Cashew Coconut Fudge

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I present you with Cashew Coconut Fudge- the perfect blend of salty, sweet and delicious.

Some people assume that clean eating means you have to give up on your favorite foods. Not exactly. It is all about finding new ways to appreciate the flavors and textures you love, from ingredients you feel good about. Here is one great example. 

If you have 10 minutes to kill, I recommend giving this one a try. 

Cashew Coconut Fudge
Recipe inspired by Detoxinista
Serves 12

Ingredients

1 cup cashew butter
⅓ cup unrefined coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Place cashew butter, coconut oil and maple syrup in food processor and blend until smooth. Add cocoa powder, salt and vanilla and continue to process until well blended. Batter will be loose.

Pour fudge batter in to a parchment paper-lined small baking pan and spread smooth. Place in freezer for 45 minutes. Remove from freezer and slice into 12 squares.

Store fudge in freezer for optimal texture- these will get very soft at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Truffles

These truffles are a staple in my household- they are a breeze to whip up, containing just 5 ingredients, and can be stored in the freezer for any late night emergency that may arise. The are perfect for holiday gatherings, and in a cute package, make a great stocking stuffer.

I prefer them made with raw honey for its nutritional benefits and flavor compliment to the peanut butter, but you could substitute maple or brown rice syrup if need be. If peanuts are a problem, I would suggest cashew butter over almond. 

I don't bother to temper the chocolate coating- but that is because I store them in the freezer and we go through them surprisingly quickly. If out at room temperature for a few days, the chocolate will "bloom", which affects the appearance and texture more than the flavor. If you are interested in learning how to temper chocolate, I recommend following these directions. 

Peanut Butter Truffles
Makes 16-20

Ingredients

1 tbs. ground flax + 2 tbs. water
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions

In a small bowl, combine ground flax and water. Let sit until thickened.

In a double boiler, or bowl over a simmering pot of water, melt chocolate chips.

Combine all ingredients except chocolate in a food processor and run until dough begins to form a ball, scraping sides down as necessary. Remove and roll into 16- 20 small balls.

Dip each ball in melted chocolate, using a spoon to cover sides. Remove to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let cool. Store in fridge or freezer until ready to serve.

Relax. Eat Well.

Tempeh Meatballs

These meatballs are one of my favorite ways to use tempeh- a fermented soybean cake rich in protein, fiber and iron. As a fermented product, the soy in tempeh is partly "pre-digested", making it is easier for us to digest and assimilate. It is also much less refined than tofu (another soy product), making it my preferred whole-food vegetarian protein source.

The entire recipe is put together in the food processor, making it a cinch to throw together on a week night.

My daughter likes to snack on them on their own- I like them with spaghetti squash or as part of a Thanksgiving feast. The flavors fit right in!

Tempeh Meatballs
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz. package tempeh, cubed
1 tbs. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves, minced
¼ cup brown rice flour
3 tbs. olive oil
1 ½ tbs. tamari
1/4 tsp. chili flakes, optional
1 tbs. maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large food processor, pulse tempeh until crumbled. Add fresh herbs, rice flour, olive oil, tamari, chili flakes and maple syrup and pulse until well processed and beginning to form a ball. Taste, and adjust with additional salt and pepper flakes if desired.

Roll mixture into 12 meatballs and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate and roll over and continue for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Fresh Orange Sorbet in Citrus Shells

What a perfect melding of winter and spring- a transition dish, with the flavors of the season we are leaving behind, and the textures and sensations of the one that is to come.

I have never made sorbet before, and haven't had an ice cream maker since childhood. This recipe does not require any fancy equipment- just a food processor or blender, and some muscle (for all that juicing). So simple, yet so sweet.

I happen to have a mix of oranges and tangelos in my fridge, so I used two of each. Feel free to take liberty with the citrus you choose- next time I am going to try adding in some shaved ginger and maybe even a touch of fresh mint to bring some additional excitement to the tongue. I would just add this in when making the simple syrup, and strain afterwords. I'd also love to replace some or all of the sugar with honey- but that is for another day. 

This step is completely optional- but I think it is so fun to use the citrus half shells as the serving container- just juice each half completely, and use a spoon to scrape out the remaining pith. Give it a good wash and dry, and then stick them in the freezer with the sorbet to be used when ready.

