Recipe of the Week: Basil & Black Olive Pasta

It's been a pretty intense week! We had a couple of friends from Calgary here for a short visit. Then Pontifex came to hang out with us during his days off. Even though I hadn't been feeling motivated to play much in the kitchen lately, I couldn't feed all this company just crackers and spreads, now could I?

Some of the yummies I've prepared include dolmas, Fajitas, Jalapeno Burgers, pasta with pesto sauce and Rosemary-Garlic Mashed Potatoes served with mushroom gravy. On the dessert front, I still had some Mulberry & Cream Tarts and Black Forest Cherry Cake in the freezer which came in handy. As our friends brought some Thai young coconuts from the city (yay!), I jumped on the opportunity to treat them with Cafe Gratitude's amazing Coconut Cream Pie. They had never tasted young coconuts before, and of course were immediately hooked. (By the way, did you know that CG is releasing a new raw dessert book soon? Woo Hoo!)

We served the pie with a lovely peach sauce Don whipped up.

I also made a strawberry pie on a chocolate crust which I served with Heathy's Chocolate Sauce.

But as you can see, it had a wee bit of trouble holding its shape.
Ah well... It happens!

Since I can't share this recipe just yet as it needs more tweaking, I decided to go with a pasta dish I've been enjoying since my getting sick earlier this month. I couldn't stomach anything tasting too intense for a little while, so I came up with this delicate and lightly flavored combination. I love how simple it is to prepare, not to mention that it's perfect for the abundance of zucchinis at this time of year.


Basil & Black Olive Pasta

Serves 3

2 medium size zucchinis, spiralized into noodles (I used a mixture of angel and spaghetti)
3 or 4 large basil leaves, finely slivered
6 kalamata olives, finely slivered
1/4 cup cubed red bell pepper
1/2 small patty pan or yellow squash, cubed (optional)
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
Tamari or salt, to taste
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Pinch cayenne

Toss noodles with other ingredients and serve immediately.

Optional: Serve topped with mushroom slices marinated in a little olive oil, tamari, garlic and tarragon.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I've also made this with chopped tomato. Delish!

~ I'd recommend not adding the salt/tamari until the last minute as it will cause the zucchini to 'weep'.

Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Black Forest Cherry Cake

What I didn't tell you last week is that the day I whipped up the Mulberry & Cream Tarts, I was actually on a dessert roll; I also made a raw version of the famous German Black Forest Cherry Cake.

As we were expecting Pontifex from Raw Freedom Community (Mosaica's hubby), I managed to keep the hungry wolves at bay until the arrival of our guest. (No small feat, I tell ya!) They're relocating to our area (yay!) so Pontifex is staying at Ashinah while looking for a new home.

Here's Pontifex in our teeny kitchen...

Anyhoo, the cake was definitely worth the wait! I think I'll just have to make it again when my dear Heathy comes to visit next month. (Yep, you read right... The Raw Divas are getting together again! Woo Hoo!!!)

I made two versions of the cake layer, and I'd be hard pressed to decide which one I prefer. Take your pick!


Black Forest Cherry Cake

This recipe is for a 7" spring form pan

Cake Variation 1
1 cup soft dates, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup raw carob and cacao powder (I used 1/4 cup of each)
1 1/2 cup finely ground almonds or loosely packed left-over pulp from making milk (wet pulp is fine)
1 cup finely ground dried coconut
1/2 cup finely ground cashews
2 teaspoons cherry nuts,* ground in coffee grinder or 1 teaspoon almond extract

*obtained by cracking cherry pits

Place dates in food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. You may need to add a little water.

Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.

Carmella's Note: If using cherry nuts, grind them along with the dry coconut for easier processing.

Cake Variation 2
4 cups almond flour (I used dehydrated pulp from making almond milk)
1/2 cup figs, soaked for a couple of hours
1/2 cup soft dates, chopped
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup carob powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
2 teaspoons cherry nuts,* ground or 1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons dry coconut

*obtained by cracking cherry pits

If using, grind cherry nuts along with dry coconut in coffee grinder.

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

Cherry Jam
1 cup cherries, pitted
1/4 cup soft dates

Blend in food processor until smooth.

