Raw Zucchini Wraps with Kale Pesto

One delicious bite after another!

These were such a hit when I shared my 'Follow My Kitchen' photo on Facebook that I wanted to put the recipe together for everyone to have. And it comes at a good time too, I think people right now are looking for some Superbowl snack idea's....this is a great snack for the line up. Not only are they super healthy but they're refreshing, filling, easy and fun to make! And so colorful too....just lovely. All these vibrant colors are good for you...full of antioxidents, nutrients, fiber and yes, even protein! Fresh and raw is a beautiful way to eat. At least half of our daily food consumption should be raw foods for optimal health, not always easy, but hopefully this will be a fun way to add some rawness to your life. Your mind, body and soul will thank you!

Raw Zucchini Wraps with Kale Pesto

What you'll need

• 1 - 3 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or julienned
• yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips or julienned
• carrots, julienned (I used baby carrots, cut into quarters)
• sprouts/micro greens of choice
• cilantro, optional
• fresh cracked pepper & mineral salt
• tooth picks

Kale Pesto

• 2 cups kale, packed or 1 cup basil & 1 cup kale, packed
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons tahini, optional
• 3 tablespoons or so extra virgin olive oil (if not using tahini add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons olive oil)
• himalayan salt to taste

Amounts for the vegetables will vary on how many your making, use your best judgement on how much you will need. If you can't find sprouts or micro greens, try using cilantro or fresh basil leaves. 

For the kale pesto, place ingredients into food processor and process until desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. 

Lay your zucchini flat on a hard surface, layer with the pesto, make a sprouts and veggies mound on one end. Roll into a wrap and stick with a toothpick in the center. Top with mineral salt & cracked pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Notes: 

Look for the smaller zucchini, they will be the perfect size for these bite size rolls. The length and width is just right, especially if using a peeler to cut into thin strips. 

Use a mandolin to slice the zucchini. There are different types of mandolins from hand held to box types. Some have adjustments so you can decide how thick or thin you want your slices. If this is new to you do a google search and find the right one for you. I'm actually using a peeler, works great and is very easy to use! It has an attachment for use as an official mandolin but I haven't figured out how to attach the piece yet, but this works great without it too. This was gifted to me by my wonderful parents and you can find it online Primo Peeler. 

Enjoy!

Raw Spicy Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Happy New Years! Starting the New Year off with a raw dish to help cleanse and detox the days gone by. This soup is alkalizing and refreshing. Not only is it an anti-inflammatory soup but it's also full of beneficial ingredients that your body will thank you for. Let the power of red work wonders for your health. Each ingredient has its own special nutritional benefit, all of which contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber and some proteins. For extra protein and nutrition try adding a sprinkle of black sesame, hemp or chia seeds on top. Would be great with spiralized zucchini noodles too! Eating fresh and clean for half of your daily intake is highly helpful in keeping the mind, body and spirit aligned and in good health. Cheers to good health in the new year!

Raw Spicy Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes
• 5 or 6 grape tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• a few cilantro, parsley or basil leaves
• a few chives
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• himalayan salt to taste

Quarter your tomatoes. Core and de-seed your bell pepper, cut into slices. Place all ingredients in food processor/blender and blend until a soup consistency. Taste for flavor adding extra ingredients to suit your taste. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice over top and some chopped chives, parsley or basil. Serves one or two small as an appetizer. Feel free to warm gently.

Notes: 

Would be great with julienned or spiralized zucchini noodles.

So easy and fresh....Enjoy!

Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat

This is a welcome meal after all the Thanksgiving festivities. Nothing like adding a raw meal into the mix and this was superb! I have to hand it to Ani Phyo for not being afraid to use spices, this packs great flavor with fresh produce to create a raw chili that I absolutely adore and am craving already. Adapted from this recipe 'Fresh Tomato Chili with Taco Nut Meat'. I will definitely be adding this to my to go lunches as well as my at home meals. Feel free to add/subtract any vegetable you wish. Get in as many as you can to really make this a well rounded garden chili recipe. Use as much or as little as you like of each ingredient. This could've really used a dollop of raw Sour Cream or this flavorful Lime Cilantro Cashew 'Sour Cream', it would've added that final touch.

