Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

Adapted from here.

Crust:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 8 soft Medjool dates
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked if they're actually raw, but don't bother otherwise)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (or any other berry I'm sure)

Instructions:
1. In a food processor, combine pecans, dates, salt and vanilla.

2. In a spring form pan, or a pie dish lined with parchment paper press crust mixture evenly.

3. Process the ingredients for the filling until it forms a very creamy paste. All traces of cashew crumbs should be gone.

4. Scoop about half the filling into dish and spread evenly.

5. Add blueberries to remaining filling and process until smooth. Spread remaining filling in dish. Place in freezer until firm.
6. Remove from freezer 15-30 minutes before you want to eat it.

***Warning... I have made 2 of these pies in the last 3 weeks.  They are addictive!***  

Balls

These are truly fantastic... and perfect for dessert!  

Raw cookie dough bites

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup raw almonds
• 2/3 cup raw walnuts
• 2/3 cup raw oat flakes (see note below)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine meal.
2. Add the agave nectar and vanilla and process to combine.
3. Next, add the cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips) and pulse just to combine.
4. Roll the cookie dough into balls (about 1 tbsp each) and place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.

Notes

Raw oat flakes can be substituted for regular rolled oats (or certified gluten-free oats, if necessary), but if you want this treat to be truly raw, look for raw oat flakes, which haven't been steamed or toasted during processing. I buy mine locally from a company called Grainstorm.

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And these I made up on my own, but are adapted from here.  (This is a great blog btw... it is written from a girl in Lake Highlands who has taken 1 year to lose 75 lbs.  Super inspiring!)

1 cup walnuts

1 cup almonds

1 cup raw coconut

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup raisins

1/3-1/2 cup honey 

3 tbsp. chocolate chips

In a food processor, process the nuts and coconut.  Add the dates and raisins and continue to process.  Add honey and continue processing.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Let sit in refrigerator for 20 minuted before rolling into balls.  Enjoy!

Yumminess

Are you into Pinterest? It's a time suck, but I've gotten some really good kids activities, clothes, and (especially) recipes from it. Here are some of my favorites...

Bang Bang Cauliflower

Shopping List (Serves 2-4 as an appetizer)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup egg whites
1 head cauliflower
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Green onion
1/4 cup coconut oil

Sauce
1/4 cup lite mayo
1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce or Siracha (add more or less depends on how hot you can handle it)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Slice your cauliflower florets. Mix salt, pepper and garlic powder into your Panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.

2. Set separate bowls aside with egg whites and cornstarch. Dip your florets one by one into the cornstarch, and shake off excess. Then dip into egg whites, and then coat with Panko mixture.

3. After coating all of your florets, warm up your coconut oil in a large frying pan and place all florets in hot oil. Turn with tongs making sure all sides are browned. Set on top of paper towels to remove excess oil. Top with more salt.

4. In a small bowl mix all of your sauce ingredients. Coat your breaded and pan fried florets with sauce, top with sprinkles of green onion and serve right away.

Best Ever Broccoli (or cauliflower)
Preheat oven to 425 and cut broccoli into florets. Make sure broccoli is DRY!

Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. (She says 5 Tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, but I just eyeballed it.) Now add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in too.

Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until “crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.”

I shook the pan around a bit as it went, but not sure that’s necessary.

When it’s done, take it out of the oven–and here’s where it gets really good–zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts (I left those out), and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. She also has you add 2 Tbs julienned fresh basil, but I left that out too.

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Ali’s Tip:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients! Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter. And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed. I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:
chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds
other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)

Update: Many of you in the comments have asked about substitutions for other ingredients. The joy of these bites being “no bakes” is that this recipe is super flexible. If you end up needing to omit one of the dry ingredients (such as coconut or flax), just add in some extra of whatever other dry ingredient is remaining (for example, the oats). If you feel like your energy bites are too dry, just add in extra honey or peanut butter. Enjoy!!!

And the last one...
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Brownies (courtesy of my yoga instructor)

1c peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs

Mix and pour into 8x8 pan. Bake at 325 for 25 min. Enjoy!

The makings of a salad

I've been into salads lately. Which is weird because I've never really been a salad eater. I think the green smoothies with the kale and spinach have kind of made me crave greens. Anywho- this is my typical salad.
Dressing- olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, agave nectar, dash of dijon mustard, garlic and lemon juice
Salad- arugula or spinach, pine nuts or walnuts, cheese (blue or gargonzola), chia or hemp seeds
Additions- dried cranberries, chicken, apples, pears, strawberries (whatever is on hand that day)

Please- tell me some of your favorite salads! I'd love to experiment.

Green Smoothies

Do you know about them? Are you into them? Patrick and I are a little bit obsessed these days. I typically drink one in the mornings as my breakfast. Patrick often drinks one at night after a work out. Even Charlie drinks them! We call them his Good Morning Milkshake.
Recipe-ish: (you pretty much use whatever you have)
1-2 handfuls spinach/kale/any leafy green
1 banana
Greek yogurt (I'm partial to the vanilla kind)
Sweetener- agave nectar or honey
Fruit- we have used blueberries, strawberries, peaches, pears, apples, pineapple and any combination (again, whatever we have)
Additions- hempseeds, chia seeds, raw almonds, cocao nibs
1/4 cup OJ
(Our blueberries are typically frozen, so they act as our ice)

Blend and enjoy! And, an added benifit.... my yoga instructor was talking about Green Smoothies and how it boosts your breast milk. She used the analogy of cows eating grass and how good their milk is. Same concept... the more leafy greens we eat= better milk for the baby.

