Healthy snacks, great company!

Since switching to a whole food approach, a lot of people ask me what I do when I have company over.  To be honest, most seem to think that eating this way is not suitable for everyone.  But I like to show them that it is not only suitable, but actually great tasting.  So I make a lot of fun things to snack on and show them that it's possible to eat what the mass considers "regular meals", but with a twist.  I recently made stuffed peppers, but switched the meat for cashews.  I make spaghetti, but I use quinoa and amaranth pasta instead of regular and add nutritional yeast to my sauce so that we get a protein.  And I make sure to include greens in every recipe (either in regular form or hidden in some sort of puree so that my kids can't detect it!  Thank heaven for blenders!)

I rarely snack between meals, since snacking prevents your body and digestive system from resting and recovering.  But I make an exception when we have company.  In those occasions I go all out with dips and chutneys, along with my favorite gluten-free crackers and vegetables.  And since we are having company for dinner tonight, I figured I would share two of my favorite recipes!

  

 

Ingredients :

 

1 cup fresh dates, pitted

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsps. regular of toasted sesame oil

1/4 inch fresh ginger root, shredded

1 garlic clove

1 hot pepper (optional, I never include it in the recipe)

 

Place all the ingredients in the blender and either use the automatic puree setting or pulse 10-12 times - depending on the type of texture your like.   I pulse mine because I like a chunkier texture.

 

Yields 4 portions

 

 

 

 

1 tbsp. agave nectar (can be substituted with maple syrup or honey for non vegans)

2 tbsp. almond butter

1 tbsp. linseed oil

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

 

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon.

 

Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, associated with the reduction of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels.



Yields 2 portions

This recipe diluted with a bit of water also makes a great salad dressing.

These recipes were taken from Kate Wood's RAW cookbook.   Photos are my own.

 

 

Have a great week-end!

Amelie