RawMarkable Raw Vegan Food

Here are some of the delish dishes I've had these past few days ...

Raw Serve (raw vegan ice "cream")

I've been seeing this super easy and quick raw ice "cream" on a lot of raw blogs. Simply toss a few frozen bananas in the food processor and blend until it looks like soft serve ice cream. Simple eh? To prevent it from melting too fast, serve in a ceramic bowl that has been chilled in the freezer.

Pistachio Raw Serve

Same as above, but I added a cut up pistachio LARAbar ... so many possibilities!


 
Frothy Raw Citrus Zing Juice

I lugged out the juicer yesterday because I had some citrus fruit that needed to be used up quickly. I love how frothy the drink came out, and it made my kitchen smell citrus-y for hours! Here's what went in the juicer: 4 small oranges, 1 large grapefruit and 1/4 inch piece of fresh ginger (that's the zing part).

 
Raw Macadamia Dill Dressing (recipe from Spark Recipes)

Remember the biodynamic dill that I made into a raw sauce? This is a similar sauce, but uses oh-so delicious macadamia nuts. I served it on top of a baby spinach salad with cucumber, red bell pepper, radishes, carrots and 1/2 avocado.

• 1.5 cups nuts (cashew, macadamia, or combo), soaked 1-2 hours then rinsed & drained)
• 1-1.5 cups water depending if you want a dip or a dressing
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from half a lemon)
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (or another raw oil)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 teaspoons onion
• 1 large handful of fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried

Mix everything in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add more dill if desired. The sauce will keep in the fridge for several days.



Go Ahead and Bragg Raw Noodles

This is another super quick and easy lunch that makes eating more raw dishes soooOoo easy. Simply add a dash of liquid Bragg's, dash of salt and a swirl of cold pressed sesame oil to a bowl of zuke noodles. Mix and enjoy.

New Canada Organic Logo Sighting

I was grocery shopping yesterday when I spotted my very first sighting of the new Canada Organic logo!! Very exciting moment for an organic nerd like me. The new logo, launched in June verifies that the product carrying this logo meets Canadian organic standards (no fakers allowed). The logo was seen on So Nice organic soymilk. The picture quality is pretty poor - I took it on my 4 year old phone. Why don't I get a new cellphone, you might be asking; watch The Story of Stuff to find out.

To find out more about the new Canada Organic logo, read my previous posts on this subject or visit the Canadian Organic Growers website.

Blogger Absence, Raw Food & Peace One Day

Happy Peace One Day! (see end of post ...)

Things have gotten a bit hectic these past few weeks and alas, I haven't been posting my raw food Tuesday recipes. I'm still eating lots of fresh, living raw food - I just haven't posted any of them. Here are a few of the goodies I've been feasting on in my absence ...

Raw Chia Pudding 

• 1 part chia seeds
• 3 parts nut "milk" (or 1 banana mixed in the blender with water)
• dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, etc ... (whatever strikes your fancy)
• chopped fruit (if desired)
• raw sweetener (if desired)

My breakfast for the past few weeks. Very versatile, quick and easy. Mix the nut milk with the spices. Add in the chia seeds and mix with a spoon in a large bowl. Make sure all the chia seeds are covered in the "milk". Place the mixture in the refrigerator. After about 20 minutes stir it again to make sure all the seeds are incorporated - sometimes the seeds can clump together. Place it back in the fridge over night (or at least 10 hours). The chia seeds will soak up the liquid and gradually get thicker.

In the morning add chopped fruit and mix to combine. You can add a squirt of raw sweetener if you'd like. Or just eat the chia pudding by itself. Okay granted this isn't the most visually appealing dish. Grey pudding - yum! Ultimately the pudding ends up tasting like the liquid you soaked the chia in. This is also a very filling breakfast that is sure to give you the energy you need throughout the day.

Raw Rocket Rainbow

Across the pond they call arugula leaves rocket. Pretty cool name eh? This simple salad has been my lunch side salad almost everyday. I tried to combine all the colours I possibly could: rocket, baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, yellow pepper and julienned carrots.

When I took this salad to work EVERYONE who walked by was heard saying, "That looks so good". It is.

Raw Cuke Noodles


A switch up from my usual zuke noodles, this time I used the julienne peeler on a cucumber. I tossed the noodles with a pinch of sea salt and cold pressed olive oil, and served them on a bed of baby spinach.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownies

BROWNIE -

Remember when I posted about my first raw food class?? Well this was one of the dishes we made that night in class. Definitely worth the class fee for just this recipe alone - who knows why it took me so long to make it!! I ended up taking these to a get together (no I didn't eat all these brownies myself).

• ¼ cup cacao powder
• 2 cups pecans
• 20-25 dates
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Grind the pecans in a food processor (careful not to over process). Place the rest of the ingredients (except the dates) in the food processor and mix well. Add dates one at a time until the mixture starts to clump together. Press the mixture into a square (or rectangular) pan and place in freezer. While the brownies firm up, make the icing.

CHOCOLATE ICING -

• 1/3 cup agave, maple syrup or raw honey
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• 1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil
• dash of vanilla extract (alcohol free)

Mix everything in a bowl. Pour the icing over the brownies and place back in the freezer for 1 – 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and cut into squares. Serve immediately or place in the fridge to keep firm before serving.

