Homemade Raw Bars

I have been a big fan of LÄRABARS--the purest form of energy with only unsweetened fruits, nuts, seeds and spices. Raw. Vegan. Kosher. Gluten free. Dairy free. Soy free. Delicious. Now that raw bars have become quite trendy, there are lots of companies that make them! So I started accumulating brands to find a favorite and, while I still stock plenty of LÄRABARS, I am truly in love with Raw Revolution bars because it adds agave nectar as a sweetener, but more importantly, it makes the bars a little wet and stickier (now, who doesn't like that?!). For the record, the Spirulina & Cashew flavor is my favorite... But, like most things, raw bars are even better when they are homemade!

The ingredient lists for these raw energy bars are so simple that I figured I would try to make them myself! I really like food "bars" where you get to mix and match lots of ingredients to make your own creation--from ice cream sundae bars to oatmeal bars to pasta bars to salad bars...So, I gathered lots and lots of different ingredients and laid it all out on the table along with a cutting board, knives, wax paper, mixing spoons, a nut grinder and some mixing bowls...and poof! Homemade Raw Bar Success.


I went by texture and flavor, so I am sorry to report that I don't have a precise recipe other than the ingredients list, but I am positive you won't need one--just trust your instinct and be creative and once you start mixing things, you will know whether more dry ingredients (nuts and nut meal, flax, seeds and spices) or wet items (dried fruits, honey (lots of antioxidants!), agave syrup (vegan option), etc.) are needed, etc. and every bar will be a unique creation!

I probably should mention one ingredient in particular so you aren't completely startled. After eating ground flax seeds regularly, my friend James introduced me to the magic of chia seeds. Yes, it IS from the famous Chia Pet--those little animal shaped pots that grew mini forests! Remember those?! Turns out, those little seeds are rich in omega-3, fiber, antioxidants, minerals and lots of other healthy goodies (they even help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar)! It's kinda like Jack and the Beanstalk and chia seeds are the magic beans! I have to point out they have some funny properties--when a seed gets wet, a gelatinous coating forms around the seed (and after eating them you will sometimes find a stray seed in your mouth an hour after eating...). I highly recommend you get your hands on some--I put them in oatmeal or yogurt and bake with them any way you would use poppy seeds (muffins, pancakes, etc.).

I had so much fun making these--maybe I will host a raw bar "pot-luck" where everyone brings a few ingredients and we all make some and share the bounty...

APRICOT-ALMOND-CARDAMOM: dried apricot, cashew, almond, honey, cardamom, ground clove, cinnamon, almond paste, ground flax.

DATE-PECAN-FENNEL: date, pecan, cashew, poppy seed, chia seed, honey, sesame seed, ground fennel.

SESAME-APRICOT-GINGER: dried apricot, cashew, almond, sesame seed, ginger sugar, flax, honey, cardamom.

PISTACHIO-FIG-POPPY: pistachio, dried mission fig, cashew, chia seed, poppy seed, almond paste, honey.

CHOCOLATE-CHAI-ALMOND: dates, cashews, almond meal, almond butter, honey, chia seed, poppy seed, cocoa powder, chai powder, almond paste.


They were all amaaaaazing, but the general consensus among my gracious testers was that the Pistachio-Fig-Poppy was the belle of the ball...and it was.

Note: These beauties have no preservatives (and stuff like flax seed spoils easily) so you will want to refrigerate them and eat them within 1-3 days or freeze them for longer storage.

Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Sometimes when I see big bins of grains at a grocery store, I have to really, really restrain the urge to just stuff my hands deep down into the bins. I just imagine what it might feel like to dive into a big pool of rice and then I start to laugh and giggle and then I have to get out of the grocery store immediately before I start to attract attention to myself. You get this same urge too?! No? oh...

I desperately love Orzo...hot, cold, room temperature, whatever. It's is ridiculously yummy mixed with some fresh chopped parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and pine nuts and served with some grilled salmon...But orzo is also the perfect pasta for a pasta salad...

Every time there is a BBQ, pool party or picnic, someone always requests (read: demands) that my cousin, Laura, bring this Mediterranean salad...So, I decided I should slumber party at her place and help her make some so I could share the recipe with you too (after all, you have lots of BBQ's and pool parties and picnics to attend and everyone could use an easy, delicious and ever-popular recipe in their recipe arsenal).

You can also tailor the ingredients to add more of what you like and less of what you don't!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 package of Orzo (cooked according to directions on package and drained)
* Olives (Oil cured or kalamata olives)
* Sundried Tomatoes
* 2 or 3 Heirloom Tomatoes (or a handful of cherry tomatoes)
* Feta cheese, crumbled
* Artichoke hearts (optional)
* 2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* handful of basil leaves, chopped
* salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
* 1 tsp. dried oregano (optional)
* 1 bottle of Red Wine & Olive Oil Vinaigrette (use to taste)

Mix it all up and refrigerate until you are ready to serve...

Thanks, Laura!

