Baklava Butter

I adore Baklava. I’ve never met one I didn’t like! But as far as making it, I’m not sure I have the patience, with all the layering that needs to be done. And then, after making it, I’d want to eat all of it! It’s so sweet and nutty--completely addicting. How could I turn it away, with all of those nuts, the sweet honey, and the crunchy, paper thin layers of phyllo dough?

I’ve found a way to get all of my favorite things from Baklava, without all of the work. How does it taste? Nutty, crunchy, sweet--but not too sweet, and there’s the telltale signature spice, cinnamon. I don’t see how I can go any amount of time without this in my kitchen.

The other day, while out shopping with Billy, I stopped to check out the cooking mags. I have an addiction, ok? I know, you do, too! The rack was filled with comfort food related issues for slow cookers (of which I don’t have) and casseroles (Billy strongly dislikes casseroles of almost any kind). I saw an issue of Cuisine at Home, which I’ve only ever picked up once or twice. But skimming through it, I saw quite a few promising recipes.

I didn’t even pick the magazine up to read it until a few days later when we got some free time. This recipe for Baklava Butter nearly jumped off the page while screaming my name. It’s true! I went out almost right away and got the nuts to make it.

Speaking of nuts, I know they can be expensive. Trader Joe’s has very reasonable prices on nuts if you’re near one. Whole Foods allows you to buy just the amount you need in the bulk foods aisle. If these aren’t options for you, try your nearest natural foods store. They’ll likely have a bulk food section. If none of these options are going to happen for you, then pick up the nuts you can. I’m sure this spread would be just as fantastic if you can only get one or two types of the nuts.

Don’t even get me started on the health benefits of nuts! By now, you should already know how fabulous they are for you, but if you don’t, check out this site. Every single nut in this recipe is so good for you! And it’s sweetened only with honey. Best part? You don’t have to mess around with blanching and skinning the nuts. Plus, it’s a no bake, quickie snack. So make some!

Baklava Butter

Makes just over 2 cups.
Adapted from Cuisine at Home.

1 cup almonds
2/3 cup walnuts
2/3 cup cashews
2/3 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup honey (Use organic! Cheap honey is full of nasty hidden chemicals and HFCS.)
1/2 cup water
Couple pinches kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor about 20-30 times. you still want to have some of the nutty texture, so don't overdo it.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Note: All of the nuts I used were roasted, not raw. You can certainly use raw if you'd like, and combined with honey, can be a raw spread for you to enjoy! If any of the nuts are salted, taste for seasoning before you add some salt.

So simple!

• Serve this with your favorite bread, bagel, roll, etc.
• Billy chose to swirl some into some Greek yogurt and said it was amazing. A must try!

Cherry Nut Pound Cake

I admit it, one of my guilty pleasures has always been maraschino cherries.  I love them like crazy!  I don’t even want to know what’s in them--it’ll ruin all the fun.  They’re so pretty, all bright red and shiny--I love shiny!  If we’re out for ice cream, and one of the kids doesn’t want the shiny cherry on top?  Fork it over, kid--I’ll take care of that for you.  I’ll even let it sink to the bottom sometimes, carefully eating around it, so I can enjoy it last.  

Here’s another super simple recipe that you can serve for the holidays, or any time of year.  Coincidentally, there are maraschino cherries in it--how lucky is that?  My mom gave me the recipe quite a few years back, and I made it right away, because, you know--cherries?  Yeah.  My husband loves this, too!  He’s not a a huge fan of desserts (I know!), but he adores this cake.  By the way, I really do mean “super simple.”  It’s all in one bowl--no mixing wet, mixing dry, blending and alternating.  Easy! 

Since it’s a pound cake, it improves every day.  Like shortbread cookies.  Now, I don’t really know why this is, and I’ve even looked into it--but can’t find a good reason for it.  I’m assuming it’s something about the butter?  Maybe the Butter Gods shine their golden buttery light down on buttery baked goods and demand they get better with each day that passes.  Same thing with the Bacon Gods, I assume--except they demand that you eat all of the bacon in one damn sitting.  But don’t quote me on that.

Anyway, you could make this in the next couple of days, and it would be perfect to serve for Christmas.  In fact, I made mine on December 13th, and we’re still enjoying it this week, seven days later!  Just keep it covered, on the counter.  Unless your kitchen is super warm--mine’s on the cool side this time of year, so it’s ok.  In warmer climates, store it in the fridge.  The Butter Gods don’t approve of warm weather.

Cherry Nut Pound Cake

makes one 10 inch round cake

1/2 pound (2 sticks) of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (totally optional)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries, stems removed! (I used one 10 oz. jar, plus half of another to get the 1 cup chopped cherries)

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease 10 inch round cake pan, set aside.

In a standing mixer, or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and blend well.

Add the yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla, vanilla powder (if using), flour and baking powder.  Blend just until moist.

Fold in the walnuts and cherries.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for one hour--cake tester should come out clean. 

Cool in the pan, on a cooling rack.  Run a knife around the edge, and remove the cake: plate inverted on top of the cake pan, turn the cake out on to the plate, then flip it right side up on to your serving plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Today’s Raw Food: Cinnamon Rolls

Yes, you read that right!  Noooo, not raw puffy, squishy, dough rolls,  because those would be very hard to eat and even harder to swallow.   “Raw” in the sense that the ingredients are raw and still full of the good nutrients that nature gave them. 

I adore cinnamon rolls, so when we decided to introduce raw foods into our diet, I specifically searched for a recipe for them.  I was shocked, to say the least--that I actually found one.   How in the  hell can you make RAW cinnamon rolls?  (Yeah, I know you were thinking that, too--don’t deny it.  I know, because I said the same thing.)

The real base for these is almond meal and ground flax seed.  The powerhouse in binding these together is soft dates.  Not the hard little pellets mostly found in the grocery store, but the velvety, squishy* ones that you can find in natural or organic foods stores.   If you decide to make these, get those dates!  Or you’ll be all “WTF, Elle said these were good, and easy to make!  But it looks (and sounds) like I ran nuts and bolts through my food processor!” 

And they are extremely good, and so, so easy to make.  If yeast dough makes you shake where you stand, then these will be perfect for you.  And the raw icing?  Dear God, it’s so good.  It’s light, creamy and so fresh tasting, and I wanted to dip all kinds of things in it.  Fruit, chocolate, muffins…all sorts of stuff.

Just slice and ice. mmm!     

Like I said, these are easy to make.  I didn’t bother to dehydrate them--just kept them in the fridge.  How do they taste?  Warmly spiced from the cinnamon, and nutty from the almond meal and chopped nuts that you add.   They feel rich and creamy on your tongue, especially with the cashew orange icing.  Think Lara Bars, made at home!  And don’t even think of cutting back on the 1 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon.  Leave it all in there or I’ll track you down and…well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll think of something.  Make you wash my truck while wearing a pink tutu, maybe.  Jeff came thisclose to having to do it.  He still might, because we have a Patriots/Colts bet set for November. 

You can find the recipes for the cinnamon rolls and the icing here, at Wasabimon.com:

Click me for the recipes!

I hope you give them a try!

 

*That makes two times that I’ve said “squishy” in this post.  If you’re counting.  Obviously, I am.

Raw Food, Part 3: Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake

You are all going to LO-V-E this one.  If this is the first time you dip your toe into the raw food waters, then let this recipe be the one you try.   You will not believe how good this is.   It’s from Ani Phyo’s new book, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats.

Think of the most fudgy, chocolaty, rich cake, covered in a delicious, dark ganache.

Are you thinking of it?  It’s a nice thought, right?  Now, think of all of the cream and chocolate, butter and sugar.  Do you really want to eat those things?  I’ve got to be honest, if you’re like me, you do!  But you don’t want to feel the guilt after you do.  You also most likely don’t want all of the empty calories and bad fats.  Here is an excerpt from an interview with Ani Phyo, by way of Crazy Sexy Life:

“Let’s take my Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake as an example. The cake is made with walnuts, considered a super food by the FDA for it’s high levels of omega-3. Walnuts provide amino acids, vitamins E, A, calcium, iron, and have been found to keep our blood cholesterol levels in check. Walnuts are mixed with raw cacao powder, which is defined as a superfood by the FDA for it’s high levels or antioxidants, which fight free radical damage, premature aging and illness. I use dates, a whole food fruit, to sweeten and to bind together the nuts and cacao powder into a flourless cake texture. Dates are full of fiber, potassium, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All of the ingredients in my cake are good for you super foods.

On the other hand, the baked version uses bleached white flour that’s been stripped of any nutrient value. It’s sweetened with refined white sugar and empty calories, and uses eggs and butter, which contribute to high cholesterol levels. The baked version doesn’t offer much nutritional value.”

Plus, avocados are good for you.  So you don’t have to feel one bit of guilt eating this icing!

I only had to make one substitution, and that was in the icing.  I had just enough cacao to make the cake, and had to use regular cocoa for the icing.  But the rest of this cake is completely raw.  In the recipe, they don’t specify raw walnuts, but that’s what I used.   If you don’t use raw, it’ll still be delicious, but technically not raw. 

Do you remember that dark, rich chocolate cake covered in ganache that I asked you to think about?  Guess what?!  You can have that cake!  And you can eat it without an ounce of guilt, because Ani’s version is packed with things that are good for you.  But when you’re eating it, you may feel that “knee-jerk guilt” reaction like I did.  Because it’s that good.  I’m serious! 

This recipe got eight thumbs up from the kids, and four more from my husband and I.  I hope you’ll try it!  You won’t be disappointed. 

Oh!  For easy serving, and no messy cake slicing, I made this recipe into eight cupcakes.  Just divide the “batter” into about eight equal portions, and press into a cupcake pan.  A little chill in the fridge (about 5 minutes), and a nudge with a knife, and they easily come out.  And while we’re on the subject, when mixing this up in the food processor, let it go until you can’t see bits of the nuts anymore.  You may see some of the walnut oil coming out, but just go with it, and press them into the pan, or into 2 cake layers. **For these photos, I stacked two cupcakes like a layer cake, with icing between.  Find the recipe by clicking here!  And in case you’re wondering, you can’t taste the dates, or the avocado.

This is the most decadent chocolate cake you’ll ever “uncook!”

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Raw Cream of Asparagus Soup

Yes, you read that right—raw!  This soup is completely uncooked, just made in a blender.  It’s not even heated up.  And don’t think I’m off my rocker, hehe.  Think cold soups and gazpacho! 

My husband and I have decided to incorporate healthier eating into our diets, in a couple of ways.  One, by adding one or two vegetarian meals per week, and two, by adding a couple of raw food recipes to our repertoire every week or so.  What are some benefits of eating raw foods?  Well, the obvious, of course—you’re  not cooking the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals out of the food.  Then there’s the fiber—that's an important benefit.  But so is feeling good about what you eat.

I’ll be the first person in line when someone’s grilling a steak, chicken, or a burger—I love meat.  But maybe I don’t want to eat it every single day.  Who says I have to?  No one, of course.  Maybe some of you are feeling the same way.  Especially in the summertime, when eating lighter and not heating up the kitchen sound like two really good things.  And eating lots of raw, locally grown and organic foods appeals to us right now.

With these thoughts in mind, we went to Barnes and Noble last weekend, grabbed a bunch of raw (un)cookbooks off the shelf, grabbed a table in the cafe, and immersed ourselves in “uncooking.”   Some of the books were exactly what we expected.  Recipes were complicated, with three, four, or five separate components.  You “needed” a special blender, and a “must have” was a dehydrator.  Sure, the food looked amazing, but these recipes were no way to ease into a raw food lifestyle.  Not for us, anyway.

