meatless Mondays Archives · Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen

“The Best Thing You’ve EVER Made” {My Father Knows Best!}

On September 22, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, How To, Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian

I’m especially excited about this recipe because it marks a special point in my food journey.

As I shared in one of my first posts, I used to hate the main ingredient in this recipe…

Eggplant.

The very idea of the funky-shaped purple vegetable weirded me out, and I had no desire to eat it…ever.

Fast forward to today, and I’ve come up with an eggplant recipe that I dare say would get ANYONE (even kids!) to like eggplant.

I made a similar version of these a few months ago in the form of eggplant fries, but the coating on these chips is absolutely to die for and makes them – as my dad AND husband said – “One of the best things you’ve EVER made.”

We liked them SO much that my sister, Jane, even requested that I make them for her 21st birthday dinner the other night. Everyone gobbled them up!

Almond & Rosemary-Crusted Eggplant Chips

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into ¼” discs
1-2 free-range eggs, whisked (I only needed 1, but depending on the size of your eggplant, you might need 2)
1 cup raw almonds
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (sub in cornstarch if you don’t have arrowroot)
1 heaping tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1-2 tsps dried…fresh tastes best!)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Additional sea salt to sprinkle on the eggplant to draw out moisture

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F.
Place eggplant slices on a paper towel and sprinkle sea salt on top and let sit for 15-20 minutes. You’ll notice little pools of liquid forming on top of the slices. This helps draw the moisture out of the eggplant, so that it crisps up when baked. Use another paper towel to press any remaining moisture out of the eggplant slices, and shake off any excess salt.

Grind the almonds, arrowroot powder, rosemary, garlic, pepper and sea salt in a food processor until small chunks remain. Pour almond coating onto a plate.

Dip the eggplant slices one by one in the egg wash and shake off any excess egg. Then, coat both sides of each slice generously with the almond coating.

Place eggplant slices on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once at the 10-12 minute mark.

Place eggplant slices on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping them over at the 10-12 minute mark.

Remove from oven and enjoy by themselves or in a tomato dipping sauce linked below!

Crispy, crunchy, and savory with a hint of salt. No soggy eggplant here, folks!

They’re also incredibly addictive and DEEElicious!

You’ll enjoy them even more with this tomato dipping sauce on the side.

I guarantee you will eat the whole tray.

We did 🙂

Walnut Tacos with Dairy-Free Sour Cream

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On February 25, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I originally wrote this post in February 2014, but since then I have made some tweaks to the recipes to make them my own and improve them. I served these at a workshop I did today, and my coworkers LOVED them. One person even said she likes them better than regular tacos 🙂

——————————————————————————————————-

My husband Bill and I saw The Lego Movie last week, which inspired me to bring a raw taco recipe to work this week for our Real Food Challenge and to celebrate Taco Tuesday!

When I think of tacos, I think of the crunchy, salty Old El Paso shells filled with seasoned ground beef and variety of other toppings, like cheese, salsa, and sour cream. Some of those toppings are healthy, but others aren’t. Instead of giving up tacos, why not put a new, healthier spin on them?!

One of the things I enjoy most about what I do is reinventing our favorite comfort foods, so they are healthier but just as (if not more!) delicious and flavorful.

I prepared the “meat” and “cream” for today’s Taco Tuesday lunch for my coworkers, and it was a HUGE hit! Skeptics and believers alike raved about these tacos and dairy-free sour cream, so I’m going to share with you the recipes for how to make them!

The secret ingredient in the “meat”? Walnuts!

Ingredients

2 cups raw walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne powder
2 tablespoons tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) – You can find this in the Asian section of most grocery stores or online. Use coconut aminos to make this dish paleo.
1 head of baby Romaine lettuce (use one leaf as the taco “shell”)

Add your own toppings, including but not limited to the following:

Dairy-free sour cream (below!)
Black or pinto beans
Brown rice
Diced onions
Salsa
Guacamole
Diced avocados
Diced tomatoes

Directions

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles the size and texture of ground meat!

