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Tag: pineapple

Vegan Mango Pineapple White Chocolates
When I was little, my Mom always packed little delicious snacks in my lunch. Sometimes it was veggies, but when I was younger, I was quite the junk food junkie, so I would ask for things like chips or cheese crackers a lot. I didn’t get a lot of fruit, because that tended to go bad faster and I wasn’t a fan of things like brown cut up apples. For kids now, there are much better products on the market, like Crispy Green freeze dried fruit. The only ingredient? Just the dried fruit, and that I appreciate because a lot of dried fruit is sweetened. They even have little individual serving packets that are perfect for lunches! They are perfect for adding a sweet and healthy treat to your lunch! The company Crispy Green is a part of the Power Your Lunchbox Pledge that is going on right now, and if healthy lunches are important to you and your family go check it out. They sent me some to try, and I am a big fan of freeze dried fruit so I was all for it. They sent me mango, pineapple, and apple, all of which were delicious!

I like it stirred into my overnight oats, because it rehydrates well and adds lots of flavor, but I also like to use it in recipes where I want fruit flavor but I don’t want to add a lot of additional moisture. Like frostings, or chocolates. I made some really delicious mango pineapple white chocolates with it, and they were delicious so I had to share the recipe with you all! Just in time for Valentine’s Day! Because as far as I am concerned Valentine’s day is a good reason to make chocolates. When I was younger that is what I was excited about. In elementary school, we would trade candy and cards, and I could have cared less about the mushy side of V-day but the candy was something that made me happy. Now, I like to make candy for those I love and give it to them to enjoy.

The white chocolate was delicious with the tropical mango and pineapple! I make a lot of dark chocolate, so it can be nice to have some white chocolate goodness like these once in a while. If you would like to try these out, you can find some Crispy Green for yourself on Amazon. Or, you can enter my giveaway and try to win some! I am giving away a Crispy Green prize pack including a lunch bag along with their new Tropical Variety Box of dried fruit packs (apple, mango and pineapple). Open to US residents only please, to enter, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Good Luck!

Vegan Mango Pineapple White Chocolates
Makes 10

Ingredients:

White Chocolate:
- 1/2 cup cacao butter (4 oz)
- 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
- 1/2 cup coconut butter
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Filling:
- 1 10g pkg Crispy Green pineapple
- 1 10g pkg Crispy Green mango
- 1/4 cup filtered water
Directions:
1. Combine all of the white chocolate ingredients over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth. Divide between 2 bowls.
2. Pulverize the mango and pineapple in a blender until fine, then whisk into one of the bowls of chocolate along with the water. Place the bowl with the fruit in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes until it is firm enough to scoop. Scoop into 10 balls, rolling them with your hands until smooth and place on a parchment lined tray, and place back into the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Once the filling has firmed up, dip each chocolate into the remaining melted white chocolate (if it has gotten too cool and is firming up, warm it a little more over the double boiler) being sure to let the excess drain off, and place back onto the tray (I like to set mine on a fork to allow it to drain better). Once they are all dipped, set them in the freezer until hardened.
  Store any leftover truffles in the refrigerator.
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January 25, 2017
Vegan Piña Colada Scones

I remember the first time I ever had a Piña Colada. I was about 8 or so, and my Mom had just taken me to a play which was in and of itself exciting, then we were going out to eat at a fancy Asian restaurant where they cooked your food at your table. I was pretty excited. Then I ordered a Piña Colada (virgin of course). Which made it even more exciting to my 8 year old self. It tasted wonderful! I fell in love with that flavor combination and even now as an adult I love it. I have had a lot of pineapple on hand lately and the first thing that happened to come to mind to make was Piña Colada scones. It might have had something to do with me smelling freshly baked scones at work that day, but also my love for Piña Colada.

So, I whipped up a batch of gluten free vegan Piña Colada scones and they were wonderful! These are a lazy Saturday morning treat. Or in my boyfriend Eric’s case, breakfast. If you are a fan of pineapple and coconut together these are for you. They taste like summer in scone form. They are quick to make as well and nothing beats warm goodness from the oven!

Vegan Piña Colada Scones
Makes 8

3 cups all purpose gluten free flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, cut into chunks

1 cup cold full fat orgainc canned coconut milk (whisked until smooth if chunky)

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups fresh organic pineapple cut into small chunks

1/2 cup large flake dried coconut

coconut milk for topping

coconut sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 with the rack set at the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture starts to clump into pea sized pieces. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla into the coconut milk. Add the coconut milk to the dough, and stir a few times, but do not overmix. The dough should hold together when squeezed, but still be clumpy. fold in pineapple and coconut until evenly distributed. place dough on a floured work surface, and shape into a 4 inch wide log. Use a bench scraper to cut into trianges. There should be about 8. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet, reshaping slightly if necessary. Brush the tops lightly with the coconut milk (only if they seem dry, you want the sugar to stick), and sprinkle with coconut sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown (after about 15 minutes you may need to reshape with 2 bench scrapers if the scones are spreading, then place back in the oven). Cool on a wire rack.

