Sweet Saturday #20: Raw Chocolate Banana Tart

For today's post, I'm sharing a really yummy recipe adapted from Good Girl Gone Green's blog. She always has such delicious recipes made with mostly (if not all) raw ingredients. You should definitely go check her out!

Anyway, when she linked this recipe up to Sweet Saturday last weekend, I just had to try it. I had most of the ingredients already, and what I didn't have, I improvised. I also had 2 ripe bananas needing to be used, so I tossed those in too. It came out phenomenal! The only thing I would do in the future is add some honey into the crust because I found it a little bland, but that's just me :) Other friends who tried it said they liked it just the way it was (yes, was, because this baby is gone!).

Raw Chocolate Banana Tart
(serves 8-12)

For crust:
1 cup nuts of your choice, such as almonds or pecans (I used a combination of almonds and cashews)
2 tbsp shelled hemp seeds
2 tbsp flax seed (I used some that were already ground)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

For filling:
2 ripe bananas 
1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder (I used cocoa)
1/4 cup honey, agave, or maple syrup 
1/4 cup coconut butter or oil (I used oil)

Note: If possible, soak nuts for up to 4 hours before using. I only soaked them for about half an hour, and everything turned out fine.  

Place nuts, coconut oil, and shredded coconut into food processor and blend until it is a fine crumble. Pour crumbs into a 8' or 10' pie pan and press into the bottom of the pan to form a layer, then place into freezer to set.

Looks like a beach...

Next, melt the coconut butter or oil if it is not melted already. You can keep things raw by melting it in a food dehydrator if you have one, or placing it in a small bowl in a larger bowl of warm water. Once melted, mix the ingredients for the filling together in the food processor, except for one of the bananas, until smooth.

Take the nutty crust out of the freezer, and spoon or pour chocolate banana mixture onto it, spreading it so that about an inch of the crust is still visible. Slice the reserved banana up and place slices on top of tart. Place in freezer until it sets, for about 1 hour (could very well take less, but an hour is for sure). Allow to defrost a bit before serving.

The one thing with placing the sliced banana on top is you have to keep the tart in the freezer once it's done, as to prevent them from getting all brown and gooey. If you'd rather keep it in the fridge so it doesn't take long to defrost (and easier to slice right away!), just don't put banana on top. It will still be beautiful and delicious!

Some other things you could use as toppings are:

• sliced strawberries
• blueberries
• raspberries
• sliced or crumbled nuts
• shredded coconut

Just to name a few!

Eating raw helps to contain all natural enzymes present in food, which would be decreased or destroyed from cooking. These enzymes help our bodies to absorb the nutrients found in foods. Cooking food can also cause harmful compounds to form- especially if you burn or overcook something -that can be cancerous.  

In this day and age, it's difficult to go completely raw, but it's good to eat as much raw foods as possible, especially fruits, vegetables, and legumes. This tart will enable you to eat healthy and raw without having to lose the enjoyment of eating! Good Girl Gone Green has TONS of fantastic raw food recipes on her blog, as well as information about choosing a healthier raw lifestyle, so do take a look if you are curious about eating raw! 

OK- now it's time for the hop! Our guest-hostess today is April from April's Country Life Blog. She has the most adorable tea party treat recipes and other fun country-style tidbits. Please follow her and show her some love! 

I especially liked this fabulous cake she made for her daughter's birthday !

Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want! 

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow April's Country Life Blog and me if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!

3. Hop around and say hi. 

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

 

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Meatless Monday: Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Truffles

Over the weekend I was craving something sweet after a rough couple of days with Lily. As I said on Friday's post, she was feeling sick and we were also in the midst of potty training; between those things, she was just being a handful in general, and mommy was burnt out by the time she finally got to sleep on Friday.

I didn't want anything too sugary because my teeth have been bothering me (plus it's obviously healthier to lay-off the extra sugar!), and I didn't want anything too heavy, like ice cream. Then, I came across this recipe while I was browsing recipe blogs and inspiration struck! I recently finally bought a food processor, and I had many of the ingredients to make these tasty treats, but I changed it up enough to make it my own, and I made 2 different versions...

Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Truffles
(each recipe makes about 12 truffles)

Cashew and Date Delights

1/2 cup raw cashews (helps if they've been soaked in water for a few hours)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
7 pitted dates
1-2 tbsp shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Process the cashews in food processor until chopped to a mostly fine, crumble (or to your liking). Add the rest of the ingredients and process 5 seconds at a time until all is mashed together and somewhat sticky. If it's too dry looking, add some more coconut oil or water, and if it's too wet, add more cocoa powder. 

Remove the blade, then roll chunks of the sticky brown mess into little balls like in the picture below. Next, roll into shredded coconut. They can be served right away or refrigerated to keep. 

Peanutty Balls

1/2 cup raw peanuts (also helps if they've soaked)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp peanut butter
2-3 tbsp honey
5 dates
1 graham cracker

Process the graham cracker into fine crumble and set aside. Process the peanuts in food processor until chopped to a mostly fine, crumble (or to your liking). Add the rest of the ingredients and process 5 seconds at a time until all is mashed together and somewhat sticky. If it's too dry looking, add some water, if it's too wet, add more cocoa powder. Add more honey if desired, to taste.

Remove the blade, then roll chunks of the sticky brown mess into little balls. Next, roll the balls into the graham cracker crumbs. They can be served right away or refrigerated to keep. 

I personally liked the Date Delights better, but I was then craving peanut butter on Saturday and decided to change it up. There are so many possibilities, actually. Here are some other ingredient suggestions:

• almonds
• dried cranberries
• raisins
• cashew and/or almond butter
• dried cherries
• espresso beans
• hazelnuts
• macadamias
• cacao

So many possibilities for such a quick and easy treat! And best of all, a treat you don't have to feel guilty about eating! Lily took a bite and right away said, "Mmmm", followed by, "I want more". Paul was impressed as well, but still prefers the classic sugary sweets (he's not the best role model in those respects). I'm hoping to perfect these even more so that he will enjoy them over traditional cookies and pastries.

Or you could enjoy them without any coating...along with a glass of pinot noir :)

Adding nuts to your diet is a good way to keep your heart healthy and cholesterol levels low. This is pretty common knowledge, but did you know that using dates as a replacer for sugar can also be beneficial in ways other than keeping refined sugars out of your diet? They are full of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, potassium and copper. Do keep in mind that they are still high in sugar and carbs, so eat sparingly! It's just good to know that they are better for you than straight up sugar! 

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week!

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What are you having for Meatless Monday??? May I suggest sharing some more healthy versions of desserts? I'm a on a roll here!

Clearly, she's feeling better :)

 

Meatless Monday: Kale Pesto with Feta

Happy Meatless Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I had a very productive one- in a good way! I went yard sale hopping (scored a bunch of goodies which I may write a separate post for), attended the beautiful wedding of one of my dearest friends, reorganized and cleaned my house, then had a lovely Sunday afternoon with my family :) What did you do?

Last Monday, I tried a variation on a recipe from WholeFoodsMarket.com, Kale Pesto with Baked Feta! OMG, so good! Even Lily liked it! Recipe below...

Baked Kale Pesto with Feta on Baguette
(serves 6-8)

1 cup rinsed, de-stemmed, and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 8oz block of feta, drained and patted dry
1 baguette, classic or whole wheat
1 tsp dried rosemary

First, spread the pine nuts onto a small baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. You can also buy pine nuts pre-toasted. Next, slice the baguette into as many pieces as you plan to eat or serve, then put slices into the oven to lightly toast. Meanwhile, place the kale, garlic and pine nuts into food processor and finely chop. While motor is running on the food processor, drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. 

I actually- believe it or not -do not own a food processor, so I put everything into my blender, which is not a method I'd recommend unless you really want to try this recipe and don't have a food processor handy. It worked, but it took a while and I had to constantly turn the blender off and shift the ingredients around with a spatula to ensure that everything got chopped properly. 

playing quietly while Mommy works in the kitchen

Once bread is done toasting, place slices of feta on top then sprinkle rosemary on top of that.  Put tray back into the toaster and toast for about 3 minutes, then take out once more and spoon pesto on top, toasting for another 2-3 minutes or until warm. Serve right away as a canape or side dish.

I wasn't sure if Lily would like this since the kale has such a sharp taste, but guess what- she gobbled it up! And then asked for more! I was quite pleased. If you or your child dislikes the strong green flavor of kale, but you want to try this anyway, you can blanch the kale by boiling it for 3 minutes, then placing it into ice cold water for another 3 minutes. This will dillute the bitterness of the kale, but won't decrease the nutrition content by too much.

