This makes about 1 cup of Salsa
4 medium tomatoes
1 large jalapeño (cut in half lengthwise)
2 large cloves garlic
¼ cup onion (or ¼ of a small onion)
2-3 tablespoons cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
Method
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Cut the onion into a large piece and separate the layers. Place the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño and onion onto a baking dish lined with parchment and broil until you have “burnt” the skins on both sides. Be careful with the garlic, it may cook faster than the other stuff so remove sooner if needed.
Allow the veggies to cool completely before adding them to a blender. Add the cooled veggies and the rest of the ingredients to a blender and pulse until you get the desired consistency. Add more salt if needed.
Soy Free Peanut Sauce
Who doesn’t like peanut sauce? Well yes, I suppose those who are allergic to peanuts but if you are not allergic, you are in for a treat. I warn you, this easy peezy sauce is addictive and it can be used as a dip for shrimp salad rolls as shown here or drizzled over steamed vegetables and rice, BBQ salmon, chicken skewers and SO, MUCH, MORE!!!
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
½ cup crunchy peanut butter (only peanuts and salt)
½ teaspoon ginger (minced)
2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
2-3 tablespoons raw honey
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup coconut mylk
⅓ to ½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt (may need more salt depending on the brand of peanut butter)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (added at the end)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (added at the end)
Method
In a small sauce pot, heat the coconut oil and sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the lime juice and sesame oil. Whisk together and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and add the lime juice and sesame oil. Season with salt if needed and more water if it’s too thick for your liking.
* Refrigeration will make the sauce thick, you can reheat it quickly or just allow it to sit on your counter and get to room temperature.
Creamy Cashew Dill Spread
Imma tell you right now, this is addictive. It’s smooth and creamy texture hits the spot, substitute mayonnaise for this spread in your next sandwich or wrap and you will not be disappointed. This recipe was created to accompany my Turkish inspired chicken wrap so please go to the recipe and get at it.
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
½ cup soaked raw cashews (soak in hot water for at least one hour)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons toasted tahini
3 tablespoons water
2-3 teaspoons raw honey
2 tablespoons fresh dill (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Method
Add all of the ingredients to a blender or a container and use a hand blender. Blend until smooth, allow the spread to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
My favourite way to eat this is to have it with my Turkish Inspired Chicken Wraps.
Creamy Onion Dressing
I love a creamy dressing but most of the time store bought sauces and dressings contain terrible seed oils such canola oil or sunflower oil, or they use poor quality mayonnaise and fillers that I just do not want to put in my body. I do not consume very much dairy but when I do I choose quality- grass fed, organic, no thickeners such as carrageenan or bean gum. When I make my own sauces and salad dressings I can control exactly what is in it and choose quality where I can. Because this dressing is on the thicker side it is amazing on burgers, gluten free breaded fish of chicken tenders or as a spread on sandwiches. Enjoy!
¾ cup onion (chopped small)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
¼ teaspoon salt
2 medium size garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ tablespoons raw honey
¼ cup extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup full fat sour cream (grassfed)
¼ cup full fat plain yogurt (grassfed)
Method
Heat a small sauté pan on low/med heat and add the 1 tablespoon of oil or butter, add the chopped onions and salt. Place a lid over the onions until they have softened ( should take about 5-8 minutes) Remove the lid and sauté the onions until they have lightly browned. Allow to cool and set aside.
Add the remainder of the ingredients to a large mason jar and use a hand blender or use a Vitamix. Once everything is well combined, add the cooled onions and blend until creamy. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper and Voila!
Tahini and Honey Salad Dressing
This dressing is packed with vitamin C from the raw tahini and a touch of sweetness from the raw honey. I love this dressing on kale salad, a mixed green salad or drizzled over lightly steamed veggies. This will last in your refrigerator for at least a week but I doubt it will last that long, because you are going to eat it. Always use organic extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil and try to use quality roasted sesame oil as well, I like to use Everland brand. I used raw tahini for this but roasted tahini would be just fine and possibly taste even better. If you love garlic, please, add more! This dressing can get thicker once cooled but don’t worry, it’s allll good.
