Valentine Rice Krispy Treats (gluten free, corn free, vegan)

Good morning and happy Valentine's day!

Today I share with you cocoa and vanilla rice krispy treats. These treats use brown rice syrup instead of marshmallows, so they contain NO gluten, corn, soy, or animal products. Yum!

Easy Gluten Free, Vegan Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients
1/3 cup nut butter of choice (I used cashew, but I think peanut or hazelnut would be fantastic with the cocoa treats)
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups gluten free crispy rice cereal (I use this one) It also comes in cocoa.

Method
In a large pan, heat nut butter and brown rice syrup over low heat until melted and well combined.
Stir in vanilla extract
Turn off heat
Stir in rice cereal until well coated with syrup mixture

Spread rice mixture in brownie pan to cool.

Alternatively, you can use a rice mold to make all kinds of shapes. I find this easier than cutting out rice krispy treats with a cookie cutter. This is what my rice mold looks like:

You can find rice molds (sushi molds) in Asian grocery stores. If you are lucky to live in a city that has a Chinatown, you can find them in ALL shapes and sizes- and super cheap. I found my heart mold, which also came with a flower mold, for 99 cents in San Francisco's Chinatown. If you can not find them in a local shop, you can also find them on Amazon.

Red White & Blue Rice Krispy Treats

Here is a fun, healthy, patriotic treat that only takes about 5 minutes to make. Enjoy!

Allergy Friendly Red White and Blue Rice Krispy treats

Gluten free and vegan. No corn, soy, or dairy.

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup nut butter of choice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups puffed rice cereal
1/3 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Method
In a large pot, heat brown rice syrup, nut butter, and vanilla over med-low heat until melted.
Stir in puffed rice, cranberries, and blueberries
Spread evenly in a 9x9 or similar pan, and let cool.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Great for snacks or breakfast.

You can use any puffed rice cereal that works for you, just double check to make sure it meets your allergy needs. I use Arrowhead Mills brand, it looks like this:

Note that this kind of puffed rice is not as crisp as a Rice Krispy type cereal. For that texture, I have used Erewhon brand, it looks like this: 

Brown rice syrup comes in a jar in the sweetener/baking aisle and looks like this:

Also note that you can find a variety of puffed grains, such as millet, quinoa, and corn in the cereal aisle. Play around, and mix and match various grains for your taste or allergy preferences. For example, here is a link to puffed millet treats I made for Halloween.

Have fun! Happy 4th of July.

Health benefits of: Blueberries, Cranberries

Gluten Free Vegan Orange Vanilla Cupcakes

Happy New Year! 

I had the brilliant idea that I was going to try to make champagne cupcakes for New Year's, but never got around to buying champagne : ) So, I opted for orange-vanilla cupcakes instead. Yum!

These cupcakes are adapted from the recipe found here. I made a few changes, and experimented with a new ingredient, acorn starch. I think they turned out a little denser than the original recipe describes- closer to a muffin than a fluffy cupcake- but still very, very good. 

Gluten Free Vegan Orange Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Frosting

Makes 12 large cupcakes, or 24 small cupcakes

Dry ingredients

3/4 cup organic brown rice flour

1/2 cup acorn starch (found in Asian markets)

1/4 cup tapioca starch 

3/4 cup organic raw cane sugar

1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt

1 teaspoon corn-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon guar gum

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

Zest from one orange

Wet ingredients

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon light agave nectar

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 

Ener-G egg replacerfor 2 eggs, mixed with 1/4 cup warm water

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with parchment liners.

Combine flour, starches, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, vanilla, and orange zest in bowl or in food processor.

In a bowl, add wet ingredients to dry and beat for approximately 2 minutes, until batter is light and fluffy.

Spoon into muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full.

Bake at 350F for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

Approximately 2 Tablespoons Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening(or similar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (double check ingredients to be sure it is allergy friendly, or make your own)

1-2 tablespoons filtered water (or orange juice, or rice milk)

1 cup organic powdered sugar (I have found that Whole Foods 365 brand organic does not contain cornstarch- but always check the label)

Method

Combine all ingredients, and beat on medium high until frosting is smooth and creamy. If frosting is too thick, add a little liquid (water or orange juice). If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

Use a frosting bag and tip if you have one. I just used a Ziploc and cut off the corner :) 

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Vegan Christmas Cookies (one raw)

All gluten free and vegan: Chocolate sandwich cookies, sugar cookies, raw vegan gingerbread men, and cinnamon-sugar balls

Merry Christmas everyone!

Raw Vegan Cranberry Apple Cheesecake

Our Thanksgiving dessert was delicious:

I started with a recipe I found online. That recipe didn't turn out the way I'd hoped, but I was able to rescue it by making some adjustments.

I made too many changes in the middle of creating this cheesecake to feel comfortable posting a recipe yet, since I would only be guessing what I added and in what amounts. 

I can tell you the basics:

Crust: Almonds and dates

Filling: Cheesecake with just a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves

Topping: Cinnamon, apples, cranberries, almond crumble 

Yum! 

Just writing about it makes me want to go eat one of the slices still in the freezer.

I don't have step-by-step photos of the dessert-making process, but I'll describe it, and post photos of the finished product. Warning: you may be hungry by the end of this post ; )

The week before, I dehydrated the (organic) cranberries: 

Aren't they beautiful? It was super easy, too. Just note: cranberry juice stains EVERYTHING it touches. Such as your cutting board, the dehydrator tray, a ceramic knife, your clothes if you are not wearing an apron... 

The cheesecake crust is simply almonds and dates processed in the food processor until crumbly. Reserve about 1/3 cup of the crust mixture for the topping, then press the remaining crust mixture into a 9" springform pan 

The filling is super simple. Most raw cheesecake recipes start with soaked cashews as a base. I followed the recipe I'd found online, but I was not happy with the taste or texture. A note here: a Vitamix really does make a huge difference. The original recipe suggested processing in a food processor, and I tried that. The mixture just does not get smooth enough. No matter how long I processed, it still had little pieces of cashew in it. Not good.

So, I put the mixture in the Vitamix, added a little filtered water, gave it a 20-second whirl, and it turned out perfectly smooth and creamy, as a cheesecake filling should be! Mmmm.

The taste was still not right, however. So I added some ingredients, added some more cashews, and played around with the flavor until it resembled a fall-spiced cheesecake. Yum!

Next step: pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan, tap to remove any air bubbles, cover, and put in the freezer to firm up.

While the cheesecake was chilling, I peeled and cored 3 Honeycrisp apples. I sliced the apples super-thin with the mandoline, and dehydrated about 2 hours. 

After 2 hours, the apples were warm and soft, not fully dehydrated (which would have made them crispy or chewy). I tossed with agave and cinnamon, and quickly realized we would need more apples to cover the top of the cheesecake (I think that's because I used a 9" pan, while the original recipe used a 6" pan). So, I repeated with 2 more Honeycrisp apples. Then tossed all of the semi-dehydrated apples with about 2/3 cup of the dried cranberries, agave, cinnamon, and the reserved crust mixture, and voila! Cranberry-apple topping. Yum. Just place mixture on top of the cheesecake. When ready to serve, remove the springform.

Can you believe that this is a healthy, living food? It is gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar free- but so sinfully rich, you would never know it.

(You know, I usually want pecan pie for Thanksgiving, but I just realized, I didn't even miss it!)

Here are some links to the health benefits of:

Cashew

Almond

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Cloves

Nutmeg

Apple

Cranberry

Raw Vegan Thanksgiving: Recipes and Photos

Gluten-free? Grain-free? Dairy-free? And trying to navigate holidays???? Don't worry, you can absolutely do it. The menu below is completely free from corn, soy, dairy, eggs, pumpkin/squash family, gluten, grains, refined sugar, processed foods, additives or preservatives. Hopefully it may give you some ideas in planning your holidays.

My neighbor and I decided to experiment and see whether we could create an entirely RAW Thanksgiving with traditional-type dishes. I'm thrilled to report it was a huge success! The dishes came out smelling great, looking great, and tasting great. Just like the traditional version- we were STUFFED afterwards (no pun intended). Somehow, we still managed to eat cheesecake after an after-dinner walk with Bailey on the beach.

The best thing... none of the guilt, nor that "GROAN-why-did-I-eat-that" feeling from eating too many inflammatory foods.

100% Raw Vegan Turkey- No tofu here!

Raw Turkeyless Turkey

Equipment: Food processor, dehydrator

Prep time: Soak nuts overnight. Dehydrate turkey 12-14 hours.

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

5 ounces walnuts (about 2 cups)

5 ounces almonds (about 2 cups)

1 pound carrot pulp

1 medium onion, diced small

1 Tablespoon raisins, soaked just long enough to make them soft (while you are getting your other ingredients together should be enough time)

1 Tablespoon good olive oil

1 Tablespoon caraway seeds, ground

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (I didn't have Italian seasoning, so I used Costco/Kirkland brand Organic 20 Spice No Salt Seasoning)

Sea salt to taste

Method

Soak nuts 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain nuts and rinse well.

