Raw BBQ Eggplant-Chicken Pizza with Smokey Cashew Gouda

What came first, the chicken or the eggplant?

Who cares, I'm eating pizza.

What you'll need:

Crust

1 obo squash, peeled

1/2 C flax meal

1 T gluten free tamari

1 t italian spice mix

1 t oregano

1/2 t black pepper

1. puree squash in food processor until smooth
2. add remaining ingredients and mix well in a separate bowl
3. spread to 1/2cm thickness on a parchment lined dehydrator tray
4. dry overnight (~10hrs) at 41 C, until crisp

BBQ Sauce

1 fresh tomato

1/2 C sundried tomatoes

1 apple, cored

1 garlic glove 

2 T tamari

3 T maple syrup

1/4 t cinnamon

1/2 t cumin

1 T hickory flavour

1 T onion powder

1/2 C water

1. puree tomatoes, apple and garlic in food processor until very smooth (2-3min), adding water as needed
2. blend in remaining ingredients

Eggplant Chicken

1 medium Japanese eggplant

bbq sauce from above

1. chop off the ends and peel the eggplant
2. cut into 1 cm cubes and toss with bbq sauce
3. spread onto a parchment lined dehydrator tray, ensuring even sauce distribution
4. dry at 41C for 3-5 hours until no longer crunchy but still slightly firm

'Roasted' Veggies

12 mushrooms

8 thin asparagus spears

2 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t pink salt

1. slice mushrooms thinly and chop asparagus into 3cm sticks
2. toss oil and seasonings
3. dry on a parchment lined dehydrator tray for 4 hours at 41 C

Smokey Cashew Gouda

1 C raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained

2 T raw apple cider vinegar

2 t Wizard's gf/veg Worcestershire

2 t hickory flavour

2 T agave nectar

1/4 C nootch

1/2 t pink salt

3 T water

1. puree raw cashews in food processor until very smooth (~3 min)
2. add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth

Assembly

1. spread half of gouda mixture on prepared crust
2. cover with roasted veggies and bbq chicken 
3. top with dollops of remaining gouda
4. dehydrate for another 1-2 hours
5. remove from dehydrator by lifting the entire parchment sheet
6. cut into slices and enjoy while still warm!

RAWsagna

This recipe took me a while to develop, but I actually managed to create a very convincing meat sauce for this raw lasagna! It has both a satisfying texture and flavour.

What you'll need: 

4 medium zucchini

Meat Sauce:

1 batch Raw Vegan Ground Beef

1 cup Mar-raw-na-raw sauce

Cashew Ricotta

1 C cashews 

(soaked in 2 T apple cider vinegar and 1 1/2 C water overnight)

3 T nootch

1 t Wizard's gf/veg worchestershire sauce

2 T onion powder

1/2 t garlic

1/4 t pink salt

1/4 C water (reserved from soaking)

Cheddar Sauce

2 orange capsicums

1/2 C raw sunflower seeds

1 T squeezed saurkraut (optional)

7 T nootch

1 T onion powder

1/2 T garlic powder

1/2 t pink salt

1. slice zucchini thinly using a cheese slicer or mandolin
2. lay out slices on a dehydrator tray so they are not touching and dehydrate for 2-3 hours at 47C
3. combine meat sauce ingredients and let sit to marinade

Ricotta:

1. process cashews until very smooth
2. add seasonings and water and blend until incorporated 

Cheddar:

1. process capsicums and seeds on high for about 3 minutes until very fine
2. add seasonings and blend until smooth

Assembly:

1. in a small baking pan, lay out a layer of zucchini noodles so that each slice is overlapping another by about a 1/3 until the base is covered
2. drop spoonfulls of 1/2 the meat sauce evenly across the zucchini layer and press down to fill any holes and smooth the top of the layer
3. spread half of the ricotta over the meat layer
4. add another layer of zucchini noodles
5. repeat one more meat sauce and ricotta layer
6. add a final layer of zucchini noodles
7. pour the cheese sauce over the last noodle layer and smooth evenly
8. let sit on the counter for about 20 minutes for the layers to set
9. cut into pieces by stabbing downward with a sharp chefs knife to avoid pulling out a noodle and ruining the layers

Raw Vegan Ground Beef

The trick to this recipe is dehydrating the mixture just right to get the soft-firm texture of ground beef. This beef works great for sauces or taco mixes.

What you'll need:

1 head broccoli, florets only

3 carrots

10 crimini mushrooms

1 1/2 C sprouted lentils

1/2 C raw walnuts

1-2 t hickory flavour

3 T gluten free tamari

1 T onion powder

1 t garlic powder

2 t black pepper

1/4 t cinnamon 

1. puree all the vegetables in a food processor in batches to get them into a fine mush, combine in a large mixing bowl
2. process lentils, walnuts and seasonings together until smooth
3. combine all processed ingredients and mix thoroughly
4. spread roughly over 2 parchment lined dehydrator trays
5. dry at 41C for about 8 hours, stirring/mushing the mixture twice throughout
6. your 'beef' is done when it has turned a uniform brown colour and is firm to the touch, but not yet crunchy or hard

mar-RAW-na-RAW sauce

a simple but versatile raw marinara sauce

What you'll need:

(makes 1 cup)

3 medium tomatoes

1/2 C soft sun dried tomatoes (rehydrated if needed)

3 cloves fresh garlic

2 t dried oregano

2 t black pepper

1 T brown sugar

1 T gluten free tamari

1 T olive oil

1. blend all ingredients except olive oil until throughly mixed and there are no large chunks of garlic
2. add olive oil and gently pulse until incorporated
3. store in a mason jar, because everything looks better in a mason jar

Blueberry Vanilla Faux-Yo

For all fellow fro-yo lovers out there. 

Sadly, we cannot offer sample cups like Menchies.

What you'll need:

2 frozen bananas

1/2 C blueberries

1/4 t vanilla extract

1. blend all ingredients in a food processor until chunky, scrape down the sides
2. blend for about 2 minutes more until smooth and slightly whipped, scraping sides as needed

Kale Slaw

Coleslaw is like the junkfood of salads and is totally awesome in my opinion. I'm a big fan of cabbage. This is a nice fresh tasting rendition of it using kale instead of green cabbage because kale is good for you or something.

What you'll need:

(makes about 6 servings)

Salad

1/2 head purple cabbage, cored

1 bunch kale

2-3 carrots

raw pumpkin seeds to top

Dressing

6 T vegan mayo

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

3 T tamari

2 T balsamic vinegar

pepper like cray

I make this entire salad in my food processor with the grating/slicing attachment. 

Ain't nobody got time for that chopping.

1. cut the cabbage and kale into pieces that will fit into the processor opening
2. feed the pieces into the slicing side of the attachment to slice all of the kale and cabbage, set aside
3. shred the carrots using the grating attachment 
4. mix together dressing ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with the rest of the salad mix
5. dish into bowls and top with pumpkin seeds

Raw Vegan Flax Mayo

This mayo is great for salad dressings and dips but has a nice flavour by itself. It took a couple tries to get the technique right, but the order you add the ingredients is definitely important for this recipe!

What you'll need:

(makes 1 cup)

2/3 C extra virgin olive oil (or other oil of choice if you want a milder tasting mayo)

2 T flax meal

1/4 C water

2 t tapioca starch

1/2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T lemon

1 T agave nectar

1 t pepper

1/4 t pink salt

1. mix flax meal, water and tapioca starch thoroughly and let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes 
2. whisk olive oil with remaining ingredients well and set aside
3. in a small food processor (or magic bullet) puree set flax 'egg' mixture and 2T of oil mixture for 30 seconds
4. add the rest of the oil mixture in 2T increments, processing for 30 seconds after each addition
5. once everything has been mixed, process for an additional minute
6. store in a sealed container in the fridge

RAWFL Falafel and Yellow Zucchini Pita Wraps

What you'll need:

Falafel

2 carrots

1 onion

3 stalks celery

5 C broccoli florets

12 crimini mushrooms

1 orange/yellow capsicum

1 C sprouted lentils

5 cloves garlic

1 T curry masala

3 T cumin

1 t pink salt

2 t black pepper

1. process carrots, onion and celery until fine and set aside in a mixing bowl
2. process broccoli and mushrooms and add to mixing bowl
3. process capsicum with lentils and spices and mix thoroughly with the rest of the mush
4. form into 3cm balls and place on a lined dehydrator tray (they will shrink apart once dry so you can cram them on pretty tight)
5. dehydrate at 41C overnight, flip and dehydrate until they hold together firmly 

Pita

4 yellow zucchini

2 carrots

1 C flax meal

1 T onion powder

1 T tamari (gf)

1. juice the zucchini, reserving the juice (or grate and squeeze, but you want as little water left in the pulp as possible)
2. process the carrots until fine and add to zucchini pulp in a mixing bowl
3. mix in flax meal and spices until thoroughly combined, adding zucchini juice as needed until the batter is smooth but still thick
4. spread into pita-size circles on a parchment lined dehydrator tray
5. dry for 2 hours at 41C, flip and dry for another 2 hours (you want the pitas to be dry to the touch and firmly holding together, but still soft and flexible, if you dry them too much they will also soften in the fridge so it's not a big deal)

Wrap Stuff

garlic paste (optional)

tahini (so not optional)

spinach/kale

tomato

alfalfa sprouts

avocado

pree much anything you want

1. spread your sauces of choice on either side of the pita and add toppings and falafels
2. eat it like a taco

supes portable

Moose Mousse

This raw chocolate mousse is named after my (Kent) mom's favourite animal. This is what me and Shane had for dessert after calzones and before we passed out from raw food-comas watching Pitch Perfect which I hadn't seen yet and he's seen 6 times. This was my rendition of the dessert he made when we made dinner for my parents the weekend before I moved back to Van. He also managed to make my entire family love brussels sprouts that night which is a pretty amazing feat.

What you'll need:
(serves 2-4)

2 avocados
6 dates (I use mozafati, but if you don't live near a Persian grocery store where you can buy these beauties then your life just really isn't that great, sorry.)
3 T fair trade cocoa
1 T vanilla extract (which is NOT sweet, Shane)
1/4 t pink salt

1. process all ingredients until smooth, scraping down sides
2. continue to process until the texture is whipped ~2 minutes
3. scoop into adorable little bowls and enjoy
4. watch a hilarious movie

Raw Broccoli and Cheddar Calzone (Gluten Free and Vegan)

         Kent here. Shane came to visit me this past weekend in Vancouver! Aside from antique shopping, bookstore exploring and dollar store raiding, we managed to eat some really good food. On Saturday we went to Gorilla Food downtown (an all-raw organic and vegan kitchen). We'd both been wanting to go for a long time so we were really excited. While the food was delicious, we couldn't help but think "we could do better". And this is what we came up with:

Disclaimer: This is definitely a recipe you need to start the night before. There's a lot of parts that need to be made separately but it's worth it. 

What you'll need:

(~6 servings)

Crust
3 C sprouted buckwheat (dehydrated)

1 C sprouted quinoa (dehydrated)

1 1/2 C ground flax seed soaked in 1 C water

5 carrots, roughly chopped

2-3 T agave nectar

1 T curry powder

1 T cumon powder

1 T onion powder

1 T garlic paste

1/2 t pink salt

1. process carrots until fine
2. add sprouts and seasonings and process until smooth
3. in a separate bowl combine with soaked flax seed using a spoon (preferably a wooden one because they are significantly more legit)
4. spread onto a parchment lined dehydrator tray in a 11/2cm thick square/circle
5. dehydrate overnight, flip in the morning and dehydrate until firm but not too dry
6. refrigerate until needed

Cheddar Cheez Sauce

1/2 C cashews + 1/4 C sunflower seeds + 1/4 C pine nuts soaked in 1 C water overnight

1/2 orange capsicum

1/2 red capsicum

1 T onion powder

1/2 T Wizard's gluten free vegan worcestershire sauce

1 T sauerkraut

3 T nootch

1/2 T garlic paste

1-2 t pink salt (by taste)

1. process nuts and seeds together until smooth and clumping together
2. add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth

Spinach Sauce

1 avocado

1 1/2 C spinach

1/2 t black pepper

1 T fresh lemon juice (or 1/2 a lemon)

1. blend all ingredients together until smooth

'Roasted' Broccoli and Mushrooms

1 C chopped broccoli florets

1 C chopped mushrooms

2 T EVOO

1 T tamari

1/2 t black pepper

1. toss veggies in oil and seasonings
2. dehydrate for 2 hours until roasty looking

Marinara Sauce

2 whole roma tomatoes

1/2 C sundried tomatoes

1/4 onion

2 t dried greek oregano

2 t dried basil

1 t garlic powder

1. roughly blend ingredients together to make a chunky sauce

Assembly:

1. spread cheddar sauce on one side of the crust and spinach sauce on the other
2. distribute the roasted veggies evenly over the spinach side
3. carefully fold the cheezy side over the veggie side to form the calzone and push the crusts together
4. top with marinara sauce
5. warm in the dehydrator (optional) and serve

          Shane completed the meal by whipping this simple but delicious plum and cucumber salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (he was a mildly heartbroken he couldn't find fresh figs to put on it as well):

Raw Caramel Banana Mini Cheezcake Cupcakes

This babies can be enjoyed straight out of your freezer. And by can I mean have to be, because there is a 30% chance they are already melting.

What you'll need:

(makes about 30)

Crust

3/4 C raw hazelnuts

1/2 C raw walnuts

1/4 C raw sunflower seeds

4 dates

1/2 t pink salt

Cheezcake

1/2 C raw cashews soaked overnight and drained

1/4 C Cashew Sour Cream

1 C butternut squash, pureed

1/2 a zucchini, peeled and seeded

4 T agave

3 dates

2 T nootch

1 T lemon juice

2 T vanilla 

2 T coconut oil

3 T top coconut milk

1 banana

1. process all crust ingredients for about 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides when needed, until smooth and clumped together
2. scoop a teaspoon worth into the bottom of your cupcake cups (I use mini parchment ones, they don't stick at all) in a cupcake tray
3. press firmly and smoothly into the bottom
4. freeze the crusts while you prepare the cake
5. process the drained cashews until smooth and clumping together
6. add remaining ingredients and process until really really smooth (takes about 6-10 minutes in my food processor)
7. scoop on top of the frozen crusts to fill up the cups
8. eat the rest with a spoon
9. freeze for at least half an hour

Fresh Raw Vegan Basil Pesto

This pesto recipe is super easy and is a great way to use up the giant bundles of basil that the Persian grocery store by my house sells. 

What you'll need:
1 C-ish packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 C raw pine nuts
3 T Parmes-almost Cashew Cheez
6 T EVOO
1 T fresh garlic paste
1/2 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1. blend it up

Creamy Cashew Parmes-almost

This is the sharpest cashew cheez I've managed to concoct yet and I'm pretty excited. Nootch is a wonderful thing.

What you'll need
1 C raw cashews
--->soaked overnight in a warm place (on top of the fridge) in 1 C water w/ 2 T raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T nootch
1/2 T gluten free tamari
1/2 t pink salt (or to taste)

1. drain cashews, reserving 1/4 cup of water
2. process cashews alone for 1 minute until smooth and start clumping together
3. add remaining ingredients and 1/4 cup reserved water, process until smooth

Raw Vegan Loaded Veggie Quiche

You wouldn't even know there wasn't eggs in this.

(except for the fact that you're making it and not putting eggs in it...)

What you'll need:

(serves 6-8)

1/2 batch of Raw Rosemary and Sprouted Buckwheat Crust 

Eggz

3/4 C raw macadamia nuts

1/4 C raw sunflower seeds

1/2 C Vegan Cashew Sour Cream

1 T onion powder

2 T nootch

1/2 t Bragg's 'Sea Kelp Delight'

1 T yellow mustard

1/2 T fresh garlic paste

1/4 t pink salt

Veggies

1 C dried mushrooms (I use the Chinatown-style 'black fungus' kind), or thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 stalks purple kale, thinly sliced

2 handfuls spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2 orange capsicum, 1/2cm dice

1/2 cup sundried tomato, julienned (rehydrated if needed)

1/2 cup saurkraut, squeezed

6 olives, minced

1/4 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

2 T EVOO

1 t black pepper

1. prepare and shape your crust into a 1/2cm thin circle or 2 semi-circles if you have a holey dehydrator like me, dry for 2-3 hours until crusty
2. mix all veggie ingredients together and let sit until wilted from the oil and vinegar
3. combine all eggz ingredients in food processor and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes
4. mix eggz with wilted veggies and smooth onto your crust in a 2-3cm thick layer
5. dehydrate overnight at 41 C (at least 8-10 hours) until the top is dry to the touch and the eggz/veggie mixture holds together firmly when pressed (don't overdry as you want a moist (ew sorry for using that word) quiche-y texture)
6. enjoy! this recipe keeps very well in a sealed tupperware in your fridge.

Vegan Cashew Sour Cream

This sour cream is slightly aged with raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar to make it a little extra funky and totally awesome.

What you'll need:

2 C raw cashews

1 1/2 C water

1/4 C raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 t pink salt

1 T agave nectar

1/2 t fresh lemon juice

2 T top foam of coconut milk*

1. soak cashews in water and apple cider vinegar in a sealed container (I use a bowl with a plate over it) on top of your fridge or any warm place for 2 days
2. drain cashews, reserving liquid
3. process soaked cashews until smooth, about 2-3 minutes
4. add salt (if you stop here this is actually a pretty simple and kickass cashew parmes-almost)
5. add agave, lemon juice and coconut milk and blend 
6. pour reserved water into the whole in your food processor lid while blending until mixture is thick and smooth
7. store in an airtight container in your fridge

* When you open a can of coconut milk it is usually separated into a thick foam at the top and the coconut water at the bottom. For this recipe don't mix the coconut milk and use only the thick top foam.

Raw Rosemary and Sprouted Buckwheat Crust

DISCLAIMER: This recipe is not for those afraid to get their hands a wee bit dirty.

This recipe is a double batch, so you can either halve it if you are using it for a crust or make the whole thing and freeze half for later. For a cheezy rendition mix in 2-4 T of nootch* with the dry ingredients!

What you'll need:
2 C RAW pumpkin seeds
2 C RAW sunflower seeds
1 C RAW coconut flour**
4 C buckwheat sprouts
1 sprig rosemary (leaves only)
1 T EVOO***
1 T onion powder
2 t pink salt
1 t black pepper
1/3 C ground flax seed****
2/3 C water

Procedure:

1. mix flax meal and water thoroughly and let sit in your refridgerator for 15 minutes, DO NOT skip this wait time, it really makes a difference in the eggy binding power
2. grind seeds in food processor into a fine powder
3. place in mixing bowl with coconut flour, onion powder, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly and break up any clumps
4. process buckwheat sprouts, rosemary leaves and EVOO until it is  a homogenous mush
5. add buckwheat mush and flax goop to dry ingredients
6. using your hands, knead everything
   
   together until uniform and the mixture sticks together when pressed
7. take half of the dough and press onto a parchment lined dinner plate and press evenly to the edges to make your pie crust shape of your desired thinness (thicker will hold together, I make mine about 3/4cm thick)
8. if your dehydrator is like mine, you will need to cut this crust in half and place each half on either side of the center hole 
9. dehydrate at 41 C for about 2 hours until it is a darker brown and holds together firmly
10. the remainder of the dough can be frozen or dehydrated into crackers/raw bread

* nutritional yeast flakes

** make sure the coconut flour is raw (like Coconut Secret brand), most brands use pressurized steam to defat their coconut flours. Coconut heats well though, so it's not the worst thing ever.

*** extra virgin olive oil

**** you can grind your flax seed yourself or buy pre-ground flax meal, just make sure that you store ground flax seed in the freezer as it will go rancid much quicker than the whole seeds. Basically the general rule of thumb, is the better an oil is for you, the worse it is for you once heated (coconut is fine). That's why it really urks me when brands sell flax-containing baked goods or roasted nuts/seeds as 'healthy'...you might as well inject plaque straight into your arteries.

This recipe was inspired Sarafae Bedelia (possibly related to Amelia Bedelia?) and her awesome raw vegan blog: addictedtoveggies.com