Sweet Curry - Easy, Vegan, Really Freaking Good

Are you aware that squash is considered a fruit? Does that blow your mind? My mind is blown.

Can you guess what fruit this curry contains? Have I asked enough questions yet?

Sweet Curry
(with squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and mushrooms)
(with a side of kale if your tryna get those greens)

Ingredients:

~ Coconut milk - 2 cups

~ Squash - 1 whole

~ Sweet potato - 2 whole

~ Carrots - 3 whole

~ Mushrooms (I used cremini)- 3/4 cup sliced

~ Turmeric - 1 tbsp

~ Cumin - 1/2 tbsp

~ Cayenne pepper - 1/2 tbsp

~ Ginger - 1 tbsp minced

~ Garlic - 1 1/2 to 2 cloves, minced

~ Cilantro - 1 pinch, chopped (optional)

~ Rice - 1 cup (optional)

~ Kale - 1/2 cup (optional)

Directions:

1. Dice the squash, sweet potatoes and carrots.

2. Bring a giant pot of water to a boil. Enough water to cover all of the food you are about to put in.

3. When the water has begun boiling, first add the squash, then sweet potatoes and then carrots. Do so in a timely manner, as they each take slightly different amounts of time to cook through:


Squash - 15 to 20 minutes

Sweet potato - 10 to 15 minutes

Carrots - 7 to 10 minutes


4. Once boiling is complete, strain water and let sit.

5. In a gigantic pan (you're making a lot of food here), bring coconut milk, ginger and garlic to a boil.

6. Add the turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper. Let simmer with a lid on for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Taste the coconut milk and make sure you are satisfied with the spices. Add more if your heart desires. A little extra spice never hurts. *wink*

8. Add the squash, sweet potato and carrots to the pan. Toss in the sliced mushrooms and mix all ingredients together.

*Your curry should look something like this:

9. Let the curry simmer with a lid on for 15-20 minutes, stirring every once in a while.

You just made curry in only 9 steps! Woo! If you want to make the bowl shown above, keep reading.

10. While the curry is simmering, why not make some rice to go with it? I used jasmine rice with a 1 to 1 3/4 ratio.

11. When the rice is almost finished cooking, add kale to allow the steam to soften.

12. Put rice, curry and kale into a bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro. BOOM you're done.

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Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble Slice - Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Delicious

It has been a while since I last made a slice. I had been craving one for far too long so I decided it was time that I went ahead and made one. They are so incredibly easy to make - way easier than baking...I just didn't seem to have any time. But now, on July 14th, 2015, I present to you the quadruple C's. Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble...Slice. Shall we?

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble Slice

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cookie base:

~ Cacao powder - 5 tbsp

~ Cashews (or almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts) - 1/4 cup

~ Almond flour - 1/4 cup

~ Maple syrup - 3 tbsp

~ Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

For the middle cookie goodness:

~ Unsweetened shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

~ Maple syrup - 2 tbsp

~ Almond flour - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut flour - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla - 1 tsp

~ Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

For the caramel:

~ Mejool dates - 2 cups

~ Coconut milk - 3 tbsp

~ Almond butter - 1 tbsp

~ Coconut oil - 1/3 cup (add extra by the tbsp if you want it creamier)

For the chocolate coating on top:

~ Click here for my super easy chocolate recipe (vegan)

Instructions:

1. First let's make the chocolate cookie base. This is delicious. Put all of the ingredients in your food processor and blend until well combined. The texture will be pretty crumbly but it should be able to stick together. Add more coconut oil by the tbsp if necessary.

2. Put the chocolate cookie crumble in a container (mine was 8x4in) and smoosh it all evenly to the bottom. Place in the freezer. The chocolate cookie base is complete.

3. Now put all of the ingredients for the middle cookie goodness into your food processor and blend until well combined. The texture should be a tid crumbly but less than the chocolate cookie base was.

4. Take your container out of the freezer and add the middle cookie goodness on top. Smoosh it evenly as the second layer and place the container back into the freezer. Middle cookie goodness DONE.

5. Next comes the caramel. Blend all of the ingredients in your food processor until well combined. To get a proper caramel consistency, blend until it all becomes thick and runny. This may take a little more than a minute - all depends on your blender.

6. Take the container out of the freezer. Scoop (or pour) the caramel into the container evenly. Put the container back into the freezer. BOOM. Caramel layer complete.

