Carrot & Kale Gnocchi with Honey Roasted Beets

Phew um yes that tastes as good as it sounds And it srsly so simple to throw together with barely any ingredients. 

Gnocchi is one of those dishes that seems so much more harder to make than it actually is. It’s also a great way to use up some root veggies that may be the verge of death. Now carrots won’t add the same sticky starchiness that potatoes provide, but simply adding a bit more flour and oil does the trick.  Both dishes neatly balance out the sweet and sour which is handy. Talk about mind blown just by roasting up some beets in honey and vinegar. Plus with the warm and kinda soft gnocchi. 

Beauty queen carrots, kale, and beets via the Ten-Speed ladies and their lovely CSA I get to feast on each week.

Ingredients:

Carrot & Kale Gnocchi

2 cups of carrots
1 cup of kale
1 egg
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/3 cup whole wheat flower, or 1/2 cup GF flour
4 cloves garlic
1 whole sweet onion

Honey Roasted Beets

5 small sized beets
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup ACV
Salt to taste

*serves two hungry gals

Method:

1. Bake the carrots in 400 degrees for about 20 to 30 min. Or just slather them in coco oil and nuke em in the microwave for 10 min. 

2. While the carrots are cooking, satuee your garlic and chopped onions over coconut oil until nicely browned. 

3. Add these three ingredients with your kale and blend until smooth.

4. Pour into a large mixing bowl, and add the egg and flour. Stir until well combined. It should be a cookie dough-like consistency. If still too wet, add more flour.

5. Put a large pot of water over the stove to boil. While you’re waiting for that, fry up your beets in the coconut oil. Add the honey and ACV after the coconut oil has melted, and turn the stove down to low. Let them cook until stiff, but not crunchy.

6. Once the water starts to boil, add salt to taste and then begin to cook your gnocchi. With a few spoons, just roll the dough into round balls and gently drop into the boiling water. Continue with the rest of your dough and then let cook for about 5 to 10 min, or until cooked through.

7. Once cooked, plate with your beets and enjoy! Optional: add a nice honey drizzle over your dishes.

Spring Flower Tempura

You know spring is officially here when you start eating out of your yard. And by that I really do mean your yard and not just your garden. When the dandelions peak through the cracks in the porch, wild violets sprout along the woodsy edge, and the honeysuckles perfume the air, you know its go time. Let the warm lazy days and picnics with the free-for-the-eating harbingers ensue!

Edible flowers range in taste from sweet, delicate, fruity, nutty, spicy, peppery, and pungent. Theres nothing like frying them up in some good ol' fats (coconut oil) to mellow them out. Our good friend, Marina invited us over one Sunday morning for some homemade flower fritters. Thats right. Floral funnel cakes right at our fingertips. Makes flowers in a vase on your table sound pretty basic, I know. Edible flowers aren't just aesthetically pleasing in food, they pack a powerful nutritional punch along their beauty. Makes us feel half as bad for frying em up. Let's eat to that!

 

Blossoms we used:

Snapdragon
Garlic Chive
Calendula
Sugar Snap
Johhny Jump Ups
Pineapple Sage
Wisteria (avoid stems and leaves)

More edible blossoms:

Blue Porterweed, Borage, Chickweed, Chrysanthemum, Clover, Daisy, Dandelion, Daylily, Elderberry, Eucalyptus, Gardenia, Geraniums, Gladiolas, Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Honeysuckle, Hyssop, Iceland poppy, Indian paint brush, Impatiens, Jasmine, Lemon Verbena, Lavender, Lilac, Milkweed, Marigold, Nasturtium, Orange Blossom, Pansy, Pineapple Sage, Primrose, Queen Ann’s Lace, Red Clover, Eastern Redbud, Rose, Sweet Alyssum, Sunflower, Yarrow, Yucca.

 

While spring produces a plethora of wildflowers, bear in mind that not all of them are safe to eat. This should go without saying, but never eat a plant that you cannot properly identify. Do your research carefully before consuming any flower.  Some are only safe if the stems and leaves are avoided, others can only be ingested in small quantities, some should be avoided if pregnant or nursing etc.  Make sure you know what part and how much of the flower can safely be eaten.  Be sure you’ve properly identified the flower.  Just as eating the wrong mushroom can cause serious health problems, so can eating the wrong flower. Do not use flowers from florists, nurseries, or garden centers unless you know they are organically grown and free of any spray or pesticides.  Generally commercial flowers have been treated with pesticides and/or chemicals to keep them in bloom longer, which aren’t safe to consume.  Choose flowers from an organic garden or wildflowers (in which case, not wildflowers near a roadway or train tracks where they may have been exposed to vehicle toxins). 

Ingredients:

coconut oil
1 turkey egg (or two chicken eggs)
1 1/2 cup seltzer
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp salt

Method:

1. To fry use about 2 cups unrefined cold pressed coconut oil, heat to at least 325 degrees.

2. Combine flour, corn starch and salt in one bowl and the egg and seltzer water in another. Mix wet into dry ingredients util just combined. Pro-tip: you will have to work fast with the batter, so I recommend splitting up the dry ingredients and adding the wet in two batches.

