Zucchini Bacon Stacks with Basil Curry Nut Cheese and Sun dried Tomato Tapenade

With an overflow of zucchini finally popping up in my family garden, I came up with this tasty way to experiment with their neutral flavour and sturdy texture.

 

Slice zucchini as thin as possible.  Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt to soften and set aside.

For the basil curry nut cheese, blend half a cup of soaked cashews, 1/2 tsp curry powder, a dash of sea salt, a couple of sprigs of purple basil and water for desired texture.  

Crisp up some bacon in the oven.  425 degrees for 12m.  Remove from the baking pan and pat dry with paper towels.  

Dice up some kale as small as possible.  Massage with some sea salt and set aside.  Then combine, 1/2 lemon juiced, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of grainy mustard.  Massage the dressing into the salad. 

I used some store bought sun dried tomato tapenade but feel free to experiment with making your own.  

Layer the ingredients, stating with a layer of zucchini and build the stack to your liking.  Top with a dollop of basil curry nut cheese and a fresh sprig of purple basil.  Adapt this meal for vegans by using coconut bacon or omitting it all together. Enjoy! :)

Citrus Mango Ice Cream Cake with Mint Lime Coulis (Raw Vegan)

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups Walnuts
• 2 Medjool Dates
• A Dash of Sea Salt
• 4 pieces of Soaked Dehydrated Mango (insulated)
• 2 tbsp Coconut Flakes

Filling

• 3 cups Soaked Raw Cashews
• 1 Lemon, Zest and Juice
• 1 Lime, Zest and Juice
• 2 Oranges Zest, 1 Juiced
• 1 Mango
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• 2 Medjool Dates
• 1/2 cup Melted Coconut Oil

Mint Lime Coulis

• 1/4 cup Fresh Mint (packed)
• 1/8 cup Water
• 1/8 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Chlorella
• 1/2 Lime, Zest and Juice
• 1 tbsp Chia Seed
• 2 tbsp Coconut Cream

1. For the crust, soak mango slices for at least 2h.  Then drain them and throw them into the food processor with the other ingredients.  Blend and press into the bottom of a spring form pan.  Place this in the freezer to solidify.
2. In a high speed blender place 3 cups of soaked cashews, lemon, lime and orange juice and zests, along with mango, honey, dates and melted coconut oil.  To melt the oil place it in a glass dish in a late bowl of boiling water.  Stir consistently.  This keeps all components of the cake raw.  Blend everything together and top off the crust with the filling layer.  Put this back in the freezer to set.
3. Then blend all coulis ingredients until smooth.  The chia will help to solidify the sauce slightly.  The colour may be off-putting but trust me, it’s taste is worth a mouthful.
4. When the cake has set, cut into slices and drizzle with coulis to serve.