Now, on to the sour cream! 🙂

Since I stopped consuming milk products a few years ago for health reasons, I’ve had to find alternatives to the creamy goodness of dairy, and I’ve been happy with the recipes and options I’ve tried. I will be devoting several blog posts in the future to some of my favorite deliciously dairy-free recipes, but for today, we’re going to spotlight a recipe for sour cream…without the cream.

The secret ingredient? Cashews!

Cashews can be used as a base for creamy, dairy-free sauces, dips, spreads, and even cheesecakes (Zia’s makes the best!). When you soak cashews overnight in water, they get really soft and can be blended together with savory ingredients to create a delicious, dairy-free alternative to sour cream.

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and then rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup water

Directions

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. I had to use the tamper for my Vitamix to push it down.

**If you don’t have a high speed blender, you will likely need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides and might need to add a bit more water to thin it out.

The taco “meat” should be able to last a few days in the fridge, since there are no cooked ingredients in it, and the sour cream will likely be good for up to a week.

Enjoy!

It’s Taco Tuesday! Walnut Tacos & Dairy-Free Sour Cream {Vegan, Raw, Gluten-Free}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On February 25, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I originally wrote this post in February 2014, but since then I have made some tweaks to the recipes to make them my own and improve them. I served these at a workshop I did today, and my coworkers LOVED them. One person even said she likes them better than regular tacos 🙂

——————————————————————————————————-

My husband Bill and I saw The Lego Movie last week, which inspired me to bring a raw taco recipe to work this week for our Real Food Challenge and to celebrate Taco Tuesday!

When I think of tacos, I think of the crunchy, salty Old El Paso shells filled with seasoned ground beef and variety of other toppings, like cheese, salsa, and sour cream. Some of those toppings are healthy, but others aren’t. Instead of giving up tacos, why not put a new, healthier spin on them?!

One of the things I enjoy most about what I do is reinventing our favorite comfort foods, so they are healthier but just as (if not more!) delicious and flavorful.

I prepared the “meat” and “cream” for today’s Taco Tuesday lunch for my coworkers, and it was a HUGE hit! Skeptics and believers alike raved about these tacos and dairy-free sour cream, so I’m going to share with you the recipes for how to make them!

The secret ingredient in the “meat”? Walnuts!

Ingredients

2 cups raw walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne powder
2 tablespoons tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) – You can find this in the Asian section of most grocery stores or online. Use coconut aminos to make this dish paleo.
1 head of baby Romaine lettuce (use one leaf as the taco “shell”)

Add your own toppings, including but not limited to the following:

Dairy-free sour cream (below!)
Black or pinto beans
Brown rice
Diced onions
Salsa
Guacamole
Diced avocados
Diced tomatoes

Directions

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles the size and texture of ground meat!

Now, on to the sour cream! 🙂

Since I stopped consuming milk products a few years ago for health reasons, I’ve had to find alternatives to the creamy goodness of dairy, and I’ve been happy with the recipes and options I’ve tried. I will be devoting several blog posts in the future to some of my favorite deliciously dairy-free recipes, but for today, we’re going to spotlight a recipe for sour cream…without the cream.

The secret ingredient? Cashews!

Cashews can be used as a base for creamy, dairy-free sauces, dips, spreads, and even cheesecakes (Zia’s makes the best!). When you soak cashews overnight in water, they get really soft and can be blended together with savory ingredients to create a delicious, dairy-free alternative to sour cream.

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and then rinsed and drained
2-3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice (start with 2 T then taste and add a third if needed. I prefer just under 3 tablespoons)
3 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water (or more for desired consistency)

Directions

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. I had to use the tamper for my Vitamix to push it down.

**If you don’t have a high speed blender, you will likely need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides and might need to add a bit more water to thin it out.

The taco “meat” should be able to last a few days in the fridge, since there are no cooked ingredients in it, and the sour cream will likely be good for up to a week.

Enjoy!