3. Dredge the flowers in the batter and quickly drop in the hot oil and fry em up in less than minutes. Transfer fried goodness to a paper towel to soak up extra oil. 

4. Top with powdered sugar and lavender/fennel salt. 

Carrot Cake for the GF-Vegan Sweethearts

Carrot cake might be an all time fave amongst us bloomers, and we are especially fond of it when it is made without loads of sugar, oil, and things that are not, by our standards, wholesome ingredients. However, this recipe is. This recipe was taken out of an old journal filled with college notes passed back in fourth in class amongst friends. Yes, college going on high school. An old friend wrote this recipe out for me when I first started kicking wheat out of my diet, in I think it was a statistics class. Has remained the tried and true in my heart inspired by the deathly boredom of frequency tables and math equations. This cake is sweetened with maple syrup, vegan, flour-less, made with coconut oil and yeah, packed with nutrition from garden carrots, ginger, omega-3s and everything in between. I would even say this cake is healthy enough to eat for breakfast (which we did and totally recommend).

Ingredients:

For the cake: 
3/4 cups brown rice flour
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
lotsa cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamon *this is optional, not traditional but definitely delish!
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup of warm water
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cups grated carrots
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 1/4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup of chopped pecans

For the icing:
2 cups raw and soaked cashews
1 cup water
1/2 cup lemon zest
1/2 cup coconut oil
Sweeten with maple syrup to taste

 

Method:

1.  Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a second bowl mix together oil, water, vanilla, and sweetener.

3. Fold wet mixture into dry and mix until just combined.

4. Grate your carrots and ginger, and then add into the bowl. Add any other remaining dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.

5. Pour into your lightly oil cake pan and pop in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.

6. While the cake is baking, whip together your frosting. Just pour all of your frosting ingredients together into a high-speed blender. Scoop out and place in the freezer until your cake is done baking.

7. Take the cake out and let it cool for about 25 to 30 minutes. Slather it with cashew goodness, and eat a large warm slice with a dear friend.


 

 

Sorrel Pesto

The elevating temperatures keep reminding me to start planting my warm season seedlings, which means time to make some room for all the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant! So dearest sorrel, it's the moment I've been waiting for.. HARVEST TIME. Sorrel is one of my favorite herbs. The texture is like spinach, the flavor has a lemony tang, becoming progressively sour as you chew it. Its great raw in salads, soups, sauces, on top of pizza or softened up with potatoes, but I’m going to ride out with my pesto obsession here, for that extra edge. While its lemony-tart flavor hold its own, good olive oil, garlic and chopped walnuts mellow things out nicely.  Sorrel isn’t always easy to find - baby arugula, wild herbs/edible weeds, basil or even watercress is a suitable substitute if you can’t find it. Check your local nursery for organically grown sorrel or find some seeds grow it yourself! 

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves
1 cup walnuts
20 sorrel leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine garlic, walnuts, and sorrel in food processor and pulse until combined. 

2. Stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.

3. Add nutritional yeast and season with salt and pepper.

Dill We Beet Again..

Sometimes genius strikes when you least expect it - tired, without a plan, too lazy to drive to Publix... All we knew though was that a) time to try out that fancy expensive vegan nut cheese our Whole Foods recently started selling b) use those gigantic n gorgeous beets from E's super garden c) get as close to a sloppy joe as we possibly can.

Thus we found ourselves with the ever elusive "beet ball", loosely adapted from about 20 different random online recipes but with possibly the most flavorful results we've yet encountered.

This recipe is super easy, so delicious, and while is better considered a starting point for a more full dish (ie beet burgers), these lil fried balls we ended up with were clearly nom enough to post on Bloom.

With beets already in the equation, we had a serious 'aha' moment when we found that one of the only two cheese flavors (does it even need a flavor?) came in truffle, dill, and chive. ALSO pickles were buy one get one, clearly steering our palate towards Polish cuisine. 

Unfortunately we were kinda disappointed with the cheese... It's consistency was almost identical to tofu, it tasted good but not great, and doesn't really melt that well. So we basically just smashed it into the beets balls - which of course added great flavor, but just things to keep in mind if you plan on cooking with it in the future.

Fried these lil' suckers up in some coconut oil - ours were pretty moist so the final consistency wasn't that solid but still worked out. And last these make great fillers for a bread n butter pickle sandwich.

Final result is super healthy, easy, packed with flavor, and ingeniously versatile. Don't think we'll throw down all those dollas for the cheese again, but definitely was worth a try!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cooked and mashed medium sweet potato
2 packed grated medium sized beetroot
½ cup finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup corn flour
salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet and add in the chopped red onion and garlic. Saute until the red onions are translucent.

2. Add in the grated beetroot, sweet potato, cumin, salt, chili powder, thyme. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat until the beetroot and sweet potato have turned soft. Then crumble your cheese into the mixture.

3. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely. Once cooled, add in the corn flour and keep the salt & pepper levels in check.

4. Make small lime sized balls or go big with a burger. You can cook them by baking for 30 minutes at 375 degrees or pan fry them up in a low heat.

