Category Archives: summer treats

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Strawberry Cherry Pie with Cashew Cream Topping (gluten free, grain free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, SCD friendly)

This pie is fantastic.  I do believe cherry pie is the greatest thing EVER.  I made this for my sweetie pie (my husband) for our 10 year anniversary.  He LOVED it and I’m so excited to share it with you (and psst, it’s SCD friendly) hooray!  As you might know, us folks on the SCD don’t have a lot of options in the thickening department.  Gelatin (while not my first choice otherwise) is great at thickening desserts.  But fruit does contain natural pectin, so this may thicken up a bit without the gelatin, but won’t hold its shape.  For vegans not following SCD, I’ve provided options below.  
Enjoy!   


Pie Filling Ingredients:
-1 pound seeded black cherries
-1 pound strawberries
-1/4 cup honey (vegans use 1/4 cup agave or maple syrup)
-3 dates, seeded and chopped
-1/4 cup orange juice
-1/3 cup cool water
-1 packet of gelatin which is 1 tablespoon (vegans use guar gum)*

How To:
1.  Wash and trim strawberries.  Wash and seed cherries (see below for how I seed cherries).
2.  To a medium sauce pan, add strawberries, cherries, honey, chopped dates, and orange juice.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 10 minutes.  
3.  Remove pot from heat.  In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup cool water with 1 packet of gelatin.  Pour gelatin into hot berry mixture.  Stir to incorporate.  You will see it start to thicken up a bit.  
4.  Pour hot berry mixture into baked pie crust (you will have some leftover, so don’t overfill crust.  This leftover mixture makes a tasty jello, so place in a small glass container and store in fridge, when firm, top with cashew cream for a yummy snack).
5.  Allow pie mixture to cool at room temperature.  When cool, place in fridge and allow to set up for at least 4 hours.
6.  Top with cashew cream and serve.

Crust:
-I used this cookie recipe for the crust (omit cacao for SCD and add 2 tablespoons coconut flour)
-It helps to oil the entire glass pie dish, line the bottom with wax or parchment paper, then push in the dough.  Poke some holes in the bottom of the crust before baking. Bake 375 for 12 minutes.  See notes for additional crust recipes. 

Cashew Cream Topping:
-2 cups cashews soaked for 4-6 hours
-1/4 cup coconut oil
-1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla 
-1/3 cup honey (vegans use agave or maple syrup) 
-3/4 cup liquid + more to blend up properly (you can use date sweetened water, nut milk or just plain water for the liquid).  
-2 tablespoons vegetable glycerine  (optional) 
-1 teaspoon lemon flavor (optional)

How To:
1.  In high speed blender, blend above ingredients.  Add the initial 3/4 cup liquid and blend.  Add more liquid until a soft, creamy texture is acheived.  
2.  Transfer into glass storage and place in fridge for at least 4 hours (this mixture will thicken in the fridge)
3.  Top pie

Notes:
*As a general rule, if a recipe calls for 1 packet of gelatin, vegans can substitute 3/4 teaspoon of guar gum.  This resource says to replace gelatin with guar gum at a ratio of 1 part guar gum for every 5 parts gelatin (e.g., 1/2 teaspoon guar gum will replace 2 1/2 teaspoons gelatin). 
*Additional SCD crust recipes: (1) Honey Gram Cracker Crust, (2) Dan’s Awesome Pie Crust, (3) Vegan Raw Pie Crust, (4) Deep Dish Pie Crust

I use one of my stainless steel straws to seed the cherries – they pop right out!
Serve with coconut vanilla bean ice cream (SCD friendly) 


Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, My Meatless Mondays, Mealtime MondayFat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tastetastic Thursdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Simple Lives Thursdays, Frugal Food Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Simple Living Friday, Show Off Friday, Friday Food, Fight Back Friday Fresh Bites Friday, Potluck Party Friday, Recipe Box Tuesdays,  Traditional Tuesdays, Allergy-Free WednesdaysGluten Free Wednesdays, 
Posted by Amber at

Labels: cane sugar free, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, grain free, SCD, summer treats.

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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father’s Day Chocolate Tarts (grain free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, paleo))

Something a little sweet and a lot healthy for my special husband on Father’s Day.  

