Raw Chocolate and (fake) Peanut butter Fondue

The weather has been sensational and so we have been outside non-stop; eating on the porch constantly. I feel invigorated by the mild temperatures, sunshine and blue skies. Tonight we had a terrific salad for dinner that was probably half walnuts and half lettuce. It also contained a good quarter cup of raw hemp seeds, an apple, chopped finely, and my apple cider vinaigrette (p 86 in my cookbook). It was so satisfying.

Then for dessert I thinned out my chocolate & (fake) peanut butter spread, for an uber-healthy mock fondue. Divine. See Ashley's hand in the photo? =) The girls ate the fondue with strawberries and apple slices then proceeded to use their hands to shovel the rest into their mouths. haha! So I gave them spoons. =)

Sending you springtime love, Kelly

Chocolate & (fake) Peanut Butter Spread:

Mix:

3 tsp Raw Cacao Powder (see this video on why raw hemp seeds & cacao powder rock)

about 4 tsp water

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)

about 5 drops of chocolate raspberry liquid stevia

Add more chocolate or sweetener as needed.

Thin with extra water till you have fondue consistency.

PS Next time I'm thinking macadamia nut butter and raw cacao powder... Or almond butter... I can't decide =)

Veggie Cakes vegan, raw-inspired, GFCF

I'm beginning to think the sky's the limit with these dehydrated veggie cakes. We've made them two different ways, and the possibilities are looking endless. The one on top I'm calling Garden Veggie. The one below I'm calling Spicy Tomato Veggie, although you could easily make it mild too. Next I'm planning on using some soaked almonds and sesame seeds in place of the beans, and I haven't decided on a flavor yet. Suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know =)

When I first told people about these "burgers" (before I began calling them cakes) one of two things came to mind. 1) Eww. Veggie burgers are gross. (people are used to the store-bought kind) And 2) Why not just bake or saute them? (a dehydrated burger does not sound appealing—thoughts of fruit leather come to mind)

The truth is, these burgers/cakes are different from the store-bought kind in taste and texture. They're more like a potato pancake—soft and fluffy. As for why I don't cook them, let me explain.

You may notice we try to eat as much uncooked food as possible. The reason is that cooking kills a lot of the vitamins and nutrients in raw food. This is a crucial point for seeds which contain essential fatty acids, omega 3 and 6, like hemp, flax and chia seeds. While I appreciate the value of chia and flax meal as a substitute for eggs in my egg-free recipes, I know that when I bake these seeds, I am destroying their essential fatty acids (EFAs).

We're all vitamin deficient and EFA deficient to some degree, but in my family, we know it best by our daughter, Ashley. Since Ashley has been regularly tested for deficiencies, we are very conscious of eating as many whole, lightly cooked or uncooked foods as we can to replenish these vitamins and EFAs. By dehydrating these cakes rather than cooking we are keeping all the vitamins and EFAs from the vegetables and seeds in tact. I love that. And the improvement we've seen in Ashley due to diet and biomedical treatments alone (she has been off therapies for several years now) is abundant. Go Ashley, go Ashley =D

Garden Veggie Cakes:

Add to food processor:

3 tbsp sundried tomatoes

1.5 cups fresh spinach

1 tbsp onion

2 carrots, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1.5 cups black beans (I make mine myself by soaking dry beans for up to 24 hours, rinsing well and cooking them)

1/8 to 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Puree.

Add:

2 tbsp Hemp Seeds

2 tbsp Chia Seeds meal (I grind it in my coffee grinder—1 tbsp seeds = 2 tbsp meal)

1/2 to 1 cup almond meal flour

Puree.

Form into patties and dehydrate between 105 and 125 degrees for about 5 hours.

Spicy Tomato Veggie Cakes:

Add to food processor:

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

1 cup black beans

3 to 4 tbsp mild or medium salsa

Puree.

Add:

1/2 cup more black beans (I make mine myself by soaking dry beans for up to 24 hours, rinsing well and cooking them)

2 carrots, chopped

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Puree.

Add:

1/4 cup Hemp Seeds

1/4 cup Chia Seed meal (I grind it in my coffee grinder—2 tbsp seeds = 4 tbsp meal, or 1/4 cup)

1/2 to 1 cup almond meal flour

Puree.

