Thai Chili Crunch
Snacking is a major pastime around here. So when I get a chance to make one of my favorite things and adapt it to a raw recipe, I jump at the chance. I’ve been making a version of this Thai Chili Crunch for years. Usually prepped on the stove and placed in the oven to caramelize, it seemed like something I could easily make with the dehydrator. Yes, it’s reminiscent of the high end snacks available in the grocery store, but my version packs a little more kick while preserving the flavor and benefits of raw cashews. Amusingly, or maybe not so much for me, I’m suffering from severe allergies…
Prune Hamantaschen
A day late and a dollar short as they say. My intention was to make prune hamantaschen in time for Purim but I didn’t have prunes in the house. That wasn’t the only reason why they weren’t ready. I had wanted them to have a closer consistency to the real thing and the dehydrator wasn’t cooperating. I like my new dehydrator. Marie and her family got it for me for Christmas. The problem is I got so used to having Marie’s professional one in the house that I get frustrated; my home dehydrator takes a lot more time. I hadn’t allotted for that difference and depending on which dehydrator you…
It’s Okay to Drink Tea When You’re Raw
When I started on this journey, like so many others, I worried about what I would have to give up. Some things I was more willing to chuck out of my diet than others. I really don’t miss a lot of things as I explore new ways to literally have my cake and eat it too. But I worried about my crazy and expensive tea habit. Every single person in our pod are heavy tea drinkers. We drink it iced in the summer, hot in winter and make special toddies when we aren’t feeling well. So the thought of not being able to have my tea was depressing. Luckily for…
Rye Bread
Oh boy! I don’t think there’s anything more difficult in raw preparation than coming up with a raw-vegan bread. So when I asked Marie if we could eat rye raw (say that 10 times fast). I was thrilled when she said yes. And our rye bread pursuit began. Rye bread is very aromatic. The scent comes from caraway seeds and not the rye bread itself. So be generous when adding it if you want it to taste like the rye bread you’re used to. If it was up to Marie it would be called Caraway Bread instead, she wanted me to use twice as much. Warning to those that are…
Rose Hips and Blood Orange Super Cookies
In the mood for a cookie but don’t want to cheat on your diet? Well don’t pass up this incredibly healthy and delicious high fiber, antioxidant goodie. I drink rose hips and hibiscus tea all winter, usually mixing my own recipe with dried orange peels. And when I feel even an inkling of a cold, I drink this elixir every 2 hours as hot as I can stand it. For me it works every time. While winter begs for high vitamin C, please be cautious as it can interact with medications. Too much vitamin C can affect the kidneys, hormones and blood thinners. The benefits in fighting inflammation and boosting…
“Braised” Brussel Sprouts with Cranberry Vinegar
I know, I know, a lot of you are not fans of brussel sprouts. Well around here they are a popular side dish that are scoffed up in moments. Like with everything we make around here, most of our dishes come from cravings. While out shopping I saw the balsamic brussel sprouts sitting in the deli counter and I was hungry. I figured a little cheat wouldn’t hurt, but as I stood in line to order, I noticed how wilted they looked. The lone cranberry sitting on top was dark and barely recognizable. The food looked sad to me, even the color started to look a bit unappetizing and I…
Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Avocado Whip
Keeping with our winter warming trend, I decided to make a more hearty dinner using poblano peppers. Okay, normally this recipe would have just about everything we wouldn’t post on this site. But that shouldn’t stop us from adapting any meal to fit our raw-vegan sensibilities. I chose the poblano peppers because it’s heat index is mild to medium once warmed in the dehydrator. With a flavor more reminiscent of a jalapeno, I thought it would make the perfect pepper for anyone trying to make this at home. Don’t fret if you don’t like any spice, this recipe with work with bell peppers too. And for those of you who…
Mexican Chocolate Thumb Cookies
Chilly days in Northern New Mexico calls for some warming desserts. Since this is a raw site, heat is sometimes sought out in other ways. I’m a big fan of Mexican chocolate. Generally I would make a hot cocoa, well, almost hot, but I have to admit it gets a little annoying trying to keep the temp exactly right. Marie made these yummy coconut-y thumb cookies at Christmas time, they were simple but not quite the…holy cow we need to make these again. I made Mexican chocolate cookies around that time too, but they were a little flat and needed a bigger kick. So I decided to make them again…
Rollatini with “Smokey” Red Pepper Sauce
My zucchini plants are still going strong. It’s exciting because we are well past the season and it’s pretty damn cold here in northern New Mexico. Even in our sunroom, the temp gets chilly at night. I was expecting maybe one or two more tiny zucchinis, but to my surprise, a mutant began to grow and rollatini was born. Weeks into it’s growth I knew it was going to be a whopper, but I was not prepared for the final outcome. Considering we got that nifty new mandolin, I started planning and got these amazing thin, wide sheets of perfect zucchini. I contemplated making lasagna, but Marie and I agreed…
Dragon Fruit & Rose Hot Pink Milk
When I bought the hot pink dragon fruit I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. But then Merit came up with a great idea. She has traveled quite a bit and suggested a delicious drink called pink milk. Even though we can’t make it exact, we figured why not make our own version. Taste testing in this house is a bit of a farce. We have very different palates so coming up with something that we all really love can take a couple of times to perfect. The mild sweetness of the dragon fruit has to be carefully paired in order to not be overwhelmed by…
