Sunflower Butter

A few weeks ago, when I posted how to make Tahini, it occurred to me how similar it is to making a nut butter.  Almost everyone's familiar with Peanut Butter, but unfortunately a lot of people are allergic to it.  There are plenty of alternatives, but they can be hard to find and expensive. 

Being from Kansas, I've always had a fondness for Sunflowers.

(If you're from the East Coast, Kansas is a State in the middle of the country.)

The Sunflower is the State flower, and as you can see, there's even a sunflower on the State flag.  

Not only do I like the flower, but I like Sunflower Seeds.  What guy doesn't like swooshing them around in his mouth to take the shell off, and spit it out?  Obviously, it's much easier to eat the kind that are already shelled.  A few years ago, I tried for the first time, Sunflower Butter.  It's basically like Peanut Butter, but tastes better.  The downside is that, as I stated above, there's a cost and availability problem.  

So, after a few attempts at making it with some trial and error, I finally got a good recipe for it.  

Here it is!

Ingredients:

2 c. Shelled, Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

3 T. Sunflower Oil (Preferably Unrefined)

1/2 t. Salt

1 T. Agave Nectar (Or any sweetener, really)

*Agave Nectar is very low glycemic, which is why I chose this as a sweetener.  It's also becoming very common and easy to find.

You won't need nearly this much.

 Directions:

1.   Put the 2 c. of Sunflower Seeds into a blender.

2.  With the lid on, turn the blender on a high setting and grind the seeds until they become a fine powder.  You will probably have to stop the blender and scrape the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice.

3.  Switch the blender to its lowest setting (Stir), and very slowly drizzle in the Sunflower Oil.  Again you will probably have to scrape the sides a couple of times.  

4.  When the mixture reaches the desired consistency, add the Salt and Agave Nectar.  Turn off the blender, and stir a couple of turns with a spoon.  Then, put it in a jar for storage.

Tahini

"What is Tahini?" you may ask.  The first time I made Hummus, I asked myself the same question.  Tahini Paste is a common ingredient in a lot of middle-eastern foods as well as dips and sauces.  It's sometimes called "Sesame Paste".  I have run into a lot of recipes that call for it.  One of the biggest problems is that at 16 oz. jar of decent Tahini of it can cost $12-15.

In the last couple of months, I've figured out that I can save this money.  How did I figure this recipe out?  Well, funny story.  I was grumbling about how much it cost and I looked at the back of the jar to see what all was in it.  It turns out there are TWO ingredients in this liquid gold I've buying.  On top of that, they're incredibly common and incredibly cheap ingredients.  So, now I've worked out an easy method and the right proportions, I'm sharing this recipe with you.

Ingredients:

2 c. Sesame Seeds

1/2 c. Unrefined Sesame Oil

Directions:

1.  Put the 2 c. of Sesame Seeds in a blender.  With the lid on the blender, blend on a medium-high setting (Mix or Purée) until the seeds are finely ground.  You may have to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice and run the blender again.

2.  With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides to get all the ground seeds to the bottom in a pile around the blade.  Then, add the Sesame Oil.  Blend on a low setting (Stir) for 30 - 60 seconds until the oil and seeds are well mixed.  Then, blend on a medium-low setting (Chop or Mix) for at least two minutes.  The seeds should continue to blend into finer pieces so that the whole thing gets to be a thick pasty consistency.

3.  Scoop the paste out of the blender into a jar, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Mango Pineapple Salsa

This week, I'm doing something a little different.  We're all familiar with savory, tomato-based salsas.  But, salsas can be quite varied.  Unlike most which are vegetable-based (I know a tomato is a fruit), this one is fruit-based.

Ingredients:

1/2 fresh Pineapple


1 Mango

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh Mint Leaves

2 Jalapeños
*You can use 1, if you want it less spicy.

1 c. chopped Green Onion - white and green parts without the roots

1/2 t. Curry

1/4 t. Salt

Juice of 1 Lime

Directions:

1.  Peel the 1/2 Pineapple and remove the eyes.  Finely cube the pineapple into small pieces slightly smaller than 1/4".  Then, peel and cube the Mango into pieces of the same  size.  Put the chopped pineapple and mango in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2.  Remove the jalapeño stems and deseed the peppers.  Finely mince the jalapeños, and add them to the mixing bowl.

3.  Add the onions and mint leaves.  Stir the mix together.

4.  Add the Curry, Salt and Lime Juice.  Stir well.

5.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Stir before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Today, I am posting from a family reunion in Erie PA.  As I'm posting this early, and I'm away from my kitchen, this will probably not be what I bring, but it would be a great idea if I had the facilities for it.

I love hummus.  I had eaten it for a long time, never having a clue how to make it.  A roommate of mine from seminary, Ryan, had lived in the Middle East and was (is) an awesome cook of Middle Eastern food.  He tried explaining Hummus-making to me once, but I didn't even know what some of the ingredients were.  After a while, I started looking up various recipes, and began picking and choosing things I liked about each one.

Then, I started to experiment.  Hummus is great on it's own; however it turns out, you can add all kinds of things to it to make it EVEN BETTER.  My favorite addition to Hummus is Roasted Red Pepper.  While the Red Pepper is completely optional, and you can use this recipe without it, it does give it a nice savory smoky flavor.

So, here goes:

Ingredients:
1 Red Bell Pepper (Again, optional to Hummus, and can be left out.)

2 c. Chickpeas - drained and rinsed

3 Garlic Cloves

4 T. Tahini Paste - Preferrably Raw
*It's a paste made from Sesame Seeds.  You can find it in Organic and International food aisles.


1 T. Olive Oil

1/4 c. Water

3 T. Lemon Juice
*If you use Lemon Juice from a bottle, only use 2 T, and add Water to it.  If it's fresh Lemon Juice use the full amount, and keep them separate.


1/2 t. Ground Cumin

1/2 t. Sea Salt
*Don't use Table Salt, or it will be too salty.

Directions:

1. Cut the Red Pepper into quarters.
*To cut up a Bell Pepper, I find it's helpful to cut the raised part off the top, first, being careful not to cut below the stem.  Then you can clear the insides and seeds out before quartering it.

2.  To roast the Pepper, put the Pepper quarters on a small grill, and broil them on high.  Check them occasionally.  When they start to blacken on the tops, take them out, and turn them over.  Broil the other sides until just beginning to blacken.  Then, take them out and put them aside.  You can roast the Peppers while you are doing the following steps.


3.  While the Peppers are roasting, put the Garlic and Chick Peas into a food processor.  Process them until they are granulated.  You may have to stop the food processor and scrape the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula occasionally.

4.  With the food processor running, add the Tahini and Olive Oil.  If you have fresh Lemon Juice, add it now.  If you are using the bottled kind, mixed with water, hold off until after the next step.

5.  Add the cumin and Sea Salt.

You see how I use a very precise measuring spoon

6.  Gradually add the Water or Water/Lemon Juice Mixture until the hummus reaches the desired texture.  As before, you will probably have to stop the food processor and scrape the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula at least once.

7.  Once the Hummus is at the right texture, with the food processor running, drop the roasted Pepper pieces in, one at a time.  Let it run until the Pepper pieces are completely blended into the Hummus. 

*A note about Raw Hummus:
If you are a Raw Foods person, you can make Raw Hummus.  Chick Peas require little cooking to begin with, and can be eaten after just soaking overnight without boiling them at all.  Raw Chick Peas can be bitter, so I recommend using a little more Salt, Cumin, and Lemon Juice.  Also, make sure the Tahini is raw and obviously don't do the roasted Pepper.

Garden Guacamole

For my first recipe, I'm going to go with something simple and delicious.

This recipe is a variation on a basic Guacamole recipe.  Along with being a cook, I'm also a gardener.  I keep my postage-stamp sized yard in nice shape, and spend a lot of time doing so.  The problem: I have two invasive, yet edible plants that grow in my garden.

Mint

It WILL not stay in its nice area over the summer.

It's already invading the Asiatic Lilies

and Scallions

The solution:  It's Spring, and avocados are in season!

Most Guacamole recipes call for cilantro, but I figure if I can't get rid of the mint, it will make a nice variation on a classic recipe.  Here goes:

Ingredients:
3 Ripe Hass Avocados
*Note: Ripeness is very important.  Make sure they're slightly soft to the touch before chopping up, or it won't turn out well.
1/2 c. of Washed, Chopped Scallions - white and green parts, without small roots
1/2 - 3/4 c. of Mint Leaves
1/4 t. ground Cayenne Pepper
1/4 t. Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 t. Sea Salt
1 1/2 T. Lemon or Lime Juice
*Note: I use Lemon Juice, because it's more readily available.

Directions:
1.  Peel and cut 2 of the Avocados into quarters, without the seed.  Peel and dice the third and place it to the side.
2.  Place Mint leaves and Scallions in a food processor, and mix until they are finely chopped and mixed.
3.  Add in the two quartered Avocados into the food processor, and blend together with the Mint and Scallions until smooth.  Add the Lemon Juice.
4.  With the food processor running, add the Sea Salt, Cayenne, and Crushed Red Pepper.
5.  Add the diced Avocado, and process until desired texture
*I like mine a little chunkier.

Voila!