The post Francine’s Summer Salad Dressing appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

•  14 ounce (398 ml) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) water

Combine the chickpeas, avocado, tahini, garlic, cumin, sea salt, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the water in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape the mixture from the sides, if necessary. If the mixture is too dry, add more water, ½ tablespoon (7 ml) at a time, while processing. Taste
and adjust the seasonings: add the rest of the lemon juice, and more salt,
cumin, and tahini, if desired.

Serve with: warm sprouted whole-grain tortillas; on toasted yeast-free rye bread; in a sandwich with sliced tomatoes and broccoli sprouts; or with combination of steamed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) and raw vegetables (cucumber slices, snap peas, jicama slices, grape or cherry tomatoes, etc.).

The post Avocado Hummus appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

This sauce can be used on steak, roast beef, or chicken. It’s also good served over poached eggs on toast. If you want to omit the toast, just put some sauce in a bowl and serve the poached eggs on top.

The post Onion, Mushroom, and Spinach Sauce appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

The addition of plain yogurt in this recipe helps to reduce the amount of fat per serving and adds a nice tangy flavour. If you are sensitive to dairy or if don‘t wish to use the yogurt, just omit it and add another avocado instead. And if you think that avocados are unhealthy due to their fat content, nothing could be further from the truth. For more info about the many health benefits of avocados, see the Health Tip for August 2009.

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½  cup (125 ml) plain yogurt
• half a large tomato
• ¼ cup (50 ml) minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) minced red onion
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
• juice of 1 lime (about 5 teaspoons)
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• pinch cayenne (optional)

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pits, squeeze the flesh into a medium bowl, then mash to desired consistency.

Remove and discard the seeds and pulp from the tomato (to prevent the guacamole from becoming too runny). Dice the tomato (you should have about ½ cup) and add to the mashed avocado along with the remaining ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your preference; for example, if you like lots of garlic, add more.

Serve as a dip with vegetables, with whole-grain tortilla chips, or with your favorite Mexican dishes.

The post Guacamole appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

This is a variation of the Fresh Tomato Salsa recipe. For more info about the health benefits of avocados, see the Health Tip for August 2009.

• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup (50 ml) finely chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons/30 ml)
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) minced fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• 1½ cups (375 ml) cooked back beans, or a 14 oz (398 ml) can, rinsed and well-drained
• 1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Wear rubber or plastic gloves when handling the jalapeño pepper; removing the seeds makes the salsa less hot. You can drain some of the juice from the chopped tomatoes if you prefer.

Combine all the ingredients—except for the avocado—in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Add the avocado just before serving, stirring gently to combine.

I like to add this salsa to cooked quinoa, either hot or cold, for a snack or light meal. Or serve with your favorite Mexican dishes.

The post Black Bean Avocado Salsa appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

This dressing can be used over steamed veggies—try carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower—or on salads in the summer when you’re getting out in the sun. Use a light-colored miso since they are mellower in flavour compared to the dark varieties. I used genmai miso, made from brown rice.

• ⅓ cup (75 ml) filtered water
• ¼ cup (50 ml) miso
• ¼ cup (50 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) grated fresh ginger

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

Optional: Add a bit of minced garlic, onion, and/or a few drops of sesame oil, to taste.

The post Miso Dressing appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup (50 ml) finely chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons/30 ml)
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) minced fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) unprocessed sea salt

Wear rubber or plastic gloves when handling the jalapeño pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. Makes about 1¼ cups.

The post Fresh Tomato Salsa appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

This recipe is from Eating Alive II.

• 2 cups (500 ml) cooked chickpeas, or a 19 ounce (540 ml) can, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup (50 ml) chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) water

Combine the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, parsley, cumin, sea salt, olive oil, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the water in a blender. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape the mixture from the sides, if necessary. If the mixture is too dry, add more water, ½ tablespoon (7 ml) at a time, while processing. Taste and adjust the seasonings, and add the rest of the lemon juice, if desired.

Serve with: warm sprouted whole-grain tortillas; on toasted yeast-free rye bread; in a sandwich with sliced tomatoes and broccoli sprouts; or with combination of steamed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) and raw vegetables (cucumber slices, snap peas, jicama slices, grape or cherry tomatoes, etc.).

The post Hummus appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

• 1 large cucumber
• 2 cups (500 ml) low-fat plain yogurt (see Notes)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) or more, minced fresh dill (optional)
• unprocessed sea salt, to taste

Peel the cucumber, cut it in half, and remove the seeds; grate it and then drain it in a sieve. Combine the grated cucumber, yogurt, garlic, and dill, if using. Season to taste with sea salt. Mix well and refrigerate. Serve with warm pita bread or tortillas, steamed vegetables, fish, chicken, beef, or lamb.

Notes:

For a thicker sauce, buy an extra-thick variety of yogurt or strain regular yogurt to make it thicker. Place 3 cups (750 ml) of yogurt into a sieve lined with cheesecloth, and set it over a bowl; cover and refrigerate. Let it drain for 2 to 3 hours, or until you have 2 cups (500 ml) of strained yogurt. If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can use a clean tea towel and decrease the amount of time that you drain the yogurt. For smaller amounts of yogurt, you can drain it in a coffee filter.

Substitute ¼ to ½ cup (50 to 125 ml) of light sour cream for the same amount of yogurt.

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This is a great way to use up bruised or overripe strawberries. The sea salt may seem like an odd ingredient to use in this recipe but it’s important to add it to help avoid ileocecal valve problems because the strawberries are ‘cooling’ foods (and you can’t really taste it). Strawberries usually have enough sweetness on their own but you can add the stevia if you prefer it sweeter.

• 1½ cups (375 ml) sliced fresh strawberries (about 6 large), washed and hulled
• scant ⅛ teaspoon (.5 ml) sea salt
• 1 or 2 pinches stevia powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) fresh lemon juice (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor, or use a hand-held blender, and process until smooth. Taste and add more stevia and/or lemon juice, if desired.

Use on pancakes or waffles instead of maple syrup, as a sauce over other fruits in the summer, mixed with plain low-fat yogurt, or to make sorbets or strawberry frozen yogurt. Or use in the following recipe:

Strawberry Cream Cheese or Yogurt Cheese
Combine ½ cup (125 ml) cream cheese or yogurt cheese with approximately 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of strawberry puree. Spread on whole-grain crackers, toast, bagels, or tortillas.

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