Date and Coconut Asparagus

Sometimes it takes more than one person to get the creative juices following.

Luckily, I have a very creative friend who helped me come up with this appetizer. Considering my house was supplied with the bare minimum in food, I was very proud and happy that this recipe turned out so great! 

Date and Coconut Asparagus

Ingredients: 

1 lb asparagus

6 dates (soaked for 1 hour) 

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp water 

3 tbsp shredded coconut 

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

pepper

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking pan with foil. Snap off hard ends of asparagus and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. In a small food processor, combine dates, soy sauce, water, and coconut until a paste. Spread out over asparagus. Top with cheddar cheese and bake for 25 minutes.  

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“Raw-tella” (AKA Paleo Nutella/Hazelnut Spread)

Valentine’s Day, the “holiday” of “love” is almost upon us. So, going with the theme, I’m posting something I love. And- big surprise- that love involves chocolate. I mean, what’s stronger than a girl’s love of chocolate?

Hazelnut chocolate to be precise.

Awhile back, I tried making my own nutella/hazelnut spread. It tasted good, but not great and the pain of rubbing the skins off the hazelnuts prevented me from gushing about my creation. I put it in the back vault for later experimentation.

A few months later, I misread a recipe for date balls using raw almonds, resulting in a sticky mush. I really don’t know what made me leap to it, but then I started playing around with the idea of dates as the natural sweetener (as opposed to the maple syrup I was previously using) for a nut spread. Which lead to hazelnuts.

And then chocolate.

Thus, this raw-tella came into existence. Yes, raw, because I didn’t roast the hazelnuts beforehand. I just put them in the food processor right out of their package. Skins and all. And I have to say, using raw hazelnuts make my life so much easier.

So why do I love this raw-tella?

-It’s FILLING (dates and nuts do that to you)

-It makes a lot! (A good mason jar-full)

-It’s paleo

-Dates are the only sweetener

-Raw hazelnuts = no burnt hazelnuts + less time spent prepping them

-It’s not sickeningly sweet, like nutella

-It’s chocolate

-It tastes AMAZING

Any questions?

   

“Raw-tella” (AKA Paleo Nutella/Hazelnut Spread) 

Ingredients: 

2/3 cup raw hazelnuts (also sometimes labeled as filberts)

1 and 1/4 cup pitted dates, slightly packed (Make sure to soak in a bowl of water for at least 2 hours beforehand. You want them nice and soft!!!)

3 tbsp cacao powder

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup water

Directions:

Place hazelnuts in food processor and blend for about 2 minutes (hazelnuts will begin sticking to the sides of the bowl-just scrape them down). Pulse in the dates, cacao powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the water and process until smooth. To store, place in the fridge.

Energy Balls

I feel so sad. Labor day has arrived. That means the end of summer and back to the books for me 😦 Many late-night-paper-writings to come. Lucky I have these little power balls to give me some energy.

For those weary of dates, fear not- they are not detectable at all. I know this for a fact as my mom, who hates raisins and everything similar to it, unknowingly ate one and asked for another… and then some more.

Energy Balls 

Ingredients: 

1 cup pitted dates, packed

1 cup oats

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

Directions: 

Soak dates in water for at least 2 hours. Drain and blend in a food processor until smooth. Add in the rest of ingredients and blend until combined. Roll the mixture into desired-sized balls (you can also shape these into bars).