Tagged with tahini

Pinto Bean Hummus

Pinto Bean HummusSometimes you get tired of garbanzo bean hummus. Or sometimes no matter how many times you paw through the cans on the pantry shelves, those chickpeas remain illusive.

This pinto bean hummus could also masquerade as “refried” beans – without the refry – but all of the expected flavors are right there. All you’d have to do is warm it up prior to eating. I served mine at room temperature in a wrap loaded with broccoli slaw, baby kale, sprouts and generous portions of ranch dressing.

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. tahini
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
pinch coriander
pinch ground black pepper
handful of cilantro

In a food processor, combine the pinto beans through black pepper and process until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times to chop the cilantro.

One year ago today: The Miracle Cure

Pinto Bean Hummus Wrap

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Virtual Vegan Potluck: Maple Creme & Mocha Spice Cake Trifle with Fresh Blueberries

Trifle in BowlWelcome to the Potluck!  By now your waistband is probably stretched a bit, the table is thick with empty plates and glasses and you’ve probably gone through a napkin or two.  There are still lots of yummy, sweet, decadent treats coming your way and  - I want you to get right to the next dessert!  Mine!

I couldn’t resist this year; I had to make a dessert.  Sure, I had fun at the last Potluck with my Sage & Rosemary Dinner Rolls with Roasted Garlic Coconut Butter, but the dessert bloggers were getting all of the attention!  While a bit detailed and requiring some advance work, this rich and creamy trifle recipe is well-worth the effort – especially for a holiday meal or for when you want to impress your guests.  By the way, you’re really getting two desserts for the price of one.  Both the cake and the creme are stand-outs on their own.

Maple Creme & Mocha Spice Cake Trifle with Fresh Blueberries
Serves 8

Mocha Spice Cake:
2 cups freshly-brewed hot coffee
1/2 cup maple sugar, divided
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegan butter
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp. water (whisk together and set aside until thickened)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 cup sweetened cacao nibs

Maple Creme:
16 oz. silken tofu
1/4 cup freshly-brewed coffee
1/2 cup almond milk, divided
2 tsp. maple extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tbsp. tahini
pinch cardamom
pinch kosher salt
4 tbsp. arrowroot powder

1/2 -1 cup fresh blueberries

Make the mocha spice cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a 9″x 13″ pan with parchment and lightly spray with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1/4 cup of the maple sugar.  Add vanilla extract and flaxseed mixture.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the coffee, the remaining 1/4 cup of the maple sugar and the cocoa.  Whisk together and warm – just enough for the cocoa and maple syrup to dissolve.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, stevia, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.  When the coffee mixture is cool, alternately add it and the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in the cacao nibs.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is firm and springy and a tester comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into small chunks.

Mocha Spice Cake Chunks

Make the creme:
Mix the arrowroot powder with 1/4 cup of the nut milk.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup and coffee and gently warm.

In a blender or food processor, combine the tofu, the remaining 1/4 cup nut milk, the maple and vanilla extracts, lemon juice, tahini, cardamom and salt and process until very smooth.

Let the maple syrup/coffee mixture come to a boil, reduce the heat and stir in the arrowroot powder.  Stir with a whisk until the mixture thickens – this happens quite suddenly.  Immediately pour the arrowroot mixture into the blender with the tofu mixture and process until thoroughly combined.  Pour into an air-tight container and refrigerate until firm.

Assemble the trifle:
In a large glass trifle bowl or in individual bowls, pour some of the maple creme.  Lay down a layer of mocha spice cakes chunks and sprinkle in some blueberries. Repeat layers until all of the ingredients have been used – making sure you end with maple creme and blueberries.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Trifle Collage

Thank you so very much for visiting An Unrefined Vegan and for coming to the Potluck!  If you like what you see here, consider following my blog or visiting me on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

And now – - continue your plant-based journey and discover more delicious desserts!

To visit Too Cheap for Pine Nuts (sharing arroz sin leche), the next blog in the Potluck, click on the Go Forward button below, or click here:

Go Forward

To return to Anne Sture Tucker’s blog and her delicious carrot cake, click on the Go Back button below or click here:

VVP Go Back Button

You can always start at the beginning of the Potluck by visiting Vegan Bloggers Unite! or the home base of the Potluck, the Virtual Vegan Potluck website.

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VeganMoFo: Sunflower, Pepita & Hemp Seed Bread Spread

Sandwich w/ SpreadLunch can present problems.  I’m usually starving by noontime, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing anything – and unless there are leftovers waiting in the refrigerator – a meal from scratch is the only option.  That’s why a spread like this is worth its weight in gold.  It’s quick and easy to prepare, is mighty tasty and very satisfying.

I poached the idea from Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family, by Ken Haedrich, but changed it up when I saw that I would have to toast the sunflower seeds and then let them cool.  Lunch was due in 30 minutes.  So I decided to do the raw thing; and instead of all sunflower seeds, I foraged in the cupboard for pepitas and hemp seeds.  I also cut back on the amount of tahini and added miso paste for richness and saltiness.  Top with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, avocado and/or sprouts.

Sunflower, Pepita & Hemp Seed Bread Spread
Makes a couple of cups

1 cup + 1/4 cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds, divided
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp. pepita seeds, divided
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. hemp seeds, divided
2 tbsp. tamari
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. white miso
1/3 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 celery rib, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. white ground pepper

Set aside 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp. pepitas and 1 tbsp. hemp seeds.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Stir in the reserved seeds.

