Mexican Pizza - The Raw Vegan Way

Mexican Pizza - the Raw Vegan Way

We LOVE Mexican food (obviously) and could eat it 7 days a week.  Scratch that.  Make that Raw Vegan Mexican food.  Living here in the southwest we practically live on Mexican food.  In fact, Mark is getting much better with having a little heat in his food. 

Scratch that.  He now LOVES heat in his food.

Raw Mexican Pizza

I simply took one of my raw vegan pizza crusts out of the freezer (sometimes I make a few personal sized pizza crusts and store them in the freezer for up to a week, but they've never made it that long in there ;) and used the leftover walnut mushroom taco filling, mildly spicy hemp "cheese" and pico de gallo from the night before, along with some veggies and voila'!  Mexican pizza!

Eat the rainbow with my Raw Vegan Mexican Pizza!

You can find my pizza crust recipe here or for my soft corn tortillas go here - both raw and vegan of course.  My Walnut Mushroom Taco Filling is here  and my Pico de Gallo is here along with a nut-free taco filling.  Last but not least, is another version of my hemp cheese that I used for my Mexican pizza.

Hemp Cheese - Mildly Spicy version
 
1 yellow bell pepper
1 cup hemp heart seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (needed for the "cheese" flavor)
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
juice from half a lemon
1/4 cup water (or more)
good pinch of sea salt
*optional: small pepper of choice for more heat (tastes yummy with or without)

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  You might have to work the ingredients down with a tamper (if using vitamix) or stop and push/scrape down as needed.  This will be somewhat thick and creamy, but you can adjust it with more water to thin it down to your liking.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Nut-Free Taco Filling, Pico de Gallo and Green Baja Sauce

Pico de Gallo, Nut-Free Taco Filling, Green Baja Sauce - Raw and Vegan

For those who like or need to keep their meals nut-free, I altered my Walnut Mushroom Filling to accommodate you.  I like to keep most of our meals either nut-free or at least enjoy them sparingly.

This version I tweaked ever so slightly and replaced the walnuts with raw sunflower seeds.  It has a nice texture and same great flavor as my original recipe.  Perfect replacement for the walnuts.  I'm also working on another one, which I've made before but want to tweak it a bit more before posting it.

I also created another new sauce to go with our raw tacos tonight.  Mark loves my hemp cheeses, but I wanted something different and was thinking of a Baja sauce.  It came out fresh and bursting with flavor!

My pico de gallo is a staple here, we eat this regularly and it was funny to actually measure it.  I change this up frequently, so go with your taste buds.  Oh and yes, there was guacamole with our raw tacos.  Can't eat Mexican food without guacamole!  Any meal for that matter.

Nut-Free Taco Filling - Sunflower Seeds

1 heaping cup raw sunflower seeds

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

2 tsp Braggs liquid aminos (or Tamari)

 

Put sunflower seeds into food processor and process until you have small bits.  Add in remaining ingredients and pulse process until it resembles taco meat.  Don't over process or you will end up with pate - unless you want 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 one extra day.

 

Note: Feel free to adjust the spices to your to your taste buds - I do that all the time.

 

Green Baja Sauce

1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 small pepper for heat of choice - or use more yellow bell
1/4 cup roughly chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup hemp heart seeds
water as needed

Put all ingredients in blender and just a tiny bit of water to help get it going.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Add a little more water at a time to thin it out as desired.

Store in fridge for up to 3 days.


Pico de Gallo

3 medium tomatoes roughly chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup cilantro (small handful)
1/2 cup roughly chopped green onion
1/2 cup roughly chopped white or red onion (I use a mix of both)
2 cloves garlic - *minced (or see below for easy way to mince)
juice of 1 lime
jalepeno of desired amount or other pepper for heat
pinch or two of sea salt

Put all ingredients into food processor and pulse process until broken down into chunky little pieces.  Or, process until your desired consistency.  I like to put mine in mesh strainer and let most of the juice strain out so it doesn't make our tacos soppy wet.  Your choice.

