This year we are offering single-serving complete meals in traditional and vegetarian style. Also, a pre-portioned meal that includes all the side dishes needed to feed a party of up to ten people for just $54.99. Our menu includes traditional side dishes; such as lentil walnut loaf, maple-glazed yams, cranberry sauce, classic and vegan mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cornbread dressing, home-style poultry gravy and vegan golden gravy.

As always, hand-made desserts such as traditional and vegan pumpkin pies, apple cranberry galette, and our popular carrot cake will be available to special order or find in the Bakery case. We’ll also prepare extra special party dips and spreads; like artichoke spinach dip, walnut pecan pate, roasted red pepper torta and holiday cheese balls among our Grab-and-Go selections.

Orders must be placed by November 21st.  Orders may be picked up on Wednesday November 23rd.  For more information or to place an order, stop by the Co-op Kitchen counter or call 910.799.2667 ext250.

A recipe from Jennifer Andreas, Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

2 cups unbleached raw sugar

1 cups fair trade cocoa powder

8 oz fair trade brewed coffee

12 oz warm water

4 oz apple butter

10 oz safflower oil

2 tbs + 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans with pan spray. This can be mixed by hand or in an electric mixer.

In large bowl, mix dry ingredients with a whisk and set aside. In a second bowl add coffee and cocoa, whisk together. Add the warm water to coffee/chocolate mixture, mix until smooth. Add apple butter, vinegar, vanilla and oil together in the coffee/chocolate mixture. Mix until combined.

Add wet mixture to dry mixture, mixing by hand (or mixer) until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. For bundts add 2oz batter to each cake or fill 3/4 full. For each 9-inch round, divide batter equally.

Bake immediately for 15 – 20 minutes (for 9-inch rounds, bake 25 to 30 minutes) or until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  After cooling for 10 minutes, flip mini cake bundts out of cake pan and allow to cool completely before icing. If you keep the mini cakes inside the bundt pan till completely cooled, it is very difficult to get them to release without breaking apart.

Vegan Chocolate Ganache:

8 oz soymilk

2 cups dark chocolate chips

Heat soymilk in a pan over medium heat until hot.

Add chips to a stainless steel bowl.

Once soymilk is heated up, pour over the chips. With a rubber spatula, mix chips until melted and smooth. Allow the ganache to cool slightly.

Place cooled bundts on a cooling rack. Then place the cooling rack over a large bowl that’s big enough to catch the chocolate that falls off the cakes. Pour the ganache over each bundt cake making sure they are coated entirely (except the bottoms). You can repeat this step to create a thicker layer of ganache. You will want to re-use the chocolate that drips down into the bowl to cover all of the bundts.  Now you’ve created a little Love Buzz to share.

Yield:  2 ½ dozen mini bundts or 2 9-inch rounds

As featured in Lumina News Thursday February 10th, 2011

• 1 1/4 tsp                         sesame oil
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 tsp         olive oil
• 1 tblsp + 1/2 tsp           curry powder
• 1 1/4 lb                           seitan – cut into 1/4 pieces
• 1 7/8 oz                          cashew nuts – roasted
• 1/4 cup                           raisins
• 1/4 cup                           dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp           veganaise
• 2 1/2 oz                          lemon juice
• 1 1/4 oz                          maple syrup
• 1/3 tsp                           salt
• 1/2 lb                            celery

Heat sesame and olive oils in a large sauce pan until hot.

Add curry powder and seitan, and heat for 1 minute while stirring.

Let cool and then mix with other ingredients.

By Kirsten Lovan

The basics are the place to start when trying to incorporate whole foods into the diet.  Heidi Swanson has a beautiful cookbook, packed with useful information about whole foods, titled Super Natural Cooking. You may also want to check out her website.

I have found that an easy way to incorporate whole grains into my diet is by using them as a main course.  Combining whole grains with other nuts and seeds or legumes makes a complete protein, thus cutting down on the amount of meat we consume.  Whole grains are a powerhouse of health promoting nutrients. They are high in protein, phyto-nutrients, vitamins and healthy fats.  Quinoa, wheat berries, millet, and barley are some of our family’s favorites.  Whole grains are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased in the bulk bins, which means you can buy as much or as little as you need.  At home we store our grains in mason jars in the refrigerator to ensure that the oils don’t become rancid.

We also are beginning the practice of soaking and fermenting our grains before we cook and consume them, making them easier to digest.  I will talk more about this process in detail in an upcoming post.

A recipe that we use at home is one that can be made as a side dish to a meal and then what is left over can be saved and eaten hot or cold the following day.

Wheat Berry Salad

With citrus, almonds, feta and spinach

2 cups soft wheat berries, rinsed

6 cups water

2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt,

plus more as needed

Combine wheat berries, water and 2 teaspoons salt in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered, until plump and chewy, about an hour or so.  Drain and season to taste with more salt.