Fresh Orange Sorbet in Citrus Shells
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 oranges (or your favorite citrus)
1 lemon
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup cane sugar

Directions

Wash citrus well and cut in half along the middle. Juice completely- you should end up with about 1.5 cups of juice.

To make a simple syrup, add water and sugar to a small pot. Bring to a simmer over low-medium heat, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

If planning to serve the sorbet in the citrus shells, take a spoon and scrape each half clean, removing any remaining pith, while being careful not to break through. Dry and place in the freezer.

Once chilled, combine simple syrup with citrus juice in a medium bowl. Freeze for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Once frozen, scoop into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Can serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for a few days. When serving, scoop sorbet into a frozen citrus half and enjoy!


Relax. Eat Well.

Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate

I'm not going to get too verbose today. It's cold and blustery, and the snow is coming down in those big flakes that renew your love for winter, as long as it is being experienced through the window while curled up on the couch. The only thing that can make it better is a cup of hot chocolate, and a puppy at your feet.

This is the hot chocolate I have been making for myself all winter. It's fairly simple, and composed of ingredients I generally have in my kitchen at all times, with all natural sweeteners and good quality chocolate. I like to amp it up a notch with a dash of peppermint extract to give it a minty kick.

Try to enjoy a mug full without shedding a layer- I dare you.

Dairy-free Hot Chocolate

Serves 1

Ingredients

1.5 cups unsweetened plant-based milk (I like a mixture of almond and soy milk)
1-2 tbs. maple syrup (depending on your sweetness preference)
1 tsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp. dandy blend or other herbal coffee substitute
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. peppermint extract (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve powders into milk, until completely smooth. Warm over low-medium heat until hot, uncovered. Taste, and adjust with extra syrup if desired. Enjoy immediately.

Relax. Eat Well.

Sage and Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

Phew, I made it before Thanksgiving. I'm telling you- this decreasing daylight thang is really messing with my game! Since we all know camera flash/artificial light and food photography don't get along, it has been challenging to find a time to photograph my food while I am actually cooking! Thus the reason for the string of breakfast recipes as of late. Hopefully this one will break the trend.

OK, so who doesn't like a good 8 ingredient recipe for the holidays? This one is beyond easy, especially if you have some leftover cornbread, as I did, from a pre-holiday Friendsgiving.

The cornbread I used was nice- I included a link to it in the recipe below. If I made it again to enjoy on its own, I would amp up the sweetness with 2 extra tablespoona of honey, and throw in an additional 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt. But I have to say, for the stuffing, it was pretty near perfect. It is gluten-free as well, which helps when feeding a crowd of diverse eaters.

Thanks to the chickens, these eggs were beyond fresh and so golden they were almost orange. Those chickies are definitely on the list of things I am thankful for this year.

You can use either fresh or dried cranberries here- the dried ones will add a touch more sweetness, and the fresh will give you a burst of tang. I did a combo, and really enjoyed what each had to offer.

This is certainly a more indulgent recipe, given the amount of butter, but with high quality ingredients it can certainly still fit into a healthy meal. Tis the season, right?!? Using fresh cranberries boosts the antioxidant load, particularly in the form of manganese and vitamin C.

Luckily my gorgeous little sister stopped by just in time to do a little last-minute modeling with the cornbread. On Saturday she leaves for a big move out to California, so this week has been a bittersweet goodbye.

Whether this dish graces your Thanksgiving table or makes it's way into the week of leftovers, I'll feel nothing but honored to be part of your holiday celebration.

Sage and Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing
Serves 6
Adapted from Claire Robinson of the Food Network

Ingredients

5 tbs. cultured butter, salted, divided
1 large yellow onion, chopped
12 or so sage leaves, fresh or dried
5 cups cornbread (I used this recipe, with honey instead of sugar)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tbs. dried cranberries or 1/4 cup fresh (or both!)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan, melt 2 tbs. of butter over medium heat. Add chopped onions, and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown. Remove into large bowl.

Heat remaining butter in the same pan over low-medium heat, until beginning to brown and separate. Add sage and let sizzle. Remove from heat.

Cut cornbread into cubes and add to the large bowl with onions, along with beaten eggs, salt, pepper and cranberries. Drizzle with browned sage butter and toss to coat. If more moisture is needed, add 1/2 cup of water to the butter pan to deglaze. Add, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing in between, until stuffing is soft but not wet.

