Rosemary Cardamom Kumquat Tarts

These little beauties are tart with a pinch of savoury and sweet.  

The perfect transition from winter into spring/summer flavours.  

Rosemary Cardamom Tart Shells

1.5 cup Soaked Cashews

1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder

6 cardamom pods (extract seeds and blend in a spice blender)

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

4 dates

Kumquat Cashew Filling

3/4 cup seeded kumquats

12 tbsp water

4 dates

1/2 cup soaked cashews

White Chocolate Top Layer

1 cup cacao butter

2 tbsp coconut sugar( I used 2 tbsp honey but it separated when solidified)

A dash of grey sea salt

Candied Kumquats

8 kumquats

2 tbsp water

A pinch of vanilla bean powder

1.5 tbsp honey

Prep 2 cups of cashews the night before by soaking them in water in the fridge.  If you’ve forgotten, an hour or 2 before of soaking will do, if you have a high speed blender.  

Dry off your cashews with a fresh dish cloth.  Place 1.5 cups of cashews in a food processor with the rest of the crust ingredients.  Blend until smooth and press into silicone muffin tins or paper wrappers.  Place in the freezer.

Slice 3/4 cups of kumquats in half and remove seeds.  Place in a blender with the last of the cashews (1/2 cup), 12 tbsp of water to thin it out and 4 dates to cut the tartness. Blend until smooth.  The mixture should still be quite thick but at a touch more water if it’s not blending.  Fill the tart shells leaving a bit of room at the top and rerun to the freezer.

For the white chocolate layer, melt in a pot over low heat with coconut sugar and sea salt.  Let it cool slightly but not so much so that it starts to solidify again.  Pour over frozen tarts and return to the freezer.

Slice kumquats into wheel shapes and de-seed.  In the meantime, in a small pot, allow water, honey and vanilla to come to a boil.  One it’s boiling, add the fruit and bring it back up to a boil.  Then reduce to a simmer for 10m.  Remove from the stove and allow to cool before placing in a glass dish with the syrup in the fridge. 

Once the white chocolate layer is solidified, remove from their silicone tart shells and top with candied kumquats.  These tarts can then be stored in the fridge.  

Makes about 9 tarts

Could easily be made into a cake as well, using a spring form pan.

Takes ridiculously too long to make.

Basil Pear Juice (Blender Style)

Basil Pear Juice

For those of you without a juicer, there's no reason why you can't have fresh juice with a blender on hand and the simple purchase of something as cheap and reusable as a nut milk bag (about $12.)  This recipe is a sweet and refreshing example of how it's done, not to mention a good use for leftover stems from your greens.

-1/2 cup green grapes

-1/4 cup fresh basil

-1/4 cup fresh mint

-1 pear

-1/2 a lemon

-the stems of one bunch of kale (good use for leftovers)

-a dash of cardamom

-1/4 tsp maca

-1 cup filtered water

Blend everything together except the cardamom and maca in a high speed blender.  Then strain the mixture through a nut milk bag.

Pour the mixture back into the blender with some ice, cardamom and maca; then blend it all together.

Pour into a nice glass and drink up.

If you choose to try this recipe in a juicer, you could try using the whole kale leaf to get more liquid, though the taste might differ lightly.  

Vegan Turkish Coffee Pudding

This is a great pick me up treat that's satisfying and just enough sweet.

Vegan Turkish Coffee Pudding

1 1/4 cup Soaked Raw Cashews

1/3 cup Coconut Milk

3 tbsp Water

1/2 tsp Cardamom

1 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder

1 tbsp Instant Coffee

8 Deglet Noor Dates

Blend everything in a high speed blender until smooth.  Place in the fridge first to solidify a bit or eat as is for a nice coffee treat. 

Spiced Squash Pie with Vanilla Date filling (Raw Vegan)

I experimented with squash this thanksgiving season and this pie was an instant success.  When my friend woke up with cravings for it the next morning, I knew I just had to share.

Crust:
Mix equal parts;
Hazelnuts
Cashews
Pecans
Flax
Hemp Seeds

It should be 1 1/3 cup approximately

12 Medjool Dates
2 tbsp Apple Pie Spice


Filling:
1/2 Butternut Squash
6 Medjool Dates
1/2 can Coconut Milk
8tbsp Soy Lecithin
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1tbsp Cinnamon
1tbsp Cardamom
1/4 tbsp all spice
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/3 a Lemon Juiced

Topping:
1 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Bean Powder
1 tbsp soy Lecithin
1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
5 Medjool Dates
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
A pinch of Cardamom and Cinnamon

Instructions

1) Blend all the crust ingredients in a food processor until it sticks together.  Press it into the bottom of a pie pan.  I chose a glass one.  Place that into the freezer for the time being.

2) Cut the skin off half a squash and place it in a high speed blender.  Add the rest of the ingredients for the filling and blend until smooth.  Pour that into the base and place back into the freezer.

3) For the topping, blend all the ingredients and put into a piping bag. Decorate the top as desired. 

4)  Let the pie set overnight or in the freezer for an hour for quick setting.