My (Imaginary) Christmas Dinner

I’ve already mentioned that I’m not doing any cooking on Christmas day as we’ll be at my brother’s house and he and my sister-in-law will be doing all the work! It’s not an exclusively vegan Christmas but they’re insisting on making me a special vegan dish, and most of the side dishes will be vegan too.

I’m sure it will be lovely, but some day I hope to host my own vegan Christmas meal and here’s what I’d serve if it was up to me (and if I had an expandable stomach!).

We don’t usually do starters as we try to save stomach space for later, so after champagne and maybe some nuts and crudités we’ll get right into the main course.

These Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls by Angela of Oh She Glows look like a wonderful “meaty” main dish. They’re full of all delicious wintry herbs and other good things.

Sometimes it’s nice to stick to tradition and I do love a good lentil/nut roast. This No-fu Love Loaf from Dreena Burton is another of my top picks and would be a beautiful centrepiece.

Finally, another main dish, very easy to put together, healthy, hearty but lightened up with a zingy orange dressing. My Butternut, Barley & Lentil Pilaf would be wonderful served up family style. Sub dried cranberries for the raisins for a little festive flair.

I’d happily forego the main dish in favour of a plateful of sides which are what make the Christmas meal for me. At my Christmas feast I’d serve:

Maple-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Brussel Sprouts and Chestnuts

Peas, Roast Potatoes, my own Cranberry Sauce, Apricot & Hazelnut Stuffing Balls (veganized), and Red Onion Gravy.

Phew. I think we might need a breather after all that…

For dessert, I’ve grown to really enjoy the Traditional Christmas pudding. My Mum has been making a vegan one for the last few years and I *think* she adapts it from this recipe. Serve it with warm spiced cream:

1C Non-dairy Cream (soya, oat, etc. )

1/4t each Ground Ginger & Cinnamon

Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

1T Brown/Coconut Sugar

1-2T Brandy

Add the cream to a small pan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir in spices and sugar and reduce to a simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in brandy and serve immediately.

For those who don’t like Christmas Pudding, chocolate is the only way to go. I’d probably make a large version of these Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets with some crushed peppermint candy canes on top!

If you can manage anything else at this stage, one of Tanya’s Raw Mince Pies would be fantastic, or just a couple of clementines while lingering at the table.

Later on, after your Christmas day walk, once you’re settled down with the family to watch a Christmas film, pass around a plate of homemade chocolate treats. All these ideas come from Sylvia of Superfoodista.

I think that will be quite enough food for one day!

Do you have a traditional menu planned or are you trying something new this year? I’d love to hear what’ you’re making. Do feel free to share recipe links in the comments.

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Healthy Christmas Cookies 2013

Whoopee it’s nearly Christmas! Less than 2 weeks to go! Sweet treats are aplenty at this time of year but just because you want to eat healthier it doesn’t mean you have to miss out.

A group of lovely blogger ladies have come together to share their healthier cookie recipes with you-18 in total- so plenty to see you through the season!

I contributed my Chocolate Orange Goji Cookies to the party. if you haven’t made these yet, now’s the time. Or, if these don’t peak your interest there are many more to choose from…

Sugar-free Sugar Cookies, Raw Gingerbread Men, Anzac biscuits with Cranberries, Chocolate Mint Tea Cookies…You’re sure to find the perfect cookie for you

Here’s the full list:

1. Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies – Gluten, Dairy, Egg and Sugar Free from Candida free Candee

2. Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies – gluten free and dairy free from Tessa Domestic Diva

3. Macadamia Coconut Cookies – gluten free, sugar free, with dairy free and vegan option from Candida diet Plan

4. Christmas No-Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies – gluten free, grain free & super versatile from Gluten free Cat

