Love Muffins- Vegan & Gluten-Free

02 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, gluten-free, homemade gifts, vegan

Tags

fruit, gluten free, local, nuts, oats, peanut butter, vegan

Food:

Love Muffins- makes 12

8 oz. buckwheat flour or oat flour (you can use your blender or flour mill to grind your own flour, that is what I do, or find at grocery store. Also, I did use my scale to measure the flour. It’s slightly over a cup.)

1/2 c. local honey (I use Clifford Farms)

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. real salt

1 1/4 c. nut milk (I use homemade)

1/3 c. heaping, favorite nut butter (I used Barney Butter Chunky Almond Butter)

1 T. chia seeds mixed w/ 3 T. water

2 T. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. heaping of your favorite jam (I used Amour Spread Raspberry Jam, this would be a great recipe to use your own canned jam)

Directions:

1. Start by pre heating your oven to 400 degrees. Next line your muffin tin with parchment muffin liners, or if you are like me and ran out of liners oil your muffin pan with coconut oil.

2. In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan heat the coconut oil, nut butter and honey until smooth and mixed well. Do not over heat or let the mixture come to a boil. Take off the heat and add nut milk, vanilla and chia seed mixture. Mix. (I was able to skip this step and just mix everything in a bowl with a whisk because it has been so hot!)

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold all of the ingredients together. Don’t overmix.

5. Using a big spoon, spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, only half way. Next, add a teaspoon of jam to the middle of each muffin. Then spoon more of the batter over the jam, fill to the top.

6. Bake for 22 minutes. Let cool and then devour!

Love:

I call these ‘Love Muffins’ for a few reasons, 1. Who doesn’t love nut butter and jelly? 2. I got to use my favorite local jammer Amour Spreads! 3. I have been working on this recipe for sometime and finally cracked it. These are super easy to throw together, are a crowd pleaser and totally worth turning on the oven for. My husband was so happy when he walked in and saw these fresh out of the oven, he immediately shoved one in his face. (Notice in the pic below that one is missing!)

Amour Spreads and I are getting ready to work on a little project together (stay tuned!) and I wanted to make and share these with them. I hope they like how I used their love to share a little love with all of you.

I think these would be amazing with your own canned jam or jelly, you could attach this recipe to one of your jars of jam and give it as a gift. ENJOY!

Beans & Greens

26 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, beans, gluten-free, salad, seasonal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beans, cilantro, garlic, gluten free, kale, local, parsley, seasonal, vegan

Food:

Beans & Greens– serves 6-8

2 c. dry beans (I used Adzuki beans I get at the farmers market, Borski Farms)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeds remove and diced (farmers market)

1/2 c. parsley, chopped (my garden)

1/4- 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped (farmers market)

1 purple onion, chopped (farmers market)

3 lemons, zest and juice

a couple of garlic cloves, chopped (farmers market, Borski Farms)

lots of greens, kale and swiss chard, chopped (farmers market, Borski Farms)

olive oil

Celtic salt and pepper

Directions:

For the beans:

1. Place the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with water, soak overnight. Drain, rinse and place beans in a larger pot. Cover with water again, maybe one inch above the beans. Turn stove to high, when the beans come to a boil let them boil for five minutes skimming off the foam. Add a piece of kombu (Kombu is a sea vegetable that adds minerals and helps tenderize the beans and reduces their gas effect!), place the lid on the pot and turn the temperature to medium-low and simmer until done. Check at 45 minutes, and then every 10 minutes till they are tender but not mushy.

2. When done, drain and set aside until ready to use.

For the greens:

1. In a large bowl, add the lemon juice and lemon zest and six turns of olive oil. Next add the cucumber, onion, and herbs. Toss. Add greens, toss again. Then add the beans, toss one more time and adjust seasoning. EAT!

A few ways to EAT:

1. Spoon some into your favorite wrap with some good quality cheese, tomatoes and avocado.

2. Pair with your favorite rice, preferably wild or brown rice and season with tamari (soy sauce), sesame oil and a squeeze of lime.

3. Top with a poached egg, drizzle with olive oil and your favorite seasoning.

Love:

There is a saying in Italian that goes “Quanta Basta!”, “a little of this, a little of that!”. Beans & Greens is just that, you can make this dish to suit your taste buds, it is just a blue print, a road map to other meals. I packaged mine all up in lunch containers, topped it with tomatoes, avocado and extra drizzle of olive oil and a slice of lemon. It would also be great left in a big bowl in the fridge and then eaten each night for dinner the ways I have listed above. It is hearty but light and is perfect in this hot weather, whip up a batch and add “Quanta Basta”. Happy Summer y’all.

