Raw & Vegan Double Cacao Pudding

I doubled this recipe and I am so glad I did 🙂 It was deeelish! Super chocolatey and smooth pudding. MMMM! 2 young thai coconuts gave me about 2 cups of coconut meat. This is one of those raw dishes that anyone would love (except if they did not like chocolate!). This also left me with delicious coconut water leftovers that we happily used in our smoothies. So refreshing and good!

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Raw & Vegan Double Cacao Pudding
Recipe by Matthew Kenny

  • 3/4 cup coconut meat
  • 4 tbsp raw cacao powder
  • 5 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut water
  • seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla pod
  • 1/4 cup cacao nibs

Blend Coconut Meat, Cacao Powder, Agave, Coconut Water and Vanilla –
stir in half of the nibs and use the rest on top as a garnish

Young Thai Coconuts

Young Thai Coconuts

RAW Orange Goji Berry White Chocolate

I have been waiting to make this dessert for such a long time and I am soooo happy I finally did! This is going to be repeated (which I almost never do because there are so many other dishes I want to try!) It was super simple to make, froze quickly and eaten very happily afterwards 🙂 If you want this for dessert I would suggest setting it in the freezer just before preparing dinner and then dessert will be ready to serve immediately after. The chocolate becomes this gorgeous bright red-orange color that is sweet but chewy with crunchy bites. It is amazing!

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before freezing

frozen and ready to enjoy

frozen and ready to enjoy

RAW Orange Goji Berry White Chocolate
Posted by Sheryl Duruz on RFT

Grind up:
1/2 cup goji berries (usually sticky, not really a powder)

Blend until smooth:
1/2 cup melted cacao butter
1/2 cup raw cashews (grind these first, it will be easier that way)
1/2 cup agave nectar

Blend in Goji powder

Then by hand mix in whole:
1/2 cup cacao nibs (optional)
1/2 cup whole goji berries
The zest from 1 orange finely zested

Spread in a glass pie plate (think chocolate almond bark).

Chill in the freezer until firm.

Raw Onion Bread

They should call this OMG Raw Onion Bread! I am totally loving it. It helps that I love all things onion, but this is super tasty! This is double the recipe from Cafe Gratitude’s book but you will want to make a big batch as it is so good it will disappear quick.

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Raw Onion Bread

3 lbs Sweet Onions chopped
1 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
3 oz Tamari
Agave to taste

  1. Process the onions in a food processor until chopped but not mush.
  2. Pour into a mixing bowl and mix well with the other ingredients.
  3. Spread out evenly over Teflex sheet, will make two and a half  trays and dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 degrees and then 10 or more (until dry) hours at 115 degrees.
  4. Break into small pieces and store in an airtight container. ENJOY 🙂

Thanks to Cafe Gratitude!

Raw Strawberry Banana Crepes

It was our 1st anniversary this weekend (yeah!!!!) and I thought what better way to start it off then with some delicious and decadent crepes! mmmmm! These were amazing! They were also pretty light as we were not weighed down by sugar, flour, heavy cream etc. The crepes had the texture of banana fruit roll-ups and went so perfectly with the cream and the berries! There was only enough cream for 6 of the crepes, but 3 each was more than enough. They were so good! They were also quite simple. You have to plan ahead with the crepes and soaking the cashews but they are both so quick and easy it was no trouble at all 🙂 and soooo worth it!

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Raw Strawberry Banana Crepes
Recipe adapted from http://rawmazing.com/
Dehydration Time 6-8 hours Makes 8 crepes

Crepes:
3 Bananas
juice from 1 lemon

Place bananas in food processor. Add lemon juice and process until liquid. Pour into 5″ rounds. Dehydrate overnight at 110. Do not over dry these. You want them to be flexible.

Cashew Vanilla Cream
Pulp from one young coconut
1/2 C Cashews, soaked overnight
splash of madagascar vanilla
2 tablespoons agave

Place the cashews in Vitamix blender. Blend on high speed. Add the coconut meat, vanilla and agave. Process until well blended. You can refrigerate to thicken if needed.

1-2 cups of berries

Assembly
Spoon the Cashew Vanilla Cream into half the crepe. Top with berries and add more cream. Fold over and experience joy!

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Super Simple Blueberry Topping

I was planning on making banana ice cream with fruity topping but realized I was out of my frozen bananas. I had made another peach cobbler with all of our Hampton’s peaches so I figured that would be super great with fruit topping. I was right!!! I could have probably just eaten the topping but it went so well with the cobbler. I am sure this would be great with any dessert and I bet you can switch out the blueberries for other fruit as well.

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Super simple Blueberry Topping

  • 1 pint of blueberries
  • 1/4 cup of agave

Blend blueberries and agave together until till smooth More

Blueberry Sorbet

I am so obsessed with fresh summer fruit and I have always loved frozen treats! For me in the summer there is no better dessert. Cool, sweet, fruity and refreshing! Deelish!

This mixture would work great in an ice cream maker, but if you do not have one you can simply freeze this in ice cream trays. After it is frozen add the cubes back to the blender for the perfect smooth treat!

You can also substitute raspberries, strawberries or any other fruit you want for the blueberries. I am sure it would come out delicious every time! Enjoy!!! 🙂

pictures aug 09 015

Blueberry Sorbet
makes 4 servings

2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups almond milk
3/4 cup agave
1 tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla

Blend until smooth. Chill and then process through an ice cream maker or freeze in 2 ice cube trays and blend.

pictures aug 09 020

Luscious Peach Cobbler

I was loving all the gorgeous peaches that we picked yesterday so much that I decided to make a Raw Peach Cobbler. I know one of Michael’s favorite desserts is cobbler and I was so happy to make a raw version for us. We thought it tasted amazingly close to the original version! Either way it was so good!! This dish was also beyond fast to make and then to serve. The original recipe called for Pineapple in the glaze over the peaches, but instead I just used more peachy goodness.

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Luscious Peach Cobbler
Recipe adapted from Purely Delicious Magazine
Serves 6-8

Filling:
4 fresh organic peaches, with seeds removed

1/2 C fresh dates, pitted
2 fresh organic peaches, with seeds removed
2 T honey or agave nectar
1 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Topping:
1 C cashews
1/2 C pecans
1 T coconut butter
1/4 C dates, pitted
1/2 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Preparation:
Slice peaches very thin and place them in a medium-sized bowl and set to one side. Process remaining filling ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour over peaches and gently toss to coat well. Place mixture in cobbler dish. To make the topping, place all topping ingredients in a food processor and blend until well-combined, with the nuts finely chopped. Sprinkle over peaches and enjoy!

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Raw Food Dinner Party part 3

Ahhh Dessert!! Even when I am so full I can always manage a bite or two! These were super yummy and plus this recipe gave us leftovers, which we love! The chocolate sauce could have been thicker to coat better, but I don’t think anyone would complain, it was deelish!

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Raw Chocolate Candy Bars

Recipe By Ashley Skabar, About.com Guide to Dairy Free Cooking Makes about 8-12 bars
Base
4 1/2 cups raw cashews, finely ground
6 T. agave nectar or maple syrup
1 T. cold water
1/4 t. sea salt

Caramel
3/4 cup raw tahini
3/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1/8 t. sea salt

Chocolate Topping
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil or cold-pressed oil
1/4 cup cold water
1/8 t. salt

1. Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the finely ground cashews, agave or maple syrup, cold water and salt, stirring until the mixture is very thick and just holds together. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

2. Make the “caramel.” In a small bowl, combine the tahini, syrup and salt, mixing until smooth. Spread the “caramel” over the cashew mixture and return the pan to the freezer for 1 hour more.

3. Make the chocolate topping. In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, syrup, oil, water and salt until smooth.

