Raw Parfait

I must apologize for my long absence from the blog.  My job has seemingly swallowed me whole recently, but I am coming up for air and with me I am bringing one of our favorite dessert recipes (as a peace offering, of course!).

I try to assimilate as many foods in their natural state as possible into our diet.  I don’t track percentages like many people who partake in a raw diet do – I just try to use lots of plant based foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts because they are so good for us, particularly in their natural, uncooked state.  I have to admit, though, that I am a frequent victim of salad burnout.  This is a good, thing, though, because this blockage against the usual plate of greens and veggies leads to creativity in the kitchen.  There are many raw “uncook” books that I particularly like and often look to for inspiration: RAWvolution, Raw food/Real World,  and I am Grateful.  The recipes in these books are creative, delicious, and most definitely help me to avoid the ever dreaded salad burnout all the while getting my full dose of nutritional goodness from foods in their raw state.

My favorite category of raw cuisine is, hands down, dessert (well, that’s true about all food, raw or not …) I mean, I could eat raw dessert all day and be super healthy!  I would admittedly have to throw some veggies and greens around in there, but what a nice thought that is:  all day desserts.  Yum!  This dessert that I am sharing with you today was heavily inspired by Juliano’s “Whip Cream” recipe, but this is a sweeter version that I like to layer with berries to create an all raw, all delicious, all guilt-free dessert.  I’ll even admit to eating this dessert for breakfast and not feeling the least bit bad about it.

Raw Parfait
Serves 3-4

1 cup cashews
1 cup walnuts
½ cup coconut water
2 dates
1 tbsp agave
1 tsp vanilla

Sliced berries

1.    Soak nuts in water for 2 hours.  Drain well.
2.    Add all ingredients, except berries, to a food processor and process until smooth.
3.    Layer nut mixture and berries in a glass, garnish with a mint leaves (if desired), and serve.

Read Full Post »

Linzertorte Cobbler

Every day we here at the Outpost embrace fresh and healthy eating … but we also love dessert. Dan has been requesting cobbler for dessert recently …. but I’ve been wanting to try out the Linzertorte bars recipe in the Williams-Sonoma Desserts cookbook. With such dilemmas on her hands, what’s a girl to do? Why, have her cake (er, Linzertorte) and eat it, too, of course!

I decided to adapt the Linzertorte recipe, firstly to make it vegan and secondly to make it healthier. I upped the amount of nuts in the batter and I swapped all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour. Instead of creating a latticed top for this dish, I spread the preserves on top and baked as is. Rather than serving it as neat slices of tart or bars, I spooned it out of the dish and served in small bowls. In the end, we were all winners: a healthier version of dessert that united the spirit of both the European Linzertorte and the All-American Cobbler. If only world peace were as easy …

(For a little background … According to Wikipedia: The Linzer Torte (or Linzertorte) is an Austrian Tart or Pie made with a very short, crumbly pastry of flour, butter and ground nuts (usually almonds), in two thin layers, with a filling of plum butter or jam (most often raspberry or red currant.) It has a round opening on the top revealing a layer of jam, or it may be covered by a lattice of dough strips. Cobbler, on the other hand, is a traditional dish in the United States. It is usually a dessert consisting of a fruit filling poured into a large baking dish over a batter that rises through when baking. The batter forms as a dumpling within the cobbler as well as a crust for the top.)

Linzertorte Cobbler
Adapted from the Linzertorte Bar recipe in Williams-Sonoma Desserts

1 scant cup walnuts
1 scant cup almonds
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
¾ cup Earth Balance buttery spread
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup vanilla soy yogurt
1 cup blackberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 13×9” baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Coarsely chop the nuts in a food processor. Add the brown sugar and set aside. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, combine the Earth Balance, the 1/2 cup sugar, and the vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add the soy yogurt and beat until fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the nut and lour mixtures, and mix until just blended.
3. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Top with the preserves, leaving a ½ inch border. Bake until the jam is bubbling and the crust is firm to the touch, about 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire.
4. Spoon into small bowls to serve. Suggestions: sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or cocoa, serve a la mode, serve with vegan whipped cream, etc. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Raw Papaya-Banana Pie

This is one of our all time favorite desserts, hands down. It’s raw, contains no refined sugar, and is just nuts and fruits. This is a pie that we have one night for dessert and then again the next morning for breakfast. Consider this one guilt free dessert whose secret identity is power food.

Raw Papaya-Banana Pie

Crust:
1 ½ cups raw almonds
1 ½ cups raw walnuts
3 pitted medjool dates
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Filling:
2 papayas (mangos also make an awesome filling)
2 bananas
1 ½ tbsp lime juice

1. Process nuts, dates, and agave in a food processor until well combined. The nut mixture should stick together when pinched. Dump mixture into a pie or a tart pan and press into place.  (I use a 9 1/2″ tart pan)

2. Process fruits and lime juice in food processor until smooth. Pour into prepared crust.

3. Freeze tart for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Slice and serve.

Read Full Post »

Tropical Oatmeal

I must have the shyest blog readership on the internet, or it just may be that no one was interested in sandwiches or soy ice cream this past week. Whatever the case may be, I am finding it a bit lonely to be blogging in forum void of comments or discussion – the silence is deafening here, people! “Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?” Echo …..

Consider it a desperate plea for greater use of the comments feature. 🙂

On a techno-savvy note … per Emily’s suggestion, I’ve added some RSS feed subscription options to the sidebar. Activate, sit back, and let the magic of the internets do the work for you!

And now, onto today’s food of interest: oatmeal. One of my favorite things about the weekend is the leisurely morning ritual I can indulge in: sleep in a bit, enjoy a big mug of tea on the couch, and then make breakfast – a real breakfast, not the speedy fare that I rely on during the week. Yes, today is Monday; however, happy memories of yesterday’s breakfast continue to dance in my head. A breakfast mainstay at the Outpost is oatmeal, but we prefer a more winsome, more decidedly switched-on version than the one Wilford Brimley admonished you to eat in the late eighties and early nineties. I typically use the “Old Fashioned” style oats that take a whopping 5 minutes to cook up on the stove top. Sometimes I mix it up and use extra thick rolled oats, which take about 20 minutes to cook up. This recipe is the five minute version so keep in mind that you will have to adjust the recipe per the instructions on your package of oats.

 

 

Tropical Oatmeal

1 3/4 cups water

1 cup oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 mango, diced

1 1/2 tbsp ground flax

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/3rd cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup chopped coconut

1. Bring water to a boil. Add oats, salt, mango, flax, and brown sugar. Simmer over medium low heat for 5-6 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and cover for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add almonds and coconut. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »