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Guest Post for Dixie Chik Cooks: Sugar-Free Chocolate Cashew Butter (Raw, Vegan)

March 17, 2012 By 2 Comments

This post originally aired over at Dixie Chik Cooks.  While Shea (the original Dixie Chik) is not gluten-free or dairy-free, many of her creations are naturally safe for those of us who are.  Creative, spicy, and beautifully talented, be sure to visit Dixie Chik Cooks for some beautifully southern inspiration.

 

It is always an honor to have a friend request a guest-post.  Yet even though Shea and I work together more often than most bloggers work together, because our methods of cooking are so different it is often difficult to come up with something that she and her readers will love equally as my family and my readers do.

But then, there’s chocolate.  Who doesn’t love chocolate?

When my son asked me to make him a chocolate sandwich (think: Nutella), I knew just what I wanted to share.

Because two of my children and I cannot have milk, luxuries like Nutella are a no-go for us.  That and the amount of sugar in the store-bought brands of chocolate nut-butters is enough to send my children into permanent hyper-active mode.

When there’s five of them and only one of me…

Let’s just say I avoid sugar as best I can.

Still, we like sweet. We love chocolate. And, we like to enjoy our food.

Thus, I am happy to share our solution to the no store-bought chocolate butter conundrum.

Choosing raw cashews over hazelnuts primarily because they are easier to find in our humble little town, this recipe is smooth, rich, creamy and every bit as sinfully delicious as a chocolate nut-butter should be…only, this one has none of the sugar or chemicals that come with the store brand.

Thank you, Shea, for the opportunity to share, I hope to see you all again sometime soon.

xoxo

Sugar-Free Chocolate Cashew Butter (Raw, Vegan)

3c Raw Cashews

3 Tbs Cocoa Powder

3 Tbs Coconut Oil

6 Dates, soaked 1 hour

10 drops Vanilla Crème Liquid Stevia

 

Using high-speed blender, add ingredients in the order provided above.  Blend on medium speed for about 3 minutes, tampering all ingredients until somewhat crushed, turn speed to high and continue to blend until the natural nut oils are released and the nut butter is creamy and smooth, approximately 5 minutes longer.  Remove from blender, serve and enjoy.

Store in an air tight container and refrigerate.

Makes approximately 3 cups of nut-butter.

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grain-Free Irish Soda Bread, 2-ways

March 15, 2012 By 4 Comments

My red hair is generally a dead giveaway to one of the most distinct parts of my family ancestry.

While I grew up proud of every part of my rich, mixed family history which includes: American Indian, English, Dutch and (as mentioned before) Irish, the two portions I studied most closely were definitely my American Indian and Irish history.

This time of the year my hometown of San Diego, California, is brimming with Irish related events.  Ceili dances, food, parades, shamrocks and Irish pottery on every corner, this is truly a time to celebrate a proud Gaelic history.

As it is with many celebrations worldwide, food is certainly at the heart of any Irish Festival.

Of this, I must admit that I miss soda bread the most.

A quick search online shows two very different types of Irish Soda Bread.

If you ask an Irish man, Soda Bread is a relatively easy recipe made with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.

Here in America, many people identify Irish Soda Bread as sweet bread made with raisins or some other type of fruit.

Either way, this Irish girl has long missed her Irish Soda Bread.

Today I am happy to share with you a bit of my own family tradition through two very different, but very delicious types of soda bread.  One replicates a very traditional, very simple Brown Soda Bread and the other a more Americanized fruit-laced Soda Bread.

Whether you prefer one or another, I hope your St. Patty’s day is filled with many reasons to celebrate your Irish Heritage (authentic or not).

Eireann go braugh!

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Grain-Free Brown Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f.
  2. Grease and flour 9” round cake pan, set aside.
  3. Mix together coconut or almond milk with lemon juice, set aside.
  4. In large mixing bowl, mix together almond meal, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda.
  5. Slowly add wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
  6. Bake bread at 350f for 40 minutes, remove and cut “X” into the top of the batter using an oiled knife. Return to oven. Bake for another 40-50 minutes or until a knife, when inserted, comes out dry.
  7. Serve with a large dollop of coconut butter or your favorite topping.
  8. Makes 10-12 servings.
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Grain-Free Fruited Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f.
  2. Grease and flour 9” cake pan, set aside.
  3. Mix together unsweetened coconut or almond milk and lemon juice, set aside.
  4. In large mixing bowl, whisk together beaten eggs, palm shortening and vanilla. Add in milk and lemon mixture, set aside.
  5. In large mixing bowl, bring together almond flour, arrowroot powder, palm sugar, salt, baking soda, grain-free baking powder, dried fruit and ground anise.
  6. Mix wet ingredients into dry.
  7. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake at 350f for 60-70 min.
  8. Makes 10-12 servings.
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:) Don’t forget to enter here for your chance to win a free copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur and have a wonderful St. Patty’s Day Weekend! xoxo

