matcha pistachia nut butter cups

yummy looking recipe for these green beauties!!! wanna make these soon.

Matcha White Chocolate Pistachio Cups Adapted from Sweetest Kitchen Makes about 10-12 mini cups

Ingredients For the outer shell: 140 grams good quality white chocolate (at least 30% cocoa solids) About 1/2 teaspoon matcha – or enough to get a nice pastel green color

For the filling: 1 cup pistachios, shells removed pinch of salt 1 tablespoon flavorless oil, but you may need less or slightly more (I used canola) pinch or two of matcha 25g icing sugar

For the filling, place pistachios and salt in a food processor and blend until it starts coming together in a ball. This could take up to 15 minutes and you’ll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl often. If you’ve ever made your own nut butter, it’s basically the same process. With the motor running, add some oil slowly until the nut butter begins to thin out. Do not use too much though as you don’t want it to be runny. About the consistency of commercially prepared peanut butter is good. Add a pinch (or two if you like) of matcha to the nut butter and blend again until well combined.  Set aside.

Place 12 mini cupcake wrappers into a mini cupcake baking tray. Note, I only got 11 1/2 cups using this recipe!

For the outer shell, melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly. Do not let the bowl touch the water, and do not get water into the chocolate. When chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat, immediately sift over matcha and stir until well combined and matcha is dissolved. Do this in small amounts so you can ensure you get the green color you want. If you put in too much matcha, you might get an unappealing dark green color that no one wants to eat!

When you reach your desired color, place about 1 even teaspoon of melted chocolate into each mini cupcake liner. Using the back of a small spoon, bring the chocolate up the sides of the paper liners and smooth down the bottom to make it flat. Repeat for each liner. Place the tray in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, measure out 96 grams of pistachio butter and transfer this amount to a clean bowl. Sift over the icing sugar and stir (or use your hands) to thoroughly combine. Form 12 balls from the pistachio butter/icing sugar mixture using about 1 teaspoon, just slightly rounded, each. Place on a clean surface. Take out the baking tray from the refrigerator, ensure the chocolate is hardened, then slightly flatten the pistachio balls with the palm of your hand and place 1 ball into each chocolate cup. The trick here is to be sure that the pistachio balls do not touch the sides of the chocolate, as you want the white chocolate to completely cover the filling (unlike how you see in my photos!).

Pour 1 teaspoon of chocolate (you may need to re-melt it) on top of each pistachio ball, ensuring the filling is completely covered. To get a smooth top, do not use a spoon or knife to flatten or spread it; just pick up the tray and tilt it around (you may need to tap it gently on the countertop) to get the chocolate to cover the filling and you should end up with a completely smooth top. Repeat for each cup. Refrigerate until set, around an hour.

To serve, let the cups come to room temperature and for a more intense matcha flavor, dust some matcha over the top of the cups. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week (maybe more??).

i found this recipe here via pinterest.

 

matcha smoothie

my new favorite smoothie originally found here.

1 large banana, frozen 1 1/4 cups watermelon, frozen 3/4 -1 cup soy milk....i used almond milk since soy doesn't quite agree with me anymore. 1 tsp chia seeds 1/2 - 1 tsp matcha powder

** i also added a little spirulina to mine the other day.

photo and recipe by healthy, happy, life.

corn cup

a great dish to take for a summer barbque!!! here's the recipe....we had a similar dish at frank's downtown and i threw something similar together a few weeks ago.

corn cup 4-6 ears of corn-shucked* 3 large spoonfuls of veganaise juice of 2 limes a few shakes of paprika a pinch of cayenne 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro loosely chopped

grill undressed corn and cut corn off the cob into a bowl. add remaining ingredients, mix and dig in!!! this is so good i could eat the entire bowl myself. mwuahahahah!!!!!!

* i also think this would taste really great with blackened frozen corn in the skillet if you don't have corn on the cob  :)

middle eastern chickpea burgers

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middle eastern chickpea burgers 1 red potato 1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and mostly mashed 1T chopped parsley 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp black pepper 2 large egg whites or 1 whole egg olive oil spray.

boil potato, cut, and course mash in a bowl with chickpeas. leave a few whole chicks for added texture. stir in parsley and remaining ingredients. spritz pan with olive oil. form flat patties and cook til golden on each side. these are really yummy and super easy. i'm making them today with sweet potato & fennel fronds instead of red potato & parsley. hope they turn out delish. * i like to eat them with vegenaise and hot sauce. chris' mom made these for me countless times just after lucy was born and they were always such a treat.

 

watermelon tomato salad

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watermelon tomato salad: so light and refreshing for summer!!

watermelon tomatoes cucumber lambs quarter...we have this growing in our garden so i threw some in basil splash of olive oil pepper

brussel sprout salad

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olive oil 1/2 a head of cabbage chopped thin 2 -16oz containers of fresh brussel sprouts balsamic vinegar fresh cilantro s & p to taste agave nectar fresh thinly sliced jalapeno....if you wish

saute brussel sprouts in hot pan with a splash of olive oil, with lid on pan, stirring occasionally but letting them remain for a bit in between so some of the sprout surface gets good and brown, and tender. then add in cabbage and a couple splashes of balsamic. you can add more after it's cooked if you like it a bit on the tangy side. once cabbage wilts a little remove from heat.  add chopped cilantro, salt, pepper and a couple small lines of agave nectar.  serve up in a dish and top with a thinly shaved jalapeno slice or two. delicious with crusty grainy bread or favorite bar-b-que....we had it with lentil sloppy jo's.

