SPINACH, WALNUT SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO SPREAD

 

 

 

I am all about zesty, flavorful food.  This pesto spread really delivers with bursts of sun dried tomatoes and lemon.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  It's Friday night so, let's do this!

 

 

SPINACH, WALNUT SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO SPREAD

 

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

3/4 cup raw walnuts

1-1/2 cup spinach

1-2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

Pealed and sliced pieces persian cucumbers

Fresh basil for garnish

 

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until combined well.  I don't like to process it too much, leaving this mixture a little chunky.  Use your desired amount of garlic and lemon juice.  The more you use the zestier it will be, so I'll leave that up to you...  Placed a small scoup of the pesto mixture on top of pealed and sliced persian cucumbers and top with a piece of fresh basil.  It's so fresh and flavorful! 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite pesto recipe? We'd love to hear what if is.  Feel free to share it in the comments below.  Links are welcome!

 





BANANA CREAM VANILLA SMOOTHIE



Sometimes you just want something simple, like you would vanilla ice cream. This is a super simple smoothie that I love to make when I am craving just that.  I hope you enjoy it too!

BANANA CREAM VANILLA SMOOTHIE

1 cup almond or coconut milk
1 to 1-1/2 banana, frozen chunks
2 dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yes, that's it!  Blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender.  Note:  I like my smoothies to be thick and creamy, especially this one.  Start off with 1 frozen banana and then if it looks too thin, slowly add more frozen banana, piece by piece, until you get the desired thickness.  Top your smoothie with chia seeds and raw cacao powder, or whatever your heart desires!  Yum!

Enjoy!



Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe?  We'd love to hear what if is.  Please share in the comments below.  Links are welcome!


RAW CASHEW CHEESE

I was vegetarian for many years before I switched over to mostly raw vegan.  For years I thought I would miss cheese too much.  But, to tell you the truth, I don't.  And the fact is, there are so many great alternatives like this, eating is still very exciting.  The flavors and textures are just out of this world!  I can't forget to mention too that my body is thanking me for it. 

One of my new favorite blogs is jarOhoney. They have fabulous recipes!  This recipe is based of their Cashew Cheese recipe. This is my first attempt, and really it was so easy! 

 

I will be using this cheese to make one or two recipes in the next couple days and hope to post them next week.

RAW CASHEW CHEESE

2 cups whole raw organic cashews  - buy whole cashews to ensure the best quality of nut which equals the best quality of cheese

1/4 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar

1 small ripe organic lemon, reserve juice then save peel for another recipe

3 tablespoon of water

3 layers of cheese cloth about 8 inches long

large rubber band

twist tie

long wooden or plastic spoon

deep container to hang the cheese ball from - read further and as show in the photo above

In a large bowl, soak the cashews in clean water for 16 hours.  Drain the cashews and rinse well.  In a blender blend on high the cashews, vinegar and lemon juice.  Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, to ensure smoothness of the cheese.  Be sure to blend to a creamy paste. 

Open up and then layer your cheese cloth together on top of each other.  Spoon in the cheese into the center.  Gather the sides of your cheese cloth up to make a pouch over the cheese and twist tie the top that is gathered tightly to the cheese but do not squeeze.  Tie the cheese cloth onto the large spoon or stick and suspend it in the large bowl to allow it to drain. It needs to be at least 2 inches deeper that the cheese ball.  Hang for 24 hours, drain the container if need be.  Gently unwrap your cheese and place in a sealable container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

  

Enjoy!

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite raw cheese recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

VEGAN BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES + VEGAN BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

Ever since my friend Christine and I took our hubbies to eat dinner at Mohawk Bend, I have been craving the Buffalo  Style Cauliflower with vegan blue cheese dressing we had there.  It was out of this world!  Who says vegan food is boring?  Definitely not.  This dish will satisfy your craving for something super flavorful and savory.  I got my inspiration from 86 Lemons.  The recipe is super easy. I'll definitely be making this again.

VEGAN BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES

 

1 cup almond milk

1 cup flour - you can use any kind of flour, even gluten free 

2 tsp garlic powder

1-1/2 head of cauliflower cut up into bite size pieces

1 cup buffalo sauce*

1 tablespoon olive oil

* I used Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce.  You should check the ingredients on the brand you want to use to be sure its vegan.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combine the flour, garlic powder and almond milk in a bowl and mix well. Dip a few pieces of the cauliflower at a time into the bowl.  Cover the cauliflower with the batter, shake off the excess batter and place on a prepared baking dish or cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how soft you want the cauliflower to be.

