Some have said, “An Unrefined Vegan? Yeah, girlfriend can’t do gluten-free!” Well, I’m here to tell you not only that I can, but that I AM doing GF over at Richa’s blog today. That’s right – old Ms. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is hangin’ at Vegan Richa today with a rice flour-xanthan-gum kinda recipe for chocolatey and blueberrily whoopie pies.
Be sure and spend some time exploring her site when you visit. You WILL leave hungry. Thank you, Richa, for inviting me to share!
When I was growing up there were two distinct camps: the Mayonnaise camp (in my neck of the woods, Hellman’s brand) and the Salad Dressing camp (Miracle Whip). It all depended on what your mom used on the sandwiches she made and in our house, mom used Hellman’s. No-way-no-how those of us in the Hellman’s camp wanted our tuna salad or bologna, cheese and potato chip (yes, chips ON the sandwich) sangies to have even a hint of sweetness! And if your best friend’s mom used Miracle Whip, well, that could mean the quick demise of a beautiful friendship.
Just cuz I’m a plant-based sandwich-eater now doesn’t mean I’ve lost my love of mayo and Nasoya has both types represented – the savory and the sweet. I recently received a couple of bottles to try out. While both products are creamy, thick, and ringers for the “real” things, my taste preference holds true today. I really prefer a “mayo” spread that is savory rather than sweet. But I did use both products with very tasty results.
Here’s a look at NayoWhipped and Nayonaise:
Here’s what’s in them:
Soy milk
Soybean oil
Vinegar
Salt
Dried cane syrup
Mustard flour
Xanthan gum
Guar gum
Lemon juice
Turmeric
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Vitamin B12
For inspiration, I visited the Nasoya website for ideas and made several things, riffing on the original recipes. First up is a classic that reminds me of the best egg-salad-sandwich-maker in the whole wide world, my mom.
Bean & Tofu Nada-Egg Salad Sandwiches
Makes 4
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
7 oz. firm tofu, pressed, drained, and crumbled
3 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 sweet gherkins, chopped
5-6 green olives, chopped
thick slice red onion, chopped
lots of ground black pepper
pinch salt
1 tsp. dried dill weed
~1 cup Nayonaise
4 big biscuits, cut in half (or 8 slices of bread)
A handful of sprouts
In a large bowl, mash the garbanzo beans – don’t go crazy, leave some big pieces – and add the remaining ingredients. Stir it all together and let it chill for a little while.
Delicious on bread, of course, or on top of a big pile of chopped romaine lettuce with slices of avocado on top and plenty of raw tortilla chips on the side.
One of my favorite ways to use mayo is in a super-quick aioli and I whipped up a batch to go on top of pinto bean burgers. The creaminess of the mayo and the tang of chipotle, garlic and lemon complemented the smokey southwestern flavors beautifully. This would also be great as a dip for sweet potato fries.
Spicy-Lemony Aioli
Makes 1/4 cup (2 servings)
1/4 cup Nayonaise
1/2 tsp. chipotle in adobo (chopped or processed until smooth)
1 small clove garlic, minced
zest of 1/2 a lemon
Combine all of the ingredients. Let chill in the refrigerator for a few hours so the flavors blend.
How did I use the NayoWhipped? In the super-moist muffins pictured below – again, a recipe based on one posted on the Nasoya site. I’m really pleased with how they turned out. The spread replaces the traditional fat and I think works a bit like using yogurt. These smell so good while baking.
So, whether you were a Hellman’s girl like me or whether you craved that sweet-tang of Miracle Whip, there is a creamy, rich cruelty-free, vegan alternative that will make your sandwiches (and your muffins!) very yummy indeed.
Applesauce Banana Muffins
Makes 8 giant ones
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1/4 tsp. salt
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup NayoWhipped Sandwich Spread
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Lightly oil muffin tins and preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, stevia and salt. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the banana, applesauce, Sandwich Spread and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until combined – then gently stir in the chips and pecans.
Spoon batter into eight of the greased muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Devour while still warm. These freeze well.
Christmas and mint. How did they become an item? The red-and-white-swirled candy canes dangling from stuffed stockings? The tiny pastel-colored, melt-away candies piled in bowls that appear only in December? The Santa- and snowman-shaped chocolate candies filled with a gooey mint center? Or maybe the cool of mint recalls drifts of snow and icy winds. It can’t be helped. Mint reminds me of Christmas.
This is the classic chocolate cream cheese muffin but without the dairy and a little bit less of the guilt. I’ll take one of these over a candy cane any day.
