Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

As the days grow shorter and the maple leaves start to turn a golden hue, it reminds us all to stock up on winter produce that stores well. In my case, I turned to my trusty farmer's market stands, and scouted for some nice, big winter squashes.

I got a few acorns, a couple of ambercups, a nice, big hubbard, and a couple of small carnival squashes. Last but not least, I got a cute little squash that looked like a hubbard, but smaller and less egg-shaped. I didn't think to ask at the time, but I looked it up when I got home and it turns out it's called "Blue Ballet", ah heirloom hubbard variety sold by Seeds of Change. Our Farmer's Market is a pesticide-, herbicide-, and GMO-free zone; the town of Powell River itself is actually the first GMO-free zone in North America!

So, yesterday being a lazy Friday, I started rummaging through my fridge and produce. I already had some baby lima beans soaking, so I grabbed my Blue Ballet and got to work.

Baby limas are one of my favorite beans - not only a simple comfort food that reminds me of my Gramma, but they're a good source of protein, and I find them easily digestible. I tend to have a hard time with heavier proteins (like gluten! haha.. but also meats, and larger beans) so I generally stay away from beans, but I really love lima beans. I think these baby limas give a great boost to this puréed soup because they have a delicate, creamy texture, and the skins aren't too thick so they cream right up!

I initially didn't think to put coconut milk in, honestly. I had puréed the soup down and it was smooth and delicious - but needed something. And then it came to me: coconut milk! :)


Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

1 "Blue Ballet" squash (or any Hubbard or dry winter squash)
1 cup baby lima beans (soaked overnight, drained)
10 cups veggie stock
1 rather large carrot, sliced into rounds
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2-3/4 can of coconut milk (don't use the "light", it's just watered down)
salt and pepper to taste

After you've quartered and seeded your squash, bake it in a 350 degree oven until tender (about an hour). I put mine into a baking dish with about 1/2'' of water in the bottom, so it wouldn't dry out too much. Scoop out the flesh, which should make about two cups.

Bring 10 cups of stock to a boil in a large pot. Add beans; continue to cook on high. Add garlic, carrot rounds, and the flesh of the pumpkin. Once it returns to a boil, reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Simmer for about an hour until the beans are tender. If the soup gets too thick and starts to stick (I rhymed!) add some more stock. You want a very thick soup, but not dry. ;)

When everything is tender, turn off the heat. With either a hand blender (which is what I have - so handy! hehe) or food processor, blend the soup down until smooth. Add half a can of coconut milk, and blend again, adding more coconut milk to get the desired consistency. I like a thick soup, though. :)

Garnish with shredded coconut and a pinch of paprika. Enjoy!

Herbacious Fried Potatoes

Not THAT kind of herb, you sillies! This is a family blog. :P

The other night, Jeremy and I had baked potatoes. I made up a few extra for leftovers, knowing I would grab them at random for a quick meal. Oh, how right I was!

Let me just say, I never get tired of fried potatoes. I love super-garlicky, herbified morsels of soft yet crispy potato deliciousness. I used to go crazy as a kid for a huge mound of fried potatoes, with a couple hot fried eggs on top. Being a vegan now, I don't do the eggs, but who says I can't enjoy a big, greasy pile of carbohydrates once in awhile? ;)

I love this recipe because it's so versatile. I used the leftover baked potatoes here, but I also do the same thing with simple par-boiled potatoes (which have a softer, more delicate texture - the baked Russets are more robust).

I call this recipe "herbacious" because I cover (as you can see) the potatoes with fresh herbs from the garden. I'm using parsley, rosemary, and chives for this dish, but you can use whatever herbs you have available to you. I'd love a good mix of thyme, oregano, and marjoram also. They're all good in my book!

I also want to touch on the garlic I used. It's a younger, fresher garlic than you find in the stores, and also has more depth of flavour without the intense bite. I can eat these raw (but then, I'm quite the garlic lover!) These little beauties generally have 4-6 cloves per bulb of garlic, without the tiny little cloves you have to smear across the cutting board to get the paper off of. They actually have hardly any inner-layers of paper. So, if it sounds to you like I'm adding a lot of garlic (which I am) just use a couple cloves less.

Herbacious Fried Potatoes

3-4 large baked Russet potatoes, cut into medium-sized chunks
8 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
2 tsp. minced rosemary
oil for frying (I use coconut oil. Mmm...)
salt and pepper to taste

In a non-stick skillet, heat oil on high. Add potatoes, season with salt (don't be shy now), and stir constantly until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium, and add in the garlic. Continue to move the potatoes around to prevent the garlic from burning.

Once the garlic has cooked a bit (about 4-5 min, depending on your stove) turn heat back up to high until the potatoes are hot and sizzling again. Add the herbs and grind on pepper to taste.

Toss to coat, until the herbs have just wilted. Serve with a nice chopped salad or tofu scramble!

Chow!

Gluten-Free Review: Viva la Campagna! (con pancakes!)

The coast ranges of Central Oregon don't really have much in common with the coast ranges of Italy's Campagna. More maples and pines, not so many olives and cedars. But we found Campagna Gourmet's delectable Olive and Sundried Tomato Pesto at a country farm stand on the main road from Salem (not Salerno) to Pacific City, and snagged a jar for beach picnicking.

... Which we totally forgot to do. As I was putting away some of the last bits from the wedding trip (read: The "Where the heck are we going to put this?!" boxes) I spied the jar, along with a Hot Pepper Jelly (from the same company) we picked up at the same time.

Pestos are usually loaded with Parmesan cheese, so finding a vegan pesto is always a bonus. The texture is spot-on. It has a smooth yet coarse mouth feel, with just the right amount of oiliness, and little flavor bursts from the herbs.

As a spread, though, the richness of the sundried tomatoes and the oily delight of the olives is overwhelmed by the salt content. Unfortunately, it's just too salty. What this product is perfectly suited for is blending; it would be an exquisite base for puttanesca sauce, or folded into hummous for a flavor boost.

I love savoury pancakes, and the pesto makes a perfect addition (as well as a garnish). Normally my savoury pancakes are full of veggies in varying combinations, but in the interest of letting the pesto take the spotlight, I've simply added some fresh tomatoes and chopped sweet onions. I used amaranth and millet from my bulk grain jars, coarse-milled just before cooking in my coffee grinder for maximum freshness! :)

The pesto adds an intense depth to these rustic cakes, set off by the sweetness of the onions and tomatoes. The kale, with its dark, bitter overtones, is the perfect complement.


Campagna Pancakes

2/3 cup millet flour
2/3 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened soymilk
1/4 cup Campagna Olive and Sundried Tomato Pesto
2 roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced (into little half-moons)
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
1 small bunch of basil, chopped

Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in soymilk and mix thoroughly. Then, add Campagna (I just like saying it - say it with me now: Caaampaagnaaa) Pesto, tomatoes, basil, and chopped onion.