¼ cup tahini
2 teaspoons garlic or 2 medium size garlic cloves
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
⅓ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
Method
Add all of the ingredients for the tahini honey dressing to a medium sized mason jar and use a hand blender or use a blender.
Turmeric and Omega 3 Salad Dressing
This is my go to salad dressing on a weekly basis and everyone I introduce this recipe to absolutely love it. They can't believe how delicious it is and how nutrient dense it is. The turmeric gives a lovely earthy flavour and is packed with all sorts of anti-inflammatory properties as well as the flax oil. The fresh ground pepper and flax oil help with absorbability of the curcumin within the turmeric and the apple cider vinegar increases hydrochloric acid in the digestive system and helps bring alkalinity to the body instead of acidity. For real, this dressing is amazingly good for the body!
Note- Omit honey for low carb version
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup organic flax oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1- 2 teaspoons fresh grated turmeric or 1/2 teaspoon dry turmeric
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari (light)
2 teaspoons raw honey
2 cloves garlic (minced)
Sea salt/ pepper
Method:
Now, you are going to want to double this recipe, it's that good and god for you. In a mason jar add the vinegar and honey first so that the vinegar melts the honey, then just add the rest to the jar and shake it up, or you can blend it all up in a blender and it gives a creamier consistency.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Oh goodness, these little babies only come around once a year for a couple of weeks, it's happening right now, get em while you can! You would think that this pesto would be so garlicky it wouldn't be palatable, but it's mild and delicious. It's filled with sulfur containing compounds that help reduce blood pressure, keeps your heart healthy and helps detoxify the body. This is another truly nutrient dense flavour booster that will please everyone. The best part is that it freezes super well, so make triple or quadruple the batch because it goes with so many things; pizza base, tossed into pasta, make a creamy garlic sauce for chicken, salmon or pasta, great on sandwiches ect....
For low carb version, omit honey
1 cup garlic scapes (Remove the tops and cut into pieces)
½ cup parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
¼ cup toasted cashews or pine nuts
Juice of 1 lemon +zest
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1/3 cup to ½ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon local raw honey
¼ teaspoon sea salt and pepper
Method
Add your scapes to the food processor and pulse 5-6 times to break them down, then add everything else to the food processor except the olive oil and pulse 4-6 times. Turn your food processor on while adding an even stream of olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper.
Chimichurri
Everything is raw in this dip so the vitamin C from the fresh herbs is at it's most powerful, the raw garlic and onion has antibacterial properties and helps boost the immune system. The unfiltered raw organic extra virgin olive oil contains phytonutrients and heart healthy omega 9 oils. The importance of quality over quantity for the olive oil here is very important if you want to achieve a super nutrient dense chimichurri.
1 bunch Italian parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro
¼ cup onion
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin organic olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper (may need to add more to your liking)
** Add an extra 3/4 cup extra virgin organic olive oil stirred into the chimichurri after you have blended the above ingredients.)
Method
In a food processor add your garlic and onion, pulse two or three times. Add your fresh herbs and pulse a couple more times, add the rest of the ingredients **except for the extra 3/4 cup of olive oil that you will stir in afterwards.
Pulse the ingredients together until you get your desired consistency, pour the chimichurri into a glass storage container and stir in the rest of the olive oil. You do want the chimichurri to have a coating of olive oil on top, if you need to add a little more olive oil, do so. This preserves it; which allows it to sit in the fridge for weeks, you can even freeze it in little ice cube trays if you would like.
Bon Appetit!
Think Outside the Box
You can do so many things with this amazingly healthy and tasty salsa; I love to grill vegetables and my local farmers sausage and have the chimichurri on the side. Delicious homemade bread loves to be lathered in chimichurri and my morning omelet seems to smile a little more when I add a dollop of chimichurri to it.
Muhammara
1 1/2 cups organic walnuts (lightly roasted)
12 oz. bottle of roasted red peppers in water (strain the water before using)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (omit for lowER carb or keto)
1 tablespoon raw honey (omit for lowER carb or keto)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1-2 tablespoons onion
Sea salt and fresh pepper to season
Method
Note- Omit the pomegranate molasses and honey and you got yourself a low carb dip.
Combine all above ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor and puree to a smooth paste while slowly adding in your olive oil from the top of the food processor. Season with sea salt and pepper. It always tastes better after it has rested in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, but you can definitely eat it right away.
Cook Outside the box
Serve as a dip with pita bread or freshly cut vegetables, especially celery.
Top your roasted salmon or grilled chicken breasts with muhammara after they are cooked.
Use it as a spread for your next whole foods sandwich or wrap.
Make sweet potato wedges and use the muhammara as a dip.
Organic Buttermilk and White Truffle Dressing
1/3 cup organic buttermilk
1/3 cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil
2 teaspoons capers
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon raw honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 large clove garlic
Method:
Note- Remove honey for strict low carb version
Add everything to your blender, starting with the liquid.
Blend until everything is nice a creamy.
Serve over a crisp, fresh green salad with garden tomatoes and cucumbers.
Note: If you do not have fresh herbs but only dried herbs, use less. Probably half of the amount. Fresh is better though, try hard, it tastes better:)
Bon Appétit!
Cook Outside the box:
This gluten free buttermilk and truffle dressing is delicious drizzled over baked wild salmon
Use this dressing for your next potato salad. Um, yum!
Use it as a dip for fresh vegetables and pita
Use the leftover organic buttermilk to make the most delicious pancakes on a Saturday morning.
Kale salad with this dressing instead, yum!
Chips and dip. OMG
Raw Cashew Dip
2 cups raw unsalted cashews (soaked in water for 3-4 hours)
2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
3/4 cup filtered water
Method:
Soak the raw cashews in water for 3-4 hours.
Drain the cashews and add them to a food processor with the lemon juice and water, process until smooth and creamy.
Add the rest of your ingredients except for the fresh parsley.
Blend until everything is combined well.
Add the cashew dip to a large bowl and fold in the fresh parsley.
*Note: You can open up one probiotic capsule and add the powder to the raw cashews while they are soaking. This will add a tangy flavour to you cashew dip.
Cook Outside the Box
Instead of adding the herbs and spices above, you could make your own version.
Try fresh chives and garlic, lemon zest and tarragon or chipotle and lime.
This dip is also a great base for vegan pasta. Just blend the cashews, water and lemon; then add nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Dilute the dip a little with some organic soy milk or organic rice milk to make the consistency of a creamy sauce. Add some cooked pasta and steamed veggies and you got yourself a delicious vegan, gluten free, dairy free dinner.
I love to eat this dip with my gluten free, dairy free lentil burgers. I also like it with crackers and fresh vegetables. The possibilities are endless with this dip, think outside the box; sandwich spread? Ummm, yes.
Bon Appétit!
Organic Yogurt Cheese
Homemade Organic Yogurt Cheese. AKA Boursin Cheese.
650 grams plain organic yogurt (full fat. Yes full fat!)
3 teaspoons fresh chives (chopped)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Cheesecloth
Method
Line a fine sieve with 2-3 large pieces of cheesecloth. They need to overlap the sieve.
Place the sieve over a deep bowl and pour your organic yogurt into the cheesecloth. Cover the cheese with the overlapped cheesecloth.
Allow the whey to drain into the bowl for 24-48 hours. Just put it in the back of your fridge and forget about it until the next day.
After 24-48 hours, remove the cheese from the fridge and lightly squeeze the cheesecloth into a tighter ball, to see if more water comes out.
If you do see more water come out of the cheesecloth, squeeze lightly until the cheesecloth has very little water coming out of it. Make sure not to squeeze to hard or else the cheese will start coming out of the cheesecloth.
Add the cheese to a storable glass container and add the fresh chives, garlic, salt, olive oil and pepper.Stir everything together and serve with fresh rustic bread or crackers.Clean your cheesecloth under warm water, allow to dry and keep it for next time! Yogurt cheese is filled with good fat, which our bodies need for proper hormone development and for healthy cells. It also contains protein to help build muscle and tissue, and probiotics, which we need for a healthy gut.
