Raw Vegan Chocolate Crunch mmmm!

The chia seed adds a nice crunch!!

This chocolate is SO delicious and easy to make.  There is just one minor problem.  I no longer measure ingredients when I make my chocolate.  I eyeball it, mix it together, try it and add whatever my taste buds tell me to add lol.  So I am challenging you to experiment with your own creativity!  You can make this chocolate in about 3 minutes.

(Approximate)
1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa
3 tablespoons of raw agave nectar
3 tablespoons of cold pressed coconut oil
2 tablespoons of chia seeds
sea salt to taste

Put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and it is ready to serve!

Simple Vegan Carrot and Sweet Potato Stew

This is a dish to make when you want something healthy, filling and easy to prepare.

I am back to having no fancy kitchen equipment, lol.  I don't have a food processor, vitamix or any blender for that matter.  So its just a basic kitchen knife :)  I like this though...it is showing me how I can eat healthy without needing any fancy equipment.  I also am learning how to efficiently and deliciously use all the ingredients I have on hand, and combine them in ways that enhance flavors effectively!  Take risks and see what evolves.  Eating vegan can be so YUMMY and no one has to go hungry!

I had an extra big bag of organic carrots, some local organic garlic and a sweet potato that were calling my name all week.  So without Bethany here, I have been wondering how to make a yummy stew.  I finally just did it.  I didn't use a recipe...I just winged it LOL.  It turned out pretty nicely.  I wasn't even planning on using it for the blog until I tried it and was like WOW.  This is good, and it was surprising how simple it was to make.

First.  Wash off carrots and cut the long ones in half.  Throw them in a medium sized pot with four cloves of garlic.  Fill up the pot 2/3 the way with spring or filtered water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook for 20 minutes and then add in cubed sweet potato.  I scrubbed the potato before adding it in.  I allowed the veggies to cook for one more hour over medium heat.  Adding extra veggies at this point would be a fun and creative idea, (but I didn't have too much on hand right now).  Next, drain water and remove garlic.  lol I ate a piece of garlic just for fun.

In a large bowl, combine vegan stock with cooked veggies, sea salt and dried herbs.  You could also use fresh herbs.  I found a blend of Italian Seasoning at Big Lots.  YAAAAAY.  Have you checked out your local Big Lots, Marshalls or TJ Maxx recently for discount health foods?  I find great deals on things like organic coconut oil, flax seed powder, raw vegan kale chips, salsa, herbs, and sea salt.  At Big Lots I checked the ingredient list of the herb blend and there were no nasties so I was happy.  Straight up dried herbs with nothing else added.  Side note:  there are reasons to double check all ingredient lists...I used garlic salt on some popcorn last night to find out later that TCP was added.  I googled it and it comes from cow's milk.  FYI.

As I stirred it together, the carrots and sweet potato naturally broke apart and mixed together quite nicely :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb regular carrots
1 large sweet potato cut up into squares
4 cloves of fresh garlic
1 tsp each of dried marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil (or get creative with your own favorites!!)
Sea salt to taste

Sunrise Health Slaw

Our friends over at Sunrise Living have been experimenting with yummy vegan dishes and here is one of our favorites.  Their healthy summer slaw is delicious and can be served as a side dish and promises to be a hit at any family barbecue this summer!!  http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/blog/categories/senior-eats.aspx

Serves 4 to 6

The heat of summer calls for light, refreshing dishes. At Sunrise Senior Living, many of our seniors love coleslaw, an old-fashioned American favorite. While the traditional recipe is heavy on the mayonnaise , we’ve opted for a lighter, more healthful version that’s perfect to serve at this summer’s outdoor barbeques and picnics!

Tangy, and with just a touch of sweetness, our Sunrise Health Slaw is sure to be a hit at your next gathering. Using mustard as the flavor base instead of high-fat mayonnaise keeps it more waistline-friendly, too!

Ingredients:

-          shredded coleslaw mix – 4 cups

-          medium red bell pepper, seeded and small diced – ½ each

-          green onions, sliced thin – ½ bunch

-          red wine vinegar – 2 tbsp

-          vegetable oil or coconut oil – 1 ½ tbsp

-          vegan cane sugar or maple syrup – 1 tbsp

-          Dijon mustard – 1 tsp

-          celery seed – ¼ tsp

Method:

-          Toss together the coleslaw mix, bell pepper, and green onions in a medium bowl.

-          In a separate bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, mustard, and celery seed.

-          Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. 

-          Cover the coleslaw and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving to soften the cabbage and develop the flavors. Serve chilled.

 http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil

 http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/blog/categories/senior-eats.aspx

Dreamy Vegan Chocolate Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

This cake is a win win.  Healthy AND delicious!  I could eat the frosting by the spoonful haha.  I made some mistakes when attempting to make this cake, as it was a total experiment.  Because of the mistakes though it ended up being even more delicious and unique (i love how there are whole raisins, sunflowers and dates mixed in...yum.  and I like the texture of the frosting and cake)!  I sometimes sweeten desserts a little more when I make them for other people.  In my experience I have found that my taste buds have adjusted to a lower level of sweetness.  On this blog I have been experimenting with healthy whole foods to create yummy dishes.  This cake is one of the results of experimentation...kinda like a chocolate fruitcake.  A BRIDGE between healthy and sweet.  A yummy bridge, that will surprise you when you see the ingredients.  Have your cake and eat it too! 

 YUMMY!
HEALTHY!   http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed and http://www.forbes.com/sites/juliewilcox/2012/06/26/7-benefits-of-quinoa-the-supergrain-of-the-future/

Ingredients for filling:
3/4 cup flax meal
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped up dates (yummy option...any of your favorite dried fruit)
1/2 cup chopped up dried figs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce  
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1.5 cups almond milk (or any nut milk)
3/4- 1 cup raw cacao OR cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or Himalayan sea salt...my cousin has been telling me how awesome it is and I've been meaning to do some research on it!)

Instructions:
Rinse off quinoa, boil in 1 cup of purified water and turn down heat to low.  Allow to soak up extra water.  This should take about 20 minutes.  Otherwise, just follow instructions on individual box :)  I had never made quinoa before (my sister always did that part lol) and it was really easy.

While you are making the quinoa do not snack on the enticing ingredients you are to assemble.  lol i did this ;)  Instead use your time more wisely by getting a long rectangle pan out and putting non stick baking paper along the edges inside, or anything that will allow the cake not to stick such as this fancy foil such as the one I used.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients except quinoa in high power blender.  (Check on your quinoa.  Make sure quinoa has absorbed all water.)  Blend on high.  OR.  PLAN B: 

haha

Remember how I said I made some mistakes?  Well, the biggest mistake I made was to start making the cake and not checking first to see if my mom had a blender.  Nope.  No blender.  Just a hand mixer.  So how to blend the ingredients?  I am used to making raw vegan cakes and a vita mix blender is usually all you need.  I don't think I have used a hand mixer since I was maybe five or six.  I was wondering, do these things ninja chop or just stir?  I gave it a whirl and was disappointed at first, realizing that nothing was chopped up.  I was thinking well I can either throw in the towel and give up or I can just pour the cake batter into the pan with whole sunflower seeds, dates and raisins.  What the heck why not?  But first I added quinoa to the large mixing bowl and the cake batter was nice and dense.

I spooned in the cake batter into the rectangle pan with non stick foil (or non stick baking paper).  making sure to evenly spread out the mixture the best that I could.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until the middle is soft and still a little moist.  I had to keep checking mine.  I stirred it all up occasionally too because I noticed the sides and top were getting hotter and baking faster than the middle.  I am not an expert at baking so I figured it was best to stir it up so nothing would burn.

(meanwhile...while your cake is in the oven...)
FROSTING!!!!!  Time to make some delicious frosting that you are going to want to make some extra so you can freeze it so you have some extra to snack on when it is a commercial break or movie night.  Hey, it is a healthy treat right?
No guilt :)

The picture doesn't do this scrumptious treat justice.  Simply heavenly.  Here is the site that inspired me:  http://fooddoodles.com/2013/06/04/raw-vegan-chocolate-frosted-brownies/
 also, check out how great eating avocado is for your hair and skin!  http://www.tandurust.com/hair-care/avocado-benefits-hair-skin.html

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
1/3 cup maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey*
1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa
sea salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional:  nutmeg and cinnamon

Blend or hand mix until a creamy and light texture.
Put frosting in fridge or freezer to keep cool.  Allow cake to cool in fridge without putting the frosting on.  Once cake has cooled you can put the frosting on.


These measurements are flexible (according to your taste).  You may like more or less sweetness, etc.
I had lots of left over frosting.  It keeps great in the freezer!  you don't even need to thaw it.  I am keeping my cake in the freezer and letting it thaw for a bit before eating.

Enjoy!

Vegan Summer Berry and Date Parfait

This is the perfect summer treat!  I really love berry season and this is one of the yummiest ways I can think of to enjoy fresh, local berries.  They are simple, quick and beautiful too :)

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)
*2 beautiful glasses (hey, this is important! :))
*1.5 cups of your favorite berry.  I used blueberries and raspberries.  Another delicious choice would have been mulberries.
*16 ounces of vegan yogurt, (you are going to divide into fourths)
*about 25 dates chopped up
*about 1/4 cup of flax, coconut or almond meal

First, add a thin layer of flax, coconut or almond meal to your first glass.  Next, pour in half of the yogurt.  The next layer is a thin layer of dates followed by a thin layer of berries.  Next add a layer of flax, coconut or almond meal.  Finish off with the rest of the yogurt (you should still have half reserved for the other dessert) for this parfait.  Add a thin layer of dates, berries and a dusting of flax meal.  

Copy directions for second dessert!  ENJOY :)

Garden Pita with Creamy Avocado & Kale and Cilantro

I wanted to make a healthy lunch for my parents.  I ended up creating something that I will no doubt regularly implement into my own quick and easy meals :)  These garden pitas are delicious, quick and simple to make.  If you want to make a strictly raw vegan meal, skip the pita and enjoy the rest as a fresh yummy salad!! :)

To begin:  I visited my local health food/grocery store and bought Ezekial sprouted grain pitas.  They were frozen at the store, and still a little cold by the time I got home so I put them in the oven for a few minutes.

Next, I threw two handfuls of chopped kale in a big bowl.  Make sure to remove any large stems.  I added:

(serves 2)  INGREDIENTS:
2 pitas (I used Ezekial sprouted grain)
1/2 avocado
1/8 cup olive oil
sea salt to taste
1 handful of cilantro
2 handfuls of kale (chopped and stems removed)
Juice of 1 lemon
any additional herbs or seasoning of your choice...get creative!

I took the pita bread and smoothed 1/4 avocado on the inside, inside each pita, using a total of 1/2 avocado.  I used the avocado as a replacement for mayonnaise.  Next I mixed together the kale, cilantro, salt, olive oil and lemon in a big bowl, breaking down the crunchiness of the kale until it was a bit softer.  I took that and used it to stuff the pitas.  It is a little creamy and tangy with a nice zing as you bite into it :)  Perfect!  My parents were a little hesitant at first, but ended up liking it.

 You can also add things like tomatoes, corn, shredded carrots & beets, onions, etc!!  YUM

 

Simple Raw Vegan Chocolate Desserts (chocolate almond butter cup & chocolate with walnuts and sea salt)

My mom and I (Kc) made these today for my cousin's birthday gift and for a way for my mom to healthfully enjoy chocolate while also incorporating coconut oil into her diet.

These are seriously YUMMY and seriously easy to make.  
What you will need:

 Chocolate:
1 cup of raw cacao powder  (you can also use cocoa!)
6-7 tablespoons of coconut oil...you want it gooey
3 tablespoons of liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey*)
cinnamon to taste
sea salt to taste 
Mix together and add cinnamon and sea salt to your liking; I use 5-6 shakes each

Filling:
Dessert #1.  2 tablespoons of almond butter
Dessert #2.  1/4 cup chopped up walnuts

Find two small storage containers (ours holds about 6 oz) and fill up both with a layer of chocolate.   You could also use cupcake liners, but then you will probably end up with 4 desserts.  Which is just fine :)

For the first dessert, scoop 2 tablespoons of almond butter inside, and use a spoon to spread chocolate on top to cover.  For your other dessert, sprinkle chopped walnuts inside and stir together.  Once evenly mixed together, sprinkle more walnuts on top.  

Garnish each dessert with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Place in Freezer for 20 minutes, cut into small pieces, and then place in fridge for storage or eat right away.  ENJOY!! :)