Ingredients:

– 1 head cauliflower, chopped up

– 1 container soft tofu

– 1/2 cup soy milk (make sure you’re using unsweetened) (Note: used 1 cup – too much)

– 4 cups vegetable stock (Note: used 5 cups – too much)

– 2 leeks, white parts only, or one whole leek, chopped

– 1 tablespoon olive oil

– 2 cloves garlic

– Dash cayenne pepper

– Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

– Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot.  Add leeks and saute until soft.  Add garlic.

– Add vegetable stock and cauliflower

– Simmer until cauliflower is soft

– In a separate bowl, combine tofu and soy milk and mix with stick blender until smooth, then add to soup

– Use stick blender to mix everything until creamy

– Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste

Variations:  added 1/3 cup  frozen peas before blending and cooked wild rice after.  Yummy.  Or add a chopped potato in with the cauliflower.

I am really proud of this cheesecake – I think it might be the first raw persimmon cheesecake to hit the interwebs! I couldn’t find a recipe for raw persimmon cheesecake so I made my own based on Sweetly Raw’s Mandarin Orange Cheesecake on a Pecan Ginger Crust with a Cranberry Pomegranate Compote, and Candied Pecans. I give it a 4/5 Happy Monkeys.  The texture is spot on and it makes a nice, healthy treat.

Pecan Ginger Crust
from Sweetly Raw

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup pecans
1/3 cup pitted, packed dates – finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Grind all ingredients together in a food processor to create a dough. Press the dough into the bottom of an 8″ or 12″ spring form pan.

My notes: I loooved this crust. It definitely gets 5/5 Happy Monkeys. The ginger was to die for. I think I used 1/2 cup dates instead of a third because I misread it, but it was sweet and delicious like candy. I also soaked my pecans and that lead to a moist crust. It would probably be tastier if the pecans were dehydrated after soaking and before making the crust. Or of course, they could be thrown in without soaking, but in theory they wouldn’t be as healthy that way.

Persimmon Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fuyu persimmon puree
1 1/2 cups cashew (soaked)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons lemon juice)
1 teaspoon packed lemon zest
1 teaspoon powdered vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon himalayan salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons melted cacao butter

For the persimmon puree, just wash your persimmons, pull off the top stem and blend them whole in the vita mix. Then add all the other ingredients except the oil and butter and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add the oil/butter and blend briefly to incorporate. Pour the filling over the crust and chill in the fridge for 8-12 hours. You can cut it after a few hours but it does firm up and taste better if you wait the full 8-12 hours.

Next time: It’s pretty good, but it’s a little bland – could be sweeter and spicier. I didn’t use any sweetener to be extra healthy but maybe next time I would use a little. It is still good because the persimmons are really sweet, but it is a little blah. I would also add more lemon juice to give it more of that cheesecake zing. Also, I would make it spicy by adding ginger or cinnamon right into the filling and calling it Persimmon Spice Cheesecake. Also, I’d probably add a touch more cacao butter to make it even firmer. This is a good base but there is lots of room for improvement. I also think it would be a fantastic recipe base for pumpkin cheesecake (although I’m sure there are already a lot of raw pumpkin cheesecake recipes out there).

Pomegranate Coulis

Ingredients:*
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp agave
1 tsp lemon juice

*Amounts are completely approximate. I did no measuring whatsoever (which definitely could have contributed to the downfall of this recipe.)

Directions:
Blend about half of the pomegranate seeds briefly, just to break them up a little. Add them to the rest of the ingredients. Stir and let sit so that the chia seeds can thicken it up.

My notes: I wanted to base this on a delicious blackberry coulis that I had before that was just made with blackberries marinated in lime juice and agave. However, it didn’t work really well. I overblended all of the pomegranate seeds and so it was too liquidy, and the chia seeds didn’t soak up as much liquid as I hoped they would. Also, pomegranate seeds don’t lend themselves well to blending a little because they are just so dang seedy. So far I think the yummiest thing I did with my pomegranate seeds was to juice them (in the vitamix and then strain them through cheesecloth). But that was a lot of work and about $5 for one small glass of extremely tasty juice. This coulis gets a 2/5 Happy Monkeys because even though the texture was off, it was still quite tasty.

