Calling all chocolate lovers: make this show-stopping but very achievable dessert to impress Mom. A press-in crust, whipped coconut cream, berries, and flaky salt to top it all off take the chocolate “dream” pie to the next level.
For a grain-free, no-bake crust
In food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) pitted soft dates and 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) pecans or skinned roasted hazelnuts, and a pinch of salt. If necessary, bind with water or almond butter to create a texture you can press into the pie plate. Chill and fill—no need to bake.
Per serving:
For crust, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). In food processor or blender, blend oats to make a fine meal. Pulse in sugar and salt, followed by coconut oil. Mixture should stick together like cookie dough when pressed between fingers. Using slightly wet hands and/or the flat bottom of a glass, press dough into and up sides of 9 in (23 cm) removable bottom tart tin. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until dry on top and fragrant. Cool completely before filling.
For filling, in blender (preferred) or food processor, blend tofu, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, orange zest or instant coffee (if using), and salt until completely smooth. Make sure the mixture is at room temperature and then add melted chocolate; this prevents chocolate from seizing. Blend again until mixture is uniformly chocolatey and creamy.
Smooth filling into cooled pie crust, piling high, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. Cover once chocolate has set completely, after 6 hours.
For topping, remove coconut milk from fridge; don’t shake. Open can and, into large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, scoop out hardened coconut milk from top of can, leaving coconut water behind (store leftover coconut water in a glass jar in the fridge for smoothies or oatmeal). Using hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip coconut cream until slightly fluffy (it will not get as voluminous as whipped cream). Sweeten with maple syrup and vanilla. Don’t overwhip or it may split. Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to a week; it will harden the longer it sits.
To serve, remove pie from tin (leave at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to help the sides release, if necessary), slice, and serve well chilled with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, berries, and flaky salt, if desired.
Lime juice and ginger add a tropical whiff to this French-Japanese mashup, where seaweed tendrils and Dijon mustard bring out the umami flavours in mushrooms and eggplant. The ingredients might seem to be strange bedfellows, but they work. The result is somewhere between a quiche and a soufflé, with a gluten-free eggplant crust featuring punchy mustard and citrus. This makes for a hearty vegetarian main for brunch, lunch, or dinner with a side salad, or a filling side dish. Fresh or dried If you don’t have fresh thyme and parsley, use 1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme (divided) and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) dried parsley. The flavours won’t be as pungent, but a little flavour is better than none.
These are the perfect two-bite appetizers. Though the first bite likely won’t “wow” you, the more you chew, the more the salt from the dulse soaks into the avocado and tomato. Wait for it. You can also turn these into breakfast à la avocado toast by substituting a piece of your favourite bread for a slice of baguette. What’s in a name? Theoretically, this should be called a “DLTA” because of the avocado (dulse, lettuce, tomato, and avocado). And if you left out the lettuce, you’d have a “DTA.” A DTA would arguably be a better overall eating experience, since lettuce slightly waters down the rich and creamy result and makes it harder to keep the tomatoes from sliding off the top of the crostini. But the juicy lettuce is actually helpful, since it spreads the salt from the dulse throughout the entire bite, making the “wow” moment come sooner. Besides, neither DLTA nor DTA is as fun an acronym as DLT.
This triple-threat recipe is made with (up to) three types of seaweed. Wakame is essential for the pesto, but kombu boosts the umami punch of sautéed garlic and cherry tomatoes, while kelp noodles are a low-carb substitute for flour-based noodles. Because kelp noodles can be hard to find (you’ll likely need to order them online), feel free to use your favourite boxed linguine, zucchini noodles, shirataki konjac, tofu, or yam noodles instead. You can also leave out the vongole (clams) to keep the recipe plant-based, or use mussels, which are usually more affordable than clams. Both clams and mussels are generally sustainable, as, like seaweed, they’re farmed without feed or antibiotics, unlike many farmed fish operations. Double-duty pesto Make a double batch of seaweed pesto, and enjoy it with eggs, scrambled tofu, or toast.
Spicy popcorn? You bet. This Japanese seven-spice blend combines salty and spicy notes for a healthy snack. If you don’t make your own togarashi, check the container before adding it to your popcorn to make sure it doesn’t contain salt. For an even simpler recipe, skip the togarashi and just grind a few pieces of nori and a pinch of salt in a blender or spice grinder to sprinkle on your popcorn instead. If you’re fresh out of nori, you can always grind wakame, arame, or dulse instead, leaving out the pinch of salt for dulse or any seaweed you taste and find already salty. Shichimi togarashi This customizable spice blend generally features sansho pepper, a.k.a. Japanese prickly ash, a green peppercorn with a citrusy taste, along with seaweed flakes, chili pepper, and dried citrus peel—often yuzu or mandarin orange. If you can’t find sansho, look for Sichuan peppercorn, which has a slightly stronger mouth-tingling effect. You can buy dried orange, mandarin, or tangerine peel. Or you can dehydrate your own, in which case you might as well dehydrate a 1/8 in (3 mm) thick piece of fresh ginger along with the peel. If you can’t handle a lot of chili pepper heat, reduce the pepper to your taste.