NOURISH | Recipes for Gratitude

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and I recently realized: I have not thought about what I am thankful for for quite some time. The paper turkeys and “I am thankful for” statements in grade school seem so far away.  Now that they aren’t required, I have stopped reflecting on the things in life that I am thankful for. Thankfully, (no pun intended) Terces Engelhart’s I Am Grateful provides a delicious way for readers to stay healthy and keep in mind what they are grateful for! Each recipe in I Am Grateful answers the question:  What are you grateful for? A heavenly onion bread replies “I Am Original” and a macadamia nut porridge “I am Vigorous.”

Aside from being a self-esteem booster, these recipes only contain organic live-foods in their ingredients lists. According to the author, the goal of this book is to provide readers with support “in eating and serving healthier foods that provide you with more energy and clarity.”  And indeed, the book provides this support in the form of inspirational quotes throughout the pages and the raw food recipes that are simple to create yet amazingly delicious. In the Thanksgiving spirit, here’s a look at “I Am Flourishing,” an appetizing recipe for falafels!

Falafels (Makes about 8-10 falafels)

1/2 cup soaked sesame seeds

1 cup soaked pecans or walnuts

1 cup soaked almonds

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 jalapeno pepper

1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons oregano flakes

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4-1/2 cup fresh water

First rinse and drain your nuts, then set aside. Fit your food processor with the “S” blade. Puree the jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and garlic with the olive oil and lemon juice. You’re looking to create a smooth paste, so scrape down the bowl if necessary to do so. Add your rinsed and drained nuts along with all of the dry spices. Puree until all the nuts are ground to about the size of a sesame seed or smaller. You may need to scrape down the ball multiple times. Add fresh water if necessary, both to achieve the fine grind and to create a “batter” that will stick together, being careful not to create dough that is too wet to shape into patties or balls.

Have ready one dehydrator tray  fitted with a grid sheet. (If your falafel batter got too moist, use a Teflex sheet for the first hr or so and then flip the falafels onto the grid sheet.) Moisten hands with fresh water and form falafel patties three-quarters of an inch thick and one and a half inches across. Place them on the dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hr and then turn temperature down to 115 degrees until dry. If you’re going to eat them all at once or don’t mind storing them in the fridge, you don’t need to dry them completely; about three-quarters of the way will do. If fully dry, they will keep in an airtight container for about a week.

Why not prepare a few I Am Grateful recipes this Thanksgiving, and use the foods as gifts to give thanks to friends or family? Or, try using an appetizer to begin a family discussion of what else we are all thankful for. However you decide to celebrate this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to take a step back and think for a moment about what you are thankful for. For more Thanksgiving recipes, click here. Feel free to share in the comments section below what you will be giving thanks for this year!