Raw Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Bliss Balls

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

My grandma made the best oatmeal molasses raisin cookies.  I can still smell them!  Lots of fun was spent in the kitchen at my grandparents house.  Sweet memories.

My Raw Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are guilt-free, gluten-free, healthy and very tasty.  They go pretty quick too, so next time I'll make a double batch... maybe even triple. 

in the dehydrator - smells so good!

No worries if you do not have a dehydrator as you can eat these cookies completely raw!  You can form them into cookie shapes or Bliss Balls (see below) - they taste like oatmeal cookie dough! 

Raw Vegan Bliss Balls - Oatmeal Raisin

For this batch I did a little of both and Mark took them to work to share.  I rolled some in hemp heart seeds, some in coconut sugar and the rest I left plain.  Shredded coconut would be a nice topping too... so many choices.

Here's my simple recipe for a yummy healthy treat.  You can adapt to fit your likes.

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Bliss Balls

1 heaping cup of soaked steel cut gluten-free oats (rinsed and drained) - or regular oats
1 cup flax meal
1/2 cup walnuts (soaked and dehydrated - optional)
2 Tbs hemp heart seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Roasted Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt

Put into food processor and pulse to combine.

Add in:
1/2 cup packed medjool dates (or dates of choice), process until well combined and can hold it's shape when rolled into a ball.

Add in 1/4 cup full of golden raisins and pulse a few times to mix in.  You can leave the raisins out if you like.

For dehydrated cookies:

Form into balls, sprinkle with a tiny bit of coconut sugar (or sugar of choice) and flatten.  Put onto mesh dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees for approximately 4-6 hours or until desired doneness.  Time will vary due to weather, location, dehydrator, etc.

For bliss balls:

Form into round balls and if desired, roll into coconut shreds, hemp seeds, coconut sugar... or leave plain.  I love them plain.

Store them in the fridge or freezer - if they last that long. 

Peace,
Rocki

Rocki's Raw Vegan Hemp Cheese Sauce

Raw Vegan Hemp Cheese Sauce

Today was such a beautiful day all around.  We got some needed work done around the house in the morning, prepared veggies for Mark's lunch for tomorrow, played barber and cut Mark's hair, went for an awesome bicycle ride and now relaxing on the couch until it's time to create dinner. 

Oh wait, I forgot one little detail... made a batch of my hemp cheese.  Yum yum yum!

We sat down to have lunch and dug right into our veggies and cheese sauce.  I dunked my zucchini into the bowl of deliciousness, took a bite and looked at my cheesy zucchini - it looked like a half moon.  Mark's exact words were: "Well, they say the moon is made of cheese."
He always makes me laugh!

Not only is this cheese sauce gluten, dairy and nut-free, but it is super healthy and guilt-free!  Okay, on with my recipe as I'm wanting to dig back into the cheesy goodness.

Rocki's Raw Vegan Hemp Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup water
1 red bell pepper
1 large garlic clove (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
3 TBS nutritional yeast (heaping)
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS raw apple cider vinegar
1 Serrano chili pepper, seeds removed (or pepper of choice)
1 cup hemp heart seeds

Put everything into your blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  You can add more water if you want a thinner consistency.  Sometimes I add a little tahini for added creaminess.

Living in the southwest we tend to love heat, especially in our food.  Well, actually it took Mark a long time to realize that ketchup was NOT salsa (silly boy).  Now he loves heat in his food too :)  But no worries if you don't as you can change the flavor of the cheese by omitting both peppers and enjoy as is or add herbs and spices of your choice.  You can also use a yellow bell pepper instead of the red.  So many choices.

Time to eat.  Chow for now.

Peace,
Rocki

Raw Cashew Raspberry Cream Brownie Hearts

Raw Vegan Brownie Heart with Cashew Raspberry Cream and Goji Berries

I was busy in the kitchen creating another brownie treat.  I LOVE raw vegan brownies! At first it was going to be simple little brownie hearts, but then one thing led to another.  I decided to make some cashew raspberry cream to top them off with.  As you can see, I took it a few more steps.

Heart Brownie - Raw and Gluten-Free

I thought a few sprinkles of coconut shreds would be a subtle tasty topper.

Pink Heart - Raw Vegan Brownie

Just with the cashew raspberry cream on top makes the brownie heart pretty in pink.

From my heart to yours - raw vegan brownies

And you can't go wrong in the buff, you know what I mean ;)  Nothing but brownie.

