Chitika

Saturday 5 November 2011

Raw vegan avocado lemon pie.

Stay with me on this one.  I know what you might be thinking ("Gross!"), but if you like avocados and lemon, then this just may be the pie for you.

But first, I need to provide you with a bit of a backstory, because there is quite the backstory that goes along with this pie.  On Thursday night I went to Gorilla Food, a raw vegan restaurant located in Downtown Vancouver.  I've never eaten there before, but I love raw food, so when my friend Keith and I were trying to come up with a place to eat, I suggested it.  I ordered my dinner, then, when I was waiting for Keith to finish ordering, I saw a beautiful piece of pie in the display case and saw that it was labeled "Avocado Lemon Pie".

Now I love avocado, I love lemon, I love pie and I love raw foods, so this was my kind of dessert.  I asked the lady behind the counter if she would put the pie aside for me (there was only one piece left), and she said she would. Dinner was terrific, but I had my heart set on that pie.

I went up to buy my pie and quickly dove in.  Something was not right almost immediately.  Although the texture was divine (sort of like a mousse cake), the taste was all off.  I ate a few bites but couldn't taste it properly.  Then my mouth started to tingle and I was getting thirsty and just started feeling... off. Halfway through I told my friend Keith to eat the rest of the pie and I got up to get some more water. I asked the lady behind the counter whether there were brazil nuts in the pie.  She said that there were.  I have anaphylactic reactions to none other than brazil nuts.  I had asked about brazil nuts in my dinner, but had forgotten to ask about the pie.  Maybe deep down I knew that there were death nuts in it and if I knew I would never get to try it.  In any event, an Epipen and a trip to the emergency room later, I'm still alive, and still thinking about that damn pie that got away!

So today I made my own version (without brazil nuts, of course).  Here are the ingredients I used:

Crust:

  • 10 dates
  • 2 cups cashews
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup raw honey (I know, honey isn't considered vegan, but I eat honey.  I'm sure you could easily and tastily substitute maple syrup)
Filling:
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds (I would pre-grind the chia seeds next time)
Blend the ingredients for the crust in a food processor until crumbly, then transfer into a pie dish or springform pan and press into shape. Then put it in the fridge while you put the filling ingredients through the food processor as well.  

Poor the filling into the crust then allow to set for two or more hours.  I also made a couple of small bite-sized pies to bring in to work to share with a couple of co-workers that enjoy raw food.
My husband and I just had our first pieces, and I have to say, I'm impressed.  Not only does it not taste weird because I'm not allergic to it, but the texture is heavenly and it's so healthy!  My husband is less of a fan of the avocado and even he liked it, particularly the crust.  I don't find that it tastes like avocado very much at all, but he assures me that it does!
In any event, I'm glad that I decided to make it after the near-death experience a few days ago!