CREAMY TAHINI & CACAO POPSICLES (Gluten-free, Vegan)

Man, has it been hot in New York.  Every year, I forget this kind of heat - the sweltering humidity right before it storms, the heat waves.  It’s like seasonal amnesia.  If you grew up in dry heat like me, I genuinely believe we can’t tolerate humidity - it’s not in our bones. 

This time of year, I’m always too hot and looking for cooling things.  My favorite warm weather snack is a huge bowl of super chilled watermelon - my all-time favorite Summer love.  I’ve been using my popsicle molds like crazy since I’m always looking for some kind of chilled treat.  Sometimes it’s leftover green smoothie popsicles, berry & yogurt pops or something a little more decadent.  This recipe is from Virpi & Tuulia’s lovely new book N'ICE CREAM - which should be your Summer staple.  It’s filled with vegan (or non-dairy) ice creams and desserts that you can whip up in 5 minutes with simple, pure ingredients. These pops are like ice cream - super creamy with nothing but a blender.  Plus, I love anything that marries tahini & chocolate together.  90 percent humidity might not be fun, but eating ice cream pops isn't so bad either.    

Creamy Tahini & Cacao Popsicles (Gluten-free, Vegan)

Tahini Layer:

• 2 cans fun fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Layer:

• 2 large bananas
• 2 heaping tablespoons almond butter
• 2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
• Pinch of sea salt

For tahini layer: Once coconut milk has been chilled, scoop out thick, solid white cream & add to a blender.  Add banana, tahini, maple, vanilla, and sea salt then blend until smooth.   Add to a mixing bowl and set aside.

For chocolate layer: In the same blender, puree banana, nut butter, cacao/cocoa powder and sea salt in a blender.  Mix in cacao nibs by hand then, set aside.

To assemble:  Layer tahini & chocolate (using chocolate a bit more sparingly) between eight popsicle molds.   Chill for 4 to 6 hours.  Serve & enjoy.

STRAWBERRY BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE WITH COCOA CRUMBLES (GLUTEN-FREE)

With this new Summer heat, there’s no way I’m turning on my oven, not to mention the stove.  These days, it’s mostly salads, smoothies & cold-temp meals (even when the AC is blasting).  That’s part of why I love this porridge so much.  It’s the Summer version of your morning oatmeal, with a crunchy, chocolate-y topping you'll want to make and put on everything.

Strawberry Buckwheat Porridge with Cocoa Crumbles (Serves 4) Gluten-free + DAIRY-FREE

• 1 cup buckwheat groats
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 frozen banana*
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, seeded
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Fresh strawberries, to serve

Cocoa Crumbles:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup gluten-free oats
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of sea salt

In a mixing bowl, add buckwheat and cover with filtered water.  Set aside for at least 6 hours or overnight. (Make sure to freeze a banana now, if you don’t already have one ready). 

In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil and honey over medium low heat.  Then, add oats, cocoa powder, sunflower seeds, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt .  Cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens and becomes “sticky”.  Lay out mixture on a baking sheet to cool.

In the morning, rinse buckwheat well & drain , then add to a blender with almond milk.  On high speed, blend until smooth and creamy.  Then add, frozen banana, strawberries, maple, vanilla, cardamom & citrus.  Blend until well combined.

Then, divide between 4 ramekins.  Top with fresh sliced strawberries & cooled cocoa crumbles.  For extra sweetness, add a drizzle of maple over top.  Serve immediately!

SALTED OATMEAL THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE & TAHINI FILLING

Although tahini is usually paired with my weeknight hippie bowl, I was craving some new options.  After having one too many of these tahini cookies made by a friend, I decided to try my hand at a sweet & savory cookie.  This sesame seed paste is used in mostly savory recipes, including miso tahini dressing and your beloved hummus, but with the addition of chocolate, these flavors just seem to merge perfectly.  It’s my new favorite crowd-pleaser, and one of those recipes I can’t really keep around the house, if you know what I mean.  This sweet / salty / nutty combination just happens to be free of dairy and uses only natural sugars but I promise, you won't notice.  Best of both worlds? I think so.

SALTED OATMEAL THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE & TAHINI FILLING (Gluten-free, dairy-free opt) Makes about 12 cookies

dough:

• 1 3/4 c gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup maple sugar (or regular/coconut/turbinado/etc sugar!)
• 1/3c + 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

filling:

• 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, chips or roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse the oats until gritty, but not yet flour.  Mix in a large bowl with almond meal, salt and maple sugar.  Stir in all the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to combine well.  Chill dough for 25 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.  Shape into a disk and press your thumb into the center to make an imprint.  Continue until all cookies are finished.  Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and firm to the touch.  Press into the centers of the cookies again to reinforce the the dent.   Let cool for 10 minutes.

For filling:  Double-broil the chocolate chips, tahini and sea salt over medium heat, stirring to help the melting process.  Once mixture is smooth, let cool for 10 minutes.  Then, fill each cookie with a teaspoon or two of filling.  Continue until all cookies are filled, then sprinkle sea salt over top and let cool (filling will set).  Eat immediately for an extra-gooey cookie.