Pretty little raw vegan cupcake - recipe by Raw Rock

If you don't have a heart mold, I have different silicone molds (bpa-free FDA food-grade silicone) then no worries as they can be made in any shape and look yummy enough to eat.  You can even roll them into a ball, put them into a brownie pan... the choice is yours.

I love my raw vegan brownie recipe, but also like to change it up now and then.  Don't be afraid... change is good! Feel free to change it up as you like.  One thing about raw food is it is so easy to make changes, so let your inner chef out of the box and go for it!

   
Raw Vegan Brownies

1/2 cup pecans
1 cup walnuts (soaked and dehydrated)
1/2 cup hemp heart seeds
4 TBS Cacao powder
3 TBS coconut shreds
1/8 tsp sea salt

Put into food processor and process until little bits. Then add in the following:

1 TBS coconut butter - softened
1 1/2 cup packed dates (I use medjool - yum!)

Process until well blended but not buttery consistency.  You want the mixture to be able to hold its shape.  Check to see if it will roll into a ball or just give it a squish or two then pop it in your mouth... mmmmm, warm brownies!

Put into mold or pan of choice.  If using a silicon mold, put it in the freezer for at least 60-90 minutes so they will be easy to pop out.  The brownies can be stored in the fridge or freezer - if they last that long.


Cashew Raspberry Cream

1 cup cashews - soaked for at least 2 hours, rinse and drain
1 cup full raspberries
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 TBS raw agave (or to your desired sweetness)
1 TBS coconut oil - softened

Blend all ingredients until you have a smooth cream consistency.  You can put this in the fridge while waiting for the brownies (I make this first and then the brownies) or leave on the counter and try not to dip a piece of fruit in it... or your finger.

Enjoy!

Peace and Luv,
Rocki

Pizza Night! Raw, Vegan and Gluten-Free

My Mandala Pizza :)

One thing I love to make is my raw vegan pizza... nom nom nom!  That's right... raw vegan pizza.  Follow me and I'll tell you about it.

Pizza crust

Above is my own tasty recipe for the crust, which is not only raw and vegan, but also gluten and nut free.

Pizza with lots of veggies

I like to change up my pizza each time I make it, from a variety of toppings, sauce or no sauce and cheese.  Yes, that's right... raw vegan cheese.  Stay with me now and I'll give you the recipe soon.

Mandala Veggie Pizza

I know my pictures are not the best, but heck, I just love how this one looks so have to share another view of it.

Back in the dehydrator

After I put all the ingredients onto the crust I then popped it back into the dehydrator for about an hour.  This gives the cheese time to settle in with the ingredients and makes the house smell yummy!

Fresh sliced pizza

If you think us raw vegans only eat bunny food, take a look at this scrumptious pizza.  However, we do still love our bunny food :)

Raw Vegan Pizza!

And now it's time to eat!  As you can see, the crust holds up nicely and is quite filling.  We had a small side salad with a couple little slices and... okay, well not so little... and we were full.

That's the end of my pizza tour and now it's time for the recipes for my crust and cheese.

Raw Rocki's Pizza Crust

1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (ground into little bits like flour)
1/2 flax seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 TBS psyllium husk
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes - soaked in 1 cup warm water for about 30 minutes (drain and reserve liquid as you'll need it in the next step)
1 large tomato
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or clove
1 tsp fennel seeds
pinch sea salt

Put ingredients into a food processor and process well.  The mixture will be somewhat thick and not watery.

Add 3/4 cup of the soaked water to the dry mixture bowl and combine well.  Now add the above tomato mixture to the bowl and stir until combined. 

Line a dehydrator mesh tray with a teflex sheet (or similar) and spoon the mixture onto it.  I put another teflex sheet on top of the mixture then use a rolling pin and my hands to form into a big round pizza crust shape.  You can also make a big square pizza too, I do that sometimes.

Put into the dehydrator at 145 degrees for 1 hour only then turn down to 115 degrees for about another 3-4 hours.  Total time can vary between 4-5 hours or longer depending on a variety of factors.  Mine took about 4 1/2 hours this time.  *When the top crust is dry to touch, transfer it to another mesh sheet tray and remove it from the teflex sheet by slowly peeling it off.  Put it back in for about 1/2 hour and then flip back over until done. 

When the crust is done, top with your favorite ingredients and either put it back into the dehydrator for about an hour or eat right away and enjoy!

