Blendtec Giveaway + Recipe Feature: Wonder Spread

UPDATE: Giveaway now complete.

When I first starting using a several years ago, I didn’t realize how much my cooking and food preparation would evolve with just one appliance. Immediately I had a new love for green smoothies. While I had made them in a standard blender for a year or two beforehand, those potent green elixirs reached a new level of smooth with the Blendtec. I was giddy to pulverize collards, cucumber, frozen fruits, and chia seeds in my new rambo blender! Yet, I had no idea that I would use this appliance in so many of my daily recipe and meal preparations (more on that soon)! I use my Blendtec every day, and love it.

So, I am thrilled that has partnered with me to give away one of their blenders, plus their signature Twister blending jar!

What better way to ring in 2014 than with this appliance that can help you prepare some of the healthiest, delicious, and most nutrient-dense foods?! 

One of you will win a  (black), as well as the Total retail value over $570!*

The more I’ve evolved working with whole foods in cooking and baking, the more I use my . Their Wildside Jar is absolutely the best for green smoothies and large purees. I have come quite attached to the Twister Jar as well, and so I’m delighted that both these jars are part of this prize package.

Here are some of the ways I use my Blendtec daily:

Green Smoothies

I don’t go a day without them. I pack in the greens, including kale and parsley, and also cucumber. Usually I add a peeled lemon and some frozen mango, and add a scoop of Vega tropical smoothie infusion. After whizzing up my intense-green smoothie, I reserve a little and then add extra fruit for the girls – frozen (or room temp) ripe banana, frozen pineapple, and/or peeled orange. They would not drink it as green as I make it for myself and hubby! Some days I switch it up, but this is my fave combo. For more green smoothie tips, check out my tutorial here.

Pureed Pasta Sauces

I make the base sauce for my mac-oh-geez (above right) in my Blendtec , and also the sauce for my new fave pasta casserole, Mac-nificent (above left – yes, I now love it more than mac-oh-geez, if that’s possible). I make these sauces so often I don’t even measure anymore, just eyeball and VROOOM!

Salad Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

The has transformed how I make salad dressings. I used to make dressings in a large jar using an immersion blender. That works well, but once I started blitzing dressings in the Twister Jar, I haven’t gone back. Not only quick, it emulsifies dressing ingredients extremely well, and can pulverize nuts and also chia seeds for creamy nut-based sauces and oil-free dressings. Here are some examples of salad dressings/sauces that work famously using the Twister Jar. Since I make so many purees with my blender, I’m often asked “do you still use a food processor”? Quick answer: Yes! There are some dips, like hummus, that I still prefer to make in my food processor. I can make larger batches with those and have more control over the consistency with keeping some texture. But for very smooth sauces and dips, and nut-based blends, my Blendtec gets the job.

Pureed Soups

You can make soups literally in an instant in the Blendtec. Take some of your favorite ingredients and puree until smooth. You can then enjoy raw or just lightly warmed, or transfer to a saucepan to simmer and let the flavors infuse. I often pre-roast veggies and then puree into soups (or pasta sauces!) adding water, veg stock, or non-dairy milk (depending on the ingredient mix).

My Blendtec is also put to great use for ice cream mixes (see ice cream chapter in LTEV), healthy puddings and especially , and other types of purees, , sauces, and mixes that I might make every week or two, just not every day. But my machine is in use every-single-day!

In addition to that Macnificent sauce I make weekly, another PP15 recipe I make frequently is my Wonder Spread. For that recipe I use the Twister Jar. It whips up small batches of thick purees exceptionally well. My family loves this wonder spread – on crusty breads with soup, to top baked potatoes and sweet potatoes, spread on sandwiches and wraps and more! Even though I make it often, I still hear “this is reaaallly good” when the girls dig in!

To get you ready to whirl with the and that I am sharing the recipe for that PP15 Wonder Spread! It has incredible umami flavor, so you may want to double the batch and freeze a little for later (yes, it freezes well).

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Wonder Spread

This recipe has such simple ingredients, that you might think it doesn’t taste particularly special. But it does! Be forewarned, this spread (or dip, sauce, mayo!) is addictive!

Course dips, sauces

Servings 1 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked cashews soak in advance, see note
• 1 1/2 tbsp chickpea miso see note
• 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp nutritional yeast adjust to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup water see note
• Salt and pepper if desired to taste

Instructions

• In a blender, puree all ingredients on high speed until very smooth. Season to taste with additional salt if desired. Spread on breads, use for sandwiches, wraps, baked potatoes, veggie burgers, or to mix into grains or vegetable dishes. Many serving options with this recipe, it is delicious! Transfer to airtight containers to refrigerate. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Notes

Cashew Note: Raw cashews take about 3-4 hours to soak, so I find it helpful to soak in batches and then freeze in portions until ready to use. To soak, place nuts in a bowl of water and cover for several hours. The nuts will become larger after soaking, as they swell from absorbing some of the water. Drain the soaking water, and rinse the nuts. Then store in the fridge for a couple of days until ready to use, or in the freezer for a few months.

Miso Note: Chickpea miso is something I discovered this past year. It has such a mild, mellow flavor and a very fermented, umami essence. If you cannot find it, use a very mild miso like a brown rice - and start with just 1 tbsp as it tastes stronger than chickpea miso.

Water Note: Using just 1/3 cup of water will give you a thicker spread. However, if you don’t have a high-speed blender, you may find it difficult to get a smooth puree. If so, use the full 1/2 cup of water. The mixture will thicken slightly with refrigeration.

 

Enjoy the Wonder Spread!

Enter through Rafflecopter below. Tell me what foods and recipes you’d make in 2014 with the Blendtec! Good luck and Happy New Year!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Contest open to U.S. residents. Prize of a Black Designer Series Blendtec (factory recertified) plus Twister Jar will be shipped together directly to winner in the U.S. See rafflectopter for additional contest details and rules.