Spread on whole grain bread and top with your favorite veggies or use as a dip.  The spread thickens as it sets.

Seeds, Lemon

Sandwich w/ Spread 2

Vegan MoFo

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Tahini-Orange-Date Crumble Cookies

Cookies in Green Cup

I was immediately intrigued by a recipe for Orange Blossom Tahini Cookies at Savory Simple.  Beautiful little cookies – but what was hooked me was the use of tahini.  I’d only ever used it for savory dishes.  I tucked the recipe away and well, kind of forgot about it until I made my date crumble mistake.  A tahini-based cookie sounded like the perfect way to use some of that sweet, crunchy (sesame-seeded) mixture.  I veganized the cookie recipe, swapped white flour for whole wheat, added almond flour and reduced the amount of sugar and fat – and I added a good handful of date crumble.  These cookies have the most tender crumb and they bake up beautifully.  The aroma when they bake – out of sight.

Many thanks to Everyday Vegan Girl for passing along the Versatile Blogger Award and to VegHotPot and Nina at Tabkhet el Yom (What’s for lunch?) for bestowing the One Lovely Blog award to this here blog.  I enjoy and admire all of these blogs, so it’s a huge honor.  Thank you, ladies!  Oh and hey – check out the Creative Kitchen Challenge at Things My Belly Likes.  I’m probably going to play along with this one.

Tahini-Orange-Date Crumble Cookies
Makes 16

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond meal (a good way to use the almond pulp from making almond milk; just make sure it’s dry and finely ground)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup maple sugar (or omit stevia and use 1/2 cup sugar)
1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
4 oz. prune puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
1 1/4 cups Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble
Demerara sugar for sprinkling

In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and stevia.

By hand or in a stand mixer, cream the butter and maple sugar.  Add the maple syrup, prune puree and extracts.  Process until well-mixed.  Carefully add the flour mixture and just as the dough is coming together, pour in the crumble.  Process just enough so that the crumble is thoroughly incorporated.  The mixture should be covered and chilled for several hours.

Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.   Scoop up generous tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll them quickly.  When all of the balls have been formed, wet the bottom of a glass and gently press down the cookies.  Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

Bake for about 15 minutes, switching pans halfway through.  Allow to cool for a few minutes on the pans, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Cookie Cut in Half

Stack of Cookies

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I Meant To Do That: Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble

Date Cherry Ginger Crumble on PlateWith great enthusiasm I set out one morning to make Build-Your-Own-Energy-Bars, courtesy of Amber Shea Crawley and her cookbook, Practically Raw.  I knew I could bang out a batch of bars, pop them in the freezer and have them ready for our daily 3 pm snack.  Easy.  I gathered the ingredients and pulled out the food processor and away I went.  But something went wrong.  The mixture was not really a mixture.  There was no way it was going to stick together to create bars.  I stared into the processor as if the answer were in the pile of pretty crumbs.  I looked around the kitchen.  What could I do to rescue this recipe?  I didn’t want to add maple syrup – no way it needed any sweetening.  Peanut butter?  As much as I love it, it would not work here.  Sesame seeds…sesame seeds…tahini!  I plopped a big ol’ spoonful into the processor and whirled again.

Same deal.  When I poured the mixture into a pan prior to freezing it, prod and shove as I could, the mixture was not coming together as beautifully as in Amber’s photo.  I referred to the directions and immediately saw what I’d done wrong.  I hadn’t actually read the directions.  I’d just taken it upon myself to toss all of the ingredients into the processor without noticing that, yes, there were a few steps to follow.  Simple, but important, steps.  Deciding to continue anyway, I put the mixture in the freezer and a few hours later pulled it out to see if anything magical had happened behind closed doors.  Naw.  Still crumbly.  But it passed the taste-test with flying colors.  Inspiration hit the next morning: topping for our daily grain cereal!  It’s absolutely delicious.  We ate the first batch up so quickly, I’ve already repeated my mistake.  (Scroll down for other ways to use this “crumble.”)

Please visit Amber at her blog, AlmostVeganChef.com.  She’s a graduate of the Matthew Kenney Academy – a raw/living foods culinary school right here in Oklahoma.  I know – Oklahoma! – where there are BBQ joints on every corner of every city, in all of the gas stations and in every sleepy, single-intersection town in the state.  The Matthew Kenney restaurant in Oklahoma City is fantastic (and I hope to be eating there later this week!) and a real refuge to us plant-based types.  Anyway, Amber’s book, Practically Raw, has really helped me incorporate more raw foods into my diet.  The recipes are delicious, creative and flexible – especially helpful if you’re just starting out with this type of cuisine.

Bowl of Morning Cereal with Crumble

Big Bowl of Overnight ‘Frige Grains with Soy Milk, Bananas, Chia Seeds and Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble.

Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble
Makes enough

3/4 cups walnuts
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 tbsp. crystallized ginger
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 heaping tbsp. tahini
pinch kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until the mixture is a bit chunky, but uniform.

Jar of Crumble

Jar of Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble.

Cherry-'berry Pie with Date Crumble

Strawberry and Cherry Pie topped with Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble and Bob’s Natural Granola (no oil).

Slice of Cherry-Strawberry Pie w/ Crumble

Slice of Cherry-Strawberry Pie with Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble.

Tahini Orange Crumble Cookies

Tahini-Orange-Date Crumble Cookies.  Recipe coming soon.

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