Loquat Pie!

So we have this ginormous loquat tree in front of my house.  Loquat?  "What the fuck is that" you ask... Well... it's like an apricot but smaller and with a thicker skin and not as sweet.  Yeah, I know what you're thinking, "that sounds kinda nasty".  Well, really they are not that great on there own but if you cover them in sugar and wrap them in pastry dough, fucking excellent.  Which is why I made this beautiful pie:)

 This is not a beginner recipe like most of my recipes.  It took three effin hours to make bitches.  The shit took FOR-EV-ER.  Good thing I love everything about pie, I love the way it looks, the way it tastes, I love rolling out the dough and designing the crust and especially the way it smells in the oven, brings a smile to my face just thinking about it:)  Most of the time is spent pitting the loquats, those little bitches are a pain to pit but if you get in the zone it can be spiritual (yup, the "zone" is a spiritual place).  So if you have a ginormous loquat tree like me don't let those little bitches go to waste, make pie!

I know I keep saying I am going to blog more but I mean it this time.  My goal is to try to replace blogging with boys.  For those of you who haven't noticed I have a boy problem and it fucking sucks.  A beautiful girl can only take so many failed attempts before throwing her hands up and saying "Alrighty universe, I guess you get your way again!".  Yes, me and the universe talk and the universe is telling me to focus on myself, do what you love and love will find you.  And blogging my food is a joy I truly love:)  So lucky you, more delicious vegan recipes for free... and I will do my best slowing down and focusing on numero uno.  Thanks for listening and more importantly thanks for following my blog, it means a lot to me.

Here is the pie finally...

Loquat Pie Filling

6 cups of pitted loquats (I cut them in half them lightly squeeze out the pit)
1 cup of water
1 1/2 cups raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place loquats and water in a medium saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes until fruit begins to soften.  Then add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and cook until sauce thickens.  While loquats are cooking begin making the crust.
Mix


The Crust

2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of vegan butter
1/3 cup of shortening
6-8 tablespoons of ice water

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  flour and salt in a bowl.  Then add the butter and shortening and cut into the flour with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles small pea size pieces of flour and fat.  Add the water until the mixture comes together and knead a couple of times just to get everything to stick together.  Once it sticks together nicely, split it into two and roll them into two circles big enough for your pie pan.  I used a 10 inch pie crust.

2.  When crusts are done being rolled out place one in the bottom of the pie pan and cut the excess dough around the edges.  I use my kitchen sheers for this.  Then add the filling and cover with the top layer.  I made a lattice top and you can do that too if your fancy like me. Otherwise just top with the other crust, cut the extra around the edges and press the dough together.  Crimp the edges to your liking and place in the oven for 45-55 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Bonus Recipe!!!

Wondering what to do with that extra dough?  Make these tasty little appetizers...

Hot Dog Appetizer Thingies

Extra pie dough
veggie hot dog or sausage

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Roll dough out into a circle and cut it like a pizza to form pyramid like shapes. Roll the hot dogs up starting at the larger end of the pyramid up to the pointier end... if that makes sense.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Serve with mustard or whatever the fuck you want.  Enjoy!!!

Raw Valentines Strawberry Shortcake

Damn bitches I have been totally missing in action.  Well... as some of you know I have been going through the saddest break-up of my life:(  But  the depression fog is slowly starting to clear and my creativity is slowly starting to come back to me.

My eating has been all over the place where I wont eat all day then I will have seem piece of shit as meal to sooth the pain.  Well I am happy to be eating more normally and even more happy to be back to my blog.  I REALLY love cooking and blogging and feel it is my way of expressing art.... and what better way to express a broken heart than to create food with hearts in it.

Anyways, on to what you are all here for, the food!  The beautiful picture above was taken by my awesome friend Elise who had the pleasure of eating this delectable little dessert.  It is something I just threw together and didn't measure so if you are making your own and something doesn't seem right go with your gut and adjust it.  It is super easy and you can shape the "shortcake" into pretty much any shape you would like. Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum....

Raw Strawberry Shortcake

"Shortcake":
4-5 dates pitted
1 cup of walnuts
dash of salt

Cashew Cream:
1/2 cup cashews
2 tablespoons agave
water

2 pints of strawberries sliced
1 tablespoon agave

1. Mix the strawberries and the agave together and set aside.  In a food processor add the dates, walnuts and salt and mix until a course mixture is formed, the mixture should have some texture but still hold together.  To make the cashew cream add cashews and agave to blender and cover just to the top of the cashews with water.  Blend until a smooth creamy consistency is formed.

2. To assemble separate the strawberries into four dishes.  You can either crumble the shortcake on top the strawberries or shape it into whatever you wish.  Then top with cashew cream and it's ready to go.

Raw Carrot Cupcakes with Cashew Cream Frosting

In spite of the normal disgraceful holiday binging I have been participating in I am still trying to gear up for my New Years raw food cleanse and juice fast which is why I came up with these delicious little suckers.  They are hella easy to make and hella easy to eat like ten of them so watch out.  I am slowly becoming obsessed with raw desserts which is awesome because they are healthy and uber easy, the only thing that sucks is I have like the tiniest food processor (if you gots a food processor laying around collecting dust holla).  Keep yourself posted because I will be pouring my heart out to the world throughout my cleanse and the remainder of my weight loss journey via vlog which should be interesting.

Raw Carrot Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups carrots finely shredded
2 cups raw walnuts
3/4 cups raisins (I used golden)
1/2 cup raw shredded coconut
1/4 cup agave
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (coconut oil can be melted by putting the jar in a bowl of hot water)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  Blend walnuts in the food processor until a powder consistency forms then add raisins, coconut and salt and to food processor and mix until the raisins are blended in smoothly with all other ingredients.  Place the walnut mixture into a bowl and add carrots and agave and mix with your hands.  The cake can be formed into pretty much any shape.  I used an espresso cup lined with saran wrap to make mini-cupcake looking things.  Top with Cashew Cream Frosting...


Cashew Cream Frosting

1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup agave
water
pinch of salt

1.  Place the cashews agave and salt in a blender and add water just until the cashews are covered and blend.  If mixture is too thick add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it easily blends.  Add to dessert of your choice.

Raw Fudge Brownie Treats

Ever since Thanksgiving I have been on a serious sugar binge which is just so eww, so instead of making a banana cream pie (sounds so effin good right now) for my neighborhood holiday potluck I decided to try this schnazzy recipe I came up with.  And oh my,  these healthy little balls of deliciousness are just heavenly.  They taste a little healthy but really pack in a good rich chocolatey punch.  Just an FYI, I will probably be doing more raw food recipes for the next couple weeks to gear up for my raw food/juice fast cleanse I am planning for the beginning of January.  Don't worry though, I am totally not one of those raw foodie freaks who claim that they love the taste of raw kale (eww and double eww!).

Anyways... this recipe is super duper easy and only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish if you skip shaping them into cute little donut hole looking things which I only did for potluck convenience.  These are perfect little treats for those with a sweet tooth who are trying to keep it healthy, so give them a whirl and let me know what you think.

2 cups raw walnuts
12 dates pitted
1/2 cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
shredded coconut (optional)

1.  Place walnuts in a food processor until a smooth powder forms then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until well mixed.  Press walnut mixture into a small greased pan, 8x8 would probably work or form into donut holes and viola, raw fudge brownie treats.  Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Note: You can probably shape these puppies into just about anything, next time I think I will steal one of my sisters mini-cupcake pans (that bitch has like five of them anyways, like who needs that many mini cupcake pans?!), press the walnut mixture into mini-cupcakes and make a frosting out of avocado, cocoa powder and agave to top them off with.