This holiday season, I am adding raw nut creams to my menu. I’ve always been intrigued with nut cheeses and creams, and I’m amazed by how flavorful, rich and delicious they are. Nut creams are a great substitute for dairy creams and can be paired with many favorite holiday dishes.

Making a raw nut cream is a wonderful way to blend delicious, nutrient-filled, high-antioxidant ingredients like raw nuts, coconut, agave nectar, honey, cinnamon and vanilla to make a dessert that delivers on taste and nutrition.

To create a base, start with raw cashews or macadamia nuts. Soak them in filtered water overnight, rinse thoroughly and drain. Then use a Vitamix or a food processor to blend until smooth, adding filtered water as you blend, until the mixture is creamy.

The biggest hurdle I have found is creating a smooth, creamy texture. Take your time with blending and scraping the sides, then re-blending, etc. Don’t be afraid to blend for several minutes straight. This will allow you to get the spread as creamy as possible.

Once you have a base you are happy with, there are many different directions you can go depending on the sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.) and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, etc.) you use. Below is a decadent Maple Cinnamon Cream that I will be serving as a compliment to my stewed apples, sweet potato dishes and pies!

- Veronica

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/8 cup filtered water
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Soak cashews overnight in filtered water. Rinse, and combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend ingredients adding clean, cold, filtered water a little at a time until consistency is smooth (not too watery, though). Taste and adjust according to your flavor preferences (I love cinnamon, so I tend to add more of it). Refrigerate until chilled and pair with your favorite dishes!

The first time I saw a turnip, I wasn’t sure what it was. It looked like a pale, overgrown radish, or a fat, white carrot. One of the benefits of being a member of a CSA, is that I sometimes get vegetables that I am uncertain of, but the Dutch in me won’t let anything go to waste. So, when this happens, I find myself experimenting with new foods. Lately, I’ve become a huge turnip fan.

I love turnips because they are inexpensive and very versatile, like a potato but more flavorful. They are incredibly nutritious, providing over a third of your daily vitamin C, an important antioxidant especially going into flu season, and they are packed with B vitamins which keep your energy levels high. They have 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per cup, and only 8 grams of carbohydrates. All this is less than 60 calories and 1 gram of fat. How does nature make such smart foods???

My favorite part about turnips is that they function just like a potato or carrot in recipes; I add them to soups, casseroles, vegetable dishes and, best of all, I roast them either alone or with other root vegetables. They are also great stewed with apples and cinnamon on the stovetop. Another huge advantage of turnips is that you can eat the greens which are full of great vitamins and minerals. If you haven’t ventured into the world of turnips yet, try the simple roasting recipe below. This was my lunch a few days ago and it was so delicious. If you want to be more creative, add carrots and beets and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette when done roasting. The possibilities are endlessly delicious!

— Veronica

Roasted Turnips with Sea Salt

5 medium sized turnips, diced, greens removed

1 tbsp. grapeseed oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Set oven to 400 degrees. Dice turnips into bite sized pieces, remove greens and toss with oil and salt in a bowl. Spread turnips on a cookie sheet and roast until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Season with pepper and additional salt if necessary and serve warm.

When I was a kid, a huge part of summer was traveling to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for backyard cookouts. Grandma always had a huge plate of cut veggies with homemade vegetable dip. She used fresh dill from the garden and I have been in love with dill ever since. I’ve grown up a bit from the veggie dip days to now adding fresh dill to my salads, rice, potatoes and sautéed veggies like green beans, tomatoes and zucchini.

Some of the benefits that dill brings to the table are calcium, antioxidants that fight against carcinogens, and antimicrobial features that put it on the same level as garlic for fighting off bacteria and viruses. It’s also a great breath freshener. Bonus!

I love having to be creative with the abundance that my garden spits out. It’s like a new challenge everyday to mix and match herbs and veggies. What’s great is that so many combinations that I would never have thought of, taste wonderfult together -and you don’t have to hesitate to eat them because they are all so good for your body!

Source

— Veronica

Sautéed potatoes and green beans with dill

3 TBSP Grape seed oil

1 small onion diced (or 2-3 cloves of garlic)

3 medium potatoes, cubed

1 lb green beans, snipped

¼ to ½ cup fresh dill feathers

Salt and pepper

Sauté onion in grapeseed oil until soft. Add potatoes and beans, and sauté on medium heat until tender. Add salt, pepper and dill, stir and serve as main or side dish.

A few years ago, people would have chuckled at the thought of eating hemp. It was hard to separate it from its sordid cousin, which can be used in less-than-beneficial ways; however, one walk through last year’s Natural Products Expo Trade Show proved that this powerhouse seed is quickly creating its own pristine reputation among foodies. Not only is hemp a viable and accepted form of vegan protein, multiple applications of hemp (like milk, hearts, cereals, breads, crackers and more) are showing up on grocery shelves everywhere.

Turns out this little seed is fast becoming a nutrient celebrity. With experts like Dr. Oz touting its benefits, people are taking notice. Hemp’s reputation is solid. It is a complete vegan protein that is rich is omega 3 fats, and provides an abundance of healthy vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron and vitamin A, D, and several B vitamins.

Another benefit of hemp is that it is very sustainable to grow and has uses beyond food. Its fibers are incredibly strong and can be used in place of cotton or wood. And, unlike most crops, it can be grown to maturity in 100 days, requiring no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.

The result is a perfectly balanced food that benefits the environment as well as our bodies. It protects and fuels our hearts and minds, nourishes skin and hair, and helps guard against disease. It’s so darn good for us that we may even start to forget about its less-than-stellar family reputation!

— Veronica

Veronica’s Tip of the Week

Veronica Bosgraaf, Pure Bar Founder