May 22, 2015
Vegan Piña Colada Waffles

Sleep in, workout, enjoy the fabulous weather and sunshine and make waffles. Sounds like the perfect weekend day to me! Kind of how it went down one day last weekend, just randomly decided to make Vegan Piña Colada Waffles because I had time, and I knew my boyfriend who I happened to be spending time with would love them as well. Also, my oven was broken at the time, and something a little sweet and baked sounded good…so waffles were the perfect compromise!

Any type of waffles are special in my opinion. But I had lots of pineapple on hand so I thought why not make special waffles with it, add in coconut and voila! Piña colada deliciousness! I added coconut and pineapple into the waffles themselves, but to keep the theme and deliciousness going, I made a pineapple syrup and sprinkled the waffles with coconut. Were they ever yummalicious! If you have the time, this is the perfect lazy day weekend treat.

Vegan Piña Colada Waffles

Makes 3 Belgian Waffles

2 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water

1/2 cup finely shredded dried coconut

1 3/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 cups thin coconut milk at room temperature

3 Tbsp melted virgin coconut oil warmed to liquid

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

Pineapple Syrup:

1 cup fresh pineapple

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water, and set in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture is gel like.
Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the coconut milk and oil until combined, then the flax eggs (flax water mixture) until combined. Stir in the pineapple chunks.
Cook according to belgian waffle iron directions (like to keep my waffles warm in a low heat oven (200F) while I cook the others).

Meanwhile, combine the 1 cup fresh pineapple and 3 Tbsp maple syrup in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the 1/2 cup pineapple chunks.
Serve the waffles hot with the pineapple syrup.

April 26, 2015
Raw Pineapple Chili Truffles

My boyfriend Eric is always telling me I should make desserts with fruit and heat in the form of chilies added to them. One time he asked me to make him a smoothie with berries and ghost peppers in it. That is how much he loves hot peppers. Probably because he is originally from Arizona and doesn’t have the milk Minnesotan palate. But I am Minnesotan and I love my chilies as well. Maybe because I should actually be living somewhere warm, but I like it here. He is right about the fruit and hot pepper combination though, it is delicious. So when I had lots of pineapple last weekend, and decided to make pineapple truffles, for Eric I added in a bit of chilies.

They tasted like piña colada with a little kick and when paired with the chocolate I dipped them in, even better. They were smooth, silk and delicious. Not just your run of the mill truffles. If you like a bit of heat, then you will love these. Want to be extra daring, add more pepper flakes. I went modest in the recipe below but feel free to adjust to your tastes.

Raw Pineapple Chili Truffles

makes about 10

Filling:

1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

1/4 cup raw cacao butter, warmed to liquid

Chocolate:

3/4 cup melted cacao butter (or you may use coconut oil)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup at room temperature

heaping 3/4 cup raw cacao powder

a good pinch of sea salt

chili flakes for sprinkling

In a high speed blender, combine the coconut nectar, pineapple, chili flakes, vanilla, and salt and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter and cacao butter and blend until combined. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer until firm enough to scoop, about an hour.

Once the filling is firm enough to scoop, scoop out little 1 1/2 inch balls, and set on a parchment lined sheet pan or tray. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, when the truffles are almost ready, to make the chocolate, melt the cacao butter in the top of a double boiler with simmering water beneath (being careful not to let the chocolate mixture on top get above 115F degrees). Or alternatively you can melt it in the dehydrator as I often do, it just takes a little longer. Once the cacao butter is melted, whisk in all other ingredients until smooth.

When ready to dip the truffles, place one on a fork, drop it into the chocolate, then lift it out, letting the excess drain off back into the bowl. Place back on the tray, and repeat with the others. Sprinkling each with chili flakes as you go. Once they are all done, allow the chocolate to set (which will happen faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 10 minutes).

Store candies in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

April 25, 2015
Raw Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

Sprout Living was kind enough to send me some more of their Green Kingdom Epic Protein powder to use in recipes. In case you didn’t catch my other post about it a few months back, this stuff is awesome! Honestly, it is my all time favorite protein powder. It is delicious as well as packed with nutrients including greens, it has a good texture, and most importantly it helps me refuel after a workout and feel good. So what all is in this stuff? Well, a blend of sprouted brown rice, yellow pea, sacha inchi, and cranberry proteins as well as superfoods and greens. It is raw, vegan, and organic. I love it just plain with water mixed in (not all protein powders taste good that way, but theirs does). And it is wonderful in smoothies and shakes like the Raw Green Berry Layered Shake I made recently. It has a fruity flavor to it, so I thought why not add it to a tropical ice cream recipe!

