Creamy Spinach Garlic Dip

I recently went into the city to meet up with my brother for drinks and dinner. By the time we found a place to go, we ended up sitting at the bar and ordering appetizers. I ordered the hot spinach artichoke dip, which turned out to be the best dip I've ever had. It was creamy, smooth and filling. I was quite sure it was made with all the "bad stuff," so I went home and decided to make my own version of this comfort food classic. 

Here's what I used 

1 can white navy beans 

2-3 cloves garlic 

1/2 cup raw cashews 

1/2-1 cup water 

1/2 cup vegan mayo

3 tbsp nutritional yeast 

3/4 cup vegan mozzarella shredded cheese 

1-10oz bag of frozen spinach 

Blend all the ingredients except the spinach and cheese in a food processor/blender (I used vitamix).  Combine the thawed spinach and shredded cheese with the sauce. Top with shredded cheese (optional). 

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes or until crispy on top. 

Creamy spinach and broccoli pasta

Creamy white sauce 

2 cups soaked cashews (about 30 minutes to an hour in warm water)

1 can white beans 

1 tsp salt 

3 tbsp nutritional yeast 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

2 tbsp lemon juice 

1 1/2 cups organic chicken stock 

Add all the ingredients to a high powdered blender. If the sauce looks too thick, add another 1/2 cup of chicken stock to thin. Blend for about 2 minutes or until sauce is smooth and there are no lumps. 

It should look like this. 

You can make this sauce to enjoy with pasta, sautéed spinach or grilled/sautéed veggies. It goes well with a lot! I chose brown rice pasta, spinach and broccoli. It turned out perfectly rich and creamy! 

Enjoy! 

Raw Chocolate Cake

Looking for a chocolate fix? Make this cake and you'll find yourself in a delicious and nutritious chocolate coma...

The recipe is quite simple, you'll need: 

-2 cups medjool dates 

-1 cup raw cashews

-1 cup raw walnuts 

-2 tbsp raw honey

-1 tsp vanilla extract 

-1/4 cup cocoa powder 

-pinch of sea salt 

 

To construct: place the dates and raw nuts in a food processor until finely chopped and mixed well 

Then, add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture starts sticking to itself in the processor. (It may turn into a ball while processing, that is fine) 

After the cake portion is completed, place the dough in the freezer for a couple minutes to harden while you made your icing. (Just a couple minutes, you don't want it to turn into a rock) 

The ingredients for the icing are: 

-1 1/2 cups medjool dates 

-3/4 cup cashews (soaked in luke warm water for about 20 minutes) 

-1 cup of water 

-tsp vanilla extract 

-pinch of sea salt 

-3 tbsp cocoa powder 

After combining all the ingredients for the icing in a high powered blender, it should look a bit like this. Smooth, creamy and perfectly sweet! 

To assemble, line a glass with wax paper and cut the dough into two portions. Put half the dough in the bowl, flatten to mold to the container, and then cover the first layer with icing. Do the same for the second layer (this may be harder because of the icing, I just flattened and molded it with my hands then placed it on top) 

After both layers are on, cover the rest of the outside layer with icing, and enjoy right away! Refrigerate after for longevity. 

Hope you enjoy! And never forget to lick the spoon! ;)