Tag: almond

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!

+ Erin
P 12/10/2012
t Blog, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Calmond, coconut oil, dates, raw, raw cacao, tart, walnut
9 9 Comments

Veggie Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a popular Japanese dish sometimes translated to something like “Japanese Pizza”, but it’s really much closer to a potato pancake – yet with cabbage instead of potato. It’s typically loaded with toppings and covered in a sauce and mayo.

I have for you a healthier, veggie-friendly version. Cabbage, leeks, onions. Delicious.

Even with no potatoes, the taste is reminiscent of a potato latke… but full of cabbage, and with it a healthy dose of vitamin C, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and antioxidants. Cruciferous vegetables for the win!

+ Erin
P 09/21/2012
t Blog, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Sides
Calmond, cabbage, green onion, leek, sesame seeds
9 No Comments

Grilled Peach Salad with Bocconcini and Romesco Sauce

I can’t believe it’s almost August. This has been a whirlwind summer. We are leaving on Saturday for our Canadian Rockies trip and I feel like we have so much to do before then! It has been tough to make time for meal prep and eating healthy when most of the time I would rather just be running around outside.

This past weekend was no exception. Our friends arrived in town from Korea. Our living room has been swallowed up by a giant, squishy air mattress. Our feet have pedaled all around town. We’ve been shopping, seen fireworks, eaten fish and chips, jumped in the (very cold) ocean, watched The Princess Bride on the big screen at the park, gone for dim sum, fired up the grill twice, and posed for some touristy pictures with totem poles. And all this in just two days. What a weekend it was!

Our friends are here all week, so I imagine there will be much more adventuring. I do so love showing people around town. I’m filled up with excitement and I feed off of their experience, seeing the city through a fresh set of eyes. It’s exhilarating!

Last night we threw together a quick dinner on the way to the movie in the park. All 4 of us squeezed into our tiny little kitchen, rinsing, chopping, blending.

The Romesco sauce from this week’s Food Matters Project recipe was made with 2 grilled red peppers, bountiful handfuls of almonds, a touch of fresh garlic, and thinned out to be used as a salad dressing.

Peaches were grilled. I insisted. Reid questioned at first, but later affirmed that grilled peaches are where it’s at. Just trust me on this one.

+ Erin
P 07/30/2012
t Blog, Salad
Calmond, bocconcini, garlic, grilled, parsley, peaches, roasted red pepper, romesco, salad dressing
9 7 Comments

Raw Chocolate Cherry Energy Bars – The Food Matters Project

I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy… but sometimes I am not a chocolate person. I understand if that sounds completely ridiculous, and I say sometimes because it really does depend. I suppose I’m just particular about the kind of chocolatey things I’ll indulge in.

This week’s Food Matters recipe selection was a Chocolate-Cherry Panini (Hop on over to Margarita’s blog to see the original recipe) and though I can’t really explain it, I was just not that excited about a chocolate-cherry grilled sandwich.

Maybe it was the combination of chocolate and cherries – two things I’ve never really enjoyed together. Maybe it was that I’m not really a sandwich person in the first place. And yes, it’s possible to not be a sandwich person.

I like to look at these kinds of things as opportunities to work something healthy into the mix. I wanted to maintain the Chocolate-Cherry combination of the original recipe, and the first thing that popped into my head was an energy bar. Loaded with fruit, nuts, seeds, and raw cacao, these guys pack a mean nutritional punch and have no added sweeteners because of the already ultra-sweet dates. Also, if you make these raw like I did, all of the enzymes from the fruits, nuts, and seeds remain intact – (r)awesome!

Now don’t get me wrong, they are still high in sugar, but it’s balanced by the protein and fat from the nuts and seeds, and I personally believe it is better to get my sweet-tooth fix from fruit rather than refined sugar. Still, when I munch on these, it’s just one at a time, and often when I’m being active and need an energy-dense kick.

They remind me of Larabars, which I totally love for their simple ingredient lists and minimal processing. A perfect snack for when you’re on the go or headed off to do something active!

+ Erin
P 06/18/2012
t Blog, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Calmond, chia seeds, dates, dried cherries, dried cranberries, energy bar, nuts, pecan, raw cacao, seeds, snack
9 9 Comments

Cleanse Day 9 – Sweet Almond Chili Green Beans

A short post today – I have to get off to a family potluck dinner for my Uncle’s birthday… during which my cute, feisty, always right, Chinese grandmother will tell me I need to grow up. Stop playing around. You’re too old for that.

She’s talking about my ankle. I injured it bouldering (rock climbing). I don’t feel too old for rock climbing. I hope I never feel too old to climb things. I should have learned my lesson about telling her I rock climb though. I should have just kept it simple, should have just said I fell. No biggie. Nothing major. Don’t worry about me. I’m all grown up. No playing around here. Just serious grown-up business!

These green beans will make you feel like a grown up. Or a wild, carefree climber… whichever you prefer. Mostly, they’ll just make you happy. Well, they’ll make your tastebuds happy. To me, it’s one and the same.

I ate these beans as a salad for lunch. You can do that too. You can also eat them as a side dish if you dare. Be bold.