More Matthew

Leftovers from the weekend's pad thai were eaten in the form of collard green wraps for lunch today.  These were flippin' good.  (And yes, I do take make lots of goodies over the weekend, do a photo shoot in the daylight, and then pack everything up for the workweek. I am a weirdo. But a very prepared and well fed weirdo.)

I julienned (omg- I spelled that right on the first try!) carrots, red pepper and zukes to go along with the pad thai sauce and the cashew glaze.  I just love the versatility of collard greens.  (These are messy to eat, so keep an eye out for your favorite scarf as you snarf them down.)

The third weekend recipe I made from Matthew Kenney's Everyday Raw was Baked Macaroni and Cheese.  If I remember correctly (I was enjoying my weekend wine at the time), this recipe was simple to make.  One Vivian blend, a little Cook Help, and a tiny bit of time in the D (not necessary but fabulous) and this bowl of creamy goodness was ready to enter my mouth. 

A small serving was all I needed as it's pretty nut rich.  No, it doesn't really taste like the mac'n'cheese I remember, but it's a great substitute.  TH is not here so unfortunately I don't have a second opinion.  

And now, folks, let me admit once again my dessert problem.  (Keep in mind that my freezer is full of goodies.)  Last night I was scoping out Sweetly Raw and saw a new recipe for Dark Chocolate Mousse.  Quicker than my mom can log on to facebook, I was standing in front of Viv with the raw cacao bag.  W.O.W.  This recipe is amazing.  It calls for walnuts instead of the standard avocado that most raw foodies use in their mousse, and the difference is significant.  After I added a few chopped pecans and bits of chocolate caramel candies I was moaning with delight.  Even more exciting:  I was able to use of the last of some irish moss gel that may or may not have been starting to turn in the fridge.  (How do you know if irish moss is going bad?  It always smells weird so that doesn't help.)

Please excuse me, I must go taste this mousse again to see if I'm exaggerating. 

Question:   Do you collect anything interesting?  Or not interesting?  (I obviously collect desserts.)

Pad Thai-ish

I'm a sucker for new cookbooks, and I tend to buy them like I buy wine and books:  pretty labels/covers.  

image from uncooking101.com

I've owned this recipe book for a while, but have done little with it but admire the gorgeous pictures.  Some of the ingredients are tricky to find, and the first recipe I made (potato salad) was kind of ehhh.

I pulled it off the shelf and jumped right in this weekend.  After making the chocolate chips yesterday,  I chose the recipe for pad thai.  Once again, major substitution was in order (olive oil for some of the sesame oil, lemon juice for lime juice, Tapatio for chiles, zucchini noodles for jicama and mung bean sprouts).  It still turned out delicious, and it was pretty easy to make. It made a huge amount, so I'll have lots of leftovers for work this week.

I also thumbed through another cookbook I haven't use in a while.  

image from welikeitraw.com

In the past I've made the:

• Pineapple Icebox Dessert (delicious!)
• Key Lime Bonbons (not my fave)
• Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake (excellent)
• Liquid Chocolate (hardens instantly when cold)

Today I made the Coconut Ice Kream.  (I meant to mix in some chocolate chips  at the end of the ice cream maker cycle, but the ice kream hardened too quickly.)

The flavor of this dessert is great, but the texture is kind of grainy.  I'm not sure if that stems from the cashews or the coconut flakes.  If I were to make this again I would add a tablespoon or two of sunflower lecithin in an attempt to gain a little creaminess. 

Question:  Does anyone know how to make raw ice cream without nuts or Thai young coconut meat?