7. Put all of the ingredients for the chocolate coating into a small mixing bowl. Mix.

8. Take your container out of the freezer. Evenly pour the chocolate on top. Place the container back into the freezer.

9. You just made a Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble Slice and after 60 minutes of letting that deliciousness firm up in the freezer, you can slice and enjoy. Good job.

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Simple Easy Raw Cheesecake - Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

If you have never tried vegan cheesecake before, don't stick your nose up until you have taken at least one bite.

It tastes the same, looks the same and it is potentially prettier than cheesecake made with actual cheese...plus the ingredients are all wholesome and healthy. So basically what I am saying is vegan cheesecake is better. Better for you, better for the animals. *Happy cheers*

So how do you know I'm not just talking up a recipe that I am about to give you? Well, cheesecake has been one of my favorite (if not my no.1 favorite) foods since the first time I tried it, back before my age even hit the double digits. I have high cheesecake standards.

I had not tried vegan cheesecake until earlier this year when my friend introduced it to me and I've been a fan ever since.

So here is a small list of reasons you should make raw vegan cheesecake:

1. Tasty

2. Pretty

3. Healthy

4. You only need a small slice to feel satisfied

5. Have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert - you won't feel guilty! Sure, I think we can all admit to eating a slice of cake with all of the processed sugars for breakfast...but now you can eat a slice of cake without all of the processed sugars and feel full enough to not need a second slice (although you might want one because it tastes so good).

Q: So what's in this cake?

A: Well, there is a full list of ingredients below but it is basically just dates, nuts and cashews, a little coconut milk and some lemon juice.

Now before we get started, keep in mind that this is the most basic cheesecake recipe. Once you know the basics then you can go on to making prettier, more exciting and/or more flavorful versions. Raspberry cheesecake? Blueberry cheesecake? Strawberry cheesecake with chocolate drizzle? The possibilities are endless!

Simple Easy Raw Cheesecake

Ingredients:

~ Cashews - 2 cups, soaked overnight

~ Coconut milk - 3/4 cup

~ Dates - 1 cup

~ Nuts - 1 cup (best to stick with almonds or walnuts)

~ Shredded coconut - 1 cup

~ Maple syrup - 1/3 cup

~ Juice of a lemon - 1/2

~ Coconut oil - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp

~ Cake tin - Preferably a cheesecake tin but any tin around 23cm x 3.5cm will do, like the one I used to make the raw carrot cake.

Instructions:

1. Soak the cashews if you haven't done so already. Do this by putting the cashews in a bowl and filling it with water the night before you plan on making the cheesecake. I always find soaking to be a pain when I want something immediately, but patience is key. :)

2. First we will make the crust. In your food processor, blend the dates, nuts and shredded coconut until it has reached a doughy consistency. You should be able to roll it in a ball if you wanted to...not that you are going to do that.

3. Spread the crust into the bottom of your cake tin until it's about 1/8 of and inch thick. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden the crust a tid before adding the cheesecake.

4. While the crust is hardening, blend cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut oil and vanilla extract in your food processor. Blend until it has reached and smooth and creamy consistency. This is going to be the cheese part of the cake.

5. Evenly spread the 'cheese' on top of the crust.

6. Place in the freezer for at least 6 hours before enjoying. (More waiting...UGH.)


So you want to get more creative than just a simple cheesecake? Keep reading!

~ Try adding berries in with the cheese ingredients. Still blend until smooth and creamy. A pretty color should have been created.

~ You can also get creative with different layers of colors. Add different berries to achieve different colors. Between each layer, refreeze the cake for 10-15 minutes to assure the colors don't run into one another.


Q: How did I get mine to look and taste the way it does?

A: I spread 1/3 of the 'cheese' evenly over the crust. I plopped some raspberries on top. I froze the cake for 10-15 minutes. I blended some raspberries into the remaining 2/3 of the 'cheese' until I reached a smooth and creamy consistency with a pretty color and then spread that over the plain cheesecake. I froze the cake for 6 hours. Then I had a blast eating a nice slice.

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Creamy Homemade Chocolate

Here's a quick post about how to make creamy homemade chocolate.

This is vegan, healthier than what you'll buy in stores and equally or more delicious.

The measurements in the recipe can be altered to make a larger or smaller portion.


Creamy Homemade Chocolate:

Ingredients:

~ Cacao powder - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut oil - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut sugar or maple syrup - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla - 1 tbsp

~ Salt - 1 pinch

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix.

2. Pour into a container and spread evenly.

Store in the freezer. You just made chocolate! You go, you!

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