Listen to 2 Great Songs, and When You’re Done, These Meals Will Be Ready!

2012 by Ava

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Winter Fruit Compote with Dairy-free Vanilla Nut Cream

2012 by Ava

 From Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair, pg 254

 

Prep time: 35 minutes

Makes 4 servings

 

Compote Ingredients:

½ cup dried apricots

¼ cup pitted prunes

1 apple, sliced

1 pear, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup apple juice

 

Vanilla Nut Cream Ingredients:

½ cup raw, unsalted cashews

3 Tablespoons maple syrup (honey also works)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Water

 

Combine apricots, prunes, apple, pear, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and juice in a medium sized pan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes, until all fruit is soft. Remove cinnamon stick.

Grind nuts into a fine meal in a small grinder or blender. Put ground cashews, maple syrup, and vanilla in the blender. With blender running, add a little water at a time until you have a thick creamy consistency. Put the compote in serving bowls and top with Vanilla Nut Cream.

 

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Gluten-free Egg Crêpes with Fresh Fruit Purée

2011 by Ava

This recipe makes 3-4 Servings

For the crêpes:

·      1 dozen Eggs

·      1 tsp Vanilla Extract

·      1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder

·      ¾ C. Garbanzo or Rice Flour

·      2 Tbsp Rice Milk (optional)

·      Coconut oil

 

In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and baking powder, using a whisk or fork. Slowly add the flour until the mixture becomes a thick creamy consistency (the amount of flour is approximate). Sometimes I add a little bit of rice milk, but this is optional. To make each crêpe, heat ¼ teaspoon coconut oil on medium-high heat in a small pan. Add a thin layer of batter that spreads over the whole pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then use a thin spatula to loosen the edges of the crêpe before flipping over and cooking for another minute. Transfer to a cooling rack or plate, then make another crêpe!

 

For the purée:

·      3 C. Berries of choice

·      1-2 tsp Honey or Coconut Sap Crystals

·      1 tsp Coconut Oil

 

Combine the oil and berries in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the berries cook down to a sauce, add the sweetener. Remove from heat, and enjoy on top of your crêpes!

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Tangy Orange Quinoa Salad

2011 by Ava

A recipe by Ava Waits

 

The quinoa grain is a complete protein with a high content of iron and magnesium. Over 80% of U.S. population is deficient in magnesium, and having more of this mineral in your diet helps to relax muscles, ease cramps, build strong bones, support the heart, lower blood pressure, and help migraine headaches. Quinoa is also a non-gluten grain, and is a helpful substitute for people who are allergic or sensitive to wheat. This grain comes in white, red and black varieties.

 

1 cup quinoa, cooked by boiling in water until the liquid evaporates – (for quick cooking, rinse the grains, soak the quinoa in water overnight, and cook like you would rice. It should be ready in about 15-20 minutes)

A few sticks of celery, thinly chopped

¼ cup raisins (can be soaked in water for 10-15 minutes to make them plump)

½ cup sprouted sunflower seeds (soaked overnight in water, then rinsed every few hours for a day)

Top with 1 orange, pureed in a food processor. Let the salad sit for a few minutes to soak up the orange juice.

 

 

© 2011 Ava Waits

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Berry Mousse Tart Recipe

2011 by Ava

A recipe by Ava Waits

 

It’s nearly time to break out the pie recipes and get creative in your kitchen, but for those of you who can’t eat one or a few of the most popular Thanksgiving pies, I’m sharing this recipe so that you can still create a stunning dessert this holiday season.

Ingredients:

Please note that the amounts of these ingredients will need to be adjusted, based on the juiciness of the berries that you use.

 

1-1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked for 1-2 hours)

1 cup of the berries of your choice (try blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries)

½ cup almonds

½ cup walnuts

½ cup dates

Use miniature cupcake wrappers, or small bowls to serve the tarts

 

Directions:

Blend the berries and soaked cashews until very smooth in a food processor. It may be necessary to add a splash of water to this mix. If you’d like a slightly sweeter mousse, adding a few dates to the mousse will help.

Next, blend the almonds, walnuts, and dates in a food processor, to make the crumb layer for the bottom of the tart. Press the crumbs into the miniature cupcake wrappers or small serving bowls, then top with several spoonfuls of the berry cream. Decorate with a whole berry, and you’re done! It’s also a nice touch to freeze these before serving.

 

© 2011 Ava Waits

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Pumpkin-Coconut Freeze

2011 by Ava

This is a yummy sweet dish, and it’s very quick to make. I admit, it’s not the best to eat while you are outside staying grounded in the cold, but it’s the perfect treat to share instead of ice cream (which tends to cause a lot of mucus build-up in people, and can create the perfect environment for a cough or cold).

 

Blend the following ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth:

1 cup coconut water (available in drink containers or from the inside of a young coconut – it tastes much better fresh like this!)

1/2 cup pumpkin or other sweet squash puree

a couple spoonfuls agave syrup or rice syrup

Season with a dash of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon powders

 

You can also add ground pecans to the mix for a little crunch.

Place in a bowl and freeze until frozen and somewhat flaky. Eat it just like that, or blend your frozen treat again for a creamier consistency.

 

 

© 2011 Ava Waits

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