raw chocolate – StyleNectar

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Style

Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

These festive and rustic Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate & Caramel are so delectable it feels rather a feat to convey in mere words their divinity… nothing can possibly match the exquisite experience of biting into such a dream! Alas, proceed I must and, fortunately, their sheer memory has already made things easier…

Encapsulating holiday decadence, these tantalizing tartelettes glisten in caramel and drizzles of dark chocolate atop beautiful layers of dried pear tucked inside a cookie-crisp crust finished with clouds of rich, vanilla bean ice-cream. Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream (100% raw & vegan) are not only beautiful to behold I dare say they sing holiday carols to our taste buds with their incredibly vibrant and luxurious flavor. Joy to the World!

The apple (or pear in this case) doesn't fall far from the tree, as the inspiration for these beautiful Pear Tartelettes came from a traditionally cooked pie of the very same name which my husband used to request every holiday, birthday and other opportunity possible. Since he loved it so much it was a necessity to recreate a raw vegan version. Expectations were surpassed by far! This high vibe raw vegan delight is unbelievably BETTER! Of course, I act surprised, perhaps because once upon a time it truly seemed that cooked recipe could not be improved upon if one tried, and yet I'm not. Why wouldn't fresh, living ingredients with 100% of their life force essence completely blow us away!

Pear tartelettes are absolutely phenomenal even without the accompanying Vanilla Bean Ice-cream. However, I'm never disappointed when that small voice of persuasion steers me to take things a step further – and this was no exception. Vanilla Bean Ice-cream is a dream all in itself too! Clouds of pure heaven. And when two dreams unite, as in the case of magical tartelettes topped with pure clouds of heaven, well that's what we call a miracle, fit for celebrations! Both the Tartelettes and the Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream are simple to prepare, though undivided care and attention to each element and sourcing of the very best of ingredients is needed. However, if you're anything like me, cozy, soulful kitchen time when heavenly tastes are a necessary means to perfection, letting go into the process is the reward and the beautiful result is simply one delicious circle of love.

This is my submission to the Tinned Tomatoes & Lisa's Kitchen No Croutons Required + Bookmarked Recipes Challenges and Ren Behan's Simple & in Season!

Recipe for Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream (Raw & Vegan)

(Makes 2 tartelettes)

INGREDIENTS

Raw Vegan Pear Tartelette, Crust & Crumb Topping

3 Pears, peeled and thinly sliced (1/8")
1 1/4 cup oat groat flour (measure the flour not the groats, grind groats in Vitamix to get flour
3/4 cup dates, pitted
1 t vanilla powder
1 1/2 – 2 T water
3 T extra virgin coconut oil
2-3 drops lemon essential oil (edible grade only)
3/4 t himalayan salt
1/4 cup soaked/sprouted/dehydrated walnuts
2 T raw coconut crystals

Raw Vegan Caramel Filling

1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk + 1 or 2 T more as needed
pinch himalayan salt
1/2 t vanilla powder
1-2 drops lemon essential oil (edible grade only)

Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate

1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 t ceylon cinnamon
pinch of himalayan or celtic sea salt
stevia to taste (I use barely any here)

Raw Vegan Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

16 oz frozen raw baby thai coconut meat
2-3 frozen super ripe bananas
stevia to taste
1/2 t vanilla powder

METHOD

Dried Pears

Assemble sliced pears on a teflex sheet of the dehydrator and dry at 115 for 2-3 hours. Alternatively, dry on lowest setting of your oven w/ oven door propped open an inch, for and hour.

Tartelette Crusts

Process Oat Groat flour, Dates and Vanilla Powder in a food processor until well incorporated and broken down. Add water, essential oil, coconut oil and salt and pulse until fully combined and dough sticks together when pinched between two fingers.
Take 1/3 of the above mixture and set it aside for latter use in crumb topping.
Press the remaining 2/3 into two 4" diameter 3/4" deep pie tart tins.
Place into the dehydrator at 135F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn down to 115 for another hour then remove and set in the freezer. Alternatively, use your oven on lowest setting w/ door propped open an inch for only 1 hour.

Crumb Topping

Toss the mixture set aside in step 2 above with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 2 Tbsp raw coconut crystals until crumb topping coated lumps are achieved. Set aside.

Caramel

Blend all the ingredients in a Vitamix until smooth and creamy adding extra coconut milk as necessary to thin. Place mixture in fridge where it will thicken slightly.

Dark Chocolate

Whisk together all ingredients until completely smooth.

Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix, using the tamper, until super smooth and creamy. Scoop out into an air tight container and set aside. If storing in freezer, allow to come to room temperature for an hour to thaw and make scoopable, before serving. I actually prefer storing mine in the fridge where it retains a whipped ice-cream texture. This ice-cream does not melt away like traditional making it very nice for entertaining!

Tartelette assembly

Smear a thin layer of the caramel across the bottom of each tart shell.
Neatly layer the dried pears inside the two tartelette crusts, smearing a bit of the caramel over each layer, including the top, as you go.
Sprinkle crumb topping over top.
Set tartes in freezer for 20 minutes to set.
Remove from freezer and drizzle tartes with dark chocolate.
Optional: Drizzle a very TINY amount (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) of coconut nectar across the top for an extra caramel topping affect. Don't go overboard or it will turn into a sticky ooey-gooey mess!
Place back in freezer for final set. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Tartelettes can be served whole or sliced into 4 – 6 pieces and topped with Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream. The Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream will not melt at room temperature making these perfect for entertaining!
Revel with pleasure on a cloud of Sweet Holiday Bliss!

Do you have a holiday favorite you'd like upgraded to a high vibe raw & vegan version? Share in the comments below for the opportunity to have me recreate it for you!

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All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty

Chocolate Covered Matcha Smoothie

I was absolutely thrilled when Williams-Sonoma invited me to help kick off “Smoothie Week” with my favorite “Not Your Average Smoothie”. It was a match made in heaven: an over-the-top, mega delicious, rocket-fuel smoothie and my family’s favorite gourmet cookware specialty retailer – all coming together in one fabulous post! So without further ado, I present the delectable…

Chocolate Covered Matcha Smoothie!

When I want to get my day started off fueled with maximum deliciousness and powerful energy (which is every day!) you’ll find me whipping up some tantalizing variation on this baby in my Vitamix. We’re talking layers of the most decadent, smooth, creamy chocolate and matcha infused nice-cream… so sweet, so divine AND brimming with the Wild superfood power of Wild Edible “Weeds”, Peruvian Maca Root, Essential Oil of Peppermint and Matcha Green Tea!

Yes, that’s right. Here, shining in one of the most delicious concoctions ever, are some of the most powerful sources of nutrition on the planet, beautiful ingredients, which, when tucked into a smoothie like this Chocolate Covered Matcha, can make us look and feel as beautiful and powerful as they are!

Lets start with the Wild Edible “Weeds”. Here, I’ve used a handful of baby Dandelion Greens, Stinging Nettles & Chickweed straight from my wild edibles garden, still thriving the near freezing temps of November (a testament to how powerful they are). People, Wild Edible Weeds are the new Kale. They’re used routinely in cooking in Europe and around the world, and they’re slowly but surely making their way into the mainstream here in North America. You’ve probably noticed dandelion greens for sale at your local Whole Foods. Or, if you’re a gourmet foodie, perhaps you’ve eaten at Trump Tower’s 2 Michelin Star “Sixteen” where diners rave over the dishes incorporating chickweed, stinging nettles and salsify (belonging to the dandelion family).

Garden basket of baby dandelions, stinging nettles, wheat grass & nasturtium blooms.

Wild Edibles are the wild greens growing right in our own backyards! They’re so powerful they’re able to thrive despite the most adverse conditions, growing out of stone walls, between sidewalk cracks and in near freezing or low moisture conditions. They have incredibly long root structures, enabling them to pull incredible, intense nutrition from far below the depleted surface soil. All that magnificent power and nutrition goes straight into our bodies when we blend them up into a smoothie!