5. Jungle Balls – quick, raw & vegan from Carrie on Vegan

6. Raw Gingerbread Men – Raw, grain free, and vegan from Om Nom Ally

7. Chocolate-Orange-Goji Cookies (No-Bake or Baked) – gluten free from Coconut and Berries

8. Spiced Orange Cookies – gluten-free, vegan & oil-free from Stir, Sift & Savour

9. Gingerbread Men who like to be healthy – gluten free, dairy free & vegan from Including Cake

10. Quinoa Raisin Cookies – gluten free from Simply Sugar and Gluten free

11. Gingerbread-Cookies – Gluten free, dairy free and egg free from Sandi’s Allergy free Recipes

12. Flourless Triple Nut (or Seed) Brownies – gluten free, grain free, vegan & paleo from Gluten free Easily

13. Hazelnut and Cherry Carob Truffles – vegan and wheat-free from Bitesized Thoughts

14. Double Chocolate Paleo Hazelnut Cookies – gluten free, grain free & dairy free from the Tasty Alternative

15. Healthy Peppermint Oreo Cookies – vegan & gluten free from The Healthy Maven

16. Chewy Molasses Cookies – gluten-free and sweetened with date sugar – from Queen of Quinoa

17. Anzac Biscuits with Cranberries – from Green Gourmet Giraffe

18. Chocolate Mint Tea Cookies – refined sugar free from Spiced Curiosity

Plus a few useful conversion tips how to use Stevia & Xylitol in Baking instead of sugar.

Go check them out and share with friends and family.

A big thank you to Sandra of Candida Diet Plan for hosting!

What’s your favourite holiday cookie?

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Castagnaccio (Italian Chestnut Cake)

It’s Friday! Hurrah!

It’s been a pretty grey and dreary week here so I’m looking forward to what’s hopefully going to be a sunny weekend. Despite the lack of sunshine, a few things have made me feel more cheerful today- some lovely readers trying and enjoying my recipes (Do let me know if you make anything from Coconut and Berries. Both positive and negative feedback are always welcome); Getting some rather exciting news; and seeing Carlos Acosta in person last night. If you don’t know him then do yourself a favour and look him up- he’s an incredibly talented ballet dancer with probably the most amazing bottom known to mankind! I’ve also got Castagnaccio now, so more to be happy about!

I imagine most of my readers aren’t familiar with Castagnaccio. I certainly wasn’t until a couple of years ago. It’s a traditional Italian dessert/snack, common in Liguria and Tuscany. It’s made from chestnut flour and olive oil and has no raising agents so is dense and rich, rather than fluffy like the cakes you’re probably used to. It’s also very subtly sweet with most of the sweetness coming from the nuts and dried fruit added to it.

I was introduced to Castagnaccio by a lovely friend, Giovanni: a charming seventy-something year old Italian who lives very near our family home. As a retired psychologist he spends most of his time reading and cooking, and his great joy is feeding people delicious food! He started bringing us little food parcels- coffee-soaked dates and Italian chocolate cake, a divine Caponata along with a white bean dish (fagioli all’uccelletto), sesame snaps, crunchy cookies (whose name I’ve forgotten), and of course Castagnaccio. I fell in love with this naturally-vegan treat and wanted to learn to make it myself.

With being rather busy studying for my finals earlier this year I didn’t have a lot of time for cooking (Giovanni provided me with snacks hand-delivered to my university pigeon hole!) but took a couple of welcome study breaks to spend some time with my friend and cook with him at his house. As a typical Italian his approach to cooking is rather laidback, sort of a “little of this, a little of that” kind of affair. I did make a mental note of everything though and now have the details perfected so I can pass the recipe on to you.

I decided to make two small cakes this time- one the traditional way with rosemary, walnuts and raisins, and one my own way replacing the walnuts and raisins with hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

Castagnaccio (Italian Chestnut Cake):

1 1/2C Chestnut Flour
1T Coconut Sugar (or other granulated sweetener)
Pinch of Salt
1 1/2C Water
2T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4C Raisins OR Chocolate Chips
1/4C Walnuts OR Toasted, Peeled Hazelnuts (I made two small ones so used half the amounts of dried fruit and nuts in each)
1 Large sprig of Rosemary, leaves removed from stem

Preheat oven to 200C/400F, lightly oil the edges of a pie dish (or 2 small ones)

Whisk together chestnut flour, sugar, salt and water until smooth and runny.

Add the olive oil to the prepared dish/dishes and place in the oven to warm up for a minute. Remove from oven, pour in the castagnaccio batter, swirl the olive oil through the mixture and scatter with the dried fruit/choc chips, nuts and rosemary. Return to oven and cook for 15-25 minutes until the surface is dry and cracked. Cooking time will depend on the size of dish you used.

Enjoy warm or cold. I like it as is but it’s sometimes served with ricotta and a drizzle of honey, so for a vegan version you could try non-dairy yogurt or cashew cream, and a drizzle of agave nectar.

Serves 6-8

Now, I know chestnut flour isn’t exactly something you see everywhere but it can sometimes by found in health food stores amongst the other gluten-free flours.

If you’re in the UK you can also order it online from realfoods.com, where I tend to buy a lot of my flours, grains, beans, nuts etc.
If you’re elsewhere you can buy it through Amazon.

I’ve used it in the crust of my Herby Courgette Galette for a pleasant nutty flavour and think it would make a batch of rather special cookies. I also have a very vivid memory of a delicious chocolate brownie I had in a restaurant in Paris, which I was told was made with chestnut flour too.  Lots of room for experimentation!

Have you had Castagnaccio before? Or other dishes made using chestnut flour?

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Review & Giveaway: Super Healthy Snacks and Treats

“More than 60 easy recipes for energizing, delicious snacks free from gluten, dairy, refined sugar and eggs”. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

Well it is! “Super Healthy Snacks and Treats”, published earlier this year by Ryland Peters & Small, was written by Jenna Zoe, the founder of Foods to Love, the nutrition and recipe blog and online healthy products store. I discovered Jenna and her book via Instagram and was really excited to get my hands on a copy. It’s especially fantastic to see a UK-authored book of this kind. It seems the plant-based, healthy living scene is finally catching on here!

Facing nutrition information overload, I’m sure something a lot of us can relate to, Jenna set out to find a simple way of eating which left her feeling good. Her criteria for the foods she was going to eat were that:

– They had to be natural, whole foods that were minimally processed
– She had to love how they tasted.
– They had to suit her system. She paid close attention to what made her feel best.

The result of the experiment is this book! Jenna hopes to inspire us to make our own healthy eating guidelines and feel empowered to take the best care of ourselves.

All the dishes in the book are packed with nutrition, not to mention taste, colour and fun!

Most of the recipes are very easy to make with a few longer ones which look a little extra fancy, ideal for special occasions. I was familiar with almost all the ingredients and don’t think any listed are particularly uncommon, especially if you already avoid dairy and refined sugars and flours and are used to alternatives.

As well as the recipes there’s lots of useful information in here: a guide to essential ingredients and substitutions, tips and tricks, a how to use the book feature and Jenna’s “principles of healthy snacking”.

The recipe chapters are divided into Breakfasts, Power Snacks, Party Snacks, Dips & Dippers, Sweet Bites & Cookies & Bakes so there’s something for any time of the day.

Each recipe is accompanied by a little intro, where you’ll find more nuggets of useful info, and beautiful pictures which will make you want to get in the kitchen pronto!

This here is one of the insanely delicious Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets. I don’t need to tell you again of my love for raw desserts but this one is honestly one of the best I’ve had. Even better is that they take less than 10 minutes to put together and only need 15 minutes to set. They are very rich so I’d recommend sharing one!

The publishers have generously allowed me to reprint this recipe here for you all to try immediately:

Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets:

(Makes 4)

145g/1C Almonds
135g/3/4C Dates, stoned
2T Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut, OR more almonds
a pinch of salt
2t Coconut Oil

Mint Chocolate Filling

(to fill 2 tarts) *Note, the book also lists a key lime filling to fill the other 2 tart shells. Either double the filling for 4 tarts or halve the crust mixture for 2)

1 Large Banana
60ml/1/4C Coconut Oil
60ml/1/4C Pure Maple Syrup
40g/1/3C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
6 Fresh Mint Leaves OR 1/2t Mint Extract

Put the almonds in a food processor and blitz until crumbly. Add the dates, desiccated coconut, salt and coconut oil and pulse until a smooth mixture forms. Remove the dough from the processor and divide it into 4. Press each portion into a tartlet mould so that it neatly lines the base and sides of the mould. Ideally you want the tartlet cases to be about 1cm/1/2inch thick all the way around, with plenty of room for the filling. Don’t worry if you have a little extra dough- you can roll this into bite-size energy balls and save for a healthy snack later on.

For the filling, make sure the coconut oil is liquid. If it isn’t put it in a saucepan over low heat and allow to melt. Allow to cool completely, otherwise the hot oil will start to cook the other ingredients in the filling,

Place the filling ingredients in the food processor, one set at a time, and blitz until smooth. Divide each filling between 2 tartlet cases and freeze for at least 15 minutes to set.

