Asian Sweet & Spicy Peanut Dressing

*Forgive me my people! No pics yet! For some reason, there is a glitch in the bloggerspot.com web site. Not allowing me to upload pics from my computer... Hopefully is will be resolved soon.


Who doesn't love the play of all the different flavors? Sweet, salty, spicy, hot, and savory, with the rich flavor of peanut, and a hint of dark sesame oil- it is nearly perfect for the palate!

I love the spicy Chinese Chop salad at Noodles & Co., and I absolutely loved an Asian peanut coleslaw my friend Meg introduced me to several years ago... I do enjoy recreating meals I've tried at restaurants, and I love to tweak recipes from friends, to my own tastes!

This dressing is fab for an Asian slaw, or a chopped salad, a dipping sauce for rice paper veggie rolls, or a veggie dip! I could drink it, but I won't;)

Asian Sweet & Spicy Peanut Dressing

1/4 c olive oil (or rice bran oil)
1/4 c rice vinegar (or raw apple cider vinegar)
1/4 c raw honey
1/4 c organic peanut butter
1 Tbl tamari-gluten free soy sauce
1 Tbl dark sesame oil
1 Tbl crushed ginger (or fresh grated ginger)
1 Tbl crushed garlic (or 4 cloves chopped)
1/2 tsp shiracha (or garlic chili sauce, or Tabasco)

Put all ingredients, except for olive oil, and blend well. Add olive oil in a slow stream until smooth and creamy. FANTASTIC.

*I usually double the recipe. It will keep well in the fridge for weeks.
*You could omit the peanut butter for an Asian vinaigrette.
*I have substituted cashew butter with excellent results!
*You certainly can use regular soy sauce.
*For ginger and garlic, you can substitute powdered or granulated for each, but use only 1 tsp per.

I hope you love this dressing/dip as much as I do!
Yours in health,
Natalie

Garlic Aioli

(Pictures to be added later. Blogger site not able to download pictures at this time!)

 

Garlic Aioli is one of my favorite things in life... hollandaise is right up there, as is homemade Caesar dressing! What do they all have in common? Egg yolks. Raw egg yolks. No, there isn't a need to worry- too much hoopla about getting sick from raw eggs. If you are worried, google, and find hundreds of articles about why eating raw eggs is just fine, even very healthy for you!

There isn't a darned thing, that garlic aioli doesn't go with. At least that is my opinion. It is a perfect gluten free, dairy free option for so very much! A perfect raw veggie dip, a perfect roasted vegetable topping, perfect for topping meats of all kinds, and even fish!

Today, we are having gluten free, dairy free pizza- so this IS the white sauce of choice for my pizza! I am attempting to recreate, a FAB pizza that we've had at Transfer Pizza in Bayview, WI. A pizza that has the white garlic sauce ( I am guessing they use garlic aioli), mushrooms, onions, spinach, and avocado. It is heaven... so here goes with our attempt!

Aioli is easy, delicious, and on all accounts, healthy!

Basic Garlic Aioli

3 cloves garlic
2 egg yolks
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Crush the garlic,(very well by using the flat side of your knife and a bit of salt) or use a garlic press and allow to sit for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the first 4 ingredients well. Begin to add the olive oil, drop by drop at first. Until you have incorporated about a Tbl of oil, and you see it is beginning to emulsify. You can begin to thinly stream in the olive oil, until incorporated, and looks like yellow mayonnaise!

*You can alter the recipe, by using 1 whole egg instead of the 2 yolks. I prefer the 2 yolks myself. I will use the unused egg whites the next morning. Try both ways, see what you prefer.

*You can use a mini food processor. Do as instructed above, only using the processor. I've never tried it with a large food processor- just seems too small a batch, but it might work?

*Make your job easier, and put a wet dish cloth under your bowl, so you can whisk and add oil, without the bowl moving!

*You can add more garlic or less to taste! Even 1 garlic clove lends a very potent garlic flavor. We love garlic so I go with 3 or more!

*Will last in your fridge at least a week. If it lasts that long;)

There are many recipes for aioli... This is easy, fast, and fantastic. Welcome to creamy goodness! Plus, the vampires will leave you alone for sure!

Yours in health,
Natalie

Cowboy Caviar Dip

Sometime back, I was at a friend's party, and tried this incredible dip... There were several of us, hovering around this dip, ooo-ing and ah-ing about how good it tasted!  I asked what it was, my friend called it "cowboy caviar", and confessed it was super easy to make. Super easy, and this good? I was hooked! Thank you Colleen for introducing me to this dip!

I've now made it countless times. I bring it to parties, and I make it as a delicious topping for tacos and tostadas. I love it, my family loves it, and my friends love it... Now I'm the one being asked how to make it! So, here goes my version of the easy, tex-mex kinda dip, that really can be used a thousand ways, and it can be made probably a thousand ways.
Here's my version.

