Taco Night! Raw Vegan Walnut Mushroom Filling and more

Raw Vegan Tacos and Dip

 

I'm going to get right to the recipes as I'm a bit short on time, so I'll just let you look at the yummy pictures.

 

Raw Vegan Tacos with Baby Romaine

 

However, I will say that it's taken me a while to post more of my raw vegan Mexican food because, just like when I used to cook, I never measured - especially when it came to Mexican food.  Anyway, I finally did. 

 

Raw Vegan Tacos with my Soft Spicy Corn Tortillas

 

Walnut Mushroom Taco Filling - raw & vegan

(for my nut-free version, go here)

 

1 heaping cup walnuts

2 1/2 cups quartered baby portobellos (8oz package)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ancho chili powder (I typically use more)

1 tsp smoked cumin powder

1/2 Tbs Braggs liquid aminos (or Tamari)

 

Put all ingredients in order into food processor and pulse process until you have small bits that resemble taco meat.  Don't over process or you will end up with pate.  This will be light in color, but will darken after a little while. 

 

Store in fridge for a couple hours to let the ingredients mingle or eat immediately.  This is best when eaten fresh, but will last in the fridge for one extra day.

 

Note:  I change this recipe up almost every time I make it by adding other spices, increasing the heat, etc.  It's very versatile, so adjust to your taste buds.

 

For the rest of the recipes you can find them here:

Spicy Hemp Cheese - nut-free

Soft Spicy Corn Tortillas

 

My pico de gallo will be in the next post.

 

Peace☮

Rocki

Sweet Potato Fudge Cookies - Semi-Raw and Vegan

Sweet Potato Fudge Cookies

I'm quite pleased with how this experiment turned out!  Delicious, chewy, fudgy, healthy and guilt-free cookies that are vegan, gluten-free and semi-raw. 

I like to keep most of what I eat nut-free, but of course I do enjoy the occasional nut loaded food.  Instead of using any type of nut or seed, I decided to try a sweet potato to create a yummy raw cookie.  Well, short version... raw sweet potatoes do not agree with my digestion, plus there are some things that are simply not meant to be eaten raw, in my humble opinion. 

Anyway, to satisfy my curiosity and tummy, I steamed the sweet potato.  Voila'!  That worked out much better.  Even though the sweet potato is lightly steamed, with everything else involved I consider this recipe to be semi-raw.

These cookies are dehydrated, but no worries as there's other options in case you don't have one or feel like waiting a few hours until they are done.

Before I get to the recipe for these super yummy cookies, I just want to make note that the dough is very thick when processing.  So if you do not have a good heavy duty food processor, you'll probably want to split it in half and finish processing it that way.  I'll explain in the recipe when to split the batch.


Sweet Potato Fudge Cookies
Semi-Raw and Vegan

2 cups roughly chopped steamed sweet potato (not yams)
1 1/2 cups semi-packed medjool dates (if dates are hard, soften them up a bit in water)

Put the above ingredients in food processor and process just enough to break down a bit.  Leave the mixture in the processor and add in the following:

1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 oat flour (I make my own from gluten-free oats)
1 Tbs agave (or more to desired sweetness)
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt
fresh water

Start processing until everything is well combined.  If mixture seems too dry, start adding water 1 TBS at time.  At this point, if your processor cannot handle the dough mixture, remove about half of it to a bowl and continue processing until well combined and then do the same for the mixture in the bowl.

Form into cookies and place on mesh tray.  Dehydrate at 115° F for approximately 7-10 hours.  Time frame will vary due to location, weather, humidity, dehydrator, wetness, thickness, etc.

No dehydrator?  No problem.  Simply roll the cookie dough into bite size balls and if so desired, roll the balls into shredded coconut, hemp seeds, etc. then pop them in the freezer.

Or... if you're not raw, pop them in the oven at a low temp for about 30 minutes or until desired doneness. 

Store in freezer or fridge. 

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Veggie Herb Flatbread

Veggie Herb Flatbread - Raw, Vegan & Gluten-Free

Please excuse the photo quality.  I typically take my photos outside, but lately it is way too hot for me to do that.  If I did, the food would look like a pile of goo and I don't think that would look too appetizing. ;)

This is a version of my other flatbreads.  I made my Raw Vegan Sloppy Joe's over the weekend and wanted something a little different than the others, so I created this one.  It's very flavorful and went quite well with the Joe's!  Let's just get right to the recipe...  

Raw Vegan Veggie Herb Flatbread

1 1/2 cups flax meal
1/2 cup hemp heart seeds
1/4 cup heaping nutritional yeast
1 Tbs phyllium husk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine above ingredients in large bowl and set aside.

1/3 cup heaping sundried tomatoes - soaked in 1 1/2 cups water until softened.  Reserve soak liquid and set aside.

1 very large tomato
drained sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup onion roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove roughly minced
1 small peeled zucchini
1 small carrot roughly chopped
1 Tbs Herbs de Provence
1 tsp Mediterranean Basil
1 tsp Mediterranean Marjoram
1 tsp onion powder
pinch of sea salt

In food processor, process until well combined and somewhat resembles thick pasta sauce. 