Easy Pea-sy Farmers Market Salad w/ Basil Miso Dressing and Rhubarb Granita

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in dessert, dressing, gluten-free, salad, seasonal, vegan

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

asparagus, beans, cheese, gluten free, local, miso, peas, salad, seasonal, vegan, vegetables

Food:

Easy Pea-sy Farmers Market Salad w/ Basil Miso Dressing– serves 6

For the salads-

6 c. spinach, 1 c. for each (FM)

1 1/2 avocado’s, 1/4 for each

1 container of Sunbridge pea greens, divided (local, find at Whole Foods or Good Earth)

1 lb. snap peas, shelled and steamed, 1/4 c. for each (FM)

4 oz. Drake Family Farms goat cheese, divided (FM)

1 1/2 c. crispy garbanzo beans, 1/4 c. for each

1/2 asparagus, trimmed and steamed, divided (FM)

Lemons, salt and pepper

(FM)= Find at Farmers Market

Directions:

1. Divide all the ingredients into 6 glass containers, bowls or Tupperware with lids. (I made these for our lunches this week). Season with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

2. Place containers in fridge and they are ready for lunches during the week!

Basil Miso Dressing- enough for 6 salads (2 T. each)

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar or Slide Ridge Honey Vinegar (FM)

1/4 c. miso paste (I like chickpea miso)

2 T. water

2 T. Clifford Family Farm honey (FM)

1 T. fresh chives or spring onions,chopped (I used some from my garden)

1/4 c. fresh basil (garden or FM)

Directions:

1. Everything but the onion and the olive oil in the blender or food processor.Blend well, then stream in the olive oil and blend again. Add in onions. Refrigerate, divide into 6 containers to go with the salads. Enjoy!

Food:

Rhubarb Granita- makes 3 c.

Adapted from Sunset Magazine June 2013

4 c. roughly chopped rhubarb (FM)

1 c. Clifford Family Farm honey

1/2 tsp. Real Salt

Directions:

1. In a wide pot, cook rhubarb, honey, salt and 2 1/2 c. water over medium heat, stirring often and mashing with a spoon if needed, until rhubarb turns to mush.

2. Pour mixture through a strainer into a bowl and rub with the back of a ladle to push through as mush rhubarb as possible.

3. Transfer to a shallow Pyrex dish and freeze until firm, stirring and scraping with a fork every hour if possible, about 4 hours total (stirring the mixture occasionally as it freezes creates large, slow melting ice crystals you want in a granita). Scrape up the granita with fork and spoon into bowls or your favorite vintage glasses. Eat!

Love:

This time of the year I let the Farmers Market dictate the menu at our house. My Easy Pea-sy Farmers Market Salad worked out perfect for our lunches and the Rhubarb Granita was just what the doctor ordered for dessert at the end of these hot days we’ve been having. Every Saturday is an adventure at the market to see what’s new and there is nothing better than having fresh, local seasonal food to play with in the kitchen. Can’t wait to see what will be on the menu next week, until then. Enjoy!

My “SLO” Salad w/Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, dressing, gluten-free, salad, seasonal, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

asparagus, avocado, brown rice, cucumber, garbanzo beans, gluten free, greens, lemon, tahini, tomatoes, vegan

Love:

My husband and I recently took a trip up the California Coast for our wedding anniversary. One of our stops up highway 1 was San Luis Obispo (“SLO”), while we were there we ate at one of our favorite Cali eateries ‘The Natural Cafe’ (we think it is a California chain), it’s not a local restaurant but they have lots of veggie friendly options. I was instructed by a friend from home to try their ‘Village Salad’ which consists of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, brown rice, tofu and a little cheese. Nothing too out of the ordinary but the brown rice was my favorite part and I couldn’t wait to get home and make my own version.

This salad came together with what I had in the house and in the garden, nothing out of the ordinary, but when I posted this picture on Instagram (follow me @comsohippiechef) I got quite a few likes and thought it was worth sharing. Instead of tofu, I used crispy garbanzo beans which I started using last summer instead of croutons, definitely a favorite in our house. I also included the brown rice which is what I loved the most about the salad we ate while we were in SLO, but I was lucky to have greens from my garden as well as the flowers that were a result of my greens bolting a little to soon. The rest of the ingredients were left over from other meals. Feel free to use what you have but I do recommend that you try the brown rice and crispy garbanzo beans. I urge you to ‘slow’ down and Enjoy!

Food:

My SLO Salad– serves 2

4 c. greens of choice, divided (I used greens from my garden)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced, divided (I used one of those really long ones)

1 organic tomato, cut in quartered and diced, divide

1 lb. organic asparagus, tops only! Use the bottoms for the pasta dish I’ll be posting next. (I roasted these in the oven with a little olive oil and salt and pepper @375 degrees for 10-15 min)

1 avocado, cut in half and sliced, half for each salad

1/2 c. cooked brown rice for each salad

1/4 c. crispy garbanzo beans for each salad (2c. fresh cooked, or canned chickpeas, toss with 2 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. Toum (local garlic condiment)- bake 400 degrees for 30-45 min. or until cripsy)

edible flowers (if you have them), you could use sprouts instead

half a lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. I start by placing the greens on the bottom of the bowl, I squeeze a little lemon over the greens and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

2. Arrange the rest of the ingredients over the greens. I gave each ingredient its own space on the greens, I think it looks really pretty this way. Top with edible flowers.

3. Eat with you favorite dressing!

Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing- makes 1 c.

1/2 c. organic sesame tahini (usually by the nut butters)

1/4 c. water

1 organic lemon, zest and juice

2 T. vinegar, I used Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar

2 T. organic tamari, you could use lite soy sauce or liquid amino’s

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 c. fresh herbs from garden (I used a combo of mint, basil, cilantro and parsley)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Blend until well mixed. Place in the fridge. (The dressing will thicken up in the fridge, so it is best used at room temperature.)

Nutrition:

Usually during the summer I lay off this segment, I want to have more time with friends and family while the weather is good. I hope you will understand. Spending time outdoors with the ones you love eating fresh, local and seasonal food is the best nutrition!

Tabouli- Friend-ly Food

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, quinoa, salad, Side dish, vegan

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

beans, gluten free, lemon, mint, parsley, salad, tomatoes, vegan

Love:

Two weeks ago my girlfriends (the TBC’s- tall bitches club) were in town. When we all lived in SLC we got together every Friday morning for ‘Coffee Tawk’ or cocktail night with the husbands and kids a few times a month. Now days that is much harder considering one of us lives in France one lives in California and two of us live here. When I found out that this little reunion was going to happen I wanted to have the girls to my place for nibbles and cocktails, and I knew exactly what was going to be on the menu, my friend Moudi and Derek’s Tabouli. Moudi and Derek are the bad asses behind Laziz Foods, they make Hummus, Muhammara and Toum (a garlic spread) and periodically Moudi will share recipes for his favorite Lebanese dishes on their Facebook page, this Tabouli is one of them. I have made it a handful of times and everyone loves it!

I don’t know about you but within my circle of friends I have friends that are vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free/Paleo and some that are just fine with anything I make. I am picky myself so I don’t mind the challenge of coming up with menu’s that appeal to everyone. The food pictured above I have served at my last two cocktail nights to some of my friends who fall under one of these labels and needless to say there was something for everyone. I have a feeling these dishes will show up a lot during the summer when we can get everything fresh at the Farmers Market. Cheers to friends and cocktail night- Enjoy!

Food:

Tabouli- recipe straight from Laziz

3 bunches of flat Italian parsley ~ roughly 5 cups of parsley leaves (packed really well)

1/2 cup of lightly packed mint leaves

1 bunch green onions (5-6 sticks)

2 medium tomatoes

1/4 cup bulgur (check the bottom of the recipe for a gluten-free alternative)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper

Pluck the parsley leaves and discard the stems. Chop the leaves very finely, spending a good 5-7 minutes (you could use a food processor to ease the process if you are inclined).

Similarly, chop the mint leaves and green onions very finely, although the green onions may be a bit harder, and I find running them through a processor helps the process a lot.

Chop up the tomatoes very finely as well, and mix in the bowl with the parsley, mint, and green onions.

Soak the bulgur in hot water till puffed up (5 minutes), and discard of any excess water. Mix in with the salad.

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well throughout.

Serve with lettuce or just eat it with a fork.