Cowboy Caviar

1 14oz. can black beans (or favorite bean)
1 10oz or 14.5oz of Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 bell pepper diced (any color)
1 medium onion diced
1 cup corn
1 avocado diced
1/4- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
2 Tbl cilantro, chopped (optional)
1 lime, juice and zest
1/4 C olive oil
sea salt to taste

Drain and rinse the black beans. This certainly can be a chop, dump and gently mix recipe. But, I like to create the dressing first, by putting the oil, lime juice and zest, onion, garlic, and jalapeno, then whisk well. Then I put the black beans in, toss well, and let it sit for at least a half hour. I add in the rest of the ingredients, except the avocado, and toss well. Lastly, I add, and gently toss in the avocado- as it can break apart easily.
That's it! Tastes best, if you allow it to meld flavors in the refrigerator for about an hour, before you serve it. However, I've mixed it up, and served immediately, with no complaints:)
Healthy, tasty... and EASY!

*Serve with tortilla chips, or as a topping for Mexican food!

*I have mixed in 2 cups of cooked quinoa, or brown rice, to make a delicious salad!!

Yours in health,
Natalie

I like to macerate the jalapeno, a bit of onion, and a pinch of sea salt!

Natalie's Olive Tapenade

Like everything I make, I make it to my own tastes, this included!  I love olive tapenade- and it is so very versatile, and uses are endless!  I make it often in the Summer, as it makes a great dip, an excellent topping, a wonderful dish to pass at parties!  There are many, many recipes for olive tapenade, but in reality, you can make it pretty much any way you'd like.  It is at it's base, olives and capers that are chopped- what else you do with it, is up to you... This is the way I like to make it!

Natalie's Olive Tapenade

1  can black olives (7.75 oz.)

1 jar green olives (10 oz.)

1 jar kalamata olives (6 oz.)

1 jar capers (3.5 oz.)

2-5 garlic cloves

2 tsp. anchovy paste, (or 3-4 fillets)

2 tsp. mustard ( I used grainy brown)
1/2 C olive oil

Process the garlic cloves first in food processor, or blender.  Add the rest of the ingredients and chop coarsely.  

That's it!!

I like it coarsely blended, so you can see the different colors, or you can really process it a lot to make it creamy.  Today I blended it more than I usually do, so it is difficult to see all the different olives- oops.

*There are many additions you could do here, or things you can omit.  I love having the combo of olives, but you could omit any one of the 3... You can do less olive oil if you'd prefer it less of a dip, and more of a chopped topping.  You can add fresh lemon juice- which I often do when I make it fresh for company.  Today I added 2 tsp. of red pepper flakes, because I just wanted to make it with a little kick!

*This tapenade is again, so very versatile.  I use it often because I love olives!  My favorite way to use this tapenade is to top a rice cracker with goat cheese then the tapenade!!  I also love to use the tapenade in lieu of just olives, as in Mexican dishes- on tacos, on tostadas, and on top of my famous layered bean dip.  It is excellent on broiled fish, chicken, even on top of baked potatoes!  Great as a dip fresh veggies!

*Olives are NOT fattening, and are nutritional powerhouse, and have the HEALTHY FATS that your body and brain needs.  There are many healing properties to olives, garlic, olive oil- so enjoy without guilt!

Your family and friends will thank you.  This is gourmet taste, without the gourmet effort!

Yours in health,

Natalie

Baba Ghanouj

This is one of my all time favorite dips!  It's hard to believe, that it was only about a year ago, when I first had the pleasure of trying it... My neighbor Meg's sister Margo, brought this fabulous dip to share, from one of her favorite gourmet stores.  (I love gourmet stores, and dips, but not the gourmet price!)  I had heard of the name "baba ghanouj", but thought it was perhaps an Indian inspired soup?  Boy was I wrong, and sorry that I never really knew what this was!
So, of course in the name of saving, and making it to my tastes, I have made this FAB dip many times.  I know there are many ways to make baba ghanouj, and most certainly have honed the recipe to my liking!
Here's the way I LOVE to make this dip!

Baba Ghanouj

1 med. eggplant

1-3 cloves garlic  

1-3 TBL tahini

2 TBL olive oil

2 TBL lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cumin

Cut off the top of the eggplant, and cut in half length wise.  Brush the surface with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

Put garlic in the food processor first, then add all of the other ingredients, and blend until desired consistency.

I use the entire eggplant, with the skin and all.  Most recipes call for only the inside of the eggplant.  I think this is a waste, of the very nutrient rich purple skin.  I think it is prettier, and more nutritious with the skin on.

I use at least 3 garlic cloves because I really love it garlicky- and only 1 TBL of the tahini... All of these ingredients can be adjusted to your own tastes!

Enjoy!

Yours in health,

Natalie

Easy Hummus (Chickpea Dip)

Bean dip, any bean dip is a hit at my house!  Love to make it for family, or when having friends over... Had hummus at my recent Party lite party, and a friend asked me to post it- Thanks Tammy!  Here it is!

Easy Hummus

1 can chickpeas

2 cloves garlic

1 TBL tahini (sesame seed paste)

2 TBL lemon juice ( or juice of 1/2 lemon)

1/4 tsp cumin

2 drops hot sauce (optional)

I use a food processor but a blender would work just fine.  Blend the garlic first, or you could use a garlic press.  Then all of the ingredients blended together, until creamy!  That's it!  Delicious and EASY!  Serve with pita chips, or tortilla chips, or crackers, or veggies!

You can do so many variations here... I like to add 1/4 C kalamata olives, or 1/4 C black olives, or 1/4 C roasted red pepper!

This is one you will make over and over.  Your family and friends will love it! 

Enjoy!
Yours in health,
Natalie