just the bare fruit tarts

Get it? Just the bare fruit... just the bare truth... Haha? These are all fruit, all the time. the crust is nut-free, made from only dried dates, raisins and figs. The filling is banana cream and obviously the topping is simply sliced strawberries and kiwi. I added chia to the banana cream because chia is a rock star (or should I say... RAW star? Eh? Eh!? Alright fine, I won't). 

So if you are allergic to nuts or just don't like their fat content, this is the recipe for you! Plus it's super easy and since it includes fruit, it's also tons of colourful fun. I recommend getting organic strawberries - they are way tastier, and much better for the planet (and your own body). A documentary I watched recently reminded me of the importance of buying organic produce. It's called Queen of the Sun, and it discusses how honey bee populations are shrinking drastically largely due to the lack of organic plants they can use. Give it a watch! It's excellent and intriguing. 

Anyways. Fruit tarts. 

These are absolutely bursting with colour, flavour and life. I ate two of them all by myself while photographing  I've got a tough life, what can I say? Go ahead and use whatever fresh fruits you have, and top off with little goodies like cacao, goji berries, or coconut flakes. They are best enjoyed in the sunshine, with your friends family, and animal buddies.

Better yet - grow your OWN strawberries! I am hoping we get a better crop from our bushes this year, last summer we got a bunch of new strawberry bushes, so they take a while to get used to growing fruit. I am also looking forward to my goji berries to coming back! They are such a treat. Basically - fruit is the best thing ever, and I get to be surrounded by it when summer comes, thus I am extremely excited for summer. I am also extremely excited about all the GIFs I have been making.

berry fruit tarts with chia seeds: makes 3 tarts

Crust:
1/4 cup dates
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried figs

Filling: 
1-2 bananas
2 tablespoon chia seeds (optional) 

Topping:
3/4 cup chopped strawberries
3/4 cup chopped kiwi
Whatever else you want

To make the crust: put all the ingredients in your food processor and pulse until everything is in small pieces that stick together - don't process to much or it will get too sticky. Press into three lined tart tins. Put in the fridge. 

To make the filling: mush the banana with fork and then add the chia seeds. 

Assembly: take the crusts gently out of the tins. Spread the banana chia mix into the crusts and then top off with the fruit. Gobble. 

spiced chocolate layered with kiwi, figs & orange

I have been enlightened. Never again will I make raw chocolate without orange! It is incredibly delicious, and I mean literally incredible. I added the zest of one orange to the chocolate to include a fruity component so it would pair well with the layered fruit - what a wonderful decision it was.

My boyfriend says these taste like "amazing flying chocolate fruit saucers of deliciousness" and I can go with that. It sounds like a compliment... right? Right.

Originally I was going to sprinkle some nutmeg and cinnamon on bananas and use them instead of the kiwi. I was also going to use fresh figs. But I wanted to make this recipe (it's been floating around in my lofty brain for quite some time now) today and fresh figs and bananas were not available; to my momentary dismay. Then I decided I could just use kiwi and dried figs instead. Nothing lost and gorgeous green colour gained!

I'm certainly in an orange phase right now, as you might have seen my previous recipe was an orange & blueberry "cheesecake". We get the treat of juicy, sweet mandarin oranges here in winter time for the holidays and I intend to take advantage of this. One thing I love to do with oranges after watching mum do it for years each Christmas is gently simmer orange peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg on the stove all day. It creates this vibrant, festive aroma that has come to immediately remind me what time of year it is.

spiced orange chocolate layered with fresh kiwi, orange & dried figs: serves 3

raw orange chocolate:
3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
1-2 tablespoons agave/maple syrup
2 tablespoons cacao powder
zest of one orange
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

fruit layers:
1 kiwi
1 orange
4 figs (fresh or dried)

goji berry coulis:
1/4 cup dried goji berries covered with water
1 tablespoon agave/maple syrup

To make the chocolate: stir all ingredients together by hand until smooth and SO YUMMY. On parchment paper, take a spoonful of the chocolate and spread it into a circle about 2 inches in diameter. Do this until you run out, you should end up with 6 or so. Put in the freezer.

To make the fruit layers: slice all the fruit... duh. 

To make the berry coulis: blend the berries with the sweetener and water until smooth. If you have other berries add those if you like. I did not have any. 

Now put it all together: Take the chocolate out of the freezer, they should now be solid. Decorate plates with coulis as you desire, then layer on the chocolate discs and fruit slices. 

Beautiful. Raw. Love.

fruit tartlets with vanilla cashew cream

these tarts are so cute. you can't resist them. it's funny how whenever you decorate things with fresh fruit they become more appealing. our bodies know what they want!

i thought i was only going to be able to use the kiwi we had in the house but just as i was about to decorate them my mom came home with fresh, locally grown, organic strawberries! perfect.

you know i'm obsessed with chocolate, so today my goal was to make something without it - for once in my dang life. it looks like there's chocolate in the crust but that's just the skin of the almonds, prunes and raisins.

the filling is like a cashew custard i suppose. it's actually just cashews,  maple syrup, vanilla seeds and nut milk. oh ma gad. too good. i was eating spoonfuls.

the light was great in the kitchen today so i took lots of photos - hope you don't mind ;) i think these would be fun for a garden party. it is finally getting to be that time of year! imagine bringing them out on a cute little tray with some fancy drinks or whatever and impressing all your friends... mhm. do it.

these better be gone by tomorrow because that's when i start my liquid cleanse (i don't know if i'll be able to resist the temptation!) as i said in the last post - i'll be having lots of juice and smoothies, and tea and nut milks as well. after my 10 day cleanse i will going into my 21 day water fast!!! yippie!

anyhoo - time to give you the recipe if you want to make these. as usual, they're super easy and far too delicious to be healthy... yet they are.

fruit tartlets with cashew cream: makes 1 large tart or about 6 small
-
crust:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup prunes/raisins/dates
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons flax seeds

cashew cream filling:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup or so nut milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup/agave
1/4 teaspoon each of salt, cinnamon and ginger powder
seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

to make the crust: pulse the nuts in your food processor until they are crumb-sized. add the other ingredients and pulse until the mixture starts sticking together. you might need to add more prunes/raisins/dates. press this mix into the bottom of a tart tin or several tartlet tins. put in the fridge.

to make the cashew cream filling: blend the cashews into cashew butter then add all the other ingredients until smooth. yummmmmm. spoon this evenly into your tart/tartlet tins and put back in the fridge while you cut up your fruit. decorate as you please - then enjoy!