NOTE: This will not keep in the fridge with good flavor past two days, so keep the dressing aside if you must, and mix as needed.

NOTE: for a gluten-free alternative to bulgur, cook 1/4 cup of quinoa and use instead. This does alter the taste a bit though.

Also pictured above:

Laziz Hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with a sprinkling of salt and pepper

Crackers with Beehive Cheese and Muhammara

Carrots

ChickPea Flatbread (new recipe for me, I love it! My TBC Kim in France shared the recipe with me)

Nutrition:

Parsley: One of my favorite recipes using parsley

Mint: Fun Spring recipe using mint

Chickpeas: This recipe uses ground chickpeas and Laziz

Cheese: Check out these recipes using Beehive cheese

Sometimes the best nutrition is hanging with your friends.

Black Rice Coconut Pudding w/Dates

18 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, gluten-free, Side dish, Snack, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

coconut milk, dates, gluten free, rice, vegan

Love:

Do you like rice pudding? Until this week I didn’t, I am really funny about textures, soggy bread, tapioca, bloomed chia seeds- ick! I had always put rice pudding in the same category, until now.

I am a part of Slow Food Utah’s book club, what is great about our book club is that all the books we read are about food. Our last book was ‘An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace’ by Tamar Adler. When we meet for book club we usually bring dishes based on something featured in the book, this particular book had a number of recipes to choose from but for some reason the Rice Pudding was speaking to me. I have never made rice pudding and as I said I don’t even like rice pudding, but for some reason I was compelled to make it. I changed quite a bit of the recipe to appeal to my needs and what I had on hand, which is exactly the premise of the book. This book is so hopeful in learning how to make a meal using what you already have in your house or in other words, learning how to just wing it and not necessarily having to follow a recipe. This book teaches you to use what you have and even has recipes for when you mess something up, like we all do. Even those of us who blog and cook all the time mess up, but learning how to recover from those mess ups makes all the difference in your pocket-book as well as your confidence.

This rice pudding is delicious! It is warm, comforting and healthy which is always at the top of my list. I had everything on hand which was a major bonus, and even my friend Amber Billingsley head pastry chef at Vinto loved it. Amber is an award-winning pastry chef, had I known she was coming to book club I probably wouldn’t have brought dessert! I am however grateful she was there to help me. Also grateful that I got over my fear of rice pudding and added a new recipe to my list of how to use up what is leftover. Enjoy!

Food:

Black Rice Coconut Pudding w/Dates serves 4-8

2 1/2 c. leftover rice (I used Forbidden Rice)

3 c. canned coconut milk (full fat)

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. chopped medjool dates

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

few healthy grates of nutmeg

healthy pinch of real salt

*top with coconut butter (you can find this at Whole Foods or Good Earth, usually next to coconut oil)

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium heavy bottom pot. Let it heat to just under a boil. As soon as you see the first bubbles, lower the heat to a quiet simmer.

2. Cook with the intention of the rice absorbing everything. (I kept mine a little juicy) After 50 min, it should be very pudding-y, with a tiny bit a swim left to it. Hot or cold it is delish!

Nutrition:

Black Rice/ Forbidden Rice- The purple color is associated with anthocyanin antioxidants, which are also found in blueberries, but with more fiber and more vitamin E present than in the berries. Plus black rice even outdoes the healthful properties of brown. Here is another recipe using Black Rice.

Dates- Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium, an essential mineral needed by the body to maintain muscle contractions, and smooth functioning of the heart muscles. As potassium does not get stored in the body, a regular consumption of dates will continually replenish the body and aid in maintaining a healthy nervous system and the right balance of the body’s metabolism. Calcium and magnesium present in the dates ensure healthy bone development and energy metabolism. Important vitamins, like vitamin A and a variety of B-complex vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, etc) help fight off many infections to maintain and develop a healthy body. Dates contain vital amino acids that aid in smooth digestion and the adequate nicotinic content in them helps cure intestinal disturbances. Here is another recipe for dates.

Coconut Milk- 1. helps maintain blood sugar 2. keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic 3. aids in strong bones 4. helps prevent anemia 5. relaxes muscles and nerves 6. helps control weight 7. decreases risk of inflammation 8. helps lower blood sugar 9. helps maintain healthy immune system 10. promotes health of prostate gland. Here is another recipe using coconut milk.