Form into patties and dehydrate between 105 and 125 degrees for about 5 hours.

Click for the link to my dehydrator, the Nesco American Harvest

Also, see this video on why raw hemp seeds & chia seeds rock!

Blueberry Muffins, Egg-free, Grain-free, VeganGo Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-free!

Lately it seems like more and more people are needing egg-free recipes, either for themselves or their children. My kids don't have a problem with eggs, but I notice that eggs tend to make me feel bloated and very tired. But whether you eat eggs or not, these blueberry muffins are a Guiltless Pleasure—the theme the fabulous Amy created for this month's Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-free. Why are they guiltless, you may ask? Not only are these muffins gluten-free and vegan, they're grain-free and sugar-free. That means low-carb, baby, oh yea ;-) Not to mention—these ingredients are very nutritious.

Egg-free Blueberry Muffins:

Add to bowl:

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp guar gum

1 tbsp Chia Seed meal (I grind it in my coffee grinder—1/2 tbsp seeds = 1 tbsp meal)

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Blend. Add:

1/4 cup cashew milk (or other dairy-free milk)

(How to Make Cashew Milk Video)

1/2 tsp vanilla liquid stevia

1/4 cup honey or coconut sugar for vegan

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

1.5 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)

1 cup almond meal flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup dried blueberries

Bake at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes.

My 7 year old, Zoe, insists on calling them "marshmallow cupcakes" —so you know she's a fan ;-)

Lots of love, Kelly

Chocolate & (fake) Peanut butter Sandwiches

This Chocolate & (fake) Peanut Butter spread is something that we eat often—sometimes all by itself ;-) like an after dinner treat. One tablespoon is as satisfying or more than a whole dessert. I have other versions of it, like the Frozen Sunbutter Fudge on page 166 in my cookbook. Sunbutter (which tastes similar to peanut butter, but comes from sunflower seeds) can also be substituted in the Chocolate Date Cookies (p. 153 in my cookbook), and here in my Bite Size Freezer Treats.

Today the girls ate this spread with Udi's Gluten-free bread (so good). Well, okay, Ashley mostly ate hers with a spoon straight from the bowl ;-), but she also ate half of her sandwich. Zoe gobbled up her entire sandwich, then practically licked the plate clean. If you need an egg-free version, I have these really good Sandwich Rolls. Just make sure you leave out the garlic and rosemary for this chocolate & (fake) peanut butter spread.

Chocolate & (fake) Peanut Butter Spread:

Mix:

3 tsp Raw Cacao Powder (see this video on why raw hemp seeds & cacao powder rock)

about 4 tsp water

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)

about 5 drops of chocolate raspberry liquid stevia

Add more water, Sunbutter, chocolate or sweetener as needed.

I always add a teaspoon or so of raw Hemp Seeds (middle photo) for extra nutrition.

It's also really good as a dip for sliced apples.

Hugs, Kelly

Macadamia Nut & Coffee Ice Cream dairy-free, vegan

Yesterday it was so hot, or maybe it wasn't that hot, it just caught us completely by surprise. My mom is in town visiting, and I knew it was supposed to be around 65 degrees, so the girls and I took her to the Denver Zoo. It was 1:00 in the afternoon, and we felt like we were baking in the sun. Plus, since I homeschool I figured the zoo would be empty on a Monday. Little did I know it's Spring Break. haha! Hot and crowded! Oh well—it was fun anyway =)

On the way home, as we were cooling off with the windows all the way down, my mom and I started talking about ice cream. We decided we could really go for coffee ice cream. I have a good coffee ice cream recipe already (in my cookbook), but since I am obsessed with macadamia nuts right now, I had to include them. That's how this new recipe was born.

This dairy-free, vegan ice cream is really decadent and delish. I hope you enjoy it too =)

Macadamia Nut & Coffee Ice Cream:

Add to blender or food processor:

1 cup macadamia nuts (I use raw)

6 dates, pits removed

Slowly add 1.5 cups of strong cold coffee, about 1/2 cup at a time

—to avoid adding it 1/2 cup at a time, soak the nuts and dates for 6 or more hours before making the ice cream

Once the nuts and dates are smooth and creamy add:

1.5 cups of coconut milk (full-fat)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp Hemp Seeds

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

Puree well.