Mine didn't seem to come out with as much soupyness as Ani's photo shows. But never the less, this is so very fresh, hearty and delicious...simply great! Be sure to take a peek at her photo to see what I mean. You can find it here, just scroll down a bit. She also has other recipes you may be interested in. Her focus in on raw food only.

Dice up your vegetables and fresh oregano (if using fresh)...

Combine with seasoning, I also added in some cilantro as an after thought...

Using a food processor, puree half of the mixture... 

Bring back pureed vegetables to diced vegetables and combine. Then, onto your nut meat...

Add nut meat ingredients to food processor and pulse just until crumbly...

Fairly simple...just slicing, dicing, pureeing and pulsing. So fresh and good. I always feel the best after eating meals like this! Don't forget to add some raw Sour Cream or Lime Cilantro Cashew 'Sour Cream' on top for even more added deliciousness, or simply add some avocado slices to round it out even more.

Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat

Vegetable Chili

• 3 cups tomatoes (I used roma and grape)
• 1 small red bell pepper (orange would be great too), diced
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 yellow or red onion, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 corn off the cob
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
• cilantro (as much as you like), chopped
• 1 - 2 teaspoon chili powder, to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Prepare vegetables and combine all ingredients in large size bowl. Place 1/2 or so of the mix into a food processor and blend until pureed. Return puree to diced vegetables and toss well.


Nut Meat

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon tamari, bragg's or nama shoyu, or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients into food processor and pulse until crumbly. You don't want to over blend or it will be a paste.

To serve, place vegetable chili in bowls and top with nut meat adding any additional garnishes you like. Serves four, or two generously. Store left overs, if there is any, in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Chili will last for five to six days. Nut meat will last up to two to three days, depending on the freshness of the mushrooms. Before eating let sit at room temp as it tastes best this way.

Enjoy the freshness!

Raw Creamy Miso Soup with Mushrooms

Where to begin with this soup except to start by saying how incredibly good it was. I've been wanting to do a raw miso soup and came across this recipe in my Matthew Kenney, Everyday Raw Express, recipe book. The only changes I made were adding red pepper flakes & baby bella mushrooms to the mushroom mix, as well as using hemp hearts instead of pine nuts in the soup base. It was delicious! I was a bit skeptical at first but the combination of  the broth and the mushrooms mixture blended for an incredible sensation. I enjoyed every last drop! For me this soup was very filling as is, I didn't need any breads or other grains in addition...although a nice crispy whole grain bread or cracker of sorts would be great to dip capturing the creamy goodness and great flavors of this soup. 

Miso is very good for you...it contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach, restores beneficial probiotics to the intestines, it's also a quality source of B-12, high in antioxidants to fight free radicals, strengthens the immune system and so much more. It is highly beneficial and I recommend getting to know your miso. I have both yellow and white on hand, each one having their own flavor. The yellow is more sweet and the white more earthy and hearty. It lasts up to a year+ in the fridge. I also use miso to make a nice cup of warm miso broth in place of tea or coffee, as well as using it in recipes here and there. In fact, its called for in one of my recent recipes in the tofu ricotta: White Flatbread-Pizza with Zucchini. It's handy and welcome in my kitchen essentials. 

And now let's make some beneficial miso soup...

