Raspberry Pomegranate Smoothie | Vegan | Raw | G-free

Here's a quick and easy recipe for a pick-me-up smoothie with tons of health benefits:

• seeds and juice from 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup raspberries
• juice of 1 fresh orange
• raw honey (or other sweetener) to taste

Swirl everything together in the blender until smooth.

Renown as a "super-food" pomegranates have a long list of health benefits, including:

• Polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that aid in heart health and anti-cancer benefits
• These polyphenols may also help prevent plaque buildup in arteries 
• The seeds have more antioxidant power than cranberry juice or green tea
• Lowered blood pressure and delay the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in patients with coronary heart disease
• Improved blood flow
• May slow the progression of prostate cancer
• An excellent source of fibre, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium
• One pomegranate supplies one-quarter of a day’s worth of folate (a B vitamin needed to synthesize and repair DNA) and one-third of your daily vitamin C
• One medium pomegranate contains: 3.5 grams fiber, 9 milligrams vitamin C, 14 micrograms vitamin K and 205 milligrams potassium, as well as being an excellent source of polyphenols.

So go ahead and add a little pom to your next smoothie.

Smoothie Catalog Now Available

I finally have a visual catalog of all my favourite smoothies featured on the blog.  I separated them by green and non-green varieties.  I never realized until I saw all the smoothies side-by-side, but it's pretty much just green and pink smoothies.  I'll have to post an orange one soon ;)

And if you're not a smoothie lover, there's also a section at the end for juices, teas and other drinks.  I sure could use a homemade vegan chai tea on this cold and wintery morning. 

Check out my new SMOOTHIE page now!

Pre-Flight Green Smoothie

The last green smoothie ... well for a while at least. 

As you read this pre-scheduled post, I am sitting in a tiny airplane seat taking off for a land I've only dreamed of.  The length of my entire trip from my door in Canada to the door of the resort where I'll be teaching in Thailand is probably 48 hours.  YIKES!  Of course I need something in my belly that will be easy to digest, nutritionally dense and give me a little energy. 

When I'm home I drink a large green smoothie every morning, but alas, a quick search of my blog revealed that the last time I posted a green smoothie recipe was over a year ago!!  Here's what I tossed into the blender this morning ...

Pre-Flight Green Smoothie

• 2 cups fresh spinach (or another leafy green)
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 banana, frozen
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• water, enough to make everything go 'round

I like my smoothies to taste green, so you may need to add more fruit if a cuppa grass ain't your style.  Try raspberries or mango.

I love the creamy decadence that the avocado brings to this drink, and the banana adds just a touch of sweetness.  Being my third winter now, travelling to the east, this just may be the start of an old tradition of mine - the annual pre-flight green smoothie.

Raw Vegan Sattvic Summer Strawberry Recipes

It's strawberry season, and I love a fresh, ruby red strawberry picked right off the plant.  There's lots of "pick-your-own" farms around here. 

I have lots of fond memories from my childhood of strawberry picking with my dad (now deceased).  We used to make our own homemade jam with the strawberries we collected on the weekends.  We even made our own labels for the jam and distributed it out to family and friends as gifts. 

I can't make jam with my father anymore, but I can make these healthy, raw, vegan desserts in honour of his memory.  It just so happens that father's day is during peak strawberry season ;)

Here are some of the strawberry recipes featured on my blog.

Raw Strawberry Pie

When I first started my raw journey I was famous for just making the pie filling (sans crust) and calling it a pudding.  This was my first attempt at an actual pie back in 2009.  It's a super quick and easy raw pie with a few basic ingredients and appliances.  I got hooked on making pies after that!  Get the recipe here.

Raw Strawberries & Dream

An equally easy and delicious recipe that can be whipped up in no time (pun intended).  Get the recipe here.

Double Strawberry Raw Serve

I recently had some strawberry flavoured ice cream while taking care of my nieces, and let me tell you, it tasted nothing like actual strawberries!  This quick "soft serve" type ice cream does.  Get the recipe here.

So like any good auntie I made them a pink princess strawberry smoothie.  As you can see from the picture they opted to eat it with a spoon.

Strawberry Mandarin Spinach Salad

All the ingredients are pretty much in the name of this one, but if you want see my original post for this salad back in 2009 which includes a raw salad dressing to pour on top, click here.

Strawberry Post Yoga Snack

Here's one for the coconut lovers!  I called it my post yoga snack because it's not too heavy, but absolutely delicious.  I ate loooOooots of coconut in India when I was there teaching yoga.  Everything from coconut in curry, chutney, rice pudding and of course fresh coconut water.  Get the recipe here.

Raw Strawberry "Cheese" Parfait

HA HA This is a strawberry "cheesecake" where I neglected making the crust and called it a parfait.  Despite my laziness, it's amazing and one of my all time favourite raw vegan recipes.  Get the recipe here.

Pretty in Pink Smoothie

Wow, I had no idea how many strawberry recipes I have on my blog until just now!  This last one is near and dear to my heart.  I posted this back in 2009 before I went hard core with my green smoothies, but I also like non green smoothies occasionally for a quick snack.  This smoothie uses strawberries and mango, one of my favourite fruit combinations.  Get the recipe here.

I hope you enjoy my strawberry highlights post.  I really enjoyed putting it together.  I will have to do another one soon for another ingredient (suggestions?).  If you are celebrating father's day this Sunday, have a great time with your dad and dad-type people in your life.



Sweet Sesame Sattvic Smoothie

I created this one late night when I had soaked a lot of dates and I just couldn't bring myself to dump the date soak water down the drain ...

Sweet Sesame Smoothie

• 1 handful of dates, soaked for a few hours in 1 cup of fresh filtered water
• 1/2 cup raw tahini (make sure there is only one ingredient listed on the label: sesame seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Combine everything (including the date soak water) in the blender and mix until frothy. Add more/less dates depending on the sweetness you like.

Enjoy the sweet sesame goodness!

 

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 ;)

Green Smoothies, Raw Recipes & The World's Best Brussel Sprouts

I recently read some of The Boutenkos' books, and since then have been chuggin' lots of GREEN smoothies. Personally I find the 7+ ingredient smoothie recipes out there to be way to labour intensive and time consuming. You can easily get the same amount of healthy, nutritious, chlorophyll rich and alkaline greeny goodness from a few simple ingredients. Just remember to mix it up a little (don't eat the same greens everyday). And if the thought of a green smoothie turns your stomach, just try one - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Raw Vegan Green Smoothie:

• 2 handfuls of greens
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 1 handful of fresh or frozen fruit

Simple, eh? Throw it all in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy. Here are some of the greens I like to use:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Parsley
• Bok Choy
• Arugula (rocket)
• Dandelion greens
• Romaine lettuce

There's rumours that eating raw green smoothies regularly can reverse grey hair (which have been popping up on my head since I was 16), so I'll report back in a few months and let you know if that's true.
Here's what else I've been chowing on:

Raw To-Go Lunch

This quick and easy lunch is 1 carrot, 1 parsnip and 1/2 cucumber cut with my julienne peeler. The dressing is a splash of cold-pressed sesame oil, Bragg's and sea salt. I washed it all down with a tetra pack of O.N.E. coconut water (yum!)

Raw Cinny Cereal

I've blogged about this raw cereal before, but this one is made with banana cinnamon "milk" instead of a nut based one. Simply toss a banana, some water and a dash of ground cinnamon in the blender. The cereal is a cut up LARAbar, fresh strawberries and pumpkin seeds.

4 Ingredients Raw Chocolate Candies

I was soooOooo excited when I found this recipe for raw candies on Raw Goddess Heathy's blog. I had seen Ani Phyo (and others) making raw candies using raw cacao butter. I've never seen raw cacao sold anywhere near here, and to my dismay there don't ship Ani's raw chocolate making kits to Canada. But this recipe doesn't require cacao butter at all!

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, gently melted in a double boiler
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 2-4 tablespoons agave (or maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free of course)

Using a double boiler, gently heat the coconut oil until melted. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined. Transfer the mixture into a measuring cup with a spout. Pour the liquid into candy moulds (or alternatively you can also dip fruit into the chocolate). Put in the fridge for 4-5 hours or until firm. The candies will pop right out of the moulds and into your mouth!

OPTIONAL ADD-INS: raw nuts, dried fruits or other alcohol-free extracts (mint might be nice).

Lastly, I recently tried a non-raw recipe by Jennifer McCann that was unbelievable! I just had to share. Jennifer is the author of Vegan Lunch Box and Vegan Lunch Box Around the World. I used a fresh branch of brussels sprouts that I picked up at my local farmer's market (see photo below). The freshness of the sprouts definitely takes this dish from great to "world's best".

 
The World's Best Brussels

• 1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed
• 2 TB olive oil
• salt to taste
• ¾ cup vegetable stock or water
• 2 TB brown sugar
• 2 TB apple cider vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are turning golden, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add ½ cup of the stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered with a lid left slightly ajar, until the Brussels sprouts are almost completely tender and the stock or water has been cooked away, about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the last ¼ cup of stock or water, the sugar, and the apple cider vinegar. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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.

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!

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.

16th Week of Raw

It's my 16th week of eating raw for one full day each week. I've definitely found my raw groove. This week I decided to mix things up a bit and have a raw cereal for breakfast instead of a smoothie - the blender is still used though ;)

Breakfast: Raw Cinnamon Cereal

I'll admit that I first got this idea from Ani Phyo's SmartMonkey bar cereal, but I have adapted beyond recognition. I've never seen SmartMonkey bars sold in stores, so I used a LARAbar instead. I also don't have a dehydrator, so I can't make Ani's buckwheat crispies. My advise to you is: throw whatever raw food you have in a bowl, cover it with your favourite raw milk and voila, raw cereal.

CEREAL -

• 1 cinnamon roll LARAbar, cut into bite sized pieces
• handful of strawberries, hulled and quartered
• handful of blueberries
• handful of raw pumpkin seeds
  

MYLK - (recipe from Ani Phyo)

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1 vanilla bean (or teaspoon alcohol free vanilla extract)
• pinch sea salt
• 5 cups filtered water
  

Toss everything in the blender and mix until smooth and frothy. Pour the mylk over the cereal and chow down.

Lunch: Raw Sweet Corn Chowder

Leftovers from last week.

Dinner: Raw Cauliflower Curry (recipe from gone raw)

• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 6 soaked sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cm piece of ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup dried coconut
• 1 cup water (use the soak water from the sun-dried tomatoes)

Mix everything in a food processor until well combined. Don't over process - it shouldn't be liquefied. The curry doesn't really photograph well, but if you like cauliflower (like I do), you will love this recipe.

Dessert: Raw Cherry Pudding Supreme (recipe from Dr. Brantley found via In the Raw)

• 20 cherries, pitted
• 1⁄2 avocado
• 3 dates, pitted

Combine everything in a food processor until smooth. This recipe will only make one serving, so multiply by the number of people you need to feed. I love how simple this recipe is, and it tastes great too!