Rosemary Balsamic Beet Layered Phyllo Tart

Salutations! First, I just have to tell you how much I adore BlogLovin'. If you lost a subscriber today or yesterday, it may have been me. Never fear though! I added all the blogs I follow to BlogLovin'! I'm still following, it's just that now I don't get 60 emails in my inbox everyday. It's fantastic! I am in no way affiliated with BlogLovin', I just really, really like it! If you are a follower of a few or more blogs yourself, go check it out. It's definitely made my e-mail and blog following so much simpler. You can add any blog you want! Okay, back to the recipe.

Last night, when I told Todd what I was making for dinner he told me, "I'm not much of a beet man." Not yet. That may have all changed after I made this Rosemary Balsamic Beet Layered Phyllo Tart, though! This really is a beautiful little tart. I love that it can be a fancy appetizer or a light, snazzy entree. It's easy, fairly quick and it's dressed to impress!

This post is dedicated to Dwight from The Office. 

Crispy, light and buttery phyllo dough is topped with a creamy rosemary cashew cheese then adorned with layered tangy and sweet maple-balsamic roasted beets. Perfect for holiday company!

Rosemary Balsamic Beet Layered Phyllo Tart

Adapted from Keepin' It Kind

Serves 4-8

• --Cheese--
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 15 minutes
• 1/4 cup fresh water
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
• 1/2 Tbsp. Worcheshire sauce
• large pinch of salt
• --Tart--
• 4 small beets, washed and sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. real maple syrup
• pinch of salt
• dash of pepper
• 6 phyllo sheets
• slathering of softened vegan butter

First, if your phyllo dough is in the freezer, you'll want to thaw it out according to the package. 

To make the cheese, first place the cashews in a bowl and cover with an ample amount of boiling water. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes, while preparing the rest of the tart. Then, drain and rinse well. When the cashews are done soaking, add all ingredients to a food processor and process for about 3 minutes, scraping occasionally, until it's smooth like ricotta. 

Preheat the oven to 350. With a mandolin, slice the beets very thinly. Or, if you have better knife skills than me, feel free to go at it with a knife. Place all the beet slices in a 9x9 or larger baking dish. Add in the balsamic vinegar, syrup, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and roast at 350 F for 15 minutes. Stir and flip the beets halfway through.

Once the beets are done, remove from the oven and set aside. Be sure to reserve the beet liquid. Leave the oven on.

Coat a tart or pie dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Carefully place one sheet of phyllo dough into the dish and press in. Brush the top with vegan butter. Continue with remaining sheets, layering them, alternatively along the edge. Be sure not to let the sheets dry out excessively while assembling the tart or else they will just break when folded. You'll want to work fairly quickly. Phyllo dough is pretty persnickety. 

Next, spread the cashew cheese evenly along the bottom of the dish, on top of the last phyllo sheet.  

Then, layer on the beets to fill the bottom. Fold or tuck in the excess edges of the phyllo dough. Brush butter along the top of the dough as well as the beets. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. 

While the tart is baking, pour the beet liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, whisking, turn down to low and allow to simmer until it's reduced by about half. Whisk occasionally.

Once the tart is done baking, remove from the oven and pour the balsamic beet liquid over the tart.

Serve the tart slices warm and with love!

Fancy pants and oh so beetylicious!

Beet-utiful, no? Okay, I'll stop...

This post is dedicated to Dwight from The Office. He gives my blog the,

Musical support for this post comes from, Capital Cities – Farrah Fawcett Hair - feat. Andre 3000

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Simple & Healthy Pecan Pumpkin Pie

I love me some pumpkin pie. Do you know what I love even more than my go-to Thanksgiving pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie that tastes like my definitely-not-healthy and definitely-not-vegan pumpkin pie, but is actually super healthy! There's times when, yes, it can be almost criminal to conjure up some "healthified" version of a cake, pie, cookie or whathaveyou. My birthday cake? That's no healthy affair.   Yep, if there's ever been a pumpkin pie purist...it's me. The recipe from the back of the Libby's pumpkin puree can. Every time. No straying. Don't be messin' with my pumpkin pie! 

But this pumpkin pie. Oh my goodness. Why keep making an unhealthy, sugar and cholesterol laden dessert when you can have this one? Why?? Just look at it. It's perfect! I couldn't believe how wonderful the texture was and how the pecan crust perfectly complimented it. 

