Friday, March 2, 2012

Gluten Free Dairy Free Not Cheese Spread Recipe

Very simple. Quick. Delicious. Oh, and did I mention really healthy for you, too?  Need I say more?

We all know that raw fruits and vegetables are nutrition powerhouses.  So are almonds.  If you look up the nutritional information for almonds, you may be surprised by how great they really are.  They are such a blessing to those of us who have to eat gluten free because they are a great source of fiber and B vitamins - something we tend to lose out on when we switch away from a more grain-based diet.  They also have loads of other vitamins and minerals, too.



This recipe is my variation on a recipe from the book Rawesome by Brigitte Mars.  Brigitte's book has tons of really healthy recipes that are not only gluten free, but also incredibly healthy for you.  You should get your hands on a copy!

So here's my variation of her "Easy Cheese Dip" that's featured on page 44 in the book.

SPH Not Cheese Spread
2 cups almond flour or ground almonds
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 small fresh tomato (or a few cherry tomatoes - whatever is fresh and on hand)

Put everything in a food processor and puree.  This will keep a few days in the fridge, but I doubt it will make it that long.

I LOVE this in celery sticks.  You can also spread this on some Glutino crackers.  And, listen - I'm no tomato fan.  If it's not spaghetti or pasta sauce, I generally won't eat it.  It's true!  BUT, in the summer, when the tomatoes are at their peak, this is a great way to help use them up.

And the almond flour isn't nearly as hard to come by as you may think - if you can't find it at your local store (Bob's Red Mill Brand) or you don't have a Whole Foods in your neck of the woods, Amazon.com carries it.  They have lots of other gluten free staples at very reasonable prices and most are eligible for free shipping.  Low price plus free shipping is just a variation of our motto "on sale and with a coupon".

So check out Brigitte's book, and see what else you can discover!

Enjoy!




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10 comments:

Meeha Meeha said...

Mmmmm, this looks yummy! Thank you for leaving a sweet comment on my pink coffee tables :)

Marsha Cooper said...

I bet this is actually very good!

Angell said...

Thanks for linking up at my Beautiful Thursdays Weekly Linky Party! I'm a new follower :-)

Honey at 2805 said...

Almonds! So healthy! Thank you for sharing your recipe at Potpourri Friday! I appreciate your participation!

Please consider turning your word verification to the off position.

Six Sisters said...

Fun idea! We are so glad that you linked up to "Strut Your Stuff Saturday." Hope you'll be back next week! -The Sisters

Mindie Hilton said...

Very creative recipe. Hope to see you again this Friday at Bacon Time. :)

Trish - Mom On Timeout said...

This looks so delicious! Thanks so much for sharing on Mom On Timeout!

Angell said...

I featured you today! Here's your link to collect your button:
http://passionateandcreativehomemaking.blogspot.com/2012/03/beautiful-thursdays.html

MiaB said...

I need to make this for a friend of mine who does not like cheese...:) Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Sharing Saturday.

~MiaB
www.mamamiasheart2heart.com

Rachel @ day2day joys said...

Hum! I have not heard of this homemade version! Sounds good! And thank you so much for linking up at Healthy 2day Wednesdays!