As promised, I am back with a recipe.  This creation was equal parts creativity and pantry-leftovers – you have to work with what you have, right?  The end result was, in my opinion, the best potato salad I’ve ever made. 

Cranberry Walnut Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds potatoes (I used a mixture of russet, blue, and red)
• 4 ribs celery, diced small
• 2 ripe pears, diced small
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup Nayonaise or other spread
• salt and pepper to taste

To Prepare:  Start by cooking the potatoes – chop and quarter them all so that they are roughly all the same sized pieces.  Then place them in a steamer pot above about an inch of boiling water, and steam for ~15 minutes or until fork tender.  Once cooked, side aside to cool.

In the meantime, chop the celery, pear, cranberries, and walnuts and mix into a large bowl.  Dried fruit is pretty high in calories, but if you chop it up really finely, it is well distributed through the bowl and you find you don’t need to use quite as much. 

In the past, I have used Veganaise and goat cheese as potato salad binders – both delicious, but also both relatively high in calories.  I was recently sent a jar of Nasoya’s latest creation – Nayonaise, a vegan mayonnaise alternative with half the fat and calories of most other spreads.

Add about 1/2 cup of the Nayonaise (or your preferred spread) and the potatoes to the bowl, and mix the salad together.  Salt and pepper to taste!

The result is a really great balance of sweet and savory – sweet from the pear and the cranberries, and savory from the potatoes and Nayonaise.  SUCH a great combination!

I have made a similar version of this salad in the past, and always used apples.  But without any apples in the kitchen, and a hungry lunch crowd waiting, I improvised and used pear instead.  The result was absolutely delicious, and it added a sweet flavor surprise that you weren’t expecting.

This potato salad can be served right after mixing, or also cooled down in the refrigerator.  Perfect for using up all those end of summer potatoes!

Enjoy! :)

My wonderful friend Lindsey came to visit this past weekend, and told me she was bringing a recipe that she wanted me to re-create.  The original is from The Raw Gourmet, but I made substitutions and changes based on what I had available in my kitchen.  The end result is a delicious raw appetizer that would be perfect with crackers or vegetables for dipping.

Raw Carrot and Sunflower Seed Spread

Ingredients:

• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 small white onion, diced small
• 2 Tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you can’t handle spice!)
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder

To Prepare:  This recipe could not be more simple.  Start by peeling and chopping the carrots, and dumping them into your food processor along with the sunflower seeds.

Give it a whir until you have a coarse mixture, minus any big chunks.

Next, add ALL of the remaining ingredients to the food processor.

Process on high for a minute or two, scraping down the sides several times in between.  You want to make sure that all those yummy spices are mixed throughout the spread.

And that’s it!  Two steps and you’re done.  Don’t be afraid to try this because it is labeled as raw – think of it as a supercharged hummus type of spread.

This is a great appetizer to take to a party or gathering because it is different and unpredictable.  Everyone will be impressed by your raw food knowledge, and no one will know just how easy it was to make!

Enjoy!  :)