To make things even more fantastic, by blending these raw, living greens in a high speed blender such as the Vitamix Professional or Vitamix Personal Blender, we’re cracking the cell walls, unlocking far greater nutrition for our bodies than simple mastication or chewing a huge salad can yield. Therefore, we get way more nutritional bang out of our greens for a smaller amount used. This means we’re able to keep our smoothies super tasty because we don’t have to overload them with so many greens that they cease to be palatable. Additionally, compared to cooking, blending preserves essential vitamins, enzymes and nutrients. Therefore, making delicious green smoothies, with even the most bitter tasting greens, is quite easy as only a handful will provide a HUGE level of nutrition due to the “pre-digestion” that occurs in the blender 🙂

Check out all these other great blenders too!

As if all that wild power weren’t enough, I’ve tossed in these amazing superfoods as well:

Peruvian Maca Root – Maca root has been used by indigenous Andean societies as a source of healing and nourishment for thousands of years. Studies have identified alkaloids present in maca which are known to nourish the endocrine system. Maca root has been used as a stress-fighting adaptogen to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue. It’s a nutrient-dense whole food packed with vitamins, plant sterols and many essential minerals, fatty and amino acids.

Essential Oil of Peppermint (highest grade edible only) – “One of the oldest and most highly regarded herbs for soothing digestion, it may also restore digestive efficiency.* Jean Valnet MD studied peppermint’s supportive effect on the liver and respiratory systems. Other scientists have also researched peppermint’s role in improving taste and smell when inhaled. Dr. William N. Dember of the University of Cincinnati studied peppermint’s ability to improve concentration and mental sharpness. Alan Hirsch MD studied peppermint’s ability to directly affect the brain’s satiety center, which triggers a sensation of fullness after meals. This powerful essential oil is often diluted before topical application. Peppermint may also be used to enhance the flavor of food and water. Peppermint has an approximate ORAC of 373,455.” (1)

Matcha Green Tea – Matcha Green Tea contains 10-15 times the overall nutrients and 100 times more antioxidants compared to traditional green, white, black, rooibos, and yerba mate teas. It has high concentrations of the amino acid, L-theanine which helps to improve cognition and mood while reducing physical and mental stress. Matcha assists to alkalize and detoxify via the powerful and renowned catechin EGCG and chlorophyll which help to alkalize and detoxify the blood. It contains potent antioxidants which help to strengthen the immune system by protecting against free radicals.

1) http://us.ylscents.com/ylo/shop/EssentialOilSingles/PeppermintEssentialOil

To say this Chocolate Covered Matcha Smoothie is incredible seems an understatement after all that! However, there is actually more great news…

It’s also a snap to make 🙂

Please enjoy!

Recipe for Chocolate Covered Matcha Smoothie (Serves 2)

Ingredients

4-6 super ripe organic frozen bananas
1 handful organic wild edible greens (such as dandelion, stinging nettles, plaintain or chickweed)
1 Tbsp matcha green tea powder
1-2 drops organic peppermint essential oil (edible, food grade)
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1-2 Tbsp cacao or carob
1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp maca powder
stevia to taste (or substitute dates or raw honey)

*Optional: 1 Tbsp coconut nectar, melted, whisked w/ 1/2 Tbsp cacao & a pinch of ceylon cinnamon to create dark chocolate crackly topping.

Method

Toss 2 or 3 of the frozen nanas, 1/2 handful of wild edible greens, matcha powder, 1-2 drops peppermint essential oil & 1/2 tsp vanilla powder into your Vitamix. Blend til irressitably smooth and creamy, using the tamper to assist. Dump into your fav smoothie jar or bowl.
Toss the other 2 or 3 frozen nanas into your blender along with the second 1/2 handful of wild edible greens, 1-2 Tbsp cacao (or carob depending on your preference), 1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon, 1/2 tsp maca, and stevia to taste. Blend til delectably smooth and creamy. Layer atop the matcha nice-cream.
Optional: Drizzle all this yumminess with dark chocolate to make a divine crackly topping.
Get ready to have THE BEST, most MAGICAL DAY EVER!!!