In another note, do you know about Peace One Day? Humanitarian, Jeremy Gilley started an international day of peace to create peace between nations, governments and people. Every year on September 21st participants celebrate in union with a day of non-violence and ceasefire. If you haven't seen the incredible, passionate and award winning documentary of Jeremy's journey, then buy, rent or attend a screening today. My local library is hosting a free screening, and I'm wagering yours is too!

My 5 Fav Quick & Easy Raw Vegan Recipes

My raw food transition has been fairly smooth, and I attribute that to quick & easy recipes. Nothing will deter people from trying raw food more than having them make complicated recipes that require expensive dehydrators and hard to find ingredients. Here are my 5 favourite recipes that have helped me along my wild & wacky raw food journey ...

1. SMOOTHIE - Pretty in Pink Smoothie 

Equipment Needed: Knife, blender
Ingredients:

• handful of fresh strawberries, hulled & quartered
• 1 mango, peeled, cut into bite sized pieces and frozen overnight
• 1 banana, peeled, sliced and frozen overnight
• pinch of cinnamon
• water (to make it blend)

Instructions:
Toss everything in the blender and whizz until smooth.

2. SOUP - Creamy Gazpacho

Equipment Needed: Knife, blender
Ingredients:

• 5-6 tomatoes
• 1 avocado
• 1 green onion
• handful of cashews
• 1 clove of garlic
• several sprigs of parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• sea salt (to taste)

Instructions:
Combine everything in the blender until smooth and creamy.

3. SALAD - Avo-Dill Salad

Equipment Needed: Knife
Ingredients:

• 1 whole avocado, sliced into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon red onion, minced
• 1/2 large cucumber, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon olive oil (cold pressed)
• 1 small bunch of dill, coarsely chopped
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
Toss everything in a large bowl and mix well.

4. DINNER - Raw Burritos Equipment Needed: Knife
Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, mashed
• 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• handful of sprouts
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
• 4 large lettuce leaves (romaine or collard)
• 1 lemon, squeezed for 2 tablespoons of juice
• 1-2 sprigs of parsley
• dash of ground cumin
• dash of sea salt (optional)

Instructions:
In a large bowl combine everything (except the lettuce). Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the lettuce. Fold the top and sides of the lettuce leaf like a burrito.

5. DESSERT - Strawberry ParfaitEquipment Needed: Blender, knife
Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours
• 1/4 cup raw coconut butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2-4 tablespoons raw sweetener (depending on taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol free or use seeds from a vanilla bean)
• 2 handfuls of strawberries (or substitute your favourite fruit)

Instructions:
Mix everything (except the strawberries) in a blender until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a little water. Pour into dessert cups and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, toss the strawberries in the blender and mix. Pour the fruit puree over the parfait.
There you have it - my 5 favourite, fast, easy, delicious raw vegan recipes.

Happy uncooking!

Yoga Asana of the Month (September)

Another animal pose? Yup, you guessed it. This month I'm focusing on cow face pose (gomukhasana). The pose itself doesn't resemble a cow's face at all, but it sure is a good stretch for your body. When in this pose you will be stretching your legs, arms, shoulders and chest. If you can't get your legs stacked on top of each other like in the video, try placing a folded blanket under your bum to elevate the sitting bones.

Note: The above video is provided by YouTube. I have no control over the ads within this video. I am not affiliated with these advertisers, and do not endorse their products.

Creamy Raw Recipes

Breakfast: Raw Strawberries & Dream

Lately I've been looking for smoothie alternatives for breakfast. This simple dish is perfect for breakfast - or dessert if you add more sweetener.

"CREAM" -

• handful of cashews, soaked overnight
• few drops of vanilla extract (alcohol free)
• 1/2 teaspoon of raw sweetener (or more if you like)

Mix everything in a blender until smooth. Pour the "cream" over fruit and chow down! I like the "cream" a bit warm (from the blender) but it could also be made ahead of time and served chilled from the fridge. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cacao if desired.

Snack: Ginger Snap LÄRABAR

This flavour is fast becoming one of my favs. The light ginger-y taste is fresh, which makes it great for a snack.

Lunch: Creamy Raw Tomato Soup

Leftovers from a previous batch of soup. I added an avocado for a creamier texture.

Dinner: Raw Pasta with Raw Creamy Basil Sauce (recipe from gone raw)

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• Juice of one medium lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion
• A dash of coarse black pepper
• One big handful of fresh basil, leaves only

Mix everything (except the basil) in the blender until smooth and CREAMY (word of the day). Add the basil last and blender for 5-10 seconds. The basil should fleck the sauce with speckles of green. Pour over zucchini noodles.

This one never fails, and the sauce will keep in the fridge for several days. See my previous post where I made this yummy dinner.

Dessert: Raw Peaches N' "Cream"
I have so many peaches right now, that I decided to make this dessert again.

• 3 peaches
• 1/2 cup whole raw cashews, soaked
• 2-4 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract (alcohol free)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of sea salt

Soak the cashews for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. In a blender mix the cashews, honey, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt until smooth. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Peel the peaches and slice into thin slices. Fold the cashew sauce into the sliced peaches. Spoon the peach and cashew mixture into dessert cups. Allow to chill for an hour or two in the refrigerator.