These decadent and dreamy chocolate truffles are the perfect sweet treat for your loved one this Valentine’s Day. With dark chocolate and sweet raspberry, the flavors couldn’t be any more romantic.

These vegan truffles get their chocolatey gooey magic from coconut milk. Smooth and creamy coconut milk works wonderfully to create an irresistible ganache. These truffles are bound to melt in your mouth and leave you reaching for more.

A touch of raspberry elevates these truffles to being Valentine-worthy. The tart yet sweet berry flavor complements the dark chocolate. Garnish your truffles with a few raspberries for a sophisticated presentation.

Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
¼ cup BPA-free canned coconut milk
1 ⅔ cups dark chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces raspberries, finely chopped
⅓ cup cacao powder
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Directions
Line a baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper. Add the coconut milk to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until bubbles appear. Reduce heat to low and add one cup chocolate chips and sea salt. Whisk until completely smooth, turning off heat as soon as the mixture is smooth.

Add in vanilla extract and raspberries. Stir until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a small, square pan and place in refrigerator to set for 40-50 minutes.

Once chocolate is firm yet pliable, use a small melon baller or spoon to scoop and shape chocolate into round balls. Place on lined baking tray and transfer to freezer for 15 minutes, until firm.

Melt remaining chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Using tongs or two forks, dunk each chocolate raspberry ball into the melted chocolate and return to tray. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

Add cacao to a small bowl. Roll each chocolate truffle in the cacao and return to tray. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Enjoy!

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The post The Greatest Valentine’s Day Gift: Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Truffles appeared first on EcoSalon.

Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post 10 Healthy Tea Elixirs You Can Make Yourself appeared first on EcoSalon.

The simplest vegan pudding you’ll ever make. 

I have a chia seed obsession. I have been known to put them in smoothies, and mixed with water and a little lemon juice, it’s they make for a great wake up drink. But using them in a dessert? Even better.

Chia seeds are sort of like magic; put them in any liquid and they turn into a gel-like substance. This is perfect if you’re trying to create a vegan pudding. The consistency of this pudding, which is literally a “mix and stir” recipe, is a little like tapioca; the longer you let it sit the more it will firm up.

You would never guess that this recipe takes a ridiculously short amount of time, is vegan and low on sugar. Make it once and it might just turn into your new evening (or afternoon) obsession.

You can make it on its own, but I find it’s best topped with a berry compote, in this case, some summer raspberries that I had in the freezer.

Coconut Chia Pudding with Raspberries and Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• Chopped dark chocolate for topping

Directions:

Mix chia seeds, coconut milk, almond flavoring and sugar in a bowl. Pour immediately into small serving containers and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Cook down raspberries along with a dash of sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Pour on top of pudding. Sprinkle with chopped dark chocolate. Serve immediately.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Coconut Chia Pudding with Raspberries and Dark Chocolate appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fresh from the farm and the oven, these cookies make for a perfect picnic tea time.

Mmm. It’s a sound that echoes across rows of raspberries, as red-stained pickers, like me, hover over plants plucking by the pint. A few days later, “mmm” resonates around my kitchen while whisking up a batch of raspberry jam and then, Raspberry Butter Cookies. As the smell of buttery (vegan) baked goodness, mixed with fresh raspberries wafts through my New York City apartment, I feel transported to the farm upstate where we gathered these sweet red jewels. And I imagine myself a homesteader—baking not just for the sheer pleasure of it, but for the sake of letting nothing that I grew go to waste.

I’m normally not one to cook farm fresh berries or take them out of their whole berry goodness, for fear of tainting them in some unknown way. But, when our Foodie Underground columnist presented a recipe for sweet and simple jam, all fearful feelings of berry destruction went out the door. And, when I considered the nutritional benefits of raspberries (which seem to stay largely intact through this jam making process—as indicated by its brightly retained red color), I ran out of excuses. Rich in vitamin C and fiber, raspberries, according to a study, possess almost 50% higher antioxidants than strawberries, three times that of kiwis and ten times the activity found in tomatoes.

So, guilt can go out the back door. After all, it’s summer. Eat it up. Raspberries, butter cookies and all.

