My Go-To Juice

I try my absolute bestest to juice every morning. Ideally, my morning routine is this: 20 minute of oil pulling (unless I work absurdly early, then I skip it), drink a liter of water with lemon, and have a fresh cold-pressed green juice. Admittedly, I sometimes struggle with getting out of bed those extra 20 minutes early to make my juice, but it really gets my day off to a positive start and I am always proud of myself when I do.

What do I typically juice? The following is my latest go-to juice recipe; it's what I have most mornings, though I sometimes switch it up with new and exciting recipes.

Note: This recipe does require a juicer. Making a smoothie from these ingredients would probably not be delicious =(

The Go-To Green Juice
 3-4 cups kale
1 pear, hard variety
4 Persian cucumbers (the little ones, or 1 whole large cucumber, peeled unless organic)
1 inch thumb of ginger (or more)
1 zucchini
1-2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 lemon

Juice all ingredients in the order listed, except for the lemon. Strain juice if desired (I usually do this, as I like a smooth and pulp-free juice). Squeeze in the juice from 1/2 lemon (over the strainer, to avoid getting seeds in). Drink within 15-20 minutes for maximum health benefits!

Raw Chocolate Cream Cheesecake with Strawberry Pecan Crust

It has been SO long since I've been on here, and I feel guilty for not being better about updating. Basically what it comes down to is a combination of four things: 1) I'm in grad school full time; 2) I work part-time at a super stressful and tiring evening job; 3) my wedding is coming up in October and I have tons of planning left to do; and 4) we are in the process of converting a studio apartment to move into at the end of May when our lease is up. Sooooo my time is a LOT limited at the moment.

That being said, I made this recipe on Thursday night and it is literally one of the best desserts I have ever had - vegan, raw, or otherwise. So I just had to share it with you guys! I found the recipe on Pure2Raw as I was searching for a celebratory dessert to make for my fiance, as he just finished his EMT class with flying colors.

This looked decadent and surprisingly simple, and indeed it was. I was a little short on cocoa powder so opted to do a strawberry crust instead. The crust as a result came out less cohesive and more crumbly, but I'm sure if you followed the blog directions to a T it wouldn't be. Here I've posted my version because I did enjoy the slight strawberry flavor that my substitution imparted.

Whether you've got something to celebrate or are just looking for a decadent, chocolatey treat - this one is for you! It is very high in fat so would be best to limit...and I'm telling you if you make it, you will eat all of it, so be careful! =)

Raw Chocolate Cream Cheesecake with Strawberry Pecan Crust 
(gluten free, soy free, raw, vegan)

For the crust:
1 cup pecan meal (or other nut meal)
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 sliced fresh strawberries
pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it is sticking together slightly. Scoop crust into your pie tin and press firmly to make even.

For the filling:
2 cups cashew, pieces
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid
1/2 cup maple syrup or 1/2 cup agave nectar (I used 1/4 maple syrup and 1/4 agave so no one flavor would overpower)
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raw cacao powder

If desired, soak cashews for 10-15 minutes in water prior to use (I did not soak mine and it still worked perfectly-no chunks at all). Place cashews in blender with maple syrup/agave, vanilla, and water. Blend a minute or so, until creamy.

Add cacao powder and coconut oil. Blend until creamy (my blender was ANGRY at this step because the filling was so thick, but still so worth it!). Scrape down the sides of the blender as necessary.

Pour filling into pie tin over crust and smooth. Put cheesecake in the freezer for 2-3 hours to set. Devour!

The gorgeous finished product! Would be even prettier garnished with some sliced fresh strawberries!

Original recipe found here.

Massaged Kale & Avocado Salad

On Tuesday, something I've been waiting a while for arrived on my doorstep: Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. I've heard so much about this book and I was so excited to read it...so much so I finished it by Tuesday evening! I'm looking to start the 21-day adventure cleanse after this weekend's camping trip, so I thought I'd try a simple recipe from it today. The recipe below I adapted from Kris's Shaved Kale Avocado Salad (contributed by Chef Sarno, www.rawchef.com).  It was simple, quick, and delicious! A little bit surprising with the cayenne, but I really liked it!

Massaged Kale & Avocado Salad (serves 2)
1 head kale, shredded
1 avocado, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons olive or flax oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used the juice of 1/2 lemon)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
(Kris recommends 1 cup tomato or red bell pepper, diced...I would've added this if I had any, but enjoyed the salad anyway).

In a mixing bowl, toss all ingredients, squeezing as you mix (hence the title word "massaged") to wilt the kale and cream the avocado. Serve immediately.

Green & tasty! Pictured above is the recipe halved, since I was only making lunch for myself.

Bottom Line: A yummy, quick salad that fills the tummy with raw greens and healthy fats!




Learn more about the Crazy Sexy Diet and 21-Day Adventure Cleanse at http://kriscarr.com/products/crazy-sexy-diet/

Layered Raw Taco Salad (for two!)

Growing up in Southern California, I've cultivated quite a taste for any and all Mexican food. So, naturally, I'm always looking for ways to spruce up traditional recipes like enchiladas or tacos. When I found this recipe for a raw taco salad on Oh She Glows, I was really excited to try it!
I really enjoyed how the traditional elements of a taco salad were made non-traditionally in order to incorporate vegan, raw versions of them. This taco salad was flavorful, fresh and cooling on a warm night and packed full of powerful raw veggie and protein sources. Satisfying and delicious.
My nut cream sauce came out very chunky, as you can see in the photo...I think I just overwhelmed my food processor by putting too many nuts in at once (it is quite small), and could've achieved a better consistency by processing them in batches.

Layered Raw Taco Salad
Walnut Taco Meat:
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked for 2-8 hours
1 & 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
fine grain sea salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

Nut Cream Sauce:
1 cup macadamia (or cashew) nuts, soaked in water for 2-8 hours
11-12 tablespoons water (use as needed to achieve desired consistency)
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
fine grain sea salt, to taste

3-Minute Guacamole:
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 small tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
scant 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Other Salad Ingredients:
greens of choice
salsa of choice
green onion
crackers or chips 

Taco meat: In a food processor (or by hand), pulse (or chop) the ingredients until combined. Make sure to leave the walnuts chunky. Remove and set aside.
Cream sauce: Drain and rinse the soaked nuts. Add them into a processor and process. Stream in about 1/2 cup water and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Add more water as needed to achieve your desired consistency. The nut sauce should be super smooth and not grainy. Add salt to taste.
Guacamole: In a medium-sized bowl, mash the avocado flesh with a fork, leaving some chunks. Stir in the chopped tomato, red onion, lime juice, and seasonings to taste.
To assemble: (per bowl) Add a hefty base of greens in a large bowl followed by a heaping 1/4 cup scoop of guacamole in the middle. Spoon on 2 tablespoons of salsa over the greens followed by half of the taco meat. Add a couple tablespoons of cream into a plastic baggie, snip off end, and pipe over top the taco meat. Garnish with a chopped green onion and leftover chopped tomato and red onion. Place a few crackers/chips into the salad before serving.

Observe awkwardly chunky nut cream sauce...not so pretty but still tasty! Practice makes perfect =)

Bottom line: A healthy and tasty twist on a basic Mexican recipe, I would highly recommend this to any raw vegan foodies out there...and to those of you that aren't, just for the experience! Fun, unusual, and impressive to family and friends!


Recipe found here on Oh She Glows.