Raw Apricot Cobbler Recipe

Moving right along in apricot week, I offer you a raw cobbler recipe.  But before we get into it, have you tried the raw apricot (or aprium) smoothies yet?  We are loving them over here.  If you have never tried preparing a raw dish, this is a very good starter recipe.  It's simple and only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.  Having received many accolades, feel safe about taking it to your next pot luck or picnic.

Raw Apricot Cobbler
Prep time: 15 minutes, serves 8-10

• 14 apricots (or apriums), pitted & divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1 cup pecans, walnuts, or almonds (we prefer pecans)
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean

1. Put 10 apricots, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tbs. coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt in a blender (a high-speed like a Vita-Mix works best).  Blend on high until smooth and pour into a pie pan.  Chop up 4 remaining apricots in little bits and sprinkle them onto the apricot purée.
2. In a food processor, make the crumb topping by processing nuts, dates, 2 tbs. coconut oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and vanilla until it resembles coarse crumbs (before it turns into a butter).  Sprinkle on top of apricots.  Now you can either serve it right away or stick it in the dehydrator at 105º for 30 minutes to 3 hours if you'd like it warmed and your house to smell divine.  Scoop onto plates or bowls and serve immediately.  Store leftovers in the fridge.  It stays good for 3 more days.

The apricots before the crumb topping was sprinkled.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Raw Apricot Creme Kefir Smoothies ~ A Recipe

It's apricot week!  Or in my case, aprium week.  I thought I'd kick it off with a simple, delicious, probiotic-rich recipe.  You'll notice that our weekly menu plans list one kefir smoothie a day.  They are the vehicle in which I get a good dose of the aforementioned probiotics down my family, along with fermented cod liver oil and chlorella powder without any fuss or objection.  Have you still not invested in your own kefir grains?  The time is now to take the dive.  Order some here (be sure to check out their free video tutorials) and save a bundle with homemade kefir.  You'll also benefit more from it health-wise than the store-bought kind.

Raw Apricot Creme Kefir Smoothies 

Prep time: 5 minutes, makes 5 cups

• 1 quart milk kefir
• 8 apricots
• 1/4 cup raw, local honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 banana (optional but suggested if you want a creamier, sweater smoothie)
• 2 cups ice cubes

1. place all ingredients in the order they are listed and blend on high for about a minute.  You will get the creamiest results with a Vitamix.  Freeze any leftovers in popsicle moulds for later enjoyment.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Real Food Weekly Menu Plan #27 ~ Apricot Week!

We purchased a fifteen-pound box of organic, local, hail-damaged apriums (an apricot/plumb mix, heavy on the apricot side) for $15.  In honor of that box, we're calling it Apricot Week!  It's amazing what you can make with fifteen pounds of apricots.  I made fourteen 8-ounce jars of honey-sweetened jam, apricot cream smoothies aplenty, a raw apricot cobbler, and two gluten-free, grain-free apricot pies that will be stored in the freezer and pulled out when it's cold enough to turn the oven on again.  We even had some left to enjoy by themselves.  Stay tuned for the recipes mentioned above and if you want to make all that apricot jam sweetened with just one and a half cups honey, buy yourself a packet of Pamona's Pectin, follow the recipe provided, and go to town!  You might want to buy at least one six-pack to be prepared for the blueberry, strawberry, peach, and blackberry seasons.  I also highly recommend these BPA-free reusable lids.  Reusable and BPA-free makes me happy.  So does putting food by.  It's quite therapeutic and I warn you, it's addicting.


Monday:
To do: soak porridge
Breakfast:  Coconut Flour Crepes
Lunch:  Quesorritos
Snack:  Apricot Creme Smoothies
Dinner:  Taco Salad

Tuesday:
To do: soak sourdough flatbread
Breakfast: Porridge & Eggs
Lunch:  Hummus Flowers
Snack:  Fried Mush
Dinner:  Raw Spaghetti & Fresh Strawberries with Creme Fraiche for Dessert

Wednesday:
To do: make sourdough flatbread, freeze ice cream maker
Breakfast: Raw Strawberry Crumble
Lunch:  Irish Nachos using Perfect Potato Wedges
Snack:  Raw Blueberry Bliss Smoothie
Dinner:  Sourdough Flatbread, Fava Bean Spread, avocado, tomato, and raw cheese slices

Thursday:
To do: make pesto
Breakfast:  Raw Muesli
Lunch:  Nibble Trays
Snack:  Strawberry Cacao Smoothies
Dinner:  Fresh Pea Soup, Flatbread, Pesto

Friday: (We celebrate our daughter's fourth birthday!)
To do: make cake & raw ice cream! Soak pancakes
Breakfast:  Grain-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch:  Grain-Free Pigs in a Blanket
Snack:  Raw Strawberry Kefir Smoothies
Dinner:  Sourdough Pizza, Grain-Free Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting, Raw Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

Saturday:
Breakfast:  Pancake Bar
Lunch:  Pancake Sandwiches
Snack:  Orange Julius (using kefir instead of milk)
Dinner:  Sour Cream Bake (using rice noodles)

Sunday:
To do: menu plan
Breakfast: Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Scones
Lunch:  Leftovers
Dinner:  Leftovers
(Sunday is my day off.)

I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday.