Tasty Treats: Raw Balls

I've been trying to eat healthy, high protein snacks (especially after working out), but we're on a budget and we try to avoid overly processed foods.  I found this tasty recipe for Raw Balls in The Kind Diet.  I made them with a few changes and I can't stop snacking on them!

Combine in a food processor and process until a paste:

1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Add in 1/2 cup chopped pecans and hand mix.  Rolls tablespoon balls in coconut flakes.  The paste is pretty sticky and tricky to deal with, but just get in there and get your hands sticky.  Once you start rolling them in coconut, they form nicely into balls.  Freeze them.  They are delicious frozen or thawed.  Enjoy!!!

Vegan

Eating In Week Day 6: Peanut Butter Pie

We've done a good job of eating in this week and so for Saturday night, we are going to have dinner at some friends' house.  We're bringing my favorite dish: Dessert!  Okay, I wish that I had the most wonderful rich and fluffy photos of this pie, but more often than not, the worse it looks, the better it tastes.  So, this looks like a mess, but it is tasty, indulgent and so rich!

I mashed together about 3 recipes to come up with a taste and texture that I liked.  Sources include The Kind Diet, Marantha Nut Butters, and Compassion Over Killing.

Pie Crust
You can use a premade pie crust (graham cracker or chocolate) or make you own:

Crush 20 graham crackers (or 2 cups chocolate cookies).  Blend with:
3 tablespoons safflower oil, margarine or butter (I used Earth Balance)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional)

Press into a pie pan.

Pie Filling
Blend together until creamy and silky:
12 to 16 ounces of firm tofu
1 1 /2 cups peanut butter (or to your taste)
1/4 cup maple syrup (add more or less depending on your sweet tooth)

Refrigerate 2 hours.  You can top with whipped cream, nuts or a chocolate coating.

Chocolate Coating
Melt 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  You can add vanilla extract, vanilla soy milk or maple syrup to taste and desired consistency.  Spread over top of pie.  Allow to refrigerate another hour.

Indulge and Enjoy!

Vegan Valentines Day Truffles

Well readers, I made truffles for the first time ever and am blessed to be a guest writer on Kiran's blog, Wish.

So, for recipes and more photos, please jump over to Wish and check them out!

Shannon's Supershake with Banana and Oats

When I was visiting my friends Shannon and Melissa in St. Louis, Shannon made the most tasty breakfast shake.  I asked for the recipe and here it is:

It's simple and everybody seems to like it.  You can freeze it too for an icy treat.

Blend all ingredients at once in a blender until smooth:

1 ripe banana
1/4 cu oats
1/2 cu yogurt (plain, vanilla, mango or whatever you like)
1/2 cu milk
1 tbs honey (or more if desired)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (as desired)

It makes a nice quick breakfast or a tasty after dinner treat.

Kiran's Kind Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am excited, because my dear friend in California, Kiran, is guest hosting this blog entry.  Please check out her blog at Wish.  Please enjoy her contribution to Chunky Chef, in her words:

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is cook.  It is one area where I have enough confidence in the outcome that I can just let them have fun with it.  It is almost always a relaxed and fun activity for all of us.  Even the 1 year old is starting to get in on the action with an occasional stir or dump of ingredients.  Last week we had several days of rain and cookie baking is the perfect rainy day activity.  My two boys seem to have very different palates.  One loves chocolate more than any other food (he takes after his grandmother for sure).  The other has declared that he hates chocolate and only likes vanilla desserts.  So it is always a big debate when we are going to make a dessert...what kind shall we make?  who will we please?  Since the weather was so gross and we had nowhere to be I decided on this day that we'd make chocolate chip cookies AND snickerdoodles.  Since I have recently made a switch to a vegan lifestyle the cookies had to be vegan.  I consulted several cookbooks and recipes and came up with adaptations/combinations of recipes I found in Vegan Lunch Box and Babycakes, based on what ingredients I had in the house.  Some vegan dessert recipes have weird ingredients.  Using applesauce to replace some of the margarine makes a moist and cakey cookie which my 4 year old thought would make excellent ice cream sandwiches.  If only the cookies had lasted long enough to try it.

For the snickerdoodles we used this recipe (http://veganyumyum.com/index.php?s=snickerdoodles&searchbutton=Go%21) from Vegan Yum Yum.  Yum Yum indeed!

 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 t baking soda

1/4 sea salt

1/2 stick earth balance butter flavored margarine, softened

1/2 C applesauce

3/4 C maple sugar or sucanat or brown sugar

3/4 C white sugar

3/4 C silken tofu, drained

1 1/2 t vanilla

1 package of vegan chocolate chips (because we like lots of chocolate)

In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt

In a large bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer) beat margarine, applesauce, sugars, tofu and vanille until light and fluffy.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add chocolate chips.

Place large spoonfuls of cookie dough on baking sheets  3 inches apart.  Bake until dark golden brown around edges, about 15 minutes.  Let sit on baking sheets for a minute or so then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Thankworthy Thumbprint Cookes

I modified these tasty treats from The Kind Life website.  They are delicious, wheat free, sugar free and full of protein.

 Preheat oven to 350F.  Grind 1 cup raw almonds in a food processor.  Combine in a bowl:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup soy flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used safflower)
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup

Roll into  1 inch balls and put onto greased baking sheet.  Press a thumbprint into each cookie and fill it with your favorite jam.  I used my mother's homemade blackberry jam.  If you want this recipe to be completely sugar free, then use an all fruit jam.  Bake 15 minutes.  Smile and enjoy.

St. Louis Good Eats: Jilly's Cupcake Bar

The delicious weekend in St. Louis was topped off by a visit to Jilly's Cupcake Bar.  I confess, even though I am a healthy eater, I LOVE sweets, especially cupcakes.  We stopped by Jilly's and picked up a box of sin for the road.  We sampled the following cupcakes:  Bee Sting (honey lemon curd stuffed), Penguin (dark chocolate stuffed with vanilla cream cheese), Twisted Red Velvet and Key Lime Pie.  If you are a frosting lover, then these are the ultimate cupcake for you since there is almost as much frosting as there is cake and it is beyond super delicious.  The cakes were moist, the stuffings were exceptional but the actual cakes lacked any flavor besides bland. 

The staff there is friendly and helpful, but the prices are something else:  cupcakes range from $4.75 to $5.50.  I don't recommend ordering lunch there as it is a little overpriced and slow.  Overall, I think the cupcake experience was worth it because I am a frosting girl.  It's worth the trip to see the beautiful cupcakes and experience the place once.  If you can't get to St. Louis, you can order them for delivery here.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar

509 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO · 63124

Phone: 314 993-Jilly (5455)
Fax: 314 993-5469

http://www.jillyscupcakebar.com

Photo:   http://www.jillyscupcakebar.com

Appeasing Apple Crisp

This is a warm, tasty treat for those cold winter nights and it's easy!

Preheat oven to 375F.

To make the crisp topping, combine in a bowl:

1 cup oats
1/3 cup flour (I used brown rice flour)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinammon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, maple syrup or brown rice syrup

To make pie filling, combine in a bowl:

3 chopped apples
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pour apple mix into a pie pan.  Cover with crisp mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are soft and juicy and topping is crisp.  You may like it served with ice cream or yogurt.

Gorgeous Gingersnaps

Ginger Snaps!  They are so simple and so tasty!  This is a staple recipe from The Joy of Cooking.  Enjoy these sweet and spicy treats.

Preheat oven to 325F.  Cream in a bowl:

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons white vinegar

Then add:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/2 teaspoons ground dried ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Drop by the spoonful onto grease cookie sheets.  Bake 12 minutes.  They are delicious warm, but the joy of this recipe is that they are nice and soft when they have cooled.  Dip in tea, coffee or eggnog and enjoy.

Oh My Gosh- I Am In Love With These Chocolate Cookies

I confess- I am a complete addict to these chewy chocolate cookies.  There is no comparison.  I found this recipe in the NY Magazine website.  I made two small modifications:  I substituted pecans and I reduced the vanilla.  They are so good that we made a batch yesterday, ate them all and made another batch today.  Yum!

Here's my version.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Trust me, this step is necessary or you'll lose half your cookies on the baking sheets.

Mix together:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt

Once mixed, drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets.  Bake 14 minutes.  Cookies will be shiny on the outside and chewy on the inside.  Enjoy!!

Crazy Cranberry Polenta

Here's a twist on Thanksgiving cranberry and cornbread dishes as adapted from The New York Times.  I like it best as a dessert.

Boil 4 cups of water.
Add 1 cup cornmeal.

Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.  Stir in one cup of fresh cranberries.  Press into a glass dish.  Chill into refrigerator until firm.  Slice and serve drizzled with agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.

Terrific Tapioca Pudding

You might have noticed that bubble tea has been the rage for the last years.  Those mysterious, scrumptious tea "pearls" are tapioca!  Tapioca originally derives from Brazil, but is now found all over the world, especially in Southeast Asia.  Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root and is sold as powder, flakes, meal or "pearls."  It is gluten free, protein free and often used as a thickening agent.  When I was a kid, all I ever knew about tapioca was that it was sold in those pre-made pudding cups and those were yucky!

A couple of years ago, I started making my own tapioca pudding and discovered that it is divine!  You can find tapioca pearls in most grocery stores and especially in Asian and Indian shops.  This recipe is super simple, scrumptious, great for guests and can be served warm or cold.

You can prep the pearls the night before or cook them the same day in with the rest of the ingredients.  I like to prep the night before so I have less chance of burning the pudding.

Place in a jar, close the lid and let sit overnight:

1/2 cup tapioca pearls
water to cover the pearls

Drain excess liquid and combine in a pan:

tapioca pearls
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or sugar)
1/4 teaspooon vanilla extract

Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Turn heat to low, simmer until pearls are soft and milk is a little bit thickened.  Garnish with fruits, seeds, nuts, coconut, etc.  Serve and savor!

Have You Met Mochi?

I have an incurable sweet tooth and I realize I can't live on cake, cookies, candy bars and junk food most of the time.  A couple of years ago, I discovered sweet, satisfying mochi.  You might know mochi from the delicious mochi ice cream served at japanese restaurants.  Mochi is brown rice pounded into a rice cake.  You can buy it pre-made in sheets or you can be really adventurous and make your own.

What do you do with Mochi?  Here's a few suggestions:

• Bake small cubes of it and serve with butter or honey almost like petit fours.
• Stir fry cubes of it with apples, raisins, nuts and eat like a pudding.
• Cut into strips, arrange in the waffle iron and cook until puffed up.  Serve the waffle with fruit, nuts and syrup.
• Bake cubes in the oven at 450F for 8 to 10 minutes until puffed up.  Garnish as you like.

Mochi is delicious because it is sweet in a mellow way, crispy on the outside and warm and gooey inside.  It comes in original flavor or delicious flavors like cinnamon raisin.

If you are extra adventurous, you can make your own mochi.

Cook:

2 cups sweet brown rice
2 1/8 cups water

Once rice has cooked and is soft, turn into a large bowl.  Pound the rice until it gets soft, like taffy.  You can press on a cookie sheet into sheets, let them harden and then store in the refrigerator as sheets or you can cook right away like cookies.

So, branch out and meet your new friend Mochi.

Fall in Love with This Pudding

Here's a fall version of Righteous Rice Pudding.  You can use your favorite fall squash or root in this pudding such sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin.  Dress it up with ice cream, custard, vanilla yogurt or cream.

Cook:

1 cup brown rice (I like short grain)
1 1/2 cups water

Combine in saucepan:

cooked rice
2 cups milk
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 pecans
1 cup chopped winter squash
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring to a boil, then turn to low.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened.  Savor and enjoy.

Check It Out Chewy Rice Cookies

Well, I like cookies way too much, so I try to make up some healthy sweet concoctions.  Also, there always seems to be leftover brown rice in the fridge, so brown rice cookies resulted.

Combine:

2 cups short grain brown rice (1 dry cup plus 1 1/2 cups water to cook)
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 egg whites
1 cup pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons oat bran

Bake at 350F for 15 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve with fresh fruit and enjoy.

Pure Indulgence: My Favorite Cake Ever

There's nothing healthy about this post, except the smile on my face after eating cake!  This is my staple cake recipe and it has never failed me.  White cake recipe is from The Joy of Cooking.  Chocolate silk frosting recipe is from Betty Crocker's Chocolate Cookbook.  Strawberry jam was homemade by Mom.  Enjoy!

White Cake

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix together:

3 1/2 cups white flour
4 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 egg whites

Beat until well combined and light.  Turn into greased two 8 or 9 inch round pans.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and outside is golden.

Let cake cool and turn out of pans onto baking racks.  Cool until room temperature.

Spread strawberry (or raspberry) jam onto one cake and top with second cake layer.

Chocolate Silk Frosting

Mix:

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cups buter
6 to 9 tablespoons cocoa powder (to your desired chocolate taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 tablespoons milk (to achieve spreadable consistency)

Frost cake.  ENJOY!!!!

Righteous Rice Pudding

Now that fall is approaching, it's time for some comfort food.  One of my favorite and almost guilt-free comfort desserts is rice pudding.  In the summer, I serve it cold with tropical fruit and during the cool months, I like it warm with apples, pears or raisins.  Here's the simple recipe adapted from Eat More Weigh Less.  Enjoy!

Cook:

1 cup brown rice (I like short grain)
1 1/2 cups water

Combine in saucepan:

cooked rice
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring to a boil, then turn to low.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Serve with fruit.

Peaceful Pie

Well, in the spirit of using local ingredients and eating down, I concocted this strange and tasty pie. This crust is a great use of leftover rice. We picked up some grapes at the farmers market in nanaimo and apples from the family's orchard.

Combine and mash in a food processor:

3 cups cooked rice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk

Press 2/3 of mixture into pie pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until firm.

Combine in the pie pan:

1 pound seedless grapes
2 to 3 chopped apples
1/4 cup sugar

Cover with remaining rice mixture (like a crumble).

Bake in the oven until all fruit is soft. You may need to cover it initially to prevent burning of the crumble. Remove when crumble is golden and fruit is soft, approximately 25 to 35 minutes.

Nice served with yogurt, ice cream or fresh cream.

Believe It Basil Sorbet

Well, this invention was a nice surprise!  Basil is so versatile and is a delicious flavoring for a light dessert sorbet.

Combine:

2-3 cups fresh basil leaves
4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar

Leave to cool and steep, recommend at least 12 hours.

Grate in zest from 1/2 lemon.  Pour into ice cream maker and churn until frozen.  Serve with fresh fruit.

Perfect Peach Crisp

We had an abundance of overripe peaches, so I whipped up this scrumptious peach crisp. It's super easy to make, reminding me that sometimes simple is underrated. Sorry, there are no pics of the finished product- it was gobbled up too quickly!


Filling:

5 large peaches chopped
1/3 cup sugar

Crumble:

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Chop the peaches and place in a large mixing bowl. Cover with sugar, mix and let stand.

Thoroughly mix all crumble ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a 9in glass pie dish, place and level filling. Cover filling with crumble. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, depending upon ripeness of peaches.