Raw Sunflower Seed Butter

Raw Sunflower Seed Butter                      Yield:  approx 1 cup

2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked 4 hours

= 3 cups dehydrated

Small Pinch Sea salt (no more than 1/8 tsp)

·       Rinse the seeds in a colander and dry roughly in a clean tea-towel

·       Place on 2 dehydrator trays evenly spread out

·       Dry at 105º for 10 hours until seeds are nicely dry and crisp 

·       Seeds straight from the dehydrator butter more quickly because they are warm - so quickly move seeds directly into your food processor fitted with the S-blade

·       Add salt (less or more to taste) and begin processing

·       Keep processing the seeds, stopping the machine regularly to scrape the seeds from the sides of the bowl – turning processor off every 10 minutes or so to cool the motor

·       Seeds will go through several phases before turning into silky smooth butter: powdered (quite dusty looking) crumbly (dust forming together), cake mix (lumping together) big ball (one lump of mix may occur) and so on until you get to the final phase when the oil cracks and the mixture appears almost liquid

·       The butter stops rising up the sides of the bowl and appears much more liquid - don’t stop as soon as this phase occurs - keep going just a little more until you get a shine on the top of the mix (this is a layer of oil)

·       Once you can dip a spoon in and it can easily drip off the spoon you have got it! Depending on how much mixture you have in the bowl this can take anything from 15-30 minutes

·       Store in lidded glass jars in the fridge

Raw Adzuki Sea Veggie Dip

This dip, which is one of my favourites, is an easy way to make healthy food choices part of your daily eats. I really enjoy snacking on this dip with celery, crackers, and a bowl of fermented sauerkraut for my lunch.

Like other legumes, the sweet and nutty Adzuki bean is a nutritional powerhouse that is rich in protein, fibre and folic acid. They are a good source of energy, promote regular bowel movements, and help in lowering cholesterol. 

Nori has the highest protein content of the sea veggie family - 28% more than sunflower seeds. Compared to other seaweeds, it tops the list in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, vitamins A, C, E, and contains very high amounts of calcium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper.

Dulse is a natural source of iodine essential for thyroid, extremely high in vitamins B6 and B12 as well as iron, potassium,fluoride, and unlike other seaweeds it is relatively low in sodium. 

NOTE:  If you want to add the benefits of fermented foods to this dip, simply use 1/4 cup of brine from one of your ferments - I used brine from Fermented Garlic Pickles.

Raw Adzuki Sea Veggie Dip

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp ginger, chopped

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup dried Adzuki beans, soaked (1 cup dry = 2 cups soaked)

1/2 cup raw Nori sheets, chopped (about 4)

2 tsp dulse flakes

1/4 cup cold-pressed hemp oil (or EV olive oil)
1/4 cup brine (optional) 

·         Soak Adzuki beans in 3 cups water for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator – change the soak water every 12 hours

·         Drain beans, discard soaking water, and rinse well under cold water

·         Into a food processor, place the celery, lemon juice, ginger, sesame oil, salt and process until smooth

·         Add Nori and dulse and process again until smooth

·         Add soaked Adzuki beans and process for 3 minutes

·         With the motor running, slowly add the Hemp or Olive oil through the feed tube and process until smoothly blended - add brine at this point if you are using