sweet miscellany

I’ve noticed lately that my body has started to crave different things from season to season. It’s not that I didn’t realize it before, but rather it has become more defined and present when choosing what to eat. I’ve also noticed that these cravings are attuned to what plants and vegetables happen to be in season at the time. There’s no better time to crave raw foods than in summer when farmer’s markets are bulging with beautiful, ripe tomatoes, stone fruits, and berries galore. I could probably eat a bowl full of blueberries and cherries for dinner right now and be perfectly content.

Unfortunately, these cravings mean I’m a tad apathetic towards baking which is totally uncharacteristic of me. It mainly stems from the fact that turning on my oven means suffering a 20 degree increase in the temperature in my apartment. That being said, you won’t see too many baked goods here over the next month or two. But, I’ll still be sharing lovely recipes that don’t require much cooking, if any at all. So, that’s a plus, right?

I made this “pudding” to satisfy a craving I had for something sweet and cold. You pretty much mix everything up and let it chill in the fridge for a while. Easy, right? The end result is a sweet and tart pudding that gets it’s thick consistency from lovely protein-packed chia seeds. I topped mine with a bit of fresh diced strawberries, but this cashew cream would be amazing as well.

Hibiscus Strawberry Chia Pudding

notes: This recipe takes a bit of planning because it has to sit for several hours or overnight before eating. Makes about 4 servings.

1/2 lb strawberries (or cherries if you can’t find strawberries), cleaned de-hulled
1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers or 2 hibiscus tea bags
juice of 1/2 a lime
scant cup of water
1 to 2 tbsp agave, depending on the sweetness of your berries
6+ tbsp whole chia seeds

Boil the water and then pour it over your hibiscus. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out the hibiscus (or tea bags) and pour the tea you have made into a blender. Add the strawberries , lime juice, and agave to the blender also, then blend until the mixture is smooth. You should have roughly 2 cups of liquid. Pour the liquid into a bowl, then measure out 3 tbsp of chia seeds for every 1 cup of liquid you have. If you got 2 cups, then add 6 tbsp chia seeds. Stir the chia seeds into the liquid to evenly distribute them, then cover the bowl and park it in the fridge for several hours or overnight to thicken. Once the pudding has thickened, enjoy it chilled topped with fresh diced strawberries or cashew cream.

As I write this post, it’s cloudy and drizzling outside. It’s a lovely gift of relief from the searing summer heat that july brings. I will reluctantly be turning on my oven today so I can get back to testing for my shop since I feel it’s been a little neglected lately. I have found that it’s rather hard to balance priorities between blog, shop, work, and life. I’m not perfect at it, but I suppose there’s a learning curve and I’m trying to improve.

To combat the summer heat, I’ve got a simple and refreshing treat for you that only uses 5 ingredients and requires no cooking whatsoever. It’s gluten and grain free, vegan, and refined sugar free so you can indulge without the guilt. Plus, it requires little time to assemble so you can spend more time enjoying the summer and all it has to offer. If peaches aren’t yet in season where you are, any stone fruit will work just as well.

Rosy Peach Fool
notes: make sure to chill the coconut milk for several hours or overnight in the fridge. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for a couple of months. Serves 4

1/2 can (about 3/4 cup) of full fat coconut milk, chilled for several hours in the fridge
1/2 to 1 tbsp honey, or agave for vegans
splash of rosewater
2 large peaches, diced or sliced
1/2 tbsp coconut sugar

Mix the peaches and coconut sugar together in a bowl and set aside.

Put the coconut milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or alternately, in a bowl with a hand mixer). Start the mixer on medium-low and run the mixer until the coconut milk starts to gain volume. Stop the mixer and add the honey and rosewater and beat on medium-high to high until the coconut milk has doubled in volume and soft-medium peaks form. Taste the cream and then adjust for sweetness/rosewater, making sure to whip it into the cream once more with your mixer. The end result should look liked soft whipped cream.

To serve, you can either layer the juicy peaches in a bowl with the cream mixture like a trifle, or you can gently toss the peaches with the cream to create a more authentic fool. I set aside a couple of pieces of peach to garnish with. Enjoy!