Ogo Seaweed Salad

Now, a note about the key ingredient: red ogo seaweed. Red ogo is a type of Limu (LEE-moo), which is the Hawaiian word for seaweed. Unfortunately, outside of Hawaii, red ogo may be extremely difficult to find (I purchased mine fresh at a local market in Maui, froze it and hand carried it on a plane with some dry ice back to San Francisco for those moments when you just want that taste of the islands and nothing else will do....). But there are actually many kinds of edible limu and they are all great additions to salads, sandwiches, poke......I have even occasionally seen it in dried form! So, if you can find this gem, use it! And if you can't, the salad will still be yummy without it but you may want to add a little salt to taste (since the seaweed is what adds a naturally salty flavor to the salad).

You can make variations on this salad if you wish--I made the regular recipe with the tomatoes and then a version without tomatoes and I just added in more carrot shreds.

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:

* 1/2 cup white vinegar
* 3 T. soy sauce
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 tsp. sesame oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:

* 1/4 cup red ogo seaweed
* 2 vine-ripened tomatoes (or 5 or 6 smaller campari tomatoes), chopped
* 1/2 cucumber, halved and deseeded (or one thin japanese cucumber)
* 1/2 carrot, shredded or julienne
* 1/4 red onion, minced finely

DIRECTIONS:

* Mix all dressing ingredients together.
* In a separate bowl, mix all salad ingredients together.
* Pour dressing over salad mixture, cover and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes to let the veggies soak up the marinade!

Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Channa Saag "Paneer"

Channa Saag "Paneer" = Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), Spinach and Tofu. Paneer is a type of cheese, but in the interest of being healthy, tofu is a perfect substitute...And this dish is delicious!

Every time I go to a new Indian restaurant (which isn't that often because I am *hooked* on Indian Oven and always go there and always order the same thing), I am always intrigued by the Saag...It's not the prettiest dish, but any variation of spinach is alright by me...

I also don't frequently venture into the realm of making Indian food, because it is so much easier to get it at a restaurant and my spice cabinet would need some serious additions before I could even attempt to make most Indian dishes. Still, I thought I would give it a try...

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 package of firm tofu (cut into large cubes)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package frozen spinach (16 oz), defrosted
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp. garam masala
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
1 tsp. sea salt (optional)
1 can garbanzo beans

DIRECTIONS:

* Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in pan and sautee tofu over medium high heat.
* When lightly browned, remove from heat and set aside.
* Add garlic and onion to pan and cook until onion is transluscent.
* Squeeze all excess moisture out of spinach and add to pan.
* Cook the spinach, onion and garlic for about 3-4 minutes until thoroughly mixed.
* Add spinach mixture, turmeric, cumin, cardamom pods, garam masala and garbanzo beans to a crockpot.
* Cook in crockpot on high for up to 1 hour.
* Add nonfat yogurt and sea salt and continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes.
* Stir through cooked tofu.

Note: This dish does not have to be cooked for so long in a crock pot and you could make it in a pot over the stove, but if you have the time (and the crockpot), I think the ingredients come together nicely when given adequate time to "stew"...

Serve with some basmati rice and/or naan!

The Most Impressive Tiramisu

The theme for this vegetarian Supper Club was Italian food. *YUM* Dinner was exceptional--oh, I wish you could have been there...

THE MENU:
* Caprese salad with imported mozzarella di buffala
* Antipasto salad
* Bruschetta on Crostini
* and.......a gorgeous plate of ravioli hand-stuffed and pressed with butternut squash and topped with shaved truffle cheese, toasted and crushed hazelnuts, parsley and a fried sage leaf:

The ravioli was so delicious, but what really made me swoon was the salty fried sage leaves which brought the flavor of the dish to new heights....My friend, Lindsay, doesn't know it yet, but I plan on shamelessly begging her for the recipe for a Guest Spotlight. You want the recipe, don't you?!

And since I can always count on my supper club friends to go the extra mile when its their time to cook for supper club, I wanted to make something really special for dessert. In addition to bringing a 2003 Chianti Reserva and a white wine called Venetian Moon, I made tiramisu (from scratch) for the first time. It really is an easy dessert to make despite a prevalent misconception that it is a complicated dessert.
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TIRAMISU:
Adapted from Food Network's Barefoot Contessa

INGREDIENTS:

* 6 egg yolks (room temperature; save the egg whites to make yourself a yummy protein-filled omelette)
* 1/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice (or sugar)
* 1/2 cup dark rum (I used Myers)
* 1.5 cups cups brewed espresso (if you use a drip coffee pot, use enough water for 4 cups of coffee and 1/2 cup espresso)
* 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
* your favorite dark chocolate bar (to make shavings for garnish)
* 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar (half for whipped cream and half for garnish)
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract (imitation will never live up to the real thing)
* 1 package of 24 Italian Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

DIRECTIONS FOR ESPRESSO CREAM:

* Whisk egg yolks and sugar for a few minutes until thick and creamy.
* Add 1/4 cup of the rum, 1/4 cup of the espresso and all of the mascarpone.
* Whisk until smooth and put espresso cream in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.