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holidays, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

ICM, Giveaway and the Chocolate Mint Green Monster (AKA, the healthiest Shamrock Shake this side of the pacific)

March 12, 2012 By 20 Comments

Happy Ingredient-Challenge Monday!

As Shea and I announced last month, the 2nd Monday of every month is now dedicated to our ICM challenge!

As mentioned this past Saturday, we have a lot in store for you this month.

First, our featured ingredient for this month: Kale!

Like I have said before, I love love love my greens!  But of all the greens, kale is definitely at the top of the list.

Why?

It’s versatility.  Raw, cooked, dehydrated or blended into your favorite smoothie, this green packs a delicious nutritional punch anyway you chose to serve it.

Low calorie high fiber.  Can you say, win!?

One cup of kale has only 33 calories yet offers 5% of the daily value for fiber.  Additionally, one cup of raw kale also has 206% of your Vitamin A (for your eyesight, appetite control and taste buds), 134% Vitamin C (keeps your immune system strong), 9% of your daily calcium (for your bones, nerve function and more!), and 6% of your daily iron (keeps your blood healthy and your immune system strong).

Kale is also a good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and more!

All this from one not-so-little leaf.

Seriously, kale does a body good.

Inspired by a delicious recipe from the wonderful book I reviewed this weekend, Eat Like a Dinosaur, Shea and I are pleased to open this ICM challenge with our own very green, wonderfully delicious kale recipes for you.

 

This smoothie has all of the markings of a delicious dessert, especially when topped with a dollop of coconut whipped cream (never mind the amount in the picture below, which was solely for aesthetics, really, a spoonful will do).  Even so, packed with raw fruits and vegetables, a powerful anti-oxidant punch from the raw cocoa and a good amount of protein from the raw cashews, even without the whipped cream, I have no doubt you will find lots of not-so-guilty pleasure in this delicious drink.

Heck, I’ve been drinking it every morning for the last week.

It is that good.

With approximately three cups of kale in each large serving…

Well, I’ll let you tally the nutritional value on that.

This is good stuff.

;)

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Mint Green Monster (AKA, the healthiest Shamrock Shake this side of the pacific)

Ingredients

    Coconut Whipped Cream (Optional)
  • ¼ c Arrowroot Powder
  • ¼ c Palm Sugar
  • Cream from 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated at least 48 hours (I prefer Thai Kitchen)
    • Smoothie
  • 2 sliced banana’s, frozen
  • 1 handful raw cashews (approximately ¼ c)
  • 1 c unsweetened almond or coconut milk
  • 1 Tbs raw cocoa
  • ½ tsp Mint Extract
  • 4 big kale leaves, stems removed and shredded

Instructions

    Coconut Whipped Cream:
  1. Refrigerate mixing bowl for at least 2 hours.
  2. Using coffee grinder or small blender, blend together arrowroot powder and palm sugar until completely incorporated.
  3. Remove mixing bowl and coconut milk from refrigerator. Scrape cream from coconut milk container, being careful to leave as much of the water out of the cream as possible. Place in chilled mixing bowl. Using stand-mixer, whip on medium-high or high speed for about 60 seconds. Slowly add arrowroot and palm sugar ‘powdered sugar’ mix until the ideal sweetness and consistency has been achieved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    4. Smoothie:
  4. Load ingredients into high-speed blender in the order shown. Blend until completely smooth. Serve as-is or with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
  5. Makes 2 small or one large serving(s)
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:) Now that I have shared my kale recipe with you, won’t you share yours with us?

To enter this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday:

1. Simply link your kale recipe to the blog-hop below.

2. Link this post with your recipe, using the ICM logo (at the top of the post) or through simple mention in your individual recipe post (not your homepage).

3. You may submit more than one recipe, but please ensure you link each one correctly and only enter each recipe once.

 

What’s in it for you? :) We’re glad you asked!