Superbabe Smoothie Bowl

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True life: addicted to smoothie bowls.. for those mornings you come home from a sweaty run and your basic slurpy smoothie won’t satisfy your need for a wholesome breakfast. Smoothie bowls offer that satisfying filler with a bit of extra thickness and crunch. Move it straw, only spoons needed here. The idea is to make a super thick nutrient dense smoothie combining raw fruits + vegetables + super foods + protein (optional), and cover it in your favorite granola or muesli. You can switch them up each day of the week and add as many toppings as you like. Load them up with nuts, oats, chia, nut butters, coconut, berries, or an assortment of fruit and you’ve got a little piece of heaven. Vary your greens and your fruit combos too! I tend to stick with 80% greens 20% fruit. No matter what you do, its a great way to include a variety of nutrients into your diet.

Ingredients:

Smoothie:
1 Frozen Banana
1 Avocado Halved
1 Peach
Handful of blueberries
1 tbsp Bee Pollen
1" ginger cube
1 tbsp Maca powder
Kale
Sorrel
Filtered water

Cereal:
1/4 cup soaked buckwheat groats
1/4 cup pecans
1 tbsp shredded coconut
Goji berries
1 tsp Bee Pollen

Method:

1. Blend pecans and (soaked) buckwheat groats in a blender or food processor on low to medium. Just enough so that your pecans aren't completely ground. Remove mixture and set aside.

2. Place frozen fruits with enough filtered water to submerge them in a Vitamix or high speed blender. Turn on low to medium-high to puree.

3. Gradually increase the speed and add chopped kale, ginger, maca, sorrel, bee pollen and avocado.

4. Blend until creamy! You may add more water to achieve your preferred consistency! We like ours to be pretty thick to almost a yogurt texture.

5. Add your nut/buckwheat mixture on top of the smoothie bowl and garnish with coconut, gojis and bee pollen.

Nutrient Profiles:

Maca is a nutritionally dense root vegetable grown in Peru. It contains high amounts of minerals, vitamins, enzymes and all of the essential amino acids.  Interesting fact: Maca is super rich in B-Vitamins including B-12 so if you are vegetarian and looking for a good revitalizing source this is worth a try! It’s also high in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C & E, iron and contains trace minerals including zinc and selenium, and fatty acids. It’s been used for centuries by South American cultures for hormonal balance, stress reliever, stress and depression reduction, increase physical strength, endurance and mental clarity.

Bee Pollen is the male “seed” of flowers/plants that are then taken by the honey bees from flower to flower as they mix the most nutrient dense parts with their own saliva and honey from their hive, creating a small pollen granule for the young bee. It is considered one of nature’s most completely nourishing foods as it contains nearly all nutrients required by humans. It's rich in proteins (approximately 40%), free amino acids, vitamins, including B-complex, vitamins C, A, E K, cartenoids, antioxidants, and trace minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, zinc and potassium.  and folic acid.

Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and it is classified as a superfood because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut is high in saturated fat and comprised of 65% medium chain triglycerides from lauric and myristic acids. Health benefits include: anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties as well as cosmetic uses for your hair, skin, and nails.

Goji berries have all 18 amino acids as well as mega doses of vitamin A (beta carotene), B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E. They contain more vitamin C by weight than any other food on this planet! Goji berries also contain more iron than spinach as well as 21 other key trace minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium. Goji's are extremely rich in the unique phytonutrient anti-oxidants lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene which are some of the most important nutrients for healthy eyes and nervous system. Goji berries also contain 18 amino acids, 11 essential amino acids, making them a good source of plant proteins as well.

Sorrel is an under used garden green that is most commonly used to flavor soups and salads. It’s slightly astringent, tart, and almost lemony – in a ways like underripe strawberries or sour grapes – with a spinach-like texture. It contains measurable quantities of Vitamin C and oxalic acid (accounts for the tartness). 

Avocados are loaded with nutrients including potassium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, B-complex, fiber, and heart healthy fats called monounsaturated fats. It contains the antioxidant, glutathione that has crazy anti-carcinogenic powers. High levels of glutathione are found in the liver where the elimination of toxic materials takes place. Glutathione is effective against pollutants such as cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes as well as ultra-violet radiation. Avocados have also been known as one of the best anti-aging and heal scars and burns. The D-manno-heptulose sugar that is found in avocados has been shown to improve the skin epidermis by boosting collagen formation.

{We used a Florida avocado in our smoothie. Florida avocados are significantly larger than the Hass avocados but are lower in overall fat and calories. The Hass avocado is more dense in monounsaturated fatty acids than the Florida avocado where the Hass averages between 18-30% fatty acids while the Florida has about 3-5% fats. This equals out to the Florida avocados being about 25-50% of the total fat content found in the Hass avocados.}

Common Buckwheat, despite the name is gluten free and grouped in the grain family. Buckwheat is slightly nutty, sweet, plump and kinda chewy (when soaked/sprouted). It's one of my favorite grains to use because it's a complete protein containing all 8 amino acids and it's so quick to sprout. Soak 1 part buckwheat to 3 parts water for about 30 minutes, rinse a few times and they are ready to eat or you can wait around for sprouts in about 36-48 hours. For a crunchy buckwheat sprout you can dehydrate them for a few hours (post soaking) for what I call "buckwheaties," a crunchy raw breakfast cereal. There are so many wonderful things that you can do with sprouted buckwheat. Typically if i don't eat them straight after sprouting. I'll leave them in a jar on hand when kitchen creations strike. Sprinkle them on salads, ice cream,  yogurt, SMOOTHIE BOWLS, oatmeal, chia pudding, mix in granola, crackers, breads, cookies or toss with your favorite seasoning and eat em up like popcorn. They are an great source of complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, low in fat and contain so many important nutrients.