Tamari Glazed Bok Choy

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bok choy, cilantro, garlic, ginger, gluten free, seasonal, vegan, vegetables

Food:

Tamari Glazed Bok Choy– serves 2

2 large or 4 medium baby bok choy, cut into quarters

2 small garlic cloves, chopped

1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

2 T. mirin

2 T. organic tamari (gluten-free)

1 T. pure maple syrup/ local honey

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. ume vinegar or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. coconut oil

Cilantro and scallions- garnish

Directions:

1. Start by heating a heavy bottom pot over medium heat, add the coconut oil and let it melt. While you are waiting for the oil to melt combine the garlic, ginger, mirin, tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, vinegar and cornstarch in a bowl, mix and set aside.

2. When oil has melted place the bok choy cut side down in the oil and cook for three minutes. Turn and brown on the other cut side for another three minutes. Rotate one more time and cook for another three minutes.

3. At the end of those last three minutes pour the sauce over the bok choy and let the sauce simmer and get thick, just a few minutes. Once the sauce is thick pull of the heat. Serve immediately!!!

Love:

I have made this dish more times than I can count. The first time I made this for Billy he thought it was the best thing he had ever eaten! It was a cold snowy day and I needed something warm to hold us over until dinner, I served it over rice and it warmed us from the inside out. Now he request this dish all the time, it surprises me what dishes he’ll like and I was shocked by this one, but happy it was a hit. This is a great dish to try bok choy if you have never tried it before. Serve it with brown rice, quinoa, fish, chicken the possibilities are endless. Also, right now it the perfect time to start seeds for bok choy in the house to transplant into the garden come May! I got seeds for bok choy at the Downtown Pop Up Farmers Market this weekend, I can’t wait to have some growing in my garden this year. ENJOY!

Nutrition:

Bok Choy- Cabbage is a nutrient dense, low-calorie food providing an excellent source of many nutrients especially vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, calcium, magnesium and manganese. The cabbage family of vegetables contains more phytochemicals with demonstrable anticancer properties than any other vegetable family. Consistently the higher the intake of cabbage-family vegetables the lower the rates of cancer, particularly colon, prostate, lung and breast cancer.

For another fabulous, nutrient dense, powerhouse of a recipe try my Roasted Brussels Sprout and Romanesco Soup

Farro, Brussels Sprout and Blood Orange Salad

04 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, dressing, salad, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

brussels sprouts, cilantro, Farro, gluten free, nuts, oranges, parsley, seasonal, vegan

Love:

If you follow me on Instagram you saw that I was gifted a whole bunch of citrus. My long time clients Erin and Trey were nice enough to share the over abundance their family had brought them from California. I couldn’t wait to get to the weekend to put it to good use. I had some Brussels Sprouts hanging out in the refrigerator as well as Farro that I brought back from Italy when we were there for the Slow Food International Conference, the perfect fixins for a salad. What I love about this salad is the light flavor with a hearty texture. The Brussels sprouts are raw but when pulled away from the pack are delicate to eat, if you have never tried Farro you must give it a try, it has a surprisingly chewy texture. We can’t forget about the blood oranges, I feel like these jewels are the beets of the citrus family. They stain your hands from their hue, and they can be used in sweet or savory dishes. Nature is so good to us, we must take advantage of our season’s bounty, that is just what I did with this dish. It will warm you like a winter dish but get your taste buds ready for the lighter flavors of spring. Enjoy!

Food:

Farro, Brussels Sprout and Blood Orange Salad serves 6-8

1 c. Farro

3 c. Brussels Sprout leaves

4-6 small blood oranges, segmented and juice reserved

3/4 c. each cilantro and parsley leaves (pull the leaves off the stem and leave leaves whole)

1/2 c. pistachios’, toasted and chopped

10 green olives (I buy Cerignola from Caputo’s Market, they are mild in flavor)

1 T. pomegranate syrup (I bought this at Black Cherry Market-great place for Mediterranean foods, good friends of our family. If you don’t have this use balsamic vinegar or Slide Ridge Honey Vinegar, I have both but thought the pomegranate syrup would add some additional color as well as sweetness.)

1/3 c. olive oil

2 1/2 oz. Snowy Mountain Creamery Feta (if you want this to be a vegan dish omit the cheese, you can find this at Liberty Heights Fresh)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Toast the Farro in a wide saucepan over medium heat, watch it so it doesn’t burn. When nice and toasted add 1 1/2 c. water and 1/4 tsp. salt, place lid on pot, bring to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. When done, drain in a fine mesh strainer to remove any excess water. Place in a bowl big enough to toss all the ingredients together.

