Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

these photos are so lame. you can thank the thieves that stole my good camera. i am now reduced to using this little digital point-and-shoot deal. ah well; so it goes - as kurt vonnegut would say. anyway, what MATTERS is the food. this food is rawsome. (then again, you can't go wrong with chocolate and caramel and apples.)



i've been seeing a lot of raw caramel apple recipes in honour of the season lately and they remind of one i made awhile ago. here's the link. these ones are a bit more simplistic: just dip and enjoy. but you can decorate them the same way as the other ones if you like. you are free to do what you want, after all.

winter is coming! i am quite excited. summer was lovely but i have been too hot for like 6 months now and am welcoming the colder temperatures, winds and rain with open arms. besides, i have wonderful memories of last winter and so psychologically have reason to anticipate it. i want snow! of course, now that i've said this i'm sure i'll be complaining in a month about the weather. dang.

anyways, expect more seasonal recipes. i'm wanting to do some stuff with pumpkins, gourds and what not. get ready, ya'll. gotta take advantage of dat local produce.

please take the time to check out my friends' band. they rock. give a listen and be impressed. here's their sound cloud. if you live in the vancouver area, check them out sometime! they play all over downtown and are far too charming for their years. they also own a hookah, so there's that.

raw caramel chocolate apples: serves 4-6

chocolate sauce:
4 tablespoons cacao
1/4 cup dates
1/2 cup almond milk 
1/4 cup nut butter

caramel:
1/2 cup water
1 cup dates
3 tablespoons nut butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean 

4-6 apples 

to make each sauce, blend the ingredients until smooth in your blender (separately, obviously). scoop each into a bowl for dipping. then uh... dip away.  

Ingredients

• 1 can cannellini beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
• 2 heaping tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 or 2 lemons
• 1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, optional
• a couple twists of himalayan salt grinder
• a couple tablespoons of water as needed to thin

vary up your hummus with these optional add ins or toppers:

• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon or so of cumin and/or coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon or so dijon mustard
• herbs like chives or basil
• roasted garlic
• sun-dried tomatoes
• roasted bell pepper
• paprika, smoked or plain

Place ingredients in food processor, except water, and blend until desired consistency. Taste for flavor adding anything more to your liking...more garlic? more lemon? more tahini? more salt? blend again. Add water one tablespoon at a time to thin if needed (when using as a sandwich spread or binder I prefer a thinner hummus and will add a few extra tablespoons of water to thin it out nicely). Serve however you like it! It's great either at room temp or chilled. Makes 1 1/2 cups. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week or so.