Christmas Treats (& Chocolates!!)

I'm not the greatest fan of Christmas, I'll be honest, I tend to hermitise at this time of year, spending time reading and keeping extra warm and cosy under lovely blankets and pillows, but the one thing I do love about this time of year, is the excuse to make home made gifts for my friends and family. I had a few ideas for gifts already, but found myself inspired to make some chocolatey treats after finding this recipe on this wonderful blog..http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2012/11/26/hot-chocolate-mix-three-ways/ ...
..and so I got set to work on my own..

I followed the recipe from the blog mentioned above, I just added a little ground ginger to one of the batches and I used soft brown sugar instead of powdered sugar. I also contemplated using dark brown muscavado sugar, but wasn't sure how it would turn out..so am saving that experiment for a rainy day..

I sampled it out before hand..and oh my..what a treat it is..warming and cosy and chocolatey!..very Christmassy :)

After a mega serving of this magical stuff, I then got started on decorating the jars and made as Christmas gifts for mi dear ma and also nan and granadad...

I also made a few cards for close friends and family too, I hadn't set on sending out any cards this year, but once I got started with the homemade hot chocolate gift..I felt the urge for more crafty Christmas making coming on..

...then I felt the urge for more chocolate making!..

I made this batch with macadamia nuts, the full recipe can be found here.. http://www.wutherswebofcakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/raw-chocolates.html

I then wrapped and decorated them in separate tubs to give to friends for Christmas gifts...

with a little loving help from my butterfly friends..

and I was so good I never ate one..not one...or two..or three...

..promise!

;)

Happy Solstice and Merry Chocolatey Christmas!

xx

Cauliflower

Isn't it a beautiful word! Cauliflower, I love it!

I also love to eat it too, and I discovered a new way to eat it.

This is a lovely raw recipe that'll leave your stomach as light and fluffy as the texture of this wonderful cauli creation, here it is...

Ingredients

1 lovely cauliflower
1 cup cashews - soaked for 4 hours or overnight
1 cup sultanas
1 clove garlic
2 spring onions
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
handful of green beans - chopped
1/2 tsp nutmeg
sprinkle of black pepper

Chop the cauliflower into chunky florets, transfer to blender and wizz for 1 minute until it resembles a rice consistency, like this..

Pop in a large bowl andd set aside.
Then blend the cashews, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, spring onions and garlic until smooth and creamy, like this..

Then combine the the two..the sauce and the cauli, then sprinkle in the sultanas and green beans and season with nutmeg and black pepper..

Finito!

This is a really lovely light raw food meal, full of nutrients and light and fluffy flavours, the creaminess of the cashew sauce goes really well with the cauliflower and nutmeg, although, I think when I make it again, I'll leave out the spring onions..just because they repeat on me so much when they're raw! They do give the dish lots of flavour though..so you may wish to leave them in..unless you have an onion problem..like me!

I made this as a takeaway lunch with some tasty green gem lettuce..

..and then topped with some chestnut mushrooms..yum!

You can also gently heat this up in a small pan if you fancy a warmer meal in your tum :)

x

Peanut butter dream

This no bake, raw, nutty dream is a heavenly tasty treat come true! I was over the moon when this creation turned out so well, it's the first raw sweet treat that I've made that is tongue ticklingly tasty with indulgence, while staying super duper healthy for you. And it has three of my most favouritist things in the food world inside of it...

Peanut butter, banana, and CHOCOLATE,

Here's the ingredients...

for the base

1 cup almonds

1 cup hazelnuts

2/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup oats

1/2 cup agave/maple syrup

2 cups corn flakes

1 tbsp smooth peanut butter ( I use Meridian's natural - no added sugar or salt)

1/2 cup cacao nibs

1 tbsp coconut oil - melted

Blend the nuts, seeds and oats until just broken, transfer to a large bowl then add corn flakes and cacao nibs and mix. In a separate bowl, mix together agave, peanut butter and coconut oil, then transfer to nut and seed mix and stir well until all combined. If mix seems a little to crumbly, add a tiny bit of soya milk and stir well.

