Raw "Oatmeal"

I'm a big fan of eating in season. Living in Southern California the summers are so warm that my body is always craving raw foods.

You all know I'm a huge fan of raw foods like juice, smoothies, cheesecake and pasta for their living, nutrient dense properties; lately i've been wanting to expand. I used to have oatmeal almost everyday but in the warm weather my body just didn't want it - and sometimes I was being left very tired and over full. Then I discovered raw and grain free oatmeal from one of my favorite nutritionists.

Hopefully you have seen my cinnamon buckwheat pancake blog (because you are really missing out if not) to learn the incredible benefits of raw groats. So here is a raw way to incorporate groats in your diet. 

Fast, easy, delicious, and nutrient dense - the perfect breakfast! I felt full and energetic for hours after this. 

What you need

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 cup soaked oat groats or buckwheat groats
• 1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Water as needed

Possible supper food additions

• Cinnamon to taste
• Vanilla
• Clove
• Nutmeg
• Chia Seeds
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cacao Nibs
• Cacao Powder 

Directions

• Soak groats overnight then rinse well. 
• Place groats and avocado in a food processor. and processes well.
• Add salt and maple syrup pulse until well mixed.
• If you want a smoother consistency add water and mix. 
• Top with super food additions and enjoy! 

To really make yourself a priority have some celery, carrot sticks or a handful of greens before hand to alkaline your body and prepare your GI tract. 

Home Made Nut Butter

One of my favorite snacks is nut butter of just about any kind. Nuts have a variety benefits including protein,  antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. It can also aid in stress reduction: the nutrients in several types of nuts can help protect your body against the damaging physical effects of being stressed out. Boosts the immune system with vitamin E, vitamin B and magnesium. Improving heart health: may help reduce LDL cholesterol - According to a Harvard review. And so much more!

I really love nut butters but like most products, the store bought brands aren't up to standard! They often contain harmful oils, sugar, preservatives, aren't raw, are loaded with sodium, or are just over priced. Once I realized how unbelievably easy it was to make them I'll never go back!

Hopefully you caught my blog the other day about juicing -  one wonderful perk to the kind of juicer I have is that it can also make nut butters (and pasta). I've had an Omega 8000 series masticating juicer for about 5 years now and it is still going strong. For a solid 2 years I was using it daily and I've seen this model take a beating! If you do the math on this:  juice can be anywhere from $7-$14 in LA and I got the juicer for about $250, if you juice daily it will pay for itself in a few weeks! And thats not including the yummy, healthy, raw, nut butters you can make.

Lets get down to business. For this I used hazelnuts so that I could make a raw chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. 

Step one. Decide on your nut butter - literally the hardest part.
Step two. Assemble your juicer with the proper parts. Follow instructions that came with your particular juicer.
Step three. Turn on the machine and slowly start to feed the nuts through. You will get a nut meal/flour type of substance and first, this is totally normal. Go with it!
Step four. Feed the ground up nuts back through 5-6 times. You will eventually get a paste.
Step five. Add your favorite healthy oil - for me it would be cold pressed coconut oil. Just add a little bit at time until you get the consistency you want.

And thats it! I was skeptical at first because it didn't come out all creamy from the get go but trust me this is way worth it. The entire process took less than 10 minutes and I felt so DIY.

Taking control of the ingredients in your nut butters is an easy way to make yourself a priority - and feel like a total bad ass!

Juice Cleansing!

Summer is approaching and for many of us that means being more active, fresh produce, and bathing suit weather!

Doing a juice cleanse is a great way to gain more energy, start eating healthy and drop a few pounds. You may have seen the great film “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” that features a man who used an extended juice cleanse to take himself from obese, ill and medicated to active, healthier, happier and younger looking. By doing a cleanse – even a short one, you can reset your system and develop positive habits for long term health success; making yourself a priority daily!

What is juicing? Squeezing, or shredding and spinning vegetables, fruits, herbs, or roots using a machine to separate the liquid from solids.

Benefits of juicing: enzymes, phytochemicals, vitamins, along with minerals can be trapped in the indigestible fiber and cannot be assimilated by the body. But once liberated from the cellulose in the pulp, nutrients can be taken into the cells of the body. This saves the energy required for digestion and allows the body to rest while detoxifying or cleansing, before or after physical activity or while recovering from an illness.

