Ok i'm going to try this again. although i'm going to apologize prematurely- the pics for these first two meals won't be there, so you'll have to use ur imagination. Reason 1- because I left my phone in my car and it's hella cold and i'm lazy. Reason 2- because i was really hungry and once i dig in, i can't stop until satiated. I promise that more will come with subsequent posts.

I'll also let you all know that I have gone cooked vegan, although i'll retain this blog name; like i said, i'm lazy (and busy) and I like the ring to it.

If you're wondering why I've been MIA for almost 2 years, let me fill you in on what's been happening. I was accepted shortly after my last post to a Naturopathic Medical school outside of Chicago, IL. I moved and have been here studying my butt off and not really getting culinarily creative unless I have a get-together with my classmates, where i've had the opportunity to try and showcase different vegan dishes, exemplifying how they stand up to traditional SAD dishes. Perhaps down the road, i'll share pics of these parties, but for now, i'll focus on my most recent yummies.

The move has also brought some failures along with triumphs, both in the culinary and personal fronts. I've burnt just about as many relationships as i have dinners, but i've also savored more in luck and love than the taste of the finest food in the world. I've slaved over books, projects, exams, and work MUCH more than I have over the stove or Vitamix, and I have to admit in retrospect, it's been so incredibly worth it. I've now settled into a good relationship (ironically with my boyfriend I had when I started this blog), have a stable (not to mention amazing) group of friends here in what is now not such a "foreign" city. And it is now, in this comfortable state, that I have returned to my passion. Health, cooking, and writing. Oh, and eating. Lots and lots of eating.

That being said, here's some recent nom nom i've been shoving into my face.

1. Roasted Red Pepper & Roasted Tomato Soup
This is one of those recipes that make me wish my Vitamix was wide enough to fit my entire face into it so I could savor every last drop. I've got issues. but trust me, you'll get it after you try this. 

Ingredients:

• 5 Red bell peppers
• 5 tomatoes
• cayenne pepper
• smoked/sweet paprika*
• cumin
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 T nutritional yeast
• 1 pinch of Himalayan salt
• Celery Salt** 
• 1/4 brick tofu (i used silken, but it doesn't really matter)
• 1/4 avocado, diced finely (optional)

*did you know? paprika is essentially the red bell pepper version of celery salt (see below)

**Celery salt is essentially dehydrated diced celery that is FP (food processed) into a powder.

Steps:

• dice tomatoes into small cubes
• line a baking sheet with parchment paper, bake at 400*F for 15 min
• halve and de-seed peppers
• if using a gas stove (like I did), turn two burners on
• using tongs, place halved peppers directly onto burners/flame (i prefer outside down) and char
• flip them and char the insides or until soft. 
• place them in a Ziploc (careful, they'll be hot) and seal. let them steam for ~10 min
• remove tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper, let cool
• remove peppers from bag and peel off charred skin (it'll be really easy once they've steamed in the bag, but it'll be messy, so wear gloves)
• toss 1/2 of the tomatoes, peppers, tofu, garlic, spices into Vitamix (or blender of choice) and blend until creamy
• place the other 1/2 of the tomatoes in bowl of choosing. Pour blended pepper mixture over it. season more if needed, and add diced avocado if desired. 

Overall this took me like 25 minutes tops and gave me about 45mL of soup. I had planned on saving some for lunch. Whoops. 

2. 'Creamy' Asparagus Soup
I use this as a base for many other recipes including dips, sauces, and my Fat Free (Fat Free) Pesto. 
Recipes will follow. 