Raw Creamy Miso Soup with Mushrooms

Ingredients

Soup Base

• 6 cups water
• 1/4 cup organic miso, yellow or white
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts (or pine nuts)
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave
• 1 tablespoon dulse flakes or crushed dried wakame, optional*
• himalayan salt & pepper to taste

Mushroom Mixture

• 1 cup shitakes, sliced (I used dried, but fresh is best)
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms or mushrooms of choice, sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce, nama shoyu or Bragg's (I used tamari)
• juice of 1-2 medium lemons or 2-3 small limes 
• 1 or 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, adjust to your liking

Optional Garnish

• 1/4 cup wakame, rehydrated and drained, chopped**
• scallions, sliced 
• shallots, finely diced

Start with the mushroom mixture by combining the mushrooms with olive oil, tamari, lemon/lime juice and red pepper flakes. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Blend soup ingredients in blender until smooth. Taste for flavor, adding salt & pepper as needed. It will have some froth on top, you can either leave it or scoop it off. I scooped most of it off. 

Before serving, stir mushroom mix and wakame into blended soup. Serve as is or garnish with scallions or shallots if you like. Also, feel free to warm slightly before serving, place soup in medium/large pot over medium heat, heat until just warm. Serves six. 

**The wakame was given to me by a friend and was on hand. Because of it's many health benefits I will purchase again when it runs out. If you don't have it stocked or it's hard to find, don't worry about it...the soup will still be great! It's a sea vegetable (sea weed), you may consider stocking a package. It's comes dried and will last a long time in the pantry. It contains omega 3, and also has high levels of calcium, iodine, thiamine and niacin along with many other health benefits. Use it sparingly here and there...maybe in a nice warm cup of miso broth with some silken soft tofu cubes. Mmm mmm :)

There's those shitake's...so delicious...

Enjoy !

Adapted from Matthew Kenney cookbook, Everyday Raw Express

Coconut Lemon Bombs

Coconut + Lemon = Flavor Explosion! 

I love lemony desserts, especially when they are raw and so healthy. The ingredient list is full of whole foods so you can be sure that you are feeding yourself a nourishing and healthy treat any time of day. This one is a nice combination of lemon and coconut with just the right amount of sweetness. Both flavors come through for a bright lemon flavor with a hint of coconut in this no bake cookie ball. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Coconut Lemon Bombs

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup buckwheat groats/Kasha*
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (I use GF)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, optional
• zest of 2 lemons, medium sized
• juice of one lemon
• 6 - 7 medjool dates, softened and pitted
• 1/4-1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes for rolling

Place cashews, buckwheat groats and/or oats in food processor and blend until a medium to fine grind (doesn't have to be perfect). The buckwheat may stay a bit chunky so if your looking for a smooth center use all oats. Add rest of ingredients and blend until combined and you have a doughy consistency. If you find your dough is a bit too dry try adding fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. Chill dough for about 20-30 minutes. Roll into 1 inch balls then roll in coconut flakes. Makes apprx. 12 - 14. Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

* If you don't have buckwheat grouts, replace with oats or nuts. I love to include buckwheat wherever I can since it is a 'superfood' and packs a lot of protein and fiber per serving, they also have a nice nutty flavor. Per 1/4 cup serving you are getting 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, more so than oats per serving, 1/2 cup yields 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.

Enjoy !


You may also like these other raw treats...

Almond Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Bites
Healthy Happy Hemp Cookies
Raw Coconut Brownie Bites
Raw Ginger Snaps 
Chocolate Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies
Cinnamon Cranberry Truffles

Some of my favorite raw dessert blogs:

♥ this rawsome vegan life

♥ Fragrant Vanilla Cake

♥ Rawified

Bircher Muesli with Chia Seeds, Figs & Apples

Muesli is a wonderful raw cereal and can be served with a variety of ingredients. Oats have been traditionally used along with fruits, nuts & seeds. Here is my favorite version of muesli using not only oats but other 'superfoods' like chia seeds and buckwheat grouts making this a nutritional powerhouse meal. 

This recipe originally came about for two reasons. One, I had picked up some figs the other day not quite knowing what to do with them. And the other is due to a question I had posted on The Simple Veganista facebook page asking about vegan breakfasts, cereals in particular, so it all came together and I really love the mixture of grains, fruits, nuts, seeds and spices. So very good! It's almost like a chia pudding. 