Each month, Shea and I will select one winner from the ICM recipes shared and feature that recipe on our own page (double exposure, YAY!).

This month though, we have something extra-special for you.  Remember the lovely book from Paleo Parents?  Each entry into this month’s ICM challenge wins you the opportunity to win your own copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur!

:) Link it up, share your kale recipes and increase your opportunity to win!

 

Wait, what if I don’t have a blog?

That’s OKAY! There are more ways to win!

1. Do you have a fantastic kale recipe?  Leave a comment below with the recipe in full.  Shea and I will be happy to consider this in our monthly feature, and you will be entered into our monthly drawing.

2. “Like” And Love it, Too On Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did.

3. “Like” Dixie Chik Cooks On Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did.

4. “Like” Paleo Parents On Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did.

5. Follow @andloveittoo On Twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did.

6. Follow @dixiechikcooksOn Twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did.

7. Follow @PaleoParents On Twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did.

Entries will be received through 11:59pm March 26, 2012.  Winners will be announced EOD March 27, 2012.

Remember, each action = 1 comment.  Each comment = 1 entry.  The more actions = the more opportunities to win!

Good luck everyone, we cannot wait to see what you come up with! xoxo

 

Filed Under: Beverages, Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

no-bake cookies (allergy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan)

March 4, 2012 By 8 Comments

About a week ago I pinned these beautiful, paleo-friendly no-bake cookies which were originally shared by Alison Lewis from ingredients, inc.

While Alison’s recipe is good, really good, this recipe has been the cause of much discussion over the last week.

One of the main discussions that really stuck with me is where on earth do you find good chocolate chips that don’t have cane sugar or artificial sugars in them?

While my chocolate chips of choice use evaporated cane juice, which is safe for my family; there are many (like my friend Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs), who cannot have cane sugar of any type.

So when Ricki asked me if I knew of a good replacement for the chocolate chips, I had no positive answer for her.

I knew right then and there that I wanted to revamp this recipe, if for nothing else than to make something Ricki could enjoy, too.

The addition of flax seeds to this recipe not only increases the nutritional value of these cookies, it adds just enough of a bite, making these truly reminiscent of the texture more traditional oat-based recipes have.

Inspired by Alison’s beautiful paleo-friendly recipe, I have updated the recipe from my childhood and am happy to share these allergy-free, refined/cane sugar-free, vegan and paleo friendly no-bake cookies made just for you.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

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no-bake cookies (allergy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In large saucepan, combine palm sugar, cocoa powder, coconut oil or palm shortening, unsweetened coconut milk and salt. Melt over medium heat until mix reaches a light simmer, stirring continuously. Lower heat slightly and continue to stir for 60 seconds. Remove from heat.
  2. Quickly stir in remaining ingredients. Drop mixture by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until completely cool.
  3. Makes approximately 30 cookies.
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Perfectly Sweet Fruit Roll-Ups

February 26, 2012 By 7 Comments

Growing up as a child of the 80′s, fruit roll-ups were one of those quintessential items.  I mean, what was lunch without a vivid green and blue, sugary sweet roll of fruity deliciousness?

And fruit roll-ups are made with fruit so they are good for you, right?

Riiiiight.

When the key ingredients include corn syrup, dried corn syrup and sugar…well, let’s just say I try to stay away.

Even long before we became a whole-food/high-nutrition household, these types of treats scared me. Despite the strong childhood connection I have with these treats, I do not recall ever having purchased these for my children.

Undoubtedly my children have partaken in these sugary delights at some point, at some party or school event…but I, personally, have never purchased these for my children.

Fruit leather, that is a different story all together.

Generally items I can rely on, fruit leather provides the yummy goodness of fruit rollups without all the extra junk.

Even so, fruit leather, especially organic no sugar-added fruit leather can be quite expensive; so when my husband gifted me with a dehydrator for our anniversary, I was excited to be able to make things such as these at home.

The trick to getting fruit leather to turn into fruit rollups is in the thickness of the spread.

Too thick and they won’t bend.

Too thin and they turn crisp.

For me, the ideal roll-up comes from a spread that is less than 1/4 inch, but greater than 1/8 inch in thickness.

With no added sugar, honey or anything…these fruit roll-ups are just sweet enough to please the most intense sweet tooth, yet just healthy enough to please the pickiest of moms.   Make these with organic fruit to ensure the best in nutrition and taste.

