cashews – StyleNectar

Iced Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflakes

Raw Vegan Iced Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflake Cookies

Merry Christmas Friends!

Iced Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflakes are SO darn incredible it's as though a Christmas angel flew in to my kitchen and took over my brain to bring these delectable (semi totally addictive) cookies to life. Yes, they're raw vegan… but don't bother telling anyone as they won't know the difference. Are they healthy – yes, of course they're totally amazing for you… but again, don't bother telling anyone that either as, again, they won't know the difference, they're so tasty. The insane cardamom icing is worth making alone, however, once spread atop these unbelievable Chai Snickerdoodle cut-outs, it's seriously all over – SO divine!

Iced Chai Snickerdoodles Snowflake Cookies are the stuff Holiday dreams are made of… heck these gorgeous little cookies are perfect all winter long. Come spring just switch up your cookie cutter to a tulip or a bunny and you're good to go. You'll never want to be without your stash. Trust.

Raw Vegan Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflake Cookies

Raw Vegan Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflake Cookie-Cake!

Recipe for Iced Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflake Cookies

Makes 3-4 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutters & your ability to restrain yourself from eating all the dough & icing prior 🙂 Make the dough and icing 2 days in advance. Do your cutouts the day after. Dehydrate. Then ice the 3rd day.

INGREDIENTS

Raw Vegan Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflake Cookies

3 cups oat flour (made from 2 c oat groats processed in Vitamix)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cups medjool dates
1 t celtic salt
1 t Ceylon cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1 1/4 t cardamom
1 T powdered stevia
1 T vanilla powder or 2 T vanilla extract
2/3 cup almond butter
1/3 cup coconut nectar
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup + 2 T filtered water + extra as needed

Raw Vegan Cardamom Icing

1 t vanilla powder or 2 t vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut butter
3/4 cup cashews soaked for 8 hours, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
3 drops edible grade lemon essential oil (or sub fresh lemon juice)
fresh ground cardamom powder for sprinkling as the most-incredibly-delicious-do-not-skip-it garnish

METHOD

Raw Vegan Chai Snickerdoodle Snowflake Cookies

Place oat flour, coconut flour, dates, celtic salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, stevia, vanilla and almond butter in a large capacity food processor and process, scraping the sides of the bowl many times until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add coconut nectar, coconut oil and 1/4 cup filtered water and process until fully incorporated and the mixture comes together as a dough. Add more water by the Tbsp as needed. Taste to adjust seasonings & sweetness. It will have the texture of gingerbread dough.
Dump the dough out, halve it, and form it into two smooth discs. Tightly cover each disc in saran and place in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day remove one disc at a time, allow to come to room temp for 20 minutes, then roll out to 1/4" (1/4" is much easier to work with) or 1/16", just as you would standard gingerbread or sugar cookie dough. Rolling the dough on a piece of parchment paper placed on a large cutting board works well for no-slipping. Also, I use my french handle-free rolling pin and find it's much less effortful than a standard handle rolling pin.
As you cut each shape, press the cookie cutter into the chilled dough, then pull the edges away from the cutter on the sides that are un-usable, then pick up the cutter with dough still inside and tap it out onto a silpat lined dehydrator sheet. As you can see, I used about the most difficult intricate snowflake designs one could use- to make it easier, I gently pushed out the skinny parts using the end of a spatula or my finger tips. You should have no problems, especially if using a less intricate cutter.
Once you've cut out all your cookies, put them into your dehydrator on 135F for 1 1/2 hours, then turn down to 115F for another 1 hour or until they're firm enough to transfer from a silpat to a screen. Transfer is easy: simply place a dehdrator tray fitted w/ a screen over the cookies on their silpat lined tray, flip over with your hands keeping everything aligned. Next peel the silpat off the cookies and place them back into the dehdrator, now on their screens, for 2 – 4 more hours or until reach your desired crispness. I personally like the cookies just slightly chewy, however they're also delicious crispy! (Alternatively, if you don't yet have a dehydrator, put them in the oven on it's lowest setting with the door propped open with a wooden spoon until reach desired crispness. This method doesn't guarantee they'll stay raw.)
Let the cookies cool before icing.

Raw Vegan Icing

Add all the ingredients into a Vitamix and blend scraping the sides down with a spatula several times, til totally combined and creamy.
Scrape out into a bowl and place in the fridge for 2 hours. Before you go to bed, pull the icing back out & let it sit out on the counter overnight. When you awake it will be the perfect icing texture (if your house is about 68F). Otherwise, just leave it in the fridge overnight, come morning, take out the icing and place on your counter for an hour or until reaches icing consistency. If it warms up a bit too much while using, simply pop back into fridge for 10 minutes or until thickened, feeling free to whisk it back up to return it to perfect texture.
Next ice your cookies: this is easiest if you have a couple of large cookie sheets to place cookies on as you ice them. After each tray of cookies is complete, sprinkel with a pinch of fresh cardamom- don't be shy – I LOVE a generous pinch. If it's cold out as in 35F or lower, place your trays outside and the icing will harden almost instantly. Store your cookies in the fridge in airtight containers with layers of parchment separating them.
Snuggle up with a plate full of sweet, iced, caradamom dreams… high-vibe, guilt-free decadence that leaves us looking and feeling just as dreamy 🙂

