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Vegan Coconut Mango Flan

This is part flan, part panna cotta, part custard. Plus, it’s just really good. Instead of making the caramel for the top of the flan, I poured a little coconut milk over top, sprinkled some coconut sugar, and topped it off with some toasted coconut shreds.

I’m a creamy dessert lover. Creme caramel? Tapioca pudding? Yes and Yes. The trouble is, I often end up with a major stomach ache after consuming dairy… and I’m giving you the censored version.

So, I’ll jump at any chance to try out a non-dairy creamy dessert, and this flan didn’t disappoint.

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The recipe called for tofu, which I’m not the hugest fan of, so I wracked my brain thinking of other things that might be a good substitute and I landed on mango puree (mostly because I picked up a couple mangoes on sale the other day). I’m sure any fruit puree would work well in this recipe, just strain the seeds first if there are any. Strawberry Coconut custard is next on my list. Mmm.

Thanks to Lan for her choice this week as the host of The Food Matters Project. See what the others came up with here and see the original recipe for Coconut Flan (with tofu) at Lan’s blog.

VEGAN COCONUT MANGO FLAN
makes 4 3.5 inch tart shells

1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
1 cup mango puree (2 ataulfo mangoes)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp agar agar flakes

Prepare the mango puree by blending the flesh of the mangoes with 1 tbsp of water (how to cut a mango). It should be thick, creamy, and smooth.

Now combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool a bit and blend it. Here you can taste it to see if you’d like it sweeter (I always find desserts too sweet, so you might like yours sweeter than I do) and if so, add some more maple syrup or coconut sugar.

Before it cools too much, pour it into your tart pans or ramekins and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Top with a sprinkle of toasted coconut and coconut sugar. Yum!

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Grain-Free Chocolate Walnut-Date Tart

This week for The Food Matters Project, Margarita chose Walnut Biscotti. Now, I’ve never made biscotti… and I’ve never been really drawn to it, I’m admittedly a chewy cookie kinda gal.

But the walnut part got me thinking.

And I’d seen this amazing chocolately-nutty-datey tart floating around in the internet recently, it just seemed like the right thing to do. And let me tell you… it was!

I made a grain-free almond crust, pureed the dates and walnuts together for the filling, and topped it off with a raw chocolate ganache.

This is a gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy free, vegan, (mostly) raw dessert that is actually delicious. I know, it’s wild.

It was really sweet. I could only eat half the tart, but don’t worry, I saved the other half for later.

And don’t forget to check out the biscotti successes over at The Food Matters Project. I may just be swayed over to the biscotti side yet, especially after all the great things the group had to say about the recipe… and biscotti can be dipped in chocolate, so that’s a huge +1 in my books.

RAW CHOCOLATE WALNUT-DATE TARTS
Adapted from the beautiful blog Gourmande in the Kitchen
makes 5 3.5 inch tarts (or 1 9 inch tart – I made 4 of the 3.5 inch ones and had some leftover that I put in a small dish)

For the Crust – combine the following in food processor until it is finely ground and crumbly, press into tart shells (with removable bottoms)
2 cups almonds
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp maple syrup (not technically raw, you can use honey but it’s not vegan)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
a few drops water if needed to help it come together

For the Walnut-Date Filling – combine in food processor until creamy, then stir in walnuts and scoop into tart shells
8 Medjool dates (or 10 of the dried, baking dates) soaked in 1/3 cup warm water
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (stir in after processing)

For the Chocolate Ganache Topping – stir together and spoon onto tarts
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 drop stevia (or 2 more tbsp maple syrup)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Top tarts with chopped walnuts (1/4 cup) and chill in fridge to set for 30 mins before digging in.

*note* This is a very rich dessert, and while it doesn’t contain any refined sugar, wheat flour, butter, and milk products, it is by no means a freebie treat. It’s got lots of coconut oil, nuts, and maple syrup, so that means it’s also got lots of calories. It’s still better than your average processed dessert, but it’s best enjoyed in moderation and with a great big smile on your face!

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White Bean Dip with Red Chard and Caramelized Onions

Hey all, this is going to be a quick one. I’ve been chasing my tail since last week, and finding I barely have time to catch my breath. This holiday break is going to be a much needed rest period for me as I try to see how I can do better to manage my schedule in the new year.