*TIP: to mince garlic the easy way, turn food processor on and with it running toss in the garlic cloves and voila'! minced garlic!  Scrape down the sides and then add in the rest of the ingredients.

Hope you enjoy the recipes and have fun creating!

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Pizza Crust - Vegan, Gluten-Free and Nut-Free

Raw Vegan Pizza

Every time I make my pizza I like to change the toppings, and sometimes tweak the crust.  I have a couple of my raw vegan nut-free crust recipes posted here on my blog, but even though I only tweaked this one a bit, it was actually enough to make a much larger pizza or a couple medium ones. 

The toppings on the pizza above are: peeled carrots, sliced white onion, shredded red cabbage, sliced sweet yellow peppers, my own sundried cherry tomatoes and sliced avocados.  My Spinach Basil Pesto recipe can be found here.

Mark's Birthday Pizza and Bliss Ball "Cake"

Mark's birthday was July 1st.  I asked him what he would like for his birthday dinner and he said "PIZZA!"  You got it hon!  So I made him his special birthday pizza topped with marinated mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and avocado.  He ate every last crumb. 

Yes.  I sang the birthday song.  Twice. 

So here's my raw vegan, nut-free crust that I tweaked.  This will make 2 medium size pizza's or 1 large plus 1 personal pizza... or...

Raw Rocki's Pizza Crust
vegan and nut-free

1/2 cup plus 3 TBS flax meal
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup heaping hemp seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (ground into flour)
1/4 heaping 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 heaping cup sundried tomatoes - soaked in 2 cups warm water for about 30 minutes (drain and reserve liquid as you'll need it in the next step)
2 medium tomatoes
3/4 large red bell pepper
1/4 cup heaping roughly chopped onion
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 1 1/2 cups of the soak 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 quite thick.

Line two dehydrator trays with a teflex sheet (or similar) and spoon the mixture onto them.  Your choice of the sizes you want to make, but just make sure to not make them thin as it shrinks up while dehydrating.  Shape into pizza size and shape of choice.

Put into the dehydrator at 145° F for 1 hour only then turn down to 115° F.  When the top is dry to touch (about another hour), transfer them to mesh trays - remove them from the teflex sheet by slowly peeling it off.  Put them back into the dehydrator, wet side up, until done. 

Total time can vary between 5-7 hours or longer due to a variety of factors (thickness and size of crust, weather, location, humidity, dehydrator, etc.).  Mine took about 6 hours this time, but I live in the desert, so that is a factor.
Enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Goji Berries - Superfood

Goji Berries

I absolutely love goji berries!  This little powerhouse of a berry not only adds a nutritional punch to your diet, but can be used in a variety of recipes, or eaten as is.

Dried goji berries are chewy with a taste all on their own.  They are not overly sweet and have actually been described as a cross between a cherry, raisin and cranberry.  These tiny berries are a powerful nutrient rich food and have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2000 years.  Filled with antioxidants, carotenoids, 18 amino acids, fiber, vitamins A, C and E, and over 20 other trace minerals and vitamins including zinc and iron... well, you can see why they are one of the top superfoods.

I add goji berries to a variety of my raw vegan recipes for added nutrition, flavor and bulk, such as: smoothies (makes an excellent chocolate smoothie combined with raw cacao powder, another nutritious superfood), nice cream (vegan ice cream), brownies, bliss balls, protein bars, overnight oats, chia pudding, and so much more.

There's much more to know about Goji Berries, so Google them for more information.

Be healthy.

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

Raw Vegan Sloppy Joes

Raw Vegan Sloppy Joes

So the other night we were watching a movie and in one scene they were eating Sloppy Joes.  My mind suddenly went to food and I blurted out I NEED TO CREATE A RAW VEGAN SLOPPY JOE!  Mark didn't miss a beat and said "YES!!"

