Gooey Cinnamon Buns (Link/replacement)

Okay, so I just tested this recipe out, because I've been meaning to forever and just haven't had the time. But I did it today. And I can say that this fills the hole that not having store-bought cinnamon buns gives a person. These are delicious!! They were so pretty even before baking I had to take a picture of them:



Gooey Cinnamon Buns with Vanilla Icing brought to you by vegnews.com

Here's the very gooey, very nummy finished product:


These will disappear at warp speed, guaranteed. The only replacement I made was real butter for the margerine. Otherwise, everything else is perfect.

Cheers & happy cinnamon bunning!
~Miriam

Olive Oil Mayonnaise

Oh, I miss mayonnaise, often. I have been trying to create a mayo recipe that gives the feeling and quality of mayonnaise, but mostly that has that slightly eggy taste. I may have finally hit on just the right one.

Olive Oil Mayonnaise

Place the following in a processor or a vitamix and blend very well, scraping down sides:

• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (I prefer white wine, but plain will do)
• 2-1/2 teaspoons rice flour *OR* 3/4 teaspoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon agave or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional, but gives egg flavor)

Then drizzle slowly into the mixture as it continues to process:

• 1/4+ cup olive oil, adding more until mixture reaches consistency of mayonnaise.

Can be kept in the fridge and used just like mayonnaise for up to a week. It's great for dipping vegetables in, or spreading on sandwich bread.

There are some cashew mayonnaises out there, too, and I will test out a few and post them here if they work out well. In the meantime, this is a pretty fair sulfur free version. :)

Cheers!
~Miriam

© 2012, Miriam Mason

Kheer - Indian Rice Pudding (Link/Replacement)

As a child, I went with my family to spend 14 months in India. India is full of incredibly delicious food, but sadly much of the savory cooking includes curries that incorporate cumin, coriander and turmeric. And many dishes are bean-centered, alas, some of my all time favorites. So far, with some sadness, the savory side of India is on pause until I can work out the details with alternative ingredients.

The dessert side of India, however? Wide open! :) This recipe for their delicious version of rice pudding, called Kheer comes from Care2.com's Kheer Recipe, which I have repasted here, minus the yoga and ayurvedic medicine references.

One note, saffron will take your wallet, chew it up and spit it out, it's so expensive. The recipe does *not* require saffron. Instead of saffron, when the you remove the kheer from the heat, add a tablespoon of Rosewater instead. It's lovely that way.

Kheer - Replacements

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

8 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice (usually basmati)
1/8 cup almonds (sliced, slivered, or crushed)
1/4 cup raisins (golden or dark)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seed
2 threads saffron (optional, see above note)
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice (or to taste)

1. Rinse the rice and combine it with milk in a medium pot. Slowly bring to a low boil, stirring so the milk does not scorch. After about 30 minutes the rice should be done—the grains should be plump and almost falling apart.
   
   
2. Add the nuts and raisins, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, and then turn off the heat.
   
   
3. Take a spoonful of hot milk and pour it over 2 threads of saffron in a shallow dish. After a few moments you should be able to grind the saffron into a paste with the back of a metal spoon. Stir the saffron paste, cardamom, and sugar into the kheer and let it rest, covered, until it reaches room temperature. Then cool in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.

Variations
Try a variety of dried fruits, such as apricots or apples. Swap the almonds for cashews. Substitute honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup for sugar. Add a drop of rosewater. Garnish with 1/4 cup crushed pistachio nuts.


This food is comforting, delicious and healthy. The fresh cardomom brings it home for me.

Cheers! (चियर्स)
~Miriam

Cheesecake

This is gleaned from several online raw recipes and the crust is a simple basic graham cracker crust. Make certain you check the ingredients of your graham crackers. We tend to buy organic brands of graham crackers merely because the ingredient list is much shorter and contains stuff you'd make crackers with, instead of 40% plus of chemical additives (who even knows what they are anymore? But high fructose corn syrup isn't going to make you feel any better, I will tell you that.)