enjoy!!!

pink lady & cacao

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this has become my new favorite snack around here. pink lady & gala apples with peanut butter and cacao nibs. yes, pulleeeeze!!!

tahini sandwich

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i have been feeling behind in the studio lately and am trying to prepare a bit for the holidays as well as work on wholesale orders.  so, i have been in the studio working long fulfilled hours. one day last week i threw this together at a loss for what to make and it has been my go to lunch pretty much all week.

grilled tahini sandwich:

2 slices of bread with a light skim of butter on one side of each piece : tahini : hot sauce : salt

i always put about 8-10 drops of hot sauce (but i love spicy food so feel free to skip the snauce) on the tahini (thin layer) and add a tiny pinch of salt and brown the sandwich on each side in a dry skillet. thought you might enjoy :-D yummy with salad, soup or a handful of sweet 100's. yum!!!

dark chocolate peanut butter cups....

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these, i think, are the best peanut butter cups i have ever had. this recipe is no joke!!!  i made them to take a few to my girlfriend who is having a birthday party tomorrow night. the recipe is fairly quick and easy, but i made the "mistake" of using the whole jar of peanut and adjusting the other ingredients to follow the recipe....i ended up quadrupling the recipe and was in the kitchen all night....not what i was planning but the outcome was soOOO super delicious that i felt quite accomplished. (it doesn't take much ;))working thru this recipe made me wish for a big kitchen and be a professional chocolatier with a bounty of decorating bags, fancy decorating tips, bavarian creme, sprinkles and handmade chocolate curls. i was always mesmerized with the happenings in the european pastry room during my years of working at the bakery in st. louis.

 

dark chocolate pb cups 12 oz bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao-no exceptions) 1/3 cup (16 oz jar) creamy peanut butter (I added in an extra 1-2 TB) 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers (finely, but not a powder, but not chunks either) (I added in 1 tsp salt to peanut butter mixture)

 

-In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt, and graham crackers. I put mine in the fridge to harden up a bit as it’s easier to form into balls....i skipped this step because mine was already like thick cookie dough....it must have been the brand of pb i used. -in a microwave safe glass bowl melt the chocolate. run microwave in cycles of 15-30 seconds and stirring in between to prevent burning, lessening the time the more melted the chocolate gets. -Use mini cupcake tins and line them with cupcake liners. i would double up on the cupcake liner to add some stability. -Using a spoon, drop a small scoop of melted chocolate on the bottom and push it up around the sides of the cupcake liners; when in doubt, add more chocolate, since this will be the base for your candy. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes. While those are in the freezer get out the peanut butter mixture and form into teaspoon balls, they don't have to be rolled in balls.....since my peanut butter mixture was already thick i just pinched some off as i went along. -Remove the cupcake tins from the freezer, and place about one teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture in each cup, make sure to put it in the middle, not touching the sides of the cup. Spoon more melted chocolate on top of each cup, make sure to fill in along the sides too. -Place the peanut butter cups back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to set. Let them sit at room temp before devouring...or not!! makes about 12 mini peanut butter cups.

 

i found the recipe on vanilla kitchen. with a few slight adaptations in the process alone, the ingredients are the same.

sesame noodles

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this dish is quick and easy...and really yummy!!

 

angel hair pasta sesame oil soy sauce agave nectar fresh ginger, peeled and minced, about a 1" piece cayenne s & p

 

this recipe is not an flexible and good to make in a pinch when you don't have much time. i had this at my friends house and was craving it for days later so i just improvised what i remembered about the dish and made this up. cook noodles in salted water. drain water and splash with a generous amount of sesame oil to prevent noodles from sticking to each other. add a few splashes of soy sauce (i probably use about a 1/4 cup) & agave nectar depending on how salty/sweet you like it. add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste stir well and eat up!!

 

also good with a handful of snap peas or tofu cubes.

mango & sesame seeds

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tasty quick lunch...

mango & roasted sesame seeds

i like to roast sesame seeds and have them around the kitchen to throw at a salad, bowl of fruit or even a peanut butter sandwich for a little extra twist. those tiny little seeds, when smoked, pack a mighty punch.

coconut spinach rice

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we made this when we had a handful of friends over a couple weeks ago.  it was really yummy. we had madras curry to go along with it but this, to me, was the real highlight.

COCONUT SPINACH RICE

1 t ground cumin 2 t brown mustard seeds 1 t curry powder 1 t sea salt 1/2 t black pepper pinch of cayenne 2 cups of basmati rice 1 can coconut milk 1 1/2 cups water or veg stock 1 (10oz) package frozen spinach, defrosted, cooked, drained & pressed 1 can of chickpeas 1 cup of cashews

-toast the cumin & mustard seeds in pot for 1 minute over medium-high heat, stir constantly. add curry powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, rice, coconut milk, and water (or veg stock) & bring to boil. -cover pot, lower heat to simmer, and cook til liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. turn off heat and let rice sit for 5 minutes. -add spinach, chickpeas & cashews and toss together.

we doubled the recipe...and made this in our rice maker vs. stove top directions above. really yummy. even better cold the next day! enjoy!!!

this recipe came from our new "30 minute vegan's taste of the east" cookbook that my mom gave us =)