Hoping everyone's long weekend was spent doing fun things with their family and friends, enjoying the hot weather, and eating good food, I know mine was. I spoke to you guys on Saturday so you know what my day was like so I shall talk about yesterday.
I didn't sleep again, so at about 6:50 am I started cleaning the kitchen (very silently) as I didn't want to wake my mom... however, lesson learned: no matter how quiet you try to be in a kitchen something ends up making a lot of noise. Thankfully my mom didn't wake up, she really must of been exhausted. I kept cleaning, then I ended up chopping up some fruits. Over the weekend I came across the most delectable, mouth-watering looking rice paper rolls I've ever seen. No, it wasn't filled with vegetables, rice noodles, meat/tofu, deep-friedness, nothing like that. It was filled with mouth-watering tropical fruit. I'm sure by now you all know that I was weak in the knees when I saw this and had to make it as soon as possible! Well, I did, the next morning. I switched some breakfast recipes around that I had planned for the week and threw that in.
Holy moly, am I ever thankful I did that. I would of never thought to put tropical fruit into rice paper rolls. Sure, I've taken wonton/spring roll wrappers and deep fried them with fruits and chocolate bars, but rice paper with tropical fruit? Helloooooo. It's a good thing I saw this recipe though because it just added a whole new dimension to my breakfasts', snacks and desserts. They were fantastic. It seriously was a tropical hula party in my mouth, grass skirts and all. I loved it. My mom certainly devoured hers too. I was planning to make a dip with vanilla yoghurt and cinnamon, but... after I saw how delicious they were I just couldn't wait. Unfortunately my pictures look not so pleasing to the eye, so if you want to see the original recipe that caught my eye, check below.
Tropical Spring Rolls
Recipe inspired from here
Ingredients:
- Handful of cilantro - roughly chopped
- 1 Manila mango - cut into matchsticks
- 3 strawberries - cubed
- 1 kiwi - cubed
- 1 banana - roughly chopped
- Flaked coconut
- Lime juice - to squirt over fruit
- 4 rice paper rolls
The amount of fruit you need will be dependent on how much you add. I added about a tablespoon of berries, kiwi and banana each, and 6-8 mango sticks, plus 2-3 cilantro leaves. You may want more or less.
Place your rice paper under hot water for a couple of seconds until it becomes workable, then pat it dry. Add fruit in the middle of the wrap; I used mango on the bottom, then stuffed with the remaining fruit + coconut flakes. Some cilantro leaves I chopped, others I left whole – it’s all on your preference. Then squeeze a tiny amount of lime juice over the fruit. Once the fruit is on the wrap, fold up the bottom and tuck under the fruit. Fold in each side (like you would with a burrito), then roll the wrap to the end. It should seal itself since the wrap is damp. Eat whole or slice in the middle at an angle.
After munching down on those amazing rolls we headed to go do some errands. Went to the cutest organic little market. We picked up the most amazing grapes ever, finished them up in the car, yum! We then did some shopping, had some lunch, (mom's been on a coconut craze lately too... any thoughts why? ;)
We then drove to my aunt and uncle's to pick up my twin cousins. They came to hang out for a bit, I rode my bike for a whopping fifteen minutes then my aunt and uncle arrived. My aunt and I headed from our place down to Old-Montreal a whopping two minute walk haha, for a nice 5 km run! It was absolutely stunning out. The weather was beautiful, the water was great to run by since it added a litle bit of a cool breeze, and the people, oh my goodness the people. It was as if there was a concert or something with the amount of people outside, but no, it's just good ol' Montreal where people like to be outside. I love that, I find it so inspiring that people just sit outside... I don't see that much back home. I mean, you see people outside but to this extent, never. I find it really motivating since it makes you get outside and work your booty off ;)
We came home and had dinner. Another note: buy lettuce from your local Farmer's Market, there is nothing like it. I couldn't get off the bite, crisp, refreshing, fresh taste of the lettuce I had in my salad last night, it was brilliantly good. After a delicious meal it was dessserrttttt time! I had been looking forward to this dessert all week. I've decided on the weekends for the next couple of weeks (as I try to work through my big pile of saved desserts) each week is going to have one super delicious dessert.
Last week it was the most amazing and beautiful Avocado-Lime Whip Fruit Medley Pizza in a Cinnamon Sugar Crust, this week it was a delicious raw carrot cake. Well, that's what the title of the recipe was, I'm not sure if mine was technically raw since I don't know the process that goes into making maple syrup. In this case I suppose I'll call it a vegan carrot cake with the high potential of it being raw ;), does that work?
dflkasmfs;dlfkm wow. This cake was marvelous, wunderbar, delightful, creamy sans cream, nutty, spicey, just perfect. When I ate dairy products, and with you all knowing just how much I love cake, cheesecake was not a thing I enjoyed. Sure, I'd eat it because it was shaped like cake, but did I enjoy it? Not at all. To me it just tasted wrong. All I tasted was curdled milk, I don't know why, perhaps it was because I never really enjoyed cream cheese other than it being in my mom's Mexican dip, but cheesecake, bluh. Now, if restaurants served this cheesecake on their dessert menu I'd be on my knees begging them for more. I loved this, even my aunt, who, yes, she does like sweets, I never really see munching on desserts had two pieces and even asked for the recipe. I loved it, it replicated a cheesecake-like cake completely.
I was so excited too, because earlier this week I had seen coloured carrots, and even though I'd seen them a million times in the last year popping up on people's blogs I'd never come across them in real life. Needless to say I needed to pick up a bag, regardless of the fact that they taste identical. I loved the colours of these bad boys, but the durability? I'll stick to the old school orange carrots from now on. The coloured carrots were so flimsy... they felt like the stems of broccoli when they're too soft. I'm not sure why, but it was weird. They clearly did their job in the taste department but if I were eating them as a snack, just as a carrot stick I'm pretty sure I'd be a little freaked out.
Now onto this weekends masterpiece for desserts, oh yummy.
Note: I halved this recipe, so I will put my measurements, if you want to see the measurements for a thicker, bigger cake go to the original or just double my measurements.
Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cheesecake "Icing"
Recipe adapted from here
Ingredients:
For the carrot cake:
- 2/3 cup + 1/6 cup raw walnuts - soaked for four hours
- 1/2 cup de-pitted dates
- 2 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp raisins
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups carrots (cut into 1″ chunks before measuring)
- 1/4 cup flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup dried papaya
In a food processor, process soaked walnuts until in small bits.
Add the dates and process until no more big date chunks exist.
Transfer nut mixture to a large bowl and add raisins and spices. Mix until well combined.
In food processor, process carrots, coconut and pineapple until fine. Add carrot mixture to nut mixture and mix until very well combined. Press into a lightly greased 8 – 9″ springform pan, using a spatula to pat down edges so surface is flat.
Put in the fridge to set. Fridge not freezer, it will turn like a cheesecake
Cheesecake Part
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 5 tbsp + 1 tsp freshly grated coconut
- 5 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil, melted slowly in oven or on stove
- 3 – 4 tbsp coconut milk
Process together cashews, lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut and coconut milk. Then add in the melted coconut oil. Process until smooth. Taste it and see if it needs anything. Pour on top of the carrot cake. Put back in fridge and let it chill for a few hours until set, then enjoy.
Oh my goodness, fantastiiiic.
We spent the rest of the night watching movies, it was definitely a nice night. Then... surprise surprise I couldn't sleep. Slept a whopping 30 minutes... unfortunately I've had a lot going on in my thoughts so it's been preventing me from sleeping (at least I think that's what it's been from). Well, we'll see how tonight goes... here's hoping I suppose... despite the circumstance, yes I am being very vague I'm sorry.
Let's just fast forward to this mornings breakfast. It was heavenly. It was amazing, no amazing isn't even strong enough of a word to describe what this was. Everyone went nuts for it, "you can't make something like that with out letting me try it"... I ate a lot less than I thought I would but that's probably a good thing... because it certainly was decadent. It was just... oh my gosh, I'm already craving it again, it was amazing. Let's just say, peanut butter, banana and jam + carot chips = one decadent sandwich... but wait, it wasn't a sandwich, non, non, non mes amis. It was pizza. Yes, I made Katie's breakfast pizzert again, looooooved it, and will be doing so again :D!
Peanut Butter Banana and Jam Carob Chip Pizzert
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- A little under 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Raspberry jam - enough needed to cover the surface
- Peanut butter - to taste
- 1 banana - sliced
- Carob chips to taste
Mix everything from flour - vanilla together and then pour into a pan. - (I lightly sprayed my pan with vegetable oil spray.)
On your uncooked batter, add your jam, sliced banana, carob chips, and peanut butter.
Cook in an UNpreheated oven at 420 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I mean really, look at it, dlfjljsdldkfj I'm droooling!
What did you do over this long weekend?
Directions:
And you know what they say... an apple a day keeps the doctor away ;)