Enjoy!

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Perfectly Sweet Fruit Roll-Ups

Ingredients

  • 1 c Strawberries (fresh or frozen), hulled
  • 1 c Sliced Peaches (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 c Pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 c Mango Chunks (fresh or frozen)

Instructions

  1. Blend ingredients together until mix is completely smooth. Spread puree onto silicone mat and dehydrate at 135f for 8-10 hours.
  2. To make in the oven: Spread fruit puree onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake at the lowest setting with the oven door slightly ajar for 6-8 hours.
  3. Once cooled completely, you can store these in a tightly-sealed glass jar.
  4. Makes 2 trays/8 servings.
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Roasted Fennel Infused Strawberry-Lemon Bars

February 19, 2012 By 6 Comments

Two weeks ago, Shea and I opened a challenge to our readers.

Using our Ingredient Challenge Monday format, where we feature one whole-food ingredient and challenge our readers to join in on the creativity, we challenged each of you to use fennel in the most creative, most delicious way you could imagine.

To open the challenge, I shared my Maple-Glazed Roasted Fennel with Apples and Root Vegetables and Shea featured her decadent Smoked Sausage Dogs with Caramelized Fennel and Onions.

Then in response, we received absolute silence.

In hind-sight, opening to door to this challenge with two savory recipes in the month of chocolate, sugar and sweets probably was an error of poor timing on our part.

That being said, we love fennel and would still love to see how creative you can be with yours!

To help with this, we have extended our challenge by one week.

To enter, please include the Ingredient-Challenge Monday (ICM) badge (above), link the image on your page back to this link: http://www.dixiechikcooks.com/2012/02/06/smoked-sausage-dogs-with-caramelized-fennel-and-onions/, join in and grab on to the blog hop below.

Shea and I will feature one of your ICM recipe’s on each of our blogs at the beginning of the next challenge.

The challenge is now open until midnight; February 27, 2012…we do hope to see your creations!

 

…And to show that fennel is not all about the savory side of things, tonight I am happy to introduce a very sweet way to indulge on this heart-healthy delight.

These Roasted Fennel Infused Strawberry Lemon Bars are not your mother’s dessert.

Pan-roasting the fennel brings out the ever-so-subtle licorice flavor of the vegetable, adding a slightly savory undertone to this traditionally sweet treat.

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free and Vegan, these bars are sure to delight!

Enjoy!

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Roasted Fennel Infused Strawberry-Lemon Bars

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven to 350f. Prepare crust by mixing 1c palm shortening, almond flour and sea salt. Press mix into pre-greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside.
  2. Over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tbs palm shortening in medium sauté pan. Add in diced fennel and roast until lightly caramelized, remove from heat.
  3. In blender, puree strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, arrowroot powder, filtered water and stevia. Add roasted fennel and pulse until fennel is finely diced or completely incorporated, depending on your preference (I like to leave a little texture/bite to my bars). Pour mix over pre-baked crust and bake for another 15-20 minutes, when mix appears firm. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until ready to serve.
  4. Makes 24 bars
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Don’t forget to join us! We look forward to seeing what beautiful creation you bring!

This post is also linked to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

 

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Red Velvet Truffles (Allergy-Free, Sugar-Free, Raw, Vegan)

February 5, 2012 By 10 Comments

A short while back I was contacted by Cara, the mastermind behind Fork and Beans, a lovely Gluten-Free and Vegan that I have fallen absolutely in love with, regarding her Valentine’s Day Bake-Off.

Given that many of my recipes, especially my dessert recipes, are naturally vegan…this contest seemed right up my alley.

 

Early on I knew my creation needed a special touch…

 

Something I hadn’t done before…

 

Something I have been craving for a loooong loooong time, but haven’t been able to produce just yet.

 

So, in the weeks that followed Cara’s request I set out to create a sugar-free vegan white chocolate that would knock your socks off.

 

Unfortunately, this creation took longer than expected.

 

Wayyyyy longer.

 

So here I am, just under the wire…but I did it!

 

Tonight, as my submission to the Fork & Beans Valentine’s Day Bake-Off, I am proud to share these lovely Red-Velvet Truffles with you.

 

You may recognize part of this recipe, as I simply halved my recipe for Red Velvet Fudge, opting to leave the coconut behind and cover this luscious treat with the sugar-free white chocolate you see below.