Buckwheat Nutrition Profile for 1 cup:

  • Fiber // 17g
  • Protein // 23 g
  • Carbohydrates // 122g
  • Thiamin // 11% DV
  • Riboflavin // 42% DV
  • Niacin // 60% DV
  • Vitamin B6 // 18% DV
  • Folate // 13% DV
  • Vitamin B5 // 21% DV
  • Iron // 21% DV
  • Magnesium // 98% DV
  • Phosphorus // 22% DV
  • Zinc // 27% DV
  • Copper // 93% DV
  • Manganese // 111% DV

Raw Cacao Energy Bars with Cardamom and Rosemary

So FYI cacao is really good for you. No I didn't not spell that wrong. Cacao, kinda like cocoa but healthier and less sugar soaked, is the raw bean which prefaces our sweet soul mate, chocolate.

Cacao subtly resembles the taste of coca, but being much bitter than even yr most dark chocolates. Surprisingly its flavor is still super malleable,  providing serious YOLO status with ingredient combinations for a range of recipes. 

Hence, we have this super random, surprisingly next level tasty energy bars. Flavor overkill barely missed with key ingredients being cacao, cardamom, coffee, rosemary, and pineapple. You're like, lolwut, but we promise you these taste de-lish-ous. 

First off, these bars (or balls or whatever shape you make them) really are natural energy boosters. Raw cacao has shown to increase endorphins, enhance our mood, be mentally stimulating, and provide euphoria due to its chemistry: the alkaloid theobromine and neurotransmitter anandamide. Pair that with coffee and you've got a guilt free buzz to get you through the day. Plus these bars are packed with healthy carbs, from their raw nut and hemp seed crust, keepin' yr tummy happy and your body sustained.

Because making raw energy snacks can get boring, we decided to make use of our winter herb rosemary, with found quirky flavor pairings. Thus we came to the perfect trifecta of an herb, a spice, and a fruit. Rosemary pairs well with tropical fruits, and pineapple provided the right texture and super sweetness for the bitter cacao. Cardamom pairs well with sweets generally, but also coffee. So with everything together, the flavors really pop off.

Our crust, or base, is pretty basic in the realm of raw treats. And the order of which you chose to mix your ingredients is chose your own adventure. Add the coffee to your cacao or in with the crust. Leave pineapples bits as whole layer before the cacao. Either way it'll all taste good!

Ingredients:

For the base
1 and 1/2 cups of raw soaked nuts: I used cashews, pecans and almonds are great too!
About 1 cup or less of pitted dates
About 1 cup or less dried, unsweetened pineapples
2 tbsp raw, shelled hemp seeds
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

For the cacao topping
1/2 cup cacao nibs
2 tbsp finely ground coffee
1 tbsp of cardamom, or more to taste
1 and a half tbsp of raw coconut butter
1/2 tbsp or raw honey

*for extra creaminess, add more coconut butter and/or honey. Alternatives: handful of cashews or half an avocado
 

 

Method: 

1. After soaking your nuts, add them to your food process and grind until they've been finely ground.

2. Add in your dates, and then after your pineapple, until its consistency is smooth and sticky.

3. Laste add in your hemp seeds and rosemary, with only a few pulses. They don't need to be too deeply ground. 

4. Take your base and press into whatever dish you're using: shallow pie pan, cupcake molds, or even just a plate.

5. Add all of your topping ingredients to the food processor. Continue to pulse until the nibs are at a desired consistency. For a much smoother, creamier topping, add more coconut butter (or listed alternatives) until its the density of a smoothie. For a crunchier bite, let up on a pulsing so that the nibs are aren't completely ground. Add more honey or a few dates if  you don't find it sweet enough. However, because the base is so sweet try to leave the topping less so.

6. Pour, or spread, atop your base. Press any additional rosemary sprigs or leaves as seen fit. Freeze for a hour or refrigerate for longer. They should last for about a week! I.e. best week of yr life. 

Ode to Root Veggies

We really wanted to make a dish that featured straight root vegetables front and center. The term root vegetable is a general one, referring to vegetables from botanical families that store nutrients either in their edible roots or in the underground stems called tubers. They are the unsung superstars of the winter produce universe, and once you look beyond the bins of potatoes you’ll discover a whole new realm of rich flavors, colors and textures, as well as copious amounts of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Enjoy as a meal, accompaniment them with a soup or throw on top of salad greens for a weekday lunch. This is a fragrant and comforting dish, in a very good-for-you way. 

Ingredients:

½ lb. fingerling/red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 heirloom carrots, roughly chopped
2 parsnips, roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, roughly chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 head garlic, peeled
bok choy for color (optional)
2 tbsps thyme
2 teaspoons rosemary
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
drizzle of honey
sliced almonds or nut of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Place potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and red onions in a large bowl and toss together.