Dip a 1/4 cup measure into the batter and pour into a large frying pan over medium heat (about three per batch). Cook on one side until the bubbles pop and batter doesn't sink back in.

When the down side arrives at a nice dark golden brown, flip! When the second side reaches the same color, go ahead and take 'em out. Next round...

Be sure to serve them hot and crispy, as they lose that nice texture after sitting a while. If you must let them stand, try putting them on a wire grate rather than a platter.

Garnish with chiffonaded basil, a dollop of the pesto and some simple kale (below). Makes about 18 pancakes.

Simple Kale

1/4 sweet onion, chopped
6 kale leaves, stemmed & chopped
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying

In a pan, warm oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden. Toss in kale leaves, lemon juice and vinegar, and saute for about a minute, just until the kale brightens in color. Transfer to a bowl to prevent overcooking.

Update! GlutenFreeHippie.com!

Hello everyone!!

I'm so pleased to tell all of you that my blog is now hosted on GlutenFreeHippie.com! Yay!! I'm so excited to have my own domain name now. And don't worry, Blogger will automatically redirect to the new site, so you don't have to change your bookmarks. ;)

There are also some new things in the works: a new affiliate program, a Gluten-Free Hippie store, and a new blog that's all about chocolate! Look for these things up on my site in the near future!

I'm really glad that things are back up and running, and very much in full swing! I missed posting my fun recipes while I was off getting married!

So, today, being a Sunday, and having just set up my new site, I'm off to the lake. ;) See you tomorrow!

Blessings and foodie love,
Lyra

Quinoa-Millet Salad with Ambercup Squash

I went on my weekly (weekendly, to be more accurate) Farmer's Market run today, and I'm so pleased! Among my finds: a huge bunch of kale in different varieties, a bag of fat, juicy carrots, and Roma tomatoes.

At one booth, I saw what I took to be the first pumpkins of the season. The lady who grows them told me that despite the look, they're not actually pumpkins, but a drier, more flavorful winter squash called "Ambercup".

A challenge, if I ever did see one! :D

So this dish is a mildly sweet, protein-rich grain salad. I only used a quarter of the squash, so I'll make a nice creamy soup with the leftovers.


Quinoa-Millet Salad with Ambercup Squash

1/2 cup each quinoa and millet, cooked (can be cooked together!)
2 cups cooked winter squash, chopped
2 kale leaves, chopped fine
1 large carrot, shredded finely
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. honey or agave
1 1/2 Tb. olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
splash of orange juice (maybe 2 Tbsp.)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
salt to taste

In a food processor, grind sunflower seeds down to a coarse meal. In a large bowl, mix sunflower seeds, kale, and carrots, and toss lightly. Then, add the vinegar, honey, oil, and cinnamon.

Once your quinoa mix and squash are done, throw them into the bowl. Drizzle the lemon and orange over the top, toss, and season to taste. Serve warm! :)

Raspberry-Acai Gazpacho

Gazpacho is definitely a summer favorite of mine – light and cooling, it's the perfect introduction to an outdoor meal served on the patio. Traditionally it’s based around mostly tomatoes and bread (of all things!) – but I wanted something more fruity, showcasing fresh raspberries, so I came up with this little ditty! :) I think the contrast of the acidic onions and peppers with the sweet, tangy (sub-acid) raspberries makes for a nice complement.

Raspberry-Acai Gazpacho

1 medium tomato, diced, 1 tbsp. reserved
2 medium bell peppers, diced, 1 tbsp. each reserved (any color except green)
1/2 small sweet onion, diced, 1 tbsp. reserved
1/2-pint raspberries, crushed
1 cup raspberry-acai juice*
1/3 cup orange juice
Juice of 1/2 lime

Blend tomato, peppers, and onion in a food processor until mostly smooth. Mix remaining ingredients and serve garnished with the reserved diced tomato and peppers.


*If you can't find raspberry-acai juice, you can blend up some extra raspberries with 3/4 cup of acai juice, which can be found at health food stores.

Of Moose and Melons: A Faerieworlds/Wedding Story

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but we just got home! We arrived in Powell River yesterday morning at 1a.m., wow!

This was my fifth year attending the Faerieworlds Festival (Aug. 1-3), and I have to say that this year was the best year I've ever attended. Camping with all of my FW friends from all over the world definitely put it over the top for me; I really enjoyed the intense community of family that we all put together, and a lot of us had never met in person! That's a hard thing to pull off, for sure.

Ironically, I think the best night was after FW was over! Sunday night, we all converged on our camp for food, fire, and firewater! Thanks to Sammy for creating such an amazing, gigantic curry feast for everyone. And Sammy, Cat and Dede were also pretty liberal with their home-made Limoncello... Yum!

Jeremy & I got a chance to firedance (fire fans!!) together for the first time, and our friend Brandon got a chance to do something he'd always dreamed of: a hoop-strip that had him spinning while disrobing, ending up in nothing but gold lamé hotpants and a sequined bow-tie, lying on his back with one leg extended up, spinning his fire hoop with his foot! Then there was Yona, who firedanced in nothing but my frilly new bloomers! The whole evening was better than any bachelor/ette party we could have asked for. :)

After FW, we went back to Eugene, picking up odds and ends that we hadn't already acquired for the wedding, and then on Tuesday evening, we headed to the coast. A few of my family members were already at Whalen Island, Oregon, the camp ground we'd picked for the event. Whalen Island is an island in a coastal estuary south of Tillamook that just got turned into a nature preserve. It's full of all kinds of waterfowl, shellfish, even foxes - and when the tide goes out, there's sand flats for miles around the island!

On Wednesday, we had a small gathering of friends and family for my birthday, and I firedanced for my family for the first time! And thankfully, we'd even set up a separate kitchen for vegans and those with food allergies. :) Oh, what merriment was had!

Thursday, more people were showing up and we started to scout the location of the ceremony. We saw the sun a couple of times, but mostly low-lying clouds kept the atmosphere cool and mysterious - a blessing, considering how much we'd baked in the hot sun at Faerieworlds! We had a large sail borrowed from a friend that we had planned on setting up as a shade structure, but we didn't end up using it (which turned out to be a good thing, as pretty strong winds came up Friday and Saturday).

Friday, August 8th: The main event!

Our original plan had been to have the ceremony on the beach, but the older folks weren't really up to the walk, so we were going to change to a grassy location by the water... until the wind came up. We found a little sheltered area, almost a chapel secluded among the trees, and set up there.

The ceremony was beautiful: our friend Ariella (who is a musician, trained opera singer, and cantorial soloist) was the officiant, and she did an amazing job writing it with us. She knew exactly what we wanted with very little help from us - very nature-based, loosely Jewish, with emphasis on an equal, spiritual partnership between our hearts, minds and bodies. During the ceremony she passed around a hemp string for everyone to hold a piece of, representing the connection we all have with one another, while she sang three of the traditional seven blessings. I arranged the ceremonial altar myself, with objects that hold meaning to us (a few pieces of which were found objects from FW.) Our flower girl, who was Jeremy's seven-year-old niece, Shira, quite animatedly flung the flowers (that she picked herself) at us. Our chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) was supported by seven-foot poles from downed saplings, topped with a wool blanket that Jeremy got in the Greek Islands. We exchanged rings of hammered rose gold, made by a wonderful artist from Portland. Most of the seating was bamboo mats and tapestries on the grass. Oh, and the bouquets for the bridesmaids and I were made from lavender, marjoram, roses (for me), basil and mint (for them) and get this: purple KALE leaves and flowers! It fit perfectly with our purple/green color theme.



After the ceremony, we all gathered in Camp Central (my Uncle Sunny's gift to me) and loaded up on vegan root veggie curry (and various meats that my carnivorous family provided), with gluten-free, organic vegan mini-cupcakes from Divine Cupcake in Eugene. The tablecloths for the dining tables (read: picnic tables!) were fabric which my mom will make into a quilt for us.

Once it got dark, Me, Jeremy, and half a dozen of our friends firedanced for the crowd. Jeremy and I did fire fans together again and overall had a pretty wonderful time. There was one time toward the end of the night where I yelled "Ok everyone! Anyone who wants to hug the bride can do it right over here!!". Surprisingly quickly, I had about 25 people all snuggled around me, swaying back and forth, ohming loudly in various harmonies, which lasted a good 5 minutes! :)

Saturday, we woke up to two cases of young coconuts being opened and passed around by our friend Fenicks, who arrived late Friday night. We had intended to stay and chill one more day, but it was getting a little too chilly by then, with rain forecast for the evening, so we all packed up and said our goodbyes. Literally 30 seconds after the last people got finished packing and closed the car doors, it started POURING down rain! Like big, heavy bucket loads. Jeremy and I were having lunch in town at that point, and were watching the raindrops shoot sideways against the windows. What an intense send-off!

The next week was spent in Vancouver, WA getting marriage and name change stuff taken care of, and seeing more family and friends. Ironically, after the cool reception we'd had at the coast, the temperature started soaring, hitting 105 on Thursday. Our Gypsy van started having trouble in the heat, so we took her to a repair shop, they couldn't recreate the problem she was having, so we chalked it up to heat issues.

On Friday, we headed up to Seattle to spend the night with our friend Nora, and on Saturday, just past the border, we got caught in traffic. It turned out that someone had run out of gas on a bridge a couple of miles ahead of where we were, and that's when Gypsy started acting up again. Chalking it up to heat yet again, we pulled off to the side of the road and sat in the shade for about an hour. Once traffic let up a bit, were back on the way, but only for a short while. Traffic slowed to a crawl again once we got onto the bridge, and she finally died going uphill. A very nice traffic guy gave us a nudge to get over the bridge, and we coasted downhill and made our way to a place we could pull off. We waited and waited, but Gypsy wouldn't restart. We stayed with a cousin of a friend there overnight, who was wonderfully obliging, and took us out to eat since we'd spent the last of our money in the car shop in Vancouver, WA. We packed a couple bags of necessities, and took the bus to Powell River, finally arriving Monday morning at 1a.m.

So, our van will have to be donated to charity (everything that would need to be fixed to get her to run and then all the rest that would go into getting her fixed to be licensed and registered in BC just doesn't make financial sense) and all of our stuff from our month-long trip is sitting in a garage in Port Coquitlam, south of Vancouver, BC.

With that said, we're still in high spirits and feeling good about everything that happened. We have to let go of our most wonderful Gypsy van, but it could've happened very differently, so we're thankful that everything happened the way it did. We still have Pixie, our VW Cabriolet convertible, so money that would've been used to fix Gypsy will now be put toward winterizing Pixie.

...And this, my beautiful Foodie friends, is why we embrace Chaos. ^.~*


Blessings and exhausted, chaotic love,
Lyra and Jeremy

Update

Hello everyone!

As you've probably noticed, I've put this blog on the back burner for awhile. I love writing this blog, but there are far too many things taking up my time right now for me to be able to write on a regular basis.

I do plan to keep The Gluten-Free Hippie going, but I need to let you all know that I'll be taking a break until after out wedding, August 8th of this year. We'll be leaving for Portland next week to finish with wedding plans and see family, then the wedding will held on the Oregon coast on the 8th of next month. :)

Unfortunately, I don't have any guest bloggers lined up. BUT! I will be writing and taking pictures of food that I create (or find at restaurants) so I can post them when the craziness has subsided.

I look forward to cookin' up a storm and writing for you again soon!


Blessings,
Lyra

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

June is the time when local northern gardens finally break away from the tyranny of winter and cool weather crops like kale and chard. The first and finest of fruits are sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb!

Rhubarb is not only tasty, it's been used for generations as a medicinal herb, dating back to 2700 BC in China! Ben Franklin sent rhubarb seeds from Scotland to Philadelphia, introducing rhubarb to North America. It helps with many different stomach issues, aids digestion, and is an astringent and laxative. You'll want to avoid the leaves though, they have toxic levels of oxalic acid.

As we all know, the best chefs pair contrasting flavours to create foods that dazzle. Strawberry-Rhubarb pie is an old tradition, but it's usually over-sweetened. Try this simple recipe which allows the tartness of the rhubarb to shine through, and also gives a fun contrast between the hot compote and the cold ice cream.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

12 stalks rhubarb, sliced (or roughly 4 cups)
4 cups strawberries, destemmed and halved
2 Tb. white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
4 Tb. brown sugar
splash of water
a few heaping scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream!

In a medium pan, bring rhubarb, strawberries, and water to medium-hight heat. Add wine and brown sugar, and turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and let sit for ten minutes with the lid off (or not if you're impatient, like me. :)) You want the finished product to be thick, but not gooey. It'll thicken a bit as it cools.

Spoon a generous amount of your fresh compote over the ice cream, and enjoy!

Tropicalmond Cheesecake! (Raw)

This fun dessert was made for June's Royal Foodie Joust, which showcases raspberries, almonds, and lime. My room mate Candace and I have been dying to make a raw vegan cheesecake for months, and when this month's Joust ingredients were announced, we knew we had to go up to our elbows in CASHEW CHEESE!

As a vegan, I don't do dairy cheeses, so we decided to experiment with a non-dairy alternative. Cashew cheese is made by fermenting pureed cashews with probiotics and Rejuvelac, a fizzy fermented beverage (typically made from sprouted wheat berries), which helps boost the fermentation process. We use buckwheat to make our rejuvelac because it's not only gluten-free, but has an earthy, nutty flavour. We really wanted the almonds to shine through in this dish, so we only put about a cup of cheese into it. I'm definitely making an all-cheese cake soon, with full instructions and pictures on making your own cashew cheese. How can I resist? ;)

Tropicalmond Cheesecake


Crust:
1 1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
7 dates, soaked for 5 minutes
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

First, take a small amount of plastic wrap and cover the bottom of a spring form pan.

