Fifty Second Friday: Pistachio Pesto

I wouldn't say I have a basil problem; that would imply a certain negative quality. But this time of year, if harvested correctly, the basil plants go crazy. And while you could make endless caprese salads, really the only reasonable use of large quantities of this herb is pesto. Stemming from the Italian pestare meaning to crush, modern pesto is a dish of ground basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil (sometimes cheese) originating from Genoa. According the ever reliable source, Wikipedia, pesto ancestors and basil actually came from different places. The former dates back to ancient Roman times when made with "herbs", whereas the latter immigrated from India (first tomatoes and now basil?)...

Now, most of you have eaten pesto, whether tossed with pasta or spread on some thinly sliced zukes. However, one of the key ingredients, those tasty pignoli, are quite pricey. Saving a few bucks on the nuts, I utilized some extra pistachio (which as also extraordinarily popular in Italy and yet from Asia). Since this is only supposed to take 50 seconds (to read, not write...), visit this previous post for a recipe to follow!

Try this with Choosing Raw's Millet Pesto Summer Salad. Hope to be more on top of things in a few weeks!

Another Year, Another...Pie?

A stand-in for a slice of pie?

Yes, it has been all of two weeks since I posted to the blog (gasp!), but perhaps in my defense I should note that this is the first time since 2010 that I have written something for my birthday (which, by the way, was a nice musing and you should check it out)! And while this birthday is not particularly notable - 27 being a pretty unremarkable mid-twenties age - entering the next year of life is always a fun time to reflect. Sometimes on deep, earth-shattering issues, and other times on the simple pleasures in life. 

Growing up, I was one of those kids who rarely had birthday cake at her parties. We did ice cream cake (which is a complete misnomer), brownies, cupcakes, mud cups, cookies, and I'm sure others. But I have never much cared for cake. Yet one of the sweets I love - second to good dark chocolate - is pie. And more than eating said pie, I love to make them (which could be why I have so many darned pies on my blog)! It should come as no surprise, then, that for a little birthday potlucking this weekend three pies made an appearance and were completely consumed. 

You know how much I enjoy a good history of food lesson. So, I dug up an older Time magazine article on the history of pie just to get my facts straight and my ducks in a row (going into the baking fully armed with knowledge). Not surprisingly, the first pies were savory - full of meats or seafood - and can be traced back to Greek and Roman times. Not until the final years of the 18th century did sweet pies begin to take hold, and in the States there was no looking back. Despite most of our favorite pies having roots across The Pond, it seems that Americans have embraced the humble shelled dish as one of our own, and continue to pay homage to both our beloved classics and burgeoning innovations.

Now, I wish I could say that my own creation was some amazing gluten and sugar free, raw, macrobiotic example of culinary magic. Alas, this was my traditional, whip-up of white shortcrust and crumble topping. The pie does, however, reflect the amazingness of mid-July in the mid-Atlantic region. At the moment, rhubarb season is winding down, peaches are winding up, the few delicate apricots that made it through our bizarre spring weather are absolute gems, and somebody relatively nearby grows pecans (ok, so perhaps a friend's grandfather down in Florida...but still).

Spiked Rhubacot Peach Pie

Crust

2 cups white, unbleached flour (can sub half whole wheat for hardier flavor)

3 tbs granulated sugar 

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup ice water w/1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Combine flours, salt, and sugar. With a fork, mix in oils until the dry mixture is completely coated and has almost a wet sand texture.

2. Mix in liquid mixture as needed, so that the dough will form a ball, but not be extremely sticky. Only mix until the dough comes together so as not to overwork the gluten. 

3. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer to a deep-dish greased pie pan and fold/crimp edges. Put into the refrigerator.

Filling

2 cups diced ripe peaches (~4 large-ish)

1 cup diced apricots (~5 medium)

1 cup chopped rhubarb

1/4 cup bourbon (brandy would also work; optional)

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

3/4 - 1 cup sugar (evaporated cane will work nicely)

1 tsp vanilla

1. Simple, while the crust is resting in the refrigerator, mix everything together! Pour into pie pan. Place into preheating 350F oven.

Yeah, I was cute 24 years ago...

Crumble Topping

1 cup oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup pecans, broken

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar (evaporated cane/raw is lovely)

Vegetable or nut oil to consistency

1. Add crumble to the top of pie. Bake another 20-25 minutes until crust is just getting golden and filling is starting to bubble.

