The one-bowl-only-brownie-like chocolate cake is very easy and quick to make. It´s not overly sweet when you use dark chocolate for the chocolate cream on top and good quality cocoa powder for the cake batter. Since I ran out of coconut sugar, I opted for simple brown sugar, but you can easily replace it with any sweetener of your choice. Just make sure not to keep the cake for too long in the oven, otherwise it´ll loose the moisture. I also used homemade blueberry jam to add a little fruity sweetness that goes very well with the airy chocolate cream. I can imagine that it would taste even better with freshly made chia jam. You can use any jam leftovers you have at home. I highly recommend doing the chocolate cream a day in advance to make sure that it gets firm nicely. The cake can be made for pretty much any occasion you can think of and will definitely satisfy your cravings for something chocolatey!
Slilou (or Sellou, Sfouf, Zmitta) is a delicious nut based Moroccan sweet usually prepared during Ramadan. I won´t lie it´s definitely not low in calories and a sweet that can´t be eaten in higher amounts since its very filling, but it´s very nutritious and healthy.
I´m a big lover of Middle Eastern flavors and this sweet is an impressive mixture of roasted almonds, sesame seeds, golden roasted flour and aromatic spices, so it definitely fits the bill. As with most of recipes, every family has its own and they also vary strongly from one region to another. I wrote down the recipe a while ago and don´t really remember where I´ve found it, but no matter which adjustments you make, the result will be the same: a rich energy paste with an outstanding flavor! In Morocco, it´s also traditionally consumed by nursing Moms to increase the milk production. I highly advice you to play around with the recipe and adjust it to your own liking. The ingredients are mostly very easy replaceable, the only ones that really should go in are almonds, sesame seeds and aromatic spices. I´ve made the recipe with roasted flour, but I personally don´t find the taste that appealing. You have to be also very careful, because it´s very easy to burn the four, which will alter the flavor significantly. Next time, I opted for unroasted oat flour and it was even more delicious. I replaced the traditionally used butter with a mixture of coconut oil, pistachio oil and argan oil. Instead of using sugar or honey, I added maple syrup and date syrup, that´s why I reached a much darker color than normal. If you like sticky and sweet things, it´s definitely worth a try! ;)
I don´t know about you, but my ultimate comfort food has to be creamy. Like creamy vegan mac’n’cheese, creamy chili sin carne, creamy cheesecake, creamy peanut butter, creamy cashew cheese on a pizza, creamy chocolate ganache, creamy smashed avocado, creamy…Ok, I think you get the idea.
I guess my soul needs creamy textures to keep itself smooth. I mentioned the word “creamy” 10 times already, so you can probably imagine by now, which texture this sauce has. And it has roasted pumpkin in it. Pumpkin is velvety and velvety is close to creamy, so its double creamy comfort food. Plus there are root vegetables swimming in it and that keeps you rooted. So, this dish has the power to maintain your emotional stability without visiting a therapist. Not that you need to see one. But, you know just in case…So, let´s get on with it!
Besides my obsession with pumpkin, figs and pomagrates during autumn I´m addicted to making tarts and oven baked crispy things in the colder months. For this tarte flambée I used up cashew cheese leftovers from yesterday. Since I needed the lunch to be ready in under 30min. I cheated and opted for a store bought pastry.
It always amazes me, how transformable simple things like nuts and grains are. Before I went vegan nuts were already my favorite snack, but I would have never imagined that it´s possible to make creamy and cheesy bread spread just by soaking them and adding some umami taste in form of yeast flakes and some simple spices. Or to blend them together with a splash of lemon juice, agave syrup and a pinch of aromatic vanilla extract just to be left with the most velvety and smooth “cheesecake” that doesn’t leave you feeling bloated and overstuffed. It´s pure magic really.
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