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.

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!

Raw Curry Sauce with Noodles!

Curry, the raw way! This is one raw dish you definitely MUST try! It is so incredibly delicious & satisfying! I've tried making raw curries many times since going raw, and this is by far the best one I've tasted :)

The mango makes it a little bit sweet, the tahini a little bit nutty and the herbs and spices pack in the flavour. It's also really thick & creamy- no watery business here! I topped mine with some dehydrated capsicum pieces, which gave it a slight smoky flavour too :) So. Dee. Lish.

Recipe

2 cups mango

1/2 cup dehydrated tomatoes

2 Handfuls coriander, chopped finely

1/4 capsicum, chopped finely

2 tomatoes, chopped finely

~30cm celery stick

Small piece of spring onion

1 tsp tahini

Pinch chilli powder

1/4 tsp cumin

4 zucchinis

- Blend mango, dehydrated tomatoes, celery, spring onion, tahini and spices until well combined.

- Add the chopped tomatoes, capsicum & celery to the sauce.

- Spiralize/peel the zucchinis to make noodles.

Enjoy!

Refreshing Matcha + Mint + Lime Ice-Blocks!

Summer is arriving and cool, refreshing treats are all around! These babies are simple, tasty and super quick to whip up (the hardest part is waiting for them to set!) Matcha, mint and lime work together so well in my opinion, however I kept the lime pretty subtle so it didn't ruin the unique flavour of the matcha! I drizzled mine in raw choc, but you could have additional toppings, or have no toppings at all! Either way, they're delicious and you'll absolutely LOVE them ;) Here's the recipe!


INGREDIENTS
Ice-blocks (makes about 6)

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup rice milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• 1 - 2 tsp matcha powder (depending on how strong you like it!)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp coconut water (we used Natural Raw C)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp chia seeds

Cacao-Choc Sauce

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Method:
- Blend together all ingredients until smooth.
- Pour into ice-block moulds and place in freezer overnight or until completely set
- In the morning remove from moulds (you may need to run some warm water over them so they come out) and set aside.
- For the cacao-choc sauce, mix all ingredients together so that there are no lumps. If you are finding it difficult you may need to place the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat to achieve a smooth texture.
- Drizzle the tips of each ice-block with the choc. sauce (and any other toppings you like! You could add desiccated coconut, nuts, goji berries etc.)
-Eat straight away or store in an air-tight container in the freezer :)

Lettuce Tacos

This is one of my favourite, go-to dinners- super low fat, full of nourishing ingredients and sooooo good! 

Messy? A little, but delicious? OH YEAH! Lots of beautiful flavours that totally give it the upper hand over the cooked version!

Recipe

2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

1-2 corn cobs, kernels cut off

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 capsicum, diced

1/2 zucchini, diced

1 cup chopped coriander

1 tbs lemon juice

1 small piece spring onion

1/2 cup dehydrated tomatoes

1/4 tsp cumin powder

Chilli powder/chillies to your liking

Head of butter lettuce

- Combine 2 cups of the tomatoes with the corn kernels, celery, capsicum, zucchini & coriander in a bowl

- Blend the rest of the tomatoes with the lemon juice, spring onion, dehydrated tomatoes, cumin & chilli until smooth (make sure the spring onion isn't chunky!)

- Combine the sauce with the chopped veggies & spoon some into the lettuce leaves. Done!

Sweet n Spicy Noodles!

This dressing is deliciously chunky & rich in flavour! It's one of my favourite easy dinners to make. Plus, the chilli makes it great as a raw dish to have in the colder weather :)

Recipe
1 cup diced tomato
5 medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup dehydrated tomatoes
1/4 cup diced capsicum
1 tsp/5cm piece of green spring onion (or less of the white part!)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 red chilli (or however much you'd like!)
4 zucchinis

- make zoodles (zucchini noodles) out of your zucchinis by spiralizing them or peeling them.
- put all ingredients but the zucchinis into a blender & blend on high for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over your zoodles.

Yuuuuuum. So. Goooood.

P.S.- be careful not to over-chilli the sauce! I added a few slices at a time & tasted it to avoid a mouth fire.. ouch!

:)

Raw Polenta-Stuffed Capsicums

This recipe is as delicious as it is easy to make! The raw polenta is made from corn, so it has a texture and taste similar to cooked polenta. For a more intense flavour and chewier texture, you might like to dehydrate the capsicums before you fill them- I'll definitely be trying this next time!

