Ode to My Food Processor

I cannot tell you all enough, how much I really appreciate my food processor. It is a huge, essential to my kitchen that happened about 1 1/2 years ago. Since the addition, I am constantly finding new and exciting way to use it. I have heard from many, that they have one and they don't use it all that much!!! I can't even understand that! Simply because if I am cooking in my kitchen, my food processor is usually out!

I have heard one of the main differences from food processor and non-food processing people it is that some of the people can only chop with their food processor! My food processor is great for chopping, but also for shredding, kneading, and slicing! I love to use it! :)

So what food processor do I own that I am in love with? The Cuisinart Power Prep Plus 11 cup Processor. It comes with endless features and it is wonderful! I have used it to make bread, soup, sauces, batters, pancakes, chop veggies, shred cheese or veggies...the possibilities are endless! :) If you are interested in seeing other customer's reviews please click on the photo!

Sauteed Red Cabbage

I'm not a huge fan of red cabbage, but I will say, shredding it finely makes it way more palatable! N won't touch cabbage in a large leaf form, but once it is shredded or finely chopped it is one of his favorite veggies. Red cabbage is a vegetable that really hinges upon "how it is prepared." I will give you my edible secret in the following recipe, remember best served with sauces:)!

1/2 head red cabbage cut in half
2 tbsp spring butter
2 Tbsp Water

With your food processor, use the shredding attachment. Place half of the cabbage in the food processor and shred it, then shred the other one. Once all the cabbage is shredded, heat a cast iron skillet to medium high. Once heated, add the butter then the cabbage. After a minute or two add the water. Continue to stir until cooked through. This is a great side dish when eaten with Saucy foods. Saucy pork chops is a great way to enjoy this, or with tomato sauce dishes.

Saucey Oven Pork Chops

We had some 1 inch pork chops in the fridge, and seeing how it was approximately 20 degrees outside, I figured grilling it was out of the question! So, I decided to spice up the chops for the oven! N and J both really like them!

4 inch boneless pork chops
1/2 of a medium red onion
1/4 cup natural maple syrup (water processed)
2 Tbsp Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Naturally Fermented Soy Sauce
Sprinkle of Garlic Powder
Sprinkle of Black Pepper

Place all ingredients, except the pork chops, in a food processor and process until smooth and well blended. Position the pork chops in a dutch oven and top with the sauce. Place covered in a 350 degree oven for 15-30 minutes. The time range is so huge simply b/c everyone's oven cooks at a different temp. Mine tends to be extremely hot! Pork needs to be cooked to 160 degrees. When checking the heat of the meat it is important to stick the meat thermometer lengthwise across the chop, not straight down throw the middle. More than just a tip of the thermometer needs to be inserted for an accurate read! I highly recommend serving this with Rice or Quinoa, and Red Cabbage and peas. To serve, place the chops with all the excess sauce over the cabbage pea mixture. The sauce settles into the cabbage and it is amazing! (and I normally isn't a huge fan of red cabbage!)

Healthy Crunchy Nuts! Of all kinds! :)

Why healthy? In order to obtain all the nutrients from Almonds...or any nut for that matter, it is important to eat them in a raw, soaked state! Don't get me wrong, I was the girl who loved roasted nuts, but the truth is, they really aren't all that nutritious for us. We can't absorb a huge variety of the nurtients this way, and many are killed in the Roasting process.

So, start with your "raw" or as close to raw as possible nut (buy organic nuts! Conventional Nuts are pasteurized with gas organic are pasteurized with stem at least!), first soak them to deactivate numerous anti-nutrients present in nuts. This allows them to be more bio-available, and reduces intestinal irritation from eating nuts! So, "soaking" them is quite easy. Depending on the variety of nut, some might prefer them with their shells off! I definitely feel this way about almond and peanuts! If you want more precise information about soaking nuts, please visit or buy the "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook by Sally Fallon.
Basic recipe:

4 cups nuts of any variety
1 Tbsp Salt

Soak the nuts in the water for at least 7 hours. Then, if you are going too, remove the shells from the nuts. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and place in a 100 degree oven until completely dried out, about 12-15 hours. You can also use a dehydrator. There you have it, a crunchy nut, that is totally nutrient available. I use Crunchy almonds to make pancakes frequently for N! He loves them!

Delicious Yummy Pancakes (Gluten Free!)

So, I promise these pancakes will be like nothing you have ever seen before, but they really are good, you just need to give them a try! N absolutely loves them, and actually refers to them as his "special treat!" They contain no starch at all! Unless you use a conventional baking powder, and then they contain the starch from the baking powder (or gluten)
2 cups whole, soaked, shelled (optional), dried almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder (I use homemade)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cream or coconut cream (or you can buy coconut the red label full fat "thai kitchen"
coconut milk and just use the "cream" that has congealed at the top of the can and then use
the "skim" liquid in another recipe...)
1 tablespoon honey (I use really raw, but I have also done it with succanant and it works well
they just aren't as sweet.)
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
Any fruit you may like for mixing into the batter (blueberries or strawberries perhaps?! )

Take your almonds and place them in a food processor, and process until completely ground, and almost turning into a "paste." Add to the sticky crumbles, 2 eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut cream/or cream, salt, and baking powder. Turn processor back on and process until well blended. If mixtures seems too thick, add a little coconut "skim" milk to to, or water if you were using cream. Heat a cast iron griddle until hot, and drop by the spoonful onto the griddle. Be patient, these take a little longer to cook than other pancakes.

Obviously, if you are using fruit, I wouldn't process that into the batter! :)

If on the Candida diet omit the honey!