly warm.
2. Add chives and pulse blend until incorporated. Do not completely blend as an undesirable flavor will result.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop, place scoop fulls of the cheeze onto teflex sheets. Use the outside of the scoop to press cups into the cheeze and dehydrate at 110o for 8-10 hours. Remove from teflex, place on mesh, and continue to dehydrate for 12+ hours until they are crispy on the outside and as dry as possible on the inside.
4. Store refrigerated in airtight container for months. Keeps well in baggies for traveling. These can be used very creatively. Stuff with pate, use as an hors d’oeuvre, use as a protein snack after a workout, the list can go on!

Ginger Spice Cranberry Cookies

2 cups ground almonds
½ cup ground flax
½ cup medjool dates, pitted and soaked
1 cup pecans
½ cup raw agave nectar
½ cup ginger juice or ¼ cup shredded ginger
2 tablespoons liquid vanilla
1 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon cloves
¾ cups dried cranberries

1. Combine almonds, flax, vanilla and ginger in a bowl and mix well.
2. In food processor, briefly process pecans with salt and spices. Add dates and continue processing until it has a crust-like consistency.
3. Combine everything in a bowl and hand mix until well combined. Form into a 3 inch thick log, cut in ½ inch slices, and form into cookie shapes.
4. Place on mesh sheets and dehydrate at 145 degrees for 2 hours. Turn temperature down to 115 and continue to dehydrate for another 24 hours. Cookies should still be slightly moist on the inside.
5. Variations: use any dried fruit or berry (gojis, mulberries, apricot, etc.), or try walnuts instead of pecans.

Walnut Fudge

2 cups walnuts
¼ cup medjool dates, pitted and soaked
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

1. Grind walnuts in food processor until fine.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy.
3. Form into balls or press into glass baking dish and store in refrigerator or freeze

Zucchini Bread

2 cups pecans, soaked 2-4 hours
½ cup raisins, soaked
1 cup zucchini
1 ¼ cup ground golden flax
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Celtic salt
½ vanilla bean

 

1. Process raisins, zucchini, and vanilla bean in Vitamix until smooth; add some of the raisin soak water to blend.
2. Process pecans in food processor with “S” blade until mealy.
3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except ground flax, and mix well.
4. Add flax in 3 increments, mixing well. The dough will really stiffen up.
5. Split dough and form into 2 loaves. Slice into ¼” pieces and place on Teflex sheets.
6. Dehydrate at 145 o for 2 hours, flip onto mesh sheets and continue to dehydrate at 115 o for 2-4 hours or until desired moisture is obtained.

Apple Torte

2 red apples thinly sliced (peeled optional)
2 green apples thinly sliced (peeled optional)
1 apple, any type, peeled and chopped
3 cups walnuts
1 cup pecans
1 ½ cups dried organic shredded coconut
1 cup currants
1 ½ cups pitted medjool dates
¼ cup palm sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp Himalayan crystal salt

1. Crust: Process 2 cups walnuts, 1 cup coconut, and ¼ tsp salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Add ¾ cup dates and process until coarse crumbs start sticking together. Don’t over process. Press into a form pan or store for later (keeps in refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months)
2. Crumble topping: Process 1 cup walnuts, 1 cup pecans, ½ cup coconut, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp cardamom in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add ½ cup currants and 8 dates and continue to process until coarse crumbs form and begin to stick together. Add the palm sugar and pulse a couple times to mix.
3. Filling: Process 1 apple, ½ cup dates, ½ cup currants, ¼ tsp cinnamon in food processor until smooth.
4. Assembly: First mix apple slices and the filling in a bowl and dehydrate for 1-2 hours at 145o. Begin assembling the pie by placing a layer of apple slices then some filling mix. Repeat adding a little crumble topping in between layers with the rest on top.
5. Dehydrate for 2 hours at 145o. Dehydrate again before serving for 1-2 hours at 115 o. Best served warm. Best eaten within 3 days.

Warming Cacao Drink

1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 dash cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon canilla
1 cup Yerba mate/tea (optional)

 

1. Blend in Vitamix until warm.
2. Feel free to play with the proportions of spices based on your tastes 🙂