Raw tarts will keep, in the freezer, for up to 2 weeks, so they’re a great make-ahead option for tea and dinner parties.

Next up, Protein Pancakes. If there is a pancake recipe in any new cookbook I get then that will most likely be the first I try! These are made from gluten-free flour and a dose of vegan protein powder and were light and fluffy but very filling too. I’ll be making these regularly.

I like to cover a range of sections when reviewing a cookbook so thought I’d make something savoury to complement my sweet choices. A batch of some kind of dip in the fridge is always useful and there are several in the book to choose from. I opted for the Zucchini Hummus which is rich and satisfying, despite not having chickpeas in. It’s also a good alternative for those who have trouble digesting beans.

Along with the hummus I served some veggies and another one from the book, the Almond-Flax Crackers. These are so so scrumptious and put conventional cardboard-like crackers to shame. They’re completely grain-free so very nutrient-dense and with lots of flavour so I’d happily eat them on their own instead of crisps. I would definitely recommend doubling the batch as there’s no way this recipe serves the 8 specified!

There isn’t one recipe in the book that doesn’t appeal but I’ve somehow shortlisted a few for my “must try very soon” list! The Breakfast Salad, Creole Cauliflower, Sticky Carrot Bites and Baby Gem Lettuce Wraps with Homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce.

I hope you’re as excited about this book as I am and I’m thrilled to have one copy to GIVEAWAY to a very lucky reader. To enter, do any one or all of the following things and leave a comment for each letting me know that you have done so. The more you do the more chances to win you have! I am sending the book personally so this giveaway is open WORLDWIDE!

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. “Like” Coconut and Berries on Facebook
3. Subscribe to Coconut and Berries by email
4. “Follow” me on Twitter
5. “Follow” @FoodstoLove on Twitter
6. “Follow” @RylandPeters on Twitter
7. Tweet about the giveaway and post the url in the comments.

Giveaway ends Thursday 4th December 12am GMT. Winner will be picked randomly and contacted by email within 48 hours of the closing time.

“Super Healthy Snacks and Treats” is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.uk as well as through Jenna’s site “Foods to Love”

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

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P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends for tomorrow!

Chocolate Pumpkin & Cranberry Muffins (GF)

Congratulations to Nicola who is the winner of the “tibits at home” cookbook, selected via a random number generator. Thanks to everyone who entered! There are more giveaways coming up, so hold tight and you might get lucky next time.

There’s a festive feel in the air! While the Americans are gearing up for Thanksgiving, here in the UK we’re jumping ahead and getting ready for Christmas already. It’s not much more than a month to go! The Christmas lights were turned on in Bath last week, mince pies and advent calendars are appearing and late night Christmas shopping has begun.

These muffins felt rather in spirit to me. Pumpkin is of course a seasonal classic, well not really here but I read a lot of blogs where there’s a bit of a craze for all things pumpkin (!).  After making Dreena’s fantastic Pumpkin Pie I’ve decided we definitely need to work pumpkin into our Christmas traditions somehow.

Everything’s been about chocolate for me lately so I added a dose of cocoa along with a handful of chocolate chips to the batter and studded them with fresh cranberries for that sparkly touch.

I don’t usually bake gluten-free as I don’t have any issues with gluten and tend to favour gluten-free grains and low-gluten spelt flour for baking anyway. All the same, you know I like to challenge myself in the kitchen and I’ve been learning more about gluten-free baking from Ricki Heller’s “Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free”– a gorgeous vegan baking book whose recipes are exclusively gluten-free (as well as free from refined sugars).

When I saw that Ricki was holding a recipe contest to find 5 recipes to be included in a a special winter supplement to the new cookbook I jumped at the opportunity to try something new. In keeping with the recipes in the book, submissions had to be vegan, gluten-free and use only lower glycemic sweeteners.

I did some research and then got to work.  I used an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix along with psyllium husk as a binder and the muffins came out lovely and soft with a nice springy crumb and decent rise. They were no harder to make than typical gluten-filled baked goods either.

Chocolate Pumpkin & Cranberry Muffins (GF):

1/2C Pumpkin Purée
3/4C Non-dairy Milk
2T Psyllium Husks
3T Sunflower Oil (or other neutral oil)
1/3C Coconut Sugar
1/4t Liquid Stevia
1/2t Vanilla
3/4C All-Purpose Gluten-free Flour Mix
3T Cocoa Powder
1/2t Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2t Baking Powder
1/8t Salt
1/4t Cinnamon
1/4C Dairy-free Chocolate Chips OR Unsweetened Carob Chips
1/3C Fresh or Frozen Cranberries (If using frozen do not thaw first)

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lightly oil a 6-hole muffin tray or line with paper cases.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the first seven ingredients, pumpkin through to vanilla.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just to blend. Do not over-mix. Gently fold through the chocolate chips and cranberries. The batter will be very thick.

Using a lightly oiled cookie scoop, distribute batter evenly between the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Smooth tops a little if necessary.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cook completely before removing from the pan.

Makes 6 medium-sized muffins

Are you an experienced gluten-free baker? Any tips to share with the rest of us?

What’s putting you in the festive spirit right now?

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Chocolate-Orange-Goji Cookies

Hurrah, it’s Friday!

I’m dropping in with an easy, tasty cookie recipe for you to make over the weekend.

This was inspired by The Raw Chocolate Co’s award-winning Goji & Orange Raw Chocolate. I was lucky enough to sample a whole load of their products recently and fell in love with this flavour in particular. Chocolate-orange is a classic of course, but the addition of goji berries adds a little something extra to these cookies.

Even if you’re not too sure about gojis on their own (I’m not!) they really are yummy here, trust me on this one! The Raw Chocolate Co’s Chocolate-covered Goji Berries are also pretty delicious.

These cookies are made from all good-for-you ingredients, are gluten-free, and can be either raw or baked! They have a lovely chewy texture, rich chocolatey taste with fruity undercurrents from the orange and gojis. I know you’re going to love them!

Chocolate-Orange-Goji Cookies (*No-Bake or Baked):

1C Nuts (I used 1/2C Walnuts, 1/2C Almonds but most should be fine)
1T Ground Flaxseed
2T Cocoa
Zest of 1 Large Orange
1/4C Brown Rice Flour
1/4t Baking Soda
1/8t Salt
21/2-3T Agave Nectar
3T Goji Berries

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a food processor, process nuts, ground flaxseed, cocoa, orange zest, flour, baking soda and salt until a fine meal. Careful not to over-process though. Add the agave nectar, starting off with 2 1/2T. Process again until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If it still looks a little dry (will depend on the variety of nuts used) add the remaining 1/2T of agave and process again. Finally, add the goji berries and pulse two or three times to incorporate. 

Roll balls of dough with your fingers (approx 1 heaping T each), flatten into a cookie shape and place on your prepared baking sheet about 2” apart.

They should look like the below picture- not too wet, not too dry.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are dry on top. Allow to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet (they firm up as they cool).

*Note: For no-bake cookies, omit the baking soda and, either roll into balls and refrigerate or press into a container, refrigerate, and cut into squares.

Makes 7-10

PRINT RECIPE HERE

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-parties, Wellness Weekends and Healthy Vegan Fridays

What’s cooking in your kitchen this weekend?

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Raw Foods for Winter

Now, if you’re anything like me, you might well be thinking that raw food isn’t particularly suitable for winter and cold weather. We’re naturally drawn to warming, comforting foods at this time of year, and my associations of crisp, fresh, raw salads just didn’t fit into this picture. Nevertheless, at this time of year we’re all extra susceptible to getting ill and it’s now when we need to be taking extra good care of ourselves and eating the most nutritious foods possible. Raw food is just that!

So, how to make raw meals that are just as warming and comforting as our cooked favourites?

That’s where Tanya comes in.

Tanya Alekseeva is one of the UK’s leading raw food chefs and educators and blogs over at better raw. If you haven’t met her yet, definitely read her amazing story of transformation.

Tanya’s e-book “Nourished – Comforting Raw Food Recipes for Winter” addresses the issue of eating raw in winter, with lots of useful info and recipes.

– It’s a full-colour book with pictures of all the recipes, along with step-by-step instructions.  It’s always nice to know what you’re aiming for!

– The book’s got you covered for drinks, breakfasts, sauces, sides, snacks, meals and desserts. There are some real show-stoppers in here which I think would be especially fantastic to serve to guests, along with dishes ideal for everyday eating.

– It includes some great tips for eating raw when it’s chilly out, many I hadn’t thought of, but which make such a big difference.

– There’s also a guide to local and seasonal produce and recommended equipment for a raw kitchen.

Note, most of the recipes don’t require specialist equipment and if you’ve got a good knife, a blender and/or food processor you’ll be able to make most. About a quarter do call for a dehydrator though, something I don’t own (yet…), so I couldn’t make these, slightly torturous as they all looked really good. If you do have a dehydrator you’ll definitely want this book!

– Particularly handy if you’re new to raw food, there’s also a glossary of ingredients you might be unfamiliar with.

You can find a full list of the recipes included and more pictures here, but this is what I made:

First up, I tried the Apple & Cinnamon Chia Pudding. This was a really tasty, light breakfast. It’s creamy, mildly-spiced and sweet, even with only fruit to sweeten it. I would probably add less almond milk next time though as I like my chia pudding a little thicker.

I really wanted to try one of the main-dishes from the book but struggled to make a decision with so many options. Lots of the recipes might sound like conventional dishes: “burgers”, “ noodles” “mash”” “pie” and “curry”, but they’re probably not what you’re expecting! Tanya’s given these traditional dishes a  raw make-over, but their healthiness definitely doesn’t compromise their flavour.

I decided to put together a few of the recipes for a meal with some serious wow-factor. Here we have the “Winter Sun Burgers”, “Tangy Cabbage Salad” and “Ranch Dressing”. The burgers were rich and flavourful. They’re very easy to make too, just a few ingredients and a food processor is all you need. I’m already planning on using the same mixture and blending it up a little more and using it as a dip

The cabbage gets jazzed up with a yummy raspberry vinaigrette (Tanya suggests using frozen berries if they’re not in season where you live).

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the ranch dressing was absolutely incredible! I could have eaten this stuff with a spoon! I’m definitely going to be making it regularly. Note: there wasn’t any water listed in the ingredients and I found I needed to add some to get a smooth, pourable consistency. I also subbed tamari for the liquid aminos listed as I didn’t have any.

A perfectly satisfying meal, and I didn’t miss hot food at all.

The last of the recipes I tried was the “Spiced Hot Chocolate”. This was creamy and indulgent-tasting, and it would have been hard to believe it was healthy if I hadn’t made it myself. You can still have warm food eating raw, just as long as you don’t heat foods above a certain temperature which is thought to damage their nutrients. Blending all the ingredients on high with some hot water made this plenty warm enough, and the kick of cayenne added extra heat.

(Pictured above with store-bought raw oatmeal-raisin cookies)

Tanya has kindly allowed me to re-print the recipe here for you all to enjoy.

Spiced Hot Chocolate:

1C Almonds, soaked overnight
4C Pure water (2C cold, 2C hot)
½C Pitted dates
¼ avocado
2T Raw cacao powder
1T Agave nectar
¾t Cayenne pepper

Rinse the nuts, drain and blend with 2 cups cold water.

Strain the liquid through a nut milk bag/cheese cloth/stocking to remove the pulp. Pour the strained milk back into blender and add the rest of ingredients including the hot water, blend on high. Enjoy immediately.

Serves 3

The next recipes I want to try are the Pecan Pie Shake, “Never Miss Meat” Stroganov, Root Veggie Satay Noodles…and the Traditional Apple Crumble with Vanilla Sauce! You can get your hands on the book instantly by downloading it from Tanya’s website, better raw, here.

I know it’s only October, but December will be here before we know it! Tanya’s book of raw Christmas recipes- “Festive”, is one I’m definitely considering. There are always so many parties and social events at this time of year, not usually involving the healthiest of foods, but with these recipes you’ll be well-equipped to wow friends and family with healthy and delicious raw alternatives.

You might want to check out Tanya’s other e-books:

“Purified – Your Complete 7 Day Detox Program” and “Seduced – Raw Chocolate Recipes to Get Very Excited For”

If you’re in the UK you might also be interested in the workshops Tanya runs in London- coming up very soon, with just a few spots left are the Comforting Raw Foods for Winter Workshop (THIS Saturday 25th October) and the Raw Food Christmas Festivities Workshop (7th December).

Do you try and incorporate raw food into your diet? I’d love to hear your thoughts about raw food in general.

Note: I was provided with a copy of the book for review purposes, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Raw Berry Cream Brownies

We interrupt today’s scheduled post for chocolate! I had something else planned for today but then I made these and decided I had to post them straight away. Not that you shouldn’t be excited about my next post of course, but chocolate is always prioritized.

I’ve been baking up a storm in my kitchen recently (more on that to come soon…) and as much as I love doing so, admittedly I don’t feel my best after eating a ton of flour, even if it is wholegrain.

Avoiding flour and still enjoying a sweet treat is no problem at all though when raw desserts are so darn delicious!

I’ve made many a raw brownie in my time but almost always date and nut based ones. I thought I’d go down a different route this time and try and replicate a cooked brownie texture. It was certainly a fun experiment and a resounding success if I do say so myself! They turned out fudgy but with a slightly fluffy “crumb”. They are still very rich so to cut that I added a layer of berry cream using some mixed berries I had in my freezer from the summer, which took these over the top.

The secret to the texture is coconut flour! I know, I just said I didn’t want to use flour, but coconut flour is rather different. Being made from coconut it’s of course gluten and grain-free. It’s also very high in fibre and low in carboydrates.

Please do not try and sub homemade coconut flour in this recipe- it will not work! Store-bought coconut flour is defatted, unlike shredded coconut, and acts like a sponge soaking up liquid and giving these brownies their moist cakey texture. It’s widely available in health food stores, large supermarkets and online.

Raw Berry Cream Brownies:

(Adapted from Practically Raw Desserts)

Brownies:

1T Water
1/2t Vanilla extract
1/4C Maple syrup OR Agave nectar (I used 2T of each)
1/3C Unsweetened apple purée
1/3C Raw cacao powder
1/3C Coconut flour
1/3C Almond flour/blanched ground almonds
Pinch of salt

Berry Cream:

1/2C Mixed frozen berries, defrosted (You can use fresh if in season)
1/4C Cashews, soaked, rinsed and drained
1T Maple syrup
1t Lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2T Coconut oil, melted

Line a small baking tin or container with parchment paper to help you remove the brownies later on (I used a 5 1/2” by 3” container)

In a food processor combine water through to apple purée. In a separate bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and process again until fully incorporated. You will have a very thick mixture.

Spread the mixture into the prepared container and smooth out the top. Refrigerate.

For the berry cream, blend the first five ingredients. When smooth add the melted coconut oil and blend again.

Pour the berry cream on top of the brownie and refrigerate or freeze for a few hours. Use the parchment paper to remove from the container and cut into pieces.

Store in the fridge or freezer as the topping will melt if left at room temperature.

Makes 6

 PRINT RECIPE HERE

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link parties, Raw Foods Thursdays and Healthy Vegan Fridays.

I’d like to try a raw vanilla cake with coconut flour too I think…

Have you used coconut flour before? Any must-try recipes to send my way?

W is for…

Walnuts!

Amazingly I’ve managed to featured 3 seeds this month- chia, hemp and sunflower, but no nuts, despite the fact that I eat them everyday in some form or another.  I’m changing that today and talking about walnuts!

I tend to use them mostly in in cakes and muffins- they’re vital in carrot cake in my opinion and I love both banana bread and oaty-raisin cookies including walnuts in the mix. They’re rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and their oily nature means they’re excellent in raw desserts too. My favourite raw brownies have a walnut and date base.

On the savoury front, walnuts are beautiful in crunchy, tangy salads, and the pear, walnut combination is well-known. As well as pairing them with sweet and tangy foods, they go well with similarly earthy flavours like lentils and mushrooms. This Lentil-Walnut Salad is delicious, as is this Walnut-Mushroom-Tempeh Pasta Sauce.

I’m clearly making up for the dearth of sweetness last week since I’ve got another dessert recipe for you! I doubt anyone’s complaining though…This sumptuous bowl is filled with my 10-minute Raw Vegan “Chunky Monkey” Ice Cream.

I imagine all my readers are familiar with Ben & Jerry’s “Chunky Monkey” flavour ice-cream, but in case you’re not, according to the creators themselves it’s “Banana Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks and Walnuts”

Sounds pretty simple, right? Simple it may be but it’s the perfect flavour to me, and was my favourite B&J flavour growing up. (Followed closely by Strawberry Cheesecake…) Not that I actually got to enjoy it too often as, although we almost always had B&J in the freezer (my Dad, in particular, was an ice cream fanatic) Chunky Monkey was hard to come across sadly and so it was extra special when I did have it.

My version is vegan, of course, much healthier, and comes together in just a few minutes. Definitely quicker to make than going out to buy some

I hope you’ve all come across the frozen banana ice-cream trick, if not, that needs to change NOW! All you need is frozen bananas and a food-processor or blender and you’ve got the most amazing sweet, creamy and healthy ice cream. I added a generous handful of buttery, toasted walnuts (store-bought ice cream is always skimpy on the add-ins) and homemade raw fudge chunks.  It was far better than I remembered B&J being.

10-minute Raw Vegan “Chunky Monkey” Ice-Cream:

Note: for  completely raw ice cream use raw almond butter, raw cacao and leave walnuts raw

2 Medium-size bananas, sliced and frozen

1/4C Walnuts

Chocolate Fudge Chunks:
1T Almond butter
1t Coconut oil, melted
1t Raw cacao powder OR Cocoa powder
1t Maple syrup
1/8t Vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Make the fudge first of all as it will need a few minutes to set up. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, pour into a tiny container or spread thickly onto a piece of parchment paper. Place in freezer for 10 minutes, or longer, to set. Remove from freezer and cut into small chunks. Store in the freezer whilst prepping other ingredients as it will melt if at room temperature for long.

If desired, toast walnuts in a pan over medium-heat for approx 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to darken slightly and smell nutty.

In a food processor blend the sliced banana until smooth, don’t over-process though or it will melt. Fold through walnuts and fudge chunks, reserving a few for topping. Scoop into bowl (s) and serve.

Serves 1-2

PRINT RECIPE HERE

What was/is your favourite Ben & Jerry’s flavour?

M is for…

Molasses!

Molasses is the thick, dark syrup which is a by-product of sugar-refining. It’s still used as a sweetener but contains all the good stuff that has been stripped away to get white sugar- trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of minerals. The darker the molasses the healthier it is. Apparently, just one tablespoon of Blackstrap Molasses provides up to 20% of our daily needs of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron!

I keep meaning to buy a jar of the really dark stuff and take a spoonful a day for the health benefits. I happen to like the taste of it on its own too. It’s kind of difficult to describe…sort of sweet, spicy and a little bitter all at once.

It’s most commonly used in gingerbread recipes so I decided to make something gingerbread-esque. Muffins! Yes, I know I’ve already done muffins this Vegan MoFo but that was way back at “A”, these are completely different, and anyway, who can complain about muffins?!

I added dark chocolate chunks to these muffins as I love chocolate and ginger together. If you haven’t tried Green and Black’s Ginger Dark Chocolate, you should!  For a double kick of ginger I also added some chopped crystallized ginger, but that’s optional, as I know some people just like the ginger flavour not pieces of the stuff.

Double Ginger Choc Chunk Muffins:

Like most of my baked goods, these aren’t hugely sweet (that way I can eat them for breakfast!) but the little choc chunks and ginger provide extra pops of sweetness. If you prefer your muffins on the sweeter side, go up to 1/4C sugar.

1C Rye flour (or other wholegrain flour)1/2t Baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
1/8t Salt
1/4t (heaping) Cinnamon
1/2t Ground ginger
2-3T Coconut sugar
1/4C + 1T Milk
2T Unsweetened apple purée OR non-dairy yogurt
2T Oil (I used Organic Sunflower Oil)
2T Molasses
25g/1oz Dark Chocolate, chopped into chunks
2T Chopped Crystallized ginger (optional)

Preheat Oven to 350F/180C. Line a muffin tray with 6 paper cases.

Stir together dry ingredients, flour through to coconut sugar, in a medium bowl.  Whisk together wet ingredients in a measuring jug or small bowl. Add wet to dry and stir just to combine. Don’t over-mix.

Fold through chocolate chunks and ginger and divide the mixture evenly between muffin cases.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 6

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly blog hop, Wellness Weekends

UK folk, in case you were wondering, treacle is the same thing…

Do you like ginger and chocolate together?

What else can I use molasses in? 

Oh, I’ve just remembered a non gingerbread recipe that uses molasses- Boston Baked Beans! I like the recipe in The Vegan Table.