Zucchini Alfredo Pasta with green olives, tomatoes, and basil (raw)

Not only did I get a new blender for my birthday, but I also got 2 big bags of nutritional yeast. What more could a vegan chef ask for? This recipe includes nutritional yeast, but if you can't get your hands on it, it is still very tasty without it. It just adds a bit of cheesy flavor, not to mention tons of B Vitamins. This recipe is great if you're craving something creamy because it really "hits the spot," as my mom would say, without being too heavy.



ZUCCHINI ALFREDO PASTA:

Serves: 2
Equipment:

Blender
Cheese Grater or Pasta Spiroli slicer


Ingredients:

2 small zucchinis
handful of baby tomatoes, diced
5 or 6 green olives, diced
3 or 4 sun-dried tomatoes,diced
handful of basil, chopped

For the sauce:
1 cup raw pine nuts
1 tbspn orange juice (or lemon)
1 tbspn nutritional yeast
4-5 tablespoons water
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
italian spices to taste

Grate zucchini into long strips like noodles. Toss with salt, pepper, and any italian spices you like. Set Aside. In a blender combine pine nuts, orange or lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, spices and water until smooth. Add water slowly to get desired consistency (you may want to add more orange or lemon juice as well.) Toss zucchini noodles in the sauce. Add chopped green olives, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. Experiment with other herbs too such as parsley or oregano.

Zucchini- Cashew Hummus (raw)

I got a magic bullet blender for my birthday. Or, I should say I got an "Amazing Bullet." It's the knockoff version, but my boyfriend and I have a theory that the same people who make the magic bullet make the amazing bullet and just the suckers buy the magic one for a higher price. ;) Nonetheless, it is amazing! And this is one of the things I have recently made with it. A delicious raw hummus. Perfect for spreading on sliced vegetables and wrapping them in big romaine lettuce leaves.


ZUCCHINI CASHEW HUMMUS

Equipment:

Blender

Ingredients:

1 cup of soaked raw cashews
1 cup of chopped and peeled zucchini (about 1 small zucchini)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 small garlic clove
1/8 cup tahini
sea salt
1/2 cup water

In a blender or food processor blend all ingredients until smooth, adding water very slowly to get desired consistency. You could always substitute more zucchini for cashews if you don't have them, or vice versa. Make sure to peel all of the green skin off of the zucchini otherwise you will get a funky colored hummus. I added garnished with olive oil, crushed red pepper, and chopped zucchini.

Spelt Oat Bread

This bread is SO good right out of the oven it's hard for my boyfriend and I not to finish the loaf before it cools off! It's the perfect bread for anyone with a wheat allergy and it's also very fast to make (20 minutes top) because there's no yeast so you don't have to wait for it to rise. For a sweet variation, add vegan margarine and some brown sugar and cinnamon on top.












Spelt Oat Bread

Equipment: Blender and Loaf Pan

Ingredients:

1 cup oats
1 cup spelt flour*
2 tspns baking powder
1/2 tspn sea or crystal salt
1 1/2 tbspns maple syrup or honey
1 tbspn canola oil
1 cup non-dairy milk of choice

Preheat oven to 450. Grind oatmeal in blender until you have a powder. In a large bowl combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl dissolve maple syrup or honey into oil and then stir in milk. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until you have a dough, but try not to overmix. Either form dough into a ball or place in lightly oiled bread loaf pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until hollow when tapped.

If you don't have an allergy to wheat and can't find spelt flour, you could use whole wheat instead. If you use regular flour it will be a bit too runny so add a few more tablespoons than called for.

Falafel (raw)

This isn't my recipe, but it came out so good I have to share it. You don't need a dehydrator, and they really do taste like falafel!










Raw Falafel Balls

Serves: 3-4 people (makes about 12-14 balls)

Equipment: Food processor or Blender

Ingredients:

2 cups of sunflower seeds
1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
few pieces of white onion
2 tablespoons of tahini
squeeze of lemon
1 to 2 cloves or garlic, chopped
pinch of sea or crystal salt

Grind sunflower seeds in blender or food processor until you have a powder. In a large bowl, mix the powder and the rest of the ingredients. Combine until you have a dry dough. If it is too dry, you can add more lemon juice or some olive oil. When you have desired consistency, form into balls. Wrap in lettuce leaves, or serve over tabouli, cauliflower couscous, with peppers, chopped tomatoes, hummus, etc. Pictured is falafel, salad, zucchini hummus, and cauliflower couscous.

Chocolate Pudding Pie (raw)

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Serves: 4
Equipment: Blender, Pie Pan

Ingredients:

Handful of Walnuts
Handful of Almonds
Few Tablespoons of ground Flaxseeds
5-6 Dates
2 Bananas
2 small Avocados or 1 large
2-3 tablespoons of Maple Syrup, Agave Nectar, or Raw Honey
2 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder OR Raw Cacao Powder OR Raw Carob Powder
pinch of sea or crystal salt
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

In a Blender or Food Processor, blend nuts and dates until you have crumbs that you can form into a dough. You can use more dates if you prefer it sweeter and stickier. Press dough into pie pan and chill for one to two hours, or stick in freezer for half an hour if you're in a hurry.

For the filling: place bananas, avocados, sweetener, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon and blend until smooth. Taste as you go, adding more sweetener and more cocoa powder if you want it richer. When the pie crust is chilled, pour pudding over crust and chill for at least another hour. This pie is really good when it's a bit cold. Garnish with slices of bananas or shredded coconuts.