Combine the buffalo sauce and oil in a measuring cup and pour it over the baked cauliflower and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Now its ready to serve with the Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing...

VEGAN BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

 

1/4 block of firm or extra firm organic sprouted tofu

dash of garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic

3/4 cup Veganaise - I used reduced fat Veganaise

1 teaspoon tahini

1 lemon, juice of - use to your taste.  If you want it less tart, use less, more tart, use more

1 table spoon apple cider vinegar

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until well combined then crumble in the tofu to give it that blue cheese texture. Voila!!

I am really loving this dish.  Yum!

Join the discussion!

Do you have a spicy buffalo sauce recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE

pomegranate smoothie

 

It's time to get creative when you've set some goals to eat mostly raw for a stretch of days, right?  I love pomegranate so what a perfect time to come up with a pomegranate smoothie.  I love the soft feminine color of this smoothie and it has a really nice delicate sweet taste.   This is for all the the A Simply Raw Life  Food Challenge participants who are commited to eating raw or mostly raw for 10 days straight!  If you are on Instagram, take a look at all the food we are eating under our hashtag #asimplyrawlifefoodchallenge.

 

vegan pomegranate smoothie



POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE

 

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup fresh pressed apple juice

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen banana

 

Super easy and super delicious!  And its vgan too.   If you want to step it up, add in a big hand full of spinach.  Really loving the flavor of this!

 

Enjoy!

 

delicious pomegranate



 



Join the discussion!

Do you have a pomegranate smoothie recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

RAW ENERGY BAR WITH DATES AND APRICOTS

 

 

I really wish these bars would last longer when I make them.  Seriously,  they seem to disappear so quickly and probably so because I love giving these to friends to try.  So far, my first energy bar post has been the most popular.  You can find that recipe HERE. 

 

What I love about this recipe is that you can literally use any of your favorite nuts, dried fruits or even oatmeal and switch the recipe up to keep it interesting.  And this recipe is what we like to call super simple.

 



 

Here's the recipe...

 

RAW ENERGY BARS WITH DATE AND APRICOTS

Ingredients:

 

16 oz pitted dates
1 cup dried apricots

3/4 cup pepitas

3/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup macadamia nuts - optional
3 table spoons chia seeds

 

Note: You can also add 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut, which I think I am going to do next time.

Blend the dates and the apricots in the food processor until blended. It will be very, very sticky. Transfer it into a blow and then mix in all the other ingredients. Wet your hands slightly and knead and fold the ingredients togehter by hand. It will be tough but if you knead and fold it will eventually all be mixed togeher.

Tip, don't put in too many dry ingredients, it will make it more difficult to fold, mold and stick together.

Press the ball of ingredients into a wax paper lined 9" x 13" baking pan. Chill for 1 hour in the freezer and then cut into bars. I like to store these in the refrigerator, it keeps them at a nice firm consistency.

Voila!  I know you will love these and make them as much as I do.

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite energy or granola bar recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

 



VEGAN: ROASTED CAULIFLOWER W/TUMERIC, CUMIN & CURRY

Written by contributor Yumi Payne of Nastukashii.

 

Here's a side dish that has wonderful flavors to wake the palate!  This recipe is from chef Sera Pelle who is also consulting chef at the gastropub Mohawk Bend in Echo Park.  They have a variety of vegan dishes on the menu which are delicious. She also has a one-acre plot of land at home where she grows her own produce.  Jealous!

 

VEGAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH TUMERIC

 

 

I adapted the recipe to use olive oil instead of safflower and added a bit of curry to the mix.  

 

 

Try this dish with Sera's Coconut Jasmine Rice or Red Cabbage Salad with Fennel, Orange & Pepitas.

Enjoy!

RAW: BLONDIE WITH MACADAMIA + DATES

 

 

I am always looking for a super easy natural desserts or snack recipes to make for my family.  I use to be really into Larabars.  So, if you like those, you will definitely like this - maybe even more.  I tested these out with my coworkers and friends and it was unanimous!  So gooey delicious!  It has a little richness from the macadamia nuts and the sweetness is mild, that's what I like about it. 

 

 

 

 

 

I adapted my recipe from Amber Shea Crawley of Almost Vegan Chef's 5 Minute Blondies... Her recipe was for an individual size portion. I recently saw  the full recipe on Health Blender Recipes.  It looked so easy and good that I had to try it.   Thank you both!  So delicious!  Here's my adaptation.  I took out the sugar and added more dates and a splash of maple syrup.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 cup raw macadmia nuts

1 cup raw pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon mable syrup or agave

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup organic shredded coconut

15 dates, pitted

 

Combine the macadamia nuts, pecans in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coursely ground.  Add the vanilla, maple syrup, salt and coconut and pulse several more times until combined.  Add the dates 5 at a time, pulsing between additions, until each date is well incorporated.  The mixture will be sticky.  Transfer the mixture into a 9x13 backing sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press the mixture into the pan with your fingers or a spatula to pack it down tightly.  Freeze the blondies for an hour.  Now its ready to cut and serve.  Store blondies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

 

Enjoy!

 



 

 

 

 



PINEAPPLE + GINGER + MINT SMOOTHIE

Here in Southern California it is still burning up, so before I can even think about soup and cozy sweaters I’m still making smoothies, and thinking about getting that mani/pedi.   I have a few resources I like to use for smoothies, one being the app Whole Living Smoothies, you can see some of her other smoothie recipes here.  Its a collaboration from Martha Stewart and it includes smoothies for detox, immunity boosting, weight-loss, etc...  I adapted this weight-loss smoothie to make it raw.

Written by contibutor Britney Manuel of Btanjerine and A Simply Raw Life.

This smoothie is a melange of pineapple, ginger and mint.  And did you know pineapple can give you more than 100% of your recommended daily allowance of manganese, a mineral required to metabolize food?  Ginger is known to be a stomach settler, and a remedy for colds.  And mint is rich in Vitamins A and C and also contains smaller amounts of Vitamin B2. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant and may help to decrease the risk of certain cancers such as colon and rectal cancer.  And i didn’t know this, mint is a very good cleanser for the blood, and mint tea can help clear up skin disorders such as acne.  For more of the benefits of mint click here.  These are just a few reasons to get your sip on with this revitalizing and refreshing smoothie.


So here are the deets.

PINEAPPLE + GINGER + MINT SMOOTHIE

 

THE ESSENTIALS

1 c. frozen pineapple diced

1/2 c. coconut milk

5 mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon ginger (about the size of a dime)

dash of cinnamon

THE PROCESS

Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Makes 1 serving approximately 1 cup

Yumalicious!

DRINK: MATCHA GREEN TEA LEMONADE

 

 

 

If you like the drink Arnold Palmer (a mix of half lemonade and half iced tea) like my husband does, you will love this tasty drink.  On our recent jont out to True Food Kitchen, I had their Matcha Green Tea Lemonade and fell in love with it.  I love green tea, but in the middle of summer heat, you really don't feel like drinking a hot cup of tea.  This drink was so freshing and flavorful.

 

 

 

 

 



 

You can pick up Matcha, which is a stone ground green tea powder, from your local Whole Foods, or Asian Food Store.  This time I decided to try the one from Republic of Tea.    

 



 

INGREDIENTS 

 

For the Agave Lemonade Base:

 

1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

6 cups water

¾ cup agave nectar (or to taste)

1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated ginger root

 

Stir together the lemon juice, water and agave nectar. Stir in the grated ginger if desired, and chill thoroughly.

 

For the Matcha Tea Base: Steeping Instructions for two servings

Fill the kettle with fresh, filtered water and heat to just short of boiling. Fill the matcha bowl with 1 teaspoon of matcha powder.  Blend in 1-2 tablespoons of the hot watern and wisk.  Pour 8 oz of cold water and stir. 

Fill a glass with half matcha tea and half lemonde.  Garnish with a lemon wedge and a straw and sip.

So refreshing!  Enjoy!

 

 

Additional Information on Matcha

CAFFEINE:
On average, Matcha contains less than half the amount of caffeine per cup than in a similar-sized cup of coffee. 

Finally, are my shots I took of True Food Kitchen on Instagram...

True Foods Kitchen, Santa Monica, CA

True Foods Kitchen Matcha Green Tea Lemonade







VEGAN FOOD SHARE & MY TOFU TACOS

 

 

 

 

Pretty excited that my Tofu Tacos with an Asian Kick was featured on Vegan Food Share's Tumbler page and Instagram Feed.   I hope to be able to congure up more share worthy recipes in the future.  Thank you Vegan Food Share!

