Single-serve blueberry lime sorbet with walnut banana frozen dessert

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Icy, tart blueberries and lime combine with smooth and creamy frozen bananas for a quick, simple, but elegant dessert.

Ingredients

2T agave nectar, divided
1 1/4 cup heaping frozen blueberries
1T lime juice
1 cup bananas, peeled and frozen
1T chopped walnuts

Directions

For the blueberries, combine 1T agave nectar, lime juice and blueberries.
Puree until smooth.
Freeze for at least 30 minutes to setup.
For the bananas, combine 1/2T agave nectar, bananas and walnuts.
Puree until the bananas are smooth.
Add additional agave to taste depending on the ripeness of the bananas.
Add the blueberries to a cup.
Spoon the bananas over top.
Serve immediately.

Sauerkraut, sesame white sauce

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Ready in seconds and highly flavourful, this mostly raw sauce provides a nice alternative to more involved stove-top sauces. Pictured here with a rice paper burrito, baby spinach and tomatoes.

Ingredients

2T unpasteurized sauerkraut
1T of the sauerkraut’s pickling vinegar
2-3T nutritional yeast
2T sesame seed butter pureed
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Puree all the ingredients, season to taste and serve.
Start with 2T nutritional yeast but add more to your taste.
Use cashew butter and reduce the vinegar for something a little milder.
Add garlic or 1/2t white miso for even more flavor.

Smoky, spicy tomato sauce with smoked paprika and red Thai chili

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A simple red sauce for those times when you want to add some bright colour and strong flavour to the plate without making it too heavy. Pictured here with seitan, stir fried spinach and mashed purple yam.

Ingredients

1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1t smoked paprika
1/2t red Thai chili paste (or to taste)
1 cup passata (or tomato puree)
1/2t coconut sugar
1t tapioca flour dissolved in 1T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a frying pan, bring the oil and coarse sea salt to heat on medium high.
Add the chili and the paprika and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the passata and coconut sugar.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5-7 minutes until reduced by about half.
Add the tapioca mixture slowly, stirring continuously until thickened.
Remove from heat, season to taste and serve.

Blueberry sorbet with salted vanilla walnut fudge sauce

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A rich dessert built on contrasts in colour, flavour and texture. If you replace the blueberries with raspberries or strawberries, just adjust the amount of agave to suit.

Ingredients

For the sorbet
2 cups frozen blueberries
2T agave nectar (or to taste)
1T lemon juice

For the walnuts
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4t vanilla extract
1/2T lemon juice
1T agave nectar (or to taste)
1T cold water
1T warm water
A pinch of coarse sea salt (or to taste)

Directions

Puree the sorbet ingredients and return to the freezer.
Puree the walnuts, vanilla, lemon juice and cold water
until smooth.
Add the warm water and puree.
Add the sea salt and stir to combine.
Season to taste.
Spoon out the sorbet and the top with the walnut sauce as desired.

Flourless chocolate cake brownie with blueberry, almond frozen dessert

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If you’ve had Ethiopian injera, chances are good you’ve had teff in its flour form. Full of flavor and nutrition, the consistency of whole grain teff is very much like polenta. Along with the flax in this recipe, it takes on a lovely cake brownie texture that provides a rich mouth feel. Topped here with a blueberry and almond sorbet, and garnished with smokey, toasted slivered almonds.

Ingredients

For the brownie
1/2 cup teff
2 cups water
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup agave nectar
1T milled flax seed
Sea salt to taste

For the blueberries
2 cup blueberries
2T slivered almonds
1T lemon juice
2T agave nectar
1T milled flax seed

Directions

Make the brownie, then the blueberries.
Add the teff to a small sauce pan with a lid and toast for 2 minutes on medium heat.
Add the water, bring to a light boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until most of the water has been asorbed and the teff is pulling away from the sides.
Add the cocoa and agave.
Stirring frequently, cooking another 3 minutes uncovered on low.
Remove from heat and add the flax seed.
Stir to combine. You should have something similar in consistency to brownie batter.
Pour the batter into a 3″x9″ baking dish.
Let stand to cool uncovered for 15 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for another 15 minutes in the refrigerator to setup.
Puree all of the blueberry ingredients except the flax seed.
Add the flax seed, stir to combine and return to the freezer for 15 minutes to setup.
Remove the brownie from the fridge, carefully turn out and cut in half width-wise.
Spoon out the blueberries over the top.

 

 

Miso soup with lentils and tofu garnished with slivered almonds and scallions

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A simple, warm and nourishing soup with a little extra spice good for the cold of winter or the heat of summer.

Ingredients

4 cups water, divided
1/2 cup dry French lentils
1 sprig kombu (about 1″)
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2t coarse sea salt
200g tofu, cubed (1/2″)
1T fresh garlic, minced
4 scallions, minced (4″ green reserved for garnish)
1T tamari
1/2t toasted sesame oil
2T white miso
Sea salt to taste
2T slivered almonds
2T nutritional yeast
Black, white or cayenne pepper, red Thai chili paste, or similar to taste

Instructions

In a large sauce pan with a lid, bring 2 cups water to a boil.
Add the lentils and kombu, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Drain and rinse the lentils and kombu.
Bring the remaining 2 cups water and the stock to a boil.
Return the lentils and kombu to the pan.
Add the sea salt, tofu, garlic, scallions, tamari and sesame oil.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer another 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Remove from heat, add the white miso and nutritional yeast.
Stir until the miso is dissolved, and let stand 5 minutes to cool.
Season with salt to taste.
Ladle out the soup and garnish with 1T almonds, scallion greens sliced on a 45 degree angle and the nutritional yeast.
Spice the soup up with black, white or cayenne pepper, Thai chili, or similar.

French lentil, sun-dried tomato polenta pie with kale, red pepper and almonds

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A great dinner or brunch recipe that features kale greens and red pepper over marbled yellow corn polenta accented with garlic and turmeric mixed with teff polenta, accented with tamari and balsamic vinegar, mixed with lentils and sun-dried tomatoes, then garnished with smokey tamari almonds and sliced heirloom tomatoes.

Ingredients

For the lentils and sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup water
1/3 cup French lentils (black, red or brown will also work)
1 sprig dried kombu (about 1″)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
(dehydrated, not the kind packed in oil)

For the yellow corn polenta
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup yellow corn meal grits
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2T unsweetened soy milk
1T olive oil
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t dried ground turmeric
1T nutritional yeast
1T arrowroot flour dissolved in 2T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the teff polenta
1 cup water
1/3 cup teff
1/4t coarse sea salt
1T tamari
1T olive oil
1/2T balsamic vinegar
1/2t dried ground cumin
1/4t dried ground coriander
1T nutritional yeast
1T arrowroot flour dissolved in 2T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the kale and red pepper
1 cup loosely packed kale greens, stemmed and finely
chopped
1/2 cup red pepper in 1/2″ dice
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2T olive oil

For the garnish
2T sliced almonds
1 dash liquid smoke
1t tamari
A pinch of sea salt
1/2t coconut sugar
2-3 heirloom grape tomatoes of various colors, thinly sliced

Directions

In three sauces pans with lids, bring the water for the lentils, the corn meal and the teff to a boil with their respective amounts of seal salt and kombu.
Add the lentils to their sauce pan, cover, reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 35 – 45 minutes or until the lentils are soft and most of the water has been
absorbed.
Add the corn meal and the teff to their respective pans, slowly, stirring continuously.
Cover each, reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer.
Simmer the corn meal for approximately 20 – 30 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed and the polenta is pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Simmer the teff for approximately 20 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed and it’s pulling away from the sides of the pan.
A lot depends on the coarseness of the polenta, the depth of the pan and other factors — so, stir frequently
and use the consistency as a guide for whether it’s complete.
When the teff and corn meal are done, remove from heat.
For the corn meal, add the soy milk, olive oil, garlic, turmeric, and nutritional yeast.
Stir to combine and simmer another 5 minutes.
Add the arrowroot mixture slowly stirring continuously until the tapioca thickens.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool while you finish the teff.
For the teff, add the tamari, balsamic vinegar, spices, and nutritional yeast.
Stir to combine and simmer another 5 minutes.
Add the arrowroot mixture slowly, stirring continuously until it thickens.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes.
Once the lentils are done, drain and rinse, remove the kombu and set aside 2 minutes to cool.
Add half the sun-dried tomatoes and lentils to each.
Stir to combine and season each to taste.
Then, mix the teff and the corn meal coarsely with one another to create a marbled effect.
Add the mixture to lightly oiled 9″ pie plate and let stand 20 minutes uncovered to setup.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Toss the kale and red peppers in the oil and sea salt.
Sprinkle the kale mixture over the top in a thin, even layer.
Toss the almonds in the tamari, sea salt, coconut sugar and liquid smoke until well combined.
Spread evenly on a small oven proof dish.
Bake the polenta and kale on the middle rack for 45 minutes to one hour until the kale is looking dark green and the polenta is starting to get crispy on top.
Bake the almonds on the middle rack for about 10 – 15 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even browning
and remove when browned.
Ovens vary — so, always use the colour and texture of the dish as your guide.
When the polenta is done, remove from the oven and set aside for 30 minutes to cool and setup.
Sprinkle with almonds, add the sliced tomato, sprinkle with additional nutritional yeast or other seasonings
and serve.