2. Prepare the Brussels sprouts, cut off the rough ends and lightly start pulling the leaves away from the pack, it may take 10-12 Brussels sprouts to get 3 c. of leaves and you will have tiny little sprouts let over- save those for something else.

3. Segment the blood oranges, carefully cut the rind off the oranges and then over a bowl to reserve the juice (about 1/3 c.) start to remove the orange segments. Place the segments in one bowl and the juice in another.

4. Whisk olive oil, reserved blood orange juice, pomegranate syrup and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5. In the bowl with the Farro toss in the Brussels sprout leaves, chopped toasted pistachio’s, chopped olives, cilantro and parsley leaves. Pour on the dressing and toss lightly. Arrange the tossed salad in a pretty serving dish and place blood oranges on top. If using feta break it up the and sprinkle on top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition:

Farro- Farro is essentially a form of Spelt. Spelt’s cultivation is thought to have begun sometime during the mid- to late Neolithic (Stone Age), 6000 to 5000 B.C.E. an area that spans parts of modern Iraq, Iran and Jordan, making this one of the earliest crops grown in the Western World! Farro is an Italian staple grain, so when buying look for Farro but know spelt can be used in its place. The texture will be different. Farro is not labeled ‘organic’ but historically has been known to have not been sprayed due to the fact that it will not survive if treated with harmful sprays. Farro/Spelt is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, complete protein and fiber. Spelt is a good alternative for those allergic to wheat. The gluten found in Spelt is more fragile than that found in wheat, so it is more easily digested.

Brussels Sprouts- 1 c. of Brussels Sprouts contains more than 4 grams of fiber, they are an excellent food to reduce appetite, promote bowel regularity and prevent colon cancer. Plus, Brussels Sprouts are so en vogue these days, I remember being a kid and scared of those nasty buggers- now we eat them weekly when they are in season.

Blood Oranges- We all know oranges are great for their high vitamin C content but did you know that vitamin C and flavonoids are important for the immune system, lens of eyes, adrenal glands and reproductive organs as well as the connective tissue of our body, such as the joints, gums and ground substance. The consumption of oranges and orange juice has been shown to protect against cancer and help viral infections. Yum!

Raw Cherry Chocolate Power Bars- DIY

18 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in dessert, DIY, Snack, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chocolate, dates, fruit, gluten free, nuts, raw, vegan

Food:

Raw Cherry Chocolate Love Bars– makes 18 bars

3 c. medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1 c. tart dried cherries (local from Farmers Market, you can also find the the bulk section of most grocery stores)

1/2 c. raw cacao powder (find at Whole Foods or Good Earth)

1 c. walnuts

1/2 c. hemp seeds (find at Whole Foods or Good Earth)

1/2 c. ground chia seeds (I use my coffee grinder to grind, store in an airtight container. Find at Whole Foods or Good Earth)

1/2 c. whole chia seeds (for a little crunch on top, thanks Yelana!)

2 T. tahihi

1 tsp. celtic gray salt

Directions:

1. Place half of the dates, cherries, cacao powder, walnuts, hemp seeds, ground chia (NOT WHOLE CHIA, RESERVE THOSE FOR THE TOP!), 1 T. tahini and 1/2 tsp salt in the food processor. Pulse until well combined. Pour this mixture into a bowl.

2. Place the rest of the dates, cherries, cacao, walnuts, hemp seeds, ground chia, tahini and salt into the processor and pulse again until well combined. Add this mixture to the already processed mixture.

3. Line a large baking dish with parchment paper, make sure the parchment paper hangs over the sides and when folded over covers the entire mixture, this will help when getting the mixture out of the dish. Pour the prepared mixture into the baking dish and spread out evenly with your hands. Press the mixture down and make sure it is even.

4. With a pastry brush or just your hands wet the top of pressed mixture, sprinkle the whole chia seeds over the top of the mixture. Fold the parchment over the mixture, place a heavy book on top and then place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. When ready, cut into pieces and store in an airtight container, place in the fridge until ready to eat, Enjoy!