Do you have a favorite "traditional" recipe you'd like upgraded into a beautiful Vegan & Raw version? Share it below for a chance to have me recreate it for you!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Nutrition & Beauty, Style

Spumoni Christmas Gateau

It's that most wonderfully festive time of the year! When decadent, richly hued Italian Spumoni cakes layered with pistachio cream, chocolate-hazelnut and cherry ice-cream step out dripping in ganache and festooned like royalty in crisp wafer crowns! Let me tell you, I felt like royalty simply having this gorgeousness lighting up my table… so beautiful it was difficult to slice into. However, once past it's exquisite beauty, a creamy slab of this luscious Spumoni Christmas Gateau is a divine flavor celebration fit for holiday Kings and Queens! Heavenly layers of pistachio cream, chocolate-hazelnut and cherry ice-cream studded with candied fruit, chopped pistachios & hazelnuts galore luxuriously dazzle the tastebuds in ultimate comfort and joy!

High Vibe Living Foods like this Italian Spumoni Christmas Gateau are the most gorgeous and delicious on the planet… and they leave us looking and feeling the same way! Italian Spumoni Christmas Gateau is a truly spectacular way to celebrate the Season with amazing raw food deliciousness that doesn't weigh us down but lifts us up… in Peace, Joy and Happiness!

Raw Vegan Spumoni Christmas Gateau w Chocolate Ganache

This is my submission to Ren Behan at Simple & In Season and Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes for No Croutons Required Festive Photos and Bookmarked Recipes. Check them out!

Recipe for Raw Vegan Spumoni Christmas Gateau (Serves 6)

Ingredients

PISTACHIO CREAM

1/2 cup fresh young thai coconut meat (or sub soaked cashews)
2 super ripe bananas
1/2 cup pistachios, separated into 1/4 c & 1/4 c halved or coarsly chopped
4 drops edible grade lemon essential oil (or sub fresh lemon juice)
1/2 t vanilla powder
pinch of celtic salt
stevia to taste

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CREAM

1/2 cup fresh young thai coconut meat or 1/2 cup soaked cashews
2 super ripe bananas
1/3 cup carob powder (or sub cacao or a combo)
1/2 t ceylon cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla powder
1/2 t celtic salt
stevia to taste
2 T + 1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsly chopped

CHERRY CREAM

2/3 cup fresh young thai coconut meat or sub soaked cashews
2 super ripe bananas
2 1/2 T cherry juice concentrate or to taste
1/2 t vanilla powder
stevia to taste
pinch of celtic salt
1/3 cup dried, apple-juice sweetened cherries, lightly chopped as in halved – leaving several whole.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1/4 c extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup carob or cacao
2 T almond butter

Method

PISTACHIO CREAM

Blend all the ingredients in a Vitamix, except the extra 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, until ultra creamy. Taste to adjust flavors as needed.
Stir in the chopped pistachios.
Pour into the bottom of a 6 x 3" removable bottom cake pan and put into the freezer until set.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CREAM

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix, except the extra 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, until ultra smooth and creamy. Taste to adjust flavors as needed.
Stir in chopped hazelnuts.
Pour onto 1st layer once it is set. Place back into freezer to allow 2nd layer to set as well.

CHERRY CREAM

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix, except extra 1/3 cup dried cherries.
Stir in dried cherries.
Pour onto 1st two layers once they're totally set. Place back in freezer to allow 3rd layer to set.

RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Drizzle over cake once it has set. Add decorative toppings at this point so they'll stick. Pop back into the freezer.

RAW VEGAN SPUMONI CHRISTMAS CAKE ASSEMBLY

Well, it's practically finished! However, feel free to add your own special touch as I did, with raw vegan chocolate wafers, dried rose buds, chocolate shavings, a few more chopped pistachios & raw coconut.
Allow the cake to thaw for 45 minutes – hour (or longer just keep an eye on it as we don't want it to totally melt) prior to serving to maximize creaminess.

Enjoy a large slice of high vibe luxurious Christmas indulgence under the light of the tree!

Do you have a favorite "traditional" recipe you'd like upgraded into a beautiful Vegan & Raw version? Share it below for a chance to have me recreate it for you!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Style

Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

These festive and rustic Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate & Caramel are so delectable it feels rather a feat to convey in mere words their divinity… nothing can possibly match the exquisite experience of biting into such a dream! Alas, proceed I must and, fortunately, their sheer memory has already made things easier…

Encapsulating holiday decadence, these tantalizing tartelettes glisten in caramel and drizzles of dark chocolate atop beautiful layers of dried pear tucked inside a cookie-crisp crust finished with clouds of rich, vanilla bean ice-cream. Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream (100% raw & vegan) are not only beautiful to behold I dare say they sing holiday carols to our taste buds with their incredibly vibrant and luxurious flavor. Joy to the World!

