Carob cream pie (dairy free/grain free)

I have a carob obsession lately, especially mixed with cocoa butter. This is a great pie that is easy to make and my kids go crazy over it. I use my cashew coconut whip cream on top with some crushed dark chocolate chips. This recipe contains a small amount of chocolate but you can just leave it out if you are trying to avoid it all together.

Carob cream pie

crust:

1  3/4 and 1 tablespoon ground cashews

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons raw honey

pinch of sea salt

filling:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (full fat or if reduced fat add 1 tablespoon coconut oil)

1 cup carob powder

3 tablespoons raw honey

3 tablespoons cocoa butter pieces

30 drops vanilla stevia

2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

optional: 1/2 cup ground roasted hazelnuts

pinch of sea salt

Prepare the crust and flatten out to the bottom of a pie pan.  Cook on medium the filling ingredients just to melt the cocoa butter and chocolate chips.  I use a whisk to make sure it is smooth and creamy. Pour onto pie crust and refrigerate for a few hours until the pie sets. Top with some cashew/coconut whip cream and crushed chocolate chips/bars. I will leave the recipe for my whip cream also below.

Cashew/coconut whip cream 

Will post tonight -misplaced recipe:)

 

Try some creamy raw carob banana mousse!

This is creamy and cooling and perfect for a hot day like today. It’s about 80 degrees here in Washington and I am loving this warm sunny weather considering we only get around 50 days like these a year. I am a sunshine girl and my husband loves the snow (we both hate the gray sky/rain) so I am thinking when we win the lotto we will live in Hawaii for half the year and close to mountains for the other half. But that would require me homeschooling the kids…hmm not sure I am home school material. Homeschooling moms never get a break!-I treasure my quiet time and need my kids in school to allow myself a bit of sanity.

Raw carob banana mousse

Blend/process:

1 banana

2 tablespoons raw carob powder

1 tablespoon full fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon raw buttercream cashew frosting

top with dried fruit or nuts (optional)

Makes 1 serving

This recipe is also seen at  http://dietdessertndogs.com/2013/05/09/wellness-weekend-may-9-13-2013 along with many other yummy recipes

Raw carob brownies with raw buttercream frosting

No carob is not chocolate but it does come close for those of us who can’t do much chocolate. I’m not sure why carob went out of “style” after the 80’s. I think it has a good flavor that can replace all or some of the chocolate in a recipe. Just using half chocolate and half carob can help cut down on a lot of the stimulant effects of chocolate but still preserve the flavor (important for kids or eating at night). These have great chewy texture and flavor and are raw, grain free, and sweetened with only stevia and maple syrup.

Raw carob brownies

1 cup raw carob powder

1/2 cup fresh ground coconut flour

1/2 cup sunflower seed flour

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

2 tablespoons ground roasted mung beans (optional for flavor-not raw)

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon maple syrup

15 drops vanilla stevia

1 tablespoon coconut milk (full fat)

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

(optional) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for about an hour to let the brownies harden a bit before eating.  After puting on the frosting I top these with some crushed chocolate chips. Yum! Makes about 6-8 servings

Butter cream cashew frosting

Process/blend:

1/2 cup soaked cashews

3 tablespoons coconut cream

25 drops vanilla stevia

3 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Pineapple teriyaki salmon and the trick to making carob actually taste like chocolate.

This is the last post of what I ate Wednesday 3/27. For dinner tonight I made baked salmon with Earth and vine pineapple teriyaki sauce with grilled veggies. The sauce does have some wheat in it because it has soy but I think I could easily make this gluten free with wheat free tamari, pineapple and apricot puree, sake,garlic and a little honey. I made some carob walnut brownies (vegan) that actually taste like chocolate! I can finally have something to replace those chocolate cravings!  I have never been able to tolerate much chocolate. When I was a kid I always got really bad acne when I ate chocolate. And now it still doesn’t agree with me but that still doesn’t stop me from eating it of course. Its like a true addiction! You’re addicted to the things that are the worst for you! Considering chocolate has 4 types of stimulants in it-yes that’s right 4! It seems crazy that people purposely give their kids chocolate. You might as well poor them a cup of coffee or a double espresso. My kids especially my son has an amazing amount of energy so I avoid giving him chocolate at all costs. The trick to getting carob to taste like chocolate is to add ground roasted/burnt lentils. Some people use espresso for that bitter taste but even decaf has a little bit of caffeine in it so I prefer the lentils. I use a coffee grinder to grind all of my flours.

Walnut mockolate brownies

3/4 cup carob powder

4 tablespoons brown rice flour

3 tablespoons ground walnut flour ( leave some chunks)

3 tablespoons coconut flour (grind shredded coconut )

2 tablespoons almond flour (grind blanched almonds)

1 tablespoon tapioca flour

1/3 cup of olive or grapeseed oil

1/2 cup of honey

1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds

1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons of water

1 1/2 tablespoons of ground roasted cooked lentils( roast in oven until slightly burnt)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

10 drops of vanilla stevia

mockolate frosting (vegan):

blend in blender or food processor:

1 avocado

4 tablespoons of carob powder

3 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoons ground roasted lentils( you might want to taste as you go because too much it will start tasting like coffee)

1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil

10 drops of vanilla stevia

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

2-3 tablespoons of tapioca flour ( or to desired thickness)