And That's a Wrap!!! - A Coconut Wrap(per)!!!

If you have a dehydrator and have access to young Thai coconuts...these are a breeze. If not, there are certainly other ways to make wraps, but I was focusing on quick and easy with the tools I have. Delicious and super light! Continue to dehydrate, and instead of a flexible wrap, you have a light, crunchy snack! Switch up seasoning and create something sweet, savory and/or spicy! The variations are limitless! I chose a Chipotle Wrap below...

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"Root Beer Float" Smoothie

As a little girl I'd get utterly giddy at the thought of a Root Beer Float, and to this day, it's connected to many happy childhood memories. As a recipe developer, my goal is to RE-create comfort foods, replacing processed ingredients with healthy ingredients. While visiting a local spice shop, I came across this Root Beer Extract and could not resist. The aroma alone, sent me down memory lane. I was inspired to create! While not an actual "soda" the flavor is quite reminiscent of Root Beer Floats. Just thinking about some raw vegan vanilla ice cream wiht this..YUM!  But for now, this smoothies, inspired by childhood memories, please this little girls' taste buds..I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.    

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Dairy-Free, Raw Ice Cream

Ok! Bad picture! It was evening, and it was metling. I had very little lighting, but wanted to capture it. You'll have to trust me..It was GREAT! Some time back, I did a post on  how to prepare ice cream using a juicer and blank plate. It's been awhile since I pulled out the old Champion...but I'm sooooo glad I did. Last night I literally threw together some Blueberry Banana Coconut Ice Cream. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

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Blueberry Muffin Tops (Gluten-Free)

Blueberry Muffins have always been a big comfort food in my life. These no-bake, raw vegan treats are well worth the effort. The taste and mouth-feel are outstanding! Now you can have them too! 

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Salad - Getting Back to My ROOTS!!!

While I LOVE preparing gourmet treats for friends and family, and creating new and exciting recipes for this blog, in my every day life, I stick pretty close to my ROOTS...and this month, I can say that literally. My holistic physician, has me slowing down on smoothies and juices, and focusing more on C H E W I N G. What perfect timing! My garden is growing and what I am not growing, other friends are, and sharing. Dr. E wants me eating LOTS of R O O T S., so here they are...

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Zippy Red Lentil Burgers

These are obviously not raw, but if you are transitioning to a plant based diet, and crave a bit of cooked food on a cold, Winter evening, these are super yummy and easy to prepare. Dairy free Yogurt Sauce on the side. Yummmmy! You can make raw fermented yogurt from almonds...recipe posted elsewhere on this blog. But here is a quick mock yogurt.

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Cheese Burger?

It's so much fun converting leftovers into something new and yummy. I spread some almond cheese sauce from our nacho feast last night onto a non-stick sheet and dehydrated a few hours. I wanted it to be like sliced American cheese, but I think it needed a little more time in the dehydrator. It came out more like a thick cheese spread, and was delicious.

Topping Zippy Red Lentil Burgers with this creamy cheddar cheeze, guacamole, re-fried beans, red onions and tomato, served open-faced on a piece of Almond Bread  I pulled out of the freezer. What a great meal. I craved something warm tonight and the burgers went great with all of the raw fixins!

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French Lentil Chili

W wanted something warm tonight, so I came up with a French Lentil Chili. Lentils are low in fat and high in protein and fiber. The good news is, they cook quickly. Lentils have a mild and earthy flavor, and are best cooked with strong flavorings.  French green lentils are sort of peppery and hold their shape rather well. They don't get mushy like most other lentils.

Always rinse lentils and pick out stones and other debris. There's no need to soak them. Store lentils  in a cool, dry place. 

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Roasted Fennel - Super Quick and Easy

Don't have a lot of time? This is a really quick and easy meal to prepare. I'm finding it hard to eat raw all the time in Winter. For lunch I cut up some raw celery and carrots, but when dinner rolls around, I tend to lean towards cooked, but crunchy veggies. 

I had some fennel that I needed to use and this is what I came up with. It was really easy and surprisingly delicious. We were both totally satisfied and full.

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Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite cooked meals..although when I prepared it this evening, I left the veggies pretty crunchy and the mushroom was still pretty firm. I usually make this with  spinach, but I didn't have any available, so I used kale leaves and some bok choy leaves instead. It came out great. Coupled with some jasmine rice cooked in mushroom broth, this was a very pleasing meal.

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Zippy Black Bean Burgers on Mediterranean Almond Bread

Last night some frozen "leftovers" came in very handy. I removed both the Mediterranean Almond Bread and Zippy Black Bean Burgers from the freezer and placed them in the D for a few hours. I made W a scrumptious "cheeseburger" on the bread with lettuce, avocado mayonnaise, veggie mac cheese spread, sliced tomato and red onion. He loved it.

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Hearty Mushroom Barley Soup

It was a dreary, rainy day...a perfect day for a hearty bowl of soup. This is one of my favorite soups and it's very easy to make. I've never really measured anything, so the ingredients listed are approximate values. Get creative and add different kinds of mushrooms or veggies. Let me know how you made out and what adjustments or changes you made. Enjoy!!!

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Black-Eyed Pea (Not Quite) Fritters and Dipping Sauce

After our busy day yesterday, I was really too tired to fuss and was happy to find this fairly simple recipe from "Cooking the Whole Foods Way."I made some changes to suit my requirements and combined these little fritters with the leftover kelp and soba noodles, and added a small salad. I try to avoid fried foods, but managed to use very little oil, just enough to brown the outer layer. It was yummy with a spicy dipping sauce.

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Celery Root Soup With Granny Smith Apples

The author of "The Conscious Cook Book" was on Oprah the other day, cooking this soup. It looked simple and elegant, so I gave it a try and I am so glad I did. This is a FIVE STAR soup!! It is spectacular! A great soup to make when you want to impress your guests! It looks pretty, it tastes great and it's fairly easy to make. I was so full after 2 bowls that I could not eat anything else for dinner.

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Cream of Vegetable Soup

This is one of those "everything but the kitchen sink" recipes...creamy and satisfying! Cashew cream is amazing and works wonders on soups. This is not a raw recipe and was used as I transitioned away from dairy and discovered the wonders of nut milk and nut cream. I have several cream of "whatever" vegetable soup in my blog, so just check under the "soup" category.

Create your own amazing soup. Be creative. Use your own variety of veggies and seasonings, add cashew cream, and BLENNNNNDDDD. Yummmmmmmm - enjoy!

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Soothing Red Lentil Soup

One of my all time favorite cooked soups. It's a creamy and soothing comfort food, for sure

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Garbanzo Beans, Mushrooms, Zucchini and Rice

It's Christmas Eve and we have to get up very early and drive 2.5 hours to see my girlies and family. By girlies, I am of course referring to my two daughters, and my precious granddaughter.

A few other family members will be there...

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