Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cashew Cream

I just did a quick search on my blog and it seems ginger is one of my favourite ingredients, included in all these recipes and more…

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Coconut Dahl

Kabocha, Spinach, Brown Rice & Miso Broth

Ethiopian-Style Yellow Split Pea & Butternut Stew

Tofu, Miso, Udon Noodle Soup

Cauliflower “Fried Rice” with Grilled Asian Tofu

Ginger Cashew Tempeh with Sugar Snap Peas

Double Ginger Choc Chunk Muffins

Does anyone notice something amiss about that list though…?

Only one of them is a sweet recipe!
Gingerbread cookies are probably my favourites and seeing those gingerbread men popping up all over the blogosphere woke up my desire for something gingerbread-y. I would love to make a gingerbread house one day but I think I need to cultivate a little more patience before I attempt to do so. Gingerbread cake sounded like a safe bet instead.

This cake is somewhat reminiscent of the “parkin” my Granny used to make- a moist, well-spiced afternoon tea cake. Being me, I couldn’t stop at just the cake and had to top it with something yummy to make it extra special. I’ve always liked lemon and ginger together- I remember making this gorgeous tart a few years ago and adoring it- so a lemon cashew cream it was. This is pretty tangy which suits me, but add more sweetener to your taste. You could also use your favourite cream cheese frosting instead.

Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cashew Cream (GF):

Gingerbread Cake:

3/4C Apple Purée (unsweetened applesauce
1/2C Coconut Sugar
2T Molasses
3T Neutral Oil (I used organic sunflower oil)
1t Vanilla Extract
1C Brown Rice Flour
2t Cinnamon
1t Ground Ginger
1/4t Ground Nutmeg
1/8t Salt
2T Cocoa Powder
1t Baking Powder

Lemon Cashew Cream:

1C Cashews, soaked and rinsed
1/3C Lemon Juice
1/2C Water (+)
3 Medjool Dates OR 2T Agave Syrup
1/2T Coconut Oil
1t Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lightly oil a 9” square cake tin.

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients (apple purée through to vanilla)  in a medium bowl. Sift together remaining dry ingredients in another bowl. Add wet to dry and stir to fully combine.

Pour batter into the cake tin. It will be thin but you’re going to stack 2 halves so it needs to be!

Bake for 10-15 minutes until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool fully before frosting.

For the lemon cashew cream, blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender. You will likely need to scrape down the sides several times. Add more water if your blender is not so strong.

To assemble: Slice the cake vertically in half, spread one half with a generous amount of the cream then stack the other half on top. Cut into squares and top each piece with an extra dollop of cream and a little lemon zest.

Makes 8-10 pieces

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends.

I’m hoping to drop by again before Christmas day but until then  I hope everyone’s Christmas preparations are going well and, if you’re already finished with work or studies for the holidays, that you’re enjoying some rest and relaxation!

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Healthy, No-Bake Cranberry Jam Tarts

It’s only just occurred to me that many of you are probably not familiar with jam tarts. They’re very traditional in Britain and I have memories of them as a regular childhood treat, especially at birthday tea parties!

Usually a shortcrust pastry topped with a dab of jam and then baked, I always enjoyed them, especially when filled with my favourite- raspberry jam. You had to be patient and leave them to cool though as the jam would turn molten hot in the oven and you’d burn your tongue if you rushed to dig in!

Even if you’ve never tasted them I’m sure many of you have read Alice in Wonderland and might remember the scene with the Queen of Hearts and her jam tarts?

“The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts all on a summer’s day;

The Knave of Hearts he stole the tarts and took them clean away.

The King of Hearts called for the tarts and beat the Knave full sore

The Knave of Hearts brought back the tarts and vowed he’d steal no more! “

My version is a little different to the norm. I went for a variation on my usual nut and date no-bake tart crust instead of the pastry, adding in some oats to cut the richness a tad. With the crust already being sweet I didn’t want a super sweet filling so tangy cranberries were the perfect choice for my quick “jam”. Lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, maple syrup and orange juice it worked wonderfully in these.

I recommend making a double batch of jam as it’s fabulous with plenty of other things: the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas meal, a lovely topper for pancakes or ice cream, swirled into non-dairy yogurt, and I recently discovered that cranberry and hummus are rather a delicious duo too.

Healthy, No-Bake Cranberry Jam Tarts:

1C Almonds
1/2C Rolled Oats (not quick-cooking)
3/4C Soft Dates
Pinch of Salt

Quick Cranberry Jam:

1 1/2C Fresh OR Frozen Cranberries
2T Maple Syrup
2T Coconut Sugar
1/4C Orange Juice
1/2C (approx) Water
Zest of half an orange
1/2t Vanilla Extract

Using a food processor, blitz the almonds and oats together to form a fairly fine flour. Add the salt and the dates and process until you have a thick mixture which holds together when pinched between finger and thumb. You may need to add a couple of extra dates if it’s too crumbly.

