Monthly Archives: October 2013

Simple Salad Recipe

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This recipe is gluten-free and can be prepared raw and vegan

This is just a simple, easy salad you can make anytime, paired with a basic 4-ingredient dressing.  You can use the ingredients listed below or switch them up and create your own unique salad flavor.

 

 

For the salad, you will need:

-lettuce (any kind you like – I used romaine), about 1 head

-1-2 leaves of kale with cores (optional)

-1 bell pepper (I used yellow)

-a few small tomatoes

-3 mini cucumbers (not the super mini ones)

-some green onion (however much you like, maybe 3-4)

-several sprigs of dill

-raw shelled sunflower seeds to sprinkle on top

 

For the dressing:

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-1/4 cup lemon juice

-1/4 cup honey (or other sweetener if you want to make this dish vegan), preferable raw

-1-2 cloves garlic, depending on your taste preferences

You can also add salt and pepper, if you so desire, and any other spices you like.  Sometimes I make this with basil and oregano for a Greek salad.

 

 

Like any other salad, simply chop up your ingredients: the lettuce, kale, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onion, and mix them together.

At this point, you can also chop the dill and mix it in or sprinkle it on top after you’ve mixed the other ingredients.

Add the sunflower seeds (and dill, if you haven’t already) on top as a garnish and to add a nice crunch to the salad.

 

To make the dressing, add all the ingredients into a bullet or blender and blend until combined and creamy.  Drizzle on top of your salad just before eating and enjoy!

 

Raw Vegan Brownie Recipe

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This recipe is gluten-free, raw, and vegan

I attend a raw vegan potluck once a month, and when I came across this recipe on youtube I thought it would make the perfect contribution.  You can find the original video for the recipe here.  I topped these brownies with a vegan chocolate ganache (not pictured), found at rawmazing.com (scroll to the end of the strawberry pie recipe for the ganache directions).  The original recipe for the ganache is raw, but I swapped some of the ingredients to make do with what I had.  Anyway, here’s the recipe:

 

 

Prep Time: about 30 minutes

Fridge/Freezer Time: minimum 1/2 hr.

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup walnuts

1 cup dates, pitted (I halved mine as I pitted them)

4 tbs melted coconut oil

2 tbs cacao powder (I used cocoa powder as I didn’t have cacao)

1 tbs chia seeds

1 tbs flax seeds

pinch good salt (such as sea or Himalayan – not table salt! :))

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

 

When melting the coconut oil, please do not use the microwave!!  It’s not good for you or the food, and we definitely don’t want our raw brownies to become cooked :).  Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature (except during warm, summer weather) and has a low melting point, so an easy way to melt it is by putting it in a dish and placing the dish in hot water (pictured left).  If its warm and sunny out and the coconut oil is still solid, try putting it in sunlight – near a window, etc.

 

 

To make the brownies…

Start by placing the rolled oats and walnuts in a food processor.

 Pulse them until they form a powder, as seen below.

Next, add all the rest of the ingredients…

…the dates, melted coconut oil, cacao powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, salt and vanilla.

Continue to pulse these ingredients until they have a gooey texture and appear fully combined.  You will still see white bits and whole flax seeds (if you didn’t pre-grind your flax).  You can refer to the picture of the batter in the pan if you want to see what the it should look like (shown 2 pics down).

Line a pan with foil – I used an 8 x 8 in. square one, but you can use whatever you have depending on the size and thickness you want your brownies to be.

Then spread your brownie batter evenly in the pan.

The batter should go in the fridge for at least 2 hours or the freezer for at least 1/2 an hour to firm it up.

And there you have it!  Cut them up and enjoy!

 

I also added a chocolate ganache topping (just before eating the brownies) from a recipe found at rawmazing.com.

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup raw agave nectar, 2 tbs melted coconut oil, and 1/4 cup cacao.

I substituted the agave for maple syrup and, again, the cacao for cocoa powder.  The ganache will be quite runny at first; if you want it to get thicker, let it cool in the fridge for a while before serving.

Simply whisk the ingredients together and drizzle them over your brownies!  Yum!