Ingredients:

   Base:

• 1 bunch green asparagus
• 2 bunches white asparagus
• 1/3 block tofu or 1 cup chopped and steamed cauliflower/rutabaga
• celery salt
• 1 vegan boullion cube
• 1/2 T black pepper
• 1 clove garlic

   Soup:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 tsp sage
• sprinkle of paprika for color

   Dip:

• 1/4 C nutritional yeast
• seasonings to taste

   Pesto: 

• 3 bunches of basil (fresh only, sorry but dried won't work here)
• 1/8 C nutritional yeast
• 1 more clove of garlic (this one I like to peel, wrap in foil, and bake until soft)

Steps: 

• steam asparagus and cauliflower/rutabaga if using instead of tofu
• drain and reserve liquid
• add everything to Vitamix plus 1-2 cups of reserved steaming water
• blend and season
• dunk, drizzle, or just straight up devour!

Vegan "Dorito" casserole

Alright, so I realize that I post intermittently  (I am a full time student with a full-time and part-time job, ya know.... ;) ) and I know that most people who read this (if any) are seeking healthy, low fat raw vegan or low fat vegan recipes, perhaps that are preferably light. This is not one of those recipes. This is  healthy trash food. That's not to say its in anyway "unhealthy"....I am a firm believer in not being too dogmatic or firm with one's diet, but trying to make each dish as healthy as possible.

I had just walked in the door from an extremely difficult exam to greet my boyfriend and his friend/coworker covered head to toe in dirt, mulch and grass debris. Clearly we'd all had a rough day. Which, for a couple hard-working dudes, mean "put comfort food in my belly asap," and I didn't blame them. So I decided to whip the pooped boys up a classic "kitchen sink casserole" of Dorito Chicken. Like many vegans, I despise the thought of touching dead animal carcass, but luckily their recipe only called for canned chicken, so I just opened the can and closed my eyes into a heaping bowl of creamy goo. Luckily for me also, I found the perfect way to rid the shelves of one more bag of junk food. But as I started to make their dish, the smell of the Doritos started calling to me. I don't know where this came from, probably stress, because I have NEVER liked chips and least of them all Doritos. However, the boys bugged me about eating with them, so I decided in the spirit of friendship, I'd share a meal with them...done "my way," of course.

This is Dorito Casserole done "my way":
(I will highlight substitutions with an asterisk*)

1/2 head of broccoflower, cut up into florets*
1 medium tomato diced
1/2 chopped jalapeno (without seeds)

1/2 package of silken tofu*
1/2 lemon, juice + chopped fruit
dash cayenne powder
1Tbsp Nama Shoyu*
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C "cream of vegetable soup" (see below)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 small onion diced
1/4 C almond milk
dash cumin
dash of paprika
dash dried oregano
sprinkle of nutritional yeast*

"cream of vegetable soup":
3/4 C almond milk
1 vegan vegetable bouillon cube
1 1/2 Tblsp Arrowroot Powder*

1. preheat oven to 370*F
2. In a 1 qt. pyrex, spread broccoflower florets to cover the bottom
3. make cream of vegetable soup in saucepan over the stove; whisk until thickened (about 5 minutes). Cool.
4. To Vitamix, add all ingredients besides tomato, jalapeno, sprinkle of nutritional yeast, and broccoli. Blend.
5. Add tomato-jalapeno mixture to Vitmix. Do NOT blend; stir in. 
6. Pour this mixture over broccoflower florets
7. sprinkle with extra nutritional yeast (optional) 
8. Bake for 35 minutes. Broccoflower will be cooked, but still crunchy.

I have to say, this turned out SOOOO much better than I expected; the boys promised to try one bite each of the "Jen version". They said mine was almost identical with the exception of the gooey cheesy and crunchy chip textures, both of which I didn't want in there anyways. Check out the pics, and tell me you're not drooling. 

Substitutions: 

*Broccoflower= 1 can jackfruit (This might be the solution for anyone wanting this to be entirely raw; just use all the substitutions and keep the "cheesy" flavor with nutritional yeast only.)

*Tofu= 1/2 C soaked cashews + splash of soak water

*Nama Shoyu= 1/4 C soaked seaweed, drained

*Arrowroot powder= equal amount of coconut flour or 1 Tblsp Chia/flax

*sprinkle of nutritional yeast=sprinkled daiya cheddar shreds

omg Raw Vegan pulled "pork"

Ever since turning RV (raw vegan), grociery shopping has become one of my all time favorite things to do. (Behind working out/yoga, playing in the sun, and uncooking of course.) ESPECIALLY for tropical fruits and veggies, which aren't exactly abundant here in Cleveland, Ohio. But, while they might not be abundant, there are a few little gems I've found around the city that supply a pretty decent selection, most of them being in a little corner outside the city known as "Asiatown". This past weekend, I conned my boyfriend into going down to one of these gems with the facade that it was the Chinese New Year, and that it is the only place in the city that served Dim Sum. What sold him is that Dim Sum were Chinese meat dumplings; meat and dumplings being two of his favorite things. So I sat through a quick [vegan] Dim Sum lunch at Lih Wah, and admittedly enjoyed a taro patty with chili sauce and kimchi dumplings. Not horrible, but I could almost feel the msg soaking into my bloodstream. It was [not really but sorta] worth it, because we headed right over to the grocier, more specifically the "Park to Shop" (yes, that is its name. Scout's honor.) where I found my plethora of amazing fruits and veggies. Lest I say, an hour and a half later, I walked out with an $80.00 bill and 19 bags of goodies. The haul included:

•  genmaicha green tea
• lotus root
• taro
• meyer lemons
• key limes
• coconut water (not good, even tho it was organic)
• mangos
• a couple papayas 
• strawberries
• bananas
• dragonfruit
• some AMAZING organic mushrooms
• plantains
• lychee
• rambutan
• DURIAN (yes, durian. luscious, luscious stinky  durian)
• and more importantly for this post, jackfruit

When the boy asked me to make him his BBQ favorite tonight, I had to see if I could put my haul star to work. The goal: fool the boy into thinking that my faux pulled pork was real. Story short, I succeeded.  Here's how:

Ingredients:

• 1 can jackfruit
• 1/2 onion (sliced)
• 3T tomato paste
• 1 T mustard
• 1 T raw honey
• 1 T raw apple cider vinegar
• 1tsp paprika
• 2 garlic cloves
• black pepper
• 1/2 C water
• pinch dehydrated onion flakes (or onion powder)
• 1T chili powder
• pinch curry powder
• 3 dropper-fulls of vanilla stevia* (optional)

1. drain jackfruit; cut out center core so all you have left are the stringy fan stuff
2. mix with onion and garlic in a bowl
3. in a separate bowl, mix tomato paste, mustard, honey, vinegar, water, and stevia
4. add to bowl of jackfruit all of the dry ingredients and mix with hands
5. let sit for 30 min or dehydrate for 105*F for 2 hours if you want it more chewy
6. pour wet ingredients onto jackfruit

I served this with sliced jicama for fries and corn tortillas:

Ingredients: 

• 2 C fresh or frozen (thawed) corn
• 1/4 C psyllium powder OR one ripe plantain
• 3 shakes cumin
• 3 shakes turmeric

1. blend in food processor or blender
2. pour onto dehydrator teflex sheet
3. dehydrate for 2-3 hrs per side. (Which means that you need to flip them after the first 2-3 hours)
4. peel from teflex. 
5. If you haven't poured them in a circle-shape, take a bowl and trace out the shape of the rim on the tortilla with a knife. 
6. At this point, i stack each tortilla with wax paper in between each, place them in a ziplock and freeze for later use. Before you need them, thaw as many as you'll need on the counter. 

Raw Vegan Red Hot [Red] Curry

MMMMmmmm MMMmmm MMMMmm! There's is NOTHIN' like a good red curry to get me excited. Since becoming vegan and especially since becoming raw vegan, I don't really crave much of anything except the occasional durian, lychee, date, or berry. (there's a whole post describing my cravings here). The longer I continue down this raw vegan path, I crave less and less things besides fruits (especially sweet fruits) and leafy greens...and spirulina as of the last couple months. But occasionally, I get a craving for Thai curry-particularly red curry or mango curry.

