creamy mushroom soup with avocado + miso

I love raw soups. They are basically savoury smoothies that you top up with herbs and veggies and eat with a spoon. Okay, maybe that isn't the most appealing way to describe them, but my point is: they are full of only the healthiest whole foods your body wants, and served in a way that is easy for your system to absorb. You get excellent nutrition that much quicker... and it tastes freaking amazing.  

My favourite type of raw soup (although there are several worthy competitors) is mushroom soup. I tried adding an avocado this time and the result was magnificent. I think my mom was reading my mind the day I made this because I was going to use the normal white mushrooms we usually have in the fridge, when she came home with fresh shitakes and portobellos. Shitakes are my all time fave shroom! I highly recommend marinating the mushrooms you will use for the garnish. All you have to do is rub them with tamari and a bit of olive oil, then leave them in the dehydrator or on the counter while you make the soup. It brings out their rich flavours and softens them.

creamy mushroom soup with avocado + miso: serves two to four 

Soup:
1 portobello mushroom 
3 shitake mushrooms
½ avocado
1-2 tablespoons miso
2 cups hot water
3 dates (optional) 
1 teaspoon walnut oil (optional) 

Garnish:
3 sliced shitake mushrooms, marinated in tamari for a few minutes 
Salt + pepper
¼ fresh cilantro leaves 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth and adjust according to taste. Pour into bowls and top with mushrooms, cilantro and sprinkle on salt and pepper, if desired. 

aged nut cheese with herbes de provence

this is REALLY GOOD. maybe the best raw vegan cheese i've ever had. it's so easy (allbeit a bit time consuming) to make yourself and really affordable. please try this! it is incomparable to cheese. who wants the drug-filled mucus of another species when you can eat the delicious probiotics of cashews and grains?

i adapted this recipe from one i saw in vegnews (an all vegan magazine). although the actual hands on time for this is minimal, there's a lot of fermenting - so look at the recipe before you roll up your organic hemp sleeves. wanna get sexy while ya make it? look no further. 

aged chevre with herbes de provence: serves a party 

2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 3-4 hours

1/4 cup rejuvelac (see recipe below)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons herbes de provence

to make 4 cups of rejuvelac: soak 1 cup whole grains (i used rye) in 2 cups of water for 8-12 hours. drain and repeat, continue to soak until the grains begin sprouting, then drain again. put the grains and 4 cups of new water in a mason jar and cover with a towel. let it sit for 2 days or so, until the liquid turns white. the white liquid is your rejuvelac! strain it. 

to make the cheese: blend cashews, rejuvelac and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until very smooth. put it in a bowl, covered, and let it sit for 1-2 days until it's thick. then add in the nutritional yeast, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the herbes de provence. form the cheese into a roll using parchment paper. on another sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle the remaining salt and herbes de provence. transfer the roll onto that and roll it in the herbes and salt so it's covered. let THAT sit for 1-4 days until it's firm. it took one day for me. 

serve with raw or whole grain crackers. this pairs nicely with apples or olives. YUM. 

friends & salad

i've been eating a lot of salad lately. our greens are growing like crazy so i can run out to the garden and pick some lettuce and spinach whenever my heart desires. my friend christine came over yesterday and we made a lovely mix of greens, cucumber, tomato, olives and mushrooms. it was nice to catch up with her, since we hadn't seen each other in awhile.

she's all cool and awesome so she made this photo:

i also added some oregano, basil and cilantro. i think sweet basil may be my favourite conventional herb. my mom's is cilantro. i tear the herb leaves up really small, so it's lovely when you get a bite of salad and every now and then there's a hit of basil or what ever.

mmm...

oh goodness. i just ate a salad (a lot like the one above) but these photos are making me want to make another. i think i actually might. because after i finished eating the first one (just now) i went into the kitchen and realized my friend amber had left two avocados as a gift.

because she's the best.

she's also all hip, so she took these trendy hipster pictures last night: 

as far as salad goes, it's pretty much the greatest thing ever. except maybe for avocados. so when you combine them both - it's almost too much to handle. almost.

i'm definitely going to go make another giant salad now. 

i hope you have an amazing weekend! here's an easy and delicious recipe for you:

green love salad: serves 1-2

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cucumber

1/2 cup mushrooms

4 tb olives

1/4 red onion

5 figs

1 handful of fresh herbs like basil, oregano, cilantro, lemon balm, rosemary, etc. 

5 cups or more of fresh, organic greens like lettuce and spinach

chop up the tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, olives, onion, figs and herbs to your liking. set aside. 

in a big bowl, pour a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the greens and mix them up with your hands, coating them all with the dressing. throw on the chopped goodies and enjoy! 

this is best enjoyed outside on a sunny day, right beside your garden.

i usually add hemp seeds and sometimes salt and pepper. 

oh! and avocado. duh.

aged pine nut cheese with garlic & rosemary

Oh so creamy. Oh so delicious. Oh so dairy-free. You need to make this... oh so soon. 

After learning from my first go at nut cheeses, I have improved the recipe. I used half pine nuts, put it through the Vita-Mix and didn't freeze it (still smacking my forehead for that). It ended up being SUPER creamy and full of flavour. I let it age for 3 days this time and warmed it in the oven for about an hour, which developed the flavour and rind ever more.

My mom, who used to be a cheese lover and has practically given up dairy now, says that she loves this. Greg said he liked it too although "it's nothing like cheese". I have to agree. Don't expect cheese when you eat this - it's not! It's delicious cashews, garlic and rosemary. Enjoy the incredible flavour and texture for what it is. I guess you could call it Nut Pate if you want. Anyway - it's tasty and good for ya.

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Aged Pine Nut Cheese with Garlic & Rosemary: makes 1 wheel 
-
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup cashews
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of a lemon 
1 tbs sun dried tomatoes 
2-3 tbs whole rosemary 
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup water
2 tbs favourite oil 
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Soak the nuts for around 2 or 3 hours. Blend all ingredients in high speed blender or food processor (blender really makes a difference though) until smooth. See if you like the taste. Change it until you do.
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Line a colander with a cheesecloth and put it in a bowl. Transfer the cheese mix into the colander and set it in a warm place for 1 or 2 days. Then leave it in the fridge for another day. You can dehydrate it or put it in your oven at a low temperature for maybe 30 minutes so it develops a crust. Enjoy!
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In other news: I watched A Night At The Roxbury a few nights ago and my love of disco has been reborn.  I downloaded the album, and as I wrote this post I was listening to this:

And this...

YOU CAN'T SAY YOU DON'T WANNA DANCE TO THESE, ALRIGHT. 

Besides, the music videos are freakin' amazing. 

the secret to clean, glowing skin? steam.

*Check out more recipes for gorgeous skin here.*

Got clogged pores? Do a facial steam.
For me, sometimes they're the only thing that makes me feel like I really deep-cleaned my skin. You know when you go into a sauna or steam room, and feel great afterwards 'cause all your pores have been opened and cleaned? Same thing with facial steams.

They're so easy, and a great way to find 10-15 minutes to relax during your busy day. That's how I use the time anyway. All you have to do is boil some water, then add your favourite essential oils and herbs. Pour the water in a big bowl, put your freshly washed face over the bowl and put a towel over your head.

I usually use lavender, ylang ylang and lemon oils. They make the water smell divine. Like a spa.
Sometimes I add some dried roses if I have them. Homemade rosewater! They make it look pretty =)

Let your face perspire over the steam, cleansing each little pore, for about 10 minutes. Afterwards, rinse your face with warm water and soap. Then splash some toner or cold water on it and moisturize. Your skin will look and feel amazing!

If my directions weren't detailed or clear enough, here's a site with step by step instructions.