Help - Easy Dinner Ideas

[Moretta]

I don't have a dehydrator yet, so I need some ideas that I can whip up quick for tonight's dinner for myself only.

I have zucchinis, baby spinach, tomatoes, raw cashews, walnuts, dates, raisins, coconut oil, olive oil.

I also need something filling.

Thanks.

[raweater]

You can check the apple spice porridge recipe I posted recently. If you don't want something sweet Alissa's mock salmon is a similar recipe, here's my halved version of it for a 1000 calorie meal:
1 cup walnuts
1 stalk celery
1 red bell pepper
1 scallion
1/4 t salt

Process in food processor.

[Rawkinlocs]

Use the spinach and some diced tomatoes to make a salad drizzled with a little olive oil, maybe add a few cashews for crunch and if you have seasonings, add some of that for flavor. OR...you can take the spinach and place into a bowl and massage some olive oil into the leaves until it softens up and add any seasonings you may have or just some sea salt - allow it to sit while you prepare other things and it's almost like steamed spinach.

Entree: Cappellini Pomodoro

3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes diced quite small -make sure you use ripe, yummy tomatoes!
1 cup raw cold pressed olive oil (You can use less!)
2 t fresh minced garlic or garlic powder
sweet onion diced (to taste)
oregano, fresh basil, thyme & rosemary (or Italian Seasoning - if you don't have, don't worry about it...it should still be good but at least, if you have it, add some other seasonings for flavor)
Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Mix in a bowl and cover, you can also pulse quickly in the food processor if you dont want it too chunky. Fresh basil is yummy in this. Let sit at room temperature 3-5 hours.

Serve on zuchinni angel hair pasta. (If you do not have a spiral slicer, you can process through the food processor using the shredding disc OR...simply use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips of zucchini "noodles" and top with the sauce.

Dessert: Date-Nut Torte by Alissa Cohen

* 2 cups raisins
* 2 cups walnuts

1. In a food processor, combine raisins and walnuts and blend until well blended and moist. (This will take a few minutes and you may see it forming a ball. Just make sure the raisins come out looking like a fudgy mixture and are not still grainy)
2. Remove from processor and mold onto a plate in a round circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Frosting:
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked
1/2 lemon, juiced (if you don't have lemon, orange juice is good and if not that either, use water - you can actually make this without the frosting and it's still good...the base can be either made as this recipe states or roll into balls!)

1. In a food processor, combine dates and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
2. Spread the frosting on top of the torte.

Alissa's Note: I like this served at room temperature as the frosting and torte are still sticky, but if you want a firmer texture that will be easier to slice, refrigerate it for a few hours.

[jacsam]

Rawkinlocks, have you ever made Alissa's date nut torte with pecans vs. walnuts? If so....is it still just as delicious?

[Vaclare79]

You could make the raw spaghetti with the zucchini, tomatoes, nuts and oils.. also throw the dates into the sauce to sweeten it.

[Rawkinlocs]

Rawkinlocks, have you ever made Alissa's date nut torte with pecans vs. walnuts? If so....is it still just as delicious?

No, I haven't but I feel it probably would be delicious. Pecans are a very... decadent (for lack of better term) nut IMO so I'm sure it would be great using those in place of walnuts.

[raweater]

Just curious to know why you'd want to use pecans instead? I prefer walnuts due to their lower cost and higher protein content.

[Rawkinlocs]

Well, what I'm curious to know is...what did Moretta end up making for dinner?

Where are you Moretta? You got some good ideas here...did you end up using any of them or what?