Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Simple, no bake and fool proof, these treats are perfect for mornings, midday, between meals and on the go.

These low glycemic, quick to make nibbles are packed with protein, fiber and minerals.



Gluten Free / Soy Free / Wheat Free

Dry Ingredients
1 cup Nutrasumma Chocolate Pea Protein
1 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
3/4 cup psyllium husk (or ground chia)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

1 cup 42% semi-sweet chocolate chips (fair trade organic please)

Wet Ingredients
2 cups water
2 tbsp vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl & mix together.
Add wet ingredients & mix with hands til uniform.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Press onto baking sheet & cut into squares or roll into balls.

Preparation time - 10 minutes
Makes 100 one-bite servings or approx 30 1oz (28gram) servings

1 oz serving provides 6g protein and 5g of fiber!

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and consume within a couple days.

Options:
Apple Pie Bites
swap out Choc with Apple Pie Protein, leave out the chips and reduce to 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Snowballs
swap with Vanilla Protein, no chips and roll in shredded coconut (sweet or unsweetened)
Maple Vanilla
swap with Vanilla, no chips, reduce to 1 cup sugar and add1/2 cup maple syrup

Beat the heat with a slice of Ice-Cream Cake & Why I do what I do

As a child  I spent a lot of time wondering what I should do for a living. From a young age I never saw myself working in an office or being a company man. I did like to draw, that was for sure. Creativity was fun, pure and simple. It took me a long time to figure out that fun is definitely at my core. Growing up I had very few friends and thought I was an introvert. Today life is much different, I'm around lots of super people and I've learned that laughter is food to me. Unfortunately, I have a hard time clicking with someone if I can't figure out their sense of humor. Anyway, going back to making a living, when I was younger I truly believed that as an artist I would have a tough time making a living. How would I make money as a painter or by drawing sketches? I'm sure I would have thought differently if I had grown up today. Back then, no one had computers and successful animated movies were rare.

Alright, it's time for another dessert recipe. This time it's a raw fruit sweetened sauce. Oddly, I make a lot of desserts, but if you've spent time with me, you'd know that I don't crave sweets at all. I'll enjoy an ice-cream sandwich or a slice of cake, but I usually stick to savory eats.

Ginger Spice Caramel Sauce

8 medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ginger
1/8 tsp salt (optional)

Combine all in high speed blender and blend til smooth.
A food processor will work too, but it'd be more of a chunky topping than a sauce.
The sauce will be thick and firm up a bit when refrigerated. Allow to warm up out of the fridge for ease of pouring.

As I got older pursuing romance took priority over a choosing a career. This went on for decades. During that time vegan happened, the coolest thing ever. But what to eat? Overtime the food got better and the art of it all came about. Who would have guessed that what I made in a kitchen could bring such joy.

Pictured above is a slice of petite ice-cream cake with the caramel sauce. Use it yourself on pancakes, with oatmeal, on a sundae or as a dip for fresh fruit. The ice-cream cake recipe is here. Pour it into a spring pan for a large ice-cream cake or into a baking cup (typically used for cupcakes or muffins) for a petite cake.

I opted for a modest sized dessert since both the cake and the sauce are ultra decadent and rich. I set aside some slices in 3oz portion cups for later. A portion cup fits easily in the palm of your hand, perfect for the beach or a picnic. 





As a fun question, who here can relate to this smoothie? I don't like waste, so I add a cup of water and some protein powder to the Vitamix to make use of all of the sauce still stuck to the sides of the pitcher. Ginger date protein smoothies are awesome!

White Chocolate Ice-cream OMG Yum Nom Nom

Chocolate or raw cacao desserts are standard crowd favorites, but just for the sake of variety here's a quick raw recipe using raw cacao butter and orange. This dessert is different than most of my first raw ones, which had to be kept frozen and then allowed to thaw since they were too hard to eat out of the freezer. This hard ice-cream is fridge stable. Since there is fresh fruit in it, keep it in the freezer if you aren't going to eat it within a couple days.

White Chocolate Orange Ice-cream
1/2 cup raw cashew
1/4 cup raw cacao butter
3 tbsp coconut sugar or 1/4 tsp powdered stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 orange, peeled or 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed OJ
zest of half an orange approx 2 tsp
1/8 tsp salt (optional)

Combine all in a high speed blender and work til smooth. Pour contents into your vessels of choice and let set in freezer.

For a simpler white chocolate ice-cream, replace the OJ with water and leave out the zest. Triple the vanilla for vanilla ice-cream.

Any fresh fruit or fresh squeezed juice, whether it be kiwi, pineapple, raspberry, durian, goji, acai berry or pear, can be substituted for the OJ.

