Ingredients
1 stalk lemongrass
2 cups apple juice
1/3 cup onion or leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Thai chili, seeded and thinly sliced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
8 ounces tempeh
1/4 cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
Juice from 1/2 lime
A little canola oil, for baking the tempeh
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon light miso
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Directions
1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.2. Peel the outer layer from the lemongrass and set aside. Thinly slice the inner stalk and set aside in a separate bowl.
3. Place the apple juice in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the outer layer of lemongrass and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the apple juice has been reduced by half.
4. While the juice is reducing, place the sliced inner layer of lemongrass, onion or leek, garlic, cilantro, chili, ginger and flax seed into a food processor and pulse until well combined.
5. Add the tempeh, soy sauce or tamari and lime juice to the food processor. Pulse to combine, taking care to intermittently scrape down the processor’s walls with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed. If using flax seed, let the tempeh mixture rest for 10 minutes before baking.
6. Roll the tempeh mixture into balls the size of large marbles and place them on the baking sheet. Spray with a light layer of canola oil. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tempeh is well browned.
7. Preheat a steamer filled with water. When the steamer is heated, steam the green beans for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through, but still crisp.
8. Remove the lemon grass stalk from the reduced apple juice. Add the miso powder to the lemongrass apple glaze, stirring until fully incorporated.
9. Add the steamed green beans and spiced tempeh balls to the saucepan. Toss taking care to ensure the green beans and tempeh are coated in lemongrass apple glaze. Divide into 4 servings, garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and enjoy!
Source: meatlessmonday.org
We are excited to welcome Elderberry Life to HHM, a fairly new brand to our product line! Their products include: Pure Elderberry Peach Juice, Elderberry Aid, Elderberry Jelly, Seedless Elderberry Jam, Elderberry Juice and Elderberry Herbal Cordial. Owner, Rodger Lenhardt, grew up in Missouri, but now resides in North Carolina. He began his foray into the world of elderberries, when his father asked him to take over the family farm. Previously, they had grown soybeans, but Rodger wanted to try something different. He decided to go with elderberries with the intention of selling them to a local vineyard. When that didn't pan out, they decided to press the berries into juice and sell it themselves. The products were first marketed throughout the Midwest as Coop Brand and as demand grew, so did the original farm, from 1 1/2 acres to 37 acres! Soon, Lenhardt began teaching other farmers his system and they now have over 30 independent growers, including two in North Carolina! Being a resident of NC, Rodger decided to create a regional brand, working with the local farmers, and Elderberry Life was born. We are very excited to have them in our stores! For more information about the products and the health benefits of elderberries, please visit their website! We plan to have Rodger back to our stores soon to sample, so make sure you stop in for future store events!
Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, minced
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBS +1 TBS vegetable broth
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium tomato, seeds removed, diced
3 large eggs (our local eggs are delicious)
3 TBS chopped fresh basil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Mince onions and press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-inch stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion over medium low heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 TBS broth, tomato, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute. Stir well, and gently scrape pan with a wooden spoon to remove any slight burning.
5. Beat eggs well, and season with salt and pepper. Mix in chopped basil. Pour eggs over vegetables evenly and turn heat to low. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until firm. Cut into wedges and serve.
Source: whfoods.com
In case you don't know, HHM has a phenomenal bulk herb and spice section at each of our locations! Admittedly, the selections are smaller at our smaller stores (Hickory and Galleria), but they carry all of our top sellers and are happy to place special orders!
Advantages of Buying in Bulk
* Bulk buying contributes to your pocketbook. By not paying for all that individual packaging, labeling and advertising, you’re getting more product for your money.
* It's a green way to buy. Statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show we generate about 80 million tons of waste from packaging and containers every year. This is almost 1/3 of the country's municipal solid waste. In addition to the waste products themselves, the manufacturing of them wastes energy and resources. When you buy in bulk and reuse storage containers, it’s a positive contribution to our planet's health.
* You can often find the product you want in bulk and purchase the exact amount you want. We can also place special orders for larger amounts.
* Without the restriction of buying a minimum amount, you may feel compelled to try new things!
* By buying from the bulk section, you can assess for yourself the color, aroma and texture of the products you're buying.
Tips for Buying in Bulk
* You might want to organize your cupboards a bit — to make room for your bulk products. Look in your cupboards to see what items you usually purchase in containers or cans that you can now purchase in bulk. If you really want to get organized, purchase some nice, airtight glass jars (safer than plastics for food storage), and some labels so you can keep track of what you have. Containers can be purchased at the store or recycle old spice containers, spaghetti sauce jars etc.
* Find those items that you already purchasing in the bulk section. But also explore a bit, maybe trying one or two new items each visit! You can purchase many other items in bulk, beyond just herbs and spices: beans, cereals, flours, grains, nut butters, oils, pastas, sweeteners, teas and coffees (Fair Trade), and household and toiletry items like laundry detergent and soaps.
