July 19th, 2013
This post is also available in: French
We’ ve been traveling quite a bit for the past couple of weeks, mostly within Florida. One of the beautiful places we stayed at was a woodsy campground on Rainbow river, and there will be a post about it soon. Last night we came home, repacked and now we’re back on the road, heading south to Miami.
As much as I love traveling, it’s always challenging to eat well on the road. These rolls are an easy and refreshing solution for summer travel.
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I’ve noticed that the world is divided into those who love watermelon and those who prefer all other melons to it. I definitely belong to the first group and will pick juicy sweet watermelon any time of day. Occasionally though, I’ll run into a honeydew or cantaloupe that is so irresistibly delicious that I’ll forget about my unconditional love for watermelon.
A good melon tastes particularly amazing when framed by the flavor of fragrant herbs like basil and mint. Add the crunch and beautiful colour of purple cabbage and carrots, almond pesto and sweet and spicy dipping sauce, and you’ll get just about the perfect summer meal.
Melon Basil Summer Rolls
(makes about 15 rolls)
about 15 rice paper wrappers
spicy cilantro almond pesto
about 1/2 purple cabbage – thinly sliced
1/4 – 1/2 ripe sweet melon such as Honeydew
2-3 medium carrots – finely shredded
2 cups fresh basil leaves
large handful fresh mint leaves – optional
1. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds, peel and slice the flesh into strips.
2. Prepare a large bowl of warm water and a working area covered with a damp dish towel. Start dipping your wrappers in the water, one at a time, for a minute or so, until it begins to soften. Don’t keep the wrapper in the water too long to prevent tearing.
3. Place each wrapper on a damp dish towel (one at a time) and begin to fill it. Spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto in the middle of the wrapper, followed by cabbage, 1-2 melon strips, carrots and herbs.
4. Fold the bottom part of the wrapper over the filling, followed by the sides, then roll it tightly.
5. Serve right away with the sauce or keep covered with a damp dish or paper towel until ready to serve. These rolls are best when eaten within a day or two.
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tamarind paste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 small red chili – seeded and minced (optional)
In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients thoroughly. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Tags: basil, cabbage, melon, mint, pesto, recipe, summer rolls, vegan
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April 21st, 2013
Today we’re thrilled to welcome more guests, Shanna and Tim of Food Loves Writing, who came up with a delicious veggie dip recipe to share with us. You may have noticed a new wave of guest posts on Golubka lately – that’s because we’re still working on the cookbook, which is in the copy editing stage at the moment, and generally trying to take a little rest from intense recipe development. I enjoy the concept of guest posts so much, sharing and exchanging ideas often leads to the best recipes, meals and friendships.
Food Loves Writing is a literary food blog written by an amazing husband and wife team based in Nashville. Focusing on engaging storytelling intertwined with whole food recipes, Shanna and Tim run a warm and charming site, which I always find hard to leave, wanting to read just one more post. Be sure to pay them a visit and check out their ebook, Written Together. Here is Shanna’s beautiful story:
Hello, Golubka readers! I’m truly so honored to be posting here today, partly because, like many of you, I so admire the quality of work on this site, and partly because, also, I resonate so much with the philosophy here of a fearless approach to new foods. Thanks again for the generous invitation, Anya! I hope you all enjoy hearing a little of our story.
My husband, Tim, wooed me into married life through sixteen months of dating around the delight of what were then many new-to-me foods. When I’d visit from Chicago, he’d bring me into his Nashville kitchen and make me impromptu salads, perfectly fried eggs with the brightest yellow yolks, mashed avocado on toast, sweet potatoes roasted in coconut oil, thick morning smoothies made in a blender he’d packed to the brim.
We’d first met through food blogs (a story you can read more about in our ebook), so the idea that we’d grow together around the table makes good sense. And in the years since I’ve known him, Tim’s taught me about balsamic vinegars and the many varieties of leafy lettuce and how rich a diet can be when one sticks to foods that are real. One month into our married life, going through boxes in our living room, I found an old journal of his, stashed with handwritten notes on the intricacies of ice-cream making, and I thought again how much this man is just my match. Because of this, over time, I’ve learned that when he has an idea, I should listen to it—and that’s the story of how this raw garlic dip, which is at once dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan, came to be.
