Blueberry & Coconut Treats

And I thought I'd be known for my muffin (sorry, that's a quote stolen from Betty White on Saturday Night Live) because everyone asks for my almond flour muffin recipe.  However, if I post anymore of these recipes I will be known for my balls!  I shouldn't be surprised, I am a little obsessed by these fruity and nutty treats!

This version is reminiscent of cookie dough, so they have become my instant favorite!

What you need;
1/2 cup of cashews
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tspn Mixed Spice*





How to make them;

• Put the coconut in the food processer and buzz until yo have small flakes
• Add the cashews and spices and mix until they resemble really coarse sand
• Add blueberries and coconut oil and process until well mixed  
• Take rounded dessertspoon scoops and form into a ball in the palm of your hand; the ingredients should be crumbly, but hold it's form when pressed together
• Put the balls onto a tray or into small cake cups (if you have them)
• Put formed balls into the fridge to set for about an hour

There should be enough mix to make about 16 small walnut sized balls.  They will last a couple of weeks if stored in a cool dry place (tub/tin) if they aren't eaten before then :-)

Blueberry & Coconut photographed with Apricot & Nut (with coco) and Date & Nut.

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* Mixed Spice is popular in the UK, it is a mix of ground cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

Dried Apricot & Nut Treats

I'm a bit of a raw ball freak these days, may be it's the cold weather or the fact they are so easy to make and I always have nuts and dried fruit in the pantry!

This is an adult version of a raw fruit and nut ball recipe.  I say "adult" as they are not very sweet because they are made with bitter dark chocolate powder that kids (and husbands) generally don't like.

What you need;
1/2 cup of almonds
1/2 cup of hazelnuts
dash ground ginger (about 1/8 to 1/4 of a tsp)
dash ground coriander (about 1/8 to 1/4 of a tsp)
1/2 cup dried apricots (roughly chopped)
2 Tbsps hazelnut oil (you could use any nut oil or flax or coconut oil)
2 Tbsps unsweetened dark coco powder 
Optional
dust lightly with stevia

How to make them;

• Put the nuts and spices into a food processor and mix until they resemble really coarse sand
• Add apricots, oil, coco powder and process until well mixed  
• Take rounded dessertspoon scoops and form into a ball in the palm of your hand; the ingredients should be crumbly, but hold it's form when pressed together
• Put the balls onto a tray or into small cake cups (if you have them)
• Put formed balls into the fridge to set for about an hour

There should be enough mix to make about 16 small walnut sized balls.  They will last a couple of weeks if stored in a cool dry place (tub/tin) if they aren't eaten before then :-)

Why not make a batch of Date & Nut Treats so you have a choice!

[vegan gluten-free dairy-free soy-free wheat-free]

Date & Nut Treats

I've tried a few raw ball recipes and they are either too soft and need to be stored frozen or too rustic and not very appealing.  I dinked around and merged some of the things I liked from a few different recipes and came up with this version that has no added sugar and can be modified quite easily depending what you have in the pantry.  I find these a little too nice, it's difficult to eat just one!

 What you need
1/2 cup of almonds
1/2 cup of cashews
dash nutmeg (about 1/8 to 1/4 of a tsp)
dash ground cardamon
1/2 cup pitted dates
1 Tbsp hazelnut oil (you could use any nut oil or flax or coconut)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

How you make them

• Put the nuts, nutmeg and cardamon into a food processor and mix until they resemble really coarse sand.
• Add the dates and oil and pulse until they are mixed in well - see photo 
• Finally add the choc chips and pulse just to mix through
• Take rounded dessertspoon scoops and form into a ball in the palm of your hand; the ingredients should be crumbly, but hold it's form when pressed together
• Put the balls onto a tray or into small cake cups (I had some so I used them, but they are not a total requirement)
• Put formed balls into the fridge to set for about an hour

The mix should make enough for about 20 balls that will last a couple of weeks if stored in a cool dry place (tub/tin).  I once calculated the  nutritional value of them and I think they are about 60 calories each (if split into 20) have about 5 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber. 

Substitutions

• You could probably substitute the cashews for macadamias or even walnuts 
• I bet figs would work as well as dates - I have some dried apricots and I'm sure they would be good too but may need more pulsing than dates (pulse separately if you try it)
• Cardamom could be replaced with cinnamon or even a pumpkin spice blend
• For a healthier option you could use cacao nibs in place of choc chips 

[raw vegan  gluten-free dairy-free soy-free wheat-free]

Balsamic Reduction

Last night we had a quick meal that was healthy and used up a large bunch of spinach in the fridge!  It's weird that one of the positives is that it used something green and leafy....I really fight to eat all the door to door organics veggies before the next batch.  At the moment it is a chore, not stressful, it's just keeping me on my toes. I can't complain, I signed up for the deliveries to encourage me (and the significant other) to eat more fruit and veggies. The sad thing is we signed up for the smallest amount (Bitty Box) and we're still struggling. My hope is I can create and acquire more healthy recipes and get to the point where I'm choosing what to use the produce for, rather than scrambling to think of something to do with it.  I can see that happening with some vegetables; I have no problem with kale anymore (soup, wilted in a creamy sauce or oven baked chips), I wouldn't have said that last year at this time. in fact I'm not sure if I could distinguish kale from chard from collard greens last year!

Last night's meal was a broiled sockeye salmon on a bed of wilted spinach with onions and garlic, topped off with a balsamic reduction.  It was wonderful and made me happy!  I've had similar reductions with lamb and thought of it as a dark meat sauce.  I'm not sure why I thought of it last night, because I usually put Dijon mustard or dill on salmon, but for some reason a balsamic reduction sounded like it would work nicely with spinach and salmon.

Balsamic Reduction Sauce

This is what you need;
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp Earth Balance, buttery spread (soy free)

This is how you make it;

• Sauté the onions in olive oil for a few minutes until they are just about to turn brown and there is no hint of crunchiness. You want to fry out some of the moisture and you don't want a crunchy onion texture to interfere with the main meal, conversely, you don't want crispy or overcooked plastic onions either...yes, I'm a little picky about my onions. 
• Add the vinegar and broth and summer until the volume has reduced to less than half of the original volume and forms a thin runny glaze over the back of a wooden spoon.
• Finally add the Earth Balance, stir until melted, serve immediately

This makes enough for 2 generous portions (over everything on the plate), or 4 directly portions (cover protein on the plate).

 

[gluten-free dairy-free soy-free yummy]

Raw Pecan Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

Just so you know...I hate mushrooms!

I don't like their texture and I usually pick them out of stews and meals that have them.  What I didn't realize was that I didn't like "cooked" mushrooms!  I just love this recipe because marinated mushrooms don't have the same texture and sliminess as cooked mushrooms!

My inspiration for this came from a Walnut and Spinach Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms recipe on http://foodsforlonglife.blogspot.com. I changed some of the ingredients to make a sweeter version.

Ingredients

8 small or 5 medium Baby Portabella Mushrooms ( I like them because they are shaped better for stuffing, but White Button Mushrooms will also work)
1 cup Basil Leaves
1/4 cup Pecans
1 Tbsp Lime juice
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast 

Balsamic Vinegar

Method

Remove the mushroom stems and gently remove some of the inside so there is room for the filling. Clean (and I peel) the mushrooms and.save the stems for the filling. Steep the mushroom caps in a little balsamic vinegar and let them marinate for about 15 minutes; I turn them over a few times to make sure they are well soaked.

  

Place the pecans, basil, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, mushroom stems and nutritional yeast in a food processor and buzz for a few seconds until well mixed, don't over process, it shouldn't be a paste.

Remove the mushrooms caps from their balsamic bath and stuff with the mix.  Server at room temperature. I have no idea how long you can store them because we usually eat them immediately!


Oh, make sure your significant other has some too...the garlic can be a little antisocial ;-)

Curried Squash Soup

Over the last couple of weeks I was overwhelmed with squash of all shapes and sizes and on top of that the last two deliveries from Door To Door Organics dot com had a Butternut and Delicato squash.  Both have happily decorated my kitchen counter and waited patiently through the holiday festivities for their turn, so today I thought it was about time I used them for something yummy...it is Soup Season after all!!!!

Ingredients
1 Butternut squash, peeled cored and cubed
1 Delicata squash, peeled cored and cubed
    (about a total of 2-3 cups of cubed squash)
 2 Sweet Apples cored and roughly chopped - I used 2 Braeburn's (there is no sweetener in the ingredients so if you use Granny Smith's you may want to add a dash of agave or honey)
1 Onion chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 Tbsp Curry Powder/Paste - I used a Mild Yellow Curry Powder from the Savory Spice Shop.
4 Cups  Vegetable (or Chicken) stock
1/2 Cup White Wine - I used Italian Frascati what we had open in the fridge

Optional
1.5 cups hemp, almond or coconut milk
2 Tbsp toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds (garnish)

Method
Peel each squash, remove seeds and chop into 3/4 inch cubes.  Place cubes in a pan, cover with water, and boil until tender ~ 5-10 minutes.  In a big soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and apple...don't under cook the onions, take your time and let the onions saute for at least 10 minutes until they start to caramelize a little.  Drain the squash and mash lightly then add to the apple and onion mixture (the orange and red colors will look wonderful).  Stir in the curry powder, stock and wine and bring to a boil and then simmer everything for 20 minutes to let all the flavors mingle. Taste for sweetness, salt and curry spice and add more if necessary (if it is a little bland, add some salt).

