THE RAW BROWNIE

APRIL 14, 2011

Um, so, I am about to change your life. Ready?
The Raw Brownie.

I guess I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I am now working as a chef in the premier raw food restaurant in Copenhagen. Yes, I still have my other restaurant job and I still love “cooking”, but it was time to immerse myself in something new to learn more and deepen my understanding of how food can come together. Boy, am I getting an education! Having absolutely no training in raw-food preparation, the learning curve is somewhat steep. Trying to bring out the flavours in food without using heat can be a serious challenge, but the ride is fun, I must admit.

It seems the one area I am not confused about or having any difficulty with is the dessert menu. Nope, I am pretty clear and confident when it comes to raw sweets. It could be because they seem to whip up so quickly and easily with remarkably few ingredients, that they taste beyond incredible, but the kicker is that they arehealthy. I get such a kick seeing the look of total ecstasy and complete shock cross someone’s face right after they’ve taken their first bite of a raw cheesecake. Ha! Fooled you again! It’s also fun to make raw desserts for people because I feel that they are a very good way to introduce more raw foods into the diet – they truly open up one’s mind to new possibilities. Convincing in their lusciousness and ability to boostone’s energy (instead of sitting like a brick in the stomach), I like to call them “the gateway food” of the raw world!

The Raw Brownie is no exception. In fact, we have a staple version on our café menu because customers come back time after time to gobble them up. And then sometimes they skip dinner.

You will be totally surprised at how incredibly rich and satisfying these are, with a complex flavour that remarkably, comes from only five ingredients. That being said, those five ingredients should be of the best quality you can find, as the true taste of each of them shines through in a big way.

Medjool Dates – I should certainly mention that we are total date snobs over at our restaurant, using only the best ones we can find – Medjool dates. A cornerstone ingredient in many raw desserts are dates, often of the Medjool persuasion, because they are incredibly sweet, tender, exceptionally large, and versatile. Medjool dates can replace sugar or honey, they taste like caramel, and unlike agave nectar, which is also popular in raw desserts, these have a deeper, more complex flavour. I find adding agave to anything just makes it taste sweet and kind of flat, whereas Medjools are rich and layered.

From a health standpoint, Medjool dates (and dates in general) are a good source of fiber and contain high levels of potassium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. Yes, they do contain a significant amount of fruit sugar, but this makes them an excellent alternative for those wanting to cut back on simple-sugar desserts and confections.

To select the best Medjool dates, look for ones that are organically grown and not treated with sulfur, which some companies add to preserve their colour (you can read more about that here). Medjools tend to have wrinkly skin, but should still be quite dense and soft to the touch. Medjools will sometimes form a white powder film in the skin–the natural sugars coming to the surface, which does not affect the flavor. I find Medjools so rich and satisfying, just half of one (no joke) will surely satisfy my sweet tooth. I often carry a couple in my purse just in case – they will go into combat with low blood sugar any day!

Cacao – I have already tooted this horn extensively (here), but to sum up raw cacao is one of the best sources of magnesium found in nature, in addition to containing high amounts calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur, and potassium. Cacao contains many chemicals that enhance physical and mental well-being, including alkaloids, proteins, magnesium, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic acid, lipase, lysine, and some neurotransmitters such as dopamine and anandamide. Holy cow – superfood!

Walnuts – Walnuts are my friend because I think they are the most delicious, vegetarian way of getting Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Why are they essential? Because your body can’t make them, they must come from the food we eat. I’d also like to think they’re essential because Omega-3s reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, boost the immune system, control viral infections, improve brain function, and relieve symptoms of inflammatory condition such as arthritis. No biggie.

Almonds – High in essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, almonds also are a very good source of healthy, monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. Almonds also containt two important trace minerals, manganese and copper – essential cofactors of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals! Nice one!

Yes, I could go on and on about the amazing health benefits of The Raw Brownie (can you believe you just saw the words health and brownie in the same sentence? You’re welcome.), but what really gets me is the outstanding flavour and consistency. They are light and cakey when you first bite into them, and then somehow melt and get all gooey, like a good brownie should! I have tried several raw brownies in my day, and I often find them too dense and heavy. These on the other hand are actually incredibly cakey thanks to the walnuts. In this recipe walnuts sort of act as the flour, and the secret is to grind them up until they are light and fluffy. So amazing! Then you throw in the heavenly cacao powder and caramel-ly dates to create this rich, dark, chocolate bomb that knocks your socks off!
All this adds up to one important question: why would I ever eat a baked brownie again? I mean, what’s the point?
Why would you?

Because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, I would highly, highly recommend purchasing top-quality and organic if possible. The flavour of each element plays a strong role in the final outcome, so they all need to be the best you can find. If you are worried about cost, cut the recipe in half – these bad boys will still turn out amazing.

The Raw Brownie
Ingredients:
2 cups whole walnuts
2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw cacao
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt

Directions:
1. Place walnuts in food processor and blend on high until the nuts are finely ground.
2. Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine.
3. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. What you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together (if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates).
4. In a large bowl (or the pan you plan on putting the brownies in), combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds. Press into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve (it is also easier to cut these when they are very cold). Store in an airtight container.

