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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 🙂

Comment, Like, Subscribe & Share!

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 🙂

Comment, Like, Subscribe & Share!

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

ultimate rustic caramel apples w chocolate ganache

+ a simple no-fuss way to serve them at parties!

raw vegan caramel apples

Oh. my. goodness. These Rustic Raw Vegan Caramel Apples might be my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten to date… WOW! Like you’ve got to make these asap. So simple. So incredibly delicious. MMMMMMmmmmmmm.

Let’s just say I’ve ALWAYS had a thing for caramel… and this raw vegan version is way yummier! Smear it all over a crisp apple, roll it in your favorite toppings and then drizzle chocolate ganache all over – the ULTIMATE!

Forget that these are healthy, they taste BETTER than anything you’ve ever had. Forget that they’re filled with amazing nutrition and life force that is going to make you feel and look phenomenal, cause the pure utter enjoyment in every bite is enough on its own. Crisp, juicy apple wrapped in thick, gooey caramel, with a light crunch of chopped walnuts and dark, dark chocolate ganache. Again, I’ve gotta call this treat food fit for the Gods.

And a treat…

Perfect for Autumn, for kiddos, and wonderful for entertaining too! These Rustic Caramel Apples slice right up with ease for display on your favorite platter. Trust, they won’t last long!

mind-blowing raw vegan caramel apples w chocolate ganache

I almost skipped over how unbelievable these Ultimate Rustic Caramel Apples are for our bodies, minds and spirit… because they’re so darn delicious I don’t want anyone to be turned off thinking, if they’re so healthy how can they taste so great? However, here’s the thing…

Amazing flavor, ultimate health, pure joy and our highest potential beauty & vitality need not be mutually exclusive!

These Caramel Apples are enzymatically alive, containing all the power of life force, and they also happen to be incredible immune boosters thanks to the raw coconut nectar and oil. Coconut nectar is low glycemic (with a GI of 35), gluten free, dairy free, non- GMO, vegan, contains 17 amino acids, minerals, B-vitamins, vitamin C and has a nearly neutral pH. Unprocessed coconut products such as the coconut nectar and oil used in this recipe are brimming with health and immune boosting power including :(1) (2)

Heart Health: the healthy short chain and medium chain fatty acids along with large amount of lauric acid protect against heart disease.
Reduction of Sweet Cravings: insulin secretion & utilization of blood glucose is improved while the healthy fat in coconut slows down any rise in blood sugar helping to reduce hypoglycemic cravings.
Improved Digestion: Absorption of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids is supported while many symptoms and inflammatory conditions associated with digestive and bowel disorders are improved.
Quick Energy Boost: Coconut is utilized by the body to actually produce energy rather than to store it as body fat.
Promotes Healthy Thyroid Function: and helps to relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue.
Immune Booster: coconut is Hypoallergenic and contains Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal & Anti-parasitic healing properties.

1) http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org

2) http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/a-new-look-at-coconut-oil/

Please enjoy these beautiful and delicious, high vibration Rustic Raw Vegan Caramel Apples with the freshest most amazing flavor that also feeds our highest potential health, beauty and vitality!

RECIPE for RAW VEGAN RUSTIC CARAMEL APPLES w CHOCOLATE GANACHE (Makes 4-6 apples)

INGREDIENTS

4-6 clean, medium sized apples, stems removed
4-6 clean sticks from your yard (or use popsicle sticks) for handles
3/4 of a cup finely chopped walnuts (preferably sprouted & dehydrated- plus they taste SO much better this way!), coconut or your fav other toppings

Raw Vegan Caramel

1/2 cup liquified extra virgin coconut oil (to liquify: set a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water, add coconut oil & stir til melted) Alternatively, you may sub equivalent dates or date paste which does make for easier adherance onto apple – I just love the taste of the coconut oil- tho both are super yum!
1/2 cup raw nut butter (such as almond, cashew, sunflower or pepita butter)
1/2 cup raw, organic coconut nectar
4 pitted dates
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp himalayan salt

Raw Vegan Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil liquified
1/2 cup cacao or carob
1/2 cup nut butter
1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp himalayn salt
a few drops of stevia to taste

METHOD

To insert the apple “handles” with ease, first make a slit about 1/3 the way down in the top middle of each apple with a sharp knife, then insert the sticks. Find a small platter and place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on it. You will be placing your apples on this during preparatin to catch excess caramel and chocolate. Place apples in the freezer for 10 minutes as this makes it easy for the caramel to adhere.
Blend together the caramel ingredients til smooth & creamy. Set in freezer to cool for 5 minutes while preparing chocolate ganache.
Whisk together the chocolate ganache ingredients until smooth and creamy. The mixture should not be overly runny, so adjust the amount of nut butter as necessary, slightly thicker is best for easy application. Set aside on the counter at room temp.
Remove apples from freezer and place on your platter. If any of them are unstable, slice a small piece off the bottom to stabalize. Remove caramel from freezer as well & give it a stir to loosen it up a bit.
With a small metal spatula apply the caramel to each apple, placing each apple on your platter as complete. Put the platter of caramel slathered apples back into the freezer for 5 minutes to set a bit. Don’t worry if some of the caramel slides down. Just pat it back up with your finger tips. We’ll be covering these babies up with your choice of toppings in a minute and they’re RUSTIC!
Remove apples from freezer once again & take this opportunity to patch any spots where you may want to add a bit more caramel. Roll in your choice of finely chopped nuts, coconut etc. Pop back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove the apples from the freezer. Whisk your chocolate ganache to be sure it’s well incorporated, and then drizzle it about your apples. (If you happen to have a squeeze top bottle use it for even simpler ganache application. Alternatively, place the ganache into a freezer bag, snip the TINIEST of little snips off the corner and then squeeze out the ganache using the freezer bag like a pastry bag.) Once complete, pop apples back in freezer for 5 minutes to set. Then move to fridge for permanent storage.
For entertaining, slice the apples as shown and arrange on your favorite platter.