Divide mixture between the 12 holes of a shallow cake/tartlet tin and press firmly in the base and up the sides to form 12 neat tart shells.

Refrigerate or freeze until ready to fill.

For the jam, place all ingredients except vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring, until the cranberries have all popped and the jam has thickened up. Pour into a jar and refrigerate until cool. (I left mine chunky but blend with an immersion blender if you prefer yours smooth)

Runn a knife around the edges of the tart shells to loosen them and pop them out of the tin. Fill each with a couple of teaspoons of the jam.

Serve at room temperature

Makes 12

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends.

Anything red and sparkly speaks Christmas to me at the moment so I think these pretty little tarts would be a nice bite-size dessert passed round with Christmas drinks or to accompany your cup of tea on those relaxed afternoons over Christmas.

So tell me, have you had a jam tart before?!

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Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad with Ginger-Almond Dressing

I called out to my Facebook followers this afternoon asking whether they’d prefer me to post a salad or dessert today and surprisingly the jury was divided! Sorry to those who wanted dessert but I went for the salad. Hopefully you won’t be too disappointed with my offering…

I know some might not think a salad appropriate for this time of year, but I beg to differ. Salad can be satisfying all year round in my book. I love my roasted roots too but even in the winter sometimes I feel like something a little fresher and don’t want to turn on the oven. This salad uses all seasonal ingredients- cabbage, apple and pomegranate, and the rich, nutty dressing with just a touch of ginger is naturally warming.

Aren’t those pomegranate seeds beautiful?! I’ve had pomegranates many a time but each time I open one I can’t help but marvel at how gorgeous they are. Those sparkling, jewel-like seeds clustered together….perfection in nature!

I wonder if you know about the amazing technique to easily seed pomegranates without creating a gigantic mess? Remove the seeds underwater! You just crack open the fruit, submerge it in a bowl of water and gently pry the seeds out with your fingers. The seeds will sink and the pith will float so you can easily skim it off. For full details see here.

The dressing is what really makes this salad sing. I did a lot of taste-testing while making it but luckily still had the perfect amount to generously coat everything. I added hemp seeds mainly for the health benefits but they also provide creaminess together with the almond butter. They do have a distinctive taste which I know not everyone’s fond of, so if you’re one of those people feel free to use another 2T of almond butter instead. Adjust ginger to taste as well.

Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad with Ginger-Almond Dressing:

1/2 Medium-sized head of green cabbage, shredded
1/4 Red Onion, very thinly sliced
1 Medium Eating Apple, thinly sliced (tossed in juice of 1/2 a lemon)
1/3-1/2C Pomegranate Seeds

Dressing:

2T Almond Butter (mine is unsalted, if you’re is salted you may like to decrease or omit salt listed)
2T Hemp Seeds
1T Agave Nectar
1/4C Fresh Orange Juice
1t Apple Cider Vinegar
1-2t Minced Fresh Ginger
1/4t Salt
Black Pepper

Combine cabbage, onion and apple in a large bowl. Tossing the apple in lemon prevents browning and adds a touch of tang to the salad.

Blend all the dressing ingredients together until smooth. If using only almond butter than you can whisk this together by hand.

Add the dressing to the salad and toss well. I used all of it but, depending on the size of your cabbage, you may not need it all.

Remove to a serving dish, top with a few grinds of black pepper and scatter over the pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy!

Do you eat raw salads all year round? Favourite uses for pomegranate seeds? I’ve got plenty of seeds left!

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Apple & Raisin Oaty Breakfast Cookies

I’m back, as promised, with a recipe!

I don’t talk much about breakfast around these parts. A little odd considering I’m a breakfast devotee. I understand that people are busy in the mornings and don’t have a lot of time to put something on the table, let alone eat, but for me breakfast is like lunch and dinner in that I don’t like to have the same thing day in, day out, even if it is easier to do so.

All the same, it tends to be variations on a theme- porridge, smoothies, muffins…pancakes, etc.

These “breakfast cookies” were borne out of my need for variety. They’re made from typical breakfast ingredients- all wholesome, sustaining, good-for-you things, just in a different form to the norm. I mean, who wouldn’t want to eat cookies for breakfast?!

I’ve seen quite a few recipes for breakfast cookies around but none of them were what I was looking for- either filled with sugar and definitely not something I’d want to start my day with, or just a bit too virtuous with no added sweetness or fat. My requirements were that they had to be healthy, satisfying AND tasty.

