I'm currently in the third week of Lent, in which I abstain from meat and fish, as well as dairy and other animal products (such as eggs). For the latter, I only completely abstain during Wednesdays and Fridays. The reason I started the Orthodox Lent is not so much religious, in the sense that I am not a strict follower of the Lent each year. But this year, my body felt that it needed some sort of detoxification from animal products, due to some digestive issues, so I thought I should give it a go.
It turns out, it's not so difficult or so much different from the way I normally eat. During the last few months, I've learned to eat more legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas, which makes me crave meat less. Of course, I will occasionally eat meat, especially when my boyfriend is cooking for us, but on other days I am fine without it. I feel that if we train our body by eating healthier 80% and unhealthy about 20% of the time, then we don't really miss the junk food when we don't eat it so often.
So this period that I am going through has given me a lot of options and opportunities to try out different recipes and foods. I have always been looking at all these plant-based recipes and recently I bought myself my first ever raw vegan cake (I shared this on Instagram). And let me tell you this. It was AMAZING! Oh my God how good it was. Such a perfect first experience with raw vegan cakes!
This cake was my inspiration for creating these Triple Layer Cashew Creme Bars. If you are a nut lover, cashews are on your list. Personally, I love all nuts (with favourites one walnuts and almonds), but cashews don't make such a big impression on me. I find their flavour and crunchiness to be very mild and I am known to love crunchy food. So much, that it turns my boyfriend mad. But in most recipes I've seen so far, cashews are used to create a creamy base or a mixture close to a cheesecake one. Whatever the reason, I used cashews in my recipe as well. I just had to adjust a few things to my liking.
The base is a wonderful date and mixture of nuts, with a bit of saltiness to balance out the sweetness of the two other layers. The dark chocolate on top is enhanced with some extra unsweetened cacao for those who like it bitter. Of course, apart from the middle layer you can adjust the base nut layer and the top chocolate one as you like. You could also skip the chocolate layer on top and put something else, like fruit, shredded coconut or anything else that would "stick" on top.
Triple Layer Cashew Cream bars
ingredients
base
1 cup mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans)
12 medjool dates (soaked in water)
pinch of salt
cashew cream
1 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for an hour or overnight
1/2 cup coconut cream (place a coconut milk can in fridge overnight)
4 tbps honey
juice of half lemon
chocolate top
100gr chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
2 tablespoons cacao
How do I make it?
1. First make the base. In a food processor, mix all of the ingredients for the base, until a soft dough is created. Then, take a medium to small pan (about 20cmx18cm) in rectangular shape and place a baking paper. Pour in the nut dough and start pressing it with clean hands on the bottom of the pan until it covers the whole surface. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, place all the ingredients in a high speed blender. To take the coconut cream from the can, open from the top and carefully try to take the coconut flesh that has gone on the surface. Make sure to place a can and not a carton in the fridge overnight, as it won't work with a carton. Mix well for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your blender. Take out the pan and pour in the creamy filling. Place again in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3. For the final step, melt together the chocolate and the coconut oil. When they are well melted together, add the cocoa, making sure you use a small shifter so that you avoid creating lumps in your chocolate. Take the pan out of the fridge and pour the chocolate melt on top. Place again in the fridge for another 2 hours or best overnight.
4. When you want to cut the bars, use the sides of the baking paper and lift the whole content . Place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut in desired sizes.
No comments :
Post a Comment