3. With the side of a knife, gently smash each clove of garlic and add it to the bowl of vegetables.

4. Add the herbs, oil and a drizzle of honey to the vegetables and generously season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the seasoned vegetables onto a large roasting pan and spread in a single layer.

6. Roast vegetables in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. (Gently stirring the vegetables halfway through the cooking time) Serve.

Baked Pear and Fennel Stacks

We got fennel with our Ten-Speed Greens CSA which was like Christmas come early because fennel is basically one of the most delicious yet versatile yet unique herbs out there. While its bulb is what's more commonly used for culinary purposes, fennel seeds are known to have great nutritional and medicinal value. Fennel has a number of unique phytonutrients, one of which being anethole- known for its powerful inflammatory and cancer fighting properties.

As an ingredient, fennel often pairs with savory dishes but happens to also really compliment the sweet. Its flavor is reminiscent of licorice, and can be eaten raw or cooked. The whole plant is edible- base, stalk, and leaves. For this recipe we used the base, and then leaves for garnish.

Baked fruit is an amazing dessert alternative to heavier cakes or pies. Plus it can easily be dressed in all your favorite holiday spices. It taste great with a scoop of cream while still warm. Our recipe is pretty no brainer. Sliced pears sandwiched with fennel, coated in warm spices and sugar, baked to the perfection and then drenched in a super easy white wine reduction = heyoooo. Its SO good and would make a great dish for these holiday meals coming up.

Ingredients:

3 ripe pears
1 stalk fennel
1 tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
Raw honey to drizzle
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Sea salt
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice pears horizontally - thickness to your preference. 
3. Slice fennel bulb in a similar fashion.
4. Coat your baking skillet or dish with melted coconut oil and honey. 
5. Place your slices evenly throughout the dish. Garnish the the fennel stems and cinnamon sticks.
6. Before baking, pour a quick mixture of coconut oil, honey, brown sugar, and spices over the pears and fennel, evenly.
7. While your dish is baking, whisk together your reduction: white whine and vinegar over the stove, with brown sugar until syrup thickens.
8. When your pear and fennel is done baking, create your stacks by alternating between the two.
9. Dress with your reduction.

Raw Avocado Ganache

We totally swoon over the idea of *treat yo self* with jaw-dropping sweet treats that are actually good for you. Therefore, we are dubbing this dessert our (un)official triple R chocolate experience--It’s rich, raw annnnd rewarding! Not to mention the fact that it's incredibly easy to make. The foundation for the recipe includes one of our favoirte ingredients, avocados! They are not only incredibly nutritious and great for your skin, but they also an excellent non-dairy base ingredient for any creamy dessert. Feel free to leave this crust out and prepare as a mousse. Add raw cacao nibs and fruit and/or freeze for a few hours for some purely decadent (but rly) chocolate ice cream.

Ingredients:

For the base

1 ½ cups dried cranberries
1 tbsp almond butter
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp raw cacao nibs
 ½ tsp sea salt

For the filling

4 avocados
 ½ cup coconut oil
1 cup raw cocoa 
1 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp vanilla 
1 tsp sea salt

Method:

1. Mix all of your base ingredients in a food processor, until consistency is smooth.
2. Press your base into the pie pan, as this will be the crust for the ganache.
3. Add all of the filling ingredients into your food processor, and grind until the consistency becomes smooth (like a pudding).
4. Spread the filling over the crust, and then pop the ganache in the fridge for a few hours to set.
5. Nom out.

Carrot Corn Cakes Covered In Honey

This week from Ten-Speed Greens we had presh, fresh carrots in our CSA pick-up. Their compact size was just so perfect as is, that we thought it best to cook these babies left uncut. No real other motivation to bake the carrots with cornbread, aside from making good use of grandma's hand-me-down cornbread cast iron molds. It was just like a funny puzzle that fit well together and tasted even better.

Baked the carrot cornbread cakes, then drizzled with honey while still warm. Tasted exactly what you'd imagine - de li cious.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic corn meal 
3 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tbsp of coconut oil
4 or more small carrots, without stems
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and and salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix cornbread ingredients. Depending on your diet preference, or tradish recipes, your cornbread ingredients will probably vary from ours.
2. Slice carrots in cross-wise, after removing the stems.
3. Oil the cast-iron skillets.
4. Turn oven on to 350 degrees, and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Take warm skillets out, and dress cornbread with honey immediately. Sprinkle extra salt to taste.
6. Enjoy!

Raw Rosewater Pistachio Cookies

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Magical flavor combo makin' my mouth water just from posting these pics. Rosewater is great for skin health, pistachios are great for heart health, and you've already heard us preach on coconut and honey. Raw = maximum nutrition ingestion. E, what am I missin? Aside from one of these cookies of course.....

Ingredients:

2 cups raw shelled pistachios
4 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut + more for garnishing
3 tablespoons pure rosewater
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil melted
1/3 cup 100% pure Grade B maple syrup  or local raw honey
1 pinch of unrefined salt

Method:

1. Grind pistachios in a food processor until ground into a flour. 

2. Add other ingredients, blend until well integrated and refrigerate for flavors to intensify and mixture to harden.

3. Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll into a round ball topped with the leftover coconut flour. You can shape into flattened out cookies or round balls. Arrange on serving platter, add back to fridge to set, and serve with your favorite tea or just nom your way through an afternoon pick me up.