Add 1 cup of the reserved soak water to the dry mix bowl and combine.  This will be thick.  Stir in the veggie mixture and combine well. 

This made 1 full tray plus a small square.  Spoon the mixture onto two lined dehydrator trays - pending on how big you want to make the squares.  Evenly spread the mixture, but don't spread it too thin as it will shrink up a bit in the dehydrator.

Put into the dehydrator at 145° F for 1 hour only then turn down to 115° F.  About another 30-45 minutes after that, or when the top is dry to touch, transfer the flatbread to a mesh tray.  Put a mesh sheet on top of the bread along with a tray, flip it over and remove it from the lined sheet by slowly peeling it off.  Put it back in the dehydrator until done.  I typically rotate the tray around on the hour or so, but is not necessary.  Total time will vary due to location, weather, humidity, dehydrator, wetness, thickness, etc.  I live in the dry desert, so this only took approximately 6 hours. 

Cut into desired sizes and once completely cooled, put into a ziplock bag or other container.  This will also soften the bread.  Can be stored on counter for a couple days or put in fridge.

Enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Whipped Tators - Mashed Cauliflower

Raw Vegan Mashed "Tators" - cauliflower that is

Just because we eat a raw vegan "it's a lifestyle not a diet", doesn't mean we can't have mashed "tators".

When I first heard about cauliflower mashed tators I was intrigued.  Then I started playing around with recipe ideas - until I created this one.  Whenever we're in the mood for some good ol' whipped/mashed "tators", this is my go-to recipe.  It's smooth, fluffy and oh so yummy!

You can use fresh or frozen (defrosted of course), but I prefer the frozen cauliflower for this recipe.  I know... I hear the gasps, but for some reason frozen cauliflower is easier on my tummy than fresh.  Anyway... if you use fresh, you'll need to adjust the liquid.  This recipe is for frozen.


Raw Vegan Whipped "Tators" - Mashed Cauliflower

1 16oz bag frozen cauliflower - defrosted
1/8 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 cup cashews - soaked for at least 4 hours then rinse & drain
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp sea salt - or to taste
1/8 tsp white pepper - or to taste
1 Tbs of EVO (extra virgin olive oil)

Put all ingredients into high speed blender and blend until smooth & creamy.  If it is too thick, thin it out by adding more almond milk a little at a time until desired consistency.  Top with black pepper, take a bite, smile and enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Tomato Stack

Tomato Stack Lunch

Want a quick, simple and satisfying lunch or snack?  Try my super easy Tomato Stack.  You should have seen the whole tomato as it was as big as my hand!  In fact, I could have stacked it higher, but this was perfect.

This is so simple that it doesn't actually require a recipe, so I'm just going to write up the basics and you take it from there.  Okie dokie? 

Tomato Stack

1 large tomato - sliced thick
1 small avocado - mashed and seasoned to taste
sliced sweet onion
sprouts

Layer ingredients and enjoy.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Eggplant Spinach Zucchini Rolls with Sunflower Seed Pate

Raw Vegan Meal

Last Sunday we had lazy morning planned before going on an afternoon outing.  Well, for me that meant playing with food.

I was originally going to make another variation of my raw lasagna, but then my mind started to roll.  Literally ;)  I told Mark my idea and he said it sounded yummy!  So I went with it.

These triple layer rolls of goodness goes like this: 1st layer - marinated eggplant topped with my sunflower seed pate and shredded carrots then rolled. 2nd layer - spinach leaves topped with my hemp ricotta style "cheese" and wrapped around the eggplant roll. 3rd layer - zucchini lasagna noodles topped with more sunflower seed pate and snugly wrapped around the spinach leaves. 

Yum. 

There are a few steps to this and I meant to take pictures of them, but... so I'll just break down each step of my recipe with the ingredients needed.  It's not an all day prep, but do allow yourself a little time.

Eggplant Spinach Zucchini Rolls with Sunflower Seed Pate
makes approximately 12 rolls - pending size of veggies

Step 1 - Eggplant Marinade

1 eggplant - thinly sliced. I used my mandolin at about 1/8" - set aside.

Marinade:
1 Tbs each: apple cider vinegar, braggs amino acids, agave
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Stir well to combine.  Place the sliced eggplant in a Ziploc bag or large pan/dish and pour the marinade over them.  It will appear that there is not enough, but the juice from the eggplant will develop while marinating.  Try to coat each slice with marinade and double stack the eggplant so they can mingle.  Marinate approximately 60 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.

note: I got 12 slices from the eggplant I used, but please take into account that veggie sizes vary.  If yours is very large then you'll need to adjust the amount of marinade 

Step 2 Hemp Ricotta Style "Cheese"

1/2 cup heaping hemp heart seeds + 2 Tbs
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/4 cup water

In blender, blend all ingredients.  You may need to stop blender and work down ingredients.  It will look similar to ricotta cheese.  Due to blenders vary, adjust the water as needed, but you don't want it watery.  Put in small bowl and into fridge while preparing next step.  This will also thicken it up more.

