Monday, October 31, 2011

Meatless Monday: Spider Web Pizza

Happy Halloween!

Ingredients

Crust (homemade or pre-made)
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza Sauce
Alfredo Sauce from a jar
Olives for a spider
Any toppings you desire

Directions

1. Place toppings mozzarella and toppings on top of crust.
2. Then put on your pizza sauce.
3. Place the alfredo sauce in a ziploc bag. Cut a small corner off the bag.
4. Squeeze alfredo sauce from the hole creating a spider web.
5. Create a spider out of olives, using two olives for the body and slicing another olive to create the legs.
6. Cook the pizza according to the directions that go with your crust. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Healthy Treats for a Killer Halloween Party

Throwing a Halloween party? Here are a few healthy party food ideas, some are creepy and some are seasonal, but they're all delicious! For tips on throwing a green Halloween party, check out this blog post. We wish everyone a fun, safe Happy Halloween!


Drinks

Hot Apple Cider
All Eyez on Me
Blood Orange Margaritas



Snacks

Jack O' Lantern Sandwiches
Carrot Fingers and Ranch Dressing
Cheese Ball Goblin
Spiders Nest Dip
Coagulated Blood Dip



Sweet Treats

Pecan-Caramel Spiders
Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Caramel Apples

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Come Celebrate the Grand Opening of our Galleria Location, This Saturday!


Our 5th and newest location in the Galleria Shopping Center is officially open for business. And this Saturday, we will be celebrating! Bring your friends, family and neighbors to check out the new store and enjoy the festivities! The event will kick-off at 1pm and the first 50 customers through the door after 1pm will receive a gift bag full of goodies and discounts! Plus, we will have drawings for additional gift baskets and an Apple iPad 2 giveaway! You can also expect to see our favorite local food vendors sampling out delicious bites: Two Moms in the Raw, Sadie's Caribbean Fish Cakes, KW Collards, Roots Hummus, Iron Brew Coffee, Bushelle SeasoningsTwin CakesVilla AntonioPenny's Pimiento CheeseInland SeafoodPink Chocolate Cupcakes and more! Plus, product demonstrations and samples from Ionways Alkaline Water, Nordic Naturals, Country Life, Burried Treasure, IV Pure Pads, CARA B Naturally, Barlean's, Plant Fusion, Nutraceutical, Garden of Life and more! Customers of age will also enjoy beer and wine samples! Sergio Agraz will be providing the live entertainment! Also, be sure to take advantage of our our company wide specials, running this Saturday only!!!

Field Day Canned Beans - 4/$5
Virgil's Zero - $2.99
Raven's Brew Coffee - $6.99
Tropical Super Charged Mix-$4.99/lb
Just Desserts 6" Cakes - $8.99
HHM 1 Gallon Water - 69¢

And when you're all done shopping, tasting, registering, learning and being entertained, step outside and relax with a fresh-off-the-grill, all natural, grass-fed burger or veggie burger, a bag of all natural chips and an all natural, sugar-free Izze "soda" for only $4.99!
We know that you are going to love our newest addition as much as we do! See you all Saturday!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups of flour, more as needed
1 egg
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Directions

1. Remove the end of the squash with the stem and then divide the whole thing in two by cutting it near the bulbous base. Then halve both of those sections lengthwise.
2. Scoop out the seeds from the base and cut the squash into equal parts.
3. Place the pieces in a baking dish with a bit of water, about 1/8 inch. Cover the dish with tinfoil and roast at 425 degrees for about an hour, or until the flesh is tender.
4. Remove the baking dish from the stove and let the squash cool. Once cooled, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash well.
5. Add the flour, nutmeg, cheese, salt and the egg. If your squash has not cooled properly, the egg will begin to cook. You don't want that to happen.
6. Work the mixture with your hands, adding a bit more flour if needed. The dough will be sticky and a royal pain to work with. But the end result is worth it!
7. Let's test the mixture. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and drop in a bite-sized piece of the dough. The idea here is to proof your gnocchi, to make sure it holds instead of dissolving in the water. If it dissolves, work more flour into the mixture until that balance is achieved.
8. Lightly coat your work surface with flour and roll out a tube of the mixture. This part can be a bit frustrating as the dough sticks to everything. But after you do it a few times, you will have the hang of it or you will hate me for attempting this recipe in the first place.
9. Using a knife, cut the tubes of dough into bite-sized pieces.
10. Roll the pieces into balls and place them on floured parchment paper.
11. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, reduce it to a low simmer and carefully add the gnocchi. They are delicate, so do not treat them like store bought pasta.
12. When they are completely cooked, the gnocchi will begin to float to the top of the water. Carefully transfer them to a colander using a slotted spoon. Lightly rinse them with warm water.

Gnocchi is best served with a lightweight sauce. Treehugger blogger, Jerry James Stone recommends melting a stick of butter with some poppy seeds and a bit of salt. Sage is another good addition for your butter sauce. Lighly sprinkle with parmesan if desired.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Tempeh Tuesday: Orange-Balsamic Glazed Tempeh over Greens

We are currently busy working hard to get our new store ready for business, so we apologize, it may be a little while before we are able to post again! In the mean time, enjoy this tempeh recipe! And stay tuned for details on the new store opening!

Ingredients

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
24 ounces tempeh, cut into 4 (6-ounce) slices
2 bunches kale or collards, rinsed well, stems trimmed, left whole
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine orange juice concentrate, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, garlic, basil and parsley in a skillet over medium heat. When the mixture is hot, arrange tempeh slices in the mixture and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side, about 4 minutes more.
2. While the tempeh braises, place about 1/2-inch water and a pinch of salt in the bottom of a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add greens and steam until they are just wilted and bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain well and slice into bite-size pieces. Arrange greens on a platter. Arrange tempeh slices on top of greens and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot.

Source: epicurious.com

Monday, October 3, 2011

Meatless Monday: Dragonfly's Vegan Ribs

Ingredients

2 cups vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons vegan beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato flavored bouillon
1 7/8-2 cups water
2-3 tablespoons raw tahini
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (I use KAL)
Unbleached flour, for dusting
Vegan BBQ sauce, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and grease a cookie sheet. Mix the gluten with the broth and bouillon. Using a fork, make a well in the center and add the water all at once. (Add more if you live in a dry area, less of you don't, hence the different amount.) Mix fast, rapidly encorporating all the gluten. Mix in nutritional yeast.
2. Dust a flat surface, dust your hands and lightly dust the gluten lump. Knead until rubbery and smooth. Use more flour if you need to. Flatten the gluten out with the tips of your fingers. Melt the tahini in the microwave or on the stove. You want it to be smooth, slightly warm and easy to spread. Using just your fingertips, poke the melted tahini into the surface of the gluten.
3. Turn over the gluten and repeat. It won't actually knead into the gluten, but will work in a bit and sit on the surface. Slice the gluten into strips. The thicker the strip, the chewier the rib, the thinner the crispier. Put the strips on prepared sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes.
4. When the under side is golden, flip them over and bake some more. You want a crispy product. They should puff up at first and flatten as they are browning up. You can add sauce to each side as they are browned up, or add it at the end. We like a small amount of sauce, but you can drench yours, if you like.
Serves: 4-6, Preparation time: 1 hour

Source: vegweb.com