Gingery Coconut Milk Radish Greens Soup

(hashtag) radishmania 2016.

stop worrying. start sharing.

Gingery Coconut Milk Radish Greens Soup

with Salted Buttered Radishes.

I'm a black belt in anxiety fueled second guessing and self-sabotage.
An achievement a lifetime in the making.
It's the reason I'm terrible at sustaining friendships, why I still haven't gotten any tattoos or learned to skateboard or surf, and why I'm finally writing this slightly spring-y soup post on the eleventh day of summer at six in the evening.

The recipe has been tested and ready to share for well over a month at this point. But every time I sat in front of the computer and tried to write something (ANYTHING) to fill this space, I cycled through that obnoxiously familiar... nothing ever seems quite good enough no one cares what you have to say everything feels overwhelming so instead I'll just tunnel down the internet rabbit hole for a few hours because everyone should know how to modify a vintage dresser to conceal a litter box and tori spelling's full post 90210 filmography needs investigating also what ever happened to the guy who played the slightly rockabilly looking musician who sang that song about talking to angels and threw her character down the stairs didn't he get a spin-off or something... headspace.

Noise noise noise. 90s kid noise.

Then I had a minor epiphany at a concert the other night. Maybe it was the music or that I was juuuuust the right kind of self-medicated... whatever the cause, a whole lot of super intense feel-y thoughts about emotional honesty in relation to anxiety happened. The most immediately relevant being that I carved out this little digital nook way back when to put something genuine out into the world -- so what's the point if I'm not being my best (or at least...better) self here? Plus my birthday is rapidly approaching and I'd like to fuel my next trip around the sun with something more effective than creeping discomfort.

So YOU'RE WELCOME EVERYONE! Enjoy my rawness.
Also, this delightful soup recipe.

Gingery Coconut Milk Radish Greens Soup

with Salted Buttered Radishes.

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of radishes (french breakfast, easter egg, cherry belle), greens attached--

you want roughly 2 cups of chopped greens, so shop accordingly
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/4c minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2c reduced fat coconut milk
2c water

1tsp sea salt
2tsp olive oil

dairy free butter of choice
flaky salt

Creamy Carrot-Sumac Soup with Crispy Chickpeas and Shallots

sprung?

Creamy Carrot-Sumac Soup 

with Crispy Chickpeas + Shallots

warm enough to thaw my cold winter heart.

It's snowing as I type this. 

It has been spring for 19 days now and it's snowing. 

Half an hour ago I was wearing my heaviest winter coat. And a hat. And gloves.

Yesterday was 65 degrees. Tomorrow will probably feel like summer. 

Ugh.

Little known fact about me-- I will fall down in a spectacularly cartoonish manner at least once a winter. Taking a header on a patch of ice and pitching ass-backwards into a giant snow drift, or an equivalently embarrassing series of events.

But this year was different. 

Not because I spent the previous 11 months mastering my coordination skills, but because there was just too much damn snow.

Feet upon feet upon feet upon feet of snow. 

The sheer volume of which made falling down next to impossible.

Instead I spent two month rattling around endless ice and snow mazes (that used to be sidewalks) like a human pinball. 

Not necessarily better, but much less bruise-inducing.

Then the first day of "spring" came...

I accidentally wandered onto a continent-sized sheet of ice, slipped-- nearly dislocating both knees in the process, and dumped half a bag of groceries directly into the filthiest, deepest puddle of all time. 

And, just to add insult to literal injury, I tried to brace myself on a nearby snow pile but my arm went straight through to the still-frozen ground.

There I was, laying on the sidewalk with one arm stuck up to the shoulder in a pile of slush, one leg bent behind me, on the verge of tears, and wondering how bad it would be if I just slept there that night.

This is what spring in New England does to you.

It leaves you banged up (both in the head and on the body), pushing the borders of unhinged, and in need of some serious comforting.

It's the the soup-iest of soup weather.

bowl therapy.

crispy bits.

Soup:

1lb carrots (about 5-6), coarsely chopped

2 shallots, sliced into very thin rings

2 1/2c cooked chickpeas

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2Tbsp olive oil

2tsp sea salt

1Tbsp sumac

2Tbsp ground cumin

3Tbsp fresh lemon juice

5-6c water

Toppers:

1c cooked chickpeas

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1Tbsp olive oil

2tsp sumac

2tsp cumin

1Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1-2tsp lemon zest

1/4tsp sea salt

Brown Rice Salad with Lemon-Pepper Roasted Sweet and Spring Onions

alliumania.
Brown Rice Salad with Lemon-Pepper Roasted 
Sweet and Spring Onions.

alliumilicious

Fair warning, if you are among the allium-averse I advise steering clear of this particular recipe. This is a long distance dedication going out to all the other onion lovers out there, you know who you are.
Come spring, I can't get enough of 'em and if you're anything like me,
this recipe'll do you proud.
Spring and sweet onions, tossed in a lemon-pepper dressing, roasted to beautifully soft perfection, tossed with brown rice and topped with,
you guessed it, more spring onions.
ALL THE ONIONS. FOREVER.
Alliumania. Get on board.

Brown Rice Salad with Lemon-Pepper Roasted 
Sweet and Spring Onions
(serves 4, as a side)

1 cup dry short grain brown rice
1 medium sweet onion, sliced into thin shoestrings
1 bunch spring onions (about 4-6) sliced into thin rings

Dressing:
2Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3Tbsp nutritional yeast
1tsp finely ground sea salt
2tsp ground black pepper

Raw Vegan Chocolate Dipped Caramels

because EVERYTHING is better dipped in chocolate.
Raw Chocolate Dipped Date-Tahini Caramels.

be not ashamed.

Lately, I can't go more than a week without coating something in dark chocolate. All of my recent dessert concoctions seem to wind up dipped or drizzled (or sometimes dusted) in the stuff.  So, in an effort to make this unbreakable chocolate habit a little less health-averse, some serious raw vegan dessert experimentation has been going down in the slow club kitchen. There was this raw chocolate cheesecake, some almost raw chocolate drizzled coconut macaroons and now these caramels. 

OMG... these caramels.

Date-tahini filling takes the place of a traditional sugar-based caramel and is dipped in a raw dark chocolate coating. 

Perfect chocolatey, caramel-y goodness and completely raw to boot. 

I wouldn't go so far as to call them healthy... but if you're planning on shame eating two dozen chocolates this valentine's day (no judgements, we've ALL been there) 

make it these chocolates. 

Trust me. 

Mini Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

tiny cake for the win.

Mini (Raw Vegan) Chocolate Cheesecake.

because tiny cake always wins.

I could, if properly motivated, carefully craft some sort of elaborate origin story

 for this cake, but it would be a filthy lie. 

The truth is simple. 

I wanted raw cheesecake, the ingredients were on hand and...cake happened. 

More specifically raw vegan chocolate cheesecake with coconut walnut crust. 

Boom.

Now go make some, 'cause its pretty dope. 

(shortest. blog post. EVER.)

Mini Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

(makes one 4 1/2" cake)

you will need a mini springform pan
or
something comparably sized. 

filling:

1/2c raw cashews

1/2c raw walnuts +

water for soaking

3Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2Tbsp raw agave syrup

(can also use maple or brown rice syrup, not raw)

1/2tsp sea salt
2Tbsp softened raw coconut oil

1Tbsp raw cacao powder

1/2tsp vanilla extract

vegan cashew mac & cheese

the greatest love affairs are cheese-based.

Vegan Cashew Mac & Cheese

the sparkle is back.