Combine all ingredients in food processor until you have a pate. It should be firm, not soggy, and hold together when you press it together. 

Shape your "turkey" into whatever shape you like. Many people make a loaf. I am goofy about making food look festive, so I shaped a turkey body, then separately shaped two drumsticks and two wings. After they were dehydrated, I assembled the "turkey" on the platter. 

Tip: if you are Googling recipe ideas the night before Thanksgiving (not that I have ever done that, hahaha) and do not have 12-16 hours to dehydrate, you could simply shape a loaf, slice it, and dehydrate the slices. Or you could shape lots of wings and drumsticks to dehydrate. Any small shape will dehydrate more quickly than the big solid turkey.

You could also eat this not dehydrated, and it is still safe and tasty. However, dehydrating this recipe really makes a big difference in texture, flavor, and color. It als makes the turkey warm, and holds together better. I highly recommend dehydrating this recipe- but I tell you all of that just to point out that if all you do is get it in the dehydrator for a couple of hours, you'll be fine. It's just for taste and texture- it's not like undercooking a real turkey :)

Raw Walnut and Mushroom Stuffing 

Serves: 5-6

Equipment: Food processor Optional: Dehydrator

Prep time: Marinate mushrooms 2-4 hours or overnight

 Raw Vegan Stuffing in Turkey :)

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (Or substitute: Allergy-safe vegetable broth plus sea salt)

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 portabello mushrooms, chopped

3 cups walnuts

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ Tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped finely

2 Tbsps chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh sage

3 Tbsps olive oil

1 ½ cups grated carrot

1 cup chopped celery

½ cup pecan pieces

½ cup raisins

Method

Combine olive oil, Bragg's (or broth), and apple cider vinegar. Marinate the chopped portobellos in this mixture overnight.

Pulse walnuts, salt, thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage in food processor. Once roughly combined, add olive oil. Pulse until combined and the texture you like. We chose a chunkier texture that resembled traditional dressing.

Stir in carrot, celery, pecans and raisins.

Optional: put stuffing in dehydrator for 30-60 minutes to warm before serving.

Raw vegan (Gluten-free, Grain free, Dairy free) dressing right out of dehydrator

Raw Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Equipment: Blender Optional: Dehydrator or High-speed blender

Prep time: Soak nuts 4-6 hours

Ingredients

¼ cup warm water

¼ cup brazil nuts, ideally soaked for 6 hours, rinsed and drained

1 shallot or 1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons dried mushrooms, ground to a powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

½ Tbsp olive oil

Method

Blend all ingredients until smooth. 

Optional: Place in dehydrator 30 minutes before serving to warm. Alternatively, if you are using a VitaMix, you can simply blend until warm.

Note: We didn't care for this recipe. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup olive oil, and the final result tasted like olive oil. I have reduced the oil here to 1/2 Tbsp. I think this would help, but have not tried it. If you try it, post here and let me know! I'd suggest adding the olive oil slowly and taste as you go.

Raw Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Serves: 5-6

Equipment: Blender Optional: Food processor, Dehydrator.

Prep time: 3-24 hours to soften green beans

Casserole ingredients:

Fresh green beans

¼ cup red onion, sliced very thin

½ cup chopped mushrooms (any kind you like)

Cream of mushroom soup ingredients:

½ cup pine nuts

¼ cup white button mushrooms, chopped fine

½ teaspoon garlic

½ teaspoon salt

1 dash black pepper

1 cup filtered water

Top with caramelized shallots (recipe below)

Method

Thinly slice green beans with knife, or shred in food processor. To soften green beans, freeze them for 24 hours, and then let thaw. Alternatively, you can dehydrate for a few hours (I have not tried this, if you try it, let me know how it works).

Blend soup ingredients: pine nuts, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper (this is SO good!)

Pour soup mixture over sliced green beans, red onion, and chopped mushrooms.

Optional: Warm in dehydrator before serving.

Top with caramelized shallots (recipe below)

Note: I have made a few things with raw green beans, and I've decided raw green beans taste a bit "green" for my liking. But this and similar raw recipes get rave reviews online, and Joan liked it a lot. 

I'm thinking... if you didn't care about the recipe being "raw", you might be able to gently steam the sliced green beans, then combine with the soup and shallots. I may try that next time.

I LOVED the cream of mushroom soup, and would definitely make the soup on its own for lunch.

Raw Caramelized Shallots

Equipment: Dehydrator

Time: Deydrate 2-4 hours

Ingredients

3 large shallots, sliced very thin

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1½ teaspoons olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Method

Combine ingredients. Spread out on dehydrator tray lined with Teflexx sheet or parchment paper. Dehydrate until crispy, approximately 2-4 hours.

