dream gf vegan tart ☁️🫐🍋🟩
Welcome to those who were just scanning the web and serendipitously landed on my humble site 👋 whether you are in a rut and don’t know what to make; are in that loop of “sooo, what do you want to eat tonight?”; or have fallen into the infinite black hole of saved recipes from social media (the internet is truly ultimate purveyor of maximalist TL;DR content overwhelm 😵💫🫠🤭). I hope you enjoy — it brings me great joy to sprinkle any ease into your life — cheers to your good health, good love & good fortune!
And per my usual caveat, I do not claim to be a doctor or a chef. I do not dream of being a fancy food blogger. I’m just a gal who enjoys living and eating for optimum well-being. I like to creatively alter, and occasionally create, recipes to make them as balanced as possible, in both taste and health. I’ve come to learn soul-food and body-fueling food are both real and equally important, hence the critical importance and beauty of mind-body-soul eating! ✨ I typically like to begin with a key ingredient or two that I’m hoping to work with, search for a preexisting recipe as a guide, then play with measurements and make swaps to level up nutrient density. Consider this a destination for healthy recipe inspiration, where you’ll never have to scroll through any continuously re-populating ads. One of my primary goals is to add a little simplicity in places I’ve found murky.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PERSONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. INDIVIDUALS SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE ADMINISTERING ANY OF THE SUGGESTIONS MADE ON THEBALANCEDCALM.COM TO ENSURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE.
I have a rare original recipe for ya’ll! Are we ready for the amazingness of this very simple, gluten-free vegan tart? And bonus, it can be taken in any direction you can dream up — lemon, lime, wild blueberry, coconut vanilla and beyond! 💫
This tart is no bake and so basic, but will make you feel fancy and is absolutely divine. See easy breezy recipe below:
CRUST
1 c almond flour
4 pitted dates
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp organic cinnamon
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
2 tbsp lemon juice***
1 tbsp lemon zest***
FILLING
1 c raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight
1/2 c lemon juice***
1/3 c coconut oil
1/4 c canned coconut cream
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon zest***
Handful or 2 of organic wild blueberries***
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
***Again, lemon and blueberries can be easily swapped out for any other fruit — in the event any more liquid is needed in place of juice, you can sub with a dash of water or coconut water.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Lightly grease 9” tart pan with coconut oil.
2. For the crust, combine all ingredients and pulse in a food processor (I use a NutriBullet) to combine until fully moistened.
3. Press the crust evenly along the bottom and up the sides of pan and set aside.
4. In the same food processor (no need to wash), combine all of the ingredients for the filling (except for the blueberries or any other chopped fruit), blending for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary, adding more coconut cream or juice as needed. Once smooth, taste and adjust the maple syrup or juice as desired.
5. Pour the filling into the prepared crust, smooth the top and sprinkle in blueberries.
6. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set before serving. Enjoy chilled!
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. I will again caveat, I’m not a nutritionist, but as holistic health coach, here’s some functional food for thought:
PRE-SOAKING CASHEWS
You may wonder if you can skip the step of soaking the cashews if you have a high speed blender and the answer is that you absolutely can! However, if you want to receive the full punch of nutrient dense deliciousness, I highly recommend carving out the hour. Soaking cashews produces not only an extra creamy texture, it also boosts nutrition! Soaking nuts of any kind removes phytic acid, which allows our bodies to pull out more nutrients from the nuts, as well as makes them easier to digest.
CASHEWS
Cashews are rich in fiber, heart-healthy fats and protein! They’re also naturally cholesterol and sodium free. Plus they’re a fabulous source of copper, magnesium, manganese and vitamin K — nutrients that are important for energy production, brain function, immunity, blood and bone health. Additionally, they’ve been known to reduce risk of diabetes, boost oral health, reduce risk of anemia, promote development of red blood cells and prevent heart disease!
PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Since pink Himalayan salt is less processed than table salt, your body has an easier time processing it, as it doesn’t require as much water to clear out the excess sodium! It also contains more than 80 minerals and elements, including potassium, iron, calcium and (naturally occurring) iodine, aiding our body’s natural detoxification process and promoting the removal of bacteria. This can even help lower blood pressure, as iodine supports our body’s electrolyte balance, allowing our intestines to absorb more nutrients.
(HOMEMADE/WHOLE INGREDIENT) DESSERT
Yes, enjoying dessert is good for you health! And allow me to share my top 3 reasons for why I strongly believe this…
1. MENTAL HEALTH
2. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
3. ENERGY
The more we restrict ourselves, the more we’re going to crave what we’re restricting ourselves from — which in turn, may not be good for our mental health or weight weight management. For instance, if we’re thinking of how much we want some chocolate (or even our favorite salty snack if we’re less of a sweets person), but then deprive ourselves of this, there is a much greater probability we will binge on some at some point in the near future and/or even justify eating less healthful food throughout our day since we did were so “good” at avoiding the deemed gluttonous item when we wanted it. There are many unhealthy cycles we can develop, it’s most ideal to listen to our bodies and eat intuitively.
On top of this, dieting that involves sudden decreases to our intake of carbohydrates and sugar deprives our bodies of the necessary glucose needed for energy. This can lead to us feeling sluggishness, experience mental fog and distraction, as well as potentially feel depressed! The mind body connection is ever present.
There’s no reason to not enjoy dessert in moderation — life is meant to be sweet! When we take a bite out of our favorite desserts and our moods instantly level up, it’s due to the fact that foods with naturally high percentages of carbohydrates help the brain and body to produce chemicals (including serotonin) that contribute to overall emotional well being. The benefits of enjoying dessert simply outweighs the negative impact.
***important to note, as always, quality is essential — even with snack mixes…always shop organic when possible.
