Favorite summer food!

Summer is almost over...
The one food I am going to miss the most are HEIRLOOM TOMATOES.
I will take advantage of your juicy tangy and sweet flavors for as long as I can!
If you have never treated your self to these, you are missing out and I am sad for you. Get your self to the nearest farmers market and pick up a few...

Then make this!!

One large Heirloom Tomato sliced thick.
One organic avocado smashed with lime and sea salt.
Mixed greens or arugula.
Mung beans ;)
Balsamic vinegar and Olive oil.

1st put a thin layer of greens on a plate.
2nd put your thick slices on top of greens.
3rd drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, and sea salt.
4th plop the avocado mixture right on top of the tomatoes.

Sprinkle with mung beans and devour.

yourwelcome.

Cru in Silver Lake!

I lucked out on a Gather Green coupon for Cru $20 for $40 worth of food. SO WORTH IT.

I have always wanted to go, but it never seemed to be the right time. Also the dishes are a little pricey so I thought it's a date kind of place ;)

I invited my boyfriend to go with me (he agreed since I was buying) and it was definitely not a disappointment.

He got the raw lasagna and a basil limeade.

Such a beauty, right?

I was much more impressed with my dish ;)

I was releasing so many endorphins by eating this. The filling was a cashew cheese and mushroom, and the jicama "pasta" was sliced soooo thin that it was as delicate as a noodle.

You guys... If I had my own raw restaurant, this would be the kind of food I would make.
It was light and filling at the same time. And that limeade was so fresh I could taste the sun in it.

After ward we went to the silver lake farmers market right outside there doors and I bought a sandwich bag full of raw mung beans sprouted, and another bag full of alfalfa sprouts. Both for 10 bucks. If you live in the area, I highly recommend going there for their amazing selection of sprouts!!

Here is a salad recipe that I made from the yummy sprouts I bought:

-One handful of alfalfa sprouts
-3 or 4 sliced sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
-1/4 red onion thinly sliced
-1 pink grapefruit segmented (save the juice from the pulp)
-2 tablespoons of sprouted mung beans
-a sprinkle of raw sunflower seeds

Layer all the ingredients on a plate. In a bowl, whisk the grapefruit juice with olive, salt, and pepper, and a splash of water. Pour over salad and VOILA.

This is really great if you wanted something to eat before a workout or if it is devilishly hot outside and you didn't want anything heavy.

Post certification meals!

After my raw chef certification I went to my old home in Arizona to "uncook" for my mom. I want to heal my mother's condition using the power of living raw foods so I made her food everyday before I left.
Here is my documentation of the food I made for us.

Beginning process to making raw cream of broccoli soup. I had to snap a shot of these adorable little organic avocados from Trader Joes.

Easy light lunch on a hot Arizona day in Spring. Raw soup and collard wrap. The collard wrap recipe will be posted below :)

My favorite meal we made in my classes! A raw chili made out of bulgur wheat instead of meat or beans. It was way more satisfying than any chili I've ever had but it is a recipe only reserved for those who take the class since it is a complicated recipe. So let me make it for you or come take a raw foods class from me ;)

DESSERT...

This was my little creation! I call it a raw coco-mango cupcake. I made a date nut "batter" and a lemon  and mango cashew-cream with flaked coconut. The result was so yummy, and it makes a great breakfast too!

Collard Wrap:

-Collard Leaves

-Sliced Mushrooms

-Sliced Onions

-Julienned Zucchini

-Julienned Carrots

-Extra virgin olive oil

-Tamari, braggs liquid aminos, or nama shoyu

Marinate the onions and the mushrooms in the olive oil and tamari for about 10 minutes or until soft. Take a collard leaf and cut off the hardest part of the stem. Layer some of the mushroom-onion mixture in the leaf along with the julienned veggies. Fold in the ends and roll length ways, like a wrap. Cut in half and serve!

Raw Homemade

I always love coming home with lots of new groceries ready to make lots of yummy raw food dishes. Here is a day I documented full of pics of the meals I prepared for this day. Very easy to make, very affordable, and very yummy to eat!

I woke up and had some water, I didn't eat until I was hungry. I felt hungry in about an hour so I sliced open a papaya and dusted it with ground cardamom. If you are not a fan of papaya, try this method or squeeze some lime juice over it. It makes it taste really sweet and flavorful.
Then for lunch I wanted something light and hearty at the same time, the answer? Raw Taco Salad!

