Karo Tak

Vegan Food, Jivamukti Yoga & Activism

Chocolate is my middle name

I-scream! Peanutbutter/Vego Ice Cream

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I-SCREAM: Peanut-butter/Banana/VEGO-Choco Gelato

Some of you might know a little bit about ice cream making…. now the one thing i find is that most of the “home-made” ice creams either taste like a frozen smoothie or have really watery taste, so i really thought this through…. and this morning while making cashew cheese, i thought, WAIT A MINUTE what if i put cashew cream in……PLUS all kinds of delicious ingredients like peanut butter, dates, bananas and a VEGO-bar….

Check it out!

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Ingredients:

2 cups of cashew cream

1 cup of peanut butter cream

2 bananas

1/2 cup of hazelnuts

4 dates (soaked)

1 tbsp agave syrup

1 vego-bar (melted) you can replace this with 1 tbsp of cacao if you want to be a little more healthy and a little less naughty….. for those of you who don’t know what a VEGO bar is…. OMG change your life and come shop at FAIR FAIR and get one of those babies!

Method:

So to make perfect cashew cream, you need to soak the cashews for 48 hours, that’s just my experience, so they really are nice and soft.

Soak the cashews (48 hours) then put them into a blender with 1 tbsp of salt and 1/4 cup of water, blend well together and let it set in the fridge for a few hours.

Peanut butter cream: On medium heat put about 4 tbsp of peanut butter in a small sauce pan, add 1 cup of nut milk to the peanut butter ( i used rice milk, use any milk you like) i added 1 tsp of chilli powder, whisk really fast, the sauce with thicken really quick, as soon as it starts boiling and thickening take it off the stove and keep stirring really quick with the whisk then set aside.

Now you are ready for the last step. This is really simple. Just add all ingredients into a blender and blend well together, add the agave last and blend until well mixed but still thick and smooth. Place into an airtight container, THIS IS IMPORTANT, YOU NEED A LID THAT FITS WELL AND CLOSES WELL! You don’t want any air coming through while freezing the ice cream.

You need to leave it in the freezer for at least 6 hours.

Enjoy!

Merry XMas Chocolate Cake (semi raw)

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There is nothing more special then serving those you love. Especially with Christmas time we really need to nurture and acknowledge that, i have just had the incredible honour and pleasure to serve my dear dear teachers Sharon Gannon and Jules Febre in Amsterdam, i made a very special cake which i will share here with all of you, this one will look just amazing on the Christmas table. FELIZ NATAL E BOAS FESTAS! See you all here in 2016!

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SEMI RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHEESE-CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

Base:

1 cup almonds

1 cup dates (soaked for a few hours before)

Filling:

2 cups cashews (soaked for a few hours before)

1 cup coconut oil (melted)

2 tbsp agave syrup

¾ cup cacao powder

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tbsp melted chocolate

Additional: some vanilla powder, just adds that extra flavour

Top layer:

2 tbsp vegan butter

500 gr pure chocolate

METHOD: Start with the base, just blend the almonds first and then set them aside, you don’t want almond meal, you just want small bits of almonds. Then when that’s done, blend the dates. Then throw both the dates and almonds together in a cake form/baking dish. Spread it all around the form and really press it firmly down, when that is done, put it in the freezer, so it can harden. (ideally you would do this a few hours before starting with the filling, so it’s really hard)

Melt the chocolate.

Next step is the filling, which is really simple, just put all ingredients into a blender and blend well. Really make sure the cashews are fully blended and it has all come to a nice smooth paste. Set aside.

First start making the layer, basically melt the butter in a small pan and then add the melted chocolate you have left over (you have only used a table spoon for the filling, so you should have some left) stir firmly so it’s thick and set aside.

Remove the pan from the freezer and put the filling on top of the base, spread it around evenly and make sure you have no bubbles, to prevent bubbles from happening, you just tap the pan a few times, then when that’s done, slowly poor the melted chocolate over the top, so you have a top layer. Then put the cake pan back into the freezer. To really let it set, take it out of the freezer into the fridge about an hour before serving.

ENJOY!

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Salame de Chocolate

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SALAME DE CHOCOLATE

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Salame de Chocolate
280gr de Bolacha Maria
2 colheres de sopa bem cheias de maizena
80gr de cacau em pó
150gr de açúcar
100gr de manteiga
1 colher de chá de extracto de baunilha
Preparação:
1) partir as bolachas em pedaços pequenos.
2) à parte, dissolver a maizena em quatro colheres de sopa de água.
3) juntar todos os ingredientes numa taça e amassar
4) depois de tudo homogéneo, moldar rolo
5) enrolar em papel de alumínio
6) levar ao frigorífico durante 12horas.
Opção: colocar côco ralado na cobertura.

 

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CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

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Photo by Alicia Fox Photography 

Healthy Chocolate Mousse

1 ripe avocado

1 ripe banana

2 soft dates (take the pits out and soak for like an hour)

3 tbsp raw cacao powder

Pinch of sea-salt

All you need to do is blend all ingredients together and refrigerate for a few hours, the loner you refrigerate the harder the mousse gets, so it’s up to you what texture you are after. Sprinkle with some desiccated coconut on top.

VEGAN BOUNTY BARS

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My name is Karo and i am a chocoholic. Seriously, i am not gonna lie. Sometimes i even dare to say chocolate is my middle name. I believe that chocolate really is one of the most glorious things on this planet, when you like to eat something, you like to cook or create it just as much usually. That’s how it works for me anyway. So let me share a few of my favourite chocolate recipes with you.

VEGAN BOUNTY BARS:

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My friend & supporter Susan Michelle Smith took these pictures, she did an outstanding job making my vegan bounty bars, now you go do the same!

To make about 15:

Ingredients:

100 g coconut oil

75 ml soymilk

200 g desiccated coconut

1 tsp vanilla essence

150 g vegan dark chocolate

Method:

Grease baking tin then melt the coconut oil in a sauce- pan add the milk, stir until it starts boiling. Remove from the heat, add the coconut and the vanilla. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Pour into tin & refrigerate for an hour. Melt the chocolate put aside. Grease a baking tin, (I use a baking tray) and remove the coconut from the fridge, cut the coconut in cubes or rolls. Now get a factory line going, from left to right put the coconut, melted chocolate and baking tin ready. You might want a bowl with warm water put aside as your fingers will get dirty. Dip each cube or roll into the chocolate, put onto the tray or tin, refrigerate for an hour & serve! (or EAT them all yourself, just saying)

TIP: use one hand to dip & your other hand to letting the excess drip off (a bowl of water nearby really helps)