**************************

Before I get to the cheese recipe, just want to mention that yes, all the ingredients are raw even the mushrooms.  We like the mushrooms to take on a little bit of "cooked" texture so I wilt them slightly by using a tiny bit of liquid amino acid like Braggs.


Raw Rocki's Pizza Cheese

1 cup cashews - soaked for at least 2 hours then rinse and drain
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic
3 TBS heaping of nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 TBS raw apple cider vinegar (I use Braggs Organic)
*1/4 cup water (can adjust texture by decreasing or increasing water for a thicker or thinner cheese)

Combine all ingredients into vitamix/blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  This makes much more than what you need for the pizza crust, but I always make this size batch because Mark likes to use it as a snack dip for his veggies, etc.

Hope you enjoy these recipes and feel free to change them up as you need to.

Peace,
Rocki

*2/4/14 Updated:  I left off a couple things so have made the notes here *

Raw Vegan Smoothies

Good Morning Smoothie - raw, vegan and gluten-free

I'm getting a bit more creative with my raw vegan food and am having a blast!  I have several to blog about, but will do a few at a time. 

Have to say that my little creations are just a drop in the bucket compared to what I've seen on Instagram - amazing and inspiring to say the least.  Speaking of Instagram, I'm becoming more active on my page and as I told Mark... "there's no stopping me now!" You can find me at Raw_Rocki.

Let's get right to the quickie recipes.  Above is my Good Morning Smoothie! I'm simply going to give the basics for this one because you really can't go wrong with smoothies.  So let your taste be your guide, experiment and have fun!

Good Morning Smoothie!

Bottom layer: banana, mango, pineapple, coconut water, flax meal and warrior blend protein powder - natural flavor

Top layer: baby spinach, matcha green tea powder and coconut water
- you can add a banana with this part for a thicker consistency

Guilt-Free Chocolate Shake - raw, vegan and gluten-free

You can't say no to a healthy chocolate shake in the middle of the afternoon, can you?  No way!  Especially since it is raw, vegan, gluten-free and nutritious with no processed sugar.  Say it with me: "GUILT-FREE!"

Guilt-Free Chocolate Shake

Step 1:
2 very ripe frozen bananas
1 cup pure coconut water
1 Tbs protein powder
1 Tbs hemp seeds
vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla
1 cup ice

Blend the above.  Pour half or more of this vanilla mixture into a tall glass and leave the rest in the blender. 

Step 2:
Add 1 Tbs or more of cacao powder to the remaining mixture in the blender and blend briefly until combined.  Pour slowly on top of the vanilla mixture.  I garnished mine with coconut and cacao nibs, but you can garnish any way you want or not.

Note: if you do not have very ripe bananas and/or like it more on the sweeter side, simply add sweetener of choice in Step 1.

I'll post more of my raw vegan smoothies soon.  Enjoy!

Peace,
Rocki

Raw Vegan Creamy Chocolate Energy Smoothie

Creamy Chocolate Energy Smoothie

One of my favorite afternoon pick-me-ups is my uber Creamy Chocolate Energy Smoothie.  It is a raw, vegan and gluten-free yummy healthy treat!  I make different variations of this simple, yet delicious and nutritious recipe, so if you would like to try it as is or alter it to your tastes, here it is:

Creamy Chocolate Energy Smoothie:
Makes 1 very large glassful (or 2 small glasses if you dare to share)

1 cup pure unsweetened coconut water
1 cored, unpeeled green delicious apple cut into chunks 
1 medjool date
1 1/2 frozen ripe bananas cut into chunks
1 Tbs fully rounded cacao powder (or cocoa)
*1 1/2 Tbs raw hemp heart seeds
1 cup ice

Put all ingredients into your vitamix/blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Due to climate and blender type, you may need to add more ice or water. 

Pour into a very large glass and enjoy!

*I use hemp heart seeds for the nutritional benefits, but they also add to the creamy part.  If you don't have any, then use 2 frozen bananas instead of 1 1/2 and that should work well. 

Peace,
Rocki

Peachy Matcha Mango Smoothie

Raw Vegan Smoothie with Matcha Green Tea Powder

Last weekend we discovered Matcha Green Tea Powder.  The cost is a bit expensive for our liking, but that certainly outweighs the many health benefits of it.  Plus, with how we eat and live it is quite doable.  While there are plenty of online places to buy matcha, with an abundance of information like Got Matcha, we bought our first one at Sprouts, the Organic Ceremonial Grade.

 

In my mind I was comparing this type of tea to other green teas that give an instant energy boost and make you jittery, so I was a little concerned as the only caffeine I drink is my morning cup of coffee.  However, since making our first of several green smoothies with it, this has not been the case.  I must say that we are very pleased with this new addition to our daily diet.

 

Here is one of my new matcha green tea powder recipes.  I noted the options in case you want or need to change it up.

 

Peachy Matcha Mango Smoothie
1 1/2 cups pure coconut water (or plain water, or milk of choice)
2 good handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup frozen mango (or fresh)
1/2 cup frozen peaches (or fresh)
1 frozen banana cut into chunks
1 tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder
1 Date (optional)
1 TBS Hemp Seed (optional)
1 TBS Flax Meal (optional)
ice - if using fresh fruit
extra water as needed - this makes a thick smoothie so depends on what your blender can handle.

Put all ingredients into vitamix/blender and blend away until smooth and creamy. You may need to add some extra water if it gets too thick. This makes one very large glassful for a very filling breakfast.

Another note of the many benefits is the wonderful calming effect.  That is because of the amino acid L-Theanines.  "Over a thousand years ago, matcha came to Japan as an aid to meditation practice. During long hours of sitting, monks would drink matcha to remain alert yet calm."

Calm like our golden Buddha

Peace,
Rocki

Tropical Green Julius - Raw Vegan Smoothie

Tropical Green Julius - Raw Vegan Smoothie

Our breakfast each day is a green smoothie.  Once I discovered that practically anything goes, I started creating my own recipes...and I'm on a roll.  I should have taken a picture of all my scratch paper and notes of all my raw vegan recipes so far... they are growing fast and I really need to type them up.

Anyway, I made this one the other day and it took me back to when my dad would occasionally treat us to an Orange Julius.  Except this one is much healthier.

Ingredients to make this yummy smoothie

All of this yumminess is what you need to make my Tropical Green Julius with. 

Fills up the blender to the top

My Vitamix blender is my best friend.  Well, actually Mark is my BFF, but the Vitamix is second.  It holds all the fresh raw ingredients and turns them into a freakishly delicious smoothie.

my healthy morning green breakfast

As you can see, this recipe makes a healthy amount.  I drink all of this myself and it fuels me until lunch.  Mark makes his green smoothies each morning at work as he has blender there (a Ninja) and I pack his ingredients each day for him, along with his raw lunch.

Hope you enjoy this recipe or alter it to fit your likes. For instance you can use fresh or frozen fruit, but I indicated what I used below.

Tropical Green Julius - Raw Vegan Smoothie
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

1/2 cup water
3 oz fresh spinach (around 4 cups semi-loosely packed)
1 cup frozen pineapple
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1 tangelo or orange (I was out of oranges that day)
1 large frozen banana cut into chunks
3/4 tsp organic vanilla
1 rounded Tbs hemp seeds
1 rounded Tbs flax meal
optional: 1/2 cup ice
extra water if needed

Put all ingredients in order, except the extra water, into the blender and blend until you have a smoothie.  The extra water is used if it is too thick and you want to thin it down.

Note: if you want, you could omit the 1/2 cup water and replace the fresh orange with 1 cup orange juice.

Now it's time for me to make my morning smoothie.  Not sure what I'll make today, but I'm sure it will be green...and delicious!

Peace,
Rocki

Raw Figgy Hemp Brownies

raw vegan brownies

I love my treats, especially when it comes to chocolate.  One thing that I discovered ever since going raw is how much more I enjoy my chocolaty treats.  Maybe because I know they are not processed and loaded with sugar.  Maybe it's the enjoyment I get from creating a recipe from scratch or inspired by one.  Or perhaps it's because they are healthy and some beneficial.

gluten-free and dairy-free!

 

Like my Raw Figgy Hemp Brownies.  These delicious chewy brownies will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt.  While they do contain nuts, which are actually good for you and when eaten in moderation you can still maintain your weight, these yummilicous treats have some healthy ingredients.

 

Hemp is one of the powerhouse ingredients I include in this brownie version.  Now don't call the police, this hemp does not come from the same plant used to make the magical brownies.  Hemp hearts are the seeds from the fibrous plant used to make a wide variety of products.  And no, you can't smoke it or get high off of it.  Sorry.

 

Hemp seeds are a raw vegan's best friend.  Such as they are loaded with digestible protein, fiber, all of the essential amino acids and have a balance ratio of omega 3 to 6 fats, just to name a few.  They are tasty little seeds that make a yummy milk in a flash, perfect sprinkled on salads and, well I'm getting off track here.  Onto the brownies.

 

these did not last long after the photo shoot

 

So I'll end this post with my recipe, which was inspired by The Rawtarian's Raw Brownie that I absolutely love, but wanted to expand on. 

Just to note that I use raw ingredients as much as possible, but if they are not available or convenient to you, then by all means be creative and substitute as you wish.

Raw Figgy Hemp Brownies

1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans

1 cup medjool dates (seeds removed)
1/2 cup honey dates (seeds removed)
(or use all medjool)
4 dried figs trimmed of stem, cut in half and soaked for at least 30 minutes

5 Tbs raw cacao
4 Tbs raw hemp seed
4 Tbs raw shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 tsp organic vanilla
2 1/2 Tbs raw agave
optional raw cacao nibs - about 2 Tbs

In a food processor:
- add the nuts and process until they are small crumbles
- add the dates and figs (not the fig water) to the crumbles and process until small bits
- add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined

Your choice on container, but here's what I do...
fully over wrap a small glass brownie dish with plastic wrap, scoop brownie mixture into the dish, fold over plastic wrap and press down firmly with your hand.  I also use a spatula to flatten with.

These chocolaty chewy brownies can be served immediately or cover and store in the fridge until they are discovered.  I would hide them :)

Peace,
Rocki

Rocki vs Young Thai Coconut

 

This beautiful Young Thai Coconut was no match for me (enter Rocky theme music). I won! In an ugly way, but I still won.

 

I’ve been wanting to add this super delicious, nutritious, full of electrolytes, high in anti-oxidants, vitamins, etc., food to our diet, but have been SCARED to DEATH of opening one. So that night I searched the net and watched several ‘how to’ videos. I then told Mark – YOU open it!

 

The next day, Saturday, I put my big girl pants on and gave it ago. I got out my cutting board, my large heavy duty chef’s knife, my grandma’s old ice cream scoop and a measuring cup for the water. First Aid kit was within reach. 

 

Cutting way the outer layer was a breeze. I was very pleased about that part.  Now, the top of the actual nut was exposed.  There I stood, looking at it and wondering if I could open it without having to call 911.  But I wanted to taste that water and eat that meat, so I had to continue.

I did as they said in many of the videos - hold it on its’ side, take your big freakin’ knife and whack at it HARD with the bottom end portion of the knife.  In the video it showed them doing this 4 times on a rotation, then you can open it up and get the goods.  Ha!  I showed them!  It only took me about 20 times to whack and mangle the poor nut before I got a itty bitty hole.  I ran into the bathroom (no I wasn’t bleeding, Mark was replacing our faucet) and proudly showed Mark what I had accomplished so far. 

 

Now to get that water.  I pried open enough of the top and poured the water into my measuring cup.  If I hadn’t of spilled some while trying to pry it open, I’m guessing it would have been very close to 2 cups.  But as you can see I actually got just about 1 2/3 cup of yummy coconut water.  Mark and I took a little sip and both agreed: MMMMMMM!  I used the water in green drinks and a recipe dish.

The meat was next. I opened more of the top, finally.  I don’t have a coconut scoop so I used my grandma’s old sturdy ice cream scooper and away I went.  That seemed to work just fine and was easy peasy.  I could hardly wait to taste it as I’ve never had this type of coconut.  AMAZINGLY delicious and smooth!  I used the meat in a couple different recipes and green drinks – nice and creamy!  You can also make coconut noodles with the meat, which I’m going to do with my next one.

 

So there it is in a nut shell.  I can hardly wait to attack my next one.

 

Peace,

Rocki

Raw Almond Yogurt - by Nourish

1 cup almonds

Here is a simple vegan and gluten-free Raw Almond Yogurt recipe by Nourish, my favorite little restaurant that has a delicious variety of fresh food for us folks with food allergies (a Celiac's favorite place to eat!) and their menu is even color coded for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegans, vegetarians and a variety of food allergies.  Wait, back to the recipe... 

1 cup fresh water

This healthy recipe has 3 simple fresh ingredients - almonds, water and lemon.  You can add toppings of your choice of course.

1/2 fresh squeezed lemon

If you would like to make this fresh and easy recipe, hop on over here for the directions - you'll love it!

Oh and if you live in Arizona or plan to visit, make sure to stop by and have a tasty dish at Nourish, you won't regret it! 

Peace,
Rocki