Sweet Curry Kale Salad

12 oz. cleaned, ribbed, cut Kale

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup garlic infused olive oil (or olive oil)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon stevia (to taste)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds or other (raw) nuts

Put kale in a large bowl and drizzle the lemon or lime juice over it. Set aside. Come back periodically over the next 20 minutes to 2 hours to toss the kale. Alternately, you may also refrigerate the kale/juice mixture for up to a day and come back to toss periodically. The point is that the acid from the juice will soften the kale. You will find that if you add other ingredients in as little as 20 minutes, it will still be very yummy, but the flavors will continue to improve over time.

When ready to add other ingredients, add them in the order listed and sprinkle each item over all the kale, stirring after addition of oil, and then again after the last ingredient. Taste-test and adjust seasonings to your liking.Salad is ready as is, or could be used. as a part of the next salad, Sweet Curry Kale Pasta Salad, below.

Sweet Curry Kale Pasta Salad

You will not believe that this salad is Advanced Plan! The pasta is made from 100% organic red lentils and nothing else. This pasta, Tolerant's Organic Red Lentil Rotini, showed up recently in our local Costco and has quickly become a family-favorite. If you can not locate it in your Costco or local health-food store, you can order it through Amazon. The flavored vinegars and oils mentioned below come locally (West Cobb County, Georgia) from Olive Tree and Vine, other locations of olive oil and vinegar tasting boutiques have been popping up in locations around the country. and can typically be found with a google-search of olive oil and vinegar tasting boutique.

1 batch Sweet Curry Kale Salad (Recipe below)

4 cups dry red lentil pasta

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 (15 oz.) cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup cara cara orange white balsamic vinegar (or other balsamic vinegar)

1/3 cup garlic infused olive oil (or olive oil)

additional 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 small head of green or red cabbage

Taking note that the original salad requires time for the lemon or lime juice to soften the kale, you can get that started first and then assemble the rest of the salad. The kale will be ready by the time you have everything else put together. Next, get the beans marinating so they have plenty of time to soak up good flavors. Put the drained, rinsed beans into a medium bowl, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, mix. Next add the 1/3 cup of cara cara orange vinegar and 1/3 cup of garlic olive oil and toss. Periodically toss this mixture also while assembling the remaining ingredients. 

Next cook the pasta according to package directions, adding 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to the water. Do not overcook! Drain and rinse, and return to the original cooking pot and let soak in cold filtered water (may add a few filtered ice cubes as well) until the pasta cools. 

While the pasta cools, clean and slice the cabbage very thin using a knife, food processor slicing tool, or mandolin. Drain the cooled pasta, toss with the additional 2 tablespoons of garlic olive oil, and add to the kale salad. Next put the sliced cabbage on top of the pasta, followed by the marinated black bean mixture. Toss, taste-test, adjust seasonings if necessary, and enjoy!

You can have fun with other variations of this salad adding other seed or nuts, or changing the flavor of  the vinegar and oils.

Decadent Chocolate Cake Revisited

Decadent Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Decadent Chocolate Cake Revisited

I take no credit for this original recipe, which is Kimberly Roberto's. Kimberly is co-author of the Maximized Living Nutrition Plan, and the original recipe can be viewed on her blog at smartmeals.wordpress.com. I am rearranging it a little before serving it tonight at West Ridge Church's very first ever Winning My Race Recipe Night/Celebration. This recipe is doubled from the original and uses Swerve rather than Xylitol. The ingredients get combined initially in 3 different bowls (or 2 bowls and one blender) and have been listed in those groupings. The only item that is repeated in different bowls is eggs. You will need a total of 10 eggs; 6 in the first bowl (or blender), and then 4 in the second bowl where they will be added to a butter/Swerve mixture one at a time. Use a large mixing bowl for the first two groupings of ingredients, and a small one for the last.

2 (15 oz) can of unseasoned black beans

6 large organic eggs

2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1 teaspoon liquid pure stevia extract

1 1/2 sticks softened unsalted organic butter (or 12 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil)

1 1/2 cups Swerve

4 large organic eggs (left at room temperature while butter is softening)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus extra for lining pan)
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons filtered water (added last as all 3 bowls are combined)

Preheat oven to 350º F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 13" x 9" glass pan and set aside. Grease a 13" x 9" pan with coconut oil or a thin layer of butter. Line the pan with the cut parchment paper then grease the top of the parchment paper too. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan and parchment paper, tapping to evenly distribute and tap out any access.

