Vegan Thai Basil and Habanero Pesto

This sauce is amazing! Do not let the habanero scare you. I do not like overly spicy food and I LOVE Parmesan cheese but I may like this pesto more then the traditional Italian variety... and that is saying a lot.

Not to mention it is healthier. It does not have the extra fat of cheese and spicy peppers have unique health properties that aid in the absorption of other nutrients.

I learned the basic ingredients of this recipe from a Chef who regularly purchase ingredients from our vegetable booth at the Hilo Farmers Market. He mentioned that honey and Thai basil both have been used traditionally to aid in the mellowing of pepper spice. Once you mellow the spice just enough the luscious, almost meaty or cheesy notes of the habanero are right there in the flavor of your sauce.

If you like spicy try adding two habaneros. If you like milder try removeing the seeds of the pepper. Be carful handling the pepper too much though. Wear gloves if possible and do not touch any sensative parts without washing your hands!

There is still some spice to this sauce. It may go better with salty Mexican then mellow pasta. But once you taste it you will probably want to try it on everything!

Vegan Thai Basil and Habanero Pesto

1 cup Thai basil leaves, plucked n loosely packed
1 whole golden habanero, stem removed
3 1-inch chunks young ginger, peeled
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp. raw honey
Enough olive oil to bring it all together, about ½ cup
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until almost smooth. Try adding the oil a little at a time until you have just enough liquid to bring everything together. This method will ensure that you achive the perfect spread-like, non-greasy consistency.

Yields: About 1 cup

Raw Cacao Truffles

Cacao is one of the most nutrient rich foods we know of. It is also delicious! It's chocolate (but with it's nutrient integrity in tact)! There is nothing better then healing and pleasure in the same bite.

Try this basic recipe and experiment with adding chopped bits of other super foods. I like to mix in chopped raw nuts (macadamia, sunflower, cashew, brazil, hazel, coconut flake etc), dries fruits (gogi berries, golden raisins, mulberries, dates, mango, pineapple, etc), hemp seeds, cacao nibs, maca powder, brown rice tocotrienols, spirulina or blue green algae powder. Any, or a little of all of these, are delicious and of course nutritious!

Cacao nibs are one of my favorite additions because they add a toffee-like crunch. I like to roll my finished truffles in chopped cacao nibs and a little sprinkle of coconut crystals.

You can play with the flavors as well by blending in organic essences/extracts such as almond or fresh herbs like mint or lavender.

Another tip is to use coconut nectar as a sweetener as opposed to agave. It is more nutrient rich and has a lower glycemic index rating. If you like them sinfully sweet add a tablespoon of raw honey as well.

Keep a batch in the fridge (they last for at least a week) and eat one a day. You will notice they give you an immediate boost of energy!

Raw Cacao Truffles

¼ cup cacao butter or paste, gently melted
2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour in cold water (you can experiment with using other raw nuts, or hemp seeds, in place of or in combination with cashews)
½ cup raw cacao powder
½ cup coconut nectar
¼ cup coconut oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. raw vanilla powder
¼ tsp. sea salt
(1 cup or so of chopped up add-ins, and 1 cup or so of something to roll truffles in)

1. To melt the cacao: bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a medium sauce pan. Place the cacao butter/ paste in a large glass bowl that can sit on the rim of the sauce pan without touching the water. Place the bowl over the hot water and use the gentle heat to melt the cacao butter/paste, stir with a spatula. It melts quite easily so this will not take long.
2. Place melted cacao butter/paste in a food processor with all the other ingredients (except add-ins) and process until smooth and fudgy. Stop the processor a few times and mix everything around with a spatula to insure things are getting smoothed out evenly. When it is nice and smooth scrape the mixture into a bowl and fold in your add-ins. Let the mixture rest in the fridge for a few minutes so it can firm up a little.
3. Roll firmed cacao mixture into heaping teaspoon-size balls. Roll each ball in chopped cacao nibs, coconut flake, coconut crystals etc. Place truffles in the fridge for at least ½ an hour to set. Enjoy!

Yields: About 20 truffles