I grew up on tuna fish sandwiches. They were a staple at our house and my mom makes the best damn tuna sandwich in the world, no really so flippin’ good (thanks mom!). But… (always with the but I know) I just can’t bring myself to eat much seafood these days. Our oceans are in seriously poor shape. Fish supplies have dwindled and many species have gone extinct. Fishing practices are often harmful to the environment and cruel. Farmed fish (even ‘organic’) pose their own set of problems with genetic mutation from inbreeding, foul water sources, and disease. And don’t even get me started on the mercury levels, or Fukushima, because down the proverbial rabbit hole of world destruction I will go and that’s a shitty place to be, amiright? So let’s just avoid it for a bit by making a fantastic substitute for our beloved albacorian affair. 

Like almost all substitutes in life, ‘ain’t nothin’ like the real thing baby, ain’t nothin’ like the real thing‘, so just let that expectation go right now. No really, let it go. Okay, now that we are approaching this with open minds we can begin to explore the endless possibilities that await us in creating this protein packed splendor. I mean really, think of the add ins: maybe your grew up with relish in your tuna salad, or maybe celery, or olives, or just some nice onion, or maybe you like to spice it up with cayenne, garlic powder, wasabi, or tahini. You can’t really go wrong here, but I’m going to share a basic recipe to get you started and you can alter it as you see fit, I won’t mind.

To get a fishy flavor you can add chopped up nori (seaweed sheets) or umiboshi vinegar (add a little at first as it is salty). I didn’t have any on hand, so I tossed in some capers for added saltiness. But I can’t wait to try it with umiboshi next time.

Mercury & cruelty-free “chickpea of the sea”:

Adapted from thekitchn.com

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo or chickpea beans, drained and rinsed.
• 1/2 small red or white onion, chopped fine
• 1 celery stalk washed and chopped fine
• 1-2 Tbs of mayonnaise or veganaise depending on your preferred consistency and disposition
• 1-2 tsp of dijon mustard
• 1 tsp capers
• A few lettuce or spinach leaves
• Tomato slices
• 2 slices whole grain gluten free bread

Directions:

1. Smash your chickpeas with a fork or lightly chop in a food processor (be sure if using the later to not over chop as the chickpeas will turn into paste).

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Put your greens and tomato on your sliced bread and add your “chickpea of the sea”. If your bread tends to be dry you can always add some mayo to your slices.

4. Cut in half and enjoy!

I don’t know what it is about that first sunny day here in Stockholm. It’s like my shell gets cracked open and I can throw my sorels up in the attic, put the potato chips and goodies away (jesus, mary, and josheph finally!), start walking the little dove to and from school, and rip that heavy burden of winter (you know, the one that feels like the lead blankets they use at the dentist office) off my body. For those of you who don’t know me, I hate winter. I know, I know, but I live in Sweden. Let’s be clear: I moved for love, not for the weather.

So spring has sprung and that makes me want to swap the aforementioned crutches with healthy treats. I wish I was one of those people who is consistent, but I’m not. Maybe if I lived in say, Jamaica, but sadly that’s not happening right now. So when winter is here I slack a bit on the comfort food. But spring kicks me right back into gear. Thank the goddesses.

Now, don’t get this gal wrong, I still love treats and here in Stockholm – the land of ‘fika’ (afternoon coffee and sweets) it’s sacrilegious to deny oneself sweet buns and cakes and gooey fudgy treats. It’s how we get through winter, ahem. However, there are two things that have prompted me to explore more healthy options. One is our kiddo who is old enough now to demand whatever we eat & if that’s gonna happen it best damn well be healthy and two is the fact that there aren’t that many good gluten free treats to be found [that calls for a whole other post]. Okay, so I’m not a raw foodie, or a vegetarian, or a vegan for that matter (you might not be either), but cutting out dairy and gluten and eating foods that are raw and whole is really good for our bodies and if it tastes good, why not incorporate it into our kitchen?

So that’s where the RVGF banana cream pie comes in. It’s actually good for you *gasp* and it tastes divine. Dates, walnuts, coconut, banana, cashews… I mean it’s like a yoga journal and elephant journal wet dream. So here’s to spring and letting ourselves indulge in the good life. And yes, Mr. Wonderful, the little dove, and our friends loved it. Enjoy!

*** You have to soak the cashews for the filling overnight – so if you want this NOW you’ll have to take a deep breath and wait. But get those cashews in the water stat and you can have this tomorrow!

Raw, vegan, gluten free, guiltless banana cream pie:

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

I’m just as obsessed with chia seeds as the next wannabeyogigoddesshippiefreak, but I’ve recently branched out from my chia + kale superdayshake and the good ‘ol chia + coco + banana pudding to explore using chia in place of gelatin. I first experimented with strawberry chia ‘jam’ (which I’ll post about soon) but we were having people over for dinner and I wanted a perfect little desert – something light, healthy, and fresh. I was researching panna cotta and all the recipes called for gelatin, so I decided to make a chia version and while it’s not really panna cotta, it’s damn good. Mr. Wonderful even liked it. He actually kinda loved it.

Chia coconut and vanilla ‘panna cotta’ with berry compote:

For the panna cotta

• 2 cups organic coconut cream
• 4 Tbs chia seeds
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 2 Tbs maple syrup

For the berry compote

• 1 box or packet of frozen organic mixed berries
• 2-3 Tbs maple syrup

Directions:

1. Mix the coconut cream and vanilla bean pod (bean paste scraped from inside and added to coconut milk) and bring to a boil, lower heat and let simmer a few minutes, then add the maple syrup. Add chia seeds and stir well. Let simmer another couple of minutes. Take off heat.

2. Mix the frozen berries and maple syrup in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes until mixture begins to thicken.

3. Pour coconut mixture into 4 small serving glasses. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add layer of cooled berry compote. Add top layer of coconut mixture and then top off with rest of berry compote. Chill in refrigerator for 2-3 hours and voilà! Serve and enjoy!

I’ve been searching (pining might be a better word) a long time for a gluten free pizza crust that I love. Growing up Italian with roots in NYC, I’m used to pizza that has a thin crust, one that you can hold in one hand folded and devour. I had really high expectations (lord knows I’m full of them!) for the cauliflower crust after reading a gazillion recipes for it and rave reviews from gluten intolerant pizza lovers. And while it was a really nice pizza, I have to share a few thoughts: a) this is NOT going to taste like NYC pizza crust (I know, again with the lofty expectations) b) this crust does taste like cauliflower – but it’s slight so that helps c) we were not able to pick the crust up, but that could be because we put too many toppings on.  Gluten-loving Mr. Wonderful loved it actually and I enjoyed it as a new way to eat pizza. I just had to tone my expectations down a bit, ahem. There are recipes that call for cooking the cauliflower beforehand, which may help reduce the moisture and could make the pick-up factor more likely. Lastly, eat it all up. It was super soggy when reheated. Enjoy!

Gluten free cauliflower pizza crust:

Ingredients:

2 cups raw shredded organic cauliflower *
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
1tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano
Baking parchment
1 to 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

* You need to grate your cauliflower with the grater blade in a Cuisenart – if you don’t have one, I assume you could grate it by hand, but it needs to be light and fluffy, almost like flour, but not too fine.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F. Tear off enough baking parchment to cover your pizza pan, trim to size and shape of your pan. Combine ALL ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until completely incorporated. I used my hands as it seems to come together better. 

2. Place the contents onto your baking parchment trying to lay it out evenly upon the center of the paper. Then, press the crust out in the desired thickness (this will also determine its width– our thin crust makes a 12 inch pizza.) You don’t want to make it thick as it will be soggy. 

3. Rub the 1 to 2 tsp of olive oil on your hands and then pat the top of your pizza crust, making sure to get all of it. 

4. Bake, the crust only, in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden browned. Remove from oven and add the sauce and toppings of your choice. 

TIP: Be sure not to overload your pizza with toppings — not only for flavor but stability.

5. Place back in the oven (on broil) for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for just a moment or two. Enjoy!