Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Delicious No-Sugar Raw Vegan Pecan Pie

     Thanksgiving is right around the corner and my favorite food to bake, now un-bake, is pecan pie. I have made many tasty vegan pecan pies because I love pecan pie and have always been trying to perfect my recipe but this is my favorite and just happens to be the easiest too!
   
        I had the idea for this recipe when I went through the farmer's market and tried some tasty honey dates. They tasted like delicious caramel or like the gooey part of pecan pie filling plus I was kinda on a raw food kick and just discovering many amazing things that could be done with coconut oil, like make a delicious buttery-tasting crust. The best thing about this pie is it's easier to make than regular pecan pie and equally, if not more, delicious.

Crust:
2 Cups raw oat groats (if you can't find these, you can use whole oats)
1 Cup raw coconut oil (I like Artisana brand from Whole Foods)

Pour oat groats into blender or food processor and blend a minute or so until it has more of a floury consistency. It will be a bit grainer than flour then mix together with the oil in in a bowl. Sometimes I need to add a little extra coconut oil. Once the dough is mixed, press into your pie tin (it works best in a disposable pie tin) and place in refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling:
2 C honey dates or medjool work well too
1 Tbsp raw whipped honey* (optional)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract**
1 1/2 C raw pecan pieces

Soak the pecans and dates separately overnight or for at least an hour or two. This step can be skipped if there are time constraints but it does make a tiny difference in taste.

Mix the dates, honey and vanilla in a blender or food processor. You may need to add a little water if using a blender to get everything to blend. Then stir in the pecans. Once the filling is mixed to your liking,

You can also make it a chocolate pecan pie by mixing a cup of raw cacao nibs in the food processor with your dates, honey and vanilla. It has a very dark chocolate flavor.

*honey is not considered vegan to some people so if this is you, omit it
**If you're strict about being all raw, vanilla extract is not raw so you may want to omit this.

Dairy and Gluten-Free Macaroni and Smoked Cheese

Ok so the first recipe is simple but delicious. I made this for a work potluck the other day and it was so good. No one realized it was non-dairy or healthy at all! I'll have to make it again so I can add pics. I probably make some version of this recipe weekly. My family loves it!

Vegan Macaroni (penne) and Smoked Cheese

1 16oz brick of firm tofu
1/4 C olive oil
2 Tbsps nutritional yeast flakes
1-2 Tbsps garlic powder
1-2 Tbsps onion powder
1 Tbsp salt (some people will want more, I'm usually sensitive to too much salt)
1 tsp of paprika
2 Tbsp Ener-g egg replacer- if you don't have Ener-g you can use cornstarch instead
approx 2-3 tsps liquid mesquite smoke flavor or my favorite, Trader Joe's African Smoke
grind in black pepper as needed

Boil water  as instructed for Trader Joe's Brown Rice Penne or other gluten free pasta while you prepare the cheese. For the cheese, crumble the tofu into a blender or food processor with all above ingredients (minus the pasta)  and blend until smooth. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, pour cheese mixture over it and blend. Sometimes I will add 1/4 C earth balance to the cooked noodles and cheese mixture. Also it's great with sauteed mushroom and garlic tossed in along with some raw spinach or kale mixed in for color. Enjoy and let me know what you think!!

Party Every Day!!

     I love food and cooking and even more than that I love making delicious food for others. Since I can't have a party every day, this blog is a great way for me to share my delicious food with you! I have a few food allergies and sensitivities and foods I just don't eat (meat and seafood). So for all you allergy sufferers, hopefully I can help you guys out!! I also will be posting a few treats for all the raw foodists out there. I love eating and preparing raw foods but I can't eat 100% raw. I am not a vegan. I do eat eggs and honey but most of my recipes are vegan. I want to open a restaurant or catering business one day so this is a good place to put some recipes out there and get feedback.
Hope you all enjoy!!