Do you like stuff that is awesome? Do you especially like the people who create stuff that is awesome? Good, because I do, too. And today I’m sharing a new awesome thing in the form of a book by the ever-talented Heather Crosby of YumUniverse.com. I recently got a sneak peak of her brand new book, YumUniverse: Infinite Possibilities for a Gluten-Free, Plant-Powerful, Whole Food Lifestyle, to be released on October 28th, and I have to tell you: I was blown away.

See, the thing about this book is that it’s so much more than just a cookbook. Just like Heather’s website, this book is beautiful and well organized, and contains tons of gorgeous photos. Plus, the amount of info that is jam-packed in its pages is truly incredible. And guess what? Heather did it all, from the writing and recipe development to the design and photography. I told you she’s talented! I am honoured to be part of her #YUHealthyHalloween blog tour today, sharing a recipe from the book and generous giveaway with you.

Whether you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet or you just want some ideas for how to prepare scrumptious veggie dishes and add them into your existing routine, this book is one you might want to consider. More than half of the book includes essential, everyday know-how for people seeking to adopt and maintain this kind of lifestyle (what Heather calls the YU approach), including sections on nutrition basics, organizing your kitchen, healthy cookware, food shopping and storage, and how to handle social situations and prep for this lifestyle emotionally.

Once you’ve learned the why and how of this lifestyle, it’s time to eat! The last half of the book includes a creative collection of more than 150 amazing recipes developed by Heather—all with no meat, dairy, gluten or soy. The great thing about Heather’s recipes is that they are inventive but also totally approachable. Think quinoa “cinnamon toast” cereal with toasted pecans, chickpea flatbread pizzas, beet and eggplant crisps, and creamy brocolli and red pepper macaroni. I noticed she uses honey in some of her recipes but I would swap that out for agave or my new favourite Bee Free Honee.

I particularly love the super-cool sidebars with plan-ahead ideas and recipes for on-the-go breakfasts and salads (think layering lots of good stuff in mason jars) and the “training wheels” green smoothie, but I’ve also managed to make a few other recipes  from the book, including:

The chickpea protein burgers, which are full of good stuff like chickpeas, quinoa, sweet potato, oats and red pepper, and flavoured with Heather’s own Montreal veggie seasoning (recipe also in the book) and a generous dash of liquid smoke.

The toasted pecan florentines, which are truly the easiest cookie recipe I’ve ever made, because they require very few ingredients and take even less time to make, but they taste like fancy French cookies that took all day to prepare.

And these dark chocolate, sweet potato and black bean brownies, OMG. This October-friendly, Halloween-worthy recipe sneaks in nutrient-rich ingredients like black beans and sweet potatoes and is combined with dark chocolate to create bona fide fudge-like decadence. I loved them so much I got permission to share the recipe with you!

Dark chocolate, sweet potato and black bean brownies

Yield: 12+ servings

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 1⁄3 cup Sucanat
• ½ cup cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 

Wet:

• 2⁄3 cup sweet potato, diced and steamed
• 2¼ cups black beans, cooked (1 cup dry)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• One 3 – oz. gluten-free, vegan chocolate bar
• 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil*
• ¾ cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a 9" x 13" or 9" x 9" baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
2. Sift or whisk together all dry ingredients in a large glass bowl. Set aside.
3. Place all wet ingredients into the food processor and pulse until super-smooth.
4. Fold together wet and dry ingredients and transfer to the parchment-lined baking dish.
5. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in baking pan before serving.

Recipe from YumUniverse, republished with permission from BenBella Books.

Cookbook giveaway

Since it’s almost Halloween, I’ve got one more treat for you. Heather’s publisher, BenBella Books, has kindly offered to give away a copy of YumUniverse to one lucky ADC reader! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. A random winner will be selected on October 23, 2014. The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That is, until today.  Its new Urban Eatery offers a variety of menus, and although many SAD outlets are still included, the wholesome vegetarian and vegan options stand out. The most notable addition is vegan empire Urban Herbivore, a Kensington Market staple owned by chef Stephen Gardner, where organic salads, sandwiches with thick, homemade bread, curry bowls and hearty soups are offered to hungry shoppers looking to refuel with healthy fare.

Their salad bowl menu involves choosing your own greens, proteins and toppings from 30 vegan options that change daily. I wish I had this variety of choices available to me at home.

Did I forget to mention their legendary muffins? Dense and filling with a crunchy exterior, they’re unlike anything I’ve had before. I highly recommend the sweet potato date flavour. A quick Google search reveals that everyone and their sister are dreaming of replicating these delicious delights in their own kitchens.

Of course, after being tempted by those muffins on my recent visit to Urban Herbivore’s new location, I couldn’t help myself from dreaming up my own version. Although mine aren’t as ginormous in size, the flavour and texture had me reminiscing of early morning dates in Kensington with my new love. Enjoy!