A little education...
Cocoa nibs: Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested so far, including blueberries, red wine, and black and green teas. In fact, it has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea!
Hempseeds: Excellent plant-based protein source
Chia seed: The mighty chia seed is a powerhouse food, high in protein, fiber and the essential omega-3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Another recipe that I have become addicted to are Healthy Oatmeal Cookies. I add all of the above seeds and put in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. The first time I made them they were a little dry, so I added agave nectar to the next batch and they came out much chewier.

CSA

We joined a CSA a few months ago and have been patiently waiting on our first harvest. Today was the day!! First off, this is the CSA we joined: Eden's Organic Garden Center. And THIS is something they were just involved in. (Sounds pretty awesome, right? Anyone who wants to go next year just let me know!) We toured it first to meet the owner and to see where our food would actually be coming from. It's in Balch Springs, which is actually where I work. (It's on the same street as my school even.) But, she delivers to The Green Spot every Saturday, so that is more convenient for us to pick up at.

Anywho... today we received this HUGE squash,
(have you ever seen anything so big?) eggplant, peppers (3 different kinds), mustard greens, mizuna, and sweet potatoes. Tonight we made this for dinner:
Sauteed Mizuna and Orecchiette
3/4 pounds dry orecchiette (ear-shaped)pasta or pasta twists
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mizuna, bare stem ends trimmed off and yellow or bruised leaves discarded,coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed dry hot red chilies
About 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a 6- to 8-quart pan on high heat, bring about 4 quarts water to boiling. Add pasta and cook, uncovered, just until tender to bite, 6 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add mizuna. Stir until leaves are wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain pasta well and pour into a warm, wide bowl. Add mizuna and lift pasta with 2 forks to mix. Sprinkle with chilies and parmesan cheese; mix again. Makes 5 or 6 servings. Per serving: 346 cal.; 13 g protein; 13 g fat; 46 g carbo.; 173 mg sodium; 6 mg chol.

**I added about 3 tbs. fat free milk and 1 lb. Italian sausage to it... yummy. And, we do this same recipe on a pretty regular basis with asparagus rather than the mizuna. It's super good.***

I'm so excited to see what else we get week to week. And for the recipes that will follow!

Crab and Corn Salad

My new obsession!! I make enough to munch on the whole week through. It is so good, light, fresh and would be good to experiment with.

Recipe:

4 corn on the cobs

1 lg. red bell pepper (or 2 small), diced
3-4 sticks of celery, diced
1/2 bunch of cliantro, diced
2-3 limes (depending on how much lime juice you want)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. mayonaise
red pepper flakes to taste
12 ounces crab meat, cubed

Roast the corn in a pan with some olive oil. Flip periodically to get a slight charred look on each side. Chop up all veggies into a bowl. Break apart crab with your fingers. After the corn has cooled, cut it off the cob into the veggies. Add the rest and stir. It's ready to serve! Really good over lettuce as a salad. Also good with tortilla chips.

Variations: Add shrimp instead of crab. Add jalepeno, red onion, and/or avacodo. Enjoy!

Birthday Brisket

Thanks to The Lunds for introducing us to this awesomeness. I made Coffee and Chile Braised Beef Brisket on my birthday... delicious!!

Patrick and I have been eating on it all week. We have made tacos:

and pizza (with BBQ sauce):

Charlie likes it best served over a baked potato. Super easy and possibly the best brisket I have ever tasted.

Healthy Eating

Remember my 2010 New Year's Resolution this year of eating healthy? Well, I'm still on it. Admittedly, I might fallen off the wagon just a little bit while the kitchen was being remodeled. But, now that everything is in working order I am fully back into it. One of my favorites is one that I stole from our friends, The Greer's. The Squash Spaghetti is super easy, yummy, and makes for good leftovers.

Here is another recipe that is one of my favorites that I stole from The Greer's as well. Thanks friends!

I have been trying different raw veggies with Charlie. Season with a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Here he is digging the asparagus. (We've also tried raw squash, which he wasn't much of a fan of.)

Desert? I am still hooked on Jessica's Seinfeld's book "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food". She incorporates pureed veggies into everything she makes. A couple of weeks ago I made brownies with pureed carrots and spinach in them. (Both Patrick and his dad loved them, which is saying a lot!) Last night I made these cookies with pureed sweet potato, squash and garbonzo beans in them... pretty yummy!

Chocolate Chili... Who Knew?

Here it is... Fall is upon us. Which means lots of soups, chili's, and roasts will be cooked in our household. A friend recommended that we try out this recipe for Chocolate Chili from Stop and Smell the Rosemary cookbook. I was a little weary, but she swore it was great. And I tell you what, it is hands down the BEST chili I have ever tasted. Delicious!!

Chocolate Chili

3 lbs. ground chuck 4 tsp. ground cumin
1 lb. pork, cubed 4 tsp. salt
2 cans (28 oz. each) peeled and diced tomatoes 2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. ground oregeno
2 tsp. coriander 6 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 4 bay leaves
1 bell pepper, diced 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Cook beef in a large skillet until brown. Add pork and stir. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, coriander, flour, salt, cumin, onions, bell pepper, oregano and chili powder. Simmer for 1 hr. Add bay leaves and cook 10 min. Remove bay leaves and add chocolate. Cook 10 minutes longer to blend flavors.