If you're in need of a meal that will carry you the distance, muesli is it. The added chia seeds in this version alone are an energy extender as well as the all-important omega's 3 & 6 they contain. They are one of the few plants based sources of omega 3. Chia seeds also contain a good amount of protein, fiber, iron and calcium per serving. The buckwheat can be optional in this version but I highly suggest that you get to know buckwheat, aka Kasha. Despite its name buckwheat isn't in the wheat family at all, it is considered a seed and is a great source of protein and fiber, even more than the oats per serving. In fact, you may decide to do all buckwheat and no oats sometime. It's also gluten free. The oats are a classic muesli staple and help soak up the liquids to make for a nice creamy dish while the other ingredients give texture and flavor. 

Some history on muesli taken from wikipedia...

'Muesli was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy. It was traditionally eaten with juice and not milks.

The original Bircher-Benner recipe is proportionately the opposite of most muesli available in today's supermarket varieties, calling for far more fruit than grains. One serving based on the original recipe consists approximately of:

• 1 tablespoon rolled oats, soaked in 2–3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 200 grams apple (about one large, preferably a sour variety), finely grated and mixed with the above directly before serving
• optionally top with 1 tablespoon ground hazelnuts or almonds

The original recipe used sweetened condensed milk instead of cream, a compromise due to hygiene concerns regarding fresh milk products in 1900 (bovine tuberculosis etc.), before pasteurisation and refrigeration became commonly available. The original recipe also advised to soak the oats in water overnight as raw oats need a lengthy soaking to soften them before eating. This long soaking time is unnecessary with modern rolled "quick oats", which the manufacturers already soften through a steam treatment. While phytic acid is an antinutrient and strong chelator of important minerals, it is removed during the steam process, making muesli desirable, given its positive antioxidant qualities.'

I highly believe if Bircher-Brenner was alive today, he would agree that non-dairy milk is a much better option to dairy creams...

Let's make some 'superfood' muesli...I think Bircher would approve of this version :)

Ingredients

2 tablespoon rolled oats* ( I use GF)
2 tablespoons buckwheat groats/Kasha
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon or so vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
cinnamon, to taste
3 figs
1/2 apple, I use fuji
1-2 tablespoon raisins
a few almonds
a few pepitas
a few walnuts

In small/medium bowl combine oats, buckwheat groats, chia seeds, vanilla, milk, cinnamon, and half of the raisins. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight, or eat in one to two hours after it has set. Serve cold, or at room temp, topped with diced figs, apples, raisins and nuts/seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon...add a little more milk if desired. I like to mix most of the apples in first and then top with the remaining ingredients. Serves one. Stores up to a couple days in airtight container in the refrigerator. Try drinking a glass of lemon water with this, very refreshing!

You may also like to try 100% fruit juice in place of the milk or use any fruits you like. 

*For 100% raw look for raw oats that have not undergone the steam process. These you will want to soak for eight hours plus.

You can also make it to go in the morning. Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar, or other to go container, give it a good stir and take it with you. The non-dairy milk is perfectly fine without refrigeration until ready to eat. At least if it's eaten within the day it should be fine, unlike dairy products that need refrigeration (another reason non-dairy milk is so great).

If you want to use more whole grains try this recipe below. It will fill you up for those extra long periods in between meals or can be munched on for a few hours...

Ingredients

1/4 cup rolled oats (I used GF)

1/4 cup buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice

any fruit and nut/seeds of choice

Enjoy these superfoods and eat them often !

Raw Coconut Brownie Bites

I'm so excited about this recipe I found for these raw brownies. They are inspired by these two recipes from What's Cooking Good Looking and Food Doodles. They are simple and fabulous! This is the real deal...heaven here on earth for those seeking a great raw vegan brownie...this is it. I was amazed when I first tasted this, it is so much like a brownie to me. It's perfectly chocolaty, chewy and completely satisfying...one or two is all you need. I will never bother with any baked brownie again as they are so easy to make and full of wholesome goodness. These contain no refined sugars, no butters, no flours, and only six ingredients to boot. If your not a fan of coconut, try replacing the coconut with one of the nuts suggested. Let me warn you, these will go very fast!

