Vermont Acupuncture

Category: Snacks

  • Turkey Liver Pate with Cranberries

    Liver is a super-food. Liver contains significantly more vitamin A, all the Bs, iron and other minerals than any other food. Pate is my preferred way to eat liver. It’s so good – and you don’t need to eat a lot to get the nutritional value. If you’ve got a turkey liver – you’ve got to try this recipe.

    Thanksgiving 2023 we are roasting a wild turkey. It’s a bit smaller than a farmed turkey and the liver was a quarter pound, so I halved the recipe.

    Ingredients:

    1 turkey liver (about a half pound)

    1/3 stick of good quality butter or ghee

    1 medium onion, minced (or 2-3 shallots)

    1 clove garlic, minced

    1 T each: rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme

    ¼ t allspice

    ¾ t sea salt

    ¼ t pepper

    1-2 T cream or half and half

    1-2 T sherry or cognac (optional)

    Small handful of cranberries (not too much or the pate will be tart – alternatively try a spoonful of cranberry sauce)

    Equipment: non-cast iron pan, food processor

    1. Trim away any membranes on the liver, slice or chop, and soak in salted water – at least 30 minutes but ideally for a few hours or even overnight.
    2. In a stainless steel (or any non-cast iron) heat butter on medium and add onion and sauté for 10 minutes until lightly caramelized.
    3. Chop garlic and herbs and add to pan with onions. Add allspice, salt and pepper. Once you can smell the aromatics (about 2-3 minutes)…
    4. Add liver and cook until browned on outside but still pink inside (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
    5. Once the onion and liver mixture has cooled a bit, add to food processor along with cream, cranberries and sherry or cognac (if using). Blend until smooth.
    6. Spoon pate into small jars or other container and refrigerate to cool – later you can put some in the freezer for longer storage. Refrigerated pate lasts about 7-10 days.

  • Swiss Pears

    A super simple and refreshing appetizer.IMG_8447

    Sliced ripe pear with slices of Emmentaler or Jarlsberg or other Swiss cheese.

  • Crispy Kale Chips

    IMG_6792This is my son’s favorite way to eat kale. I made this the other day along with Roasted Chicken Legs and Sweet Potatoes Sticks and it made for a very efficient meal!

    • Kale, any kind, a half a bunch.
    • Sea salt
    • Olive oil

    Chop kale. Let it sit for 5 or more minutes.

    After the chicken and sweet potatoes come out of the over and off the pan, spread the kale on the pan and toss around to gather up the oils.

    Sprinkle with sea salt and mix lightly with oils on pan.

    Bake on 400 for 12 minutes.

    Alternatively, mix kale in bowl with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ – 1 teaspoon sea salt. Spread on clean cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes on 400 or until just crispy.

  • Blueberry Banana Muffins

    Vegan, Gluten-FreeIMG_6097

    Makes 8- 10

    These are the best muffins I’ve made to date. They are super healthy and super delicious.

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend – 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup buck wheat, 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/4 cup tapioca*
    • 1/4 cup palm sugar (any sugar is OK)
    • 1 t baking soda
    • pinch salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 T coconut oil, melted
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or rice milk (any milk will work)
    • 1 t vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ T maple syrup
    • 1/2 cup blueberries
    • 1 smashed very ripe banana

    * You can substitute almond flour, garbanzo flour, or whatever you have – I mix it up according to what I have on hand. The oat flour I have is not totally gluten-free, so if you are gluten-intolerant, make sure you get GF oat flour or grind GF oats.

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease 12 muffin tins or line with paper baking cups.
    2. In a small bowl combine flour blend, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together.
    3. Beat eggs, either by mixer or by hand. Add almond milk, vanilla, coconut oil, and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.
    4. Add well-smashed banana and mix well.
    5. Fold in 1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen).
    6. Divide batter evenly into the muffin tins: about 2/3 – 3/4 full.
    7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.
    8. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm.

    Will keep in an airtight container for a couple days. Freeze to keep longer.