Butter a 8x8 pan, and fill with stuffing. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Relax. Eat Well.

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple Miso Balsamic Dressing

It is pretty hard these days to feel inspired by the few local ingredients that are left. Mostly roots, maybe some cabbage. It has been a long hard winter and we are OH SO close to greens popping up for spring, but just not quite there.

Here is the last of my homegrown garlic - scraping the bottom of the bin.

But on to beets- one of the few roots I have yet to satiate on this winter. I'm not going to dive into the nutrition world today- because, well, I just don't feel like it. Instead, let's just drool over some pictures...

Roasty, toasty, cozy…...

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple Miso Balsamic Dressing
Serves 6

Ingredients

4 large beets, ruby red, golden (pictured) or bullseye chioggia
1 tbs. grape seed oil
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb. baby spinach
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, minced.
1/2 cup raw walnuts

1 garlic clove
½ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. mustard
2 tbs. miso
1 tbs. maple syrup
½ tsp sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash beets well and slice of ends. Slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds, unpeeled. Toss with grape seed oil, syrup and salt, and place on baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast for 15 minutes, check and flip if beginning to get golden. Continue to roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees and toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Watch carefully- they have a propensity to burn! Remove and cool.

To make dressing, combine garlic through sea salt in a blender and process until smooth.

Just before serving, toss spinach with dressing and place in a large bowl. Top with minced crystallized ginger, roasted beets and toasted walnuts.
Relax. Eat Well.

Sweet Potato Bisque

Two soup recipes in a row? WHAT?

Blogger faux pas? Arguably. Case of the "I can't believe it is still 5 degrees out and need fire inside me now"? Most definitely.

A dangerous outcome of the practice of blogging what I cook, in a fairly 1:1 ratio.

I've been working on a project lately that requires developing recipes that are shelf stable. This has proven to be quite a challenging project for a natural chef, who bases most recipes on the fresh and the raw.

The good news is that it inspired this cashew cream powder, which I have incorporated into a sweet potato version of the potato chowder I was originally developing.



The cashew powder that you create in the first step of this recipe can be kept in an airtight container, preferably somewhere cool and dark, for a few weeks. It can then be mixed with 1 1/2 cups of water and brought to a simmer, to thicken into a luscious cashew cream. At this point, you have a versatile sauce for a variety of dishes - as an alfredo sauce mixed with whole wheat pasta, over steamed broccoli, or as the "cream" in a vegan chowder, such as we find here.





The beauty of using it in a soup is that you can cut out the step of thickening it in simmering water, and simply add the cashew powder to the soup in the last few minutes of cooking. You'll notice a quick thickening effect, and after a few minutes with the immersion blender, you have a beautiful chowder or bisque.

Wow, that got a bit detailed- hope I didn't lose any of you yet.

In short: this cashew powder is fun to play with and can easily be made ahead and transported to be used over camp stoves in the woods, while traveling to remote destinations, or to throw together a quick week night meal.

Like most soups, this one requires a decent amount of chopping, resulting in some valuable ends and pieces. DON'T YOU DARE THROW THIS IN THE COMPOST. This is the start of your next soup- save them for your next batch of vegetable stock.

Vegan Sweet Potato Bisque

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup ground raw cashews, room temperature

1 tbs. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. garlic granules

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. rosemary

1 tsp. coconut oil

1 small onion, minced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large yams, diced (5 cups)

4 cups vegetable stock

1 tbs. cooking sherry

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Salt to taste

Optional additions: a dash of red pepper flakes, a handful of fresh herbs- basil, sage, scallions or parsley

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the first 5 ingredients, cashews through rosemary, until you reach a granular consistency, similar to that of sand. The more powdered the better, but don’t go too far- it will try to turn into cashew butter. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a medium pot over low-medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add yam and vegetable stock. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until yams are very soft. Uncover, add cashew powder and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cooking sherry and ground pepper. With an immersion blender, puree until very smooth. Taste, and adjust with salt. Add additional spices and herbs if using, and pulse to combine.

Kale-a-kopita

Here we are again. In that in-between period- coming off the high of the summer harvest and sliding down the snow-covered hill towards full on winter. A few token vegetables are still coming from our local farms and gardens- mostly roots, a few hardy greens. So this post is an ode to kale. Because I have eaten so much of it this month that I am starting to turn green, and I still can't get enough. I love that it nourishes me into the winter, when my body needs it most.