Step 3 - Sunflower Seed Pate

1/2 cup heaping sunflower seeds (soaked and dehydrated, but not necessary)
1/2 cup hemp heart seeds
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove - minced
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 tsp basil (fresh would be best, but I was out)
fresh Rosemary sprigs - approximately 1-2 inches
1/8 tsp sea salt

In food processor add the sunflower and hemp seeds and process until you have little bits, almost flour like.  Add in the remaining ingredients and process until well combined.  Divide into 2 small bowls, cover and set aside while preparing the next step.

Step 4 - Shredded Carrots, Zucchini and Spinach Leaves

2 large carrots - shredded.  I used my food processor with the shredder attachment to make it easy, but however you wish is fine.  Put in bowl and set aside.

1 long large zucchini - sliced thin.  I used my mandolin at about 1/8".  Have an extra zucchini on hand just in case.

Spinach Leaves - as many as you need, grab a handful and set them aside

Step 5 - time to rock and roll

Remove the marinated eggplant from the dish and onto a paper towel lined tray or cutting board.  Place another paper towel over them and pat dry.  You don't want them wet and juicy.

Have at least 2 trays to work with: a large one for rolling up the different veggie layers with and the other to place them on.  I used 3 trays - I tend to spread out.  Also give yourself enough room and set out all the ingredients in working order.  Here we go...

1st layer: take a marinated eggplant slice and roughly spread with sunflower pate - you don't need to cover it completely or be neat and perfect.  Make sure to get a little dab at both ends so it will seal close.  Top with shredded carrots and roll up snug.

2nd layer: take 1 large spinach leaf (depends on size of leaf, but you want it to wrap around so use 2 if needed) add some hemp ricotta "cheese" on it and wrapped it around the eggplant roll.

3rd layer: take a zucchini lasagna noodle, roughly spread with a little pate, again at the ends, and snugly wrapped around the spinach leaves.

Now repeat until done.  I had a little bit of the mixtures left over, but not much, so I made a few extra zucchini rolls with it. 

Oh and I double wrapped a few of the rolls with the zucchini, but the rest I only used one as I like how they look with the spinach - more colorful.

You can serve these immediately or chill in fridge for a couple hours and then enjoy.

Peace☮
Rocki

Becoming Raw Book and Rocki's Tropical Peachy Green Smoothie

Becoming Raw Book and Rocki's Tropical Peachy Green Smoothie

If you're new to raw or thinking about becoming a raw vegan, I highly recommend this book: Becoming Raw.  This is one of the first of several books I bought when Mark and I started on our raw path almost 2 years ago.  I keep this informative guide book in my kitchen and still reference it - and learn something new each time.

While this is not a recipe book, it does have a few in there.  But in short, it is a complete book filled with science-based raw vegan nutrition from A to Z - and much more. This easy to read book is packed full with a wealth of information and truly is an "essential guide to raw vegan diets".

I'm including my smoothie recipe in this post since I do have it pictured.  That would be rude of me if I didn't ;)

Tropical Peachy Green Smoothie

2 handfuls baby spinach
1 peach (or 1 cup frozen)
1 large frozen banana
1 Tbs dried coconut shreds
1 piece peeled turmeric (approx. 1")
1 Tbs flax meal
1 Tbs maca powder
3/4 cup coconut water (adjust as needed)

Blend in a powerful blender and enjoy.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Puerto Rican Rice

Cauliflower Rice - Raw Vegan Puerto Rican II

 

One thing I love to do in the kitchen is turn traditional food raw - especially what I call "old school" favorites. While this raw version isn't actually old school, it is an old favorite that we used to have quite frequently at our friends house long ago.

 

The above version of my Puerto Rican Rice is a spinoff of the first one that I made, which is below.  There isn't too much of a difference recipe wise, but was enough to give it a bit more flavor so am posting both recipes. 

 

Raw Vegan Puerto Rican Rice II

 

1 small head cauliflower

3/4 cup roughly chopped onion

1/2 cup heaping sundried tomatoes - soaked and drained well

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp Saffron

1/8 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup peas

 

Cut cauliflower into chunks, put into food processor and pulse several times until you have rice like pieces - don't over process or you'll have mush.  Scrape sides as needed.  Depending on size of your processor, you may need to do this part in 2 batches.  Put "rice" into large bowl and set aside. *don't clean the processor*

 

Add the following to the food processor:

 

roughly chopped onion

sundried tomatoes

Process until you have semi-small bits.

 

Add in the chopped cilantro and pulse process a few times. Add this mixture to the rice bowl and stir in the following spices only and combine well:

 

cayenne pepper

cumin

Saffron

turmeric

garlic powder

sea salt

 

Gently stir in the peas.

 

Serve immediately or put in fridge to chill.  Store in fridge for up to approximately 3 days.  Remember, this is fresh food so it's best to eat it sooner than later. 

 

 

Raw Vegan Puerto Rican Rice Dish

 

This is my first recipe and again, while there's not much difference in ingredients, there was a definite overall taste in flavor.  Both scored two thumbs up from my official taste tester. 

