Vegan Recipe: Forbidden Rice Bliss Balls

If you’re Asian like me and have the typical Asian obsession with Asian food..you might really enjoy this post. I’ve always been very particular about rice — as a child I couldn’t just eat my rice white with nothing on it. I needed flavor. My mom made the most amazing fish with the most delicious ginger soy sauce concoction and I would pour the sauce all over my rice and mix it up. It made my dinner and my night, always. I miss those days.

I’m still not a fan of plain white rice, but I LOVE sticky rice. I love ordering Thai coconut sticky rice with a really delicious curry..just thinking about it makes me salivate. Like I said — if you’re Asian like me, you’ll like this post.

So tonight I needed some kitchen therapy and decided to get creative. I had just gone out and gotten some Forbidden Rice — the black rice that if you get the consistency just right, it can be a bit sticky. I set out to make a rice ball (the Japanese specialize in these rice balls called Inari, often garnished with a tofu wrap) that I could serve with the curry I made earlier this week so the plan was to make the balls with a salty taste. Unfortunately, I do not have a rice cooker so I cooked the rice on the stove, which is pretty tricky.

Serendipity creates a wonderful feeling.

I wanted the rice on the moist/sticky side so I didn’t soak it. I added two cups of water to my one cup of rice and boiled on high for 25 minutes. I burnt the rice even though I followed the instructions — perhaps my stove is a bit too hot because it should not have gotten burned. I would say instruction wise, best to either have a rice cooker or boil on high with 2.5–3 cups of water rather than just 2 cups.

So having burnt the rice I was reluctant to just throw it out so I attempted to rinse the burnt taste by running the rice under water for a bit, draining it, and then recooking it in some fresh water. This actually did quite a good job, but I realized my dreams to make rice balls might have been destroyed for the evening. Since there was a still a bit of a burnt taste I sprinkled three teaspoons of coconut palm sugar to neutralize the taste. This did a pretty good job so at this point I knew the rice was saved. Then I thought — why not try to make a dessert rice ball instead of a salty one?

That’s when I went into my fridge and pantry and got creative. I pulled out the soaked cashews, coconut flakes, pitted dates, vegan butter…Voila. Made these delicious Forbidden Rice Bliss Balls. They taste amazing and I’m really not trying to finish them all in one sitting. Also these bliss balls make great treats for dogs, if you’re willing to share the love. :)

And now the recipe — thanks for reading!

Nissa Tzun, Solidarite Kitchen

Forbidden Rice Bliss Balls

Ingredients:

1–1 1/2 cups of thoroughly cooked Forbidden Rice (or Sushi Rice)

6 pitted dates

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3 heaping teaspoons of coconut pam sugar (or organic equivalent)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 tablespoons of filtered water (or nut milk)

Procedure:

After cooking the rice, stir in the coconut palm sugar. Place into the blender along with the rest of the ingredients (minus the sesame and chia seeds).

Blend. If the mixture is too dry add an extra tablespoon of water. The mixture should be sticky moist, and should hold together well. Roll the mixture into little balls and roll them into the sesame seeds and chia seeds.

Enjoy!

I’ve never been a huge fan of beans…..But being that I’m transitioning to a plant-based diet, I figured recently that I should probably embrace beans.

Beans are actually incredibly healthy for you. They have a lot of health benefits simply because they’re complex carbohydrates so they’re able to provide a long-lasting source of energy. They’re also starchy and filling, so you get full faster. They play a role in preventing a number of diseases including heart disease and cancer and can lower your cholesteral and assist in managing diabetes. The downfall is flatulence (because they’re so high in fiber) and allergic reactions. :\ I read that if you want to try and reduce farting, change the water several times when soaking…I didn’t do that today but I will next time!

I had a huge freelance job all weekend that I spent about 30 hours on where I kept Netflix rolling on all the food documentaries available. I watched (Or more like, listened to because my freelance requires my eyes) the entire TED Talk food series — which was incredibly interesting (I particularly enjoyed Dan Barber’s talks on sustainable fish farms and fragra) and informative. I also watched Fed Up, Food Matters, the supplementary videos to Forks Over Knives (one was an extended interview version of folks involved in The China Study) and the inspiring Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead documentaries. Anyway, the point I’m bringing this up is because I learned, in particularly the Forks Over Knives series, that being on a plant-based diet is not enough — I also need to reduce the amount of fats that I’m intaking. At this point I am used to using olive oil and coconut oil on a regular basis — I use them for my salads, desserts…sauces..even my bliss balls. You get it — oil’s an integral part of my diet.

That said, the hummus I usually buy has oil in it.

So I decided to start today to try and reduce the oils in my foods, starting with this mixed bean hummus. It turned out really nice, creamy, tasty, and with a nice texture — no oil needed :). I also added Miso Paste to it, so it has the added bonus of probiotics! And then, with the remainder of the beans, I made a really delicious Mixed Bean Curry which I’ll feature later. I really needed some kitchen therapy today after so much time spent on the freelance.

Oh, one more random thing before I share the Mixed Bean Hummus Recipe — Listening to Anne Cooper’s Ted talk on “What’s Wrong with School Lunches,” made me want to start a food revolution and illustrate a healthy foods curriculum for kids. I started posting “Plant-Based 101” on IG, so follow me.

Eat Well Ya’ll,

Nissa, Solidarite Kitchen.

Mixed Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soaked & boiled mixed beans

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 jalapeno (optional — I like my foods spiced up)

2 teaspoons organic miso paste

1 teaspoon sea seasalt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons apple cidar vinegar

4 sprigs of cilantro

Procedure: Blend all the ingredients together thoroughly, and enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Flaxseed Bliss Balls.

My beloved cousin Mickey has been asking me to post some bliss balls recipes so I told her I would post one tonight.

Bliss balls are raw vegan sweets that don’t have refined sugars and are nutrient packed. They’re sometimes referred to as energy balls or amaze balls. Typical ingredients include nut butters, seeds, nuts, dried fruits, oil and cacao. There are tons of recipe ideas online and they’re fun and easy to make!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Flaxseed Bliss Balls.

Ingredients:

10 pitted dates

4–5 heaping tablespoons peanut butter (sweetened with organic sweetener)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2 tablespoons coconut milk

Procedure:

Blend all the ingredients minus the flaxseed. Roll mixture into little balls and roll each ball in the ground flaxseed until it’s surface is completely covered. Yields 10–12 balls. Serve immediately or store in a container. These bliss balls do not need refrigeration. Eat within 3–4 days. Enjoy Mickey!

Nissa, Solidarite Kitchen.

Transitioning to a plant-based diet has given me an enormous appreciation for how food looks. I was really craving greens this afternoon and I have developed a habit of incorporating kale into my daily diet.

Kale has numerous health benefits. I mean, have you looked at the texture? It’s strong and durable…skeletal, even. Kale is like a whole tree in a leaf. Kale’s many benefits include: having loads of vitamins (A, C, K) and minerals (copper,potassium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus), and even protein. Kale is a member of the cabbage family — one of my favorite families 😄, and it’s pretty much the nutrient king of the family.

How to make a good Kale salad, and in particular, the Lotus Salad.

1. Chop up the Kale nice and thin because it will make it easier to chew. It’s a muscular leafy green that it needs a bit more prep than your average green. Oh yes, also make sure you wash thoroughly and buy organic! With this salad I also chopped up 3 baby green peppers, a few sprigs of cilantro, and 1/2 a cucumber, nice and thin like the Kale.

2. In general you will want to follow these next steps but I will include the specific instructions for this Lotus salad. Massage the Kale with two tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar and two table spoons of olive oil. The o+v will help soften the texture of each bite.

3. Add a few dashes of salt and about 1/3 teaspoon of dried or fresh tarragon, and continue massaging. I like a bit of sweetness so if you want to as well, add a drop of stevia to take off the salty/vinegary edge.

4. Chop up a white peach into thin slices and place neatly around the bowl. Garnish the salad with chia seeds and serve.

Nissa, Solidarite Kitchen.

Vegan Chocolate Bites. Scroll down for recipe….

Sweet Tooth. I was one of those kids who loved Halloween purely for the candy. Dressing up was also fun but sugar was my drug…refined sugar that is. Luckily being involved in so many sports kept me on somewhat of a disciplined diet while growing up. My parents let us indulge during the holidays but the rest of the year we were pretty healthy. I feel grateful that I didn’t grow up addicted to Coke or Kool-Aid like many of my peers. I cringe when I see families purchase boxes of soda and drinks labeled “juice” that is purely made up of food coloring and sugar. Also the diet sodas too because the sweeteners used in those drinks are full of chemicals! I doubt parents would be buying these items for their kids if they knew how bad it was for them!

Refined sugar intake is linked to so many health problems including diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, heart disease and even cancer. The intake of refined sugar is so overwhelming to the liver and too much of it can put your entire system into sugar shock.

In my early 30's I became more aware of the processed sugars that just seemed to slip into every food. Condiments, cereal, breads, drinks…even the Powerade that used to accompany me to the gym had high fructose corn syrup as its main ingredient. I started making a conscious effort to cut refined sugar from my diet and now for the most part I am refined sugar free and only use natural and organic sweeteners (that’s another post for a different time). The most noticeable difference is that I no longer crave sugar like a drug (because that’s what it is)! Milk chocolate was one of the hardest things to give up but realizing that my addiction to milk chocolate was really my addiction to sugar and not real chocolate helped.

On that note I’m going to share with you a delicious recipe now. Even though I don’t indulge in store-bought chocolate (unless they’re vegan and use organic sweeteners) does not mean I don’t give into my sweet tooth desires!

Some of my favorite sweets to whip up now are Vegan Chocolates. Enjoy!

