Raw Blueberry-Cashew-Cake

As you may have realized I'm not really dessert eater, but every once in a while I'm in the mood for it. As my last Raw-Cake was so delicious I wanted to make another - but different one. 

I really do love Blueberries, beside they tastes great they are full of good vitamins. If you wonder where at this time of year I got the blueberries - they are frozen ones - as good as fresh ones. 

Another reason I made a cake again is having guests over who have never eaten a raw cake. For mine I like the raw cakes much better than the baked ones. The raw tastes just more fresh and and - just better. And for sure much more healthier than baked ones. 

For a long time I couldn't have imagined making a raw cake - but every once time just has to happen. 

Anyway my guests didn't know they were eaten a raw cake and all I can say they said honestly that it tastes great (they are, well quite sceptic about vegan food). 

One next challenge was my freezer. I only have a very small freezer which I had to empty completely for the cake. 

Now go ahead for your Raw Berry Cake

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Raw Blueberry-Cashew-Cake

8 Portions

Ingredients:

Crust:
200 g almonds
200 g dates (best Medjool)
1 pinch of salt

Cashew mass:
400 g cashew
2 pcs. Lemon (juice only)
1/2 tsp vanilla Bourbon (ground or seeds of a vanilla pod)
100 ml coconut oil
Agave syrup 100 ml (for more sweetness man can not use)

Topping:
250 g blueberries (I used frozen ones, thawed)

Preparation:
Soak the cashews over night. 

The day after: for the crust mix/blend the almonds, pitted dates and a pinch of salt in your blender until smooth but still a little crunchy. For a test take some of the crust in your hand and if the mass holds together, it is perfect.

Give the mass into a pieform and press down evenly with your hands to cover the bottom. Set aside and start with the layers. 

Mix coconut oil and agave syrup together. Strain the soaked cashews strain and pour into a blender, add Lemon juice, vanilla and coconut oil with agave syrup and blend smooth.

Take 2/3 of the cashew mass lay evenly on top of the crust and spread out on the floor. To the remaining mass add the blueberries and mix again everything well. Spread the blueberry mass to the previous mass. Cover with kitchenfoil and give in the freezer. The longer the better. 


Before serving take the Cake 30 min before out of the freezer and garnish with almonds and left blueberries and cut with a hot knife into pieces.

Crunchy Salad with Arabian impact

Since being on the vegan boat trip - I love raw food more than I could think of. Well it still depends very much on what kind of raw food I eat. 

But a salad always goes and I couldn't think of a day without a salad - either green or vegetables. 

For today I made a crunchy healthy salad for lunch break. A plate full of vitamines - just right good as I feel like I'm getting a flu with cough and running nose. 

First I was hesitating either to eat it like this or fill it in a Pitabread-bag but I wanted to get the full taste of the salad, served a slice of bread aside. 

Afterward I relaxed on the sofa with good book on hand. 

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Crunchy salad with Arabian impact 

Ingredients: 
300 g carrots 
150 g radishes 
2 pcs apples 
1 handful of raisins 
1 handful of flat parsley
1 handful of mint 
4 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar 
8 tablespoons olive oil 
1 tsp tahini 
sea ​​salt 
pepper 
2 tablespoons sesame roasted

Preparation: 
Cut carrots, radishes and apples into thin slices or pull on a grater. 

Mix Raisins, chopped parsley and chopped mint, tahini and toasted sesame seeds and add to the salad. 

For the dressing mix vinegar, oil, sea salt and pepper and pour over the salad and mix. 

Note: 
Serve with fresh white bread.

Carrot-Pasta with creamy garlic-tahini sauce

Already one week pasted since back from croatia. 

Still I'm very inspired by the trip, I'm up to prepare food, I would have probably not eaten before or tried to. 

