Raw Cashew Vanilla Ice Cream (vegan/ GF)

unexpectantly a friend of our bought an ice cream maker for us. i solidified my suspensions that i was a nerdy foodie when i walked through the door and saw the box sitting on the counter. this is what i had been waiting for. for months, maybe even a year i have been begging josh to give me the okay to buy an ice cream machine. i would try and bribe him with "just think of all the healthy ice creams i can make you!". unfortunately he is too smart for that and is just not interested in "healthy" . if it doesn't have cookie dough in it, he's will take no notice.

well, then i'll tell the truth. this bad boy is for me. i immediately began planning my ice cream attach. scouring the internet for any recipe that doesn't call for cups of cream or eggs. a little beaten, i kinda let it go - vowing i would just make something up. then i remembered my favorite cook book - real raw! and of-course they have stellar ice cream. the only alteration i made was to add coconut water (from the young coconut the meat came from) in place of filtered water. it is amazing - and delicious as i knew it would be. even josh gave it a thumbs up.

RAW CASHEW VANILLA ICECREAM

2c raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours

1c fresh coconut water

2c young coconut meat

1c agave nectar

1/4c coconut butter

2 tbs vanilla

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, pod discarded

1/2 tsp sea salt

*combine all ingredients in a high powered blender, to very smooth.

*chill overnight or until thoroughly chilled

*churn as according to your machine's instructions

Cashew Pumpkin Pudding (Gluten/ Sugar Free)

lately i've been dipping back into my vegan/raw living foods days. surely to my friend's regret. but i promise you all that i still eat everything else - seriously - EVERYTHING. so i stumbled onto the greatest food blog ever (or least for this week): elanaspantry. i found this recipe for a pumpkin pudding and for multiple reasons, one of which being that i have about 6 cans of pumpkin in "pantry"/coat closet/folding chair storage/everything that will unreasonably fit. they were left over from when i made a trip home about a year ago and there was a sale on pumpkin so my mom and i stocked up. thus i now have a few servings of delish pumpkin and cashew pudding sitting in my frig. yum! oh and by the way just a warning: don't be too shocked by the price of agar - its like $200 a pound - but you will only need a fraction of that unless you just decide to go crazy. that's your call.

CASHEW PUMPKIN PUDDING

(via elanaspantry)

1/2c raw cashews

1 tbs agar flakes

pinch sea salt

1 1/4c boiling water

1 1/2c roasted pumpkin, pureed

1/4c agave

1 tbs vanilla

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch clove

1/4 tsp lemon zest

*process cashews, agar and salt on high to a powder

*add in boiling water, mix on high

*add pumpkin, agave, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and zest. blend to smooth

*pour into your favorite containers and chill of about 30 minutes to an hour

Real Raw Lime Tart

i have to be honest, i am not a key lime pie fan at all. i think i just have this totally ridiculous idea that only people who live in florida, own a yacht and listen to jimmy buffet eat key lime pie. am i totally insane or is there a small part of you that totally agrees? alright whatever. here are the fun facts about key lime pie.

completely contrary to what i thought i knew; the traditional recipe for the pie is almost identical to a lemon meringue pie - substituting the obvious fruit. somewhere after the dessert started to travel the country the recipe was diluted to a graham cracker crust, sweet condensed milk, limes and whipped cream. ouch! ok, so the real recipe does call for sweetened condensed milk - this was evidently because fresh milk wasn't so easy to come by with out refrigeration (at the time of invention) and we all know it gets a little steaming down there in the keys. also strangely it is asked that the baker does not cook the filling, egg yolk and all (yikes!). the souring reaction between the lime juice and the condensed milk causes the filling to thicken on its own. the meringue of-course has to be quickly browned.

all very interested, but best of all: in 1965 a florida state representative tried to pass a law stating that anyone who made a key lime pie with anything but key limes would be fines $100. ha! it didn't pass. i love it. i wish i could do that for who ever named white chocolate - its not chocolate! as of 2006 key lime pie is the official florida state pie. good for them.

with all this said, i was flipping through my real raw cook book (i am determined to make as many of these recipes as possible while josh's butter loving taste-buds are away eat barbeque chips and kaft mac n' cheese) and i found this recipe for a lime tart. i thought i should just dive right into the lime experience. fine me if you like, but i did not use key limes, more like a handful of limes bought off my fruit stand guy around the corner for a dollar. my tart doesn't really look like theirs, maybe because i lacked tart molds - but its close! i have to say it is pretty delicious and very healthy. what more can you ask for?

REAL RAW LIME TART

TART SHELL

1c raw macadamia nuts

1/2c shredded unsweetened dry coconut

1 1/2 tsp lime zest

1 tbs lime juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 packets stevia

1 tbs agave nectar

*place nuts in the food processor, place them in the freezer for a about 15 minutes

*once chilled put the remaining ingredients in the processor and pulse until well combined.

*don't over chop it will get oily

*lightly oil (with any nut oil) 4 - 4" tart shells w/ removable bottoms. if you are not using a tart shell w/ removable bottom, just line your mold with plastic wrap.

*divide the "dough" evenly amongst the prepared shells. press into the mold to fully line.

*place in freezer for another 15-20 minutes to firm up.

LIME MOUSSE FILLING

2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted

1/4c lime juice

2 tbs packed lime zest

2 tbs agave nectar

1 tbs coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch fine sea salt

2 packs stevia (more of you please)

*in processor, process all ingredients until smooth

*remove the tart shells from molds

*fill with the lime mousse, cover with wax paper making sure the surface of the mouse is directly covered and keep in frig until ready to eat.

*you can also freeze them and thaw out for 15 minutes before noshing down.

Real Raw Chocolate Pudding

as if louisiana isn't faux tropical enough in my mind pile on top memories of the infamous coconut. i can't remember how old i was, but every once in a blue moon my father would buy a coconut. hm. interesting now that i think about it. interesting because i have no idea what the intention was there. my mom loathes coconut, she claims it expands in her mouth (?). just the hearing the word and she makes a face. that and rootbeer - i don't know, but i have to agree: rootbeer is crazy stuff.

anyways back to my father and coconuts. i have a distinct memory lodged in my mind of one night that my brother and i stood around my dad as he literally hacked away at a coconut. it was disastrous. i think there was a hammer and a drill involved, i think. i just remembering that it went on for a while. we stood there watching my dad in his standard v-neck white undershirt reassuring us every now and again that it is "always a bit tricky" to open up one of these little guys. i felt like we were doing something really exotic. you know because it was a coconut and they are only found on islands.right. and they always fall on people's heads.

so in memory of my father's adventures with coconuts and my on going attempt to get healthier deserts while flying solo i have finally (!) made the chocolate pudding recipe from pure food and wine (a raw living foods restaurant here in NYC & my hands down favorite place to eat at). and i have to admit as i stood there in my robe sawing away at my young coconut with my completely inappropriate knife, i totally felt like my father.

oh and by the way: this pudding is delicious! i would take it over regular any day.

REAL RAW CHOCOLATE PUDDING

1c coconut meat

1/4c + 2 tbs coconut water

1/4c maple syrup

2 tbs agave nectar (can add another tbs if desired)

1/4c dutch processed cocoa powder

1 tbs vanilla

*drop all of the ingredients in a strong blender and "liquify" until smooth and creamy - add more coconut water if you feel it is too thin.

* chill to firm up a bit, otherwise you can chow down immediately