 

Raw Vegan Puerto Rican Rice

 

1 small head cauliflower

1/2 cup roughly chopped onion

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes

1/2 Serrano pepper - seeded

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup peas

 

Cut cauliflower into chunks, put into food processor and pulse several times until you have rice like pieces - don't over process or you'll have mush.  Scrape sides as needed.  Depending on size of your processor, you may need to do this part in 2 batches.  Put "rice" into large bowl and set aside. *don't clean the processor*

 

Add the following to the food processor:

 

roughly chopped onion

sundried tomatoes

serrano pepper - seeded

Process until you have semi-small bits.

 

Add in the chopped cilantro and pulse process a few times. Add this mixture to the rice bowl and stir in the following spices only and combine well:

 

cayenne pepper

cumin

turmeric

garlic powder

sea salt

 

Gently stir in the peas.

 

I served this rice with avocado slices and sliced bananas sprinkled with Saigon cinnamon.  Both version are delicious room temp or chilled.

 

Peace☮

Rocki

 

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Cookie Dough Bliss Balls

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

 

This is another recipe that I transferred from my old blog



My grandma made the best oatmeal molasses raisin cookies.  In fact, I can still smell them!  Lots of fun was spent in the kitchen at my grandparents house.  Sweet memories.

My Raw Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are guilt-free, gluten-free, healthy and very tasty.  They go pretty quick too, so next time I'll make a double batch... maybe even triple. 

The aroma of these cookies in the dehydrator is like pure bliss!

No worries if you do not have a dehydrator as you can eat these cookies completely raw!  You can form them into cookie shapes or Bliss Balls (see below) - they taste like oatmeal cookie dough! 

Raw Vegan Cookie Dough Bliss Balls

For this batch I did a little of both, and Mark took them to work to share.  I rolled some in hemp heart seeds, some in coconut sugar and the rest I left plain.  Shredded coconut would be a nice topping too... so many choices.

Here's my simple recipe for a yummy healthy treat.

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Bliss Balls

1 heaping cup of soaked steel cut gluten-free oats (rinsed and drained) - or regular oats
1 cup flax meal
1/2 cup walnuts (soaked and dehydrated - optional)
2 Tbs hemp heart seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Roasted Saigon Cinnamon (or regular)
1/4 tsp sea salt

Put into food processor and pulse to combine.

Add in:
1/2 cup packed medjool dates (or dates of choice), process until well combined and can hold it's shape when rolled into a ball.

Add in 1/4 cup full of golden raisins and pulse just a few times to mix in.  You can leave the raisins out if you like.

For dehydrated cookies:

Form into balls, sprinkle with a tiny bit of coconut sugar (or sugar of choice) and flatten.  Put onto mesh dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees for approximately 4-6 hours or until desired doneness.  Time will vary due to weather, location, dehydrator, etc.

For bliss balls:

Form into round balls and if desired, roll into coconut shreds, hemp seeds, coconut sugar... or leave plain.  I love them plain.

Store them in the fridge or freezer - if they last that long. 

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Blueberry Jam

Raw Blueberry Jam

I LOVE jam and my grandma made the best ever!  Okay okay, hands down... make that ALL grandma's made the best jams.  I have a lot of favorites, but blueberry is number one.

Back when I ate traditional food, especially growing up, I put jam on my waffles, pancakes, crackers, a spoon, my face, etc.  And of course P&J sammies - and lots of it.  The more the better. My P&J's were more like J's.

I've never made traditional jams, but that's okay because I can make my own raw version anytime I want.  This is a simple basic recipe that can be used with other fresh fruits and altered as well, such as add your own sweetener if the fruit is on the tart side or if you have a major sweet tooth. 

It's so fresh and tasty that it will make you want to eat the whole jar!  And guess what?  You can!  Or you can put it on anything you wish.  Ooh and its super tasty on top of nice-cream - guilt-free vegan ice cream made with frozen bananas.  That will be another post, for now let's get to the recipe.

Blueberry Jam
2 Tbs *chia seeds
1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
Optional: 1 Tbs (or to taste) agave or sweetener of choice if fruit is tart or you prefer sweeter jam

Add chia and water in a small dish or cup, stir and set aside - this will gel. Put blueberries in food processor and process briefly or until desired texture. I like little bits of fruit in mine so I don't process them entirely smooth. Put the blueberries in a bowl and add the gelled chia.  Stir/wisk to combine well.  This is best when chilled at least 30 minutes or longer as this gives the chia more time to absorb and give more of a jam taste and appearance.

Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

*chia seeds are known as a superfood.  They are gluten-free, a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants.  These tiny little seeds have healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein and minerals.  They can absorb 10-12 times their body weight in a short amount of time.  Chia is a dieter's perfect food as it adds bulk and makes your tummy fill fuller longer.  There are numerous health benefits by adding chia to your regular diet and many ways to include it.

Note: the jam and almond butter is on my soft fruit tortillas that I'm using as flat bread, which will be in an upcoming post.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan "Baked" Bean Sauce - great on veggies too!

