Vegan Date Nut Bread

(recipe from Food 52)

1 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates, chopped into small pieces (heaping)
2 cups boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp. flax meal mixed with 3 Tbsp. warm water and allowed to thicken for a few minutes (I used egg replacer)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F.  Pour the boiling water over the dates and allow them to sit for at least ten minutes.

As the dates soak, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugar.

Whisk together the vinegar and almond milk vigorously, till frothy.  Add the coconut oil and flax meal/water mixture.  Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ones until just mixed.  Drain and fold in the dates, along with the walnuts.  Add a splash of almond milk if the mixture is too dry.

Pour batter into a 9x5-inch baking pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Sweetness and Light Sugarplums

(recipe from PETA)

12 dried Medjool dates, pitted
8 dried apricots
1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds (I used ground cardamom)
1/2 tsp. anise seeds
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup ground cinnamon or unsweetened cocoa powder

Place the dates and apricots in a food processor and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together.

Add the cardamom seeds, anise seeds, and walnuts and pulse again until just combined.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Pour the cinnamon or cocoa into a shallow bowl.  Form the date mixture into balls the size of walnuts and roll in the cinnamon or cocoa until completely coated.

Makes about 2 dozen sugarplums and keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Fruitcake Bars

(recipe from David Lebovitz)

6 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. packed, light or dark brown sugar
2 cups walnuts, almonds, or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups dates, pitted and coarsely chopped*
1 cup dried apricot halves, coarsely chopped*
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

*Use any combination of dried fruits that strikes your fancy.  The dates really do make the recipe, but I've tossed in a scoop of dried sour cherries or cranberries, or candied ginger as well, with great results.  Just stick with the total quantities listed above.

Line an 8-inch square pan across the bottom and up the sides with two sheets of aluminum foil, making a big criss-cross with the sides overhanging.

Preheat the oven to 325F and position the rack in the center of the oven.

In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the brown sugar, walnuts, dates, and apricots.  Use your fingers to mix the fruit, and separate any pieces sticking together.

Beat the egg and vanilla in a small bowl, then mix it with the fruit and nut mixture until everything's coated with the batter.  Spread the mixture in the baking pan and press gently to even it out.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the bars are golden brown and has pulled away just-slightly from the sides of the pan.  Cool the bars in the pan, then lift out.

To cut the cooled bars, use a heavy sharp knife, such as a bread knife, for ensuring neat, clean slices.

Storage: The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

(I used 1 cup dates, 1 cup apricots, and 1/2 cup dried cranberries for my fruit combination.  For nuts, half walnuts, half pecans.  I also used coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar.  These bars are so good!  Not too sweet, like a little energy nugget.)

Almond Nog

(recipe origin unknown)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ripe banana
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1 cup ice

Blend everything in a high speed blender until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Lemon Treats

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes

Place dates, walnuts, sesame seeds, lemon juice and zest in a food processor.  Pulse and blend until completely mixed.  The mixture will be slightly sticky.  With dampened hands, roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls.  Roll in coconut and chill until ready to serve.

Raw Cranberry Sauce

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 orange, peeled
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 medium apple, quartered
5 pitted dates (or to taste)
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
Zest of 1 orange

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till chunky.

(So easy and delicious!  And healthy!)

Roasted Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts

(recipe from 5 Ingredient Fix cookbook)

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used coconut oil)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Evenly spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to the oven and roast, tossing once with a spatula, until golden brown at the edges, about 20 minutes.

Put the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Once it's melted, add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until they're light golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and dates and continue cooking until the garlic and dates are softened, 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt.

Transfer the hot cauliflower to a serving bowl, drizzle the pine nut mixture over the top, and toss to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve warm or at room temperature.

(Interesting cauliflower dish - simple and tasty.)

Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 cup raw, unsalted, cashew pieces
2 pitted dates, roughly chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved
11 oz. blueberries
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint

Put cashews into a large bowl, cover with water and set aside at room temperature to let soak for 4 hours or overnight; drain well.  Transfer to a food processor (Vitamix works well!); add dates, vanilla and 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. warm water and puree until smooth.  In a large serving bowl, toss together strawberries, blueberries, and mint.  Serve with cashew cream.

(This cashew cream is awesome!  A healthy whipped cream alternative that would be delicous served with anything!  Seriously good!)

Raw Cranberry Sauce

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 cup pitted dates
1 (16 oz.) bag fresh cranberries, about 4 cups
1/2 cup orange juice

Place dates in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let sit 15 minutes to soften.  Drain dates and place in a food processor.  Add cranberries and orange juice, and process until evenly chopped.  Chill until ready to serve.  Keeps refrigerated up to 3 days.

(Voila! Super simple, three ingredients, no cooking.  Never eat sugary processed cranberry sauce again.  This is seriously that good.  Fresh cranberry revelation.)

Shaved Butternut and Carrot Salad with Dates and Sunflower Seeds

(recipe from Martha Stewart Living)

2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar (I used regular balsamic)
1 tsp. whole-grain mustard
2 tsp. minced shallot
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. butternut squash (from 1 small squash), peeled
3 small carrots, peeled
2 oz. dates, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds
4 oz. baby arugula (6 cups)

Combine vinegar, mustard, shallot, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a small bowl.  Pour in oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.

Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, shave squash and carrots into a large bowl.  Add dates, sunflower seeds, arugula, and vinaigrette.  Toss thoroughly to coat, and season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

(Unusual and tasty.  I mixed the dressing in a small jar, kept the arugula seperate, and mixed half the dressing with the remaining ingredients.  This allowed me to mix the arugula in a portion at a time, adding more dressing and additional vinegar and oil to taste, thus extending the life of the salad.  The thin, raw butternut shavings were unique and surprisingly good!)

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Makes about 30 cookies.

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 Tbsp. orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor.  Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute.  Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a spatula.

Scoop little heaps (about 2 Tbsp.) of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Flatten the batter slightly.  Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned.  Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

(I made these on Christmas day.  They are nice little cookies, spiced not sweet.  Everyone loved them.)