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.

Yogurt Dill Dip

It's Labor Day Weekend, and who wants to go to a lot of work making something?  Chances are that you'll either be going somewhere or having someone over.  Here's a simple and good recipe to go with any hors d'oeuvres. 

A few months ago, Kristen got me a starter kit with cucumber and dill seeds for a pot garden.  I think she may have had something in mind with cucumbers and dill.  



Unfortunately, the cucumbers haven't done so well.  We've gotten two of them off the vines, and neither were that great.  The dill, though, has done great.  So, I've been trying out different things with it.  This dip is a delicious way to use that dill, and it's healthy too!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Plain Nonfat Yogurt

1 T. Fresh Dill - Finely Chopped

1/2 t. Garlic Powder

1/2 t. Salt

Hot Sauce

Directions:

1.  Put the Yogurt in a small to medium sized mixing bowl.

2.  Add in the Dill, Garlic Powder and Salt.  Add a few drops or one good shake of Hot Sauce.

3.  Stir together, and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Voila!

 

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.

Spicy Popcorn

Today.  I'm going real simple, but for a good reason.  I know what you're thinking: "Fr. Foodie, really?  I know how to make Popcorn."  Do you ever want a snack, so you go to the pantry?  Lo and behold, you pull out a bag of microwave popcorn.  You throw it in the microwave, and after 3 1/2 minutes, you have a yummy, buttery snack, full of salt, fat, and yellow #7.  

Microwavable Popcorn is an invention of my lifetime, but if you're too much younger than me, it probably has never occurred to you that you can actually make popcorn any other way.  (That's right, the Native Americans, as a traditional snack, had to lug a microwave around with them as they followed the Buffalo across the prairie.)

It turns out, popcorn is a pretty diverse food.  On its own, it's quite healthy.  It will taste like anything you put on it.   So, have you ever thought, hmm why am I putting the standard hardened milkfat on it?

For years now, I've been doing alternative flavors of popcorn, and making it from scratch.  Here's one of my favorite ways to do it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Popcorn Seeds

3 T. Olive Oil for popping

3-4 T. Olive Oil for seasoning

1 t. Garlic Powder

1 t. Chile Powder

1 t. Ground Red Pepper

1 t. Curry Powder

1 T. Salt

Directions:

1. Place Popping Corn in a very large pot.  Put in 3 T. Olive Oil. Swoosh it around until the kernels are covered with oil.

2.  Cover the pot and put it on the stove over medium heat.  When the corn starts to pop.  Shake the pot every 10 - 15 seconds to get the unpopped kernels to the bottom, and not burn the already popped corn. 

3.  When the popping slows down to apx. 2 seconds between pops, turn off the stove, and shake the pot one more time.  You should hear a couple more pops before removing the lid.

4.  Add the Garlic, Chile, Red Pepper, and Curry.  Drizzle the remaining Olive Oil over the popcorn.  Put the lid back on the pot, and while holding the lid down, shake the popcorn well to distribute the spices over the corn. 

Shake shake shake!  Shake that popcorn!

5.  Guard your popcorn carefully, so Kristen doesn't eat your half :)

Here it is again.