Sugar-free, raw and free of every major allergen, this is one treat you can confidently share with everyone you know.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

Print
Red Velvet Truffles (Allergy-Free, Sugar-Free, Raw, Vegan)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. *To obtain coconut cream, I simply refrigerate a full-fat of Organic Thai-brand Canned Coconut Milk and measure off the amount of firm cream I need to make this dessert.
  2. Make Filling: In high-speed blender (I use my Vita-Mix), blend together dates, shredded beet, avocado, cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla and 15 drops of the vanilla crème stevia. Tamper as needed and blend until completely smooth. On parchment-lined cookie sheet, measure out 15 small ( ¼ tsp – ½ tsp) dollops of fudge and place in freezer to help quick-set filling.
  3. In medium container, smooth out the remaining fudge and store for future candy making or simply raw-fudge enjoyment.
  4. Make white chocolate: Over low heat, heat cocoa butter just until melted, stirring the entire time to prevent burning. Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients. The chocolate will appear yellow, it will lighten as it firms.
  5. Once fully incorporated, add 1 tsp white chocolate to each mold. Set chocolate molds in freezer for 10 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Leave the remaining chocolate in stock pot as you will need this to remain soft/liquid for the final step.
  6. After 10 minutes, remove fudge filling and chocolate mold from the freezer. Place small dollop of fudge in the center of each mold, ensuring the filling is not touching the walls of the mold. Cover fudge filling with remaining white chocolate, approximately 1 ½ - 2 tsp in each mold. Return mold to freezer and allow chocolate to set until completely firm, approximately 10-15 minutes.
  7. Remove from mold and serve.
  8. Makes 15 truffles
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Because there is quite a bit of red velvet fudge left at the end of this, I might suggest making more than one batch of white chocolate, or simply covering the fudge in raw, unsweetened coconut  and savoring this on its own.

May you find many sweet reasons to enjoy your holiday.

 

Before I forget, be certain to check back tomorrow and see what Shea from Dixie Chik Cooks and I have concocted for this month’s Ingredient Challenge Monday, and to learn more how you can win a special spot on each of our blogs.

Have a wonderful evening! xoxo

xoxo

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holidays, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Smoked ‘Cheddar’ Bacon Soup

January 26, 2012 By 5 Comments

This month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free event is focused on foods that bring healing to your mind, body and soul.  Hosted by Maggie over at She Let Them Eat Cake , this is a great opportunity to start the New Year off with some amazingly delicious and wonderfully healing recipes.

 

As mentioned in my Cranberry-Orange Wassail post from last week I have been battling a head-cold and thus, have been loading up on yummy healing foods to help me move past this as quickly as possible.

 

After a long week loaded with church events, school events and personal events, my body finally gave in Sunday morning.  My loving husband and wonderful children left me be and I managed to rest for a whopping 48 hours thereafter.

 

When I finally mustard the will to get out of bed, I knew I wanted something warm and soothing…oddly enough, the first thing that came to mind was not my easy egg drop soup, which is generally my go-to get-better-quick solution, no…I wanted cheddar bacon soup.

 

Cheddar bacon?  Yummy, but not something someone on a dairy-free diet normally desires.

 

So, my creative mind began to flow.

 

How can I accomplish this in a way that is safe for my family, positively delicious, really cheesy yet nutritious enough to push me past this bug that weighed me down so firmly?

 

Then I remembered, I had a stash of roasted squash in my freezer.  That would do the trick!

 

After much tinkering, I was glad to come up with a solution that killed my craving and helped me return to work and my family happy and healthy as ever (if you don’t count the sniffles that just won’t go away)…

 

To match the needs of this month’s event…this soup is loaded with healing ingredients:

 

Squash: Winter squash is known for carotene properties and offer a protective effect against many cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  This recipe would work well is pumpkin, acorn, Hubbard or butternut squash, though I used roasted pumpkin in mine.

 

Chicken broth: chicken broth is the go-to secret weapon for moms world-wide.  Having been used as a remedy for the common cold for centuries, scientific evidence now shows that chicken broth helps to clear a stuffy nose by inhibiting inflammation of the cells in the nasal passages.  Now that’s good stuff.

 

Onions contain powerful anti-oxidants and are also natural anti-histamines and anti-inflammatory.

 

Palm oil has been shown to protect against many common health problems and to boost immunity.