The apple (or pear in this case) doesn't fall far from the tree, as the inspiration for these beautiful Pear Tartelettes came from a traditionally cooked pie of the very same name which my husband used to request every holiday, birthday and other opportunity possible. Since he loved it so much it was a necessity to recreate a raw vegan version. Expectations were surpassed by far! This high vibe raw vegan delight is unbelievably BETTER! Of course, I act surprised, perhaps because once upon a time it truly seemed that cooked recipe could not be improved upon if one tried, and yet I'm not. Why wouldn't fresh, living ingredients with 100% of their life force essence completely blow us away!

Pear tartelettes are absolutely phenomenal even without the accompanying Vanilla Bean Ice-cream. However, I'm never disappointed when that small voice of persuasion steers me to take things a step further – and this was no exception. Vanilla Bean Ice-cream is a dream all in itself too! Clouds of pure heaven. And when two dreams unite, as in the case of magical tartelettes topped with pure clouds of heaven, well that's what we call a miracle, fit for celebrations! Both the Tartelettes and the Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream are simple to prepare, though undivided care and attention to each element and sourcing of the very best of ingredients is needed. However, if you're anything like me, cozy, soulful kitchen time when heavenly tastes are a necessary means to perfection, letting go into the process is the reward and the beautiful result is simply one delicious circle of love.

This is my submission to the Tinned Tomatoes & Lisa's Kitchen No Croutons Required + Bookmarked Recipes Challenges and Ren Behan's Simple & in Season!

Recipe for Pear Tartelettes with Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream (Raw & Vegan)

(Makes 2 tartelettes)

INGREDIENTS

Raw Vegan Pear Tartelette, Crust & Crumb Topping

3 Pears, peeled and thinly sliced (1/8")
1 1/4 cup oat groat flour (measure the flour not the groats, grind groats in Vitamix to get flour
3/4 cup dates, pitted
1 t vanilla powder
1 1/2 – 2 T water
3 T extra virgin coconut oil
2-3 drops lemon essential oil (edible grade only)
3/4 t himalayan salt
1/4 cup soaked/sprouted/dehydrated walnuts
2 T raw coconut crystals

Raw Vegan Caramel Filling

1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk + 1 or 2 T more as needed
pinch himalayan salt
1/2 t vanilla powder
1-2 drops lemon essential oil (edible grade only)

Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate

1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 t ceylon cinnamon
pinch of himalayan or celtic sea salt
stevia to taste (I use barely any here)

Raw Vegan Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

16 oz frozen raw baby thai coconut meat
2-3 frozen super ripe bananas
stevia to taste
1/2 t vanilla powder

METHOD

Dried Pears

Assemble sliced pears on a teflex sheet of the dehydrator and dry at 115 for 2-3 hours. Alternatively, dry on lowest setting of your oven w/ oven door propped open an inch, for and hour.

Tartelette Crusts

Process Oat Groat flour, Dates and Vanilla Powder in a food processor until well incorporated and broken down. Add water, essential oil, coconut oil and salt and pulse until fully combined and dough sticks together when pinched between two fingers.
Take 1/3 of the above mixture and set it aside for latter use in crumb topping.
Press the remaining 2/3 into two 4" diameter 3/4" deep pie tart tins.
Place into the dehydrator at 135F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn down to 115 for another hour then remove and set in the freezer. Alternatively, use your oven on lowest setting w/ door propped open an inch for only 1 hour.

Crumb Topping

Toss the mixture set aside in step 2 above with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 2 Tbsp raw coconut crystals until crumb topping coated lumps are achieved. Set aside.

Caramel

Blend all the ingredients in a Vitamix until smooth and creamy adding extra coconut milk as necessary to thin. Place mixture in fridge where it will thicken slightly.

Dark Chocolate

Whisk together all ingredients until completely smooth.

Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix, using the tamper, until super smooth and creamy. Scoop out into an air tight container and set aside. If storing in freezer, allow to come to room temperature for an hour to thaw and make scoopable, before serving. I actually prefer storing mine in the fridge where it retains a whipped ice-cream texture. This ice-cream does not melt away like traditional making it very nice for entertaining!

Tartelette assembly

Smear a thin layer of the caramel across the bottom of each tart shell.
Neatly layer the dried pears inside the two tartelette crusts, smearing a bit of the caramel over each layer, including the top, as you go.
Sprinkle crumb topping over top.
Set tartes in freezer for 20 minutes to set.
Remove from freezer and drizzle tartes with dark chocolate.
Optional: Drizzle a very TINY amount (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) of coconut nectar across the top for an extra caramel topping affect. Don't go overboard or it will turn into a sticky ooey-gooey mess!
Place back in freezer for final set. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Tartelettes can be served whole or sliced into 4 – 6 pieces and topped with Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream. The Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream will not melt at room temperature making these perfect for entertaining!
Revel with pleasure on a cloud of Sweet Holiday Bliss!

Do you have a holiday favorite you'd like upgraded to a high vibe raw & vegan version? Share in the comments below for the opportunity to have me recreate it for you!

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Style

Bread Pudding Stuffed Pumpkin with Creme Caramel Drizzle

Happy Holidays Friends 🙂 Bread Pudding Stuffed Pumpkin with Creme Caramel Drizzle is a deliciously sweet treat to serve up to your family and friends during this beautiful season of gratitude. Who doesn't love a moist, rich, fruit studded bread pudding… cooked up and presented in a pumpkin no less!