Hand-rolled gemelli with baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts and dates

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A simple, fresh pasta and sauce sauteed in olive oil with garlic and herbs, garnished with scallions and nutritional yeast. Gemelli is a fairly forgiving pasta, and is easy to prepare with a little practice.

Ingredients

For the pasta
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1T dried Italian herbs, rubbed
1/2 cup water (room temperature)
1T olive oil
2 liters water
1t coarse sea salt

For the sauce
2T and 1/2T cooking oil, separated
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced (reserve 2-3″ scallion green for garnish)
1T dried Italian herbs, rubbed
1T minced garlic
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (dehydrated, not the kind packed in oil)
2T walnuts, chopped
2 soft dates, pitted and chopped (about 2-3T chopped)
3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Mix the herbs and the flour.
Mix the oil and water.
Mix the wet and the dry ingredients.
Knead for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and consistency.
Cover and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes, but longer than 1 hour.
Roll out on a floured board until in a rectangle until the dough is 1/8″
Slice width-wise in 1/4″ lines.
Roll the pasta on the board, loop in half (end to end), close the ends with a pinch, and then twist by rolling the folded pasta away from you with the right hand and toward you with the left.
Repeat until all the dough has been rolled.
In a large pan, bring the water and sea salt to a rolling boil.
Dust the strands of past lightly with semolina flour.
Then slice the strands in 1 1/2″ slices to make the gemelli.
Add the gemelli to the boiling water and stir lightly.
Boil the pasta for 3-5 minutes or until the gemelli are floating.
While the pasta cooks, start the sauce.
Bring 2T oil and coarse sea salt to heat on medium high.
Add the scallions and dried herbs and saute for 1 minute.
Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup of hte pasta water to the pan.
Drain and rinse the pasta, and let cool and dry for 2 minutes.
Saute for another 2 minutes, and then add the walnuts and dates.
Add the pasta and the spinach and toss to combine.
Saute for another 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, drizzle with the 1/2T oil remaining.toss with the nutritional yeast.
Season to taste and serve.

 

 

Black cherry, walnut and vanilla frozen dessert with candied salted walnuts

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A layered frozen, high carbohydrate, low fat dessert with salted walnuts candied in agave nectar. I add 1t
powdered maca to mine with the cherries for breakfast, but this is an optional ingredient.

Ingredients

For the cherry and walnut
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet black cherries
1T walnuts
1T lemon juice
2T agave nectar
1t milled flax seed

For the vanilla
1 frozen banana (about 1 cup or so)
1/4t vanilla extract
1T agave nectar

For the walnuts
1T chopped walnuts
1t agave nectar
A pinch of fleur de sel (or coarse sea salt if you prefer)

Instructions

Start the candied walnuts first, while you make the other parts of the dish.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Toss the walnuts in the agave until well coated and sprinkle with salt.
Bake until lightly browned (about 10 minutes).
Puree the cherry and walnut ingredients except for the flax seed until smooth.
Add the flax seed, stir to combine, and return to the freezer.
When the candied walnuts are done, puree the ingredients for vanilla part of the dessert.
Season to taste (in case either the cherries or banana mixture need more agave).
Spoon the cherries into an appropriate container, followed by the vanilla, and then sprinkle with walnuts.

Kiwi, blueberry frozen dessert

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A simple, high carbohydrate, low fat dessert or breakfast with lovely shades of green and blue.

Ingredients

2 green kiwis
1 large frozen banana (about 1 cup)
1T lemon juice
2T agave nectar
2T frozen blueberries for garnish

Optional: 1t powdered maca

Directions

You can peel both kiwis or leave the skin on if you prefer kiwi this way, noting that it will change the finished
colour.
Slice one kiwi in 1/8″ slices for the garnish.
Puree the other kiwi with the banana, lemon juice and agave, as well as the maca if you use it.
Season to taste (with extra agave if necessary).
Return to the freezer for 10 minutes to setup.
Remove the mixture from the freezer and spoon into a martini glass or similar.
Garnish with the sliced kiwi and blueberries.