Tart-sweet colorful Apple Berry Crisp

You just cannot beat an apple crisp out of the oven, unless there are berries involved. Not only does it boost the cheerful color of the filling, it enhances the flavor with a delicious tartness that complements the sweet apples, and boosts the nutrition value with extra fiber and phytochemicals within the berries. its also simple as all get-out to make. You can make it completely gluten free by choosing almond or rice flour to add to the rolled oats. I use as many organic ingredients as possible.

ingredients:

(pre heat oven to 350F)

Filling:

3 - 4 local organic apples, washed, cored and coarsely chopped into approximately 1-inch pieces

1 C berries, fresh or thrown in frozen (my fave is blackberries, but I have recently discovered black raspberries, which is rocking my crisp world. Raspberries or blueberries, or an entire mix would be awesome)

Crisp topping:

1/4 C butter (melt in a saucepan) substitute some or all with coconut oil - vegan option!

1/2 C flour - you choose: I use a mix of brown rice and almond. I have also used chestnut, wheat, cornmeal, it doesn’t matter because you are not trying to make something that will hang together.

1 C rolled oats

2-3 T maple syrup

(additional add-ins: toasted walnut pieces, substitute honey for the maple syrup, get creative!)

Put it together:

• Toss the apples and berries together in a glass dish

• add the topping ingredients together in the saucepan with the melted butter and mix until combined

• put the crisp topping on top of the fruit and then put the glass dish into the oven

Bake for 40-60 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the top is toasty brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or yogurt or kefir.

Cold apple-berry crisp with kefir is an amazing breakfast. Just sayin’.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a simple dairy ferment that requires a constant temperature for 100F/45C. Once that part is managed, the rest is dead easy.

Ingredients:

1 Q dairy milk (cow, goat, etc.)

2 T starter culture (yogurt from a previous batch, preferably local organic - the CoOp or farmers market are great sources)

Equipment:

thermometer

saucepan

yogurt maker/ environment that will hold 110F/45C for over 4 hrs, and up to 8.

Method:

• Heat milk in the saucepan to 180F for 20 min. This sterilizes the milk so the culture you add has a head start.

• Cool the milk to 110F, stir in the starter culture and whisk to incorporate

• pour the cultured milk into the yogurt maker and set for 6-8 hours. Do not jiggle or disturb.

• refrigerate until chilled

Cashew Cream -Savory or Sweet

Courtesy of Carie Bernard - Licensed Acupuncturist in Portland, and Global Dance Party dancer!

• Great dairy substitute, and I bet it would be great as a frozen treat too! Keeps up to a week refrigerated , use 1:1 for a cream substitute.

In a small bow combine 1 cup of cashews and enough boiling water to cover. Let stand, covered, 15 minutes; drain. Rinse and drain again. (You could also let them sit in the water overnight).
In a blender or food processor combine cashews, ½ cup water and salt. Cover; blend 5 minutes or until creamy. (Carie used a VitaMix and it only took 30-60 seconds to blend to desired creaminess.) Store in the fridge up to 1 week. Makes 16 servings (1 Tbsp. each).

SWEET CASHEW CREAM Stir in 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey an d ½ tsp vanilla.
SAVORY CASHEW CREAM Stir in ½ tsp. lime or lemon zest, 1 tsp. lime or lemon juice, 1 clove garlic minced; and if desired, ¼ tsp. ground chipotle chile pepper. (Carie added ground rosemary.)

Some more ideas here

Pumpkin spice bread/Squash spice Loaf

by Emma Holder

I wanted to make this recipe, but didn't have pumpkin, or eggs, and didn't want to use lots of white flour or sugar, so I winged it. The result was delicious, dark and spicy. Since the sugar was eliminated, a drizzle of honey or a layer of jam or marmalade on top would be perfect if you needed a bit more sweet than what the molasses gives you.

Ingredients as Original (Emma’s modification in brackets)

1.5 C flour  (mixture of 0.5 C flour, 0.5 C almond meal/ 0.5 C chestnut flour (or rice flour or something else)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Baking soda

2 teaspoons of ginger powder

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, since I don't like nutmeg)

1 C pumpkin puree (1 C chopped and squished  delicata squash/ sweet dumpling /butternut squash, organic, skin left on)

1/2 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar (I omitted this completely)

1/2 C molasses

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or more!)

2 eggs (2 Tablespoons ground flax with 6 Tablespoons water)

1/2 C raisins (optional, could also use currents or golden raisins since they are more nutritious the regular black raisins.)

How to:

 Preheat oven to 350F, mix wet, mix dry, combine wet+dry and pout into loaf pan. Bake at least 40 min or until a knife blade comes out clean.