Let me back up.  When I was a kid I loved Sloppy Joes!  But not the meat part, just the sauce.  While my mom was making the packaged sauce (I don't know how I ate that crap), I would sneak in and taste it by the spoonful before she added the meat.  So fast forward to the other night.  As soon as I seen them eating SJ's my taste buds went off - big time. The next day I put on my Raw Vegan Mad Scientist Coat (apron) and into the garden (kitchen) I went to turn another old school dish into a healthy raw & vegan one.

I've included sort of a step by step photos and at the end is the recipe.  I'll admit that it was very difficult to take a decent photo of the SJ's without it looking like meat, which it's not, but trust me when I say that the flavor will burst in your mouth!

Walnut and Mushroom Mixture

I used walnuts and baby portobello mushrooms for the base mix and pulse processed to semi little bits.

Fresh Tomato Paste Mixture

The tomato mixture is processed until it resembles tomato paste, but tastes much better!

Tomato Paste Mixture with added Veggies

Little bits of veggies were then added.  The flavor was absolutely bursting in my mouth!


Both mixes combined

After adding the tomato veggie mixture to the walnut shroom mix, I scooped a big spoonful and took a bite.  BAM!  Oh yes, it is seriously that good! 

Veggie Joes!

I happened to have made a new flatbread recipe a few days ago, so I served my raw vegan SJ's on my new bread.  Perfect!  I haven't had time to post the recipe for my new flatbread and while I could have done that first, I was just too super excited about my SJ's! 

Speaking of my SJ'S, lets move on to the recipe.  Just to note that I'm writing it out in steps, so all the ingredients are in each step of this simple recipe.

Raw Vegan Sloppy Joes
This makes a big batch - I'll measure next time.

Step 1
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
2 medjool dates (or dates of choice)

Soak in fresh water together for approximately 20-30 minutes.  Set aside - these will be used in Step 3.

Step 2
2 1/2 cups baby portobellos - roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts (soaked & dehydrated, but not necessary)
1 tsp Braggs or Tamari
1/8 tsp chili powder

In food processor, pulse process to semi-bits - but not too small as you don't want this mushy.  Put in large bowl and set aside.

Step 3
2 medium size tomatoes - quartered
1 garlic clove - chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper - roughly chopped
1/4 cup celery - roughly chopped
sundried tomatoes & medjool dates from Step 1 - drained

Put in food processor and process well, until it resembles tomato paste.  Leave in the processor and follow next step.

Step 4
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/4 tsp heaping ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

Add to the tomato paste mix in food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Step 5
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 large garlic clove - minced

Add veggies to the tomato mix and pulse process briefly just to combine.

Step 6
Add the tomato veggie mix to the walnut shroom bowl and stir to combine. 

Serve on bread or buns of your choice.  For lunch I had leftovers on romaine lettuce - delish!  Store in fridge.  Best enjoyed the day of making it and will keep for one extra day.

Enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Green Protein Bars - Vegan and Gluten-Free

Raw Green Protein Bars

The other day I experimented and created another new recipe that turned out awesome! I make a variety of energy bars, but this one is different. These earthy tasty bars are very nutritious (not a dessert bar) and because of the nutrients in them, I had a hard time coming up with a name. So I decided on Raw Green Protein Bars. 

These make an excellent travel pick-me-up bar, but need to be kept chilled for long distance. I tested them out and they did well at room temp for a few hours and only got soft, not melty - in the southwest.  I'm going to experiment a bit more with these to see if I can get a longer lasting bar without having to be chilled.

Go Green!

Raw Green Protein Bars - Vegan and Gluten-Free

1 heaping cup packed medjool dates
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 Tbs goji berries
2 Tbs flax meal
1 Tbs spirulina
1/4 cup raw vegan protein powder (I use Sunwarrior Warriors Blend Natural)
2 Tbs almond butter

In food processor, process all ingredients until mixture starts holding together and you can form a ball with it.  Mixture will be warm and play-do like.  Put into an over lined 7x5 pan and press down firmly.  Cover lightly with the wrap and freeze for approximately 60 minutes.  Cut into small bars, bites or size of choice and store in fridge.