One of my clearest food memories from early childhood is that of a baked macaroni and cheese casserole. My family did not eat such things, a fact which I regarded with resentment at the time but have grown to appreciate over the years. But there are perks to visiting relatives and sometimes those perks are cheese-covered. One sunny Florida day, my father's cousin took something from her oven the likes of which I had never seen. Surely my memories have been exaggerated over time, but this bubbly, cheesy, bread crumb-topped thing...I remember how it smelled and can picture it now,  majestically glowing like so many gold bricks. WHAT WAS MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE AND WHY HAD I NEVER EATEN IT BEFORE??? That was the moment our love affair began, macaroni and cheese and I.  In all of the intervening years, we have stayed true to each other. We even survived VEGANISM together; our bond is stronger than oak. Because of this unwavering devotion I have eaten A LOT of mac and cheese over the years,

some of it very very good and a good amount of it very very bad. 

I wouldn't say our relationship was in trouble (mac and cheese and I) but, as with any long term commitment, the sparkle might have faded, just a teensy bit.

So, I've been doing some (cashew-based) tinkering and what can I say? 

This stuff...YOU GUYS. 

This stuff is like a little bit of magic. Or a whole lot of magic. 

A whole lot of cashew-y cheesy-y magic. Without the cheese. 

The sparkle is back. 

(cashew) cheesy goodness.

Vegan Cashew 

Mac & Cheese

(serves 4... or 1 if you're me)

1 (heaping) cup raw cashews

+ water for soaking

1Tbsp tomato paste

1/4c water

2Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 lemon, juiced

1tsp sea salt

1/2tsp turmeric

1/4tsp black pepper

1lb pasta of your choosing.

I prefer rice (for gluten free) or 

whole wheat elbows.

optional:

1/2c unseasoned breadcrumbs 

1-2tsp olive oil

scallions/ crushed red pepper for garnish

Soak raw cashews in cool water for 1 hour.

Drain soaked cashews and place them in a food processor or blender.

Add nutritional yeast, tomato paste, salt, turmeric, pepper
and pulse a few times to combine.

Add lemon juice and water.

Blend until completely smooth.

Prepare pasta according to instructions.

Drain and combine with cashew cheese.

Add water, a tablespoon at a time, if sauce seems too thick.

Serve as is, with garnishes of your choosing

or

Spread prepared mac and cheese into a greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and extra olive oil.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.

Garnish and serve.

we've got a lot of good years left in us, mac and cheese and i.

turmeric-spiked potato, leek and carrot soup

harvest fantasies and a heart of gold.
Turmeric-Spiked
Potato, Leek and Carrot Soup.

body warming/ soul warming.

I've been listening to a lot of Neil Young lately, and eating a lot of soup.

I'm not saying that the two are necessarily intertwined, but...

When the world is frozen and dark, Harvest is one of those albums that transports me.  Suddenly I'm outside on a warm night, a beer in hand, bare toes curled into dewey grass.  It seems counterintuitive, but the right kind of soup can have a similar effect. Sometimes the things that grow in winter can seem a little... sparse.  All the same old roots and scraggly greens.  But rounded up together in a bright, soup-y showcase, they can make summer and all of it's abundant growing things 

feel a little bit less out of reach.  

Music and soup to warm the (tired winter) soul.

Potato-Leek and 
Carrot Soup
(serves 4)

2 medium leeks
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 large carrots,
peeled and diced
about 1lb of fingerling, or other similarly waxy potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2Tbsp olive oil
2tsp sea salt
1tsp ground black pepper
2tsp turmeric
1Tbsp fresh lemon juice
6c unsalted vegetable stock or water

extra salt/pepper for seasoning

Vegan Chickpea Omelette

breakfast stuffs delivery system initiate.
Vegan Chickpea "Omelette"



Two pretty perfect (if I do say so myself) chickpea omelets, fully loaded
with tempeh, sautéed kale and avocado.