Transfer to a baking tray, pressing down well, and leave to set in freezer for 1 hour. 

for the topping

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 cup chopped dried banana

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp agave/maple syrup

2 tbsp boiling water

1 tbsp coconut oil - melted

Once the base has been left to set for an hour, take out of the freezer and start with the topping.

Spread the peanut butter evenly on top of the base, then sprinkle on the dried banana.

In a small bowl mix together the cocoa powder, agave/maple syrup, melted coconut oil, boiling water and the almond extract until all combined and it resembles melted chocolate, then lovingly drizzle it all over the peanut butter and banana topping..then treat yourself and lick the bowl!

Pop in the freezer for another hour, (or 20 minutes if you can't wait any longer to dig into it).

Once hardened, cut into squares and enjoy!

Share with friends and family and they'll love you forever ;)

Peanut butter love

xx

Superfood Soup

Served with a superfood bread..

Ingredients for soup

1 butternut squash - peeled and chopped into cubes

2 red peppers - chopped

1 yellow pepper - chopped

200g kale

2 cloves garlic - thinly sliced

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp mango powder

2 tbsp turmeric (LOVE turmeric)

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp veg stock(or cube)

1-2 pints boiling water

2 squares of block coconut

1 tsp cornflour (or arrowroot)

In a large pan fry the garlic and spices in the olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the chopped squash and stir for a further 5-10 mins. Mix the stock with the boiling water and pour over squash, bring to the boil, stir, let simmer and pop in the peppers. Then add the coconut and stir until all combined.

Once the veg has begun to soften, blend with a hand blender to your preffered consistency, I like to leave a few bits of chunky veg in mine, so it's half and half, if you don't have a hand blender, serve as a chunky soup. And if you feel it needs thickening, add a little cornflour or arrowroot and it should thicken it up right nice. Oh and I pop the kale in last as I don't like to cook out all the nutrients of the good green stuff..and it's a nice texture in the soup too, and colour :)

This soup was soooooooo nice, I went over board with the amount of turmeric but I love the stuff and it went together really well with the creaminess of the soup; twas a nice fluffy and delicate dish but also fills  you up right nice, it had a nice calming effect on me too which I think must have been from the turmeric.

And it went really well served with a couple of slices of home made bread, which I'm actually starting to get quite good at!...

Ingredients for bread

150g gluten free brown bread flour

150g spelt flour

2 tsp quick yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fruit sugar

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

50g chopped dates

2tbsp olive oil

200ml hand-hot water

Put the flours, yeast, salt, sugar, spices and dates in a bowl and mix together.

Add the oil and water and mix to a stiff paste, if the mix is still a little dry, add a tiny bit more water, or if too watery, add a tad more flour.

Turn into a greased loaf tin, cover loosely with oiled cling film, or a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 45mins. 

Then remove cling film and bake in the oven for 20-25mins at 200oC until firm.

You can use any flours you like in this, I just prefer not to use wheat as most of the time my tummy doesn't like it, and you'll probably get a better rise out of using wheat flour.

I made this bread again the other day using 300g spelt flour and it rose much better, am still finding it tricky to find a wheat free flour that rises, but, despite that, this bread did taste super yummy and is nice and light on your lovely tummy.

Superfoods for superdoods ;)

Hope you enjoy

x

Happy Hallows

Posted a little later than planned, but here's some of the treats I made for a little cosy Halloween gathering spent with some spooky guests!..

*

Beansprout, Peanut and Apricot Salad

75g cucumber, thinly sliced

225g beansprouts

25g roasted almonds

70g dried apricots

2 spring onions - finely sliced

Dressing

1 tbsp peanut butter ( http://www.wutherswebofcakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/homemade-peanut-butter.html )

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp soya sauce

2 tbsp water

Mix together the beansprouts, cucumber, peanuts, apricots and spring onion in a large bowl.