And it's even better than my old Libby's recipe. Also, it features a wholesome pecan crust. This recipe couldn't be healthier, easier or tastier! 

Oh and did I mention that it's vegan, sugar-free (except for the fruit) and healthy? Whips up in a snap ta boot. Clean eating at it's finest.

I grinned the most impish, ludicrous grin when I asked Todd how he liked it and then told him it didn't have any added sugar or animal products. Muah-ha-ha! He couldn't tell the difference. A wonderful success!

Simple & Healthy Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Inspired by NutritionFacts.org

Makes 1 pie

• --Crust--
• 1 cup pecans
• 3-5 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 Tbsp. coconut four (or 1 1/2 Tbsp. of other flour)
• splash of maple syrup (optional)
• a pinch of kosher salt
• --Filling--
• 1 15 oz. can of canned pumpkin
• 1 12 oz. box of silken tofu, drained
• 12-16 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• a few gratings of nutmeg (to taste)
• 10 drops of liquid Stevia (optional)
• --Notes--
• I like the Mori-Nu boxed tofu. It doesn't have a "tofu" taste at all. It's found usually on the shelf (non-refrigerated) in the organic section. 

In a food processor, combine the crust ingredients and process for about 3 minutes. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. 

In a pie dish coated with a non-stick cooking spray, press the dough to make the crust. Set aside until ready for the filling. 

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Wash out the food processor and add in the filling ingredients. Process for about 3-5 minutes or until the dates are just tiny little specks. The filling should be very smooth.

Scoop the filling onto the crust and smooth over with a spatula. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes. If the top of the crust looks like it's getting a little too brown you can add some strips of tinfoil or a pie crust protector over it. 

Remove from oven and chill completely before serving.

If you'd like to serve it with whipped cream, Oh She Glows has an excellent tutorial for Coconut Whipped Cream. 

My whipped cream...eh, it didn't work out as planned. But that's okay, it was still delicious! 

Listening to Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American MouthisRecipe Card

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Roasted Pumpkin Pie Chickpeas

Last night I had a hankerin'. Sweets. Always with the sweets. Some people crave french fries or potato chips, those crispy, salty, fatty flavors. Not me. Give me the sweets. Give them to me right now. It may be a bit of a problem...either way, problem solved thanks to these Roasted Pumpkin Pie Chickpeas. 

You can't escape the pumpkin, no matter how hard you try. Why would you want to anyway?

But first a story. When Todd I and were moving last year, I found with my little hand exploring, blindly, the dusty remains deep within the bowels of the forsaken baking cupboards of my childhood home...a little, abandoned, dusty jar of pumpkin butter. Jackpot. Obviously, I couldn't leave that little guy behind.

So, naturally, it's been sitting in my spice cupboard for about a year now. I know, you're thinking I should probably use it fairly soon. But, pumpkin butter is special though. In my opinion it has to have a great purpose to be opened. The unfortunate part of this uplifting story...is that the jar is at least, oh...I talking at minimum 10 years old. Yes. I know this because it was came in a gift box my family got for Christmas many, many years ago. I also found a tiny pack of coffee, which...we drank.

Yep. So if I die soon, you'll know what did it. It was the pumpkin butter (see above)...or the coffee (culprit not pictured). To my defense, the lid of the jar popped when I opened it. It tasted fine. Well, except for a distinct, slightly metallic aftertaste. Oh lord I am going to die, aren't I? Anyways, I suggest getting a fresh jar of pumpkin butter, for your own safety, and making these chickpeas. They are delicious. Like little bits of pumpkin pie!

Roasted Pumpkin Pie Chickpeas

Inspired by the hilarious Paint and Tofu

Serves 1...okay...2

• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 Tbsp. erythritol (or sugar)
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin butter

Preheat oven to 375 F.

First, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Dry them off very well with a few paper towels. Do not skip this step. I'm watching you. Then place them in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl mix together the oil and the pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle over the dried chickpeas, and toss to coat evenly. 

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out the chickpeas and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. 

Once the time is up, place the chickpeas back into the medium bowl and coat with the sugar and pumpkin butter. Scatter them back onto the baking sheet and continue to bake for 15 minutes. 

Allow them to cool before eating. 

Is there a better Fall snack food? No, I should think not. 

[yumprint-recipe id='1']For fun, what am I listening to? Wakey!Wakey! – Dance So Good (Full Band Version)