RAW VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE with WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM

If you wish to find nirvana, search no further, fortunate fellow. I've made a couple raw pumpkin pie recipes before. In fact, raw pumpkin pie holds a special place in my heart because it's one of the first raw dessert recipes I ever made, over 3 years ago, and my memories of those times are still clear in my mind. Ah, the beginning of my journey; way back when I didn't think anyone read my blog (and no one really did) and my photos were just depressingly bad. I think my writing style hasn't changed much - I still ramble about nothing in particular. You guys seems to like my stream-of-consciousness prose though, and that is probably why it has survived. Of course, it's also just part of who I am, and it's very useful to me to write in this way; it provides me with a direct reflection of my inner being.

I write quite a lot of "poetry" or whatever you want to call it, and the amount of writing I do has increased in the past month or so. Mostly due to me getting out of a heart-breaking relationship and knowing that I need to reconquer my independence; not merely as a girl or human, but as a spiritual, living unit of energy in this universe. I am happy to say I have been successfully rediscovering old pastimes and finding renewed fulfillment in them. Some are yoga, meditation, writing, reading, and general arts and crafts. Music has also been playing a paramount role. Music done right is, in my humble opinion, the sound of the human condition, often begging a reaction. Fortunately I have friends who are offering up some amazing artists and albums, and currently my favourite way to spend an evening is by myself, lights out, incense and and candles lit, lying in corpse pose (or low-back Savasana) and meditating on an entire album.

My happiness comes down to my selfishness. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a selfish person; because I think we all are, it's part of being human, but many of us don't want to admit as much. I care for others' and their well being deeply, but ultimately I put myself first. My logic is: I can't love anyone if I don't love myself. So, I am constantly working on improving me, so I can love myself in a more fundamental way. It seems (to me) that a lot of people don't love themselves enough or at all, so they don't feel whole unless they are with others who give them validation and affection. Obviously this is not practical. On the other end of the spectrum, we have those who only love themselves in an inflated way, and they don't give love to anyone else. The solution is a balance: find wholeness in you and you alone, then progress to sharing that wholeness with others. Be happy in being yourself, and love whatever you are. If you don't love what you are, work out what you would like to change and go from there. But certainly everyone deserves all the love in the world, there are no exceptions in my opinion. 

Now, where were we!? Ah yes, pumpkin pie. This Autumn, get healthy/jiggy with it and serve up a pie filled with whole food goodness and mind-blowing flavour. My mom bought a couple sugar pumpkins at the farmers' market and I immediately chopped them up, threw them on a raw pie crust and voila. Bliss in a bowl/plate/whatever. For real, all that is in this is walnuts, raisins, pumpkin, coconut oil, spices, and whatever sweetener you like. THAT'S IT. Ain't life magical? Here's where you answer, "Yes"! This recipe gets simpler every time I make it, and what we've got here is the truly bare-bones version. So go ahead and change it up as you want to. It's all about what you want. Let's eat.

RAW VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE with WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM

Crust:
2 cups walnuts
2 cups raisins
Pinch of salt (optional) 

Pie filling:
1 sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 6-7 cups) 
1/4 cup melted coconut oil 
3-5 tablespoons coconut nectar or other preferred sweetener
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg, ginger and cloves 

Whipped coconut cream or cashew cream

To make the crust: pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they're crumbs, add the raisins and salt and process until it begins to stick together. Press into a pie dish and put in the fridge.

To make the filling: blend all the ingredients until smooth, adding however much of the spices you like. If it's quite runny, let it thicken in a bowl in the fridge. Spread into your crust and refrigerate overnight until it's set. Slice and serve with whipped coconut cream, cashew cream or your fave vegan ice cream!

CHERRY PIE WITH HEMP SEEDS & WALNUTS

Ahh... cherry pie. I am sure we all have our own special memories linked to this delicious dessert. Okay wait - I actually can't think of any for me. Oh well, in any case this raw vegan version is mondo yummy! The filling is simply cherries and the crust is made from hemp seeds, walnuts, coconut oil and whatever sweetener you like. This is super healthy for your heart and brain! Last time I checked, I use both those organs on a daily basis. I hear they have their uses.

I'd just like to take a moment to let you know (if you didn't notice my freak-out session yesterday) that I have been nominated for "Favourite Blog" for the 2013 VegNews Veggie Awards! This is like being nominated for the Oscars, if you're a vegan food blogger. Please please please vote for me in this survey. I will send you cyber kisses - they are almost as good as the real thing. Not really. But it's the thought that counts?

cherry pie {raw & vegan}

Crust:

1 cup walnuts

1 cup hemp seeds

1/6 cup coconut oil

1/8 cup preferred liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut nectar, date syrup, etc.) 

Filling:

1-2 cups fresh organic pitted cherries

To make the crust: pulse the walnuts and hemp seeds into powder in your food processor. Add the coconut oil and sweetener and process until it forms a ball. Press 2/3 of this dough into a small pie dish (I just used a 4-inch spring form pan) and put in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set. Roll out the remaining dough between two sheets of parchment paper then stick in the freezer until hardened, about 1-2 hours. 

Once your rolled out dough is hard, cut it into strips and carefully create a lattice crust on parchment paper. But don't flip back the strips as you're making it, simply slide the strips under each other. Fill your pie crust with cherries then gently transfer your lattice crust on top of the pie, rip off the excess strips, and press the edges together. Serve right away or put back in the fridge for another hour or so. This is best eaten the same day it's made. 

banana chocolate caramel ice cream cake

I dreamt about making this cake so I figured I better do it in what we like to call "reality" as well. It consists of banana vanilla ice cream, date caramel and avocado chocolate pudding. I decorated it with bananas and a goji berry coulis, but that's optional. I just like adding other colours for contrast. The crust is also optional, it's there to add another texture.

I consider food a form of art. Not simply because of it's visual appearance, but more so because of what it symbolizes: a beautiful, symbiotic relationship between our bodies, our selves and what we are made of. What we choose to consume and put in our precious bodies is literally what we choose to become, physically speaking. I want to be creamy bananas, gooey dates and luxurious avocados. Not the greasy, fried dead body parts of my friends. No thanks - that's gross. 

The banana ice cream got a bit icy (Boo.) so let this cake thaw for about 20-30 minutes until it gets creamy again. It's gonna be hard not to eat half of every layer as you make them and put them in bowls. I know I did. Like, what the heck, Nature - why you gotta be so awesome all the time? You're making the rest of us look bad. All I can do is play with your perfect creations and pretend to take credit for "making" them. Shh...

banana chocolate caramel ice cream cake:

Crust (optional):
1 cup almonds
1 cup dates

Caramel:
1 cup dates
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon almond butter

Chocolate pudding:
1 avocado
1/4 cup cacao 
1 tablespoon nut milk
1/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup dates + 1/4 cup water)

Banana ice cream:
3 frozen bananas
seeds of one vanilla pod

Goji berry coulis (optional):
1/4 cup dried goji berries
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1/8 cup water

Make the crust: pulse the nuts in your food processor until they become crumbs, add the dates and process until combined and sticking together. Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and set aside.

Make the caramel: process the ingredients in your food processor until smooth, thick and creamy. Place in a bowl and set aside. Follow the same instructions for the chocolate pudding and goji berry coulis.

Make the ice cream: blend the bananas and vanilla in your high speed blender until thick, smooth, creamy and white. It may take a minute but then it changes into ice cream really fast, so pay attention.

Assemble the cake: spread the ice cream in the bottom of your spring form pan and then spread the caramel over that, mixing it into the ice cream a little with a spatula. Then carefully spread the chocolate pudding over this and put in the freezer overnight. When it's ready, let it thaw for 20-30 minutes then decorate with the coulis and serve with bananas and other fresh, organic fruit.

vanilla blueberry tart

Holy walnuts, this is delicious. The filling is basically just an awesome blueberry-banana smoothie and the crust is walnuts and dates. You're gonna love my nuts (or be disturbed by my grotesque and obscure sense of humour). In any case, you actually will love this recipe, which includes nuts. Owned by me. Making them my nuts. So you will love my nuts. HAH.

Try to get organic blueberries, since you just need frozen ones it'll be easier to find them. If you'd like to use less nuts in this recipe then sub in another banana instead of a cup of cashews in the filling. The cashews do make it creamier though, so it just depends on what you like.

My food processor broke down when I was trying to make the crust so we ended up returning it and buying a new one - but not before I finished this recipe. I cut up the dates and nuts for the crust BY HAND. So it looks a bit rustic. It made me appreciate my food processor a tad more intensely. 

What is your favourite kind of music? I like all kinds but the ones that usually gets me in the best mood are 90's R&B and hip hop songs... I know. They all just have such positive messages and are fun to listen and dance to. The 90's were the sexiest and most original time for hip hop. I MEAN LOOK AT THIS. 

vanilla blueberry tart: makes one large tart and a few smaller ones

Crust:

1 1/2 cups walnuts

1 1/2 cups dates

Blueberry filling:

1 cup cashews

1 cup dates
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (optional) 

2 cups frozen, organic blueberries

1 banana

seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Cashew Cream:

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup agave syrup

seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod

water, if needed

To make the crust: pulse nuts in your food processor until crumb-sized. Add the dates and pulse until it all sticks together. Press into the bottom of a tart shell or spring form pan.

To make the filling: blend all ingredients until smooth, adding as little as possible to keep it creamy. It should taste RIDONKULOUS. Pour onto your crust and let it set in the freezer overnight. (I lined my tart tin with whole blueberries then poured my filling around them so it looked cool when I removed the tin.) 

