Whiteley Creek Homestead

red velvet pistachio cupcakes

There are some that snack on raw cacao nibs out-of-hand. I am not one of them. I just do not like the taste. But, in these red velvet pistachio cupcakes, the nibs provide a little chewy crunch and a chocolatey burst of flavor. They were not an ingredient in the original recipe. I chose to add them because they were in my pantry and I need to learn to love them. I am stubborn that way. And I do love them... in these cupcakes. Note: The original recipe, from The Healthy Apple, is titled "Gluten-Free Red Velvet Pistachio Coconut Muffins." Since I chose to frost them, I am calling them cupcakes instead... and I, also, condensed the recipe's name a trifle.

Two not overly time-consuming steps are required in advance. First, a beet must be roasted, cooled, peeled, and grated. It will provide the "red velvet" color versus using an entire bottle of red food coloring as in traditional red velvet cake. (Insert a gasp here.) Don't be concerned that you'll taste the beets in the cupcakes. You won't. They'll just add sweetness and nutrients. While the beets are cooling, go here to learn the interesting history of red velvet cake. The second advance prep step is grinding pistachios into flour. Mine needed to be shelled first, but you can buy them already shelled.  

I stirred the cacao nibs into the batter just before portioning it into the muffin pan. Dick gave these cupcakes two thumbs up. I am in perfect agreement with that.

Red Velvet Pistachio Cupcakes

Originally titled "Gluten-Free Red Velvet Pistachio Coconut Muffins" www.thehealthyapple.com

Makes 9.

1 ½ cups peeled, shredded roasted beets

½ cup coconut oil

2 eggs

¼ cup agave nectar (I subbed maple syrup.)

¼ cup pistachios, ground using a coffee grinder, or sub almond flour

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup flour (If gluten-sensitive, choose a gluten-free option as suggested in original recipe.)

½ cup cocoa powder (I used raw cacao powder.)

¾ cup coconut flakes

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ cup raw cacao nibs (my addition)

Preheat oven to 350°. After peeling, shred roasted beets in a food processor. (I used a box grater instead.) In a bowl, combine all wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry; mix well. Stir in nibs. Fill 9 muffin pan wells with batter. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool on baking racks. When cooled to room temperature and ready to serve, top each with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of coconut and pistachios. Instead, I chose to spread tops with a simple powdered sugar frosting.

 

almond pulp banana flatbread

Here's a use for the pulp byproduct that you'll be generating if you're straining homemade nut milk. The original recipe's title is "Raw Banana Bread Toast Sticks." I chose to rename it "Almond Pulp Banana Flatbread" for two reasons. The recipe calls for 2 cups packed almond pulp. I found that I had enough pulp (2 cups) after making two batches of almond milk if I scooped the pulp into the measuring cup without packing. Although it resulted in less pulp than the recipe called for, the end-product turned out amazing, but it was reminiscent of fruit leather rather than toast. Secondly, I wanted the name to highlight almond pulp as an ingredient because that's the whole point of the recipe, afterall.  

(Left Photo) Bananas, raisins, and a touch of maple syrup provide the sweetness. (Right Photo) The recipe makes the perfect amount of batter to cover one lined dehydrator tray from edge to edge 1/4" thick. (Photo Below) Post dehydration, it is a lovely color, like that of dates.

Almond Pulp Banana Flatbread

2 cups packed, moist (not dehydrated) almond pulp

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup water

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp sea salt

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 cup raisins

finely chopped pecans for topping, optional

In a large bowl, stir to combine all ingredients except pecans. Line a dehydrator tray with a nonstick drying sheet (e.g. Excaliber’s ParaFlexx) or, as I prefer, unbleached parchment paper. Spread batter onto sheet ¼ “ thick. Square off edges and score into approximately 1 ¼” x 4” pieces. Optionally, sprinkle chopped pecans over batter’s surface. Dehydrate at 115° for 4-6 hours. Flip over and continue drying for another 4 hours until desired dryness. Store in airtight container for 5-7 days.