Put all ingredients except oil into a food processor until it's a medium-fine crumb. Add coconut oil and process until just incorporated. Press into the bottom of the spring form pan, and put into the fridge.

Filling:
2 cups soaked almonds
2 cups water
5 Tbsp. agave (or other liquid sweetener)
4 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 cup cashew cheese*
2 cups frozen raspberries, 1/4 cup reserved
1/2 tsp. vanilla
juice of one lime
2 sliced bananas
6-8 sliced kiwis (no need to skin them)

In a blender, liquefy your almonds and water. Toss in everything else except the bananas, kiwis and reserved raspberries. Blend until very smooth, then gently fold in the reserved raspberries. Take out your spring form pan, and pour half of the filling in. Then, gently add a thick layer of bananas, and pour the rest of your filling over the top. Garnish the top with sliced kiwis, and chill in the freezer until the center has set, about 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Ruby Apple Juice

Up until Wednesday of this week I was doing a cleanse.

It was a simple, non-invasive herbal formula you're supposed to drink three times a day with apple juice. Your diet can be the same as before, but my room mate and I decided to take it a step up and go mostly raw. This was great for us, since the days are getting warmer, because we could eat raw food without needing to keep warm during the day. Our meals consisted mostly of juices, salads with fresh, local greens and sprouted beans (chickpeas mostly, mmm,) and seed pate, usually with steamed or roasted veggies for dinner. I've got some fun recipes from that that I'll be posting soon, but for now, I'd like to start with talking about juice!

Fruit and Vegetable juices for breakfast is something I'm definitely adopting long-term. It gets assimilated quickly (which is needed for morning exercise and garden play), and it's quick, fun to make, and very easily transportable. It makes me feel great! :) I'm not a fan of huge breakfasts anyway, because I'm always left feeling weighed down all day as a result.

If you don't have a juicer but would love to make some fresh juice, you can probably throw it all in the food processor and squeeze the juice out through cheesecloth. I'd recommend investing in a juicer, however, which comes in a wide range of prices. I'm currently saving up for a Champion Juicer*, which not only juices, but makes nut butters, fruit sorbets, etc. and is the only juicer of its kind that's still made in the United States.

This is a simple, flavourful juice that's made with things that most of us have on hand to begin with. The hint of ginger gives it a nice little kick. I could totally drink this every day. :)

Ruby Apple Juice

4 medium apples (I used two galas and two pink ladies)
2 large carrots
1 small beet
1 inch fresh ginger root

Run all ingredients into the juicer, and serve! Makes about 2 cups.

*Want to help me get a Champion Juicer sooner? Donate to the cause! :)

Cardamom-Glazed Grilled Mango

I think that by now, everyone knows how much I love mangoes.

When I read the ingredients for this month's Royal Foodie Joust, put on by the Leftover Queen, I about squealed with delight. They were right up my alley: mangoes, cardamom, and brown sugar! With spring coming on, and our days getting warmer by the minute, I couldn't resist grilling up some mango with my room mate's new grill. :)

I love the way this recipe turned out. It's quick, easy, and incredibly tasty. SO happy I thought to grill them! The slightly-burned sugar gives the mango a really nice caramelized flavour, which compliments the cardamom beautifully. Enjoy!

Cardamom-Glazed Grilled Mango

2 ripe mangoes, skin on, cubed
4 Tb. brown sugar
3 green cardamom pods, shelled and ground
2 Tb. dessicated coconut
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

about 6 skewers, soaked in water

Set your grill to high heat (we use propane) and get it warming up.

Mix all ingredients together (except the mango) in a bowl. Holding on by the skin, dip the mango into the sugar mixture, coating every side. Load the skewers with the crusted mango, and set on the grill. Let it go until it just starts to blacken (about 2 mins), and flip, doing the same with the other side. Serve on a bed of greens and sprinkle with a little pan-toasted coconut.

Hippies Love Mac and Cheeze!

Macaroni and cheese is pretty much the epitome of comfort food. But what's a gluten-free vegan to do? We need comfort too!

I've found over the past few years that I'll still be drawn by the siren call of the soft pasta... the gooey unnaturally-orange cheese mixture... but I know that if I give in an chow down on it, I'll regret it right away. Bloat - bleh!

There is pre-packaged vegan mac and cheese out there, too, but they definitely leave something to be desired. I had to find a home-made alternative! When I started making the cashew cream, it occurred to me that I could thicken it with nutritional yeast, which gives a nice cheesy flavor to things. Starting from a base of rice pasta, and adding the cashew cheese, and some additional flavors - I found the perfect blend. I hope you, too, will find a little comfort here.


Hippies love Mac & Cheeze

20 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 2 cups water
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. Wheat-Free Tamari
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
sea salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Roux:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. rice flour (I actually used sprouted ground quinoa that I had on hand)
1 Tbsp. ground flax
3 Tbsp. olive oil (or more if needed)

To make a roux, brown onion and garlic with 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add flour and flax, with 2 Tbsp. oil, and sauté until golden, stirring constantly. Take off the heat. If it gets way too thick, feel free to add some boiling water.

In a high-powered blender, blend cashews and sun-dried tomatoes (with soak water) until creamy. Then you can add the rest of the ingredients, including the roux, and blend until it's all smooth and incorporated.

Pour over steaming rice pasta and serve! If you like, you can add some of your favorite veggies: peas, beets, corn, broccoli, etc. Get creative! :)

Coconut-Spice Roasted Walnuts

Today was a walnut day.

Now, just so we're clear: I ALWAYS soak my walnuts. Always. They have a bitter quality that is very off-putting for me unless I soak them. Soaking nuts in water removes enzyme inhibitors - which are aptly named - and also wakes up the nuts, allowing them to germinate. This leads to better digestibility and higher nutrient content. Walnuts, because they break in the shelling process, can't fully germinate. However, all the bitterness does leach out, leaving a soft, mild, almost sweet nut. Next time I soak my nuts, I'll take a picture to show you the dark, ruddy-brown colored water that's left.

I had a great big bowl left over from a prior experiment, and it was about time for them to be eaten. I didn't want to do a raw dish necessarily (read: "yeah, you really should COOK those... starting to look a bit dodgy") and I hadn't roasted nuts in ages! These walnuts were begging for a spice rub.

Coconut-Spice Roasted Walnuts

3 cups freshly soaked walnuts
3 Tb. dry shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tb. sunflower oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients together, then add lemon and oil. This should make a thick liquid. In a larger bowl, pour the wet spices over the walnuts, and toss to coat. Turn out onto a cookie sheet, and place in the oven.

