Tag Archives: raw

February 12, 2011 · 4:43 am

SWEET VALENTINE – Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

In daily life we really do want to minimize / eliminate sweets, but who can resist a little chocolate on Valentine’s Day? Make this raw molten cake with peanut butter lava for your honey and I guarantee they will be feeling the love. This is sooooooo yum!

INGREDIENTS – Makes 6 individual molten cakes

Cake

2 cups raw pecans (best result if frozen)

2/3 cup raw agave

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1/2 cup coconut flour

Filling

1 Tbs. organic peanut butter for each cake

Toppings

Fun Fresh Foods chocolate agave nectar

powdered sugar for dusting

fresh sliced bananas

Take the frozen pecans and place them in the food processor (I use a Cuisinart I purchased at Costco). Turn on the processor and process until the nuts become meal. Do not process too long or it will turn into nut butter.

Frozen Raw Pecans

Process Into Meal

Pour the raw agave into the nuts while processing. The nuts and agave will turn into batter.

Batter

Add the raw cacao and process to incorporate. The processor will begin working very hard…you may have to stop and scrape down the bowl.

Add the Cacao Powder

Scrape Down the Sides

When well mixed, take the batter out and transfer it to a bowl. Wearing latex-type gloves (to avoid sticking), mix in the coconut flour with your hands.

Transfer to a Bowl

Add the Coconut Flour

Use Hands to Incorporate

Line your mini cake molds with saran wrap.

Mini Bundt Molds

Line With Plastic Wrap

Once mixed well, use a 2 Tbs. ice cream scoop to fill each of the 6 molds. Wrap the remaining cacao batter in Saran Wrap and place it as well as the filled molds in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden.

Scoop in Batter

Wrap-up Remaining Batter and Chill

Once hardened take the molds out and wearing gloves press the batter into the molds making a well in the middle. Make sure you spread the cacao mixture as evenly as possible so it dehydrates evenly. Fill the wells with 1 Tbs. of organic peanut butter (or chocolate sauce).

Press Into Molds Evenly Then Create Wells

Add Filling (Peanut Butter or Chocolate)

Take the remaining batter that was in plastic wrap out of the fridge and pinch off enough (approx. 1 Tbs.) to make a disc that will cover the bottom of each PB filled mold. Gently press the disc onto the bottom of the filled cakes.

Shape Disc for Bottom

Ready to Chill Again

Put the cakes in the fridge for another hour to harden. Keep the cakes in the fridge until 2 hours before you plan on serving them.

2 hours before serving time place the cakes on your dehydrator’s mesh tray and dehydrate for 2 hours (It takes longer than that for the Excalibur dehydrator get to 115°, so rest assured those enzymes will still be alive and kicking).

Place on Mesh Dehydrator Trays

Dehydrated Cakes

When the 2 hours is up you will notice that the cakes are no longer shiny, they will look matte as if they have been cooked. Top each cake with some chocolate sauce, a very thin sprinkling of organic powdered sugar, and sliced bananas. Serve IMMEDIATELY since these cakes are best warm…it will allow the peanut butter to ooze out when cut into.

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

I also made an all chocolate version using the Fun Fresh Foods chocolate agave nectar as the filling…topped with powdered sugar and strawberries!

Raw Chocolate Molten Cake

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

3 Comments

Filed under Dessert, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tagged as agave, banana, cacao powder, coconut, peanut butter, pecans, raw, raw chocolate cake, raw molten cake, recipe, strawberry, Valentine's Day, vegan, vegetarian

February 1, 2011 · 4:32 pm

RAW MAPLE APPLE CINNAMON SCONES

Raw Maple Cinnamon Apple Scones

INGREDIENTS

Makes 16 scones

4 apples

2 cups almond pulp (from making almond milk)

2/3 cup ground flax meal

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup raisons

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbs. cinnamon

Quarter the apples and remove the core. Cut the apple quarters in thirds and place them in the food processor to turn it into raw applesauce. You may need to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides.

Put the Apples in the Food Processor

In a small bowl combine the flax meal and water. Allow this mixture to sit and congeal (this is what will bind the scones together).

Add Water to the Flax Meal

Allow the Mixture to Congeal

In a large bowl combine the almond pulp and flax mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Add the Flax Meal to the Almond Pulp

Add the applesauce to the above mixture and mix well.

Mix in the Applesauce

Now add the cinnamon, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and raisons. Mix thoroughly.

Add the Remaining Ingredients

Measure out 1/3 cup of the batter and form it into a scone (I use a large ice cream scoop).

Measure Out 1/3 Cup

Form the Scones

Formed Scone

Place the scone on the mesh sheet of your dehydrator. Do the same with the remainder of the batter.

