Raw Gingerbread Energy Bites

When I first started thinking about all of the holiday goodies in the world and which ones I wanted to make (and share) this season, I jumped to gingerbread pretty much from the start. Even though I already have this recipe for grain-free gingerbread men on the site, I wanted to share another recipe because the cozy combination of spices is just quintessential wintertime for me. 

What I hadn't thought through yet, was how many sweets come with the holiday season, and how every year I wish for those classic holiday flavors in a healthier form. It was right around the time that I began researching for a chewy gingerbread cookie that my friends over at Made in Nature asked me if I would help them with some holiday recipes. Ding! It was as if the stars had aligned and everything came together. Of course. Why not make a chewy gingerbread bite using Made In Nature's Dates? 

I went to the Made In Nature test kitchen this morning... The end result is delicious.

These raw gingerbread cookies are something I would take climbing or skiing, but I also just grab one out of the fridge when I need a little something sweet. Heck, I'd even take a batch to a holiday cookie swamp-- it's always so nice to have something a little healthier in the mix. 

Made in Nature provided me with product and compensation for this blog post, but the recipes and opinions are all my own. Working with brands to develop wholesome recipes is one way I keep Foraged Dish going! Made In Nature helps me stock the pantry and keep the blog going. I only work with brands that I truly enjoy and use.  

Raw Gingerbread Energy Bites

Published December 15, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Yield: 12   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

6-ounces pitted Deglet Noor dates

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on microplane

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and run until the a sticky crumb forms. Everything should stay together when pinched between two fingers.
2. Roll mixture together by the tablespoonful to make a single bite. Place on a plate and repeat until all of the mixture is used.
3. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Cauliflower & Kohlrabi White Winter Salad

Cheers! Here's to a happy happy new year on it's way. I know, I know, I should probably be clinking a glass or something as I say my cheers, but instead I'm sharing a recipe for a salad with you. If you're into resolutions you're probably thinking salads are for after New Years Eve... today it's time to party! And you're right. But I was so excited about this salad, and really still have not decided what sparkling cocktail I'll be drinking this evening (if I'm even awake! 😴), so I selfishly went with my gut and skipped the obligatory post for New Year's cocktails. 

You'll forgive me, right? Well, I know you will--after you crunch into this salad, at least. 

Have you tried Pumpkin Seed Oil?? Oh my. I received some as a gift for Christmas (thanks, Mom!) and have been drizzling it over EVERYTHING. This rich, nutty oil is actually used as an ice cream topping in parts of Europe, but it's good on more than ice cream. With a nutty flavor and a thick pour, like molasses, it's divine on salads, too. 

But I also love this salad in particular because it's crunchy, out of the ordinary, and satisfying. When I'm in a salad rut I look for alternative ways to get my veggies. Sometimes, it turns out like this: a big bowl of thinly shaved vegetables, tossed with some goodies (in this case, pomegranate perils and sunflower seeds), and served in a big mound on my plate. 

Can't wait for 2016! See you all then :) 

Cauliflower & Kohlrabi White Winter Salad

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |   

Cauliflower and Kohlrabi and sliced thin, and then tossed with pomegranate, parsley, and sunflower seeds in a sweet and nutty vinaigrette.

Serves: 4-6   |    Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 medium sized kohlrabi
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 orange
• 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seed oil (Olive Oil will also work, but will not have as rich of a flavor)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Prep the veggies: wash the cauliflower and kohlrabi. Then, remove the leafy parts from the cauliflower, and peel the waxy skin from the kohlrabi. Chop the kohlrabi and cauliflower into pieces, small enough to fit into the mouth of your food processor. Finally, mince the parsley and peel the pomegranate, setting perils aside for later use and discarding the pith.
2. Fit your food processor with a mandolin slicing attachment. Feed the kohlrabi and the cauliflower through the food processor to shave them into thin slices. Transfer sliced veggies to a bowl, and toss with pomegranate perils, parsley and sunflower seeds.
3. Make the dressing: juice the orange into a small cup, removing any seeds. Whisk in the pumpkin seed oil, along with the honey. If the orange you used was not very sweet, you may wish to add more honey. Add a dash of pepper and a pinch or two of salt. Stir to combine.
4. Pour dressing over salad, and toss until well coated. Serve.

Margarita Pie (Paleo, Raw, Vegan)

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I don't know how my Mom makes her Margarita Pie, but I clearly remember being delighted by it. The combination of lime-flavored ice cream and a chocolatey Oreo Cookie crust seemed like a bazaar concept to me at the time, but chocolate and lime has since become a mix that I drool over. This Margarita Pie doesn't use any Oreos, or even have any ice cream in it, but it took my mouth back to being eleven years old, when I regularly said I was "full" at dinner time and ready to move on to dessert. 

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I ate my dinner first this time around. It didn't make a difference: the pie was just as good. Sitting on the back porch on a hot summer's evening with good company, this dessert was the perfect close to the day. 

The chocolatey crust in this recipe is sweetened with dates (did you know that dates are high in potassium and magnesium? They may taste a bit like caramel, but they actually have 23 amino acids), so go ahead: have a second slice! The crust, however, takes a back seat to the pie filling. I was ready to eat the entire batch of filling before it made it into the pie crust, but self constraint prevailed and the pie was made. This filling tastes like key lime pie in ice cream form. As soon as the pie was complete, I wished there was four times as much. 

Next time. There will be four times as much. 

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This recipe was shared on the Allergy Free Wednesday's.

Margarita Pie (Paleo, Vegan, Raw)

For the Crust: 

1/2 cup dates, pitted

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/3 cup desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder

Dash of salt 

For the Filling: 

2 very ripe bananas (if you can not get your hands on very ripe bananas, you may need to add a little bit of honey--somewhere between 1 teaspoon and 2 tablespoons, depending on the sweetness of your banana- to sweeten the filling)

1/2 cup lime juice

Zest of 2 limes

1 avocado

1 to 1 1/2 cup coconut milk

1. Place all the ingredients for the crust in a food processor and pulse until a corse but sticky meal forms. Use your fingers to press the mixture out in a pie pan in an even layer. 

2. Place all ingredients for the filling in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour over crust, and use a spatula to spread into a smooth, even layer. 

3. Cover the pie with plastic wrap (try to stretch the wrap over the pan so that it does not touch the filling), and place in the freezer so that it sits flat. Freeze for 3 hours, or until the filling have frozen. 

4. About 15 minute before serving, place on counter to soften (this will make it easier to slice). Serve! 

Optional: Garnish with thin lime slices.