Elana’s Pantry

Green Goddess Dressing

I confess. I ate the photo shoot. I made a huge salad this afternoon, drizzled it with Green Goddess Dressing and proceeded to devour it. The food prepared for photographing was instead inhaled. As in, scarfed immediately.

Now normally, I’m a fairly disciplined person, so this was a bit odd. Maybe I exercised a little too hard this morning and worked up a bigger appetite than usual. Maybe the dressing is delicious on a hot summer’s day. Who knows? You’ll just need to try the recipe below to find out for yourself. Me? I think it’s delicious.

In other news, I was lucky enough to attend a marimba concert today in which both of my children performed. The show was the culmination of a summer day camp put on by Kutandara, a local group that plays Zimbabwean music. The boys had a blast –they really rocked out on stage and seemed to enjoy playing the African tunes. My older son has gone to Kutandara’s camp for the past 5 years. Now, both boys attend every summer and absolutely love it.

If you are ever in Boulder, you might want to catch a marimba show by the professional Kutandara band (not the one my children play in); the concert schedule is on their website or check out one of their excellent CD’s.

Kutandara is an entirely cross cultural experience. The directors, Amy and Randy bring over musicians from Zimbabwe to teach the children; they also do a great deal of relief work in that country. Amy and Randy are amazing people in all that they give to the Boulder community and the people of Zimbabwe –I feel forever indebted to them for the beautiful experiences they offer my family year after year.

Green Goddess Dressing
1 avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon herbes de provence
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
3-5 drops stevia
1 cup water

1. Place all ingredients in a blender
2. Process on high speed until smooth and cream
3. Pour over your favorite salad greens
4. Store remaining dressing in a glass jar in fridge
5. Keeps for up to 5 days (if it lasts that long)

Our garden is yielding prolifically at present; therefore, every evening we eat a small mountain of salad. As you can guess, this Green Goddess Dressing is a current favorite which I make a few times a week.

Top 10 Healthy Memorial Day Recipes

Memorial Day weekend is a great time for picnics and barbecues. Below you will find some of my favorite festive dishes for this great little three day weekend. These are perfect for warm weather parties. Packed with nutrition as well as flavor, this simple, healthy grub will wow your guests.

Select 3 or 4 dishes if you are having a smallish gathering, or cook up just about everything below if you are having a grand affair.

What do you like to do on Memorial Day weekend and what is your favorite dish to cook once the warm weather settles in? Leave a comment and let us know!

Coconut Cream Frosting

Frosting is one of my favorite foods; in fact, I consider it an actual food group. After all, what is a cupcake without frosting? It’s nothing!

Lately I have been stymied when it comes to the frosting creation process. Yes, I have my delicious vegan chocolate frosting recipe, however, I have been lacking in the white frosting department. For me this has presented hardship because chocolate frosting just doesn’t work with carrot cake and lemon cake. Besides, who wants to use just one frosting recipe on top of all of their baked delicacies?!

Yes, I do admit, making frosting without butter and sugar is quite a challenge. Though for me challenge is the name of the game. So lately, I have been on a conquest for white frosting.

Sixteen batches later, I have a delicious coconut frosting that my many taste testers approve of. Unfortunately, my most important taster is traveling this week, so I confess, I don’t have the ultimate seal of approval. However, I think it is still good enough to share with all of you.

This frosting will be great on the carrot cake which I am in the process of creating for ~M, one of my favorite readers. She finished school this month and I will post the recipe in honor of her graduation.

On another note, you may have noticed that I recently added a feature to the side bar of this site. It is a survey which polls readers as to which recipe they would like me to whip up next. Check it out and post your vote –for chocolate cupcakes, mango chicken or “candy” bars.

BBQ Sauce

Spring is in full bloom here in Colorado and it’s gorgeous. Bright clear days in the high 70’s, perfect for hiking, taking the boys to the park and breaking out the grill! While the lucky folks in California probably start grilling a bit earlier, we usually wait until May to fire ours up.

Luckily, Katie had me on my toes with a request for barbecue sauce a couple of weeks ago. She was looking for something with no sugar or agave.