You may also enjoy these fabulous smoothies:

Cleansing Quadruple Berry Acai Smoothie
Daily Detox Green Smoothie
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shake
Chocolate Chip Mint Shak e
Epic Baby Thai Coconut Smoothie
Blueberry Coconut Shake
Delicious Green Smoothie
The Happy Shake

What’s your favorite ingredient to put in your “Not Your Average Smoothie” ?

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty, Style

Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups

Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups

Mmm-mmm, I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately haven't I? Hey, knowing these delicious treats are all so incredibly good for me… why not make them all the time! I just love having a little piece of something after dinner or with my tea in the afternoon. These Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups are as heavenly as they look and delicious as they sound. They bring to mind a certain Easter candy whose first name rhymes with Bradbury… chocolate covered ooey-goey sweetness – minus the guilt and with all the glow!

Check it out…

The coconut nectar "caramel" is a tasty little miracle worker that's: low glycemic, non-toxic, low fructose, digestion improving, medium chain fatty acid boasting meaning it improves heart health, contains 17 amino acids, a host of minerals, vitamins B & C and is hypoallergenic, antiviral/antifungal/antiseptic/antibacterial & antiparasitic aka majorly immune boosting!

Sprouted Raw Nut butters like pecan and cashew contain easily digestible protein brimming with heart-healthy fatty acids, phenolic antioxidants, photo-chemical substances including the polyphenolic antioxidant ellagic acid, B-vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and zinc.

And, should you be avoiding cacao for any reason (albeit extraordinarily healthy for many other reasons, cacao can be overtaxing to the adrenals for some individuals) simply swap it out with this amazing raw carob powder like I do. Carob is actually an evergreen flowering shrub belonging to the legume family and native to the Mediterranean region. Carob is loaded with iron and can help fight against osteoporosis due to its high content of calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. Carob contains polyphenols which lower cholesterol and account for carob's extremely powerful antioxidant properties. Finally, carob is caffeine and theobromine-free and contains Gallic Acid which works as an analgesic, anti-allergic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral and antiseptic.

As always with all raw vegan StyleNectar recipes, the list of amazing benefits is seemingly endless… so should you care to delve into the incredible features of extra virgin coconut oil check them out here.

Gourmet chocolates that make us look and feel as beautiful as they taste…

YUM 🙂

Recipe for Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups

(Makes 1 dozen mini's)

Equipment: 12 mini muffin liners. Alternatively, use ice cube trays sprayed/coated with a bit of coconut oil to ensure easy release later.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil, liquified (to liquify, simply place oil in a glass bowl over a barely simmering pot of water, stirring just til melted then removing immediately to keep raw)
1/4 cup cacao or sub a portion or all with raw carob powder
a pinch of sea salt or himalayan salt or to taste (See it's benefits here)
your favorite healthy sweetener to taste (I used 1 tsp liquid stevia)
raw coconut nectar - 2 or 3 Tbsp (Alternatively try substituting maple syrup or raw honey tho I've not tried either in this recipe yet so do so at your own risk.)
3 ounces cashew, macadamia or pecan butter ideally raw & sprouted (read about why I avoid peanuts & peanut butter here)
pinch of fleur de sel (or sub celtic or himalayan salt)

Method

Whisk together coconut oil, cacao, sea salt and sweetener until smooth and creamy. Taste to adjust flavors to your preference.
Place mini muffin tins into an 8 x 8 dish or other tray for stability.
Spoon a teaspoon of "melted" chocolate into each mini muffin tin, then place in the freezer for a few minutes to set.
Remove cups from freezer and spoon a tiny dallop of nut butter into each tin, followed by a teeny dallop of coconut nectar. Because coconut nectar is so stretchy, I assist the process by pouring with my left hand very carefully, and "cutting" the stream of nectar off w/ a knife in my right hand. Feel free to add the pinch of fleur de sel (or sub celtic or himalayan salt) at this point, or wait til step 6 and sprinkle it on the tops.
Place cups back in freezer for 20 minutes.
Remove cups from freezer and top with chocolate til covered. Sprinkle tops with a bit of Fleur de Sel (or celtic or himalayan salt) if you haven't already done so in step 4. Pop back in freezer for a good hour til fully hardened.
Store and eat directly from the freezer.