These can also be stored in the freezer as they will harden, but will soften up of course after a while - makes for a great on the go bar.

Enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Blueberry Plum Green Smoothie

Blueberry Plum Green Smoothie - Raw and Vegan

My daily breakfast is a smoothie, typically green as they are my favorite, or sometimes all fruit.  Occasionally I'll have a chia fruit parfait, but smoothies rock my mornings.

All, if not most, of my smoothies contain superfoods of some sort.  This one, which is actually a green smoothie in disguise, contains the superfoods: dried Goji Berries (upcoming post soon about this nutrient rich superstar) and Matcha Green Tea powder (see Green is the New Orange for more info on Matcha). 

So lets get to the recipe for this super healthy and uber delicious smoothie.

Antioxidant Boost Blueberry Plum Green Smoothie

2 handfuls baby spinach
1 cup blueberries
1 plum (pit removed)
1 Tbs Goji berries
2 frozen bananas
1 Tbs flax meal
3/4 cup coconut water or plain (adjust as needed)
1 tsp Matcha green tea

Blend all ingredients well.  Due to blenders vary (I use a Vitamix) as well as the size of fruits, you may need to adjust the water.

Enjoy this super healthy and delicious tasting smoothie!

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

Strawberry Mint Swirl Smoothie - Raw and Vegan

Strawberry Mint Smoothie

When I have a little extra time in the mornings I enjoy being creative with my smoothies.  I love to do layers with different fruits and greens, from simple to elegant.  This one was rather simple in looks, but the taste had a definite WOW factor!

Strawberry Mint Swirl Smoothie Mint

Cream Layer:
2 cold ripe bananas
3-4 mint leaves
1/4 cup hemp milk (or milk of choice)
1 tsp Matcha (optional)

Blend all ingredients, pour into a separate container and put in freezer while making the next layer.

Reddish Pink layer:
1 handful strawberries - about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 small beet
1 small frozen ripe banana

Blend all ingredients.

Alternately pour each layer in a tall glass and give a little swirl after each layer.  I topped mine with mint and a few nibbles of my fudge brownie, which is completely optional.

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Carrot Cake Cookies - Vegan and Nut-Free

Raw Carrot Cake Cookies - Vegan and Nut-Free

Carrots.  I love carrots!  I eat them whole, shredded, grated, julienned, chopped, diced... guess I could just sum it up and say I eat them raw.

Not only are carrots delicious in the raw or as a savory side dish (not to mention packed with nutrition), they also make a very yummy dessert - like cookies!  And smoothies, shakes, cakes, pies... I'll stop.

I wanted a cookie without nuts.  I'm not a nut hater and I do love them, but I like to keep a low fat diet so I don't use them that much.  When you bite into these cookies, it's like taking a bite of moist carrot cake. Mark REALLY loves them.  I have to hide them in the back of the fridge or put them in a hidden container.  Kidding.  Maybe.

Raw Carrot Cake Cookies - Vegan and Nut-Free
makes approximately 20-24 small cookies

1 full cup carrots - roughly chopped
1 cup hemp heart seeds
1/4 cup coconut shreds
2 Tbs raw vegan protein powder (or replace with flax meal or more hemp)
1 cup packed medjool dates
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

In food processor, process carrots into tiny little bits.  Do not over process - you don't want mush, just tiny bits.  Put into large bowl and add in the remaining ingredients.  Stir well to combine.  Mixture will seem too wet, but after dehydrated they will be deliciously moist cookies.

Form into small balls and flatten into cookie shape.  You may need to periodically wet and dry your hands as they'll get a bit sticky. Put onto lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 145° F for 1 hour only then turn down to 115° F.  Once tried to touch on top, remove and flip them from the lined tray onto a mesh tray and continue dehydrating until done.  Total time varies approximately 10-12 hours or until desired liking. These took me 10 hours total time. 

Store in fridge or freezer in a sealed container.

NOTE:  these are too wet for bliss balls or non-dehydrated cookies.  However, if you do not have a dehydrator you can use shredded carrots or squeeze dry the processed carrots with paper towels and add in a about 1/4 cup flax meal until the mixture holds together.

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 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 Chocolate Almond Bars

Raw Chocolate Almond Bars

Prior to going raw, I thought the one thing I would no longer be able to have was chocolate.  Not that I ate a lot of chocolate candies, but I've always loved chocolate in a variety of ways.  In fact, I used to buy the organic vegan chocolate bars and they would actually last me a whole week because I would only eat a little square each day.

As you can see above, as well as many of my other recipes here and on Instagram, chocolate is still in my life - but now it is healthy raw cacao and tastes so very good! 

This chocolate bar recipe is a variation of several others I make and is very versatile.  Next time I make a batch I'll take pictures of all the silicone molds that I use and the different types of candies from bars to yummy fillings.

Raw Chocolate Almond Bars

1/2 cup cacao powder
3 Tbs agave (or maple syrup is fine)
1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid form)
2 Tbs grated cacao butter (melt the raw way or as you wish)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch sea salt
almonds pieces - or can omit

In a bowl wisk all ingredients except almonds. Pour into molds of choice (I use silicone molds) or a tinfoil lined dish.  Add desired amount of almonds on top. Put in freezer for at least 60-90 minutes or until hard. Remove from molds, test for chocolaty goodness and store in freezer... if they make it that far.

Note: these will start to get a little melty if left at room temperature for too long, maybe 10 minutes or so.  I'm still working on a chocolate recipe to give it a longer counter life - but then again I don't thing they would last that long anyway ;)

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Chocolate Coconut Smoothie - Vegan Shake

Raw Chocolate Coconut Smoothie

I'm finding it rather difficult to concentrate on typing while sipping on my uber delicious thick and cream, rich and chocolaty, coconuty, raw vegan, guilt-free dessert like smoothie.  Whew!  That was a mouthful.  So I'll get right to the recipe.


Raw Chocolate Coconut Smoothie

1 large frozen ripe banana
1 large not frozen ripe banana
1 Tbs coconut oil
2 Tbs cacao powder
1 Tbs dried coconut shreds (I use unsweetened)
3/4 cup water (adjust as needed)
1/2 cup ice
optional toppings: coconut shreds and my homemade chocolate chunks, which I'll post tomorrow morning.

Blend all ingredients until thick and creamy.  Due to blenders vary (I use a vitamix) you may need to adjust the water.  This delicious shake like smoothie is perfect as is or add toppings of choice.

Note:  if your bananas are not ripe then add a medjool date or sweetener of choice to sweeten it up.

Peace☮
Rocki

Mango Strawberry Rolls

Mango Strawberry Rolls

Just cut into a fresh mango and want to turn it into something fun?  Or perhaps you have a romantic day or evening planned with your special someone and want to add a little more sweetness to it.  Well here's a quick and easy idea:

Mango Strawberry Rolls

Mango
Strawberries
Sharp knife
Mango cutter if you have one - I got mine at Target and LOVE it!

Cut the fresh mango.  With a sharp knife, cut very thin slices and set aside.  Chop the strawberries.  Now this part is a little messy and sticky, but worth it.  Put some chopped strawberries on the mango strip and roll it up.  Set aside and roll as many as you wish.

I garnished mine with cilantro, but mint would be perfect.

Peace☮
Rocki

Cherimoya Parfait - Raw Vegan Smoothie

Cherimoya Parfait - Raw Vegan Smoothie

I have a new love and it's name is Cherimoya!  I won a tropical fruit box on Instagram via one of the other IG accounts I follow.  Anyway, the fruit box arrived from Melissa's Produce and I was floored by the amount of fruit that was in it!  Most of them I had never had, but have been wanting to try.  I was beyond excited!

This delicious custard like fruit (it is also known as a "custard apple") is amazing and I'm completely hooked - so is Mark.  It's a little bit of work to get all the big seeds out and scrape the fruit off of the peel - do NOT eat the peel - but believe you me it is more than worth it!   

Cherimoya Fruit

This took a bit of time with the layering process as I wanted it to look as delicious as it tastes!  Friday's are my days off so I had plenty of time. I was going to also garnish it, but I love the way it turned out as is. And the taste... out of this world! Like a pudding smoothie.

Cherimoya Parfait Smoothie

Green layer:
2 frozen bananas
1 huge handful spinach
2 Tbs hemp heart seeds
1 Tbs flax meal
1/2 cup water (adjust as needed)
1 tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder (optional)

Blend, pour into a separate container and put in freezer while making next layer.

Cream layer:
1 cherimoya - peeled and seeded
1 frozen banana

Blend, pour *half* of the mixture into separate container and put in freezer.

Orange layer:
With remaining cream layer in blender, add 1 Tbs goji berries and blend.

Take the containers out of the freezer and get ready to create!  After each layer, put the glass in freezer for about 5-10 minutes to let it set up (not frozen solid). With a small spatula or spoon, slowly add in another layer - start around the rim/inside of the glass first then work your way into the middle - this helps to keep the layers separate.  Do as many layers as you wish or simply blend everything together.  You can eat this super thick n creamy delicious parfait smoothie with a spoon or drink it with a straw. 

While waiting in between layers, you can do Sun Salutations or the dishes - your choice. Enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Raw Vegan Pizza Rounds and Poppers

Raw Vegan Pizza Rounds and Poppers

Pizza anyone?  Here's a fun tasty variation of my full size Raw Vegan Pizza that makes a perfect little bite size snack, appetizer or even a meal.  Plus, you don't need to dehydrate them if you don't want to.

Dehydrated or not these are tasty little bites of pizza

This batch I dehydrated (well, except for a few that accidentally ended up in our mouths), but I've also made them without dehydrating.  Seriously, these are SO very yummy right out of the food processor!  The texture is a little different without dehydrating, soft and chewy, but you'll definitely taste the delicious pizza flavor either way.

These were perfect for our lunch with a nice green salad and watermelon

You can either make them round little balls like pizza poppers or flatten them out like mini pizza's - or both.  They make fun and tasty appetizers with or without toppings.  I've made them with a topping of raw vegan cheese with a variety of different veggies on each one.  Put a little olive in the middle of the rounds and you'll have an awesome popper!  A fun and nutritious appetizer to take to parties and family dinners. 

Raw Vegan Pizza Rounds and Poppers
Makes approximately 18 small bites

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 Tbs flax meal
1/4 cup hemp heart seeds
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup heaping sundried tomatoes (soaked and drained)
1/3 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
*water if needed

In a food processor, add sunflower seeds and process until small bits like flour.  Add in all remaining ingredients *except* water - process until mixture holds together when forming a ball.  If it seems too dry, add 1/2 tsp water at a time until achieved.

With your hands roll into small bite size balls. Take a little taste test - you know you want to.  You can leave them all round little balls or flatten with your hands into little pizza rounds - like cookies. You'll probably want to do another taste test at this time.  If there are any left and you don't want to dehydrate them, serve immediately or put them in the fridge to chill.

Or - put them on a lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 110° F for approximately 1-2 hours.  This will not turn them into crust or crackers, it will simply firm them up a bit more which makes them perfect if you want to turn them into an appetizer with toppings.  You will definitely want to do another taste test right out of the dehydrator - mmmmm!  In fact, at this point you may want to make a double batch.

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