Shout out

I want to give a shout out to one of my new faavvvvvorite blogs Whole Hearted Eats

I discovered this blog, written by a lovely woman named Sophie, through her gorgeous instagram account. Her blog is full of beautiful photographs of her delightfully simple and healthy recipes, plus great info on healthy cooking and eating. So far everything I've made from the blog has been fabulous. I want to make every single one of her dishes!

Here's my rendition of Sophie's raw vegan fig bars. They were quite simple to make and lovely as a breakfast treat

The flax 'rye' crackers made a perfect accompaniment to a sweet potato soup I made.

If you try only one recipe from Whole Hearted Eats, try these banana bread pancakes. I am happy to say that this was the first meal I ate in the new year, the perfect fuel after a long night of New Year's Eve dancing. To me, these are the perfect pancakes. They are vegan, simple to make, and most importantly delicious. And the recipe works! Though the batter is gluten-free, it still holds together nicely and cooks up beautifully. Made with a base of oats & hazelnuts they are nutrient rich and filling, but not too heavy. Plus, the sweetness from the banana means you don't need much maple syrup. 

A trillion thanks to Whole Hearted Eats for the incredible recipes and inspiration!

Dark chocolate truffles with balsamic & tamari

Though I've never actually made a list, this is definitely one of my top 5 all time favorite recipes. I make these truffles for exquisite parties, as gifts for family and friends, and sometimes just to have on hand for when I'm in need of a decadent & healthy treat.

This recipe for dark chocolate truffles was inspired by the talented Renee Loux. The truffles are vegan, gluten-free, and raw with the exception of maple syrup and vanilla extract. Notes of balsamic vinegar and tamari bring out an incredible tang in the chocolate and the magical synergy between raw cacao and vanilla bean give them further complexity. Try them once and you'll never forget them.

Dark chocolate truffles with balsamic & tamari

• 2/3 cup raw cashew butter or raw almond butter
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 4 Tbsp. coconut butter
• 1 Tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. good quality tamari, Nama Shoyu is best
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Seeds from one vanilla bean
• 1.5 cups raw cacao powder, plus for as needed
• Cacao powder for dusting

Begin by softening the coconut butter in a heatproof jar or glass placed in a bowl of hot water. Combine the nut butter, maple syrup, coconut butter, balsamic vinegar, tamari, vanilla extract and vanilla bean in a medium bowl, stirring until well mixed and smooth. 

Sift the cacao powder (this is important to remove any lumps!) into the bowl and mix to thoroughly incorporate. Use a sturdy spoon as the mixture will get quite stiff. Add more cacao if necessary to achieve a smooth thick base. If the mixture is not stiff enough to handle, refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to help it solidify.

Roll 1.5 Tbsp. into balls and roll in a shallow dish of cacao powder to coat. Alternately roll in coconut flakes or hemp seeds. Store in a sealed container the fridge or freezer. For best flavor, allow the truffles to return to room temperature before eating. Makes about 24 truffles. Enjoy!