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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Style

Buttery No-Wheat Thin Crackers w Aged Treenut Cheese & Cranberry Compote

No-Wheat Thins with Aged Treenut Cheese & Cranberry Compote (Raw Vegan)

No Wheat Thins and Artisinal Aged Treenut Cheese

No-Wheat Thins & a jar of Cranberry Relish make a perfect hostess gift!

I know I've got a hit recipe on my hands when I simply can't stop eating it during the photo shoot! Every other snap I found myself rewarded with yet another irressistable assembly of a Buttery No-Wheat Thin Cracker topped with Aged Treenut Cheese & sweet-tart Cranberry Compote… SOOO GOOD! And perfect for holiday entertaining! This little trio is a complete rockstar combo, however, these No-Wheat Thins are delicious enough to eat all by themselves, like chips. They even smell amazing! Seriously, their delicious aroma was why my photo shoot took 3 times longer than normal cause I couldn't resist their tantalizing scent of pure yumminess. I had so much fun popping these little cracker, cheese and cranberry relish bites into my mouth, it's amazing I had any product left to photograph 🙂

Two more easy-peasy raw vegan recipes to impress and convert even the most die-hard of SAD (Standard American Diet) devotees :) Filled with the most amazing fresh, vibrant flavor, brimming with high-vibe life force and everything we need to feel and look as amazing as we are! I'm quite proud of both these concoctions as I've tried SO many raw vegan cracker recipes I just didn't care for at all. If you love buttery, salty crackers with an ever so slii-iiightly sweet background note, then these are for you! The sesame and almonds provide a luxurious richness that takes the flavor right over the top – and of course these babies are gluten/wheat/grain/dairy & sugar free! As for the Cranberry Compote… THE BEST. A perfect slightly jellified, firm textured relish with the most gorgeous flavor you've ever had since these cranberries are radiantly alive! This perfectly sweet compote is sweet as can be with that cranberry tang we love. Topped with a twist of orange zest over aged treenut cheese (recipe coming soon, meantime this Baby "Mozzarella" is absolutely devine) on my No-Wheat Thins… Pure Heaven!

Please enjoy!

This is my submission to Tinned Tomatoes for the Bookmarked Recipes Challenge and Ren Behan's Simple & in Season!

Recipe for Raw Vegan No-Wheat Thins

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds soaked overnight & drained
1/2 cup raw golden flax soaked overnight & drained
1 cup raw almonds soaked overnight & drained
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Method

Dump all ingredients into a food processor (the moisture from soaking/rinsing your seeds & nuts should be adequate especially since the flax holds on to quite a bit, however feel free to add a tablespoon or so extra if necessary) and pulse until well incorporated and a dough forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Spread the dough, using a spatula, across two teflex sheets (I spread mine about 1/8" thick, covering about 1 1/2 sheets) of your dehydrator or onto a silpat if you don't yet own a dehydrator. The thinner you spread the dough the faster your crackers will crisp.
Score the dough into cracker sized pieces with a knife. Dehydrate at 135 for the first hour, then turn down to 115 for another 3 hours.
After 3 hours, flip the dough onto a dehydrator screen and dehydrate another 1 or 2 hours until the crackers reach the level of crispness you prefer. Timing will vary depending on climate. Store wrapped in a bit of parchment in an air tight container in the fridge to keep crisp. If using an oven, set the temperature to the lowest possible setting. Please be aware that the crackers will probably not be raw using an oven due to their typically higher heat.

Recipe for Raw Vegan Cranberry Compote (best to make 2 days ahead as it continues to jellify during entire 48 hours reaching a perfect ever-so-slightly jellified relish consistency)

Ingredients

2 cups fresh cranberries
3 Tbsp black chia seed
3 Tbsp coconut water, orange juice, apple juice or filtered water
1 1/2 Tbsp powdered stevia (or sub coconut nectar, raw honey, maple syrup or coconut crystals reducing liquid above if using a liquid sweetener here)
1/8 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon OR a couple of drops of edible grade sweet orange essential oil
orange zest for garnish

