Sunday, December 28, 2014

Easy Cabbage Sauté -- Delish!

This recipe is so simple and fast and tasty! While I give you approximate measurements below, it does not have to be exact at all, you can taste as you go. The only thing you really have to be careful about is the seasoning so be conservative and you can always add more to your own tastes.

Ingredients

Onion, cut in half, then sliced thin
Half a head of cabbage
Rice noodles, about a quarter of a package (eyeball it so you have proportions that you like)
     --these are the noodles you can get in the Asian section of the grocery store
1/4 - 1/2 cup Frozen peas
1 - 2 Tbs Sesame (or any) oil
1 Tbs selon
1-2 Tbs natural peanut butter
Salt
White pepper


Instructions

Start water boiling in a pot (the noodles will be tastier if the water is salted)
Cut up onion and start to sauté in the sesame oil in a big pan
Slice the cabbage in thin strips to kind of match the noodles
Once the onions are translucent, add the cabbage and stir together
Add the peas

By now the water should be boiling
Add the noodles and stir until they are tender
Drain and add to the pan with the cabbage and onions
Stir in the selon and the peanut butter
Add salt and pepper to taste


Variations (can use any or all of these)

use snow peas and add at the same time as the cabbage
add a red pepper sliced into thin strips to the onions
add chopped spinach (adds color and nutrition!)
add some cayenne pepper to taste
add some coconut cream to taste
sprinkle with sesame seeds OR roasted cashews

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Raw Banana Cream Pie Recipe

The thing about a raw dessert is that you don't bake it and you can taste it as you go. Here's what I used in this one. Please note: I filled it to the top and this is kind of a double recipe because it will last longer and feed more people. I had a lot of company when I made this one.

Spring form pan (mine is 9") lined with parchment paper. You can use plastic wrap but I'm told parchment is healthier. That's how you get the "design" on the sides, from the wrinkles in the paper.

Crust:
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 overflowing cup of raw walnuts
1 cup mixed golden and regular raisins
about 8 medjool dates
1/4 cup shredded dried coconut (optional)

Filling:
3 cups raw cashews soaked overnight (can soak for less but will be creamier if longer soak)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
5 medium bananas (you don't have to measure, depends on the size of your pan!)
1/4 - 1/3 cup maple syrup (you can taste as you go for desired sweetness)
splash of vanilla

Topping:
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon carob powder
1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup and or honey

To make:
put the crust ingredients in a food processor with the S blade, nuts first, then raisins, then add the pitted dates one at a time while the machine is running. Process until it starts to stick together. Press it into the prepared spring form pan and place in freezer.

In your clean food processor add the ingredients for the filling, starting with the nuts and add the rest as the machine runs. Taste as you go. You might not need so much sweetener since bananas are very sweet o their own. Pour into the pan on top of the crust and put back into the freezer to set up. Let it set in the freezer for around 5 hours.

Before you take it out of the freezer prepare the topping.

With a teaspoon in a small bowl, mix the sweetener and powder. If you're using only cocoa powder, use less because it's more bitter than carob powder. You can always add more if you want to.

Remove from pan and put on serving plate. Drizzle with the topping in random swirls, down the sides of the pie, and even on the plate.

This pie will freeze hard but you'll want to take it out and keep in the fridge before you serve it so it's soft and creamy. In summer it could get pretty melty like an ice-cream cake. It's relish! Enjoy!