To be honest, I am not a natural when it comes to the open flame; in general, my husband does the grilling in our family (so manly!) and slathers up the fixins’ before he throws them on the grill. In order to get my BBQ bearings I went to bbqrecipesecrets.com. On that site, I learned that there are 3 types of barbecue sauce –tomato, mustard or vinegar. Unfortunately, for me, and perhaps some of you, each of the recipes contains a significant amount of sugar, so I used their Basic Tomato BBQ sauce recipe as a map, adding and subtracting from it to create the new one below. I hope you like it Katie!

BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup shallots, minced
1 (7 ounce) bottle Bionaturæ® Organic Tomato Paste
1 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Warm oil in a saucepan over medium low heat
2. Add garlic and shallot; cook until soft
3. Add tomato paste, orange juice, vinegar, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper
4. Simmer over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often
5. Baste over fish or chicken
6. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 1-3 hours
7. Grill and serve

Serves 6 -makes enough sauce for one whole chicken or 4 breasts

You may notice that grilling instructions are conspicuously absent –you do not want to get them from me. While my husband is not a chef, he is, as I mentioned the grill master in the family and I assure you, that when he starts his food blog, you will find grilling instructions there. For now, try these.

On another note, feel free to use this bbq sauce creatively. I imagine it would be delicious on pasta or a sandwich –I must have eaten half a batch by mopping it up with bread the night I first made it.

Horseradish: Make Your Own Maror

As part of the Passover Seder, we eat a bitter herb, to remind us of the bitter times our people have faced.

Many use horseradish for this ritual. I grew up eating Manischewitz brand ground horseradish from a jar at our Seders, with no concept whatsoever of where this pungent herb came from. In fact, horseradish is a root –you can buy it from the store (most good health food stores carry it this time of year), and is about the size of a carrot, though light brown, reminiscent of the color of a parsnip.

These days, I make my own maror from scratch; it is a breeze to prepare, though slightly dangerous, so beware!

Maror - Horseradish
1 horseradish root (about 4 inches), peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor
2. Pulse until horseradish is well ground
3. Carefully remove lid; do not inhale or smell mixture, as it may burn eyes and nasal passages
4. Store in a glass container
5. Serve

The week after next, I will go into my son’s classroom and assist the third graders in making 26 batches of charoset–enough to feed more than 100 people. The children will be preparing this dish for the class Sedar, in which their families will partake. During my time in the classroom, the children and I will also make the maror for their Sedar. No Manischewitz for these little ones –they will not grow up thinking that horseradish sprouts in a bottle!

Have any of you made your own horseradish sauce or maror? Seen an actual horseradish root? Please leave your horseradish trials, tribulations, knowledge or lack thereof in the comments section!

Charoset

Charoset is one of my favorite Passover foods. During the Seder, this sweet, fruity dish holds a special, symbolic place, reminding us of the mortar which the Jews used to bond bricks while enslaved in Egypt.

European Jews (Ashkenazi) traditionally use nuts, apples, cinnamon and sweet wine for this dish. Jews of Middle Eastern descent (Sephardic) commonly use raisins, figs dates and sesame seeds. In general, Middle Eastern Jews have a far richer culinary tradition than European Jewry and charoset is no exception to this rule. In her Book of Jewish Food, Claudia Roden lists 3 Sephardic versions of charoset and 1 Ashkenazi type. Further, Wikipedia lists 5 variations of Sephardic charoset to one Ashkenazi recipe.

Of course, my version of charoset is a blend of the two traditions –and as always, lower in sugar than the standard fare.

It seems that everyone has their own favorite family recipe for charoset. What’s yours? If you have one, feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Parsley Pesto with Sundried Tomatoes

Traditionally, pesto is made with basil. This time of year, it’s not so easy to find organic basil at a reasonable price. Really, the time for basil is summer. And we’re definitely not there yet. Not even close, out here in Colorado.

And yet, I love pesto. All those good greens ground up into delightful, fresh flavors.

Last night, in the mood for something delicious and healthy (in that order), I made pesto using parsley. I always keep parsley in the fridge –it’s a staple for me, as are lemons and garlic. I consider these types of ingredients the building blocks of good food; hence, keeping these items in my kitchen is a must!

Further spurring me in the parsley direction? I ate at the Kitchen recently and this fabulous restaurant has been using copious portions of this herb in several of their salads and main dishes. They recently rolled out a new menu which is completely inspired. If you’re ever in Boulder, I highly recommend this restaurant!

In the meantime, here’s my parsley pesto –a delicious way to get your greens in the winter.

