Condensed Raw Vegetable Stock and Raw Potato Noodle Soup

Condensed Raw Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:
200g carrot or 3 medium carrots (2 cups)
200g celery or 3-4 stalks (2 cups)
200g onion or 1 medium onion
200g tomato or 2 small roma tomatoes
250g - 270g sea salt (about 1 cup)

1/3 cup fresh parsley, packed tight - or more
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning - or a few sprigs of fresh- parsley,rosemary, sage, and thyme
1 Tbsp paprika, optional
1 Tbsp basil or more fresh
1/2 Tbsp oregano or more fresh

Roughly chop all vegetables (first peel onion, and garlic). In a food processor add garlic, carrots, celery, pulse a few times then add onion, tomatoes, parsley and whatever seasonings you desire and process until a separated paste of tiny vegetable granules forms. You can include the parsley stems, if they would otherwise go to waste.

This can be made with whatever vegetables and herbs you would like, or to suit what you have already, and even vegetable scraps you’ve been saving. Cut all ingredients in half if you don't want to make such a large amount. 

To test it, mix 1/8 to 1/4 a teaspoon with 2 tablespoons of water, and taste. Add more sea salt, seasonings or vegetables as needed.

Use about 1-2 teaspoons per 1 cup of water to make a vegetable stock/ soup broth. It can be used in place of bouillon, and used to create a depth of flavour in raw food recipes, such as sauces, dips and dressings.

Store what you will use in the coming days in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer. It will not freeze solid.

DO NOT TASTE WITHOUT DILUTING. You will regret it.


Raw Potato Noodle Soup

Kale Chips, "Sour Cream" and Onion

   

Ingredients:
1/2 a bunch of kale (2 cups tightly packed)
1/2 cup raw almonds (about 75g) *see note
1/2 cup water, or more
2 Tbsp lemon juice (half a lemon)
1 1/2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp onion powder, or 1/4 cup fresh onion
1 Tbsp parsley(2-4 Tbsp fresh)
1 Tbsp dill
1 Tbsp dates, pitted & packed
1 Tbsp olive oil, *see note at bottom of page
1/2-1 tsp sea salt, to taste
1/2-1 tsp garlic powder, or 2 garlic cloves
2 green onions, optional
cracked pepper, to taste

Red Pepper, Celery, and Spice Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup dates, pitted & packed
1/4 cup “Italian Dressing” seasoning *recipe below
2-4 Tbsp lime juice (adjust to taste)
2-4 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil (adjust to taste)
2 green onions, whole

In a blender add dates, red bell pepper, celery, lime juice, and green onions and blend on low until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Once smooth pour in the olive oil. Add seasonings last, adjusting to taste.

Store in a glass container in the fridge. Flavour improves over time. Makes about 2 cups.

Try replacing dried spices with fresh basil, oregano, parsley and garlic; seasoning with pepper & sea salt as needed. You can also replace red pepper or/and celery with water for a different taste.

Saucy Apple Lemon Drink

Ingredients:
3 cups or 3-4 apples, peeled and chopped
3 Tbsp dates, pitted and packed
3 Tbsp lemon juice (about half a large lemon)
1-2 bananas
optional, cold water or crushed ice

In a blender, add the dates, lemon juice and banana. Place the chopped apples on top, and blend until smooth. Add cold water or crushed ice last, if desired; or place in the fridge to chill.

Try adding a slice of fresh ginger, if you like it.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This was the first smoothie I ever tried - and loved.

Shortly after becoming a raw vegan, I went to a smoothie place and ordered a strawberry banana; with no dairy -  they sure made it difficult (didn't know how to make it, had to get the store owner etc.), but in the end it was worth it because it motivated me to start making my own smoothies.

Ingredients:

2 medium bananas

1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries (or to taste)
1/4 cup filtered water, as needed
1 - 3 handfuls of spinach - optional; for a green smoothie.

2 Tbsp dates - optional; adds nutrition and sweetness

In a blender, add water and bananas and puree. Then add dates and strawberries (and spinach if using), and blend until smooth. Add ice if using fresh strawberries. Try replacing the water with orange juice (or blended whole orange). 

Add 1-3 teaspoons of raw almond butter, coconut butter or any ground nut or seed (try hemp, sesame, chia or sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, or cashews) - for a creamier smoothie.

Herb and Garlic Sprouted Almond Pate

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds - before soaking
1/2 - 1 cup carrots (less is richer)
1/4 cup filtered water - as needed
1 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil

1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp onion, dried (powder)
1 - 2 Tbsp oregano, dried or more fresh
1/2 Tbsp garlic, dried (powder)
1/2 Tbsp parsley, dried or more fresh

1 tsp sea salt - to taste

Soak almonds 8 hours or overnight. Rinse well and drain. Let sit out until little tails start to sprout. Optionally, you can peel them, for a lighter pate.

In a food processor add almonds and carrots (start with 1/2) and pulse together. Then add oil, vinegar, and water as needed to thin out, process then add seasonings, adjusting if necessary and process again. You can use your own herb, or Italian seasoning mix here. Also try adding red bell pepper (2 1/2 -4 Tbsp or more), and fresh basil to the pate.

Basic Veggie Flax Chips & Cashew "Cheese/Sour Cream" Dip

The key to making these break like a chip, is to spread the batter very thin.

This is just a basic recipe, and a good way to use up some of the vegetables that may be just sitting in your fridge. I don't use sea salt in this recipe, but you could sprinkle some on top if you wish to have salted chips. I ate a few of these on their own, and the rest with a salty dip. On their own they are slightly sweet, and taste faintly of onion. You can leave the onion out, and use more carrot if you like. 

Ingredients:

1 cup tomato or 1 tomato

1 cup celery  or 2 stalks celery

1 cup carrots or 2 carrots

1 cup sweet onion or half a large onion

1/2 cup flax seeds

Easy Strawberry Juice (No Juicer Required)

 Great for those who don't have a juicer, or don't have time to clean all the parts to their juicer. You can basically make this with whatever fruit you like. All you need is a blender.

 

Ingredients 

2 cups strawberries, tops removed, or fruit of choice
2 Tbsp dates, pitted & packed - or 2 medjool dates

In a blender, liquify strawberries, to do this you may need to keep stopping the blender and pushing the fruit into blades with a spatula. Then add dates, to taste. 

Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups depending on type of fruit used.

If you want it cold you can either use half the fruit frozen, or add ice. Also, if you want pure juice, you could run it through a strainer - but I don't. :)

Variation - add juice of half a lemon &/or a celery stalk(or 1 Tbsp cilantro)

Enjoy!

Pineapple Raspberry Shocker

 When I’m craving something sweet and sour, this is what I drink. It reminds me of those blue-raspberry flavoured slush puppies with added "shockers".

Ingredients:
1-2 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped

 

In a blender, add pineapple, then raspberries, and blend. Start with 1 cup raspberries, and add more to taste. You can also freeze pineapple first to make it thicker. If it's too tart for your taste, add a few dates or try half a banana.

Creamy Peachy Mango Drink

Definitely one of my favourite drinks, especially when peaches and nectarines are in season.

Make sure your peaches smell ripe, and your banana is spotted. You can add a few frozen or fresh strawberries for even more flavour.

Ingredients:
2 cups peach or nectarine slices, peeled
1 cup frozen mango chunks
2/3 cup frozen or fresh banana

OR

3 peaches or nectarines, peeled & pitted
15 frozen mango chunks
1 banana frozen or fresh

 

In a blender, add fresh fruit, blend. Add frozen fruit and blend again. Voila! Makes 3 cups.



Mmmm..!



How To Make Raw Almond Butter

Almond butter is a versatile, nutritious spread, and tastes great when eaten along with something sweet. Making your own is easy, and way less expensive then buying it in the store.

Use the most fresh almonds you can get, as better quality yields a better tasting butter. You can also use your food processor to make any other kind of seed or nut butter you'd like.

Berry Orange Banana Drink

 The flavour of this drink is determined by the berries that you use. It’s sweet and kids love it too.



Raspberry Orange Banana

 

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a mixture of these
1 cup orange segments or 2 medium oranges
2/3 cup frozen banana or 1 fresh banana

In a blender add oranges, fresh or frozen banana, and 1 cup raspberries (or other berry/mixture) and blend, adding more berries to taste.

Raw "Everything" Bagels

I got the idea for these bagels when I was reading a package of "everything" bagels that my boyfriend was eating. I based the amounts of each ingredient used, on the order of non-raw ingredients on the package.

Instant gratification - these are not. It will take about 2 days in the dehydrator for a "toasted" bagel, and about 1 1/2 days for a softer bagel. This recipe makes 2 regular-sized and 1 smaller bagel, or a pizza crust.

You can use this basic recipe to make a plain bagel, just omit the onion/garlic powders and the added seeds. I like this savoury version more for raw pizza bagels, pictured below.

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds (soaked at least 2 hours)
1 cup carrots
1/3 cup dehydrated onion powder (or flakes)
3 Tbsp whole flax seeds, ground
2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil (can use 1 Tbsp)
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dry almonds, ground  -- This is the "cornmeal"
sesame & poppy seeds, as needed

In a food processor, grind the soaked almonds and carrots together with the vinegar, olive oil, & sea salt. Add the ground flax and onion/garlic powders and process until a sticky dough forms. You will need to keep scraping down the sides of your processor. You may also need to add 1-3 Tbsp water. If dough isn't quite workable, you can let it sit for a while, possibly in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.

Form into rolls, a bit thicker then the size of bagel you want, and mush the edges together to form the shape of a bagel. Remember it will shrink in the dehydrator, so to get a normal sized bagel, yours should start out a bit bigger. 

Sprinkle the top, and sides with sesame &/or poppy seeds, lightly pressing them in. Cover dehydrator trays with parchment paper, and use the ground almonds to dust the surface of where you will be placing your bagels. This will also make them easier to flip.

Dehydrate at 105 degrees until the top is slightly dry, flip over & sprinkle with more seeds, pressing them in. Dehydrate another hour or so & flip back over. Then leave overnight or roughly 8 hours. Carefully with a sharp knife, slice bagels in half. Dry halves until desired texture, flipping periodically.





raw "everything" bagel

 


 raw "everything" bagel  ...."toasted"

 
 


Raw "everything" bagel pizza with sun-dried tomato sauce, cashew "cheese", tomatoes, red & cayenne peppers, red onions, fresh basil, and spices.



A pizza crust made with extra dough. I think pizza is always just better on a bagel, even a raw vegan one. =) What do you think?



Simple Romaine Lettuce Wraps with Carrot Tomato Spread and Green Onions

The spread hardly needs a recipe, It's just 3 ingredients but tastes great when wrapped in romaine lettuce with lots of thinly sliced or minced green onions.

It's easy to make, healthy, light (yet filling) and something you can eat with your hands, which most people enjoy. This serves 1 person as a meal, or more as a light appetizer. I like it alot because it uses no sea salt. I've added sea salt and I didn't like it. 

Ingredients:
1 cup carrots (2)
1 cup roma or grape tomatoes
1/2 a large avocado or 1 small

In a food processor add carrots and tomatoes and break down as well as you can.

Then slice avocado in half lengthwise, pull apart, and add in the half that doesn't hold the pit. This way the other half will keep better at room temperature.

Process until slightly chunky or smooth depending on preference.

For best tasting results, use very ripe, and flavourful produce - even lettuce can be bitter sometimes, taste before use.

To Assemble:

Wash and dry romaine lettuce leaves or hearts. Spoon the spread onto each leaf and sprinkle generously with minced or thinly sliced green onions.

(I only use the green part - replant the white part in a container of soil and you will have green onions whenever you need them.)

Serve as is, or fold the sides of the leaf over, and tie with a green onion, or chive. You can wrap them tightly, or loosely to expose some of the spread.

(I tend to just assemble them as I eat)

Coconut Butter Cups With Date Filling

In place of raw chocolate-covered cups I'd been making, I thought I'd try to create a recipe using a coconut butter shell. I love how fast they are to make, & the fact that there is no added sweetener, & they still taste this great.

Similar to eating dates covered in coconut butter, only better and has almost a chocolate- like mouth feel. Even if you don't like dates on their own, you may like them in the filling as it's great on it's own, especially after being chilled.  

Ingredients:

Artisana Raw Coconut Butter, melted, as needed

1 cup dates, packed (a scant cup also works) 
1 Tbsp raw almond butter - (or other seed/nut butter)
1 Tbsp raw coconut butter
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste *optional

Filling:

In a blender (or food processor), add 1/4 cup water, then the dates and blend to a thick paste. Add in 1 tablespoon coconut butter, and 1 tablespoon almond butter & sea salt.

You may want to use heaping tablespoons, taste as you add. Store in a glass jar & refrigerate, or freeze to chill. (best to use after it's chilled, but will also work right away).

Variation: Add the seeds from a vanilla bean for delicious vanilla coconut cups. Also try dividing the mixture and adding cinnamon, nutmeg, &/or ginger to spice things up.  

Note: If you don't have a blender or food processor, the filling can be made by mashing ingredients together on a plate with a fork.

To Assemble Cups:

Fill mini muffin liners with a small layer of coconut butter (1/4 inch), stick in the freezer for a few minutes until solid. Scoop 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon of filling into the center of cups, and smooth it out. MAKE SURE to leave space around the edges! Refreeze for another minute if the bottom layer start to melt.

Then fill in the top, and the edges with another layer of coconut butter, and freeze until the top hardens. They are now ready to eat. If you leave in the freezer until really solid, you can let thaw for a few moments before biting into them, but I like the hard shell.






I hope you enjoy eating these as much as I do, & don't forget to share :)

  



If you eat raw chocolate; give the cacao bliss version a try.