Recipe of the Week: Nutless Strawberry Chocolate Pie

Amazingly, we managed to find some organic strawberries at the store the other day, although no doubt that we're seriously approaching the end of the season. My guess is that this may be the last batch we'll get to enjoy for a while. *sigh*

I used some of them to make the following pie; delicious, light, and nutless to boot!


Nutless Strawberry Chocolate Pie

Crust
Banana slices, tossed in a little lemon juice

Chocolate Filling
I used Heathy's Nutless Chocolate Creme which will be in her upcoming 'Just Desserts' ebook.* However any avo-based chocolate cream/mousse recipe would do, such as the following from Anna of Purely Delicious's Chocolate Mousse Tarts.

2 small ripe avocados, peeled and seeds removed
1/2-3/4 C raw agave nectar
1/4 C raw cacao powder
1 T. coconut butter or oil
1 T alcohol-free vanilla
Dash of sea salt and cinnamon (optional)

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth and creamy. Chill until ready to assemble.

Strawberry Filling
This filling was inspired by a pudding Heathy once posted here.

1/2 lb strawberries
1 small banana
3 Medjhool dates
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
Agave or honey, to taste (I added about 1 tsp)
2 tbs melted coconut butter or oil
1 tbs lecithin powder

Blend all but the last 2 ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth. Add coconut oil and lecithin and blend some more.

Assembly
Line the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate with a layer of banana slices.

Pour the Chocolate Filling, followed by the Strawberry Filling.

Set in the fridge.

If desired, serve with fresh strawberry slices and your favorite chocolate sauce. (I used some left-over chocolate coating for my Caramel Turtles.)

Carmella's Note: You could easily replace the bananas with your favorite nut crust.

Enjoy!

* Both Heathy and I have received a number of inquiries as to when her Just Desserts ebook will be available. I can't give you an exact date at this point as I'm still in the process of formatting/editing the ebook, but it should definitely be before the end of the year. If you've enjoyed her recipes so far, then you will be blown away by the some 65 dessert recipes featured in her upcoming book.

Keep an eye here or on Heathy's blog to find out when it's ready to hit the virtual shelves!

Recipe of the Week: Cheezy Corn Chowder

Even though we didn't really celebrate Thanksgiving per se this year (remember that us Canucks are a bit ahead of our American neighbors), we certainly had lots to be thankful for today. We woke up to yet another gorgeous sunny 'Indian Summer' morning. Later on, we all went for a walk on the trail below our new home to take in the fresh autumn air, fragrant with fallen leaves, and catch some of that precious sunshine.

On our return, we got busy whipping up a feast: mixed green salad with Tomato-Tahini Dressing, carrot, parsnip and zucchini pasta served with Sprouted Almond Sauce and marinated Portobellos, and the following Corn Chowder which is to live for. Sooo creamy and delicious!


Cheezy Corn Chowder
Posted by Snowdrop on Raw Freedom Community

Serves 2-3

1 c corn kernels
1 clove garlic
1 T onion
1/4 c cashews
2 T nutritional yeast
4 baby carrots (or 1 regular one)
1/4" ring of red pepper
2 T olive oil
1/2 - 1 t psyllium (depending how thick you wish chowder to get)
1 t cumin
1/8 t nutmeg
1 T parsley
1/2 t salt
Ground pepper to taste
2 c water

Blend in hi speed blender till very creamy.

Add :
1/4 c more corn kernels
1 T parsley

Warm up on stove till warm enough to eat.

Bowl up and garnish with additional minced parsley & fresh ground pepper.

Snowdrop's Note: You can use fresh or frozen corn -I used frozen today because it is winter and there is no fresh corn available. I didn't use miso, but a light miso would easily replace the salt & add a deeper dimension of flavor.

Carmella's Note: I didn't change a thing to the recipe and it turned out fabulously!

Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Cheddar Cheeze Spread or Dip

OK, I'm finally back! Sorry for going MIA on you like this, but I haven't experienced such an intense, event-full month in a long time. Ahhhhh... When the 'Virtual Life' can't keep up with the 'Real One', eh? I've got quite the backlog in terms of photos to upload and recipes to share. I'm also hoping to write about Heathy's visit in the coming days, but in the meantime, you can check out the first part of her account here.

Hard to believe that almost 2 weeks have gone by since dropping her off at the airport. Wowsers! It's been go-go-go ever since. As we were scheduled to move only a few days later, we picked up cardboard boxes on the way back, then got straight to work. Heaps of fun... You know the drill: packing, cleaning, moving... then unpacking and settling in at the other end. Phfew! Hopefully we'll be staying here for more than just a few months, as I'm already getting fed up with hauling my stuff around. (Gawd, do we ever accumulate!)

Here's the new dig that we're sharing with Mosaica and Pontifex whom we've met through Raw Freedom Community.

Pretty funky, as you can see...

The first room that we organized was the kitchen. (Now, why would that be I wonder?) After the teeny one at Ashinah, this kitchen is paradise! Lots of light and counter space, plenty of room for all our raw food appliances and even a dish washer - a luxury I've never had in my 17 years of cooking/uncooking!

As is usually the case under such time and energy demanding situations, we've been keeping the meals simple: mostly soups, salads, crackers and spreads (although we did enjoy Joz's Fajitas one day since they're super easy to assemble.) With all that hard work, we deserved something special. (Me like treats!) I decided to start the dessert making with a bang with Heathy's absolutely decadent Chocolate Orange Cake, which I'd been dreaming of ever since her first visit last fall. You see, one of the good things about being the Raw Goddess' editor is that I get a sneak preview of her recipe creations before everybody else. Lucky me! ;-)

Come to think of it, this recipe alone would make her upcoming 'Just Desserts' ebook worth purchasing. (And I kid you not!)


I think I'll be making this one at least once a week for a while;
it's yummy beyond words!

While Heathy was here, we came upon the 'Vibrant Living’ book by James Levin & Natalie Cederquist on the shelves of Ashinah's community kitchen. It was published some 15 years ago (!!!) and has lots of awesome looking recipes, not to mention amazingly beautiful and creative artwork. Anyhoo, Heathy pointed out how their Cheezy Cashew Sauce is strikingly similar to the Rich Cheddar Sauce we have all come to love, and ought to be the recipe that inspired it. So out of curiosity, I started out with the Vibrant Living recipe, then added the bell pepper and tahini a la Cheddar Sauce. The result was slightly different due to the amount of seasonings and the addition of the oats as thickener, but every bit as delicious. A new favorite in our house!

Try it and see what you think!

Cheddar Cheeze Spread or Dip
Adapted from 'Vibrant Living’ by James Levin & Natalie Cederquist

1 cup red or orange bell pepper
3/4 cup cashews and/or almonds, soaked
1/2 cup water
2 - 3 tbs rolled oats
2 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs tahini
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add more water or oats until desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy on your favorite crackers/breads, zucchini pasta, pizza or with veggie sticks!