I like Oh My Glow because they don't try to sell their product as a weight-loss supplement, they instead advertise its abilities to make you FEEL GOOD and nourish your body. I dig it. There's health as every size and what's important is taking care of ourselves, not a number on a scale. Plus their superfood powder is DELICIOUS. It's mostly composed of berries (cranberry, strawberry, guarana berry, goji berry, maqui berry + acai berry) and also has tasty goodies like maca, lucuma and chia. The flavour is great and the colour is a cute reddish pink. I like tart things so I tend to add it to every smoothie I make these days. It boosts my nutritional intake for the day and tastes great.
I don't think I really need to explain much more about this recipe because caramel + chocolate ganache + tart + vegan = yes. BUT I would like to talk about eating vegan foods as more than just a health-conscious decision (although you don't have to eat healthy just cuz you're vegan... eat whatever the hell ya want!)
I know that a lot of folks look at vegan grub as bland or less-than, weird and rubbery in its imitations of animal flesh and plastic-y and synthetically-coloured with its fake cheeses. Sure, a lot of vegan cheeses on the market are kinda gross. And no, vegan meat is not EXACTLY like animal meat (though there are some brands that're getting close). But people who are vegan don't go vegan just to eat strangely-coloured, oil-based "cheese" or 'take back our health'. Many of us - if not most - go vegan for much more important reasons: reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and lessening our support of animal cruelty and abuse. Animal agriculture makes up between 18-51% of global greenhouse gas emissions while ALL transportation combined makes up 13%. So yeah, buying an electric car and getting LED lighting is terrific, but the most impact you can make is on your plate. It takes nearly 2,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, compare that to the 46 gallons it takes to make a pound of sweet potatoes.
The other extremely significant reason many of us are vegan has to do with ethics. The cruelty, abuse and eventual slaughter farm animals endure is absolutely hell-ish and unacceptable. If you've ever seen any footage from factory farms, you know what I am talking about. And in case you think grass-fed, free-range meat is better; it's in fact far more energy-intensive (requiring more land and water usage than factory farms) and therefore not a sustainable or viable option for the future because if everyone ate it (which won't happen because of the high price point), there wouldn't be enough room or water for humans to live. And from the moral perspective: the animals may not be treated as deplorably but they are still always killed. Whether the cow - who has a personality, friendships, intelligence, feelings, likes and dislikes - is raised on a free-range farm or in a factory farm, they are still ultimately sent to their death. A pig, cow, lamb and chicken has the capacity to love and be loved just as your pets do. If we don't need to kill them, why would we?
I don't mean to shame non-vegans with this post. Of course eating vegan requires a hefty amount of privilege, and I have friends who have tried being vegan but their bodies didn't agree with it, so it's not for everyone. But for those of us who CAN be vegan: let's be vegan! It's no perfect solution to any problem (people are still mistreated in every industry and our phones, cars and clothing have greenhouse gas footprints), but it's an improvement in so many ways. That's my lil rant for the day. Wishing you well.
CARAMEL CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART with SUPERFOOD DRIZZLE
Makes one 9-inch tart, around 12 servings.
Crust:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almonds, preferably soaked for 4-8 hours then rinsed
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
Caramel:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut milk, or more as needed
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 cup cashews, preferably soaked for 4 hours then rinsed
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Chocolate:
1/4 cup caramel
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cacao powder
Drizzle:
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon Oh My Glow Superfood Beauty Blend
To make the crust: grind the oats and almonds into flour in a food processor, then add the dates and process until it becomes a crumbly mixture that holds its shape when pressed between two fingers. If needed you can add some water for moisture to help it stick together better. Press into the bottom of a lined 9-inch tart or cake pan and put in the freezer.
To make the caramel: in a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. If it's too thick for your blender to handle, add a little more coconut milk. Set aside 1/4 cup of the caramel for the chocolate layer. Spread the remaining caramel over your crust and put back in the fridge.
To make the chocolate: melt the coconut oil and then stir in the rest of the ingredients until it's smooth. Spread on top of your caramel layer and put back in the freezer overnight. Optional: Sprinkle the tart the slivered almonds.
To make the drizzle: melt the coconut oil then stir in the rest of the ingredients and drizzle over your tart. Slice and enjoy! Store in the freezer for up to a week.
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This post was a collaboration project between Oh My Glow Superfood Detox and This Rawsome Vegan Life (that's me)!