April 11, 2011

Sexy California Mud Pie (Raw, Paleo, and Indulgent)

Another weekend has come and went and we’re back at the beginning of the week. Happy Monday! I have to admit, starting my day with a session at the gym just puts me into a fantastic mood. Exercise is wonderful and those little endorphins that follow a hard workout are just what a Monday requires.

So, I have a truly huge backlog of recipes/photos to post and I’m trying to get through all of them… and then I make another recipe that outdoes the previous. Then I end up digging myself back in the hole with all the recipes that I haven’t yet posted. I’ll get there…. eventually.

Today I’ve got a recipe for Sexy California Mud Pie. Delicious, vegan, uncooked, nutritious, easy, filling, decadent, yummy, the list could just go on and on.

This was created on a whim… and a craving… and the results could not have turned out better.

Raw California Mud Pie

[a feel-good raw, vegan, gluten-dairy-sugar free pie]

CRUST:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sprouted buckwheat (or more nuts)
1/4 cup dates, pitted and packed
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a food processor, process nuts and buckwheat until they are broken down into a course flour. Add in the remaining ingredients and process again, scraping the sides as needed, until all are incorporated and a dough has formed.

Line a small pie mold with plastic wrap (for easy removal and cleanup). Press the dough into the pie mold to desired thickness.

Place in the freezer to set while you make the filling.

THE CHOCOLATE FILLING:

adapted from Pure2Raw‘s Avocado Pudding

1/2 avocado (about 1/2 cup packed)
1 large beet (steamed until softened or use more avocado)
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp lucuma (for sweetness)
1 tsp chia seeds (for fun)
almond milk or coconut water, as needed for blending
stevia or sweetener to taste
dash of salt, vanilla, and nutritional yeast (<–extra protein)

In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth(ish). The chia seeds will probably not become smooth, but they will plump up, creating a more pudding-like consistency.

DIRECTIONS:

Now that your crust is set, spoon as much of the avocado filling as desired onto the crust. Again, freeze for 30 minutes to further firm the pie.

When you can’t wait any longer, remove from freezer. I topped my Sexy Raw California Mud Pie with more nutritional yeast (totally optional), lucuma powder, crushed raw cacao beans, crumbled leftover crust, and date syrup.