Cool the soup mixture and process in a blender in about 3 batches.  Please be careful when blending the soup, if it is too hot it will build up pressure while blending and push the lid off - the first time I tried to blend something that was too hot it exploded in my kitchen and could have burned me quite badly if I hadn't been quick on my feet.  So, please be careful; let the soup cool and place a cloth on the lid and hold down when you blend.

Return the soup to the pot and taste again (just to be sure).  At this point the soup should be very thick, I generally add about 1 to 1.5 cups of water and warm before serving.  You could also add hemp milk, almond milk or even coconut if you like a creamier taste.

This recipe makes about 6 x 8 oz portions and freezes well.  I save individual portions in mason jars and microwave them for lunch.

You could also serve more people and serve in small espresso cups as an amuse-bouche.  See top photo, garnished with toasted sunflower seeds.

Gluten Free Enchiladas?

Gluten Free Enchiladas, that's easy you say, just use corn tortillas.  Okay, okay, I agree...but I didn't want the tortilla part to be bready and thick, and overwhelm the contents.  I pondered an alternative until just recently when I was looking for a stuffed cabbage recipe for our vegan Christmas thali feast.
Cabbage leaves, hmmmm.....

Mexican-Inspired Stuffed Cabbage-Leaf Enchiladas...sort of.

Ingredients
1 cup of rice, cooked as per packet instructions (I used brown rice, but white would work just as well)
1 cup of beans - pintos, black beans or whatever bean you prefer (I used black beans)
2 small 4 oz tins of Hatch diced green chillies, I used one mild and one hot, 'cause I like it spicy :-)
1/2 cup of corn (I used frozen)
1/2 cup of freshly chopped cilantro
salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste

White cabbage (we had one in the fridge that had a 1/4 chunk cut out for coleslaw, so I used 1/2 cabbage

8oz tin of Vegetarian Red Chili sauce (gluten free)

Method
Place cabbage into boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes until the leaves are tender and easy to remove.

In a bowl mix the rice, beans, chilies, corn, cilantro and seasonings.  Remove the cabbage from the hot water and let it cool a little, then carefully remove the leaves.

In each leaf add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of mixture and roll into a small package and place in an ovenproof serving tray or bowl. You can also add smaller leaves together to make larger packages if you wish.

When all the mixture or leaves are used smother with red chili sauce. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling around the packages. You can sprinkle your favorite vegan cheese before baking, I make a mix of equal parts nutritional yeast and almond flour that I use.

Serve with salad or fresh guacamole and garnish with cilantro.  

This recipe makes about 4 servings, it doesn't save too well in the freezer (can make the cabbage a little rubbery), but the wrapped cabbage packets kept well covered in the fridge for 3 days (I added the sauce before baking and they came out as yummy as the first ones).

I loved how this turned out, I ate it 3 days in a row...now I can't wait to make it again!

Happy National Nut Day!!!

A few blog posts ago I professed my love for cashews, cashew cream and Tal Ronnen, so today is a very special day for me :-)

Tal Ronnen's wonderful book "The Conscious Cook" has both captivated and inspired me these past few months.  I have learned so much about cashews, almonds and vegan cooking, so today I thought it would be a good time to share one of my Tal Ronnen-inspired recipes.

Creamy Cashew Dip - perfect for vegans, the lactose-intolerant, those wishing to avoid cholesterol and all of us who love good healthy food. It is also raw, GF and extremely yummy! 



Ingredients

• 2 cups of cashews (try and use whole nuts, broken ones work okay)
• 1 tsp probiotic powder (Tal suggests New Chapter All-Flora)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (I'm always generous with this and the onion powder)
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt or sea salt (your preference - I'm a Celtic salt lover, but I really think the hint of garlic is a nice addition to the dip flavor)
• Freshly grated nutmeg (you might not think you can taste it, but you'll miss it if it's not there)
• 0.5 tsp pepper (black or white, your preference)

Method

• Soak cashews in filtered water in the fridge overnight
• Next day, rinse and drain nuts and add to a food processor with 1 cup of fresh water
• Mix nuts for several minutes into a smooth creamy consistency
• Mix the probiotic powder with a tbsp of water and add to creamed nuts
• Leave the mixture at room temperature overnight (I leave it in the Cuisinart on the kitchen counter)
• Next day add nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic salt, nutmeg, pepper and mix well in the processor. 
• Leave for 30mins to let the flavors fully meld together before serving
• Serve dip with chips, fresh veggies, spread on bagels or use as a garnish on a bowl of veggie chili or lentil soup 

The dip can be stored in a refrigerator for about 5 days or frozen.  When I make this I split it into 3 portions and freeze 2 of them.

WARNING:  This dip can become addictive, please use caution.