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

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

Vegan Sushi

It feels as though we've been making a lot of RAWcipes using nuts. Since we both live fairly active lifestyles it's not really a concern. And in the grand scheme of things, it's a fair way of getting protein. However, a tasty dish without nuts is a welcome change. Enter sushi. This was easy to make, and I inhaled hoovered up every last bit. It's probably a good thing I didn't have company to watch me violate that plate of food.

What you'll need:

2 Raw Nori Sheets

1 Avocado

1 Red Pepper

1/2 Cucumber

1 Carrot

1 c. Sprouted Alfalfa

1/4 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

3 tbsp. Tamari (gluten free)

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Lime Juice

Bamboo Mat

Plastic Wrap

1)Soak julienned carrots in apple cider vinegar for 2 to 3 hours 

2) Thinly slice the red pepper, cucumber and avocado

3)Layer your veggies as you choose. I did:

  Sprouts, cucumber carrots and red pepper

4) Roll tightly using bamboo mat

5) Layer Avocado on top of roll and place on sheet
of plastic wrap

6) Fold plastic over top, and form avocado around the sushi roll you've made

7) Use the bamboo mat to press down firmly to further form and keep avocado in place

8) Using a sharp knife, cut in half, then cut those pieces in half and so on...until you have 8 even pieces.

9) Carefully remove plastic wrap and arrange on plate

10) Mix tamari, garlic and lime

Enjoy!

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 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 Vegan Burgers on a Kale 'Bun' (complete protein) - original recipe!!

What you'll need:

Burgers (makes ~12):

3/4 C almonds

3/4 C walnuts

1/2 C RAW pumpkin seeds

3 carrots

1 celery stalk

1/2 yellow/white onion

1 T fresh garlic paste

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1 T cumon powder

1/2 t cayenne (chipotle is better but not raw)

6 cranks himalayan pink salt

12 cranks black pepper

1/4 C loose fresh cilantro

BunToppings

1 bunch purple kale (or portobello mushroom caps)

Toppings

pretty much anything you'd want on a burger

I used sundried tomatoes, onion, avocado, pepper and  a tiny bit of garlic paste

1. blend all burger ingredients until very smooth
2. spoon onto parchment lined dehydrator trays
3. shape into burgery shapes that are slightly larger and thicker then what you want in the end (they lose more width than height though as they dry)
4. dehydrate over night at 41 C
5. flip in the morning and dehydrate until you are ready to eat them (they won't get too dry because of the oils in the seeds)
6. rip the stem of the kale and rip each leave in half across the stem
7. rip each half slightly down the middle by the stem and fold the ends underneath to make a round shape
8. place the burger (or 2) on top and toppings
9. cover with second kale circle and squish down
10. repeat, because you will probably want 2

Beach, Sandwich and RAW CASH STASH BUTTER

I think a beach day is one of the best ways to enjoy the final sunny days in Vancouver. I decided to use my raw bread to make a sandwich to bring with me for my day in the sun.

On my sandy:

• raw carrot-ginger bread
• one side cashstash butter (see recipe below)
• one side fresh garlic paste
• some spinach
• 1/3 cucumber, sliced
• 1 golden beet, shaved
• 2 big hunks of red capsicum
• pepper

This sandy was super flavourful and filling. The cashstash butter went really nicely with the sweetness of the beets and the garlic and pepper accented the spinach, cucumber and capsicum (which is just what my Kiwi roomy calls bell peppers, which I think is cool because there's like 15 different kinds of pepper and one less is just fine by me.)

           





         

RAW CASH STASH BUTTER:

what you'll need:

3/4 C cashews, soaked for ~30min (the cash)

1/4 C raw, shelled pistachios (the stash)

1T fair trade coconut oil (to help blending and prevent separation)

1/4 t cinnamon (optional)

1. drain soaked cashews

2. blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth

RAW Carrot-Ginger BREAD

    This recipe is super easy and a great way to use the leftover veggie pulp from juicing. Depending on how long you dehydrate it for you can get a nice soft bread for sandwiches or a more cracker like bread that's great with dips or spreads.

What you'll need:
3 C carrot-apple-celery pulp from juicing
1/2 C dried currants (or raisins)
1/2 C ground flax seed mixed w/ 1/2 C water
3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3/4 t himalayan pink salt (or sea salt if you're not as pretentious as me)

 

1. mix ground flax seed in water and let sit until goopy
2. puree veggie pulp in food processor until fine
3. add currants and ginger, pulse until there are no whole currants left
4. add flax goop, EVOO and salt, blend until smooth
5. spread mixture evenly on a parchment-lined dehydrator tray (or 2) with ~1 cm thickness
6. with a knife, score the mixture into sections slightly larger than the slices of bread you want (if you score all the way down to the parchment, the pieces will shrink apart from each other quite nicely)
7. dehydrate at 41 C for 4-6 hours, until the slices hold together enough to flip
8. flip each slice and dehydrate for another ~4 hours or until your desired texture (it also works okay if you dehydrate it overnight and then flip and dehydrate until the other side is dry to the touch)