So Tim said he had an idea for a vegetable or chip dip that would be based off of a cashew cream. I’ve always marveled at what cashews become when you soak them overnight and blend them into a chocolate pudding or raw berry pie, but turning them into something savory would, for us, be new.
Here is what we did: In a high-powered blender, we combined the soaked cashews, coconut milk, two cloves of garlic, two chopped green onions, chili powder and salt. Tasting and adjusting until we had it right, we ended up with a new take on the standard veggie dip, one so delicious I could eat it by itself with a spoon. We ate it with raw vegetables, but it would also be so nice with chips—or spread onto a sandwich or stuffed inside a lettuce wrap. I like to think of it as a testament to quality ingredients, but, I suppose, also, it’s just as easily a testament to love.
Garlic Onion Veggie Dip (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)
(Makes about three cups, which is plenty for a crowd, and is best served with fresh veggies or your favorite type of chip.)
1 cup of cashews – soaked in water overnight
Around 3/4 cup coconut milk
2 cloves of garlic – grated
2 green onions – chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Sea salt and pepper
Begin by blending the soaked cashews in a high-powered blender or food processor, with enough coconut milk to almost come to the top of the nuts. Once the mixture is smooth and creamy, add garlic, onions, chili powder and salt. Taste, and add more chili powder, salt and pepper as you like.
Tags: dip, garlic, guest post, onion, recipe, vegan
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April 15th, 2013
Today we are so happy to welcome a guest poster, Laura, a beautiful lady behind The First Mess. In case you are not familiar with her blog, head over and prepare to be amazed. You will be drawn into the world of vibrant colours, fresh and seasonal food, unique and simple recipes and engaging writing. The First Mess makes me smile with every new post, and I often run straight to the kitchen to make another one of Laura’s delicious dishes. Here is Laura:
Hello all! I’m so pleased to be sharing something with you in this beautiful space today. I’ve long admired Golubka, for the healthy approach and the gorgeous imagery that sings stories of life well-lived. I have a special affinity for anyone capable of elevating natural foods so vibrantly. I strive for that same feeling in my own space.
Spring time brings a special vibrant energy all its own in my home. Lemon desserts are one of my favourite ways to usher in the warmth that soon comes. Rhubarb and strawberries and everything good will be along soon, but lemon’s brightness is always within reach it seems. I’m sincerely grateful for that.
While I’ve always been mad for lemon desserts, I’ve found them somewhat difficult to recreate without eggs, dairy or soy. I sometimes tire of cashews for creaminess when I’m making a treat, so I tried something a bit riskier. I reached for the giant bag of pine nuts in the freezer, my go-to for salad topping and pesto mixing. The buttery and outright pine-y qualities were perfect for a lemon filling. I might even say that it was the finest lemon dessert I’ve ever had. Bold, I know.
The little pansy blossoms are an optional garnish, but they are perfectly edible and bring some colour to the plate. Do ensure that yours haven’t been exposed to pesticide before adorning any treats.
Lemon Tarts
(Serves 5)
Notes: Use the finest almond flour you can find. Honeyville is a great brand to seek out if you live in the United States. Also, some full disclosure: I wasn’t careful enough with one of the shells when I was flipping it out of the pan and it crumbled into a heap! Handle them with care.
Crusts
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup oat flour (or use all almond flour) + extra for pans
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil + extra for greasing the tart pans
splash of water
Lemon Filling
1 1/4 cups raw pine nuts, soaked for at least 4 hours
1/3 cup almond milk (or water)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup raw agave nectar (+more if you prefer it a bit sweeter)
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 5 tartlet pans with coconut oil and sprinkle them with a bit of oat flour. Place them on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all of the crust ingredients except for the water. Stir them together with a spatula until you have a wet sand-like mixture that holds together when you pinch it. Add the splash of water if necessary.
