Raw Vegan Caprese Salad

So it's that time of the month again (Raw food dinner club) and this time i have been nominated to put together a little starter meal. I wanted to make something simple & light that still hits the spot so came across a recipe for a layered caprese tower which i changed up and made my own version of.

Everything in the dish is as always 100% healthy ingredients and all homemade including the pesto and "cheese" layer. Hope you enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS

Salad Components
·         Olive Oil
·         Tomato
·         Avocado
·         Basil leaves

Homemade Pesto
·         1 ½ Cup Basil leaves
·         1/3 cup Coconut oil or Olive oil
·         Salt & pepper
·         5 cloves Garlic
·         1 Cup pine nuts
·         5 Sundried tomatoes (Optional)

Raw vegan cashew cheese
·         1 Cup Soaked cashew nuts
·         Small handful spinach leaves
·         A few basil leaves
·         Salt & pepper
·         ½ - 1 cup water
·         Juice of 1 lemon
·         1 garlic clove

METHOD

Homemade Pesto
·         Blend all ingredients together. Mixture must still have texture and not be completely smooth. My       

       variation includes sundried tomatoes but this ingredient is optional.

Raw vegan cashew cheese
·         Blend all ingredients until smooth and “cheese” like

Salad

Layer your salad in a tower like manner in the following order:

•      1 thick slice tomato
•      Spread on some pesto
•      3 thin slices avocado
•      1 big dollop of Vegan cashew nut cheese
•      Repeat Steps 1-4
•      Top off with 1 thick slice tomato
•       Drizzle some olive oil over the top
•      Add a basil leaf for decor

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Double Layer Chocolate Brownie

A couple weekends ago I whipped together these very quick and easy raw chocolate brownies to use as weekend away/trail food snacks. They really turned out well & tasted like a dark chocolate version of a real chocolate brownie! So delicious! The best part about the whole process...there was no cooking involved!!!

I used a recipe from a favourite blog of mine and decided to change it up a bit to suit the ingredients that i had available to me as well as turn it into a healthier variation.
Here goes:

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIES
·         1 cup raw walnut pieces
·         1.5 cups pitted dates (pre-soak in hot water for 20mins)
·         1/2 cup raw cacao powder
·         1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
·         1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or fine grain sea salt
·         2 tbsp raw cacao nibs
·         1/4 cup raw walnut pieces

CHOCOLATE TOPPING
·         1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
·         1/2 cup raw cacao powder
·         1/4 cup honey
·         small pinch pink Himalayan sea salt (or fine grain sea salt)
·         1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

BROWNIES

·         Line a square pan with baking paper to make it easy to lift out the brownies later on.

·         In a food processor, process the walnuts into a fine crumb.

·         Add pitted dates and process until finely chopped and sticky.

·         Add the cacao powder, vanilla, and pink salt and process until thoroughly combined.

·         Stir or pulse in the nibs and chopped walnuts until just combined.

·         Evenly press the mixture into prepared square pan until smooth.

·         Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING

·         Melt the coconut oil over low heat in a medium pot.

·         Remove from heat and whisk in the cacao powder, honey, salt, and vanilla until combined and smooth.

·         Remove the brownies from the freezer and pour on the chocolate topping.

·         Spread out evenly.

·         Carefully transfer the pan to the freezer on a flat, even surface & chill for 20mins or until the topping is firm enough to slice

·         Slice and serve!!

Send me your feedback would love to hear how yours turned out!! :)

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Granola Bars

My husband & I, along with a group of my besties went away to the midlands for the weekend.

I promised that I would take some healthy snackaroos along for the trip so finally settled on making a batch of healthy sugar-free granola bars along with some raw chocolate brownies (check out the dessert section).

All the ladies seemed to really enjoy both recipes so felt I simply had to share with you all and let you try for yourselves.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 Cups mashed rip banana
• 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 Cups rolled oats (*Manoli’s at ‘The Crescent’ has 1 kg for R 16)
• ½ - ¾ Cup Chopped Dried Cranberries
• ½ Cup chopped walnuts
• ½ Cup sunflower seeds
• ½ Cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ Cup sliced almonds
• ½ Cup Hemp Seeds (*try your local health store)
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
• ¼ Tsp Himalayan salt or fine grain sea salt

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
• Lightly grease a rectangular baking dish and line with a piece of baking paper.
• In a large bowl mash the banana until smooth.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Place the rolled oats into a food processor and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped, keeping the texture.
• Stir oats into the banana mixture.
• Stir in the chopped walnuts & cranberries as well as the rest of the ingredients into the banana-oat mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
• Press down until compacted and smooth out with hands until all is even (you can also use a pastry roller to flatten & even it out).
• Bake for 25 minutes until firm and lightly golden along the edges.
• Place dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then carefully slide a knife to loosen the ends and lift out.
• Place granola slab on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then into the freezer for a further 10 minutes (if you are impatient).
• Slice into bars once they are cool.

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The Mega Veggie Burger

On Sunday i threw together this monster Veggie burger creation to munch on while watching a nail biting Wimbledon Men's final.  Needless to say I am now not only a huge Roger Federer fan but also a big fan of this burger!! Here goes the recipe...

INGREDIENTS

Veggie Burger Patties

• 1 Cup Chickpeas
• 1 Cup Black beans (soaked overnight & precooked)
• 1 Small grated carrot
• A handful Parsley (Chopped)
• Spices (Salt, Pepper, Basil, Origanum)
• ½ Red onion (Diced)
• 1 Egg (Optional)
• 1/2 Cup Almond Flour

Please note: If you would like to make it vegan option eliminate the egg from ingredients.

Homemade Tomato Relish

• 1 Fresh tomato
• ½ Cup Sun-dried tomato
• 3 x Garlic Cloves
• Spices (Salt, Pepper, Basil, Origanum)

Red Onion Marmalade

• 1 Red onion
• ¼ Cup Coconut oil
• ¼ Cup Balsamic vinegar (Optional)
• 2 Tbsp Honey

METHOD

Veggie Burger Patties

• In a food processor mix together the Chickpeas and Beans first.
• Next add in the grated carrot, chopped parsley, chopped onion & spices. Your mixture should resemble a thick dough.
• Now add in 1 x egg to the mixture (if vegan leave out the egg – this is optional) along with the almond flour.
• Shape into circular patties of desired thickness.
• Fry in a pan with some coconut oil on the stove for 5 minutes each side then transfer to oven to cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Make sure the patties are cooked through.

Homemade Tomato Relish

• Blend all ingredients together to resemble a thick tomato relish

Red Onion Marmalade

• On very low heat fry the onion up in the honey, coconut oil & balsamic vinegar.
• Leave it to simmer for around 15-20 minutes until onion is soft and caramelized.

Now the fun part…assembling your burger.

The way I have done my burger is merely a suggestion. You can layer with whatever you choose.

• Use 2 giant black mushrooms (Brushed with coconut oil and grilled for 5 minutes each side) as your base and lid burger buns.
• Add a spread of vegan cashew mayo & pesto
• Put a small handful of rocket on top of that.
• Next add your veggie burger pattie
• Add a nice big dollop of your delicious homemade burger relish along with a spoonful of your onion marmalade on top of that.
• Top it off with a small handful of sprouts & lastly your mushroom burger lid.

Put on a bib & tuck in!! :)

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Creamy Choc-chip Banana Cashew Nut Ice-cream

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups Cashew nuts
• ¾ Cup coconut oil (melted)
• 3 Tbsp Honey
• Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
• 5 Frozen bananas
• A little water
• ¼ Cup Cacao nibs

METHOD

Blend the cashews, honey, coconut oil & vanilla seeds until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached. Separate to this take the frozen bananas and process in a food processor with a little bit of water until it resembles a smooth soft serve ice-cream blend.

Slowly pour the blended cashew mixture into the food processor as it is turning until a fluffy creamy consistency is reached.

Add in the cacao nibs.

Place in the freezer to set for 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Scoop into balls and top with some Cacao nibs. Enjoy :)

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