Fire Cracker Saltines

Ingredients:

2 sleeves of saltine crackers
1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Line the crackers in a storage container on their ends. Drizzle the oil over the crackers evenly. I don’t like my crackers too oily, so I use closer to 1/4 cup, but feel free to use the full half cup if you wish. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and the crushed red pepper flakes evenly over the crackers. Close the lid tightly.

Flip the container over regularly so that the oil and seasonings coat the crackers. You can do this every 5 mintes for a half hour or you can do this over a full day, flipping when you have time. Lightly shake the container to ensure that the crackers are coated.

You now have two choices. You can eat these just like this or you can bake them so that they aren’t so oily and become a little more brown. To bake, preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line up the crackers flat and bake for 25-30 minutes.

I store them in the same airtight container after baking.

Mexican Corn Popcorn Seasoning

Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.

Everything Bagel Popcorn Seasoning

Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
2 teaspoons toasted caraway seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds
1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons granulated onion powder

Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.

Bloody Mary Popcorn Seasoning

Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
4 tablespoons tomato powder
Big pinch of saffron
4 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.

Nacho Popcorn Seasoning

Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.

Ranch Popcorn Seasoning

Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:

1 cup of unpopped popcorn kernels
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup or brown rice syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Pop popcorn in an air popper. Combine with peanuts.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease two large baking pans with a neutral oil.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the margarine, brown sugar and corn or brown rice syrup. Stir until the margarine is melted. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring for about 4 minutes, until the mixture reaches 255 degrees on a thermometer.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Gradually pour over popcorn/nuts, stirring to coat. Pour the popcorn into a baking pan and place in the preheated oven.

Stir every 15 minute for a total of one hour. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Frito Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cans of corn, drained
½ red onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
¼ cup Vegenaise or other vegan mayonnaise
10.25 ounce bag of Fritos Corn Chips
Frank’s RedHot

Directions:

Combine corn, onions and bell pepper.  When ready to serve, add mayo, Fritos and Frank’s to taste.

Notes:

This stuff is addictive!

Date and Nut Balls

Ingredients:

4 cups roasted and salted peanuts
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups medjool dates - seeds removed

Directions:

Place 1 cup of the peanuts in a food processor and process until they are finely chopped

Add the dates and water and process until smooth

Place half of the remaining peanuts on a plate; take the date/nut dough from the food processor and work the peanuts into the dough.

Place the other half of the remaining peanuts on another plate. Form the dough into small balls (use a heaping teaspoon as a measurement) and then roll in the remaining peanuts, pressing them into the dough.

Place the date/nut balls into mini cupcake cups on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until firm

Remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving

Notes:

Use medjool dates for best results as they are very sticky.

Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cans of garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed or 1 cup dried garbanzo beans, cooked or sprouted
1/3 cup olive oil (or for no oil option, use aquafina—the water that is in the can of beans)
4 tablespoons tahini
2 lemons, juiced
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Pulse the beans in a food processor. Add the olive oil and pulse until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to desired consistency. You can add more oil for a smoother consistency.

Variation:

Artichoke/lemon: add 1/2 cups of artichoke hearts and 2 tablespoons lemon to the ingredients above

Roasted red pepper: add 1/2 cups of roasted red peppers to the ingredients above

I LOVE to sprout! When you eat a sprouted food, you are putting a living food into your body and they are loaded with nutrition and protein. Most people only know about alfalfa sprouts but you can sprout so many other things--broccoli, any kind of bean, chives, radishes, clover....the list goes on. You can grow it right on your counter top at home in mason jars. I can't think of any home grown food that is more economical and nutritious.

How to sprout garbanzo beans:

Take one cup of dried garbanzo beans and put them in a quart mason jar. Place cheesecloth over the mouth of the jar and tighten the metal ring (this is the simplest way--with supplies that you most likely have at home. I buy plastic rings with metal mesh screens because I am a serious sprouter). Pour water to cover the beans and then drain the water. Do this a few times--we are rinsing the beans. Then pour water to cover the beans plus another inch or two. Allow the beans to soak in the water for 12 hours. After 12 hours, drain the water, rinse beans two times and set the jar upside down in your dish drainer for the next 12 hours. Continue this for the next 2 days. The beans will start to sprout tails and are now ready for use.