sweet miscellany

I’ve been noticing lately that I take pleasure in the simple things, whether it be occurrences in the day to day or in the foods that I put into my body.  Today I’ve enjoyed the beauty of a cloudy day, the rainbow of offerings at the farmer’s market, a juicy, ripe peach, and exploring a different route home. 

I used to really dislike the small city in which I call home, but I’ve come to realize recently that it’s what I’ve got.  I may pine for better cities or locales, but this city of mine will have to do.  Relishing in the small things every day is what allows me to be able to enjoy this place.  It may seem silly to some that taking a different route home or going for a walk on my nice, shady trail would bring me such joy, but it really does. 

Since I’ve been enjoying an abundance of local peaches lately, I decided to enjoy them in a rather simple, yet delicious way.  I grilled them with nothing but a bit of coconut oil and them topped them with a vegan cashew cream and a couple of sweet raspberries.  An effortless sweet treat for a lovely warm day.

Grilled Peaches with Cashew Cream
Since I’m not allowed to have an outside grill at my apartment, I use a grill pan on my stove.  Feel free to use whichever is readily available.  If you do use a grill pan inside, be prepared to open a window or two.  I had some raspberries available so I garnished the peaches with them, but feel free to garnish with whatever you have on hand.  This recipe makes enough for 8 servings with a bit of cashew cream left over.  

1/2 cup of raw cashews (not roasted and un-salted), soaked in water for a couple of hours
1/4 cup (or a bit more) of coconut milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener of your choice
small pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

4 ripe peaches, halved and pits removed
coconut oil for brushing on peaches

fresh raspberries to serve (optional)  

Make the cashew cream: drain and rinse the cashews and then add them to a high-speed blender or food processor.  Add in 1/4 cup of coconut milk, the maple syrup, the salt, and the cinnamon.  Process until the mixture is smooth and relatively thick.  If it is too thick, add a bit more coconut milk.  Set the cashew cream aside in the fridge to chill while you grill the peaches.  (you can make this a couple of days ahead of time, just make sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge)

Grill the peaches: rub the flesh side of each peach halve with a bit of coconut oil (just enough to coat it).  Grill the peaches flesh side down on a grill pan set over medium to medium-high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes total.  I grilled mine for 1 minute, then rotated them about 90 degrees and grilled them for an additional minute in order to get lovely cross-hatched grill marks.  You want the peaches to soften and release their natural sugars, but not turn to mush. 

Assemble: top each peach halve with a good dollop of the cashew cream and a couple of raspberries.  Serve immediately (or chill for later) and enjoy!