Here's a really fun and delicious recipe from our old pal, Carla Martins, who has in recent years made quite a name for herself as a raw vegan chef in South Florida. Now, admittedly, I'm not vegan. Heck, I'm not even vegetarian. But, one thing that makes Carla's recipes so great is how delicious and appealing they are to us "regular eaters." Truth be told, I'm highly judgmental of my food, and I've never tasted anything made by Carla that wasn't completely delicious. So, I'm really excited that she's shared this raw vegan Yaupon Ginger Tartlet recipe with us! See more of her awesome recipes here. Keep scrolling for the recipe. You will need a food processor, high-speed blender, and a few ingredients.
Carla and Bryon at Seed Food & Wine Miami, 2019.
Full disclosure: years ago, Carla worked in our commercial kitchen in Edgewater, FL, and primarily made raw food bars. Back then, I was truly a novice at healthy eating, and I thought her bars were amazingly delicious. I'm so thrilled to see her success in this space, although I'm not at all surprised. She's been making gorgeously appealing raw food since square one. She's awesome! But, let's get to it. Here's Carla's recipe for her Yaupon Matcha Ginger Tartlet:
Yaupon Matcha Ginger Tartlets
Makes 2x 4” tarts
CRUST
1 cup almonds, dry (preferably sprouted)
1 cup dates, pitted
1 Tbsp (10g) fresh ginger
⅛ tsp Himalayan pink salt
In a dry food processor, pulse the almonds into a coarse flour. Add the remaining ingredients and process until they stick together when pinched.
Use parchment paper or saran wrap to line the removable part of two 4” tart pans.
Press the crust into the pan and set aside.
FILLING
¾ cup cashews, soaked overnight
¾ cup young coconut meat
¼ cup maple syrup (or more, to taste)
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup water or coconut milk)
1 Tbsp Yaupon Matcha powder
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp spirulina (to enhance the color)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
Drain and rinse the cashews and place them in a high speed blender along with remaining ingredients. Blend until fully smooth and silky. Pour the batter onto the tart crusts and lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
ASSEMBLY
½ cup coconut flakes, optional to decorate
Fresh fruit
Carla at Plant Miami, perhaps Florida's preeminent plant-based restaurant.