Have you ever purchased a vegetable that you don’t typically buy, only to bring it home and wonder what the heck to do with it? Ha, ha…so I’m not alone here, that’s refreshing!
I was recently captivated by the beautiful, locally-grown eggplant on display at my local grocery store. They were seriously straight out of a magazine. Gorgeous, deep purple skin that simply glistening under the bright lights. In my cart it went. And in my refrigerator it sat… for five days.
Thank God for creative people who love to cook. I went on a search for a roasted eggplant recipe that wasn’t eggplant parmesan. Faith Durand from The Kitchn saved the day with this recipe.
I altered the recipe just a bit and topped each portion with a couple ounces of pulled rotisserie chicken. It was phenomenal AND tasted even better the second day. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
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Roasted eggplant salad with toasted almonds
Have you ever purchased a vegetable that you don't typically buy, only to bring it home and wonder what the heck to do with it? I went on a search for a roasted eggplant recipe that wasn't eggplant parmesan. Faith Durand from The Kitchn saved the day with this recipe. I altered a few of the ingredients and the result was AMAZING! 4 Earthfoods per serving: ♥♥♥♥
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, diced into 1-inch pieces
- Sea salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp. raw honey
- 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 cup flat parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled and divided
- 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, diced into 1-inch pieces
- Sea salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp. raw honey
- 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 cup flat parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled and divided
- 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
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Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Place cut eggplant in large bowl and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Set aside while making the marinade.
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cumin. Dab away any extra water that has beaded up on the eggplant and toss with the marinade. Stir in the garlic. Spread the eggplant on a large baking sheet, lined with parchment paper and slide onto a rack placed in the center of the oven. Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes, or until very tender and slightly browned. (Stir every 15 minutes and check after 30 minutes to make sure it isn't burning.) Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
While eggplant is roasting, toast almonds in either a toaster oven or stove-top in a skillet. If using the skillet method, heat nuts in skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown and give off a rich, toasty fragrance. Stir frequently for even toasting. Allow to cool slightly and chop nuts into small pieces.
Whisk together lemon juice and liquid aminos. Return the eggplant to the bowl and toss with the lemon juice mixture. Stir in the parsley leaves, toasted almonds, and most of the goat cheese, reserving a little.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining goat cheese and scallions on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts per serving: Calories: 425; Total Fat: 33 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 475 mg; Potassium: 910 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 29 g; Dietary fiber: 10 g; Net Carbohydrates: 19 grams; Sugar: 15 g (4 grams added sugar from the raw honey); Protein: 11 g
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Earlier this summer my sister Dawn asked me if I’d like to go in on a crate of fresh local peaches. Since we adore stone fruit, I was totally game. We ended up with more peaches than we could possibly consume, so I seeded and froze half to use in daily smoothies and with the other half…I made jam!
Of course I couldn’t stand for just ordinary jam. You should know by now that I like to combine ingredients for the best effect on blood sugar, so instead I created a spread of cooked peaches (with a little honey, cinnamon and lemon juice) and peanut butter. You could also use almond butter, sunflower butter or even cashew butter! Whatever nut or seed butter you choose, please make sure the only ingredient listed on the label is the nut itself (salt is OK). Sugar is added to so many brands of peanut butter and it’s easy to fall victim if you’re just looking at the front of the jar. FYI… the word “Natural” on a label means nothing!
A few of the brands I recommend are:
- Crazy Richard’s
- Krema
- Peanut Butter & Co. Old Fashioned Smooth Peanut Butter
- Organic MaraNatha Peanut Butter
Easy Peachy Peanut Butter Jam is a wonderful topping for sprouted toast, rice cakes, or…do I dare say vanilla ice cream?! The addition of peanut butter bumps up the fat content, which means it won’t spike your blood sugar like traditional jam. I added a small amount of sweetener in the form of raw honey…but only two tablespoons for the entire batch. I think it sweetens the jam plenty, but if you disagree you can add a touch more. Just don’t go overboard!
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Easy Peachy Peanut Butter Jam
I like to combine ingredients for the best effect on blood sugar, so I created a jam of cooked peaches (with a little honey, cinnamon and lemon juice) and peanut butter. You could also use almond butter, sunflower butter or even cashew butter!
This jam makes a wonderful topping for sprouted toast, rice cakes, or...do I dare say vanilla ice cream?! Recipe makes approximately 2 1/2 cups of jam (or 2-12 oz. mason jars).
Ingredients
- 6 peaches
- 2 tbsp. raw honey
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup peanut butter The only ingredient should be peanuts (salt is OK too)
Ingredients
- 6 peaches
- 2 tbsp. raw honey
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup peanut butter The only ingredient should be peanuts (salt is OK too)
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Instructions
Peel, seed and dice peaches. Toss in a sauce pan with honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir until evenly combined.
Heat on medium until simmering, then turn heat to low and allow to cook for 60-70 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Transfer to mason jars and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts per serving (serving size: 2 tbsp.): Calories: 60; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Sodium: 20 mg; Potassium: 60 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 6 g; Dietary fiber: 1 g; Net Carbohydrates: 5 grams; Sugar: 4 g (2 grams added sugar); Protein: 2 g
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This simple and clean hummus recipe leaves me wondering if I’ll ever use the store-bought kind again! Made with canned chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini (sesame seed butter), extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and cumin, OMG! Hummus is creamy and dreamy with just the right amount of zing.
Use it as a:
- Dip for raw veggies
- Topping for your pizza
- Filling for avocados or deviled eggs
- Substitute for mayonnaise and sour cream
Or… try it as a “dressing” for your salad. Lately I’ve been topping my green salads with a couple tablespoons of hummus and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bottled salad dressings no longer please my palate since I’ve come up with this newfound excuse to eat more hummus.
Feel free to add other toppings to your OMG! Hummus, such as a sprinkle of smoked paprika, diced kalamata olives, or sun-dried tomatoes!
The original recipe comes from www.cookieandkate.com. Check out Kate’s website, she’s got oodles of delicious and nutritious recipes!
This simple and clean hummus recipe leaves me wondering if I'll ever use the store-bought kind again! Made with canned chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini (sesame seed butter), extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and cumin, OMG! Hummus is creamy and dreamy with just the right amount of zing. 1 Earthfood per serving: ♥
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or you can use Lakewood Organic Pure Lemon Juice
- 1 large clove fresh garlic, minced or you can use 1/2-1 tsp. of jarred minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
- 1/2 cup tahini try Artisana Organic Raw Tahini
- 2-4 tbsp. ice water, or more as needed I used around 6 tablespoons to make it extra creamy!
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or you can use Lakewood Organic Pure Lemon Juice
- 1 large clove fresh garlic, minced or you can use 1/2-1 tsp. of jarred minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
- 1/2 cup tahini try Artisana Organic Raw Tahini
- 2-4 tbsp. ice water, or more as needed I used around 6 tablespoons to make it extra creamy!
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
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Instructions
Combine lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor until garlic is finely chopped. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Add tahini and blend until thick and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of food processor as needed. While running the processor, drizzle in 2-4 tablespoons of ice water and blend until really smooth, pale and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water if needed.
Add the cumin, chickpeas, and baking soda to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until super smooth, again, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary to achieve a super creamy texture.
Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Add toppings of your choice, such as a sprinkle of smoked paprika, diced kalamata olives, or sun-dried tomatoes!
Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for up to a week.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts per serving (1/4 cup): Calories: 150; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 450 mg; Potassium: 187 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 13 g; Dietary fiber: 4 g; Net Carbohydrates: 9 grams; Sugar: 0 g; Protein: 5 g
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