Pickle Me Pink

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Our weekly loot from Ten-Speed Greens this month has provided the prettiest rainbow chard and watermelon radishes.  We decided to throw these beauts in a quick pickle brine, allowing their vanity to flourish and our taste buds to celebrate. The bright pink has sorta settled over everything in the jar, giving the pickles a real gorgeous color. 

Pickling is great for veggies you can already enjoy raw, and the specific flavors of chard and radish (with the red onion and garlic we threw in) is like a serious smack-down on your average cucumber. Plus this takes our pickle-backs to like next level status.

Pickle brine is super easy to make, with the pretext of equal parts water and vinegar. We used apple cider vinegar and a bit of white wine for extra sweetness. Its nice to play around with different herbs and spices. We let the veggies do the talking and kept our recipe simple. 

These pickles are ready to enjoy in about 24 hours and should last at most a month, assuming you don't eat em all at once.

Ingredients:

1 cup white wine
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
The stems from one bunch rainbow chard
1 bunch of watermelon radishes sliced crosswise
1 small red onion, thinly sliced crosswise

Method:

1. Chop veggies, add veggies to an open face jar
2. Mix sugar salt, white wine, acv and water
3. Pour over veggies
4. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Spiced Apple & Caramelized Fennel Whole Wheat Biscuits

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Warm buttery biscuits often goes over-looked, especially when half your friends are gluten free and carb consumption is limited to bananas and beer. But when that perfectly appropriate time does come for homemade cornbread, biscuits, dinner rolls, and other glutinously delectable variations, who can really complain?

These biscuits deviated pretty much entirely from this recipe (how good does that sound?!) but nevertheless were a success. With leftover fennel hanging around, fresh picked mountain apples, and the perfect excuse to use seasonal spices, this random combination of ingredients resulted in a next-level flavor combo.

Honestly, you could get away with pretty much any bread variation for this recipe, but it was breakfast when I served those so made sense for biscuits.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (set a cup or so aside for when rolling out the dough)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 pinch of fine sea salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and any other spiced seasoning of choice
3/4 cup liquid coconut oil.
1/2 cup of organic honey
2 tbsp of brown sugar
2 eggs
A dribble of warm water or milk of choice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups of peeled apples
1 whole fennel (you can choose to use the whole vegetable, I only used the bulb).

 

Method:

For the spiced apples: Preheat the over to 400 degree F
1. Peel the apples, then cut into thin slices. Toss them in with 1/3 of the coconut oil, spices, and the brown sugar.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and save the parchment paper!

For the fennel:
1. I used the bulb for this, but you can use whatever part of the fennel you want. The bulb caramelizes better though. If you choose to use that, go ahead and chop it up into small sized chunks. 
2. Add a few tbsp of the coconut oil to the pain, or just enough to reach all the fennel.
3. Toss the fennel in and cook until caramelized.
* In this step you can chose to further season the fennel with sugar, a bit of sea salt, honey, or anything else really. I used a bit of brown sugar with the coconut oil.
4. When done remove to cool.

For the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
1. Add together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
2. Pour in the remainder of the coconut oil, your honey, and vanilla extract.
3. Gently whisk the eggs and milk choice together, then add the caramelized fennel, and THEN add into your mixture.
4. Fold all ingredients in together so that they've absorbed into the flour.
5. Roll out the dough and then cut with a round biscuit cutter. Use extra flour if needed. Because you will be stuffing the biscuits with your now tender spiced apples, try and be weary of the size you cut the rounds.
6. Once you have your biscuits cut out, place an apple slice in the center of each, and then fold around so that it (mostly) covers the center. 
7. Finish stuffing the biscuits, then place on top of your parchment paper you used earlier for the apples. The paper should still be sugary moist from the coconut oil and sugar. 
8. Pop in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked.

Take out, smother in buttah, and enjoy!

Turnip the Beetza' with Fennel & Honey Cashew Cream

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SPOILER ALERT: We won for our category!! Victory never tasted so savory. Congrats to the other winners, competitors, and big thanks to Ten-Speed Greens and our super profesh judges.

Ten-Speed Greens recently hosted their November pie contest, and with little to no mental effort we thought to attend as competitors. The categories were sweet and savory, and the opposition was fierce. Having recently proclaimed our love for Ten-Speed (plus the added incentive of getting to eat a lot of delicious pie without shame or the pain of a recent break-up) there was no way we were missin' this.

After serious deliberation (and looking at a lot of late-night pie pix), we finally decided on a savory pie recipe. Icing (cream?) on the pie, we were going to use part of our Ten-Speed CSA for the ingredients. A scallion cauliflower crust, kale pesto base, roasted veggies on top, with thick dollops of fennel and honey cashew cream. Noms. So not only did the pie sound good, have local ingredients, but it tasted alright too. 