Recipe
4 red capsicums

5 cobs of corn

1 spring onion

1/4 tsp of cumin

6 tomatoes, diced 

1/2 green capsicum, diced

Big handful of parsley, chopped

Big handful of coriander, chopped

1 tbs lime juice

- For the polenta, slice the kernels off of the corn and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once frozen, process until they have reached a fine consistency.

- For the salsa, combine the tomatoes, capsicum, herbs and lime juice in a bowl.

- Halve the capsicums and remove the seeds. Spoon the corn into them until they're almost filled. Spoon some out of the middle and fill it with salsa.

Enjoy!

Raw Bibimbap!

Wondering how on earth you would be able to make this classic Korean dish raw?! Here's how! It may not be served up sizzling away in a clay pot but it tastes mighty delicious! There are lots of different flavours in it and all of the different elements work really well together. In my non-vegan days I loved a big bowl of bibimbap with rice, meat and veggies, complete with an egg on top and some kimchi & chilli sauce on the side. This one includes all of those components... raw-ified! Plus, totally animal-friendly of course :)

Recipe

1 head of lettuce, chopped finely

1 cucumber, julienned

2 carrots, julienned

3 tbs Sauerkraut (I used a homemade raw one with beets, purple cabbage & ginger)

Cauliflower rice

1/2 cauliflower

1 stick celery, chopped

Mushroom meat

5 mushrooms

1/4 capsicum

1 pinky-sized piece spring onion

Tangy chilli tomato sauce

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 pinky of spring onion

Handful coriander

1/2 tsp dried ground ginger 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Avo egg

1/2 avocado 

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp lime juice

- Put the lettuce into a large bowl, leaving a handful behind. 

- For the rice, process the cauliflower and celery until it reaches a very fine rice consistency. Layer on top of the lettuce, leaving a handful behind.

- For the mushroom meat, process the ingredients until they reach a fine consistency. Optional: dehydrate for around 1 hour.

- For the sauce, blend the ingredients on high for around 1 minute. 

- For the egg, make a 1cm slice in the avo half, lengthways and parallel to the first slice (so it looks like the one pictured!). Mash up the outer portion with a fork and add the turmeric & lime juice.

- Arrange the cucumber, carrot, mushroom meat and leftover handfuls of lettuce & cauli rice on top of the rice and lettuce in the bowl. Put the sauerkraut on top of everything in the centre. Put the avo slice on top & fill the hole with the mashed avocado. 

...And you have bibimbap!

Strawberries 'n' "Cream" Tart!

I'll be honest, this creation was complete luck. I had some dates lying around and thought, "why not try and make something a little different?". So i raided the cupboards grabbing anything and everything I thought might make a yummy treat, and thus the Strawberries 'n' "Cream tart was born. Luckily I remembered everything I put in, so i can share this delicious recipe with you guys!


Did I mention it was non-vegan mum & dad approved? ;)
Here's the recipe, enjoy!

Base:

• 6 medjool dates
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 1 tbsp coconut flour

Filling:

• 1/4 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
• 2 small, ripe bananas
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar (not compulsory, but adds a delicious caramelised taste!)
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• 3 strawberries
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Top:

• Strawberries!

Method

- Combine base ingredients in a food processor, then spread at the bottom of a small cake tin (mine was about cm), making sure that there is enough up the sides so all the filling doesn't spill out!

- Combine the filling ingredients and pour on top of the base. (You may have a little left over...i just ate it by the spoonful!)

- Slice the strawberries and place them on top

- Place in the freezer for 6 hours or overnight, then store in the fridge for 2 or so days! (Except I can bet you it won't last that long!)

ZESTY RAW VEGAN GRAPEFRUIT + GREEN APPLE + LIME CAKE

Sooo I've decided as a little project I'm going to make one raw vegan cake a month (not to say I won't be making other desserts!) Last month I made the Raw Choc-Raspberry-Vanilla-PB Cake, so I thought this month I'd make something a little zestier and less chocolate-y! I used the "Zest 3" juice from Pressed Juices, but seeing as it is only made up of grapefruit juice + mint, it's super easy to just juice your own grapefruit if you don't have access to Pressed Juices :)

This recipe is perfect for SPRING! So happy to be saying goodbye to Australia's Winter!
Here's the recipe. If you give it a go be sure to tag us - we love seeing your re-creations!


ZESTY RAW VEGAN GRAPEFRUIT + GREEN APPLE + LIME CAKE
Base

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 cup dates (preferably medjool)

Grapefruit Layer

• 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp "Zest 3" (Or just substitute for the same amount of grapefruit juice + a tbsp chopped mint!)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut flour

Apple + Lime Layer

• 3/4 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
• 3/4 of a large green apple
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp lime
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 strawberries

Method:

-For the base, blend together dates and almonds in a food processor and spread at the bottom of an approx. 15cm round pan

-For the grapefruit layer, combine ingredients in a food processor until smooth, then pour into the pan and smooth out.

-Do the same for the apple + lime layer and pour on top of grapefruit layer, making sure not to press too hard when smoothing out so that the layers don't combine.

-Top with desired goodies! I used strawberries, lemon zest, crushed pistachios + grated apple!
-Place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight.

-Store in the fridge for up to a week

Enjoy! xx

Banana-Blueberry-Coconut & Raspberry-Blackberry-Coconut Ice-Blocks!

Spring in Australia is nearly here! The sun is coming out more, the birds are singing, and I'm finding myself beginning to crave fresh, fruity flavours much more! So today I decided to make two different kinds of ice-blocks with Natural Raw C coconut water, and dipped them in some cacao-choc sauce + pistachios + coconut for a bit of added decadence ;) Hope you enjoy!


BANANA-BLUEBERRY (makes approx. 3)

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries
• 2/3 cup Natural Raw C coconut water

RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY (makes approx. 3)

• 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) raspberries
• 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) blackberries
• 2/3 cup Natural Raw C coconut water

CACAO-CHOC SAUCE + TOPPINGS

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• desiccated coconut
• crushed raw pistachios

Method:

- For the banana-blueberry ice-blocks, blend together all ingredients until smooth.

- Pour into ice-block moulds and place in freezer overnight or until completely set

- Do the same for the raspberry-blackberry ice-blocks :)

- In the morning remove from moulds (you may need to run some warm water over them so they come out) and set aside.

- For the cacao-choc sauce, mix all ingredients together so that there are no lumps. If you are finding it difficult you may need to place the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat to achieve a smooth texture.
- Dip the tips of each ice-block into the choc. sauce, then immediately into the pistachios or coconut (or whatever else you'd like to use!) It is important to do it quickly otherwise the chocolate will set and won't stick to your toppings!
-Eat straight away or store in an air-tight container in the freezer :)

CHOC-RASPBERRY-VANILLA-PB RAW VEGAN CAKE

 Okay so it's a  bit of a mouthful (literally) but this was one of the tastiest cakes I've made! It's raw, vegan and packed full of deliciousness!
Last time I made a raw vegan cake was back in January when it was summer, and up until now I felt that raw cakes were really more of a summer thing...but this one definitely proves that idea wrong! There are four layers - the base (made up primarily of dates..YUM), the two middle layers (one being chocolate, the other raspberry + vanilla), and the top, which is peanut butter cups (super easy!) and some decorative raspberries
Here is the recipe. If you make it please tag us - we love seeing all of your recreations! :)


RAW VEGAN CHOC-RASPBERRY-VANILLA-PB CAKE
Base:
1 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds

Chocolate Layer:
1 banana
1 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
1 and 1/2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp maple syrup

Raspberry-Vanilla Layer:
1 banana
1 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
1 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Peanut Butter Cups:
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
Peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:

-For the base, blend together dates and almonds in a food processor and spread at the bottom of an approx. 15cm round pan

-For the chocolate layer, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Pour into the pan and smooth out.
-Do the same for the raspberry-vanilla layer, except only place 1/2 cup raspberries into the processor.
-Once combined, gently fold in the remaining raspberries (so that you can have some yummy chunks when you bite into it!).
-Pour mixture on top of choc layer, being careful not to press too hard when smoothing out so that the layers don't mix together. Place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight.

-For the peanut butter cups, mix together the coconut oil, cacao and maple syrup until completely smooth. If you are finding it difficult you may need to place the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat to achieve a smooth texture.
-Line 4 cupcake tins and pour in just enough choc sauce to cover the bottom of them.
-Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes so they can harden.
-Remove from freezer and spoon a small dollop of peanut butter in the middle of each cup.
-Then, pour the rest of the choc sauce over it to cover the peanut butter completely.
-Freeze for at least 20 minutes.

Once done, it's time to assemble the cake! I placed 3 peanut butter cups on the top of my cake and crumbled up the fourth :) I also used the leftover chocolate sauce to drizzle around the edge of the cake, and topped with some more raspberries!

Store in the fridge for about a week.

Enjoy! xx

Zesty Pasta & Kale Salad

This pasta was a bit of an experiment- and it turned out to be delicious! Orange may seem like a very traditional breakfast food, but it works well in this savoury dish :) I kept the salad and pasta separate for the photo but they tasted goooood mixed together. The kale salad is one I make regularly- If you're like me and don't like the bitter taste of raw kale, this is a super easy way to get rid of the bitterness and make it tasty!

Kale Salad

Big bunch of curly kale (about 15-20 stalks)

1/2 an avocado

1 tsp lime juice

Zesty Pasta

3 zucchinis

1 punnet cherry tomatoes

1/2 an avocado

1 tsp lime juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tsp chopped spring onion

1/2 tsp chopped dill

Pinch of tumeric

For the salad, remove the stems from the kale leaves and rip or chop the leaves into small pieces. Using a fork, mash the avocado with the lime juice until smooth. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage with your hands for a few minutes or until the leaves have started to wilt.

For the pasta, spiralize or peel the zucchinis into thin strips. Thinly slice the tomatoes. Blend the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Combine the zucchini, tomatoes and sauce together.

This makes a biiiig serving, so you might want to share it... Maybe ;)

Raw Lasagne

I'm so glad I finally made a raw version of lasagne! I've seen a lot of good-looking ones floating around instagram. This one I came up with is absolutely, incredibly delish! You have to try it :)

Recipe...

Sauce
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup dehydrated tomatoes
Handful basil leaves
5 mushrooms

Cheese
10 raw macadamias
1 tbs raw pine nuts
1/2 cob of corn
1/2 peeled zucchini
1 tbs chopped spring onion

2 zucchinis

For the sauce, blend tomatoes and basil. Process the mushrooms until they're the consistency of rice and add into the sauce. For the cheese, blend all ingredients together. Slice the zucchinis lengthways using a mandolin (or a knife- make the slices about 2mm thick). To assemble the lasagne, start by lining a dish with a layer of zucchini going in one direction, then layer again in the other direction. This is your first zucchini layer. Follow this layering pattern:
1st- Zucchini, 1/3 sauce
2nd- Zucchini, 1/3 sauce, 1/2 cheese
3rd- Zucchini, 1/3 sauce
4th- Zucchini, 1/2 cheese

Top the cheese layer with sliced leftover cherry tomatoes and some baby basil leaves. Refrigerate to keep fresh but eat at room temperature :)

Hope you enjoy this recipe- Let us know if you tried it out!

Moroccan Salad

This noodle-icious salad has a beautiful combination of Moroccan flavours! It tastes best after a day or so when the flavours have had a chance to meld with each other

Recipe...

2 zucchinis

2 carrots

1 beetroot

1/2 red capsicum, sliced thinly

1/4 avocado, diced

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp tumeric

Pinch of ground ginger

Handful of coriander leaves

Run the zucchini, carrot and beetroot through a spiralizer (or peel them for a similar effect). Combine the spiralized veggies in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Serve with extra coriander and avocado on top.

Marinara Sauce with Zucchini Pasta & Veggieballs

This is definitely a recipe to try if you're after a raw, vegan, or maybe just healthy alternative to meatballs and pasta! It's super delicious & the 3 components work really well together :)

Recipe...

Marinara sauce

6 med tomatoes

6 dehydrated tomatoes

1 tbs chopped spring onion

1 tsp dried oregano

Big handful of basil leaves

3 Zucchinis

Veggieballs (see previous post!)

For the sauce, blend all ingredients until smooth. For the pasta, use a spiralizer* to cut the zucchini. Pour sauce over the pasta and top with veggieballs, leftover dehydrated tomatoes and basil leaves. That's it- so simple! If you've tried this, and if you have any additions/substitutions, please let us know how it went :)

*If you don't have a spiralizer, no worries! You can easily achieve a similar result just by peeling thin strips off of the zucchinis

Veggieballs

Kind of like meatballs- but without all the animal suffering & unhealthy parts (yup, nothin' but goodness packed into these!), these veggieballs are truly delicious and perfect with a zoodle + marinara sauce combo (recipe for that is coming soon!)

Here's how to make them...

4 mushrooms

1/4 red capsicum

3cm leek stalk*

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1 medium carrot

1/3 zucchini

1/2 cup dehydrated tomatoes

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

Pinch ground cumin

*Could sub with spring onions, but I didn't have any!

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process to a fine consistency (be careful not to over-process or it will go mushy!). Using a strainer or cheesecloth, squeeze the excess liquid from the mixture into a bowl. Grab about 1 tbs of the mixture at a time and roll it into a ball with your hands. Voila! Scrumptious veggieballs all for YOU :)