Red Beet Chocolate Cup Cakes with Cashew Frosting

Here is my veganized version of a recipe that came in our box of veggies last week. The original recipe came from recipezaar.com
Enjoy ~
Red Beet Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup beets (steamed or canned), pureed
8 dates, pitted and pureed with the beets

3/4 cup water + 1/4 cup ground flax seed, blended well in a mixer
1/2 cup sugar or equivalent of another sweetener
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup safflower oil
2/3 cup rice milk
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat Oven 350. Grease 12-16 cup cake tins. Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients plus the beets and dates in a large bowl. Gradually, add the dry ingredients, and mix until smooth, but do not over mix. Pour (or scoop) the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cup cake top bounces back when lightly pressed. Cool and frost. The original recipe said store overnight to enhance flavor. If you have that kind of will power, go for it. Otherwise, dig in!

Cashew Frosting:

scant 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 30 minutes to an hour)
juice of one lemon
3 dates, pitted
1/4 tsp vanilla
water

Blend the cashews, lemon juice, dates and vanilla in a food processor while gradually adding the water until a thick, frosting like paste forms.

Kale, Carrot and Pea Stir Fry with Peanut-y Sauce

Today starts a new season of my life. Life with fresh produce from a local farm, Mountain Bounty Farm. I'm sure I will never go with out it from now on. I love the variety, the fact that I paid up front, the little shed where you pick it up, and it brings the decision making for dinner close to zero. So, here's my first night with 'the veggies.' Serve this with rice of your choice.

1-2 tablespoons safflower oil
1/2 red onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks
6 carrots (these were small...so 2-3 large), sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch or thinner slices
2 cups thinly sliced kale (I lplaced the leaves on top of each other, rolled tightly and sliced diagonally into 1/8-1/4 inch slices)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cup frozen peas

Sauce:
2 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tsp agave nectar or a little more of another sweetener
1/4 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce


Heat the oil over medium high and add the onions. Saute until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and stir fry until the they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the kale and garlic, stir and cook until blending in, 3-4 minutes. Add the peas and cook for one minute, stir in sauce and serve over rice.

As I was eating this tonight, I was thinking how small chunks of pineapple and chopped toasted cashews would have been totally delish, so add those at the last minute if you have/want them!