Bread Pudding Stuffed Pumpkin with Creme Caramel Drizzle takes a comfort food classic to new heights in presentation and flavor with its over-the-top-unbelievable Creme Caramel Drizzle – people, we're talking uncharted territories – this raw vegan caramel is so seriously amaze!

As always, in true StyleNectar form, we're keeping all the indulgence and none of the guilt. I've replaced cream with rich, full-fat, medium-chain saturated fatty acid boasting coconut milk, butter for creamy, immune & beauty-boosting coconut oil, and delicious low-glycemic, nutrient rich coconut nectar for sugar… along with a gorgeous gluten-free crusty farmer's market loaf tossed with loads of moist raisins, plump apple-juice sweetened dried cranberries, sprouted pecans, ginger, cardamom and ceylon cinammon (I don't use cassia cinnamon as it's toxic & tastes no where near as delish as ceylon).

It's as easy as tossing everything together, stuffing the pumpkin and next thing you know the house smells diiiii-vine 🙂 Prepare one larger pumpkin or several individual pumpkins… the choice is yours. Regardless, how you do it, it's a show stopper and a sweet treat everyone will love and remember 🙂

This is my submission to Tinned Tomatoes & Lisa's Kitchen No Croutons Required & Bookmarked Recipes Challenges and to Ren Behan's Simple & In Season!

Recipe: Bread Pudding Stuffed Pumpkin w Creme Caramel Drizzle

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb sugar pumpkin, a nice lid cut out of the top & set aside, seeds & stringy flesh removed
1 cup, 1" cubed gluten free crusty bread
1/2 cup pecans roughly chopped (as in halved)
1/4 cup jumbo thompson raisins
1/4 cup apple juice sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup large flaked coconut (optional)
3 tsp EnerG egg replacement mixed w 1/4 cup warm water (the equivalent of 2 pastured eggs)
2 Tbsp coconut oil melted
1/4 – 1/3 cup coconut nectar or coconut crystals
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ginger
sea salt to season interior of pumpkin, and to season mixture to taste
1/2-3/4 cup coconut milk

Creme Caramel Drizzle

1 cup raw cashews soaked 6 hours & drained
1/2 cup raw coconut nectar
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
Sea Salt to taste
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla powder

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Spread coconut oil around the bottom and sides of a deep dish suitable to house your pumpkin.
Place 3 or 4 bread cubes around the interior bottom of the pumpkin to soak up juices.
In a large bowl toss together the rest of the bread pudding ingredients, reserving 1/2 the coconut milk, until everything is well moistened and incorporated.
Layer the bread pudding mixture into the pumpkin being careful to distribute the nuts and dried fruit througout so it doesn't all end up at the bottom. As you layer, drizzle the rest of the coconut milk, again helping to distribute it amongst the layers. Pack it firmly, and, since all pumpkins are shaped differently, if you have leftover bread pudding mixture, simply bake it up alongside in a couple of coconut oiled baking ramekins or tiny bundt tins.
Place the pumpkin "lid" back on the pumpkin and bake for an hour 1/2 to 2 hours (checking on it after an hour 1/2) until juices are bubbling out and the skin is easily pierced with a knife. The bread pudding will rise up out of the top of the pumpkin in a most satisfactory fashion!
Meantime, make your creme caramel by simply whizzing up the ingredients in your vitamix until smooth and creamy. Pour into a dish and place in the fridge where it will thicken further.
When Bread Pudding is finished allow to cool enough to safely handle, then serve warm, either by the slice or by scooping it into small dishes, being sure to include the yummy pumpkin insides with each serving. Drizzle generously with Creme Caramel and drift off into bread pudding bliss!

Will you make yours in multiple pumpkins or one larger pumpkin like I did? What are your Holiday plans?

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty, Style

Raw Vegan Carrot Cake w Lemon Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

An amazing slice of Raw Vegan Carrot Cake w Lemon Cashew "Cream Cheese" Frosting

This insanely delicious and beautiful raw vegan Carrot Cake with Lemony Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting is hands down The BEST cake I've ever had… ever, ever, ever! Layers of incredibly fresh, moist, gorgeous cake tucked between the dreamiest, luscious, lemon cashew cream cheese frosting. Sweet decadence that tastes like food fit for the Gods. The stuff dreams and Birthday's are made of…

Raw Carrot Cake w Lemony Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting topped with zest, pistachios, flaked coconut & edible rose petals

Proving once again, we literally can have our (carrot) cake and eat it too… no sacrifices to our tastebuds, health or beauty here! Nope! We get to enjoy outrageous flavor, high vibrational health and beauty boosting rawsomeness galore.

Yes, we can have it all!

Please enjoy this little slice of heaven. I made a smaller 6 inch cake with a glass dish I had in the cupboard. I simply lined it with saran wrap, let the cake set, then lifted it out with it's saran handles. Alternatively, one could use a 6 inch removable bottom cake pan or free form the layers by hand. If you want to make a larger cake just double the recipe. I topped my carrot cake with a sprinkling of large flaked dried coconut, chopped lime green pistachios, the candied zest* of a lemon and an orange, and lastly, some edible dried rose petals from the very last rose of the season in our garden.