2. Remove. Let cool slightly for the filling to gel. Consume with a large scoop of non-dairy vanilla almond or coconut frozen delicacy.

On that note, I suppose it's time to sign off. Here's to another year of eating good local and seasonal food. Here's also to a year of more changes (don't want to jinx myself, so more to come in the next couple of weeks).

What's Cooking? On the Wild Side

Today is the 43rd observance of Earth Day. While some might argue about the futility of an uphill environmental battle - how far have we really progress in close to half a century? - to me the encouraging piece is how much the shape of the discussion really has changed. Today is not your 1970's America, where a burgeoning environmental movement would be considered hippie-fringe. Sure, back in 1962 Rachel Carson had brought to the forefront the serious impacts of disregard for environmental well-being on nature and human health. But a growing awareness among the general public and active, vocal opposition are quite different.

This is not to say that acceptance and consideration for the environment is entirely mainstream, or that goals of the movement are even being met. It seems like now every cause has its celebrity (including the range of environmental issues), and that the facade, the image, holds more weight than tangible outcomes. All that said, the globalization of environmental awareness and growing urgency and pressure to act has never been stronger. This year's Earth Day theme is "Faces of Climate Change," which I think is particularly indicative of the shift from a domestic, 'my back yard' approach to conservation and environmental issues, to a better understanding of the interconnections between each of our actions and sustainability. Particularly with a challenge such as climate change, which really is a problem on a global scale, it can not be solely about one individual or one country's action.

While not really related to Earth Day or global environmental or food security issues, wild rice for some reason makes me feel closer to the planet on which we leave. Perhaps because it's more rustic, less refined, and is actually native to North America. Who knows? But bringing up food and how we grow it on Earth Day especially is critical. Rice crops themselves are hugely impactful around the world - using considerable water resources and oftentimes involving significant inputs of pesticides and fertilizers. At the same time, depending on who you ask, between one and three billion people depend on rice for calories and nutrition. Wild rice, while probably deviating some now that it is sold in grocery stores, is a grain traditionally foraged by Native Americans (though also grown in China and other places) in swampy areas and more nutritious than polished and processed white rice that dominates the world's markets. I'm not saying that it is even feasible to feed the world on wild rice (that would be neat), but that both nutrition and environmental concerns are inherent in discussing the ubiquitous rice crop. More next week when rice makes up a much more significant portion of my own diet!

Wild Side Rice Salad

1/2 cup wild black rice, soaked for 2-5 days (in refrigerator)

1/4 cup pistachio nuts, shelled

1 sweet potato, cubed, roasted

1 tbs orange juice or orange vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard, coarse grain

Salt to taste

Cinnamon or cardamom to taste (optional)

3-4 dried apricots, chopped (optional)

This is one of those toss-n-go salads. There is a bit of foresight necessary...or you can start soaking wild rice and then forget about it for close to a week like me. Regardless, toss all component pieces together until evenly coated. Enjoy!

I'm also posting this on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Also, awesome Google Doodle...

What's Cooking? Power-Packed Pie

I signed up for a marathon. After much talk, after several halves, I finally made the move. With a little less than four months to go, there is a great deal of running ahead (though a slight hiccup with a sore foot). Now, along with an increase in distance and number of long runs, I'm going to need some way to fuel this energy expenditure. As I was contemplating how to get the most bang for the nutrition buck, I recalled Quintessence's marvelous raw pecan pie I had in New York. It was full of protein and good fats, that would be a quick source of energy and compact in size. Plus, that pie was absolutely phenomenal. I finally got around to trying my hand at replicating the dessert-turned-protein boost, so here goes:

Power-Packed Pecan Pie

1 cup raw pecans, soaked for an hour, drained

1 cups raw almonds, soaked overnight, drained

1/4 cups raw walnuts

14 dates, pitted

1 tbs raw agave

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

(1 tbs cocoa powder - optional)

1. Combine almonds, walnuts, and 7 dates in a food processor until everything starts to stick together. Press into two small tart pans.

2. In the food processor, mix dates, agave, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until almost smooth. Then add in the pecans until it starts to come together. Press into the pies.

3. Optional - add the cocoa powder to half of the pecan mixture and pulse. Press that into the other pie crust. 

Makes 16 mini slices (or you can roll into little balls). Serve with a side of coconut whipped cream. More tasty goodies can be found at Wellness Weekends.