 





EGGPLANT & HERBED QUINOA



Vegan: Eggplant & Herbed Quinoa

 

A few of my friends are loyal Sprouted Kitchen followers, so naturally, I adopted them too as a great go to food blog for all things wholesome and scrumptious.  I was quite thrilled...ok probably more surprised when I tasted this medley of herbed quinoa.  The ingredients seemed kind of random while I was preparing it, dill, cilantro, basil, capers...etc.  All of these herbs and the capers have very distinct flavors so I was a tad skeptical that some of the flavors may be a bit overpowering, but I was wrong!  You can see the post at Sprouted Kitchen here.

The first time I made this dish I did the eggplant as suggested, and it was wonderful, but as of lately I’m a bit burnt out on the aubergine vegetable.  So I opted to use portabello mushrooms and zucchini, and it worked just as well.

So here are the deets!

Purple basil, dill & cilantro

portabello mushrooms

Dill, tri-color quinoa, red onion, pine nuts and capers

EGGPLANT & HERBED QUINOA

THE ESSENTIALS

• 3-4 medium eggplants (maybe 2 larger ones, 4 smaller ones)
• sea salt
• extra virgin olive oil
• za'atar seasoning
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• half of a small red onion, sliced thin
• generous handful each of fresh basil, dill and cilantro
2 Tbsp. capers, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

THE PROCESS

Cut the eggplants into 1 1/2'' rounds. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to release water.

Add the quinoa to a pot with a pinch of salt and 3/4 cup water or stock. Bring it to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff with a fork, cover again and leave it to steam another 5 minutes.

Heat up your grill or grill pan. Press the eggplants between a dishcloth or paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill for about 5 minutes per sides until you get nice dark marks and the texture seems pretty soft throughout. I like the softer texture that comes with covering them. Remove to a plate, drizzle a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar to taste.

To finish the quinoa, toss in the onions, all of the herbs, oil, vinegar, honey or agave and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Taste and adjust as you like.

Put the eggplants on a plate, top with the quinoa and garnish with the toasted pinenuts.

***NOTE:  A few things I changed.  So I've never heard of the seasoning za'atar, and the person at my local market had never heard of it, so I abandoned that seasoning.  If you have heard of it please leave a message below because I'd like to know where I can find it.  But wait it's probably at Whole Foods!  Also the first time I made this I did coat each eggplant piece with olive oil.  But the second go round I opted to just put some olive oil in the pan, and let the mushroom coat themselves, again I am a lazy vegan.  I also thought I'd try it this time with portabello mushrooms and zucchini.  So instead of the 2-3 eggplants I used 2 portabello mushrooms sliced, and 1 zucchini sliced into spears.

THE END...

ROASTED VEGETABLE + PEPITA SALAD WITH CRANBERRY QUINOA

Written by contributor Yumi Payne of Nastukashii.

Hello to all 'A Simply Raw Life' readers!  Thank you for stopping in.  I'm sure you've been enjoying all of the posts here as I have.  It's definitely sparked a lot of inspiration and motivation.

This salad has kind of a mouthful of a title, but I like getting an idea of what's in a dish by just knowing it's name.

Roasted vegetables are one of my favorite things to nibble on.   One of my go to side dishes is roasted carrots in olive oil & fennel seeds.  Super tasty.  Here, I added a few more things to go with...

Quinoa, nuts and seeds are always a tasty and filling addition to any salad.  All measurements are approximate.  Go with what balance you would prefer and have fun with it!

ROASTED VEGETABLE + PEPITA SALAD WITH CRANBERRY QUINOA

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 dozen carrots - sliced

1/2 red onion - sliced

1 red bell pepper - sliced

extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

salt & pepper to taste

2 medium sized zucchinis - sliced

a few dashes of chili powder

1/2 cup roasted salted pepita seeds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

mixed greens

Preheat oven to 425F.  In large bowl, combine carrots, red onion, bell pepper.  Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat vegetables after they are tossed. Add fennel seeds, then sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. On rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper,  spread out vegetables in even layer.   Roast in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes or until edges have browned a bit.  

While veggies are roasting, cook quinoa per directions on bag or box.  Remove from pot.  Add a cranberries. Allow to cool.  Then, heat grill pan over medium-high heat with about a tbsp of olive oil.  Add sliced zucchini pieces in one layer.  Add salt & pepper and chili powder to taste.  Grill in pan until tender.  Remove from pan. Allow to cool.  

After vegetables are done roasting, allow to slightly cool.  In large serving bowl, add mixed salad greens, quinoa/cranberries, pepita seeds, zucchini, and roasted vegetables.  

Toss and enjoy with salad dressing of choice.

Thank you to A Simply Raw Life for having me over!