Pecan Pie Cookies

Make ahead: The cookies can be refrigerated or frozen for several weeks. Adapted from "Ani's Raw Food Desserts," by Ani Phyo (Da Capo Press, 2009).

Ingredients

1	cup pecan halves or pieces
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1	teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
8	ounces of plump, whole dates, pitted, then chopped into chunks

Directions

Combine the pecans, cinnamon and juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the dates and pulse to form a mixture that can stay pressed together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Roll each one into a smooth, golf- ball-size ball, then flatten to form a 212/-inch-round cookie. Place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat to use all of the mixture.

Cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

NUTRITION {vbar} Per cookie: 172 calories, 2 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 20 g sugar

jicama sticks

good and crunchy!

ingredients:

1 jicama
sea salt

peel the jicama with a potato peeler, or a knife (you may have to use a knife; the skin is tough)
cut it into large matchsticks, toss with sea salt, and enjoy!

raw ice cream

I make this for one in my mini-food processor, but you could make it for more in a regular food processor. I keep lots of bananas peeled and in freezer bags so that they are always at the ready in the freezer. I like this for breakfast sometimes, and of course, for dessert.

1 or 1 and 1/2 frozen bananas, cut into one inch chunks
1 tsp good cocoa powder
1/8 or 1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries or rasberries
2 T walnuts, preferably soaked
2 T raw granola (optional)

place all of the ingredients in a food processor with an S blade and process until the bananas are smooth and creamy (this can take a while, and you may have to scrape the bowl and loosen things up).

easy almond milk

extra simple- this is yummy on my raw granola from the food co-op

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight
2 cups water

Drain and rinse the almonds, then put them in a blender with the water. Blend until smooth. Strain the almond milk into a jar using a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the pulp as you go to extract the liquid. Save the leftover pulp for a recipe like almond paté (the pulp keeps for a couple of days in the refrigerator). The milk will also keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

almond paté on the half shell

So easy, so delicious, and a great way to use the almond pulp left-over from making almond milk!
(if you need an easy almond-milk recipe, see above)

ingredients:
1/4 cup almond pulp (
1/2 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 T fresh cilantro
2 T flat leaf Italian parsley
3 sundried tomatoes, soaked for ten minutes in warm water to rehydrate
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh garlic, chopped
2 T avocado
1 tsp flax oil
1 large red pepper, cut into rounds

to make:
place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (I used my mini-food processor) and process for a minute or two, to achieve a fairly smooth consistency.

Spread a little of the paté on each of the red pepper rounds and serve as appetizers, or part of a meal. You can also spread it on a lettuce leaf or a piece of nori. Very delicious with a green salad.