Yummy! I am wondering what else I can top with these in the future :)

Fresh Cranberry Chutney

Equipment: Food processor / blender

Time: Blend

I don't have Joan's top secret super-duper cranberry chutney recipe pictured above, but here is a cranberry recipe that came with my VitaMix that I think is very good.

Ingredients

1 orange, peeled, halved

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 apple, cut in quarters

1/4 cup sugar or other sweetener 

1/3 cup walnuts or pecans

Method

Place all ingredients in Vitamix and secure lid.

Blend, starting with level 1, slowly increase to level 4.

Blend about 10-15 seconds, or until chunky.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also made Cafe Gratitude's Pumpernickel-Rye toast:

We didn't even eat this, or the olives, we were so full from everything else!

Some more holiday photos:

 Place Settings

 Fall Flowers (Thanks, Ed)

 Acorn Salt & Pepper Shakers

Raw Vegan Thanksgiving Table

I'll post dessert (Raw Vegan Cranberry-Apple Cheesecake) in a separate post. Yum yum yum.

I'd love to hear what you made, and any suggestions for next year.

Soooo... does anyone have suggestions for Christmas dinner??? 

Raw Vegan Thanksgiving

Joan and I are planning a Raw Vegan Thanksgiving- I am so excited!

Image source

No, it doesn't mean that THIS will be all we can eat : ) Pretty cute, though.

Here is our menu- everything on the menu is a brand new endeavor for each of us, so there is no telling how anything will turn out. I must say, though, that I have rarely been disappointed in any raw vegan recipe- even when the ingredients look strange, and I wonder how they will ever come together to taste good. But they do! Raw recipes are always amazing. So, I have high hopes for our Thanksgiving dishes.

Raw Turkeyless Turkey (TASHA)
*Equipment: Food processor, dehydrator
Time: Dehydrate 16 hours
Serves: ?
1/2 lb walnuts
1/2 lb almonds
1 pound carrots, finely grated
1 medium onion
1 Tablespoon raisins
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds, ground
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
Sea salt to taste

Raw Walnut and Mushroom Stuffing (JOAN)
Serves: ?
Equipment: Food processor
Time: Soak mushrooms 2-4 hours or overnight
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 cups walnuts
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2 tbsps fresh chopped parsley
½ tsp dried sage
3 tbsps olive oil
1 ½ cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup pecans
½ cup raisins

Raw Vegan Mushroom Gravy (JOAN)
Equipment: Blender
Time: Soak nuts 4-6 hours. Before serving, can warm in dehydrator or blend until hot.
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup Brazil nuts, ideally soaked for 6 hours, rinsed and drained
1 shallot or 1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons dried mushrooms, ground to a powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Raw Vegan Green Bean Casserole (JOAN)
Serves: ?
Equipment: Blender
Time: Freeze sliced green beans 24 hours -OR- dehydrate for a couple of hours. Blend soup, then mix with green beans. Can be warmed in dehydrator.
Fresh green beans
¼ cup red onion, sliced very thin
½ cup chopped mushrooms
½ cup cashews
¼ cup white button mushrooms, chopped fine
½ teaspoon garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
Topped with Sarma’s caramelized shallots

Raw Caramelized Shallot (TASHA)
Equipment: Dehydrator
Time: Deydrate 2-4 hours
Shallots
Maple syrup
Nut or Olive oil

Fresh Cranberry Chutney (JOAN)
Equipment: Food processor / blender
Time: Blend
Fresh Cranberries
Orange
Agave
?

Raw Vegan Apple Cranberry Cheesecake (TASHA)
Serves: ?
Equipment: Blender, cheesecake pan, dehydrator
Time: Dehydrate cranberries, Soak cashews 2-4 hours, Dehydrate apples 2 hours, chill cheesecake for 2 hours
1 C Almonds
4 Dates, soaked until soft with pit removed
3 Apples, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 C Agave
1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/3 C Dried Cranberries
2 T Coconut Butter
1/3 C Crust
2 C Cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
1 t. Lemon juice
1/2 C Coconut Butter (softened in dehydrator)
1/4 C Agave
1 t. Vanilla
1 t. Cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg

I'll post how everything turns out, and the full recipes, after Thanksgiving.

p.s. Wait until you see Bailey's Thanksgiving outfit

I promise, it's not as bad as this (hee hee)

Image source

Dia de los Muertos

Photo source

Today is el dia de los muertos. Dia de los Muertos translates literally to "Day of the Dead". Here in the US, it is a misperception that the Day of the Dead has to do with zombies, or that it is supposed to be spooky or scary. El dia de los muertos is a festive traditional Mexican holiday in which families remember loved ones who have died before them. Rather than being a somber occasion, it is a celebration of life.

As with many cultural holidays, el dia de los muertos winds up being a feast. Families often prepare the favorite meals of the deceased. There are certain foods associated with the holiday, such as pan de muerto (a sweet bread), and calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls). Some sugar skulls are beautifully decorated with intricate color and detail. These candies-turned-artwork have inspired "sugar skull" artwork in other forms as well (paintings, tattoos, mosaics).

Sugar skulls. Image source.

Sugar skull artwork. Image source

In Mexico, families prepare meals, pack picnic lunches, and go to the park or cemetery to visit the graves of their loved ones. It is a festive occasion, a national holiday, in fact, when the whole community celebrates and remembers the lives of those who have passed on before them. Many times they will display a photo of the deceased, light candles, and bring flowers. You can read more about the holiday here.

Personally, I think it's a really neat tradition. I would love to one day be in Mexico for dia de los muertos.

Anyway, I thought I'd give a little background on the holiday, and then show you my way cool dia de los muertos STUFF from San Diego. There is a lot of Mexican influence in San Diego, and it was fun to see some of the dia de los muertos art in the local shops and museums. I have always liked the artwork.

We came across one dia de los muertos display in the Old Town section of San Diego. You might be able to see in this photo that there are framed photographs of the deceased displayed at the bottom. Each photograph included some information about that person and his/her role in the community. I thought that was nice.

Next- check out my very cool apron (I love, love, love it). We found this at a booth at the Ocean Beach Farmer's Market.

Here is the lovely lady who made this apron. She designed the pattern and hand made the apron. It is a nice apron- fully lined, with two pockets, and machine washable (hang dry). The artists name is Sunny, and she has an eBay store here.

Then, to my surprise, when I arrived home, I received a souvenir package with a tile that I had looked at in one of the shop windows.

I hung it above my stove:

I love it. Thanks, Ed!

p.s. Next year, I want to try to make sugar skulls, or (gluten free) pan de muerto : ) We'll see!

Gluten Free Vegan Halloween Krispy Treats

The inspiration for this recipe was a bag of puffed millet that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. If you are not familiar with millet, you will be happy to know that it is a low-calorie, gluten free grain with nearly 10% protein. Millet is high in magnesium; magnesium is beneficial to cardiovascular health, and can help prevent muscle cramps and migraines. Millet is also high in B-vitamins, folate, iron and zinc. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found this puffed millet is similar in texture to puffed rice. It is puffed and airy, but soft, not crispy. The only ingredient in the (Arrowhead Mills brand) cereal below is millet; nothing else.

The recipe below uses brown rice syrup instead of the marshmallows that are traditionally used in krispy treats. Why? Take a look:

The ingredients in Kraft marshmallows, large or small, are: corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch, dextrose, water, gelatin, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, artificial flavor, natural flavor, and blue #1.

Besides the corn, corn, and more corn, fake laboratory ingredients with names I can't pronounce, and artificial colors and flavors- I won't even go into how gelatin is rendered. You can Google it... it's pretty disgusting. Blech! I'm not even vegetarian, but gelatin is an ingredient I'd like to avoid.

Dried apricots and raisins sneak in a little extra nutrition in this recipe, in addition to adding Halloween color.

Allergy-Friendly Halloween Krispy Treats

Ingredients
2 cups puffed millet
1/2 cup cashew butter (click here for how to make your own)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
Dash himalayan salt (optional)
Dried apricots, diced
Dried zante currants (or raisins)

Method
Add cashew butter and brown rice syrup to a large saucepan over low heat.

Stir until melted.

Add dash of salt, if using. Stir to mix.
Add puffed millet.

Stir until millet is well coated with syrup mixture.

Add diced dried apricots and currants. Stir to combine.

Drop large spoonfuls of millet-fruit mixture onto parchment paper and let cool.

The mixture is pretty hot at this point, so just drop it onto the parchment paper, don't worry about the shape.

When it is cool enough to handle, shape into balls (just roll between your palms).

Enjoy!

Bailey is such a good dog. Since he is so darn cute laying there watching me take photos of food, I thought I'd let him pose with the treats too : ) He just likes the attention, he doesn't even try to swipe a treat : )

This recipe is linked to Cybele Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday. Click to check out the other great allergy friendly recipes and the rest of Cybele's blog for awesome gluten, dairy, and egg free recipes.