 I haven't missed/ don't miss eggs. I baked my first batch of vegan cookies at the ripe old age of 14, followed shortly thereafter by my first vegan cake, and never looked back. But every now and again, while watching breakfast companions devour eggy omelets, I feel little pangs of jealousy. Not over the eggs themselves, but because *DAMN* the omelette is an optimal breakfast stuffs delivery system.
You can put anything in there, and a lot of anythings at that.
Breakfast burritos and breakfast bowls are all well and good,
but omelets bring the fully-loaded fancy.
And we should all be bringing more of the fancy in 2014.
So I've spent a few snowed-in days tinkering with ingredients
and came up with this non-eggy solution.

A variation on a traditional socca, or chickpea crepe,
tailor-made for all your breakfast needs.
Fancy pants.

Days this cold are best spent indoors, over a hot stove, avoiding frostbite.

Snow falling, omelets cooking.

Ingredient gathering.

Raw Vegan Coconut Cheesecake Bites

i want to be the girl with the most cake.
or just enough cake, really...

Raw Vegan Coconut Cheesecake Bites. 

Little bitty nutty miracle, this thing is.

I will spare you from having to read yet another flowery blog post singing the praises of  cashew cheesecake. Its a damn miracle and we all well know it.  I have a few brief things to say on the subject and then you can get down to the very important business of making, and eventually eating, cake. There are a lot of fantastic raw cheesecake recipes out there, but almost all of them are for special occasion, party of eight, birthday-sized cakes. That's all well and good, but if you're not throwing a party or not in the mood to spend thirty dollars on dessert (all of those raw food components can get a bit pricey), those recipes aren't going to work. Also, I'll let you in on a little secret. Unlike your standard carb-y sugar bomb, raw cheesecake is healthy, nourishing and FILLING. So this recipe is on a mini scale. 'Cause a little goes a long way and 

'cause mini raw foods are adorable.
Oh and I almost forgot, you can eat them for breakfast.
Cheesecake. For breakfast.
So there's that.

This recipe is an adaptation from the always inspiring Choosing Raw.

Raw cashews, measured and ready for soaking.

Recipe notes:
I use a standard silicone 1" peanut butter cup mold, which yields 12 mini cake bites.
For slightly larger cakes try silicone mini or standard muffin cups or a small spring form pan.
You can also use a plastic mold, though the cakes might be more difficult to pop out.

Raw Vegan Coconut Cheesecake Filling
(makes 12 1" cake bites)

1/2c raw cashews
1tbsp agave*
2tsp raw coconut oil
1/4tsp vanilla extract
1/8tsp sea salt
2tsp lemon juice

*you can also use maple syrup, though it is not raw.

Date-walnut crust, fully blended.

Date-Walnut Crust
4 pitted dates
1/3c raw walnuts
2tbsp raw flaked coconut
2tsp raw flax seed meal

Extra flaked coconut for garnish

To prepare filling:
Soak cashews in filtered water for 2-3 hours.
Drain water and discard.
 Place cashews in a blender or food processor.
Add all other filling ingredients and blend
until smooth.
Set aside.




To prepare crust:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until mix is made up of only small crumbs
and holds together when pressed in your hand.

Coconut-topped medium sized tarts.

Press the crust into the bottom of each cake mold.
Spoon in cheesecake filling and shake to distribute.
Use a spatula to smooth out the tops then add extra flaked coconut for garnish.
Transfer mold to the fridge and allow to chill for 1 hour.
Once chilled, pop cake bites out of the mold and enjoy!
Store any extras in the fridge.

Yeah, they really want you.
They really want you.
They really do.

Raw Walnut Milk and Raw Walnut Alfredo

(better) late (than never) to the party...

Raw Walnut Milk

and

Raw Walnut Alfredo Sauce.

Freshly blended walnut-y perfection.

 



Walnut milk came as something of a surprise to me. Until about a week ago I had regarded walnuts as too precious a commodity to milk-ify. Oh, how wrong I was... Over the course of the last decade and a half I've tried (and tried making) just about every other kind of non-dairy milk under the sun. After all those years of mad-scientist experimentation, hemp milk became the homemade go-to in my household. It served it's purpose but, while I dig the taste of hemp seeds, I never quite fell in love with raw hemp milk. It lacked the creaminess of store bought and the taste was always a little... off.  But I dutifully made it each week and saved the pulp for raw crackers or cheese or sauce. Meh. Then last week I found myself hemp seed-less and a light bulb went off. Why couldn't I do the same with walnuts? So I did. And it was glorious.
Turns out raw walnut milk is pretty much perfection. Go figure.