Sweet potato date muffins

Yield: 8 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup cooked, peeled and diced sweet potato
• 1/3 cup chopped dates
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1/3 cup sunflower or canola oil
• 1/4 cup Sucanat
• 1/4 cup date paste (I made my own)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a muffin tray with paper muffin liners.
2. In a small bowl, soak the chopped dates in some warm water and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
4. Drain the dates from the soaking water and add them to the flour mixture along with the diced sweet potato. Gently mix to coat them with flour, separating the pieces that are sticking together. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, oil, Sucanat and date paste until well combined.
6. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and mix just to combine. Spoon evenly into the muffin cups and bake at 400F for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Recently, Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl put a call out for gluten-free recipes for this year’s US Thanksgiving. While the Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone, the countdown has begun for those south of me. It seems as good a time as any to share a new dessert idea in case some of you haven’t yet nailed down your menus.

A sweet potato tart is the perfect traditional dessert, but the question remained whether I could tackle a gluten-free pie crust. Taking inspiration from one of my favourite (and super easy) raw tart crusts that just happens to be gluten-free, I came up with a tart that is sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free and vegan. Even if you, like me, have already celebrated this holiday, consider making tonight a special occasion with this healthy and cruelty-free dessert.

Sweet potato tart

Yield: one 5-inch tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped dates
• pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup chopped dates
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 2 tbsp nondairy milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 8 pecan halves, for garnish

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Place the almonds and walnuts in a food processor and process until crumbly (but don't process for too long or it will become oily). Add the dates and pulse to combine. It should form a crumbly dough and stick together when pressed between two fingers. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of a small springform pan or a tart pan with a removable bottom (I used a 5-inch springform pan). Set aside.

For the filling:

1. Soak the dates in the boiling water for about 15 minutes to soften, and then puree the dates and soaking water in a blender or food processor.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. It will be fairly thick. (You can add more agave if you prefer a sweeter pie.)
3. Spoon the filling on top of the crust and smooth it out with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with pecan halves.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is no longer sticky when touched. Be careful not to overbake or the crust will burn. Set the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle with maple syrup or agave nectar before serving, if desired.

I came up with this holiday parfait for an upcoming dinner I will be hosting for some close friends. I’m known for my deliciously unexpected dessert creations—I am not one to just whip something together at the last minute. I often start thinking about what I’m going to serve weeks ahead, and it gives me the perfect opportunity to experiment with new flavour combinations and recipes before the big night arrives. I probably spend more time thinking about the dessert than the main entree. Call me crazy, but I firmly believe that what comes at the end of the meal is what people often remember most.

This holiday parfait is one of the most decadent desserts I have made in a while. Layered with spiced gingerbread cake, maple-almond cream, sweet potato custard and candied nuts and seeds, it will most definitely make an impression on your guests. Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps to this dessert. You can easily make the layers a day ahead (other than the cake-making, all layers are quite simple), and assemble it an hour or two before your guests arrive. Depending on the size of your parfait cups, this recipe should be enough to make about four individual parfaits.

This is my first submission to the SOS Kitchen Challenge, featuring sweet potatoes. I have to admit: I rushed through this photo shoot just so I could take a bite of one of these babies! The sweet potato custard is definitely one of the best parts.

Holiday parfait

Ingredients:

For the gingerbread cake:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup nondairy milk
• 1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

For the maple-almond cream:

• 12 oz. firm silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp pure almond extract

For the sweet potato custard:

• 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato
• 1 cup nondairy milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp arrowroot
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp cloves

For the candied nuts and seeds:

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cupped hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp sunflower or canola oil
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

For the gingerbread cake:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, oil, maple syrup, molasses, lemon zest and vinegar.
3. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir just to combine.
4. Pour the cake batter into an oiled 8-inch round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

For the maple-almond cream:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the sweet potato custard:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl a few times to integrate all the potato. Refrigerate until needed.

For the candies nuts and seeds:

1. Place the pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds in a large skillet and toast over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the oil and salt and stir to coat all the nuts and seeds.
3. Add the maple syrup and stir to coat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for another few minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Spoon the mixture onto a small pan lined with parchment paper and put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture is dry and no longer sticky.

To assemble:

1. Break apart the candied nuts and drop a few into the bottom of each parfait cup. Spoon a layer of maple-almond cream over top. Take the cooled cake and break it into crumbs in a bowl (using a fork or your hands) and then add a layer of cake crumbs over the cream, pressing down gently. Next, add a layer of sweet potato custard. Repeat the layers until the cup is almost full. Top with a spoonful of maple-almond cream and more candied nuts and seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.