Lexi chose this week’s Food Matters recipe: Pureed White Beans with Tons of Fresh Herbs. I didn’t have tons of fresh herbs, so I went with caramelized onions and red chard instead. It made my bean dip pleasantly pink! See what the gang thought up over here.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH RED CHARD AND CARAMELIZED ONION
adapted from Food With Presence <-- I go to school with her, and you should check out her site for some awesome inspiration!
serves 4-6 as an appetizer

2 cups cooked canellini beans (soaked overnight and cooked for 35-40 mins or until tender)
2 onions, halved and sliced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 bunch red chard, or 5 leaves, de-stemmed and sliced thinly
juice of one lime
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 drop stevia (this is my not-so-secret ingredient in just about everything)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Caramelize your onions by sauteeing them in the coconut oil on med-high heat until soft. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook them for 45 minutes, stirring once in a while so they don’t burn. You can have the beans cooking at the same time as the onions and be prepping the chard and pre-mixing the rest of the ingredients while the beans and onions cook. Once the onions are all nice and brown they are done! Remove them from the pan, turn up the heat to med, and stir in the chard along with a splash of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. In a bowl, coarsely mash the beans with a fork and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and voila! Bean dip.

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Curried Squash and Red Lentil Soup

For this week’s Food Matters Project, I threw together this hearty, flavourful soup. With Winter quick approaching, this is a quick meal, perfect for a cold evening.

See the original recipe (Butternut Chowder with Apples and Bacon) on Jen’s blog, and see what everyone else did (including a squash ravioli and squash waffles, oh my!) at the Food Matters Project.

I used a Carnival Squash instead of a Butternut. These guys are versatile, and delicious.

Adding red lentils to this soup added some substance without sacrificing the flavour. Plus, a little bit more fibre (soluble and insoluble), protein, folate, magnesium, and iron will nourish your body!

You can use a pre-blended curry powder, but I like to make my own and add lots of different spices depending on how I’m feeling. Did you know that curry spices (usually turmeric, cumin, and coriander) are anti-inflammatory and rich in vitamins and minerals?

CURRIED SQUASH AND RED LENTIL SOUP
serves 6

1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp curry powder (I used 1 tsp each of turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika, and cinnamon)
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 carnival squash (or other squash), cut and roasted at 350F for 30 mins – remove skin or scoop out squash
6-8 cups water, more depending on consistency and size of your squash
1 tbsp maple syrup (you can taste first, it did make it quite sweet and you might choose to omit)
juice of 1/2 lemon
splash of balsamic vinegar (1-2 tsps)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the onion in the oil until soft, add spices and mix to coat the onions, about 1 minute. Add the lentils and stir to coat, then add the squash and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool and puree with an immersion blender (or in your regular blender, just make sure it’s not scalding hot). Now taste and season. Add the rest of the ingredients, and extra water as needed. Enjoy!

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Purple Carrot and Parsnip Gnocchi – Gluten Free (and Vegan option)

I finally ordered new batteries for my camera and they showed up in the mail yesterday. Before they arrived, I could take about 30 photos before the old battery would die and I would have to put my food-photo sessions on hold until it was charged up. Forget the thought of going on a photo walk – out of the question. It finally got to be unbearable, and I am so glad I can now take photos until I feel like I’ve taken enough, and my battery will happily power my camera to take more.

These are purple carrots and parsnips.

They’re really just regular carrots wearing purple jackets.

These are gluten free and all lined up in rows, ready for the freezer.

Some of them were boiled until they floated and sauteed in coconut oil.

Most of them were covered in this Vegan Alfredo sauce with handfuls of parsley tossed in.

And then I thought to myself, this could use more green. So I sauteed up a stack of thinly sliced collard greens.

And mixed.

And my camera still hadn’t died on me, so I smiled, and I got a little closer.

And then I ate them all.