While standing in the kitchen my parents suddenly passed by and brought me some stuff they don't needed anymore such as a old chest and some pictures from myself being a child. About the chest I'm really glad about - though the colors does not really fit into my apartment (green as grass), but the chest is a old childhood memory and wasting? NEVER! For now the chest's up on my screed, ready to filled up with stuff still having in boxes from my moving into the apartment 5 years ago.  

After they left, I finished my lunch.  A crunchy carrot salad with a creamy sauce. Topped with fresh herbs some nuts - great and so fresh. Perfect on this hot day and ready go back for work in the garden ;)

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Carrot pasta with a creamy zesty garlic-tahini sauce

Total time: 15 min

Serves: 1

Ingredients

For the noodles:

1 big carrot, made into noodles (you can use a veggie noodle/pasta machine or a julienne peeler)

For the sauce:

1 full Tbsp tahini

1 Tbsp oil 

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp tamari

1 tsp grated ginger

1 small garlic clove, grated

To top: handful of parsley (chopped), sesame seeds, pine nuts and anything else you fancy for.

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce until you get them all combined.

Cut your carrot into noodles and pour sauce over the carrots and gently mix them by hand to coat.

Top with parsley, sesame and pine nuts and serve fresh.

Keeps well in the fridge overnight.

Raw Salad Bowl with "damm good Sauce"

After a day with appointments and lying in the sun I rushed into my kitchen to prepare a fresh dish. I was sweating by only standing in the kitchen and all I could think of is eating something to cool down -  off. 

First I had to drank a few glasses from my selfmade peppermint cooled tea - this helped, but still not in the mood for warm dish but anyway I was in the mood for vegetables. 

Perfect for a raw salad. The dressing for the salad - just perfect. I made an almost similar dressing before and for this one I just added some more ingredients and so it happen and the damm good Sauce was born. 

Hope you like this summer salad with the dressing. Enjoy the salad.

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Raw Salad Bowl with a "damm good-Sauce"

Ingredients:
julienned carrots
julienned zucchini
julienned radish
wakame (soaked and rinsed)
sprouts
shredded red cabbage

hot-blooded Sauce:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 maple syrup of Agavenectar
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic

Direction:
Sauce: Blend all ingredients and store in the refrigerator till us. (Keeps fresh in a glass jar 
about 4-5 days

For the salad, prepare all the vegetables and place zucchini in the center and arrange the other vegetables around the edges. Dizzle with the Sauce. 

Zucchini Noodles with vegan Pesto

Last week my father turned 70 and on this special occasion my parents invited us (myself, sister and brother) to a wellness-weekend across the border in Germany. 

We were all pretty exited - my first time in a four-star-wellness-hotel! Defently not bad!

On Saturday we left all together around lunchtime and after an hour and 45 min we arrived at the hotel. After checking and entering the rooms we met in the Lounge for small snack and drink. (The snack they ordered...... - just meat and cheese -  no comment). It didn't bother for me as I had my sandwich with me and ate it right after entering my room. Afterward each of us enjoyed the wellness till dinner.

As all the special personal massages were overbooked we only enjoyed what ever one of us wanted. 
First I went into the Bio-Sauna - relaxing, drinking water and then to the steam-bath. 

It did so good. I really relaxed. Unfortunatly there were no time left to use the herbal chamber,.. :(

The dinner was exellent and I got a Vegan Meal (Falafel with raw marinated spinach topped with crunchy honey-nuts and hemp-seed-joghurt) 

I really went back to work relaxed. I really needed such a kind of weekend!

For my Monday's lunchbox I prepared a light and fresh dish to extend the wellness-feeling ;)

Simple, easy and so good with selfdried cherry tomatoes!

Enjoy! And hopefully you feel "wellnessed" after this dish.....

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Zucchini Noodles with vegan Pesto

Zucchini Noodles @ vegivegan

Serves 2

 Ingredients:
4- 5 medium zucchinis
2 cups cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons green pesto
2 tablespoons pine nuts (or any other nuts you prefer, or leave them away)
salt and pepper 

Direction: 
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees

Clean and halve the cherry tomatoes and toss in a some oil until everything is well coated. Sprinkle with salt and spread on a baking sheet, seed side up. 