 

As far as the bacon…well….the protein in bacon can help you feel full longer and apparently bacon is a good source of choline which can help prevent against heart problems.  While the fat level in bacon keeps me from eating it every day, undoubtedly the high-quality stuff isn’t all that bad for you and well…it tastes good!

 

While there is not an ounce of cheese to be found, this recipe undoubtedly leads to one of the creamiest versions of cheddar bacon soup I have ever enjoyed.  All in all, this soup is loaded with wonderful nutrients meant to help heal your body and warm your soul.

 

May this be just one of many recipes to bring health and happiness to you and your family all year long.

 

Enjoy!

 

Print
Smoked ‘Cheddar’ Bacon Soup

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon until crisp. I prefer to bake mine at 425f on parchment-lined cookie sheets. This has always proved to be the best way to achieve even results. Drain oil and allow to cool.
  2. In medium stock pot, warm palm shortening until melted. Add in onion and garlic, cooking until lightly caramelized. Stir in squash and cook until warm. Add in broth, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer over medium heat, cook for an additional 15 minutes.
  3. Puree soup by using hand blender or adding in small batches to your Vitamix. or other blender. Return to pot. Crumble bacon into bits. Stir in ½ bacon and canned coconut milk, allow to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
  4. Serve warm, using the remaining bacon and added chives for garnish.
  5. Makes 8-10 servings.
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Raw, Vegan, Sugar-Free Red Velvet Fudge

November 30, 2011 By 8 Comments

When Food Network first offered up their Fall Fest calendar, there were a number of ingredients that I was excited to work with…then there were a few that made me think:

“What on earth am I going to do with those?”

This is one of those weeks.

You see, I don’t normally work with beets.

In fact, I can only think of one time I have ever purposely gone out and purchased beets…and that was only because I knew I needed to try this yummy flourless chocolate cake recipe.

I made it, I loved it, I never bought another beet.

I don’t have anything against beets; one might say that I really enjoy them!

Heck, beets are low in calories and they are jam packed with goodness…lots of vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium; packed with fiber and potassium…Nutritionally speaking, beets are something we should be eating on a regular basis.

Their brilliant red hue is like nothing else.

It’s just…well…what do you do with beets anyway?

Fortunately, this week’s Food Network Fall Fest is bound to be loaded with brilliant ideas and ways to incorporate this beautiful vegetable in to your diet.

And here’s mine…

Inspired by Elana’s Purple Velvet Torte, I knew chocolate and beets are a perfect pair.

We are deep in the holiday season, and the red from the beets makes me think: red velvet.

After a week of celebration though, with Thanksgiving and birthday parties galore…I really didn’t want another cake.  Heck, I really didn’t want to turn on my oven.

What I did want, though, was something uniquely different that would be memorable, delicious, and quickly become a treasured classic for my family and yours.

Then I thought…what is my favorite treat?

Fudge!

Soft, melt in your mouth, creamy sweet piece of heaven, no one will ever guess that this dessert is loaded with fruits and vegetables yet has no sugar or dairy, or that it takes only minutes to make.

Because this fudge is free from the traditional sugars that keep regular fudge in that tender-yet-firm stage, I will warn that this is a dessert best served straight from the refrigerator.  It is a bit softer than traditional fudge, but is still firm enough to serve as a finger-food.

While this recipe is like nothing I have made before…it is one that I look forward to enjoying time and time again (that is, if I can keep my husband away from it!).

Happy Holidays!

 

Print
Raw, Vegan, Red Velvet Fudge (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free)

Ingredients

  • 2 c Dates (about 50), soaked 1 hour
  • 1 c Shredded Beets (about 2)
  • 1 Large Avocado
  • 1 c Cocoa Powder
  • ½ c Coconut Oil
  • 1 Tbs Vanilla
  • 30 drops Vanilla Crème Liquid Stevia
  • 1 c Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Instructions

  1. Place dates, beets, avocado, cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla and stevia into blender. Beginning on low speed, quickly increase to highest blending speed while tampering ingredients down. Continue to process until all ingredients are very smooth, almost pudding like.
  2. Spread fudge evenly into parchment lined square cake pan, top with shredded coconut.
  3. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before slicing into squares and serving promptly.
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Enjoy!