Fifty Second Friday: Dip into Pecan Pie

I have fifty seconds, go! In attempt to come up with healthy, vegan, protein-rich snacks, I keep returning to one staple in my diet - hummus. That simple mix of chickpeas, lemon, garlic, tahini, and olive oil is pretty hard to beat; I mean, it has been around for centuries. But some times I need a change from this savory delight. Last night I incorporated my favorite genre of desserts into this handy bean dip, pies. No original name (it's too early in the morning for that), but I did attempt the method of removing the garbanzo's peels recently suggested on Smitten Kitchen. While it didn't look quite as fluffy (and definitely involved more time than anticipated), the end product was considerably smoother than my usual hummus.

Maple Pecan Pie Spread

1 cup chickpeas, cooked, peeled
1 tbs tahini
2-3 really really soft dates
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbs grade B maple syrup (agave will give it a subtler flavor)
10-15 drops liquid stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup raw pecans
water as needed for consistency

In a food processor, mix chickpeas, dates, tahini, and almond milk together until reaches a smooth consistency. Add in the sweeteners and continue to process, adding more water as necessary. Finish up with the pecans, pulsing for a minute or so. Serve on crackers, apple slices, or straight out of the bowl!

Check out Wellness Weekends for more tastiness...

What's Cooking? Are We There Yet?

Despite the sunshine and warmth of today trying to convince us otherwise, the late fall/winter holidays are rapidly approaching. I feel it acutely with every Sunday market that passes. Where there once were figs and berries, apples and pears spread out. Where tomatoes and zucchinis once lounged, now sit the butternut, acorn, and delicata squashes. Rather than fight this inevitability, the natural coming and going of seasons, I am embracing the flavors of now and preparing for festivities on the horizon.

This brings me to pears. For the most part we sell Asian pear varieties. Many of these have been cultivated for thousands of years, have fun yet hard-to-pronounce names, and not so great for cooking. The pears with which we are familiar in the States in fact find their roots in the soils of Asia and Europe, despite our pride in what has become an American fall staple. At market, we sell a limited quantity of an heirloom Belgian variety of pear - la Doyenne de Juillet - a traditionally July-bearing tree from the late 18th century that seems to come late in this area. It is a very small, sweet fruit, that is delicate and bruises easily. As such, after a bumpy bike ride home, this petite poire was not looking so happy.

What says the holidays better than the warm scent of cinnamon, and the rich, caramel taste of pear? Well, maybe pumpkin pie or mulled cider, but this little pielette makes a pretty strong impression. Involving very little work, no hot ovens or burnt fingers, and perhaps just a tad bit of planning, this pie is super easy and actually quite filling and fulfilling!

Raw-liday Pear Pie

3/4 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight and skinned

8 dates

3/4 cup ripe pear, cubed

1/2 medium banana

Cinnamon to taste

Ginger (powdered or grated fresh, to taste, optional) 

Variation: add a tablespoon of raw cocoa powder to the almond-date mixture for an extra dose of antioxidants!

1. In a food processor, combine almonds and dates until the mix starts to clump. Press into a small tart pan.

2. Puree pear, banana, and any cinnamon or ginger until smooth. Fill the tart pan. Freeze or serve as is. Maybe add a dollop of raw cashew cream...

Check out this recipe and more on Wellness Weekend and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

What's Cooking? A Dose of Omegas

Summer is nearly upon us (ok, so it's still winter...), and the body tends to crave lighter fare. Raw food often provides a nice cooling change from heavier winter foods. Todays lunch hits home on some excellent sources of vegan omega-3 fatty acids: walnuts and flaxseed oil! And while I have made a similar concoction with Israeli couscous or barley, the wild rice (a grass) is a nice change that is a highly nutritious plant.

Super Food Wild Rice
1/2 cup wild rice, soaked 24 hours
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3 dried figs, chopped (other dried fruit would work, as well)

1 orange, juiced
1 tbs flax oil
1 tbs orange muscat vinegar (optional)
1 tsp coarse grain mustard
pinch salt
1 tsp agave (optional)

Couple shakes cinnamon

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients until they emulsify and thicken slightly. Pour about 1/3 over the rice, walnut, date mixture. Add cinnamon. Mix. Refrigerate for at least an hour to "marinate". Enjoy over a bed of raw kale.