I ended up making what I called Tutti Frutti Ice Cream. I am not sure what the original or traditional tutti frutti ice creams had in them, but this tasted tutti frutti to me! So delicious, a blend of mango, pineapple and banana with the sweet fruity protein and marbled with a strawberry swirl plus a plain fruit blend swirl for a pretty effect. It was sooo good!

Why not have your ice cream and get some protein too! The protein powder enhanced the flavor and made it taste even better. Plus you get some of your daily greens in your ice cream! If you have not tried the Sprout Living Green Kingdom Epic Protein Powder, you should definitely get on it. I am super picky about protein powders and I love it.

Raw Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

Makes 4 cups

1 cup ripe mangoes

1 cup ripe pineapple

1 cup mashed banana

2 cups young coconut meat

3/4 cup coconut water

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raw coconut nectar

3/4 cup coconut butter

2 scoops Sprout Living Epic Green Kingdom Protein Powder

Swirl:

1/2 cup fresh strawberries

1 Tbsp coconut nectar

In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients for the ice cream until smooth. Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside. Add the protein powder to the remaining mixture in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture with the protein powder into an ice cream maker, processing according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, to make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth, and set aside until the ice cream is done.
Pour 1/3 of the finished ice cream into a freezer safe container, then drop some of the swirl by the Tbsp over that, as well as the plain mixture, then half the remaining ice cream, then more swirl and plain mixture, then the last of the ice cream and more swirl and plain mixture, and swirl with a knife to marble. Let chill in the freezer for about 4 hours or overnight until more firm before scooping (if it becomes too hard, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before serving.

April 15, 2015
Vegan Hummingbird Cake

I have always wanted to make a hummingbird cake. I have been hearing about them for years, and the old fashioned southern layer cake appealed to me. In case you haven’t heard of them, they are a moist banana and pineapple cake, spiced with cinnamon, studded with pecans, and topped off with cream cheese frosting. What’s not to love about that? It sounded like something my Grandma might have made back in the day for a special occasion. Because this is definitely a special occasion cake. Since Easter is coming up, I thought also that if this turned out, it would make a perfect Easter cake to serve as a finale to the meal.

So, I went for it and made one. Í used a gluten free vegan banana cake base that I have used in the past, and I swapped out pineapple juice for the coconut milk to make it extra sweet, and added in chunks of pineapple as well along with the pecans and cinnamon that were a must to make this cake traditional. It smelled like heaven as it baked, and I couldn’t wait to finish it off with the frosting!

For the frosting I used a simple coconut base with a little lemon juice to give it a slight tang reminiscent of cream cheese. It was fluffy and delicious and perfect with the moist cake! I topped it off with more pecans, keeping it simple as far as decorating went this time. OMG was it good. The texture was perfect, the cake was moist and sweet with a little bit of fruitiness, and the pecans gave it a nice crunch. I shared some with my boyfriend Eric, and the piece was all gone pretty fast which should say something. I think this would be perfect for Easter if you wanted something elegant and traditional. Don’t let the layers fool you, this is a pretty easy cake to make.

Vegan Hummingbird Layer Cake (gluten free)
Makes 1 6 inch 4 layer cake

Cake:
1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp pineapple juice at room temperature
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:

2 15 oz cans organic full fat coconut milk (the whole can, cream and water), chilled
2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours and drained
3/4 cup raw coconut nectar, or maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
juice of one lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
1 3/4 cups coconut butter, warmed to liquid

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with coconut oil so that the cake doesn’t stick and line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment fit to the pan.
Whisk flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl to blend well.
Whisk bananas, oil, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form. Mix in the pineapple and pecans.
Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
Cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill until very cold to make slicing easier. When chilled, slice cakes horizontally in half so that you have 4 layers.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add the coconut butter and process a minute more. Pour the frosting into a bowl and let sit in the freezer until the consistency of whipped cream (this may take anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour depending on how warm it has gotten).
When ready to frost, place one cake layer on a plate. spread frosting about 1/2 inch thick over the first layer, then top with the second. Repeat the frosting, then another cake layer, then more frosting then the last cake layer. Spread frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake.
Garnish the cake with chopped pecans.
Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator.

***if you would like a 4 layer 9 inch cake, double this entire recipe and bake in two 9 inch cake pans.

March 29, 2015