Each step is pretty easy, none of the recipes call for unfamiliar ingredients. Plus we luuuuv cauliflower so why bother with a conventional crust? The scallions, turnips, and mustards came from our CSA. Of course using fresh produce is like, well duh, especially since this pie isn't too heavy and uses minimal seasoning. But two pro tips to be aware of: the last step of poppin' the pie back in the oven for about 10 minutes is crucial to ensure extra crispiness, especially since the crust only continues to moisten with the pesto; find that perfect balance of seasoning, it can be easy to too heavily season each component (because it tastes good) but then when you have finished layering your pie, it might taste like a someone poured a jar of salt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

for the crust:
3 C. mixed cauliflower (about 1 small head or ½ large head)
¾ C. almond flour or coconut flour
1 bunch of scallions
Salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs or
3 flax "eggs" (1 egg = 1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal and 3 Tbsp. water, so 3 Tbsp. flaxseed meal and 9 Tbsp. water)
* If you've got some nooch layin around, might as well add some to the crust!

for the pizza pie:
Beets
White turnips
Red onions
1 bunch of leafy greens,
we used mustard greens
3-4 thyme sprigs
Kale pesto*
Cashew cream*

for the kale pesto:
6 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup pine nuts
1 heaped teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

for the cashew cream:
1 cup of cashews (soaked overnight)
water (so it just slightly covers the cashews)
2 tbsp of raw honey
1 to 2 tbsp of fennel seeds

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. We used 2 real eggs as a binder, but to make the flax "eggs", mixing 3 Tbsp. flaxseed meal with 9 Tbsp water and set aside.
3. While the flax eggs are processing, wash the cauliflower and place in a food processor or blender. Chop until it reaches a rice-like consistency.
6. Finely chop scallions.
7. Place the cauliflower, almond flour, scallions, salt, pepper (and any other seasonings to taste) in a large bowl and mix well.
8. Add your 2 eggs now, or the flax eggs, to the dry mixture and combine until well blended. Add olive oil if the crust isn't moist enough. Form the dough into a ball.
9. Place the dough in the center of the lined pie panned and, using clean hands, flatten the dough to about ½ inch thickness, leaving the edges a bit thicker.
10. Slice beets, onions, and turnips and then coat the veggies in olive oil and thyme.
11. Place the vegetables and crust in the oven, and cook for about 20 minutes.
12. While this is baking, prepare your kale pesto and cashew cream. Both require simply mixing, in the food processor and high speed blender, respectively. 
13. When the crust and pizza pie toppings are ready brush your kale pesto on top as your first layer. Place the beets, turnips, onions, and now leafy greens on second, and then drizzle your cashew cream on top.
13. Bake for another 10 or so minutes at 400 degrees (unfortunately we ran out of time to complete this last step... but please don't make our mistake! This step is crucial to definitely have cooked crust).

Grandma's Granola

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This isn’t my grandma’s granola recipe. This recipe was for my grandma, as gift for her birthday. Also in a way a gift to my grandpa- he can’t leave the breakfast table till his yogurt is gone, and he hates yogurt. But pouring this granola on it should alleviate some of the pain.

The good thing about good granola, is that there never necessarily has to be a rhyme or rhythm to what ingredients get thrown in. It’s easy to take the traditional route - nuts, dried berries, seeds, etc. Then of course there’s some cray flavor combos worth experimenting with- cacao, espresso, black cherries, balsamic vinegar, goji berries, other random delicious ingredients… And of course it’s always nice to be seasonal (pumpkin pie spice on everything?).  

Either way, everything tastes great when its drenched in sugar. I skipped conventional brown sugar and used raw honey instead. Lots of raw honey. That, with the coconut oil and almond butter keeps this granola batch really moist. Which is important because granola is easy to burn. The rest of the ingredients revolve around the “go big or go home” mantra, pouring in just about everything in the kitchen cupboard. 

I ran the dried fruits and 1/2 of the nuts through the food processor, but for a chunkier granola just chop to desired size. Also, be sure to use pitted dates! Obvious, but unfortunate if forgotten.

It’s good to keep an eye on your granola when its in the oven, mixing it around occasionally so that everything bakes evenly. For extra crispiness, either continue to bake on a lower temperature, or just take out and let sit overnight. When done, put in an airtight container. Then hide the container. Granola so good its hard to put down.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil (some will be used to oil the pan)
3 cups rolled oats (be sure to soak overnight)
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw coconut flakes
1/2 cup flax seeds
lots of shakes of cinnamon & nutmeg
1/2 cup (ore more) raw almond butter with maple
1/4 cup pistachios
2 cups pecans (love em)
1/2 cup dried apricots
4 of 5 dates
1/2 cup almonds
2 cups raw honey (sure that’s a lot, but its how I can get away with no sugar)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚
2. Cut up the dried fruits, dates, and any larger nuts. Chop in larger chunks, or for more of a past throw in the food processor.
3. Combine the oats and flax seeds in a large mixing bowl.
4. Melt the coconut oil, and combine 1/4 with the oats.
5. Add in the honey, almond butter, and reaming ingredients. Combine with hands (the mixture is usually a bit tough, so this way usually is the easiest to evenly mix everything in).
6. Depending on desired moisture, add more honey if necessary. Or a dribble of almond milk.
7. Add in any whole nuts.
8. Oil your baking sheet with the remainder of your melted coconut oil.
9. Turn the oven down to 325˚, and bake granola for about 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it, mixing and turning over as necessary.