This is my submission to Tinned Tomatoes & Fuss Free Flavours Bookmarked Recipes Challenge and to Ren Behan's & Feedingboys' Simple and in Season.

Raw and loaded with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, this Carrot Cake with Lemon Chream Cheese Frosting is full of life!

Enjoy!

Recipe for Raw Vegan Carrot Cake with Lemon Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves 4 or 6 smaller pieces. This is a nutritionally dense recipe & a small piece is very satisfying)

Ingredients

Lemon Cashew "Cream Cheese" Frosting

NOTE: Below is a double frosting recipe since it would be a crime to run out of frosting mid-cake prep… + I love the extra in breakfast parfaits, as smoothie topping & as a divine mousse. However, feel free to cut this recipe in half if you wish.

2 cups cashews (soaked overnight, well rinsed & drained to remove enzyme inhibitors)
1/2 lemon peeled, seeded
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
2 Tbsp coconut nectar or to taste (or sub stevia)
pinch of celtic salt
coconut water as needed (or sub water)

Carrot Cake

4 or 5 large carrots peeled & chunked (I used 4 this time cause I forgot the 5th in the strainer basket)
1/2 lemon peeled & seeded
2 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup dried apricots (or substitute another 1/2 cup pitted dates)
1 pinky fresh ginger
2 Tbsp coconut nectar (or sub raw honey or maple syrup)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
pinch of celtic salt
Optional Cake Toppings: Sprouted nuts like pecans, walnuts, pistachios, dried fruit, candied citrus zest*, flaked raw coconut… its up to your imagination!

Method

**NOTE: You can (& should) make this cake a day or two in advance as the flavors meld & become even more fantastic with each additional day.

Blend all the frosting ingredients together in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix to create a thick, smooth "cream cheese" frosting, adding only as much liquid as necessary. Pop it in the fridge while making the cake.
Add all the Carrot Cake ingredients into a large food processor and pulse til fully incorporated and sticking together.
Press half the mixture into a 6" wide by 3" deep dish (ideally, use a removable bottom cake pan, I happened to have a 6" x 3" glass dish which I lined with saran).
Spread a thick layer of cream cheese frosting over the first cake layer and pop the whole thing into the freezer to set for an hour.
Add the second half of cake mixture pressing gently on top. Place cake back in freezer for an hour or overnight.
Remove the cake from the pan or dish and place on top of your cake plate (if using my saran method, simply lift out using the saran handles)
Frost the entire cake and decorate with your choice of toppings.

Do you have a favorite "traditional" recipe you'd like upgraded into a beautiful Vegan or Raw version? Share it below for a chance to have me recreate it for you!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

Comment, Like, Subscribe & Share!

Food

Better than Dairy Nut Milks

Fresh homemade Almond Milk: the creamiest, freshest milk you've ever had.

Originally, I began this post with all the amazing benefits of drinking homemade Nut Milks. However, since I absolutely adore making them for how fabulous they taste – let's lead with flavor! We're talking creamy, richness like you won't believe. And, while the subtle, sweet, mellow flavor of nut milk alone is very satisfying, there is a whole range of sweeteners from dates, honey, maple syrup or figs, and flavors such as cinnamon, cacao, vanilla powder, or whatever you choose to add, to customize them in even more amazing ways! Prepare them as rich & creamy as you like, simply by adjusting the amount of filtered water you add. So pure. So good.

Homemade Nut Milk is delicious enough to have for dessert! Warning: You may have trouble stopping at just one glass 🙂

Nothing beats a straight up jar of creamy, rich Almond, Brazil Nut or Walnut Milk (Recipes & variations below). However, Nut Milks are extremely versatile and can also be used for morning cereal, smoothies, hot chocolate, soups, for fabulous raw vegan ice-cream (Strawberry or Peaches-n-Cream anyone?) and even in baking and cooking as swap outs for dairy. Basically anwhere we may have used a dairy milk we can substitute Nut Milks!

Fresh Brazil Nut Milks and Macadamia Nut Milk standing by!

Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein as well as being rich in phytonutrients, minerals, fiber and antioxidants such as selenium and vitamin E. One of the best ways to prepare nuts and seeds is to make these delicious, enzyme-rich nut milks.

Nuts should be pre-soaked for 8-12 hours before blending in a heavy duty blender such as a Vitamix, to neutralize enzyme inhibitors, enabling excellent digestion, and to reduce phytates, increasing mineral availability. Sprouting is an excellent (optional) 2nd step which cultures the nuts adding a rich source of probiotics to the nut milk. Sprouting is done by simply draining the soaked nuts then adding to a sprouting jar or colander for another 8-12 hours, and finishing with a thorough rinse.

The freshly made, completely raw and live, preservative-free nut milks we make in our own kitchen will far exceed the taste and nutrition of commercial nut milks and stay fresh for five or six days in the fridge. These delicious recipes are as simple to make as their variations are endless. I've even included instructions for no-soak-required instant nut milk too!

A bottle of freshly made Sunflower-Hemp Milk. Sooo good! And amazing for our bodies too!

The pristine, yumminess of these delicious Nut Milks will have us hooked at first sip… while the myriad benefits replacing dairy has on our health are a huge added bonus. These milks really can do the body good!

