Feasting on Fruit
I live alone, and I already make a lot of food for just one person. To avoid food wastage, I like to single-serving size recipes. That’s why I’ll often make a half batch of recipes, or sometimes even a quarter batch. Unless it’s pumpkin pie; then I make a double batch. Truth be told, leftovers are alright, but freshly made is always better.
I’m not much of a spice-fanatic. Okay let’s be honest, I can barely tolerate mild salsa. But I still enjoy Mexican style dishes like tacos and fajitas and this spin on Spanish rice. I just don’t eat them all the time…and I don’t add as much cumin or pepper as most people…and I always keep a carton of almond milk nearby.
If you’re a real spice fiend, then you may want to up the cumin depending on what your taste buds can take.
I was inspired to expand my whole grain repertoire after watching this video. I finally tried this fluffy golden grain, and I give it a thumbs up. Millet really couldn’t be any easier to prepare. In fact, this entire recipe couldn’t be any easier to prepare. Just chop, season, simmer, and wait. Then garnish with a little fresh cilantro for a fresh pop of green flavor.
All About Millet: This stuff is old! Like 10,000 years old. Millet cultivators of the Neolithic era probably didn’t think much about gluten, but millet is a gluten-free grain. In addition to its light and fluffy texture, millet delivers a good dose of protein, fiber, magnesium, and B vitamins.
What does it taste like? The flavor is quite mild, which makes it great for sweet or savory recipes. I took it in the savory direction with this recipes, but check out this Creamy Millet Porridge with Cinnamon Vanilla Pears for a sweet option.
Here’s the video version starring the marvelous millet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViJbaxhZbb8
1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup millet
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Cilantro for garnish (or add some in while cooking!)
Did you know that Spanish rice isn’t really Spanish at all? It’s a complete misnomer! The dish only exists in Mexico and America, and it only goes by this name in America. In Mexico it is just called arroz. That is what Wikipedia taught me today.
I have to squeeze in one last pumpkin recipe before October is over. With 5 cans of pumpkin in my cabinet I could keep going, but I don’t want to over-pumpkin you.
So far I’ve made pie and muffins – both pumpkin, both wonderful, but both round. I thought it was time for something of a different shape, so I made Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Squares. Because what goes better with squares than chocolate? (Yes my mind really does work this way.)
They’re gooey. They’re chocolatey. They’re not raw, but not baked either. Maple syrup and pumpkin puree aren’t exactly raw dessert approved, but don’t bother preheating your oven either. Even though the ingredients aren’t raw, there is no baking involved in this recipes. Just a little bit of fridge time is all this no-bake dessert requires.
Ooey, gooey, pumpkin and chewy…
Happy Halloween!
These are similar to my Chewy Cherry Vanilla Bars, but chocolate! And blueberries too!
Even though I don’t follow a 100% raw diet anymore, my favorite form of chocolate is still cacao powder. Or more specifically Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder. After adding it to my raw desserts and endless blenderfuls of frozen banana, I developed a real affinity for its mild taste. Not roasting those precious little beans makes for a less bitter flavor according to my taste buds. You can use cocoa powder in these bars too though.
Have I mentioned that I love blueberries + chocolate? Well I do…a lot.
It isn’t exactly the peak of blueberry season. Recipe ideas don’t always come to me in the proper season, but sometimes I’m anxious to make them anyways. So I’m using frozen blueberries in these chewy chocolate bars, so you can enjoy them 365 days a year. For a sippable form of the splendid blueberry-cacao combo, try this smoothie.
Persimmons are the definition of gooey. Gooey, sweet, orange, and made to be swirled into pudding. This tasty, spoon-ready dessert showcases their natural jelly-like goodness amidst creamy vanilla bean pudding and crunchy graham crumbles. So much to love all in one bowl!
What is graham? Graham seems to be synonymous with graham crackers, which seem to be synonymous with honey. But graham is really just a type of flour. It’s a wheat flour with all of the wheat kernel components (bran, germ, and endosperm) still present. So it’s like whole whole wheat flour, which means it has lots of fiber too! These graham crumbles will remind you of that crunchy, sweet-cinnamon cracker treat, but leave the bees be.
When I used to eat graham crackers, it was always a mess of crumbs. So I just skipped the cracker stage altogether and made graham crumbles. Because creamy pudding is better with a crumbly contrast.
I’m leaving the sweetening option to you for the graham crumbles. Any liquid sweetener will provide the necessary sugar and stickiness. I made a batch with coconut nectar and a batch with maple syrup, and both were perfect. So what’ll it be for you: Agave? Maple syrup? Coconut nectar? Brown rice syrup? Bee-Free Honee?
Serves 1
Pudding
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
3 tbsps cornstarch
1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
Graham Crumbles
1/4 cup graham flour
1 1/2 tbsps liquid sweetener of choice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
And 1 super ripe hachiya persimmon