This is going up on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!

Fifty Second Friday: Crunchy Granola

By now, you should all be aware that I am from Seattle and spent the first 24 years of my life on the West Coast. So when I came to work once decked out in my bike shorts and chacos, it was no surprise that I was quickly deemed "crunchy." For those of you unfamiliar with the term, crunchy granola refers to the outdoorsy, hippie-like tendencies of those from the liberal-minded Pacific coast. As it happens, I have been feeling particularly home-sick of late; perhaps I need a good dose of Big Bear Cafe...or perhaps I just haven't seen the parental units in a good six months.

Regardless, I felt a strong urge to make granola. Now, vegans, cover your ears, but I have to admit that the best granola I have ever made had honey and butter in it (and sugar and peanuts). The recipe below will be slightly less deleterious (good GRE word!) for your health. Dairy, sugar, and potentially gluten-free, this coconut and pecan granola is a good way to start the day, or alleviate a craving for your childhood home. I served it with some soy yogurt and my first jar ever of home-canned peaches (which were fabulous)!
 
Coconutty Granola
1 cup rolled oats (I used a multigrain mix)
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 crushed pecans (can sub in almonds)
1 tbs coconut oil, melted
1 tbs canola (or another of coconut
1-2 tbs apple butter
1-2 tbs unsweetened almond milk
15 drops vanilla stevia
Cinnamon to taste (optional)

1. Toss everything together. It should be slightly moist and start to clump. If it doesn't add another tablespoon of apple butter and almond milk combined.
2. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, mixing every 15 minutes. Remove when just beginning to brown. Allow to cool completely.
3. Store in an airtight container. Eat.

 Check out other healthier-for-you options on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekend!

Fifty Second Fridays: Beet That!

Beets seem to worm their way onto my blog quite regularly. And for good reason! It is a hardy winter root vegetable that is both nutritious and delicious, not to mention very versatile. You can roast or boil a beet, and even eat it raw. One of my favorite things to do with the root is incorporate it into baked goods.


Now for a bit of a chemistry (and history) lesson, which I failed to supply in this beet muffin post (I know, I am so original). Because of its deep purple hue, red beets have traditionally served as a dye. Apparently, the use of beets in red velvet cake is a tall tale, but the sweet vegetable has nevertheless found its way into cakes. Yet something funny happens when you bake a beet cake; instead of retaining the bright magenta tint of the batter, the completed cake tends to be a ruddy brownish orange. The acidic beet juice reacts with the basic chemical leavening agent (baking soda or powder), causing the bright red to transform to a less impressive shade. Not to worry, because you can still have a pretty dazzling and colorful spectacle with beets in your baked goods.

Beautiful Beet Muffins
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Grand Marnier (or orange juice)

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 large beet, grated (almost two cups)
1 large carrot, grated

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all-spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Soak raisins in water and liqueur/orange juice for at least thirty minutes. Continue mixing ingredients while marinating.
2. Whisk together oil, vanilla, sugar, lemon juice, and apple sauce. Add grated vegetable.
3. Combine all dry ingredients, folding into the wet. Throw in the raisin, liquid, and perhaps some walnuts. Adjust spices to taste.
4. Fill muffin tins (about a dozen) and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375F. A knife or toothpick should come out clean. Allow to cool.

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays has some spectacular goodies this week! Check them out.

Thirty Second Thursday: COOOKIES

*om nom nom nom*

So, my sister came to visit me for all of 36 hours this weekend, before heading back west for work. You can imagine in that period of time that a good deal of eating had to take place. We brunched at the illustrious Founding Farmers and dined at Busboys and Poets, filling in the empty slots of time with my yoga class, some museums, and Midnight in Paris on the computer. After scoping out some really delicious-looking oaty cookies at Teaism, we felt we must whip up a batch of late night cookies.

 You can add just about anything to these, but the key to the flavor is tahini! You also need to make them really large...because that is how it goes at 10 o'clock at night.


Tahini Monsters (8-9 large cookies)
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1 tbs molasses
1 tbs agave
2 tbs tahini
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cup rolled oats
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all-spice

1/2 cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
Anything else you have handy or so desire to include (shredded coconut,  dried cranberries or cherries, etc.)

