Many things in our world are black and white - zebras, pandas, piano keys, dice, classic Converse, the list goes on and on.... but have you ever eaten an entirely black and white meal?

MJ and Ryan put us up to the challenge this March with a Black & White Culinary Couples theme.  Challenge accepted!

Dragon Fruit Martinis:  Ann & Jason

While there were a few classic black and white cocktails made from coffee and cream, Ann & Jason decided to go out on a limb and try incorporating the ever so beautiful black & white dragon fruit.

 Definitely full of color on the outside, this rare Asian fruit is white with black seeds on the inside.  We have come to learn that it doesn't have a ton of flavor itself, but it did pair nicely with the other drink ingredients.

The beers served included Barrio Blanco White IPA, Blue Moon White IPA, and Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Recipe:

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/recipe/dragon-fruit-martini

We felt that the original recipe didn't have quite enough alcohol so we doubled this which we learned caused the black seeds to sink to the bottom of the drink.  Apparently alcohol density plays into the mix.  The below makes 4 servings.  We found white guava nectar at Lee Lee's.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 3/4 cups cubed peeled dragon fruits
• 1/2 cup guava or guanabana nectar
• 3 oz vodka
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon lime juice

Simple Syrup:

• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups water

METHOD

Simple Syrup: In small saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil; simmer, stirring occasionally, until clear and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely.

In blender, puree together ice cubes, dragon fruit, guava nectar, vodka, coconut milk, 2 tbsp of the simple syrup and lime juice until smooth and frosty. Pour into cocktail glasses. Reserve remaining simple syrup for other cocktails.

Black & White Flatbread with Black Garlic Butter:  Kim & AJ

Kim and AJ created a delicious black and white flatbread using cauliflower and black garlic.  Shown in color below to show its true black and white look.

Recipe:

Cauliflower Flatbread
3 cups raw cauliflower florets
2/3 cup chickpea flour
2.5 oz egg whites
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp nutritional yeast (1 packet)
2 tbs dry parsley
1 tsp black pepper

Blend cauliflower and egg whites until smooth.  Add spices and mix.  Add chickpea flour and mix.  Make 8 equal sized scoops of mix on greased parchment papered baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then flip and bake 5 minutes more.  Let cool on rack.  Cut in half.

Black Garlic Butter
In a small bowl mix soft vegan butter with diced black garlic.  Make ratios according to taste.

To Serve
Use toaster oven or broiler to toast flatbread.  Butter with vegan black garlic spread and serve.

Chicken Alfredo on Black Squid-Ink Noodles with Mozzarella Balsamic Salad:  Ryan & MJ

Ryan & MJ took the black and white challenge to a whole new level by finding black squid-ink noodles at Roma Imports.  I mean seriously - black noodles??!







They paired these with an amazing white alfredo sauce and barbecue chicken complete with black grill marks.  On the side they served white mozzarella with black balsamic drizzle with a few hidden red tomatoes :)  The table was set all in black and white with alternating black and white plates.

Shown here in color to get the full effect of the black noodles, white alfredo and grilled chicken.

Recipe:

Black and White Truffles:  Heather & Eric

Heather & Eric spoiled us with an incredible assortment of black and white truffles.  I am pretty sure I tried one of each :)

They included ______, Oreo truffles, and vegan truffles for Kim (and the rest of us enjoyed them too!).


Recipes:

Oreo Truffles:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-oreo-truffles-95085.aspx

Makes 48

36 Oreo cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
4 pkg (4 oz each) semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces and melted

Reserve 1/4 cup cookie crumbs.  Mix cream cheese and remaining cookie crumbs until blended; shape into 48 (1-inch) balls.  Freeze 10 minutes.

Cover rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper.  Dip cream cheese balls into melted chocolate.  Place on prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Vegan Truffles:
http://www.food.com/recipe/vegan-truffles-33995

Makes 50

3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup cold water
1 lb bittersweet chocolate
cocoa powder

Put cashews and cold water in a blender and blend at high speed for 1-2 minutes.  Scrape the sides down and blend again until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler heat the chocolate until it's all melted.  Cool the chocolate until it's comfortable to work with and fold in the cashew cream (making sure not to stir too fast or you'll create bubbles).

Cool in the fridge for 2 hours to set.

Take out a small ball, roll in cocoa powder and store in fridge/freezer.  Repeat until done.