Raw Berry Tart

So with all these awesome fruits being in season I am hoping to be making some more fruit centric recipes.  The farmers markets have been on hit lately.  If your not out shopping at them for your fresh produce you should be!  I also just love pies and tarts....yum!  And even better this shit is totally fucking healthy.  No flour, no sugar, just dates, nuts and fruit!  It was eaten within a 24 hour period.  Not just by myself, luckily my occupy buddies came over after a planning meeting and helped me consume it.  It took me less than 20 minutes to prepare with clean-up, I know, hellsa quick.

Big shout out to my big sis for helping with the decorating.  The heart was my idea but she helped with the rest:)  Love you and hate you sis!!!

Here's the recipe...

Raw Berry Tart

Crust

1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
8 dates pitted
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  Place all ingredients in a a food processor and mix until it holds together nicely.  Be careful not to over mix or the oils in the nuts will release and make it mushy.

2.  Grease a ten inch tart pan and press the crust mixture into the pan evenly.

Cashew Cream Filling

1 1/4 cups cashews
juice and rind of one lemon
1 vanilla bean, seeds only
pinch of salt
water

1. Place cashews, lemon, vanilla bean and salt in a blender.  Pour the water over the nuts just to the top.  Blend until creamy.  If too think add more water.

Assembly

1.  Spread the cashew cream in the tart shell evenly.  Add the fruit on top to your liking.  To get the same presentation I did hull the strawberries and place them around the egde of the tart.  Then make a heart shape with raspberries and fill carefully with blueberries.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

2.  To serve gently move the tart out of the pan and place on a flat surface to cut.  ENJOY!!!

Raw Taco Salad

So I came home from yoga with my BF ravenous and in full bitch mode (sorry Lover).  It was the end of day 3 on my cleanse and I was effin starved to put it lightly.  I had planned on making raw tacos but threw everything into a salad so I could stuff my face faster.  My Lover had actually made real tacos for himself and it was painful to even walk past the pan of crusty cold refried black beans.  My love for beans is one of the few qualities that links me to my Mexican heritage.  Supposedly according to my Daddy (yeah I am almost thirty and I still call him Daddy, so what!) he grew up on bean sandwiches which consisted of pinto beans and mayonnaise on white bread.  Maybe it is the Mexican in me but that shit sounds delicious, maybe I will veganize it and post the recipe on my blog after this stupid awesome cleanse is over.

Anyways, the taco salad came out bomb and it took like 5 minutes to put together with my snazzy new food processor that my Lover Santa bought for me.  Quick story about how much of a brat I can be, so I decided to boycott Christmas shopping this year and told my family and friends not to buy me anything in support of my boycott which was all fine and dandy until Christmas eve hits and the realization sets in that there are no presents under my $2 paper Christmas tree I got at Goodwill and I started to cry.  Yes, I cried about it to my oh so patient and supportive Lover and he promised that "Santa" was coming late this year and assured me that I was a good girl and deserved all the useless crap in the world.  And this is how my bratty ass got my awesome new Cuisinart food processor (you can't see me but I am dancing like a 5 year old in celebration of my new toy).  OK, here is the taco salad recipe finally...

Raw Taco Salad

Taco "Meat"
2 tomatoes cut into quarters
1/2 package of taco seasoning (I used trader joes)
1 1/2 cups raw almonds
1-2 zucchinis cut into quarters (added the zucchini to boost the vegetable content but they are not needed)
1 cup mushrooms

Salad:
mixed greens
salsa fresca
tomato
onion
cilantro
avocado
olives (yeah I know there not raw but my Lover opened a can for his tacos and I could not resist)
whatever else your heart desires... maybe some shredded carrots, beets, kale, guacamole, pepitos, raw corn, cashew cheese ....

1.  To make the taco "meat" mix tomatoes and taco seasoning in a food processor until a sauce is formed.  Then add almonds to sauce and blend until a ground beef consistency is formed (I know totally gross but I don't know how else to explain it).  Add in the zucchini if using and mushrooms and blend until desired consistency.

2.  To plate add a couple of handfuls of lettuce to a plate or large bowl and top with salad toppings and taco "meat".

Note:  You can easily make raw tacos out of the this recipe by wrapping the taco "meat" with lettuce or other greens and adding the traditional taco accompaniments.

And for dessert I had chocolate dipped bananas which as you can see from my picture needs work but it still tasted delish. I will get back to you guys with recipe once it is perfected.