You'll want to stir up the walnuts every 15 minutes or so, making sure to mix in the smaller bits from the corners. It'll take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours or so, until the pan dries out and the walnuts aren't steaming anymore.

When they're thoroughly dry they make a different sound when they're mixed, almost like they're hollow. You'll hear it when they get there. ;)

Chocolate-Rose Parfait

Well, I got back from Los Angeles last week, and boy did I need some down time after that! What a crazy trip - an exciting roller coaster of food, fun, and friends, not to mention great things to write about!

Since getting back, I've been experimenting a TON with cashews. I saw a couple places make raw cheese from cashews, as well as other things, so I'm going to be posting a lot of recipes in the future that use cashews. They're seriously THE most versatile nut (or seed, even) that I've found so far.

The roomies and I were spending another sunny spring day in the back yard, talking about food (like we usually do) and the idea to make chocolate parfait came into conversation. I wouldn't have thought to use rose water, except our rose bushes were blooming unusually early, and the flowers were simply striking in the (mostly) warm sunlight. What a treat, to pay homage to those lovely yellow roses!

This recipe is particularly good because it's almost like a vegan cashew nutella. (More on that thought as it develops. ;)) For our next installment of the "Tour de Cashew", allow me to present:

Chocolate-Rose Parfait

3 cups cashews
1 2/3 light coconut milk (1 can)
2 Tbsp. rose water
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp agave (or honey)

a pint fresh strawberries, sliced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced

In a high speed blender, puree everything except fruit until smooth. It'll take a lot of scraping down in the blender toward the end because it gets so thick. Alternatively, you can blend the coconut and cashews first, then hand-mix the rest in. You really just want extra creamy cashews.

In a nice glass (we used martini, but you'll probably want something bigger!) layer the chocolate cream, strawberries, and bananas. Garnish with extra fruit, or even rose petals. We used plum blossoms from our huge tree in the back yard!

Almond-Crusted Tofu

Deep-fried tofu has always been a favorite of mine - that firm, crispy outside protecting the soft, delicate inside. Needless to say it has always been something I choose at Asian restaurants, and something I make at home as a treat for myself.

This time, I decided to make a slightly different variant on my usual fried tofu with a basic starch batter. I've been experimenting with almond meal a lot, and had a little (starch tainted) leftover from an experiment earlier in the day, so I whipped out my tofu and heated some oil!

I really love the way this turned out - it's definitely not your average crispy tofu. The almond meal gives it a crumbly-like texture on the outside, but it doesn't crumble off the tofu like you'd expect. I should've made three packs and kept the rest for leftovers. This is definitely my new fried tofu standby.

Almond-Crusted Tofu

1 pound firm tofu, drained and sliced into long cutlets
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup tapioca starch
salt to taste
oil for frying (I used sunflower)


In a deep, non-stick pan or pot, heat oil (about an inch deep) on medium-high heat. You want it just hot enough to make the end of a chopstick bubble if you dip it in.

While the oil is heating, mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Next, you can either dump the tofu in and toss to coat (like I did) or you can bread them individually. I found that the mix made just enough to coat a pound of tofu, but if you need a bit more, you can add a couple more tablespoons of meal and a couple teaspoons of starch.

When the oil is hot, gently lay the breaded cutlets into the pan. Check for browning after about 3 minutes - you want a light golden color on the outside. I prefer to flip the cutlets with chopsticks, as it minimizes splatters.

When the cutlets are browned on both sides, drain on a dish towel. (Or paper towel, but dish towels are washable) Plate and serve with sweet pepper sauce* for dipping.


*I couldn't find the brand that I use online, but it's your basic sweet pepper sauce from the Asian market. It's a tall red-labeled bottle that says "Sweet Pepper Sauce for Chicken"


Enjoy!

Spicy Mango-Cucumber Salad - Raw

Being in Los Angeles has really made me realize that I'm truly and utterly in love with tropical fruit. Not just coconut, but mangoes, avocados, bananas, and pineapple, among others. That's something I really miss about L.A. - the convenience and availability of tropical fruits. Here, it's all in season essentially year-round, and is easily accessible at a low price. That's one food group that I don't think I could ever give up for the 100 Mile Diet.

So, in the spirit of warmer climates and taking advantage of convenience, I've made this spicy mango and cucumber salad. This salad has two kinds of heat - ginger and cayenne - but the ice cold mango with the crunchy cucumber balances it all out well. Then, topped with the silken cashew cream, this was hot weather heaven in a martini glass.

Spicy Mango-Cucumber Salad

1 mango, chunked
1/2 seedless cucumber, chunked
1/2 inch of ginger, minced, skin on
2 squeezes of lime
1 1/2 Tb. agave (less if the mango is really sweet)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)

1/2 cup cashew cream, no vanilla

Toss all ingredients together except cashew cream, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Serve in fun glasses with a drizzle of cashew cream and a slice of ginger.

Gluten-Free Review: Veggie Chips!

This is the first of a new series of posts that I'll be doing here, reviewing gluten-free vegan products for your eating pleasure!

We just got back from the Natural Products Expo (in Disneylicious Anaheim, CA), where we wandered through a gigantic convention center packed full of items ranging from organic food to eco-friendly fashion. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share some of my favorite foodie finds, and give you the scoop on some of the best new gluten-free products.

For our first food foray, we'll be starting with a nibble:

Veggie Chips from Good Health Natural Products

I was rather surprised by the little snack-bag that Jeremy had found for me. I hadn't managed to find their booth myself, and after seeing so many aisles of gluten-heavy vegan meats, breads, and cookies, I cast a suspicious eye on this dainty bag of inviting vegetables. I wasn't expecting much, to be honest, because most "vegetable chips" have either wheat flour or whey protein*, but after reading the label and finding neither hide nor hair of said ingredients, I popped the bag open.

As you can see in the picture, the chips come in three flavours (with their respective colours): plain potato, tomato, and spinach. I tried the potato first, and was quite pleased - crisp, crunchy, and not heavy at all. It's airy enough that it didn't stick in my teeth (like most chips do). Next was the tomato flavour, which was tasty, but a bit too subtle (I'm a tomato fiend). Finally, the spinach. Ding! Just enough spinach to be pronounced without being overpowering. I think I could eat a whole full-size bag of the spinach chips in one sitting.

I would definitely recommend these if you like chips but don't like feeling weighed-down or greasy afterward. Watch out for the Veggie Stix though: they have wheat starch, unfortunately.

*I just have a quick thought I'd like to touch on. Why is it that companies feel the need to sneak dairy products into things like chips? I can understand if they're cheese-flavoured, but why flavors like salsa or barbeque that don't actually contain dairy? I was going through the Veggie Chip company's product list, and it really blindsided me to find whey and buttermilk in their "Chilean Lime" potato chips with avocado oil, and almost all of their polenta chips had either buttermilk or wheat. However, if their other gluten-free vegan products are anything like the Veggie Chips, then I won't hesitate to try them too! They do have a pretty decent range of GF vegan chips and popcorn. :)

Update: I'm in Los Angeles!