Roast tomatoes for 90 minutes (alternative already dried tomatoes)

With the julienne peeler make the zucchini noodles and give into bowl. Combine noodles with two tablespoons of pesto (more to your preference) and mix well.

To serve: 
divide noodles into two bowls, top with cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Enjoy this healthy dish and feel good ;)

Crumbly Oat and Raisin Cookies

When going to work I usually get up around 6 a.m. But on my days off I sleep longer. But sometimes my inner clock let me wake up around 6 a.m.. I don't like that, by then it's getting day and I can't sleep when it's bright in my bedroom. So I put on my eyemask and usually I fall back asleep. But this morning I couldn't and I was turning myself in bed every single minute, my mind spinning around thinking of my future. AND I realized I miss being alone, I wish I had a boyfriend or would be married. I really do miss a man on my side.

After breakfast I cleaned up and later I was doing some cookies I wanted to bring over to my sister and her little son, but then I realized she's working the whole day, anyway I made the cookies. I little nephew is a cookie lover as much every kid, hopefully he will like the cookies. I did so! Maybe you will do so also??!

Crumbly Oat and Raisin Cookies

These cookies are pretty healthy, no margarine, no oils, no added sugar and you could add in whatever dried fruit you have on hand.

 

Makes 6 decent sized cookies – ready in half an hour

3 tbsp smooth unsweetened peanut butter

2 tbsp maple syrup

½ cup oats

¼ cup raisins

½ cup buckwheat flour (or wholewheat, or whatever flour you prefer)

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tbsp non dairy milk (I used hazelnut milk)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a baking tray with parchment

2. In a mixing bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla and cream together before adding in the oats, flour, baking powder, nutmeg and raisins giving the mixture a good stir.

3. I added a tbsp of milk here as my dough was too dry, it’s up to you if you think you need a little extra, then gradually add it until your happy with the consistency.

4. Using your hand, grab a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball and flatten slightly in the palm of your hand before placing it on the baking tray, use a fork to flatten them out more until they are about 4-5mm thick. Pop in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden.

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool

 

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raw zucchini "pasta" with an avocado & pea pesto

serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:
for the zucchini "pasta":
3 green zucchini (choose ones that are long and straight)
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper

for the avocado & pea pesto:
1/2 cup of frozen, organic peas
1/2 cup of basil
1/2 of a ripe avocado
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
water

Direction:
1. Start by making the zucchini "pasta". Peel the zucchini and then slice off the two ends. Cut the zucchini into planks, lengthwise. Then finely slice the planks, lengthwise again. You should have long, thin strips of zucchini that look somewhat like linguini or fettuccini.

2. Place the sliced zucchini into a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Set this aside and allow it to marinate.

3. Then, make the avocado and pea pesto. Place the frozen peas, basil, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper in the blender. While the blender is running, drizzle in the olive oil.

4. Continue to blend adding in the water until the mixture is running continuously (you should only need about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of water). Blend until you have the consistency you like. I like mine a little chunky, but if you like it super smooth feel free to continue blending. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

5. Once the pesto is done, toss it in the bowl with the zucchini until the zucchini is coated with the pesto.

Serve chilled, or at room temperature. This should last for a few days in the fridge, but is probably best in the first day or so.
enjoy. 

Sunny raw Nori Rolls

Sunday afternoon and it seems like it's going to snow today. The weather forcast said so - and really I can see some snowflakes. Hmm.

The perfect day for staying in the kitchen and some little cocking. As I already said, I love asian food. Now was the time for some different nor rolls. The nori with sunflower are much more creamy than prepared with rice. I served them with a light cucumber salad with an asian dressing.

