zuke pasta with tahini sauce & other goodness

I used basically the same recipe for the sauce that I made for my raw sushi recipe. It is so TASTY. This creamy, filling meal will leave you satisfied and full of energy. I could eat like 3 bowls of this - oh and guess what, I can! Ah, life is good. Enjoy!

zucchini pasta with tahini sauce, olives, cilantro & avocado: serves one or two

Pasta:
2 zucchinis
1/2 avocado
handful of olives
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup sprouts

Tahini sauce:
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon miso
2 tablespoons peeled ginger root
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/8 cup water (more or less)

To make the sauce: blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding liquid as needed. Set aside.

To make the pasta: slice your zukes on a spiral slicer or mandolin. Put in a bowl and pour your sauce on, rubbing it in with your hands or two spoons, until every noodle is covered. Cut up your avocado and throw it on along with the other toppings. Let it all sit for a minute to marinate then dig in!

sushi with sprouts & tahini miso ginger sauce

Oh my goodness gracious garbanzo beans. Make this NOW. You can taste the energy in this recipe, especially because of the sprouts. The sauce brings everything together deliciously with a savoury, sweet and salty flavour; the avocado adds a rich creaminess, the bell pepper gives you that juicy crunch and finally; the cucumber makes it all taste hella fresh. 

I made this as soon as I got up, to take pictures while the light was good, because I wasn't going to have another opportunity all day (it was a VERY busy day). I didn't want to eat it for breakfast so I have been craving it all day, until the moment I stepped back in the door a couple hours ago and was able to eat it. It's fun and easy to make, no special equipment necessary, and not much mess either. 

Let's roll, baby. 

raw sushi with bean sprouts & tahini miso ginger sauce: makes 2 rolls or more

Sushi rolls:
1/2 avocado 
1/3 cucumber
1/3 bell pepper
2 cups mung bean sprouts (or other fresh sprouts)
Seaweed sheets, like nori

Tahini sauce:
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon miso
2 tablespoons peeled ginger root
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/8 cup water (more or less)

To make the sauce: blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding liquid as needed.

To make the sushi: slice the cucumber, avocado and bell pepper very thin, and add anything else you want to. Now spread some sprouts evenly over a sheet of seaweed, but leave a bit of space at one end and drip a tiny bit of sauce all over the sheet. Place in your veggies and roll up like a pro! Keep doing this until you use all your stuff. Then with a sharp knife, slice carefully present your beautiful sushi to the lucky folks you're sharing this with. If that's just you - pretend to surprise yourself and get really excited. 

Vegan sushi just magically appeared from nowhere.

fruit tarts with chai cream filling

Mmm... these tarts are fresh take on this older recipe. I wouldn't say this one is far better or anything, just different. The crust is mostly oats and the filling is infused with chai tea. Once you take your first bite, expect to have trouble putting the tart down. These are an excellent option for breakfast. Load them up with fruit and you're good to go. 

This was the first thing I ate today because I just got back from my boyfriends place and had to take these pictures right away before the light got too dark outside. (It gets dark at like 4:00 PM during the winter here.) Of course then I took all my photos and loaded them onto my computer only to realize I had left the light on in the kitchen so these are not great pictures ANYWAY. Derp. 

fruit tarts with chai cream filling: makes about 4 tarts

Crust:
1 cup raw oats (or gluten-free buckwheat groats)
1 cup dates

Filling:
1/4 cup strong brewed chai tea, plus the chai filling in the tea bag
3/4 cup cashews
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 banana
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/4 cup agave/maple syrup

To make the crust: pulse the oats and dates together in your food processor until it starts to stick together. Press into the bottom of tart molds. Set in the fridge.

To make the filling: blend all ingredients together in your food processor until smooth. It should be pretty thick but keep it mind it will thicken more. If it's very thin, add another banana or more cashews. Put the filling in each tart mold and set in the fridge or freezer overnight (or for a few hours if you simply can't wait).