Formed Scones on Mesh Sheets

Dehydrate at 140° for 2 hours. After 2 hours flip over the scones and then turn the dehydrator down to 115°. Dehydrate for 3-4 hours more.

Put in the Dehydrator

I keep the scones in the freezer…they defrost fast.

Raw Maple Cinnamon Apple Scones

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

3 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tagged as almond pulp, apple, breakfast food, breakfast scone, cinnamon, coconut sugar, dehydrator, Excalibur, flax meal, maple syrup, Paraflexx Sheets, raw, scone, vegan, vegetarian

January 26, 2011 · 6:52 am

CRUNCHY CANDIED NUTS

Crunchy Candied Nuts

These are the candied nuts that I use in my kale salad recipe. The other night I ran out of candied nuts and put roasted nuts in the kale salad we were having with dinner…my family made it very clear to me that the candied nuts are an integral part of the kale salad! So, today I needed to make some more candied nuts.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups assorted raw nuts

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup shredded coconut

2-3 Tbs water

1 tsp cinnamon

First measure out the raw nuts.

Raw Nuts

In a separate bowl put the coconut sugar, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and water. Mix well.

Sweet Coating Pre-Mix

Mixed Sweet Coating

Combine the sweet coating with the raw nuts. Mix well to coat.

Sweet Coating on the Raw Nuts

Place the nuts on either a cookie sheet (I also use a silpat) or on a dehydrator tray with a ParaFlexx lining.

Place On A Baking Sheet

Or a Dehydrator Tray

If you plan on baking the nuts, put them in the oven at 200 degrees. You will need to watch the nuts carefully to make sure they do not burn. The candied nuts will be done when the coating is no longer wet. When you take them out of the oven to cool they will harden. If they are not crunchy enough for you, return them to the oven for some additional baking time.

If you will be using the dehydrator (I used my Excalibur), put the tray of nuts in the dehydrator at 115 degrees for 8-10 hours. Check the nuts after about 3-4 hours, take them off of the Paraflexx, and place them directly on the Polyscreen tray. Once you remove the nuts from the dehydrator they will crisp as they cool.

Into the Dehydrator

When the nuts have cooled, put them in a bag and store them in the freezer.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

10 Comments

Filed under Gluten Free, Nuts, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tagged as candied nuts, cinnamon, coconut, coconut sugar, hazelnut, nuts, pecan, raw, shredded coconut, vegan, vegetarian, walnut

January 21, 2011 · 2:30 pm

FARM FRESH TO YOU – Organic Produce Delivery

The Delivery In My Courtyard Yesterday

About a month and a half ago I bought a Groupon for an organic produce delivery service called Farm Fresh To You. Groupon was offering a deal that I couldn’t resist, $15 for a mixed organic produce box that usually costs $31. I am such a fan of the service that I signed on as a regular customer.

I love getting the deliveries….I feel like I have a present waiting for me in my courtyard! I chose to receive deliveries every two weeks, because I really like going to the Farmer Market too. The service allows you to customize how often you receive deliveries and it is very easy to log in and cancel a delivery if need be (i.e. if you will be out of town). I have also found their customer service to be phenomenal (they call every so often to check in and ask if you have any questions).

Top Layer of Produce

Bottom Layer of Produce

The oranges from our delivery yesterday were honestly the best oranges I have ever had. The flesh was the color of grapefruit, but they were so sweet! My kids each ate one and they both asked for more.

Part of the fun for me is figuring out what I am going to make with the fruits and veggies they deliver. I have a feeling the kale is going to become kale chips!

Here is a description of their services in their own words:

We Harvest a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables from our farm and create several home delivery and office delivery service options for you to choose from. Our Regular Service is our most popular home delivery for those who have some time to cook and Mostly Fruit Service is great for those of you who are always on the run. The produce in each service changes weekly and varies seasonally, but we work with neighboring organic farms to ensure a good variety of produce year round.

You Choose the service you would like to receive and the frequency you would like to receive your service. The day that you receive delivery depends on your zip code, and the frequency of your delivery can be weekly, every other week, every third week or every 4th week delivery.

Customize your service after you sign up for your delivery by logging onto your account or contacting the office via phone or email. You let us know the item(s) you would not like to receive and we automatically change the item(s) if they come up in your standard seasonal selection. Feel free to add extra items for an event or dinner and we will deliver them with your next delivery.

3 Comments

Filed under Farming, Services

Tagged as apple, butternut squash, carrot, cauliflower, delivery service, farm, farming, fruit, Kale, lettuce, onion, organic, pear, raw, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, veggies

January 14, 2011 · 3:27 pm

VEGAN GOAT CHEESE

When people make the decision to remove dairy from their diet cheese is often what they say they miss most. Dairy is NOT healthy (in the future I will do an in-depth post to explain why) , so it is important that we find good alternatives.