Drain and rinse the beans and shake off excess water. The beans get blended with the other first ingredients. You can either add the beans, first 6 eggs, vanilla extract, sea salt, and liquid stevia to a blender to blend, or add to a large bowl and use my favorite kitchen tool, a hand-held blender to blend the ingredients until it is liquefied right in the bowl. If you use a standard blender puree until smooth and liquefied.

In a second large bowl (if you used hand-held blender method), beat softened butter with Swerve until light and fluffy. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, beating for 30-60 seconds after each addition.

Mix the cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl and blend with a fork to smooth any lumps.

Pour the bean batter into the egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in the cocoa powder mixture and water and combine until cocoa powder is no longer floating on the top. Then beat the batter on high for one minute. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the 350º oven for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done when the top is rounded and firm to the touch.
The cake can be cooled completely in the pan and frosted later to be served directly from the pan. Fancier options include cooling the cake for 10 minutes, using a butter knife to gently go around the edge of the pan, and flipping cake on to serving platter for frosting when cool. This cake can also be done in two 9" round pans and frosted into a layer cake. Also cool for 10 minutes before flipping. Be certain to double the frosting recipe if making into a layer cake.

Frosting choices include those listed with the Decadent Chocolate Cake recipe on Kimberly Roberto's blog, and the Peanut Butter Frosting recipe from my blog.

Pecan Pie Cookies

These literally taste like pecan pie. They are made with approved Maximized Living Advanced Plan ingredients (real food, made by God). They are sugar free, artificial sweetener-free, grain-free, gluten free and melt-in-your-mouth good! There is only one trick to these cookies: do not over-process the pecan butter. 

Ingredients

4 cups pecan pieces (organic, if possible)

2/3 cup swerve or xylitol

1 cup flax meal (organic, if possible)

2 farm fresh eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two to three cookie sheets by covering with parchment paper. Process the pecans in a food processor until it becomes a butter. Before it becomes a nut butter, it will become a meal or "flour". Watch carefully after it becomes a flour and stop processing when it just begins to start forming into a butter and sticking together. I have over-processed this, and the oils start separating out of solution and becomes difficult to work with. 

Put the pecan butter into a mixing bowl with all the other ingredients. Mix with beaters on medium until all ingredients are mixed. Make 1" balls and place on cookie sheets 2" apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand. Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will be soft so cool at least 2 minutes before trying to move. Eat warm or cold. Store in refrigerator if not eating right away. Remember, his is real food with no preservatives!

Almond Butter Heart-Shaped Cookies

 
 

This is an easy recipe and it is not too hard to shape into heart-shaped cookies.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Almond Butter (organic, if possible)

2/3 cup Xylitol or Swerve

2 Organic eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Stevia-sweetened chocolate chunks (Optional)

Set oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with unbleached parchment paper. Mix all ingredients with a hand-held beater until blended and smooth. The batter will be stiff. For round cookies, drop 2 teaspoon size balls, 2" apart on the cookie sheet. Flatten a little with your hand. Bake 10 - 11 minutes. Watch carefully during the last two minutes, as they can easily brown on the bottom.

For heart-shapes, roll 2 teaspoons between your hands to make a "log", bend the log in half, then pinch the bottom of the crease to form a pretty point at the bottom of your heart. Place on cookie sheet 2 " apart. Add a chunk of stevia sweetened chocolate to the middle, if desired. Bake for 10 -11 minutes, watching carefully to avoid browning. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for at 1 minute or more, or transfer after 1 minute to a cooling rack (slide the whole sheet of parchment paper).

Beet Humus

Kimberly Roberto (Co-author of Maximized Living's Nutrition Plan) found pink humus at Publix, so we had to try some for Valenspine's Day at the office! A quick check of the ingredients at the store revealed the typical unwanted oils so it was going to have to be homemade. With canned beans and beets, this goes together in a flash in a food processor and is so yummy! The beets are a Core Plan and not Advanced Plan as it is high on the glycemic-index. In this recipe the beets are only used for the color and there is such a small percentage that I feel very comfortable eating this dish though I am on the Advanced Plan.

Ingredients:

2 - 15 ounce cans Organic Great Northern Beans

2 - 4 pieces of cooked beets (organic if possible)

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon

2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 T Olive Oil

1/4 cup sesame tahini

dash of cayenne (Optional)

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and pink. If it gets too stiff, you can add a little of the beet juice. Add more beet if it is not pink enough. Enjoy with Mary's Gone Crackers (Core Plan), homemade flax crackers, or raw veggies.