homemade nut seed and grain milk

As anxious as I was to begin discovering the vendors' offerings at last Saturday's farmer's market in Winter Garden, Florida, I, first, had one stop to make two blocks away at "The Juice Bar of Winter Garden." Having contacted the business in advance, they had prepared eighteen bottles of raw organic cold-pressed juices for me... enough for a three-day cleanse that I began the morning of the farmer's market. (For a similar experience in Minnesota, try TRUCE in Minneapolis. Their website states that "TRUCE is Minnesota's first and only organic fresh-pressed juice shop.")

Six bottles each day consisting of 3-16 0unce veggie and fruit blends for the day's main meals, 2-16 0unce "intermediary" fruit blends for mid-morning and afternoon, and 1-8 ounce nut milk before bedtime with plenty of water and caffeine-free herbal tea throughout the cleanse. Each blend was perfectly orchestrated to deliver necessary nutrients and taste amazing, too. One that contained apple, kale, spinach, and lemon was named "Shamalama Ding Dong." I have been playing the song over and over since. The soothing bedtime almond milk inspired me to begin making almond milk after my cleanse was over. The process is ridiculously simple.

1)At bedtime, put 1 cup raw almonds in a glass bowl or canning jar. Cover with 2 cups warm, distilled or filtered water (not city water treated with chlorine) and 1 tsp sea salt. "Salt in soaking water activates enzymes that neutralize enzyme inhibitors making the nuts easier to digest and their nutrients more readily available." Fallon, Sally. Nourishing Traditions. Washington, DC: NewTrends Publishing, 2001.  512. Also, soaking makes nuts easier to pulverize. 2)After soaking 8-12 hours, drain the almonds and rinse well. 3)Fill blender container with 3-4 cups distilled or filtered water. Add plumped, soaked almonds. Blend until creamy. 4)Pour milk through a nut milk bag, or do what I did. I cut a 20" square of unbleached 100% cotton Osnaburg fabric. Perfect. Squeeze to extract as much milk as possible. Save the pulp to use in recipes. (1 cup almonds produces 1/2 cup packed, or 1 cup loosely scooped, moist almond pulp.) 5)It's amazing plain, but, if desired, pour the milk back into blender container and optionally add 1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean seeds, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or sweeteners such as 2 large or 4 small dates soaked in water for a little while to soften, maple syrup, raw honey, or coconut sugar. For richer, creamier "homogenized" milk, add 1 tsp-1 tbsp sunflower lecithin. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier that keeps fats (in the nuts) and liquids (water) from separating.

For other kinds of nut, seed, and grain milk, the process is the same. The only difference is the soaking times. From a Vegetarian Times soaking and sprouting reference chart, this'll get you started... Almonds 8-12 hours. Brazil Nuts 3 hours. Cashews 2-4 hours. Flaxseed 1/2 hour. Hazelnuts 8-12 hours. Macadamias 2 hours. Millet 5 hours. Oat Groats 6 hours. Pecans 6 hours. Pumpkin Seeds 8 hours. Sesame Seeds 8 hours. Sunflower Seeds 8 hours. Walnuts 4 hours. Wild rice 9 hours. Try these, then branch out. There are so many possibilities.

winter garden farmers market

The farmer's market... a colorful space. Vibrant hues of wheatgrass and sunflower greens. The deep, richness of multi-colored carrots and heirloom cherry tomatoes.

The warmth of autumn brown in the homemade chicken stock and raw cacao beans.

The colorful expression of market attendees. Oh, yes, there's gotta be some dreads.

Down a nearby side-street, an old feed store. There, as I stood across the street to shoot the feed store photo, was an imprint in the cement sidewalk edged with bits of straw. I thought, "A chicken's foot perhaps?" I knew it was not, but I appreciated the artist's quirkiness.

The little community of Winter Garden, Florida. Instant love.