To the best man I know.  To the love of my life.  Thank you for being you, and for being the most amazing father to Sky and Ethan. You’re adored and loved more than you’ll ever know.  

Ingredients:
For the chocolate filling
-3 cups cashews, soaked for 6-8 hours
-5 dates, soaked in 1 1/2 cups filtered water for 4 hours
-1 cup date water (or a little more until smooth texture is achieved) 
-1/4 cup honey (use agave or maple syrup for vegan) 
-1/4 cup coconut oil
-1/4 raw cacao (or more to taste) 
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-Grain free crust*

How To:
1.  Drain and rinse cashews.  
2.  Add cashews with other ingredients to high speed blender.
3.  Blend on high to create a nice, smooth texture – use tamper if needed to move the mixture around (add a little more date water if needed).  Blending this in a food processor will yield a gritty texture.  I’m not sure how a regular blender would work, please leave a comment below if you blend in a regular blender (meaning, not with a high speed). The mixture should be thick and smooth.  
4.  Scoop chocolate filling into crusts and decorate with your favorite fruits or other choice toppings.  
5. Transfer to fridge and allow filling to set up (at least 4 hours). 

Notes:
*This crust was inspired by Amy from SS&GF.  
For the crusts I soaked 2 cups of walnuts for 8 hours, then roasted.  I blended them in a food processor with 3 soaked dates and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.  Then I baked the crusts at 375 for about 15 minutes (not the best crust to remove from tart pan, it sort of falls apart, but still super tasty).  I’ll keep trying.  The walnuts might not have been completely dried and I may need to add less oil.  
*Here are some additional crust recipes: (1)  Grain Free Pie Crust from Elana’s Pantry, (2) Grain Free Crust from My Life in a Pyramid, (3) Grain Free Pie Crust from The Food Lovers, (4) Grain Free Honey Graham Cracker Pie Crust from Against All Grain, (5) Grain Free Pie Crust from Cooking Gluten and Dairy Free 
Serve with homemade nut milk, such as hazelnut 
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, My Meatless Mondays, Mealtime MondayMade From Scratch Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend, Simple Living Friday, Show Off Friday,  Friday Food,  Fight Back Friday,  Fresh Bites Friday, 
Posted by Amber at

Labels: cane sugar free, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, grain free, Paleo, summer treats.

14 Comments

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

SCD Friendly Strawberry, Cantaloupe & Ginger Green Smoothie (with a green kitchen tip)

Obsess much?  Yes, I have beenabout strawberries.  I’ve been making strawberry smoothies everyday for the past couple of weeks and experimenting with a bunch of different flavors.  I created one that I just had to share with you.  Everyone has their own smoothie texture, flavor, and slush preference, so please consider this while making any smoothie recipe.  If you like the icy type, then add more ice, especially if the recipe calls for fresh fruit.  If you like super sweet, add in some sweetener.  That’s the fun of making your own, right.  You CAN have it your way.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.  It has been my latest obsession.


Ingredients:
-6 ounces frozen strawberries (see notes for my frozen strawberries green kitchen tip)
-8 ounces fresh cantaloupe 
-0.2 ounces of fresh ginger*
-1 cup filtered water 
-1 ounce fresh baby spinach (a heaping cup)
How To:
1.  Add above ingredients to your favorite blender (high speed or otherwise) and blend until incorporated.

Notes:
*Add in a banana, and this makes a great breakfast smoothie – so creamy and filling!
*If you love the idea of incorporating more greens in your smoothies, but don’t want it overpowering your drink, add in some fresh ginger (just a little).  Be careful, it can make your drink spicy.  I’ve found 0.1 ounces to be just perfect for my kids.  But I like 0.3 ounces
*I really try to not buy frozen fruit when fresh fruit is in season.  First, the plastic bags, second, frozen is crazy expensive.  I save money buying fresh fruit and then freezing.  

For strawberries, wash and trim then place on a nonstick surface.  Freeze for at least 5 hours.  
 After they are frozen I quickly remove and store in a glass container in the freezer.  They won’t stick together if you freeze them separately like this (they do stick to the glass a little bit).
This gives me frozen strawberries for the week!
Shared on: Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Simple Lives Thursday, Thriving on Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Lunchbox Love Friday, Feed Your Soul Friday, Potluck Party Friday, Super Food Sundays,  Sugar Free Sundays
Posted by Amber at

Labels: dairy free, drinks, green drinks, green living tips organization, SCD, summer treats, vegan.