* If you brought your own containers to the store, remember to weigh them before filling them (you'll find scales in the bulk section too), so you don't get charged for the weight of the containers when the products are weighed at checkout. Note this weight, as well as, the plu number on the container, bag or sticker.
Ingredients
½ (12oz package) jumbo shells
½ cup cashew
¾ cup water
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp arrowroot starch
1 tsp sea salt
1 lb extra firm tofu mashed
1 cup asparagus lightly steamed and chopped
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
Pesto
¼ cup walnuts
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
¼ basil chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions
Cook pasta in salted water in salted water, drain and set aside. Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a blender blend cashew, water, onion powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast flakes, sea salt and arrowroot until smooth. In a bowl place mashed tofu along with cashew sauce and asparagus. In a food processor process the pesto ingredients and mix with the tofu mixture. Line a 9x13 casserole pan with marinara sauce. Spoon tofu mix into individual shells (about 1 tablespoon) and place in pan until all are stuffed. Drizzle marinara sauce over stuffed shells, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Source: healthiersteps.com
Did you know that our South End location has Kombucha on tap? We do and it's delicious! We also sell it in bottles at all other locations! Lenny Boy Kombucha is locally brewed by Townes Mozer, a Charlotte native and founder of the company. Some of you may be wondering what Kombucha even is. Well, in short (sort of), Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from sugar, tea, water, and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. During the fermentation process the bacteria and yeast convert the sugar into organic acids. In addition, gluconic, lactic and folic acids are a byproduct of the fermentation. This ancient elixir is an all natural, organic detoxifying drink; most who drink it say it gives them an extra boost of energy. After fermenting, the tea is full of probiotics that work with your body to boost the immune system, stimulate your metabolism, and rejuvenate your mind. Kombucha has been enjoyed around the world for ages and has been popularized here in the states in more recent years. Townes first discovered the health giving tea on a trip to Oregon, while still in college at UNCW. Townes says "With the first few sips of Kombucha Tea, I felt the amazing effect on both my mind and my body. I knew I found my answer." Upon returning he began to brew it for friends and family. After graduation, he spent roughly a year working on an organic farm in Asheville and furthering his knowledge of herbs at the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism. Upon returning to Charlotte, Townes was ready to share his Kombucha with the world (or at least the Charlotte area!) He chose the name Lenny Boy as a tribute to his best dog friend Lennox! Today, he brews many flavors and puts out seasonal choices, which of course, you can purchase at HHM! We will announce new deliveries and flavors via Twitter, so be on the look out. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup whole cashews soaked in water for 2 hours or up to overnight
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup store-bought breadcrumbs (if using homemade, increase to 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (about 3 large)
1 recipe Eggplant Bacon
Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)
Eggplant Bacon
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/8 inch thick strips
1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari if you’re gluten free)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Cooking spray
Directions
1. Place the drained cashews and vegetable broth in a food processor and blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could take 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery in the oil, along with a dash of salt. Cook until onions are nice and brown, about 10 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and toss to coat onions and celery. Cook until the breadcrumbs turn a few shades darker, about 3 minutes. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350 F.
3. Pour the cashew mixture into the pan and lower heat a bit. Mix well. Add lemon juice, several dashes black pepper and salt. Let cook for 2 minutes, it should begin to thicken. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning if needed.
4. Lightly spray a 2 quart casserole rectangular with cooking spray (or lightly grease with olive oil). Pour half of the sauce into the casserole. Now arrange potatoes and eggplant into the casserole, dredging potatoes in sauce a bit as you layer. They should be in slightly overlapping layers, with a slice of bacon in between each potato.
5. Pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes. They should be mostly submerged. Use a rubber spatula to spread the sauce on if needed.
6. Seal tightly with tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until nice and brown.
7. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Eggplant Bacon
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Prep the eggplant while the oven is preheating. Eggplants vary in size, so if using baby eggplant that is 2 inches wide at its widest, just slice into 1/8 inch thick circles. If using large eggplants, first cut in half lengthwise, then slice the halves into 1/8 inch thick halfmoons. Now what we’re going to do is bake it at a high temperature with just a bit of cooking spray oil, then let it cool, then give it smoky salty flavor and reheat.
3. Cover baking sheets in parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Arrange eggplant pieces in a single layer and spray lightly once more. Place in oven and bake for about 8 minutes, keeping a close eye. Rotate pans about halfway through baking.
4. Remove from oven and flip slices. They should be browning already, and if any are slightly burnt, don’t worry. Just move them to a plate to cool. Return remaining strips to the oven for about 3 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Eggplant should be dark brown to burnt in some places, and yellowish white and tender in some places. Transfer to a plate to prevent further baking.
6. Lower oven to 350 F. Mix soy sauce and liquid smoke together in a large bowl. Dip eggplant slices in mixture a few at a time and return to the baking sheet. Bake for about 3 more minutes, until heated through. Serve! Keeps well for a few more hours, but definitely use these the day of.
Source: Post Punk Kitchen
