We’re having one of our favorites again – Ani’s save-the -tuna pate – with avocado, served in beautiful New Zealand pottery from Geoff’s mom.
Geoff made these last Wednesday. We were inspired by I Am Gluten Free’s Almost Raw Chocolate Balls of Deliciousness. We tweaked the recipe a bit and came up with the following.
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for coating
7-10 whole pitted dates, chopped
3 tbsp agave nectar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch salt (we use Himalayan)
1. Coarsely chop almonds in food processor.
2. Add remaining ingredients and process until everything is combined.
3. Shape into small balls/logs and coat with coconut.
You can use a mixture of nuts if you prefer. We made these again using a half almond, half walnut mixture which worked great too. They are a bit soft at first, but will firm up in the refrigerator.
Geoff is from New Zealand. He loves scones. I panicked when I found out because I never had a non-vegan scone and my attempts at making vegan ones have been pathetic (at best). After a successful shot at Isa’s orange scones, I decided to make some with my all time favorite spice. I’ve made these a few times and this morning Geoff made a perfect batch of them.
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
3/4 cup chilled non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp soy creamer
2/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Blend flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon peel in a food processor.
3. Add margarine and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Make well in center and add 3/4 cup soy cream. Combine until just moist. Mix in the ginger.
5. Transfer dough to floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide dough in half and pat each portion into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Cut each round into 6 wedges and transfer to greased baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 2 tbsp soy creamer.
6. Bake for about 18 minutes or until light brown.
Friday – rest
Saturday – rest
Sunday – 1 hr, 10 min run
Monday – 1.5 hr beach bootcamp class
Tuesday – 45 min spin class
Wednesday – rest
Thursday – 45 min run
We made this tonight and it was delicious.
4 zucchini
1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp Italian seasoning
dash salt
1/2 cup macadamias
1/2 cup cashews
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Nama Shoyu
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
fresh ground pepper (optional)
crushed red pepper (optional)
1. Use a mandoline or spiral slicer to make pasta out of zucchini.
2. Place “pasta” in a large bowl and add olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt. Mix well.
3. Place nuts in a food processor and blend to a powder-like consistency. Add nutritional yeast, Nana Shoyu, lemon juice and water. Blend until a creamy texture is achieved. Add red pepper and pulse to desired consistency.
4. Pour red pepper sauce over noodles. Adjust seasoning and/or add optional ingredients. Toss and serve.
Taking a break from work to have dinner with my wonderful partner who made a fantastic raw meal for us tonight. He made a dip recipe that I modified to make raw. Here it is:
2 cups walnuts, soaked
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1. In a food processor, pulse walnuts, cumin, agave, and salt until walnuts are finely ground.
2. Add pepper, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Whirl until smooth.
3. Adjust seasonings to your liking and serve.
Tonight we met our friends Rick and Lisa for another wonderful raw food class at the Whole Foods Lifestyle Center. Then we all went to Sublime which is currently offering a free dessert every Tuesday during the month of December. Perfect !
To the other side of the world !!
I had a rough day today. Then I got home and Geoff was waiting with candles, champagne and roses. He amazes all the time.
