Pure & Simple - Annika & Stephanie - November 2017

Annika and Steph hosted a

"Who Says Gourmet Can't be Pure & Simple" evening the end of November.

Their table-scape kept sure to their theme and was decorated with lambs ear garland, ceramic pears and gold votive candels.

Simple, clean, yet elegant.

 Place settings were black dinnerware with gold utensils, grey linen napkins tied with white bakers twine including their name tag, dinner theme and a spring of seeded eucalyptus.

Name tags were printed on simple brown sack paper tags and affixed with gold flecked twine.

Menu's were printed a simple grey paper and had a fun green sprig of greenery to match the table.

 Steph's tree was up and gorgeous, everyone was raving about it!

The appetizer table was draped with cream linen and had accents of seeded eucalyptus and gold.

 Appetizers:

Lentil Feta Dip with Pita Chips

Almond Butter Apples

 Avocado Hummus & Veggies

 served alongside Perrier.

For the next course they served a

Simple Green Smoothie and

Carrot Apple Muffin

Main Course was a salad to mix things up.

Maple - Balsamic, Chicken, Kale and Quinoa Salad.

Dessert: Baked Pear with Candied Pecans served with homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream!

Take homes and recipes awaited them as they left... 

Lemon Coconut Date Cookies, Raw Chocolates and a Mint Lemonade French Soda.

Fun evening to close out our evenings for 2017!

Lentil Feta Dip – afterorangecounty.com

1/2 container Trader Giotto’s Fresh Bruschetta Sauce

1/2 container Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils, ready to eat

1/2 container Trader Joe’s fat Free Crumbled Feta

Juice from 1/2 of a fresh lemon

1/4 cup EVOO

Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. It takes a bit of mixing to get the lentils incorporated. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or slices of bread. Enjoy!

Avocado Hummus – veganfamilyrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups Chickpeas (rinsed and drained

1 Avocado

Small handful fresh Cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh Lime Juice

5 tablespoons Water

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 - 2 Garlic Cloves (optional)

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Garnish with red pepper flakes (optional). Serve with crackers, pita bread, vegetables, or use as a spread on sandwiches.

NOTES

1.) If hummus is too thick, add more water. If it is too runny, add a few more chickpeas.
2) This hummus is made without tahini. You can add tahini or sesame paste to this recipe if you like for a more "traditional" hummus flavor. Add a bit more water, lime juice, and salt to taste and texture.

Almond Butter Apples

Apples

Fresh ground Almond Butter

Granola

Coconut Flakes

Dark Chocolate Chips

Core Apples and cut into thin rounds. Spread a layer of Almond butter onto one side of each apple and sprinkle with desired toppings.

Simple Green Smoothie – shugarysweets.com

2 1/2 oz fresh spinach

handful of ice

1/4 cup vanilla almond milk

6 oz vanilla Greek yogurt

1 large frozen banana

1 whole peach

In a large blender, combine all of the above ingredients. Process 3-5 minutes. You want to go this long to make sure the spinach is fully blended.

Carrot Apple Muffins – lifeisbutadish.com

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 ripe banana mashed

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup grated carrot

1 small apple grated

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup almond meal

1 cup + 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Raw shelled hemp seeds for sprinkling on top optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with paper liners, or spray with nonstick baking spray and set aside. In a large bowl add the eggs, oil, banana, and honey and whisk until well combined. Add the sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and whisk again until thoroughly mixed.

Add milk, carrots, and apple and stir to combine. Add the oats and almond meal and stir. Add flour and stir until just mixed.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and top with chopped pecans and hemp seeds. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Maple-Balsamic, Chicken, Kale and Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled

1 cup cooked brown rice, cooled

1 deli roasted chicken

1 cup kale

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup red onion

1/2 cup blue cheese

1-2 fresh pears

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 TBS. pure maple syrup

Dressing:

1 cup EVOO

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

4 tbs pure maple syrup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove Chicken from bones and chop into bite sized pieces.

Soak cherries in water for 5-10 minutes. Drain.

Dice red onion into very small pieces.

Put walnuts and syrup in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Toast the nuts while stirring until they are fragrant and beginning to brown. Remove and cool.

Add all dressing ingredients in blender and combine until smooth.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, adding pear slices at the last minute.

Add dressing to taste. Toss to mix thoroughly, adding more dressing if needed.

Baked Pears with Candied Pecans

4 ripe halved and pitted pears (cut a small hole in center)

1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 Tbs cinnamon

1/2 cup candied pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pears skin down in baking dish and Fill center holes with pecans. Sprinkle pears with spices then drizzle with honey. Bake for 25-40 minutes. (they are done when the skin begins to curl) Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Lemon Coconut Date Cookies - aseasyasapplepie.com

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup medjool dates – pitted

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut – divided

1/4 cup chia seeds

zest from 1 lemon

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

add the cashews to a food processor and pulse a few times until chopped. add the dates and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, chia seeds and process until well combined. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix until all the ingredients come together to form a dough. With slightly damp hands, roll 1/2 Tbs of the mixture into balls, then roll in remaining shredded coconut. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes: if dates are dry, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes to soften, then drain.

Cinnamon Ice Cream – shariblogs.com

2 cups Heavy cream

1 cup half & Half

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

1 tbs cinnamon

pinch of salt

in a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into ice cream maker and prepare according to directions. Once churned, put in freezer safe container for 2-3 hours to harden up before serving.

Raw Chocolates – Stephanie’s Mother-in-Law

1 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted down)

3/4 cup agave

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup raw chocolate powder

1 1/2 cups powdered almonds (or pecans)

Blend together and pour into a 9 by 9 glass pan, mold or round form pan. Cut into squares before serving if making truffles…could also be cut in pie shapes and covered with berries…layered with PB…or add a few drops of peppermint essential oil for peppermint chocolates.

Notes:

Place the liquids in first, then add the coco powder and almonds…put them in the other order and you get more of a chocolate fudge.