joni mitchell & a flower sundae

my past week was absolutely glorious. it was filled with beautiful people, splendid weather, delicious food, learning, growing, renewing and sleeping! having said that - i am now rather tired and burnt out. i may just drink juice tomorrow and have a nice mellow sesh of yoga. i spent the weekend mostly with my boyfriend.

ah, "young love". 

he had a small party where i had the privilege of meeting his charismatic comrades and the rest of the long weekend (monday was off because of remembrance day) we enjoyed the lovely, warm company of his childhood friend and HIS beau. we ate eggplant and quinoa, made art from national geographic magazines, watched a cohen brothers film ("barton fink" -  i highly recommend it!) and i personally was thanking the weather deities that winter is finally arriving! i hope with all my might that it snows soon.

finally got home this morning and studied non-stop until i had to go to work. but when i arrived home i found this little delight my desk! it was a gift from momma! she loves joni mitchell and i have a feeling i will too after i read her poems. i will enjoy her thoughtful mind with some lulling tea tonight. now - onto ice cream!

i mostly just made this tonight so i could give you guys some nice photos and something to (hopefully) salivate over. as i said, i was away the whole weekend and missed posting any recipes or pictures! apologies. i threw together a quick sundae and added some edible dried flowers. 

at least i THINK they are edible...

 

um, nevermind. i'll worry about that later. this sundae consists of vanilla coconut ice cream, a salted chocolate sauce, pine nuts, flowers, and a few dates filled with fresh cashew butter. seriously, i made the cashew butter while the ice cream was thawing. needless to SAY - it was delicious! i shouldn't have eaten all of it but... well, you know me.

here's some more free and excellent reggae dub to chill out too. it is never a bad time to play reggae dub. i want it played at my funeral. party.

 

flower sundae: serves one or two

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon cacao

1 tablespoon raw agave/maple syrup 

1/4 teaspoon salt

water, if needed 

3 scoops coconut ice cream

3 dates filled with cashew butter

pine nuts

edible flowers 

to make the chocolate sauce, stir together the almond butter, cacao, agave/maple syrup and salt. sprinkle on all the other ingredients (including the chocolate sauce) onto your ice cream. 

xox, em

Warm Potato Spinach Salad with Pine Nut Dressing

I especially love this salad while still warm, but it is also the perfect to chill and tote for a summer picnic or a potluck. You must give this one a try... it's not your ordinary potato salad!

Recipe from eat, drink & be vegan.

MAKES 4–5 SERVINGS. WHEAT-FREE

1 lb (680 g) new potatoes or fingerling potatoes (see note)

VINAIGRETTE:
2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
½ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup toasted pine nuts

SALAD MIXTURE:
2 ½ cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach leaves, whole or chopped
¼ cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, julienned
¾–1 cup artichokes, chopped (may use marinated in a jar or canned, rinsed and patted dry)
½–¾ cup red bell peppers, diced
¼–1/3 cup pitted Kalamata or green olives, halved or chopped
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
½–1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

In a large pot of salted water, add potatoes and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Meanwhile, in a blender or mini-food processor, or with a hand blender, combine all vinaigrette ingredients
and purée until fairly smooth. Once potatoes are tender, drain, let cool just enough to handle, and cut in half or in quarters (see note). In a large bowl, toss hot potatoes with vinaigrette, then add salad ingredients, except oil, and toss again. (If you don’t want spinach to wilt, toss in once entire
salad has cooled considerably). Taste test, and season with additional salt and pepper and ½–1 tbsp oil if desired. Serve warm, or refrigerate in a covered container and serve chilled (if salad seems dry after refrigeration, add an additional 1 tsp vinegar and ½–1 tbsp olive oil).

Cooking Notes:

1) You can use the larger, whole red potatoes for this recipe, but the cooking time will be longer. Russet potatoes are not suitable because they do not hold their shape once cooked.

2) The potatoes will absorb the flavors of vinegar and olive oil best when they are still warm or hot.

Recipe copyright Dreena Burton; eat, drink & be vegan.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto with Toasted Almonds & Pine Nuts

photo credit: meet-the-wikos.com

Recipe from eat, drink & be vegan wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free

This is one of the easiest pestos to make, and its flavor is by no means sacrificed by its simplicity! My preference it to use lots of the pesto to generously coat the noodles, but feel free to use more pasta to spread out the sauce to your liking. Serve with salad or lightly steamed or broiled veggies (e.g. asparagus, broccolini, green beans). Also pair with Pizza Focaccia, p. 63 from ed&bv, for a fabulous bread accompaniment.

MAKES 4–5 SERVINGS.

11/8–1¼ cups oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained to remove excess oil
2 medium cloves garlic, quartered
1 tbsp capers
¾ cup water
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
½ tsp pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1/8 tsp (rounded) sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/8 cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup fresh basil or parsley leaves
¾–1 lb (340–450-g) dry whole-grain pasta (see note for wheat-free/gluten-free)
olive oil (for finishing)
fresh basil leaves, shredded (for garnish)
toasted pine nuts (for garnish)

In a food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and capers and purée, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add water, oil, agave nectar, salt, and pepper and purée again until fairly smooth. Add almonds, pine nuts, and basil and blend, keeping some texture.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Once pasta is almost done, remove 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain pasta (do not rinse!) and immediately toss in pesto. If pasta seems dry, add some pasta water, 1 tbsp at a time. Season with salt and pepper is desired. Serve with a
drizzle of oil, and garnish with basil and pine nuts if desired.

Notes:

1) For a wheat-free or gluten-free dish, use a wheat-free pasta (ex: kamut, spelt) or gluten-free pasta (brown rice, quinoa).

2) If you have extra pesto left over, spread it on sandwiches or pizza crusts (amazing!), dollop on baked white or sweet potatoes, or mash into baked tempeh or tofu for a pita sandwich filling.

Recipe copyright Dreena Burton; eat, drink & be vegan.