Holy crap, guys!

Jeremy and I drove down to Los Angeles last week from our home in BC. We left Tuesday afternoon, and arrived in L.A. Thursday afternoon. Something like a 30 hour drive all the way through, not counting a couple stops to see family.

We came down for the Natural Products Expo West this last weekend, which is a trade show for all things organic, natural, healthy, and sustainable. Not just food, but things like body care, clothing, home decor, etc. We've got a ton of new writing material from it, as well as new products I'll talk about, and made some really good connections with a few food companies.

Going to the Expo has inspired me to start another blog, The Cruelty-Free Hippie, where I'll be talking about vegan non-food items like clothing, beauty lines, etc. Also, Jeremy and I are co-creating a blog all about exotic chocolates and teas. We're totally revved up, and can't wait to share all of these things with you! :)

We're going to be staying in L.A. until Saturday morning, at which point we'll be taking a leisurely drive back up the coast to Portland to see family, then haul our Gypsy Van back up to Canada.

Things are going really well with this trip, for sure. I'm still amazed at just how many things we pack into one schedule each day. It's why I haven't posted in a few days - it's been pure madness! It's been refreshing to be down here again, but I'm going to be very happy to be back at our home in Powell River. :)


Blessings and love,
Lyra

Spicy Butternut Threads (Raw) - Butternut Showcase #3

My third and final recipe is very simple - I was so inspired by the butternut squash topping from the last post, I just had to make these. I had about two loose cups of julienned squash left. It was begging for a ginger soy marinade.

They're such a versatile garnish: They can be used for soups, salads, sandwiches, main courses, etc. They're especially great on miso ramen with Japanese yam noodles! Chewy at first - but once they melt in, it's a delicate, tender addition to the soup.

Spicy Butternut Threads


2 cups raw butternut squash, julienned
3 Tb. Tamari, Bragg's, or Nama Shoyu
2 tsp. fresh ground ginger
1/2 tsp. aji panca hot sauce (or favorite hot sauce)
small squeeze of lemon juice

Whisk wet ingredients together. Toss squash in marinade, and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Squeeze out excess liquid, and arrange on dehydrator trays. Dry at 110 degrees for about 4 hours, or until completely dry. They'll be a little flexible. (I just put mine in overnight)

Use as a garnish for any food you like! :)

Paté Stuffed Mushrooms with Butternut "Cheese" (Raw) - Butternut Showcase #2

My second butternut showcase is a bit less in-your-face.

I wanted to make raw stuffed mushrooms, inspired by Leslie Bega's recipe at GLiving. By raw, I don't mean completely unprocessed, as I used my dehydrator to soften the mushrooms, and make them juicier. The result is warm and soft in the mouth, with flavor bursting in every bite. The paté is creamy, tangy, and spicy. I'm hooked!

I'd made a big bowl of julienned squash with my mandolin for a salad earlier that day, so I decided to marinate some extras to put over the mushrooms. They end up being tender and chewy. Mmmm...

Paté Stuffed Mushrooms with Butternut "Cheese"

4 Tb. Braggs or Nama Shoyu
2 tsp. lemon
1/4 tsp. aji panca hot sauce
12 cremini mushrooms, stems reserved
1/2 cup loosely packed butternut squash, julienned

In a large bowl, whisk liquid ingredients together. Wet the mushrooms one by one, making sure to thoroughly coat the insides. Then toss them around in the bowl, and let them sit while you make the paté.

1 cup walnuts
Stems from the mushrooms
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
1/4 cup bell pepper (I used orange)
2 small green onions, chopped
small handful parsley
2 Tb. marinade
1 small garlic clove
cracked pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp.)
enough water to paste

In the food processor, pulverize the walnuts and mushrooms until you get a coarse meal. Add the rest of the ingredients (except water) and grind down until you have a thick paste. It may ball up on you. Splash the water in small amounts until you get a nice, smooth paté.

Take the mushrooms out of the marinade, shaking off the excess as you go. Add your julienned butternut squash to the marinade, and toss. Carefully press the stuffing into the mushrooms, making good-sized mounds. Then, take the squash and squeeze the liquid out, and lay the bits across the tops of the mushrooms.

Dehydrate at 110 degrees for about 2 hours, or until the mushrooms have softened a bit, and the paté has got a nice crust on the outside. Enjoy!

Jasmine Green Tea with Cashew Cream

It was a beautiful day yesterday. The sun was sending down warm rays, the birds were singing, and all the neighborhood children had converged on my street, as they always do on Saturday afternoons. It was a perfect day for a pot of tea with the room mates.

Normally I don't go for caffeinated teas, but some soft, fragrant jasmine tea was sounding very good to all of us. Jasmine is my favorite caffeinated tea, so that's pretty much all I drink if I don't go herbal.

We were out of rice milk, and I had a nice fat sack of cashews hanging out on the counter. I hadn't ever tried my hand at making nut milk with cashews before. What's a girl to do? Make cashew cream? Yer darn right I did! And I loved it so much, I tripled the batch and have a huge jar of it sitting in my fridge, waiting for lots of new experiments. :D

I am also very much of the opinion that I will never buy prepackaged nut milks ever again. It just tastes so much better to make fresh, whole nut milk. No extra ingredients, preservatives, or anything. It cuts down on packaging and is more cost-effective in the long run. Plus, it's fun and easy to make and it tastes SO much better!!

Oh, and I want to touch briefly on why I'm using lemon zest instead of juice. I'm not really a fan of lemon juice with tea, as I think the tart acidity lessens the subtle nuances of the tea itself. By peeling off the zest and using that instead, you get the fragrant aromatics and essential oil benefits of the lemon without the tartness.

Jasmine Green Tea with Cashew Cream


1 Tb. Jasmine green tea
Zest of half a lemon (you won't need a zester, just a sharp paring knife)

1 cup cashews, raw
1 cup water
sprinkle of vanilla
maple syrup to taste

Preheat the teapot by adding some boiling water, and drain. (This is called "scalding") Fill a tea ball with green tea, and put it in the teapot with the lemon zest. Pour in the hot water and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tea ball; leaving the zest in is fine.

While you're waiting for the tea, add cashews, water, and vanilla to a high-powered blender. Let it go until it's not gritty anymore, about 3 minutes. When it's creamy, you're got cashew cream, missus! Pour it into a creamer and serve!

When making up the tea for yourself, you could just add a dollop of cream... or you could make it half-tea-half-cream. ;) Restraint is overrated. Nuts are good for you! Sweeten with maple syrup to taste.