And so I set out on my mission…The batter looked and tasted good and fortunately the end result didn’t disappoint. After a 30-minute stint in the oven I was greeted with a tray of thick, chewy cookies, just sweet enough and with plenty of goodness to see me through a morning. These are ideal for days when my good intentions fall through and I find myself trying to choke down something whilst getting dressed and packing my bag…I can just grab a couple and run for the bus!

Apple & Raisin Oaty Breakfast Cookies:

1C Unsweetened Apple Purée
1/3C Almond Butter
3T Maple Syrup
1t Vanilla Extract
2C Rolled Oats (+ more to decorate)
1/2t Cinnamon
Large pinch of salt (Omit if your almond butter is salted)
1/2C Almond Meal (Scant 1C almonds ground in a food processor or spice grinder until a fine meal)
2/3C Raisins (OR substitute other dried fruit/nuts)

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

In a small bowl, stir apple purée, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. In a large bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, salt, almond meal and raisins.

Add wet to dry and stir well so everything is coated.

Using a cookie scoop or 1/4C measuring cup, scoop batter onto prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with moistened fingers and sprinkle with dry oats to decorate.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before removing from baking sheet

Makes 12

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-party, Wellness Weekends

Are you a breakfast person? If so, are you happy to eat the same thing every day?

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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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Virtual Vegan Potluck November 2013- Dessert

So excited to be part of the Virtual Vegan Potluck this year! I’ve only ever been to one potluck in “real life” before, but had such a great time that I think I need to organize some myself.

I hope you’ve saved some room for dessert because I’ve got a real treat in store for you!

As this is a party I figured I’d go all out with something a little special- I put together a few things for a mighty feast- Vegan Crêpes filled with Date & Orange Compote and “supremed” oranges (as we’re feeling fancy…). All topped off with a creamy cinnamon ice cream.

There are a few components to this dessert but they’re not time-consuming or difficult. You don’t have to make them all either. The crêpes and compote would still be delicious with vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or just make the quick compote and serve with ice cream if you don’t fancy making crêpes. Lots of options!

I was pretty pleased with how the crêpes turned out. I haven’t had much success in the past but scouted around online and combined a few recipes to come up with this one.

As for the compote- just a couple of ingredients simmered in a pan for 10 minutes turn into something magical. If you’re a long-time reader you’ll know how much I like to use dates in desserts. I love their caramel flavour and natural sweetness.

You don’t even need an ice-cream maker for this ice-cream! I learnt a nifty technique (see below) from blogger and cookbook author Ricki Heller– a life-changer for sure! This recipe is minimally adapted from the “Chai Ice-Cream” in her wonderful new book, Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free.

Date & Orange Compote:

1C (lightly packed)Dates, pitted and chopped
Juice of 1 Orange
Zest of 1/2 Orange
1T Lemon Juice
1/2C Water

Combine all ingredients in a small pan and simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and dates have broken down (10-15 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Cinnamon Ice Cream:

1/2C Cashews
1C Canned Coconut Milk (full-fat)
1C Non-dairy milk
1 Medium Banana
1/4C Agave Nectar
10 Drops of Stevia, or to taste (optional)
1T Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt

If using an ice-cream maker, set it up according to the manufacturer’s directions. Otherwise, set 6-8 silicone muffin cups, or 3 silicone ice-cube trays.

Add all ingredients to a high-power blender and blend until completely smooth. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups or ice-cube trays until firm; pop out of the cups or trays and into Ziploc bags. Store in the freezer until ready to use.

When ready to make the ice cream, remove 1 muffin-sized disk or 4 ice cubes per serving. Chop the muffin disk into pieces. Place in the food processor and process until it resembles breadcrumbs. Press down with a rubber spatula, then continue to process just until the mixture begins to come together in a ball. Use an ice-cream scoop, as usual, to serve.

Vegan Crêpes:

1/2C All-Purpose Flour (Preferably Organic, Unbleached)
1t Coconut Sugar
1/8t Salt
1/2C + 2T Non-dairy Milk
1T Melted Coconut Oil
1T Maple Syrup

Sift together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, melted coconut oil and maple syrup and whisk to a smooth batter. Refrigerate the bowl for 30mins-1hr (depending on how impatient you are).

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and lightly grease with a little coconut oil. Add a few tablespoons batter to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Cook for 1-2 minutes and carefully flip it once it loosens from the pan’s surface (Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t turn out, my first of a batch is almost always a failure). Cook on the other side for a further minute, or until speckled brown.

Remove to a plate covered with a piece of parchment paper and keep warm in a low-temperature oven until you’ve finished cooking.

Repeat the process with the rest of the batter. You should be able to make 4-6 crêpes, enough for 2 people.

Spread one side of the crêpes with the compote, tuck in a few slices of orange and fold over.

Serve topped with more oranges, another dollop of compote and a scoop of cinnamon ice-cream.

Serves 2 (with plenty of leftover compote and ice-cream)

Are you just jumping in to the Virtual Vegan Potluck? You can go to the very beginning by visiting our lovely host over at Vegan Bloggers Unite.

Visit the dish before mine by clicking the button below:

See what comes after my dish by clicking the button below:

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Vegan Delish App: Recipe & Giveaway!

I’m sure many of my readers are already familiar with Carrie. But if not, here’s a little introduction:

“Carrie Forrest is a graduate student in public health nutrition, author of the popular blog, Carrie on Vegan, and creator of the best-selling app for iPhones and iPads, Vegan Delish, featuring healthy recipes using whole food ingredients. As a thyroid cancer survivor, she is keenly aware of the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Carrie has been vegan since 2010 based on her love for animals and a commitment to making the world a more compassionate place.”

As you can probably tell, Carrie’s a pretty inspirational woman. She’s doing a wonderful job in educating others about the benefits of a wholefoods, plant-based diet, and with her advice and tips, recipes and app she makes it more than possible for anyone to follow suit.

Vegan Delish is exactly as it’s described “A Dynamic Recipe App to Nourish Your Healthy Life”. Carrie has thought of everything to make it as easy as possible to eat good, healthy, vegan food.

You can see the iTunes preview page for the app here and read what other people have to say about it too.

A long with an abundance of frequently updated recipes, there are several snazzy features:

– You can save all your favourites in a file for later with just a click of a button. Especially useful for someone like me who’s always coming across new recipes to try and then forgetting about them.

– As well as browsing the recipes from A-Z, you can search by category. There’s a huge list of categories from the typical Breakfasts, Main Dishes and Desserts to Holiday, Party Foods, Pressure Cooker, Kid Friendly and more. I liked that you can also search by keyword– it’s always useful to be able to find a recipe when you’ve got a few things hanging around but don’t know what to do with them. A search for black beans, for example, pulled up the likes of “BBQ Baked Beans,” “Jalapeno Baked Bean Hummus” “Slow Cooker Indian Stew” and “Spinach & Black Bean Brownies”!

– You can share your top picks on social media, email to friends or print with a single click.

– Finally, another brilliant feature is the Shopping List. Again, Carrie’s made it all too easy for us. When looking at a recipe we can click the ingredients to add them individually to our list, or, if we don’t have any of them, add them all in one go. No excuses for forgetting to buy a key ingredient.

Carrie was kind enough to let me share one of the recipes from the app with you which I’ve just made and love! No-Bake PB & J Pie! It’s a delicious, decadent-tasting dessert, but as with all the recipes, it’s made using only wholefoods.

No Bake PB&J Pie

Published with permission of Vegan Delish

Ingredients:

12 ounces/350g silken tofu
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup strawberry preserves (no added sugar)
2 cups almonds
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups medjool dates, pitted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. To make the crust, place almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Process on high for 30 seconds until almonds are finely ground. Add oats to the almonds in the food processor and process for another 15 seconds or until both ingredients are finely ground.

2. With the processor running, add the dates one at a time or until all three ingredients are combined. Pulse in the water to moisten.

3. Use a spatula to pour the ingredients into a pie dish and use your hands to press the mixture evenly in the dish, including up the sides. Put the crust in the refrigerator to set while you make the filling.

4. To make the filling, combine the tofu, strawberry preserves, dates, vanilla extract, and peanut butter in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.

5. Pour the filling mixture into the pie crust and use a spatula to smooth. Let the pie set in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Serves 10

Note- Pictured above is my mini version ( I quartered the recipe, used raspberry preserves and also added a little fruity drizzle, just raspberry preserves thinned out with water). Most of the recipes follow the same theme as I’ve been talking about recently- quick and easy whilst still being tasty, nourishing and satisfying.

I”m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-ups: Healthy Vegan Fridays and Wellness Weekends

Now it’s giveaway time!

I’ve got three free codes for the app so we’ll have three winners. Unfortunately, the codes only work in the US so this is open to US readers only. I’ve got a few other giveaways lined up for UK readers though so stay tuned! The app itself is available to iphone/ipad users worldwide for just $2.99 or £1.99. You’ve got until Monday to enter- details below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ve somehow managed to narrow down my selection to just a few recipes to go on the “must try soon” list: the Pumpkin Spice Muffins (gluten-free, grain-free and sugar-free!), Curried Stuffed Mushrooms, Ginger-Hemp Dressing and the Zucchini-Corn Fritters. How good does that all sound?

Good Luck!

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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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