Russell James

I recently purchased one of Russell James‘ e-books called Raw Nut Cheese from his Raw Chef’s Recipe Series and decided to give the goat cheese recipe a whirl.

I have made raw nut cheese before and they weren’t as successful as this recipe was (I am eating it as I type…yum!). I think the curing step is key…

INGREDIENTS – day one

2 cups raw unsalted macadamias, soaked 4 hours

1 cup water

1 tsp. probiotics powder (I used New Chapter Organics All Flora)

INGREDIENTS – day two

1 tsp. nutritional yeast

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

Soak the macadamia nuts in filtered water for 4 hours.

Blend the soaked nuts with 1 cup of filtered water and 1 tsp. probiotics powder in your high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix). Make sure all of the nuts are blended well and there are no chunks.

Transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth-lined strainer that has been placed over a bowl.

Fold the cheesecloth over the cheese and place a weight over the top (I used a plate with pie weights over it). Allow this mixture to cure at room temperature for a full 24 hours.

Once the cheese has cured, mix in the nutritional yeast, salt, and lemon juice.

Place the mixture in a Saran wrap lined spring form pan (I used a 5” pan) and place in the refrigerator to firm-up.

When the cheese is more firm (it will never get firm…it will become the texture of goat cheese) and ready to serve, top it with your choice of toppings i.e. pesto, chopped sun dried tomatoes, fresh herbs. The next time I make this cheese I plan on mixing pesto directly into the mixture. This cheese is great served with crackers, on a salad, or in a sandwich.

For a printable version of this recipe click here

18 Comments

Filed under Books, Cheese, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tagged as cheese, lemon, macadamia nuts, nuts, raw, recipe, Russell James, vegan, vegetarian

January 9, 2011 · 6:45 am

DECADENT DESSERTS AT 118˚

Today I went to a raw cooking class at Jenny Ross’s 118˚ in Costa Mesa and had a great time. This was my first official raw foods cooking class. I have a few raw foods dessert cookbooks (Ani Phyo’s and Kristen Suzanne’s) that I cook from, but nothing can quite compare to a class where there is interaction and discussion. I loved being able to bounce questions and ideas off of the creator and chef of 118˚, Jenny Ross.

All of the ladies in the class (there were 8 of us) were really interesting. Among us there were vegan chefs, a nurse practitioner, a woman who is a two time cancer survivor and has made the switch to vegan/raw in an effort to remain healthy, myself, and others interested in learning more about raw vegan food.

We all met at the restaurant which is located in the shopping center called The Camp and then made the short walk over to the Seed Market where the actual class took place which is right above Patagonia. I have never been to this area of Costa Mesa and really look forward to going back to explore…it has a Sant Cruz kind of vibe.

The class began by making three different dessert sauces; caramel, coconut cream, and chocolate sauce. Chef Jenny made the sauces and then put them into squeeze bottles that she bought at Sur La Table (she said they sell BPA free squeeze bottles). That is such a great way to store the sauces and it makes them easy to use on their own, i.e. with fruit or to squeeze right into the dessert recipes she uses the sauces in.

Next we moved onto dessert crusts and made a walnut based crust and a pecan based crust (that we later embellished to make raw brownies). Below you see me making the walnut crust with Chef Jenny.

After making the crusts we moved on to making apple cobbler, avocado orange bars, chocolate brownies with chocolate fudge, macaroons, halvah with apples, drunken fruit, and fruit fondue.

By the end of class we all had a lot of desserts to take home. When I got home my kids decimated the brownies…so good!

All in all it was a lot of fun and VERY educational. I learned so much more from her about how to use my Excalibur dehydrator more effectively and different twists on making raw pie crusts, etc. I can’t wait to whip up some more raw desserts…I am sure the kids won’t object.

5 Comments

Filed under Dessert, Education, Gluten Free, Raw, Restaurants, Services, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tagged as 118, 118˚, brownie, chocolate, cooking class, Costa Mesa, dessert, Excalibur, Jenny Ross, pie, raw, Seed Market, The Camp, vegan, vegetarian

Tag Archives: raw

SWEET VALENTINE – Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

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RAW MAPLE APPLE CINNAMON SCONES

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CRUNCHY CANDIED NUTS

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FARM FRESH TO YOU – Organic Produce Delivery

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VEGAN GOAT CHEESE

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DECADENT DESSERTS AT 118˚

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Tag Archives: raw

SWEET VALENTINE – Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

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RAW MAPLE APPLE CINNAMON SCONES

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CRUNCHY CANDIED NUTS

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FARM FRESH TO YOU – Organic Produce Delivery

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VEGAN GOAT CHEESE

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DECADENT DESSERTS AT 118˚

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