Also, you can serve this super green up to baby the same way you would spinach. Steam or boil kale until very soft, mash up in food processor, then serve with breast milk or formula. Yummy!!!

This is a wonderful variation on the classic Italian-style pesto. You can enjoy this on a salad or sandwich, or just as is on a fork! I actually took the last bit that was left after all the baguette was gone, and then added the last of the crumbled up feta to it, then ate it like a salad itself. Very satisfying. 

We enjoyed it with some leftover Nanny Rose's Lentil Soup, see recipe here

I don't eat pine nuts too often, but when I do, I am always glad I did. Pine nuts are full of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, B vitamins, manganese, and oleic acid, a cholesterol-lowering nutrient. They also contain a high amount of antioxidants and healthy fatty acids that can help curb an over-active appetite. They are delicious toasted or right out of the package. Many raw food stores sell them by the pound.


If you have a Meatless Monday meal you'd like to share, feel free to link it up below. Only rules are that it is meat-free and family-friendly. Also, please follow your hostess, moi :)

Recipe Contest Winner! Cashew Chicken with Brown Rice

Let me tell you, it was SO HARD choosing a single winner, not only because I received so many delicious submissions, but also because I had to get used to a new kitchen this week! What timing I have!

Anyway, after several taste tests and having Lily and Paul help me weigh in on which was best, we finally chose Devon Riesenberg’s Cashew Chicken with Brown Rice recipe. CONGRATS, DEVON! Devon has a lovely blog called The Zucchini Diaries that’s full of awesome recipes, from salads to main courses to even baby food! She also has another cute blog called The Jack Chronicles all about her day-to-day adventures with her family, full of lots of pretty pictures. Devon just happened to stumble across my blog apparently and decided to submit a few of her favorite recipes, and I’m sure glad she did :) You have an avid new follower, Devon!

Besides having her recipe featured on my blog today, she is also the winner of a 1 year subscription to EatingWell Magazine!

Like I said, it was very hard to choose just one recipe, so here are some honorable mentions that made the top cut:

Diablo Potato Salad from Ashley Nunez at Healthy Mom for Junk Food Kids

Simply Simple Granola from Susan Osborn at Little Shack on the Hill

Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms from Jessica Licciardello

I will most likely feature these tasty recipes in future posts since they were very good as well- thanks for participating, ladies!

Now, without further ado, I present the winning recipe:

Cashew Chicken with Brown Rice
(makes approximately 4-6 servings)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped   into about 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil

1/4 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp salt

3 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

6 scallions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup of raw crumbled cashews (optional: toasted)

Brown rice for serving (enough for 6 servings)

Cook brown rice accordingly and leave in pot until ready to serve. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl or large Ziploc bag, toss the chopped chicken with the cornstarch, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often and then transfer to a plate. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and repeat with the other half of the chicken. Once the second batch is 3/4 of the way cooked through, lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, being careful not to burn it. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute, and then add the rice vinegar. Cook until evaporated, for about 30 seconds. Add the Hoisin, water and all the chicken to the pan, and stir together. Cook until the chicken is done and the sauce is slightly thickened, for around 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the cashews and the scallions. Serve over brown rice.

it was good with the steamed broccoli

Lily's and Mommy's plates

giving it a try

husband-approved

DELISH! Paul really liked this one especially, and although Lily turned her nose up at it initially (like she does to so many “unknown” food these days), she ate it all up once I got her try the first bite. I added extra scallions and the only thing I would alter is adding twice the amount of water and Hoisin sauce to make it saucier! But, that is a personal preference since I just love Hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is a salty sweet and slightly spicy Asian sauce made from soybean paste, garlic, chilies, sesame, and other spices and goes great on just about any meat. It’s great in stir-fries and makes an amazing marinade for grilling. In fact, I plan to use thia very recipe on the grill this summer!

Although this recipe is Cashew Chicken, the cashews are optional if you or someone you’re serving this to has a nut allergy. There are no other nuts in the recipe, with the exception of sesame in the Hoisin sauce (check label as some may not contain sesame depending on the blend). I felt it was the vinegary garlic, Hoisin sauce, and scallions that really made this chicken great, but the subtle crunch of the cashews were a really unique addition to the tender chicken.

