The finished Raw Torte de Chocolate with Strawberry Icing, decorated with raw pecans and double impatients.
Oooooo, this one turned out really well, both as eye candy and truly tasty. This Raw Torte de Chocolate with Strawberry Icing was an experimental cake for the combined birthday party for my son and his wife. Mason, my grandson the sous chef, assisted. His job this time was pouring the ingredients into the food processor and then licking clean the emptied work bowl. He did take some photos and I did give him a bit of the torte mix to play with. A job well done.
The cake formed and ready to frost as the sous chef looks on with approval.
This came together quite quickly in the food processor. Be sure to process the nuts first, gradually adding the rest of the ingredients to mix in evenly. If you just throw everything in at once, there will be a lot of stopping and scraping and manually mixing and pressing it all together. I imagine a Vita-Mix would make short work of it all. It is on my short list of equipment to add to the kitchen along with a food dryer.
The soaking is short term–only an hour which doesn’t require too much thinking ahead, but it is essential. Soaking nuts, seeds, grains, or beans brings them to life again with augmented nutritional content as they begin to grow. Once the torte is mixed, there is no baking time, just manually forming the torte and chilling until firm. It could be formed into almost any shape. I did start a day ahead to let the completed cake firm up with an overnight chill in the fridge. This also allowed more time to do the rest of the party prep the day of.
The partially frosted raw cake.
Frosting on, ready to be chilled.
A raw cake is dense and potent in flavor, so the servings can be petite. It is more like candy than cake in intensity, but with no refined sugar, plus no wheat or soy. For the valentine theme, I chose strawberries for the topping, resulting in an alluring shade of pink. The combination of strawberry and chocolate with a little vanilla is classic, especially for Valentine’s Day. On the day of the party I checked the greenhouse to find whatever edible flowers might be blooming. It turned out to be double impatiens—no hibiscus flowers were open. Another option would have been streaking melted chocolate over the top that would have become solid as soon as touching the cold cake. The candles were a birthday party addition, but for Valentines Day, no candles are necessary.
¡Feliz Dia de Amistad!
Putting on the candles for the party.
Raw Torte de Chocolate with Strawberry Icing
Yield: one nine inch heart cake
For the Cake:
2 ½ cups pecans (12 ounces), soaked in pure water 1 hour
2 ½ cups pitted medjool dates
6 tablespoons raw cacao nibs, ground superfine
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
Drain the pecans and process the soaked nuts in a food processor into a fine meal. The soaking water can be used as stock for another recipe. Gradually process in the dates, ground cocoa nibs, and vanilla, continuing to process until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer to wax paper on a flat surface and form into the desired shape, about ¾-inch thick, then slip the paper onto a serving plate or platter. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
For the Icing:
1 cup macadamia nuts or raw cashews, soaked in pure water 1 hour
1 cup strawberries, stems removed (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup pitted medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Drain the nuts (reserve the soaking water for stock) and combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, process until smooth, thick, and creamy. Cut or peel the wax paper away from the cake then spread the icing over the chilled torte, and chill again until all is firm.
The raw cake cut open. I cut pieces about an inch wide and 1.5 inches long.
February 5, 2010
As much as possible I like to eat either what I can grow or find locally. There occasionally comes a time in the middle of winter when I give in to the less green options, especially when the pineapples start showing up from Central America, and the oranges and pomegranates are harvested in Southern California. So for a special treat recently with snow on the ground the icicles falling, Mason and I put together a colorful winter fruit ambrosia. His small hands were quite adept at separating the pomegranate seeds from their membranes after I opened it up for him. After slicing off the top off a pomegranate, you can usually see it has five sections separated by membranes that can be slit down with a knife and pulled open for easy access. If you can’t find a pomegranate, dried cranberries are a good substitute.
