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RECIPE: RAW Vegan OMG Omega Oreos

The moment you've all been waiting for...  RAW vegan oreos. 

I've called them omego oreos for the redeeming quality of the omega fatty acids that pumpkin seeds are famous for.  There's iron in the dried fruit and calcium in the carob, other than that this cookie's strength is in it's taste, texture and it's cute black and white sandwich self.  Enjoy!

These are so rich and yummy, my next suggestion is almost guilding the lily - but moderation has never really been my strength.  Sooo consider blending the meat from 4 young coconuts with just enough water to get the blender turning and DIP the oreos into this amazingly creamy delight.  You won't be disappointed!

For the cookie:

• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 cup of dates
• 1 cup of raisins
• 3/4 cup carob
• 1 cup coconut flakes

For the filling:

• 8 cups of dried coconut flakes
• optional: 1 tablespoon of honey, splash of vanilla extract OR mint extract

To make the cookie:

Blend the coconut flakes in a dry food processor until they meld into a paste-like consistency.  It may become a soupy mixture or it may be more grainy, either way you want it to be soft and any sign of the flakes to be gone.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the mixture forms a smooth dough.  Shape the dough into two cylinders, each the diameter of an oreo. 

Knead the dough well to work out any cracks or bubbles in the cylinders. 

You will find that a lot of rich oil will ooze out of the dough as you knead it to form the cylinders.  Save this oil - it is a nutritious spread that tastes like carob.  If you come up with a better use for it - please let me know!! 

Place the logs in the freezer.  I usually find that by the time I have the filling made and the kitchen cleaned up, the cylinders are firm and cold and ready to be turned in to cookies.

To make the filling:

Blend the coconut flakes in a dry food processor until they meld into a paste-like consistency.  It may become a soupy mixture or it may be more grainy, either way you want it to be soft and warm and any sign of the flakes to be gone.  If you wish, at this point you can add honey or vanilla or mint extract.

Pour it out into a bowl, knead it with your hands if it is a bit grainy to smooth it out a bit.

To make the oreo sandwiches:

With a sharp knife,cut slices off of the cookie cylinder.  Work fast, as the colder the cylinder the rounder and thinner your cookies will be.

Scoop a small of amount of filling onto the cookies to sort of glue the two halves together.  Shape them with your hands to round perfection.

These keep indefinitely in the freezer or fridge.

I love that in the background of this photo you can see my friend Cynthia's shirt advertising her friends "healthy carnivore" business.  What a hoot!

Captain P!

Raven took this photo with her cell phone of Percival in a "ship wrecked" boat on the beach.  She told him to say: "Captain P!  That's me!"  The Percival version of that was: "Captain P - I me!"

RECIPE: RAW Vegan Spaghetti & Meatballs (no dehydrator needed!) AKA: RAW Vegan Bolognese

Just a short time ago - I would not have believed this dish would have been possible to do not only RAW & vegan, but also without a dehydrator.  This one is a crowd pleaser, remarkably easy to digest and beautiful to serve.

The recipe makes a lot of sauce and meatballs, so freeze the extra in small containers so you can set it out in the morning to defrost and enjoy for a quick and easy to prepare dinner.  We got about 3-5 servings per 2 cups of sauce.

The garnish of olives and almonds are an essential element I believe, that really complete the dish.  And the almonds look amazingly like parmesan cheese!

The initial prep time is worth it as each component of the recipe keeps so well (however make your "pasta" fresh), it will save you time in the future. 

Spaghetti Sauce:

• 1 cup of sundried tomatoes
• juice from 1 orange
• juice from 2 limes
• 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce seasoning: dehydrated onion, basil, dehydrated garlic, oregano, black pepper, lemon peel, parsley, bay leaf
  
• the meat from 4-5 young coconuts
• 4 fresh tomatoes (each a little smaller than the size of a baseball)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves of fresh garlic (or to taste, we're garlic fans - so are our friends...)
  
• Optional: up to 2 cups of water

Pasta:

• zucchini
  

Garnish:

• ground almonds
• chopped olives

Meatballs:

• 2 cups sunflower seeds
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1 medium sweet onion (Walla Walla)
• 3 medium-large carrots
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fiesta chili powder: cumin, garlic, oregano, coriander, cloves, allspice
• juice from 1 lemon

To make the sauce (makes approx. 8 cups):

Soak the sundried tomatoes, spaghetti seasoning, lime juice and orange juice in a covered bowl overnight.  In a food processor, blend this mixture with the coconut meat, fresh tomatoes and olive oil.  Blend it to your desired consistency.  If you leave a little texture to the sauce, the coconut meat provides the feeling of ground meat which would be found in a true bolognese sauce.  If you wish, gradually add a little water or extra fresh tomatoes, if you feel the sauce is too thick.

To make the meatballs (makes 40-60 ping pong size balls):

In a dry food processor, grind the nuts, spice and salt - add the lemon juice once the consistency has reached the texture of sand. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. Pulse chop the onion until it is finely minced. Add to the mixing bowl. Pulse chop the carrots until finely minced.  Add to the bowl.  Form into bite sized balls.  The smaller the better and more palatable.  Warm the balls in the oven just before you serve dinner if you prefer.  Or set what you intend to serve on a ceramic dish in the sun.

To make the pasta (1 med zucchini usually makes about 3-5 servings):

Run the zucchini through a zaladaco or spiralizer on the shred setting or peel thin strips with a vegetable peeler.  I find the smaller the slice, the more palatable.

ENJOY!

RECIPE: RAW Vegan Chick'n Curry Salad

This dish keeps well in the fridge, but at our house it never seems to last much more than a day.  The flavors improve over time - so if you can let it sit uninterrupted for a few hours, it will be worth it. 

This is a dish is also full of "normal" flavors and textures for serving your more skeptical friends. 

Place a scoop on a bed of greens and sprouts or eat by itself for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.  The cruciferous cauliflower acts like broom cleaning as it goes through your body, and has been shown to be a colon cancer fighter.  The parsley is a vitamin rich gift of calcium and iron.  And this tastes sooo good (and is quite convincing) that the nutritional aspects are just a bonus!  The currants are also full of iron.

The best vegan version I have ever had (not RAW) is upstairs in the deli at the People's Co-Op in Ocean Beach San Diego California.  OMG!  With seitan (wheat gluten) as the chicken substitute, it's a gut bomb of a dish - but when you want chicken salad and you want to avoid chicken - give it a try if you're ever in OB.

Since creating this RAW vegan version, I think I will be quite satisfied without the gut bomb version (which is amazing, I have been known to go kind of batty over chicken salad...).

For the salad:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 medium-large Walla Walla sweet onion
• 1 cup of currants soaked
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• juice from 2 lemons
• 1 cup of almonds
• green apple

For the dressing:

• meat from 2 fresh young coconuts
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 pinches of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite curry powder (or to taste, we're curry fans...)
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil

To make the salad:

With a knife, coarsely chop the cauliflower to make bite sized chik'n cubes.  Set aside in a large bowl.  Grind the almonds in a dry food processor until they are the size of small pebbles.  Add to the cauliflower.  Pulse chop the onion in the food processor, add to the mixing bowl.  Cube the apple in smaller peices than the cauliflower, add to the bowl.  Finely chop the parsley and add to the bowl.  Add the currants, lemon juice and pepper and mix well.

To make the dressing:

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Dress the salad evenly and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors meld and intensify.

ENJOY!

RAW Vegan Falafel Ball with Tziki Sauce Serving Suggestion

RECIPE: RAW Vegan Falafel Balls with Tziki Sauce (no dehydrator needed!)

This recipe is quick and easy and cheap to make.  It also satisfies any craving for something meat-y and dense.  Even at the end of the week when I need to replenish groceries, I tend to always have these ingredients on hand. 

The tziki sauce keeps for several days in the fridge and the falafel balls can be frozen if you don't use them all immediately, although they are best fresh.  While you can serve the balls without dehydrating, Bret thought they tasted better when served slightly warm from the oven (or on a ceramic plate in the sun).  If you want to try dehydrating or freezing them, consider using the fresh cilantro as a garnish instead of in the balls.  The tender greens don't always survive the extreme temperatures so well.

Load your plate up with greens and sprouts, top with a few falafel balls, drench with tziki sauce and BE AMAZED!

Falafel Balls:

• 2 cups sunflower seeds
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1 medium sweet onion (Walla Walla)
• 3 medium-large carrots
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fiesta chili powder: cumin, garlic, oregano, coriander, cloves, allspice
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• juice from 1 lemon
• *Optional: black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, an extra tablespoon of fiesta chili powder
  

Tziki Sauce:

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 bunch of celery
• generous pinch of dill
• 2-3 cups of water
• juice from 2-4 lemons (1/4 cup)

Makes 40-60 pingpong sized balls

To make the falafel:

In a dry food processor, grind the nuts, spice and salt - add the lemon juice once the consistency has reached the texture of sand. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. Pulse chop the onion until it is finely minced. Add to the mixing bowl. Pulse chop the carrots until finely minced.  Add to the bowl.  Thoroughly wash the cilantro and chop it to your desired consistency.  I personally like big juicy bites of cilantro in anything I eat, while Bret prefers it to be chopped a bit finer.  Add the cilantro to the bowl and mix everything with a spoon and form into bite sized balls.  The smaller the better and more palatable.

*Optional: to make a sort of crunchy "crust" roll the balls in a mixture of black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds and fiesta chili powder.  As seen in the serving suggestion photo.

 To make the Tziki Sauce:

Blend all of the ingredients except the dill in a blender.  Gradually add the water as you blend until the sauce reaches a frothy and smooth consistency.  Once thoroughly blended, pour the mixture into a glass jar, add the dill, shake well and then let it set for several minutes in the fridge.  It will thicken up nicely.

ENJOY!

RECIPE: RAW Vegan Burritos ...RAW Food To Impress Your Friends

RAW Vegan Burritos

Serves 6-8

This idea I had for a beautiful dish to include in the RAW Food To Impress Your Friends recipe book (my sister Alison came up with the book concept).  It is a lovely dish, easy and quick to prepare and full of "normal" flavors and textures. 

This is also is a great transition dish - try it with sprouted tortillas (found in the freezer section) in place of lettuce leaves for wraps, nori works equally as well too.  Add cooked black beans for a vegan version.  However, never in a million years have I missed the beans in the RAW vegan version - it is jam packed with flavor and satisfaction!

• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• small red onion or 1 cup finely diced
• 2 cups of very finely diced carrot
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1-2 heaping tablespoons dulse & kelp flakes
• the juice from 2 limes
• finely minced garlic to taste
• 2 ears of fresh corn cut from the cob if available
• 2-3 cubed avocados (firm but ripe, so they keep their shape when cubed)
• 1-2 cups of raw olives, coarsely chopped
• head of romaine lettuce or another sturdy bunch of greens
• your favorite RAW salsa (I get mine made fresh from the market, it's so good - but I would love a recipe you love too!)
• hot chili oil or your favorite hot sauce

Place the diced carrots in a large bowl, toss with the dulse and kelp flakes until evenly coated.  Add the diced onion, corn, garlic and cilantro, mix evenly.  Add the avocado, pour the lime juice over the avocado, then pour in the olive oil and mix gently.  Place about 1/4 of a cup in the center of a lettuce leaf, top with salsa and a sprinkle of olives.  Drizzle with hot sauce if desired.

My sister brought her boyfriend over for dinner on a night we were having these wraps.  After he tried one, he admitted that he was "pleasantly surprised"!  He prefaced that with "I don't mean to sound rude, but..."

Here is Percival with his cheeks full of RAW vegan burrito goodness:

RECIPE: For Aunt Lorraine... RAW Vegan Pesto

RAW Vegan Pesto

This mix is fabulous to stuff small tomatoes for a quick and portable high protein/calcium/iron snack (seal the top with a whole basil leaf) or stuff bell pepper boats or hollowed out cucumbers for more of a meal, or eat it Percival style just out of the bowl!!

• 2 cups raw nuts soaked overnight at least, but 24 hours is best, changing the water a few times.  Any combination of raw almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds etc work equally as well.  I've done it without soaking too, it works fine.
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
• 1/2 cup white miso (if you don't have white, I'm sure another type would work, or if no miso - sea salt to taste)
• garlic to taste (I used about 6 cloves, we're garlic fans and we don't have to be anywhere later today :))
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup water (or just enough to keep the blender turning)
• a few good bunches of fresh basil*
• 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley*

*a note on the herbs: I had planned to just use as much basil as I could fit in the blender (I love it so much!), but when I got home from the market, there was a moldy patch of leaves in the center of the bunch I picked that made about 1/2 of what I had purchased unusable, so I just added parsley because it was the other green herb I had at hand besides cilantro (I thought that might be a conflict of flavors).  So the herbs are open to interpretation!!

First I cut the peels off of the orange and lime (leaving lots of the white pulp for valuable nutrients and bioflavinoids), take out the seeds, quarter them and place at the bottom of the blender, top with the basil, parsley and garlic.  Then I put the almonds on top of that and pour in the olive oil, water and top with miso.  For my delicate little blender, I find this layering to be the most effective.  Then simply blend everything until it is smooth!