Two books stood out among all of the ones we looked at, though.  First, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes, by Ani Phyo, and Everyday Raw, by Matthew Kenney.

See them both here, on Amazon:

Both of these books make adding raw foods to your diet easy and definitely not daunting.  The recipes are droolworthy and beautiful.  The ingredients aren’t hard to track down.  There  may be a few new ingredients you haven’t seen or heard of yet, but that’s what google is for, right?  And so far, I’ve had no trouble tracking down the few things I didn’t have in my pantry. 

In Everyday Raw, Matthew says you don’t even need a dehydrator, which I don’t have.  You can use your oven on it’s lowest setting, with the door propped open.  What’s the dehydrator for?  Well, it’s for raw breads, crackers, crusts—in other words, they’re dried, not heated and baked. 

I’m going to try my hand at making raw bread from Ani’s book this week, and will keep you posted.  It’s for the Sun Burgers on Black Sesame Sunflower Bread that she’s enjoying on the cover of her book.  They look and sound incredible!  My husband and I figured that since we’re just starting out and testing the waters, we’d compromise with crusts and breads for the most part.  In other words, if we want raw pizza, we’ll make the healthiest pizza crust we can find, bake it, and then add raw toppings.  Same thing for tart and pie crusts, breads, etc.  As we get better at this, maybe we’ll invest in that dehydrator and see what we can do.  A side note—Ani’s tart and pie crusts are not dehydrated—just held together with dates and pressed into the pan. 

So far, Ani’s book seems to be the best place to start.  She rarely uses a dehydrator—very few of her recipes call for one, and we already know we can use our oven.  She also has a website, where you can see some of her recipes.

When we left the bookstore, we headed over to our local natural foods store.  It was fate.  They were serving samples of this raw soup.  Who can resist a free sample?  It was delicious—cool, creamy, fresh tasting, and had a little crunch from some fresh corn sprinkled over the top.  And guess what?  They had copies of the recipe, and everything to make it, right there in one place.  Of course we picked up everything to make it at home!

This one’s very good for summer meals when you want a little bit of a starter.  Serve a small bowl or a pretty little cup of this to guests and I’m sure they’ll love it.  I don’t think I could sit and eat a whole bowl of this, though.  It’s amazingly creamy and rich for something that has no cream in it!  The creaminess comes from raw cashews blended right in, and an avocado.  There’s also coconut water in this.  Not coconut milk, but water.   That’s refreshing on it’s own!  And delicious, too.

Every single ingredient in this recipe, except for the raw cashews, can be found at my local grocery chain.  In fact, many of them were cheaper there than at the natural foods store.  It’s all trial and error.  Also—I think you could easily warm this soup up if you prefer! 

Raw Cream of Asparagus Soup

from A Market Natural Foods

Print this recipe here.

Makes 4 servings

1 bunch raw asparagus
1 ripe avocado
1 liter coconut water
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup fresh dill
juice of one lemon
1 tsp tamari
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 ear fresh corn, with corn removed

Add all ingredients except corn to blender.
(If it's too much to fit all at once, do it in two batches and mix together.)
Blend until smooth or desired texture.
Top with fresh corn and serve.

Another benefit of raw cooking?  For the most part, it’s pretty quick.  This one was, anyway.  Keep an eye out for more recipes like this one, raw and uncooked.  But don’t worry, there’s still meat in the freezer, and bread in the oven, hehe.  Baby steps.

  

This feed contains copyrighted photos and text from Elle's New England Kitchen.
If you are not reading this material in a feeds aggregator, by e-mail subscription,
or through BlogBurst, the site you are viewing may be guilty of copyright infringement.
Please contact ellenekitchen (at) gmail (dot) com.