Enjoy!

What favorite sweet or savory indulgence would you like transformed into a beautifully delicious Raw Vegan version?

Share it below for a chance to have me recreate it for you!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

Comment, Like, Subscribe & Share!

Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty, Style

Gourmet Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate Bark (for Glowing Skin!)

Yes, it's Dairy Free, Sugar Free & totally tastes SO much better!

Gourmet Raw Dark Chocolate Bark (for Glowing Skin!)

Gourmet Raw Dark Chocolate Bark proves once again that delicious treats can and should be amazing for you! This absolutely delectable confection elevates indulgence to a whole new level. Rich, smooth chocolate in its freshest, most flavorful form packed with your favorite raw, sprouted nuts and divinely sweet, dried fruit… hey we've even tossed in some fabulous chia for an omega-3 boasting over-the-top crunch!

And Psssst… this recipe takes all of 5 minutes hands-on time 🙂

All this flavor, texture, creaminess and chocolate bliss stands on it's own – trust me, ours have barely lasted 2 days they're THAT GOOD – and yet these babies are ALSO going to make you GLOW! These little chocolate bars are packed with the power of cacao and all it's skintastic flavanols to fight free radicals keeping skin dewy, hydrated, thickened and protected from UV rays to boot! The addition of chia adds omega-3's, protein, calcium, iron, magnesium and antioxidants. Coconut oil has it's own share of amazing benefits which you can read about here. And, as if that wern't enough to get excited about, your choice of sprouted nuts and dried fruits add even more superfood enzymes and antioxidant oomph to this veritable cocktail of beauty in a bar!

Who says we can't have our candy bars AND glow too… not us!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, these divine chocolates will put you into a great mood as well! Raw cacao contains the feel good chemical called PEA (phenylethylamine) which is the same chemical our brain produces when we fall in love. PEA acts similar to amphetamines such as dopamine or norepinephrine producing feelings of euphoria, happiness and love! It really doesn't get any better than this 🙂

Recipe for Gourmet Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients

1/4 cup cacao (or sub carob powder)
1/2 cup coconut oil
raw honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut nectar or stevia to taste (I used around 1 1/2 tsp liquid stevia & it was perfectly "dark chocolate" sweet. Use more for "milk chocolate" sweet.)
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of your favorite chopped nuts (preferrably sprouted more on that here) and dried fruit (I used sprouted walnuts & almonds and chopped apricots, dates & cranberries plus a sprinkling of chia)
optional: vanilla powder, cinnamon, maca, espresso powder, ginger, cayenne, raw flaked coconut or citrus zest ~ get creative!

Method

If your coconut oil is above 76F and not already liquified, place it in your mixing bowl over a pot of barely steaming water and stir just til melted. Remove immediately to keep raw.
Whisk in cacao, sweetener and optional add-ons until smooth. I used stevia which whisks right in, combining easily. If using maple syrup or coconut nectar you may want to use your food processer or blender to ensure emulsification & prevent separation of ingredients. However, as long as you pop this in the freezer immediately, you can probably get away with just whisking.
Stir in nuts and dried fruit.
Line an 8×8 glass baking dish with parchment paper leaving enough overhang to create "handles" on the sides for lifting out the chocolate once it's set. Pour chocolate mixture into parchment lined dish. Spread around distributing nuts & fruit evenly.
Let set in freezer for an hour. Remove and lift out of dish using parchment paper overhang "handles".
Break into pieces or cut into 8 or 12 uniform squares for your daily dark chocolate fix! Store your chocolates in the freezer and not in the cupboard where it will melt!

Enjoy 🙂

Stay tuned … Salted Caramel Chocolate Mini's coming soon!

Do you have a favorite chocolate treat you'd like upgraded into a beautiful raw vegan confection?

Share in the comments below and I'll recreate it for you!

All Love,

Juliane

You may also enjoy: Fiery Onion Rings w Creamy Aioli Dipping Sauce (Vegan, Raw, GF)

Thank YOU for visiting 🙂

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