Method

Stir together chia, coconut water (or juice depending on what using), vanilla powder and cinnamon (or sweet orange essential oil depending on what using). Allow to sit for 15 minutes to form a gel, stirring every 5 minutes.
Pulse the 2 cups cranberries and your sweetener in a food processor until only slightly broken down.
Dump the chia gel into the food processor slightly processed cranberries and continue to pulse until the mixture is incorporated and retains the texture of relish as pictured above. Be mindful not to overprocess.
Pour the mixture into a decorative jar and allow to set, ideally, for 48 hours. This isn't going to become cranberry jello or jelly- it's a relish style compote. However, the setting will enable the relish to stay firm in a small bundt pan shape for example and it will have a firm lightly jellified texture after 48 hours. Serve garnished with orange zest.

What raw food or vegan dishes have you made and loved lately?! Do you have any questions I might be able to address for you?

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All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty

Avocado BLT Wraps

Raw Vegan Avocado BLT Wraps are over the top YUM! Shown here using a Collard Wrap.

Avocado BLT Wraps are so over the top delish it’s insane! We’re talking when I served them to my friend she couldn’t believe it wasn’t actual, real bacon inside! Loaded with strips of meaty, thick-cut ‘bacon’ brimming with smoky-sweet-salty deliciousness tucked alongside fresh, juicy heirloom tomato, buttery avocado, crisp green lettuce and a thick creamy hemp mayo – these Avocado BLT’s are built to please!

Avocado BLT Wrap shown here wrapped in Raw Nori Wrap – Jim’s fav!

While the best part about these dreamy Avocado BLT wraps is definitely their amazing flavor, these high-vibe living food wraps also deliver potent immune-boosting, beauty enhancing power to make our cells sing and our energy soar! Here are just a few of the fabulous gifts your body, mind and spirit will be receiving from this decadent Raw Vegan BLT Wrap…

Shiitakes: Widely referred to as “medicinal mushrooms”, shiitake mushrooms are able to enhance immune function bi-directionally, giving it a boost when needed, and cutting back on its activity when needed. Shiitake mushrooms provide what researchers refer to as “anti-cancer immunity” and are able to help macrophage cells achieve an activated profile so they can do a better job clearing potentially cancerous cells by suppressing their production and multiplication due to a compound in Shitake called lentinan. They’re rich in B vitamins—an excellent of pantothenic acid, a very good source of vitamin B2, and a good source of vitamin B6, niacin, choline, and folate. Shiitake are high in concentrated minerals, an excellent source of selenium and copper and a very good source of zinc. Shiitake mushrooms are also rich in highly absorbable iron which is useful in the body for improving oxygen circulation, production of blood in the bone marrow as well as healthy bones and gums.

Avocado: Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. Provides close to 20 essential nutrients such as potassium (1 avocado has twice the potassium of a banana) which helps balance your vitally important potassium/sodium ratio.

Tomato: Excellent source of antioxidants such as lycopene, a carotenoid pigment which has recently been found to have an important connection to bone health. Tomato extracts have been shown to help prevent unwanted clumping together of platelet cells in the blood, a factor especially important in lowering risk of heart disease like atherosclerosis. High in Vitamin C (33% RDA per serving) & Biotin (24% per serving).

Nori: The seaweed that wraps sushi and our BLT Wraps! Nori is very rich in protein containing between 1-2 grams of protein per 2 gram serving making it the world’s richest source comparable in density to spirulina, chlorella and soybeans. Nori is high in fiber, comprised of approximately 33% fiber. It’s also high in iron, with 100 grams containing 88% of our daily value. Nori improves bone health as 100 grams of nori contains 28% of our RDI of calcium and 85% of our RDI of magnesium. Sea vegetables such as Nori are the plant world’s premier source of iodine which is crucial to thyroid health and a multitude of bodily functions. 100 grams of nori contains approximately 6 mg of iodine or, otherwise stated, one sushi roll wrapped in nori contains 92 mcg of iodine which is almost the full RDI. Nori also contains 288% of our vitamin A, 60% RDI of thiamine, 194% of riboflavin, 78% RDI of niacin and 475% RDI of folate.

And that’s just the tip of the ice-berg baby! There will be multitudes more AMAZING miracles happening to your beautiful self as you devour these divine Avocado BLT wraps!

