Chocolate Raspberry Lasagna with Citrus Chevre Beet Filling

Chocolate Raspberry Lasagna with Citrus Chevre Beet Filling

I don't know why I decided that I wanted to make chocolate pasta last weekend, but I got the idea in my head and couldn't get it out until I attempted it. It has been something I have wanted to do for a long time after hearing about someone else making it. Afterall, why not? I make regular home made pasta and what's a little cocoa powder, vanilla and sugar added to it for an unusual dessert component. I made the pasta sheets, and they turned out well prior to cooking, but I admit at that point I hadn't yet decided whether to make a ravioli, cannelloni, or layer it in a sweet lasagna. After a bit of thinking I decided on a no for the ravioli, because I wanted to see how the pasta cooked first (maybe next time), and thought a lasagna with layers would be prettier than cannelloni to show off the filling, so lasagna it was!

I knew I wanted the filling to contain chevre and beets for a shocking pink color (you don't taste the beets, they are just lovely), as well as a bit of orange zest and vanilla. All it needed was a bit of agave nectar to sweeten and it was quite delicious, like a pink fluffy citrus cheesecake mousse. The beets made it a shocking shade of magenta!

For the sauce, I decided raspberries would be perfect! Afterall, chocolate and raspberries are heavenly together, and they would look pretty with the filling. I just added a bit of citrus to them as well along with vanilla and agave nectar to sweeten.

When all of the elements of the lasagna were finished and it was time to assemble, I thought I would shave some dark chocolate to add in between the layers and on top as well, because one can never have enough chocolate!

It was quite beautiful once assembled with the layers of pink and red, topped off with fresh raspberries! More importantly though, it was delicious, sweet creamy filling laced with citrus, slightly tart jammy raspberries, and dark chocolate...so heavenly! I can honestly say I have not had anything like it, and was quite pleased with how it turned out! Now I will have to try more recipes with the cocoa pasta! If you would like to attempt to make the dessert lasagna for yourself, here is the recipe!

Serves 3

Chocolate Raspberry Lasagna with Citrus Chevre Beet Filling

Cocoa Pasta:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tbsp maple sugar or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, plus 1 egg white beaten
ice water, if needed

Raspberry Sauce:
2 12 oz bags frozen raspberries
1/4 cup agave nectar
juice and zest of 2 small organic oranges
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Filling:
20 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)
1 large cooked beet, pureed (1 cup of puree)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp organic orange zest
1 tsp organic lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

3 oz grated chocolate
fresh raspberries


To make pasta, sift together the flour, cocoa and sugar into a bowl. Mix the vanilla with the eggs. Add flour slowly to the eggs. Knead into a smooth ball (add small amounts of ice water if required). Divide dough into 4 pieces dust with a little flour and use pasta machine to roll each into a thin long rectangle (alternatively, roll by hand). Cut each rectangle into 3 squares (you should have 12) and dust with a little flour so they don't stick together (if they are sticky). Cover with plastic and set aside.
To make raspberry sauce, combine all ingredients except vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until jammy. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Set aside.
To make filling, beat all ingredients together until smooth and set aside in the fridge.
To cook pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add pasta. Cook for about 1- 1 1/2 minutes stirring gently until it is al dente and drain, rinsing with cold water to prevent sticking and cool. Make sure it is drained well.
To assemble, on each of 3 plates, spoon a little raspberry sauce. Top each with a pasta square and some of the beet chevre filling. Top the filling with a little raspberry sauce and a sprinkling of the grated chocolate. Top each with another pasta square, some more chevre filling, more berries and more chocolate. Repeat fillings again, and then top with a pasta square. Top with remaining raspberry sauce, sprinkle with remaining chocolate and top off with fresh raspberries. Serve!

Chocolate Chunk Avocado Lime Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Avocado Lime Cookies

For some reason I was really craving avocado. Maybe it was because I have been running more lately and my body is needing the nutrition rich healthy avocado fat. Or possibly, it is because of my love for the silky green fruit which I could eat plain with a spoon. Either way, I decided that I needed to eat some so I bought quite a few. Some were firm enough to use in salads but a few were getting a little squishy, so I thought I could use their puree in a creative way other than guacamole.

I had made a mousse, a cheesecake, and a pie so I wanted something different. Then it dawned on me, I could use it in cookies! Afterall, I have used bananas and how much different could their texture be from the avocados? I told a few friends and coworkers what I was doing and they thought I was a bit nuts, skeptical that avocadoes would be good in cookies...but I really wanted to prove them wrong and promised that if they turned out I would share.

So I got to work creating the dough and incorporated the avocadoes into lime scented vegan cookie dough studded with dark chocolate chunks. Which, I might add, was delicious even before baking. I am a big cookie dough eater, so the taste of the dough is just as important as the baked cookies! They smelled wonderful while baking filling my kitchen with the aroma of lime and chocolate! They were delicious warm as I tasted one about a minute out of the oven while the chocolate was still molten. It had a hint of lime, and a rich almost buttery dough which the dark chocolate was wonderful with! You could not taste the avocado, but I know it contributed to that delicious texture!

Since they turned out so well, I shared them with the skeptics, including my own mother, who loved them! I have a feeling you would love them as well, so I have included the recipe should you wish to try them!

Chocolate Chunk Avocado Lime Cookies

makes 1 1/2 dozen

Cookies:
1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar
2/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup pureed avocado

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lime extract

2 Tbsp organic lime zest

2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
8 oz vegan dark chocolate, chopped

In a food processor, combine coconut oil, sugar, avocado, vanilla extract, lime, zest, and agave nectar and process until well combined (alternatively place in a bowl and use an immersion blender), then scrape mixture into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined. Mix in the chocolate, and place in the fridge to chill until firm, preferrably overnight. To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart (refrigerate unused dough while baking the other trays). Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Lemon Basil Ice Cream

Lemon Basil Ice Cream

It was 102 degrees yesterday. It was a long week at work in a very hot kitchen. Things didn't all go as planned this week. But I could have cared less yesterday, because I was in a sparkly mood! Which is my way of saying I am in a really good mood. It was Friday, and knew I would have the next ten days off to enjoy myself! But, you know what put me in an even better mood yesterday, my Lemon Basil Ice Cream that I had made Thursday night! It was in the freezer waiting for me when I got home and I was ready to dive in!

For those of you that think basil in ice cream sounds a little unusual, you are not alone, my own Mother told me it sounded very odd. But seriously, it was delicious! It was cooling and herby, sweet and a little tart with the lemon. So fragrant, and it reminded me of sherbert in a way.

I had used my fresh basil from my herb pot and it could not have been a better match for the lemon coconut milk ice cream base. It was the most lovely color of green, and I think it would be amazing in the center of a chilled summer soup but I enjoyed it unadorned yesterday, and it was perfect! The perfect way to end my week that is! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, are surviving the summer heat and staying cool!

Vegan Lemon Basil Ice Cream

Makes 4 cups

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
3 Tbsp organic lemon zest
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.