Dairy Free Paleo Spinach Artichoke Dip (gluten/grain free, soy free, egg free, vegan)

One of my oldest favorite appetizers from years ago was a creamy spinach and artichoke dip. I loved how creamy and rich it was and still had veggies! :)

Anyways, I made this recipe a month or two ago and forgot to post it so here it is! You can eat it plain or I had some with some plantain chips from Trader Joe's as well. This recipe is pretty quick and easy to make.

Dairy Free Spinach Artichoke Dip 
~gluten/grain free, soy free, egg free~

1 cup of cashews, soaked in boiling water for half hour
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
7 Tbsp of the artichoke water
3 tsp olive oil
1 can artichokes (7), chopped
1.5 cup frozen organic spinach

Pre-heat oven to 375'F. Blend all ingredients except for artichokes and spinach. Mix in artichokes and spinach, and pour into oiled pyrex. 

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

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Beet, Dill, and Avocado Salad (gluten free, dairy free, soy free)

I love vegetables... always have. But there was one I never quite liked. (okay two- the second was turnips). It was BEETS. My mom always has pickled beets or boiled beets on the table at dinner and every now and then I would "check in" with them to see if I had developed a taste for them and still... no.

Then last summer my cousin Samira made this beet and avocado salad with dill on it so I was like- oooh let me give the good ol' beets a try again! And what do you know... victory! I ate so much of it and then I came home and asked her for the recipe to make for my daughter's first birthday party and her response was add some lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and dill together. So I did that and have a few more times. So now I just thought I would share with you the deliciousness of this combo because I actually did some measurements, but feel free to add more of this or that according to your tastes. I think they go well together because the avocado is soft and the beets slightly hard, a bit tangy, and herb-y all at once. If you don't like fresh dill, add chopped basil- either would be great! It's great for spring and summer picnics and a refreshing yet filling salad.

Avocado, Dill, and Beet Salad 
(gluten/grain free, soy free, dairy free, nut free, egg free)

4 medium cooked beets (I steam mine)

2 avocados

4 Tbsp fresh organic lemon (1 large lemon)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill (or basil)

Chop your beets into cubes and put in a bowl. Cube your avocado into similar sized pieces and place on top of the beets. Add the rest of your ingredients on top and stir just enough to mix. Taste and adjust to taste. 

If you over-mix, your avocado will turn as red as the beets and get mushy so be gentle!

Enjoy!

***Update: 6/27/12:

This is also amazing with one or two chopped champagne mangoes as well!!

I used Chioggia Beets in this picture, and they don't bleed as red beets do.

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Sweet Potato & Black Bean "Sausage" (vegan, gluten free, soy free, egg free)

 

 

I've had this recipe on the back-burner for a few months now... I made this for a brunch potluck and never had a chance to work on my modifications and revise it. I based it off of this recipe by the Gluten Free Cooking School - the original recipe includes brown rice and is fried, so I modified it to bake it and replaced the rice with sweet potato and a few other adjustments here and there... My friend Anne said I hijacked this recipe so this is dedicated to you Anne- sorry it took so long! :)

You can still fry this recipe if that's your thing, but I thought it was easier, faster, and healthier to just bake them.  My daughter loves these and they make a great snack or meal- whichever you're in the mood for!

I tried baking it straight on a greased cookie sheet and using a Silpat/Silicone Linerand the ones straight on the sheet turned out a little better (crispier) but either will definitely work. You can make either links or patties out of these and the cooking time is the same.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Sausage

(gluten free/grain free, soy free, dairy free, nut free, egg free)

1 1/2 cup sweet potato, cooked
2 cups cooked black beans

2 tsp grapeseed oil

1/4 cup chia seed meal (ground seeds)

4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp fennel seed, ground (I used a mortar and pestle)

1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin

-Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees and prepare a baking sheet.

-Combine the black beans, sweet potato, and oil in a food processor. Pulse until all items are well combined - you will need to stop it and scrape down the sides a few times. Should be a creamy mixture.

-Scoop the bean mixture into a mixing bowl and add the chia meal and spices. Stir well to combine.

-To make the patties and/or links, divide the bean mixture into 24 pieces and rolleach piece into a ball and place them onto your baking sheet. If you want patties, gently smash them down onto the tray. If you want a link, roll the ball between your two palms until it is a log shape.

-Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, remove, flip them over, and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few minutes then enjoy! 

**These can be stored covered in the refrigerator and eaten warm or cold or frozen and re-heated at a later time.

Before Baking

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

i blogged a little while ago about a Nando's side dish that I wanted to recreate-- a tasty butternut squash dish. since then i've tried to make it twice, each a little different. it's not exactly the same, but quite good! i use nando's sauces to spice up and add a bit more flavor, but you can also leave them out or sub a few other ingredients (or your own favorite hot sauce). i've added some suggestions for subs in the end. the recipe is quite simple to make and can be a main or side dish.



Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

1 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic peri-peri sauce
1 tsp wild-herb peri-peri sauce
1 Tbsp sea salt
1.5 cups frozen corn (roasted if you like) or 1 cup fresh
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup organic dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped organic cilantro

-preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
-chop the butternut into pieces (about 4" x 3" pieces- the smaller they are the faster they will cook) and place inside down on a baking tray. you can lightly toss the pieces in olive oil or coconut oil and a bit of salt before baking if you choose.
-bake the squash until soft (mine took approx. 15 minutes, but check after 10).
-meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot and sautee the onion.
-add the corn, hot sauces, salt, and cayenne to the onions and stir for a minute or so. if using fresh corn let it cook for a bit.
-add the cranberries and stir until the corn is heated through.
-chop the squash into cubes and add to the onion mixture. continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. i like there to still be some cubes left, but also a mashed consistency--the more you mix it the more mashed it will become. remove from heat
-add chopped cilantro to taste.

**notes:
- in the picture below, i made this dish with organic bison sausage chopped up and cooked with the onions. you can also add some grilled chicken if you would like more protein in the dish.
-if you don't have the nando's sauces, you can either leave them out, add your own smoky hot sauce, or probably a mixture of vinegar, herbs, garlic, lemon, agave, and some heat
-i've made this with sweet potato as well and added a dash of cinnamon in for some more added flavor

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