**Do enough research on dairy and you'll likely shift away from it. Feel free to check out this video in which I discuss the body's pH and dairy's role in creating acidic conditions (dairy is acidic post mobilization) causing osteoporosis and other highly undesirable outcomes (an acidic body being a magnet for disease). Read more here. If the health implications of consuming dairy aren't impetus enough to limit our consumption, the unfortunate experience the poor cows go through (read about that here) and all the icky stuff that makes it into the end product- which I just deleted cause it's that gross so you can read about that here - probably will.

Nut milks really can do the body good :)

The pulp that remains from strained nut milk can be used in raw crackers, cookies or as flour for crusts of desserts. Creamier nuts such as cashews and pecans, blend right into smooth milk, no straining required, making them even easier to prepare. Of course, 15 second instant nut milk is easiest of all. No matter how we make them, the end results are full of beautiful, luscious flavor and goodness for our body, mind and spirit!

Enzyme & probiotic-rich, living foods create healthier, brighter, energetic bodies!

Recipes for Almond Milk, Walnut Milk & Brazil Nut Milk

(For probiotic-rich, cultured, nut milk, add the optional sprouting step after soaking by simply draining the soaked nuts then adding to either a sprouting jar (& turning a few times over the 8-12 hrs) or to a colander for 8-12 hours.)

Ingredients

4 cups filtered water
1 cup raw, organic almonds soaked 8-12 hours, rinsed well & drained (or Brazil Nuts soaked 2 hrs, or Walnuts soaked 6 hrs, both rinsed well & drained)
5 or 6 pitted dates (or 2 Tbsp maple syrup or 3 Tbsp raw honey)
vanilla powder to taste (or 1 Tbsp vanilla extract)
Optional: coconut butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves & sea salt to taste added to step 2 below.

Method

Blend 2 cups water and 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts in Vitamix for 1 1/2 minutes. If using Brazil Nuts blend for 1 minute.
Add the remaining 2 cups water, 1/2 cup nuts, dates and vanilla and blend for another minute (1 1/2 minutes for Brazil nuts). If using Optional ingredients add them at this step too.
Strain through a nut milk bag and store in a glass container in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!!

*Creamier nuts such as cashews and pecans (soaked first) blend right into smooth milk, no straining required.

~

Recipe for 15 Second Instant Nut Milk

Ingredients

2 cups filtered water
2 or 3 heaping tablespoons raw nut butter (any kind you like from almond, cashew, pepita and walnut!)
3 or 4 pitted dates (or maple syrup, raw honey etc.)
vanilla powder or vanilla extract to taste
sea salt to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix until smooth and enjoy!

~

Are the leaves on the trees where you live? Here on the East Coast the leaves seem to be doubling in size by the day. Usually all the leaves are out by May 7th!

What else is going on in your part of the world? It's been pouring like crazy for a couple of days here… the birds & plants are quite pleased 🙂

All Love,

Juliane

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Philosophy/Meditation/Spirituality

Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

Minus the Dairy & Roasting 🙂

A luscious bowl of Cream of Roasted Red Bell Soup

Hello dear friends! I'm back! Please pardon my brief hiatus… things have been very busy here with lots of exciting changes in the air. While it's too soon to share any details yet, at least I can say I've been walking further down my spiritual path, getting closer to what my heart desires… embracing freedom by continuing to let go of my little old- and highly addictive- ego. Speaking of which, ego's unhelpful little voice is yammering at me right now, "What the heck does any of this have to do with Red Bell Pepper Soup?" Nothing! It's a blog, dear ego. And thank you, as always, for your ever-so-helpful non-stop commentary. However, I have a post to attend to so buh - bye 🙂

So yum yummy and pretty too!

So, back to the subject of this post… As you've noticed, I've been rolling out all the recipes from my yummy raw vegan holiday feast, each of which can be incorporated, deliciously, into our repetoire all year long. My Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup is completely fabulous. Full of 'roasted' flavor from my (no longer) secret ingredients Smoked Paprika and a shot of smoky Coconut Aminos. Creamy decadence abounds with the addition of omega 3, copper, iron and manganese laden raw cashews. Red Bell Pepper is the star of the show showing off its tantalizing color and vitamin C power. Add along some water and a few spices to your Vitamix, whiz until steamy and, Bam! Instant bowl of warm, longevity-building, glow-enhancing goodness!

Jim looooves this recipe… he thinks it tastes like pizza 🙂

I want to share one more quick thought, or a reminder really, on incorporating Raw Vegan Living Foods into your diet, right before I get to the recipe. You all have accompanied me on my ever-evolving journey to optimal health thus far and, as promised, I'll continue to share everything I experience and learn along the way. Obviously, by now you've picked up on the fact that I continue eating a Raw Vegan diet because it makes me feel amazing, both physically, mentally and spiritually. Remember my first green drink? Rocket Fuel! It's what got me instantly hooked! However, my head was definitely ahead of my body – I wanted to dive full-on in to 100% Raw – and I did. Everything went swimmingly for a good while actually- until I hit a major detox, randomly out of the blue, which told me to scale back. This is par for the course, however, it can be alarming if one isn't prepared for it. I got back on track and plunged ahead once again with full abandon… and the same thing happened again and again. I've experienced everything from hives (which I've never previously had in my life) to sinus issues, joint pains, headaches and more. I always know it's detox (also known as a healing crisis or, in medical terms, a Herxheimer Reaction) because I'm leading such an insanely clean lifestyle (no dairy, no sugar, no meat, no coffee, no gluten, no allergenic grains, no unsoaked nuts, no processed food, alcohol etc) – plus I've read a billion detox books to know what's going on. Although, I take that back about the insanely clean part- on a couple of trips I did have some of those aforementioned items- and that can throw a person into detox as well- if a body is insanely clean- it actually can't handle toxicity as well. The body repells the foreign invader with mucus production or through the skin in a rash etc because the body is no longer tolerant to it. Think about trying a cigarette for the first time or having your first drink of alcohol. Same thing. So, what I want to make clear is it's not really a great idea to push our bodies too hard in this way. Either in the beginning or once we're really clean, going back to our former ways, as we can pull up too much toxicity at once causing a compounding effect. Some of us will experience less detox than others, however we do all want to pay close attention to the cues our body provides. This journey is about being in tune with life, in tune with our real homes, our bodies. For some of us, we may never want to be 100% Raw Vegan or even 100% vegetarian for that matter. Everyone has unique nutritional needs, a unique history, etc. This isn't a contest. It's about treating ourselves with loving kindness, respect and care. Not perfectionism. The bottom line is it's healthy to incorporate lots of raw fruits, veggies, high quality grains (quinoa, millet & buckwheat are my favs, packed with amino acids, calcium, iron etc) and sprouted nuts, seeds & legumes. I have to admit continually paying the price for going too strong because I just feel so darn good, yet it can result in detoxing too much too fast! So let me be your example to incorporate changes sloooooowly. And then, once our cells are squeaky clean, it's probably best not to go back to our old ways as our bodies become more sensitive and won't be able to handle toxicity in the same manner.

Without further ado…

Recipe for Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup (serves 2)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (reserve 1/2 cup to add in at end for texture)
1/3 cup cashews or macadamia nuts (soaked overnight) 
1 cup water (plus a bit more on hand to adjust to perfect consistency) 
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
a splash of Coconut Aminos (lower in sodium) or Braggs Aminos  (high in sodium)
garlic powder to taste 
himalayan salt to taste 
1 scallion sliced thinly, reserved for garnish

Method

Add everything except extra reserved diced bell pepper and sliced scallion to Vitamix or high speed blender.
Whiz until steamy.
Pour into pretty bowls or plain bowls since the soup is so pretty it really doesn't matter! Garnish with sliced scallion.
Enjoy yummy warm goodness in your tummy with a special friend. Or save the 2nd serving for yourself. I won't tell 🙂

Would you rather have the recipe for my raw Sesame-Flax Crackers or probiotic rich, Herbed 'Goat' Cheese in my next post? Or both! Let me know and I'll post whichever receives the most votes.

Also, let me know if you have any questions about anything raw vegan or simply tell me how you're doing! One thing is certain, I'll be happy to hear from you and you can count on my thoughtful reply 🙂

All Love,

Juliane

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Food

French Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie

I am in love with plant based Living Foods! SO fresh. So clean. So flavorful. Not to mention energizing, beautifying & healing… they taste better than traditional cooked fare! I really feel it's what nature intended for our nourishment.

French Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie with "whipped cream" is no exception – this coming from a girl who always disliked hated pumpkin pie – that is until 6 years ago, when I discovered an amazing French recipe for cooked Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie. Of course, now that I follow a primarily Raw Vegan foodstyle (because it tastes and makes me feel so amazing!) I had to figure out a way to upgrade that French recipe to a delicious, enzyme rich, Living Foods version.

Perfect for entertaining – or for just having as your own special, beautifying treat awaiting you in the freezer. Since it's frozen it remains beautifully fresh compared to a traditional pie.

This knockout has a candied cookie-like crust and a creamy cheesecake-esque pumpkin filling.

Oh, and shhh… don't tell anyone about the secret ingredient that makes this SO much creamier & delish than any pumpkin pie you've had before (carrot juice). Plus, as always, it's unbelievably simple to prepare.

Please enjoy!

Recipe for French Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie

Crust:  

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup raw pecans (or a combo of pecan, macadamia & walnuts, preferably soaked overnight & deydrated for 24 hours)
 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts (preferably soaked overnight & dehydrated for 24 hours)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
1 1/2 tablespoons date paste (or use 2-3 dates mixed into 1st step of nut processing- just be careful not to turn the nuts into date-nut butter!)
1/2 tsp himalayan salt

Method:

Place nuts in food processor, pulse into small crumbs – be mindful not to overprocess into nut butter!
Combine the rest of ingredients by hand in a separate bowl.
Add this mixture to the crumbed nuts, mixing by hand until fully incorporated. Mixture should stick together when pinched between fingers.
Dump this into a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom (or use saran if tart pan is one piece). If you don't have a tart pan, use a pie plate with saran.
Press mixture firmly into tart pan or pie plate. Depending on size of your pan, thickness of your crust, you may have extra crust left over (especially if using the shorter edged tart pan. No problem! Just make some mini tarts or cutout a few "cookies" with your favorite cookie cutter! Once dehydrated fill the extra tarts with any leftover filling you may have- or with a little cashew cream topped with fresh sliced fruit! Pretty & Yummy 🙂
Dehydrate 48 hours at 115. 
Chill crust in freezer for 1/2 hour before filling.

