Indian Cashew Fudge - Kaju Katli (Vegan*, Gluten Free)

I am getting back to my roots today with this recipe for Kaju Katli, or Indian Cashew Fudge.  It is delicious, very easy to make, and a total hit!  You will only need 5 ingredients and you can easily make this vegan by omitting the ghee or by substituting coconut oil for the ghee.  

That said, ghee really enhances the flavor . . . so I highly encourage you to use it if you aren't strictly vegan.  

Btw, this recipe doesn't use an oven, but does require upper arm strength.  Sometimes you have to earn your desserts.  :p

Ingredients:

1 cup whole cashews
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon rose water  (you can purchase this at your local Indian, Middle Eastern, or Halal grocer)
1 teaspoon ghee (if vegan*, omit the ghee entirely or sub coconut oil)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a nut/spice grinder, grind the cashews into a fine dry powder.  Do not over grind or the mixture will become oily.  You can also use a food processor or blender, but you'll end up having small chunks of cashews that you'll have to sieve out.  Set aside the dry cashew powder.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, and rose water.  Mix well and until the sugar melts.  After the sugar melts, allow the sugar water to boil for about 1-2 minutes before turning down the heat to low.
3. Add in the cashew powder and stir, stir, and stir.  You do not want any lumps.
4. Add in the teaspoon of ghee.  And, continue to stir, stir, and stir.
5. Keep stirring for about 15 minutes or until the dough lumps together and leaves the sides of the pan.  Your arm should be tired by the end of this. ;) 
6. Once the dough lumps together and leaves the sides of the pan, remove the saucepan from the heat.
7. Using the spatula, transfer the hot dough to parchment paper.
8. Wait about five minutes for the dough to cool down before you touch it by hand, but don't wait too long as you need to knead the dough while it is hot/warm.
9.  Once you can comfortably touch the dough without burning yourself, knead the dough by hand until smooth/shiny.  Kneading will take about 4-5 minutes.  If your dough looks dry, sprinkle some water on top (but, you probably won't need to if you follow the measurements correctly).
10. Roll the dough into a log and place another piece of parchment paper on top of the log.  (You will have parchment paper on the bottom and on the top now).
11. With a rolling pin, evenly roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.
12. Cut the dough into 1 inch square or diamond shapes.
13. Enjoy!  If you have any leftovers, store the kaju katli in an airtight container for up to a week.

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No-Bake Cashew Dream Bars (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free)

These bars are smooth and sweet with a hint of vanilla and lemon.  And, the date-sweetened pecan crust adds just the right amount of crunch.  Dreamy, am I right?  

Besides the ingredients, you'll need a food processor/blender, 5X8 dish, and a freezer.  No baking required!  The hardest part about this recipe is digging in too early -- and there's nothing wrong with that. ;)  But, as with many things, patience yields the best result.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
4 pitted dates
3/4 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons agave syrup (sub maple syrup)

Remaining ingredients:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water (sub coconut milk for extra creaminess)
1/3 cup agave syrup (sub maple syrup)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted into liquid form
 --Note: do not sub any other type of oil as this is what keeps the bars solid
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest *optional*

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the crust: In a food processor/blender, blend the dates until they are broken down into small pieces.  Add in the pecan halves, coconut oil, salt and agave syrup and process until the mixture is sticky (about 30 seconds).
2. In a 5x8 dish, lined with parchment paper, press the pecan-date crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the lined dish.  Note: you could probably pull off no parchment paper, but parchment paper helps keep the crust together upon removal from the dish. 
3. Place the dish/crust into the freezer to set while working on the next steps.
4. Rinse and drain the soaked cashews.
5. In a food processor/blender, blend the soaked cashews, water, agave syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional lemon zest for 3 to 5 minutes and until the mixture is smooth.
6. Pour the creamy cashew mixture onto the crust and evenly spread throughout with a spatula.  Gently tap the dish against a counter or hard surface for an even smoother top.
7.  Freeze the bars for 4-5 hours.
8.  When you are ready to eat the bars, cut the bars into squares immediately after removing the bars from the freezer.
9.  Remove the number of bars you plan to serve from the dish to a serving dish and allow them to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes (unless you're into the ice cream thing).  If you aren't serving all of the bars, place the extra bars in an airtight container (to avoid freezer burn) and refreeze for up to a few weeks.
10.  Serve with your favorite fruits and enjoy!  If you have leftover thawed bars, refrigerate the bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

#halahbakes

Spanakopita (Vegan, Dairy-Free)

Growing up, my sister would make us Spanakopita (or, Greek Spinach and Feta Pie) on special occasions.  I loved it, and even ate it when I was allergic to feta cheese.  Why care about a skin rash when it tasted so good? :p

A couple years back, I became aware that you CAN make Spanakopita vegan AND dairy free.  Besides solving my allergy situation, I could also feed this to my vegan dad!  

This recipe is modeled off of the Vegan Word's recipe.  It required quite a few steps, but it was well worth the time.  Try it, fall in love, and repeat!

Ingredients:

10 sheets phyllo pastry
3 tablespoons oil or tahini for brushing the phyllo pastry
1 tablespoon oil
15 cups fresh spinach (about one large Costco pack), steamed, cooled, and drained (squeeze out any excess amounts of water)
1 onion, diced into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped into fine pieces
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
6 green onions, chopped, making sure the white parts are chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground chili pepper *optional*

Vegan Feta (to prepare beforehand)
1/2 pack drained extra firm tofu, crumbled into feta size pieces
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon  dried thyme
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons tahini

Vegan Ricotta (to prepare beforehand or while cooking) 
1/2 pack drained extra firm tofu, pat dried with a towel
1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon oil
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the vegan feta by mixing the miso, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, nutritional yeast, and tahini in a separate bowl.  Gently pour the sauce over the crumbled tofu, mix, and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
2. Prepare the vegan ricotta, by blending the tofu, cashews, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and nutritional yeast until it forms a thick paste.  Set aside.
3. When the cheeses are ready, you can now begin assembling your spanakopita!  Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing a 9x13 baking pan with oil or tahini.
4. Layer the first phyllo sheet into the tray and brush oil or tahini over the sheet.  Layer another phyllo sheet on the top of that and brush again with oil or tahini.  Repeat until you have done this for five phyllo sheets.
5. Bake the five phyllo sheets for 10 minutes in the oven.  Then, set aside.
6. In a fry pan, warm 1 tablespoon of oil.  Add the onions and saute until lightly golden brown.
7. Add the garlic, dill, mint, green onions, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and optional ground chili pepper to the fry pan.  Sautee with the onions for about 3 minutes.  Then, remove from heat and set aside.
8. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, fry pan mixture, vegan feta, and vegan ricotta until well combined.
9.   Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the pre-baked phyllo dough layers.

10. Place a phyllo sheet over the spinach mixture and brush oil or tahini over the sheet.  Then, layer another phyllo sheet on top of that and brush again with oil or tahini.  Repeat until you have done this for five phyllo sheets.
11.  Cut through the top layers of the phyllo sheets and spinach mixture, making serving size squares. Do not cut through the bottom layers of the pre-baked phyllo sheets.  This makes it easy to cut clean pieces prior to serving.
12.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and broil for one to two minutes to get a nice lightly golden brown color on top (watch the spanakopita carefully as ovens all vary)!
13.  Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.  Cut through the bottom layers of the dough, following the square lines made previously.
14.  Serve and eat while warm or at room temperature.
15.  Store any leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days, making sure to reheat in an oven prior to serving.

#halahbakes