Cashew-Ginger Sauce

Ben says: It is pretty much the same thing as the Orange-Ginger Sauce but you can add it on top. I am telling you, why don't you just get the book! This book is one of my top 4 cook books. 

Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, pg 90.

2 cups toasted cashews
1 cup water
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
cayenne, to taste

Puree everything together in a food processor or blender. When it is as smooth as you like it, transfer to a tightly lidded container and refrigerate. Heat gently before serving.

Orange-Ginger Sauce

Ben says: It is so handy-  take whatever veggies you have, preferable some onion included, and fry them with or without oil (it doesn't matter to tell you the truth) and add the sauce 1/2 through the cooking process.


Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, pg 90.

2 Tbs. Cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
2 to 3 medium clovers garlic, minced
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce

Salt, pepper, and cayenne, to taste

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1 to 2 Tbs honey
1 to 2 Tbs dry sherry
1 scallion, finely minced

1. Place cornstarch in a small bowl (if you're using this for stir-fried vegetables) or in a small saucepan (if you're using this for anything else).

2. Add orange juice, and whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Stir in all remaining ingredients (including optional additions).

3. If you are using the sauce for stir-fired vegetables, stir from the bottom, and add to the wok or skillet about midway through the cooking. If you are using this for anything else, place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until thick and glossy (3 to 5 minutes). Server hot or warm.

Ginger Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze (Vegan/Sugar free)

This is from Ben’s favorite cookbook May All Beings Be Feed , John Robbins,  1992 pg. 380. It is out of print, but you can find it used.  Ben follows the recipe without adjustments. Instead of orange glaze, sometimes we make the white icing recipe that is on the blog or "Gabe's whipped cream". It doesn't need it, but it sometimes I really just want the texture.

It takes awhile to make it, so I suggest prepping one day and making it the next. The reciepe can be doubled

Makes one 8 inch square cake or one 9 inch round cake, or cupcakes. ***

¾ cup unfiltered apple juice *

½ cup canola or safflower oil (or grapeseed oil) **

1 ½ cups raisins

½ cup maple syrup

Grated zest of 1 orange

1½ cups of grated carrots (about 3 med. Carrots)

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh gingerroot
2 cups wholewheat pastry flour

1-teaspoon nonaluminum baking powder

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2-teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup coarsely chopped raw walnuts

Orange Glaze 
(we don't use all the glaze, so we save it for a stirfry sauce)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and 8 by 8 inch cake pan or a 9-inch round pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

Put the apple juice, oil, ½ cup of raisins, the maple syrup, and the organic zest in a blender until smooth. Add the carrots and ginger and pulse just to mix.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Add the apple juice mixture and combine, using a few strokes as possible so you do not over mix the batter. Fold in the remaining 1 cup raisins and the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use the spatula to spread the batter evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the orange glaze: In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and orange juke and stir together until thoroughly blended. 

When the cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a wire rack, and while the cake is still warm, brush on the glaze with a pastry brush.

* we have used regular apple juice successfully
** (we only use safflower oil or grapeseed oil because canola is made from rapeseed, a GMO plant that wasn’t originally made for human consumption.)
*** Yummy cupcakes - 350 degrees, 10-15 mins.

Raw Chocolate Cake - Part A (Raw food, Vegan)

This year, I wanted a raw birthday cake and while it was a little pricey, it was well worth the cost and the time.  Below is the recipe with my notes.  I may make the "cake" part again for raw food bars.

Oasis Living Cuisine, "Purely Delicious - Raw Food" Winter 2010 pg 33
Purelydelicious.net

2c walnuts pieces soaked 2 hours or more
11/2 cups maple syrup
1 c filtered water. (I forgot this step)
1 t vanilla extract (I used raw powder)
2 cups sifted cocoa powder, raw (I used unsifted cacao power)
2 cups almond flour
1 t sea salt

Modified instructions:
Mix walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla and water in high speed blender.
Combine in a bowl the everything else. Then mix everything together using your hands and try to get ride of the lumps.   It says to line a sheet pan with parchment and then add mixture (then smooth it out) before putting it in the dehydrator for 24 hours.  My sheet pans are too big so I used 2 screens with the no sticky sheets instead. After 20 mins, re-smoothed the batter and shored up the edges.

Since I spread it out over two sheets and forgot the water, it took only 12 hours to dry.