raw vegan phở with hoisin sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, basil & sprouts

I promised you this recipe awhile ago, and now I am delivering. I got the idea to make raw phở a couple weeks ago and couldn't get the thought out of my mind. I mean, we all love phở right? But personally I am not too crazy about the high salt content and rice noodles. The fresh broccoli, warm, gingery broth, crunchy sprouts and aromatic basil, though? COUNT ME IN. 

This recipe has all the positives and none of the processed. Oh! Some other advantages? It's super cheap to make, and low-fat! (I know those factors are important to a lot of you.) It's basically no fat if you choose not to make the hoisin sauce but c'mon now - it's raw. vegan. hoisin. sauce. I want to literally bathe in this recipe. 

I couldn't have been happier with the flavour of the broth. I was a bit skeptical I could make it taste as great as the original but it honestly tastes BETTER. No kidding. You get the real, unrefined flavour of onion, garlic, ginger, coriander and cinnamon, with none of the excess salt. You can choose to warm it slightly with your broccoli and mushrooms on the stove like I did (this also steams the veggies a little bit which I love) or you can leave everything totally raw and enjoy it at room temperature. 

I basically inhaled two bowls of this; it was like a phở frenzy. I was so full I left the last bowl to my mom. I still have the taste of the dish in my mouth and I am now craving more... dang. Make this anytime you wanna warm up and ward off colds. The ingredients are all anti-cancer super foods that will keep you living long and smiling big. What's not to love?

raw vegan phở with hoisin sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, basil & sprouts

serves: 1-2

noodles:

1 large zucchini sliced into noodles on a mandolin, spiral slicer or cheese grater

broth:

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon chunk of peeled ginger

Dash of cinnamon and coriander, to taste

3 cups hot water

1 tablespoon miso (any kind will work) 

1 peeled garlic clove

hoisin sauce:

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or other preferred sweetener)

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 tablespoon coconut vinegar

1 peeled garlic clove

Toppings:

1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces 

1/4 cup basil leaves

1/2 cup mung bean sprouts

3-4 sliced white mushrooms

To make the broth: blend all the ingredients until smooth. Strain if you want, and mix in your broccoli and mushrooms. You can either warm this mixture up on the stove (and simultaneously lightly steam the veggies) or leave as-is. I just love steamed broccoli and warm broth. Pour this over your noodles in one or two bowls and top off with sprouts and basil leaves. 

To make the sauce: blend all the ingredients until smooth. If it's too thick, add some water. Pour over your phở bowl(s) and DIG IN WITH CHOPSTICKS. 

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. 

beet & avocado soup with cashew cream

Many of you have been asking for simple recipes that are comforting in these chilly winter months, when eating raw can be its most challenging time. To be honest, I find myself eating the most raw food in winter! It is probably because the first time I jumped into the 100% raw diet, it was winter time. Something to do with my subconscious, I’m sure.

Thanks, Freud. 

In any case though, generally winter is when we crave heavier, heartier, warm foods. When it’s cold, your body is working harder to keep you warm so you want to eat more, as one might expect. So although a fruit bowl may be delicious and totally satisfying in warmer months, it might not be just what you want when the sun goes away and temperatures go down for a while.  SO what do we raw foodies eat? Raw soup! For me, it’s the perfect winter meal. It is filling, easy to make and digest (think of it a savoury smoothie), delicious, warming and beautiful.

Instead of cooking soups all day on the stove - which, I certainly can’t deny, creates a heavenly, homey aroma - you simply blend a few whole food ingredients together with spices and hot water. The spices warm you up from the inside out and you feel satisfied with the nourishing bowl of goodness you just enjoyed. The colours are always outstanding, as a plus. But then, aren’t they always with raw food?

Mother Nature sure knows how to paint a beautiful canvas. 

beet & avocado soup with cashew cream: serves 2 or 3

Soup: 

1/2 avocado 

1 peeled beet

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon miso

1 peeled garlic clove

1 tablespoon peel fresh ginger root (optional) 

1 1/4 cups hot water (approximately) 

3 mushrooms

pinch of salt & pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon 

Cashew Cream:

1/4 cup soaked, drained cashews with enough water to cover them

Pinch of cinnamon & salt

To make the soup: blend everything together in your Vitamix until very smooth. Taste and adapt to your liking. Place in bowls and set aside. 