Citrus Dressing:

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tablespoon of finely chopped shallot

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

fine-grain sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine orange zest and juice, lemon juice and shallot.  Whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3 generous handfuls of fresh spinach

1 cup of sliced almonds

(The original recipe calls for toasted pine nuts, but to save time and money sliced almonds are a yummy alternative)

½ cup of crumbled feta cheese

Toss the hot wheat berries with the spinach, almonds and dressing, the top with feta.

This recipe serves 4-6 people.

(recipe copied from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)

Call 910-799-2667 or order in person.

Brownie Bar Tray – $8 dozen, 2 dozen minimum order

Pick up to 3 varieties:

+Classic Brownie

+Peanut Butter Chip

+Red Velvet

+Vegan Walnut

+Fig Bar

+Vegan & GF Fruit and Nut Bar

+Vegan & GF Wonder Bar

Cookie Tray – $5 dozen, 2 dozen minimum, $2 extra for thumbprints

Pick up to 3 varieties:

+Chocolate Chip

+Sugar

+Snicker doodle

+Ginger

+Wedding

+Vegan Oatmeal Raisin

+Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

+Vegan Oatmeal Raspberry Ginger

+Vegan Hemp Nut Sandies

+Thumbprints

Jennifer Cornbleet is a nationally recognized raw food chef and instructor, and is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. She is the owner of Learn Raw Food and she lectures and conducts classes in the Chicago area as well as nationally.

Raw Food Made Easy is full of delicious recipes and great color pictures that are sure to whet your appetite. It is divided into sections including sandwiches, desserts, and side dishes. A useful glossary at the back of the book helps the reader to understand the products Cornbleet uses. She also gives a list of resources for those who would like more information about the raw food way of life.

Cornbleet acknowledges that being on an all raw foods program may not be for everyone, but some raw food in your diet is certainly both healthful and desirable. Each chapter of the book gives suggestions if you want to add hot food. There are some advance preparations, such as soaking almonds, or making nut milks, but you could save time by purchasing some of these items already prepared at Tidal Creek.

Why eat more raw food? Cornbleet answers: simplicity. You spend less time in the kitchen when you prepare raw food. Raw food is the ultimate fast food. If you want to maintain your health and weight, then greens, vegetables and fruits are the way to go. They also slow the aging process and increases energy.

The staples Cornbleet uses are dried fruits, frozen fruits, dried herbs and spices, sweeteners and seasonings, and oils and vinegars. It is amazing what these items can do in the raw food lifestyle and quickly, too. If you want to use dried fruits, she suggests soaking them first. Raisins, apricots, figs, cranberries, etc. should be soaked from 10 to 30 minutes when you want to blend them into nut or seed milks, puddings, etc. Sun-dried tomatoes should always be soaked 30 minutes.

Raw Food Made Easy recommends some specific pieces of kitchen equipment that are helpful with preparing raw foods. Cornbleet suggests having available a blender for making smoothies and soups, a food processor with an S blade, and perhaps a “fine” shredding disk for doing finer work, a juicer, and a coffee grinder for grinding seeds.

There are many tasty and easy recipes in this book plus full color pictures to entice you. I have chosen some that are simple and quick. Cornbleet does give variations of each recipe so you can make them according to your preference.

Berry Smoothie

Yield 1 1/2 cups, 1 serving

• ¼ cup water
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries

This can be for breakfast or for any time when you need a pick up. Place all ingredients in a blender and process on medium speed until smooth. Serve immediately. Variations: Replace the berries with 1 cup chopped ripe mango or replace the water with ¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt.

Zucchini Hummus

Yields 1 cup, 2 servings

• 1 zucchini, peeled and chopped (about 1 ½ c)
• 2 T raw tahini
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• ½ t crushed garlic (1 clove)
• ¼ t ground cumin
• ¼ t paprika
• ¼ t salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Zucchini Hummus will keep for five days in the refrigerator.

er and the spinach, carrot, and optional mushroom slices in a small sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of water with the miso in a small mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork until blended. Add to the water and vegetables and stir until well combined. Serve immediately, garnished with the green onion and toasted sesame oil, if desired.

Chocolate Mousse

(No one will know that avocado replaces butter, cream, and eggs in this silky mousse)

Yield 1 cup, 2 servings

• ¼ c pitted dates, soaked
• ¼ c maple syrup or agave nectar
• ½ t vanilla extract (optional)
• ¾ c mashed avocados (1 ½ avocados)
• ¼ c plus 2 t unsweetened cocoa or carob power
• ¼ c water

Place the dates, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a food processor with the S blade and process until smooth. Add the avocado and cocoa powder and process until creamy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the water and process briefly. Chocolate Mousse will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Yummy!

Raw Food Made Easy, as well as the ingredients for these recipes can be found at Tidal Creek.