For chunks from a fresh pineapple, slice off about ½ inch of the top and bottom, then stand the fruit upright. Using a flexible, serrated knife, slice off the skin following the curve of the pineapple, cutting off as many of the dark brown eyes as possible with each downward slice and leaving as much fruit as possible. (You can always nibble out any good bits left attached to the removed skin). If you don’t get all the eyes with the first cutting, a shallow “V” cut can be made diagonally around the pineapple following the pattern of the eyes to lift them out. For pineapple chunks, cut the whole pineapple lengthwise into quarters, slice out the core, and chop into chunks.
We added fresh organic navel orange chunks and slices of a banana to the bowl along with some unsweetened shredded coconut, plus a touch of almond extract. The juices from the fresh fruit dress the mixture. This is definitely kid friendly food, as illustrated below. Mason has a pomegranate juice beard.
Mason mixing the Winter Fruit Ambrosia.
Winter Fruit Ambrosia
Yield: 8 to 10 cups
2 oranges, peeled and chopped
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
This makes a wonderful winter fruit treat since all these fruits should be easy to find seasonally in a supermarket. It can be made a day ahead without the banana, which can be sliced and added upon serving. Serve as a salad, snack, or dessert.
Sampling the Ambrosia.
February 1, 2010
I was roasting sweet potato rounds in the oven recently when my grandson walked in sniffing the air. When I turned on the oven light and let him look through the oven window to see what was there, he exclaimed, “cookies!” Well, sort of…he certainly ate them like they were. I chose the round shape rather than logs purposefully.
The chef arranging sweet potato medallions on the baking sheet.
So, today when he came over, Mason helped me prepare some to roast. I did the peeling, since the sweet potatoes had sort of sad looking skins from having been forgotten in the potato bin. If the skins look good, i.e. smooth and paper-like on organic sweet potatoes, the skins don’t need to come off and will peel off easily after roasting if necessary. I did the slicing into about ¼-inch thick rounds. He tossed them in the bowl as I sprinkled on about two tablespoons of olive oil and a scant teaspoon of salt over the 3 pounds of the prepared sweet potatoes. Then he spread them out on the dry pans ready for the oven. There was a lot of finger licking going on after the rounds were spread out in one layer on the pans. The roasting and caramelizing takes about 20 minutes in a preheated 400ºF oven. The caramelization of the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes makes them sweet like cookies indeed.
When they came out of the oven and cooled a few minutes, once again he ate them like cookies and asked for a bag to take home with him for later.
Mason sampling the Sweet Potato Medallions.
Part of the morning glory family, sweet potatoes are both economical (easy on the budget) and a nutritional powerhouse. They are rich in dietary fiber as well as vitamins B6, A, and C, the last two being powerful antioxidants that work to eliminate free radicals that can damage cells in the body; a good food for any age. A medium sized roasted sweet potato of 100 grams or a ½ cup serving contains about 90 calories, 2 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and a glycemic load of 9.
If you are not growing them, choose sweet potatoes with firm, smooth skins and no bruises, cracks, or soft spots. If stored in a cool (about 55ºF), dark, well-ventilated space, (not the refrigerator) they can last for months. Storage in the refrigerator can result in a hard core forming in the center. Cut with a stainless steel knife to avoid discoloration. They can be roasted without the oil and salt, if this is an issue, and will still caramelize and be delicious. Back in the day of trying live off the land, we would take the very small sweet potato fingers from a harvest of all different sizes and roast them with the skins on with nothing added until they caramelized for a healthful sweet treat beyond compare. Bet you can’t eat just one….
January 25, 2010
Roasted Brussels Sprout and Cannellini Bean Soup
After our successful roasted Brussels sprouts session I had leftovers to create with. Since it has not been above freezing here since New Years, I was drawn toward a steaming pot of soup. Cannellini beans are delicately flavored white kidney beans that partner well with roasted vegetables. With leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and canned beans, this soup goes together quickly. Caramelizing onions and carrots makes them fit right in with the roasted Brussels sprouts. If you have leftover roasted sweet potatoes, you can cut them julienne and add them to the soup along with the Brussels sprouts in place of the carrots for that bright orange color. Miso enhances the savory taste or umami in the soup.
