SPICED CARROT CAKE with CASHEW YOGURT FROSTING

Hello! I have returned after a loooong hiatus! I've just been, you know, getting through this global pandemic and trying to take care of myself. These past few weeks have been really good for me, though, and I feel myself starting to get inspired again. The skies are opening up, and so is my spirit. So, there's no better a time than now to share a wonderful recipe I have been working on.

OREO-ISH TARTS: VANILLA WHIPPED COCO CREAM with CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST

I am back from Montreal. Hey. 

For the four-ish weeks I spent there - away from home, Jack, Dante and Blender - I remembered a lot of important stuff about myself, and realized some new things. It was a whirlwind of experiences, people, places, emotions, tastes, colours, smells. I felt overwhelmed most of the time but what else is new. I often feel overwhelmed living in my particular world because I usually think [too] extensively about everything that is happening around me (and not around me). So being in a new place WITH the same over-thinking brain took it to the next level. Meditation was more difficult than normal, probably because of this. I went on a lot of walks by myself so I could have time to ponder who I am, what I want, my relationship with the external universe, and that kind of thing. I had some pretty intense and excellent discussions with my friend's roommates; we talked about the difficulties of navigating the current world in relation to gender, race, class, location, education, etc. Besides classism, I am generally optimistic about where we are going. Obviously - or maybe not that obviously - most human groups are still routinely oppressed by societal and political structures in place, but we are on the right trail; we're just at the beginning of the hike. 

PERFECT FLUFFY CRISPY POTATOES

So I found something amazing and wonderful and now I've put my own spin on it. Last week I was having my breakfast before I went to the gym and while I was scrolling through Instagram photos (I don't do it AS MUCH these days but it's still more than I'd like... oops) I saw this picture of insanely perfect-looking potatoes; they were crispy and fluffy like clouds at the same time. The rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about them and decided I NEEDED to make them myself, but there wasn't any recipe given for the photo. So I googled "crispy fluffy potatoes" and added "vegan" just cuz. I found an oil-free recipe that looked pretty damn divine, so I tried it out but with a few of my own tweaks. Instead of using white flour to coat the taters, I used various herbs and spices. The method here is what makes the magic: we are gonna partially boil the potatoes so their outsides are soft, then shake 'em up with a few different herbs and spices so they get marred and fluffy around the edges. THEN we bake them and suddenly we have potatoes that are perfectly crispy and browned on the outside, and fluffy and soft on the inside.

ALMOND COOKIES with SPICED APPLE SLICES

This recipe is part of a Family Favourites series hosted by Angela over at Canned Time. The theme was to veganize a recipe that you used to love as a kid and/or that your fam would regularly enjoy together. Honestly, I had trouble thinking of sweet recipes that I hadn't already veganized for my blog (like pumpkin pie, berries and whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate cake) and most of the savoury dishes I loved eating when I was little are just sooo not ideal to veganize (think Thai-style omelettes and baked salmon). There were a lot of savoury foods I ate growing up that I COULD made vegan now - pizza pops and chicken nuggets to name a couple - but they wouldn't be that healthy or simple and I'm not into spending lots of time making recipes for dinner, especially if they have more refined ingredients.. I'd rather just bake eight potatoes, sprinkle on some salt and pepper and be done with it. Seriously, my dinners are pathetically easy when I'm not writing a savoury cookbook. 

MANGO CURRY with CHICKPEAS

Finally sharing this amazing recipe from Richa Hingle's newest cookbook. It is the best curry I have ever had / made and you need it in your life, even if you think you're doing ok without it (... you're the ones you need it most). I've tried a bunch of other recipes from the book - Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen - as well and loved them all; like spicy potato-filled samosas, flavourful veggie-filled dishes and loads of DIY spice mixes. The recipe I am sharing from the book today is magical for me since I've always adored curries but have never been very good at making them. This curry is sweet, spicy, SO CREAMY, thick, and basically just mango, coconut milk and garam masala. When you pair it with rice and cilantro, the whole world kind of falls away as you take a bite; you and the curry become one. I was trying to listen to The Savage Lovecast while I ate it but it was hard to concentrate because of all the flavour explosions that were happening in my mouth. I'm serious: best curry I have ever had.. and I have had a lot of curry. Now I've said and thought the word 'curry' too many times so it doesn't seem like a real word anymore. Don't you love it when that happens? It illustrates how fluid and temporal the meanings of language actually are.

