Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Super-Simple Shave Ice (Raw)

Man, was today hot! I happen to have the privelege of working in un-air-conditioned elementary schools hauling heavy boxes of textbooks around. This morning, when I walked into the library of the school, it felt like stepping into a sauna. To cool off, I have come up with an incredibly simple summer treat that I know you will all love too!

Tools: Blender (or some other way to crush ice), bowl, knife, spoon

Ingredients:
2 c ice cubes
1/4 lemon
1/8ish lime
Agave syrup

Directions:
1) Blend the ice in a blender until desired consistency is reached. My Vita-Mix tends to make snow, but true shave ice has larger ice chunks. Place ice into a small bowl or cup.
2) Squeeze the juice of the quarter of the lemon and lime into the ice. Add more, if desired.
3) Squirt some agave over the top of the ice. Enjoy!

Of course, you could experiment with other fruits and such, especially if you are fortunate enough to own a juicer. This could even allow you to create syrups that you could store in the fridge for future shave ice creations! Also, I do have two other posts I've been meaning to get up, but it feels tacky to post three things in one day. Plus I need to use my laptop to get pics off my camera. Anyways, look out for two more posts very soon. Until then, happy cooking!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Flaxseed Crackers and Guacamole (Raw)

A double recipe for today! Though the crackers require a dehydrator, so only one for my non-dehydrator friends.

Crackers
Tools: Dehydrator, parchment paper or teflex sheets, bowl, measuring cup, spoon
Ingredients: Flaxseeds, water, salt and other spices to taste
Directions:
1) Measure equal portions of flaxseeds and water (1 cup each makes about one tray of crackers), and dump into the bowl. Wait for a few minutes (10-15) for the mixture to thicken, then add any spices or flavorings and mix.
2) Spread the mixture evenly on either parchment paper or teflex sheets. It should be no more than 1/8 in thick, maybe a bit more. If desired, sprinkle salt over the trays.
3) Dehydrate for a few hours at 105-115 degrees F. Flip crackers and peel off paper or teflex sheets. Cut into triangles or squares with a knife, and separate the crackers.
4) Place back in the dehydrator until completely dry.

Guacamole
Tools: Bowl, fork, knife, cutting board, a spoon is helpful
Ingredients:
1 ripe avacado
1/8ish white onion
Lemon (or lemon juice)
Lime (or lime juice)
Sea salt

Directions:
1) Cut open the avacado. Dispose of the nut. Spoon out the meat into the bowl, and mash with the fork.
2) Chop the onion, the size of the pieces is up to you, but I prefer mine very small. Add to the mashed avacado and mix.
3) Cut a wedge (about 1/6 of the fruit) out of the lime, and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Cut a very tiny wedge (1/4 of an inch wide on the outside) of the lime, and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Sprinkle some sea salt on top, and mix.

There you have it! Two simple recipes. The guacamole is based on the Chipotle guacamole, though you can look up better approximations than this. My mom also likes to add tomato to her guac, but I like this kind better. Here is a pic of the crackers and guac:

Hope you like the recipes, and until next time!