Chocolate Mint Bullet-Proof Coffee

This is a new concoction created for our Santa Patient Appreciation Day on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Dr. Eriece Harris was the inspiration. She imagined this festive variation of bullet-proof coffee I just had to figure out how to do it! My husband said it tasted like a minty hot-chocolate!

5 Cups freshly brewed, very hot organic coffee

5 T grass-fed, unsalted butter

1 1/2 T organic coconut oil

1 T cacao powder (organic if possible)

8 packages Stevita spoonable stevia (or equivelant)

1 -2 drops of peppermint essential oil

Blend on high for 30 seconds and serve!

Homemade Granny Smith Applesauce

3 pounds organic Granny Smith apples
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1-2 packets stevia, or to taste
1 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste

Peel, core, and chop or slice the apples into about 8 pieces per apple. Put the apples and water in a medium/large stainless steel pot.  Cover and cook over a medium/high heat until it comes to a boil. You will have to listen for the boil as the water will be buried by the apples. The water is only needed to keep the apples from sticking and burning on the bottom while the apples cook and make their own juice. When you hear the boil, turn the burner down to low and simmer until the apples are soft. When they are soft and "saucey" turn off the burner, and stir the stevia and cinnamon into the apples. This is good served warm or cold as a side-dish or dessert and keeps for many days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.

Chicken Salsa Soup

This soup was served Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at West Cobb Chiropractic. I was trying to copy the marvelous soup they serve at LaParilla Mexican restaurant. This soup tastes nothing like LaParilla's, so it will be back to the old drawing board at some point, but this soup got rave reviews and many requests for the recipe. So, here it is!

1 T. Coconut Oil

1 medium chopped onion

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

3-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 12.5 oz. can Harvest Creek Organic Chicken*

1 32 oz. box Organic Chicken Stock

1 cup Mateo's Salsa*

1 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 T. apple cider vinegar

dash stevia (optional)

1 8 oz. package peas, okra, or other frozen vegetable to your liking

Saute the celery in the coconut oil on medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper and cook for another five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and cumin, and saute until the onion is translucent. Drain the chicken and add to the sauteed vegetables along with the chicken stock, salsa, vinegar and stevia. Bring to a boil and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add peas, okra, or other frozen vegetables at the end and serve.

*This chicken, along with the chicken stock and Mateo's Salsa are available at Costco and are nice to have in your pantry for a quick meal. You can use fresh cooked chicken or leftovers in place of the canned chicken.

Creamy Mexican Chicken

This recipe is Dr. Eric Ubrin's specialty.  As a Maximized Living doctor and bachelor, he is especially talented at developing healthful recipes that are yummy and easy!  This recipe has been passed all over the world by word-of-mouth through those who know Dr. Eric.  It is high-time it is written down, with Dr. Eric's blessings, of course. 

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless, organic chicken breasts

12- 16 ounces salsa

1 package organic cream cheese

Put the chicken in a crock pot and cover with your favorite salsa.  Cover and cook for 4 - 12 hours on low. Ten minutes before serving, add the cream cheese and return the lid to the crock pot. When ready to serve, stir well to mix in the melted cream cheese, and break up the chicken which should easily shred.  Serve over lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and garnish with gaucamole. May also serve on a coconut wrap (try Julian Bakery's Paleo Wraps) for Maximized Living Advanced Plan, or a sprouted tortillas shell for Maximized Living Core Plan.

Bullet-Proof Coffee

Some proponents recommend using Bullet-proof coffee as a breakfast replacement and I totally disagree. Rather, be sure to have your bullet-proof coffee with a healthful breakfast. If you are going to drink coffee, this recipe is a great way to add healthful fats and avoid the dangerous sweeteners and other chemicals that are typically in a yummy "creamer"

Ingredients

6-12 ounces hot, fresh-brewed, organic coffee

1 tablespoon grass-fed butter

1 teaspoon organic coconut oil

Stevia (vanilla stevia drops are my personal favorite)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Hold the lid in place as you start the blender, and consider gradually building the speed you are running to high. Hot liquid flying all over you from the blender is not an experience you want to have.

Pour into a cup and enjoy! The butter will create a foam on the top that will taste and feel like a latte!