Roasted Brussels Sprout and Cannellini Bean Soup
Yield: 10 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large chopped onion (about 2 cups)
6 cups water
4 cups or 1 pound roasted Brussels sprouts, but in quarters
1-15 ounce can Cannelini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (1/4 pound) julienne carrots
white or yellow miso to taste
Sauté the onions in the olive oil until caramelized. Add the julienne carrots to the pan when the onions are just starting to caramelize. Heat the water in a 2 or 3-quart soup pot. When boiling, add the Brussels sprouts, beans, caramelized onions, and carrots and simmer until all is heated. Dissolve 2 teaspoon white or yellow miso (I used chickpea miso) in each bowl upon serving.
On to the next…..
Tempeh, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Apple Salad on a bed of Buckwheat Lettuce
Since I was not ready to brave going out in the ice and snow to look for ingredients, inspiration for both of these dishes came from what I had on hand. This kind of cooking sometimes leads to a combination of ingredients that one might not normally consider, but ones that can be surprisingly tasty. In this case, it was ripe, sweet-tart Pippin apples from last autumns harvest, soy tempeh, and buckwheat lettuce growing in the greenhouse. I think I would have preferred a Fuji apple, for both taste and color, but this one worked just fine. Caramelized onions would have been a good addition as well. Topped with a mildly sweet/salty dressing, this made a satisfying winter salad; part roasted and part raw and live, with the solid protein and benefits of both cultured and fermented tempeh and miso. This makes a high fiber meal that will stick with you for a while!
Tempeh, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Apple Salad on a bed of Buckwheat Lettuce
Yield: 5 cups
For the salad
½ pound roasted Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered (2 cups)
½ pound sweet-tart apple chunks (2 cups)
¼ pound 1/8-inch thick tempeh strips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
buckwheat lettuce or other lettuce
For the dressing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup
½ tablespoon dark red miso
1 small clove garlic, pressed
2 tablespoon olive oil
Cut the tempeh into 1/8-inch strips then steam the tempeh for 20 minutes. Lightly brown the strips in the coconut oil, then cut into bite sized pieces. Toss together the Brussels sprouts, apple, and browned tempeh strips. Mix together the vinegar, agave, miso, garlic, and olive oil and pour over all and toss. Make a bed of buckwheat or other lettuce on each salad plate, top with the salad, and enjoy.
January 19, 2010
My almost four year old vegetarian grandson Mason loves to come over and help cook just about anything. Involving children with hands on in the process of cooking makes a big difference in what they might consider eating and lets them know where their food comes from. Recently I came home with Brussels sprouts still on the stalk, which he immediately picked up and walked around with, using it as if it were a sword like he does with anything long (video game influence, I think).
Mason sampling the Brussels sprout stalks.
When he finally put down the Brussels sword, I sent him for the step stool and we got to work cutting the sprouts off the stalk. I did most of the cutting but at his request, I held his hand with a small knife so he could try cutting some.
Cutting the Brussels sprouts off the stalk.
We left the smaller sprouts whole and I cut the larger ones in half lengthwise. His job was to wash, drain, and put them in the bowl. I had decided to experiment by blanching or par-boiling half of them in boiling water for two minutes before roasting to see if there was any difference in the final result. When the water boiled, I put half in and when the water came back to a boil, I brought the step stool over to the stove so he could watch the sprouts turn bright green in the course of their 2 minutes boil. Mason was in charge of the timer.
Bright green color of par-boiled Brussels sprouts.
After the two minutes we plunged the sprouts into ice-cold water to cool down then took them out to drain. Moving the step stool back over to the island workstation, I had him toss the remaining raw sprouts in the bowl as I added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon or so of salt. Next we spread them out on a baking pan. The same process was followed for the drained blanched sprouts.
Both pans went into a preheated 400ºF oven to roast. The blanched sprouts were tender with some caramelization starting at 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their size and maintained more of their green color. The raw sprouts took 5 to 10 minutes longer in the oven to become tender, depending on their size and maintained less color.
Winter snack time with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Sweet Potato Medallions, and Pomegranate.