And then there's the walnut pulp Alfredo...

*swoon*

Raw. Vegan. Alfredo.

Need I say more?





Soaked walnuts, ready to be blended.

 

Raw Walnut Milk

5c filtered water + extra for soaking

1c raw walnuts

2 pitted medjool dates

1/4tsp sea salt

1/4tsp vanilla extract
 

Place raw walnuts in a small bowl, cover with filtered water, soak for3-6 hours.

Drain soaked walnuts and discard water.

Place nuts, dates, salt and extract into blender or milk maker.

Add 5c water.

Blend until smooth or use set milk maker to raw.

Once blended, strain mixture through a cheesecloth or nutmilk bag, reserving pulp.

If using a milk maker, simply pour off milk and reserve pulp.

And then there was this...
 

Walnut Alfredo with whole wheat pasta, kale, artichokes and fried tofu.
Yes, it was as good as it sounds.
 



Raw Walnut Pulp Alfredo Sauce

(serves 2)

Reserved, strained walnut pulp (should measure about 1/2c)

3Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2tsp sea salt

1 clove garlic

1/4tsp nutmeg

1/2tsp ground black pepper

1Tbsp reserved walnut milk (more as needed)

Dash of dried oregano (optional)

 

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Add more walnut milk as needed for creaminess.

Serve over raw or cooked noodles.

 

Raw Coconut-Vanilla Chia Pudding

insert chia pet commercial joke here...
Raw Coconut-Vanilla Chia Pudding. 

Raw coconut vanilla chia pudding served with walnuts, sliced peaches and hemp seeds.

Being a child of the 80s made coming to terms with the whole chia pudding concept rather difficult. Until recently I had only ever experienced chia in pet form, gooey little seeds slathered onto a terra cotta sheep for novelty sprouting. But, in spite of what TV infomercials would have us believe, there is much more to chia than giving fuzzy green fur/ hair to ceramic animals and Mr. T heads.

Chia seeds are nutritional rockstars, ridiculously full of fiber, protein and vitamins, and they happen to make an outstanding pudding. The seeds thicken when soaked in liquid, giving them a texture similar to that of tapioca. Add a little sweetener, a little vanilla, a pinch of salt and you've got a crazy good (and good for you) pudding that can be enjoyed guilt-free any damn time of day.
Pudding for breakfast?
Don't mind if I do.

Maple syrup measuring time. 

Coconut-Vanilla Chia Pudding
(serves 2-3)

 1c light coconut milk

3Tbsp raw chia seeds

1" of a vanilla bean, scraped

or

1tsp vanilla extract

1/4tsp sea salt

1tbsp maple syrup
or
agave syrup

toppings 
suggestions:

raw walnuts
almonds

coconut flakes

cacao nibs

sliced fruit
berries
hemp seeds

In a medium bowl combine chia seeds, sea salt and maple syrup.
Split vanilla bean segment lengthwise and, using the backside of knife, scrape the seeds from inside the pod and
add to mixing bowl.
You can also drop the scraped pod into into the mix for a stronger vanilla flavor. Simply leave pod to soak with pudding then remove before eating.
Add coconut milk, whisk to combine.
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Whisk again, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours until thickened.
Serve with fresh fruit, nuts or seeds.


*Recipe Notes*

Read ingredients when shopping for coconut milk as many brands contain additives and thickeners. My favorite is Trader Joe's canned light coconut milk. It contains only coconut milk and water and is a great value at about $1 per 14oz can.
If you find that your pudding has become overly thick after setting,
add a bit more coconut milk and stir to combine.
Alternately, if it is too thin add a small amount of extra chia seeds to thicken it up.

More ways to eat chia pudding: with raw walnuts, hemp hearts and a sliced fresh fig.

Raw Chard Chips

kale schmale... this is where it's at

Raw Chard Chips.

Kale chips aint' got nothin' on these.

As mentioned in my last post, we're smack dab in the middle of chard week here at the slow club kitchen. Seemingly endless rain and relatively cool early summer temperatures here in the northeast have done wonders for my container-grown plants. As a result I've gone a little mad-scientist over here, experimenting with ways to preserve some of this beautiful bounty. The freezing route has been tested with mediocre results. The pickling route has been tested with OUTSTANDING results (recipe here), so what to try next??

If kale can chip-ifyed, why not chard? 

It can be done! And the results are not only incredibly tasty, but gorgeous. Chard leaves are slightly less hearty than kale, making for a more delicate and entirely different raw chip experience. When readying the leaves, trim away the larger pieces of stem (and save them for these pickled chard stems), but keep the center veins of the leaves intact. This will make the finished chips a bit sturdier. One incredibly helpful tip I can offer- save those little desiccant packets you find in store bought foods like seaweed chips; I hoard them like nobody's business. Toss one into the container with your finished dehydrated chips; it'll do wonders keeping them 

crisp and fresh. 

Paprika-Lime Chard Chips

1 bunch of chard, stems removed and leaves quartered

1.5Tbsp olive oil

1/2tsp sea salt

1.5Tbsp fresh lime juice

1Tbsp paprika

2Tbsp nutritional yeast

Wash and dry chard.

Cut away stems up to the base of leaves and set aside.

Slice each chard leaf top to bottom through center vein, then halve each piece.

Put cut chard into a medium sized mixing bowl.

Add olive oil, salt, lime juice, paprika and nutritional yeast. 

Toss to combine, then use your hands (this will be a little bit messy) to lightly massage mixture into the leaves. 

Spread seasoned leaves in a single layer onto dehydrator sheets.

Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 8-12 hours.

Alternately, the chips can be oven baked at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes,

just keep a close eye on them as they can easily burn. 

Store in an airtight container (if baking, allow to cool completely first)

for up to a week. 

Pretty food just tastes better, right?

Raw Vegan Goat Cheese

...and the final piece of the puzzle falls into place.
Raw Pine Nut "Goat Cheese"

Raw pine nut goat cheese spread, served with whole grain crackers.

Not to be too much of a curmudgeon, but I'm not generally too big on faux meat and dairy products. Don't get me wrong, they're great transitional foods for those easing slowly into a more vegetarian/vegan diet, and I certainly won't deny scarfing them down from time to time. Tofu dogs on the grill in the summer, vegan cheese on a pizza, and of course the occasional vegan grilled cheese or macaroni and cheese (thank you Daiya), but these things are more of a novelty than everyday food.
Nut-based cheeses are a whole different story.
Healthy, plant-based whole ingredients combine to create a final product with the
creaminess and texture you'd expect from a dairy-based cheese.
Boom.

This is the great uncharted west of the homemade vegan world, people.
An entirely new frontier just waiting to be further explored.
There are a handful of nut-based cheeses on the retail market, but they are hard to come by (or way too expensive) for the majority of us.
As has been stated on this blog before, I am a cheapskate (the alternate working title for this blog was Cheap-Ass Vegan...) and an obsessive DIY-er.
So, not surprisingly, I've been experimenting with some recipes.
I've got a pretty good recipe for raw cashew ricotta under my belt
and now, after a little experimenting, a raw pine nut goat cheese recipe
to share with you, dear readers.

Raw pine nuts, post soaking and roughly doubled in volume.

Raw Vegan Pine Nut 
"Goat Cheese"

(makes about 4oz)

1/2c raw pine nuts

1tsp extra virgin olive oil

1tsp lemon juice

1/8tsp lemon zest

1/2 clove of garlic, finely minced

2tsp nutritional yeast

1/4tsp ground black pepper
1/4tsp salt
plus extra for topping

Place pine nuts in a glass jar or bowl and cover with an inch or two of cold, filtered water.
Soak overnight.

Drain pine nuts and toss into a blender or food processor with all other ingredients.
Blend for 3-5 minutes until completely smooth.


Scrape the blended cheese into a small glass jar,
a 4oz mason canning jar works perfectly.
Tap the jar on the counter a couple of times to get out any air bubbles,
then use a spatula to smooth the surface.

Blended and peppered cheese, about to go into the dehydrator.

Sprinkle a little additional pepper on the surface and pop the jar into your dehydrator*.

Dehydrate at 115 degrees
for 6-8 hours.
The cheese will form a rind on top and firm to the texture of spreadable goat cheese.
Serve the cheese directly out of the jar, as a spread.
Alternately, you can spoon the blended cheese into a rectangle of cheese cloth, roll it into a log,
twist the ends and place it in the dehydrator for the
same amount of time.
This will give you a small log of cheese, which can then be served as is or
rolled in fresh herbs.



*If you are dehydrator-less, do not fear!
The cheese can be "dehydrated" in the oven, set to 170 degrees, for 3-4 hours.

The finished product.

Vegan Fresh Summer Rolls

cooking without heat?
yes please.
Vegan Fresh Summer Rolls 

and

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Vegan fresh rolls and peanut dipping sauce. Summer perfection.

Fresh summer rolls and peanut dipping sauce: quite possibly the most perfect warm weather food in existence. Delicately elegant, sure to impress, yet light on the labor and absolutely no cooking required. What's not to love?  They look a wee bit difficult, but throwing these together is a snap once you surrender to the rhythm of it. The rice paper may seem intimidating at first, but you will quickly learn by feel when they are soft enough to be filled. There's a bit of a learning curve for forming the rolls, so don't get discouraged if you make a few that are less-than-perfect at the start. When shopping for wrappers, be sure to check ingredients, as many can contain a disturbing amount of sodium per serving. I use wrappers that are a blend of tapioca and rice starch with no added salt. You can use any type of lettuce (romaine for a crispier texture, mustard greens for a little spice, butter lettuce for a more delicate texture) so be adventurous! The peanut sauce can be whipped up quickly on the day-of but also keeps quite well in the fridge, if you're the planning ahead type. 

Rice paper fresh roll stuffed with greens, jicama, carrots,
mango, thai basil and mint.

Rice paper wrappers, pre-soaking.

Fresh Summer Rolls
(makes 10 rolls)

10 sheets of rice paper wrappers

1 small jicama (about 1lb), peeled and cut into matchsticks

3 medium carrots, shredded or matchstickecd

1 large mango, peeled and cut into 1/4" strips

1 bunch of lettuce or mixed greens (about 4 cups)

torn or shredded

1/2c of Thai Basil, shredded 

2-3 fresh mint leaves, shredded (optional)

Rice paper wrapper filled and ready for rolling.

Vegan Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/2c creamy peanut butter
1/4c light coconut milk

1/4c water

1/2 lime, juiced

2Tbsp tamari (GF) or soy sauce

1Tbsp brown sugar

2tsp chili sauce

For the peanut sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until well combined.

Can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. 

For the spring rolls:

Prepare a work surface that is large enough to accommodate a rice paper wrapper, a cutting board works nicely.

Lay out fillings on a large plate next to your work area.

Fill a pie plate or baking pan with warm water. 

Dip a rice paper wrapper into the water and soak until pliable, about 20 seconds.

Remove from the water and spread onto work surface.

Try to smooth the wrapper out as much as possible, a few wrinkles are ok. 

Place a small handful of shredded greens in a lengthwise in the center of the wrapper (see above photo).

Top greens with a few pieces of jicama, a few carrot shreds, some mango slices
and a sprinkling of basil and mint. 

Fold the top of the wrapper down over the filling,
fold the bottom of the wrapper up in the same way. 

Grab the excess wrapper on one side and roll it towards the center, like a burrito. 

*This tutorial on how to wrap a burrito is quite helpful.

Repeat with remainder of the rice paper wrappers.

Serve with peanut dipping sauce on the side. 

To store spring rolls, wrap individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap
and store in a ziplock.
Will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge but are best enjoyed IMMEDIATELY!

Homemade Vegan Fudgesicles

easy as pie, so to speak.
Non-Dairy Coconut Milk Fudgesicles 

Take that, summer.

This recipe was born out of necessity. It was hot outside, damn hot, and the cupboards were bare. All I had on hand was a handful of baking ingredients and a can of coconut milk. A few ingredients were thrown together, popsicle molds were filled and fingers were crossed. What popped out of those molds was good enough to immediately make it into heavy summer rotation. Perfectly creamy, fudge-y non-dairy frozen treats at a mere fraction of the cost of store bought.
Plus they're so damn easy to make!
No fancy ingredients, no special equipment needed, just popsicle molds and a whisk.
There you have it,  easy as pie.
Or fudge pops, as it were.

Non-Dairy Coconut Milk Fudgesicles
(makes 8-10 pops)

1 14oz can (about 2 cups) light coconut milk
1/4c unsweetened cocoa powder*
1-2Tbsp organic sugar (adjust to taste)
2tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
*sweetened cocoa powder can be used in place of unsweetened, just sub out the sugar.

Whisk all ingredients together, pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Vegan Cold Sesame Noodles

not to toot my own horn or anything,
but "best damn" doesn't even do it justice...
Cold Sesame Noodles

plus

The Best Damn Creamy Tahini Sauce EVER.

One option (of many) for your cold sesame noodles:
top with sesame-lime roasted radishes,
sauteed greens, lime juice, sesame seeds and hemp seeds.

Medium-sized rice sticks.
I prefer these, but you can use almost any type of noodle.

In the winter I eat soup. Almost all day every day. When the seasons shift, I want noodles. Nothing but noodles. I love all manner of cold noodle dishes, but there is one that sits triumphantly atop the heap. One composition of noodle-y deliciousness that I could, without question, eat for every meal.  Cold sesame noodles. A perfectly versatile dish that can be dressed up or down, eaten as a side or a main, keeps incredibly well (hello picnic season) and is a snap to throw together. Below are a list of toppings and garnish suggestions, but you can use any vegetable/ protein combination that
strikes your fancy.


If you want to keep it simple, raw veggies are the way to go.
If you want to spend a bit more time, sauteed greens or
roasted root vegetables are a fantastic addition.
Then come the pickled things, all manner of herbs, fresh greens,
the possibilities are endless.

The aforementioned best damn tahini sauce ever.

Vegan Cold Sesame Noodles
Serves 6-8

1 lb rice or buckwheat noodles

Toppings suggestions:
Fried or baked tofu, sliced
Seasonal raw greens
Shredded or matchsticked carrots
Shredded Cabbage
Raw broccoli
Raw or roasted turnips
Raw or roasted radishes
sesame lime roasted radishes
Sauteed greens
Sliced mushrooms
soy pickled shiitake mushrooms

Garnishes:
Sliced scallions
Extra lime
Fresh mint

Thai Basil

Sesame seeds
Hemp seeds

Creamy Tahini Sauce:
1/2c roasted tahini
2 Tbsp Tamari (gluten-free) or Soy Sauce
1/2 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp light coconut milk
2 Tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp organic sugar or agave
2 tsp chili sauce (optional)

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions.
Once cooked, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
Prepare tahini sauce by combining all ingredients and whisking together until smooth.
Place noodles in a medium mixing bowl and drizzle tahini sauce over the top.
Toss to combine.
Portion noodles into individual bowls and serve with toppings and garnishes.
If making ahead of time, keep toppings separate until serving.