Lilac Sorbet

2 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup strong scented, coarsely chopped lilac florets

Pour water into an enamel or stainless steel saucepan. Add sugar and florets, stir well to dissolve sugar. Bring liquid to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes then allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions.

Top with candied lilac blossoms.

Serves: 4 to 6

Olive Oil -- the Italian Butter

It seems that the axiom maybe truer than I ever thought. I was given a wonderful gem of information today. If you use Vegan Butter and don't have any or prefer not to use a vegan butter then you can use 1 part flax oil with 2 parts virgin olive oil and then refrigerate it. As long as it is cold, it has an awesome buttery taste, is healthy for you, and is very very spreadable for crackers, toast, or whatever else ones heart may desire.

Cherry Coconut Cake

Cake:
1 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
2/3 cup unsweetened dried cherries
1 cup pitted dates
3 Medium to Large Apples or (4 to 5 if small-medium)
1 cup hazelnuts soaked overnight
1 cup pecans soaked overnight (Substitute almonds for a less sweet taste)
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (1 teaspoon if you like the stronger flavor)
1/2 teaspoon mace (Omit if you use full teaspoon of clove)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Place dates in filtered water to soak
In food processor grind the nuts and coconut into a light flour
Peel and core apples, then shred
Press as much juice out of the apples
Soak dried cherries in the apple juice from the pressing
After cherries have soaked for 10 minutes, place them in food processor along with the dates, apple juice and 1/2 cup of the water the dates were soaking in. Blend all the ingredients into a paste.
Slowly mix the dry goods, the nuts, coconut, and cocoa powdered into the paste, followed by the spices and salt and vanilla.
Once the all of the ingredients have formed a paste, add in the shredded apple.

Take the mixture and press into pan of choice, layer with frosting below.

Garnish with shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chopped pecans, chopped hazelnuts, or any combination of the above.

Allow to set up in the refrigerator before eating.



Frosting
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, soaked
1 cup almonds, soaked
(substitute 2 cups of cashews for less nut flavor in the frosting, or use 2 cups pecans for softer, more sweet frosting, I have also used the pulp left over from making almond milk 2 cups of almond pulp)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup cherry juice
1/2 cup pitted dates
2 cups pitted cherries


Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

What constitutes a serving?

One of the most difficult things to comprehend is just what a serving really is and how much a person should eat and just what is a serving.

Water: Most doctors now say drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. A person weighing 100 pounds drinks 50 ounces of water a day.

Veggies Eat 3 to 5 servings a day.

• ½ cup vegetables
  
• 1 cup salad
  
• 1 Fistful of greans or vegetables
  
• ¾ cup vegetable juice
  

Grains: This is the trickiest one of all, while we are to eat 6 to 11 servings a day, most of us tend to overdo it by counting two slices of bread as one serving, etc..

• 1 slice of bread
  
• 1 oz ready-to-eat cereal
  
• ½ cup cooked grains, cereal or pasta
  
• 2 Tbsp wheat germ
  
• 1 oz (28 g) other grain products
  

Fruit: 2 - 3 servings each day.

• 1 medium sized fruit such as apple, banana, orange, pear
  
• ½ cup of sliced or canned fruit
  
• ¾ cup fruit juice
  
• ¼ c dried fruit
  

Beans, Seeds, & Legumes: 2 to 3 servings a day.

• 1 cup cooked legume (beans,lentils, dried peas)
  
• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) nut or seed butter
  
• ¼ c (60 mL) nuts & seeds
  

It is important to vary the types of foods you eat to assure the best nutritional possible. Since I follow Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, follow the seasons, warmer cooked foods in the Winter and fresher more raw foods in summer.

One way to assure vary the types is to eat a rainbow.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I am not a fan of pumpkin pie, but since becoming vegan this recipe has definitely shown me it isn't as bad as I used to think it once was.

So enjoy:

Crust -- Makes one 9" crust.

1 cup Unbleached flour + 1 Tablespoon
1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry flower + 1 Tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup safflower oil
3 Tablespoons Almond Milk

Sift together the flour and salt. in a separate bowl whisk together the oil and almond milk. Add the liquids into the dry mixture while stirring lightly with a fork. Form into a ball and roll out between waxed paper. Fit into pie shell and set aside.


The Filling

2 cups pumpkin
1 cup almond milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 or 1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves

place ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. pour into prepared 9" unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 for about an hour.
Is the best when made and allowed to sit overnight.