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Friday, May 11, 2012

Alert – Foodgasm Ahead!! Chocolate Covered Strawberries (with homemade dark and white chocolate – vegan and sugar free)

We went strawberry picking a few weekends ago and we’ve been eating strawberries every day and I’ve had fun incorporating these red beauties in everything from ice cream to salads.  You just can’t go wrong with strawberries, right!  Don’t these look wonderful drenched in chocolate (um, yes, foodgasm – the perfect mix of sweet and tartswoon)!  What a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift these would make, perhaps for dessert after dinner out or a home cooked meal.  This chocolate was completely inspired by Ricki @ Diet Dessert and Dogs.  She recently made some goji berry sugar free chocolates, and they were amazing. It was my first time using stevia as a sweetener in chocolate, and I have to say, it worked beautifully.  And my chocoholic husband LOVED them, so that’s ALL I need to know.  If he gives me the thumbs up, it’s a winner in my book.  
Ingredients

Dark Chocolate
-2 oz cocoa butter
-1/4 cup cashew butter*
-3 level tablespoons of cacao powder
-1/4 teaspoon vanilla stevia 
-1/4 teaspoon cocoa bean extract stevia
-1/4 teaspoon coffee flavor
-1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

White Chocolate 
-1 oz cocoa butter
-2 tablespoons cashew butter*
-1 teaspoon coconut oil
-30 drops vanilla stevia

How To:
1.  For dark chocolate: in a double boiler (or just put a nonstick pan on top of a pot filled with water), add cocoa butter, cashew butter, and cacao powder.  Stir as it melts to help break up the cashew butter.  When the chocolate looks nice and hot and it’s melting, turn off heat and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.  
2.  Add in both vanilla stevia and cocoa stevia.  Stir. 
3.  Transfer melted chocolate into two separate bowls (should be 1/3 cup for each bowl).  
4.  In one bowl add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and in the other bowl, add coffee flavor.
5.  Allow chocolate to cool and thicken a bit before you start to dip in the strawberries.  
6.  You may need to place the bowls of chocolate in the fridge, but not for long.  Be forewarned, once the bowl gets cold, the chocolate hardens very fast.  So, if this happens, simply put the bowl directly in some hot water to melt and start over.  It may take a few tries to get the chocolate just right, but what you want is a somewhat thick syrup.
7.  It helps if you put a plate in the freezer before you start.  After you dip your strawberries, you can place them on the cold plate and it hardens the chocolate and helps it from oozing.

How To:
1.  For the white chocolate:  in a double boiler (see above), add cocoa butter, cashew butter, and coconut oil. Stir as it melts to help break up the cashew butter.  When the chocolate looks nice and hot and it’s melting, turn off heat and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.  
2.  Add in vanilla stevia. Stir. 
3.  Transfer melted chocolate into a bowl and allow to cool.  You can place in the fridge to help thicken, but see above if it hardens over completely. 

Notes:
*To make cashew butter, add 1 – 2 cups raw cashews to food processor.  Turn on and blend until creamy.  It will get creamy right after the ball of nut butter forms.  
*You don’t HAVE to make the chocolate with cashew butter!  Skip it for a creamier finish.  
*When you start to dip the strawberries, do 5 to 7 strawberries at a time, the place in the fridge on the cold plate with a non-stick surface, such as parchment paper to help set up.
*Cool the berries, then re-dip in chocolate until you achieve your desired chocolate thickness.  I prefer a thin layer, 
*If you place the strawberries directly on a glass plate, a metal spatchula works well to remove them from the cold plate – be gentle but firm. 
*Garnish when chocolate is wet, before you place in fridge – use shredded coconut, lemon, orange or lime zest. 
*These can be left out at room temperature, they will not melt all over.  Placing in the fridge just helps them set up.  
*Please add your stevia to taste.  I don’t like super sweet, just enough to offset the bitter.  So test the chocolate before you drizzle on the strawberries. 
*Make little chocolates with leftover melted chocolate (see below)
I also use a spoon to cover the strawberry with chocolate 
This is what happens if the chocolate gets too firm, it becomes difficult to work with.  Just warm the chocolate if this happens.  You need to find the right consistency, this takes a little practice.  Remember, the white chocolate will look a little pale, but will become whiter as it cools.  
Shredded coconut and lemon zest for garnish 
Pour your extra chocolate into miniature silicone baking cups and make little individual chocolates.  So fun!