If you're not familiar with Thai cooking, it can be difficult to get any take-out or dine-in food in raw vegan form because of the frequency of their use of fish paste and preservatives. Blyick. Knowing this, I prefer making my own Red Curry Paste in the comfort of my own home. To do this, I make my own curry paste, which is too easy for words. Here it is: 

 

Ingredients: 

• 5 red chili peppers; leave seeds in if you want it spicy, discard them if you'd like it less spicy. 
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2 small stalk of lemongrass
• 1 small knob of ginger
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1/2 T Mrs Dash Seasoning
• juice from 12 small lime

1. Clean and chop peppers with gloves (or if you're uber-cheap, and I've done this before, slip your hands inside two ziplock bags or wrap your hands in saran wrap); toss them in food processor. 
2. Toss everything else into a food processor and process until a paste-like consistency is achieved. 
3. Transfer to a container (ie- mason jar, tupperware if you're desperate) and label.

If you opted, as I do, to discard the seeds of the peppers in order to customize the amount of heat in your dishes, here's a way to make it spicier: enter Srirawcha (<--yes, with a "w"). In classic Sriracha Sauce found in Asian grocers or restaurants, there's a ton of nasty preservitives. Monosodium glutinate (MSG), potassium sorbate, and sodium bisulfite to name a few. Top that off with a bunch of sugar (listed as second on the ingredient list...meaning there's ALOT in there), and you've got one SAD condiment. 

But don't fear! I have a wonderful "cleaned up version" from the lovely Bonsai Aphrodite, (aka-Sayward Rebhal) as my base, halving her original recipe and adding a few of my own tweeks (of course). Here's the mix: 

Ingredients:

1/4 C Raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 lb jalepeno peppers
2 1/2 raw Serrano chiles; keep the seeds for the heat factor, which is characteristic to Srihacha Sauce

1/2 T nama shoyu 
1 dropper-ful of stevia

1 tsp miso paste
2 cloves garlic

splash of water (for processing)

Instructions: (the same as above)

*optional: after transferring to a mason jar or tupperware, I suggest fermenting it. Doing so adds a great flavor and even helps with digestion. It's easy. Just slap s piece of cheesecloth on the top, secure with a rubberband, and set on the counter for a few days. And viola! you've got healthy hottness on your hands. (Well, hopefully not on your hands because it's a bitch if you touch your face or go to the bathroom.)

Now, after you've spent all that time preparing these exotic condiments, I'm sure you're spent. But carry on! The best part is yet to come! Duh-dun-dun-dahh! The creamy concoction that is curry. Before you go getting all discouraged because there's one more step before you can mix up your deliciousness, know that you have options. 

          1. You can buy your coconut mylk in a can (which is something I regret to say I always have on hand, in case I get the "lazys") 

          2. OR you can make it. 

I won't judge you either way, but will instead present the option of making it from scratch. Not to bog you down, but just because it's THAT easy. Just these two ingredients and one step: (for 2 C of mylk)

• 1/2 C dried shredded coconut (organic, unsweetened)
• 1 3/4 C water

1. Blend. Done.

Finally, you can grab your veggies:

• sprouts (I use mung bean)
• mushrooms
• asparagus
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• carrot
• mango (might sound weird, but oh ma gawd, is it gooood)
• whatever else you wanna toss in there.

1. chop veggies and place in bowl
2. mix 1 C coconut mylk, a Tablespoon of Red Curry Paste and up to 2 tsp of Srirawcha in a small dish. Whisk together.
3. pour sauce on top of veggies and let sit up to an hour. 
4. When ready to eat, add:

• 1 dropper-full of stevia
• 3 shakes of curry powder
• 3 shakes of paprika
• 3 shakes of turmeric

     5. mix with your spoon and DIG IN!

