Recipe Contest - Cardamom Tahini Fudge

Earlier this month we hosted a contest whereby recipes could be submitted using Garden of Life Protein or Meal Replacement Powders. Our winner has asked to remain anonymous but we can tell you that she has won $250 worth of Garden of Life products for her raw, vegan, gf, df, nut free Cardamom Tahini Fudge. Congrats! We thought it would be reasonable to give some of our favourite submissions an actual test in the kitchen. You know when you plan to make something to take out to a potluck or share on the table with friends, family and neighbours, but then you make it and it is out of this world delicious and something inside of you turns a wee bit evil and you make something different for your guests instead so that you don't have to share this little bit of heaven that at this time is your shameful little secret? Yeah, well, something similar to that may have happened when enjoying the first bit of these little snacks. There is no pride in this selfishness, it happened and well, if it happens to you - no judgement.

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds just like you make peanut butter from peanuts. Sesame seeds are almost a complete protein, minus enough of the amino acid lysine - which can be found naturally in the Garden of Life powders making these snacks a complete protein. In addition to amino acids, raw, hulled sesame seeds are also little mineral powerhouses. Just one tablespoon has between 6-10% of your daily requirement of calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus with even more manganese and copper. Tahini also has a flavour that is bitter but decadent when paired well with other ingredients. It is very creamy and in addition to using it is sweets as we will today, it is an amazing addition to salad dressings and dips. Last summer we made a sesame inspired sauce that can be found here.

Cardamom is a spice native to Scandinavia and India. The most common variety you find here in Canada is green cardamom and where you may have tasted it before is in a Chai Tea Latte at your local coffee shop. On its own, cardamom has a strong, spicy-sweet taste that is a bit reminiscent to cola. If you are not used to thinking of spices as nutritional contributors, think again. Like many spices, cardamom is packed with many plant sterols as well as iron, magnesium, zinc and a crazy amount of manganese.

All of this nutrition and we haven't even gotten to the Garden of Life powders! Vegan protein on the go has exploded over the past few years and each company has a different approach. There are so many choices out there! Reading labels for ingredients that you are looking for (or not looking for) as well as doing some taste and texture testing are great tips on finding your favourites. More good advice is to cycle your favourites so that you are aren't always taking the same one year after year which can sometimes lead to food sensitivities.

Garden of Life Protein has an admirable variety of sprouted pseudo grains, seeds and legumes as well as chlorella and a probiotic. This blend creates the opportunity for on-the-go nutrition and fibre. One of the only true natural meal replacements on the market, Raw Meal is similar to the protein blend with more greens, vegetables and fibre and none of that stuff normally found in meal replacement drinks.

We thought this was a fun recipe contest because recipe makeovers are becoming pretty popular and if you can replace some of the nutrient deficient ingredients in your recipe with nutrient dense options like ground nuts, seeds, vegetables or superfood powders, well, you are still eating your favourites but your body will thank you!

This recipe won because it is easy, nutrient dense, super clean and it is really, really delicious. A bonus for this time of year is that it doesn't need to be cooked which keeps the house cooler in the summer months.

Cardamom Tahini 'Fudge'

In a coffee grinder, food processor or high speed blender, combine:

2 TBSP unsweetened coconut flakes 2 TBSP raw sesame seeds (the light brown ones that are hulled)

Grind until it resembles a moist flour but not so long that it starts to turn to butter and put the mixture into a bowl with the following ingredients:

2 TBSP raw or roasted tahini spread (whatever your preference, store-bought or homemade) 3 TBSP (or one packet) of Garden of Life Raw Protein or Meal, natural or vanilla flavour 3 TBSP maple syrup 1 TBSP high quality cardamom powder or grind your own by crushing the pods and removing the seeds and grinding them in a spice or coffee bean grinder 1 TBSP coconut oil gently melted on the stove (no microwaves!) 1/4 tsp celtic or himalayan sea salt

Stir it all up using good muscle power aiming to get it all evenly mixed. Roll it into 8-12 balls depending on how big you want them. The dough will feel oily while it is warm but that will go away when you chill them. Roll each ball in:

3 TBSP of unsweetened coconut flakes as is or you can grind the flakes into a powder first

Put the balls into the fridge or freezer as they are just perfect when firmed up and nice and cold. You can eat them as soon as they are chilled all the way through or give them a day to allow the flavours to mingle. Enjoy!

A big thank you to everyone that submitted a recipe. Crazy things can happen when we look at food in a different way…

Posted by Amy Buckman, Community Ambassador, Amaranth Stores with recipe credit to Shlomit N.

*Note that the above recipe has been slightly altered from the original submission.