Mix together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and all combined.

Pour dressing over the salad mix and stir well.

Simple as that!

This dish would also be nice served as a stir fry, and you could try adding sesame seeds and/or sesame oil too. And instead of apricots you could add sultanas, and instead of almonds you could try cashews..whatever you fancy..be as creative as you wish :)

*

Sweet Potato with Coconut

3 sweet potatoes - chopped into cubes

2tbsp sunflower oil

2tbsp water

2 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

Boil the sweet potatoes until just tender, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add coconut, cumin, turmeric and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the sweet potato and water and stir well. Cook gently whilst stirring for a few minutes until heated through, then serve and sprinkle with garam masala.

Yum!

*

Spiced Red Cabbage with Raisins

350g red cabbage - finely shredded

50g raisins

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp ground all spice

Put the cabbage in a pan of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. Drain well and add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly, serve in a warm serving dish.

These recipes were inspired from a Vegan Dinners Parties cookbook by Linda Majzlik.

I served the dishes with some home-made hummus, Linda McCartney veggy sausages infused with rosemary and some hearty brown bread rolls brought by one of my lovely guests.

And joining me for this wonderful feast were some rather intriguing guests...

The Theatrical Phantom Fagin..

...satisfying our creative delights with the art of puppet mastering..

..a jazzy skelly and her jazzy skelly moves..

..and myself..as Dead Doll Delia..Delighted by the sights yet Deliriously..well..Dead?!

We had a most lovely Hallows eve and made some rather fun videos on the night too...enjoy!...xx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zhKzNIM1Zw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o9H3KVRDe4&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4pGhVRxcqA&feature=relmfu

Pumpkin Peace :)

Luxury Autumn Breakfast

I woke up yesterday morning in the mood for a warming bowl of porridge for breakfast, and with a slight craving for something more..something to give me a little boost but that was also still warming..the answer to my urge?...chocolate! 

Yep, chocolate for breakfast.

I then decided to treat myself and go for a lovingly full out luxury of a breakfast..and here's what I made...

Ingredients

30g porridge oats

1 cup of almond milk

1 ripe banana

3-4 dates, chopped

1 tbsp dessicated coconut

1 tbsp peanut putter (from home made batch..found here... http://www.wutherswebofcakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/homemade-peanut-butter.html )

1-2 squares of dark chocolate with ginger

sprinkle of sunflower seeds

and a nice drizzle of agave

(I also popped my bowl to warm in the oven for a while so the porridge stays nice and warm while you're enjoying it.)

Pop the porridge oats in a small pan, pour over the almond milk and bring to the boil, simmer gently then add the coconut, dates, peanut butter and banana, mixing well and slowly until all combined and warmed through. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with sunflowers seeds, then add one square of the dark chocolate so it melts lovingly into your warm porridge..it looks and smells amazing!..Then drizzle on some sweet agave and grate the other square of dark chocolate for topping.

This is an ultimately sensual breakfast that will tickle and excite your senses and get you awakened for a relaxed yet steady and productive day. I savoured every mouthful and couldn't stop smiling while I was eating this..health and luxury in a bowl.

Treat yourself..you deserve it..you are beautiful! x

Millie the mouse enjoyed it too..xx

Homemade Peanut butter

I have a (somewhat) healthy addiction to this amazing creation, and I go through tubs of it at home, so I thought I'd save myself some pennies and have a go at making my own..and I threw in a few tasty surprises too..

Ingredients

200g peanuts, skins on

1 cup raisins

1 tbsp honey/agave

1 tsp cinnamon

Pop the ingredients into a food processor and wizz em all up..it's as simple as that!

Making sure to wipe down the sides every couple of minutes to ensure all the mix is combined...and, because they're not roasted, all the nutrients are still intact..so you get all the goodness from these joyous little peanuts!..