A quick but important aside to thank one of my very favorite bloggers – Nicole, of Cauldrons and Cupcakes – for naming An Unrefined Vegan as one of her Blogs of the Year. If you haven’t met Nicole, do yourself and your psyche a favor and go visit. Nicole is a gentle, wise and sensitive soul who shares of herself without reservation; her readers reap the benefits.
One year ago today: Onion & Walnut-Stuffed Beer Bread
Chocolate Mint Cream Cheese Muffins
Makes ~22
Mint Cream Cheese:
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 tsp. white miso
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 tbsp. egg replacer
3 tbsp. nut milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
~1/4 cup cacao nibs
Muffin batter:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. powdered stevia
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups nut milk
1 tbsp. flaxseed meal
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. brown rice vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F and line ~22 muffin tins with paper or silicon muffin cups.
Make the cream cheese filling:
In a food processor, add all of the filling ingredients, except for the cacao nibs, and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness and mintiness. Stir in the cacao nibs. Set aside.
Make the batter:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and powdered stevia (no, I did not forget to add salt). In a medium-sized bowl, combine the nut milk, flaxseed meal, applesauce, vinegar and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until thoroughly combined.
Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full with batter and then top each muffin with a heaping tablespoonful of filling. Bake for about 20 minutes – do not overbake – and remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so on cooling racks, then remove from the tins.
If you had to pick the ultimate comfort food, what would it be? Pot pie? A spicy curry? Macaroni and cheese? Or maybe hot cocoa (hot cocoa sounds more comforting than hot chocolate) or a warm brownie topped with ice cream? Winter is just around the corner – though some days it feels as if it’s already here – so my cooking changes from quick and cool to hearty, warm and comforting.
Chili, in almost any form but the ones including meat, is one of my favorite comfort foods. You can put it together quickly and let it simmer gently for hours – and it tastes better the next day. I recently made the version from In Vegetables We Trust (Slow-Cooker Chili) which includes a hint of unsweetened cocoa to mellow and deepen the beany, peppery flavors.
What’s comfort without cozy chocolate? If you didn’t see this recipe on Somer’s blog, Vedged Out, then you must be hibernating. And I wouldn’t blame you one bit if you were. I mixed up a batch of her Double Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies and my belly and I felt contented, satisfied and downright happy despite the flurries blowing outside. In fact, I laughed at them between bites.
For me, rice is one of the most comforting foods around. This may be because when I was a kid my mom made the most delicious rice on the planet – buttery and creamy and heavy on the ground black pepper. When I was a young lass living on my own there were evenings when it was me, the TV and a big bowl of steaming, hot rice. This is why I included AstigVegan’s delicious Kalamansi Coconut Risotto recipe in my comfort food hall of fame. It’s got all the things I love: creamy rice, coconut milk, lemon zing and mushrooms. (Sorry, Richa, I couldn’t get kalamansi here in Utah so I made due with lemon juice and some orange zest!)
If there’s anything more comforting than chocolate, it’s…more chocolate. I made these babies one Sunday afternoon when I needed a heavy dose of comfort. Big fat flakes of snow were flying outside. The foothills of the Wasatch were barely visible in the fog of white. Ike had wisely tucked himself back into his doggy bed and Paul Westerberg provided background music with one of his most plaintive tunes, Here Comes A Regular. The enticing smell of melted chocolate takes the cold edge off of any winter day. I got the original recipe from Things My Belly Likes (Maple Coconut Chocolates), and I hit the print button before you could say Give me a Mounds bar! I messed around (i.e., made it more complicated than it needed to be) with the recipe and have included it below.
One year ago today: Pesto Pasta e Fagioli
One year and one day ago: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cherry-Apricot Compote
Maple Coconut Coffee Chocolates with Add-ins
Makes ~30 (using small muffin cups)
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 heaping tbsp. Dandy Blend (herbal coffee substitute), optional
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/8 cup sweet cacao nibs (with a little extra for sprinkling on top of the chocolate)
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped (with a little extra for sprinkling on top of the chocolate)
1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (with a little extra for sprinkling on top of the chocolate)
I lined up my paper and silicon mini muffin cups on baking sheets and got all of the ingredients ready to go before I melted the chocolate and coconut oil. Mise en place. It’s a good thing. Sprinkle the pecans into the bottoms of 1/3 of the muffins cups; sprinkle the cacao nibs into the bottoms of 1/3 of the muffin cups. You’ll be stirring the flaked coconut into the remaining 1/3 of the melted chocolate/coconut oil mixture – so hold off on sprinkling that into the bottom of the cups.
