Agave Nectar | The Wannabe Chef

Tag Archive: Agave Nectar

Raw Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

Written on February 3, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

From time to time I like to make “chocolate” with coconut oil, agave, and cocoa powder to keep in the refrigerator for a snack. It’s tasty and I can almost tell myself it’s healthy because I made it from scratch instead of peeling off a wrapper and eating a whole Hershey’s bar.

The last time I went to make it, I remembered about the flavored agave nectar I picked up a while back and had yet to use. Have you seen these? They’re popping up more and more places; I think I found mine at Ocean State Job Lot or Market Basket but now even Whole Foods is making their own store brand flavored sweeteners.

And then I remembered the best dessert ever and decided why make chocolate when you can make ganache? Adding a little almond butter into chocolate prevents the coconut oil from fully hardening and gives it a nice, soft, fudgy texture.

If you don’t want to buy specialty flavored agave, you can substitute that for 6 Tablespoons of plain agave and 2 Tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam. If you want to keep this fully raw, you can use 2 Tablespoons of raspberry puree instead. I haven’t tried either of these yet but I’m fairly confident they’d work, albeit with a slightly less intense flavor.

Raw Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes(allow 30 minutes to harden)

Ingredients(Makes 36 1-inch squares):

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raspberry agave nectar
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons creamy almond butter

Mix the coconut oil and agave nectar together.
Slowly incorporate the cocoa powder until it’s completely mixed in, too.
Lastly, add in the almond butter and mix to completion.
Pour the ganache into a 6×6 pan.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes until it’s semi-soft. While it’s still soft, cut the ganache into 1-inch squares. Then continue to refrigerate for another 20-30 minutes until it’s completely cooled.

I just put this into a pan and let it harden and have been eating it like a fudge, but you could make a crust and use it as the filling for a chocolate torte, or even use it as a filling for some chocolate wafers and make sandwich cookies. There’s really no way this wouldn’t taste good.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Stuffed Figs

Written on September 12, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

In the time of the Ancient Greeks(my area of study), figs were considered a food of the Gods. Chocolate meanwhile was considered a food of the Gods by Mayans and Aztecs living thousands of miles away in South and Central America. Now, I’m not saying the Greeks were wrong, but I’d have to side with the Americans on this one.

Even still, figs are pretty spectacular. For 2 weeks or so every year they’re at the peak of their season, and I always buy a few cartons when they go on sale. Figs remind me of France which leads me to France’s number 1 export(or at least in the heart of foodies): Nutella. The filling in this recipe is sort of like Nutella in that it uses cocoa powder and hazelnuts, but the raw ingredients produce a much more intense, dark flavor that pairs perfectly with sweet fruit.

Don’t have hazelnuts? This would taste great with almonds instead.

Chocolate Hazelnut Stuffed Figs

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(makes 16 amuse-bouches):

8 Figs
1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2-3 Tablespoons water
Pinch of salt

Method:

In a food processor, blend the hazelnuts until they start to form a paste.
Add into the processor the agave, cocoa powder, and salt and continue blending until mixed.
Slowly add the water until the filling is loose and spoonable like a thick mousse. Make sure not to add too much water and make this runny.
Cut each fig lengthwise and lay them out cut side-up on a plate.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of filling onto each fig. Serve at room temperature.

I think the Greek Gods would be pleased.

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Tempeh And Broccoli

Written on September 8, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I’ve been getting a lot of questions on tempeh recently. I want to put all my thoughts into a post about it but until then you’ll only get recipes, which is pretty good considering half the time I eat tempeh it’s raw, cold from the fridge. I would not suggest eating it that way if it’s you’re first time; it would be a horrible, bland introduction to something that can be so tasty.

If tofu is soy chicken, tempeh is soy beef. It’s much firmer, earthier and has a chew to it. Naturally it’s a great vegetarian substitute for beef in Asian dishes, like beef and broccoli. Since broccoli was one of the three vegetables I liked growing up(the other being carrots and olives), beef and broccoli was what I always chose on Chinese take-out night. This recipe keeps all those same flavors and textures, but with whole food ingredients anyone can enjoy.

You can substitute rice vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar for a more traditional ingredient list. I like apple cider vinegar here because it replicates the sweet, fruity flavor of plum sauce common in Asian cooking.

Tempeh And Broccoli(inspired by Caitlin)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(makes 2 servings):

1 block of tempeh, diced
6 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon soy sauce(or wheat-free tamari)
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil, preferably toasted
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups broccoli, steamed
1/2 onion, julienned
1 bell pepper, julienned(optional)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the tempeh, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, agave, and chili powder in a large pan and heat it on a burner set to medium-high.
Cook for about 5 minutes flipping once until the liquid thickens up like a sauce.
Add in the broccoli, onion, pepper, and garlic powder. Continue cooking over medium heat until the moisture has boiled off of the pan and the onions turn soft(about 5 minutes).
Remove from the heat and season with salt. Plate and serve hot.

When this is cooked the tempeh should be fork-tender with a sweet, nutty flavor and fall apart in your mouth. It’s a great introduction to a food that could become your best friend.

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Roasted Squash With Caramelized Onions And Craisins

Written on February 24, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

If I could have dinner catered by Whole Foods every night, I would. There’s something so fun about going to the salad bar and picking out what you want to eat from so many options. Or at least it’s fun until they weigh it for you and tell you how much you eat and you stop wondering why your jacket’s a little snug.

Last time I was there, I had this roasted squash and onion casserole that made me go back and buy all the ingredients to make my own. It was mind-blowing, and now this recipe is, too. It’s deliciously sweet and could get the pickiest eater to eat their veggies.

Roasted Squash With Caramelized Onions And Craisins

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 butternut squash, deseeded and diced
2 large onions, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons agave nectar(or maple or honey)
1/3 craisins(or raisins)

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.

If you haven’t already, dice the squash and onion into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the onion and squash in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and sea salt. Toss all the ingredients together.

Lay the vegetables out on a baking tray and bake for 90 minutes

Add in the agave and craisins and mix the all the ingredients together. Drain any excess liquid and serve hot.

I truly forgot how much I loved caramelized onions until making this, which was gone in a flash. My breath probably still smells from them and it was entirely worth it. I’ve never been a fan of dried fruit in savory dishes but the strong, tart sweetness works really well here. It might be too soon to be planning Thanksgiving dinner, but if I were I’d add this to the list.

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