To make the cashew cream: blend all ingredients until smooth, adding as much or as little as you need. Slice and serve with fresh blueberries.

raw vanilla coffee creme pie with a chocolate crust

i don't even LIKE coffee; yet this is one of my new favourite recipes. my opinions on coffee are what you might expect: it's acceptable in moderation! i do not think it is a good idea for your mind or your body to chug 5 cups of cream- and sugar-laden coffee every day; but the occasional mug of organic black coffee can be beneficial. i prefer getting my caffeine from green tea simply for the flavour. now that i think about it - i bet this recipe would be delicious with some potent green tea substituted in for coffee! 

hmm... i may have to try that.

this recipe is delightful and - i give you fair warning here - difficult to stop eating. the crust is a mix of nuts, dates, cacao and cinnamon so it is like a spiced chocolate base; then the creme layer is a smooth blend of black coffee, cashews, and a whole food sweetener of your choice (everyone has their preference). i drizzled a salted caramel sauce on top made from date paste and sea salt and for the finishing touch added some goji berries, raw pumpkin seeds and coffee beans for colour and contrast. HECK YA.

bathe in the lusciousness of the creme layer mixed with the crunchy bite of the cinnamon chocolate crust. OH MA GERD - IT'S SO GOOD. i should buy some restraints when i make this from now on to control myself.  i predict the family will enjoy it as much as me and my boyfriend did this morning. yep, that's right. we ate it for breakfast... after some fresh juice of course.

how's the weather where you live? it has been raining here for days and i'm lovin' every minute - i'm lovin' it. (no affiliation to mcdonalds here.) as long as i wear a good pair of boots and bring an umbrella the rain don't bother me none. plus it's really cozy when you're inside with a fire, special people, two cats and this creme pie...

i suggest eating this at most a few hours before you go to sleep otherwise it might keep you up if you are sensitive to caffeine. try it for breakfast! it was perfect. 

cashew coffee vanilla creme cake with a cinnamon chocolate crust: serves 8 or so

cashew coffee vanilla creme:

2 cups raw cashews

seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave/raw honey/date paste)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup very strong, brewed organic coffee

cinnamon chocolate crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates

2 tablespoons cacao powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

salted caramel drizzle:
1/2 cup dates covered in enough water (or coffee) to cover them
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon nut butter (optional)

to make the creme, blend all ingredients until smooth. set aside. 

to make the crust, process the nuts into a rough flour in your food processor and add all the other ingredients until you can press it together, then press it into the bottom of lined small spring-form pan. scoop on the creme and let it set in the fridge or freezer. 

to make the caramel drizzle, blend the dates, water/coffee, salt and nut butter (if using) until smooth and pretty liquid. if it is too thick - add more water; if too thin - add more dates. drizzle on top of your creme pie and garnish with coffee beans, goji berries and pumpkin seeds. it is better - but difficult - to wait until the next day to eat this, let the flavours get to know each other. then DEVOUR. 

I selected this post to be featured on Vegan Blogs. Please visit the site and vote for my blog!

chocolate banana pie with coconut whipped cream

oh, baby! this pie rocks. or should i say... it RAWKS. (i know, i know. comedic genius. i think i might go on tour.) it's pretty much all raw but i can't lie - the coconut milk i used was not. i don't mind. this pie is too delicious to care. besides, before i went vegan i LOVED whipped cream and this vegan version hits the spot where whipped cream is missing in my life. it's actually better because it has hints of coconut.

i have made a pie like this before, and i felt i should make it again because well... do i need a reason? no. but now i have some nicer pictures of it. 

i would write a longer post but yesterdays post provided a pretty good summary of how i have been. busy but happy! i've actually gotta run now to make some fabulous quinoa sushi with my girlfriend while we watch lord of the rings. those movies are the most epic things that exist, i am pretty certain. 

try to think of something more epic. 

anyhoo - life is good. this pie TASTES good; makes ya feel good, look good - if someone were to bite you, it'd probably make YOU taste good. don't judge my logic. my excuse is that i am crazy. i am just rambling about nothing right now because there is some excellent music playing while i type this so i can't concentrate  but i also do not have the will power to turn off my music. wanna hear what i am listening to? check it.

chocolate banana pie with whipped coconut cream: makes one pie

crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

1 1/2 cups dates or raisins

pinch of salt 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

filling:

3 peeled bananas (save one to slice)

1/4 cup cashew butter

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil 

1/4 cup agave/maple syrup

1/4 cup nut milk (use as little as possible)

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup cacao powder

coconut whipped cream:

1 can coconut milk, put in the fridge overnight

seeds from 1 vanilla pod

1/8 teaspoon stevia or powdered raw sugar

to make the crust, process the nuts (in your food processor) into very small crumbs and add the dates or raisins and the rest of the crust ingredients. process until it all sticks together. press into a pie dish and put in the freezer.

to make the filling, blend all the ingredients until smooth then let it set and thicken in the fridge. when it's thick enough, spoon into the pie crust and layer with that remaining sliced banana. set in the fridge.

to make the coconut whipped cream, put your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer. take the coconut milk out of the fridge and spoon off the really thick stuff on top (full fat, baby, mmm). put this in your mixing bowl with the stevia/sugar and vanilla seeds and whisk until it's thick! i have a kitchen-aid so it's really easy for me. spread this all over your pie and let it set in the freezer or fridge for a few hours. or... devour it right away.