Kale is a nutritional superstar, a green superfood, if you will. Super high in Vitamins K and A, this hardy green has the power to lower cholesterol, protect against free radicals and fight inflammation. Particularly rich in glucosinolates, which act inside our system as potent anti-cancer compounds, kale can play an active role in our preventative medicine routines.

If you enjoy spanikopita, you are going to love this kale-centric version. Go for high-quality ricotta and feta for this dish- it makes a difference. Around here, I love Maplebrook Farm for both products.

Kale-a-kopita
Serves 6

Ingredients

5 filo dough sheets, thawed (cover with a damp towel while not using) 
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. spinach, chopped if leaves are large
1 large bunch green kale
8 oz whole-milk ricotta
2 large eggs
1/2 cup crumbled whole-milk feta
2 tbs. fresh dill
2 tbs. fresh parsley
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
2 tbs. butter or oil, melted, more as needed 
Directions

Prep kale and spinach by washing thoroughly. Set spinach to steam until completely wilted. Drain and set aside. Once cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Grabbing one kale leaf at a time, strip out stem and tear into pieces. 

In a heavy skillet, saute the diced onions in olive oil over low heat until slightly softened. Add garlic, stir for one minute and add kale. Cook until kale is completely wilted. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta, eggs, feta, dill, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.

Add spinach and kale mixture to the large bowl . Stir ingredients until well combined and greens are distributed evenly. Taste, and adjust for salt. If desired, add a few dashes of red pepper for heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

On a large cutting board, lay out one sheet of filo dough, with the long side facing you. Brush with melted butter. Repeat until 5 sheets of filo dough are stacked, brushing with a thin layer butter between each layer.  

After the stack is completed, spread the feta and greens mixture along the long side facing you, about 2 inches from the edge. Carefully, roll up the dough to form a log starting with the side the feta mixture is on. The butter will help the sheets to stick together.  

Place completed log on parchment lined baking sheet. Score the top of the log with diagonal lines using a sharp knife in 1-2 inch segments.  This will make it easier to cut when the kale-a-kopita is finished baking.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Begin checking logs at 30 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. Kale-a-kopita is finished when it is golden brown on the top and mostly golden on the sides.
Allow to cool on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note- if multiplying this recipe for a larger crowd, make sure your logs have plenty of room between them while baking. They will expand and risk bursting when baked too close together.

Real Fig Newtons

I am pretty in love with turkish figs lately. In salads, with good cheeses, as a paste on flatbreads, in cookies- you just can't go wrong.

A nice source of potassium, which helps control blood pressure, figs are a healthy addition to the diet as well. Given their high fiber content and balanced sweetness, they make a great snack in between meals and have the power to class up any gathering. When serving a nice cheese plate, quartered turkish figs always make an appearance, and can become the star of the party. Be warned.

The blanched almond flour in this recipes yields a delicate and flaky crust, high in protein and naturally gluten-free. Although all of the ingredients are on the pricey end of the spectrum, a little goes a long way and I promise you will not be disappointed with the results. Save it for a special occasion and enjoy every last crumb.

Real Fig Newtons

Inspired by The Iron You and adapted from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

Makes about 30 large cookies

Ingredients 

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ tsp. sea salt
¾ cup raw organic honey
¼ cup unrefined organic coconut oil, melted
1 tbs. vanilla extract

1 cup dried turkish figs
1/4 cup squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place dried figs in a food processor and blend until they are well chopped. Add lemon juice and vanilla and process until a smooth paste forms.

In a large bowl combine almond flour and sea salt.

In another small bowl add honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a wet dough forms. It will seem a bit sticky, that is what you want. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide into 4 parts. Between two pieces of parchment paper, using a rolling pin, roll each section of the dough out into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4 inch thick and 4 inches wide.

Spread a couple of tablespoons of the fig mixture lengthwise down the rectangle. Using the parchment paper, fold the dough along the long side to envelop the filling inside the dough.

Repeat with the remaining parts of the dough. Using wet fingers, smooth the seam and roll the package so that the seam ends up underneath. Seal at each end.

Carefully transfer the bars to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and score with a sharp knife about every 2 inches. Let cool for 5 minutes and then cut into slices.

Allow to cool completely before enjoying.

Relax. Eat Well.