Raw Coconut Brownie Bites

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw almonds, walnuts or pecans
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/3 cups packed medjool dates, pitted, softened* and chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon himalayan salt

Combine almonds, coconut and cocoa powder in food processor/blender and process until almonds are a fairly fine consistency. Remove mixture and set aside.

Add dates to the food processor/blender and process until dates become a paste. Add in the almond, coconut and cocoa powder mixture along with the remaining vanilla and salt. Pulse until just combined.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, wax paper or parchment paper. Place mixture into loaf pan, press down firmly while smoothing out the surface. Here you can either put the brownies in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to harden a bit before cutting, or you can pull the brownies out right away and cut into 12 squares to make a 3-4 bite size brownie or cut into 24 squares for a 1-2 bite size brownie. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, or on the counter, for up to two weeks.

Notes:

You can also roll these into 1 inch balls and eat as is, or roll them in shredded coconut or cocoa/cacao powder. If rolling into balls you should get apprx. 18-24 balls.

Additional toppings you may like: 
Shredded coconut
Dusting of cocoa powder
Chopped or whole raw almonds

*Depending on the type and freshness of your dates, you may need to soak them. To soften your dates, place dates in a medium size bowl and soak in hot water for a few minutes. I really prefer the medjool dates for their softness, they rarely need softening, but feel to use your favorite dates. Just be sure to soak before using them. 

Enjoy!

You may also like these other healthy raw treats:

Raw Ginger Snaps
Almond Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Bites
Healthy Happy Hempy Cookies
Coconut Lemon Bombs
Raw Chocolate Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies
Cinnamon Cranberry Truffles

Some of my favorite raw dessert blogs:

♥ this rawsome vegan life

♥ Fragrant Vanilla Cake

♥ Rawified

RAW HEMP BITES

It's over 100 degrees today and humid here in So Cal. I'm so glad to be doing these raw cookies today because I sure don't want to turn on the oven, stove or use a griddle in this heat. It's salads, these cookies and water today. Keeping with this raw cookie mood I'm in, I'm doing another one using hemp hearts. They are a superfood ! I ♥ hemp seeds...they are soft and oh so good. Even my twelve year old daughter will grab a bowl and eat them by the fingersful. They were fantastic...this was a nice mellow flavored cookie compared to my last, Chocolate, Pistachio, Oatmeal Cookie which is a bit more intensely flavored and chunky . These tasted well on their own and also paired superbly with all the different coatings making for lots of fun flavor variations. It's a good basic recipe. I can't say that I have a favorite coating, they were all very good but if I had to chose one I think the cacao was it.

 Hemp seeds are a great source of omega 3 & 6 and are a high quality complete protein. Four tablespoons, or 1/4 cup, of hemp seeds contain 11 grams of protein, and they're also a good source of fiber at 2.5 grams per quarter cup. This is great for vegans especially, adding hemp seeds to your lifestyle will ensure your packing in some goodness here and there. They also contain high concentrations of vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and many other micro-nutrients that your body needs. Sprinkle them on salads, quinoa dishes or almost any main dish, cereals, use in cookies, breads, smoothies, or eaten as is. I always keep the bag I'm using in the fridge. Here is a great article on hemp seeds if your interested on learning just how good they are,
'Hemp Seeds: The Most Nutritionally Complete Food Source In The World'.

Here's the last paragraph in part 2 of the above article...

'Plants have created the perfect container to safely store the EFAs and protect them from light and oxygen damage. It is the seed. And as long as we get our essential fatty acids by eating whole seeds the lifeforce within us is charged with vitality. Hemp Seeds contain the perfect balance of the essential fatty acids required by the human body. Hemp seed oil is indeed the oil of life.'

Get your healthy, happy hempy on!

So without further ado, let's make some hemp cookies...