Sprouting is much easier than one may think. You can sprout seeds, grains, or legumes (peas, beans, and lentils) with a little time and very basic equipment. Most people use jars and cheesecloth. The process takes a number of days (depending on what you are sprouting) and involves soaking the seeds, draining, then rinsing and draining in a low lit area until sprouting occurs. You can also use bags. Sprouting bags can make things even easier since you simply soak and hang the bag. Either method works great so it just comes down to personal preference; you may have a green thumb and enjoy having your kitchen and pantry stocked with sprouting jars, or you may just like to have a bag of your favorite sprouts hanging around.

Sprouts are a great addition to your diet and we like to offer what resources we can to get you started including seeds, jars, bags, and growth charts.

Happy Sprouting!

Boil potatoes just until fork tender. Drain potatoes. Cool. While cooking potatoes chop onions, celery, parsley and mix with veganaise and mustard. When potatoes have cooled chop into bite size chunks and mix with dressing.

Here are some ways to create your own natural colors for a unique Easter egg dying experience.

Color Ingredients

Lavender

Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice, Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice, Red Zinger Tea

Violet Blue

Violet Blossoms, Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled), Hibiscus Tea, Red Wine, BlackBerries

Blue

Canned Blueberries, Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled), Purple Grape Juice

Green

Spinach Leaves (boiled), Liquid Chlorophyll, Mix Blueberries and Turmeric

Greenish Yellow

Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)

Yellow

Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled), Carrot Tops (boiled), Celery Seed (boiled), Ground Turmeric (boiled)

Golden Brown

Dill Seeds

Brown

Strong Instant Coffee, Black Walnut Shells (boiled), Black Tea

Orange

Yellow Onion Skins (boiled), Cooked Carrots, Chili Powder, Paprika

Pink

Beets, Cranberries or Juice, Raspberries, Red Grape Juice, Juice from Pickled Beets, Crushed Red Currants

Red

Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled), Canned Cherries with Juice, Pomegranate Juice, Raspberries,

3 tbs of Chili Powder

There are Two methods that you can use to dye the eggs. First there is the Boiling Method:

To dye 8 eggs, use 2 tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water. Place eggs in a large pot; cover the eggs with an inch of water. Add the natural dye ingredient, bring to a rolling boil then, reduce to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, rinse eggs in lukewarm water, then air dry.

Second is the Cool Dipped Method which most of us may be more familiar with:

First, hard boil the eggs. Except for spices, place a handful (or two or three handfuls) of a dyestuff in a saucepan. Add about a cup of water per handful of dye ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer about 15 minutes or up to an hour until you like the color obtained. Keep in mind that dyed eggs will not get as dark as the color in the pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of vinegar per cup of dye. Allow dye to cool then place eggs in dye bath until desired color is reached. Eggs can be left in the refrigerator over night for really deep colors.

Natural dyes tend to be lighter in color than conventional dye, but a bright color can be achieved by allow the eggs to remain in the dye bath for a longer period of time. Adding a tablespoon of vinegar helps to make the colors brighter. You can also rub the egg with vinegar to help the dye to saturate the shell. Brown eggs will create warmer tones, white eggs are good for cool tones.

If you’re looking to add some artistic flare to your Easter eggs then consider some of these Dying Techniques. Keep in mind that it is not recommended to eat eggs that have been boiled with dying ingredients as they tend to take on the flavor of what they are boiled with (blueberry flavored eggs??)

• Rub or squish blueberries and cranberries directly on the dry shells for soft blues and pink. Mix them up for blotchy colors.

• Once the eggs have been hard-cooked and dried, hold one egg in your hand and drip glue onto the egg’s surface. Drip the glue carefully to make a particular pattern, or just let the glue drip freely for an abstract effect. Allow the glue to dry then place the eggs in a prepared dye mixture until they are tinted to your liking. Remove them from the liquid and peel off the glue to reveal your design.

• Collect a handful of different sized rubber bands. Wrap the bands, one at a time, around the eggs. Dye the eggs, remove them from the liquid and let them dry completely before pulling off the rubber bands.

• Draw a design onto your eggs with a crayon or beeswax and then dye as you would any other Easter egg.

• This method is a little messy, but the results are always a pleasant surprise. Rub eggs with white vinegar and wrap in onion skins. Secure the skins with cotton string, dental floss, narrow rubber bands or nylon stocking. When boiled, the skins dye the shells giving a natural tie-dye look. To achieve a full, rich effect, practice using many layers of onion skins. Hint: Pre-dampening the skins helps them stick to the egg.

• Fill a small bowl with course sea salt. Immediately after removing egg from dye bath, roll it around in the salt. Allow to dry then brush off salt. This gives the egg a starburst, tie-dyed look.
• Add a small amount of vegetable oil to the dye mixture for a marbleized effect. Dye egg as usual when egg is removed, oil will cause a marbleized look.

• After dyeing eggs with your own colorful concoctions, you’ll find yourself looking at your garden and products in the store with an artist’s eye. Don’t limit your egg dyeing adventures to the Easter holiday. Colorful, hard-boiled eggs are fun any time of the year. A variety of greens for St Patrick’s Day eggs?