Nissa, Solidarite Kitchen

Vegan Avocado Mint Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

For the chocolate:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup of unsweetened cacao powder

2–4 tablespoons of organic sweetener (I like to use coconut palm sugar, maple syrup or local/raw honey — which is not vegan)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the avocado mint filling (pudding, ganache):

1 avocado

1/4 cup unsweetened cacao

2–4 teaspoons of organic sweetener

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1–2 teaspoons of peppermint extract

Procedure:

Starting with the chocolate first:

On low heat, heat up the coconut oil and add the cacao powder. Mix well. Asd the organic sweetener and vanilla and mix well. Pour the mixture into 8–10 small baking cups — just a small amount to cover the bottoms of the cups. Place cups into the freezer for 10 minutes. Set aside the rest of the mixture. *For the Vegan chocolate bites, this is the recipe!

Avocado Mint Pudding/Ganache:

Blend all the ingredients together and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

The truffle:

Take the cups and ganache/pudding from the freezer. Scoop a quarter-size of ganache and place into each baking cup. Pour the remaining chocolate mixture into each cup until all the ganache is covered. Return the cups to the freezer for another 10 minutes. Then, enjoy! You can store your chocolates in the fridge or freezer. I like to keep them crisp in the freezer and take them out to sit for about five minutes before I serve them.

You Are What You Eat. Such a simple statement and packed with so much Truth, as much as some of us try to deny. I have struggled with what to put in my body for several years now — Five years ago I was happily a pescetarian. I have always loved seafood, so between greens and fish, I didn’t see a reason to eat land animals. Then, the Fukushima nuclear spill caused by the Tohuku earthquake and tsunami happened in March of 2011. Last time I checked, 300 tons of nuclear waste is being poured into the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis. Just this past year, remnants of the spill washed up on North American shores, and even though oceanographers say ocean life is not carrying harmful amounts of radiation, no government body is monitoring this (!?), and I’m at the point where I don’t want to take my chances. In 2011 I started eating meat again, and I lessened my intake of seafood.

Fast-forward to where I am now on my food journey. Learning of GMOs and the practices of factory farming has put me on a path of really thinking hard about what to put in my body. I’m almost 35 and already have lost many friends, colleagues, and family members to cancer. With the many climate crises we face with the rest of our fellow Earthlings it seems it makes more sense to be less trusting as a consumer and be more of an active participant in the cultivation of our own food, water and energy.

A good friend (Hey Jasmine!!) of mine who is raw vegan taught me a few recipes last summer, and since then I have been dabbling into vegan recipes. She told me it took her a few years to transition to where she is now, and that it takes work, so I took her advice and have just been having fun in the kitchen. Eventually I would like to be completely plant-based, and I would also like to have complete control over my food source, water source and energy source — the kitchen seems to be a good starting point to achieve these goals.

Recently my community has requested recipes of my vegan dishes since I’ve been posting them on my IG account, so I decided to start blogging about my food journey. While the enjoyment of food/cooking is reason enough to post, I’m posting with the intention to skill share what I feel is really important for living in these times: access to whole and organic foods is particularly scarce in poor communities and communities of color, and so is education about food (and intentionally so). What kids eat in the cafeteria is practically garbage and the grocery stores in these communities are very limited. With sharing these recipes and my journey I hope folks can be encouraged to question what they’re putting on their plates and in their bodies, and see that it is possible to make healthier choices on a tight budget. Solidarite with All Living Things & Struggles.

Nissa, Solidarite Kitchen

Watermelonade

I kickstarted my transition into a more plant-based diet by doing a 4-day cleanse from the Urban Remedy book. It was a really enjoyable cleanse — kind of the opposite of what a cleanse sounds like — and I recommend it to anyone who is on their journey to becoming more food conscious.

My first recipe post will be my Watermelonade because of its detoxifying and nutritrious properties. Watermelon has a plethora of health benefits — made up of 92% water, it keeps you hydrated while also packing you full of vitamins — vitamins A, C, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, zinc, choline, selenium, and more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable(watermelon or a ton of water and a multivitamin? You choose). Watermelon can help with asthma prevention, lower the risk of heart disease, clear skin and promote healthy hair, promote weight loss, decrease the risk of cancer, reduce blood pressure, regulate digestion, prevent muscle soreness, and bring down inflammation. This drink also has cayenne pepper and lemon juice, both popularly known for their detoxifying properties and health benefits. This is a tastier alternative to the Master Cleanse lemonade, in my opinion.

Ingredients:

2/3 of a watermelon

filtered water

2 lemons

2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of mint or peppermint extract (*an addition credited to omar_gaza on IG, thanks!)

Procedure:

Cut up the watermelon and blend.

Dilute it with 1/3 filtered water.

Juice the two lemons and add juice to the blender.

Add the cayenne pepper, and the mint leaves/peppermint extract.

Blend.

Pour into glass, and enjoy :)