delicious

i have to share these recipes that made our ny eve so yummy!

Vegan Bay Crab Cakes

Recipe by Cherie Soria (as printed in Purely Delicious magazine)

Serves 6 (Yields twelve 1/4 cup cakes)

1/2 C. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 1 hr, drained and diced
1 1/2 C. zucchini, spiralized
1 1/2 C. macadamia nuts, ground
1/4 C. onion, finely minced
1/4 C. celery, finely minced
2 Tbls. nutritional yeast
2 Tbls. lemon juice
2 Tbls. red bell pepper, very finely diced
2 tsp. kelp powder
2 tsp. ground golden flax seeds
1 Tbls. ground psyllium seed
1 tsp. garlic, pureed
1 tsp. red jalapeno, minced (or substitue cayenne pepper to taste)
1 tsp. Himalayan crystal salt

1. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the spiralized zucchini into pieces about one inch in length. (A spiral slicer and a chef's knife are perfect for this task.)
2. Combine the zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add a few drops of water, if needed, to form a firm dough.
3. Using a 1/4 C. measure, create small cakes, about one inch deep.
4. Place the cakes on a nonstick dehydrator sheet and place in dehydrator at 120 degrees for 1 hour; then turn over to dehydrate the other side for another 1-2 hours. (This temperature will not be too hot to destroy the nutrients and enzymes, since the dough has enough water to stay cool during this time.)
5. Serve with a generous serving of Cocktail Sauce and/or Creamy Dill Sauce.

kelli's notes:
i used 3/4 diced button mushrooms instead of porcini, 1/2 macadamia and 1 cup cashews, omitted the onions and psyllium powder, and served with a mixture of ketchup and wasabi. i needed to dehydrate longer, more like 6 hours. they are a bit flat (most likely due to the lack of psyllium powder), but still scrumptious! i will follow the recipe to the T next time so they look as good as they taste!


Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts
from Raw-Riffic Food's Recipe Blog

1 lb Brussels Sprouts (stems removed, and sliced thin)
1/2 cup walnuts coarsly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 T (more or less) cold pressed Hemp Oil
1/2 T cold pressed Olive Oil
2-3 drizzles of raw agave nectar (or to taste)

Preparation:
Lightly steam the Brussels Sprouts and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. This dish is a very hearty meal. Try exchanging the walnuts for chopped pecans, or dried apple pieces and raisins in place of the dried cranberries. I think you will agree that this dish is super yummy, and makes you feel cozy too! Perfect for Winter! =)

kelli's notes:
i did not have hemp oil so i added more olive oil. i sliced the brussels thin, tossed with all ingredients, and dehydrated a few hours instead of steaming. the flavors go together so well in this dish that i'm sure any way you make it will be delicious!

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Quinoa Veggie Sushi

4 nori sheets

1/2 C. quinoa

1 C filtered water

1 small carrot

1 small zucchini or cucumber

1 avocado

agave

rice vinegar

tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

wasabi

1. rinse quinoa. bring water and quinoa to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes.

2. shred or cut veggies thin.

3. add a few drizzles each of agave, tamari, and rice vinegar to the cooked quinoa.

4. place nori sheets on sushi mat, add ingredients and roll. i've watched youtube videos to learn how to do this.

5. serve with tamari and wasabi.

6. mix leftover ingredients and top with wakame for a yummy salad!

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Chocolate Pecan Pie

from Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw for Dessert

altered and posted at Beautiful Living Food in Vermont

(a lovely blog i stumbled upon recently)

by Joyce

This recipe includes a few components so I’m going to list them in the order that I made them:
1 Cup of Date Paste (here’s what I used since I cut the recipe almost in half)

• 20 pitted medjool dates
• 1 1/2 cups of water (and a couple teaspoons extra)

Soak dates in the water for 20 minutes, massaging them with your hands for a minute. Drain dates but reserve the soaking water.
Place dates in food processor along with a bit over 1/4 cup of soak water and blend until smooth.
Almond Pecan Crust

• 3/4 cup of unsoaked almonds
• 3/4 cup of unsoaked pecans (recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
• 8 pitted medjool dates
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place almonds and sea salt in the food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the pecans and process until both nuts are finely ground. Add the dates and process until mixture begins to stick together. Don’t overprocess. Form a pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate or tart pan. I used a pie plate.
3/4 cup of Chocolate Ganache

• 3/4 cup of dark agave syrup or maple syrup (I used mostly dark agave with a bit of maple syrup)
• 3/4 cup of cacao powder
• 1/3 cup of virgin coconut oil, melted (in dehydrator)
• 1/8 teaspoon plus pinch of sea salt

Blend everything in the Vitamix until smooth. Add most of it on top of the crust. Scatter 3/4 cups of pecans on top of the ganache. Press down with your hand. Put in the fridge while making the filling.
Filling

• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of agar flakes
• 1 cup of date paste from above
• 1 tablespoon of dark agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup since I live in Vermont)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place the water and agar flakes in a small saucepan on the stove and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Place the date paste, maple syrup or agave, vanilla extract, and sea salt in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the agar mixture and process until blended.

Spread the date mixture evenly over the ganache and pecans with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of pecans on top, pressing them down slightly. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

kelli's notes:

i followed another blogger and used 1/2 C. melted coconut oil in place of the agar flakes. it worked wonderfully, but i think i will use a bit less coco oil next time (maybe 1/3 C). the pie was amazingly sweet and decadent, and i will definitely be making it again!