1. Whisk first six ingredients until viscous.
2. Add next six ingredients and mix with a spoon, until just combined. Add any other mix-ins.
3. Make large patties (about 3-4 tbs dough). Spread on a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350F 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Allow to cool (or not...) and then enjoy with a large class of non-dairy milk :)

You can check out more somewhat sensible desserts at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Thirty Second Thursday: By Candlelight

This evening started quite differently than expected. While still six blocks from home on my bike commute, I notice a blanket of darkness descend - no porch lights, no streetlamps, no remnant Christmas cheer. The day had not been particularly blustery. No seismic activity had occurred. For what possible reason could there be a power outage? (I still don't know the answer). But that is what greeted me as I climbed the steps up to the house.

Despite my slight preoccupation with the possible spoilage of pounds of frozen fruit, I actually quite enjoyed my candlelit evening. I did not need the internet to entertain myself, and felt no strong desire to stay awake until I could barely keep my eyelid open. While letting the gas stove do its magic (thanking my lucky starts!), I could pour over a newspaper - yes, the answer to "what's black and white and read all over" (they still do print these things)! What was cooking over the stove, you ask? Well, I believe Donkey from Shrek describes my ultimate creation best:

"You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "Hell no, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious!" - Donkey, Shrek I

Apple Pecan Pie Parfait (2 servings)
2 small apples, cubed
1/4 cup water
10 drops of vanilla stevia
1-2 tsp agave nectar (optional)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all-spice
1 tbs tapioca starch

1 cup plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted or raw)

1. Heat water, apples, and tapioca starch over medium-high heat until water comes to boiling.
2. Lower to medium. Add sweetener and spices. Continue to cook until apples have softened and thickened to a sauce.
3. Layer apples, pecans, and then yogurt in a glass. Repeat. Enjoy!

Indulge slightly more on Simply Sugar and Gluten Free!

Thirty Second Thursday: Life's Like a Box of Chocolate

Or at least I wish it were...Every year I celebrate a holiday season by making an assortment of chocolate truffles to give to friends. This year I acquired some vegan white chocolate, but I was sorely disappointed. It did not coat well and gummed up, so my rum raisin didn't turn out as planned. Still, I tried to be a bit more creative this year, so here are the results:


Aztec Chocolate (cinnamon and cayenne)


Peppermint

Almond

Peanut Butter Cup

Apple Cider

Pecan Pie

Rum Raisin (vg, can be raw!)
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup rum (can use orange juice or apple cider for non-alcoholic)
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tbs agave

1/4 cup almond meal
2 tbs powdered sugar (can blended evaporated cane or turbinado sugar until fine)

1. Soak raisins overnight in the rum.
2. Place raisins, walnuts, and agave in a food processor until coarse and coming together. Make into marble-sized balls and freeze for about 20 minutes.
3. Sift almond meal and powdered sugar. Roll each of the balls until well-coated. There you go!

Drooling yet? Happy holidays!

For more holiday goodies check out this week's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Thirty Second Thursdays: Dare to Bake a Povitica

Turning from farm animals to floury hands, let us focus in on a baked good! The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat! While the original recipe was far from vegan, I made a few minor changes for the bread to fit the bill.


A Pearfect Povitica (Makes one loaf)
To activate the Yeast:
1 tsp Sugar
2 tbs Warm Water
1½ tsp Active Dry Yeast

Dough:
½ cup Soy or Almond Milk
3 tbs Sugar
¾ tsp Salt
1 Egg Replacer or Flax Egg
1 tbs Coconut Oil, melted
2 cups All-Purpose Flour or White Whole Wheat, measure first then sift

Topping:
2 tbs Cold STRONG Coffee (I used instant hazelnut)
1½ tsp Granulated Sugar
Oil

Quarter Batch Filling Ingredients (enough filling for one loaf)
1¾ cups finely chopped English Walnuts
2/3 cup homemade Pear Butter (1/4 cup apple cider + 2 large pears chopped + 1 tbs agave)
1/3 cup Almond Milk
¼ tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Granulated Ginger

Follow instructions on original recipe for a not-too-sweet bread. It's a great accompaniment for morning tea or coffee.

Across the Mediterranean

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? Not today? Well, I do. Besides the fact that I was born in July (oh, did we skip my 25th, this year...oops) and the weather is warm and sunny, there is so much good eatin' to be had. Summer is the season of tomatoes and zucchini, of peaches and berries, of eggplant and peppers, and of course - FIGS! Those teardrops of with which I fell in love during my farming excursion in Italia, how I have dreamed about their return to season. Well, the first of the fruit have arrived, just in time for this month's Raw Recipe Challenge! Considering the heat, a raw recipe is quite welcome.

Lisa of Vegan Culinary Crusade and Nicole of A Dash of Compassion have challenged readers to a month of mini pie making, in the raw. Unfortunately for my free time (what little there is), pies are probably my favorite baking pursuit, and I happened to learn of this challenge at the beginning of the month. Let's just say that this month may see a disproportionate number of raw pies...

Taste of Tuscany Tart (yields 1 mini tart; vg, gf)

Crust

1/2 cup raw almonds (optional - soak for an hour prior)

4 dates

1. Food process all ingredients until they begin to come together. Add a tsp of water, if necessary. Use fingers to press firmly into a small tart pan.

Banana Cream

1 medium banana (I like mine pretty unripe...)

1 tsp agave

1 tsp lemon juice

2. Place all ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Spread evenly over crust.

Figs

2 medium, sliced

3. Arrange fig slices daintily on top of banana puree. Perhaps drizzle a little agave or garnish with some sliced almonds.

Wasn't that simple? Just you, fresh ingredients, and something with a sharp rotating blade (watch out for that). Can't wait until my next raw pie? Check out my baby apple pies!

Dare to Bake: Plight of the Nuts

We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming of Chocolate with a Soul to bring you this month's Daring Bakers challenge. I opted out of May's challenge due to lameness...but this time I was ready!

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

Baklava is a traditional Turkish dessert made of filo pastry filled with a nut mixture and soaked in a honey/sugar syrup. Yum?! But this tasty treat may soon feel the impacts of a changing climate. Temperature, particularly a cold winter period, plays a key role in the flowering a nut trees. With warmer weather in important growing regions, such as California and the Mediterranean, this critical step may be absent. On the list of nuts to watch, pistachios and walnuts are A-list. Read more about why we should be concerned about climate impact on fruit and nuts.

But, let us not allow the impending doom of some of our favorite food items get us down. Celebrate their flavor in this Baklava...and start reining in your carbon footprint tomorrow!

Phyllo Dough

185 g flour

3/4 g salt

1/2 cup water

2 tbs oil

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Syrup

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

cinnamon

Filling

3/4 cup almonds

3/4 cup walnuts

1/3 cups sugar + 10 drops stevia + 1 tbs maple

2 tbs coconut oil/olive oil

Follow the directions in the linked pdf. It's complicated and not worth me spelling out. Just note that I made this in a pan about half the size recommended in the recipe. Thanks for the fun challenge. This recipe is a keeper (as long as there are nuts in my kitchen...)

What would be the most devastating fruit or nut to lose to climate change?

As American as Apple Pie

And really, what is more American than apple pie? (let's forget that apples are native to Asia...) Well, for my little dinner party last night, I made a twist on the classic comfort dessert - a raw apple pie. Tasty and pretty darn easy!

Raw Apple Pie

Crust

1 cup cashews

1 cup almonds

3/4 cup shredded coconut

2-3 tbs raw agave nectar

splash of orange juice

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor until a dough starts to form.

2. Press crust into mini muffin cups or silicone holders (I have a silicone mini muffin pan!)

3. Place in freezer for 2-4 hours. If they are in silicon holders, you can pop them out and then return them to the freezer until ready to serve.

Filling

2 apples, grated

juice of 1/2 lemon

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup raw sugar

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes to "marinate" or fill pie shells immediately.

2. Serve as soon as filled! Perhaps a la mode?

Also find this and other recipes on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!

A Very Vegan Seder

The spread

Ok, seder is a misnomer. I basically made a bunch of raw vegan food and invited people over to eat and chat. Two days into my raw diet and I am loving it. Fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. It's marvelous! Because this is something new for me (and it was about time to have a party), I decided to have a raw seder for Passover. In reality, that meant me spending too much time in the kitchen in hopes of providing a scrumptious meal for all those attending.

I pored over Ani Phyo's awesome raw "cook" books, planned out an ambitious menu, and got chopping and blending. What came out of the affair was a dinner menu that looked something like this:

Cabbage slaw with orange-cashew dressing

Cucumber salad with raw "Greek" dressing

Mushroom-walnut pate on romaine leaves

Zucchini spaghetti with pesto

Spinach salad with all the fix'ns

The pate was quite a hit. While it has an unappealing gray tinge to it, the dip was actually quite delicious! Nice raw appetizer...