*This post is my version of Joanne’s recipe choice for The Food Matters Project. You can see what the others came up with here.*

PURPLE CARROT AND PARSNIP GNOCCHI – GLUTEN FREE (AND VEGAN OPTION)
serves 4

-1 pound of carrots (with or without a couple parsnips – they’ll add a distinct flavour that I really enjoyed, but the original recipe doesn’t call for them, so if you don’t want to complicate your life, then don’t!)
-3/4 cup whole grain flour (for gluten free I used coconut flour and brown rice flour)
-1/2 cup starchy/binding flour (I used sweet rice flour and tapioca flour) plus more for rolling and shaping
-1 egg (for vegan gnocchi you can totally omit the egg, your gnocchi may be a little more on the dense side, but still delicious)
-pinch of nutmeg
-salt and pepper
-coconut oil for sauteeing
-1/2 cup parsley, chopped
-1 bunch collard greens, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
-1/2 the amount of Vegan Alfredo Sauce recipe (I used olive oil instead of Earth Balance)

I baked my carrots and parsnips at 350F for 30 minutes because I read somewhere that they retain lots of the cooking water if you boil/steam them and then you need more flour. I still felt like mine needed a lot of flour, but then, I did add an egg (that was called for in many regular gnocchi recipes – and I thought might help the texture since I was changing the recipe to gluten-free). If you’d like to leave out the egg, you will likely need closer to 1 cup total flour, so add it slowly so you don’t add too much!

Puree the carrot mix until it’s smooth and mix in the egg (if using), flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix it all together until it’s combined (no fear of overmixing with the gluten-free flours). It should be firm but not sticky (though mine was a little bit sticky still and I think it would have been too dense if I’d added any more flour).

The nice thing about gnocchi is you can test it as you go. Just boil some water, pinch off a little bit of dough and toss it in. When it floats to the top (about 4 minutes) it’s ready and you can taste it to see if it’s too mushy or it could use a bit more flour (or seasonings).

Once you’re satisfied, quarter the dough and roll each piece into a log. Cut individual gnocchis about an inch long. I squished them with a fork – apparently the ridges help them pick up more sauce, and I love sauce. Refrigerate them for 20 minutes (up to 2 hours, and you can also freeze them at this point).

When you’re ready to cook your gnocchi, toss it into a pot of salted, boiling water. If you’re doing this from frozen, don’t let them thaw first. Stir them so they don’t stick together and once they float to the top they are done, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Saute the collard greens in coconut oil for 7 minutes or until cooked through and getting a little crispy. Pour in the Vegan Alfredo Sauce and the parsley and mix in the gnocchi. Top with extra parsley for garnish.

Enjoy!

Doing The Best You Can

I love this photo-quote combination. I have been going through a bit of a struggle lately with my health and general well-being while trying to incorporate everything I hear about in my classes into my lifestyle routine. With every round of classes we finish, it seems like there are 5 more things I should be doing to stay on top of my health game.

There’s yoga, meditation, self massage, juicing, dry brushing, eating a balanced breakfast, oil pulling, not cooking with unsaturated oils, trying to get all this done before 9am, following the practices of food combining, not eating too much cooked food, not eating too much raw food, not eating too much cold food, not eating any junk food, maintaining structure, letting go of control, getting enough sleep, studying and doing well in class, supporting and connecting with my peers, being a good partner and companion, being aware, living in the moment, eating enough greens, taking all my vitamins, following my dosha-specific food protocols, cleaning up after myself, being a supportive and loving daughter and sister, working with intention, treating others with kindness, opening my heart, being gentle with myself, managing my time well, taking time off for myself…

I could go on. And I suppose that is what lies at the heart of the struggle, that I could almost always go on. There is always more. More to achieve, more to do, more to be. I know I’m not alone in feeling this pressure and drive to move forward. Onward and upward.

But towards what?

We strive to make ourselves better, smarter, more open, and more efficient, but what are we missing in the moment as we rush to meet our end goals?

I’ve been so focused on being the best me I can be at any cost, that I’ve lost sight of the me I am right now. This me, right here.

It’s kind of fitting (and funny) that I, a health-loving nutrition student, would be having this mini health crisis. I’m supposed to have it all figured out, but the truth is, I totally don’t. And the more pressure I put on myself to know all the answers, the more critical I am of myself when I inevitably can’t seem to make things work.

At the root of my search for clarity, direction, control, stability, and centredness are feelings of confusion, chaos, being lost and on unstable ground. And the more I try to push those feelings away or ignore them, the more deeply I am confronted with them. Life is fun that way, am I right?!

It’s that little matter of letting go of control. Letting go of self-judgement and self-doubt. Allowing myself to accept that in this moment, I can do the best I can, and that can be enough. In this moment, things are foggy and uncertain, and that is okay. This confusion I’m feeling is not a bad thing, not something I have to overcome, rather something I can explore and unpack, something I can learn from. If I knew all the answers already, this would be no fun. There would be nothing left to uncover, to dig up, to discover.