To make the cashew cream: blend the cashews with the water, salt and cinnamon until creamy. Add a little more water if you don't want it so thick. Change it as you like. Spoon onto your soup and enjoy! I recommend adding some fresh herbs and seeds. I used peppermint and pumpkin seeds but any combination would be lovely. 

juice fast: day 5

you cannot deny the refreshing nature of this juice. the peppermint pairs surprisingly well with beets; the fresh personality of the mint compliments the earthy tones of the beets perfectly. make sure to serve this with ice and in cute little glasses - it makes it taste better.

sweet beet peppermint juice: makes three cups

large handful of fresh mint leaves
3 apples
1 orange
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cucumber
4 beets
2 carrots

prep the fruits and roots - juice 'em and drink! mmm...

some sad news: my partner in juice fasting decided to go back to solid food today... i am alone once again. i guess doing the rest of this by myself will make me stronger? i don't know. i was really enjoying doing it with someone else. you both can share how you're feeling, mentally and physically. it's great and i really recommend it for anyone wanting to fast. unless you adore solidarity and isolation. 

okay... i do. but it's still hard to fast alone. 

nevertheless - feeling okay today, better than this morning. oh, and i have some GOODS NEWS too: i am buying a new camera today! excellent deal on craigslist (bless you, internet deities). i am so excited about this since it's been quite irritating dealing with the little auto point-and-shoot camera since my good one was stolen (curse you, vancouver island thieves!) PLUS this camera is even better than my previous one. 

i will be busy the rest of the day; having a bath, buying that camera, making more juice, and helping my boyfriend settle more into his new apartment. (i had some strained miso soup today, by the way. i'm fine with drinking that on a "juice fast" because it is a strained liquid, free of fiber - also the salt is wonderful).

xox, em

creamy zucchini pasta & avocado soup

this was really delicious. you should make it very soon and enjoy the incredible flavours that come from the mixture of avocado, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, garlic and love. i don't think more introduction is required here.

zucchini pasta with garlic avocado sauce: serves 1-2

2 zucchinis sliced on the mandoline or spiral slicer into noodles
1/2 avocado 
2 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 onion
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups non-dairy milk
handful pine nuts or cashews
1/4 cup tamari
handful basil leaves
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup cauliflower

put noodles into large bowl and set aside. blend all other ingredients together until smooth. taste it. it'll probably be a little bland but i left it that way so you could add things to your liking. some curry powder might be nice. i add that to everything though... :) pour the sauce all over the noodles - BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME LEFT OVER! set it aside and massage the sauce into the noodles with your hands.... mmm, sensual food time. get dirty. i suggest adding some salty veggies to the noodles now. i put on some mushrooms and tomatoes.

 

avocado, cauliflower & spinach soup: serves 4-6

now using the rest of the extra sauce from the noodles, add:
1/2 avocado
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tamari
1 cup non-dairy milk (more or less) - or use hot water to make the soup warm
salt & pepper to taste
handful spinach
5 olives

i think that's all i threw in there! it was an improv situation as usual. taste it and see what you wanna add or change. serve in bowls with hemp seeds, basil leaves and maybe some olives or something with saltiness/flavour. pickled artichokes would be nice.

break [the] fast

so the day before yesterday - i finally broke the juice fast. my mom had bought me a papaya and i had been letting it ripen the last few days of the fast so it could be the first delicious piece of solid food i put in my mouth on saturday.

i look kinda crazy... but hey, i go nuts for papaya

it was an other-wordly experience. i transcended! i could hardly even control the ecstasy that was food-tasting. if you ever lose your passion for eating, or think everything tastes bland - just drink juice for a week. the rest of the day i had a few pieces of fruit and then an AMAZING smoothie at gorilla food. remember how i was super stoked to eat a salad for the first thing? nah. i don't think i could've handled that much on saturday, plus i was only craving fruit, to be honest.

later in the day my muscles were getting really sore, especially in my legs. i also had a head ache. i suppose it was the final steps of my detox. i slept really well saturday night.

yesterday i ate several fruits most of the day. it was canada day! so my friend came over and we went downtown to celebrate. super fun ;) when we got home we made a raw feast of creamy pasta with mushrooms, basil and tomatoes along with an avocado spinach soup, and durian pudding for dessert! i will post all the delicious recipes in the days to follow :) don't ya worry. here's some pics to tempt you:

i hope you all had a great weekend; i sure did. namaste!

Three-Bean Curry Tomato Soup

This soup is a must for curry enthusiasts! It’s straight-forward to make, and combines three kinds of healthful beans with vivid curry seasonings (without too much heat!). Serve with a cooked grain or some whole-grain bread for a complete meal.
Recipe from Vive le Vegan!

1/2 tbsp olive oil (or other oil of choice)
1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped onion
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 - 1 1⁄2 tbsp mild curry powder or paste (or more for extra heat)
1⁄2 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 tbsp fresh)
1 tsp ground fennel
1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom (don't skip! adds beautiful flavor!)
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup dry red lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
3 - 3 1⁄2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 - 1 tsp pure maple syrup or other sweetener

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the celery, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper, and stir through. Add the mustard seeds, curry paste, ginger, fennel, cardamom, and cinnamon. Stir through, cover, and let cook for 6-8 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir through and increase heat to high to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. For a thinner consistency, add a little extra water. Remove bay leaves, and season to taste with additional sea salt and black pepper.  *Soup even better the next day! :)

Makes 8 or more servings.

sweet corn, garlic & tomato soup with avocado and dill

"Happiness is this!" was the first thing I said when I had a spoonful of this soup. Not only had it been a long day on campus, and I had had a really hard workout (my leg muscles are crying), but it was also the beginning of my three day weekend.

So, when I finally was able to sit down with this glorious bowl of soup - you can imagine my excitement and shear blissful mind-state. As I'm writing this, I feel almost euphoric! It must be a mix of my workout high (which I'm able to enjoy daily) plus more endorphins being released because of the deliciousness of this SOUP.

I haven't made raw soup in quite some time, it's more of a winter thing for me. I love soups that are warming, smooth and rich. I can't do cold chunky gazpachos. Yilk. Sorry.

Now that the BC winter is coming, I'm getting my comforting-soup cravings! Raw soups are divine, really. They are so creamy, flavourful and totally satisfying. And all they are is veggies with maybe some nuts, spices, oil and water. MMM!

Blended foods are great because not only are raw smoothies and soups FANTASTIC, they are also waaaay easier on your digestive system. Your stomach doesn't have to do anything! So you save that energy, and get those nutrients into your blood faster.

Tonight I had a ripe avocado, some frozen organic sweet corn, and tomatoes. We always have garlic. You should too.
You may want to put in just one clove of garlic to start, and see if that's good enough. I am garlic junkie so watch out, as I put in three. Also, start with a small amount of water and add until you get the consistency you want. Personally, I don't like watery soup.

Sweet Corn, Garlic & Tomato Soup with Avocado and Dill: serves 1

1 tomato

1/3 cup organic sweet corn kernels

1-3 cloves garlic

Handful walnuts

Spoonful hemp seeds

1-2 t Tamari/Bragg's

1 1/2 cups hot water

1/2 or whole avocado, chopped

Salt & Pepper 

Fresh or dried Dill

Blend tomato, corn, garlic, walnuts, hemp seeds, Tamari, water, and HALF of whatever amount of avocado you're using until smooth. Pour into bowl. Add salt & pepper to taste, and top with remaining chopped avocado and dill. I added some raw, organic honey for good measure.

I had forgotten how much I LOVE raw soups. They are soooo friggin' good. Nuff said.
Now go make your own.

soup for the soul

*Sorry this post is kinda long... I ramble.

This weekend, I got a cold: headache, sore throat, stuffy nose - the whole deal.

This has not happened since I've been vegan; in fact I was quite enjoying the over-all elimination of sickness since becoming vegan and mainly raw. The only cause I can possibly think of, since my diet hasn't changed, is the hard-core workout I had the day before I fell ill.

I used to be a workout junkie, I was addicted to exercise... I LOVE IT! But since university, I haven't been working out as much. I was okay with this, and knew when the time came I'd get back into it. Well, after a couple months, the time came. This was last week.

I jumped right back into the workout intensity I was doing before I mellowed out... bad idea. Not necessarily because I've gotten weak, in fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how well I got through the workout.

Exercise gets everything moving (your blood cells, etc.) so I think perhaps it was just a manifestation of that. Also, lately I have not been eating much at all. Simply because I'm not hungry. My #1 rule: always listen to you body, and my body hasn't wanted as much to eat in the past few weeks.

In short: the combination of jumping back into my intense aerobic routine after not working out as much for awhile, PLUS the fact that I haven't been eating much lately (and hadn't eaten that day), PLUS the change of seasons, probably was the reason I got sick. You might say "or maaaybe you just got a cold because people GET COLDS", buuuut...

I DON'T GET COLDS ANYMORE!

I was just being silly and didn't act appropriately. I paid for it. The whole weekend, and still today, I've been totally congested and... well, you don't need the details. All weekend I was gulping down as much water and tea as possible, and eating lots of fruits and smoothies for nutrients.

My mood was manifested in the weather: rainy and cold all weekend. In a strange way, I actually love that kind of weather - I guess live in the right place.

It was just me and mom at home when I got the idea to make a big pot of soup. Soup seems to have magical properties. People have been making it for centuries because it's inexpensive, delicious, warming, and you can make it out of ANYTHING. It is the classic food made to ward off the cold and flu.

I am not 100% raw. I enjoy cooked vegetable-based dishes every now and then, partly because sometimes they are just so good (I cannot resist Thai food), and mostly because my family is not raw; we all want to be enjoying the same meal, especially when my mom makes incredible vegan dishes (they still eat meat but have become mostly vegetarian because of my diet change)!

I made Cauliflower and Sprouted Lentil Soup with peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and a bunch of other veggies. It made the whole house smell like warm comfort. It's a perfect winter dish to warm you up and ward off colds.

Cauliflower and Sprouted Lentil Soup: makes a big ole pot

2 onions, coarsely chopped 

2 Tb olive oil/coconut oil

Chuck of ginger, peeled and chopped

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 Tb (of each) cumin, turmeric, coriander, and perhaps curry powder

1 t red pepper flakes 

5 or so cups vegetable stock (this is super handy if you don't have homemade)

3 cups cauliflower, chopped

2 bell peppers (or tomatoes), chopped

2 cups dried sprouted lentils/beans (we had this in the pantry)

Salt and pepper 

Cilantro 

In a big pot at medium heat, saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, saute for another couple minutes. Add the spices, then the vegetable stock. 

Drop in all the chopped veggies and lentils/beans and simmer at medium-low heat for 20-40 minutes, (until the cauliflower is tender). Pour into bowls and serve with chopped cilantro and salt and pepper, to taste. 

Hurray for soup on cold winter days!

beautiful butternut squash; i love gourds

A couple weeks ago, I began to get the Autumn Soup Cravings. And I wanted a warming soup made from some sort of gourd, with curry spices and coconut milk. I was at the farmer's market last Saturday and when we saw butternut squash, I decided to make it the star of the soup.
I bought two, just to be sure I'd have enough. A nice thing about gourds is you can let them sit around FOREVER. We've had this spaghetti squash in the kitchen for like a month now. They keep extremely well... They're tough little guys. So it was fine that I wasn't able to make the soup until today.

My family ate this soup right up, even my little carnivorous brother. They said they weren't crazy about the texture, because it is a little chunky... but that's the fibre! If you prefer it smoother however, just strain it.  No biggie. I suggest using the fibrous stuff left over in baked goods, raw crackers, even cookies, etc.
I also made a simple cashew cream that really complemented the colours and flavours of the soup; sweet and cool while the soup was spicy and warm. 

I actually had about 3 cups of squash left over so I made muffins (baked)! They were delicious. Sometimes ya just need a muffin and some soup. Oh, and some good friends to carve pumpkins with =)

Raw Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup with Cashew Cream: makes about 8 cups (8 or so servings)

5 cups peeled, cubed raw butternut squash

2 cups coconut milk

1 orange, peeled

1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped

1/4 raisins or bit of agave/honey (to sweeten)

1 Tbsp your fave curry powder

3 T ginger, peeled (or more, to taste)

1 clove of peeled garlic

1 t cinnamon 

1/2 cup vegetable stock (not raw, but adds to the flavour)

Water or orange juice as needed

Blend all ingredients together in Vita-mix or other high-speed blender until smooth, adding water as needed. Taste it and see what you think. Add more/other ingredients until you like what you taste. Put into bowls. 

Cashew Cream:

3/4 cup cashews

3 dates

1/2 t cinnamon 

1/2 t garlic powder and onion powder - don't use too much, you want the cream to be a little sweet

Water as needed

Blend all ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth, adding water as needed. It should be about the same consistency as the soup, and a little sweet, not very spicy.

Drizzle onto soup in bowls and top with a sprig of carrot greens, or other pretty herbs you have around. Enjoy!

I love how this soup is raw, but warms you up anyway because of the ginger, onion, garlic, and curry. I also love how nicely the sweet cashew cream contrasts. And I love that it's all mostly squash! Which is just water, vitamins, nutrients and fibre! I hope you like it.
Remember, if it's too chunky: just strain it. It will become like creamy cooked soup.