MY CURRENT FAVE SMOOTHIE {RECIPE}

As the title blatantly shouts, this is my smoothie of choice right now. I made it for the first time maybe four days ago (when I was still hungry after dinner) and ever since I have been having it every morning with my oatmeal before I go to the gym. It came together randomly and ended up blowing my mind. It's nice and sweet but also super nutritious. I just put in all the ingredients for this drink on cronometer.com and here's what we've got going for us when we sip it down: nearly 20% of your recommend daily intake for protein, 58% for riboflavin (B2), 79% for pyridoxine (B6), 499% for vitamin C (!!!), 107% for copper, 28% for vitamin K, 37% for magnesium, 64% for manganese, 36% for potassium, 30% for selenium, and I could just keep going.

THIS IS IN ONE [DELICIOUS] DRINK, PEOPLE. HELLO.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BROCCOLI + CHIPOTLE ALMOND SAUCE

I still haven't showered today. Apparently it's good for the skin to let your sweat dry after you've been in the sun, because it helps with vitamin D absorption. So I hear. I am using that as my excuse for being smelly and sticky right now. I went to the gym this morning (and sweat out a storm) then immediately made this when I got home. Seriously, I didn't even take off my shoes. Then I laid out in the sun for the afternoon while I listened to Dan Savage's Lovecast. In short: I don't think I need to take a vitamin D supplement TODAY. Hah. I will shower after I write this post though, because I am obsessed with how good it feels to be clean after being sweaty. Yes, I am super privileged because I get to shower everyday. I am also super grateful, not that that matters. I guess I'll talk about the recipe now...

CREAMY VEGAN MAC + CHEESE with OTHER GOOD STUFF

This cheese sauce recipe is based on the one from Buzzfeed that every vegan on earth tried a couple weeks ago. Jack was one of those vegans and he made it for him and me because he's a sweet heart. He tripled the recipe - we eat a LOT - so I got to have cheesy leftovers for a whole week! I loved putting it on rice along with steamed kale and beans. You can see my week of cheese on my Instagram feed.

A NICE GREEN SMOOTHIE with MINT + TURMERIC

I was gonna call this a "healing" green smoothie blah blah blah but then I though, "Hmm, don't wanna buy into that pseudoscience stuff so I'll keep it simple." Because honestly I don't know if this smoothie will heal anything for you, but in my opinion it's at least certainly nice and yummy and green. I'll leave it at that. I am not a doctor. 

SUMMER ROLLS w/ GARDEN VEGGIES, BASIL + TAHINI CHILI SAUCE

YAY 4 SUMMER ROLLS! I always wanna give credit where credit is due: these are inspired by the traditional Vietnamese dish Gỏi cuốn (although my take on them is pretty untraditional). These are super cute and even more delicious to eat. I am sorry I haven't been posting very often lately. I'm going to be spending more time on this blog again now that my third book, The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook, is finished! You can pre-order it now if you'd like (you'd like). On that note, this recipe for summer rolls is a great example of the kind of recipes that fill up my new cookbook so if you dig these rolls, you will REALLY dig the book.

KALE + EDAMAME DUMPLINGS w/ SIMPLE DIPPING SAUCE

FINALLY DID IT. I have been wanting these for awhile and today my dumpling dreams came true. They are surprisingly easy but look really impressive. Makes ya seem fancy even if you don't have a clue. I am sneaky and just went and bought frozen dumpling skins so duh that makes basically them way less difficult effortless. You can make your own if you like (just google a recipe). The only ingredients are usually flour and water. Moving on. I got this recipe from a beautiful new cookbook written by the magnificent minimalist, Jenny Mustard. It's called New Vegan. She is Swedish and thus so is her book, but fingers crossed there's an English version coming soon! It's still just a great book to flip through, which is what I did, and then got Jenny to translate the recipe I wanted to try (i.e. dis one). 

BLUEBERRY NICE CREAM with CINNAMON + BAOBAB

Eating massive bowls of nice cream for breakfast, lunch or dinner is 100% a THING in the vegan world. This is because our nice cream is just made of frozen bananas and other fruit. That's why you can and SHOULD eat as much as you want. In this version I'm givin' ya today, I threw in blueberries from the front yard as well as some baobab and cinnamon powders for A) extra flavour and B) extra nutrition.

JUICE CLEANSE 2015: DAY ONE

My babes! I got some news! Jack (my lover) and I are doing a juice cleanse for around 3 days, or whenever we feel like stopping. We started yesterday. Neither of us are too strict so we're also consuming raw fresh fruit if we feel like it, veggie broth with seaweed, chia seeds and banana ice cream. The point of this cleanse is to refresh our digestive systems. More on this below. I will be posting all the recipes we consume so you can join in! I'd love it if you did because it's more fun to share experiences like this than doing it alone, and I know a lot of you are into juice cleansing. So if you do wanna join, I encourage you to post your comments below, or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to let the rest of us know how you're doing. 

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT and PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CAKE (aka THE ORGASM CAKE)

Oh yeah, I went there. Again. I made this cake for my mum's party, so fingers crossed that her friends like it. I'm also saving a piece as my secret santa gift for a party tomorrow night. Double fingers crossed. Or... fingers crossed on both hands; that's more comfortable. I am still on my Mariah Carey binge so please make this cake then eat it while listening to this (just wait for the chorus). 

RAW VEGAN HOT CROSS BUNS

Just in time for the holidays, here's some wholesome buns for ya. I have way too much studying and essay-writing to get done today so I am gonna keep this post short and sweet (no pun intended... well okay, it was intended). As usual this delicious, easy, healthy treat is made from mostly nuts and fruit. Magical, ain't it? I know I say it like every day but I will never cease to be amazed and endlessly thankful that whole foods taste so damn good. Of course, it's not a coincidence. We have evolved to be attracted to foods that sustain us. That's why mangoes are perfect all by themselves. Try making these buns for the xmas season (or whenever you please) and see if ya like 'em. They were all devoured at my house within a couple days (thank you, Jack). 

THE MOST EXCITING NEWS!!! + A RECIPE

PREORDER:

- Amazon (US)*

- Amazon (Canada)*

- Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)

- Barnes & Noble*

- Chapters Indigo

*hard copy and Kindle version available 

Ahhhhh I am so excited! I got my hard copy of my brand-new cookbook, 100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Healthy Snacks, in the mail a few months ago and squealed for two days straight. Now I want to share my book with you! I've already shared the news of my new book a few times but I want to write another post about the thing because I want YOU to know all about it! If you have any interest in making more smoothies and/or juices, or even just raw, gluten-free, vegan snacks - you gotta pre-order da book. Wink wink. Nudge nudge. It is FULL of giant colour photos (all taken by me) and 100 recipes for smoothies, juices and healthy snacks (big surprise). There are savoury smoothies (aka raw soups), sweet smoothies, savoury juices, sweet juices, mylkshakes, nut mylks, and everything in between! The best part is it's super affordable. Only $15 or so! Although if you're not in North America (and I know many of you are not) it'll be around $20. Still a fair price, I gotta say, since this book is my heart and soul on paper. Honestly, I feel like my past two cookbooks are like my babies... until I think about that critically for a second and realize all the fundamental differences. Moving on.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT PEPPERMINT BITES