Nutrition:

Chia Seeds: Chia seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds in nature, as well as being great for the brain. Chia seeds contain even more omega three fatty acids by weight than salmon does. These tiny seeds are also a complete protein, meaning that they contain all 8 essential amino acids that your body cannot synthesize on its own, and must get from food. These little seeds of love need to be ground or bloomed in liquid for your body to absorb and utilize them. Sprinkle on oatmeal, salads yogurt or mix into smoothies.

Hemp Seeds: Hemp seeds is a complete protein source. The oil from hemp seed has the highest percentage of essential fatty acids of nearly any seed on earth! Hemp seed contains over twenty trace minerals, it naturally sprouts on the hemp plant lowering phytic acid (these means no need to soak before you eat) and increasing enzymes which makes the seed even more digestible. Hemp seeds essential fatty acid and protein profile provides a healthy alternative to fish.

Cacao Powder: Cacao contains the HIGHEST concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world! By weight cacao has more antioxidant than red wine, berries, acai, pomegranates and goji berries combined. Antioxidants protect us from age related health conditions and illnesses. They shield our DNA from free-radical damage. Cacao also contains magnesium, iron, chromium, manganese, zinc, copper, vitamin C, omega-6 fatty seeds, trytophan, serotonin, fiber and the list goes on. Cacao is truly a ‘super’ food! We even use it in our coffee on the weekend and I use it in my weekly homemade face mask.

Love:

When I am meal planning for the week I usually plan for one savory snack and one ‘sweet’ snack (the need for a sweet treat is for my honey, but for me it needs to be healthy). This last week I wanted to try my hand at ‘larabars’, have you had these before? They are a great quick healthy snack, especially on the go. In my quest to further my skills in the kitchen and being in control of what goes into our bodies, I couldn’t wait to make my own DIY raw power bars. These are truly ‘power’ bars, full of nutrient dense foods and raw to boot. It helps that they feel like a treat but that will help nourish us when we need that little pick me up mid-morning or mid-afternoon. You can use anything that feels good to you, however you will need the dates and some other dried fruit to hold it all together. But go wild!

Raw Chocolate Banana Love Pie

08 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in dessert, vegan

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

banana, chocolate, dates, gluten free, nuts, raw, vegan

Love:

You are going to love this dessert! It is just the right amount of chocolate and banana, the cashew cream is infused with orange and the melted chocolate and chopped pistachio’s on top- stop! Plus the crust is made of caramely-y dates, salty pistachio’s and cinnamon- Delish. I wanted to come up with something special for a project I have at the end of the month but then realized this would be the perfect dessert for you or your special someone on V-Day. I hope you’ll do yourself a favor and treat you or that special someone (it could even be your mom) to this Love pie. This is me sending love to all of you. Happy Love Day!

Nutrition:

Benefits of Love- 1. Reduces stress 2. Promotes mental health 3. Anti- cancer effect 4. Reduces pain 5. Better blood circulation 6. Live longer 7. Lowers blood pressure 8. Reduces risk of heart disease 9. Faster healing 10. Keeps you young

Food:

Raw Chocolate Banana Love Pie– serves 8

(See where the original idea came from here)

Crust:

1/2 c. shelled pistachio’s

1/2 c. medjool dates, removed seed and chop

1/4 t. celtic salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

Filling:

1 1/2 c. cashews, soaked overnight

zest of 2 oranges

1/4 c. fresh orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. coconut oil

1/3 c. maple syrup or honey

1 c. smashed banana’s (2 ripe banana’s)

1/3. c raw cacao powder

Toppings:

Melted Chocolate Conspiracy Chocolate Sauce

chopped pistachio’s

Directions:

1. Start with the crust, place all of the crust ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients easily stick together when you squeeze the dough between your fingers. Press into the bottom of a spring form pan until evenly distributed. Place in freezer while you prepare the filling.

2. Rinse out the food processor. Place the soaked, drained cashews in the food processor. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Mix together. Gently melt the coconut oil and maple syrup/honey in a small saucepan over med-low heat until melted, when melted add to the other ingredients while the motor is running.

3. Pour half the cashew orange cream mixture over the prepared crust, spread over the crust. With the rest of the cream mixture add the banana and raw cacao powder, mix well. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cream mixture and spread evenly. Place the pie in the freezer for 2-4 hours. When ready to serve, take pie out of the freezer and let sit for at least 30 min. and then slice and serve. Top with melted Chocolate Conspiracy Chocolate Sauce and chopped pistachio’s.

Other dessert ideas: