My weekend was off to a fab start on Friday eve when I had some friends over prior to go to see Metric in concert, which was AWESOME by the way. One of my girlfriend’s is also a healthy-foodie-nutritionist, so of course I had some healthy bites that were as high on nutrition as they were on taste. This is a challenge I fully enJOY and embrace. My spread included organic cherries, veggies & hummus (not pictured here), almonds, medjool dates and this homemade curry sunflower seed spread with crackers.
My sunflower seed spread was a success! The curry spice adds a unique taste and the good fat in sunflower seeds totally hits the spot. You don’t even need an excuse to make this appetizer (like a party or picnic), heck you can make it for yourself or for you kid’s lunch box because it’s really easy and a much better option than all those store-bought dips, full of chemicals and preservatives. This recipe is a good source of vitamin E, B1, magnesium, manganese, selenium, cholesterol-lowering phytosterols, protein and good fat – yes! All that in one itty bitty recipe.
Sunny Punchy Seed Spread
- 2 cups unsalted sunflower seeds (soaked in water overnight, shells removed)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Sea salt & pepper
Because there are so few ingredients, please use good quality items otherwise it just won’t be the same. For example, please always use real garlic (not the bottled kind with salt and/or sulfites), good quality olive oil and your best sea salt.
Method:
Drain the seeds from the water and rinse thoroughly. You need to soak them overnight for 2 reasons:
- It releases the enzymes inhibitors making them much more digestible
- It plumps them up which is better to make into a paste/spread.
Blend on high and add curry spice, garlic, EVOO and season to taste. This takes all of 5 minutes!
I wanted to test out some new crackers I bought at Essence in Kensington last week: DOCTOR KRACKER is the brand and they passed my joyous taste bud test. If you want to make your own gluten-free-snack-fest then you could very easily just buy brown rice crackers because this sunny spread recipe is gluten-free (those crackers above, are not). I like this brand of gluten-free crackers: Mary’s Gone Crackers.
On Saturday I took some time off from working and hung out in Bellwoods park drinking something GREEN. It was steamy and hot in the sun, but I stayed cool, boosted my energy with B vitamins, minerals and felt my joyous cells getting smiley.
Most days of the week I make my own veggie juices at home before breakie, here are 2 recipes: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/an-alternative-to-lemon-water-and-a-new-green-goddess-juice/
On Sunday I was out at an art show and I think got a bit too much sun because I was feeling like a wilted flower by late afternoon. I arrived home and replenished with my absolute fave electrolyte drink – coconut water! Here’s a joyous vid I did a while ago on coco water: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/joyous-health-vid-coconut-water-hydration/ this was before Madonna (yaaaa!) was all over it and made it so popular, it’s become hard to find these days. However, I bought a bunch of coco water bottles at Essence in Kensington Market (which btw, is one of my fave places to shop in the city for all things organic from toothpaste to coco water).
Joyous health to you,
Joy
Ps. This is the LAST week to register for EAT WELL FEEL WELL!! Email me at joy at joyoushealth dot ca to register.
I just noticed now there’s a lot of gluten-free foods. Now I wonder why the gluten-free?
Many people have trouble digesting gluten, taking a break from it can mean an improvement in symptoms such as low energy, eczema, bloating, gas etc.
Love the sunflower spread! I made a similar sunflower seed spread last night with ginger instead of curry. Yum! I had no idea it could be so tasty. I’ll be trying this one too!
ginger, that’s a nice alternative. LOVE!
this is great! i love the sunflower spread. isn’t it a substitute for peanut butter?
yes, it’s a great substitute! Healthier good fat profile too.