Fast Raw Vegan Cheese Ball

Last Christmas I found and modified the most simple and delicious "Cheese Ball" I have ever had. I could not believe how fast it was to make and how fancy it looked. We simply devoured it with wheat crackers and veggies.

Into the Blender went:
1 1/2 C Cashews
1/2 Lemon, or 2 T Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 T Nutritional Yeast
Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Pulse Together until the dough forms a ball on top of the blade. It is not wet and you can just dump it out into a bowl and form it together with your hands.
Add Shredded Almonds or other crushed nuts to the outside. It is ready to eat right away, or cover it and store in the fridge. The longer in the fridge the more it will dry out and become crumbly- which becomes and excellent salad topping :)
*It is very versatile and I think I would add crushed Walnuts and Italian spices to the outside next time. 

"Deviled" Avocadoes

 Remember deviled eggs? This raw/vegan arrangement is a fun way to spice up your dinner or makes a great appetizer for a dinner party.
 For years I have loved the taste of Avocado mashed with a little salt and pepper, as it resembles scrambled eggs. (Try it on whole grain toast if your vegan)
 Last night I thought it would be fun to add some spice.

1. Take 3 perfectly ripe Avocados and split them legnth wise,
2. Take out the pit- using a chopping motion, aim the knife downward on the pit and hit the pit with the knife, when it sets in, pull out the pit with the knife.
3. Cut them again width wise.
4. Arrange them on  plate and sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and just a light sprinkle of paprika.

Serves 8.

Raw Mini-Stuffed Peppers

For a fun appetizer at a potluck or a great way to mix up what you have for dinner try these super delicious mini-stuffed peppers. They can be eaten fresh and raw, or for a more intense flavor and softer shell  try dehydrating them. That's how I like them best.  They are great on a salad or can stand alone.

What you'll need:

8-10 Mini Peppers, split in half with the seeds scooped out.
Any color work, I like red best, but they usually come in a package with a variety of colors.

Cashew Pâté
2  C Cashews, soaked an hour or more (or quick soaked in warm water for 10 min., enough to make them softer)
1 1/2 C Water
1 TBSP Sea Salt
2 Med. Lemons, Juiced
1 Med. Garlic, pressed

Blend the cashews, water, sea salt, lemons, and garlic together on high. I like to blend it until creamy, but some like a more grainy texture. Add more water if you need to. This is a perfect "base" pâté as well and you can add many different flavors and textures to it, or use it plain as a spread or veggie dip.

For this stuffed pepper filling scoop out two cups of pâté and in a big bowl add:
3 large Carrots, grated
3 long Stalks of Celery, minced
3 medium Zuchinni, minced
1/4 C Nama Shoyu (opt.)
1/4 C minced White Onion
1/8 C Finely Chopped Cilantro
1 Garlic, Pressed (this is in addition to the above, so there are 2 total, unless you want to add more.)
2 tsp. dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Stir together well until all the vegetables are coated then scoop out spoonfuls into the peppers. Arrange on a plate if you want to serve them right away and chill in the refrigerator. Or place on a dehydrating sheet at 118 or lower for 3-4 hours. This works great if you make this around lunch time and want to enjoy them for dinner. I hope you like it and have a wonderful dinner!
*They keep well if dehydrated in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Raw Cheezy "Kale-It'z" or Kale Chips

Think of your favorite crunchy, cheesy, salty snack...are you thinking of cheese it's? Think no further! Now imagine it healthy and even better... Okay, now you are thinking of these wonderful kale chips. I have experimented with all kinds of flavors in kale chips, but today we hit the gold..or should I say Cheese mine! I was looking at the ingredients on a package of kale chips and wondering how they get the cheesy part to stick on it. Then it occurred to me to make a sauce, almost like a dressing, okay it can be used as one... then mix it into the kale and dehydrate. I tried it. Came up with what I thought was a "pretty good" sauce. However, through the afternoon the house started to smell warm, cheesy, and slightly spicy, which was a great aroma for a rainy day. About 6 hours later I tried one and...delicious! My daughter assured me they reminded her of cheese-it's...even though it's been like 5 years since she's had one... but everyone in the family loved them! With every bite we were amazed over and over how good they were. I also like this version because sunflower seeds are much cheaper to use.

You need:

Fresh Kale.
run your fingers along the spine to get the most leaves off and wash and dry. I used about 6-8 stalks worth for a BIG batch. Transfer to a big bowl.

For the Cheezy Sauce

1 C raw soaked and sprouted Sunflower Seeds
3/4 C Water
1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4-1/2 Red Bell Pepper
3 T Nutritional Yeast
1 T Olive Oil
1 tsp Chili Powder
1-2 dashes of Cayenne Pepper, more if you like it hot!

Blend sauce in the blender until smooth, about a minute.  Pour over the kale and mix it in with your hands to evenly coat the leaves.

Transfer to a dehydrator and dehydrate for 6-8 hours or until crispy. Check on them once in a while to lift any that are sticking to the dehydrator and flip them.

Go make a batch, pick out a good movie, and enjoy with the fam!

Fresh Kale

Ingredients for the cheezy sauce in the blender

Pour it on...you could eat that as a salad like this too!

Mixed in

Finished delicious "Kale It'z!"

Kale Guacamole Dip

 It may sound weird to add kale to the already wonderful guacamole, but it was SO delicious, with absolutely no bitter taste of kale. I have had a new found love for kale lately and this recipe is a great way to incorporate the highly nutritious kale. Actually I could eat it by itself, it's that good!
This can be served as a veggie dip or with raw taco salad. Both are great.

You need:
* Food Processor
* 3 Avocados
* 1 Roma tomato, sliced in half
* 1/4 Red bell pepper, cut in half
* 1 large piece of garlic, pressed
* 1/2 tsp sea salt
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* 1-2 big stalks of kale, wash and keep just the leaves

Put everything except the kale in the food processor and pulse until slightly chunky.
Tear kale into small pieces and add to food processor. Pulse until well incorporated and there are only small pieces of kale. The mixture should still be slightly chunky. Scoop out into a bowl.

Serve with carrots, cucumbers, celery, and peppers. (The picture shown is 1/2 the batch.)

Raw Mac n' Cheese

 I grew up loving Macaroni and Cheese. I mean, it was the first food I learned to make on the stove at age 7. My four sisters and I pretty much split a box or two every Sunday for lunch. So when switching over to raw and vegan I had those memories of the creamy cheesy noodles. My hubby was more of Ramen noodle lover, but I liked the cheese. I imagine if we still ate it our own kids would probably follow suit.  However, today we decided to combine what I had previously made, but never posted, as a Raw "Nacho Cheese" (and of course you can use it as one), to warm spiralized zucchini, added a dash of salt and pepper and what came out? A delicious creamy cheesy dish that everyone loved and it will definitely be added to our regular lunch menu!

What you need:
- 1 or more Zuchinni, spiralized (or you could use a potato peeler and peel them into long strips) into a bowl and soaked in warm water.
- 1 batch of Raw "Nacho Cheese"

 Raw "Nacho Cheese"
In the blender add:
1 C Warm water
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, no seeds
1 1/4 C soaked raw cashews
1/2 Lemon, juiced
2 T Nutritional Yeast
2 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt, adjust to your liking

Blend on high, or press the soup button if you have a Blendtec Blender or one with a similar setting. This will blend and warm the sauce.

Drain the Zuchinni and add in as much sauce as you like. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy! Store the remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Lasts about a week.
*This would also be great with little pieces of broccoli!

Raw Italian Tomato Snacks

When tomatoes are dehydrated they become sweeter and richer, thus the sun-dried tomato flavor that so many love. I made this when I was craving the Raw Lasagne but didn't want to make all of the fillings. It makes a pretty little appetizer or add it to any Italian meal.

4 Fresh Vine-Ripe Tomatoes, Sliced on their sides
1 Tablespoon of Raw Cheese
Italian Spice

For the Spicy Macademia Cheese:
2 C Macademia Nuts
1/2 Medium Lemon, juiced
1 T Nutritional Yeast
1-2 dashes of Cayenne Pepper
1tsp Sea Salt, or to taste
Enough Water to cover
Blend until almost creamy

Arrange Tomato slices on a dehydrator tray.
Top with a Tablespoon of Raw Cheese
Sprinkle lightly with Italian Spice (or fresh herbs)

Dehydrate about 118 for 4-6 hours or until desired outcome is achieved.
 I can hardly wait to eat them, so usually I have one raw, one a couple hours into it-which becomes mushy, but still tasty, and after the full time you have the texture of a sweet and sour sun dried tomato with slightly crispy raw cheese. I make these when I wake up so I can eat them by lunch, then put another batch in for an after dinner snack :)
~Also great on raw flat breads, crackers, or burgers.
SO delicious!

Top picture is a before shot, and I actually took them off the sheet for a faster dry.

The delicious finish

Raw Cheese Spread

At Christmas time I was searching for a raw cheese ball and never found one I wanted to try. Finally last week I was making some Honey Almond Crackers and found this great recipe for raw cheese.

http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-vegan-cheese/
 I followed the directions to first make

Rejuvalac.
1/2 C sprouted wheat berries (sprouted just until tails start)
4 C filtered water

Place the wheat berries and the water in a jar. Leave in a warm place for 24-48 hours. You will see a little fizz. The liquid should be a little tart but not smell off.

Then for my cheese I used:

1/2 C Cashews

1/2 C Walnuts

1/2 C Rejuvalac (the water that formed from sprouting wheat)

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Process until smooth and thick. Transfer to a bowl and coat the outside with Raw Parmesan Cheese.

Set it in the pantry with a cloth over it for 1/2 a day, you can form it and the outside will start to harden a little. Then store it in the fridge. 

It was a great find and next Christmas I will definitely be making it.

The rejuvelac is in the green cup.

Cinnamon Apples

I don't know why I never thought of this. We put cinnamon on applesauce, so why not on apple slices? It's just a different texture. Cinnamon is a warming spice like cayenne and is great as the weather turns colder.
Here is a simple healthy kids snack,  and great for adults too. Sweet and Cinnamon yum.

Sliced apples
Sprinkle Cinnamon generously
Enjoy.

Rawtalian Ice or Healthy Snowcones

Call it a snowcone, an icee, Italian Ice, a slushy or whatever...we called it a "Rawtalian Ice" Whatever you call it, call it yummy and the perfect summer treat!

Juice 4 Lemons (or 2 Lemons and 2 Lime) Juiced = about 1 Cup Juice
1/3-1/2 C Agave (taste to your liking)
4 C Ice

Put all in the blender and if you have the Blendtec, like me, than push the Ice Cruss/Milkshake button and voi-la! The perfect summer treat. You could also try other flavors like orange, or put an apple or 2 and strawberries through the juicer and use that juice. Yum.
Yield: About 4 cups

Oatmeal Cookie Power Bars

I made this on a whim today, and turned out awesome! I love when that happens! My kids thought it was a great granola bar and my husband had it for "power bars" on his Mountain bike ride. It's very versatile- could be used as a pie crust, granola bar, or just a quick snack.

3/4 C Walnuts
1/2 C Pecans
1 C Rolled Oats (not technically "raw" but I use them occasionally)
1/2 C Shredded Coconut
14 Medjool Dates, pitted

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Pure Vanilla

2 T melted coconut oil
 (I melt it by running a bowl under hot water, setting that bowl in another of hot water, then adding the coc. oil until melted)

Pulse in a blender or food processor until thoroughly mixed and starts to stick together. You may have to push it down a few times.
Press into a 9X9 pan and cut into squares. Eat as is, or set in the freezer until firm.

Green Smoothie Pops

This has been one of the best ways for everyone in my family to eat fruits, vegetables, and greens. Just take leftover, or make a new batch of fruit smoothies or green smoothies and pour them into Popsicle holders. Everyone loves the frozen treat!

The bigger the Popsicle holder the better! 

Mango Pudding

When you blend Mangoes they become thick and gelatinous. This would also make a great pie filling.

4 Ripe Mangoes, peeled and cored

Blend all in the blender until thick,smooth, and creamy. Enjoy.

Option 2: Add a little Agave to sweeten it even more.
Makes 5 small cups.

"Scrambled" Avocado

1/2 Ripe Avocado
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Put salt and pepper on avocado and mashed it up together or eat plain out of the shell. Or put it on top of flax crackers or raw bread. It has a texture and taste of scrambled eggs.

Kale Chips

Kale Chips

A Bunch of Kale.
3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt

Take as much Kale as you want. I like to use 3-4 leaves and remove from spines. Wash and massage to soften. Then toss in Olive Oil and Sea Salt. Lay out onto dehydrating trays and dehydrate overnight.

It had a much lighter taste than I expected and almost no kale taste to it. Almost a popcorn texture. We just keep them on the counter to snack on whenever.

Red Bell Pepper and Thai Nut Sauce

People are always looking for great quick snacks. I discovered this one today and ended up eating half a bell pepper for lunch.

1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced up.

*I was taught to turn the pepper upside-down and cut off the sides, then you just get the pepper and not the seeds or insides.

Thai Nut Sauce

1 C Almonds
1/2 C E.V.O.O.
1/2 C Nama Shoyu
1/2 C Agave
4 Cloves of Garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
Blend Almonds in a blender first, then add the rest and blend until smooth. Keep in the fridge.
This makes a great spread, dressing, or Asian flavored sauce.