So this week I will be doing some exploring. I will be working on letting go of trying to be something or someone. I will be just being me, and I will be just doing the best I can.

Oh, and this, too:

Have you found yourself getting overwhelmed at any point along your journey to wellness? What do you do to nurture yourself and stay on track?

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Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters

I am totally loving this week’s Food Matters Project pick by Aura of Dinner with Aura. I love potato latkes and fritters of all kinds, and these are really, really delicious.

I don’t regularly follow recipes, but this week’s recipe looked so good as is that I couldn’t resist.

Aura’s blog has the original Mark Bittman recipe up on it, and really, you should just check out her site because she’s quite lovely. Her recipes and photographs commonly have me drooling at my computer, so I’m sure you’ll find something you like over there.

I used a whole egg instead of just an egg white, because I couldn’t be bothered to separate an egg. Plus, all the good stuff is in the yolk, so I’m a proponent of just eating the whole egg. I also used my gluten-free all purpose flour to keep it wheat free on the home front.

I baked these bad boys at 350F for 10 minutes each side – for a healthy alternative to fried fritters. Aside from that, I actually followed Bittman’s recipe. I know, it’s hard to believe.

Try these out, you won’t regret it! And see all the other fantastic variations on the recipe over at The Food Matters Project.

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Peppermint Coconut Sugar Cookies

These tasted like shortbread. Do you know what that means?

That means I at a lot of them.

I really love shortbread and its smooth, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flavour and texture… but I don’t really eat it anymore, mostly because it’s typically loaded with sugar and butter – and if you buy it from the supermarket then who knows what else might be in the ingredients list. Binders and gums, high-fructose corn syrup and other corn derivatives, chemicals I can’t pronounce. The types of things I’d really rather not have in my cookies, thank you very much.

On top of that, I hadn’t figured out a way to make it without sugar and butter. I mean a way that tastes good, at least. So when these came out of the oven, I was very, very pleased.

I found them on Shauna’s site along with a post about how to make your own gluten-free all-purpose flour. I tolerate wheat alright, but I personally feel like it is a bit of a franken-crop (having been hybridized and changed so much from it’s original self), so I do my best to choose alternatives. Here are some great references for going wheat-free or just starting to explore consuming less wheat (and soy and corn).

And of course, there is the added bonus that the recipe calls for coconut oil as the fat and coconut sugar to sweeten – one of my favourite sugar substitutes as of late.

But back to the cookies.

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Oat Berries with Braised Chestnuts, Brussel Sprouts, and Parsnips

It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked beef, which is what this week’s Food Matters Project recipe choice called for (Camilla chose Wheat Berries with Braised Beef and Parsnips). I’m not a vegan, nor a vegetarian – in fact, I don’t go by any particular labels. I just don’t enjoy preparing meat, and we don’t eat it very often at home. So I figured I would adapt this week’s recipe and make a vegan-friendly AND gluten-free rendition. Plus, I spotted some chestnuts on my walk home from school the other day and I could not resist.

I boiled the oat groats (berries) first for about 30 minutes until they were not-quite-done, still a little chewy. I also boiled the chestnuts for about 3 minutes, after cutting an X in the bottom of each one. Once they cool enough to handle, peel them – keep them in the hot water until they’re ready to peel because once they cool down they’ll be harder to peel. If you’re really enthusiastic about it, you might end up with a blister on your thumb for all your hard work, just like I did!

This is a lovely, warming, perfect-for-fall meal. For more ideas, see what the rest of the group did with the recipe over here.

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Pumpkin Orange Pancakes – Gluten and Dairy Free

For this week’s Food Matters Project, Sandra chose Baked Pumpkin-Orange Custard. I had every intention of making that pumpkin custard. Every intention.

However, I woke up on Sunday morning craving pancakes. This happens pretty often on Sunday Mornings.

I had also recently bought a kitchen scale and been dying to try baking by weight like I’ve read so many other successful bakers have been doing for so long. I know, I know, pancakes are not exactly baking, but I used a weight ratio to combine the whole grain gluten-free flour, and I used my fancy new scale to make these pancakes, substituting pumpkin puree for butter and the juice of an orange for some of the buttermilk (which I switched out for water).

I found this recipe by Shauna Ahern of Gluten Free Girl and The Chef. It was perfect for my first attempt with a kitchen scale.

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