Mushroom-Walnut Pate

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup quartered or halved crimini/baby bella mushrooms (depending on size)

1/2-1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs lemon juice (optional)

Water as needed

1. Blend everything a food processor. That's it. You're done. Easy, no?

The main meal was followed by an array of desserts. Obviously this is the most important part of the meal! My roomie holds a plate with the spread below:

Fruit salad

Raw carrot cake with cashew frosting

Baby apple pies (recipe will be up tomorrow)

Leftover flourless chocolate cake I made for my boss' birthday (very unvegan, unraw)

I'm sleeping, kids, so I'm going to bed. But I will post a short update and recipe tomorrow.

She came, she saw...

...and she stayed up way too late making delicious, gluten-free goodies for staff meeting today (which, were forgotten on the kitchen counter). This is going to be short, sweet, and consist primarily of a revamped recipe that I finally made.

I came across these Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars (um, yeah, I know) and almost died. This is food porn, if I've ever seen any. Sadly, they had eggs, and lots of them. However, that didn't stop me ...

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Walnut

Crust

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 tapioca flour

1/2 powdered sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Mix all flour and sugar together until evenly combined. Add vegetable oil and any extra water needs to create a dough that sticks together but is not sticky.

2. Press into a very well-greased or parchment paper-lined 9x13" pan and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until just starting to brown. Cool while concocting the filling.

Filling

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup kahlua

1 tbs melted coconut oil

1 tbs molasses

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1. Melt chocolate chips in microwave at 30-second interval. In a separate bowl, combine flax and water and let sit for five minutes. Whisk in salt, baking soda and powder with a fork until very thick and color lightens (although, I use golden flax seeds).

2. Whisk in brown sugar, then add kahlua, chocolate, molasses, tapioca, and coconut oil. Fold in walnut and coconut.

3. Top cooled crust with chocolatey goodness. Stick back in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Make sure it doesn't overflow!

4. Remove once top is set. It will still be gooey (that's the point!), but let it cool completely, then refrigerate for another 30 minutes - you can do it - before slicing and consuming.

Ok, kids, I'm out. Enjoy your sugar high. I plan on providing you with something substantive to think about later this week, so get the sugar in while you can!

I am Rapture...

Oh, it is rapturous scooping out the innards of a ripe avocado. But, why are you talking about avocados, Ms. “Eat Local and Seasonal”? Well, when Ms. Humble posted a pie contest on her blog I couldn’t resist the temptation to make a Not-So-Humble-Pie. It presented an opportunity to try my hand at a raw goodie. While I had toyed with the idea of taking on the raw diet wholeheartedly, I just love cooked foods too much (I also don’t like how eating raw often requires tropical ingredients like coconut). But, I am going to take a quick break and step down off of my high vegan sustainable pedestal, and embrace the luscious coconut, Brazil nuts, and dates in the following recipe.

My last night in Berkeley before running off to Europe, my friends and I gorged ourselves at Café Gratitude. So in my quest to give raw a go, I first turned to the Café Gratitude “cook” book, I am Grateful. For this challenge, I consulted three recipes to come up with my Strawberry Lemonade pie: I Am Rapture (strawberry shortcake), I Am Lovely (strawberry apple cobbler), and I Am Awakening (key lime pie).

Strawberry Lemonade Pie (AKA I Am Awakening in Lovely Rapture)

Crust

1 ¼ cups Brazil nuts

1 ¼ cups almonds, soaked for 30 minutes and skinned

½ cup finely chopped dates

¼ tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Filling

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 large avocado

½ cup agave nectar

½ tsp lemon extract

1/8 tsp salt

½ cup raw unscented coconut butter

Strawberry Layer

3 cups finely sliced strawberries

1 tbs agave nectar

1 tsp lemon juice

1. Food process crust ingredients except dates until crumbly. Add dates in bits until the crust sticks together. Press into oiled pie pan.

2. Layer half of the strawberries in the crust.

3. Blend all filling ingredients except coconut butter until smooth. Add omitted ingredients until everything comes together. Pour into the pie shell.

4. Use the rest of the strawberries on the top of the pie.

So, what do you think? Rough life those raw dieters have ... eating all that coconut and avocado?