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Mixing The Rainbow Into Granola

1/19/2023

Granola is about texture, sweetness, and crunch. I like to also add a bit of rainbow color.

Vanilla Maple Buckwheat Granola

My Vanilla Maple Buckwheat Granola (left) contains plenty of crunch, with the soaked and dehydrated nuts and seeds - pecans, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Although not all seeds we can buy at the grocery store will sprout, soaking them does trigger the seeds to prepare for sprouting, which means they will release their anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid and oxalate. Once they have been dehydrated again, they will develop a more pleasant, buttery, less bitter flavor and a nice crispiness.

Which is perfect for granola!

Add some maple syrup and vanilla...and it turns out as a perfect healthy snack which goes great with vegan yogurt, or poured into a cereal bowl with your preferred type of milk.

Buckwheat, which is in fact another kind of seed, is a lighter ingredient which, when soaked and dehydrated creates "buckwheat crisps." Buckwheat also offers a variety of antioxidants and polyphenols, which make it highly anti-inflammatory. And lastly what you see in the photo, is shredded coconut, followed by the flower petals.

The edible flowers transform the granola into reminder to take delight in the little gifts in life, and provides a reminder to love yourself and give yourself opportunities to appreciate these gifts! I don't know about you, but the little girl in me loves the idea of mixing flowers into my food! They don't alter the texture or flavor, and provide a pop of color.

Yogurt Blueberry Parfait with Vanilla Maple Buckwheat Granola

I like to make my own fresh yogurt from young Thai coconut meat. I purchase it in a 10 lb bag and freeze it, and then thaw it for use. You can also purchase the coconuts whole, in the produce section of most grocery stores. They are fun to crack open.

Making coconut yogurt is surprisingly easy. You just blend the defrosted coconut meat (only from young Thai coconuts, though!) until it's a creamy consistency, then put a couple capsules of acidophilus in, and let it sit, covered, for 24-48 hours. I've done as long as 3 days. The longer you let it sit, the more of a tang the yogurt will have, and you will see more bubbles form.

Pictured left is a parfait made from coconut yogurt, mashed berries, and the crispy Vanilla Buckwheat Granola. It makes a decadent breakfast, full of vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, probiotics, fruit and a burst of color.

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A Tart For The Sun

8/19/2022

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A Lemon Panna Cotta Tart - my first raw tart. Round, yellow, and bright - just waiting for some decor.

This Summer Solstice tart also became my first ever treat made for an event. The creamy, bright, citrus filling fit the occasion.

Creating panna cotta as a raw dessert involved using soaked cashews blended into a cream, with some lemon flavor added and some light-colored honey.

Cashews are a magical food - their mild flavor and soft texture make them highly versatile. It can be blended into a butter, whipped into a cream, and ground into a flour. Cashews lower blood pressure and decrease bad cholesterol. Your body will love you for eating them.

The turmeric used to color this tart has had the flavor compounds removed, leaving only the rich yellow color to enjoy, as well as the curcumin, which reduces inflammation. Add the fiber and antioxidants from the strawberries...and you have a dessert your heart will thank you for, both for it's health benefits and beautiful, happy colors.

This tart is a part of Crystal Dawn Culinary's Raw Desserts course.

Lemon Panna Cotta with candied lemon, strawberries, cashew cream and mint.

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Mixing The Rainbow Into Granola

A Tart For The Sun

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