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

Enlighten Up - Healing Hug

Okay, I look goofy as all get out, but hey... that's me.  I'm just plain ol' Rocki that simply expresses myself as is. 

Anyway, this was in our motel room (nope, it's not X-rated, lol!) when we went to Sedona last year to celebrate my 1 year of being cancer free.  It's a short video about... well I'll just let you watch it.

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 Taco Night

Raw Vegan Soft Spicy Corn Tortillas

 

Who says you can't have tacos when living a raw vegan lifestyle?  Not me!  Mark and I LOVE tacos and we practically devour them once we sit down.  

 

We used to eat them on greens, but I've been playing around with a variety of flat breads from sweet to savory, Italian to Mexican, etc. and finally came up with a version of what I call my Soft Spicy Corn Tortillas.  I haven’t gotten to the point of measuring everything exactly for this recipe, mainly because I change it a little here and there depending on what the meal is and what I want it to taste like.  Besides, with raw food creating it isn't exact science - which I love - so experimentation is the key. 

 

Soft Spicy Corn Tortillas

 

Approximate measurements:

 

1 ¼- 1 ½ cup flax meal

¼ rounded cup nutritional yeast

Pinch of sea salt

Put into large bowl, stir to combine and set aside

 

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes - soaked in 1 1/2 cups water to soften, drain and reserve water

1 ½-2 cups roughly chopped tomato

½-3/4  cup chopped onion

1 very full cup of corn

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ancho chili pepper

1 tsp cumin powder

 

Put all of the above into a food processor and process until blended smooth.  There will be little bits and that is perfect.  I do a taste test in case I need to add more spices.  If you do not like spicy, then omit the cayenne and ancho chili pepper.

 

Add 1 cup of the reserved soaked water to the flax meal bowl and combine well.  Add the above mixture and stir until combined.  It will be thick, but if it seems to thick to spread then add the extra water a little at a time - NOT too thin or watery.  It needs to remain a thick spreadable mixture, so you be the judge.

 

I usually can fill up 3 dehydrator trays (2 almost to the edges and 1 smaller) but this varies.  Line the mesh tray with a teflex sheet or similar then spread the mixture out evenly until it’s around ¼” thick or so - you don't want it too thin.  You'll need to work with the mixture, it will be kind of gummy.

 

Dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 then lower to 115 for several hours, around 4-8, but this varies due to location, weather, etc.  I turn the trays around during the dehydration process just to get them evenly dehydrated.  Once they are pliable enough, remove them from the teflex sheet onto the mesh sheet.  If you haven’t done this before, simply put a mesh sheet on top of the tortilla along with a tray, flip it over then slowly peel the teflex sheet away from the tortilla.  Put them back into the dehydrator until done. 

 

Cut into desired pieces and once cooled, place them in a Ziploc bag or other container - this will soften them to be more pliable.  

Raw Vegan Taco Night!

Yum yum yum!  Cashew queso "cheese", soft spicy corn tortillas, mushroom taco filling, pico de gallo, avocado and lettuce.  See?  Raw vegan meals are not just lettuce and carrot sticks.  But those are good too :)

Enjoy!

Peace,
Rocki

Fun Day at Butterfly Wonderland

Owl Butterfly on my finger



Butterfly on Mark's hat




Gorgeous Owl Butterfly riding along on my pants



Butterfly stayed on my pants for over 5 minutes while walking through the atrium



Perfect a place for this beautiful butterfly to land!



Gorgeous butterfly near the koi pond



Variety of butterflies.  The blue one on Mark's shirt is also a Pink Floyd Fan ;)



So many beautiful butterflies!



Butterflies galore!



No these are not butterflies, but the fish and creepy crawlies can also be seen there.



Fluttering butterfly on my arm - so sweet!

I took a ton of photos when we went to the atrium and have only shared a few here.  I know, they're just butterflies, but being able to walk through the atrium along with the butterflies flying all around you and landing on you multiple times is an awesome experience!

If you are in Arizona, I highly recommend visiting Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale.  There is a lot to see there including a 3D movie, a small gallery where you can see the metamorphosis stage of the butterfly and much more.  Definitely worth the fair admission price as you'll spend a few hours there.  We truly enjoyed our day and will be going there again.

Peace,
Rocki