4. Line a plate or casserole dish with parchment paper. Remove the pan from the freezer, and, using a sharp knife, cut the mixture into bars. Dip each of the bars into the chocolate mixture, then place on the prepared plate or casserole dish. Pour any excess chocolate sauce over the bars, then return the plate or dish to the freezer for 1-2 hours more or until set. Serve from the freezer, and enjoy!

My note: I did not feel that the chocolate was thick enough, so next time I may leave out the water. I ended up basting the bars in order to keep coating them with the chocolate.

So that wraps up my Raw Food Dinner Party fun. It was such a blast! I cannot wait to do it again!!

menu

Raw Food Dinner Party part 1

I have always loved cooking food and giving to others. It is definitely one of my favorite things to do. But I have not had the chance to have a full blown Raw Dinner Party till now. I am so happy that we were able to this. There is not much better than good company and good food!

Here is our appetizer, which could easily be a meal on its own. It was amazing! While I was making the “sour cream” I had to make sure to put it in the fridge so that I didn’t eat it all before our friends came over! If you love truffles or bruschetta at all, you will go mad for this dish!

If you want a sneak peek for the upcoming recipes check out my menu in the picture below 🙂

Cornbread Bruschetta with White Truffle “Sour Cream” and Spiced Tomatoes

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Cornbread Bruschetta with White Truffle “Sour Cream” and Spiced Tomatoes
Recipe from Entertaining in the Raw by Matthew Kenney
Serves 4-6
Bruschetta
1 cup flax meal
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 1/3 cups walnuts, soaked 8-10 hours
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoon raw agave nectar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

“Sour Cream”
1 cup cashews, soaked 1-2hours
1/2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white truffle oil

Tomato
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon nama shoyu
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers, soaked 1 hour
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons julienned basil

Assembly
1/4 cup basil leaves
fresh black pepper

Bruschetta
Place flax meal in a medium-sized bowl; set aside. Process remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add the bowl with flax meal and stir until well combined. Spread on Teflex sheets in desired shape to 1/2inch thickness. Dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 24-36 hours until almost completely dry but still a bit pliable

“Sour Cream”
Blend all the ingredients in a Vita-Mix until completely smooth. Refrigerate until firm.

Tomato
Toss all ingredients together and season to taste

Assembly
Spread a think layer of “sour cream” on each piece of bruschetta and top with a generous amount of tomatoes. Garnish with basil and black pepper.

my notes:

For the “Sour Cream” I used black truffle oil instead of white, but if you saw my note above, you would know that I am sure it does not matter. It was absurdly deelish!

For the Tomatoes, I did not use cilantro and I am not a fan and I did not use the peppers. Instead of the cilantro I used more basil. Instead of the peppers, I substituted jalapeno peppers and some chili powder.


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Almond Butter Cups

Almond Butter Cups
Recipe from Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney
yields about 1 1/2 quarts

This recipe make many delicious, decadent, chocolaty squares. So if you do not want leftovers or do not have a crowd to feed I would suggest you half this. But I like leftovers 🙂 So I am happy with having delicious little bites in the freezer. The great thing about these is that they are so satisfying you don’t need too many.

almond butter cup close up

1 cup almond butter
1 1/2 cup agave, divided
2 cups coconut oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup cacao nibs

  1. Mix almond butter, 1/2 cup agave, 1/2 cup coconut oil, and sea salt in medium bowl; keep in warm place until ready to use.
  2. Blend cacao nibs, remaining 1 cup agave, and remaining 1-1/2 cups coconut oil in the Vita-mix until smooth.
  3. Spread half of this cacao mixture on parchment-lined half sheet pan to create a thin layer. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to firm.
  4. Spread the almond butter mixture over hardened cacao layer. Then spread remainder of cacao mixture over almond butter; place in freezer until firm.
  5. Turn out pan onto cutting board, peel off parchment paper, and cut into small pieces. ENJOY 🙂
  6. Store extra almond butter cups in containers in refrigerator.

almond butter cup

almond butter cups

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