Raw Strawberry Walnut Bars

Raw Strawberry Walnut Bars
Raw; Gluten Free; Vegan

I made these for San Antonio Vegetable Eaters 5th annual Happy Christmas Hangout and these were a hit! You know it's a great recipe when you don't get to even try it and everyone is still talking about the dish days after the event. This festive easy recipe is a crowd pleaser!

Crust and Topping:
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of almonds
1 cup of dates


Filling:
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup dates

For the crust and topping
1. In a food combine all of the ingredients and pulse until course. Divide mixture in half and set aside.

2. Continue to combine the ingredients until well combined.

3. In a blender combine strawberries and dates until smooth.

4. Layer the well combined nut/date mixture in a parchment paper lined 9x9 dish. The second layer will be the strawberry filling. Sprinkle the course nut/date mixture over the strawberry filling and gently press down. Freeze for 1 hour to set.

Raw Ravioli

Raw Ravioli
Makes 4 servings

Living in San Antonio Texas, we had a mild summer this year. It would really reach up to 109F degrees in cars and the heat index of 103F degrees in the shade. Even with it being more mild, I still wasn't a fan of using the stove or the oven. I'm sure no one can blame me for that :)
Anywho, here is a lovely simple raw meal that will impress anyone!

Start with Macadamia Ricotta


Ingredients
1 cup of Macadamia Ricotta
1 medium zucchini
Smoked black peppercorn, cracked
Organic Olive Oil
Champagne Vinegar
Fresh Basil, chopped (about 1 Tablespoon)

1. Using a food processor is the easiest and fastest way to to slice your zucchini. I used the slice blade adjusted to 1.5 thinness.

2. In a small bowl, mix the Ricotta, fresh basil and grind pepper to taste.

3. Build your ravioli, take a slice of zucchini and fill 1/2 with a spoonful of ricotta and fold over the other side of zucchini (like an envelope). Repeat process till you run out of ricotta or zucchini. Place in a glass casserole dish or on serving plate. Drizzle with olive oil and champagne vinegar and top cracked smoked black pepper. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!

Raw Walnut Taco Meat

Raw Walnut Taco Meat
Raw; Gluten Free; Soy Free; Vegan

I always have to double this recipe when I make it. My mom, when she first had this thought this was seitan. A good pass! Here is the recipe without being doubled!

1 1/2 cups walnuts, soaked for 2-4 hours
2 teaspoons organic canola oil
2 teaspoons Braggs liquid amino
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
a dash of chipotle pepper powder

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and combine till crumbly and looks like ground seitan.

Use in stuffed raw peppers or to fill a kale wrap.....

Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Gluten Free; Vegan; Soy Free; Raw

This is a REALLY great recipe to use the pulp that's leftover from juicing your carrots. This recipe was inspired by a dear friend, I hope you enjoy these super dense little gems!

3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup pitted dates (soaked overnight, save the water)
1 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raisins (optional)


1. Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor until well-blended, adding up to 2 Tbs. of date water.

2. Press mixture into a lined muffin pan. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to set and top with Raw Cashew Vanilla Frosting just before serving (see blog).

Raw Cashew Vanilla Frosting

Raw Cashew Vanilla Frosting
Soy Free; Gluten Free; Raw; Vegan

This recipe makes 4 cups. So, knowing that there will be leftovers you can double the cupcake recipe or cut this in half. Or, use on a bowl of fresh fruit for a sweet and simple dessert :)

2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup date water (use more or less to achieve desired consistency)
1/3 cup ginger syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a high powered food processor till smooth and creamy. Chill for a 10 minutes to allow to thicken. Frost cupcakes or scoop on fresh fruit .

Carrot Apple Juice

Carrot Apple Juice

When I was in the process of moving back to Texas from Colorado Springs, my friend gave me a used Hamilton Beach juicer. I loved the idea of starting to juice, especially moving to a place that is 100+ degrees in the summer. I've recently started to use it and I have a few complaints about the juicer. A small chute and no cup, nothing one can't work around till she can buy the one she wants.... Here a few recipes that I am currently loving!

1 carrot to 1 apple ratio....

1. Place fruit and vegetables in chute and juice. Enjoy!

The pulp can be used in a dehydrator to make into raw crackers, or with this I share with the dogs. This maybe a lot fiber if your dog(s) is/are not used to it, so start off small portions.

Blueberry Persimmon Parfaits

Blueberry Persimmon Parfaits
Vegan; Raw; Gluten Free; Soy Free

I made these for a Christmas Day potluck. My usual farmers market trip always sparks inspiration! I found blueberries and persimmons and found a recipe from The Global Girl. Problem, the recipe gives you no yields and how many... So, I had just enough for 8 shot glass size parfaits....

4 persimmons, peeled (if extra ripe-slice in half and scoop out)
1 pint of blueberries (save some of the pretty ones for garnish)

1. In a food processor, blend persimmons until smooth. Remove half of the mixture in a bowl and set aside.

2. In the food processor with half of the persimmon mixture add the blueberries and blend until smooth.

3. Layer first using blueberry persimmon mixture, next the persimmon and the top layer blueberry persimmon mixture. I topped each parfaits with coconut whipped cream and 3 whole blueberries for garnish.

Blueberry Frozen Puppy Pops

Blueberry Frozen Puppy Pops

There are certain things that I love about San Antonio. The fact that it's almost Thanksgiving and yesterday it 86 degrees and today will be 74 degrees is one of them. This allows me to go to a farmers market year round. I missed this while living in Colorado. However, Fortune and Choxie are not enjoying the heat so much. That being said, I made these yesterday for them. SO tasty, one can turn these into a smoothie for a quick morning breakfast ;)

Ingredients
1 cup of blueberries (I used frozen organic)
1 extra ripe banana
3/4 cup plain coconut yogurt
1 tsp of ground flax seeds

1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender, until smooth. (I had to add a little water to not over heat my blender.)

2. Pour into an ice cube tray or mold. Freeze it for about 2 hours

Pomegranate Persimmon Paste

Pomegranate Persimmon Paste
Vegan; 10 minutes; Gluten Free; Raw

Now that my kitchen has been busted out of storage, I've welcomed my missed "Gourmet Sundays". Here is the first of many more to come. Super easy, the messiest part is making sure you don't stain everything squeezing the pomegranate. I used this as a spread for french toast, so delicious!

2 persimmons, chopped
2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed pomegranate

1. In a food processor combine ingredients and blend until smooth. Add 1/8 teaspoon of maple syrup if needed to cut tartness. Enjoy, will last 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Kale Chips

Kale Chips
Vegan; Raw; Gluten Free

These have become a tasty household staple, since a bag of kale chips will set you back $8.00 or so. There is a process and done right, these take about a day (at a dry high altitude) to make. It's taken awhile for me to get this just right, use what flavors you like. My food dehydrator was given to me, check freecycle.com if you're in the market....

1 bunch of kale, cleaned and de-stemmed (they will turn into tree branches if you keep the stems)
Braggs liquid amino
Vegan Parmesan cheese (I used cayenne chipotle)

1. In a large bowl spray the liquid amino onto the clean kale, gently massage into the kale. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and massage into the kale and repeat if needed....

2. Lay the kale leaves on the trays of the dehydrator until all the trays are full or you've run out of kale. After about 6 hours, rotate the trays. Taking the inner trays to the outer.

3. Store in an air tight container.

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls
Vegan; Raw (Almost); Gluten Free

I made these last week and the boys LOVED them. These are really easy to make, I will tell you right now that the rice paper doesn't keep too nicely. Mine have really become brittle, I guess the dry air in Colorado. Anyways, there are ideas listed below, so the sky is the limit!

1/3 head of red cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup Udon noodles (to make gluten free use a rice or gf noodles)
1/4 cup fresh herbs (use cilantro, basil or mint, your choice)
1 zucchini, julienned
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (optional)
juice from 1/2 lime
soy sauce or dipping sauce of choice
I added slices of pan fried tofu to each roll (omit to make raw)
slices of seaweed

Other Ideas:
1/2 cup bean sprouts
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, grated or julienned

Preparation:

1. To make this easy, if you have a food processor use it. I used mine with the red cabbage, ginger and zucchini to shred evenly. Squirt with lime juice and set aside.