As they cooled we started sampling them to see which we liked the best. I liked the result more with the blanched sprouts as they retained more color and didn’t dry out as much in the oven. He loved them all, eating them like candy. When it was time for him to go home, he asked for a bag of roasted Brussels sprouts to take with him. Now that is truly loving your Brussels sprouts!
Mason embracing Brussels Spouts.
January 8, 2010
Maneuvering the holidays without refined sugar is a challenge, to say the least, but not impossible. Raw sweet treats rule here. And it is not too late—there are still parties coming up! During this holiday season, I decided to break with tradition and not make cookies, but experiment with raw, natural ingredients for the goodies for gifts, parties, and family get-togethers.
Raw Cranberry Treat ingredients ready to process.
One of my favorite holiday foods are cranberries, but they usually come loaded with refined sugar in the form of sauce, breads, or cookies. Naturally sweet medjool dates sweeten these treats and nuts help to firm them up. I tried several different versions, including adding raw apple, pomegranate seeds, and unsweetened coconut. They tend to be soft, but can still be served as finger food for gentle fingers.
Raw Cranberry Treats
Yield: 30-one inch balls
- 2 cups raw cranberries, fresh or frozen (1/2 pound)
- 8 pitted medjool dates (4 ounces pitted)
- 1 cup raw walnuts or pecans (4 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons powdered organic orange peel or 1 tablespoon fresh zest
- pinch of salt
Process all ingredients in a food processor until coarsely ground, then chill for an hour or so until it firms up a bit to roll into balls. A little grapeseed oil on the hands will keep them from sticking to the hands while rolling. Try rolling some in unsweetened dry coconut shreds for variety. These will keep in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, if they last that long.
After processing.
Raw Cranberry Treats
For an awesome raw cranberry sauce, replace the nuts with a small peeled orange and/or apple and process.
December 28, 2009
In my quest for developing tasty, affordable, and healthful vegan meals for an upcoming book, I found inspiration from the traditional Native American companion crops of beans, corn, and squash. Known as the three sisters, these three crops were and still are grown together, with the corn providing poles for the beans, the beans providing nitrogen for the soil, and the squash vines mulching the ground. The corn and beans together provide complete protein, the squash vitamins A and C, and all together plenty of fiber. Add some dark leafy greens like kale or collards for folate plus more protein, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K. These original people really had it figured out well before government commodities came along.
The three sisters growing together in Guatemala.
This is a quick and easy soup (or stew made with less water) using canned beans and hominy plus leftover baked squash. Originally, tepary beans were probably used with hominy or corn cooked in lime. For this recipe, any kind of beans and corn will do. Canned beans are the quickest, but a bit pricier than dried beans if you are trying to stay within a budget. If you want to start with dried beans, soak ¾ cup of either white, pinto, or kidney beans overnight and either pressure cook or cook on the stovetop until tender but not falling apart. Alternatively, canned hominy can be replaced by frozen or canned sweet corn. The greens can be replaced with cabbage, but when I tried this, I ended up adding a large amount of parsley to get some more color into the soup. We must have color.
Along with the greens, the three sisters’ friend is also chiles. I like to add some “heat” to winter soups and stews. For color, I used a minced red jalapeno I had frozen from the summer garden, but dried cracked red pepper would do just as well.
For the final fusion, instead of using vegetable broth in the soup, I added chickpea miso to the bowl of soup. Any flavor of miso will work, but the lighter ones will maintain the rich golden color of the both. The miso I use is unpasteurized and still alive, so I put a teaspoon or so in the bottom of the soup bowl, pour the boiling soup into the bowl and stir to dissolve the miso while the soup is cooling down enough to eat. Do not stir the miso into the boiling soup as it will destroy the healthful benefits of this live food.
