BODACIOUS BANANA BOWLS with STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Mmm. The best meals are the simplest. And evidently, in this case, the cutest to look at. JUST LOOK AT THIS... SO CUTE. Once you get over the adorable factor, you can eat this and realize that it's also outta-this-world-delicious-and-nutritious. Hyphen. 

This recipe is 100% fruit and 100% easy to make. You don't just have to use strawberries, I'm sure any berry would work beautifully. And you can use the sauce on more than just bananas! Whatever your healthy heart desires... go for it. Honestly, I have nothing else to blab about right now so I'll leave you with the recipe and a cyber hug. *HUG* 

BODACIOUS BANANA BOWLS with STRAWBERRY SAUCE

2 sliced organic bananas

1/2 cup organic strawberries

1 teaspoon coconut nectar (optional) 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) 

2 tablespoons dried mulberries 

Place the bananas and mulberries in a bowl. Put all the other ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over your bananas and mulberries. Chomp. 

vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust, strawberries, cacao nibs + pistachios

Every part of this is epic. Chocolate cookie crust. Creamy vanilla cashew cheesecake. Strawberries topping it all off. I was going to put this recipe in my COOKBOOK (it is still extremely exciting for me to type that word) but I reached over 15,000 likes on facebook yesterday and thought "Hey, these guys deserve something special for being so freaking amazing, loving and supportive". So here ya go.

It kind of tastes like a giant Oreo, plus strawberries. Eeeexxxccellent. You know what else is excellent? The fact that every single recipe in my upcoming book is going to be just as awesome as this one. I'm not kidding around - I am putting my ALL into this book because I really want it to be a practical tool in the kitchen, as well as a powerful one to impress. Wink wink. Also, I am perfectionist and have to be proud of what I create. There will not be one boring or mediocre recipe in the entire {un}cookbook. That's my promise!

The toppings for this cake are optional but they make it so perdy, don't ya think? I'll be keeping it in the freezer until Saturday, when I'll be hosting a raw vegan dessert party. Yes; that IS the best four word combination possible. As you know, I've been making at least one dessert recipe every day and I figured I can't eat them all - as much as I'd like to - so I may as well share them! Other ways to give away loads of desserts: I'm going to be catering the desserts for a friends party next weekend, and also handing out my extra recipes to the homeless people downtown. Wholesome nutrition for everyone!

vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust, strawberries, cacao nibs + pistachios 

Crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates

2 tablespoon cacao powder

Cheesecake:

1 cup each of cashews, pine nuts, shredded coconut, and dates
1/2 cup water, as needed

Seeds from one vanilla bean (and/or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 tablespoons each of maple syrup and melted coconut oil

Topping:

Strawberries
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped

To make the crust: pulse the pecans in your food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and cacao and process until it begins to stick together. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a small spring form pan (mine was about 6 inches) and put in the fridge. 

To make the cheesecake: blend all the ingredients until smooth and thick. Pour into your crust and then refrigerate overnight so it can set and the flavours can develop. Two days is even better. Decorate with the toppings and enjoy! 

green berry smoothie & toe shoes

 LOOK WHAT I GOT TODAY! THEY'RE TOE SHOES.

you know i'm weird, and i suppose this takes it to a new level. now i expect to become a complete social outcast, but that's okay - because my feet will be comfortable. also, i just don't give a damn what people think. if someone doesn't want to be friends because i have awesome footwear, well then they can't be that cool, can they? (the answer is nope.)

the shoes were pretty expensive but they're the birthday present i asked for from my parents. WOOT. the company is really cool of course. check 'em out here. i bought mine at MEC (another great organization).

i had to throw this photo in here, my cat is too adorable. her name's sugar. now time for a smoothie! our blueberries are going crazy and it makes me sing, SO MANY BLUEBERRIES. thus i have taken to freezing them, making them even better in smoothies. today's elixir was blueberries, strawberries, banana and dino kale.

blueberry smoothie: serves one

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup frozen blueberries

1-2 cups kale/spinach

1-2 cups vegan milk/water

stevia, if desired

blend all of it up and drink it down! <3

here's the song for today. you gotta love da brat.

fruit tartlets with vanilla cashew cream

these tarts are so cute. you can't resist them. it's funny how whenever you decorate things with fresh fruit they become more appealing. our bodies know what they want!

i thought i was only going to be able to use the kiwi we had in the house but just as i was about to decorate them my mom came home with fresh, locally grown, organic strawberries! perfect.

you know i'm obsessed with chocolate, so today my goal was to make something without it - for once in my dang life. it looks like there's chocolate in the crust but that's just the skin of the almonds, prunes and raisins.

the filling is like a cashew custard i suppose. it's actually just cashews,  maple syrup, vanilla seeds and nut milk. oh ma gad. too good. i was eating spoonfuls.

the light was great in the kitchen today so i took lots of photos - hope you don't mind ;) i think these would be fun for a garden party. it is finally getting to be that time of year! imagine bringing them out on a cute little tray with some fancy drinks or whatever and impressing all your friends... mhm. do it.

these better be gone by tomorrow because that's when i start my liquid cleanse (i don't know if i'll be able to resist the temptation!) as i said in the last post - i'll be having lots of juice and smoothies, and tea and nut milks as well. after my 10 day cleanse i will going into my 21 day water fast!!! yippie!

anyhoo - time to give you the recipe if you want to make these. as usual, they're super easy and far too delicious to be healthy... yet they are.

fruit tartlets with cashew cream: makes 1 large tart or about 6 small
-
crust:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup prunes/raisins/dates
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons flax seeds

cashew cream filling:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup or so nut milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup/agave
1/4 teaspoon each of salt, cinnamon and ginger powder
seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

to make the crust: pulse the nuts in your food processor until they are crumb-sized. add the other ingredients and pulse until the mixture starts sticking together. you might need to add more prunes/raisins/dates. press this mix into the bottom of a tart tin or several tartlet tins. put in the fridge.

to make the cashew cream filling: blend the cashews into cashew butter then add all the other ingredients until smooth. yummmmmm. spoon this evenly into your tart/tartlet tins and put back in the fridge while you cut up your fruit. decorate as you please - then enjoy!

raw brownies & strawberries

Oh my goodness me. These are so tasty. I ate them with some organic strawberries my mom bought for me. The combo blew my mind and I ate like... at least 3 plus almost the whole container of strawberries. I can't help myself.

Raw brownies have the same ingredients as good quality (and let's face it - expensive) energy bars like Clif Bars or Larabars. Yummy, nutritious stuff like raw dried fruit, coconut, nuts and seeds. MMM! So good for you. They give you long lasting energy and keep you strong and healthy. These are the treats mother nature intended, and they are as processed as your food should get (which is not much at all).

So instead of paying $3.50 for a Clif Bar at trendy coffee shops - make them yourself, and better!

Everybody knows how delicious chocolate and strawberries are together, so brownies and strawberries are unsurprisingly amazing. I definitely recommend eating these with organic strawberries! They are one of the most contaminated plant foods otherwise.

Don't wanna buy expensive organic strawberries? Grow your own! We have seven plants flowering this year =) Last summer we just had one but MY GOD - the few berries that grew from it were the most luscious, flavorful things I've ever put in my mouth.

RAW BROWNIES YO: makes around 16

2 cups walnuts or your fave nut
1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 Tb flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut chunks
1 1/2 cups dates/prunes
1/3 cup cacao/carob powder
1/4 tsp each salt, cinnamon and cayenne
1/4 cup goji berries (optional)
2 Tb melted virgin coconut oil 

I think that's everything I put in these... but it's different every time. Always delicious though. Process all the ingredients in your food processor until it balls together. Press into a lined brownie pan and refrigerate for maybe 20 minutes. Slice 'em and devour with ripe strawberries. Perfection on a summer day.

Oh. Mother Nature - how kind are thee to give us ART in the form of FOOD.

Strawberry-Goji Smoothie

From Let Them Eat Vegan wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free

Goji berries are nutritional powerhouses, and easy to consume through this satisfying, tasty smoothie. The strawberries are a natural flavor pairing for goji berries, so use them if possible. If not, you can substitute another frozen berry like blueberries. A high-powered blender (I use a BlendTec) is best for this smoothie to fully pulverize the goji berries and tough flax seeds. With a regular blender, you may have to puree longer or simply have a smoothie that’s a little less, well, smooth… but still delicious!

1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla almond milk (I really like almond milk and/or hemp milk in this smoothie, but you can use another non-dairy milk if preferred)
1/2 cup water (or more non-dairy milk)
1 1/2 cups frozen sliced banana (fairly ripe/overripe is best)
1 cup frozen strawberries (or fresh)
1/4 cup goji berries
2 tbsp whole flax seed
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and puree for a few minutes to ensure the goji berries and flax seeds are pulverized and well incorporated. Makes 2 medium-large smoothies.

Recipe copyright 2009 Dreena Burton.