Fresh Sauerkraut

Why fresh sauerkraut?  Fresh sauerkraut is made using an ancient process called lacto-fermentation that can be used to preserve just about any fruit or vegetable.  It involves no cooking and thereby retains the live enzymes in the produce.  The lacto-fermentation process imparts live beneficial bacteria into the food that we desperately need.  Our gut is designed to have as many as 2 pounds of beneficial bacterial in and around it.  With the overuse of antibiotics and chlorine in our water, combined with very little live food, our guts have a fraction of the beneficial bacteria it needs and we pay the price with our health.  Fresh sauerkraut has a delightful salty-sour taste that becomes even more pleasing as we remove sugar from our lives, get over the cravings, expand our palate beyond sweet and learn to really taste food.

Before making sauerkraut, a little planning ahead of time is necessary as you will need whey (the watery part form yogurt - not the powdered form used in protein shakes and smoothies), and whey needs to be prepared. It involves less than 5 minutes of prep time, with several hours of wait time.

Ingredients and supplies for making Whey

1 cup - 1 quart grass-fed, full fat Yogurt

Linen-style kitchen towel that has been washed in fragrance-free soap, and rinsed with vinegar

Strainer

Glass bowl or 1 quart measuring cup

You will only need 1/4 cup of whey for the sauerkraut, and 1 cup of yogurt will yield that much and then some. When preparing whey, I frequently make more to be used in other recipes. 

Put the strainer over the glass bowl and line it with one layer of the kitchen towel (or may substitute several layers of cheese cloth). Leave this out on the counter for several hours. Whey is the part that will be dripping into the bowl. Extra whey can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar for as long as 3 months if you have captured the clear liquid only and don't have any of the white creamy part mixed in. The part left in the cloth can be used as a Greek-style yogurt, or strained longer and deeper to yield cream cheese*.

Ingredients and supplies for making Fresh Sauerkraut

1 medium head organic cabbage (green or red)

1/4 cup whey

1 T salt

1 T caraway (optional, but very yummy, and an additional boost to digestion).

A very large bowl

A meat pounder, food pusher, or pestle

3 quart-sized wide-mouth jars

Clean and core the cabbage and cut into thin slices using a sharp knife with cutting board, food processor or mandolin and place in the large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Use the pounder, pusher, or pestle to pound the cabbage (while mixing in other ingredients) for at least 10 minutes, working to break cells in the cabbage to release liquid. As you work, you should find cabbage liquid gathering at the bottom of the bowl. When done, place the cabbage in the jars, using the pounder to pound the cabbage down, and let the liquid rise to cover the cabbage. Leave 1" or more clearance from the top of the jar. Scrape any cabbage down the sides of the jar so that it is all submerged into the liquid. Put caps on jars, and let sit at room temperature for 3 days. Sometimes the sauerkraut bubbles over, so some preventative layers of paper towels under the jars is a good idea.  After 3 days, refrigerate the sauerkraut. It is ready to eat at this time, but the flavors will continue to improve with a little time. This will keep for  3 - 6 months.  

Let your senses be your guide. Cooking and food preparation is a science AND an art. Your senses will know when a properly lacto-fermented food has a delightful sour smell, and when it smells rotten. Your eyes will tell you that the colors are vibrant and alive, and when it is to be thrown out. Enjoy fresh sauerkraut as a condiment, ingredient where a salty/sour taste is desired, by itself, or added to a schmear where your family will not even notice you snuck live beneficial bacteria into their food.

* If you want more whey, and cream cheese left in the cloth, there is one more step: When it seems not much more whey is draining, take the cloth by four corners, and tie them together around the handle of a wooden spoon. Place the wooden spoon across the top of a pitcher, letting the cloth with cream cheese in it dangle into the pitcher.  Let drip for several more hours. Refrigerate the whey in a glass jar. Scrape the "cream cheese" out and store in a glass container in the refrigerator. This cream cheese will not taste like store-bought cream cheese, as it has a sour taste, like the yogurt. It is still full of beneficial bacteria, so it is really a superior product. When used in recipes, like a schmear (See my Smoked Salmon Schmear), you will not notice the sour taste at all. 

Smoked Salmon Schmear

Scmear is German for spread and makes this simple dish sound fancier than it is.  A food processor is a must for this recipe which always gets rave reviews.

8 oz. organic cream cheese, slightly softened

1-3 oz. grilled, smoked or sushi-grade raw salmon

1-4 T fresh sauerkraut (optional)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Dash of cayenne or pepper sauce (optional)

Blend all ingredients in the food processor until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Serve with raw veggies and flax crackers for Advanced Plan. Try it with Mary’s Gone Crackers for core plan.  I have enjoyed it on a Maximized Living Healthful Bun as a sandwich.  Yum!  Check out Kim Roberto’s blog for the Healthful Bun recipe. The address is smartmeals.wordpress.com.  