  • Chocolate Latte for Kids (dairy free)

    IMG_7155 This hot beverage is nutritious and satisfying. The warming spices are great for kids whose digestion could use a little spark. No dairy, maple sweetened and if feels like a total treat. Great for the whole family!

    Mix together:
    1 cup of India Spice herbal tea (alternatively ginger, cinnamon, herbal chai), HOT
    1 t unsweetened cocoa

    Stir in:
    1 t maple syrup
    1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

    Serve it up and watch them smile!
    Two thumbs up, actually 10 thumbs up, is the report over here!

  • Pumpkin Muffins

    Yields about 8-9 muffins.

    Recipe adapted from the Realistic NutritionalistIMG_6748
    Prep time: 10-20 minutes
    Cook time: About 20 – 22 minutes

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup coconut flour (or sorghum or garbanzo flour)
    • 1/4 cup buckwheat flour (or rice flour)
    • 1/4 cup tapioca flour (alternatively use 3/4 cup gluten free flour mix in place of first three ingredients)
    • 1 T almond meal
    • 1 t cinnamon
    • 1/2 t ginger
    • 1/4 t nutmeg
    • 1/4 t allspice
    • 1/8 t clove (or 2 t pumpkin pie spice mix in place of spices)
    • Dash of salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 cup palm sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1/2 cup each apple sauce and squash puree)
    • 3/4 cup pumpkin or squash puree*
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    *I bake the pumpkin or squash, scoop it out, let it cool, then use a Foley food mill to get it nice and smooth. This is totally optional. You can use the unsmoothed pumpkin or squash or canned pumpkin puree. (more…)

  • Slow Cooked Apple Butter

    I made two batches in my slow cooker.
    The first with a ton of sugar and the second with maple syrup and honey. They are both delicious. I cooked the sugary one longer and it came out thicker.

    Apple Butter one

    16 apples, peeled and sliced
    3 cups sugar
    3/4 cup apple cider
    2 T cinnamon
    1 t allspice
    ¼ t nutmeg
    pinch salt

     

    Apple Butter two

    22 apples, peeled and sliced
    ¼ cup honey
    1 cup maple syrup
    1 1/4 cup apple cider
    3 T cinnamon
    2 t allspice
    ½ t nutmeg
    pinch salt

    In the slow cooker on high for a couple hours, then low overnight and/or the rest of the day until the apples cook down to a sauce and the pooled liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally. I cooked my first batch on and off for two days. The cooker went off a couple times and when I turned it back on I put it on high for a bit, then turned it back to low. The second batch I cooked for about 24 hours and would have done it longer as it turned out a little thin. I am sure the sugar also adds to the thickening process.

  • Granola Protein Bars

    This recipe is super delicious, super easy and versitile. Feel free to substitute almond butter for peanut butter or change up the seeds with nuts (if i were using walnuts or other big nuts i would chop them).
    If you have a little food processor, it is really nice to grind up the oatmeal some and also the raisins. The ground oatmeal helps make it less sticky and chopping or grinding the raisins helps hold it all together.

    This recipe is easy to mix by hand if your PB is room temp. Otherwise, if you have a standing mixer, it is well worth the effort to use it! You can make this gluten-free by using gluten-free oats and granola.

    1 cup raw oatmeal (optionally ground)
    1 ½ cups granola
    ½ cup sunflower seeds
    ¼ cup sesame seeds
    ½ cup coconut, finely shredded
    ½ cup raw honey
    1 cup raisins (optionally ground or chopped)
    1 ½ – 2 cups organic peanut butter (ideally room temp)

    Directions

    Protein Bars
    1. Oil a baking 9×11 baking sheet
    2. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl or standing mixer. Mix to combine.
    3. Add the wet ingredients and form into a firm paste. You may need to add more peanut butter or honey if the mixture is too dry. Add the chopped/ground raisins and mix.
    4. Press the mixture into the oiled container.
    5. Cover the pressed mixture with wax paper and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
    6. Cut into 24 bars and serve.

    Store in an air-tight container or wrap individually in plastic and store in the refrigerator.

  • Cucumber sandwiches

    This is one of my son’s favorite (healthy) snacks.

    Schmear a little goat cheese between two slices of cucumbers.