Granola Nests

From Lisa Lee

2 C Old fashioned oats dry

1/3 C shredded unsweetened coconut

2 TBSP ground flax seed

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp Vanilla

5 TBSP liquid coconut oil

¼ C honey (*local)

(you could also add some chopped nuts - E)

Mix until oats are completely coated. Use ice cream scoop to drop into greased muffin tin. Gently press with the back of the scoop to form into cup shape. Bake at 325 degrees (*F) for 18 minutes. When cool, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, berries, more coconut, shaved dark chocolate, etc……

Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse

I LOVE this recipe! Why not get those soy isoflavones and protein in your dessert? Plus this has very little sugar and is totally elegant when served in martini glasses or kooky tumblers.

ingredients:

- 270 g of silken tofu (3/4 nasoya packet – save the rest for a smoothie, or increase everything a bit and make more mousse!)

- 120 g bittersweet chocolate, broken (I used an 85% lindt bar – 100g and made up the rest with 60% ghirardelli chips if you are cautious, or throw caution to the winds and make up the rest with 100% unsweetened - my fave.)

1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 C water

1 T almond/soy/rice/cow milk (opt. I didn’t have it once and it didn’t make a difference to me.)

1T honey (they called for 1/2 c, but I didn’t want it that sweet)

1-2 T Cointreau/other liqueur, or 1 Tsp orange zest

instructions:

- melt chocolate, cocoa, water, milk, liqueur together in a bowl over simmer water. It will seize a bit.  Don’t worry, just make sure it’s all melted and smooshed together.

- blend the tofu in a blender until smooth and creamy, add melted chocolate mixture, keep blending (I used a hand blender – worked well) and add honey or another sweetener to taste. (remember, white sugar is bleached, and not consistent with our goal of long term happiness)

- either put in a big bowl or divide into little ones, chill in fridge for a couple of hours, then serve alone or with garnishes: mint springs, choc-covered coffee beans, raspberries, slices of orange, banana, clementine, toasted nuts, …get crazy and creative!!!

Sweet Delicata Squash

I eat these like toast when delicata are in season. I have to bake 4 at a time, or I run out too quickly.

Cut delicatas in half, scoop out seeds and put cut side down on cookie sheet.

Cook in 350F oven until they squish when you poke them, about 30-45 min.

That’s about it. They are so sweet and vanilla-custardy, I just munch them down. I have also put my baked apples in them, put them in my morning yogurt, or sprinkle cinnamon on them. The seeds are nice toasted too. I toss them with olive oil and rosemary, salt and pepper and put them on another cookie sheet next to the squash. keep an eye on them – they burn. Listen for the popping sounds – then stir them and do it again.

Simply Baked Apples

- these taste like apple pie filling. no joke.

Wash and core 4 nice big local apples.

Make an equatorial cut about 1/4 inch deep around each.

Put side by side in a casserole dish. I use a round one – collects and concentrates the juice better..

Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon, you could add walnuts or pine nuts if you wished.

bake at 350F for 20 min, rotate the dish, 10 min more, keep checking until the apples are pooped and exploding around their middles.

remove from oven and cool.

I have them straight up – the best way. Or with ice cream/fro-yo, or nuts n raisins, or with my yogurt in the morning.

Ginger cookies

by Julie Olsen.  http://foodfuelfun.com/
•    1.5 cups almond meal/flour (Bobs Red mill has some)
•    1/4 c. coconut flour (coconut whizzed down in a blender)
•    1 c. butter, softened (replaced with 1 C  mashed cooked sweet potato – it worked!!)
•    1/2 c. molasses
•    1/4 c. honey (*** try replacing some with applesauce?)
•    1.5 tbsp minced fresh ginger (a must)
•    1/2 tsp. cinnamon
•    1/2 tsp. ginger
•    1/2 tsp. clove
•    1 tsp. vanilla
•    2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix on high speed until soft and well-combined, about 3 minutes. (For best results, store the cookie dough in the fridge overnight in a covered bowl. If you’re in a hurry and desperately want warm gingersnaps right away, charge ahead with the rest of the instructions.) Spoon small dollops of the dough onto parchment paper on a baking sheet, squash, then and bake for 20 minutes. You can slide the parchment with cookies onto a flat surface to cool. They are fragile, but grow a spine as they cool.

Chai-Spiced Almond Butter Bites

(From MindBodyGreen)

Makes 18 to 20 bites

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, unsweetened

• ½ cup raw almonds

• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

• 1 cup medjool dates, pits removed (buy dates with pits in them and remove the pits yourself. Otherwise the dates are really dried out.)

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup almond butter

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• ¼ teaspoon allspice

• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

• Preparation1. Toast 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut until lightly browned.2. Pulse almonds and ½ cup shredded coconut in a food processor until completely ground (no chunks of almonds!).3. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the 2 tablespoons of toasted coconut, and blend in the food processor until all ingredients are combined into a dough-like consistency.

  4. Press chunks of the dough into a ball in your hands, then roll dough into balls with the palms of your hands. If you’d like, roll them in the toasted, shredded coconut.

  Store in the refrigerator in a glass container. They will firm up in the fridge because the coconut oil will cause them to “set” at that cooler temperature.

  If you want them to be a little softer, feel free to set them out on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before eating. As you chew them slowly, they will feel like they are melting in your mouth.

Rich Chocolate Torte

(from the upcoming “Wicked Healthy Cookbook”) no-cook, very chocolatey

Crust: 1.5 C pecans, 1 T dark sugar, 1/4 t fine salt, 1/2 cinnamon, 1/4 t cayenne (opt)

Pulse together in a blender until it resembles a graham cracker crust, and then press into a 9″ pie plate.

Filling: 1/2 C date paste (1/2 C dates blended with 1/2 C water to a honey-like consistency. I used my VitaMix), 3T coconut oil, 1/2 C Almond butter, 1 T tamari/soy sauce – yup!, 1 C cocoa powder, 1 t vanilla, 0.5-1 C water. Put all of the above in a high speed blender – again my VitaMix is awesome – and purée to very smooth. Add some more water if it’s a bit stiff. Add maple syrup or honey to taste. The original recipe called for 1/2 C of sweetener; I added less and still found it too sweet, so taste it first before you add the sweetener.

Pour the filling into the crust and either freeze or refrigerate depending on how cold you want your desert. I served it with clementine slices on top. A citrus bite is nice, or maybe raspberries or a little bit of sorbet. dust with cocoa powder, or put a chocolate covered coffee bean on it. Yow! Another way to do it is simply make the filling and pour it into martini glasses for a chocolate-mousse style dessert.

No-cook Oatmeal Bites

1/2 C raw rolled oats (can be pulsed in a food processor if you want it smoother)

2 T of nut butter of your choice, you could also use coconut oil

2 T of chopped nuts

2 T of dried fruit

2 T chocolate chips (or 1 T of unsweetened cocoa)

Put it all in a bowl and mix it up with a fork to combine. Cool in the fridge and make little balls. Mix and match to create your own combination! I sometimes just eat it with a spoon.

Fruit-nut Balls

Lemon OR Choc-Orange OR Choc-Peanutbutter

Make a base of:
1C dates
1 C walnuts or sliced almonds
1/2 raw cashews
1/2 C coconut
(mix n match nuts to your taste, add more nuts if too sticky)

Put all the ingredients into your blender and pulverize. (I love my vitamix!) Add extras below to customize the balls, or create your own combinations! Cool the dough for easier handling, wet your hands, and make little balls, then roll them in something to quell the sticky factor (coconut, cocoa). These make great gifts. They last days/weeks in the fridge and indefinitely in the freezer (airtight). Freeze them in dough form or in ball form before your roll them in something.

*Lemon balls: 2 teaspoons of zest and 1/4 C lemon juice, roll in coconut or a little sugar
*Choc-orange balls: 6 Tablespoons of cocoa (unsw), juice of 1 big orange, zest of same orange, roll in cocoa or coconut.
*Choc-Peanutbutter (or almond butter – why not?)
- use 1 C peanut butter and 1 C coconut as base, add 1/2 C Choc chips, roll in coconut

G’anzo Bars

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave or honey (1/3 cup honey was too sweet for me – use less and see. You can always drizzle on top)

1/2 cup almond butter

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

chocolate chips – 1/2 cup? or, more or less, to taste & preference (Butterscotch chips?)

Process all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor/blender.

Add chocolate chips & stir.  Press into a greased 8″ pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees F.  for 20 minutes. Enjoy!  The bars may be frozen.

Chocolate Valentine Cake

Chickpeas? Relax. It’s delicious. Using legumes instead of flour adds fiber and protein and reduces unhealthful spikes in blood sugar

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups (19 ounce can) cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
4 eggs, or 1 cup egg substitute (I used the equivalent of 2 eggs – it still worked, but was more dense)
1/2 C sweetener – sucanat, honey, maple syrup. Not white sugar – it’s bleached. Nor brown sugar, which is white sugar with molasses mixed into it to make it brown.
1/2 tsp. baking powder

melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. In blender or food processor, combine beans and eggs. Add sugar, baking powder and chocolate; process until smooth. Pour batter into non-stick 9-inch heart-shaped or round cake pan (I used a spring-form pan with a piece of parchment paper at the bottom). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool.

Spread with jam – raspberry is great, marmalade would work well too.

Experiment with less sweetener and add interesting spices like 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, a 1/2 teaspoon of lavender flowers, or a drop or two of lavendar essential oil if you don’t want the flowers in the mix. You could decorate the top of the cake with a scattering or spray of lavender flowers.