Posts by admin:
Earth Cafe Review Raw, Vegan & Gluten-free Cheesecake
June 28th, 2010I came upon this company’s name while entering a giveaway on a fellow blogger’s website. After 3 days, I received my own care package of cheesecake to try from Earth Cafe. After talking to Craig, the sales and marketing director, I knew I was going to enjoy tasting this product.
There is so much information on how this company got started and it is always an encouragement to see how people went from one end of the spectrum to another so successfully. 3 lovely people have come together to form this great company and add an option for healthy living.
I mentioned this company to a fellow blogger and she immediately posted some info and focused on a healthier way of making a dessert. Check it out HERE.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
These cheesecakes are raw, vegan, and gluten-free and OUT of THIS world! I got my goodies out of the dry ice container and began reading the ingredients and taking a bite from each container.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Rockin’ Raspberry—Fruity raspberry flavors with each bite along with a creamy filling a nutty crust. Half of this slice is a portion and definitely satisfying for the sweet tooth.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Find your thrill on Bluerberry Hill Cheesecake—If you love blueberries, this dessert does not lack any flavor. A delicious blend of flavors with a crumbly nutty topping and pieces of blueberry in the filling. SO yummy!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Cali-Style Lemon Cheesecake—Lemon lovers, this is for you. Not to sweet and not to tart but a perfect lemony taste with each bite. I can’t emphasize HOW creamy this cheesecake is.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Who’s Your Daddy?—MY FAVORITE cheesecake. It uses carob to make this a very decadent-tasting chocolatey flavor dessert. Let me tell you the truth. I never have liked carob, but this has converted me. It has a velvety tasty with each bite and it took me 10 minutes to eat half a slice since it was THAT good!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Strawberry Fields Forever Cheesecake—Yet again, the berries are evident in this dessert. It tastes like strawberry which a crumble mixture on top of the slice and a nutty crust. Light pink and smooth with eat bite.
Please take time to visit Earth Cafe’s website and read more about their company. Be even TEMPTED to ORDER vegan, raw, gluten-free CHEESECAKE from them.
Here is their online store: Earth Cafe Online Store or check out their Store Locator. BUY TODAY! 🙂
Sharing is Caring!
Raw Berry Cobbler with Walnut / Coconut Crumble
June 27th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
It has been nice to have a weekend that is quiet and relaxing. We slept in for the first time this morning, which we hardly EVER do. I kind of regret it because I was in a groggy slow pace the rest of the day until Ryan and I played racquetball. I began by making a nice fresh fruit salad since I scored a bunch of berries and fruit on sale at the store the night before.
Golden raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, coconuts, peaches and some cantaloupe. I know! So much fruit, but I plan to freeze some for smoothies too! Ryan and I ate 2 bowls of fruit with some Ezekiel toast and Earth Balance and continued to enjoy our morning / early afternoon. 😉 You know what it was? It was the 1.5 hours of Zumba that allowed me to rest so long and nice. Here is a picture of the festivities last night:
It was a nice group of women. I was able to meet 2 more instructors, but the 3 of them rotated and taught the class. I finally found out how old my instructor is. She actually had turned 59 last night! She is so energetic and loves to inspire through her music. I like instructors like that. I am excited I found this place, I just hope I am able to coerce more friends to come with me! 🙂
This past week we had a couple we had not seen in over 2 years.We found out that they were moving up for the summer for the summer graduate degree program that can be completed over 3 years. It wasnice to visit with friends from Texas because it reminded me of Southern hospitality. Not only that but it is always nice to be with friendly faces too!
While I made a non-vegan meal for our friends, I made a raw and vegan dessert that would be light and perfect for the hot weather. We had an hour break where we gave them a tour of on the town and then came back for coffee and dessert. DO you know that the men devoured the dessert in 5 minutes? Well more like 7 minutes but it was super quick! I was happy they liked it.
I had read about the recipe on a blog that lead me to the original recipe on Kristen’s Raw website. I read the entire recipe and decided I had to make it. It was very easy to make, but a little labor intensive since you need a food processor AND a blender. NO worries, though! It was totally worth it. I plan on making it again varying the fruits. I hope you do too!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
You choose your berries and you divide then, blending 2/3 of the berries in the blender with the other ingredients.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Then you pour your blended berries over the unblended berries.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Mix well, and you have the berry portion of your cobbler.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
You then continue on to the crumble, which is a mixture of walnuts, coconut, raisins, orange zest, cinnamon, and figs. So delicious! I hope you give this SUPER healthy dessert a try!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Raw Berry Cobbler with Walnut / Coconut Crumble
4 servings
The Crumble
1 1/2 cups walnuts
3/4 cup dried coconut, shredded & unsweetened
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup figs, chopped
Berry Filling
16 oz fresh strawberries, destemmed
1 pint blackberries
1/3 cup POM pmegranate juice
11 soft dates, pitted
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
Preparing the crumble
Place the nuts, coconut, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor, fitted with the S-blade, and process until coarsely ground. Add the raisins and figs, and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and holds together when gently pressed between two fingers. Set aside.
Preparing the filling
Take about 15-16 ounces (approximately two-thirds) of the berries, chop them and set aside in a large bowl. Then, place the rest of the berries along with the POM juice, dates, and agave in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into the bowl with the chopped berries and stir.
The Assembly
Pour half of the crumble in the bottom of the glass. Spread the berry filling on top. Alternate several times, ending with fruit. Eat as is! So yum!
Sharing is Caring!
Blackberry-Mint Shortcakes with Almond Cream
June 25th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Yesterday was GORGEOUS day. The storm the night before cooled down the day instead of making it hot and humid, which was a nice change. Despite that fact, Ryan went out and bought a box fan because, since we do not have A/C in our house, the outside somehow does not ciculate inside our house that often. We have friends that lent us their window unit which cools our bedroom but our little fan does not help circulate that cool air around the house. Ryan set up the box fan and our house started cooling down faster! The things we do for comfort, eh?
My herbs looked happy though after a crazy thunderstorm so I was happy for that!
I looked over at my pineapple mint and decided I needed to do something with it beside make a mojito. 🙂 Since I did not have any pineapple to combine the pineapple mint I decided to use a berry and make a fresh dessert. Did you know that the raspberries and blackberries have been a $1 a pint at the store? A cobbler was calling out to me but I felt inspired to do something different.
I combined mashed blackberries with the pineapple mint and agave for a fresh fruit filling.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I then proceeded making vegan shortcakes, which yet again I have never made before. I found a great recipe that was crunchy and flavorful and smelled fantastic as it cooked. Ryan came out of his office wondering what SMELLED so good.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Yep. They came out golden, sugar-crusted and ready to eat! Now, what to do about the Whipped Cream?
Since I was out of cashews, I decided to make a cream out of almonds, I soaked them 6 hours, but folks, if you can, soak them 24 hours in the fridge. I get these ideas for recipes at the last minute and I usually do not get time to soak the almonds.
I process the almonds in the processor and added vanilla and agave. Please feel free to substitute with a cashew cream and refrigerate before serving. SO delicious.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Blackberry-Mint Shortcakes with Almond Cream
serves 6
3 pints blackberries, washed
6 tablespoons fresh pineapple mint, chopped (use reg. mint)
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
In a large bowl, add berries and mash with a potato masher. Do not liquefy but keep some fruit semi-whole. Add chopped mint and agave and mix well.
Refrigerate while making the almond cream and shortcakes.
______________________________________________
Almond Cream
3 cups raw almonds (if using cashews, soak 6-8 hours), almonds require more than 8 hours.
3 Tbsp almond water (water used to soak nuts)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp agave nectar
After the nuts have been soaked, blend the nuts and water in a food processor until creamy. Add the vanilla and agave and blend well. Refrigerate while making shortcakes.
_________________________________________
Vegan Shortcakes
adapted from Vegan Cooking
1/3 cup + 3 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups cup whole wheat-white flour
3 Tbsp vegan sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on dough
1 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup Earth Balance non-dairy butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Set rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to curdle.
Combine flour, 3 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in large bowl. Stir well with wire whisk to aerate and combine.
Use small spoon to drop tiny bits of butter evenly over flour mixture. With pastry blender or fork, work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add vanilla to milk mixture and drizzle over dry ingredients. Stir with fork just until mixture forms soft dough. (Do not overwork dough.)
Divide dough into 6 equal portions and place on prepared baking sheet. Shape into round blobs approximately 1″ thick. Sprinkle the tops with 1 teaspoon sugar.
Bake until tops have hint of color and bottoms are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Transfer shortcakes to wire rack to cool.
__________________________________________
Assemble
Cut each shortcake in half and place bottom half of shortcake on a plate. Add a 1/2 cup of berry mixture and cover with top half of shortcake.
Top with cold almond or cashew cream and drizzle with berry juice. Enjoy!!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Sharing is Caring!
Summer Garlic Mushrooms and Mostaccioli
June 24th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
We have been getting storms lately and I have to say that it is very nice indeed! Tonight I saw lightening shoot across the sky as we left a friend’s house and thought how fantastic God’s creation can be all the time. This really makes up for the week so far. Somehow my days feel so long and laking energy as I get back to my routine of eating how I normally eat at home and exercising like I had been. Vacation sure does take a toll since vacation tends to sound numerous activities and not my usual.
I was glad when the Zumba instructor realized I had not been coming to class. I like when people notice when you are gone because it makes me feel good. I also had a friend come join in the class which personally made for a much more entertaining time! Must get back into my exercise routine… At least racquetball has been happening with my husband the last two days, so I am happy.
Today, I received a fun package in the mail! I had forgotten what all I had left from the prizes I won from The Raw Cafe. Thanks Terilynn for hosting such a great day of giveaways! Here is what I got:
Yeah!! I am so excited. Even though alot of the food we eat is raw, I have been excited to see what more I can do with raw foods. The pictures are amazing and the recipes SO creative and even very time consuming, but I am not going to let that get in the way!
IF you have a dehydrator, what kind do you have? The Excaliber is just way too expensive, but if I want to buy a more economical one, which is the next brand I would buy? Please leave your comments. Thanks! 🙂
Yesterday I made a quick dinner consisting of baby portabellas, lots of garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, and LOTS of basil from my pot. HOw exciting it is to use one’s own herbs! PUMPED!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Anyway, the key to this dish is the lemon zest, olive oil and the garlic. There can never be too much garlic, in fact, when I made it it still lacked garlic. Don’t be afraid to used what the recipe states since the garlic is sauteed with mushrooms and olive oil and will not be strong the the taste. We again enjoyed our dish with a huge spinach salad.
Ryan picked out the Mostacholi pasta since this pasta used to be one he ate growing up when he was living in Palatine, Illinois. Mostaccioli is another type of penne pasta and resembles a mustache. How great! It was delicious with each bite and convinced me to use it more often. Thanks honey for your pick!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Summer Garlic Mushrooms and Mostaccioli
serve 4
2 1/2 cups dried Mostaccioli pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
10-12 garlic cloves, cut in half
1/2 red pepper, julienned
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in water and chopped
1 cup fresh basil, loosely packed and coarsely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
Bring 6 to 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot.
Meanwhile start on the vegetable mixture. Slice and preapre all the vegetables. Heat 1/8 cup olive oil and saute’ onions, garlic, mushrooms and pepper for 5-7 minutes.
Start cooking pasta at this point according to package directions.
Rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes by covering the tomatoes in water for 10 minutes prior to sauce preparation. Drain liquid, when ready, and chop and add to onion mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the basil and the rest of the spices with the remaining olive oil. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
After pasta has been cooked al dente, drain water and bring pasta back to large pot. Add the vegetables and toss the lemon zest.
Serve on each plate and drizzle with a little more olive oil and use Parma if you like. ENJOY!
Summer Garlic Mushrooms and Mostaccioli
Sharing is Caring!
Creamy Peach Tart with Raw Pepita Crust
June 22nd, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Ever since I posted that I made this I have had some ask for the recipe and here it is. It would mean alot to me if y’all had a second to take the poll on the right side of the website letting me know what type of recipes you would like to see. Since I have ONE person take the poll indicating raw desserts, I decided to create a new recipe.
This tart recipe made enough for 2 people but of course can be doubled to make four 4 individual tarts.This semi-raw dessert was ready within an hour and was ready for the Ryan approval. Well, not approval but taste testing. He ate it within 10 minutes and gave me the 2 thumbs up! I am glad to know that Ryan is enjoying semi-raw to raw desserts because at the end, I want to use natural sugar in the form of fruits in my household when children come along.
Here is what I started off with:
I decided to try a different nut than the normal almond or cashew base and went with pumpkin seeds otherwise known as pepitas. This was VERY simple to made and did not require soaking. It is SO much quicker so that you can focus on the filling. Can you see the color? Nice deep green with unsweetened shredded coconut, pepitas,cinnamon, and agave nectar. YUM!
Next came the filling which consisted of ripe peaches. Ryan had a plain peach for breakfast and exclaimed how delicious they were. Yay for peaches. I simmer 2 mashed peaches, coconut milk, cinnamon, unsweetened shredded coconut and added agar agar until it dissolved. I barely cooked it but allowed it to simmer on a low heat until the seaweed dissolved. I then divided the mixture between the tart dishes and refrigerated for an hour. So good. I hope you like it as much as we did.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Creamy Peach Tart with Raw Pepita Crust
makes 2 individual tarts
Crust
1/2 cup raw pepitas (Pumpkin seeds)
2 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Divide seed mixture between tart plates. Place in freezer while making the peach filling.
Filling
2 ripe peaches, seeded and peeled
1/4 cup coconut milk, canned (or So Delicious)
2 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp agar agar flakes
In a small bowl, mash peaches and place in a small pot.
PLace the rest of the ingredients except the agar agar flakes over medium low heat. When the mixture starts a low boil, add the agar agar flakes and mix and let dissolve.
Remove from heat and divide mixture over chilled crusts. Place the finished product in the fridge and chill for an hour or until ready to eat.
Puch bottom of tart to reveal set crust and plate. Decorate with peach wedges and drizzle with agave. ENJOY!