*optional: pour concoction over "riced" parsnip or "riced" cauliflower.

mushroom stroganoff- an easier way

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 T agar agar
• 1 clove garlic (sliced thinly)
• 1 tsp nama shoyu
• 1 T pine nut parmesean
• 1T Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp black or white pepper (I used black)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 medium onion (sliced VERY thinly)
• 1 c mixed mushrooms (chopped) 
• 1 spiralized yellow summer squash
• 1 1/2 c water
• 2 T Namashoyu

1. mix almond milk with agar & spices and set aside until it starts to thicken.
2. soak onion slices and mushrooms in water/nama shoyu mixture for 1/2 hour-1 hr
3. drain onion and mushrooms and add to almond milk sauce
4. stir, let sit another 5 minutes
5. pour over spiralized squash
6. enjoy!

THIS is why I eat fresh foods

I have to give a huge "thank you!" to stunning Kimberly Snyder of the Beauty Detox Solution, (which you may or may not have noticed has been my latest diet book read....*amazing*. I will be including a more extensive review below) for posting such amazing facts on her blog. She does such a great job, that I feel all I can do is paraphrase.

This week, she wrote a great article about the hidden dangers in packaged food that lives out its days on the shelf: 

1. Bisphenol-A (BPA): not just found in water bottles, but also in canned foods, baby bottles, juice boxes, and plastic food packaging. This chemical is an endocrine disrupter that mimics human hormones and has been known to cause genital defects, early onset puberty, obesity, breast and reproductive cancers, and behavioral problems. Um, yeah, that mason jar's lookin' pretty sexy right about now. 
2. Acrylimide: found in PB, deep fried foods, cookies, bread, popcorn, soup mixes (including chili), and bread. This industrial chemical has been found to cause nerve disorders, DNA mutations, and female reproductive cancer. Oh, and Alzheimer's. Sweet. Not.
3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): I'm sure everyone and their sister equates MSG with the local Chinese takeout dive, but it's also heavily added to things like potato chips, crackers, ALL types of fast food (even pizza), soups, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Exocytoxin might not sound like such a bad thing, [think "exiting"!?] but when it comes to your nerves, it most definitely is [think "toxin"], triggering cancer growth and metastasis throughout the body.  
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS):The recent slew of commercials hinting that your body recognizes corn syrup the same as any other sugar are entirely misleading. Perhaps natural and plain corn sugar, (aka- glucose) but HFCS is anything but natural or plain, and note, it is fructose, not glucose. Wait, what? That's right, the carbohydrate naturally found in corn is glucose; it's what makes sweet corn, well, sweet. Chemists take this carbohydrate and bombard it with enzymes that structurally convert it to fructose, which is sweeter. Then they bombard it JUST a little more to make it "high". This tricks our brains to not only prefer it, but to become addicted to it; altering our preference toward ultra-sweet foods instead of natural ones. So, you crave it. And sometimes you give into that craving, and the more you do, the more you crave it, and so long as this cycle continues, you are stressing your liver, your pancreas, and your belt buckle. So instead of frolicking in the fields with your boyfriend, you'll be more likely to veg out on the couch in your fat day pants, alone. 

here is a list of foods that CONTAIN HFCS: http://www.celestialhealing.net/Food_contain_HFCS.htm

here is a list of foods that DON'T: http://highfructosehigh.com/no-hfcs/

http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2012/10/11/addictive-and-toxic-substances-found-in-processed-foods/ 

kabocha two ways

Yet again, I bring you another two-fer recipe. They both were so so good, yet so so different! I absolutely LOVE squash. And Kale. And pretty much everything else in these recipes, but the squash stands out as the all-star tonight because it, to me, is the ultimate gustatory reminder of fall. It's funny- just a few years ago, the only squash that i knew of were zucchini and pumpkin. To me, zucchini=summer, pumpkin=winter. Now, I couldn't imagine going through fall and winter without having various types of squash. Here's a few variaties to spur your imagination:

As the post's title states, the squash I chose was a kabocha. Pronounced ka-bow-ka, it is a sweeter type squash that I describe as a mix between a butternut and an pumpkin. Roasted, it has a rich, succulent flavor and velvety texture; raw, it is crisp, crunchy and almost as sweet as a sweet potato. High in beta carotene along with vitamin C, iron, potassium, folic acid, calcium, and trace B vitamins. Basically, a nutrient powerhouse, that is, as long as it's not cooked over 118*F.

image courtesy of http://cleananddelicious.com

In order to make these recipes, I had to start off by cutting the top of the kabocha off and scooping out the seeds and innards. While cooking and dehydrating, I decided to nosh on the lid I had cut off, wondering if it was worth discarding. Let me tell you, it WASN'T. I had actually had, for a split second, regretted dehydrating the "raw" version. Thank God I'm one lazy mofo though, because man-oh-man did the raw version come out amazing. That being said, I have a bag of raw sliced kabocha waiting for me for tommorrows snack. (SO EXCITED!)

Alright, enough about tomorrows snack, lets talk about my amazeballs dinner tonight!

Vegan Stuffed Kabocha with Kale and "Sausage"

Go get these yummies:

• 1/2 of a kabocha (de-seeded and uncapped)
• 1 oz of GoodLife's vegan sausage
• 1/2 bunch of kale (torn)
• 1/2 red onion
• dash of nutmeg
• dash of cayenne
• dash of sage
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1/8 cup of white wine *option= substitute water
• 1/2 T coconut oil
• 1 clove garlic (sliced)
• 1 tsp truffle oil *optional
• pine nut parmesan "cheese"
• sprinkle of Daiya Mozzarella "cheese"

Make the magic like this:

1. Preheat oven to 400*F and roast squash for 35 min.
2. While the squash is roasting, melt coconut oil and truffle oil in a saute pan
3. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft
4. Add crumbled sausage and saute until brown
5. add spices, a eighth cup of wine or water, and the kale
6. mix until kale is soft and liquid is evaporated
7. set aside filling mixture to cool; when it cools, add "parm" sprinkles 
8. Take out squash when soft and slightly browned around edges. Add fililng, and sprinkle Daiya Mozz ontop and watch it melt. 
9. Settle into your favorite spot on the couch with your favorite person, book, or movie, and a comfy blanket. Don't forget your glass of wine, and you're good to go. 

Yes, this is partially eaten. It was WAY prettier than this before I dug in like a squirrel in a basket of nuts. 

Raw Kale and Kabocha Salad

Try and get this stuff organic:

• 1/2 kabocha squash (deseeded, decapped, chopped, and peeled)
• 1/2 of a lemons' juice
• dash nutmeg
• dash salt and pepper
• dash cayenne
• 1 bunch sage
• 1/2 bunch kale
• 1/2 Red Onion (sliced thin)
• 1/2 c mushrooms (diced)
• dash cumin
• dash Nama shoyu
• dash salt and pepper
• sprinkle of Cashew cheese or Nutritional yeast flakes *optional

Mix it all together like this:

1. Morning or night before: add chopped kabocha to dehydrator for 10 hours at 115*F
2. at five hours into process, flip squash to ensure even-ness, and add onion slices
3. In a large bowl, add kale, lemon juice, and a little salt. Using your hands, massage the salt-juice mixture into the kale until it is soft. Drain off lemon juice and rinse kale in colander
4. in a smaller bowl, add mushrooms. Spritz with Nama Shoyu and add "parm" plus the remaining spices. Mix, and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.  
5. When the squash is softened (after 8-20 hours) and the onions are soft, remove them from the dehydrator. Add them to bowl with mushrooms and toss. 
6. Drain off excess liquids if there are any and pour ontop of the kale. Very lightly sprinkle cashew cheese or nutritional yeast over top if you'd like. Toss, and Mow it down! (I enjoyed mine with a glass of coconut water. Such a great digestive, if you will.)

For dessert, I enjoyed this fabulous gift from my grape-buyer bf: 

That's right, be jealous. I'm betting they'll be gone in 4 days, max. Because in this house, grapes, unlike diamonds, don't last forever. But that doesn't stop me from getting equally excited for them both. ;)