Filling

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup chopped pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup 
1/2 cup coconut oil 
1/2 cup carrot juice plus 1/4 cup reserved for blending assistance if needed (yes that's right, carrot juice!)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
 1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Method:

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until super smooth. Add additional 1/4 cup carrot juice as needed to facilitate blending- tho try not to use more than 2 tablespoons. 
Pour into tart crust and chill in freezer overnight.
Store in freezer and slice it right out of the freezer.
Add a small dallop of whipped cream (click preceding link for recipe!) if desired.

**Disclaimer! The above recipe is my tweaked version which is SO amazing as I've already mentioned, I know:) However, I wasn't able to get pictures of it so the pics here are of the 1st version which looks a little different. The above tweaked recipe will have a more solid, finely ground crust and the filling is much smoother and creamier. Bottom line, your pie will have a less grainy texture in both the filling & crust. Although they look somewhat similar I wanted to point this out.

Let me know how you like this one! Did you make any tweaks to make it your own? How were your Holidays? Any New Year's Resolutions?

All Love,

Juliane

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Food

Cream of Celery Soup

My hubby used to be a canned, creamed soup connoisseur with Cream of Celery at the top of his favorites. Of course, unless we've been living under a rock, we're aware that canned soups are an Mmmm Mmmm Bad choice if we're interested in amazing health, vitality & happiness 🙂 You can imagine my delight when I served this delicious Raw Vegan version and he had no idea it wasn't "cooked" or that it didn't have cream in it! Yes, it is that good. And SO easy!

It would be a perfect first course for a holiday dinner, in fact I'll be serving a red bell pepper twist on it for Christmas. Plus, as promised, I'm making an entirely Raw Vegan Christmas Dinner so stay tuned as I'll be sharing it all with you!

Without further ado…

Warm, creamy decadence full of fresh flavor!

It doesn't geet easier than throwing all the ingredients into a Vitamix!

Voila! Enzyme rich, cleansing, beautifying, living foods power!

Recipe for Cream of Celery Soup (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped organic celery (it's on the dirty dozen list!)
1/4 cup organic Raw Cashews
1/2 avocado
1 garlic clove
Himalayan Pink Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to garnish
A splash of purified water to get it going (& it may not even be necessary!) then adjust carefully to achieve desired consistency

Method:

Finely dice a bit of the celery & set aside for garnishing
Add the rest of the celery thru Himalayan Salt to your high speed blender.
Blend until the soup is creamy and steaming hot (to the temperature of a baby's bottle will keep it raw or to 105F)
Pour into bowls and garnish with reserved diced celery & fresh ground pepper.
Enjoy!

What are your holiday plans?

Do you have a favorite raw vegan recipe makeover?

Much Love

&

Happy Holidays!

Juliane

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Food

Chop-Chop Salad

Chop-Chop Salad by Mimi Kirk

This delicious Chop-Chop Salad recipe from my personal role-model, the gorgeous Raw Food Chef, Mimi Kirk (click on her name for an amazing video), is the perfect crisp, refreshing meal for a Summer evening. The tangy dressing is absolutely phenomenal- rich and creamy with a zippy zest I just love. In fact, I find the dressing so tasty I also like to let it shine on it's own as a delectable sauce over a beautiful plate of yellow squash spaghetti (I prefer yellow squash over zucchini for my raw vegan version of spaghetti).

Please enjoy this tantalizing recipe!

Ingredients:

(Feel free to substitute in the vegetables you have on hand or whatever is in season)

1/2 yellow squash
1/2 zucchini
4 stalks asparagus
1 cup broccoli
7 string beans
1/2 parsnip
1-2 small carrot
1 cup red cabbage
1/2 turnip
1/4 fennel bulb
Fresh whole herbs such as mint, tarragon, sorrel, and dill for garnish

Dressing

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup tahini
¼ bunch of fresh parsley
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup cashews
3–4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup coconut aminos or gluten free tamari
Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly milled pepper
2–3 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of choice
1 tablespoon or less water, added slowly while blending if thinning is necessary

Method

Chop all vegetables into small, even pieces. (Feel free to substitute in the vegetables you have on hand or whatever is in season.)
Add dressing ingredients to a blender & blend until smooth.
Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and add desired amount of dressing. (I used it all, it depends on the amount/size of your veg)
For beautiful plating, use a ring mold or, an empty 8 oz. can with top and bottom removed. Pack the salad into the ring, pressing down firmly. Slowly lift up the can while pushing the salad down with a spoon, leaving a cylindrical stack of salad in the middle of the plate. Garnish with a sprig of dill, tarragon or mint.
Best served chilled.

Check out Mimi's two beautiful cookbooks at her website YoungOnRawFood.

How is your Summer going?

Lots of love,

xoxo

Juliane

You may also enjoy: Dearest Pasta Alfredo, It's been way too long…

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