Three Sisters Soup with Greens and Miso
THREE SISTERS SOUP PLUS GREENS AND MISO
Yield: 10 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup chopped onion (1/2 a medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, red or green or 1 teaspoon cracked red pepper
- 6 cups water
- 1-15.5 ounce can (1.5 cups) Great Northern, Kidney, or Pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1-15.5 ounce can (1.5 cups) hominy, rinsed and drained OR 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups cooked cubed winter squash
- 1 bunch (5 ounces) chopped dark leafy greens (or more…)
- Salt to taste or miso
In a soup pot, sauté the onion and jalapeño (or cracked red pepper) in the olive oil until they are soft. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Rinse and drain the beans and hominy or corn. Peel and chop the squash. Clean and chop the greens. Add the beans, hominy, and squash to the boiling water, cover and let them simmer until they are fully heated. Add the greens and let the soup simmer only two or three minutes until the greens turn bright green. If you are using salt, stir it into the soup to taste and serve. If you are using miso in place of salt, ladle the unsalted soup immediately into soup bowls with 1 to 2 teaspoons of miso in the bottom of the bowl. Stir to dissolve the miso and serve.
¡Buen Provecho!
December 18, 2009
Tomorrow, August 21, I will be presenting a cooking segment on how to use miso on More At Midday for WSMV TV Channel 4 in Nashville at 12:30PM CDT. On the menu will be Lemon Agave Miso Salad Dressing with fresh basil from the garden.
August 20, 2009
Join me at 12:15 PM eastern time, Monday July 27 on Martha Stewart Living Radio Sirius Channel 112/ XM Channel 157 where I will be interviewed on the “Everyday Food” Program. The topic will be “Meatless Burgers”.
July 23, 2009
Classes have already started here in San Crisotbal, but I will post the menus here for the previous week and the remaining week starting today.
Estamos en la segunda semana del CURSO VEGETARIANA en La Casa del Pan Papalotl, 55 Guadelupe, San Cristobal. ¡Ven a vernos!
Martes 3 Febrero
Sopa de Miso con Udon o Soba
Brócoli con Ajonjolí
Setas Asadas con Tofu, Jengibre y Tofu, con Arroz
Budín de Camote con Leche de Coco
Miércoles 4 Febrero
Sopa Alubia con Chipotle
Ensalada de Quínoa
Tempeh Frito con Aceite de Coco
Calabacita Asada
Panqué de Jengibre “Gingerbread”
Jueves 5 Febrero
Sopa de Coliflor con Miso
Dahl como platillo principal con Chutney de Mango, Yogurt de Soya y Arroz
Papas con Cúrcuma (Jeera Aloo)
Budín de Coco con Limón
Viernes 6 Febrero
Sopa de Porcini con Papas
Ensalada de Tempeh
Tofu Asado Especial
Acelgas con Cebolla Caramelizada y Tofu o Queso Fresco, con Salsa de Chile
Tortillas del Comal
Barras de Guayaba con Chía
Sábado 7 Febrero
Hummus de Ajo Asado (como Platillo Principal)
Hummus de Garbanzo Germinado
Salsa de Tahini con Tofu
Pan Pita
Ensalada de Pepino con Hierba Buena
Mousse de Chocolate con Naranja
Lunes 9 Febrero
Gazpacho de Pepino
Ensalada de Quínoa con Vegetales de Temporada
Aioli de Tofu
Papas Tiernas Rostizadas
Pay de Coco
Martes 10 Febrero
Sopa de Haba con Nopal
Salsa de Cacahuate Africana con
Vegetales de Temporada en su Jugo
Arroz Jazmín al Vapor
Mango con Salsa de Zarzamora
Miércoles 11 Febrero
Crema de Camote Anaranjado
Palitos de Tempeh Marinados con Miso
Vegetales Asadas (o Al Vapor)
Tortillas de Maíz
Ensalada de Lentejas Germinadas, con Tofu
Pastel de Piña Invertido
Jueves 12 Febrero
Sopa de Miso con Verdura y Tofu
Hamburguesas de Nuez, Tofu y Chía
Ensalada de Papas, Vegana
Pudín de Mame con Coco
Viernes 13 Febrero
Lasaña de Berenjena con Camote Anaranjado
Baguette de Ajo con Miso
Ensalada de Arrúgala y Lechuga
Aderezo de Limón con Miso
Budín de Chocolate con Leche de Coco
February 9, 2009
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