nut & seed condiments

pine nut parmesan

28th May 2015

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and then Spring arrived…….soft bright light, growth, birth, beginnings, quiet, revel, love, glory and new life.

And a proud mama!

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six bundles of softness, fluff and feathers

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pine nut parmesan

Slightly adapted from here.

I enjoy parmesan cheese, for my daughter and husband who avoid eating dairy this is a great substitute, it is so tasty that I find myself using it as well.

Preparation 20 minutes

Makes 1 cup

ingredients 

½ cup/70g pine nuts

2 Tbsp/20g sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp/20g unhulled sesame seeds

1 tsp lemon zest-optional

½ cup nutritional yeast (sold in the UK under Engevita & in Australia it is called savoury yeast flakes.)

¼ tsp fine rock salt

preparation 

1.  Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the pine nuts and seeds, toast until golden, stirring and watch constantly to avoid burning them.  Transfer to a bowl to cool.

2.  In a small food processor/upright blender, add the nuts and seeds, lemon zest, nutritional yeast, and salt, grind until coarsely ground.  I like it quite coarse with a few seeds whole for a little crunch and surprise.  Check seasonings and adjust to your liking.

3.  Pour into a jar and store it in the refrigerator.

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Goodness shared from Stacey

tamari – toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds

2nd May 2015

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I went to India last week and came back…

Six days full of joys, challenges, moments of confusion and clarity, abundance and grace in so many ways.

I came back with a piece of gold inside my heart.  I have been holding it with heartfelt gratitude and inner joy.
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early morning perfection

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tamari – toasted seeds

These make a great, satisfying, salty snack to travel with on a long plane journey; they are also great to have on hand to add a finishing touch to salads or grain dishes.

Makes 1 cup

ingredients 

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp tamari sauce

preparation 

1.  Heat a skillet over medium heat, then add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds. To avoid burning, shake and stir the seeds constantly as they are toasting.  When the seeds start to pop open and release their aroma, they are done – approximately 2 – 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat.

2. Drizzle with tamari sauce and stir until combined – set aside to cool.  Store in a sealed jar.

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Goodness shared by Stacey

gomasio

21st June 2010

I have been experimenting with raw foods and using my dehydrator.  Tonight, I have a wonderful raw granola “I am Great” taken from my ‘I am Grateful’ cookbook, which consists of grated apple, soaked almonds, sunflower seeds, buckwheat, cranberries, dates, coconut and cinnamon. I have also been trying to eat less bread, making all sorts of linseed crackers and almond toast from soaked and sprouted seeds, then dehydrating them in my special oven.

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But my favourite food at the moment is a bowl of brown rice.

Yesterday, I sautéed tofu, zucchini and red peppers, added a little tamari and gomasio and that was another delicious meal. The other day, I rolled brown rice mixed with some left-over almond pulp into nori rolls with some avocado, grated carrot and crisp cucumber..yum. On the weekend, it was more of an elaborate meal with a simple red dal and a green salad with a big bowl of brown rice. Today, I had a bowl of brown rice and a salad drizzled with a tahini-lemon sauce over the top, but my favourite is eating it plain, drizzled with ghee and sprinkled with gomasio. It tastes so comforting, clean and wonderfully grounding.

Gomasio is a nutty, salty condiment that you can sprinkle on soups, salads, stews or use as you would salt. Sesame seeds have a high calcium content. They also have wonderful amounts of manganese, copper, iron, zinc and vitamin B1. My version is a slight variation on traditional gomasio by incorporating a sheet of toasted nori for a salty sea flavour and additional nutrients.

You can use any sesame seeds, though preferably the tan ones instead of the white. The white ones that are sold at the supermarket are hulled and maybe even bleached. I don’t recommend them, as the hull keeps the oil inside from getting rancid. You could also omit the nori and make a spicy gomasio by adding crushed red pepper flakes.

I used a quick modern-day grinding method but for a more meditative and energetically calming experience, you can use a traditional mortar and pestle by grinding it in smaller batches.

gomasio

Makes 1 cup

ingredients 

2 tsp freshly ground rock salt

1 cup tan sesame seeds

1 sheet toasted nori

preparation 

1.  In a small skillet, toast the salt for a couple of minutes and put aside, then add the sesame seeds to the skillet and dry roast them on very low heat for about 10 mins, stirring constantly, until the seeds begin to brown. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat as the longer lower temperature will result in more even heat distribution, more even browning, and more of a potent roasted flavour.

2.  Using a small blender or a coffee grinder, place the still-warm sesame seeds and salt, roughly broken-up nori sheet and blend. Be careful not to grind too much: you want some of the texture of the seeds to remain.

Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Goodness shared from Stacey

pumpkin & flaxseed blend – omega 3 & 6

11th May 2010

We are continually bombarded with the importance of including Omega-3 and Omega-6, amongst other essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.  Unfortunately, these often come from companies trying to sell their supplements.  I am a huge believer in that, if I aim to eat a healthy, clean, balanced diet, there is no need for extra supplementation.  A great money saver.  Another downside to taking various multi-vitamins and supplements is that too much of a good thing can actually cause more harm.  Certain vitamins and minerals are harmful in large doses and can interfere with the absorption of iron, calcium and other ‘goodies’.

And what are those Omega benefits?

Omega-3’s have anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant properties as well as many other important health benefits.  They reduce inflammation and can provide protection against cardiovascular disease, arthritis, skin conditions, depression and other mood-related disorders.  Omega-6, when sourced through diet, has anti-inflammatory properties.  It can help the bloating and pain associated with PMS.  It also maintains healthy skin, hair and nails and generally helps to bring about hormonal and emotional balance.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 interact with each other so the balance between them is crucial for good health.

Knowing this, I have decided to try and ‘supplement’ my body the ‘natural food’ way.  This recipe is a mix of ground pepitas and flaxseeds that provide the minimum healthy dietary intake of both Omega-3 and Omega-6.   Usually, one is taken more than the other in the form of fish oil supplements, however, a balance of both is important.  So, this seed blend does that perfectly.  Flaxseeds are high in Omega-3, whereas pepitas(pumpkin seeds) are almost equally equivalent in Omega-6.   Sunflower seeds and walnuts provide high sources of the 6 as well if you would like to vary your mixture.

omega blend

ingredients 

100g  flaxseed (I used a mixture of golden and brown)

100g pepitas

preparation 

1.  In a spice blender, combine the seeds – grind to a fairly fine mixture.  This may need to complete in stages, depending on the size of your grinder.

2.  Pour into a glass jar with a lid.  Shake well to distribute seeds evenly.  Store in the fridge.

Use 2 heaped teaspoons on cereal, in pies/quiches, salad dressings.  The list is endless.  I add mine to my morning oats.  This quantity provides the daily minimum healthy dietary intake of both Omega-3 and Omega-6.

Goodness shared from Donna

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