Juices you see in stores have a few flaws.

• Usually contain added sugar and preservatives.
• All juice “dies” (loses its nutrients) with in 15 minutes of being extracted; unless it is stored in an air tight glass container (it will last for up to 3 days).
• Most companies don’t use fresh produce. More times than not they take the unsellable produce – damaged, moldy, old etc, and turn it into juice. Yuck.
• They may not use a cold press, meaning the juicer heats up the product and kills your delicious vitamins and minerals.

Tips for cleansing:

• Buy cold press juices or purchase a masticating juicer and make them at home.
• Make juice daily instead of doing really large batches.
• Glass bottle storage.
• Get a variety of fruits and vegetables – think all the colors of the rainbow!
• Use detoxifying plants: dandelion, lemon, burdock, cabbage, ginger, green apples etc.
• Make sure to hydrate! Coconut water, cucumber, and filtered water are great ways to ensure you stay hydrated.
• If you are planning to juice for an extended period of time consult a professional that is familiar with doing cleanses.
• If you are purchasing a cleanse from a store or company – ask questions, find out when and where the juices are made.
• If you have a pretty unhealthy diet, ease your body into it. A week or two before incorporate more juices, smoothies and raw food into your meals each day. Other wise you might have an uncomfortable experience.
• No caffeine or alcohol! The point is to give your body, especially your gastrointestinal tract, a rest.
• Be prepared to use the rest room. Since you’ll be taking in a lot of liquid a lot of liquid will be coming out! Also if you have some “build up” you might be – well let’s just say it – pooping a lot the first day. But you will feel so much better releasing the toxins, and clearing yourself out.
• Start with a three day cleanse. The standard is 6 juices a day with a variety of colors and flavors.
• Recruit a buddy to join you! It’s always nice to have a pal along for the ride. You can bounce ideas off each other, chat about your experiences and encourage each other.  

I tried to keep this short because there is so much information on juicing! Remember that you don't have to do a cleanse to benefit from all that juicing has to offer. Fit it in a few times a week or even daily if you can. Planning ahead really helps.  If you have specific questions feel free to leave a comment below, hit me up on twitter or Facebook!

Black Forrest Smoothie

I was at the farmers market the other day and saw some really beautiful organic black cherries. I made this really simple yet delicious smoothie with just a few ingredients and packed full of nutrients!

You may have seen this one on my twitter or instagram where I post new ideas almost daily! 

Black Forrest Smoothie

For the picture it is in a 5oz glass. The recipe will make 2-3 servings. 

• 1 ripe banana
• 8-10 pitted black cherries
• 1 generous spoonful of raw cacao
• 1-2 cups of ice
• 1/8 or more coconut water (filtered water, nut milk, or seed milk will work as well)

Add all of the ingredients into a high powered blender and process until a smooth consistency has been reached. 

Black cherries - may contain 15 or more antioxidants. Relieves inflammation from arthritis. Can reduce muscle damage after exercise. Has helped with insomnia. Has been used to treat colds, digestive problems, and pain. 

Bananas - Contain potassium (great for preventing muscle cramping). Naturally fat and cholesterol free. Vitamins A, C, B-6, E. Manganese for bone health and metabolism. Fiber. And more!

Raw Cacao - Iron. Calcium. Zinc. Potassium. Antioxidants. Promotes the release of neurotransmitters, which promote a positive outlook and bodily rejuvenation, and release feel-good hormones. Raises levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, and acts as an anti-depressant that can help reduce symptoms of PMS. Can help improve circulation, regular heartbeat and blood pressure.

This smoothie truly feels decadent but is a quick and easy way to make yourself a priority. 

V-Day - Benefits of Roses - Raw Chocolate Rose Cheesecake

O Valentines Day. It has so many meanings for each individual. Regardless if you celebrate or not you can take advantage of the post V-Day rose sales and not just to spruce up your place. 