RAW HEMP BITES

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats, rolled or quick (I used GF)
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts
• 6 dates, pitted and chopped
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (agave is fine too)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup water, as needed

Place all ingredients in food processor, except for the water, and blend until combined. Use the water one tablespoon at time if needed if mixture isn't clumping up. I used about 1 tablespoon, use at your discretion. Don't worry if it's seems a little too sticky, it will become a bit stiffer once refrigerated. And if it's a little sticky it will help when you roll the balls in a coating. If the mixture is too wet, try adding a pinch or two of oats. The dryer they are the more they will be a stiffer but chewy cookie, the moister they are they will be more like cookie dough...both ways are good. :)

Next, roll bits of dough into one inch balls. If dough seems too sticky to roll, refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes before rolling. I got 11 out of this batch, plus the little taste testing I was doing. You should expect about 12 balls. You can roll them in a variety of ingredients. I rolled some in hemp seeds, coconut, cinnamon and cacao powder. I wanted to experiment with different coatings. If rolling in powders be sure to gently lift and drop your coated balls a few times an inch or two above a hard surface to let any excess powder fall off.

Store in the refrigerator and eat within a couple weeks or so, or you can also freeze them and they will last even longer.

Notes: 

Don't worry about getting all the ingredients exact. If you add/subtract something they will still be great. You almost always can't go wrong with these.

These are great for special occasions and can be made well in advance to keep life a little simpler.

I always seem to add oats to my raw cookie bites. I use oats to cut down on the fat content. Feel free to adjust the oats using less and replacing the unused portion with hemp seeds.

Enjoy!

Best Ever Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Perfect on a hot summer day, like today! It's so warm here in Southern California and I needed something easy, cool and healthy after my time at the gym. This was perfect...it's dairy free, refined sugar free and super good for your mind, body and soul! Add in the scoop of protein powder for an extra dose of nutrition. This is a perfect shake to include to your diet on a regular basis ensuring your meeting your protein requirements...especially great for those just starting a plant based diet or those who are always on the go.

Best Ever Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon raw cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon or so of cinnamon
• 1 scoop protein powder, optional (use plain, vanilla or chocolate)

Place everything in blender, blend until combined. Serves one.

Notes:

Currently I'm using Garden of Life Protein powders. I like that their original powder is not sweetened with stevia or any other sweetener as I prefer to sweeten mine with fruits of choice. A few other plant based protein powders that I do recommend, but do not have unsweetened choices, are Vega One, Sun Warrior and any hemp protein powders (pref. organic), To find out about more protein powder options with reviews, check out this post, Vegan Protein Powders For Smoothies: My Big Guide, from Kathy of Lunchboxbunch.com.

Tip...always freeze your older bananas instead of throwing them away so you will have them on hand for smoothies or raw banana ice creams like my Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream or Chocolate Banana Ice Cream...they are sweet and super healthy at this stage.

Cheers to good health!

FRESH THAI SALAD

This is one of those simple delicious salads that I so enjoy. Full of fresh flavors including mango, cucumber, carrots, tomato, cilantro and topped with a simple dressing that is lightly sweet, salty & spicy...a bit of everything. It will leave you feeling fresh and energized. This recipe was inispired by this one from Trans-Planted. It's a Som Tam salad that is very popular in Thailand and uses unripe green papaya. This is my version using cucumber, carrots, ripe mango (instead of unripe) and tomatoes. Staying close to the Som Tam of Thailand is the spiciness, saltiness and sweetness of the dressing. It's all comes together beautifully and is so easy to eat. You may find it to be quite addicting!

You can add/subtract whatever you want. I think pineapple would be a nice sweet addition as well. The flavors of the simple dressing will go with many tropical fruits and a wide variety of vegetables. Have fun experimenting!