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Blended, soaked sunflower seeds replace cooked rich in this colorful veggi "sushi". For the filling, you can substitute your favorite raw veggies, including jicama, radish, or even raw pickles!

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
8 green onions, light and dark green parts, divided
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. Liquid Aminos
4 garlic cloves (4 tsp.)
6 small collard green leaves, tough stems removed
8 sheets untoasted nori
2 medium carrots, cut into thin strips
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seedes, and cut into thin strips
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 8 oz container sunflower sprouts
Raw brown sesame seeds, for garnish, optional

Preperation:
1. Soak sunflower seeds in large bowl of cold water 4 hours. Rinse and drain.
2. Transfer sunflower seeds to food processor, and add 2 green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, liquid aminos, garlic and 1/4 cup water. Purèe until creamy. Set aside.
3. Cut collard green leaves to half the size of nori sheets.
4. Lay 1 nori sheet, rough side up, on cutting board. Place collard leaf pice on nori sheet, covering half of sheet nearest you. Spread 2 Tbs. sunflower seed mixture on collard green with spatula. Stack carrot strip, cucumber strip, avocado slice, green onion and sunflower sprouts in narrow line 1 inch from long edge or nori sheet. Fold nori sheet over vegetables and roll sheet away from you as tighty as possible. Dab edge of nori sheet with water to seal and close. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each roll into 6 bite-size pieces with serrated knife.

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Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad

 

Serves 2 to 4

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1-2 teaspoons gochugaru

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 scallion, chopped

2 Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/8-inch thick

 

Combine all ingredients except cucumbers in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired.

Add cucumber slices and toss to coat (wear gloves and use your hands, or use tongs).

 

Serve room temperature or chilled.



Raw Lasagne

Nut Free Raw Lasagne

1-2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise (demo here)
1 cup (100g) mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 cup red pepper
2 tsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp coconut aminos or raw soy sauce

2.5 cups (240g) cauliflower, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp avocado
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, not technically raw)
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh oregano
salt, to taste

2 cups (200g) sun-dried tomatoes
10-12 green olives, pitted (I used Cerignola)
10-12 large basil leaves
1 clove garlic

1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in 2 cups warm water for 30 minutes.

2. Finely chop the mushrooms and red pepper. Combine in a medium bowl and stir in 1 tsp of olive oil, rosemary and the coconut aminos (or soy sauce). Set aside and allow to marinate while you work on the rest of the lasagna.

3. Slice your zucchini as thin as possible. I used my mandoline so I only needed one zucchini for the whole lasagna. If you are doing this by hand, you may need an extra zucchini.

4. In a small cup, combine 2 tbsp of water with 1 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and rub over the strips of zucchini. Place zucchini strips in a shallow pan and set aside to marinate.

5. Meanwhile, prepare your cauliflower cheese. Place your cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until it is chopped into small pieces. Add the avocado and some salt and continue to process until it becomes smooth. taste to determine its smoothness, because it may look chunky but it tastes smooth. Add the nutritional yeast, basil and oregano and process to incorporate. Remove from food processor and set aside in a small bowl.

6. Prepare your sauce by adding the drained tomatoes (keep the water!), olives, basil and garlic to the food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add some reserved water from the tomatoes to get the consistency you desire. Set aside in a small bowl.

7. To assemble, you can go with one big lasagna, or make individual portions (as I did). Place 3 half slices of zucchini, overlapping slightly, into a square shape. Spread an even layer of ricotta overtop. Place marinated veggies overtop. Spread an even layer of tomato sauce over the veggies. Repeat your layers (zucchini, ricotta, veggies, tomato sauce, zucchini), finishing with a top layer of tomato sauce. Garnish with some fresh basil.

8. Allow your lasagna to rest an hour to allow the flavours to meld. The veggies may leak some fluid, too, so wipe that away. I also popped this into my dehydrator for 30-60 minutes at 105F with fabulous results.

Serves 2-4.