You can use other types of nuts too, almond nut butter is another favourite and also hazelnut butter..quite excited to try these ones out next time :)

Angel Cakes

I really love experimenting with raw food cake recipes, and here is another one of them..fruity and nutty Angel Cakes - tiny little treats filled with sparkly nutrients to sustain your body and your mouth with cuddly and juicy love, and although they may be tiny..don't let that deceive you, these loving little ladies will stay with you and keep your mind and body fuzzing with calm and bubbly energy the whole day through, even after just one..or maybe two!

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup walnuts

2/3 cup pitted dates

Pop both ingredients in a blender and blend until all combined. Then spoon the mix into the bottom of your preferred pan, I used mini silicone muffins - great for making raw or baked treats..and they're really cute!

Filling

2 cups dried and ready to eat prunes

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

3-4 drops of edible lavender essence

Combine all the ingredients (except the coconut oil) in a blender, and blend until all combined.

Then add the melted coconut oil and blend again.

The mix will be quite sticky..

Spoon the mixture on top of the walnut and date crust, and top with sesame seeds...or whatever decoration you fancy.

And they taste just as gorgeous as they look! A delicious and guilt-free treat to enjoy any time of the day :)

Angel love

x

Three Bears Bread and Goldilocks' Biscuits

I was inspired to make these little fellows for our New Roots 25th Birthday party, and thought that bread and biscuits would be a nice balance to bring..something savoury and something sweet, and it turned out that the savoury - the bread - had a little bit of sweet in it, and the sweet - the biscuits - had a little bit of savoury in them..yin a yang..good balance, ja?

So, here's the bread recipe, unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of the fresh out of the oven loaf, as I was in a bit of a mad rush to get there on time, but it came out rather quite well, and ended up being a lovely compliment to the soup that was made at the party..(which was a warm and hearty lentil and veg creation) and people liked it too..yay!

And the name, Three Bears Bread, represents the three different flours (and it fits nicely well with the name of the last recipe! ;)  )

Ingredients

1 cup chesnut flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup gluten free flour mix

2tsp dried yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fruit sugar

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

50g chopped dates

2 tbsp olive oil

200ml hand-hot water

2tbsp linseeds covered in warm water in a small bowl and left to set for 20mins (this makes an egg like texture and is a great binding buddy for breads and cakes)

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, yeast, salt, sugar, spices and dates.

Add the oil and water and mix to a stiff paste.

Turn into a greased loaf pan, cover loosely with cling film, or a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes. Then remove cling film and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes at 200oC until firm.

The loaf may not rise much, as gluten-free breads are quite tricky to rise, at least mine are anyway! But it still comes out rather tasty.

The sweetness of the dates together with the cumin and coriander spices was just loverly!

And it was quite a light bread too, not too heavy on ye tum..but just right..and seemed to leave me feeling rather nice and floaty and comfortably contented..ahhhh.

And here's the biscuit recipe..I was inspired by this chewy molasses cookies recipe, found here...http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2012/10/08/chewy-molasses-cookies/ a great vegan recipe blog..I just tweaked the recipe a little...

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp xantham gum

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinammon

6 tbsp margarine

1/2 cup fruit sugar

2 tbsp malt syrup

handful of walnuts, for topping

and a little jam of your choice, also for topping, I use pear and apple

In a small pan, slowy heat the malt syrup until melted. In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking powder and spices. In a separate bowl, beat together the margarine and fruit sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and mix to combine, and in several batched add the dry ingredients until a dough begins to form, adding a little soya milk if mix is too dry, and being careful not to over mix.

Pinch of about 1 tbsp of dough and roll into balls and place two inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes, then remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then top with jam and nuts..or you can use whatever your creative mood is fancying! :)

These came out nice and chewy and tasty, a little bit like a scone and had that nice sweet/savoury vibe, more sweet than savoury, not overly sweet..but just right..I think Goldilocks would like em..I shall name these biscuits..Goldilocks biscuits..because they're just right :)

xx