Chilled Papaya Bisque

I'm baaaack! :)

Finally, after days of cloudy, windy, rainy weather, we have some sun! WOO! So, I decided to grill for dinner. We had a giant papaya and pineapple laying in the fruit bowl, so I threw together this wonderful chilled fruit soup to go with the grilled entree. And, since we ended up with a ton of alcohol after the wedding, I thought I'd add some rum into the mix to give it a little kick. Cuz I'm like that. ;) By substituting cashew cream for dairy, this soup gives you all the creamy goodness while avoiding the unhealthy fats.

This recipe was so fun to throw together. I had friends over for dinner and they were amazed at how quickly it turned into yummy goodness! I love entertaining. :D

Chilled Papaya Bisque

4 cups papaya, blended
1/4 cup papaya, diced small
2 Tbsp. papaya seeds
4 cups pineapple, blended
1/2 cup cashew cream (see recipe below)
1/2 cup Orange-Mango juice
2 shots dark rum (optional)

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve garnished with a swirl of cashew cream.

How to make cashew cream:
1 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
Blend until smooth!

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!

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! :)