This recipe for chocolate coconut peppermint cups is special because my mom - who doesn't like sweets - actually ate a whole one all by herself. Usually she just has a bite of my dessert recipes to be polite but when I offered her a chomp of mine last night and she tried it... I never got it back. Although I was looking forward to eating it myself (did not happen), I was more importantly just excited that she liked them enough to eat a whole one. It's probably because they taste so damn fresh; I recommend you eat these after lunch or dinner to leave your mouth feeling minty clean. The only ingredients are coconut, carob, maple syrup and mint. The best things in life are simple, or at least the best recipes are. I've made a recipe similar to this one before but my photo skills were not as developed then, plus I just wanted to make these again and figured I may as well give ya a new recipe. I can't imagine anyone complaining about this.

MANGO SORBET with BANANA + PINEAPPLE

Hey, guys! I have not been around for an entire week! I miss you all so much, simply keeping connected helps me stay sane... thus not communicating with you for 7 days is leaving me feeling a little ungrounded. Having said that, I am having the best time. The past week I stayed in a small town called Wells (9 hours north of Vancouver) with my partner, in his grandparent's antique-y house. It was exactly what we both needed; time away from the city, just us two in a charmingly quiet home surrounded by trees and mountains. I will be posting photos from this adventure soon, but first I need to go on another one! I got back from Wells this evening, and tomorrow at 4 am I leave on a family road trip to Minnesota with my parents and younger brother! I am equally excited for this journey. But while I have a second on the computer before I disconnect for another 11 days, I figured I'd share this recipe.

I have been in love with this recipe since I made it a few weeks ago. It has been SO hot here (30c+ degrees  everyday) and the only way the fam and I can bear it is with cold drinks! Mom realized early on that frozen fruit and booze do the trick for her and my dad. I took note of that, but swapped the vodka for bananas! You can add water (or better yet, coconut milk) to this to make it the BEST smoothie ever, or leave as is to create the perfect sorbet: creamy, cold, sweet and luscious. Who needs added sugar when you have the sweetness of the fruit!? I am quickly realizing mango will define my summer, and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

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MANGO SORBET with BANANA + PINEAPPLE

1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen pineapple
2 bananas

Blend in a high speed blender until smooth and thick just like the perfect sorbet. Note: this serves one mildly hungry person so if you are like me and love your fruit, double or triple the recipe!

BANANA STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

Hello, all. How's everyone doing? This is a glorious recipe that is sure to brighten up anyone's day - who doesn't love ice cream cake? And what? It's HEALTHY, you say? Well, I'll be! It's a miracle! Actually it's not really a miracle, it's just momma nature treatin' us well and providing all the sustenance we need in the form of juicy fruits. Life is good when you've got ripe plants to eat. I am very happy with these photos, if I am being honest (and I am.) Then again, it's not hard to take beautiful photos when you have beautiful subjects to take photos of. The vibrant colours of nature are the thing to be admired here. I found these flowers at the farmer's market this morning, where a vendor was selling bunches of edible plants: 3 for $5.00! She recommended dipping the sage leaves in coconut oil then baking them with a pinch of salt until crispy... she is a genius.

Today I share with you a simple yet beautiful recipe for a sweet, creamy, fresh ice cream cake. It is made of 100% fresh fruit, and nothing else. Because when you care about the world, animals, and yourself - why eat anything but plants? Enjoying a plant-based diet is the best choice you can make to have the most positive impact on the health of our planet, our animal friends, and your own well-being. It is the intelligent decision, and the compassionate one. If you are a lover, you should let go of meat, dairy, and other animal products; it is that simple. I hope I don't sound preachy or judgemental in this post, I only want to spread a message of peace and equality. I have just been sobbing for an hour over the state of humanity. We support the systemized murder and torture of billions everyday, just to say "mmm... bacon!" It is literally insane and it must stop. I know the majority of people are not aware of the impact of their simple meal choices, and that is because there are huge corporations and massive amounts of money and power intentionally masking the truth and parading lies to the public. I do not blame the public. But I do think it's fair to demand an end to the killing. A sane person understands murder is wrong, so why eat meat? An animal is an animal - we are all animals. There is no categorical difference between us and all other living beings, so why kill one and love another? It doesn't make sense. I love my friends, so I do not eat them. Instead, I eat fruit. Let's eat cake, hug pigs, save the earth, regain our health, and love each other.

BANANA STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

Ice cream layers:

4 frozen bananas

1 cup strawberries

Banana layers:

3 thinly sliced bananas

Slice the frozen bananas, then blend in a high speed blender until they get to the consistency of soft serve ice cream; it will take a minute but suddenly you'll have that perfect thick, creamy, fluffy texture. Add the strawberries one by one, until the mixture is pink but still thick. 

Now in a 4-inch cake mold, or other small mold, layer the sliced banana pieces with the ice cream mixture. Set in the freezer just long enough to make it hold together. Then cut around the edge of cake with a knife so it separates from the mold, then carefully take it out and enjoy! I decorated mine with edible flowers and sage leaves. 

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BANANA ICE CREAM CAKE with MATCHA, BLUEBERRY + VANILLA LAYERS

Heyo! To be honest, I wasn't too stoked on how this cake turned out, appearance-wise. I am still trying to develop my skills as a swirler (it's a word, shh), and you can really tell. If you wanna find the worlds best swirler, check out Fragrant Vanilla Cake! I am always in awe of her talent level of swirling. Anyhoo, back to my mishap: I messed up in the middle of the top of the cake, so I tried covering up my mistake with pumpkin seeds (don't we all? ... No.) Fortunately the lighting was nice today so the cake looks alright, but it still doesn't quite meet my standards in terms of prettiness. However, I am sharing it anyways because I love you. And since I love you, I of course want to give you as many delicious and healthy recipes as I can! Here's another one, folks. 

This is mostly bananas! As you may have learned from my reading my past posts and checkin' me out on Instagram - YES, I GOT INSTAGRAM! - I am eating essentially 80/10/10 now. That is, 80% carbs, 10% each for protein and fat. My diet looks a lot like *smoothiemania* all day (10 bananas per smoothie wasssapp!?) plus giant bowls of rice and vegetables for dinner. I ain't missing out on a thing! Even dessert! I love this lifestyle. I am so excited to eat everything all the time. And I have energy out the wazoo (we still do not have confirmation on the precise definition of wazoo though). Here I show you that you can have a tasty raw vegan treat, but it doesn't have to be filled with nuts and coconut oil! Those foods are awesome, but we don't need much of them; only a handful a day. You get just that with this cake. Actually, I'm gonna let you in on a secret - this cake is, for all practical purposes, a smoothie that is frozen in a cake mold. If that makes it seem unappealing to you, pretend I never said it. Blot it out from your mind forever. But if that fact makes it even MORE enticing... well, you're welcome. I think it's cool. Get it? 'Cause it's frozen? "OMG Em you are soooo funny!" Aw shucks, you're too kind. 

BANANA ICE CREAM CAKE with MATCHA, BLUEBERRY + VANILLA LAYERS

Matcha layer:

3 frozen bananas

1 teaspoon matcha powder

5 Medjool dates (optional)

Blueberry layer:

2 frozen bananas

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Handful cashews

Handful dried coconut flakes

Vanilla layer:

3 frozen bananas

1/2 vanilla bean

2 tablespoon coconut nectar or other sweetener

Handful dried coconut shreds (optional) 

For each layer: just blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and very thick! If your blender cannot handle it, add some coconut milk to keep things moving, and keep things creamy (if you add water it'll just make it icy). Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the matcha and blueberry mixtures. Spread each layer evenly into a 6 inch cake pan (mine is adjustable), with the vanilla layer being on top. Now drop little dots of the matcha and blueberry mixtures onto the top of the cake. Use a toothpick or chopstick and drag the tip through the dots - it makes hearts! Freeze until sold. When you wanna serve this, I recommend letting it thaw for a bit so it gets creamy. 

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