Of course if you feel that it's not dessert without chocolate, who's to stop you. Just in case you missed the post on why fair trade chocolate click here and scroll to the bottom for the fun vid and link.

Desire a little more wow factor or you happen to have a bit more time on your hands, try this one.

White Chocolate Truffle
In eight silicone mini cupcake cups, pour in the white chocolate layer using the recipe above. Place in freezer to set for at least an  hour. You can also use mini cupcake baking pan.


Remove from freezer and pour white chocolate orange layer on top. 
Set in the freezer.
Top with your favorite fruit or sauce.

Want some more fancy in your life? A quenelle will add that bit of French to your life you've always wanted.
What you'll need is two spoons and some time to practice. Alternate a spoonful of ice-cream between spoons until you achieve the desired football shape.

Plate as it's own dessert with sauce, fruit or garnish or accent another dessert like cake or crepes.

This quenelle was made with mango ice-cream.

Throw a party with your elite group of friends and wow them with your skills. The kind of party where you dust off your nice table ware, use cutlery you need to polish and break out your good set of wine glasses.





Jumping back to an older post, my friend Ioanna submitted a pic of a dessert she made using this recipe for the gluten free choc chip oatmeal cookies.

Awesome job Ioanna!

4th of July Vegan Style, with Sushi Bowls of course

fresh to the table

There's something very therapeutic about making food for loved ones.
Every step deserves close attention.
From the planning of the perfect dish,
to the care taken choosing each ingredient,
to the prepping of the produce - chop? scallop? julienne? grate?
to the cooking of each component
and to the presentation.

farmer's market treasures

I understand that this much attention to each stage of cooking is not everyone's cup of tea. Different people are drawn to different activities like gardening, crafting, hiking, knitting or running. But for me, when I cook for people I care for, it's not work, it's not a drag, it's a joy. For me it's about fully immersing myself in the moment.  Giving myself a break from the regrets and fears that fill my head. Taking the opportunity to create and put on a grand performance.

I remember a cloudy stretch between sunny days when I decided I didn't want to cook anymore.
Being in a kitchen had become too tied to memories best forgotten. Fortunately, I was blessed with friends that helped to bring me out of that place.

 

Clean up is the step that I would be happy to do without. Other than that, having people over for dinner is such a win win for everyone. I like eating out for new culinary adventures but there's no place home.

 


How about this for a non-traditional 4th of July diner?

I thought it would be fun for people have a sushi bowl.
The base of the bowl was 2 parts jasmine rice and 1 part forbidden rice. Black/purple rice, reserved for royalty in the past, has the same nutrition as brown rice plus extra antioxidants. I prefer the texture too, less of a husky chew. The forbidden rice, serving for 6, was seasoned with 4 sheets of finely shredded roasted nori and 1/4 cup of soy sauce - using a gluten free shoyu easily makes the bowl gluten free. 

The grand selection of fine topping included black bean nori, sauteed shitake mushrooom, crispy ginger, minced soy beef, hass avocado, cherry tomato and seasoned nori snacks.

Black Bean Nori
1 cup of organic black beans - canned or soaked and cooked
1 tsp fresh grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 sheet of roasted nori, finely shredded with kitchen scissors
1 tbsp shoyu or tamari sauce
heat all in a pot on medium heat til bubbly, stirring occasionally

Sauteed Shitake
1 cup of fresh shitake, sliced in strips or soaked and drained from dried mushrooms
2 tsp refined coconut oil - neutral taste and aroma
1 tbsp shoyu/tamari sauce
1 tsp coconut sugar or agave
heat oil in a pan on medium
cook mushrooms til slightly browned
lower heat, add sauce and sugar, heat another 2 min

Ginger Crisps
4 oz fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp refined coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
heat oil in a pan on med/high
place ginger in a single layer in pan
heat til slightly browned, turn over once, brown

There was also a salad that turned into an interesting tell of people's personalities. Some had the salad as a starter while others mixed the salad with the rice in varying proportions. The salad had romaine lettuce, dinosaur kale and parsley. The dressing was a tangy pecan ranch.

Tangy Pecan Ranch Dressing

massaged kale salad

1/2 cup raw cashew
1/4 cup raw pecan
1 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice or juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt or 1/8 to1/4 if less desired 
1 tbsp yellow miso
1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 fresh clove
2 tsp coconut sugar or agave
Combine all in high speed blender til creamy

Alternatives
2 tbsp of nutritional yeast in place of miso
2 tsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in place of lemon juice
just pecan or just cashew
make it nut free with sunflower seeds

The dressing is fun on any salad. Use it in a wrap or in a sandwich. Flavor punch a pasta by leaving out the lemon and combining it with marinara sauce.