The Original – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies
from Lost Recipes Found

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies
Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies

• 3 cups gluten-free flour blend:
• (1 cup sorghum flour)
• (1/2 cup brown rice flour)
• (1/2 cup white rice flour)
• (1/2 cup tapioca flour)
• (1/4 cup almond flour)
• (1/4 cup garbanzo flour)
• (2 teaspoons xanthan gum)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter (I used Earth Balance Coconut Spread and omitted the ½ teaspoon salt, since most vegan butters come with salt included)
• ¾ cup sugar
• Egg substitute for 1 egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons warm water, whisked together)
• 2 tablespoons cashew nut milk (or another rich, dairy free milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam (see recipe below)

Ingredients – Raspberry Jam

• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ cups sugar (add to taste)
• 1 vanilla bean pod (or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract)

Directions – Butter Cookies

1. Sift together the gluten free flours with baking powder (and salt, if adding). Set aside
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg substitute, dairy free milk and vanilla.
3. Blend in the dry ingredients.
4. Divide the dough into two balls, and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or until ready to bake, in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F
6. Spread one large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and place one of the dough disks in the center.
7. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to approximately 1/16 of an inch (not too thick but still manageable.)
8. Remove the top plastic wrap, and using a donut cutter or a linzer cookie cutter, dip the cutter in flour (if the dough sticks to it) and cut out an even number of plain rounds as donut/linzer rounds.
9. Transfer the cookies to cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 5 – 8 minutes (or longer if you prefer crunchier cookies).
11. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
12. Place a small amount of the raspberry jam (directions for jam, below) in the center of each of the plain rounds (the cookie bottom). Top with the cut-out cookie and carefully press together.
13. Enjoy!

Directions – Raspberry Jam

1. Place the raspberries and water in a saucepan.
2. If adding a vanilla bean, cut the pod in half, scrape out the seed and add both the seeds and pod to the saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir continuously so it doesn’t burn.
4. Stir in the sugar and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the jam thickens.
5. Take out the vanilla pod, and pour the jam into glass jars. Leave to cool.
6. Store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy!

Author Jennifer Barckley picking summer fresh raspberries in Hudson, New York.  

The post Vegan This: Gluten-Free Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies appeared first on EcoSalon.

Putting summer’s bounty to good use. 

On a cool Sunday morning I was in the middle of rows upon rows of raspberries. Summer means u-pick season, and there’s something about standing in a field of berries that inevitably leads to overdose. Pick one, eat one, repeat. An hour and a half later I was on a sugar high and had my arms full of two cardboard flats with 13 pounds of raspberries.

13 pounds.

What does one do with 13 pounds of raspberries? Get to know your freezer, that’s what. But freezing berries doesn’t lead to instant gratification. A pile of raspberries on your kitchen table begs to be consumed right then and there. Taking my personal favorite Quinoa Cake recipe, I turned it into a muffin version, complete with summer’s other bounty, rhubarb. A few fresh figs laying around made their way into a quick and easy jam. Result? A raspberry treat that’s perfect for afternoon coffee.

Raspberry Rhubarb Quinoa Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 3 large stalks of rhubarb, chopped
• 1 cup raspberries
• 3 organic eggs
• 1/2 cup organic butter, melted (you can also switch this out for 1/2 cup coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Directions:

Cook quinoa and set aside. To cook quinoa, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa and a dash of salt and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until water has cooked off.

Mix dry ingredients.

Whisk butter and eggs together and add to dry mixture.

Combine all ingredients, including quinoa, and stir in rhubarb and raspberries. Note that these muffins have a dense, cake-like consistency.

Pour into lined muffin tin. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F.

Raspberry Fig Jam

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh figs
• 2 cups raspberries
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod

Directions

Cut the figs into small pieces, and place with raspberries and water in a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and add both seeds and pod to saucepan.

Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.

Stir in sugar and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes or until jam thickens.

Take out the vanilla pod, pour jam into clean glass jars and let cool. If you’re feeling up to it, you can can the jam too which will allow it to keep longer. But I assure you you’ll eat this up quick enough.

Store jam in refrigerator.

The post Sunday Recipe: Raspberry Rhubarb Quinoa Muffins with Raspberry Fig Jam appeared first on EcoSalon.