Cook outside the box
You could add a little cayenne pepper to this homemade yogurt cheese for a little heat.
Use this fresh yogurt cheese as a spread in your sandwiches
Make homemade bagel and lox, instead of using processed cream cheese.
It’s a great homemade gift to give to people you love!
Bon Appétit!
Chipotle Mango Salsa
1 mango or 3/4 cup
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon chipotle (seeded)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lime
Method
Note- This is not considered strict low carb
Add everything to the blender except for the chopped cilantro.
Blend until smooth and stir in the chopped cilantro
Cook Outside the Box
Serve this fresh salsa with fish tacos with a raw red cabbage and kale salad
Shrimp quesadillas with black bean salad
Lather BBQ chicken with this sauce or even roasted pork tenderloin.
Raw Tahini Salad Dressing
I can not take credit for this recipe, although I wish I could because it's so versatile and delicious. This recipe came from Chad Sarno's cook book called Crazy Sexy Kitchen. I of course, tweaked it a little and I suppose I could say that the extra LOVE comes from the Sriracha hot sauce. Tahini is just finely ground up sesame seeds; Sesame seeds contain the highest source of absorbable calcium out of any food! So stop drinking cows milk to get your calcium, it is not a good absorbable source and it actually makes the body very acidic. Disease grows in acidic bodies. The tablespoon of organic olive oil isn't just for flavour, it actually allows your fat soluble vitamins to be absorbed!
1/2 cup raw tahini
1 tablespoon organic olive oil
3/4cup water
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 1/2 tablespoons organic gluten free tamari light
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Method
Place everything into a blender and blender until smooth. Once you put it in the fridge it will get thicker, you could add a little water to thin it out or just let it sit out until it reaches room temperature. Don't worry it will still taste freakin delicious.
Cook Outside the Box
Steam vegetables like kale, broccoli, carrots and sweet potato. Serve the vegetables over warm quinoa and pour some tahini dressing over the top
Make roasted vegetables or homemade falafels and top it with tahini dressing
Make a big green lettuce salad with chickpeas, red peppers, tomatoes and onion and toss your salad with the tahini dressing. Voila!
Bon Appetit!
Homemade Ranch Dip
I love fresh vegetables and dip as a mid morning or afternoon snack. This ranch dip a a clean whole food version of those processed packaged ranch dips that you can buy at the grocery store.The organic sour cream that I use as the base in this recipe provides your body with a great amount of good fat, protein, B-12 and calcium. The fresh parsley in this ranch dip contains antioxidants, vitamin K and folate. So you see, by making this simple homemade ranch dip you are giving your body all of those amazing nutrients that I mentioned above. They will help keep your mind and body balanced and nourished!
250g or 1 cup organic sour cream ( I like to look for a local, organic sour cream)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh chives (practice your knife skills here!)
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)
3 teaspoons raw, local honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of cayenne ( I like spice!)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Method
Note- Omit the honey and you've got yourself a low carb dip!
Chop your fresh herbs
Combine everything in a bowl and mix well
Serve with a whole bunch of delicious freshly cut raw vegetables
Cook Outside the Box
Use the dressing as a dip for fresh vegetables
Make a grill chicken and fresh salad pita wrap with ranch dressing
Make a cold pasta salad with fresh vegetables and toss it with ranch dressing
Bon Appétit!
Tomato Chili Jam
This savory jam is delicious with my Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Crackers.
Original Recipe By Ruth Pretty
6 Roma tomatoes (seeded)
5-8 fresh Thai red or green chilies (seeded)
4 garlic cloves
2-3 teaspoons ginger (peeled & roughly chopped)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 cup raw honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Method
Note- This is not low carb but a great alternative to store bough savoury jams.
Place the seeded tomatoes, chilies, garlic, ginger and fish sauce in a blender or a food processor and blend to a fine puree.
Place the purèe, honey and vinegar in a non-reactive pot and bring to the boil, stirring often. The consistency at this point will be very runny.
Turn heat down to a medium and simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to release the solids that settle on the bottom.
