Super Creamy Green Protein Pasta

The first thing anybody ever says when they find out you are vegan is, "but where do you get your protien?!" We are warned (incorrectly) to make sure we're eating lots of protien to replace the meat that we've left off of our plates. While that's pretty much a giant load of BS that they've swallowed fed to them by the multi-million dollar meat & animal secretion industries, it does make sense that people might be worried about this.

I don't think anybody actually has anything to worry about, but the placebo effect can work wonders. So if you're worried about your protien (or just craving a healthy, savory, low fat meal!), this recipe is for you.

Is not only packed with protien (at just over 20g per serving), but its one of the tastiest, creamiest low fat meals I've had!

Here is my latest creation, Creamy Green Protein Pasta.

—3 cucumbers
—15 small dates

—1c greens
—1c peas
—1c water
—¼ avocado
—Singapore Salt-Free Seasoning (found at Penzey's)

1) Spiralize cucumbers
2) Chop dates

3) Blend greens with water
4) Add peas and blend again
5) Add avocado and blend one last time

6) Pour sauce over noodles & dates
7) Sprinkle Singapore Seasoning on top liberally (if you dont have singapore seasoning, its basically a curry with lemon and black pepper)

Enjoy!!

Tomato-Orange Salad Dressing

This raw salad dressing is fat free and salt free for optimal health!

I put this dressing on a salad I shared with my SAD parents, and they loved it! It's super flavorful, tangy, creamy, and sweet - just the right balance! It makes a great sauce for raw pasta, too.

Ingredients:
—¼ container grape tomatoes, or 1 tomato
—2 oranges
—⅓c sundried tomatoes (soaked)
—2 cloves garlic
—oregano, to taste
—basil, to taste

1) Blend oranges until smooth & creamy.

2) Add sundried tomato & garlic. Blend until smooth.

3) Add fresh tomato and herbs. Blend more for a smoother dresssing, less for chunkier dressing.

4) Pour over salad of your choice and enjoy!

Peace. 

Low Fat Raw Gourmet: Sushi

Ahhh, winter break! As of last Thursday, I went from having little to no free time, to having all the free time in the world! I've been investing this time doing lots of yoga, playing outside, cleaning, reading, and making art in the kitchen!

Today I came up with a nut & oil free, low fat, raw, vegan sushi recipe that is just incredible!

It's not traditional simple low-fat fare; there are quite a few ingredients - but it's definitely a dish worth treating yourself to - without splurging on the fat, salt, and/or cooked foods!

There are 3 basic parts (rice, veggies, dipping sauces), plus the nori.

Rice
—1 head cauliflower
—¼ onion

Veggies
—2 carrots

—1 cucumber

Dips
—1in ginger, peeled & sliced
—½c water
—½ lime, juiced
—5 - 6 small dates (or 3 large), pitted

—1c arugula
—¾c water
—½ lime, juiced
—½ celery stalk
—1 garlic clove
—½ avocado

For the rice:
Chop cauliflower into pieces:

Put about a handful or two in your blender at a time, and pulse once or twice (until consistancy of rice):

Finally, mince onion and mix them in. Mix in a few tablespoons of ginger-date sauce.

For ginger-date sauce:
Put ¾c water, 1in ginger, and 6 dates in blender; blend until smooth. Mix some into 'rice' and set the rest aside.

For the pineapple-avocado sauce:
Blend arugula with water until smooth. Add celery, lime, and pineapple. Blend until smooth. Add ½ avocado.

For veggies:
Julienne or spiralize cucumbers. Shred, shave, or spiralize carrots (I used a veg peeler).

Assembly:
Lay out a nori roll, smooth side down. On one side, put a generous helping of cauliflower 'rice'. On top of the rice, put some carrot & cucumber, then drizzle some ginger-date & avocado-pinapple sauce, roll up tightly, and eat! (Or cut them into little noris, if you're sharing with other people. 

Yum! 

Curry-Ginger-Lime Soup

Tonight, I got to make dinner for the fam - and of course I wanted to give the people I love something yummy that would also nourish them, like all food should.

Well. Dad didn't want to be adventurous and Joe wasn't hungry - so I actually just made dinner for Mom and I... but she loved it! (And so did I.)

Tonight, we dined upon a delicious Curry-Ginger-Lime Soup!

If you're craving a savory, flavorful, creamy, warm raw soup yourself, give this one a try!

The ingredients are as follows:

• 1 endive
• 2 c lettuce (I used romaine)
• 1 c warm water
• 2 Tbs fresh ginger
• 2 Tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp curry
• ½ avocado

• ½ cucumber
• 10 small dates (or 5 large)

I know, it's kind of a lot of ingredients. But it sure is good!

It's very easy to make, too - no worries! 

1. Chop dates and cucumber into small-ish chunks.
2. Blend romaine & endive with warm water until smooth.
3. Add ginger, lime, and curry. Blend again, just until mixed.
4. Add avocado. Blend one last time.
5. Pour into a bowl, mix in dates and cucumber, and enjoy!

Yum!

Spiced Dates

I've got a delicious holiday recipe to share! It's perfect as a meal, as a desert, and it would be a lovely, easy little treat to pass at holiday parties with all your SAD friends!

It's also a fantastic way to pack in the carbs if you don't have a lot of time, and (like me) can't bring yourself just eat plain dates.

The ingredients include:
—500cal worth of dates (that'll be about 25 deglet noir or khadrawys, or 10 medjools)
—2tbsp dried, flaked, unsweetened coconut
—¼tsp fresh orange zest
—1tsp cinnamon
—1tsp ginger

Throw all ingredients in a blender and blend until everything is chopped up pretty finely and well-mixed. Pour into bowl, eat as is, or roll into nice little balls or press together and cut into bars or chunks. They're awesome served with caffeine-free tea (my personal favorite is a Lemon Zinger). Enjoy! 

LFRV Mango-Strawberry Pie!

Yumm! You can use less nuts for lower fat...still delicious. Also, try adding some romaine lettuce in with the filling; makes it more savory, and still super duper yummy. (Though the color's a little less savory like this. Haha)

I Don't Understand.

I just don't understand it. I don't understand why somebody who choose NOT to live high carb, whole plant-based. People tell me it's because they "couldn't live without meat". No. No, you live in a society that insists you could never live without meat. Don't let media, advertising, and other people hold you hostage!

Who would want to have to spend their life counting calories, jumping from one miserable fad/starvation diet to another, in a futile effort to lose a few lbs?
Who wants to smell like BO after going for a run or after just a day or two without showering?
Who wants to live their life awaiting or dreading the day that they become obese, or are diagnosed with cancer or heart disease?
Who wouldn't want to take charge of their own health?
Who wouldn't want to eat AS MUCH food as they care for, without being concerned with getting fat?
Who wouldn't want to never have a cold or get sick?
Who wouldn't want to have loads of energy, and be happy for no reason whatsoever?
Who wouldn't want to follow a HEALTHY diet that had them eating only things that taste delicious to them?
Who wouldn't want to eat in a way that makes perfect sense anatomically, evolutionarily, and logically?
Who wouldn't want to be LFRV?

People tell me they couldn't because they love meat too much. Just try it for a couple months. The appeal of animal carcass pales next to the vibrancy, life, happiness, and energy brought into your life through the exciting, unique flavors of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Valuable Beginner Tips!

•young people (under 20) don't be afraid to eat a little extra fat (between 10 - 20%, probably-ish)

•get fats from fruits (avo is best from experience) rather than nuts & seeds

•surround yourself with fruit that you love!

• don't be afraid of overreating! (eat as much as you desire, that's the beauty)

•eat enough! Dont end up one of those people who decides veganism made them sick, emaciated and tired all the time - that was you under relating cause you're not used to the light caloric density of whole plant-based carbohydrate. (ideally fruit)

•if you're craving salt, eat greens. As many greens as you desire (try fruit-based dressings, no oil)

•it's not an all or nothing thing. Almost all raw foodists eat cooked sometimes. (not naming specific people, but I have heard from close friends of some big raw names, that they occasionally eat cooked; a few others like durian rider & Fredric patenaud are open about it. (i personally drink pasteurized not-from-concentrate oj, and will have marinara sauce sometimes) you do eat some cooked it's ok, just keep it high raw, always keep it vegan (although if you don't think you can do that even, then obviously mostly vegan is better than not at all), and try to keep cooked foods whole and carb-rich as much as you can.

•do what is right for you! Every step in the right direction is better than where you started, if you don't think your ready for something, that's fine. Don't push yourself and end up giving up and going back to SAD.

•educate yourself! Watch earthings, read 80-10-10 - if you know exactly why youre doing this, you'll obviously be more likely to stick with it.

•try smoothies! I'm personally not a big fan, but I know lots of people love smoothies and it enables them to get lots more fruit in, and even positively share part of this diet with those around them, and that's excellent.

•start paying attention to just how you feel after eating things, emotionally, mentally and physically. Rather than following diet dogma, listen to your body. As your body becomes more accustomed to a whole food, raw, plant-based diet, your body will become better and better at sending you signals - and it'll get more and more natural for you to pick up on them.