Garden Greens & Sweet Potato Soup

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Soup is seriously one of the easiest, and most satisfying meals to make when the weather gets cold. Plus it acts as an impromptu hand warmer by way of mug. No disrespect to the wide array of canned or boxed soups, that you can pick up anywhere from the gas station to the grocery store. Using fresh ingredients, especially those picked from the garden just a few hours earlier, usually makes the meal worth the extra hours and work. Save the campbell's for desperate times.

This soup is easy, nothin' fancy, but tastes way too delicious. Way too delicious because of the incredibly fresh, crisp, and homegrown greens used in the recipe. The greens: kale, collards, and cabbage; plus hearty sweet potatoes make this soup heavy enough for winter nights and empty stomachs. A few other necessary ingredients to top it off, and everyone's happy!

Ingredients:

Greens: kale, collards, and cabbage. However much you'd like to use. I put about a 2 heads of each.
2 medium-sized organic sweet potatos
No-chicken vegetarian bullion (or real chicken bullion), amount dependent on how much water you use
2 small red onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes 
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp organic coconut oil
Salt, pepper, other seasoning to taste

Method:

1. Dice the onions and garlic. Sauté in coconut oil. Cooking stirring for five to ten minutes. Use the pot you'll be cooking the soup in.
2. Once the onions and garlic are soft, add in your water and bullion. The amount of bullion is dependent on how many cups of water you use. Also add any extra seasoning.
3. After adding the water, throw in your cubed sweet potatoes. Keep the temp on high and allow the water to reach a boil. Once it has, turn it down to low and cover the pot.
4. After about 10 minutes (more or less), check to see that your sweet potatoes are tender. If so, throw in your greens and crushed tomatoes. 
5. Keeping the stove temp on low, place the lid back on the pot for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the greens are soft. This will happen quickly so keep an eye out. Nobody wants mushy greens!

Sea Salt Honey Popcorn with Pumpkin Pie Spice

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We've already proclaimed our love for popcorn- possibly the most mindless yet instantly satisfying snack attack out there. With fall flavors officially taking over our kitchens, we thought we'd upgrade our usual recipe with new fave pumpkin pie spice. This seasoning is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, and goes just as well with dranks as it does food. The recipe is super simple, has mostly basic kitchen ingredients, and tastes pretty much like pumpkin pie- but with a lot less work.

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Ingredients: 

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
5 tablespoons organic popcorn kernels
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons organic honey
Several shakes of pumpkin pie spice seasoning

Both sea salt and honey can be added in proportions of preference

 

Method:

1. In a large stove-top pot, add coconut oil and heat over medium heat until it is completely melted.
2. Add in the popcorn kernels and salt. Cover completely with lid until you hear the kernels begin to pop. As soon as you do, remove the lid slightly to let out air pressure (or else your kernels will quickly burn).
3. When kernels are finished popping, pour into a large bowl.
4. Drizzle honey over the warm popcorn, then sprinkle with the pumpkin pie spice

Roasted Salt, Vinegar & Dill Chickpeas

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 Sometimes we’ve just got to satisfy a craving for crunchy, salty foods. Our usual go-to is old school popcorn, popped in a pot. The amount of popcorn that we eat is almost borderline embarrassing.. but we couldn't probably survive on it alone. Roasted nuts tend to have the same effect. A great alternative that often gets overlooked for a bowl of hummus, is oven roasted chickpeas. Especially now that the temperatures are dropping and some nights all you want to do is cuddle up with a warm bowl of whatever snack what-have-you. This high protein, low fat, fiber filled snack will do just the trick to ease your conscience and get your crunchy fix. You can literally throw whatever combination of spices you’d like onto these guys, toss 'em into the oven for a short amount of time, and then, BLOOM, i mean, BOOM: you’ve made yourself a healthy and satisfying snack attack. 

Enjoy hot, or if you can manage not to eat them in one sitting (unlike us), store in a an air tight container. Like popcorn, the chickpeas are never as good the next day- they tend to loose crispy-ness after 24 hours.

We went with a salt, vinegar and dill recipe to thrill our taste buds. Why? Because we are suckers for VINEGAR EVERYTHING. Great way to get that salt and vinegar fix without chowing down on a bag of chips. Chickpeas will take on any flavor you give them so go on with yo bad self and get creative. Grab a bowl of roasted chickpeas the next time you’re on your way to watch Breaking Bad (RIP) or replace them with croutons and sprinkle on top of a salad. Oh and in all seriousness, we highly recommend having different options (sweet, spicy and savory) at disposal for your next happy hour.

Ingredients: 

2 cans of cooked organic chickpeas (drain & rinse)
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Drain the can of garbanzo beans in a strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds to clean off the beans. Shake and tap the strainer to rid of excess water. Pat dry with a towel.

3. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with all your spices so they are well coated. Make sure chickpeas are in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, toss well and flip, then bake for another 15 minutes until the beans are a deep golden brown and crunchy. Let cool and munch. Easy chick peasy ya'll.