Cashews, like all nuts, are very good for you. They contain high amounts of many nutrients, such as manganese, copper and magnesium. Nuts are heart-healthy, help to lower cholesterol, provide an abundance of natural energy, help maintain a healthy weight, and so much more! Cashews provide an especially high amount of calcium to support strong and healthy bones. Try some cashew butter on your PB&J instead next time and I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

This recipe is fine for toddlers and kids, but not for baby. Baby can enjoy some brown rice cereal with milk or formula while the rest of the fam chows down on this tasty Asian-inspired dish!

Thanks again to everyone who sent in submissions! I will probably hold another contest in the future since this was so much fun, so stay tuned! Have a great weekend, and hopefully I will get back to my normal posting schedule soon enough! Next week I will post pictures of the new house, as well as a new Family Favorite recipe I cooked up for the first actual meal in the new kitchen. 

Wish me luck with getting my life back in order! 

Meatless Monday Blog Hop #3 with Chia Seed Pudding

You probably read the title of this post and thought: "What? Chia seeds?" And then you probably thought of Chia Pets and "ch-ch-ch-Chia!" 


Ah, memories. So glad I could bring that back for you. You're welcome :)

But, I'm not here to talk about "The gift that grows!" I'm here to talk about the amazing health benefits that chia seeds provide, benefits that are largely ignored by this country, as you can see by what we do commonly use them for. Yes, they're good for sprouting, but the way I like to enjoy them is in pudding. Chia seed pudding is sort of like rice pudding, only much easier to make. Easier meaning NO COOKING REQUIRED. That's right! Sooo easy. Instructions for basic chia seed pudding below...


Basic Chia Seed Pudding


1/2 cup chia seeds, white or black
2 cups almond, soy, or coconut milk (you can use cow's milk, although I highly recommend against it in order to keep it vegan as it is done so traditionally. Use organic milk if you really have a thing against the alternatives to cow's)

Pour chia seeds into a bowl large enough to hold them and the milk. Pour milk on top and mix with a fork until well-coated. Allow to sit for at least 2 hours before consumption. I enjoy them best after they've sat overnight and are extra gooey. While the chia seeds are soaking, they will start to expand and the mixture will take on a gel-like texture. The mixture will turn a purplish color and the seeds will look like they have a clear coating around them. It will not look very pretty, but you can make it look nicer by adding fresh fruit! 

the end result

The taste is almost non-existent, but it's the texture that I really enjoy. It's like a rice pudding with a creamy, light, delicate nutty flavor. I would recommend using vanilla-flavored milk if you want it to be sweeter. You can also mix in a 1/2-1 tsp sweetener, such as agave syrup or stevia extract. 

the brand I used

The main purpose of chia seed pudding is for health purposes. Chia seeds provide an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber and calcium. They provide lots of natural energy and help balance blood sugar. They are also quite inexpensive, although not always easy to find. I have a local health food store that carries them and you can find them at places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. You can also order them on vitacost.com. Read here for more info on the amazing chia seed.


Here are some delicious add-ins for your chia seed pudding:

• fresh fruit, such as banana, strawberries, and blueberries
• raw nuts, like cashews, almonds, and macadamias
• dried fruit, such as raisins, blueberries, and cherries
• vanilla extract
• raw oats
• cinnamon 

Here is another recipe for a yummy-sounding Chia Porridge from the back of the package I bought:


1 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup water
5 tbsp oats
1/2 banana, sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 oz coconut milk
Pinch of sea salt


Bring water to boil. Add all ingredients except for the coconut milk to the water and stir for about 5 minutes or until the texture thickens and is to your liking. Serve with the coconut milk poured on top.


SOUNDS GOOD!


This pudding is the perfect alternative to sweet treats. Your family (including yourself) may think it sounds and looks weird, but just give it a try and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. When I first tried this, it was brought to a church function by a close friend and served with banana. Many looked at it with a "WTF?' look on their faces, but everyone enjoyed it! Lily likes it with fruit mixed in and Paul likes it sweetened up. What style will you try?


Now it's time to link-up something yummy and meat-free. Since I shared a snack/treat today, you can link something like that up too. Of course,  you can link whatever you like, just please only link up vegetarian recipes! And please follow your hostess and visit some of the other blogs and leave some love! With the soon-to-be-disappearing Google Friend Connect, I suggest you start following me and others with Linky Followers.


Have a good week!