New Morning Honey Grahams are what we use. Love the short ingredient list. Unless you're throwing it together yourself with a million wonderful real ingredients, the shorter a processed food ingredients list is, the better off you are. This is a general principle we follow and it has made a big difference over time. It makes it easier to eliminate mercury if you're body is given real nutrients with which to fuel itself, and not a bunch of non-food items. :)

Cheesecake

Crust:

1-2/3 graham cracker crumbs (put 1 packet in a ziplock and use a rolling pin to make crumbs, save extra for mini-jam-pies, coming later)
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix together crumbs and sugar then add butter and stir very well. Pour it into a 9 inch pie pan or cheescake pan, smash it down with your hands so it evenly covers the bottom (and sides, if you're using a regular pie pan) and set in fridge until needed.

Filling:

3 cups cashews soaked (at least one hour)
3/4 cup of lemon juice
3/4 cup of raw honey, agave, or maple syrup
3/4 cup of coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional, but yummy)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped

Tablespoon or 2 of water if mixture needs a bit more liquid. May not be necessary depending on how saturated your cashews are, wait until the end to add this.

Put everything in your food processor and process for several minutes until the mixture is completely smooth and homogenous. Make sure to scrape the edge down at some point in the middle of the processing.

Pour into the prepared pie crust pan and smooth it out. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until set. Pie can be kept in the fridge after, although it will last longer if it is stored in the freezer.

Serve with blueberries or raspberries rolled in sugar over the top if you like.

Cheezers!
~Miriam

© 2012, Miriam Mason

Quick 5 Minute Banana Ice Cream

I've found recipes like this all over the web, but the original was done in a 5 page segment, making you click links at the bottom of each page for a recipe that literally takes less time than it takes to load in all those pages! Very silly for 5 minute ice cream.

• Peel and freeze some bananas (I use two bananas per person eating).
• Once they are completely frozen take them and throw them into your food processor with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (this helps it stay yellow instead of turning brown and gives it a lovely freshness).
• Start your food processor at its highest setting and let it go and go and go at least 3 minutes
• Part way through the process you might feel certain that it's not working, and you won't get ice cream. Flip the off switch and scrape down the edges.
• Then keep going, for a total of about 5 or 6 minutes and you will get ice cream! Lovely light fast healthy banana ice cream.

Some suggestions: Top it with walnuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, a dash of nutmeg, or berries and enjoy. You can also add other fruit into the processor with bananas, as long as there is enough banana, it will always turn into ice cream. If you want a banana bread flavoring, try adding a touch of honey with just a trace of your favorite spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.

It doesn't keep really well, so be ready to eat what you make. Or put it on top of a cupcake or cookie. Fast, versatile and pretty much idiot proof. A winner here! :)

Cheers!
~Miriam

Vanilla Coconut Cream Candy (Link)

Okay, my first trial of the Coconut Cream Concentrate I posted about a few days back. They are good, but in my opinion, a little bland:

Vanilla Coconut Cream Candy

It's definitely sulfur-free, and healthy and raw, but I would change it up a bit next time. I'd definitely add fresh vanilla in addition to the extract. I'd probably also spice it up a bit with a good teaspoon to teaspoon and a half of freshly ground cardamom. And I'd add more sweetener, either 1/2 cup powdered sugar along with the honey, or a quarter cup of coconut sugar.

The cream all by itself is tasty, but it needs a kick in this combination. If you like very basic bland stuff, tho, this might just fill your cup.

Cheers!
~Miriam

Raspberry Glazed Chicken a la Lisa

Ah, a recipe I don't need to test out, because my friend, Lisa Prague, invented it and I know what a great cook she is already. :)

I maybe post some of her other recipes, but you might want to wander through her GF blog all on your own, and make replacements to her great recipes to add some lovely delish to your repertoire.

Raspberry Glazed Chicken (by Lisa Prague)

I must try this now, soon as my raspberries come into season. Yum!

Cheers!
~Miriam