Foragingly Festive Mushroom Cheese Bake

Hi all!  Happy winter, eh? 😀

In the taking advantage of a recent grocery shopping mishap on my end (accidently getting maitake mushrooms instead of cremini- I know, I know, how does one make such a mistake?), I decided on whipping up something healthy, loaded with veggies, but with a touch of comfort foodie goodness to it.  With the weather having made a nosedive up here in New Hampshire, in terms of the brisk factor, it seemed a fitting entrée for the frigid air outside.

This one is gluten/grain free and sugar free, though it does have some dairy with the addition of the cheese.  If you wish, use dairy free cheese instead and you’ll have a delectable, healthy vegan side dish.

Pumpkin Spice Gingersnap Cheesecake

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone 😀

Its been about one year since I began Sweet. Raw. Free, so yippee to it being a year of delicious desserts and enticing entrees (at least, I hope so), provided for both your tasting and viewing pleasures.  I have certainly reveled in cooking, baking, and photographing up a storm in hopes that others will enjoy the fruits of my creativity and passion.

Additionally, also close to one year ago I posted a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake, as both cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite, most loved desserts, and pumpkin being an ever adored ingredient of mine (for both sweet and savory things).

That pumpkin cheesecake from a year past was pretty good.  The spices in it were especially awesome.  However, it wasn’t sweet enough.  I knew this back when I made it (and totally spaced on altering the recipe to reflect such!), and recently a close family friend reflected a similar sentiment, reminding me of this.  So with that said, I set out to create a new and improved version of my pumpkin cheesecake.  With Thanksgiving seeming like a fitting time for such a venture.  Here is the result: the new and improved Pumpkin Spice Gingersnap Cheesecake.

Mouthwatering Matcha Tiramisu

Hi all,

For column #3 of Brooke and Maxxs Culinary Crafts, we decided something with Matcha to be striking our sweet tooth fancy this week.  Deliberating between Matcha chocolate bark, Matcha brownies, or this green tea twist on Tiramisu, we went with the latter.

This dessert doesn’t use refined sugar, though it does have coconut sugar.  So technically its outside the perimeters of the Sweet. Raw. Free. concept, but its well worth the cheat.  This dessert takes minutes to whip up (the waiting required afterwards is the hard part, requiring the two of us nearly sitting on our hands in anticipation).  Just a hint of sweetness coupled nicely with the subtly bitter green tea taste, the cream is light and airy, the lady fingers spongy and moist.  Making for a dang good dessert, dangerously easy to inhale.

Raw Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream Frosting

The perfect wintery dessert.  Lightly spiced and sweet, but without all the sugar, flour and dairy that a typical treat has.  I attempted another version of this months prior, which came out awesome.  I actually prefer the frosting on my first version (maple mascarpone, certainly not dairy free)…but this one was yummy as well.

This sheet cake of sorts takes mere minutes to make.  Just some chopping and grating.  The only long part is soaking the cashews overnight, but then you just pop them in the food processor the next morning and you’re good.

 

 

 

Grain Honey Mustard Marinated Salmon

Happy Monday, all!

For recipe #2 on Brooke and Maxxs Culinary Crafts, we decided on a honey mustard marinated salmon accompanied with a side of sweet potato fries.  Our attempt at going semi healthy and lightening things up after the swan dive taken into wholehearted consumption of the sweet stuff over the last few weeks 😉

This recipe may be really good for you but it tastes awesome.  In Maxxs words, “fun to eat” with the tiny, almost bead-like texture of the grains atop tenderly cooked salmon.  The zest of the mustard playing well with the subtle sweetness from the honey added to it.  Sweet potato fries, the perfect of sides for this simple but comfort foody, totally satisfying plate.

 

Spaghetti Squash with Kale & Sundried Tomatoes

Hi all,

With autumn well under way, and really, winter just on its heels, something in the squash family seemed fitting for an entrée choice.  This is also a great one because its easy to make, and its ultra healthy.  Finding foods that fit under the comfort food umbrella while not wrecking havoc on your waistline can be a challenge feat during the colder months.  This dish is just the ticket for that elusive eating experience.

Recipe #1 for a reoccurring weekly post titled: “Brooke and Maxx: Culinary Crafts.”  What is this exactly?  The joining of two culinary forces, a meeting of the minds (as well as hands and creativity) in the kitchen.  Both bananas about food, recipe experimentation, the sampling of new dishes, discovering interesting restaurants, and perfecting personal favorites, as well as eating all things sweet in (too much) abundance.  It seemed a fusion of these two personalities and passions was a no brainer.