2. Pan fry tofu slices, or skip to make raw.

3. Submerge spring roll wrappers in hot water until pliable, about 15 seconds. Layer with noodles or rice, about 2 tablespoons of cabbage mixture, tofu, seaweed and I used mint on wrapper and wrap your spring rolls. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

Traditional Mexican Salsa

Traditional Mexican Salsa

The history of Salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa (combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices) can be traced to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. The Spaniards first encountered tomatoes after their conquest of Mexico in 1519-1521, which marked the beginning of the history of Salsa sauce. Aztec lords combined tomatoes with chili peppers, ground squash seeds and consumed them mainly as a condiment served on turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. This combination was subsequently called salsa by Alonso de Molina in 1571.

This is the traditional Mexican Salsa from the Mid section "DR" Mexico City region:
Four plump Tomatoes or six Roma Tomatoes
1/4 cup on white onion (best onion for salsas is the vidalia)
One Jalepeno
One yellow or red pepper
One Tomatillo-used to cut down on heat and bitterness of Jalepeno
One cup of Fresh Cilantro
1 1/2 to 2 limes depending on how tangy you like it.

Instructions:
Cut or use a food processor to cut vegetables finely
Mix together in a bowl
Add salt to taste
Squeeze one 1/2 to 2 limes in bowl (to taste)

Let sit for 45 minutes

Add Mango or Pineapple to give a different dimension.

Spiced Pears and Pomegranate Seeds

Spiced Pears and Pomegranate Seeds
Vegan; Raw; 15 minutes; Serves 4

This dessert is more spicy then sweet. The boys drizzled maple syrup on their portions, and used less cinnamon than the recipe called for. Another great topping is vanilla almond non-dairy ice cream (had friends over that loved this!)... I picked 2 pomegranates up originally for Bruce to enjoy fresh squeezed pomegranate juice with some organic vodka.

3 pears, cored, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 pomegranate, skin and membrane removed
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/3 t. cinnamon
2 Tbs. ground almonds
4 sprigs fresh mint, sliced for garnish

1. Place the sliced pears and pomegranate seeds into a bowl. Toss with lemon juice to coat. Combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small cup or bowl, then mix into the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to blend the flavors. Serve in individual dishes, and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and a sprig of mint.

Found: Allrecipes.com

Date Paste

Date Paste

This recipe yields roughly 2 cups of Date Paste. If you think this may be too much then you can freeze half of the batch. I find that using a ziplock baggy will allow you to break off the amount that you need. Date paste will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer! Found from The Chalkboard Mag.

Step 1: Prepping your Dates:

1. Soak 40 dates in warm water until your Dates are tender/soft. Remove your dates from the soaking water. Remove the seeds by hand – make sure to get all of them!

Step 2: Making your Date Paste

2. Combine dates with 2 Tbsp Water and puree in a food processor until smooth.

No-Bake Energy Bites

No-Bake Energy Bites
Vegan; Raw; Gluten Free

I made these for Bruce, since he left out of town this morning. These are great snacks for on the go, and really easy to make. Since it has been crazy in the house lately! Between work, cleaning, hockey practice, football practice, and my own extra curricular activities-it has been CRAZY!!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or ground almonds
1/2 cup carob chips (optional)
2/3 cup date paste
1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Cashew Cream Stuffed Strawberries

Cashew Cream Stuffed Strawberries
Vegan; Gluten Free; Raw

Well, these little red creamy jewels are truly the taste of the summer sun.... Super easy to make, use the cashew cream (I used 1/3 of the recipe for this recipe and the rest for spinach artichoke dip) in the blog, adding sugar to it.

1/2 pound of strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 cup cashew cream (with 1 teaspoon of sugar)
2 Tablespoon almonds
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Clean the strawberries and hull "hollow" the strawberries. Fill with prepared cashew cream.

2. In a coffee grinder (this seems to be my best method, so if you have one make sure it's a clean one) put almonds and sugar. Grind until coarsely ground and sprinkle on top.

Enjoy as a snack or as a light dessert!

Vegan Key Lime Pie

Vegan Key Lime Pie
45 minutes

I made this for a potluck on Sunday, and I didn't even get to make it out of the house before all but 2 slices were gone. Rave reviews from the entire party, so I know this is a hit! Super Easy, I had it assembled in about 30 minutes and froze it for about 8 hours with about a 30 minute commute in between. In a perfect world maybe freezing over night would work, but when your short on time, this still makes a spectacular presentation!

Ingredients:

Crust
1 cup almonds
1 cup dried Medjool dates
pinch of sea salt

Filling
3 1/2 cups raw cashews -soaked over night
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup agave
1 cup organic, unrefined coconut oil- liquefied (see below)
1/2 cup water
1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
for extra lime flavor, I added about a 1/4 lime zest (optional)

Directions:

To melt coconut oil, if solid:

Measure out 1 cup of solid coconut oil and place in shallow bowl of warm water. As it softens, stir. Replace the water in the shallow bowl with fresh warm water and repeat until all is melted. I only needed to have the oil sit in the water for about 10-15 minutes to make it reach a fully liquid state.

To make crust:

Blend almonds, dates and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Press mixture very compactly into the bottom of a spring-form pan. I used the back of a spoon and my thumb to press the crust down, and it worked perfectly.

To make filling:

Take all filling ingredients and blend in food processor until smooth. Just let it go for a few minutes…. the texture should be nice and creamy.

To assemble:

Pour filling on top of crust and spread out until smooth. Cover with foil and freeze overnight. The freezing process will re-harden the coconut oil and set up the cake. After it is frozen you can refrigerate and it will be ready to serve after about one hour. Even though you have to freeze this cake to set it up, it is not a frozen cake… once refrigerated, it takes on an extremely similar texture to a regular old cheesecake.

Found and inspired by Manifest Vegan and a fellow Pinterest.

Frozen Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake

Frozen Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake
Vegan; Raw; Gluten Free; Serves 8

I made this for Grants birthday. Super easy to make, your food processor will be used a lot. Grant liked it, however depending on where you live-the cake to be more like a ice cream cake may stay more frozen then thawed.... I took it out an hour before, but it was still more frozen-still very yummy! Bruce loved it, too! I garnished it with strawberries covered in vanilla coconut yogurt and then frozen.

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup(s) almonds
1 cup(s) Medjool dates
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Filling:
3 cup(s) raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup(s) strawberries
2/3 cup(s) coconut oil
2/3 cup(s) agave
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup(s) strawberries
1 tbsp. agave
1/4 cup(s) orange juice

Steps

1. To make the crust, pulse almonds, dates, and sea salt in a food processor until well combined and crumbly. Press the crust into the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan.

2. For the filling, combine cashews, strawberries, coconut oil, agave, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth and well combined. Pour the mixture on top of the crust and spread evenly.

3. To make the topping, add strawberries, agave, and orange juice to blender. Blend until smooth and pour on top of the 'cheese' layer. Freeze overnight.

4. Take the cake out to thaw for about 40-50 minutes before serving. You'll want to cut it when it's still semi-frozen.

Found from a reader of The Kind Life

Fruit and Nut Bars

Fruit and Nut Bars
Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free
Makes one 6 x 10 pan, makes about 8 bars

1 cup dried fruit of choice (cranberries, blueberries, bananas, apples, cherries, strawberries) home dried in low heat dehydrator is best to remain food integrity. You want the fruit to remain tender, not crunchy if you're going to use it in this recipe.
1 cup dates (whole- roughly chopped and pitted)
2/3 cup Raw almonds
2/3 cup Raw cashews
2 tsp. finely grated citrus zest (lemon, orange, lime-I use a combination)
3-4 drops almond extract if desired

1. Spray or oil pan, set aside.

2.Place fruit, dates, zest and extract in food processor/blender/Vitamix and process until you have a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Pulse nuts in blender until finely chopped but not pureed/mushy.

3. Combine nuts and paste. Mix well (fingers work best). Transfer to prepared pan, smooth and allow to sit until firm. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Cashew Cream

Cashew Cream
Vegan; Gluten Free; Prep Time: 6 hrs.; 10 minutes

I made this to go with the fabulous meal for Bruce and the boys. When I made the recipe originally I followed it to a "T". I felt like it called for way too much lemon juice, so in the post it I'm adjusting the lemon juice. If you feel you need more add an extra tablespoon. To make sweet add 2-3 teaspoons of sugar.

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in 4 cups of water for at least 6 hours, then drained
1 cup cold water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Dash or two of sea salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth, about 5 minutes.
**Will keep fresh for one week in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

Found: Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats