We are still ‘uncooking’! I think the plan is to prepare most of our food one day on the weekend so it’s all ready for the week. All of the dressings, burgers, and toppings last about 2 weeks in the fridge but of course, they taste best when fresh.

And now, we give you two more recipes for your enjoyment. Both of the recipes are from Brendan Brazier‘s Thrive Diet. They taste amazing!

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Cayenne Dill Tahini Dressing
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

“This is a full-flavoured dressing with a bit of bite. The tahini offers a good amount of calcium, and the cayenne pepper helps  get the blood flowing.”

1/2 clove garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup hemp oil or EFA Blend (we used EFA Blend)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp agave nectar
Sea salt to taste (we used Himalayan pink salt)

In a blender, blend all ingredients together. The flavours will take up to a day to combine completely. [...] They stay fresh for up to a month.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

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Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

“This is a great burger topping. Full of flavour and nutrition, this pesto can also be used as a pizza sauce or even as a dip for crackers and vegetables.”

2 cloves garlic
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast and Sesame Seed Topping (see below)
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp hemp oil
Sea salt to taste

In a food processor, process all ingredients together until smooth.

Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Variation: Roast the peppers, lightly coated in coconut oil, for 30 minutes in a 300F oven before blending. This will intensify the flavour.

Makes about 2 cups.

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Nutritional Yeast and Sesame Seed Topping
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

1 part Nutritional Yeast
1 part sesame seeds

Blend in coffee grinder.

The Bee Pollen Protein Shake recipe I want to make tomorrow morning calls for almond butter, so instead of buying almond butter at the store, we opted to make some instead. All it takes is 3 cups of raw almonds in the Vitamix and after blending it on high while mashing it down with the masher rod, we got almond butter!

Here’s another Thrive Diet recipe. We just finished making these along with a new batch of apple sauce in the Vitamix.

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Chocolate Blueberry Energy Bars
from Brendan Brazier‘s Thrive Diet

“High in antioxidants and flavonoids, these bars help reduce free radical damage in the body and improve cellular recovery.”

1 cup fresh or soaked dates
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup roasted carob powder (or cacao to make it 100% raw) – we used 1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hemp protein
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Sea salt to taste
1/2 cup sprouted or cooked buckwheat (optional) – we used cooked
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

In a food processor, process all ingredients except buckwheat and blueberries. If you prefer a uniformly smooth bar, process longer. If you would rather a bar with more crunch, blend for less time.

Remove mixture from processor and put on a clean surface. There are two ways to shape the bars: You could roll the mixture into several balls, or shape it into bars. To shape into balls, use a tablespoon or your hands to scoop the mixture (however much you like to make one ball); roll between the palms of your hands. To shape as bars, flatten the mixture on the clean surface with your hands. Place plastic wrap over top; with a rolling pin, roll mixture to desired bar thickness. Cut mixture into bars. Alternatively, form mixture into a brick; cut as though slicing bread.

As the bars dry, they become easier to handle.

Makes approximately 12 1-3/4 ounce bars.

You can individually wrap and store in freezer. These bars do not freeze solid so you can grab from the freezer and eat right away.

Knead buckwheat and berries into mixture by hand.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find the almond flaxseed burger so incredibly tasty. The garlic and balsamic vinegar gave it such a nice taste and I was comfortably full after eating half a patty with the rest of my lunch. I’ve saved the other half for dinner.

Lunch consisted of half a burger patty, a salad made of romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mushroom, baby carrots, sunflower seeds and pecans with a tangy dressing Dave made earlier. I finished the meal off with a small cup of apple sauce made with our Vitamix. We simply tossed in a few cored Empire apples and watched them turn to apple sauce before our eyes. Nothing else added.

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