To Serve:
Sprinkle the cheesecake with powdered ginger and cinnamon and top with the pomegranate coulis. Enjoy a healthy no-added sugar dessert or as a snack anytime! I particularly like it as a mid-afternoon pick me up.

I just made Raw on 10‘s Deviled Avocados for a superquick lunch. I have to admit, the first time I saw this recipe, I thought it was kind of weird. But it lurked in the back of my mind for a while and I finally got the courage to make it today. I’m glad I did.. it was yum! I give it 3.5/5 Happy Monkeys, only because I didn’t have all the raw ingredients and had to sub some veganaise. I’m sure that with the original macadamia mayo instead it would be 4/5 Happy Monkeys.

Deviled Avocados
from Raw on 10

Ingredients:
1/3 tablespoon macadamia mayo* (or other mayo)
1 avocado
1/3 tablespoon mustard
1/3 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper

*macadamia mayo recipe is provided at the end of this post

Directions:
Mash avocado with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. I have to admit, I didn’t measure anything. I just squirted it in and mixed it together. As you can see in the photo, I ate this scooped onto raw tomato slices. I also ate it on some crackers. Both ways hit the spot – I was starving!

Next time: This was good but because I used veganaise and Annie’s organic mustard, it felt a little too unhealthy. I would like to try a raw version using raw almond mayo. Macadamia nuts are way too expensive and unavailable to me here but I’ve made some raw almond mayo before that is pretty good. Also I’d like to try using mustard powder and apple cider vinegar instead of pre-made mustard.

Macadamia mayo
from Raw on 10

Ingredients:
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Blend the macadamia nuts, water, and salt until smooth and creamy, which may take a minute or two. A personal or bullet type blender can be used for this. I made this in the morning and used a tablespoon of it for the deviled avos and set aside the rest to use for this cucumber ranch dressing.

This soup came together in a heartbeat when I didn’t have much time to make lunch.  All it took was some previously pureed roasted pumpkin, a can of organic bpa-free coconut milk, vegetable stock and a liberal hand with the spices. A quick and easy 4/5 Happy Monkeys, and a recipe that is completely of my own devising to boot!

Ingredients:
– 1 cup pumpkin puree
– 1 can organic, bpa-free coconut milk
– 2 to 3 cups vegetable stock
– sea salt and black pepper to taste
– powdered spices to taste (ginger, cumin, coriander, onion and red pepper flakes or powdered cayenne pepper)

Notes on the ingredients:
– I only used one cup of pumpkin puree because that was all I had but it would probably be even better with more.
– Make sure to use Native Forest coconut milk; it is the only BPA-free brand of coconut milk that I know of. If you weren’t aware, the lining of almost all canned goods contains BPA. There are some exceptions such as Eden Organics Beans and Native Forest that are BPA-free, but they are in the minority.
– I didn’t measure any of this when I was doing it, so just keep adding spices and tasting until it tastes spicy and yummy. If I had to guess the amounts of the spices, I would say I used almost a tablespoon of ginger, just a shake of cumin, 2-3 shakes of coriander, 2 liberal shakes of black pepper, 2 shakes of red pepper flakes and a bunch of powdered onion and salt. I feel like I just invented a measurement for spices – the “shake.”

Directions:
For the pumpkin puree, I used a new method that I really like: wash and rub the pumpkin with olive oil, then stab it a few times.  Throw it in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour.  Let it cool and then cut it open, scoop out the inside and peel off the skin.  The skin just falls off in your hands using this method.  I love it! Then just throw the pumpkin pieces in the food processor and blend them up a bit until they are the consistency of puree.  Perfect!

I did the pumpkin puree yesterday and just took it out of the fridge for this recipe.

For the soup, just heat everything together in a medium soup pot over medium heat and stir to combine. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Next time: I really liked this a lot. If I make any changes, I’ll increase the ratio of pumpkin and stock to coconut milk. I used full fat coconut milk so it was really rich.  Also, next time I roast a pumpkin, I’ll try to save the seeds and roast them in some spices later.