A note about the salmon: Use wild-caught salmon from deep cold waters of Pacific or specifically from Alaska to minimize mercury exposure.  If you live in the Atlanta area, Dekalb Farmer’s Market makes their own smoked salmon that is minimally processed with salt, pepper, and bay leaves only.  It is what I use in my schmear.

A note about sauerkraut:  This is an option I use because I’m always trying to figure out ways to “sneak” fermented vegetables with live cultures (probiotics) into my loved-ones.  No one ever notices them in a schmear.  I will be posting my recipe for making a yummy fresh sauerkraut full of live beneficial bacteria soon.  If you don’t want to go through the trouble and would still like to employ live cultures in your version of this recipe, Bubbies is a brand available in most natural markets.  Look for it in the refrigerated section.

Sweet and Salty Organic Popcorn

Maximized Living Core Plan

½ cup organic pop corn kernels

2 T organic coconut oil

¼ - ½  tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Dash of stevia (or to taste)

Melt the coconut oil in a deep 12” fry pan with lid over medium high heat. While it is melting, sprinkle the salt and stevia evenly over the bottom of the pan. Add the popcorn and cover. Shake the pan over the stove during the popping phase.  Remove the pan from the burner when popping slows to once per second. Shake the pan before removing the lid a few more times to be certain popping is done. Pour into a large bowl and enjoy!

Salty Organic Popcorn

Maximized Living Core Plan

½ cup organic pop corn kernels

2 T organic coconut oil

2 tsp. Real Salt’s organic Natural Seasoning salt or ½ tsp. Sea Salt

Seasoning (like garlic) of your choosing if not using seasoning salt (optional)

Melt the coconut oil in a deep 12” fry pan with lid over medium high heat. While it is melting, sprinkle the salt and seasonings evenly over the bottom of the pan. Add the popcorn and cover.  Shake the pan over the stove during the popping phase. Remove the pan from the burner when popping slows to once per minute. Shake the pan before removing the lid a few more times to be certain popping is done. Pour into a large bowl or individual servings.

Peanut Butter Frosting

This frosting was served at a recent Maximized Living dessert night on top of Decadent Chocolate Cake made without sugar, artificial sweeteners, or grains.  The Decadent Chocolate Cake is not to be believed until it is tried.  It is sooo yummy!  The recipe is available on the famous Kimberly Roberto's blog at smartmeals.wordpress.com.  

Ingredients

1 cup organic (raw if possible) whipping cream

4 ounces organic (raw if possible) cream cheese, softened

1/2  cup of valencia natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons organic butter, softened

1/2 cup Xylitol or Swerve

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

While softening the butter and cream cheese, put the mixing bowl and beaters you will be using for the whipping cream in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.

Then beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, butter, xylitol or swerve and vanilla until smooth.  Gently fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until mixed.  Frost cake.  Refrigerate the cake if you ar not going to eat it right away.  Can be eaten cold, but my family enjoys better if it has been sitting out at room temperature for 30- 40 minutes before eating.  

Sweet Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue season will soon be upon us.  Most barbecue sauces are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy sweeteners.  I've been trying to come up with an Advanced Plan and Core Plan version that tastes as good as the sugary ones.  Give this one a try at your next barbecue. My very picky family loved it!

7 oz. organic tomato paste

7 oz. filtered water

2 1/2 T rice vinegar 

2 T Coconut liquid aminos *

1/4 tsp. ground celery seed

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1/2 tsp. stevia (adjust to personal sweetness preference)

Heat in a small saucepan.  Brush on meat the last few minutes of baking or grilling.  Cook for a few minutes,

flip, and then brush the other side of the meat before baking for a few more minutes.  Serve with extra sauce.

*Coconut liquid aminos are available at most health-food stores, including Nature's Corner.  It can also be ordered through Amazon.