When it is ready the jam will look much thicker than when it started.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
*Note If you do double or tipple the batch, cooking time will be longer. It's all about reducing the jam and evaporating most of the liquid. Practice makes perfect!
Cook Outside the Box
Double this recipe and freeze some jars or share with friends
Spread some tomato chilli jam onto wild salmon and bake it
Grill some chicken sate and use the tomato chili jam for a dip
Make old cheddar grill cheese sandwiches and spread some tomato chilli jam all over it
Bon Appétit!
Bragg and Red wine Vinegar Stir-Fry Sauce
It's always nice to have a couple of homemade sauces that can last in the fridge for a couple of weeks and can be used in more than one way. This is one of those sauce, gluten free, packed with sulphur and immune boosting nutrients. The ginger and garlic create a great anti-inflammatory effect on the body and help prevent cancer.
1/4 cup Bragg amino acids (natural gluten free soy sauce) or Tamari Light
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 slices of fresh ginger (sliced very thin)
4 slices of fresh garlic (sliced very thin)
1 tablespoon green onion (sliced thin)
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 medium sized dried chili arbol (crushed)
Method
Note- Omit the honey for a low carb sauce
Slice and measure all of your ingredients for the sauce and add them to a small container and set aside to allow the flavours to infuse for an hour or so.
*Note If you cannot find dried chili arbol you can use about 1 tablespoon of fresh hot red chilies.
Cook Outside the Box
Serve this sauce over steamed vegetables, roasted fish or brown rice
Use the sauce as a marinade for chicken breasts, chicken thighs or chicken wings
Thicken the sauce wit a little organic corn starch and use it as a glaze over steamed bok choy
Use the sauce like a salsa for Asian quesadillas
Bon Appetit!
Authentic Guacamole
Avocados are thought to be"fattening" but what you are not told is that avocados contain necessary good fat to keep our bodies healthy. We need good fat for many daily functions such as; to help in hormone development and in proper absorption of our fat soluble vitamins.
Avocados have many wonderful health benefits
Avocados have great anti-inflammatory benefits, especially for those with arthritis.
Avocados are high in fibre which promote proper bowel health.
Avocados contain a great amount of omega 3 fatty acids which we need for proper brain function, healthy skin, hair and many more health benefits.
2 avocados
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon red onion (chopped fine)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Serrano pepper (chopped fine)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Method
Cut the avocados in half and remove the deliciousness from the peel. Save one of the pits to add to your prepared guacamole; this will help the guacamole stay green.
Mix all of the ingredients together with a fork in a large bowl until desired consistency.
Ready to eat or freeze or refrigerate.
Fresh Tomato Salsa "Pico De Gallo"
This authentic and traditional Mexican Pico De Gallo salsa is a must in our house. It is one of the simplest ways to introduce whole foods to your every day diet and it's a great way to practice your knife skills. I like to use fresh roma tomatoes for this recipe and eat the Pico De Gallo with organic corn tortilla chips.
1 3/4 cup fresh Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh serrano peppers
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup red onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Method
Dice your tomatoes into small pieces.
Cut your onion and serrano pepper very fine.
Chop your cilantro and squeeze your fresh lime juice.
Add all of your ingredients to a bowl and season with sea salt.
This salsa will last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
This pesto is so incredibly flavourful, it lasts a long time in the fridge and it is so versatile. I use it as my base for pizzas, toss grilled veggies in it, add it to scrambled eggs and quiche and use it in a grilled panini sandwich. It can be hard to find quality jarred sun dried tomatoes that use olive oil instead of sunflower or safflower oil, but if you cannot find them with olive oil, my suggestion would be to squeeze as much oil out as possible and then use a little more olive oil in the recipe if needed for a good consistency.
3 cups sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tablespoon raw honey
1 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (you may need more)
salt to taste
Note- Omit the honey for a low carb tapenade.
If you are using sun dried tomatoes in oil, be sure to drain the oil from the sun dried tomatoes.
Next, add all of your ingredients to the food processor, except for the oil, use the pulse button on the food processor and pulse until everything is well combined and broken down.
Next, turn your food processor back on for 10-15 seconds and add the olive oil, you may need more. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