This raw pizza margherita is an easy follow-on to my last pizza recipe (Raw “Pizza Supreme”).  I used the same crust and cheese and just added some fresh tomatoes, dill and basil.  What could be easier?  Also for this one, I didn’t dehydrate it because I wanted that fresh flavor.  Instead, I just took the crust and cheese out of the fridge a little early so they could warm up to room temperature.  This recipe get a 4/5 Happy Monkeys, only because it is simpler and is missing the complexity that the sausage brings to the Pizza Supreme.  Still very delicious though! Unfortunately, the buckwheat bothered my stomach, but this could easily be done with an almond-based crust, or even just some raw crackers.

Ingredients:
One pizza crust (I used the Buckwheat Crust from naomipoe in the Raw Freedom Community forums)
Some delish raw cashew cheese that I posted last year.
Fresh tomatoes, dill and basil

To make the pizzas:
Spread the delish cashew cheese thickly on the crust.  Top with fresh dill, sliced fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.  Eat and enjoy!

Next time: I will make this with a non-buckwheat crust in order to keep my tummy happy.

I love this recipe for Raw Pizza Supreme from naomipoe in the Raw Freedom Community forums!  It was my first time attempting any raw food with buckwheat and it was much easier than I expected.  After reading all the posts and links in this thread, I found out that you only have to soak the buckwheat for 30 minutes! No sprouting required!  Thus, buckwheat is actually easier, not to mention cheaper, than using nuts as a base.  The only unfortunate part is that my tummy didn’t react well to the buckwheat.  I am learning more and more that it is just not gluten that I react too, but most grains too.  Even though buckwheat isn’t officially a grain, it still set me off It’s too bad because I really liked both making and eating this crust.

This recipe would have gotten a 5/5 Happy Monkeys but I had to downgrade it since it upset my stomach.  It still gets a 4/5 Happy Monkeys because of how tasty it is but next time I will try it with a buckwheat-free almond-based crust.

Buckwheat Crust
from naomipoe in the Raw Freedom Community forums

1 c buckwheat, soaked for 30 minutes, then rinsed and drained
3/4 c sundried tomatoes, soaked
1 avocado
1 small onion
1 tsp sea salt
1c flaxmeal
I also added 1 tsp each of oregano, basil and thyme

Process the buckwheat, tomatoes, avocado, onion, sea salt and spices until smooth.

Remove to a bowl and add the flaxmeal. Spread on two Teflexx sheets until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Score into slices and dehydrate for 3 hours. Flip the slices, turn heat to 95 degrees and dehydrate about another 10 hours.

My notes: wow this is a sticky, hard to manipulate batter.  What I ended up doing is using putting one Teflexx sheet on top, making a Teflexx batter sandwhich if you will, and using it to help smooth the batter out.  Of course, I just found out that Teflexx is so named because it is covered in Teflon, so I won’t be using those in the future!  Next time I’ll have to try out parchment paper, natural wax paper or the new Tribest Sedona sheets, as well as an almond-based crust.

Sausage
from naomipoe in the Raw Freedom Community forums

2 Medjool dates, pitted (I only used 1/2 a date and it was perfect)
1 c walnuts, soaked, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp fennel
pinch crushed red pepper
tiny pinch ground red pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Process the walnuts till chopped. Add everything else, including dates, and process until it comes together but still has texture.

My notes: I actually made a double batch by accident but it was a perfect amount for five sausage filled slices (eaten over 3 days). The sausage is sooo yummy! I did only use 1/4 the amount of dates required but it definitely adds a nice sweetness. The spices are amazing.

Some Salsa Finta tomato sauce
Some delish raw cashew cheese

To make the pizzas:
Assemble:
Crust
Tomato Sauce
Cashew Cheese
Sausage
Chopped onion
Chopped red pepper

Dehydrate at 110 degrees for about an hour or until warm (helps everything meld together and become warm and yummy!)

My notes: I used the tomato sauce from Russell James‘ Salsa Finta, which I loooove, and my own delish raw cashew cheese which I posted on this site last year.  But the original forum post comes with its own recipes which I would like to try one day too.

The original recipes from the Raw Freedom post are:

Pizza Sauce
1/2 c sundried tomatoes, soaked (save the soak water)
1 tsp oregano
1 very small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp basil

Blend together with just enough soakwater to make a thick sauce.