I love using either Nori or subbing Collard Greens for an equally delicious wrap. Collards are remarkably mild in flavor, perfectly sturdy and when all slathered up in to LIVE for thick, creamy hemp-cashew mayo and stuffed with Avocado BLT fixings… mmm mmm it’s a party for our tastebuds!

Recipe for Raw Vegan Avocado BLT Wraps

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

Raw Vegan Bacon

3 cups sliced shitake mushrooms, stems removed (or sub 2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced)
2 1/2 Tbsp raw coconut aminos
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp smoked paprika (technically not raw so if you’re a purist skip)
3 drops liquid stevia, a touch of maple syrup, or your fav sweetener to taste

Hemp Mayo

1C hemp seed
3 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (or sub fresh lemon juice)
10 cashews
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup filtered water (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
3/4 tsp onion powder or more to taste
sea salt to taste

Raw Vegan BLT Wraps

8 Raw Nori Wraps (or 4 Large Collard Leaves)
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into long strips (not too thin not too thick we just want it to be easy to roll up)
2 avocados, sliced into long strips, or mashed w tines of a fork
green leaf lettuce
vegan bacon
hemp mayo

Method

Raw Vegan Bacon

Whisk together coconut aminos, sesame oil, sea salt, smoked paprika, and stevia. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Dump all your sliced shitakes or portobellos into a large ziplock along with the marinade. Massage carefully so as not to break the mushrooms. Marinade for 20 minutes flipping once.
Place mushrooms on a teflex sheet in your dehydrator on 145F for 1 hour, turning down to 115F for 2 more hours or longer til reach desired texture – the portobellos will take longer as they’re thicker. I personally like the ‘bacon’ a little meatier and moister as it has that thick center cut texture that way.

Hemp Mayo

Place all the ingredients in the Vitamix and blend til thick and creamy. If you want more of a cream cheese texture, which will be less drippy in the wraps, start with less water. Conversely, use more water for a mayo texture. As always taste to adjust seasonings to your preference.

BLT Wraps

Slather rough side of each Nori sheet with a Tbsp of Hemp Mayo. If using mashed avocado rather than strips, spread the avo on first, then top with the mayo. (Alternatively use 4 collard leaves de-stemmed and halved for rolling OR for burrito fashion: remove only thickest bottom part of stem, leaving collard leaf whole to be wrapped burrito style & cut diagonally into halves after stuffing/rolling.)
Place one green leaf lettuce leaf on each wrap.
Arrange a few tomato strips, avocado strips (unless using mashed avo) & shiitake (or portobello) bacon on each wrap.
Roll up tightly into a cone shape (Temaki-style), securing with a bit of water along one edge of nori. Or, role evenly into a cylinder and feel free to slice into sushi-sized bites. (If using halved collard leaves, roll & secure with a pretty party toothpick. If using whole collard leaves, roll like a burrito, folding top and bottom edges in first then rolling up left to right and cutting in half on a diagonal which will keep everything secured- use party pics if necessary.)
Serve any remaining Hemp Mayo on the side for dipping.

Enjoy!

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

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Much Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Food

Healthy Green Smoothie ~ I’m Addicted

This healthy green smoothie has me running back to the store for gargantuan boxes of spinach twice a week! I'm telling you, it is so yummy- and couldn't be easier for a meal replacement when you're short on time. So if you're looking for something to offset that pecan pie I posted, (or those delicious chocolate croissants Nancy), this is your ticket!

Note: Consistency may vary depending on your blender. My number one recommended kitchen splurge is a Vitamix Blender. You just can't get more perfectly silky-smooth soups, smoothies or sauces with anything else.

Green Smoothie (Serves One)

1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 Banana

1 Packed Cup Fresh Baby Spinach (No! Do not try substituting frozen!)

2 Tablespoons Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats

1 Tablespoon Flaxseed

Stevia, Raw Honey or Coconut Nectar to taste

Place ingredients into blender and process until smooth and creamy. Easy! Pour into a tall glass, garnish with a bendy straw and enjoy all the healthy-goodness you're giving yourself!

Recipe Inspired by Prevention Magazine

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