Decorate with fresh and dried fruit and enjoy!

Zukay Raw Drinks Giveaway!

*US residents only*

Hey all! The awesome peeps over at Zukay Live Foods want to give you free stuff! Specifically - their delicious, healthful, raw, fermented veggie drinks. They call them Kvass and you can see them all here. I have tried them myself and give you my guarantee they're rad. The Green is my favourite.

So what do you have to do? 
It's EASY. Just enter the Rafflecoptor contest (at the bottom of the post) by liking This Rawsome Vegan Life and Zukay Live Foods on Facebook, and following @rawsomevegan and @zukaylivefoods on Twitter.

The grand prize is a 6-pack of drinks of your choosing. 10 runners up will get a coupon for one free drink. And finally - ANYONE (as long as you're in the U.S.) can get a coupon booklet by sending their address to Zukay Live Foods in a private Facebook message. Don't worry - they won't use your address for anything else.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

sprouted chickpea bread

You can use either sprouted or cooked chickpeas, depending on your preference. This is delicious with hummus (dat double chickpea flava!), raw pesto or a sun-dried tomato spread; and you can use it for pizza crust, a raw sandwich or whatever you like. There's endless possibilities here, people. 

sprouted chickpea bread with garlic & sun-dried tomatoes:

2 cups cooked or sprouted chickpeas
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
3 tablespoons ground flax
1/4 cup whole flax seeds
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons tahini
salt, as needed
water, as needed

Put everything in your food processor and process until it comes together. Spread onto a dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 4-6 hours, or until crisp, cutting it into pieces and flipping them halfway through. Or you could use your oven at it's lowest temperature. Serve with hummus, pesto, nut cheese, or any other spread you like. Enjoy!

chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwiches (suitable for hipsters)

I've made ice cream sandwiches before... but that was when I was just starting out with this whole blog thing. I'm so happy with where I am now. Thank you all for your kindness. Anyways - I was deciding what to make last night and ice cream sandwiches popped into my brain (not literally... that would be gross. How would that even work? Okay, never mind.) 

They turned out exactly as I had hoped. Soft chocolate pieces holding together raw, dairy-free ice cream. In fact, I used three different kinds of ice cream for these guys. Banana soft serve, olive oil, and vanilla caramel. Each one is unique and delicious in it's own special way... AW SO SWEET. (Now that I DO mean literally.)

My boyfriend liked them so much that he tried to eat them all but I was able to stop his beastly manner and satisfy his sweet tooth with just one. Must save the rest for my family! And... myself...

The crust is nut-free (if you don't add peanut butter) because I used mostly buckwheat groats - they are rawkin' and seriously nutritious; gluten-free too, which is never a bad thing. Another plus? These babies are suitable for hipsters! I used triangle molds for some of them so I know the trendy alternative youth of my generation will flock to these like a grimy pair of used sneakers. I'm not judging - I have only love for you (and you and you). To be honest, I myself have been called a hipster on many an occasion. Ain't no thang.

Make these for your sweet heart, your friends, family or complete strangers. I wish I had made more so I could eat more but alas, it's just one for every member of my family. Feel free to play around with the crust - I bet it would be awesome if you added a bit of cayenne. Let's get spicy up in here. 

I don't really remember what a conventional ice cream sandwich tastes like but it can't be better than this. Whole food frozen treats? Count me in! There's simply nothing better than indulging in something decadent and delicious, knowing you are making your body, the earth and the animals happy. Well I don't really have anything else to talk about for today so I will leave by saying: MAKE THESE! The recipe is below.

chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwiches: makes 8-10, depending on the size

Crust:
1 cup buckwheat groats, preferably soaked in water for 1-3 hours
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 cup dates, or more as needed 
2 tablespoons nut butter (optional)

Ice cream:
banana ice cream OR
coconut ice cream (this is the more decadent option) 

To make the crust: pulse the dry ingredients in your food processor until it's like a rough flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it forms a ball or clumps together.

Using half the crust mixture, press into the bottom of cookie cutter molds or whatever else you want to use. Scoop softened ice cream into each one and then set in the freezer for an hour or so, until the ice cream is hard again. Press on the remaining half of the crust mixture. Let them set in the freezer for 30 more minutes and then push them out of the molds, gently. Enjoy!

peanut butter coconut cups with dark chocolate

I guarantee you will like these, and if you share them - you will become famously popular. I should have made more so I could give away them at my university tutorials... that'd get me some good grades. Next time. I should clarify my guarantee though: AS LONG as you like peanut butter, coconut and chocolate - you will like these. But who doesn't like those? Unless you're allergic, in which case you have my deepest sympathies, you poor thing.

I thought of the idea for this recipe the other day when I got home from school; I was very hungry but dinner was soon so I didn't want to stuff my face and "ruin my appetite". Thus I snacked on the nearest munchies - coconut chunks and organic peanut butter. It tasted so good (probably in part from my hunger) that I decided to make coconut peanut butter cups! I added some chocolate for good measure. Feel free to throw in some protein powder to make these perfect for a post-workout treat.

Peanut Butter Coconut Cups with Dark Chocolate: makes about 20

Cups:
1 cup coconut chunks/shreds
3/4 cup raw oats (or almonds)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/8 cup melted coconut oil

Chocolate:
1/2 batch of raw chocolate (or 2 melted dark chocolate bars)

To make the cups: throw all the ingredients in your food processor and pulse until you can press it together. If it's too dry, add some dates or peanut butter. Press into lined cupcake tins, leaving just a little bit of room on the top to pour the chocolate on... now pour the chocolate on and decorate with nuts if you like. Put them in the fridge overnight. I sprinkled some sea salt on top, 'cause it's pretty and stuff. You know.

product review: zukay raw veggie drinks

The generous folks over at Zukay Live Foods were kind enough to send me some delicious fermented vegetable drinks - traditionally called Kvass - to taste test. They pride themselves on creating and providing naturally probiotic drinks and salad dressings that help to combat the effects of the Standard American Diet. They describe their products as being made from "raw, organic, farm fresh veggies that are fermented in the ancient traditions, using only wild cultures [they] hand-batch [them]selves". You can learn more on their website linked here.

So what did I think of their raw Kvass? Well they were thoughtful enough to send me 3 different flavours: Beet, Super Green and Veggie Medley. My favourite is the Green which shouldn't come as a surprise for those who know my obsession and love for kale. To be honest, when I first took a sip my immediate thought was "This tastes like pickle juice..." but then I quickly got used to the flavour of the fermented cucumber and it actually started tasting sweet. I think it's because I was expecting something like Kombucha (my other favourite raw fermented drink) which is quite sweet.

Anyways - you soon get used to the taste and then start to like it. It helps knowing that these beverages are nutrient-packed and completely raw. There really is nothing like this on the market, speaking of - I hope to see Zukay in my own Canadian grocery stores soon! I give this product my stamp of approval (do they sell physical Approval Stamps?) and recommend it to anyone willing to try a refreshing drink that's healthy and different!

banana strawberry milkshake

After my workout today I enjoyed a delicious strawberry milkshake with creamy bananas and Vega protein powder. Usually I add greens like fresh kale or spinach but alas - we had none. So a pink smoothie it was! Pretty refreshing, if I do say so myself. You already know how much I worship smoothies so I won't get into a rant about their holiness. I'll just leave you with the recipe and the promise of a really yummy Peanut Butter Coconut Cup recipe that I will share tomorrow. I think I've eaten like 4 today... 

Banana Strawberry Milkshake: serves one

1 banana

1 cup vegan milk or water

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 scoop protein powder or hemp seeds (optional)

Add more or less of everything depending on your preference. Blend it all up in your high speed blender and sip away. Watch for the brain freeze though... I learned my lesson 3 times over while drinking this - it's so tasty I can't stop.