Lemon-berry tart

This Lemon Berry Tart Won’t Disappoint!

With it’s refreshing lemon flavor and fresh bright berries, this plant-based lemon-berry tart won’t disappoint! Delicious, yet dairy free, refined sugar free and gluten free, so it’s practically appropriate for anyone. This beautiful tart is perfect for a special occasion, but easy enough to make as a treat for a weekday meal.

I make it with a raw crust, but if you have a favorite pastry crust, you can use it, just be sure to bake it before filling. You can also try using different milks for the filling, just keep in mind that the full fat coconut milk makes it’s really creamy.

For the berries, you can use fresh cut berries like the strawberries pictured, or any other berry or even cherries. Another variation  is spreading a layer of Berry Chia Jam on the crust, then cover with the cooked milk filling.

So go ahead and treat yourself to this refreshing lemon tart.

Lemon-Berry Tart

Delicious And creamy plant-based Lemon tart.
Prep Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: almond, berries, coconut milk, lemon, oats, raw crust
Servings: 8
Author: Chef Kim

Equipment

  • blender
  • Small sauce pan
  • 8” Tart pan or springform pan

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • Pinch Salt
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • 2 Tbsp Coconut oil melted
  • 1-2 Tbsp water

Lemon Cream Filling

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup oat or almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder
  • 1 tsp agar agar
  • 1 cup fresh berries or 1/2 cup berry jam

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Add the oats, almond flour and salt to a food processor or blender and pulse to reach a flour texture.
  • Add the sweetener and oil and pulse to combine.
  • Add 1 Tbsp. of water and pulse, adding another only if the crust mixture does not stick together when pinched.
  • Press into the bottom of a tart pan and up the sides slightly. Place in the freezer, while you make the filling.

For the filling:

  • In a small saucepan, gently warm the coconut milk and maple syrup, stir in a pinch of salt.
  • In a blender, combine the oat milk, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, cornstarch and agar agar and blend until smooth.
  • Bring coconut milk to a simmer and then add the mixture from the blender while you whisk.
  • Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, continue to whisk. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temp.
  • Remove crust from freezer and add sliced berries or spread the crust with jam.
  • When the filling has cooled, pour over the berries and crust and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.
  • Garnish with fresh berries on top or drizzle with thinned jam.

Notes

To make individual tarts, line cupcake tin or ramekins with parchment paper or paper liners and press crust into the paper. 
Try different berries to vary the flavor or I think cherries or a fruit coulee would also be delicious. 
Overnight oats

Easy Raspberry Orange Overnight Oats

If you like oatmeal, you have to give this recipe a try. Raspberry Orange Overnight Oats is easy to prepare the night or two before you want it.  It satisfies the desire for something a little sweet, because of the berries and orange juice. It not only fills your tummy, it’s packed with vitamins and minerals for a nutrient dense breakfast to start you day off right.

Overnight oats can be made with steel cut oats or rolled oats. The steel cut will be chewier than rolled oats.  Steel cut oats will be chewier and can be pulsed in the blender or food processor if you want it smoother. I like to open a capsule of probiotics and add it to the oats to help start the breakdown process, by slightly fermenting the mixture. Probiotics help to ease digesting the grains.

In this recipe, I add tahini. I like the flavor and the fact that it is a good calcium source, but you can substitute any nut or seed butter you have on hand.  Substituting different berries, nut butter and liquid can switch up the flavors and keep you from getting bored with the same old thing, even though it’s delicious.  For liquid variety try flavored plant milks, coconut water or milk, tea, even coffee works.

Orange raspberry overnight oats.

Prepare your breakfast tonight for tomorrow. Creamy fruity oats.
Prep Time15 minutes
Resting time8 hours
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: berries, oats, probiotics
Servings: 1
Author: Chef Kim

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c oats rolled or steal cut
  • Handful of frozen raspberries
  • 2 T dried fruit (goji, apricot, fig, berries) chopped if needed
  • 1 T tahini
  • 1-2 tsp maple syrup or 3 drops stevia optional
  • 2 T yogurt or open a probiotic capsule
  • 3/4 c orange juice substitute plant milk

Instructions

  • In a jar or bowl, combine the ingredients.
  • Stir, cover, refrigerate overnight.
  • Enjoy in the morning

Notes

The recipe can be made in bulk, so breakfast is ready for several days. Double or triple the recipe.
If using steel cut oats, overnight soaking is necessary, whereas rolled oats can be eaten after only a couple hours. 
For variation, substitute nut or seed butters for the tahini. Try different berries or dried fruit. Change up the liquids used to alter flavor. 

Berry Oat Mylk

Making your own oat mylk is so easy and economical. Adding berries takes it to a new level of enjoyment and can be frozen into popsicles.

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups berries, your choice or use cherries, mango, kiwi or pineapple
  • softened dates, depending on the sweetness of fruit. I usually add 5 and adjust more after tasting if needed.
  • Adding spices/herbs that you like add a nice flavor variation (cinnamon, chili, cardamom, nutmeg, mint, basil, etc.)

Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You can drink it like this, but I prefer to strain out the remaining oat fiber and berry seeds, so I pour the mixture through a nut milk bag or fine strainer/sieve. Refrigerate and enjoy by the glassful, poured over granola or chopped fruit, or freeze in popsicle molds or ice cubes trays for frozen treat..

 

Berry- Spacho

This is a wonderfully refreshing cool starter or dessert soup. Perfect at the height of berry season or you can use frozen berries that have been thawed.

  • 2-3 cups fresh berries, mixture is nice (strawberries, black, blue or raspberries)
  • 1 kiwi, diced
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 lemon, squeezed
  • 11/2 cup fresh / frozen berries ( these are for blending so frozen and thawed is fine, I like strawberries  and raspberries for this. Blueberries will thicken up because of all the pectin they naturally have, so use more l juice or water if using them.)
  • 2 oranges, peeled and seeds removed or 1 cup juice
  • 5 softened dates
  • 1 cup water
  • pinch of cayenne, optional

In a mixing bowl, add fresh berries, diced kiwi, apple, cucumber and mint. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, fresh/frozen berries, dates, oranges and water. Blend into a creamy sauce. Pour this over the diced fruit and serve or chill. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne when ready to serve.

 

 

Berry Chia Jam

  • 2 cups berries, (raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry or mixture)
  • 2 T honey or maple syrup
  • 2 T lemon juice, fresh
  • 2 T chia seeds
  • fresh herbs optional – mint, basil, oregano

Blend the berries, lemon juice, sweetener and some fresh herbs if using, until smooth or just a little chunk remaining. Pour into a bowl and whisk in chia seeds. If you prefer seedless jam, strain berry mixture through a fine sieve and grind the chia seeds before stirring into the fruit. Put into jars and refrigerate overnight.

Use this mixture as a topping for non-dairy ice cream, over biscuits or pancakes, to add beautiful color to dessert plates, or stirred into yogurt. Just enjoy the bright flavor and nutritional benefits!

Raspberry Vinaigrette

  • 1 ½ cups raspberries
  • 1 T raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 T honey
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 T fresh basil, minced or 1 tsp dried

 

Blend berries, vinegar and water together and pour through a nut milk bag or sieve to remove most of the little seeds. Combine and whisk in remaining ingredients until emulsified..  Dress salad greens and enjoy. The vinaigrette will keep for about a week, refrigerated.