Note: If you don't have a Vita-Mix or Blendtec, you may want to grind your seeds into meal first, so you don't have seeds that aren't ground in your ice cream. I use a coffee grinder to turn seeds into meal. It works really well. Or you could just leave the seeds out altogether.

Pour into Ice Cream Machine, and turn it on for about 30 minutes.

Top with extra macadamia nuts.

If you put it the freezer till it turns solid, you will need to let it defrost on the counter for about an hour before serving. We had some this morning that had been in the freezer all night—it was after thawing for about an hour that it looked like the photo above.

XOXO, Kelly

Now available! The Spunky Coconut Dairy-Free Ice Cream: Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan. 8.25 x 8.25 in., 90 pp., 55 recipes, 17 full-page color photos Paperback: 978-0-98278116-6, $20.00 on amazon.com or 10% Off at my eStore with code APYTME6C

Ancient Wheats

Six years ago when my my wife first approached me with the idea that we should stop eating wheat I was incredulous. "But, society was built on grains!" was my response. I thought back to my history lessons of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations as a defense for eating wheat. If it weren't for the domestication of grain, I thought, we'd still be wandering as hunter gatherers. It's true that the ancients cultivation of grains allowed for the amount of food necessary to support a large society. However, my interest in archaeology has revealed that the grain and dairy consumption of our ancestors is drastically different than modern eating habits.

While my wife has an interest in modern cooking, my hobby includes the study of Iron Age, Romano, and Saxon agriculture. My research focuses on ancient Britain (partly because the relevant literature is written in English), but parallels could be found in other ancient societies. My first couple posts on this subject will look at gluten and casein in ancient foods. If there is interest, I'll expand to general info on ancient cooking, farming, etc.

Today's article: Ancient Wheat

The flour found in today's supermarkets is overwhelmingly from the same species, Triticum aestivum. This single species is so ubiquitous that it has earned the common name "bread wheat." There is also "club wheat," which is really just a sub-species of the same. Tr. aestivum became the predominant wheat at the end of the Roman Empire (300s-400s AD, or so). It was popular because the plant was suited to intensive large-scale farming practices. Unlike the three ancient species, it can be easily threshed (removal of the grain from the husk), and it grows to a uniform height (making harvesting easier). Its high-gluten flour was good for baking. High gluten produces an elastic dough, which captures the yeast's gas and bakes to a lighter and softer bread. In the past 2,000 years simple farmers and agricultural corporations have bred newer varieties, further increasing gluten levels.

From the Neolithic to Roman times three species of cultivated wheat were the focus of arable farming: einkorn, emmer, and spelt. These three grains have not experienced the same selective breeding that "improved" modern bread wheat. They exist today in much the same form as they were thousands of years ago. Please note: I am not advocating gluten intolerant people eat these grains. This article is meant only to show that the wheat which modern-day consumers find "normal" is far removed from the wheat that our ancestors ate.

(An Iron Age British farm, illustrated by me)
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum)

Einkorn was the first wheat cultivated from the wild growing grasses of Asia Minor. It became widespread sometime around 10,000 BC. This was the wheat that supported the first Mesopotamian civilizations. Einkorn's levels of protein, vitamin A, beta-carotene, lutein, riboflavin, are much higher than what is found in modern bread wheat, emmer, or spelt.(Ness) A 2006 study suggests that the Einkorn's particular gluten does not aggravate those with celiac's disease.(Pizzuti) Again, I am not endorsing this wheat to celiacs, but it is interesting to note.

Emmer (Triticum dioccum)
Shortly after einkorn was first cultivated, it was crossed with wild goat grasses to produce a new variety, emmer. Emmer wheat has been found in the pyramids of Egypt. It was the major wheat crop in Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain. Emmer was the traditional bread wheat of the Roman army. Its flour does not rise very well, indicating low levels of gluten. The resulting loaf is a crumbly bread with a course heavy texture. Similar to oats, emmer wheat makes a very good porridge. (Alcock, p. 29)(Cool, p. 70) Its low gluten content made it a good wheat for cakes, just as "soft wheat" is used today.