So that’s it. I just changed your life. Go and make The Raw Brownie and maybe get back to me to let me know how it turned out…but just so we got things straight, do not send me any marriage proposals, I am already taken.
Flowers will do just fine, thank you.

Guest Photographer: Erik Sellgren

Copyright 2012 My New Roots at mynewroots.blogspot.com

Apple and cardamom brown butter cakes

Apple and cardamom brown butter cakes

makes 10 small cakes

6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter
3 cardamom pods, cracked
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 cup (100 g) almond flour
1/2 cup (60 g) GF oat flour or brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs
1/3 cups (70 g) natural cane sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
2 lady apples, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook until milk solids are brown. Set aside. Add the cardamom pods and vanilla seeds. Let steep for 10 minutes. Then remove the pods and pour into a clean bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine. Fold in the cooled browed butter.

Pour the batter (3/4 of the way up) into your molds that have been previously greased. Top with a couple of thin slices of apple.

Bake the cakes for 18 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool and remove from molds. They are best eaten while warm.

Savory apple, oat and herb scones

Savory apple, oat and herb scones

makes 16 scones

1 cup (140 g) brown rice flour
1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
1/3 cup (40 g) millet flour
1 1/3 cups (140 g) GF oats
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground chia seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup lady apples, diced into small pieces (you can use other apples but try to use those with not too much moisture)
2/3 cup (170 ml) cold full-fat buttermilk
Heavy cream for brushing

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Place butter in freezer for at least 30 minutes before making the recipe.

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 13 ingredients. Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients using the large holes in a box-grater. Toss gently with your hands without warming the butter too much. Add the diced apple and toss to coat. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined.

Transfer the dough onto your work surface and bring it together. Dust the surface with a bit of flour if needed. Roll to 1-inch thickness and cut 2-inch circles using a cookie cutter (dip the cutter into brown rice flour so it doesn’t stick to dough too much).

Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle a bit of black pepper and more herbs on top. Bake for 18 minutes until golden. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before trying to pick them up.

posted under:  autumn, cakes, gluten free, savories, scones, small plates and sweet treats,soups, tarts

Blueberry, Lemon and Olive Oil Muffins

Blueberry, Lemon and Olive Oil Muffins

by Canelle et Vanille 

makes 12

1 cup (140 g) superfine brown rice flour
3/4 cup (90 g) millet flour
1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 cup (100 g) natural cane sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups (210 g) frozen or fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). Line a muffin pan with baking papers.

In a large bowl, Whisk together the first five ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the lemon zest, natural cane sugar and muscovado
 sugar and rub them between your fingers so the lemon zest releases its oils.
Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla extract, olive oil and
coconut milk. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk to combine.
 Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into baking papers and sprinkle a little bit of natural
cane sugar on top.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden. Let them cool slightly and then
transfer them to a cooling rack. Store the muffins in the refrigerator
for up to 3 days.

posted under:  autumn, breakfast, cakes, dairy free, gluten free, muffins,uncategorized,workshop

ingredients:  blueberries, millet, olive oil

Espargos com molho vinaigrette à l’oeuf

by In the mood for food

Espargos com molho vinaigrette à l’oeuf 
(adaptado do livro “French Provincial Cooking”)

Coza ao vapor meio molho de espargos verdes. 
Pique muito bem uma chalota ou um pedaço de cebola 
juntamente com uma colher de sopa de salsa. 
Junte 3 colheres de sopa de azeite, umas gotas de sumo de limão 
e tempere com sal e pimenta. Coza um ovo por 3 minutos,
 retire a gema e junte ao molho. 
Pique a clara do ovo e junte ao molho. Sirva sobre os espargos.