In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil and chocolate over low heat Whisk occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. They’ll sizzle so watch your eyes. For really smooth chocolate, put the cocoa powder and Dandy Blend through a sieve and add to the melted chocolate. Whisk until smooth and melted.
Carefully pour the chocolate into the pecan- and cacao nib-fille cups. Now, stir in the 1/3 cup flaked coconut into the rest of the chocolate and pour into the remaining muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the chocolate cups w/ the corresponding add-in so that later you know which chocolate you are popping into your mouth.
Chill the cups until firm.
Much more prim and proper than their deep dark chocolate cousins, these vanilla cupcakes with a chai truffle center also pack a less powerful caloric punch. The cupcake is based on a recipe from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon.
One year ago today: Asparagus & Cilantro Soup
One year and one day ago: Tempeh Bacon, Fig Chutney & Apple Sandwiches
Vanilla Chai Truffle Cakes
Makes 10
Truffle Filling:
1/2 cup dates, roughly chopped, soaked for a few hours
1/2 cup pecans, soaked for a few hours
1 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp. anise seed, ground
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond milk
Cupcakes:
1 cup almond milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Make the truffle filling:
Drain and rinse the dates, pecans and crystallized ginger and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground.
Meanwhile, carefully melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder. When melted and combined, remove from the heat and set aside.
Spoon the mixture date/pecan mixture into a blender and add the almond milk, all of the spices and the chocolate/coconut oil mixture. Process until silky smooth. Pour into an air-tight container and refrigerate for a few hours to firm.
Make the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly oil 8 muffin tins (fill the empty tins half-ful with water). In a small saucepan, slowly heat the milk and scrape the vanilla bean so that the seed paste comes out. Drop the bean into the milk. When the milk just starts to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the applesauce, maple sugar and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the muffin tins from the oven and drop truffle filling by the teaspoonful+ on top of each muffin – gently pressing the filling into the cupcake. Return the muffin tins to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the cupcake is firm and a toothpick comes out clean (from the cake, not the truffle). Let cool for a few minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan. Serve warm.
(The truffle filling would also make an excellent frosting.)
I once worked briefly for an Army Colonel. He could’ve stepped off of the movie set of Apocalypse Now: tall and wiry with a stiff and graying crew cut, a brisk manner and a lopsided, slightly maniacal grin that revealed a mouthful of misaligned teeth. Plus the requisite rich southern accent and an endless supply of (to keep things G-Rated here) “earthy” sayings. I kept a mental catalogue of his favorite expressions, one of which was “it’s an ugly baby.” Well, back on October 27, 2011, I published a post of several ugly babies. The post was titled A Delicious Failure: Sunken Chocolate Cakes and the recipe was based on one by Marcel Desaulniers called Heart of Darkness Cakes. After my failure, tasty though it was, I vowed to try again. It’s taken me over a year to do it. They’re still ugly babies, but my, they are delicious. (If chai isn’t your thing, just leave out the spices and you’ll have a delicious chocolate truffle.) Coming up soon: Black and White Cakes – a vanilla version of the above – which cleverly and thriftily uses the leftover truffle filling made for these cupcakes.
Now for the really important stuff: the winner of a copy of Kathy Hester’s book, The Vegan Slow Cooker! Congratulations to – - - Paula!! You are going to love this cookbook! Please check your email, Paula 
. Thanks to everyone who entered - – and remember that there will be a lot of giveaways happening on the Virtual Vegan Potluck website over the next few weeks – - so don’t despair, you still have a chance to win something! (P.S. Tomorrow I reveal the winner of the $50 forAnima gift certificate…)
And…One year ago today: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice & Cranberries
Deep Dark Chocolate Chai Truffle Cakes
Makes 10
Truffle Filling:
(filling makes enough for two batches)
1/2 cup dates, roughly chopped, soaked for a few hours
1/2 cup pecans, soaked for a few hours
1 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp. anise seed, ground
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond milk
Cupcakes:
1/2 cup coconut oil
2.5 oz. prune puree (baby food)
1 cup vegan, semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 9 tbsp. water (whisk together then let sit for a few minutes to thicken)
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. all-natural coffee flavoring, optional
Make the truffle filling:
Drain and rinse the dates, pecans and crystallized ginger and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground.
Meanwhile, carefully melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder. When melted and combined, remove from the heat and set aside.
