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Vegan &/or Raw

Treats & Snacks, Vegan &/or Raw

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Research has shown that women think about chocolate more than men. Some scientists think this is because eating cacao helps to release a consignment of dopamine in the female brain, the same substance released during orgasm. This explains a lot. And why I’ve eaten most of this tart.

I’ve kept the recipe gluten-free and vegan. It’s bonkers-delicious and very simple to make. Treat yourself to a 9-inch fluted loose-bottom pan, and you’ll be making tarts and dopamine for life.

Point to note; tahini or nut butters other than peanut butter tend to disappoint in this specific recipe. Peanut butter parties with the coconut and chocolate in a way that only Harold McGee and God can explain.

More details over on my Instagram stories if you fancy cooking along. This tart promises to last a whole 2 weeks in the fridge, or for up to 3 months in the freezer if you save a few slices (wrapped in parchment). Namastasty.


For the gluten-free crust:

100g (gf) oat flakes
100g ground almonds
6 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons melted extra-virgin coconut oil, plus more for oiling pan
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Chocolate peanut butter ganache:

100g creamed coconut (not coconut cream)
150g dark chocolate
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
4 tablespoons peanut butter
Coconut sugar to top


To make the crust, blitz your oats into a flour using a coffee grinder or blender. A Nutribullet or Vitmix is excellent for this too. Let the ground oats party in a large bowl with the ground almonds, cocoa/cacao and salt.

Whisk the melted coconut oil and maple syrup together until glossy. Then pour over your dry ingredients and coat everything really well.

I like to wait for 5 minutes before pressing the crust into the fluted pan – it’s easier to handle. In the meantime, you can grease your pan with clean fingertips and coconut oil. Your pan doesn’t need to be fluted, but if it is, extra attention to the fluted edge is important to prevent cracks and tantrums.

Once your pan is well greased, start pressing the dough into the pan giving special attention to the sides. It’s not like pastry – no rolling required. You can watch a similar crust being shaped by Amy Chaplin here. It’s really easy – honest!

Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Bake in a preheated oven of 180 Celsius for 12 minutes or until the sides naturally start to pull away from the pan’s edge. Leave to cool for at least one hour (otherwise the filling will make the base soggy).

To make the filling, melt the creamed coconut block with your dark chocolate, 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar and the peanut butter. Spoon over your cooked and cooled crust. Let it relax at room temperature before setting in the fridge. Then decorate with coconut sugar like a giddy orchestra conductor.

Serve with black coffee and a very loud aria.

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Vegan &/or Raw, x For Freezer x

Medjool, Miso & Coconut Pinwheels

I’m all about finding sweets to love, that will love my body back. I enter a state of limerence milling into these pinwheels. How can something so healthy taste unstintingly sinful?

Bringing the right combination of flavours together is nothing short of bewitching. When the list of ingredients is short – like this one – and requires absolutely no cooking, a tingly infatuation takes control of my motherboard. I morph into a culinary Steve Irwin, telling everyone what’s happening in my wild kitchen life.

These are basically pimped up pinwheels, inspired by Jessica’s genius from One Part Plant. I love her vibe. These guys are cleverly stored in the freezer, which is almost the same as having treats-on-tap. This is real fast food brothers and sisters, with a nutritional slam dunk.

3 tablespoons sweet white miso
2 cups medjools dates, stones removed
3 tablespoons coconut flour or ground chia seed
3 tablespoons cashew butter
Soft, desiccated coconut to roll

Using a food processor, blitz the Medjools, miso, coconut flour or milled chia, and cashew butter until a rough doughball forms. Splendid. Now smooth it onto parchment paper using a silicone spatula (see photo above). Depending on how squishy my medjools are, this can be straight forward, or damned messy. Be patient. You’re looking for 5mm thick.

Neaten the edges, ensuring a similar depth across the dough. Go for a rectangle rather than square. Shake some desiccated coconut over, and press. Freeze on a flat breadboard for 1 hour.

Take it out of the freezer and roll like a Swiss sponge (see below). Use the parchment paper to help you, as you would do with sushi. The first bit is the trickiest, as you tuck the ‘tongue’ under to facilitate rolling. I use one hand to pull the parchment away from the dough and the other hand to push and roll the dough. Work with what you have sister. Keep rolling into a log until you’ve reached the end and then smooth over the seam with damp fingers. Return to the freezer wrapped in parchment, where it will live until your guests arrive.

Sides, Vegan &/or Raw

Kimchi

Nobody wants to live forever; especially if you’re in pain or if your husband has halitosis.

Could we possibly enjoy both health and longevity as scientists continue to make huge advances in our understanding of human biology? I think even Disney would be doubtful.

If science cracks eternity, frankly we’ll still have unquantifiable, self-destructive tendencies like jaywalking or social boxing. Few of us will see our ninth decade. And those of us who do, will be burdened with arthritic shopping rounds, or worse still, bad conversation.

The most dramatic changes in our cells begin at the age of 38, says Dr Rose Anne Kenny. Foly huck! Kenny is professor of clinical geriatric medicine at Trinity College, so she has seen a thing of two. Next year when I hit 40, we’ll know if kale is all that super.

Making your own food with unprocessed, fresh ingredients is the ultimate ammo against aging. We can’t fight off the aging process, but we can certainly engage in battle. Every cookery class I give around the country, I’m always asked for my Number One kitchen tip. Here it is: eat a little salad before your supper. Not during. Not after. Just before. This will ensure you mainline a suite of antioxidants and essential minerals into your system before you fill up on other stuff. If you do this everyday, you will cash-in the benefits of 365 bowls of goodness each year to help your skin glow and your limbs ignite. Here’s one to get you started. Kale-free.

 

 

 

Kimchi

Makes 1 large jar

 

500g Napa cabbage or sweetheart, sliced

2 tablespoons fine sea salt

1 carrot, peeled

2 spring onions, trimmed

Bit of ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1-2 teaspoons Korean chilli flakes or 3 fresh red chillies

 

Massage the salt into the cabbage leaves until nicely softened. Cover with water, weigh it down with something heavy and leave for 1 hour.

Rinse under cold running water, and leave to drain on a clean tea towel.

Using a sharp potato peeler, slice thin long ribbons of carrot into a large bowl.

Halve the trimmed spring onions, and add to the bowl.

Now blitz the ginger, garlic, fish sauce and chilli with a little filtered water to form a paste. Add to the bowl of carrot and onion strips.

Now you can squeeze any excess water from your cabbage leaves before adding to the bowl of ingredients. Coat everything really well and transfer to a half-litre glass jar, pressing down firmly so the brine rises to cover the veg. Add a weight such as a clean stone or tiny bowl, and seal the jar at room temperature for 5 days (2 days in summer). Tah-dahhh! I like to stand mine in a bowl to catch any adventurous brine going AWAL. Transfer to your fridge and enjoy within the month.

 

Let me see your creations on Instagram @SusanJaneKitchen . Just tag me in the post, and I’ll high five you from here !

A special announcement

Join me on Substack

Howdy! I’ll be deleting this website shortly. Gah! But please stay in touch – I so appreciate your loyalty and lovebombs.

You can continue to access my recipe drops over on Substack.  Hope to see you there, and to continue frolicking on this veggie-fueled dance floor.