Bircher Muesli com molho de morango e especiarias

Bircher Muesli with Spiced Strawberry Sauce

by Sarah Britton, My New Roots

June 14, 2012

As the weather warms up, my food cools down. This seems to happen every single year without my even noticing. A couple weeks ago while blending up a green smoothie, I realized that the seasons must be shifting because my body is suddenly asking for different foods.
Besides frosty drinks and fresh fruit, I have been getting back into Bircher muesli, or as it is also known, overnight oats. This is a perfect summertime breakfast – light, raw, and refreshing, yet filling at the same time. If you like a warm bowl of oatmeal porridge in the colder months, I think Bircher muesli will be right up your alley for this time of year. And if you’re a particularly busy person, you’ll also fall in love with the incredibly simple prep that leaves you all that extra time in the morning for eating instead of fussing about in the kitchen (or an extra hit of the snooze button).
Bircher muesli was invented in Switzerland by a physician named Maximilian Bircher-Benner. Bircher-Benner had this ‘crazy idea’ of feeding convalescing patients raw vegetables and fruits, nuts and whole grains as a means to heal them – a practice contrary to many of the beliefs held at the end of the 19th century. Inspired by observing the simple, healthy life of Swiss shepherds, he also believed that people are most balanced living in harmony with nature. What a nut job.
Okay, enough sarcasm. I genuinely love this breakfast because it is so easy, so satisfying and so very, very good for you. Quite simply, Bircher muesli involves soaking oats in a liquid (milk, water, yogurt), placing them in the fridge overnight, and eating them in the morning. If you like eating raw foods for breakfast, but do not always feel “full” after, this is the perfect meal to try because it satiates with high-quality carbohydrates and plenty of whole grain fiber. You can dress overnight oats up however you like with nuts, seeds, coconut, fresh fruit, superfoods, jam, honey, maple syrup, yogurt etc. For this recipe I made a raw strawberry sauce that is similar to a jam, but without any processed sugar. I usually add this to the oats in the morning, but if I know that I have to get up and go first thing, I will layer it all in a jar the night before and take with me on the run. So convenient and delicious! If you are kind of person that doesn’t like to eat as soon as you wake up, this is a perfect solution too. Take the container of soaked oats to work and wait until you’re really hungry to enjoy – this is the healthiest thing to do anyway, as we should never eat before our body gives us true hunger signals.
Get on the soaking grains train!
If you’ve been a reader of My New Roots for a while, you’ll be familiar with my enthusiasm for soaking nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains before eating them (you can read more about that here and here). Bircher muesli of course takes advantage of this process, which aids greatly in digestion and the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Here is an excerpt from Nourishing Traditions about soaking grains, written by one of my favorite authors and experts on traditional foods, Sally Fallon:
All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects. Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.

There are many variations on Bircher muesli, or overnight oats, but I will give you my simple version. Feel free to play with the recipe to achieve a final product that works for you. I really like adding chia seeds to the oats before soaking because they absorb so much of the liquid and create a lovely, pudding-like consistency. Chia also boosts the nutritional value of the breakfast bowl with Omega-3 essential fats, protein, antioxidants, extra fiber, as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.
This is one of the most versatile and satisfying raw breakfasts I know of – definitely one to try for anyone who needs a lot of energy to get them through the morning all the way to lunchtime.

Bircher Muesli
Serves 1
Ingredients:
2/3 cup oats or any other whole, rolled grain
1 cup milk of your choice (I like Brazil nut, almond, or hemp) or water
a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice (½ tsp.)
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
Directions:
1. Fold all ingredients together in a jar or bowl, place in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, remove muesli from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes if desired. Layer in more milk, yogurt, and the Spiced Strawberry Sauce with more fresh fruit. Enjoy.
I was most definitely moved to create a seasonal sauce for the Bircher muesli because although it is delicious on its own, it has a relatively neutral flavour that acts as a base for so much more! And seeing as the Danish strawberries are now available, I couldn’t help but use them. This sauce is insanely delicious. The sweetness of the berries explodes onto a background of warming spices, vanilla, and citrus. It is bright and bold, clean and complex – a truly addictive condiment. I made an entire batch and ended up “accidentally” eating all of it in one sitting because I could not put it down. Ahem. While sitting alone in my kitchen, silently plowing through this gorgeous creation, I came up with all sorts of other uses for it besides just eating it out of the jar. I know that Spiced Strawberry Sauce would get along famously with pancakes, yogurt, ice cream, and it would make an incredible filling for my Almond Butter and Jam Sandwich Cookies. Get creative or remain lazy – any way you eat it will be delicious.

Spiced Strawberry Sauce

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1kg/2 pounds organic strawberries
zest of ½ organic orange
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
2 cardamom pods
1 star anise
1 black peppercorn (optional)
1 teeny pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. raw honey or agave

Directions:

1. Wash and cut the strawberries in half, or into quarters depending on their size. Place in a large jar or container. Add all other ingredients and using a muddler or a large spoon, smash the berries extracting their juices, but leaving some of the whole. Be sure to crush the whole spices too (you may want to use a mortar and pestle before placing them in the jar).
2. Cover with an airtight lid and place in the fridge to marinate (at least an hour). Keeps for a week. Serve with Bircher muesli, or on pancakes, yogurt, ice cream etc.
Seeing as there are so many versions of Bircher muesli out there, I would love to hear your suggestions on toppings and add-ins! What do you like to put in/on your overnight oats? Leave your suggestions in the comments section. Thanks!

Homemade Granola

Homemade GRANOLA 



Ingredientes:

- 4 chávenas de flocos de aveia
- 1 chávena de amêndoas com pele aos bocadinhos
- 1 chávena e meia de flocos de côco
- 1 colher de café de flor de sal
- 1/3 de chávena de mel (maple syrup ou agave)
- 4 colheres de sopa de óleo de coco (óleo de girassol, ghee [manteiga clarificada] ou manteiga)
- sementes de girassol, abóbora, papoila e sésamo


Preparação:

Pré-aquecer o forno a 200°.
Colocar a aveia, as amêndoas, o coco e o sal numa taça e misturar bem. Levar ao lume o mel e a manteiga (foi o que usei) até aquecer um pouco. Verter este preparado sobre os flocos e misturar bem.
Forrar um tabuleiro com papel vegetal e distribuir a granola e levar ao forno, quando estiver ‘loura’ deve dar-se uma volta para que toste por igual. Vá verificando de vez em quando para que não queime..