For more beet-inspiration, please visit these beautifully red recipes:

 

Bay Area Foodie: Baked Beet Ravioli

Thursday Night Dinner: Roasted Beets and Walnut Encrusted Goat Cheese

What’s Gaby Cooking: Farro Beet and Herb Salad

My Angel’s Allergies: Roasted Beet and Potato Vinaigrette Salad

Cooking Channel: Garlicky Beet Salad With Walnuts and Dates

The Sensitive Epicure: Simply Sauteed Beets

FN Dish: Top 3 Beet Salad Recipes

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Beet Salad With Crispy Leeks and Bacon

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Beet Salad With Bacon Vinaigrette

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holidays, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guest Post for Dixie Chik Cooks…Sugar-Free Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie in a Jar

October 23, 2011 By 4 Comments

When my friend Shea asked if I would be interested in doing a guest-post on her site, I was extremely honored and a bit intimidated.

Anyone who followed our Ingredient Challenge Monday posts knows that, because of medical reasons, I live a gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle, and Shea does not.

So how am I to create something worthy of my lovely friend’s page that will meet the needs of her readers, but still be safe for my household as well?

Luckily, fall is full of flavorful inspiration.

Right about now, children are sleeping with dreams of gummy bears and Hershey bars running through their heads.  Stores are brimming over with beautiful orange globes waiting for your creative nature to kick in.

And the air is quickly growing chill.

October is a great time to perfect holiday dishes and simply have fun with new flavors that are only available this time of the year.

These Sugar-Free Raw Vegan Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Pies in a Jar are not just handy, they are delicious and nutritious.  The sweet caramel coupled with the smooth pumpkin filling; add in the slightest crunch of pecan, mmmmmmm heaven.

Best of all?  Because there is absolutely no cooking involved, it will take you no-time to turn those left-over pumpkin carvings into a decadent dish your family will want to enjoy time and time again.

Before I go into the recipe, let me say just a couple of things…

#1. As much as I would love to take credit for the overwhelmingly delicious caramel that tops this beautiful dessert, I must give credit to the ingenious recipe for Raw Snicker Bars
from VGAN JAR.

I had struggled to find the perfect, no-fail way to top the pumpkin pie portion of this recipe…something that was as easily portable and the perfect complement to this dessert, this
caramel certainly fit the bill.

#2. Why a jar? Well, I wanted something that was portable.  I like to surprise my kids with a dessert in their school lunch every now and then, especially when I can make that dessert jam packed with nutrition. They’re happy, I’m happy. We all win…

Really though, my family and I are looking at the possibility of going camping this Thanksgiving. In preparation, I am doing all I can to create the classic foods of this annual feast in a way that will be easy to bring with us, keeping my campfire labor to a minimum but our overall enjoyment to a maximum.

Expect to see at least one or two more jar-type desserts from me in the near future over at And Love it, Too!

#3. I like to use my blue canning funnel to pour each layer in…this makes the filling process much easier and keeps the mess to a minimum.  Yay!

#4. If you don’t want to use a jar, this recipe will fill a 9-inch deep dish pie pan quite nicely.

Without further adieu, I present this dish crafted just for you.

xoxo

Sugar-Free Raw Vegan Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Pie, in a Jar

Crust:

2c Blanched Almond Flour

1 Tbs Cinnamon

4 Tbs Coconut Oil, melted over low heat

 

Filling:

4c Raw Pumpkin, cubed

1-Large Ripe Avocado, peeled and seed removed

2c Pitted Dates

2 Tbs Coconut Oil, melted over low heat

3 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Ground Ginger

½ tsp Ground Cloves

 

Topping:

16 Dates, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

½ c Agave Nectar

2 Tbs Coconut Oil

4 Tbs Water

½ c Crushed Pecans

8-12oz Jelly Jars with lids

In large mixing bowl, mix together the blanched almond flour and cinnamon.  Slowly add in the coconut oil, using a fork to combine, stopping when the dough resembles cookie crumbs.  Press ¼ c of crust mixture into each jar. Set aside.

In high-speed blender, add in pumpkin, avocado, dates, ginger, cloves, sea salt and coconut oil. For Vitamix, begin on Variable 1 and quickly increase to Variable 10. Tamper as needed.  Allow to blend until mixture is completely smooth.  Pour approximately ½ c into each jar. Set aside.

Clean your high-speed blender before moving on to the next step.

Blend soaked dates, agave nectar, coconut oil and water, on high until completely smooth, approximately 2 minutes.  Add about 1 Tbs to each jar.  Top with crushed pecans.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8

May this holiday season be filled with joy, laughter and lots of great food.

Thank you for this opportunity, Shea!

xoxo

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