Fruit and Nut Truffles

Lately, whenever I’ve wanted something sweet, I’d whip up a batch of these.  They’re quick to make and just as good with the substitutions in parentheses.  To minimize messy hands, I now shape them into perfect little mounds using a small cookie scoop.  The batter could also be pressed into a small pan, chilled, and cut into small squares. 

I love the combination of orange with the chocolate and fruit but it can easily be left out or swapped for almond or maybe some cinnamon.  Try them as an after school snack for the kids, or as a sweet treat after lunch or dinner.  They also travel well; I took them on a plane trip and they made it wonderfully.

Fruit and Nut Truffles

1 c raisins or dates

1 c walnuts

¼ c chopped good quality dark chocolate (or 2 T cocoa powder)

2 T unsweetened coconut

1 t vanilla

few drops orange extract (or 1 t orange zest)

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until mixture gets crumbly.  Form teaspoon sized portions into tight balls or pack the mixture into a small cookie scoop to form more uniform mounds.  Chill to set and store in an airtight container in fridge.

Anytime Bars

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I’m loving The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz. Every recipe I’ve tried has turned out great and I’ve even shared some muffins from the cookbook at one of my seminars.

The recipe below makes a granola-like bar with oats, nuts, and fruit. What I like about them is that they are low in added sugar aside from the fruit (the recipe below actually calls for less than the original recipe) and they turned out delicious even when I made substitutions such as using all whole-grain spelt flour instead of some of the white flour the recipe called for. This time, I also substituted dried plums (prunes) for the dried apricots and added shredded coconut as was suggested and they were equally as good.

These would make a great after-school snack for kids or a great addition to their lunch box. I enjoy these with a cup of tea and will have one before or after my yoga class.

Anytime Bars

1 c raw pecans or walnuts

1 c raw whole almonds

¼ c whole grain spelt flour

2 T ground flax seeds

¼ t sea salt

1/8 t baking powder

1/8 t baking soda

¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c pitted Medjool dates, chopped

1 c unsulfured, dried apriots or dried plums (prunes), chopped

2 T shredded coconut

1 egg

3 – 4 T real maple syrup

1 t vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly toast the pecans on a pan lined with parchment paper for ~7 – 10 minutes. Toast the almonds in a similar manner. Turn the oven down to 325°F.

Combine the flour, flax seeds, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda and rolled oats in a food processor and pulse a few times until mixed. Add the nuts and pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add the dates, plums or apricots, and coconut and pulse until a coarse, well-chopped mixture is formed.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add the nut and fruit mixture and combine thoroughly. Spread the batter evenly in an oiled 9-inch, or equivalent baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then let cool before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container.

You'll Go Nuts for This Sauce

Recently, a girlfriend and I had dinner at the home of some mutual friends. One of them is a master at Thai massage and a phenomenal cook who has an exceptional diet. Everytime I go there I'm treated to something wonderful (like his fried red rice yesterday : )

At dinner, he served us a beautiful platter with egg, fried tofu and sweet potato. Accompanying this was a nut-based satay sauce that is typically served with a very similar Indonesian dish called gado-gado, that paired really well with a beautiful display of veggies that included carrots, cabbage, snow peas, banana flowers, garlic flowers, bamboo shoots, long beans, watercress, and sprouts. It was a divine meal, enjoyed with some wonderful friends in a warm, cozy atmosphere. A perfect combination, I would say.

If you don’t have nut allergies, this sauce would round out a nice vegetarian meal with vegetables and grains and even fruit. And, if you’re having a tough time getting your kids to eat their green beans and broccoli, this is a healthy alternative to dousing them with melted cheese.

Mixed-nuts Sauce

1- 2 T grapeseed or coconut oil

2 cups mixed nuts

8 cloves garlic, chopped

4 shallots, chopped

3 fresh/frozen chilli peppers (1/2 tsp chilli powder)

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

450 ml / 16 fl oz / 2 cups water

1 tbsp tamarind water or juice of a lemon

1 cup coconut milk

A thin slice of shrimp paste (optional)

Salt to taste

Stir-fry the mixed nuts for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain in a colander, and leave to cool. Then pound or grind the nuts into a fine powder, using a blender, coffee grinder, or pestle and mortar.

Crush the garlic, shallots and shrimp paste in a mortar with a little salt, and saute in the remaining oil for 1 minute.

Add the chilli powder, sugar, soy sauce, water, and coconut milk. Bring this to the boil, then add the ground peanuts. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes thick; this should take about 8-10 minutes.

Add the tamarind water or lemon juice and more salt if needed.

When cool, keep in a jar in the fridge. Reheat as required for use with satay or as a dip for lalab crudites or savory snacks. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.