Spelt (Triticum spelta)
A descendant of Emmer, spelt was developed sometime around 5,000 BC. Most archaeological examples have been found in Europe. This makes sense as it is more resistant to frost than emmer and einkorn. It arrived in Britain sometime around 700 BC and became the primary wheat grown in the late Iron Age and Roman-era. The gluten levels are higher than emmer, producing a good rising dough. Along with einkorn and emmer, spelt lost it's appeal by the end of the Roman Empire. It continued to be grown in some areas of Germany and has enjoyed a resurgence in the modern-day health food market.

Conclusion

It is difficult to measure the precise amount of gluten found in the different varieties of wheat flour. Yet, simple bread-making makes it clear that the species of wheat popular among ancient peoples had a lower gluten content than our modern bread wheat. From the Neolithic to the Iron Age, the ancient British did not seem to have consumed the massive amounts of wheat typical today. The Romans certainly loved their bread. Indeed, baking was a specialized profession. After the Romans, Europeans were well on their way to the wheat-saturated diet of modern times. By the end of the 9th century AD, the Anglo-Saxon monk Aelfric wrote that without bread, "any table seems empty," and "without bread all food seems unpalatable."(Hagen)

—Andrew

P.S. My first draft included a whole bunch of numbers for the different wheats: percentages of total protein levels, percentages of gluten to other nutritional proteins, and ratios of the gliadin to glutenin (the pair of proteins that form wheat gluten), etc. That all got a bit confusing, and beyond the scope of what is meant to be a casual article. If you are interested in all that math, then I suggest you check out my references #1 and #4.

P.P.S. Kamut is marketed as an ancient wheat, but it is actually a brand name for a recently cultivated sub-species of modern bread wheat.

References
1. Abdel-Aal, Elsayed. Specialty Grains for Food and Feed Published by the American Association of Cereal Chemists. 2005. The gliadin-glutenin ratio info from this book appears on StraigtGrade.com: a quarterly journal for bakers.
2. Alcock, Joan P. Food in Roman Britain
3. Cool, H.E.M. Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain.
4. Hagen, Ann. Anglo-Saxon Food & Drink. Anglo Saxon Books, 2006.
5. Ness, Stan. "Types of Wheat: Nutritional Content & Health Benefits Comparison" on Einkorn.com. 2010.

6. Pizzuti, Daniella, et al. "Lack of intestinal mucosal toxicity of Triticum monococcum in celiac disease patients" in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology Volume 41, Issue 11 November 2006 , pages 1305 - 1311. See abstract online.

7. Reynolds, Peter J. Iron Age Farm: The Butser Experiment. Published by the British Museum, 1979.

my Flourless Brownies with Sunbutter made by Shirley, at GFE

One of my dearest friends in the blogosphere is Shirley, at Gluten Free Easily, or GFE, for short. Shirley began commenting on my recipes a little over a year ago, and shortly after created her website, which has become a huge success. She runs a celiac support group in her town, which I was thrilled to give a presentation with Q&A via Skype a few months back. Shirley has hosted Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-free, and participates in several group events such as the Gluten-free Progressive Dinner Party, created by Diane, at The Whole Gang.

Shirley is one of the most sincere and supportive people I know, and I was so excited that she loved my brownies. Above is her photo of them, and here is what she has to say:

"You know how I like to test out my favorite bloggers’ recipes? Well, I’ve been eyeing Kelly’s flourless brownies over at her Spunky Coconut blog for a very long time. The thing is they are made of almond butter and/or sunbutter and I had never purchased or even tried either before—until recently. Now I’m a big fan of both almond butter and sunbutter. So I went ahead and made the sacrifice and tested this recipe for you. You can find Kelly’s original recipehere, but I’ll tell you the few changes that I made. I used all sunbutter because we have a support group member who is allergic to almonds. We weren’t having a support group meeting any time soon, but again I thought I’d go ahead and do a test baking session to see if these brownies were a winner. I know … silly to think they might not be … it’s one of Kelly’s recipes after all. All of her recipes are wonderful!

