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Tomato and Basil Beans

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A really easy addition to your salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Simply mix, refrigerate, and use as desired.

3 cans butterbeans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp suitable for vegans pesto
1 small bunch basil, torn or chopped
6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Salt and black pepper

Sun-dried tomato, caper hummus with teff fries

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A traditional favorite with some additional flavors. Teff has a food chemistry similar to corn meal, but is more nutrient dense; cut into fries, it make a nice snack or side dish.

Ingredients

For the hummus
1/2 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
2 1/2 cups of cooked chick peas
1/4 cup of sesame seed butter
1/4t of coarse sea salt
3T of lemon juice
2T of garlic, minced
1t of dried, ground cumin
1T of capers
2T of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the teff

1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of whole grain teff
1/4t of coarse sea salt
2T of nutritional yeast
2T of olive oil
2t of tamari
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Make the hummus and then the teff

For the hummus, add the boiling water to the sun-dried tomatoes and let stand 10 minutes.
Add the sesame seed butter, the olive oil and lemon to a blender and puree.
Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients to a blender and puree till smooth.
The consistency should be smooth and creamy. Add a 1-2T of additional water if necessary.
Season to taste.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

For the teff, bring the water to a boil in a pot with a lid.
Add the teff and sea salt sea salt
Reduce to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the teff is thick (it should be pulling away from the sides).
Add the tamari and nutritional yeast.
Stir to combine, pour into a 3″x9″ baking dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour to setup (it should be firm).
Preheat the oven to 450F
Oil and warm a baking sheet.
Slice the cooled teff into 10 – 12 pieces width-wise.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly crisp, turning every several minutes. They should be lightly crispy.
Remove from oven, cool or 5 minutes and serve.

Sun-dried tomato scones with olives, figs, and green herbs

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Made with miso and cashew butter, these are a simple treat good for a snack, small sandwiches or other uses.

Ingredients

The wet ingredients
3T cashew butter
1T white vinegar (or to taste)
1T unpasteurized sauerkraut vinegar
1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
1T white miso

The dry ingredients
1 cup bread flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1t baking powder
A pinch baking soda
1/2T herbes de Provence (or similar)
1t garlic powder

The garnish
2T sun-dried tomatoes, chopped and rehydrated with 3T boiling water
3T figs, finely diced
1T kalamanta olives, pitted and chopped
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: The crumb will be light and closer to foccaccia in some ways than to a traditional dense but flaky scone.
If you prefer, bake as a in a very well-oiled 3″x9″ loaf pan. Black olives will also work fine in this. White miso will produce a lighter crumb, while red produces a richer flavour and a darker coloured crumb. Balsamic vinegar will produce a slightly sweeter and darker scone.

Method

Rehydrate the tomatoes with the boiling water. When the tomatoes are getting close to room temperature, whisk the wet ingredients together (adding the ingredients in order) until smooth. Chill both the tomatoes and the wet ingredients in freezer for about 20 minutes.

At the 30 minute mark, preheat the oven to 425F.
Combine the dry ingredients. Add them to a small food processor. Add 2T figs, 2T rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes (i.e., leaving a little of each for garnish) and 1/2T olives, the wet ingredients and the sun-dried tomato soaking water.

Pulse blend until a dough forms. Mix in the remaining figs and sun-dried tomatoes, handling the dough as little as possible. Press into a 3″ x 9″ loaf pan and chill covered with plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.

Turn out the dough. Press the remaining olives into the top, gently. Cut into 3″ squares. Cut each square in half at a 45 degree angle. To bake, use a baking sheet lined with baking paper preferably, or a very lightly oiled baking sheet or a baking sheet lightly dusted with fine corn meal
if necessary.

Bake on the middle rack for about 12 – 14 minutes or until the scones are lightly browned. Remove from heat and let cool on a wire rack until ready and serve.