Pickled Snap Peas

3/4 lb snap peas, ends removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbs pink Himalayan salt
2 cups water
fresh dill, several weeks later

1) Dissolve the salt in the water, at room temperature. Never use iodized salt to make this brine, as it will prevent the fermentation process from occurring.
2) Stuff snap peas and garlic into a quart mason jar. Try to wedge them in tightly. Place a pickle pebble on top, to keep them below the brine.
3) Pour brine in carefully and make sure there's enough to cover all the vegetables. Cover with an airlock lid.
4) Set aside in a cool place, out of direct sun. After 2-3 weeks, test the ph. Once it's below 4, wedge in the fresh dill and place it in the fridge. Remove the dill after one week and enjoy!

Review: I began this recipe on 9/12/2015. On 10/14/2015, the ph finally got below 4 and I could put the dill in. The dill was removed on 10/25/2015 and we got to enjoy this goodness. These are definitely pickles. They're dilly, they're salty, they're crisp. And, oddly addictive. I would never have expected these to be so good, but they're amazing. They're also full of all sorts of prebiotics and probiotics, since they're lacto-fermented.

Adapted from:
http://phickle.com/we-can-phickle-that-dilly-snaps/

Dark Chocolate Macaroons

4oz unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped
8oz unsweetened, shredded coconut
6oz sweetened, shredded coconut
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbs cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1) Heat oven to 325F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Heat approximately half of the dark chocolate in a small saucepan, until just melted. Then, off the heat, stir in the remaining bits of dark chocolate. Stir until smooth. The residual heat should be enough to melt them and leave the mixture lukewarm; if it's not, heat the mixture again until just melted, but not very hot.
3) In a food processor, blend the coconut for one full minute. Add sugar and cocoa powder, blend another full minute. Add egg whites, salt and vanilla. Blend until combined, then add the melted chocolate until smooth.
4) With a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop, scoop batter into 1-inch mounds. You can arrange the cookies fairly close together, as they don't spread but just puff a bit.
5) Bake cookies for 15 minutes, until the macaroons are shiny and just set. Let them rest on the tray for 10 minutes after baking (or you can let them fully cool in place, if you're not in a rush to use the tray again), as they'll be hard to move right out of the oven. They'll firm up as they cool, but still remain softer and less dry inside than traditional macaroons.
6) Optional: They can be dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.

Review: This recipe called for 14oz unsweetened, flaked coconut. However, I had a bag of sweetened and a bag of unsweetened (both from Trader Joe's) that equaled 14oz perfectly. I worried it would make the recipe too sweet, but it was absolutely perfect. I wouldn't make it any other way!! They were densely chocolatey, not too sweet, and oh so moist. I made these for a back to school affair and they got lots of great reviews. This was especially noteworthy, considering I found these fairly easy to make!!

Adapted from:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/04/dark-chocolate-coconut-macaroons/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smittenkitchen+%28smitten+kitchen%29

Gluten Free Multiseed Bread (original recipe)

1/2 cup + 1 Tbs warm water
4 1/2 Tbs vegan butter
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup room temperature hemp milk
1 egg, beaten
3 cups gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
2 Tbs whole flax seeds
2 Tbs pumpkin seeds
2 Tbs sunflower seeds
2 Tbs amaranth

1) Place all liquid ingredients into the bowl of a bread machine.
2) Place all dry ingredients on top of the liquid ingredients in the bread machine, except the yeast.
3) Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients, but not so deep that it touches the liquid ingredients. Add the yeast.
4) Shut the lid and set the machine for a 1.5 lb loaf, on white bread medium settings.
5) Once the bread is done, immediately remove the bread and place on a cooling rack. Gluten free bread does not do well when it stays in the machine on the warm cycle. Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers.

Review: I had a recipe that I wanted to use for my first time with a bread machine. However, I couldn't find some of the ingredients and subbed in my own ideas. Halfway through the recipe, I realized the author had developed her own "flour blend" that included important ingredients such as egg, sugar, salt and xanthan gum. The blend also made enough to make 2.5 loaves of bread. Eek, that made the math difficult. I really just gave up on the idea and googled how much I should use in a typical bread recipe. At this point, I realized I had my own original recipe as it wasn't even close to the original anymore. I was also scared it wasn't going to turn out well. I was joyous when I got the below results. It's the best bread texture I've ever experienced with homemade gluten free bread and it was SO TASTY. That said, this recipe will vary greatly based on the brand/mixture of gluten free flour used. I'm really going to try to stop buying the frozen loaves at the store and start making my own loaf each week. Hopefully I can stick with it!!

Cherry Almond Popsicles

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 1/2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt

1) Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
2) Pour into 8 4oz popsicle molds, dividing evenly.
3) Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Review: The almond milk did nothing for this popsicle. It seemed to add a graininess that was unnecessary, but also contributed to the popsicle having difficulty staying together. It also doesn't add to the flavor. The cherries and almond extract provided a great flavor combination. I think next time I'll make a simple syrup with the sugar and 2 1/2 cups of water and omit the almond milk.

Adapted from:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/dairy-free-cherry-almond-pops

Serrano Chili & Watermelon Margaritas

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 serrano chili
1 1/2 cups lime juice
1 cup silver tequila
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbs Cointreau

1) In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook until the sugar is fully dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2) Put serrano chili and watermelon into a blender, blending until fully pureed. It should result in 5 cups of watermelon puree.
3) Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and chill before serving.

Review: This was unbelievably tasty. I put the bulk of it in my ice cream machine to make frozen margaritas. I licked the bowl of the ice cream maker to get all the last remaining bits!! The serrano chili adds just a hint of heat, making it a slight accent flavor. The watermelon is amazing with tequila. I would never have thought this would be this good, but wanted to make something exotic since I'm expecting guests next weekend. This is a good standby recipe for summer parties!!

Adapted from:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/grilled-fish-recipes

Hot Fried Rice

2 cups cooked rice
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup peas
8oz pkg tempeh, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp minced ginger
4 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs hot sesame oil

1) In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, saute the asparagus, peas and tempeh in coconut oil for 3-4 minutes.
2) Add the garlic and ginger, stirring until vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
3) Add the cooked rice, soy sauce and vinegar. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute.
4) Remove from the heat; stir in the hot sesame oil.

Review: I totally cheated by using the frozen cooked rice that Trader Joe's sells (sprouted red jasmine!). The original recipe called for a red bell pepper, but I cut into mine to find it was rotting and moldy inside - even though I just bought it last night!!! It was also supposed to use egg, but seeing as how I made enough to last three days, I didn't feel comfortable eating leftover eggs on day 3. Therefore, I subbed in tempeh. I also decided that the original recipe's suggestion for toasted sesame oil and some hot sauce was too much, when I could just use up some of the hot sesame oil in the fridge that I've had no use for. That was a mistake!! This was so hot that I lost feeling in my mouth. Leftovers at work should be fun . . . . but in all honesty, this was realllllly tasty and I'm a happy camper.

Adapted from:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/vegetable_fried_rice.html

Thyme Lemonade

3oz limoncello
8oz seltzer, chilled
5-6 sprigs of thyme, crushed

1) Place crushed thyme in a tumbler-sized glass.
2) Add limoncello.
3) Pour seltzer over thyme.
4) Enjoy.

Review: I've somehow never had limoncello before. It's AMAZING. The thyme was subtle (maybe I need to add more?), but a nice flavor addition. This was a nice, summery drink on a hot day. Could be a new favorite for summertime (though margaritas will always have first place).

Adapted from:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/low-calorie-cocktails?page=2