**Leftover caramel? Use it as a dipping sauce or smoothie topper! Leftover ganache? Pour into little molds (or onto a wax paper lined surface) & pop into the freezer for instant raw chocolates 🙂

Do you have any holiday classics you’d like to have me upgrade to a vegan or raw version? Let me know in the comments!

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, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty

Strawberries-n-Cream “Nice-Cream” w Raw Brownie Topping (Banana Ice-Cream)

Strawberries-n-Cream Nice-cream with raw fudge brownie topping. Heaven.

Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice-Cream" with Raw Fudge Brownie Topping tastes too good to be true. So incredibly delicious on a hot summer day… Sweet, creamy goodness topped with chunks of rich chocolate brownie.

How did we get SO lucky?!

Proving once again…

we CAN have our

Smooth,

Rich,

Delectably sweet

"Nice-Cream" …

AND our

Moist,

Chewy,

Dark Chocolate

Brownies

& eat them too

AND devour every last delectable bite

with

absolutely. no. guilt.

Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice"-Cream with Raw Fudge Brownie Topping… um YUM!

In fact this luscious treat is a powerful meal like no other. Brimming with…

protein (walnuts, almonds, bananas)
heart, skin & brain boosting omega-3's (walnuts)
blood pressure stabilizing potassium (bananas)
antioxidants galore (walnuts, almonds, strawberries & cacao)
mood-boosting PEA (cacao)
bone building calcium & magnesium (almonds, bananas)
high levels of depression banishing & memory enhancing tryptophan (bananas)
prebiotics, natural antacid & blood sugar stabilization (bananas)
iron (cacao, bananas)
fiber (almonds, walnuts, bananas, strawberries)
folic acid, magnesium, riboflavin, Vitamin E & tocopherols (almonds)
anthocyanins, which stimulate burning of stored fat & boost short term memory by 100% over 8 weeks (strawberries)
C-reactive protein (aka inflammation) lowering power (strawberries)
biotin to build strong hair & nails, & ellagic acid to protect elastic fibers in our skin to prevent sagging (strawberries)

And that's just the tip of the 'Nice'-berg! The astonishing benefits of this deceptively delicious meal go on and on. However, let's get straight to the recipe before our tastebuds go crazy from all that drooling 🙂

So simple.

unbelievably delicious.

fabulous for our bodies, minds & soul 🙂

Strawberries -n- Cream Nice-Cream makes us beautiful from the inside out!

This is my submission to Healthy Living Blogs for this weeks Favorite Summer Recipe Roundup and to Tinned Tomatoes for July's Recipe Bookmark.

Recipe for Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice – Cream" with Raw Brownie Topping

(serves 2)

Strawberries-n-Cream "Nice-Cream"

Ingredients

5 or 6 reaaaaallly ripe frozen bananas *TIP be sure to peel your nanas before you freeze them!
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

Method

Blend all the bananas in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix, using tamper.
Scrape 3/4 of the mixture out of blender and set aside.
Add strawberries to remaining vanilla mixture to create a beautiful light-pink hue.
Layer into serving bowls/glasses in 3 layers, starting with a bit of vanilla "Nice-Cream" then the strawberry "Nice-Cream", ending with the rest of the vanilla "Nice-Cream" on top.

*This simplified recipe is absolutely fabulous as is. However, if you so desire, feel free to add some vanilla powder to the vanilla-cream base, & even some fresh, peeled lemon – yes, that's right, lemon! I love adding the lemon for a delish freshness you can't quite detect + more vitamin C power & it keeps the ice-cream from oxidizing too!

Raw Fudge Brownie Topping

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts (preferably soaked & sprouted scroll 1/2 way down link for instructions ~> here )
1/2 cup almonds (preferably soaked & sprouted scroll 1/2 way down link for instructions ~> here )
1 or 2 heaping Tblsp Cacao
7 or 8 pitted dates halved to assist food processor
pinch of sea salt
cinnamon to taste
vanilla powder to taste (if subbing vanilla extract instead, adjust amount of water added below)

Method

Pulse all the above ingredients in a food processor until well blended adding a Tbsp or 2 of water to moisten mixture so that it sticks together in a firm yet sticky mass.
Scrape mixture out and mold into one large rectangle using a pan to make it easier, or, alternatively, roll into balls.
Place in freezer for 15 minutes to set.
Cut into pieces to your liking, and top off Nice-Cream sundaes. Store leftovers in freezer.

Enjoy!

How is your Summer going?

Have you tried anything new (holistic health/food/art related or not) this Summer? I'm still learning about wild edibles, adding all the various types we've planted to our daily green drinks & salads. delish. and unbelievably energizing. And, at this point I can say I have become 100% Raw Vegan without even aiming for it. No more detoxing is occurring for me now- and that's a statement I once wondered if I'd ever be able to make! Here's to becoming a clean, mean detoxified machine 🙂

Another thing new I'm into is no more air conditioning! There's nothing like falling asleep to the soft, cool night breeze on my face, the sounds of owls, rustling leaves or a patter of rain in the night… awakening to the beautiful chorus of birds each morning. Bringing the outside in brings us in touch with the rhythms of the Earth, the Universe. That unity. experiencing the ebb and flow of temperatures throughout the day. no resistance. the night cools, the morning warmth. and the heat of the afternoon…

Are you reading anything you're loving? I'm loving The Essential Rumi. wow. on par with Shakespeare.

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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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

Marinated Mushroom Tapenade + Bonus Recipe

Mushroom Tapenade- Admittadly, I over-processed mine a bit & recommend leaving yours a bit chunkier:-)

This Mushroom Tapenade, inspired from the gorgeous, (I'm not kidding, see for yourself by clicking by clicking her name) Mimi Kirk's, beautiful cookbook, Live Raw, is one easy way to get the health benefits of a-mushroom-a-day into your diet. Or, if you're like me, you'll have a hard time eating less than half the recipe in one sitting. Not that it would matter, as this delicious twist on the Provencal original is incredibly light as well.

Anytime I've served this to guests as an appetizer presented with fresh vegetables, bread sticks or crackers, it's gone in the first hour. Of course it's a wonderful snack too – and makes a delicious spread for wraps and sandwiches.

Plus there's a Bonus! Simplifying the tapenade creates a fabulous marinated mushroom recipe, an addiction I've had since childhood when Mom made her amazing marinated mushrooms for potlucks at least once a year. For some reason she never served them at home, and there they'd be, tempting me from the fridge as they marinated away a day prior to her event. To this day, I still don't have Mom's recipe, but this one tastes just as I remember hers. However, mine are ready after an hour and take less than two minutes to prep. Jackpot!!

Please enjoy!

Marinated Mushrooms

Mushroom Tapenade

Ingredients:

2 large portobello mushrooms or 15 baby bella or white button or a combo
1/2 cup walnuts
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's or nama shoyu
freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

Clean mushrooms with a dampened kitchen towel. Chop coarsly. Marinate with the olive oil and nama shoyu for 30 minutes turning occasionally.
Pulse walnuts in food processor until broken down.
Add garlic and marinated mushrooms. Pulse until mixture is incorporated and slightly chunky mine pictured above could have been left a tad chunkier- so process yours a little less:-)
Taste for seasonings and adjust to taste.

Marinated Mushrooms (servings: makes 15 mushrooms)

Ingredients

15 baby bella or 15 white button mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel. Wild mushrooms are delicious too!
1 clove garlic, minced or garlic powder to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's, Coconut Aminos or nama shoyu
freshly cracked black pepper
a few dried red pepper flakes for an extra pop of color & spice (optional)

**For Marinated Portobello"Steaks" Use 2 Portobello Mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed of soiled portions. Slice tops into nice, thick 1/2" strips, and do the same with the remainder of stem. Adjust quantities of above ingredients as needed (you may need a bit more depending on size of your portobello, they really soak up the ingredients beautifully. (Serves 2)

Method

Marinate all the ingredients for an hour or up to 4 hours.
Check seasonings.
Serve in a beautiful bowl with party pics alongside for picking up.

Do you have a favorite family recipe you'd love to recreate?

You may also enjoy:

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cheesy Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & Cannellini Beans

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Food

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

As promised here is the delicious Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle recipe I made from our garden's prolific carrot harvest… It's a lovely French recipe combining cool, luxuriously silky, sweet, carrot puree with unctious lemon-buttered pastas tossed in fresh dill.

THE perfect light yet decadent meal for this hot, steamy weather.

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (separated)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 pound carrots peeled and sliced into coins (if they're baby carrots don't peel)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (separated)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots, honey and nutmeg and continue to sautee for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are softened.
Puree the liquid using an immersion blender or in a Vitamix for the silkiest, smooth result possible. Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the soup. Chill for a few hours or overnight.
Prior to serving, cook the farfalle pasta to package directions. Drain and return to pot with 1 tablespoon of butter and stir to coat. Add the fresh chopped dill and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the pasta and combine.
Ladle the chilled carrot soup into shallow serving bowls. Divide the dilled pasta amongst the soup bowls, mounding a small amount in the center of each bowl.

Enjoy!

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

PS. Don't forget to check out StyleNectar's convenient Recipe Index!