Raspberry Chocolate Ganache

A rich option for all the sweet-teeth out there who find it difficult to control themselves. This cake tastes like it contains a decent amount of butter, sugar, and cream. Believing that it consists of none of those, and, to top that, has never been baked, is truly challenging.
Preparing is quite easy - we did in between more involved projects, just to have an accompaniment to our tea break. The ace recipe is Ani Phyo's.





Fudge:
3 cups walnuts
2/3 cup raw cacao powder
1 cup pitted Medjool dates

Begin by blending all the ingredients in a food processor. Form the combined mass into two equally sized patties.


You will need about 1/2 cup of raspberries to tightly cover the first, bottom patty.


After covering, place the second patty on top of the raspberry layer.


Frosting:
1/3 cup Medjool dates
1/4 cup raw agave syrup
1 ripe medium sized avocado
1/3 cup raw cacao powder

Process all the ingredients. Using a spoon, carefully coat the whole cake with the frosting.











Garnish with raspberries. Best served after a bit of refrigeration.





When it comes to dessert, this one is actually quite healthy - just consider the ingredients. Enjoy!

Raw chocolate candy
Post by: A

Raw Kale Chips

- "What can be better than the best potato chips?" you ask.
- "Golubka's kale chips!" I answer
These are healthier than their baked cousins, as all the vitamins and enzymes remain intact and nourish your body.
When the chips are dehydrating, the combination of sesame tahini, lemon, herbs, and spices fills the house with an intoxicating aroma that leaves the neighbors wondering of what is cooking. They come out unbelievably crunchy and overall so addictive that it is nearly impossible to keep yourself from reaching for more. I got this recipe in a forum and, as usual, modified it a bit.

I like to start with two different kinds of kale to add a variety of colour. Here, I used green and red kale (although it's purple, it always is). Wash, tear or cut into medium sized pieces.





For the dressing, I make my own raw sesame tahini (recipe will follow), but you can find it in health food stores.

For 2 bunches of kale:
3/4 cup raw sesame tahini
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (or more if needed) water
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup nama shoyu or bragg
2 scallions
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
add some sea salt if you wish
Blend all the ingredients to make a smooth dressing.





Mix the dressing into the kale, making sure that all the leaves are covered thoroughly.






Spread the dressed pieces onto Teflex dehydrator sheets. Make sure not to crowd the kale, to avoid the sticking together of the chips. Dehydrate at 110F for six hours or until completely dry and crispy. Flip occasionally.




Keep refrigerated in airtight glass containers.






Post by: A

Raw Onion Bread

It is not a secret that we are all addicted to bread, the kind that is made with wheat flour - it has been a staple and a comfort to so many of us in many different cultures. If you do enough research on wheat, you will soon discover that even in its raw, sprouted form, it is much more of a culprit than a friend (wheatgrass is the exception). I've tried to cross the flour off my ingredient list numerous times before discovering raw food, and every attempt resulted in a struggle.
This onion bread is very aromatic, and pairs well with green soup, salads, raw marinara, and cheese. Also, be sure to try mini sandwiches with raw sauerkraut and a slice of tomato on top.
I took the main core of this recipe from a forum, but the idea of embedding the bread with seeds and herbs for garnish and flavour was my own.








1/2 lb yellow onions - sliced
1 cup raw sunflower seeds - soaked for 1 hour
1/4 cup nama shoyu
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup flax seeds - ground in a coffee grinder

In a food processor, whirl onions, sunflower seeds, nama shoyu and olive oil until smooth. Add flax seeds and blend until thoroughly combined. Spread on Teflex sheets, sprinkle with poppy seeds, brown/golden/both flax seeds, light/black/both raw sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and minced parsley. With wet hands press all the garnishing ingredients into the batter. Dehydrate at 105F for 6 hours. Flip, carefully peel the sheet away, and dehydrate for another couple of hours, until the batter is no longer sticky. Cut into crackers of desired size. Return the pieces onto trays and dehydrate for a total of 18-24 hours. Keep refrigerated in air-tight glass containers.
Enjoy!
Post by: A

Bowl of Goodness

I called it so jokingly after I made it for the first time, but the name has stuck ever since.
This truly is ultimate goodness concentrated in one bowl - it will fuel your body for the rest of the day.

















Start with any fresh fruits, whichever in season. Berries and mango in spring and summer, persimmons and pomegranates in autumn and winter, grapes, pears, apples - anything seasonal will work best. Sprinkle in some freshly sprouted oats, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds, reserved from making chocolate granola. Top with hemp hearts, goji berries, chia and flax seeds (grind them if you wish), and chocolate granola. Pour in some kefir or raw goat milk, yogurt or any nut milk for a vegan version. I like to garnish with buckwheat and sunflower seed "crunchies" - these are easy to make from fresh sprouts - just spread some on Teflex sheets, and dehydrate overnight at 105F. Keep them refrigerated in airtight glass containers. The crunchies can also be used in different salads and deserts for texture.
Our family loves this mix so much that we can eat it any time of day. Sometimes I add raw almond butter or coconut flakes - you can add anything you like, really, as long as it's in the "goodness"category.

Lentil Soup

This is another recipe from the small series of cooked soups that I feed Paloma and the rest of the family on wintry days. It looks like spring has come to stay, hopefully bringing with it fresh fruits in abundance, so there will be no need for hot cooked food for a while. Still, we Russians are fond of soups. Whether cooked or raw, they are a large part of our diet. Usually, as culture permits, soups are eaten for lunch. So does Paloma, and this best ever lentil soup is one of her favourites. I found the recipe about ten years ago in a Williams-Sonoma Soup cookbook. I've yet to meet someone who dislikes it.















about 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion - finely chopped
1-2 celery stalks - thinly sliced
1 carrot - peeled and thinly sliced
2-4 cloves of garlic - minced
1 bay leaf (optional)
1-2 teaspoons curry powder*
1 medium tomato - diced
1/2 to 1 cup (depending on how thick you'd like your soup) of pink and French(Puy) lentils (other varieties can be used, but the combination of those two is my favorite)
6 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
*I use muchi curry in particular, it is spicier (so you need less of it), and more flavourful. This curry can be found in bulk in health food stores.

In a medium size pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato, lentils, and broth. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Remove the soup from the heat, and stir in the spinach. Squeeze some lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
More soups from the series: Mushroom Barley, Chili
Post by:A

Green Soup

This raw soup has become a true staple in our home. It is incredibly refreshing and simple to prepare and is very nutritious - just look at all that colour! Paloma eats it almost daily for either lunch or dinner and seems to enjoy it immensely. The original idea is by Valya Boutenko, it is unquestionably my favourite recipe from the Boutenko family (thank you, Valya!). The recipe below has been modified just a little in a way that works best for us.













1 haas avocado
1 bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch spinach
juice of a half of lemon
1 1/2 - 2 cups purified water
1/2 teaspoon Celtic salt (optional)
*Garnish with dulse flakes - important, this adds a whole other dimension to the flavour

Chop the peppers and avocado roughly. Put all the ingredients in a blender and whirl until creamy.
I like to serve this soup with raw crackers - the recipe is coming soon.

Some of my friends have told me that if a bell pepper is nowhere to be found in your kitchen, you can substitute it with a cucumber for another delicious variation. I have yet to attempt this version, but will try it soon.
Bon appétit!

On a side note, March 8th is International Women's Day. Happy Holiday, ladies.
Post by: A