Shared on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,  Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekends, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Lunchbox Love Friday, Allergy-Friendly Fridays, Pot Luck Party Friday,  Sugar Free Sundays 

Posted by Amber at

Labels: candy alternatives, dairy free, dessert, how to, sugar free, summer treats, vegan.

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Monday, May 7, 2012

On The Farm: Strawberry Picking! (Strawberry pancakes, strawberry popsilces, and Beth’s strawberry coconut breakfast cookies). Strawberries are taking over my kitchen – and I love it!!

Last weekend we went to a local organic strawberry patch (just up the road from our house in fact). Still a little early in the season, but the kids had an absolute blast searching for those little red berries (okay and so did mommy, I’m such a wannabe farmer).  We came home with a box full of berries and the first thing I made was Strawberry Coconut Breakfast Cookies from Beth @ Tasty Yummies (see below).  They were a total hit with the family!  Thank you for a great recipe Beth.  
This week I’ll be sharing a few additional simple recipes with strawberries.  See below for strawberry teff pancakes and sugar free strawberry cantaloupe popsicles.  
Stayed tuned for: strawberry lemon shortcake and strawberry smoothies!!


Here are Beth’s Strawberry Coconut Breakfast Cookies.  
These are a must! Check out the recipe.  

Strawberry Teff Pancakes with Maple Coconut Whipped Cream:
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups teff flour 
-1 1/2 cups filtered water
-2 tablespoons honey (vegan use maple syrup) 
-3 tablespoons oil (coconut is good)
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon cream of tarter
-1/4 teaspoon salt 
-1 cup chopped fresh strawberries 

How To:
1.  Combine above ingredients and mix (except strawberries).  Fold in berries.  Let batter rest for 1 minute.  Stir and make pancakes (we use a countertop griddle).
2.  See here for maple coconut cream topping.
Sugar-Free Strawberry Cantaloupe Popsicles:

Ingredients:
-12 ounces fresh strawberries
-12 ounces fresh cantelopue
-Vanilla stevia to taste (I use NuNaturals) 

How To:
1.  Combine ingredients in food processor until desired consistency (it’s fun to leave a few strawberry chunks in there).
2.  Makes 6 of these popsicles, I also have these which are super fun (purchased at my local Natural Foods Coop).
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesdays, Kids in the Kitchen, Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays , Whole Food Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Raw Foods Thursday, Wellness Weekend, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Potluck Party Friday, Potluck Party Friday: Summer Fruits, Super Food Sundays, 
Posted by Amber at

Labels: allergy-friendly, breakfast, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, on the farm, sugar free, summer treats.

16 Comments

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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Raw Vegan Banana Fudgesicles (dairy free, cane-sugar free)


Hello and welcome to The Tasty Alternative!  My name is Amber and this blog is a combination of alternative cuisine, organization, green living and holistic healing.  You can read more about me and this blog from the links above.  I’m just thrilled to create my first post today.  I thought it would be fun to kick things off on a sweet note and make one of my daughter’s (and son’s) favorite desserts, and of course she is helping me out today.  Please let me know how you like this delicious and healthy spin on one of my favorite childhood treats.

Ingredients:
-1 large ripe banana
-1 can of full fat this or this
-3 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup (also sub: honey, coconut sugar or coconut nectar)
-2 teaspoons vanilla
-2 tablespoons raw carob power (or raw cacao power)
*I am using carob powder here because chocolate aggravates eczema (my son suffers from this skin condition) and overall, chocolate is far too stimulating for my little ones. 

How To:
1.  Blend ingredients in any blender
2.  Pour into popsicle molds and freeze 4-5 hours
3.  Eat
4.  Enjoy
Yum, yum…tasty!

**********
Into the freezer

Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, My Meatless Mondays, Mealtime Monday, Made From Scratch Monday, Wellness Weekend, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays,, Raw Foods Thursdays 

Posted by Amber at

Labels: allergy-friendly, dessert, raw, summer treats.

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