MANGO BANANA SMOOTHIE with GINGER KOMBUCHA

Hello, darling readers. I've been away for 8 days in the far north of Turtle Island, in Kwanlin Dün lands (aka Whitehorse, Yukon Territories). The temperature was -20 most days, and whole rivers and lakes were frozen under many feet of pure, white snow. I hiked through the woods and took in the humble silence of earth in the absence of other humans. I wrote a lot of poetry and experienced some profound moments of realization atop tall hills, utterly and gloriously surrounded by icy blue peaks and deep green forests. I become a witness to my own existence in a way I've never been before. There are no words to express the emotions that found their way to me in those mountains. Since I am literally made of earth, I am always home, no matter where I am on the planet. However, in a more specific sense, I have returned to my regular living space, and bring you this recipe now. 

MANGO BANANA ICE CREAM SUNDAE

Good god yes. I hadn't made banana ice cream in MONTHS and MONTHS and MONTHS so this tasted even more orgasmic than it usually would have. Bananas and mangoes are meant to be together and dammit - if you try to break them up, ya best watch out because I will track you down. Doesn't sound very vegan of me, but this is an exception to the Nice Rule (that's not really a thing, I just made it up right now).

BANANA VANILLA SOFT SERVE with DARK CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Sooooo going vegan is pretty much the best decision ever, because it means you can eat ice cream and chocolate all day long and get healthier and happier than ever before. How is this possible? You can make the best ice cream in the WORLD with one ingredient: bananas. You can make the healthiest dark chocolate sauce ever with super nutritious foods like cacao and carob. I eat ice cream for breakfast regularly, and I am smiling and jumping around the rest of the day, every day. Why spoon a bowl of antibiotic- and sugar-loaded bovine secretions when you can gorge on ripe fruit!? No offence to the cows. They are awesome, but we don't need their milk. Another terrific bit of information about vegan ice cream: it's inexpensive! Organic bananas are often $1.00/lb here in Vancouver, Canada (conventional ones are 70 cents/lb or so) and I KNOW they are often cheaper in the States.

BERRY MANGO SORBET with BANANA and PINEAPPLE

Apparently it's National Hot Chocolate Day... I am doing it wrong.

ALMOND BUTTER + CHIA JAM BARS with CHOCOLATE

I am getting back into dreaming of recipe ideas. It used to be my main source of creativity for my blog, but after writing Rawsome Vegan Baking my mind for thinking up raw vegan sweets was basically run dry temporarily. Now I am fortunately returning to the familiar groove that is imagining new recipes as I am falling into dreamland, or just waking from it. I have also been perfecting a super healthy, super easy curry recipe for ya'll. Stay tuned. 

PERFECT RAW VEGAN GRANOLA (+ PERSIMMON STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE)

Hello, hello! And happy Sunday! I have spent the entire morning working at my new standing desk (which I got on Craigslist for $30, whaddup), trying to figure out how to make my blog more beautiful and efficient for you. My conclusion is that it's gonna have to wait. I am so busy these days with school, promoting my second book (pre-order your copy now!) and trying to maintain a life that I don't have the time to build a whole new website... yet. However, I want you to know it is something I am planning on doing. I wanna update my recipe index, take better pictures, give you more recipes, focus on putting out great YouTube videos (like recipes demos and FAQ's), and in general just keep improving This Rawsome Vegan Life. I hope that's cool wit you. Don't worry - I'm not gonna turn it into some bland, generic webpage. TRVL is my heart and soul and I always mean to show that in this cyber corner of the 'net. But you don't wanna hear about me and GALANT here wishfully searching for unicorn HTML code... you wanna hear about granola.

Let's talk about granola. This recipe is the bomb! 

BREAKFAST BERRY SMOOTHIE with CACAO DRIZZLE + CHIA PUDDING

Yo. This recipe is part of a Breakfast In Bed Fest series hosted by Canned Time! I am keeping it simple with a delicious fruit smoothie paired with raw chocolate sauce and chia seed pudding. This is not as big as my normal breakfast smoothies usually are but the chia seeds make you feel really full, so I was more than satisfied after drinking it up. Chia seeds are super sexy and super good for you; they help keep your hair and skin glowing, and your digestion system happily humming. The smoothie tastes more like a vegan milkshake than anything else, especially when you drizzle it with wholesome dark chocolate! This recipe is a winner. Try it out for breakfast or anything time of day, and show some love over at Canned Time right now!

BANANA OATMEAL with HAZELNUT BUTTER, RAISINS + BAOBAB POWDER

First thing's first: listen to this. Hopefully that improved your day, as long as we disregard the painfully conventional gender norms going on and just enjoy the track for the sweet beat that it is. Moving on. To oatmeal. I think my period is coming... soon. My lower back hurts, my muscles are sore and I am TIRED even though I got a good sleep last night. I suppose it seems like I talk about my menstruation cycle all the time, but that is not true! I only talk about it MOST of the time. Gimme a break (read: pass the heat pad). If you are a woman, you understand the significance and thus why I mention my moon flow so often. If you don't got a uterus, you may as well try to empathize and respect the #$%& we go through every month as fertile ladies.

This morning I woke up and wanted oatmeal. So I made oatmeal. That is the simple story behind todays recipe. I wish it was more exciting but at this point "exciting" does not sound appealing. I just wanna lay in bed with my cat, Dante, the chocolate maca bars Vega was so kind to send me - people ALWAYS send me chocolate at the right time of the month, at least I've got that going for me - and a marathon of Downton Abbey. That show is ADDICTING. Now, I say that is all I want to do; but in reality what I probably end up doing is just wandering around the house whining and rolling on the floor sporadically. I think I'm staying at my partners place tonight so he can be victim to my moans and lack of motivation to move. I am also planning on forcing him to massage my back. This is why I am in a relationship: it's all about the rubbin'. I used a special ingredient in this bowl of oatmeal: baobab powder! It comes from the gorgeous baobab tree and is super nutritious. I tried some from Kaibae and loved it! It adds a lovely flavour.

I feel like I have written so much but I only see a measly two paragraphs... well too bad. I can't think of anything else witty to say (have I even said anything witty yet?) so I'm calling it a day. Or, blog post.

Just make the oatmeal. Wait, also listen to this.

BANANA OATMEAL with HAZELNUT BUTTER, RAISINS + BAOBAB POWDER

1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons steel cut oats
Pinch himalayan salt
1 tablespoon hazelnut butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup or preferred sweetener
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baobab fruit powder
1/4 cup raisins
1 large sliced banana
1 tablespoon hemp seeds

Pour the water into a pot and stir in the salt. Throw in all the oats and bring the water to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, bring the temperate down to low and simmer until the oats absorb the water, I like my oatmeal thin so I don't cook it for that long, around 20-30 minutes. Throw all the other ingredients - except the banana and raisins, into the bottom of a bowl, then pour on your oatmeal and mix everything together. Top with banana slices, raisins, and hemp seeds. Ahhh. Yum. 

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cinnamon chia pudding with banana, dates & almond butter

This was what I had for breakfast this morning after finishing my short juice fast last night (I had raw zucchini noodles with kale pesto) because chia is a great cleaning food. Its soluble fire gels up when stirred with water and when you eat it, it literally goes through your digestive system soaking up toxins and junk you don't want in there. Think of it as a sponge. But then that's not very appetizing... hmm. A yummy sponge? No, never mind.

Anyways - it's delicious and SUPER nutritious. It is one of the most nutrient-dense seeds on the planet as a matter o' fact. Just look it up on the world wide interweb and see for yourself! Make it anytime of the day for a filling snack or meal.

cheery chia bowl: serves one

2 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 sliced banana

Small handful each of pumpkin seeds, goji berries and hemp seeds

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon maple syrup/raw honey/other sweetener

3 pitted, sliced dates

1 tablespoon almond butter (optional)

The chia seeds and water should make a gel-like substance after sitting for a few minutes. Add in the all the other ingredients - and whatever else you like - and enjoy! 

triple cinnamon rolls

these are a baked food worth eating. 

my friend amanda was at my house the other day and suggested we bake something. we decided on cinnamon rolls. i put cinnamon in every layer - the dough, filling and icing - and they turned out divine. literally, these guys are holy saints. angels sing when you eat them.

i love tons of stuff in everything (really trying to work on appreciating simple recipes... failing) so i put walnuts and raisins in the filling. the dough is totally whole grain and the icing has coconut yogurt and ginger in it!

they don't need too long to bake, and the dough is gonna be a little tough to roll out just because of the whole wheat flour. but be patient and you will be rewarded! cinnamon rolls bring back all kinds of memories for me - special birthday breakfasts, christmas morning after opening presents, holidays, etc. so with all the delicious flavour and texture comes nostalgia. it makes for an amazing experience.

having said that - i've eaten way more cooked food than normal this weekend (it was all totally worth it though) and now my system is in a mess. back to raw! =)

okay... maybe after one more cinnamon roll....

triple cinnamon rolls: makes 14 or so
(adapted from smitten kitchen)

Dough:
1 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons earth balance
3 1/2 cups whole grain flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tb flax seed mixed with 2 tb water (egg!)
2 tb yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:
3/4 cup raw sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup melted earth balance

Glaze:
2 ounces coconut yogurt, at room temperature
1/4 raw sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tb cinnamon
1/2 t ginger power
1/4 cup honey/maple syrup/agave syrup 
1/4 cashew butter

For dough: Combine coconut milk and earth balance and melt together. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, "egg", yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. (You may also use a KitchenAid’s dough hook for this process.) Form into ball.
Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling: mix dry ingredients together, set aside.
Press down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread melted earth balance over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle dry mixture evenly over earth balance. Starting at the longer side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, slice with floss into into equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).
Divide rolls between baking dishes lined with paper, arranging cut side up. Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 45 minutes or so. Don’t skimp on the double-rising time!
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and flip onto rack. Cool 10 minutes.

For glaze: blend all ingredients until smooth, it should be a little more liquid than desired because the coconut oil will harden up again in a few moments. yumm!!!

raw fudge brownies: YEAH BABY!

Thank you, Mother Nature.

These sexy things are delicious and packed with nutrients to keep you living long; enjoying life and all it has to offer... like brownies. Raw desserts are pretty much the easiest food in the world to make, because usually they consist of just dates, nuts, coconut oil, and whatever else you want to add. These are no different. YUM!

You can make these in like 5 minutes, and they'll disappear even faster. The best part (aside from eating them) is telling people they're healthy and made from whole foods! It's a magical world, my friends. These are also great for pre- or post-workout snacks!

 -
Raw Fudge Brownies: makes about 8 large brownies

1 1/2 cup oats

1 cup dates & prunes

1 t vanilla extract 

3 Tb coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey/agave/maple syrup

2 Tb mesquite powder (optional)

1/4 cup cup hemp seed

2 Tb flax seed

2 Tb chia seed
1/3 cup cashews (preferably soaked)

1/3 cup cocoa/cacao

1/2 t cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Put dates and prunes in bowl of water. Set aside.

Blend 1 cup of the oats in blender until it becomes oat flour. Then in a food processor, process dates and prunes (with about 1/4 cup of the water) with all the other wet ingredients until smooth. Now add all the dry ingredients, including the remaining 1/2 cup of whole oats and oat flour. Good consistency? It should be thick, but very moist. Press it into a pan lined with tin foil or plastic wrap and set in the fridge for a little bit so the coconut oil can stiffen them up.

Then cut 'em up and serve! Make a chocolate sauce for them, or have with fruit and nut butter!

*You can make these even simpler by just blending dates, cashews coconut oil and cacao. But I always like to add a bunch of stuff for more flavours. I cannot help it. It's up to you!

chia shots

My mom bought a loaf of chia bread at Cobs last week, and they gave her this free package of a chia shot. I thought it was cute. I love chia seeds. They're definitely the new goji berry of 2012, if ya know what I mean. (Never before heard-of "super food" that will soon be in health stores/magazines everywhere.)

I already have a good supply of chia seeds in the house but I figured I'd use the chia shot for my breakfast. A serving of chia is about 2 Tb, and that's what they gave me.
I added water to it, along with some goji berries, coconut flakes, and raisins. I spiced it with cinnamon and nutmeg. YUM! Simple and delicious.

One thing - of the many, many things - I love about chia is their insoluble fibre aspect. When you add water, they gel up. This is exactly what happens when you eat them too, and that's why they're great for keeping your bowels moving - yes, you understand. Basically they soak up extra "waste" in your digestive tract ... it's a beautiful thing. Flax seeds also hold this ability.

On top of that, they're a good source of omega-3's (EFA's), which most people don't get enough of. They also have a substantial percent of protein, like most other seeds and nuts. And of course, with any raw plant food you're gonna get a ton of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients.  

You can research yourself about the benefits of chia, and I've also found this link. It's pretty basic.

I'm not saying adding chia to your diet is gonna change the world, as if it's the missing link to superior health and longevity. However, it's a nutrient-packed raw plant food that's a heck of a lot better than cheerios for breakfast. I think everyone could benefit from incorporating some chia into their diet. If not, no worries.