Roses are another everyday plant that we just pass by. (Remember our talk about dandelion?) So what can you do with roses? Make rosewater! Here's why:

• Improves depression and anxiety (aroma therapy).
• Soothes capillaries.
• Improves circulation.
• Heals sunburn, bug bites, and rashes.
• Curbs skin and bladder infections.
• Helps removing dirt, makeup and oil from the skin (toner).
• Helps in maintaining the pH balance of the skin, and provides calming effect on acne and eczema.
• Adds shine to hair (spray on), can be used as a conditioner, helps controlling dandruff.
• Promotes hair growth.
• Aides digestive issues.
• Remedy for diarrhea and ulcers.
• Soothes inflamed sore throats (gargle).
• Relieves tooth ache.
• Strengthen teeth and provide relief against gum pains. Helps with bad breath.
• Used to clear eye infections.
• Relieves PMS symptoms, menopausal symptoms and gently balances hormones.
• Relives menstrual cramps and improves mood swings.

How to incorporate rosewater into your diet? 

Raw Chocolate Rose Cheesecake

For more food pics and ideas follow PlantBasedPaige on instagram, twitter and vine!

Crust

• 1¼  cup almonds ½ cup hemp seed 
• 2 ounces cacao powder
• 4 ounces date paste
• 2 tbsp liquid vanilla    
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 

*nut free crust here

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (only ½ the date paste) and process. It will start to rise up the sides push it down until everything is well combined.
2. Add the 2^nd half of the date paste and process.
3. It should be a mixture that can hold together with gentle pressure and be broken apart with a clean break.
4. Distribute crust evenly on the bottom of lightly oiled pan (using coconut oil).

o        Put a little coconut oil on your clean hands to get the crust in the pan. I found this keeps the crust from sticking to your hands – a very frustrating experience.

      5.   Refrigerate until filling is ready.

Filling

• 3 cups soaked sunflower seeds
• 2 cups sunflower milk (or any other dairy, nut, and soy free milk)
• ½ cup good quality sweetener (agave if you want it to be truly raw, maple syrup or brown rice syrup work as well)
• ¼ cup vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1tsp finely shredded beets (for the pink color)
• 1tsp food grade rose water (more or less to taste)
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp sunflower lecithin

For swirling

• 1 ounce cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for filling except for coconut oil and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut oil then blend until smooth.
4. If you don’t want to swirl add the cocoa powder to this mixture and blend well.
5. Add mixture to pan and freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.
6. If you DO want to swirl. Remove 1 ½ cups of the mixture and set aside.
7. Put the original mixture in the pan.
8. Take 1 ½ cups of reserved filling and add cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweetener.
9. From here you can swirl or layer depending on what you want to go for.
10. When you are done swirling and/or layering freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

What a delicious way to make you and your loved ones a priority this Valentines day!

Other unique - eco friendly - vegan Valentines Day ideas from one of my favorite longevity gurus! 

Healthy Holiday Treats - Raw Candied Walnuts

The Holidays are quickly approaching. I’m overwhelmingly excited because for the first time in a number of years my entire family will be together. I’m very fortunate to have a family that I like, love, respect, enjoy and have a great time with. It’s going to be amazing!!!

We already know that the holidays are time consuming, can affect our health when we gorge on unhealthy foods and also break the bank. However, I have some ideas that can help with gifting, treating yourself and keeping yourself (and health) a priority.

I give you healthy gift boxes.

If you need a last minute gift, or are looking for a way to wow your loved ones with delicious treats, here are a few ideas.

Raw Red Velvet Cookies - Kale Chips - Raw Candied Walnuts

Raw Candied Walnuts:

• Soak 3 cups of walnuts for 6 hours
• In a bowl combine
• One half cup agave nectar or maple syrup 
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pour over walnuts and mix very well
• Dehydrate for 12-24 hours at 115 degrees and enjoy! 
• No dehydrator? Preheat oven to 350 degrees bake for 5 min. Check to see if they are done, if not put back in for 1-2 minutes at a time until crunchy. (this will make them not raw but still amazing!)

They are insanely delicious and almost idiot proof to make. 

Put in a pretty little box or tin and you have a fancy, healthy, thoughtful gift!

Version two coming at you soon!

My Love Affair with Cilantro - Dip Recipe

I feel like cilantro is a love it or hate it kind of herb. I’ve never met anyone that was in the middle about it. Oddly enough I used to HATE cilantro I wanted nothing to do with it. Then out of nowhere I freaking love it! It is in fact now one of those staples I’ve been talking about always having on hand.

As it turns out cilantro is absolutely amazing for your health and here is why:

•  Is rich in anti-oxidants and dietary fiber which help reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" while increasing HDL or "good cholesterol" levels.
• The leaves and seeds contain many essential volatile oils.
• The leaves and stem tips are also rich in numerous anti-oxidants. 
  
•  The herb is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. 
• Cilantro leaves provides 30% of daily recommended levels of vitamin-C.
• High in vitamin A and K.
•  Is considered anti-diabetic in Europe and may encourage insulin secretion. 
•  Used in India for anti-inflammatory effects.
• Consuming cilantro might help improve your memory; researchers theorize it might be useful for Alzheimer's patients. 
• Cilantro improves digestion by relieving gas and bloating and calming the heat of an acid stomach.

So many good reasons to eat cilantro! It is easy to include in your diet, I use it in smoothies, juice, guacamole, on top of stir fry and in salad dressing. If you don't like the taste you can use little bits at a time or hid it in juice and smoothies.

The other day I made a cilantro dressing for a super food salad and it was out of this world. There was so much flavor and mixed with the different textures of the salad ingredients it was a flavor party. I was actually getting  little bored with salads - I eat them about twice a day but this really made all the difference. What I didn’t use on the salad I ate as a dip.

This would be really great on the side of a heartier dinner. Sometimes I eat this alone in big portions and feel like a million bucks after.


Dressing

·         1 avocado (if you don't like avo leave it out and add more tahini)

·         2 tbsp tahini

·         1 tbsp white miso

·         1 clove garlic

·         ¼ - ½ cup cilantro (include stems)

·         Water (as much or little as you want)

·         ½ lemon juiced

I put this on top of

·         Mixed greens

·         Gogi berries

·         Flax seeds (ground)

·         Hemp seed

·         Carrots

·         Beets

·         Parsley

What you didn't know about lemons

Let's continue on with staples I keep around my place at all times.

I completely fell in love with lemons this year. I had no idea how wonderful they are for our health until they kept popping up in the blogs and news letters of nutritionists and health gurus I follow.

Here are a few reasons why lemons are great and you should get them in your body everyday.

• Support immune function
• Alalize the body
• Aid digestion
• Clear skin (internally and externally taken)
• Promotes healing
• Associated with boosting liver’s function and tissue regeneration
• Have strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers
• Can be used as a weight loss aid
• Contain many substances--notably citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene--that promote immunity and fight infection

It doesn’t sound like much but starting your day with a warm cup of water with lemon juice in it changes everything! It starts the detoxifying process so that your system is ready to go when you consume your first meal. 

In addition to lemon water in the morning I put lemon in salads, juices, dressings and so much more. When I’m in a rush I’ll make this salad; it is splendidly simple and shockingly satisfying.        

• Mixed greens
• Avocado
• Pumpkin seeds (or hemp, sunflower - whatever you have)
• Lemon juice
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Applied topically lemon juice is a great natural toner, can help with acne, and reduce the appearance of scars.

This is one simple way to make yourself a priority daily!

Healthy on the Cheap: Sundried Tomato Raw Sausage Patties - Mustgos Part 2

So I’m broke – for now. Not in a pity party kind of way just in a minor set back – building a business kind of way. I’ll make rent but I need to be very aware of where my money goes.

I figured this would be a good time to talk about staying healthy on a budget. It is completely doable.

Let’s break it down. What you put in your body (including on your skin) is probably the most important thing you can do all day to take care of yourself. If you are putting in crap you are going to look and feel like crap. If not immediately then eventually.

Even when funds are tight you must make yourself a priority and choose healthy foods. It is entirely more expensive to heal illnesses and deal with ailments than it is to start and stay healthy. I promise you fighting cancer and buying insulin cost more than buying greens each week.

Things to think about

• Getting sick
• After adopting a healthy plant based diet I RARELY get sick. And if I do it is for a day or two and I can kick its butt because my immune system is strong.
• Medicine is expensive. If you are getting sick (and probably often) from eating garbage then you are going to spend a ton of money on medications.
• Being sick probably means missing work; which probably means getting behind or even a cut in pay. That won’t help your money situation.
• Side note – employers don’t like it when you miss work. Being sick all the time isn’t going to put you in a position for that promotion.
• Down the line
• Eating like crap regularly will cause you problems later in life if it isn’t already. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, obesity etc. Not concerned with this yet? Start to be, look around you, and chat with the older folks in your life. Shit gets real. Quickly.
• Aging doesn’t have to be a horrible process. Do it beautifully by feeding your body plant goodness now.

Ok enough lecturing. And what is my point? I’m on a budget for an undetermined amount of time so I decided yesterday that I’m going to avoid buying food for as long as possible. I wrote another blog about mustgos previously and came up with Pumpkin and Black Bean Burgers.

Today I went into my kitchen to see what I could create and here it is:

• I took the recipe from my raw sausage and added sundried tomatoes to the mix.
• With said mix I made
• “Sausage” nori rolls. Literally just rolled the mixture in nori (ya know the green stuff wrapped around sushi).
• Lettuce wraps. You guessed it, made a patty and rolled it up in lettuce with grilled onion and avocado. I left it open for the picture so you could see the good stuff.

And that’s it people. Healthy protein and omega packed dinner with ingredients I found laying around.

Get creative. Eat healthy. Make yourself a priority.

Showing affection - Pomegranate Cheesecake

I hope you all had a magnificent and healthy Thanksgiving! I had a vegan, gluten free (mostly nut free) potluck at my place. With nearly 20 attendees we had quite the spread. My talented friend Max took pics of the occasion; as soon as I get them back I will write a post about the day and my recipes.

Teaser: GF rice stuffing, GF mushroom gravy, home made cranberry sauce, and raw GF pecan pie!

And this – my centerpiece!!!!

Yes those are hand carved radish flowers thank you for noticing!

I also made sure to take care of myself by cleansing my system, taking a digestive enzyme, and getting some raw sauerkraut in to keep my stomach – and the rest of my body working properly.

Moving on. Let’s talk about affection. I’m not going to get all mushy on you but in my 20-some years on this planet I learned a few things and one is that people show affection very differently; physical touch, financial support, being present emotionally etc. With me I noticed when I care about someone I get very domestic. It’s weird because I can be such a hard ass most of the time but I like making great meals for those I like/love. So naturally when my lovely roommate’s birthday came up I wanted to make her a special treat.

I came up with raw, gluten free, nut free (so her man could have some too) pomegranate cheesecake.  

I’m not going to lie guys…. this turned out f-ing fantastic. I was particularly proud. I had a little mess up that turned into a discovery and I think all my future cheesecakes will be better. 

It went something like this:

Crust:

Same as the Chocolate Lavender Cheesecake (but I doubled it)

Filling:

3 cups soaked sunflower seeds

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice

¼ cup lemon juice

¾ cup maple syrup (agave works too)

1 tablespoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sunflower lecithin

¾ cup coconut butter

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for filling except for coconut butter and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut butter then blend until smooth.
4. Add mixture to pan and freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

That is it my dears! I really loved this one. Also, I must brag for a minute. I juiced the pomegranate myself. 5 of them! If you want to know how leave a comment below. I think this entry is long enough!

I realized I’ve posted a lot of desserts, at first I felt bad but it is dessert season and if you are going to have them they should be as healthy as possible. But I promise I have some work out reviews and main courses coming your way soon!

Today, do something to show affection for someone you care about. It feels good plus you are making your emotions a priority! 

Pumpkin Bars with "Cream Cheese" Frosting and Preparing for your Thanksgiving Feast

With Thanksvegan just a few days away I want to give you guys some great last minute ides on what to make and how to take care of yourselves!

First things first – how to take care of you! Some suggestions:

• In the morning drink warm water with lemon. This is a great way to detoxify and I suggest doing it daily.
• Have a green smoothie for breakfast. Any combo of dark leafy greens and fruit. This will set your system for the day and give you lots of energy.
• For lunch have a salad. If you know you are going to eat more than normal for your holiday meal - go lighter before then so you aren’t over doing it all day long.
• Take a vegan digestive enzyme. They help repair DNA, help digest food, and help assimilate the nutrients in food.
• Eat a salad or something green right before your celebration meal. This is a general rule I do everyday. This clears the pathway of your intestines for anything that might be coming, and helps digest.
• Eat a little raw sauerkraut with your meal. This is a magic trick I swear! Whenever I eat something that doesn’t agree with me I take a fork full of raw sauerkraut. It must be the raw version.  
• Try not to over do it! Just because there is a lot of food in front of you does not mean you need to stuff yourself silly.
• Chew!!! Each bite 50-100 times. This helps with pre-digestion making it easy for the food to pass through your system and will help you enjoy the food longer yet eat less.
• Plan ahead. If you are not hosting this year and have no control over the meal bring a few things for yourself and to share. There are lots of great traditional dishes you can make healthier.

On to the yummy stuff!

I have a confession. I’m completely obsessed with all things pumpkin. I found out this weekend that Teeccino makes a pumpkin drink and nearly died.

If you want to make something fall themed but don’t have the time for it or just don’t want to put all that effort into making a pie or difficult dessert Pumpkin Bars are your answer! I honestly don’t think this could get any easier. 

Ingredients:
1/2 c. gluten free flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 c. canned pumpkin (or cooked, pureed pumpkin)
2 tbsp. nondairy milk
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Add in wet ingredients.
• Spread mixture into an oiled 8x8 pan and cook for 20 minutes.

That is seriously it! 

I added a bit of raw cream cheese frosting but they are very good on their own. For some variations you could add chocolate chips or nuts to the batter.

Frosting

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 1+ hours

6 pitted dates, also soaked 1+ hours (you can soak them together!)
Dash sea salt
1 tsp lemon juice
Water

Directions:

Process all of the ingredients together until smooth.

After my morning smoothie I'm hitting Train Gym to do a leg work out. Long, lean, sexy legs here I come!

Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato-free Marinara Sauce and Walnut Sausage

This was supposed to be my dinner tonight – I was trying to plan ahead, but like every good cook I was tasting as the meal developed and I ended up eating it for lunch. I’m licking the plate as I write this.…

But that’s ok I made enough for two meals!  (#benefitsofbeingsingle - ?)

Anyway.

I had an amazing weekend rep-ing Vega and the LA Green Festival. I met some inspiring people, talked about hippie things, and learned so much about organizations, companies and products I didn’t know before. (More to come on this.)

The only thing is that I was there all day for two days and didn’t have a chance to make myself any really hearty meals. I made up for it today. Last week I was talking to someone in my kickball league about this dish and decided to make it.

This is surprisingly easy, a great alternative to using traditional pasta (where my gluten free peeps at!?) and a sneaky way to get more veggies in your diet.  

Sauce

This is a tomato free macrobiotic recipe. Why no tomatoes? According to macrobiotic gurus nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants) are high in alkaloids, substances associated with hallucinogens, medicines, and poisons. They are known for leeching calcium from the bones, are difficult to digest and cause inflammation/anxiety. I try to avoid them for the most part.

Basic Sauce

6 carrots and 1 small beet

1 large onion, quartered

1 celery stalk

1 bay leaf

1 ½ cups water

• Place all ingredients in a pot and boil for 30 min.
• Puree in a blender.
• Add water as needed for the texture you want.

That’s it!

To get a little fancy you can add

• Garlic
• 1 tsp basil or thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• 2 T miso
• 1 cup minced seitan
• 1 cup sautéed mushrooms

Mix and match these additional ingredients and add after you puree. I love love love this recipe!

Zucchini Spaghetti

Another simple and amazing trick!

A few months back I invested in a turning slicer that gives you the spiraled veggies. If you don’t have one use a vegetable peeler to make linguini shaped “noodles”.

• Prepare the noodles (spirals or linguini)
• You can stop here and have them raw if you like!
• If you want them cooked – boil a pot of water and place noodles in for 1 minute. Seriously just 1 minute so they stay slightly crunchy and don’t fall apart.

Walnut Sausage (raw)

I was blown away at how amazing these were. I had a really great experience as I was preparing these. I was working my magic in the kitchen, my roommate and her boyfriend came in and said it smelled like I was making meat (he knows I’m vegan) before I could even say what I was making he said it smelled like sausage. It dawned on me he smelled the fennel. The fact is that meat doesn’t really taste like much of anything, most people who like meat dishes like the flavor, sauces, spices etc that are added to it, like fennel in sausage. If you are not vegan and reading this (first of all thank you) but also consider the alternatives, think about what you ACTUALLY like in a dish, it’s probably the flavor or texture which can be created in a plant based meal.

I got this recipe from another vegan blog: Fragrant Vanilla Cake. You MUST go check it out. She is incredible.

Walnut "Sausage":
1 1/4 cups raw walnuts, soaked and dried
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp filtered water

• Combine all ingredients except water in a food processor and process until combined and finely chopped.
• Add 1-2 Tbsp water, enough to make the mixture clump together. 
• Form into balls.

This was soooo easy!

I put everything together and had a warm, hearty, meal that made me feel good. Although I have a lot to catch up on I had to make myself a priority and get a great meal in.

Now I’m off to the gym to share my pomegranate cheesecake with the trainers who are coaching me. (This post coming soon!)

Chocolate Lavender Cheesecake (soy, dairy, gluten, and nut free)

I’m dragging my feet. I have no clue why but I’m putting off taking my personal trainer certificate test. The perks of being certified are numerous: be official, make money, help people, do something I love/am good at, but for some reason I was just not doing it. My wonderful, inspiring mentor caught wind of this and gave me a deadline. As soon as he set the bar I got this huge smile on my face. I felt empowered, pressured (in a good way) and motivated to study my ass off.  So much time is spent talking about the things that we could do or want to do.

Enough talk!

Earlier this year I got inspired to try something new every month– took a motorcycle course, went to a sewing lesson, signed up for kickball, started this blog etc. This week I encourage you to make your spirit and adventurous side a priority. Go do something new and exciting – if you live in LA take me with you! 

Another project I’ve been meaning to try is a lavender cheese cake and also a nut free cheesecake…. And this blog just got delicious!

Ok so these were the guidelines for my experiment:

Flavor: chocolate lavender

Free of: soy, dairy, gluten, and nuts

Although I don’t have a nut allergy my roommate’s boyfriend does so he never gets to try my raw cheesecakes which are normally a cashew base and almond crust. I also have a dear friend, Andrew, who is also allergic to nuts and is vegan so this project is dedicated to him! (xoxo)

Crust

¾ cup oats (mine were certified gluten free)

¼ cup flax meal

¼ cup shredded coconut

2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

3oz date paste

2tbs cocoa nibs

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (only ½ the date paste) and process. It will start to rise up the sides push it down until everything is well combined.
2. Add the 2^nd half of the date paste and process.
3. It should be a mixture that can hold together with gentle pressure and be broken apart with a clean break.
4. Distribute crust evenly on the bottom of lightly oiled pan (using coconut oil).
• Put a little coconut oil on your clean hands to get the crust in the pan. I found this keeps the crust from sticking to your hands – a very frustrating experience.

      5.   Refrigerate until filling is ready.

Filling

3 cups soaked sunflower seeds

1 cup sunflower milk (or any other dairy, nut, and soy free milk)

¾ cups good quality sweetener (agave if you want it to be truly raw, maple syrup or brown rice syrup work as well)

2 tbsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

½ cup melted cocoa butter

1-3 teaspoon food grade lavender (depending on how much you like lavender)

¼ cup coconut oil

3 tbsp sunflower lecithin

For swirling

1 tbps sweetener

1 ounce cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients for filling except for coconut oil and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut oil then blend until smooth.
4. If you don’t want to swirl add the cocoa powder to this mixture and blend well.
5. Add mixture to pan and freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.
6. If you DO want to swirl. Remove 1 ½ cups of the mixture and set aside.
7. Put the original mixture in the pan.
8. Take 2 cups of reserved filling and add cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweetener.
9. From here you can swirl or layer depending on what you want to go for.
10. When you are done swirling and/or layering freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

And that’s it people! You have a soy, dairy, gluten, and nut free raw vegan cheesecake. Your friends with allergies will thank you; promise. I must say the consistency was perfect. Plus sunflower seeds are SO much cheaper than cashews. I’m going to stick to this.

Moral of today’s blog: make yourself a priority; try something new in life and in the kitchen.

A few variations

1.      Don’t like lavender? Leave it out! With this recipe you will have an amazing vanilla base.

2.      Don’t like chocolate? We’ll you’re nuts but leave it out!

3.      This crust was really thin. Next time I’m going to double the crust.

4.      Don’t like coconut in your crust? Leave it out and swap it for more oats or flax.