Mozzarella
1 c almonds, soaked
2 tsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon
1/2 tsp nama shoyu/gf soy sauce

Blend together till smooth and let sit in fridge overnight

I just made cupcakes and kale’s  high protein cauliflower alfredo sauce recipe that I found on Diet Dessert and Dog’s Wellness Weekend.  I love this new carnival that Ricki has implemented – with her healthy guidelines, it makes it easy to find recipes that fit into my “No Food Diet.”  Anyway, I am so glad I found this Fettucini Alfredo recipe because it is PHENOMENAL! I was shocked and amazed by how good this is, not to mention how easy to make it is. I have made many a “fake” alfredo and they are almost always awful, but not this one! It is fantastic! I can’t recommend it highly enough – it is delicious and extremely healthy.

high protein cauliflower alfredo
from cupcakes and kale
makes 3 1/2 cups of sauce
1/2 head cauliflower, about 2 cups worth
1 cup white beans (drained and rinsed if using canned)
1 – 1 1/4 cup almond milk (i used cashew milk made with 1/4 cup soaked cashews to 1 cup water)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large shallot (i used regular onion)
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup kale (i used toscano kale)
1/8 cup sundried tomatoes, packed in oil
dash nutmeg cayenne pepper
your favorite Gluten-Free cooked pasta (mine is Ancient Grains Corn & Quinoa pasta)

start by cutting the cauliflower into large florets and add them to a pot of boiling water.  cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes, then drain.  while the cauliflower is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and saute the shallots until softened and lightly browned.

place the cooked cauliflower in a blender along with the white beans, almond milk, sauteed shallots, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and a dash of nutmeg.  blend until silky smooth.  season to taste with sea salt & pepper.  pour enough needed to coat the cooked pasta and mix.  fold in the sundried tomatoes and kale and heat through.

place any remaining sauce in a sealed container in the fridge and use within a few days.

My notes: subbed almond milk with cashew milk (1/4 cup soaked cashews to 1 cup water) and onion for shallot.  Also, I didn’t saute the onion before I put it in the sauce, I just put it in whole.  Then I sauteed more chopped onion and the sundried tomatoes before adding the kale, pasta and sauce.   My hubbie liked this but requested more spices, so next time I will add more cayenne, paprika and kelp flakes.  Also, next time I will half the recipe unless I want to eat this three days in a row like I did this time! It came out with twice as much as was needed for a box of pasta. Otherwise, fantastic! 5/5 Happy Monkeys!

Another phenomenal recipe from Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs! My midwife wanted me to choose a special meal as my first “celebration meal” after giving birth. I chose this recipe and I’m so glad I did. Not only is it delicious, but it is complex and time-consuming, making it perfect for ultra-special occasions. This easily gets a 5 out of 5 happy monkeys. My everything-eating husband said it was just as good as traditional lasagna, and coming from him, that’s saying a lot.

The key to this recipe is the amazing cauliflower “meat” that Ricki has created. I was skeptical at first, but as the cauliflower cooked and browned, it went through an amazing transformation. This “meat” could be used in so many great ways. I can’t wait to try it out more when I am back to eating cauliflower. (I am supposed to avoid it while breastfeeding, unfortunately ) The original recipe is here, although I altered it slightly because I’m not a fan of spinach pesto.

Meaty Gluten-Free Vegan
from Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Ingredients:

I package Gluten-Free brown rice no-boil lasagna noodles (about 8-12 sheets)
About 5 cups homemade or prepared marinara sauce
1 package frozen red and yellow pepper strips
32 oz fresh spinach
16 oz fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 batch ground “meat’ (recipe below).
1 recipe tofu ricotta (recipe below)
Dried parsley to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Grease your lasagna pan. Set aside.
2. Make your tofu ricotta and your cauliflower meat from the recipes below. Set aside.
3. In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute mushrooms and spinach together. Set aside.
4. Defrost pepper strips and add to marinara sauce. Reserve about 1 and 1/2 cups of the sauce for the final lop layer of the lasagna. Set aside.
5. Assemble lasagna, starting with a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of sauce, a layer of cheese and a layer of mushrooms and spinach. Continue these layers until the meat and cheese is used up and the pan is almost full. Cover with one more layer of noodles, then coat with the reserved sauce. Make sure the noodles are fully covered so they cook fully. Sprinkle dried parsley over the top for color.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly and browned on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to set for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 8-10 servings.

Meaty Veg-Based Ground “Meat”:
from Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and washed, broken into florets (about 1 pound/450 g after trimming)
2 cups (250 g) raw walnut halves
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) dried sage
1.5 tsp (2.5 ml) smoked paprika
1/2-3/4 tsp (2.5-3.5 ml) fine sea salt, to taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) tamari

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). Line a large rimmed cookie sheet or rectangular pan with tin foil or parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
2. In a food processor, blend the cauliflower and nuts to a fine meal. Depending on how grainy you like your “meat,” it can be more or less fine; Ricki made hers like a coarse cornmeal.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.
4. Using your (clean) hands, knead everything together thoroughly, until the grounds are uniformly coated.
5. Turn the mixture into the pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes and up to 1 hour 15 minutes (it will depend on the size of the pan and how thick the mixture is when you first begin to bake it), stirring after 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes after that, until the meat is dry and brown (if the layer underneath comes up looking wet and white–as cauliflower tends to do–then you need to keep baking). The grounds will begin to separate and intensify in color as they roast.
5. Once the meat is cooked, you can cool, package, and freeze it for later use, or use it right away. Will keep, up to 3 days, covered in the refrigerator. May be frozen.

Tofu Basil Ricotta
Originally from the Post Punk Kitchen but unfortunately it is no longer posted there.

Ingredients

1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped fine (ten leaves or so)
dash fresh black pepper
and as originally posted on PPK, tireless hands (so true!)

Directions

In a large bowl, mush the tofu up with your hands, until it is crumbly. Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and basil. Mush with hands again, this time you want it to get very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese. This may take 2-5 minutes, but keep mushing until the consistency changes to how you want it. Add olive oil, stir with fork. Add nutritional yeast and combine all ingredients well. Use a fork now, because the oil will make it sticky. Cover and refigerate until ready to use.

I loooove this potato salad from allrecipes.com.  It is my all-time favorite potato salad recipe.  It has fairly simple ingredients but it does take a while because you have to boil everything and then chill it in the fridge, not to mention peeling the eggs!

Ingredients:

* 3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons soy milk
* 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
* 1/2 cup sliced green onions
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1.5 cups sliced celery

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add red potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15-30 minutes. Drain, cool and chop into 1 inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl.

2. At the same time, place eggs in a medium saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and dice.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, distilled white vinegar, green onions, salt and pepper.

4. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, and mix together with the eggs and celery.

5. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: This recipe makes a lot.  We recently made a double batch for a potluck and that was a little crazy.  A single batch will be enough for most occasions.

Next time: I would add a bit more vinegar and salt.

I give this recipe a strong 4/5 happy monkeys.

This recipe was also submitted to The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday.

I just had to post this blueberry smoothie recipe because it is freaking delicious.  My usual blueberry smoothie recipe is a banana, frozen blueberries, lots of soymilk, water and ice.  But I thought it would be good to try to cut down on the massive amount of soy I’m eating these days, so I tried a new smoothie recipe based on the one in Ani Phyo’s Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen Cookbook.  And I like this one even better than my usual smoothie.  I threw the strawberries in at the last minute because they were just hanging around in the fridge, but I think they totally made this smoothie.  Before I put them in, it was a bit too sweet from the dates.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soaked cashews
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 date, pitted
2 strawberries
Pinch vanilla
2 – 2.5 cups water*
handful ice*

Variation: Add 2 handfuls of spinach.  I couldn’t believe it but I couldn’t even see or taste the spinach and it helps me get my greens!

*Note: These days, I’m liking my smoothies really light, frothy and creamy, so this recipe isn’t thick and frosty like some smoothies.  If you want a more substantial smoothie, adjust the proportions of water and ice.

Directions:

Throw in the vita mix and blend all together!

Next time: I’d make a double batch.  This made about two glasses and it’s really light so they went down quick!

I give this smoothie a 5/5 happy monkeys!