SUN-DRIED TOMATO TART WITH ZUCCHINI HUMMUS

To quote my wise mother: "This one's a keeper." I concur. If you love hummus, tomatoes, and freshness; you're gonna freak out when you bite into this. If summer were a pizza,  it would taste like this tart. If you need to prove to anyone that raw vegan dinners can be delish, serve them this. If I continue with these "If" statements... where will we end up?

After making at least one dessert every day over the summer (not just because I am a glutton, but also because I was writing my raw dessert uncookbook), I am kind of going through withdrawal from the - albeit healthy - sweets. At the same time, I gotta keep making recipes for you guys! So I'm getting back to savoury-type dishes. This recipe was inspired by a tomato tart I saw on Sidesaddle Kitchen. And yes, by the way, Laura Miller IS the ultimate vegan babe / bad ass. I suggest you serve it with raw crackers or something else crunchy, to add another texture. It's also best after being refrigerated overnight; that extra time allows it to develop flavour and thicken up. 

You can find the recipe for this scrumptious baby over at one of my fave healthy food blogs, Ascension Kitchen, where I did it as a guest post for the always-gorgeous Lauren. But first... scroll through all the food porn photography. Wink. 

raw pizza with spinach pesto & marinated vegetables

every saturday for as long as i can remember, we have family video night. this entails pizza for everyone and a good movie or two. it's the night of the week where we can all relax and be together. since adopting a vegan diet, my family has naturally stopped eat most processed foods as well as most animal products. most of the time our meals are vegan now. yahoo! so as you would assume, our pizza nights now include vegan pizza (which is always delicious). the carnivorous men of my family are usually merrily surprised with the taste. this week i decided to make a raw version because, ya know... raw food is totally rad and stuff.

i wish we had some raw cheese to top this off with but alas, not this time - anyway it was delectable sans aged nut cheese. i could seriously eat a bowl of the pesto by itself, i luuuurve me some spinach. and as for the crust - i was schnarfing spoonfuls while i put it in the dehydrator. if you don't have a dehydrator then just use your oven at its lowest temperature. i do this all the time and never fret; work with what ya got. 

one thing (of the plethora of things) i LOVE about raw food - you can eat as much as you want, but often that isn't as much as you might predict because the food is so nutrient dense! it fills you up super fast. so as you can see, these pizzas are pretty small, but very satisfying. i do warn you, don't expect this to taste just like cooked pizza. in all honesty it has nothing to do with it except the inspiration and general shape. it is DIFFERENT and delicious... 

so open your mind (and your mouth). 

raw pizza with garlic & seed crust, spinach pesto and marinated veggies: makes four small pizzas

crust:

1/2 cup each of hemp seeds, raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

1 cup walnuts

1 teaspoon salt & pepper

2 teaspoons dried basil (or a handful of fresh, lucky you)

1 tablespoon agave/maple syrup or a few dates

1-2 tablespoons water, as needed

1/2 onion, sliced

4 peeled garlic cloves

spinach pesto:

4-5 cups organic spinach
1/2 cup raw pine nuts

1 peeled garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
1/4-1/2 cup water, as needed

1 teaspoon agave/maple syrup or a couple dates

toppings:

3 mushrooms

1 bell pepper

1 tomato 

1 teaspoon tamari

1 teaspoon fave dried herb blend

to make the crust: pulse all ingredients in your food processor until it sticks together (and tastes delicious!) now divide the mixture into four and shape each of them into your desired pizza crust shape with your hands on dehydrator trays or parchment paper. dehydrate (or cook in your oven at the lowest temperature) for 4-5 hours, or until crispy. 

to make the pesto: put all the ingredients in your food processor (no need to wash it after making the crust) and process until it reaches that yummy pesto consistency - not totally smooth, but still quite creamy. mmm. put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. 

to prepare the veggies: cut them all into thin slices and mix in with the tamari and herb blend.  marinate them in your dehydrator (or oven) until they are soft and taste freaking amazing. 

put it all together: when the crusts are finished, gently spread the pesto on all of them, followed by the veggies. if you have any raw vegan cheese that would be a tantalizing addition for your taste buds. 

EAT. BE HAPPY. YOU ARE WELCOME. 

protein party

this bowl is packed full of protein for your muscles! it has banana, nut butter, goji berries, coconut, and cacao nibs. it's terrific for after a workout, or whenever you want a filling, super healthy snack or meal.

i believe the perfect post-workout food is a green smoothie (greens, fruit and water/nut milk) with hemp seeds or some other high-protein food added. That being said, you need a variety of protein in your diet, just as you need a variety of all foods so you can get the most out of the nutritional landscape surrounding us.

after my workout today (and said green hemp smoothie) i did a few things around the house and on the computer but then started to get hungry again. i decided to make a healthier version of oatmeal. NOT that oatmeal isn't healthy. i've always loved it, personally. but i try to keep gluten out of my diet when i can, and use the most nutritious whole grains possible. thus, my "oatmeal" today had millet quinoa.

or maybe couscous... honestly i can't tell the difference because i don't use grains that much and the jar wasn't labelled. but you get the point. when i first got into raw food i was a whole lot stricter than i am now. i realize i can't eat 100% raw all the time and i am now quite comfortable with that reality. i also believe that eating mostly raw with some lightly cooked veggies and whole grains is probably more ideal for my body than eating all raw.

many hard core raw foodists suffer omega-3 deficiencies after some time, but whole grains such as quinoa, millet, barley, couscous, etc. are rich in omega-3's (as well as other vital nutrients that can be in short supply in a raw food diet). read this book for more info on this topic. another option is to simply sprout these grains instead of cooking them. in any case - my health is my primary concern, not the percentage of raw food i eat. so go couscous! ... or millet. i dunno (nope, apparently it was quinoa. thank you, knowledgeable readers.)

whole grain protein bowl: serves one

1/3 cup whole grains (like millet, couscous, quinoa, oat groats, etc.) cooked in 2/3 cup water
1 sliced banana
1 tablespoon nut butter
1 tablespoon raw sweetener (or throw in some dates or raisins)
2 tablespoons dried goji berries
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
3 tablespoons dried coconut chunks 

throw it all together and eat it up! 

pumpkin seed & garlic pasta

the possibilities for zucchini pasta are endless; much like salad and smoothie recipes. this time i used pumpkin seeds and garlic for the base of the sauce. of course - the noodles are just zucchini! i topped it off with raisins, chives and spiced almonds.

i usually make 2 small zucchinis for myself. one of the many aspects of raw food i love is the huge amount of food you can eat. veggies and greens are so low calorie it's pretty much impossible to get adequate calories from them alone. so most of my diet ends up being fruit. then of course i have nuts and seeds in my desserts, and sometimes some whole cooked grains to balance out my omega-3's.

as joel fuhrman explains - the higher ratio of nutrient to calorie in a food, the better it is for you! so plants like zucchini, eggplant, any greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. are super low-calorie but super high in nutrient density. they will keep you living long! and holy guacamole (see what i did there?), do they taste good...

zucchini noodles with pumpkin seed & garlic sauce: serves one or two

noodles:
2 small zucchinis 

sauce:
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1/4 cup basil leaves/other fresh herbs
2 tablespoons raisins/dates
as much nut milk or water as needed

to make the noodles, slice the zukes on a mandolin or spiral slicer. set aside in a big bowl. to make the sauce, blend all ingredients until smooth (adding water or nut milk til then). massage the sauce into the noodles until evenly coated. let them rest for a minute to soften and marinate. sprinkle on whatever you like! nom. 

p.s. i go on my juice fast tomorrow! SO EXCITED. 
p.p.s. check this website out if you - like me - are in love with reggae dub. 

pasta with creamy cheeze sauce

my inspiration for this was raw mac n cheese. i guess the macaroni noodle part is hard to do with zucchini BUT this was super nom-alicious (yes, i just invented that word) nonetheless. plus the sauce was killaah.

yet again i feel i must apologize for these less-than-stellar photos. i'm really starting to miss my stolen camera. *a tear falls* anyhoo, let's focus on the positives... oh, that's everything! but more specifically, this recipe. i don't think i'll ever get over how delicious and easy raw pasta is. it's gotta be one of my fave raw food dishes (besides a giant plate of fruit). it is SO satisfying, filling and fun to make. i've ranted about it before.

the cheeziness in this sauce comes from the nutritional yeast, which isn't technically raw; i'm okay with eating though. if you're not - just add more garlic and other flavours you like. it'll still be rawkin.

zucchini pasta with creamy cheeze sauce: serves 3

pasta:
6 small zucchinis
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into strips

sauce:
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup nut milk (may need more or less)
3 dates
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
handful fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons miso
handful of walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tablespoons musatrd (optional)
fave spices & salt & pepper

to make the pasta: slice all the zukes on your mandoline or spiral slicer. set in big bowl. to make the sauce: blend all the ingredients until smooth. see if you like it and if not, adjust accordingly. you want it to be pretty thick because it thins out once you add it to the noodles. mix it in with the noodles and tomatoes and let them sit for 10 minutes or so. the flavour and texture will improve. then...

you know what to do. 

OH, AND: check this chick out. dayam. 

eggplant, mushroom & pesto pizza

ooooooh boy.

this pizza is SO not raw. i adore raw pizza though, but haven't made it in awhile (so actually you should prepare for a recipe soon). anyways, this is very baked. but hey - i feel good about putting this in my body. homemade, whole wheat crust; fresh organic veggies; a bit of tofu; and hand-picked basil. not too shabby. 

as you may know, every saturday is family movie night here in the von euw household. for years we've been enjoying good company, beverages, film and triangular food once every week. when i went vegan, i just veganized my pizza...

that's right, it's crazy up in here.

tonight i made a pesto sauce from basil and pine nuts and topped it off with marinated eggplant and mushrooms from the farmer's market. oh, i added some sauteed tofu as well. although this would be delicious without cheese (daiya is great, but we can't deny it's processed) i find it holds the toppings together better. otherwise you've got a mess on your hands - and i need to pay attention to the movie! 

must keep things organized.

eggplant, pesto & mushroom pizza with tofu: makes one pie

crust:

buy one pre-made (easy to be gluten free) OR use this gluten free recipe, OR:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt & pepper
dried herbs of your choosing (i like basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme) 

pesto:

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts

salt & pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

5-6 olives

3 garlic cloves

vegan milk, as needed to make it creamy

toppings:

1 small eggplant

4-5 mushrooms

5 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1/2 package tofu

2 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

salt & pepper

make the crust: combine the yeast and warm water in a warm mixing bowl. sprinkle on a tinsy bit of sugar to feed the yeast. let it rise for about 10 minutes. add the other ingredients and kneed the dough or mix in your mixer (we have a kitchen-aid) until it's soft and elastic; 8-10 minutes. let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in size - A GOOD TIME TO PREP THE PESTO AND TOPPINGS, HMM? - then roll it out into a pizza crust! partially bake it for 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees. 

make the pesto: in your food processor, blend all ingredients until spreadable and delectable. mmm it's so good. spread it on your par-baked crust.

do the toppings: first sautee the tofu and garlic slices in 1 tablespoon each of tamari, olive oil and maple syrup. let them cook until they brown. next slice the eggplant and mushrooms very thin and rub in the remaining tamari, olive oil and maple syrup. throw in some salt and pepper and other spices if you like. when the tofu is done, add it to the eggplant and mushrooms and let it marinate until your pizza is ready to be dressed 

(yes, your pizza was naked.)

throw everything - add a bit of vegan cheese if you like - on the crust and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees. then... cut and eat. you got this. 

xox, em

terryaki tofu roll with avocado, potato, cucumber & black rice

holy moly WOAH. make these! everybody (friends and mom) was really impressed with the combination of flavours and textures. i'm making this recipe again ASAP for my boyfriend. who can refuse cruelty-free sushi!? it's just that much better than raw-decomposing-fish sushi. better for you, the planet, and our fellow earthly creatures. YEAH!

 

if you want this recipe to be 100% raw, don't worry about the terryaki tofu and potato, you can use your fave raw vegan cheese or nut pate if you want. also, use sprouts instead of rice. buuuuuuut... i suggest making the tofu and potato with rice. so worth it.

the black rice really raised the meal to another level of sophistication (and good health, of course). it's an intriguing sight and fun to cook because the water turns dark purple. spooky. you could instead use brown rice or quinoa or whatever whole grain you have.

as usual - try to get organic ingredients, and better yet, get the veggies from your garden!

 

terryaki tofu rolls with avocado, potato, cucumber & black rice: serves 3-4

1 package tofu
2 potatoes 
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (i used mesquite)
1/2 cucumber
1 avocado
1 cup black rice recommended
nori sheets

cook the rice as directed. cut the tofu, potato, cucumber and avocado into long strips. sautee the tofu, potato and garlic in the tamari, liquid smoke and olive oil. spread the rice onto the nori sheets and lay down all the ingredients (including the tofu and stuff). roll in up and slice with a sharp knife into rolls. serve with tamari for dipping.

yam noodles with miso sauce

holy yams! you might be skeptical about using raw sweet potatoes (yams) for food, but as soon as you try this, all your doubts will be vaporized. it's so satisfying. i don't know WHY you'd want or need white pasta with meatballs when you can eat THIS living, raw, cruelty-free meal. i took lots of photos, i hope you don't mind. 

nah... you don't.

hopefully you have a spiral slicer, but if not - a mandoline will do. and if you're REALLY ambitious, you could try to make the noodles manually. good luck.

i've been wanting to make these noodles with some kind of sauce and veggies for awhile, and the plan for this sweet potato (organic!) was to make this recipe then give it to a curious friend who had wondered whether you could raw potatoes. but um... i'm greedy. i ate it all at my house. don't judge me. i promise i will make this again and actually share it. it will be difficult, but i can do it.

 yam noodles with miso mustard sauce, avocado, cucumber & raisins: serves 1-2

noodles:
1 yam (sweet potato)

sauce:
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon agave
1 date
vegan milk/water, as needed (about 1/6 cup)
3 chopped garlic cloves

to make the noodles - slice the yam on a spiral slicer or mandoline. mix with a bit of tamari in large bowl and set aside.
to make the sauce - blend all ingredients together. if it's too thick, add more vegan milk/water. if it's too thin, add more miso, dates or mustard. pour the desired amount of sauce onto the noodles and mix in. you don't need that much.
i added chopped avocado, cucumber, beets from our garden, raisins, and parma... of course. i bet this with sesame or pumpkin seeds would be great too.

veggie wrap & miso mustard gravy

we got these radishes from the farmer's market and they were so pretty i had to take pictures; they aren't actually in today's recipe, but i bet they'd be a delicious addition!

veggie wrap with miso mustard gravy: serves one

miso mustard walnut gravy:
1/4 cup or so of walnuts
2 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons miso
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1/2 teaspoon each of salt & pepper, other fave spices/herbs
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons tamari
water, as needed (probably a several tablespoons)

nori veg wrap:
3-4 mushrooms
3 leaves dino kale
1/4 avocado
2-3 dates or some raisins
1/2 raw or grilled bell pepper
1 nori sheet 

to make the gravy: blend all ingredients together until smooth and like gravy dressing. if it's too thick, add more water; if it's too liquid, add more walnuts or maybe a date. whatever you think it needs.
to make the wrap: slice the veggies and what not, length-wise. then layer them all on your nori sheet and spoon on some "gravy".

*i made this again today and used cilantro instead of kale, and zucchini instead of mushrooms.
FRICKIN' AMAZING. as usual, you can basically do anything to this recipe and it'll be insane.

the pics of the food aren't that good today so i'll make up for it with these lovely photos of BLOOMING LIFE in our garden. ahhh, i adore my home.

don't ya love summer? vibrant new creatures, plants and energy growing everywhere you look. my chakras are vibrating like crazy. the prana is strong. speaking of prana, i'm going to get the sanskrit version tattooed on my wrist soon! what do you think? by the way, it symbolizes the vital life force in the universe:

प्राण