Recipe: Chocolate Beet Cupcakes w/Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting

As they say, "Eat your veggies.” You’re welcome:

Recipe: Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

(GF/V/refined sugar-free)

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 medium cooked beets

• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used coconut [carton, not in the can])

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup coconut sugar

• 1/4 cup melted unrefined coconut oil

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 generous cup of flour (I used a gluten-free all-purpose blend, but white or whole spelt, or unbleached regular wheat flour will work too)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• pinch salt

• 2 Tbls or more of water, beet cooking liquid (if you boil them), or extra unsweetened milk

Instructions:

1. Before you do anything, cook your beets! Roast or boil - it’s up to you. The goal: fully cooked/fork tender.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups and set aside.

3. Once your beets are cooked and still slightly warmed, puree beets in a blender or food processor. You can add a little water, beet cooking liquid, or unsweetened milk by the tablespoon to thin out the cooked beets. You want a puree, not a smoothie. Scoop out or pour a 1/2 cup of the pureed beets and set aside.

4. Whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl, and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle and make a sort of buttermilk. 

5. Add the coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets and carefully whisk or beat until combined and foamy.

6. In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to remove any lumps. 

7. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Beat (by hand or with a mixer)/combine until no lumps remain.

8. Pour batter into lined cupcake pan, filling each a 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

9. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. 

10. Once cooled, frost or eat as is!

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, roasted

• 8-10 oz. of dark chocolate (chips or chopped bar chocolate - the darker the better)

• a pinch of sea salt

• 1 Tbl vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Scoop out and slightly mash the roasted sweet potato from the skin and place in a small to medium sauce pan. 

2. Bring the sweet potato mash to a simmer (you can add a little bit of water or unsweetened non-dairy milk to thin out, but only  1-2 Tbls at most) and remove from heat.

3. Add the dark chocolate, and stir until smooth. (If you want a super smooth texture, you can put the mixture in a food processor or use an immersion blender.)

4. Let it cool, stirring occasionally, until the frosting is at room temperature and spread on your cupcakes/cake (or maybe transfer to a container and store in your refrigerator for up to a week and eat by the spoonful…)

Recipe: Coconut curry sweet potato soup

Here's a tasty, quick and dairy-free recipe to use up those mashed sweet potatoes from Thursday's festivities. If you don't have sweet potatoes on hand, winter squash works as well:

Coconut curry sweet potato soup, sprinkled with roasted-salted pumpkin seeds. (November 2013, photo by Zach Gross)

Add some heat and a kick to your leftovers with  fresh hot peppers, including cayenne. (November 2013, A.Gross)

Coconut curry sweet potato soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbl. olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped or 1 c. leeks (cleaned and chopped)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes or finely chopped cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbl. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• black pepper
• course sea salt
• 2 c. roasted and/or mashed sweet potatoes (sorry, the one's topped with marshmallows don't work!)
• 1 15-oz. can of coconut milk (I used light/reduced-fat)
• water

1. Heat the oil in a soup pan over medium heat. Add the onion and/or leeks, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add pepper flakes, minced garlic and ginger. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add 1/4 c. of water, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add sweet potatoes and coconut milk. Add water to the empty coconut milk can to remove any milk and add to the soup pot. 
3. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, with the lid slightly ajar. 
4. Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or carefully transfer the soup into a standing blender until creamy and well blended. Heat more, if desired, and add salt and pepper if needed. Eat!

Optional: Top with toasted/roasted pumpkin or squash seeds.