FRESH THAI SALAD

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber, julienned
• 2 large carrots, julienned
• 1 mango, julienned or sliced
• 1 tomato, diced or handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• handful cashews or peanuts, optional
• cilantro, as much as you like, to serve
• 1 - 2 limes, to serve

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce or Bragg's amino
• 1 tablespoon coconut, pure cane or raw sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• juice of one lime

In a small bowl, mix together tamari, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes and juice of lime. Set aside. Mix before adding to the salad, we want the sugar to be as dissolved as possible. 

Prepare your vegetables and fruit, place in medium sized bowl along with nuts, add dressing and mix well. Serve in individual bowls with an extra squeeze of lime.

Serves two.

Notes:

You can sub in 3 - 4 Persian cucumbers in place of the English. Both of these types of cucumbers have less seeds making them ideal for being julienned. 

My kind of easy...and so amazingly fresh & deliciuos!

Enjoy!

Raw Pad Thai

A few weeks ago I was given a package of kelp noodles and finally found a nice dish to feature them in. I really enjoy Thai food and I've been interested in putting together a raw Pad Thai dish. I came across Ani Phyo's version using kelp noodles and that was it..inspiration hit. And I must say it came out very well considering at first I was having trouble getting the sauce to my liking. I actually had two inspirations to work with and tried them both coming up with my final version. The first was too salty, the other too oily and finally got it in the middle. Well worth the trial and errors of making the sauce. They're all simple ingredients, just tons of them. Although I prefer the minimalist approach, I felt this was to be a special dish and it was!

Kelp noodles are pretty interesting, I had no idea what to expect. They are a raw food with a neutral flavor and have a firm crunchy texture like a bean sprout. Reminds of plastic bands with their slight stretchiness. They are rich in 70 minerals and a healthy alternative to noodles containing no gluten, wheat or sugar. As an added benefit they are low in carbohydrates and calories. They can be eaten warm or cold. Find kelp noodles online and at asian grocery stores.

Raw Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 1 package of kelp noodles
• 1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded
• 1 large carrot, julliened
• 1 zucchini, julliened
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)
• cashews or peanuts, garnish
• lime & orange wedges, garnish

Sauce

• 1/4 cup raw almond butter, I used crunchy
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu
• 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup or raw agave
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 lime, squeezed
• 1 orange, squeezed, optional (I just had some really sweet juicy oranges on hand and threw it in)

Directions

1. Place all sauce ingredients into a small/medium bowl and mix together until blended. Set aside for 30 min to let the flavors mingle. Add extra ingredients to your taste. 
2. While sauce is setting, prepare your veggies. You could cut your kelp noodles into smaller pieces or leave as is (I left mine as is). Put kelp noodles and other vegetables in a large bowl (saving a few veggies to garnish) and add half of the sauce mixture . Toss the ingredients together until thoroughly coated. I found this was a lot of sauce and it is better to add half to see if that is enough for your liking, if not add more. I personally do not like my food drowning in sauces so I had the other half left over to use with the rest of the kelp noodles later. (See notes below.)
3. Serve with garnishments and any extras on the side. Serves 2 - 3. 

Notes: 

1. If you find your left over sauce is not enough just add a small amount of water to the mixture, about 1/4 cup water, more or less should help. Or if you find you like a more thinner sauce you could add 1/2 cup or so to the starting batch as Ani Phyo calls for (she uses 3/4 cup). Or better yet, you could squeeze more oranges.
2. If not using kelp noodles add a couple extra carrots and zucchini, or extra sprouts and cauliflower. Even add whatever veggies you may prefer. The sauce is mellow and will go with just about any vegetable.
3. You could easily make this without the kelp noodles if you like but I do encourage trying the kelp noodles if you can, it's an experience. And a really good one at that! But there are plenty of other vegetables in this dish that will fill you up. They all add vibrant color, texture and flavor...

Adapted from Vegangela (This sauce was too salty my taste, but I love her using all the veggies she used.) & Ani Phyo....(This was too oily so I cut out the coconut oil. Next time I will use the coriander she calls for.) You may find your own adaptations to all of ours. 

 Enjoy !

