Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday & FOREVER

Okay, I'm not making fun of the Meatless Monday campaign, because I think it has introduced a lot of people to vegetarianism that otherwise wouldn't have tried it. But why stop at just Monday? You know it's always meatless on this blog ;)

I've still been drinking my green smoothies every morning - and LOVING it! I had some leftover cranberries from my raw vegan cranberry sauce, so I've been adding it to my morning greeny goodness (sorry no picture).

• 2 large handfuls swiss chard (or any other green)
• 1 banana
• 2 handfuls of cranberries
• 1 cup of coconut water (or water)

Raw Chocolate Cashew Stuffed Dates

This quick and easy dessert will change the meaning of "once you pop, you can't stop". Combine 1 tablespoon of Artisana raw organic cashew butter (or other nut butter of course) with 1 teaspoon of cacao powder (I pretty much just winged it, so the measurements aren't exact). Then slice a few dates half way through and remove the seed. Holding the date length-wise, pinch it gently to allow the date to open up and create a cavity. Fill the cavity with the chocolate cashew mixture.

Don't try to take a bite out of these tiny treasures, just pop the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger, Basil & Coconut (recipe from ascent magazine)

• 1 large butternut squash, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 inch piece ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch dried red chili flakes
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 5-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and place them cut-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until soft, approximately 40 minutes.

Scoop the squash from the skins once cool enough to handle. Heat the remaining olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and ginger and stir while cooking until they are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and chili flakes, and cook for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir.

Add the squash, along with the vegetable stock or water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes. Add the lime juice, herbs and coconut milk. Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra coconut milk, more herbs, or anything else that inspires you.

Averie's Breakfast Cookie - Chocolate Version (recipe from Love Veggies and Yoga blog)

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/3 cup dry oats
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 packet chocolate brown rice protein powder (or your fav)
• few swirls of agave or honey

Combine everything in a bowl with a cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning uncover your "cookie" and devour.

I don't usually do the protein powder thang, but when I received a free sample of this chocolate brown rice vegan protein powder, I decided to try out Averie's recipe. Reading her daily posts have become part of my morning routine, so I saw it as fitting to make a breakfast recipe from her blog.

Raw Chana Masala (recipe from Raw Gastronomy)

• 1 cup sprouted chickpeas (about 1/2 cup dried chickpeas)
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup olive oil (cold-pressed)
• 1/4 red onion
• 1 fresh tomato, diced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Soak raw chickpeas overnight (use lots of water). Sprout the chickpeas for a few days until tiny tails start to appear. See my previous post on making your own sprouts. If you sprout chickpeas too long, the beans will get too bitter. These beans were sprouted a little too long - 3 days. I'll probably only sprout them for a day and a half next time I make this recipe.

Combine all the other ingredients in the food processor until well combined. Mix the sauce with the chickpeas sprouts. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Rawdorable Chocolate N'ice Cream (recipe from Rawdorable blog)

• 1 banana, frozen
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder
• pinch of sea salt
• drizzle of olive oil (cold-pressed)

I've wanted to try this unusual recipe for awhile. Since the winter weather is unusually delayed this year, I figured this might be my last chance for raw ice "cream" for awhile (it's too cold for me to eat when it starts getting colder). Today was an unseasonably warm 13 degrees. In mid-November - it's crazy.

Combine the first two ingredients in a food processor until it resembles ice cream. Scoop into a chilled bowl and top with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

I know, I know it seems weird. But it's actually quite good ... well if you enjoy olive oil that is ;)