In addition to using all sunbutter, I substituted vanilla extract for the vanilla liquid stevia and added both ¼ cup of coarsely chopped walnuts and 1/8 cup of walnut meal (left over from another recipe). I like the added texture of nuts in many baked goods, but please note that nuts are not an ingredient in Kelly’s recipe so those of you with nut allergies can still enjoy these brownies without nuts. I also used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, whereas Kelly used Enjoy Life chocolate chips to ensure her brownies would be dairy free and soy free, etc. as well as gluten free. Oh, these brownies are just amazing! If you make them, you may never go back to a traditional brownie. They are dense and rich, and not overly sweet. A small piece is all one needs to be perfectly satisfied. Kelly’s version is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, and refined sugar free. When she made them via Skype for our support group meeting last fall, she said that her family often eats them for breakfast. She considers them very healthy and I can see why. She has several variations of flourless brownies on her blog, including this new one that is also egg free, grain free, vegan, and more. I love it when folks create amazing recipes that address multiple allergies and keep others from feeling deprived!"

Door to Door Organics Video and CSA near you

We got our Door to Door Organics Bitty Box yesterday, and I thought we would show it to you. They have local and not local organics, and a few sizes to choose from. What I love about Door to Door Organics is that you can tell them your preferences and make up to 3 substitutions a week. That way you never get something you don't like in your box. Check out their website to see if they're available in your area: Door to Door Organics or click to find a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) near you. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Cheers, Kelly

Egg-free, Grain-free Brownies, Part 2 gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free

I decided to celebrate my cold being over with some brownies for breakfast this morning =D Only, I haven't been tolerating eggs well lately (they are making me bloated and extremely tired), so I decided to revisit my Egg-free, Grain-free Brownies. They tasted great already, but I wanted to go ahead and make them vegan by simply trying them with coconut sugar rather than honey. I also decreased the amount of sweetener even more by using applesauce in place of water, and I substituted guar gum for xanthan gum.

They came out so yummy, I'm really excited about them. The texture is very similar, since I didn't make any drastic changes, and they are super scrumptious.

Have a great day! Love, Kelly

Vegan, Egg-free, Grain-free Brownies:

Whip with an electric mixer:
1/2 cup applesauce + 2 tbsp of water
1/4 tsp guar gum

Add to mixture:

1/2 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup almond butter

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chocolate raspberry liquid stevia

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup + 3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips. (I use Enjoy Life. I like them because they're mini.)

1/4 cup walnut pieces

Beat with electric mixer.

Scoop into a square greased cake pan.

Spread it out with wet hands or a Spoonula (I just love saying that word, but if you don't know what a Spoonula is, click on it)

Bake at 325 degrees, for about 30 minutes.

I forgot to mention: Like the other variations—These are so good cold from the fridge! My favorite way to eat one!

Note: Want a recipe with eggs? Check out my Flourless Brownies from which these brownies evolved.

March Costco finds

Those of you who follow me on Twitter may already know that the girls and I have been sick. Zoe and I still are, but we are doing much better thanks to lots of rest and natural remedies. My husband has been great, getting take-out (he admits he can't cook), and helping out around the house, but I finally broke down and went grocery shopping yesterday. We were so low on food in the house.

Among other things, I was thrilled to find they still had the frozen organic cherries that I had heard were in, as well as several kinds of organic apples. I had them for breakfast this morning with bananas, walnuts (soaked first and dehydrated), and cashew milk. It's my "cereal" and also one of my favorite meals. Unfortunately, I still can't taste yet... bummer.

I also found these glass jugs for a great price. I've lost some over the years, and had been needing to replace them for a while now. Since I keep all my nuts, nut milks and nut meals in the fridge and freezer, I need quite a lot of these. Plus, as you may have heard me mention in another post, I'm working on another cookbook (yay!) so my food stock is higher than usual since I am testing new recipes all the time. Well, I haven't worked on any in over a week now, but the girls and I are on the road to recovery, and I'm sure the kitchen will be up and running again in a couple days. =D

What I like about these jugs though, besides the fact that they are glass, is the shape of them. They have flat sides so they take up less space and fit nicely together. It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but the indentation for your hands to pick them up is really shallow—it doesn't go all the way through, like the handle on a mug. That way I can use them for solid foods like nuts and they wont get stuck.

I love Costco =D

Hugs, Kelly

Ceramic Bundt Pan

I wanted to take a quick photo of my bundt pan to show to you. A couple friends have asked me what I use, since I make bundt cakes a lot, and there is a recipe for a Vanilla Toffee (bundt) Cake in my cookbook.

When I began baking I was unable to find a bundt pan in stores that wasn't made of aluminum and/or non-stick coating. So I found this one on Ebay for around 15 dollars I think. My husband and I can't remember for sure when it was made. He thinks it was made in the 70's, and I thought it said the 80's. Either way, it isn't extremely old, and came in perfect condition. I believe it was made in Portugal.

Since I found mine I have seen others like it on Ebay. One was a beautiful blue color, and my friend got it for such a great price—probably less than a new unhealthy one from a store :-) Just be sure when you find one on Ebay to check the sellers rating and make sure they are reputable. I bet you could also find one at a thrift store or antique store, but I've never seen one at our's.

Love, Kelly

Oscar Blues unfriendly to gluten free diners

UPDATE: When Oskar Blues first opened its restaurant in Longmont we were excited (see old post below). However, we won't be going there anymore. We visited September 17th, and found the management had recently decided to do away with its gluten free menu labeling. Servers were completely unhelpful when we asked about whether the old gluten free items were still safe to eat. We couldn't get a straight answer out of anybody. The beans "are probably" safe, but now the Dirty Rice "maybe has wheat in it." The impression we got was that we really weren't welcome there anymore.

One of the last places I would ever have expected to find any edible gluten-free food was a brewery restaurant. Although there are gluten-free beers now days, when I think brewery I think barley—AKA: gluten. When I think brew pub I think burgers and fried onion rings—big wheat buns and breaded battered fried food. Still, when my neighbor told me, "I was at Oscar Blues, and they have a gluten-free menu!" I was sort of curious...

The Longmont Oscar Blues is new, well located, features live music, and since I drive past it every time I go to Boulder, I can attest to the fact that it's always packed. After hearing that they had gluten-free dishes, I nearly pulled in their parking lot a dozen times to go inside and check out their menu on my way home. But it wasn't until I told my husband about it that he went on their website and informed me (eagerly) about their gluten-free items.

After seeing that on Tuesdays they have gluten-free Chicken & Andouille Jambalaya we planned to try it for take-out this Tuesday night. Just in case it turned out to be a disaster, we also ordered the Freaky Greek Salad, thinking that they couldn't mess that up. It turned out that they didn't mess up either the salad or the Jambalaya in the least. In fact, it was seriously good food. Check out the nice greens and huge chunks of artichoke on this salad! Plus the portions were huge. One Jambalaya, one big salad and a couple sides of beans fed the four of us, no problem.

We might have to make it a frequent Tuesday night treat :-)

You can see their menu here.

PS Andy says to tell you the cole slaw is "absolutely perfect." —I forgot he got a side of that too, since the girls and I don't eat it.

Stephanie at Purple Frog makes my Coconut & Raw Cacao Pudding

Stephanie at Purple Frog, left a comment on my Coconut & Raw Cacao Pudding, saying, "I made it this weekend and it's delicious!!!" As always, this kind of comment just makes my day =D I love being connected to so many of you, getting to see your websites and know more about you. What an amazing sense of community we have. I feel so blessed.

She says, "It's chocolaty goodness it a bowl :) Though I had chia seeds on hand, this was my first time using it in something like this, and I can say, it won't be the last. This recipe is completely vegan, dairy free, gluten free (important for me, especially these days) and almost all raw." Thanks, Stephanie!

Cashew Cream Dill Sauce dairy-free, vegan, raw

As I mentioned in my last post, both my friend and I were so crazy about this cashew sour cream/cream cheese, whatever you want to call it (Heaven comes to mind), that we were imagining other things we could eat with it. She suggested slightly steamed asparagus—brilliant. I had to run to the store for a few things this morning, and when I saw the pretty asparagus, I couldn't resist. It was so yummy, I can't wait to make it for my friend.

