Crust:
1 cup raw nuts (almonds and pecans are best), soaked for 8 hours if possible
5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dates (about 7 large dates), preferably Medjool
A few pinches of fine sea salt
Filling:
3 ripe avocados, pitted, flesh scooped from their skins
1⁄4 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey, plus more if desired
1 1⁄2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, or more if desired
2 pinches fine sea salt
Grated zest of 1 organic lime Instructions:
1. Make the crust: Pulse the nuts in a food processor until chunky. Add the coconut oil, dates, and salt, and continue to pulse until the nuts and dates form a solid mass when squeezed together. 2. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with plastic wrap. Divide the crust mixture into 6 golf-ball-size portions and press one into each muffin cup, pressing up the sides as well, to create a tart shell. 3. Put the muffin tin in the freezer to let the crusts harden for at least 1 hour. 4. When you are ready to fill the tart shells, pull up the edges of the plastic wrap to remove the tart shells from the muffin tin. 5. Make the filling: Put the avocados, maple syrup, coconut oil, lime juice, and salt in a food processor and blend on the highest setting until smooth. Taste for sweetness and add more sweetener if necessary. If the avocados are overripe, add more lime juice to taste. 6. Spoon the filling into the tart shells and sprinkle the lime zest on top. Return to the muffin tin for storing and put in the freezer for at least 2 hours. 7. Remove the tarts from the freezer 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Trying to figure out a way to eat it more often, I came up with a banana bread granola that tastes just like my favorite comfort food, but is a little easier on the waistline. I’ve made many a granola before, but this one beats them all! Not only does it have that rich banana flavor I dream about, but it’s got a chunky quality to it that makes it perfect for snacking on right out of the jar. The secret to making chunky granola is using the bananas as a binding agent, fusing all those tasty ingredients together into crunchy, golden love clusters. Warning: this stuff is seriously addictive! Ingredients:
1⁄3 cup coconut oil
3 very ripe bananas
1⁄2 cup pure maple syrup
3 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)
1 cup buckwheat groats
1 1⁄2 cups large, unsweetened coconut flakes
1⁄2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup whole raw walnuts
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low-medium
heat. Pour the melted oil into a food processor or blender, add the bananas and
maple syrup, and blend.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, buckwheat, coconut
flakes, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Roughly chop the walnuts and add
them to the mixture. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture and fold to coat; this
mix will be rather wet.
4. Spread the mixture out in an even layer on the prepared
baking sheet, and press it firmly with the back of a spatula to ensure that the
mixture is compact. Bake the granola for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mix is
beginning to brown.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and use a spatula
to flip the granola over in large sections. Return it to the oven and flip it
every 3 to 4 minutes, making smaller chunks each time, until golden, for about
another 15 minutes (for a total of 30 minutes or so). The granola should be dry
and crispy. Set the granola aside at room temperature to cool. Do not stir the
granola until it is completely cool, as this will help it set into chunks.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for
up to 1 month.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats
Serves 1
Although it takes some planning ahead, this breakfast is a
very special treat. Take a few minutes before bed to assemble the ingredients,
pop them in a bowl or jar, and let sit in the fridge overnight. The next
morning, your meal is ready to rock; just toss in some fresh fruit and raw
chocolate. This is fast food without waiting in the take-out line! If cherries
aren’t in season, simply substitute any fruit you can find — berries in summer;
pears, figs, and apples in autumn; persimmons and pomegranate in winter; and so
on. Dried fruit works as well.
Ingredients:
2⁄3 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if desired) or any
other rolled whole grain
1 cup nut milk of your choice (I like Brazil nut,
almond, or hemp), plus more for serving, or 1 cup water or yogurt
1⁄2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (omit if using
yogurt to soak grains)
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 1⁄2 tsp raw cacao powder
2 tsp cacao nibs
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Sliced fresh cherries
Instructions:
1. Fold the oats, milk, lemon juice, and chia seeds
together in a jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. In the morning, remove from the fridge and
fold in the cacao powder, nibs, and maple syrup. Top with the cherries. Add
more yogurt or milk if desired. For a pretty presentation,
layer the oat and chia mixture with the sliced cherries in a glass jar or bowl. You can also let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to warm up slightly.
Piña Colada Passion Fruit Popsicles
Makes 10 popsicles
The first time I had a (virgin) piña colada was in Jamaica.
I was thirteen years old and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Something
about the combination of creamy coconut and smooth, sweet pineapple hooked me,
and when I returned to my nontropical life, all I craved was those two flavors.
This summer, I re-created that incredible taste of the beach in a frosty
popsicle. I added some passion fruit to the blend because it is tangy — almost
sour — which contrasts so well with the mellow smoothness of the
pineapple-coconut combo. Passion fruit also contains edible seeds that have a
delicious crunch and look really beautiful suspended in the frozen pops.
8 medium passion fruit
3 cups chopped fresh (not canned) pineapple
1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw honey
Instructions:
1. Scoop out the flesh from the passion fruit into a small
bowl and set it aside. (You will have about 1 cup of total fruit pulp.)
2 . Combine the pineapple, coconut milk, and maple syrup in
a blender, and blend on high speed until smooth.
3. Into each popsicle mold, pour a small amount of either
the pineapple-coconut blend or the passion fruit pulp, and then alternate
between the two until you’ve almost reached the top (leave a small amount of
space at the top to allow the liquid to expand slightly in the freezer). Using
a popsicle stick or skewer, stir the liquids a little bit to create a marble
effect.
4. Insert a popsicle stick in each mold, and freeze until
completely frozen, about 4 hours.
5. To serve, run each mold under warm water until the
popsicle easily slides out.
Raspberry Breeze Smoothie
Serves 1
Do you find yourself buying fresh herbs for a salad or some
other dish and ending up throwing out half the bunch? If you’re looking for an use for your herbs beyond a garnish, look no further than your blender. Mint, basil, chervil,
lemon balm, and even tarragon are just some of the fresh herbs I’ve been known
to toss into my smoothies from time to time. Not only do they add a totally
unexpected flavor changeup, they contribute powerful phytochemicals and
antioxidants, which help protect the body against diseases.
Ingredients:
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 frozen banana
Handful of fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish if
desired
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄2 cup nut milk or water
Pure maple syrup or raw honey to sweeten, if desired
Instructions:
Combine the raspberries, banana, mint leaves, hemp seeds,
lemon juice, and nut milk in a blender and blend on high speed until completely
smooth. Sweeten to your liking. Add more mint leaves if desired.
Reprinted from My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season. Copyright © 2015 by Sarah Britton. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.