DIRECTIONS FOR WHIPPED CREAM:

* Put the heavy cream, 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla in a bowl.
* Use an electric mixer (or a whisk and some serious elbow grease!) to whip until the cream is stiff enough to form stiff peaks. refrigerate until needed for the top layer.

DIRECTIONS FOR LADYFINGERS:

* Put the remaining 1/4 cup of rum, 1.25 cups of espresso and 1 tsp. of vanilla in a shallow bowl.
* Break ladyfingers in half.
* Dip one side of each ladyfinger in the rum/espresso/vanilla mixture (you do not want to oversoak them!)

Note: If you don't want to discard the remaining liquid (i.e. throwing away perfectly good rum makes you frown), freeze it in ice cube trays and then put them in a glass with some Coke for a roasty, yummy twist on a Rum and Coke!

DIRECTIONS FOR ASSEMBLY:

* If you are using a glass or wine goblet, you will want to put a layer of lady fingers on the bottom and then cover it with espresso cream and then use lady fingers to go around the inside of the glass--gently press it up against the glass so it sticks.
* Repeat layers until you reach about 2 or 3 inches from the mouth of the glass.
* Fill in the rest of the space with whipped cream until it is almost overflowing.
* Use the straight edge of a butter knife to scrape across the top of the glass to make a very flat surface.
* Place glass on a flat surface and use a sifter to cover the top with a fine layer of cocoa powder.
* Use the powdered sugar to make another optional design and/or add chocolate shavings.
* Freeze for 15-20 minutes to let it set together.
* Refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving.
* If you want to use a small glass pan, start with the dipped ladyfingers on the bottom and layer in the same order as above.

Note: Tiramisu will also freeze well if you want to make little individual servings and freeze them for up to 4 or 5 days.

Buon Appetito!

Nota Bene: Whole Foods has an excellent recipe for Vegan Tiramisu.

From one tea freak to another: LUPICIA

47. Forty-seven. That's how many different flavors of tea I have--in an ever growing, ever evolving beloved collection. teas for different moods. teas for different ailments. teas for different times of the day...

My latest tea obssession is a company called Lupicia...and they make this Muscat black tea is by far one of the best teas I have EVER had...most. perfect. flavor. now that is my cup of tea. ha!

Another favorite (and less expensive) tea company is Adagio. In the first few weeks of meeting my significant other, I had been pretty stressed out with law school finals around the corner...One day I opened my mail to find this pretty green box with an Adagio tea sampler pack of 4 different kinds of teas with a note that said "Here is some tea for relaxation--good luck with finals!" Um, *Swoon!* I have been pretty hooked on their Decaf Blueberry tea...But my favorite thing from Adagio is the sheer genius that is the ingenuiTEA steep pot, which, incidentally I call the tea pee-er, if you will because you steep your loose leaf tea and then place it right ontop of your mug and...well you get the picture... The secret is to buy the sampler pack which comes with a cute little tea pee-er (endless entertainment) and 4 teas for only $19.

What is your favorite tea company and/or flavor?

Sundried Blueberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookie

No argument has ever continued once the debaters are given a good dose of cookies and milk. My motto: "Let's have some cookies and milk (soymilk now...) and then let's talk". Next time you find yourself arguing over who was supposed to do the laundry or why he or she was an hour late, give it a try and I am sure you will find yourself giggling with milk mustaches. And no one can be mad at a cute face with a milk mustache. Nope.

I have a weakness for cookies. Don't we all??? Behold: The best commercial/retail cookie out on the market: Sun-dried blueberry and white chocolate chip!
Tom, how do you do it? It is sheer perfection...per-FECTION. No trans fat. No hydrogenated oils. Pure and simple magic. And equally important--I am so glad that you take the initiative and time to tell the world right on the face of your product:

"Be Kind to Animals...Be Kind to Your Community...and Be Kind to Women--Never, ever underestimate the power of a woman. I learned to bake from my mom and grandma, and the women I work with are invaluable. Give all women the respect they deserve and have so rightfully earned...and Be Kind to Yourself..."

Um, Tom, thank you. Let's be friends. I will eat your cookies and let's be friends.

I am also quite enamored with Espresso Chip and the White Chocolate Pistachio one...oh, and the peanut butter cookie in which an entire Reese's peanut butter cup is pressed into the cookie...There are really only a handful of places to get these orgasms fresh (chew on that) aside from ordering them online...and, if you are lucky enough to live in San Francisco, I will tell you a little unpublished, unknown secret....Come a little closer (we cannot tell the whole world or I fear Tom will run out of cookie dough and I won't have any on those tired days when I realllllllly need it...): If you go to the little shop set up in the Food Emporium in the Westfield Center on Market Street, you can buy a dozen lumps of the cookie dough of your choice for only $7.00 (which is much cheaper than the usual $1.75 per cookie price) and you can just as easily bake them yourself at home and--somehow (I don't know how) but somehow they come out perfect every time...and you can never underestimate the power of warm cookies.

Never, people, never.