Divide the crust mixture between the tartlet pans and press the mixture into them evenly with your fingers. Bake the shells for 15 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow them to cool completely, then place them in the fridge for at least an hour. To remove the shells, gently invert them upside down and tap the bottom of the pan with a spoon.
Make the filling: combine all of the filling ingredients except the coconut oil in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse the mixture until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil and blend/pulse until incorporated. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the lemon zest. Cover the bowl with saran wrap, pressing it onto the top of the lemon filling to avoid a skin forming. Let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours to firm up.
To serve: divide the lemon filling amongst the tart shells. Garnish with edible flowers (like pansies, lavender or nasturtiums), berries, mint sprigs, strips of lemon zest or anything else you like.
Tags: dessert, guest post, lemon tarts, recipe, vegan
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March 25th, 2013
Today I’ve got a guest post for you that I am very excited about. When Karolina Eleonóra of The Raw Dessert Kitchen emailed me about a possible guest post on this amazing cake, I couldn’t wait to share such beauty. Let me introduce Karolina Eleonóra, a Swedish raw dessert chef with an eye for making really beautiful and decadent desserts. She specializes in nut-free desserts spiced with a variety of different super foods. For more of her delicious recipes, check out her eBook The Dessert Revolution. Here is what she says:
This cake is a tribute to the much-missed spring here in Sweden (it’s late this year). I’m trying to keep my spirit high by digging into a raw cake that pretty much has it all in terms of consistency, flavor, surprise effect and favorite ingredients, plus it was fun to make!
The base of the cake is a raw version of a bundt cake, moist from coconut oil and made with hazelnut flour. Inside hides a lemon cheesecake filling with crunchy cacao nibs and on top, melted dark chocolate. All together the cake managed to lift my mood and frozen body to a much higher state while eagerly waiting for spring.
Welcome Spring Cake
Hazelnut Sponge Cake Base
1 cup Hazelnut flour
7 Dates, smaller Helwah dates or 6 Medjool dates
1 tablespoon virgin Coconut oil
1 pinch of Himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon real Vanilla from pod
1/4 teaspoon ground Cardamom
Pit and soak the dates for 5 minutes. In a food processor, add all of the ingredients and process until incorporated. Save some to create the bottom later (needs to be in the size of a peach).
Grease a 5 inch (13 cm) wide cup, bowl or miniature sponge cake pan with coconut oil and coat with some hazelnut flour. Press down the cake dough, making a round hole in the middle. Create a pretty finish using a spoon to “polish” the inside of the hole (where the filling goes later).
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
0.5 cups Cashews
0.5 cup Coconut milk (process 0.5 cup shredded Coconut with 2/3 cup Water in a blender and press the milk through a nut milk bag)
3 tablespoons virgin Coconut oil
1 pinch of Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon light Agave or Honey
Zest from one organic Lemon
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
One handful of Cacao nibs (is to be stirred in by hand in the end)
Grind the Cashews into a fine flour in a blender, put aside in a bowl. Make the Coconut milk in the blender, add the Cashew flour and the rest of the ingredients except the Cacao nibs. Process until completely smooth. Add the Cacao nibs, stir and pour the filling into the cake dough hole. Place in the freezer to be fully frozen. When fully frozen, create the bottom of the cake with the dough that you saved and press it down to cover the filling.
Place the whole cake up side down with a plate under and give it a couple of hours to thaw.
To remove the cup / bowl / pan, place a cloth soaked in hot water on top. If you have a metal bowl, gently tap it with the back of a knife.
Melted Chocolate
2 tablespoons virgin Coconut oil
2 tablespoons Agave
3-4 tablespoons raw Cacao powder
1 small pinch of Himalayan salt
1/8 of a teaspoon real Vanilla from pod
Melt the Coconut oil carefully in a water bath. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir with a whip. Wait for the chocolate to thicken a bit before you pour it over the cake. Decorate with more hazelnuts.
Tags: cake, cheesecake, chocolate, guest post, lemon, raw, recipe, vegan
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