TransformedBody

Avocado/Tomato Snack

Serves 2-3

• 2 avocados
• 1 small eggplant, diced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 seeded green chili peppers
• Real Salt and seasoning, to taste
• 2 or 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced

Blend all the ingredients except tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Spoon onto warmed tomato slices.

Nori Flower Krisps

Makes about 10 Krisps

These delicious cracker-type snacks make a great on-the go treat, but they also work placed elegantly alongside a beautiful salad at the dinner table.

Experiment with any of the pate recipes. Try using equal parts of any nut and raw coconut meat run through the juicer. Add sun-dried tomatoes, use different types of nuts, like macadamias, and use different seasonings to create unique variations of Nori Flower Krisps every time you make them.

Nori sheets can be found in an Asian grocery store or in the macrobiotic section of your health food store.

• 1 lb raw Brazil nuts
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Garlic salt to taste
• Real Salt, to taste
• 3/4 cup lime juice or coconut water
• Dehydrated red bell pepper powder (see toppings)
• 1 Pkg nori seaweed sheets

Run the Brazil nuts through a Samson Juice Extractor to make a paste. Then add the lemon juice and garlic salt (or other seasonings) and mix well. Set aside.

In a spray bottle, combine the liquid salt and lime juice or coconut milk. (Or, place 1 cup vegetable broth in a spray bottle instead). Lay 4 sheets of nori on top of a dehydrator tray with a mesh underlining and spray the sheets front and back to soften them. Spread the nut paste in the middle of the nori sheets, leaving a margin of an inch or two. With cupped hands, coax the softened nori edges in toward the middle to create a flower shape. Sprinkle the center nut paste liberally with dehydrated red bell pepper powder and place into a dehydrator. Dehydrate until snap-crisp (usually overnight). Break or cut into cracker-size pieces or serve whole and let everyone break off as they eat.

Veggie Crunch Stix and Crackers

Serves 8-10

These colorful treats are a great way to wean children and adults from yeast breads. They are a wonderful grab snack and also complement and give crunch to a vegan based meal such as soup and salad. They work up very fast and travel well. You can use small cookie cutters to make different shapes, and it is fun for the kids. Also, you can season them any way you want by adding a couple of teaspoons of your favorite spice.

• 2 cups flour (all-purpose, millet, whole wheat)
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 heaping Tbs soft tofu (Nori brand is good)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2-3/4 cup cold water or fresh vegetable juice or mix
• 1-2 tsp. Seasonings of your choice (optional)

In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and baking powder to combine. Add the tofu and olive oil and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of ice water or fresh veggie juice until the dough comes together in a soft ball (approximately 1 minute).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a smooth rectangle, about 4 by 6 inches, then roll it out into an 8-by-10-inch sheet, 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife cut the dough lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

Using your hands, gently roll each strip into a 16-inch-long stick. For a twisted version, grab each end of the dough strip with your fingers and carefully stretch and twist in opposite directions. For crackers, use cookie cutters (children love these!). Arrange the stix on two baking sheets, side by side but not touching, and press the ends into the baking sheet to keep the stix straight while they cook. If desired, brush each stix lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt or seasonings of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees until firm and cooked through, 14 to 18 minutes.

Transfer the stix or crackers to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Variations:

Beet stix: Combine 2 Tbs beet juice (from 1 small beet) with 1/2 cup cold water.

Popeye Stix: Combine 1/2 cup parsley or spinach juice with 1/4 cup cold water.

Bugs Bunny Stix: Combine 1/4 cup carrot juice (from about 3 carrots) with 1/4 cup cold water.

Tomato Stix: 1/4 cup fresh tomato juice, with 1-2 Tbs sun-dried tomato pesto. Combine with 1/3 cup cold water.

Or try these spicing options:

Curry/Turmeric Stix: 1 tsp curry powder and 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Cumin Stix: 2 tsp ground cumin

Garlic Stix: 2 tsp Garlic Herb Seasoning

Mexi Stix: 2 tsp Mexican Seasoning

Experiment!!!!

Spicy Pecan Croutons

Serves 4-6

These spicy, toasty pecan croutons will add pizzazz to any salad. That’s if they make it into the salad, they usually go down as a pop-in-the-mouth snack!! The cayenne pepper adds magnesium and bioflavonoids to enhance circulation.

• 2 Tbs grape seed or olive oil
• 1 cup raw pecans (almonds or pine nuts also work great)
• 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (start with 1/2 tsp and work up if you like them hotter).
• 1 tsp curry or plain ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp Real Salt

In a fry pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and all other ingredients and saute until the nuts are well coated and lightly toasted. Serve warm from the pan over salads. And serve immediately. These croutons are also wonderful sprinkled over stir-fried veggies such as asparagus or green beans. And you can cool and eat for a snack. Enjoy!

Crispy Buckwheat Groats

Serves 6-8

• 2 cups hulled buckwheat groats, soaked 6-8 hours
• Real Salt, to taste
• Lemon or lime juice (you can use both)
• Any seasoning, to taste

Drain the buckwheat groats and put them in a shallow bowl. Add Real Salt and juice to cover. Add spices to taste. Let the groats soak in this solution for 1 hour, then drain again. Put the groats in a food dehydrator on Teflex liners and dehydrate until dry (2 to 3 hours).

These are great little munchy snacks and can be used as croutons in a salad or wrap.

Dehydrated Flax Chips

Serves 6-8

• 1 cup flax seeds
• 2 cups water
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-2 tsp mexican seasoning, Italian, mixed herb, or any other spice combo
• 1/2 small red onion or 1 tsp dried onion flakes
• 1/2 beet
• Real Salt to taste

Soak the flax seeds in the water for 2 to 4 hours. Process the tomato, bell pepper, garlic, mexican spices, onion, beet, and Real Salt. Keep it chunky. Add the soaked flax seeds into the blended mixture. Spoon 2-inch rounds onto a Teflex sheet and dehydrate at 105 to 110 degrees for 8 to 12 hours, or to the desired crispness. Turn the crisps over after 4 to 6 hours to ensure even drying.

Optional: Sprinkle sesame or soaked pumpkin seeds on top before dehydrating.

Tortilla Chips

Serves 4-8

• 4 large sprouted wheat tortillas, or tortillas of your choice
• 1/4 cup olive oil, grape seed oil, or preferred oil
• Seasonings of choice

Lay out the tortilla on two nonstick cookie sheets. With a pastry brush or napkin, wipe over each tortilla so that the surface is covered with oil. Sprinkle your seasonings of choice over the top of the tortillas and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown or just almost crisp, around 10 minutes.

Cool and then break into pieces for eating with dips, soups, or salads. You can also precut the tortillas with a pizza cutter before you bake them if you want cleaner-edged crackers.

Ice Pops

Makes about 12 ice pops, or 1 ice cube tray full

1 shake recipe (see Juices, Shakes, and Milks)

Make the shake recipe, then pour it into ice cube trays or small paper cups (1 to 2 oz size), insert toothpicks or Popsicle sticks, and freeze. Or forget the sticks; instead, thaw the frozen shakes a little, remove from the cups or trays, and chop into a slushie.