Avocado & Cucumber Soup

I love to slice and dice my food without too much preparation. This is just that with lots of flavor. The cool sensation of cucumber combined with the creaminess of avocado makes for a wonderfully refreshing cold soup. This is also a great base for a guacamole dip, minus the water and cumin. Adding cucumber in with the avocado is a great way to reduce some of the fat and calories in the traditional avocado mixture without losing any flavor, especially if you like to eat a lot of it! Also this will work as a dip for veggies, chips, a spread on sandwiches, a salad dressing and great on raw noodles, like zucchini and carrots. Lot's of ways to use this recipe with minor changes of water amount, use less for a thicker base or more for a thinner base. This is so very simple to make too. Let's get started...

Avocado & Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 medium avocado
• 1 cucumber (with or without the skin)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 squeezed lemon
• dash of himalayan salt

Cut cucumber into small pieces and place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.

Serve with diced tomatoes, red onions and cilantro if you like. You could even top with julienned carrots, diced colorful bell peppers, etc...most veggies will make a nice garnish and taste well with this dish while also adding some texture. 

This is two small servings or one large serving.

So very good and fresh! Enjoy...

RAW VEGETABLE PASTA

We can all benefit from a raw meal at least once a day, whether it's a salad or something like this raw vegetable pasta. Adding a fresh, raw dish to your daily meal plan is good for your system in countless ways. So with some marina'raw' sauce I had left over from a previous recipe, I decided to put together this raw vegetable pasta dish. I started with just the usual zucchini 'noodles' and decided to try some cucumber 'noodles' as well. Turned out to be a nice combo! I added in some fresh vegetables that I happen to have on hand and the result was a complete success. Adding a layer of almond parmesan over top will take this to the next level of deliciousness while adding protein....it's amazing over top! This complete dish is simple, delicious and refreshingly filling! 

Feel free to use any vegetables you like. These are what I had on hand and threw together. 

 

On the left are the zucchini noodles and on the right are the cucumber noodles. Very refreshing and filling. 

RAW VEGETABLE PASTA

Ingredients (serves two)

• handful mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 each red & yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 - 2 carrots, diced
• 1 - 2 scallions, sliced
• fresh chopped cilantro, basil or parsley (optional)
• mineral salt & cracked pepper, to taste

Noodles 

• 1 small zucchini (1 per person)
• 1 small cucumber (1 per person)

Marina'raw' Sauce

• recipe here

Spiralize your zucchini and cucumber, set aside. You can also julienne by hand or use a julienne tool but the spiralizer is really fun and easy. I highly recommend having one if you make raw noodles often. (check notes below on spiralizer options)

Dice up your veggies, using as much as you like. Now you can either mix everything together in a separate bowl and transfer to individual serving dishes or you can serve and mix right in your serving dish. Top with sliced green onions, fresh herbs of choice, mineral salt & cracked pepper to taste. Extra Aaamazing topped with a dusting of Almond Parmesan!

Notes:

Depending on the size, I generally use 1 zucchini & 1 cucumber per person. You can use half of each if they are on the larger side but even then it won't hurt to have a little extra on your plate.

You could also use raw nut meat with this as well. The nut meat is a combination of walnuts and mushrooms...really delicious! You can find the recipe here. Since this is for an Italian style dish, I recommend subbing the spices to be more of an Italian flare...sage, thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram and sun-dried tomatoes. Use your best judgment on which ones to use and combine.

This could easily be prepared for to go lunches. Make a batch of the marina'raw' sauce, cut up some vegetables and store for quick access to preparing a 'to-go meal' or anytime when your at home. A little preparation goes a long way. The sauce will last up to 5 - 6 days and the fresh chopped veggies should last about the same.

If you're in a pinch, try subbing in bottled organic tomato sauce of choice. It won't be considered 100% raw but it will still be delicious!

I use the Paderno Spirooli which is around $35 on Amazon, lots of features compared to others (you can wait for sales and purchase for cheaper). You can also use a julienne tool which is much less cumbersome and can easily fit into your utensil drawer.

Enjoy often!