Raw Mango and Butternut Squash Jerky - Butternut Showcase #1

So, I've decided to give myself random food challenges.

This will not only be to expand my views of certain foods, but my culinary repertoire. I have to admit that I generally think of certain foods to be good for few purposes. Those tried and true recipes that we all know, and don't really diverge from. No more, I say!

My first challenge is Raw Butternut Squash. I haven't worked much with winter squashes in my life, and I tend to only make creamy soups from them. About a week ago, I did a couple days of just raw food. I had this lovely butternut squash sitting there, crying at me to be used for something... But squash, how could I use you in my raw food adventures? What wonderful flavours could you possibly bring to my raw table? It just screamed CAROB! I don't know why - it just did.

The outcome was amazing! It was spicy, tangy, sweet, and slightly creamy. I ate almost all of it when I found those tasty strips in my dehydrator in the morning.

Mango and Butternut Squash Jerky


1 cup butternut squash, sliced into long, thin strips
1 mango, sliced into long, thin strips
2 Tb. agave
2 Tb. lemon juice
2 Tb. orange juice
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tb. carob
pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp. aji panca hot sauce*

Mix everything together in a glass bowl, and let sit (I set it in the sun) for about 4 hours. Add the mixture to the dehydrator, on about 100 degrees for about 6 hours or so. (Pretty much as long as it takes to get to a fully dried, malleable state. I put it in overnight with no problem.) If you don't have a dehydrator, use the lowest setting on the oven. If it only goes to 175 degrees, leave the oven door open.

*We used to get this from BeOnLiving.com, but they don't seem to carry it anymore, which is a shame. It's a lovely raw paste made from Peruvian Chiles. Yum!

Traditional Hummous

I've been in a very Middle-Eastern mood lately. After the tabbouleh recipe, I've been practicing with other more traditional recipes, and decided to wing it with a hummous recipe.

I've always loved hummous (or hummus), but the packaged hummous just doesn't cut it in comparison to home made. The great thing about this recipe is that it's a wonderful base hummous. It's delicious on its own, but can be embellished in any way, which is why I'm posting this instead of one of my more involved, fancy recipes. I generally eat hummous with raw veggies, or gluten-free vegan breads. I made savory sprouted buckwheat muffins (that didn't turn out good enough to post, unfortunately) and sliced them up and toasted them... It was fabulous!

Some more ingredient ideas would be: spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, pine nuts, cumin, coriander, toasted almonds, or even something sweet and spicy like pear and cayenne. Hmm.. ideas abound!

Traditional Hummus

3 cups chickpeas, cooked and deskinned
4 Tb. very thick tahini
1/4 water
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil (add less oil and more water if you're cutting fat)
3 Tb. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika
2 cloves roasted garlic
pinch of white pepper

In the food processor, add everything but the olive oil. Blend until mostly smooth, and then drizzle the oil in an even stream until everything is creamy. Garnish with olive oil, paprika, and some salted, dried olives.

Oh, and I just want to touch on one thing. If you want to make the really creamy, smooth, traditional hummous, you'll need to skin the chickpeas. Leaving the skins on makes it a bit more grainy, and I've found it makes everyone gassy. Ew. To skin them, pinch the fatter end of the chickpea, and squeeze until the pea is released from the skin. Here's my bowl of skins! :)

Warm Beet Salad with Tangy Mustard Dressing

Beets! Ah, how I love thee.

I can still remember the first time I bit into a raw beet (with the tops still on) in front of Jeremy on a road trip. He got very wide-eyed and said "You can DO that?!" He likes raw beets too, but had only ever had them peeled and chopped in salads and things. He took a bite, and ended up eating more than I did. I've turned him to the raw side of the beet! ;)

This salad, however, does not showcase raw beets. At first, I was thinking of making pan-fried beet fries. The more I cooked them, though, the more I thought having a sweet glaze on them would be divine... and it was! Oh, how it was...


Warm Orange-Balsamic Beet Salad

2 large beets, sliced into French-Fry-style strips
1/2 cup salt-free veggie stock
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tb. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying

baby spinach
orange segments, quartered

In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil on med-high. Toss in beets, salt, and pepper, and saute for about 5-7 minutes. Start adding the veggie stock in splashes, letting the liquid mostly evaporate before adding more. This should take about 7-10 minutes. If your pan evaporates too quickly, turn the heat down slightly.

Once the veggie stock is gone, do the same with the orange juice, and toward the end, add the balsamic by the tablespoon. When the beets look good and caramelized with a thick glaze, take off the heat.

Add the warm beets to a bed of spinach and orange, and dress with:

Tangy Mustard Dressing

1 Tb. honey or agave
2 tsp. dijon mustard
splash lemon juice

Whisk ingredients together, and drizzle over beets and greens.

Makes two bowls.

March Royal Foodie Joust!

Remember my entry for the Royal Foodie Joust, but on by the Leftover Queen? It was the Ginger-Lime Tofu with Citrus Marmalade Glaze. Well, the voting begins today! I would love it if you could take a few moments to go to the forum (if you're registered) and vote for me. The winner receives a Royal Foodie Joust Apron. If I win, I promise I'll post pictures of me modeling it! :D

You do have to be member in the forum for at least a week to vote, so if you're not a member yet, you can't vote for me this month. It's a really fun forum though, so I encourage you to join and vote for me next month!


Vote for me!

Puddin' Pie! - Raw

If you remember one of my ealier posts, you'll know that I love raw banana pudding. Since discovering the technique, I've made countless avocado-banana puddings. It's such a silky, nutritious way to feel sinful. :)

This one is more of a vanilla-lemon pudding, but no less delicious. I really enjoy the texture that the flax imparts to this. And, to be a little more fun (and needing the protein) I made a walnut-date crust! I could eat that pie crust alone as a dessert. Oooh... Ideas of date balls are flying through my mind.. like a golden snitch. ;)

The green of the pudding is a little off in the picture, but that's because of the flax and cinnamon. Also, the pie would have been more full if there hadn't been so much tasting... in the name of science.

Puddin' Pie!

For the crust:
1 cup walnuts, soaked and dried
1 cup dates, soaked for 5 minutes
1 Tb. water

Grind in a food processor until almost smooth, or desired coarseness.

For the Puddin':
3 bananas
1 avocado
1 1/2 Tb. agave
sprinkle cinnamon
4 Tb. ground flax
1 tsp. vanilla extract, or vanilla bean pulp
2 Tb. lemon juice

Blend all in the food processor until velvety smooth.

Grease a smallish pan with a chunk of coconut oil. (I just took out a chunk and rubbed it around, no need to melt.) Press the pie crust into the pan, making sure to keep it even. Then, pour the pudding into the crust, and chill in the fridge for about an hour.

This makes a very soft pudding, so it's not going to firm up much. It might even be fun to press the pie into a cupcake pan for individual servings! Less mess that way. We just both ate it out of the pan, so there was no slicing and serving.