Raw Vegan "Baked" Bean Sauce

As you may know by now, I enjoy turning traditional foods raw and vegan.  However, there are some foods that I cannot eat or do not like.  Let me back up to give you a little perspective, I have several food allergies and I'm practically and joyfully fully raw, say at least 95%, while Mark is at least 85% raw.  There are several foods that he likes that I've recreated for him to fit into our raw lifestyle and this is one of them - Baked Beans.

While the beans themselves are not raw, the sauce I created is and I must say is pretty darn tasty!  Too bad I didn't get to partake on the entire dish - beans do not like me one little bit.  I can, however, handle adzuki beans that I sprout myself. 

Anyway, Mark was hankering for some baked beans so to the store I went.  I read the ingredients on several cans and decided that this was doable.  Because I do not cook food, I bought a can (bpa free) of Eden Organic white beans and home I went.  I donned my Raw Vegan Mad Scientist Coat (apron) and into the garden I went (kitchen).  After adding this and that, adjusting here and there, I exclaimed "I MADE RAW VEGAN BAKED BEANS!" - with a bit of weird science laughter.  

Into the office I went with my bowl and spoonful of sauce.  I gave Mark a taste.  His eyes glazed over with delight - or maybe I had forgotten to wipe the sauce off my chin.  Anyway, I had to stop him from taking the bowl out of my hand. In other words, I had another success!

Here is my recipe for the sauce that can be added to your own cooked beans or canned. 

RAW VEGAN "BAKED" BEAN SAUCE

1 15 oz bpa free can of white beans - drained and rinsed - or use beans of choice.  This sauce was rather delicious on my raw veggies, so the choice is yours.

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes - soaked in 1 1/2 cups fresh water and drained - reserve soak water
1 cup of the soaked water
4 medjool dates
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 Tbs raw gluten-free apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/8 tsp turmeric - ground/powder
1 tsp mustard
pinch of sea salt

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until creamy.  Due to date fruit size varies, along with blender types, you may need to add more of the soak water and/or adjust to desired liking.

Pour sauce onto beans and gently stir to combine.  Enjoy immediately or chill for a couple hours.  Store in fridge up to 3-4 days.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Spicy Hemp Cheese Sauce - Nut-Free

Cheese Sauce - Raw, Vegan and Nut-Free

This is a recipe from my old blog that I've transferred here.

Today was such a beautiful day all around.  We got some needed work done around the house in the morning, prepared veggies for Mark's lunch for tomorrow, played barber and cut Mark's hair, went for an awesome bicycle ride and now relaxing on the couch until it's time to create dinner. 

Oh wait, I forgot one little detail... made a batch of my hemp cheese.  Yum yum yum!

We sat down to have lunch and dug right into our veggies and cheese sauce.  I dunked my zucchini into the bowl of deliciousness, took a bite and looked at my cheesy zucchini - it looked like a half moon.  Mark's exact words were: "Well, they say the moon is made of cheese."  He always makes me laugh!

Not only is this cheese sauce gluten, dairy and nut-free, but it is super healthy and guilt-free!  Okay, on with my recipe as I'm wanting to dig back into the cheesy goodness.

Raw Vegan Hemp Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup water
1 red bell pepper
1 large garlic clove
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
3 TBS nutritional yeast (heaping)
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS raw apple cider vinegar
1 Serrano chili pepper, seeds removed (or pepper of choice)
1 cup hemp heart seeds

Put everything into your blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  You can add more water if you want a thinner consistency.  Sometimes I add a little tahini for added creaminess.

Living in the southwest we tend to love heat, especially in our food.  Well, actually it took Mark a long time to realize that ketchup was NOT salsa (silly boy).  Now he loves heat in his food too :)  But no worries if you don't as you can change the flavor of the cheese by omitting both peppers and enjoy as is or add herbs and spices of your choice.  You can also use a yellow bell pepper instead of the red.  So many choices.

Time to eat.  Chow for now.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Onion Rings

Raw Vegan Onion Rings

Ahhhhh... the smell of onion rings.  Due to food allergies, I haven't had onion rings or the likes in over 14 years.  I can honestly say that one of the traditional snack foods I miss is onion rings.  Now hear me out.  I don't mean the greasy, high calorie junk food onion rings themselves.  Well that's what they were, but I miss the taste.  Yes I know that doesn't make sense... welcome to my world ;)

I am beyond happy with my raw vegan lifestyle and would never change it - I thrive for raw food, but I'm human and sometimes have cravings.  When that happens, I turn traditional food raw and healthy. 

Back to front: coconut flour, coconut milk and flax meal & coconut shreds blend

I wanted to keep this batch nut-free.  I'm not allergic to nuts and do use them as they provide nutritional value, but I don't use them daily as I like to keep our meals low fat.  I also wanted a different flavor than traditional onion rings.  Coconuts were my inspiration - along with lack of sleep.  For some reason my mind likes to create at the most odd times.  I didn't object this time :)

My house smells like I can eat it!

I had no idea how long it would take for them to dehydrate.  I live in the southwest and yes it's dry with very little humidity here, but we do experience changes in weather from frost to our fair share of humidity, along with heat.  Yesterday was 98 degrees and we were heading for a record spring day high, so it probably wasn't the best day to test these out.  Well, to sum this part up it only took 7 hours, but there are many variables to this which will be in the recipe below.

Guilt-free onion rings

I was pleasantly surprised how this batch came out!  They had the crunch factor I wanted and the tropical like coconut flavor was perfect.  I'm going to make a couple of adjustments, like make them thicker (I love thick chunky onion rings!) and am already working up another onion ring recipe with a different overall flavor.

Oh and don't expect traditional fried onion rings, this is a healthy raw version which scored me two thumbs up from my official taste tester.  Mark mumbled: "MMMMMMM" along with something else but I couldn't quite make it out while he was taking bite after bite after...

One final note then onto the recipes.  I wanted a dipping sauce that would compliment the coconut onion rings.  So I basically threw something together and will include that below.

Raw Vegan Onion Rings

2 large sweet onions (or onions of choice) sliced and rings separated
I used the 3/8" on my mandolin, but would have preferred a thicker ring.  Just note that the thicker the slices the longer in the dehydrator

Bowl #1
1 cup coconut flour

Bowl #2
1 cup coconut milk (if you use canned, thin it out to milk consistency or use almond milk)

Bowl #3 (dry)
1 cup flax meal
1 cup dried coconut shreds (I used unsweetened)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

This is the messy part and will take a little while, but it's super easy so put on some good music and have fun. 

In bowl # order dredge/coat each onion ring into the mixture and put onto dehydrator sheet.  I used the back of a large spoon handle, with made it easier and less messy.  Here's the breakdown:

- Coconut flour (#1) this is a dusting only to prepare the ring for the next bowl, so do not worry if it looks like nothing is sticking - it will simply look like dust
- Coconut milk (#2) dip the dusted ring into the milk to coat
- Dry mix (#3) place the ring into the dry mixture and coat well.  Before placing on dehydrator sheet, give the ring a little shake into the dry bowl to let any loose ingredients fall off.

Note: due to veggie size varies, you may need to add more to the bowls if you run low.

Dehydrate at 115° F approximately 7-12 hours or until desired doneness.  Please note that time varies due to numerous factors, such as type of dehydrator, humidity, weather, thickness of onion rings, etc., so please take this into account.  As mentioned earlier, I live in the desert and it was a hot day yesterday so this batch took around 7 hours (I have a 5 tray Excalliber). 

Storage: we ate most of these with our salad last night and there was about a couple handfuls left so I stored them in a zip bag in the fridge.  This morning I tested them (I had to, it's my job) and they were still crunchy with a moister onion - total yum factor!


Sweet n Spicy Dip/Sauce/Dressing

1 yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup hemp heart seeds
1 small Serrano pepper (seeded)
1 Tbs agave
1 Tbs raw gluten-free apple cider vinegar

Blend until smooth and creamy.  This was super yummy with the onion rings, as well as on our salads.

Hope you enjoy these recipes.  Once I create the other onion ring batch I'll post it.

Peace☮
Rocki

Flax Seeds and Meal

Flax Seeds and Flax Meal

These itty bitty seeds are a nutritious plant source of fiber (soluble and insoluble), omega 3 essential fatty acid, antioxidants and lignans.  They are a kitchen staple for raw foodist's as well as in many traditional kitchens. 

I use flax in a variety of my raw recipes in place of nuts and oat flour or in addition to, as I like to keep a low fat diet, but mainly for the nutrients.  I use it in our daily smoothies, crackers, bread, tortillas, pizza crust, cookies, brownies... the list is endless.  Flax is a perfect food to add to many recipes, not just for the nutritional value, but because they act as a binder as well - an excellent replacement for oil and eggs.  When soaked, they become gelatin and gummy/sticky like which helps hold ingredients together and adds a bit of bulkiness.  

Some recipes call for both flax meal and seeds, or one or the other.  It depends on what you're making really.  For instance, flax seeds makes an excellent cracker, but I also add flax meal to mine.  You can eat the flax seeds on their own, but it is said that you may not be receiving the entire nutritional benefits as the seeds may pass through your intestines undigested.  In any case, you can't go wrong by adding at least 1 Tbs a day of flax meal or flax oil to your healthy diet - for starters.

Flax seeds are best stored in a dark sealed container or at least in a dark area such as your pantry, and store flax meal in the fridge or freezer to keep it from loosing its nutritional value.  I buy flax seeds in bulk and grind my own with a coffee grinder as needed and enough for about a weeks worth of smoothies, etc.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Pizza - Nut and Gluten-Free Crust

Raw Vegan Pizza

This is one of my recipes from my old blog that I've transferred here.

 

One thing I love to make is my raw vegan pizza... nom nom nom!  That's right... raw vegan pizza.  Follow me and I'll tell you about it.

Nut-Free Pizza Crust

Above is my own tasty recipe for the crust, which is not only raw and vegan, but also gluten and nut free.

Pizza with lots of veggies!

I like to change up my pizza each time I make it, from a variety of toppings, sauce or no sauce and cheese.  Yes, that's right... raw vegan cheese.  Stay with me now and I'll give you the recipe soon.

Mandala Pizza

I know my pictures are not the best, but heck, I just love how this one looks so have to share another view of it.

Back into the dehydrator

After I put all the ingredients onto the crust I then popped it back into the dehydrator for about an hour.  This gives the cheese time to settle in with the ingredients and makes the house smell yummy!

Fresh sliced pizza anyone?

If you think us raw vegans only eat bunny food, take a look at this scrumptious pizza.  Well, we do still love our bunny food :)

This slice is all mine!

And now it's time to eat!  As you can see, the crust holds up nicely and is quite filling.  We had a small side salad with a couple little slices and... okay, well not so little... and we were full.

That's the end of my pizza tour and now it's time for the recipes for my crust and cheese.

Raw Rocki's Pizza Crust

1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (ground into little bits like flour)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 TBS psyllium husk
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes - soaked in 1 1/2 cups warm water for about 30 minutes (drain and reserve liquid as you'll need it in the next step)
1 large tomato
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or clove
1 tsp fennel seeds
pinch sea salt

Put ingredients into a food processor and process well.  The mixture will be somewhat thick and not watery.

Add 3/4 cup of the soaked water to the dry mixture bowl and combine well.  Now add the above tomato mixture to the bowl and stir until combined.  If mixture seems too thick, add more water a little at a time.  It won't be like typical pizza dough, but will be thick and pliable enough to form with your hands.

Line a dehydrator mesh tray with a teflex sheet (or similar) and spoon the mixture onto it.  I put another teflex sheet on top of the mixture then use a rolling pin and then my hands to form into a big round pizza crust shape.  You can also make a big square pizza too, I do that sometimes.  Don't make it too thin as it will shrink up while dehydrating.

Put into the dehydrator at 145° F for 1 hour only then turn down to 115° F.  When the top crust is dry to touch (about 2 hours in), transfer it to another mesh tray and remove it from the teflex sheet by slowly peeling it off.  Put it back in for about 1/2 hour or so and then flip back over until done.  Total time can vary between 4-6 hours or longer due to a variety of factors (thickness and size of crust, weather, location, etc.).  Mine took about 4 1/2 hours this time, but I live in a dry state so that is a factor.

When the crust is done, top with your favorite ingredients and either put it back into the dehydrator for about an hour or eat right away and enjoy!

**************************

Before I get to the cheese recipe, just want to mention that yes, all the ingredients are raw even the mushrooms.  We like the mushrooms to take on a little bit of "cooked" texture so I wilt them slightly by using a tiny bit of liquid amino acid like Braggs.


Raw Rocki's Pizza Cheese

1 cup cashews - soaked for at least 2 hours then rinse and drain
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic
3 TBS heaping of nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 TBS raw apple cider vinegar (I use Braggs Organic)
 1/4 cup water (can adjust texture by decreasing or increasing water for a thicker or thinner cheese)

Combine all ingredients into vitamix/blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  This makes much more than what you need for the pizza crust, but I always make this size batch because Mark likes to use it as a snack dip for his veggies, etc.

Hope you enjoy these recipes and feel free to change them up as you need to.

Peace☮
Rocki

Edited on 6/26/14

Raw Carrot Cake Smoothie Bowl

Raw Vegan Carrot Cake Smoothie

I love carrots! Especially organic carrots.  Not just because they're clean, but they are also sweet and oh so tasty.

What steered me in this direction, to make this delectable smoothie creation, is the color orange.  Ever turn I made there it was - orange.  From carrots to fruits, clothing to flowers, the cool motorcycle I was behind and even my big knife with the orange handle.  So I took the hint and went from there.

Carrot Cake Smoothie Bowl

Gooey Crumble:
2 dates
small handful walnuts
pinch of cinnamon

With fork and knife, or hands, crumble together in the old fashioned way.  This is fun and gooey. Set aside.

Smoothie:
1 super large organic carrot or 2 average size
2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup hemp milk (or milk of choice. adjust as needed)
a few shakes of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

Blend smoothie ingredients until creamy. It will be somewhat thick, but if you want it thinner, add some water a little at a time until you've reached the desired texture. 

Put a little of the gooey crumble at the bottom of bowl, mug or dish of choice - this is for when you've finished the smoothie, you can enjoy the last little bits.  Pour into dish. Stick gooey crumble on side of dish and lick fingers - this is so while you're enjoying the smoothie you can take a pinch, dip it in the bowl and pop it in your mouth.

Say it with me: mmmmmmmm!

Peace☮
Rocki

p.s.
If you want more of my recipes sooner than later, I post on IG (Instagram) daily.  While I do post regularly here on my new blog, sometimes life takes over and IG is quicker.  However, plans are to post more often here :)

Raw Carrot Pulp Bread

Raw Carrot Pulp Bread

We love carrot bread!  Just because we eat a raw diet doesn't mean we can't have it - especially since it's raw.

I finally came up with a pretty decent raw version that is also nut-free, and as always gluten-free and vegan.  Mark gave it two thumbs up with a big ear to ear chipmunk face grin, so I guess it passed the taste test. 



Raw Vegan Carrot Bread - Gluten-Free and Nut-Free

I played around with my basic flat bread recipe until I came up with this delicious bread.  Above is the entire loaf after 2 hours in the dehydrator.  Next I cut the scored sections into slices and back into the dehydrator it went for a few more hours.

Delicious and Healthy Raw Bread

I love everything about this bread, from flavor to texture.  Let me back up, when it is finished, the outer layer may seem a little dry, but bite into it and the moist carrot bread flavor will burst in your mouth!  The texture is dense, but not too heavy or wet.  In fact, I think the texture looks very similar to baked carrot bread.

Once the bread cools, store it in a sealed container and place in fridge.  It is even BETTER after a few hours in the fridge - very moist and oh so good!  Okay, I'll stop drooling over my bread and get to the recipe.

Raw Carrot Pulp Bread

Dry mix:
1 cup flax meal
1/2 cup hemp heart seeds
1 Tbs Psyllium husk
1/2 cup coconut flower
1 tsp Saigon cinnamon (regular is fine)
1/4 tsp ginger powder
pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Wet mix:
2 cups carrot pulp
1 ripe banana
1 cup dates
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup heaping raisins

Put all of the above wet mix *except raisins* into a food processor and process until well combined. 

Add the wet mixture into the dry mix bowl along with 3/4 cup additional water.  Add in the raisins.  This will be a thick dough like mixture.

Put mixture onto a dehydrator sheet, work it into a ball and then hand form it into a loaf.  Score the loaf at approximately 3/4" thick which will give you about 1/2" or so slice.  If you want a thinner or thicker bread, just remember to allow for shrinkage and adjust the time accordingly.

Place in dehydrator at 145° F for 1 hour.  After 1 hour, carefully remove it from the sheet and onto the mesh tray - do not flip it over.  Put the loaf back into the dehydrator for 1 hour at 115° F.  After the 1 hour, remove again and put on cutting board.  Cut the scored sections into slices.  Place the slices back onto the mesh tray and into the dehydrator at 1105° F for another 4-6 hours.  Total time in the dehydrator is approximately 6-8 hours.  Please note that time will vary due to weather, moisture, thickness of slices, preference, etc.

I already have plans for other breads, so stay tuned :)

Oh I almost forgot!  I made a spread for the bread, but it is so good we really didn't need it.  However, since I have it shown I will give the recipe for that too.  It's pretty basic and is also used in some deserts I make.

Sweet Lemon Spread/Icing

1/2 cup heaping cashews - soaked, rinsed and drained
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs agave
turmeric, peeled - about a pinky finger tip size
1/8 cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Depending on blender type, you may need to adjust the water.  This is a tasty spread/icing that can be used on crackers, bread, cakes, pies, fruit, veggies... so many things.

Enjoy creating!

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Apricot Bars - Vegan and Gluten-Free

Raw Vegan Apricot Bars

Whether fresh, dried, in smoothies, desserts, jams or savory meals, we love apricots!

One of Mark's favorite treats is my Raw Apricot Bars.  Like many of my other recipes, this has expanded from a few ingredients to several.  Coming up with different recipes depends on what I have on hand and my taste buds at that moment.  For the most part I like to keep it simple, but then there are times I want to be more creative and use a variety of ingredients. 

These apricot bars are chewy right off the bat with loads of flavor!  I can't go on without mentioning the nutritious side of this delicious bar.  Besides Vitamin C, apricots are a good source for Vitamin A as well as potassium and fiber, just to name a few.  I don't want to overlook all the other ingredients in this recipe, but I would be writing a short novel on each one if I did.  I'll just say that this is one healthy raw vegan treat.

Raw Apricot Bars - Vegan and Gluten-Free

1/2 cup cashews
1 cup dates
1 cup dried apricots
2 Tbs dried coconut shreds
1/4 cup hemp heart seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

In food processor:
- add cashews and process until semi-small bits
- add in the dates and apricots and process until broken down somewhat
- add in the remaining ingredients and process until well combined and can hold its shape - form into a firm ball to check then pop it in your mouth.

In an over lined 8x6 dish (or size of choice) scoop mixture in - it may appear that the dish is too small, but hang on we're not done yet.  Pat down enough so you can take the over wrap of the lining and cover the mixture.  Use your hands, spatula, small cup or other item and press/roll firmly down on the mixture until entirely evenly flat and firm. 

Put dish into freezer for at least 60 minutes.  Cover the dish, but not sealed.  Remove from freezer, lift out with the lining and onto a cutting board.  Discard lining and cut into desired size bars. 

I keep them stored in the freezer and we take one out when we want a snack.  They don't freeze like an ice cube, so you can eat them as soon as you take one out or let it sit on the counter for a few minutes if you prefer a more softer bar.  You can store them in the fridge as well, but I believe they last longer in the freezer - hidden behind the bananas so Mark can't find them.

Peace☮,
Rocki