1/2 head of romaine lettuce
1 sliced nor diced avocado
as many green or black olives as you like
a couple slices of red onion
1 roma tomato sliced
1/2 cup of raw taco pate
1/4 cup of raw cashew sour cream

For the raw taco pate, blend together about a cup of walnuts with 1/2 to a whole red bell pepper or tomato, a little yellow onion and garlic and blended in a food processor you have taco "meat"! For the cashew sour cream, blend soaked raw cashews with a few tablespoons of lemon juice in a food processor to make a sour-like cream. It tasted really amazing with all the flavors together, I wasn't hungry for hours!

I did make a little snack after about 3 hours and shared it.
Pesto stuffed mushrooms!

Thats my baby dog Coqueta in the background. I know, she looks the size of a baby bella! Anyway, I made with pesto with basil, sundried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and a little bit of arugula for some bite. I marinated the mushrooms in Brags Liquid Aminos and olive oil.
These did not last long...

IT IS TIME...

For dinner!

I had a light dinner since it was pretty late. This is a raw thai coconut soup from the book Rawvolution. (Highly recommend) and I paired it with a celery salad with lots of parsley and diced red onion with a lemon olive oil dressing. Perfecto :D

And the best part of all...
I made raw cupcakes!
Yes, you heard me right, raw cupcakes.
BEHOLD.

This tasted like blondies actually, the sweet with a little bit of caramel saltiness. They were so easy I felt like I was sinning..

For the batter:
1/4 cup of cashews
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tbsp of raw sugar
2-3 pitted dates
1/8 tsp of vanilla extract
A BIG pinch of sea salt

1. Mix first three ingredients into almost a powder in a food processor.
2. Add in dates one at a time until fully incorporated
3. add vanilla and salt

For Frosting, I soaked cashews for 8 hours, blended it with some coconut oil and dates and blend till smooth. I topped each cupcake with raspberry preserves or you can just top it off with a slice of a strawberry or a whole raspberry. SO cute ^.^

Time to talk about Sun Cafe again. My trusty neighborhood raw friendly restaurant. Everytime I go I leave feeling happy, full, and ready to take on the world. I took my boyfriend and his mum and bro when they came to visit, a success of course. My boy had the raw tacos, always a good choice and a mint shamrock shake.

YUMMMM

I had their famous Sun Burger and I had them add the raw bbq sauce. I will never miss a cooked burger again with this delicious sumbich. I also had their cacao shake, also a winner! Way better than a "normal" chocolate milkshake!!

As you can see I chose a side of veggies and a raw ranch dressing dip, something light because the burger was so rich and filling.

Well that's it for this day! Thanks for tuning in...
Until next time!

<3

Cafe Gratitude Date Night

For my companion and I's three year anniversary we went to one of the best vegan restaurants in the world! Cafe Gratitude creates an amazing experience for everyone of all diets. I had a delicious raw veggie/pate wrap for dinner and a hibiscus iced tea called I Am Gorgeous... If I remember correctly. All their dishes start with "I Am ..." So it automatically makes you a more confident person just by placing your order!

The picture is what we had for dessert. It was a raw strawberry cheesecake a la mode and it was all my boyfriend and I could think about. I could describe it to you but I would rather you go there and order it!
NOW.

P.S. This was suppose to be posted in January, but I've been running behind. Thanks for your patience ;)

Menu for a new year!

I'm back!! I finally got settled in my new studio in LA with my loving boy and I can finally get back to recording my raw adventures :)

The very first thing I did when I moved was look for new raw favorite places to go eat. And luckily there is one right down the hill from my work! It's called Sun Cafe or Sun Power Cafe. They do juice fasts and cooking classes and they have an amazing raw menu ^.^

Raw cookie dough cheesecake from Sun Power. It was sooo rich and decadent, definitely something you need to have room in your tummy for. I was stuffed after a meal of a jicama and guac tostada and a DELICIOUS sweet kale shake which I am totes going back for.

After thanksgiving my boy and I decided to have a nice all raw meal to lighten it up from the heavy comforting tofurky and stuffing and pie! He ordered this beautiful raw pizza with a kale salad.

I was in the mood for something lighter so I went with raw chilled cream of mushroom soup and a kale salad :) That soup was creamy and light tasting. Twas a perfect post thanksgiving meal!

After, we decided to go to Kind Kream and got almond milk swirled raw soft serve!
Ahhhhh!
Scream for Kind Kream with meh --->

Last week I made a grocery list for a short and satisfying raw menu:
Breffast :p

• Frozen Banana "Yogurt"
• Raw Cobbler
• Papaya with Lime and Agave

Lunch:

• Marinated Dill and Onion Cucumbers
• Avocado Kale Salad
• Grapefruit and Avocado Arugula Salad

Dinner:

• Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
• Kale Guacamole Tacos
• Guac Stuffed Mushrooms  

Snack:

• Papaya chunks with Cardamom
• Banana with cinnamon and agave

Fin!


I will start adding more menu's and recipes for the future :)

Raw Tacos? Yes please!!

I love vegan tacos. What's not love? I found myself craving some juicy tacos so I created a raw version that were deliciously satisfying. A nut-based pate with miso and onion and topped with salsa and black olives, there is also a side of avocado salad that I topped my taco with too.

Craving horchata? Use the almond milk recipe I provided and add some cinnamon too it and less water. VOILA! You have raw horchata.

Wondering what other non-raw yummies I can make raw....

Perfect Raw Breakfast and Green Smoothie recipe!

Another Chaco Canyon favorite! Raw porridge and the Really Green Smoothie. Probably the best breakfast I have ever put in my stomach. It was delicious and satisfying and green smoothies are THE BEST way to incorporate more greens into your diet because your body absorbs the nutrients faster in liquid form.

Here is a favorite green smoothie recipe!

1 frozen banana
3 or 4 big juicy organic strawberries
1 big juicy organic peach
3 leaves of organic kale pulled from the stem or a handful of organic spinach
1/2 to 1 cup of raw almond or hemp milk (hemp milk makes it thicker)

Blend together in a blender and enjoy! Makes 1 serving if this is your meal replacer.

NOTE:
Sometimes my fruit is juicy enough that I don't even need to add any milk, but use your discretion ;)

Stuffed Bell Pepper Surprise and again, more cobbler...

One night I had no idea what to have for dinner. So this is where the surprise comes in because I created a masterpiece! I was craving something stuffed, because let's face it, anything stuffed is delicious. So I picked up a couple of bell peppers for my friend Eliza and I, then massaged some kale with avocado, lemon, and garlic, and stuffed that sunuvabell pepper so good. Earlier, I had marinated some asparagus with an avocado dressing for a side, and to make this dinner even more spectacular I made a cilantro-based miso sauce to drizzle on top. How's that for not having anything prepared for the night??

And dessert...

Spiced Berry cobbler with peach cashew cream!
The cobbler recipe is under the mango cobbler post but the peach cashew cream recipe is below!

Peach Cashew Cream
-1/2 frozen peach
-1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked cashews make it creamier)
1/4 cup water

Blend together the cashews and water in food processor or blender then add the peach and you have peach cashew cream!

Easy peasy pie ;)
(coming soon haha)

Feast for Beasts!

This was definitely my most filling and tastiest meal so far. It was a marinated portobello mushroom, and I decided to stuff it with broccoli mash and top with the ragout. FABULOUS.
I could barely eat the whole thing, but of course I had room for dessert
...

Mango Cobbler! This was the beginning of my cobbler creations. I will always have raw cobbler in my life now.

RECIPE TIME
Spiced Fruit Cobbler:
1 cup raw almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup medjool dates
2 cups of fruit or berries
drizzle of agave nectar (optional)

In a blender or food processor pulse together the almonds and the spices. Slowly add the dates until all mixed together.

Press the mixture into the bottom of a casserole or cobbler dish and set aside. In a bowl, mix the sliced fruit with a drizzle of agave nectar or if you have leftover dates, blend the dates with water and coconut oil to create a caramel sauce. Pour the fruit over the crust that you have already created and voila! Raw cobbler!

enjoy with love <3

Homemade Raw

One of my first raw food creations from Ani's cook book I mentioned earlier. Sweet corn polenta with mushroom ragout with a side of kimchi. The sweet corn was two for a dollar at whole foods and that mushroom ragout was godly it was so yum! I was quite full afterwards but I kept picking at the leftovers because I couldn't get enough of this yumminess.

And for a dessert of my very own creation. Berries and cream! So simple, all you have to do is blend together equal parts water and soaked cashews and a bit of sweetener of your choice. I choose dates for a  thicker texture but you could use frozen banana or raw agave nectar :)

More Chaco Canyon adventure, and CHOCOLATE

Haven't put up a post in a while, but this here is the most delicious raw meal I have had at Chaco Canyon. They are Raw Enchiladas!! It was a sun-dried tomato wrap and it was filled with different southwestern flavored veggies and creamy avocado with a side salad. It was also their seasonal raw dish for June.

Earlier, I went to Seattle's The Chocolate Shoebox for some delicious raw matcha green tea peppermint chocolate and ate that for dessert. And yes, they do have all vegan chocolate and all vegan shoes so all you veg'ns out there, go crazy!

Raw dinner feast and Pike Place Market love

I went over to my good friend Eliza's house to create a tasty raw feast. I have a picture here of a pretty little table topped with two bowls of raw cream of avocado soup with hemp oil and chopped broccoli with a marinated and massaged kale salad.  It was CRAZY filling and full of healthy greens and sexy fats for healthy skin and hair.
If you want the recipe, I will dedicate a post soon to my favorite gaspachos and kale salads for everyone.

I also went to the market on my lunch break from working at Lush. What is a raw vegan to eat when she didn't bring a lunch??? Well, luckily at one of the little European outdoor restaurants had an amazing cold seasonal Gaspacho and I had this amazing mango and coconut juice squeezed from a small juice bar called the Juice Emporium.

And don't get me started on the market's dates. Multiple times you will see how expressive my love for dates is since this raw adventure began. I LOVE DATES. They are like nature's caramel but better because, well, it's natural! And the dates at the Pike Place Market are juicy and crystalized with sugary sweetness. And at a steal at 5.99 per lb compared to the normal 8.99 per lb.

Eat dates!

What's for Dessert??

A super easy and super satisfying dessert is raw sorbet. Oh my goblins its so good! Here's the recipe:

1 Frozen Mango slightly thawed
1/2 Frozen Banana slightly thawed
Toppings: I like shredded coconut and chopped nuts but you can use any thing. (raw of course)

Blend the fruit in a blender or food processor until thick and creamy. Top with goodies. ENJOY!

<3
Nattykat

Raw at home!

Usually I just have a salad with fruit on the side, but this time I topped off my kale salad with a Garden Pate from my raw cook book called Ani's Raw Food Kitchen made with sunflower seeds, carrots, and miso :) The perfect filler for any raw meal. It was ROCKIN!

The simplest and most satisfying breakfast or snack is raw cereal. I chopped up nuts such as almonds and walnuts, goji berries, chopped bananas, frozen blueberries, and home made coconut or almond milk. yuuuumsters. You can create any cereal you like with any kind of combination of fruits and nuts.

Recipe for raw almond milk:

1/2 cup of raw almonds
4 or 5 cups of purified water
1/2 vanilla pod seeds (optional)
1/2 cup of dates for sweetness (optional)

Blend in a blender until milky. Strain through a mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag into a jar or pitcher.

Now isn't that tasty? Add some raw cacao powder to make it chocolate almond milk ;D
VOILA!

-Nattykat <3

First Chaco Canyon outing as a raw vegan!

This was the Raw Coconut Curry and the first bite.. Well let me just say this made my raw food journey so much easier to continue.

And for dessert (I know it's sideways) was the raw fudge brownie. I was debating between the brownie and the raw strawberry cheesecake.

I went back for the cheesecake and it was gone :(

NEXT QUEST:
Black Forest Raw Cheesecake at Chaco Canyon!

One week since my raw food one month challenge

July 1st was not just any old day for me. It was the completion and success of my one month raw food diet challenge!

I put aside my love for baking and multitasking on the stove to renew and cleanse my insides so I can tackle this summer with a brand new body :D

How'd I do it?
Luckily, Seattle has a few amazing places to go out to indulge in raw food and a few great grocery stores with many raw food options.

In my first week eating cooked foods again, I realize how light and energized I felt after I ate compared to now. My goal for the rest of the summer is to incorporate more raw food into my daily routine and hopefully convert my diet to mostly raw. WISH ME LUCK.

Until then, I will take advantage of hemp soft serve ice cream, summer BBQ's, and roof top potlucks!

Pictures of my adventure coming soon!

with love,

Nattykat <3