The raw dressing also helps fight inflammation and has a low glycemic index.
One serving boasts significant amounts of the minerals magnesium and manganese ( magnesium benefits, manganese for your health). 

For dessert we had organic fair trade chocolate chip brownie cupcakes with choc icing and a peanut butter cream. Curious about why fair trade, jump to older post.
If cupcakes are your thing check out this magic book of goodness.
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
or order some up from this Wizard of sweet delights
Clara Cakes

And now a dance break!

Just in case you haven't visited yet, here's a new restaurant in LA Rawsheed Fusion Chef.

Sometimes You Just Want a Cookie

Simple and sweet tooth satisfying, these cookies are packed with fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, some vital magnesium, a respectable amount of protein, some bone building calcium and oxygenating iron.

Wet ingredients:
4 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil (to avoid the GMO/scientifically manipulated seeds, buy organic)

Dry ingredients:
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (fair trade please**)
3 cups of  rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Gluten Free option:
look for packaged oats labeled as made in gluten free facility
use gluten free flour in place of all-purpose wheat flour, here's one available in many stores - Gluten Free Flour

Protein Packed option:
add 1/2 cup of sprouted brown rice protein powder for a boost of 2 grams of protein per cookie, without adding any fat or additional carbs

Heat oven to 350 F.
Mix wet ingredients til uniform.
Stir all dry ingredients together in separate bowl.
Stir wet and dry ingredients together, mix well.
Drop rounded tbsp onto baking sheet (no need to oil if using silicone sheet).
Bake 10-12 minutes (til lightly browned).
Remove from oven, allow to cool.
Transfer to wire rack unless using silicone sheet.
Makes approx 4 dozen small cookies.


**3 top reasons for fair trade chocolate 
 • forced and abusive child labor practices are prohibited 
 • farming families earn a price to meet their needs 
 • environmentally sustainable production methods are required 

If you prefer to read further - Fair Trade chocolate and Why Should I Buy It?

You're Such a Tart

Who doesn't want to make their own tart shells that are gluten free and high in soluble fiber.

2 cups of raw cashew meal (ground in food processor, no need to soak cashews)
1 tbsp ground chia seeds
2 tbsp psyllium seed husk
2 tbsp buckwheat flour
1/3 cup gluten free oats
3 tbsp agave or 5 dates
1/2 tsp pink or grey salt
1/2 cup water

Combine all in large bowl and knead til uniform. Place 8 cupcake cups into cupcake/muffin pan. Portion out into 8 cups and gently press out and up into sides of cups. Dehydrate in dehydrator for 10-24 hours at 108 F (until firm and "crisp") or bake at 350 F for 5 minutes. 

Dessert First

To start things off, here's an easy treat. This simple, no cook 5 ingredient dessert is rich, decadent and most importantly, dairy free.

RAW CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TART

Chocolate Mousse

2 ripe avocados (1 cup)
4 tbsp of chocolate (cocoa, raw cacao powder or carob powder)
6 tbsp of agave, maple syrup,10 medjool dates (soaked & drained), 1 tbsp stevia powder or 1/2 tsp stevia liquid
(choose your sweetener based on what you have available or based on specific dietary needs)
1 tsp of vanilla
1/8 tsp of salt

Add all to food processor and blend until smooth. No food processor you say? Mash super well with fork and stir until smooth and uniform in color. Let set in covered container in the fridge for a few hours. Serve chilled.

Optional serving suggestions:
chocolate mousse pie - pour into pie crust and top with shredded coconut or sliced strawberries
choc cinn mousse - add 1/2 tsp cinnamon
choc mint mousse - add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

My friend Vida's pie version with sliced strawberry and banana.

To back up a little, I got the basic idea for the mousse from a documentary by actor/activist Woody Harrelson titled Go Further, 

"Documentary filmmaker Ron Mann joined Hollywood actor/hemp activist Woody Harrelson as the thespian traveled up the West Coast preaching the merits of natural, organic living, the result of which is Mann's 2003 film, Go Further. In 2001, Harrelson and a group of friends and other like-minded individuals hopped on bicycles -- accompanied by a psychedelically decorated bus converted to run on hemp-seed oil -- and thus created the SOL (Simple Organic Living) Tour..."
In it, Renee Loux, the on tour chef, makes a chocolate mousse for everyone to dip strawberries into. After watching the documentary, I vaguely remembered chocolate, avocado and spirulina.  She has the full recipe evolution of her dessert on her Renee Loux site. Chocolate Avocado Mousse recipe. I share my mousse using 5 basic ingredients that anyone can easily score from almost any grocery store. The whole point being that it can be done without too much of a culinary stretch, and as a no fail option for a dairy free dessert...hopefully.  :T)