If you want to use the spaghetti that is shown in the photo above, you can order it directly from Papadini over the phone –they do not have online capability as of yet. I am a big fan of their high protein pasta from lentil beans. Such a good thing, to eat pasta sans the high-carb hangover afterward!

Top your high-protein, gluten-free pasta with this power packed parsley pesto –parsley is considered a superfood– and you have a dish that not only tastes good, it’s good for you too! Enjoy.

Fig Tapenade with Walnut Crackers

Inspiration struck today. As did its friend creativity. The sun was bright for the third day in a row over here in Colorado and my faith in all things good returned. Whatever had a hold of me –seasonal affect disorder, Mercury in retrograde, who knows, who cares –it’s gone! I took a long slow walk and saw the last patches of melting snow, flowers popping up through mud and upon arriving home, I observed sap running down the maples in my front yard.

Spring, glorious spring. Even if it’s a taste, or just a tease, how it does brighten one’s outlook! In celebration of this beautiful weather I made a raw recipe that was unusual, yet delicious. I think this gluten-free fig and olive tapenade would make a fantastic hors d’eoeuvre for a dinner or cocktail party and goes nicely with these walnut crackers.

Although I have several different cracker flavors in my repertoire, I created these walnut crackers today to accompany the fig tapenade. They complement each other nicely.

The lovely Anina, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Valentine’s cooking class I held in February, gave me the idea for this recipe. She told me about it during the class and then emailed me the epicurious.com version, which includes goat cheese, stewing the figs and a couple of other steps that I omitted in my quest to keep things simple. Especially with the warm weather approaching, I wanted to make this complex, sweet-savory dish raw and light.

I hope you like it. Please write up a comment if you have other suggestions as to good “vehicles” for delivering the tapenade –i.e., what would you serve it on?

Homemade Applesauce

I love the season of late fall, just before the winter solstice. The days get super short –well, I don’t love that. Nevertheless, I enjoy the chill in the air and seeing the mountains covered in snow.

For me, cold weather is merely a great excuse to stay home and bake, and this time of year, I especially like to serve warm homemade applesauce. I peel apples and bake them in the oven. The house smells amazing and when it’s Hanukkah, the latkes taste even better with a dollop of homemade applesauce. Here’s how to make a batch of your own.

While this warm, gluten free applesauce is a delicious condiment, it’s also scrumptious on its own as a mouthwatering snack or dessert.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. I find it challenging to write the word without giving some sort of gratitude. Each year, before we partake in our Thanksgiving feast, we go around the table and take the time to say a few words of gratitude, stating our thanks for things such a the food at the table, good friends and the roof over our head.

Thanksgiving and autumn in general seem to be such a good time to shed, simplify and return to basics. My favorite part of our Thanksgiving ritual each year is hearing what my boys have to say. My children ceaselessly remind me to be thankful for the most basic parts of my life and open my eyes to the wonders all around me.

With thanks given, I return to the topic of Newsletter #1: The Thanksgiving Menu. For those of you who are not signed up for my newsletter here’s what I’ll be serving this year:

The items above are recipes previously posted on my website. Just click the words and you will find yourself at the recipe. This is a year when I have had so much fun and have much to be grateful for. In that spirit, I wish you all a wonder-filled Thanksgiving!

Gravy

During this time of year I make gravy on a weekly basis. When the cold, damp weather sets in, rich, warm, gravy makes for a delicious comfort food smothered over roasted chicken or turkey.

This simple gluten-free gravy turns a mere meal into a Thanksgiving feast.

Gomasio

Gomasio is one of our family favorites. This highly nutritious Asian sesame seed condiment is full of calcium and super tasty. In the photo above, my older son is stirring up a double batch for the family. Below, we have transfered the seeds to a suribachi and prepare to take turns grinding.

Store in refrigerator; keeps for 6-8 weeks

Apricot Butter

My kids were hankering for something sweet the other day. So, I made this delicious sweet butter. It’s not a jam - it’s real butter with dried fruit pureed into it. Great on warm toast. It is one of my younger son’s favorites.

Fall Brings…Cranberry Sauce

I know fall is upon us when I see fresh cranberries in the grocery store. My boys love cranberry sauce and I have a special recipe that I make for them that includes ginger and dried apricots. Here it is…

Serve as a snack or over turkey!