Vegan Buckwheat carrot cake w/ cashew-date frosting

A dream come true....you can have delicious carrot cake that is totally gluten free, sugar free, and dairy free!  

I used this wonderful recipe below but altered it little bit.  Instead of agave nectar I used Maple syrup.  

http://www.voices4animals.org/?p=1140

Cashew date frosting

Ingredients:

Soaked cashews

Medjool dates

a little bit of water

vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Blend well in blender or food processor until creamy.

Creamy Cauliflower soup

My new favorite soup!  So simple and no broth is needed.   I never use broth as most vegetable broths contain some form of MSG which is so bad for you!  

Ingredients:

3/4 or 1 head of cauliflower

a handful of cashews

1/2 or 3/4 of an onion

2-3 garlic cloves

water

cayenne

salt

ghee or extra virgin olive oil

Lightly cook the cauliflower and onions in water.  Once cooked, blend well in blender and blend in the cashews and garlic as well.  Place the puree'd soup back in the pot and heat up a little more, adding cayenne, salt, and a spoon of ghee if you want.  Enjoy with some fresh chives or parsley on top.  

Sweet potato patties

What do you do when you have left over roasted sweet potatoes and quinoa?  Make a pattty out of them of course!   Super simple to whip up and tastes amazing!!  Enjoy with a lettuce leaf or a collard leaf :) and with some avocado and some sauce on top!

Sweet potato patties

Ingredients:

cooked yams

quinoa (cooked)

a bunch of fresh parsley

garlic clove

salt

Put all ingredients into the food processor and blend together.  Make into patties and brown on both sides w/ oil.

Pumpkin seed sauerkraut sauce

Ingredients:

pumpkin seeds

couple spoon fulls of sauerkraut

onion powder

some water

extra virgin olive oil
salt (only if needed) I find that the saurerkraut has enough salt in it.

Blend in blender until creamy and smooth!  

Tasty Kale Smoothies :-)

I have come across quite a few people who have tried to make a green smoothie, but they turned out pretty unappetizing!  I wanted to share my easy recipes of making yummy green smoothies without the bitterness!  We have been having green smoothies for breakfast for the more than a year and it really is key in staying healthy and feeling vibrant and clear.   I also recommend using Kale leaves instead of spinach, or any other green, because kale is packed with so many vitamins, fiber, etc. 

When making these green smoothies, it really is important to use a high powered blender like the vitamix or a Blendtec...It really blends the leaves and fiber super fine, so that it comes out smooth.  Regular blenders don't do a great job, and they come out coarse, and it is hard to swallow.  If you find the vitamix too expensive to buy, then I recommend the Cucina Bella Rocket blender which is an inexpensive alternative and it also blends the leaves well!  It is perfect for one person.  

Here are a few combinations of fruits that you can add to your kale smoothie!  To reduce the taste of the kale leaves, you just add more fruit!  You basically can add any fruit that's in season and organic.  Simple right?  :-) 

4 large leaves of kale, or 7 small leaves

strawberries

pineapple

banana

apple juice, water, or coconut water

blend well!

______________

4 large leaves of kale

rasberries/blue/black/strawberries

grapes

banana

1 beet

water

________________

kale

peach

banana

strawberries

grapes

water

_________________

kale

rasberries

banana

pineapple
chunk of ginger

water

___________________

kale

pomegranate

banana

grapes

berries

___________________

kale

pear

apple

banana

strawberries

Decadent fruit salad

The easiest thing on earth, and really is nectar in your mouth...yum....

Fruits I used in this one were: pineapple, bananas, kiwis, grapes, rasberries, and apples.  I mixed a little bit of lemon juice to keep the apples and bananas from browning.   You don't need to do this step if you're going to eat it right away!  :)

Simple lime sesame salad dressing :)

Ingredients:

lime juice

raw local organic honey if possible

crushed garlic

himalayan salt

cumin powder

toasted sesame oil

or if you prefer not to have sesame or don't have, just use extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together w/ a spoon until salt and honey has dissolved.  Use it w/ salad and enjoy!

Vegan carrot halwa! 

Ingredients:

Handfuls of carrots (shredded)

coconut oil

some cashew milk or any other nut milk

jaggery or coconut sugar

tumeric

cashews or any other nuts

raisins

freshly ground cardamon 

Heat up a generous amount of coconut oil and add the shredded carrots and let it cook until halfway done.  Add some cashew milk until a little watery and cook more for 5-7 min more.  Add jaggery, tumeric, cashews and raisins. Cook until water is dissolved. Lastly stir in some freshly ground cardamon. Enjoy!

Rich coconut butta!!

Simplest and easiest thing to make and so yummy w/ apples!  I love this snack!

Coconut butter:

dry shredded organic coconut 

and that's it!

Just put all the shredded coconut in a high powered blender, like a vitamix, and blend until smooth!  Unfortunately, I don't think a regular blender will do...it really needs a high powered blender!  You'll probably need the baton to push it down.  It's delicious w/ apples and other desserts and can be used as frosting I bet.  It's a wonderful substitute for other nut butters if you are sensitive to nuts.  Coconut butter will solidify so you can melt it by keeping it in a warm oven.  :)  

Bliss balls!

There are many variations of this recipe.  This a great snack to have and one of them is quite filling!  

Here are a few recipes..enjoy! 

Carob bliss balls:

Ing: macadamia nuts, almond butter, tahini, dates, raisins, coconut flakes, carbo powder, cinnamon, dash of salt

In a food processor blend together and make into balls. 

Nutella bliss balls w/ no chocolate:

Ing: brazil nuts, dates, almond & hazelnut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, coconut flakes, pinch of salt

Peanut bliss balls:

Ing: walnuts, almond butter (1/2), 1/2 peanut butter, dates, coconut powder, cinnamon, pinch of salt, coconut oil.

Seed Truffels 

Ing: dates, hemp seeds, tahini, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, and a pinch of salt. Mix in food processor and then roll into balls!

"cheesy" kale chips

Ingredients:

2 cups soaked cashews
1/3 cup soaked sunflower seeds
1/3 cup soaked pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds optional
soaked sundried tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic  
lemon juice
olive oil
salt
water
3 bunches of curly kale

For the cheese sauce, In a blender blend all the ingredients together until creamy and not too thick.  I always taste the sauce and if it tastes good, it's ready to massage on the kale.  I also never really measure, so this is just a guesstimate. After it's done, I massage into the large pieces of kale in a large bowl, and put it in the dehydrator, and first dehydrate for 120, for an hour and then 115 for the next 5 hours or so.  When it's dry and crispy, it's ready to eat!  Stores up to a month or so.

Raw Ketchup recipe

Ingredients:

1 tomato

soaked sundried tomatoes (5-6)

1/2 red bell pepper

onion powder

garlic

salt

coconut sugar crystals (or any other sweetener, like maple syrup or honey)

some olive oil

In a food processor or blender, blend altogether until smooth.  Enjoy!

Sprouted Mung bean patties 

Yummy in my tummy!! I totally made this recipe up, and it turned out SOOO good!! It almost resembled fish and chips w/ tartar sauce for some reason, but it's NOT and totally tastes better! You can use this as a burger patty  Next time I'm going to add beets in them!

Mung bean patties:

sprouted mung beans

yucca root (or potatoes)

yam

cilantro

garlic

olive oil

cayenne

salt

coconut flour

Boil the yucca, and yams. Keep the sprouts raw. Mix all ingredients together in food processor until smooth and thick. Make into patties and grill on pan with coconut oil until golden brown.  

Sunflower tartar sauce:

sunflower seeds

few spoons of apple cider vinegar

onion powder

salt

lemon juice

garlic cloves 

water

I actually like this Hempseed tartar sauce more, but the sunflower one is good as well!

Pumpkin seeds

Hemp seeds

onion powder

olive oil

salt

water

blend well in blender

Super tasty tacos!

There's nothing like home-made tacos with home-made refried beans, guacamole, and salsa.

Instead of rice, I use quinoa or millet.  Get the sprouted greens and enjoy with organic non-GMO soft tacos!

Guacamole recipe:

2 avocados

saurekraut w/ the brine (juice) 

a pinch of salt

olive oil

crushed garlic

in a bowl mix all the ingredients together :)

Salsa:

tomatoes

saurekraut w/ the brine (or if you don't have this, use lemon/lime juice and salt)

fresh cilantro including the stems

salt

jalepeno pepper
garlic if you like

Blend in blender or food processor until smooth yet a little chunky

Refried beans: 

Soak the pinto beans overnight so it is easier to cook, and it's also easier on the digestive system.

Once soaked cook it in a pressure cooker for about 5 whistles.  If you don't have this gadget, then just boil it until cooked.  Blend in a blender or food processor and add salt and water until creamy.

Sautteed Veggies:

Bell peppers

onions

carrots

or any other veggies!

cumin seeds

Toast cumins w/ coconut oil in a pan, and then add all the veggies, and stir fry until half cooked or until desired result.  

Stacking:  

First put the tortilla on the bottom, then layer on the refried beans, then quinoa, veggies, salad, salsa, and lastly the guacamole.  Enjoy!!!

Service to others!

I love cooking for people...it's one of my favorite things to do.  Especially when people come back for a 2nd and 3rd helping, and they are so grateful and happy.  I love giving and food is one of the ways I share my love to others!  I'm committing to cooking at this women's transition house in Oakland once or twice a month and it's been gratifying and so nourishing for my soul!  Whenever you feel sad or depressed or lonely, just go out and do something for someone else.  You'll immediately feel expanded and empowered!  My life is for others and I am reminded again and again that all my talents and skills are for others to benefit from.  

Freshly juiced Carrot, beet, apple, ginger, and lemon for breakfast

Very yummy carrot yam cream soup! 

Ingredients:

Around 5 carrots

1 big yam

around 3/4 cups of soaked cashews and/or brasil nuts

cinnamon

nutmeg

salt to taste

Blend in blender the boiled roots and nuts until creamy and cook in pot for a couple more minutes. Add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg to taste. Enjoy!! Top with parsley and/ or olive oil or top with avocado. 

Sesame honey wilted kale salad 

Ingredients:

kale leaves

lemon juice or lime juice

organic raw local honey

organic extra virgin olive oil

toasted sesame oil

salt

garlic

other veggies like bell peppers, etc.

Massage kale with lemon juice and oils until the kale is wilted.  Add honey and other ingredients and toss until it's well distributed.  

Vegan cream of broccoli soup

Made the tastiest cream of broccoli soup yesterday! Kind of a raw soup and vegan

Ingredients

a head of broccoli

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup soaked cashews or hemp seeds

a sprinkle of cumin powder

cayenne

salt and pepper

water. 

Directions: lightly steam the broccoli in water, then blend all the ingredients together in blender ( red bell pepper is raw). Then place in pot and cook for just a little bit, and add spices.  Enjoy!

Sauerkraut with an abundance of live beneficial bacteria!

 I highly recommend Lea's instructional videos on making Saurekraut the right way!  Check it out here:  http://www.nourishingtreasures.com/index.php/sauerkraut-101-free-course/

And also here is another useful article:  http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/

Raw vegan creamy Alfredo sauce w/ pasta

Super duper easy to make!  Thanks Purvi for the inspiration!  I finally made it just right and tweaked the recipe a bit.  Turned out so YUM!

Raw Alfredo sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups around soaked cashew (for at least a couple hours)

4-6 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch or more of fresh basil leaves

several spoons of organic apple cider vinegar

olive oil

salt

water

Blend in blender until creamy and enjoy!  

Raw strawberry cream pie

I made this for my birthday and it was gone in seconds!  All raw, vegan, and gluten free :)

This is my adaptation from this recipe: 

 http://www.rawfoodrecipes.com/recipes/raw-vegan-mango-magic-cheesecake.html

The only difference is that I added strawberries...Next time I want to try making a lemon pie!  Let's see how it turns out :)

Sweet cashew macaroons

The simplest and tastiest dessert to make and it's all raw!  :)

Ingredients:

cashews, few medjool dates, maple syrup, coconut flakes, coconut oil, vanilla extract.

Mix together in food processor and enjoy!

Asian salad with orange-sesame dressing

Live foods which are so very healthy for us!

Orange sesame dressing

Ingredients:

 Juice of 1 lime

1 whole seedless navel orange

2 garlic gloves

a chunk of ginger

honey

toasted sesame oil

olive oil

salt

coriander leaves

blend in blender and enjoy!

For the salad, I've used romaine lettuce, shredded beets and carrots, bok choy, and toasted sesame seeds on top.  

Savory sprouted mung beet patties with Hemp tartar sauce

A very yummy and healthy dinner that doesn't take much time at all!  (except the sprouting part) You can use this as a burger patty, or just eat it how it is on the picture :)

Mung beet patties:

Ingredients

around 2 cups sprouted moong beans

1/2 or 1 raw beet

1/2 a bunch of cilantro

few garlic cloves

coconut flour 

salt

olive oil

In a food processor, blend the beet until small pieces, and then put in the rest of the ingredients.  Blend well until the pieces are small.  To make the batter stick, add more coconut flour.  Make into patties, and light grill on the pan w/ coconut oil.  

Hemp tartar sauce:

Ingredients

Hemp seeds

pumpkin seeds

apple cider vinegar

water

onion powder

some olive oil if you want

salt

Blend well until smooth and creamy in a vitamix.  Add the seasonings according to your tastes bud.  Enjoy!!

New healthy me

It's been two years since I have posted any recipes!  A lot of changes have happened since then, and I have a new diet which is helping me feel so much better...No more bloating, no more headaches, allergies, and no more fatigue.  I feel more energy and more light and I just feel great in general.  Hence I'm starting a new chapter of my blog, and the theme is discoveries of gluten free, soy and dairy free dishes which I have found to be very delicious and nutritious as well :-)  Enjoy Loves!