PERSIMMON PUDDING

I just can't get enough of persimmons! They're such a delicious, juicy fruit and now that they're back in season I'm making the most of them :) This was the most incredible-tasting creation. The bananas give it creaminess and the persimmons a jelly-like texture for the perfect pudding texture! I used hachiya persimmons (the larger, longer ones, like the one at the top of the photo) which I think are sweeter than fuyu's (the smaller ones) and are better at the jelly-like stage of ripeness. You can tell they're good to eat when you can easily pull the tops of them off.

Ingredients
2 very ripe hachiya persimmons (or 4 fuyu's)
3 fresh bananas
4 frozen bananas
pinch of cinnamon
3 medjool dates, chopped

- scoop the flesh out of the persimmons into a bowl
- blend the fresh & frozen bananas together with the cinnamon to make a melty banana ice cream
- swirl the persimmon flesh into the bananas. Top with chopped dates. Devour!

RAW PORRIDGE

Before going raw, every morning in the cooler months, I'd eat a big bowl of porridge every morning. It was delicious, filling and most importantly lovely and warming! I didn't make this recipe thinking it would be at all alike to it's cooked counterpart, and was very surprised when I had a taste! It looks and has a texture almost identical to cooked porridge! And in my opinion, of course tastes so much better made from fresh, sweet, flavoursome fruits :) I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! It's loosely based on Rawvana's recipe found here.

Recipe

2 apples 2 apples

4 bananas

4 medjool dates

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

Mulberries (or other dried/fresh fruit)

Walnuts & pepitas (or other nuts/seeds)

Tahini milk:

1 tsp Tahini

4 tbs water

- in a bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and grate in the apples.

- finely chop up the dates (Tip: wetting the knife and your fingers with water prevents a sticky mess from happening!) and add them in, along with the lemon juice (to prevent browning) and cinnamon and mix everything well. 

- to make the tahini milk, add the tahini and water into a small air-tight container and shake vigorously until all of the lumps are gone and a smooth, white liquid forms.

- top the porridge with fruit and nuts and drizzle some tahini milk over the top.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

This is a healthy twist on an old American favourite. To be honest, I've never tried (non-vegan) Thousand island dressing, but looking at the ingredients, this comes unbelievably close to what I imagine it would taste like! It's sort of like a tomato-ish mayonnaise. Like most raw dressings it's incredibly easy to make. Pour it on salads, zoodles, or other raw veggie dishes to create a creamy, crunchy, delicious raw meal!

Recipe
2 tomatoes
1 small carrot, peeled
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs chopped spring onion (green part only)
1 tsp sauerkraut (optional)
2 medjool dates
1 tsp paprika

- Blend all ingredients together and you're done! I sprinkled some dill & spring onion and juiced a bit of lime on top too.

CHILLI CHEESE FRIES

This is a fun, healthy way to use the chilli non-carne recipe here. 

Fries

1 kg potatoes, peeled is desired

2 tbs paprika

1 tbs cumin

Cheese sauce

1/3 cup cashews

1/2 cup water

3 large fries

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp mustard powder

2 cups chilli

Handful of coriander, chopped

Method

• For the fries, preheat the oven to 180C. Slice the potatoes into chips. Sprinkle the spices on top and thoroughly mix with a spoon or your hands to evenly coat each chip. Place in the oven for around 20 minutes or until soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside.

• For the cheese, blend the cashews, water & fries (Yep- add some of your fries! It tastes delicious, I promise!) on high for at least 30 seconds, until completely smooth. Add in the lemon juice & mustard powder and blend until well combined.

• Spread the fries evenly on a plate or large, flat-bottomed dish. Pour the chilli and cheese sauce over the fries. Sprinkle with coriander,

Enjoy! 

CHILLI (non-carne)

Unfortunately for us, our families aren't vegan, so we try to encourage them to eat less animal products by making yummy vegan dishes :) While we both enjoy raw or predominantly raw diets, we love to cook for our families. Here is one very popular vegan-for-omnivores Mexican dish that is super delicious and very versatile. It is low fat, loaded with veggies and totally scrumptious! It is a good idea to make large batches of the chilli and freeze some to use in different dishes to keep meals interesting & more convenient to prepare! 

Recipe 

1/2 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP) (make sure it's organic!)

1 cup boiled water

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 carrots, grated

2 zucchinis, grated

1 capsicum, finely diced

500g cooked kidney beans

2 cans diced tomatoes 

1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce

Salt, to taste

Method

• Put the TVP in a bowl with the boiled water and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Strain the TVP and squeeze as much water out of it as possible. Add about 1/2 cup of water to a saucepan and bring to medium heat. Add the TVP and cook for 10 minutes, stirring. Once cooked, put aside in a bowl.
• Add another 1/2 cup of water to the saucepan and add the onion and garlic in. Stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add the TVP back into the saucepan, along with the spices, carrot, zucchini, capsicum, tomatoes & kidney beans. Cook for 1 hour.
• Add in the sweet chilli sauce and salt. Finished! Serve with chopped coriander. 

Looking for ways to serve your chilli? Try these ideas...

- on rice (try turmeric-infused rice!)

- on pasta

- on a baked potato

- in tacos (with salsa & salad ingredients)

- in a burrito (with rice, salsa & guacamole)

- on nachos (with a cheesy sauce on top)

KIWI + GRAPEFRUIT DETOX-POPS

Kiwi fruits and grapefruits are both renowned for their detoxing properties, so I thought what better way to incorporate them into my diet than making them into these delicious, zesty little ice-blocks!

They're not super sweet, but they're extremely refreshing and are a perfect way to cool down on a scorching summers day :) They're also INCREDIBLY EASY



RECIPE:

• 1 330 mL carton of RawC coconut water
• 1 kiwi fruit
• 1/2 ruby grapefruit
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or any other healthy sweetener of choice!)

METHOD:

• Blend the coconut water with most of the 1/2 grapefruit (leaving a few slices to put into the icebox themselves) and the coconut sugar
• Chop up the kiwi fruit into small pieces, as well as the rest of the grapefruit 
• Pour into ice block moulds and pop in pieces of fruit
• Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight
• Enjoy!

CHOC FUDGE BROWNIES with date caramel sauce

These choc fudge brownies will cure any sweet tooth's cravings - give them a go and see for yourself! 

Brownie Ingredients:

• 1 cup dates (preferably medjool)
• 3/4 cup almond flour or gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 2-3 tbsp maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener of choice)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Pour some hot water over the medjool dates, just enough to cover them, and soak for approx. 10 minutes
• Drain, then place in food processor and process until smooth consistency is formed
• Add the flour, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla essence and baking powder to the dates and process again until smooth.
• Line a 20x20 cm pan with baking paper and pour in, smoothing down the top
• Bake for 15-20 mins, then cut into squares once it has cooled (or just have one massive brownie CAKE...hehe)

Icing ingredients:

• 1 cup MEDJOOL dates (otherwise won't be smooth enough!)
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup water

Method:

• Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth (may take a while, just be patient!) Scrape down the sides when necessary
• Now spread it on to your cooled brownies and enjoy! Top with anything else you desire (I used BlendCo superfood blend and some fresh blueberries!)