Cherry Layer
1 cup fresh or frozen cherries, chopped

Whipped Cream
1 cup cashews or a mixture of cashews and macadamia nuts
1 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh coconut milk (simply blend 1 part dried coconut with 3 parts water in high speed blender)
1/8 - 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar (depending on how sweet a tooth you have)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon lecithin powder*

*Lecithin acts as an emulsifier. Look for lecithin (preferably non-GMO), in granules or powdered form. If using granules, make sure to grind them up in a high speed blender of coffee grinder.

Blend all ingredients except coconut oil and lecithin until smooth. Add oil and lecithin and blend until thoroughly mixed. Set in fridge for about 1 hr.

Assembly:
Form an even layer on the bottom of the springform pan with half of the cake mixture.

Top with a thin layer of Cherry Jam, followed with a layer a cherry pieces.

Next, top with half of the Whipped Cream. Set in fridge.

When very firm, form another cake layer, followed with more Cherry Jam and cherry pieces.

Again finish off with Whipped Cream and set in fridge.

When firm, gently remove cake from the pan and place on serving plate.

Decorate with cherries and serve.

Carmella's Notes:
~ It is key that you grind your nuts finely in a coffee grinder or a high speed blender before processing them with the other ingredients. This will ensure that your cake layer has a lovely smooth texture.

~ In order to apply the cake layer, the whipped cream needs to be quite firm (set in the fridge or freezer first). If you find that the cream tends to yield while patting down the cake, try forming the cake layer on a different surface (such as the counter or a plate) then transferring it over to the pan.

~ This is a rich cake so you might want to make small pieces.

Enjoy with your eyes closed! (Yep, it's another one of those! lol)

Recipe of the Week: Mulberry & Cream Tarts

As you can see, I just couldn't stay away from berries for very long.

When Don and I visited the farmer's market over the weekend, someone was selling mulberries; another delicious variety I had yet to try. They look almost exactly like blackberries, except that they are smaller and grow in trees rather than bushes. They are also super sweet... Perfect dessert material!

I considered making a more conventional pie, you know, blending them up with a touch of sweetener and pouring the resulting filling on a nut crust. In the end, I opted for this slight variation of my Strawberry Shortcake. I keep coming back to this one over and over again, as I find that the cake and whipped cream's subtle flavors make for such a great way to enjoy berries.

I'm pleased with my choice as these tarts were sooooo yummylicious!



Mulberry & Cream Tarts

This recipe makes 24 tarts or one 7 " diameter cake

Cake Base
3/4 cup well packed dates, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch sea salt
1 cup loosely packed left-over pulp from making milk or ground almonds
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup cashews

Place dates in food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. You may need to add a little water.

Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.

If using ground almonds instead of wet almond pulp, you might want to add a couple of teaspoons of water for moisture.

Whipped Cream
1 cup cashews or a mixture of cashews and macadamia nuts
1 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh coconut milk (simply blend 1 part dried coconut with 3 parts water in high speed blender)
1/8 - 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar (depending on how sweet a tooth you have)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon lecithin powder*

*Lecithin is derived from soybeans and acts as an emulsifier. Look for lecithin (preferably non-GMO), in granules or powdered form, at your local HFS. If using granules, make sure to grind them up in a high speed blender of coffee grinder.

Blend all ingredients except coconut oil and lecithin until smooth. Add oil and lecithin and blend until thoroughly mixed. Set in fridge for about 1 hr.

Berry Layer and Decoration
2 cups mulberries, de-stemmed

Assembly:
Form an even layer of cake base at the bottom of a silicon cup or muffin pan lined with plastic film.

Top with a layer of mulberries.

Finish with some whipped cream.

Put in fridge to set.

When firm, gently de-mould tarts and place on serving plates.

Decorate with mulberries and if desired, serve with Mulberry Sauce.

Mulberry Sauce
I used about 1/2 cup berries and 1 small Medjhool date blended in my food processor. (You don't need much dates as the berries have such a natural sweetness to them.)

I added a little water until I reached the desired consistency.

Carmella's Notes:
~ If you'd rather make this recipe into a cake, repeat layers once more.

~ You could sub the mulberries with whatever berries you have on hand.

Enjoy!