Spoon the mixture date/pecan mixture into a blender and add the almond milk, all of the spices and the chocolate/coconut oil mixture. Process until silky smooth. Pour into an air-tight container and refrigerate for a few hours to firm. I rolled mine into sloppy balls (~20) and placed them in the freezer to firm up – making them easier to handle when putting them into the cupcakes.
Make the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly oil 10 muffin tins (fill the empty tins half-ful with water). In a small saucepan, slowly heat the coconut oil and the chocolate chips until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder. In a smaller bowl, combine the prune puree, flaxseed meal mixture, vanilla extract and coffee flavoring, if using. Whisk the chocolate mixture in with the other wet ingredients and then stir this into the dry ingredients. Batter will be very thick and gooey.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the muffin tins from the oven and drop truffle filling by the teaspoonful+ on top of each muffin – gently pressing the filling down into the cupcakes. Return the muffin tins to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the cupcake is firm and a toothpick comes out clean (from the cake, not the truffle). Let cool for a few minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan. Serve warm.
These reheat beautifully in the microwave. And the freeze well.
Sigh. The last peanut-milk-meal + chocolate post of the 2012 MoFo season! This recipe is based on Cookie Bites by Erika over at Good Clean Food. With my first taste of those nutty-chocolatey bites, I knew I’d be making them at home – and making them again with a few minor twists. Enter peanut milk and peanut meal. By the way, is it sacrilege to say that I’m relieved that the light at the end of the MoFo tunnel is visible??
For another yummy recipe, check out Blissful Britt’s No Bake Energy Bites – or - Raw Almond Coconut Energy Balls from The Veg Bar.
Cocoa PB Balls
Makes plenty
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup fresh peanut milk
1/2 cup fresh peanut meal
1 cup mixed grains (I used Bob Red Mill’s 5-Grain Rolled Cereal)
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup sweetened cacao nibs
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
In a food processor, process the mixed grain (or oats) until broken down into small pieces. Remove from the processor and place in a large mixing bowl.
Put the peanuts, peanut milk and peanut meal in the food processor and process into a nice, thick slurry. Add the cocoa powder, chia seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and process to combine. Remove from the processor bowl and add to the grain mixture.
Stir in the hemp seeds, coconut and flaxseed meal and mix until all the ingredients are moistened and thoroughly combined. Add more peanut milk if the mixture seems dry. Store in an airtight container for a few hours or overnight.
Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Keep in the refrigerator.
One year ago today…Simple Side Salad w/ No-Oil Vinaigrette
Is there room in the blogosphere for one more vegan chocolate mousse?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse
12.3 oz. silken tofu
1/2 cup peanut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. peanut meal
4 tbsp. natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
pinch salt
sweetener, to taste
In a food processor, combine the tofu, peanut milk, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, peanut meal, peanut butter, a pinch of salt and sweetener, if desired – and process until nice and smooth and creamy. Meanwhile, gently heat the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double-boiler on the stove top until melted.
Pour the melted chocolate into the food processor and process – again – until everything is silky smooth. Scoop into bowls, cute little jars or one big container. Chill until firm.
Pssst: don’t forget to sign up for the Virtual Vegan Potluck! Click here!
My simple rule of thumb is this: If I can make it in my kitchen, using whole ingredients; it’s unprocessed. I can cook lentils and add carrots and onions and spinach to make a soup, so that’s unprocessed. I can blend fruits together to make a smoothie, so that’s unprocessed. I can bake a potato or cook corn, so that’s unprocessed. But I can’t make a Fruit Loop.
- from Unprocessed, by Chef AJ
Okay, so by Chef AJ’s definition, the recipe below has no place in an “unprocessed” kitchen. It’s a safe bet to say that I can’t make vegan marshmallow creme in my own home. So why am I including it here? When that little 10 ounce tub of the stuff whispered sweet nothings in my ear during a recent Whole Foods run, I couldn’t resist. I once really liked Rice Krispie treats, see. I don’t crave salt. What’s oil done for me lately? Nothing. No. It’s the sweet stuff that calls to me like a stranger lurking in the inky shadows of an alley saying, “Pssst….I’ve got what you need.” So, chocolate crispies seemed like a good send-off as I embark on a week of making and eating Chef AJ’s sugar-free, gluten-free, salt-free and oil-free creations.
Here’s the backstory. Recently I was contacted by Chef AJ who asked if I’d be interested in reviewing her book, Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight. Interested?? Can you make dark chocolate pudding out of avocados?!! I was over-the-moon flattered and excited. Not only did she want me to review her book, she asked if I’d like to give away a copy of it to one of you lucky readers. That’s what I call a win-win situation. So the plan for the next week is: all of our meals will be from Chef AJ’s book. I’ll be sharing my thoughts and photos – and a couple of recipes – just to give you a taste of what you can expect from her simple, healthy way of eating. And stay-tuned for the giveaway (my first ever)…
Shameless plug: Incidentally, my girl Somer is the one who first turned me on to Chef AJ. If you haven’t already found Somer’s new blog, Vedged Out, please check it out and show her your support. I’m so proud of her!
Cocoa Puffed Rice & Kamut Crispies
Makes more than enough bars
2 tbsp. chia seeds
6 tbsp. fresh-brewed coffee or water
10 oz vegan marshmallow creme
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
4 tbsp. hemp seeds
4 cups puffed rice cereal
4 cups puffed kamut cereal
Combine the chia seeds and coffee or water in a small bowl, stir and set aside until thickened. In a large bowl, combine the hemp seeds, puffed rice and puffed kamut cereals. Set aside. Prepare a 9″ x 13″ pan by lining it with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, gently warm the marshmallow creme, cocoa and chocolate chips, stirring to thoroughly melt the chocolate chips. When the mixture is melted and combined, pour it into the cereal mixture and stir until all of the cereal is coated with the chocolate mixture.
Pour the cereal/chocolate mixture into the pan and place in the refrigerator until set. Cut into squares.
(These aren’t as solid as “normal” Rice Krispies – the ricemallow creme is a lot softer than marshmallows and there’s no butter to firm things up. Some excellent additions to these treats would be dried, tart cherries, raw cacao nibs, crystallized ginger or chopped nuts.)
What to do with that 5-pound behemoth of a zucchini that eerily resembles a lethal weapon wielded by an ogre in a Grimm’s Fairy Tale? Grate that puppy up and make zucchini bread. Lots of zucchini bread. Call it fate, kismet, destiny, luck or simply that it’s summer and everyone has at least one or two zucchini cudgels hanging about the kitchen, the recipe mentioned over at The Bear and the Blackberry for zucchini bread came just at the right moment. My tweaks were to reduce the oil by half and add unsweetened applesauce; reduce the sugar from 2 cups to a 1/2 cup (and I used maple sugar) plus stevia; add chocolate chips and change out the walnuts for pecans. This cake is absolutely addictive. It’s so good I’m looking around for an ogre who wants to unload an outsized zucchini or two.
The little beauty of a recipe above for dairy-free, no-bake cheezcake comes from Somer at Good Clean Food. Pure friggin’ genius. Never a traditional cheesecake fan, I tried this simply because it fascinated me – and I ended up loving the results. The secrets are cashews and Pomona’s Pectin. Soft and creamy with a little bit of lemony tang and then sweetness from the blueberries – you get the true cheesecake experience without a ton of sugar and scary dairy. I messed with the crust, using pecans instead of almonds and adding chia seeds and orange zest, but the only change I made to the cheez (other than coming close to complete disaster because I tried using a food processor for the whole thing rather than my Vitamix…) was to reduce the maple syrup by half and add a little bit of stevia. When you visit Good Clean Food to get the recipe (and you simply must get the recipe), note how much thinner Somer’s slices of cheezcake are. Oops.
Next, I offer up these beautiful bars inspired by breakfast #217 from Desayunos Veganos 365:
I followed Nihacc’s link to this easy recipe and played around with it a little bit, changing out some of the ingredients and adding some here and there. My take on it is below, but I encourage you to check out Nihacc’s mouthwatering breakfast blog (imagine: something different each morning!) as well as the blog she cites (The Sunny Raw Kitchen).
Date-Cherry-Ginger-Orange-Coconut Bars…with Cacao & Chia
Makes 12 or so bars
1 cup almonds
1 cup dates, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 tbsp. cacao nibs
1 tbsp. chia seeds
Line a 9″ x 9″ pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, finely grind the almonds. Add the dates, cherries and ginger and process a few times just to break everything down. Add the remaining ingredients and process until everything is in small bits. If the mixture is not coming together, add a tablespoon or two of water.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and gently spread and pat it out until it reaches all sides and is fairly even. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours before slicing. I wrap mine in parchment paper and store in the refrigerator.
Just so I don’t neglect the beverage side of things: here’s a fruity-sweet peach and black tea drink from Compassionate & Passionate Cuisine. Since I just happened to have a boatload of fresh peaches hanging about, I couldn’t NOT make this (immediately) after reading her post.