This barbecue sauce also works well for an Advanced Plan catsup replacement

During a splurge (vacation meal) at my mother's 80th birthday party, a discussion came up as we ate chocolate ganache with our dessert.  My sister-in-love, Sally, told us how easy it is to make ganache.  Right, Sally, easy for you!  Sally makes her own truffles and throws them out if they present with the least imperfection.  Anyway, Sally said you just heat heavy cream until it's hot, and then add your chocolate and stir until it melts.  The ganache is then warm and ready to be served over ice cream or another dessert or to be eaten by the spoonful.  I've experimented since then with my own homemade Advanced Plan chocolate from Maximized Living's Nutrition book.  It was good with organic whipping cream, but I like it even better with coconut milk.  I now add generous portions of organic unsweetened shredded coconut and raw nuts.  I then pour it in a pan and let it set in the refrigerator to be sliced later.  The result is a nutritious guilt-free, sugar free chocolaty splurge.  Sally was right.  It's easy.

Dr Janet's Chocolate

¾ Cup coconut oil

2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. Stevia

¼ C Swerve or Xylitol

¾ C cocoa powder

¾ C full fat coconut milk

½ - 1 C unsweetened coconut shreds

½ - 1 C any combination of raw, unsalted nuts

Extra coconut oil for coating pan

Prepare an 8 x 8 pan by coating with coconut oil.  Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan on low heat.  Stir in the almond extract, stevia, xylitol and cocoa powder until smooth.  Turn off the heat.  Taste and add more stevia or xylitol to taste.  The mixture will be the consistency of liquid chocolate.

In a separate small saucepan, heat the coconut milk until hot (not boiling).  Turn off the heat and pour the chocolate mixture into the coconut milk slowly while stirring.  The mixture will become thick like pudding.  Add the coconut shreds and nuts right away and stir to coat with the chocolate mixture.  Pour into the prepared pan, cover and refrigerate for several hours.  When ready to serve, cut into pieces and enjoy!

I get asked for the recipe for my Teriyaki Almonds a lot.  I enjoy giving loved-ones and friends gifts that include them.  I usually put a label on the jar that says, "Janet Early's soon-to-be-famous Teriyaki Almonds".
Kimberly Roberto recently told me I needed to take out the "soon-to-be" part.  Thanks, Kim!  So, here it is.

Janet Early's Famous Teriyaki Almonds

• 4 Cups raw almonds

• 1 cup Liquid Aminos or Organic Tamari sauce

• ¼ cup – 1 cup balsamic Vinegar (This is an option - do not use if heating oven  

            above 250°F– the nuts will burn)

• 4 Cloves mashed and chopped garlic (or 2 t. garlic powder)

• 2 “ finely peeled and ground fresh ginger (or 2 t. ginger powder)

• Dash – ¼ tsp. Stevita (optional)

• Dash of Cayenne powder (optional)

Mix together Liquid Aminos or Tamari sauce, garlic, ginger, and optional balsamic vinegar, stevita and cayenne powder in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add the almonds to the bowl and toss with a large spoon to coat all the almonds.  Put the bowl in the oven, turn the oven to 350°F for a few minutes, or just until preheated, and then turn the oven OFF.  Leave the bowl in the oven for 1 – 3 hours (can also leave overnight).  Toss the nuts to coat with sauce four or five times.  Taste-test the nuts occasionally.  When they are full of flavor, it is time to dehydrate or roast them.  First drain off the liquid using a strainer.  You can throw away the liquids, or keep in the refrigerator for a week or two and use to coat a second (probably smaller) batch of almonds.

Dehydrate the drained nuts in a dehydrator for 12-24 hours (taste-tests will tell you when they are crispy enough to call done), or place parchment paper on cookie sheets, cover the parchment paper with the drained almonds and bake in 250°F oven. Stir the almonds every 15 minutes or so, and taste-test until crispy.  You can speed up the process by increasing the temperature of the oven, but watch them carefully and stir more often so they do not burn. 

Note on dehydrating or baking your almonds:  Food that has not been heated above 150°F, maintains the live enzymes present in raw food.  There are numerous benefits to eating live, raw food.  For this reason, I have dehydrated my almonds most of the time and usually don’t let them soak for  1 – 3 hours in an oven that has been preheated to 350°F.  Instead, I will soak them for 24 – 48 hours in an oven that has been turned on for 1 – 3 minutes only.  Recently it has been pointed out that almonds in the U.S., even when labeled, “raw,” have been pasteurized.  I’ve been thinking that the live enzymes in almonds have already been destroyed, so lately I’ve been using the quick method outlined above.  Feel free to try it either way.  This is a hard recipe to mess up. 

Serving option:  The almonds are good served as is, or mixed with other nuts and large coconut flakes for a trail mix.  The jars pictured above, behind the almonds are filled with my latest trail mix featuring my famous teriyaki almonds.