I followed the recipe in my Cashew Sour Cream & Cream Cheese post, with a few minor changes.

Cashew Cream Dill Sauce:

Soak 1 cup of cashews about 8 hours. Strain, rinse in fresh water & strain again.

Add to the food processor or blender with:

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 to 4 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp water

1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt or Herbamare seasoning

1/8 garlic powder

1/4 tsp dill

Puree till creamy and smooth.

Cashew Sour Cream & Cream Cheesedairy-free, vegan, raw

Another friend on the Spunky Coconut Facebook Page, Lisa, reminded me of this great recipe: Cashew Sour Cream. I hadn't made it in over a year, and I was so grateful to Lisa for making it and bringing it up. She also suggested this link for more great nut cheese recipes. Thanks Lisa!

This is not my recipe—If you google Cashew Sour Cream you can find pretty much the same proportions on a bunch of sites. All of them saying the same thing too: This sour cream is so good, and so much like dairy sour cream. I love it.

I made Cashew Sour Cream again the other day, and dipped my sweet potato fries in it. Mmm...

Then last night we had a friend over, and made this pizza in the top photo. We used my egg-free bagel recipe for the crust, rolled it out and baked it for 15 minutes. Then we topped it with our cashew cream cheese, sundried tomato sauce, caramelized onions and olives. It was so good, my friend and I were naming all the other things we wanted to eat with the cashew cream cheese. She said steamed asparagus and cashew cream cheese—I can't wait to try that one! Next Friday, hon? ;-)

Cashew Sour Cream/Cream Cheese:

Soak 1 cup of cashews about 8 hours. Strain, rinse in fresh water & strain again.

Add to the food processor of blender with:

1 to 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 to 4 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp sea salt or Herbamare seasoning

Puree till creamy and smooth.

I like to add a pinch of onion powder to mine too. Yum.

Coconut & Raw Cacao Pudding dairy-free, vegan

Don't you just love happy accidents in cooking/uncooking? heehee! I think probably half or more of my recipes came to be because I was out of something, or several things, and had to try another ingredient. Does that happen a lot to you too?

Yesterday I was out of almonds to make almond milk, and didn't want to wait hours for cashews to soak for cashew milk, and forgot I could have just made hemp milk ;-) So I used coconut milk to make our smoothies, which I never do. They came out even thicker than they are with nut milk, and they were yum-o, but Ashley didn't finish hers. I left it on the table and a an hour later I saw her eating it... Eating it... She was using her glass straw like a spoon...

I looked inside the glass, and saw that the smoothie had turned into a thick pudding. What??? Immediately, I tried to repeat the recipe, which I hadn't written down, and I tasted it along the way to see if it needed more of anything (I added more chocolate). This time I wrote down exactly what I did. Then I put it in a glass dish with a lid and into the fridge over night.

This morning I practically woke myself up I was so excited to come downstairs and see if it had happened again. It did! Perfect pudding consistency! I sliced some bananas, and scooped the pudding with a wet ice cream scoop. Then I added some 73% dark chocolate shavings for fun. You should have seen the look on Zoe's face when she came down and saw it :-) "Can I eat that?" she asked. And she did,
giggling :-)

A word about this pudding: It is so healthy. I made this video about the ingredients in this pudding, which are full of essential fatty acids, omega 3 & 6, plus protein, iron, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants. Raw-inspired & vegan to boot :-)

Coconut & Raw Cacao Pudding

Vegan, Raw-inspired

Add to blender:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (not "lite")

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp Chia Seeds

3 tbsp Hemp Seeds

3.5 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder

4 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Puree

Refrigerate about 8 hours.

Makes about 3 servings.

Update: This morning I took this pudding out of the fridge and threw it into the blender for about 10 minutes—Awesome ice cream! Fruit on top and it's like a banana split :-)

raw cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds, zinc, iron, magnesium & antioxidants

I discovered some very interesting facts about raw cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds, zinc, iron, magnesium & antioxidants, then made a raw smoothie. Meant to say, "raw cacao powder has higher levels of antioxidants than blueberries..."—sorry about that :-)

Note: You can add more raw cacao powder or coconut sugar to this to make it more chocolate or sweeter.

Love, Kelly