Red Delicious Apple Butter - Raw!

Until this point, Red Delicious apples have been the bane of my existence. I like their flavour, but the thick, tough skin wrapped around that all-too-mealy interior was enough for me to pass on a side a fruit with my meals as a child. It was hard to say no to fruit. Gramma's heart was in the right place when she put out bowls of fruit for us, but I just couldn't stomach it. I'll take the oranges, thanks.

Notice how I said "Until this point"? I believe that (almost) everything, if done a certain way, can taste good to someone. Jeremy, in his loving attempt to buy me more apples, accidentally got red delicious. Ouch. (In his defense, those did look strikingly like Galas.)

Seeing this as a culinary challenge (and also being on a raw food binge lately) I decided to make applesauce. Applesauce, ha! I wanted to keep the skins on, but with these apples, any amount of extra processing to pulverize the skins would (and did) make a chunky, chewable sauce into a smooth, almost-whipped kind of cream. I'm not complaining, trust me. ;)


Red Delicious Apple Butter

3 red delicious apples, cored and chopped
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. lemon (to taste, and keep color)
1 Tb. agave nectar (to taste)

Combine ingredients in a food processor, and puree for a good long while, until the skins are minced fine, making sure to scrape down the skins off the sides.

Sprouted Buckwheat Tabbouleh

I'm a minimalist when it comes to tabbouleh. I like fresh, raw ingredients, and no sloppy mess like we've probably all had at cheap falafel stands. Tabbouleh (or tabouli) has bulgur wheat, which I was never quite fond of, so I decided to make it with buckwheat. But cooked buckwheat? Meh. I had a good-sized bag of buckwheat, so I decided to sprout it.

When you soak buckwheat, it gets slimy and gooey like flax, but not quite so much goo. I think I rinsed them like five times each rinse/drain cycle just to relieve them of their goo! After about two days though, the buckwheat had thoroughly sprouted, and (much to my excitement) the goo had gone away! They were dry, poky, and beautiful. :)

I also have to admit that I have dreams of galettes (which is a traditional dish of Brittany: like a savory, gluten-free crepe) with sprouted buckwheat, but I believe that's another post. ;)


Sprouted Buckwheat Tabbouleh

1 (thin skinned) cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped (about a handful)
1 cup sprouted buckwheat
drizzle Extra Virgin olive oil (maybe about a tablespoon)
1 Tb. lemon
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and enjoy!

It's too bad I didn't have mint on-hand. I would've chopped up a couple sprigs - maybe 2 tablespoons in this dish. I love the crisp, green taste of fresh mint. Mmm...

Blackberry Molasses Tarts, Banana Chai Tart

Last night, we were all out of chocolate.

Now I know that you're thinking. How can this be? No CHOCOLATE? Well... Let's just say that I like my Chocolate Chip Mini Cupcake recipe. :)

I have to admit that, when I'm feeling lazy, plain dark chocolate has always been (and probably will always be) my dessert of choice. We usually keep a tin of bulk dark chocolate chips handy for when just such an occasion arises. But alas, there was none to be had. I did, however, have a fresh new jar of blackberry jam from the farmer's market.

There's really nothing like blackberry jam, you know? I grew up picking buckets of blackberries at my grandparents' house for all kinds of different blackberry recipes. I have a very fond memory of about a dozen of us climbing up plywood boards onto the tops of the (several feet high) bushes to get all of the best berries. We'd often come into the house with our hands, faces, and clothes covered in that vivid indigo, completely stuffed from the hours of berry eating. I even used them to color my mud pies. :)

I almost called these mincemeat tarts, but they have no nuts or brandy, so I've settled with Blackberry Molasses tarts. The filling can actually be eaten without cooking (and we did eat this about a week ago, sans blackberry jam) but I thought it'd be nice to put into a tart.

I tried out Bob's Red Mill's recipe for 5-minute Teff Pie Crust(doubled and pre-cooked), and while I love the flavor of teff, I think the crust could have used a binder, and butter instead of oil. Next time I'll add some tapioca starch and Earth Balance.

Blackberry Molasses Tarts


16 prunes, chopped
2 tart apples, chopped
1 scant cup raisins
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1tsp lemon

Combine in a large bowl, and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat on low:

2 Tb. maple
2 Tb. molasses
1 Tb. lemon
5 Tb. blackberry jam
1 scant tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 tb. coconut butter

Whisk ingredients together until smooth and warm. It takes a bit for the coconut butter to melt. With a spatula, scrape the warm goo onto the fruit mixture, and fold in.

Pour into teff tart shells, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until the apples have softened.

This made a full pie, and the deep dish tart you see in the picture.

---

I had some pie crust left over, so I threw this together, also. :)



Banana Chai Tart

3 Tb. honey
1 tsp. lemon
2 bananas, sliced
1 banana, chopped
Juice of one orange
2 sprays of sweet chai essence
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Heat honey and lemon in a saucepan (I used my measuring cup) on low heat until melted. Pour over bananas in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix, and transfer to the tart shell. Top with thin sliced orange segments, and bake at 350 about 30 minutes, until the top starts to brown slightly.

Southwest Walnut "Scramble" (raw)

I love watching people cook. Growing up, I'd spend hours watching my family cook, and whenever there was a cooking show on, I was right there. My eyes were glued to the television. I have since given up watching TV, and only have one for the occasional movie marathon with the housemates.

Luckily, YouTube has all kinds of cooking to watch, from the expert chef cooking shows, to amateur videos of people proudly showing off their newest creations. I hope to, at some point, get some of my own videos on YouTube. In the Meantime, I'm an avid seeker of new food porn to watch. :)

Which brings me to my next thought. I love watching people prepare raw food. It can range anywhere from simple preparation, like this dish, to hours of intense work. I really like the foods that Ani Phyo shows us on YouTube. They're very quick and easy recipes to prepare, and it's very easy to elaborate on them.

My recipe today was manipulated from this recipe, the Spanish Breakfast Scramble. I loved the idea of this recipe, but thought it needed a bit more of a kick. So, I came up with this:

Southwest Walnut Scramble

2 cups walnuts, soaked and dried
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 bell pepper (color of your choosing, I chose yellow)
2 small green onions
1 Tb. turmeric
1 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. tamari (use nama shoyu for truly raw)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 small garlic clove, crushed (optional)
splash raw apple cider vinegar (I don't ever use filtered ACV)
squeeze lemon
cracked pepper
1 avocado, chopped

Blend walnuts and sunflower seeds in the food processor until they're nicely minced. Using a spatula, pour contents into a bowl. Add in everything else except the vegetables, and mix well. Finally, fold in the tomato, green onions, and bell pepper. Garnish with avocado and kale.

In the picture, I used a whole kale leaf. Normally, I would chop it fine,
and add a dash of lemon juice, olive oil, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos.