Maple Cashew Cream Frosting

Let's fast forward ahead to Spring. Who's ready?

With any luck it looks like there might be an end in sight after all. The temperatures actually might break 0˚C in the next few weeks. Woohoo! I've had it with this freezing cold winter weather. I want spring flower, warm breezes, and longer days.

So today I give you a recipe inspired by Spring. 

This also may have something to do with maple syrup season being right around the corner. Fingers crossed.

I'm also working on a healthy gluten-free carrot cake recipe, totally inspired by Spring and this maple cashew cream frosting. I'm hoping that one turns out!

On that note, let's get back to this frosting. It's a little reminiscent of traditional cream cheese frosting, but without the cream cheese. Instead it's made with vitamin rich cashews. I wouldn't go expecting the taste of butter cream. But this is a super creamy, rich, maple sweetened frosting.

Cashew cream is one of the most versatile things you can have in your kitchen. You can make it sweet or savory and use it in everything from spreads, dips, sauces, to frosting and more. It's a great option when you need to make a recipe dairy-free or vegan.

I would advise you to slather this on anything and everything!

I would strongly suggest:

• muffins
• quick breads
• cupcakes
• doughnuts
• cakes
• pancakes

Anthing baked and that you can put frosting on, really. Or even better, you could stuff in into muffins!

Maple Cashew Cream Frosting

by Jennifer Trennum

Keywords: blender food processor how-to frosting/ icing dessert snack gluten-free low-carb vegan vegetarian Cashews maple syrup Icing/ Frosting

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Ingredients (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 3-4 hours (or overnight)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

First, drain and rinse your cashews. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth, creamy and thoroughly combined. For a thinner consistency add more milk. Scrape the sides of the blender as needed.

Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to thicken and firm up. The longer it chills, the thicker it will get.

Keep the frosting refrigerated in a sealed container.

notes/ substitutions

Cow's milk may be substituted for almond milk if you prefer.

If you are using this to frost cakes or treats that will not be served immediatley, keep the frosted treats chilled until ready to serve.

The frosting will keep fresh for about 1 week stored in the fridge and longer in the freezer. Store in a tightly sealed container.

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Quinoa Veggie Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

Welcome to my new favourite meal.

This is a meal suitable for lunch or dinner. Actually, if you make this for dinner you can easily pack up the leftovers for a nutritious on-the-go lunch the next day.

This simple, zesty Italian salad dressing is about to become your new favourite dressing. I used fresh thyme, basil, and oregano as my herb base. Believe me, once you start making your own homemade salad dressings you will never want to go back to store bought again. You can make this dressing in a blender, but if you want to make things really easy, shake all the ingredients together in a jar until fully combined. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so to develop it's flavour and then you're ready to add it to the salad.

As the quinoa cooks you can pop the chickpeas into the oven to roast, then work on the dressing and chop up the broccoli and red pepper.

I would definitely call this a 30 minute meal. And after it's done cooking you can serve it up hot or let it chill in the fridge and serve cold.

By the way, you may have noticed the new photography background surface I've been using. Here it is in the works on instagram. I decided to try a little DIY a few weeks ago and make my own background. Let me just say I can't believe it took me so long to do this. I was starting to feel like my current backgrounds were getting old and I desperately wanted something new to shoot on. It was fairly easy to put together and it only cost me around $15-20. Very affordable. I used this tutorial from Ashley from The Edible Perspective to help me do it. Genius!

Now I go back and forth between super clean and white to a rustic + vintage feel with the new wood boards and old baking pans.

Quinoa Veggie Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

by Jennifer Trennum

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: main dish lunch salad gluten-free grain-free nut-free protein sugar-free vegan option vegetarian vegan bell peppers mustard goats cheese chickpeas

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Ingredients (6 servings)

For the Salad

• 1 cup raw quinoa, rinsed well and drained
• 2 cups water
• 1 large broccoli heads, chopped into florets (about 2 cups)
• 1 large red pepper, diced
• feta or goat cheese, optional

For the Roasted Chickpeas

• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder

For the Dressing

• 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced (or passed through a garlic press)
• 1/2 teaspoon each of fresh basil, oregano, and thyme, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

Heat a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, and add the quinoa. Toast, stirring until the grains begin to smell fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly pour in the water and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Do not stir or uncover while cooking. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.

Roast the chickpeas: While the quinoa cooks, place garbanzo beans in a tea towel (or paper towel) and rub dry. Toss with oil, salt, and garlic powder on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 400˚F, then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet, then roast for another 5-8 minutes, until lightly golden.

Prepare the dressing: Place all dressing ingredients into a blender, and blend until fully combined (or shake ingredients in a mason jar). Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Combine quinoa, broccoli, red pepper, in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and top with cheese if desired. Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days in a sealed container.

Nutritional Information

Based on 6 Serving's without cheese  Calories: 252 Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 1.5g Cholesterol: 0mg Carbohydrates: 30g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 1g Protein: 8g Sodium: 211mg

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Fresh and simple.

Happy Wednesday!

Some of my other leftover-friendly salad meals from the archives:

• Lemony Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa with Roasted Squash, Dried Cranberries & Pepitas
• Whole Foods Detox Salad
• Millet with Butternut Squash and Kale