Did You Miss This Youtube Video? Lunch Box Idea-Raw Taco Boats

I used to make these tacos for my kids' lunch boxes last school year. I love that I can put it together within 10 minutes and it doesn't require refrigeration.

Here's a video I made with my husband over 8 months ago....

Recipe adapted from Ani Phyo

Raw Vegan Taco Boats

by Ani Phyo

Ingredients

Ground Almond Taco Meat

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Cilantro Cashew Cheeze

• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup cashews
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh, from about 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup water, as needed

Salsa (or just use a jarred version)

• 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, cut off cob
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped green chilies, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Boats & Toppings

• 12 small romaine leaves
• 1 avocado, pitted, sliced

Instructions

To make taco meat, process almonds into small pieces. Add oil, cumin, coriander, and salt, and process to mix well. Set aside.

To make cheeze, process garlic and salt into small pieces. Add cashews, juice, cilantro, and only enough water to process into a thick cream texture. Set aside.

To make salsa, mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

To assemble, fill romaine leaves with about 2 tablespoons cheeze. Sprinkle on 1 to 2 tablespoons taco meat and salsa. Top with avocado slices and serve.

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Simple Lemon Creme Cake with Fresh Strawberries

I have a confession to make. I love raw vegan desserts because I can eat them anytime and not feel guilty. Let me clarify...I don't feel guilty about anything I eat. It just makes me feel like a decent mom when I give my kids cake for breakfast.

We woke up this morning and had leftover cake. Guilty as charged. What? I juiced a pineapple for them too. lol

My sister came over this past weekend and I had to make this dessert. She loved it! Woohoo!

I filmed a video about it too. Check it out.

Be sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel here....

 This cake is creamy without the overwhelming flavor of lemon. The strawberries are a perfect touch and the crust is an excellent combination of sweetness and salt.

This recipe is adapted from Ani Phyo's vegan cheesecake recipe. I didn't feel the cake tasted anything like cheesecake, so I changed the name, made a couple of measurement adjustments, and added fresh fruit. This is still Ani's recipe though.

Some tips:

*You can skip the coconut flakes.  It's only used to make lifting the cake out of the serving dish easier.  Another confession? I didn't like coconuts until I became a vegan.

*If you don't have vanilla bean, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.

*Use no more than 1/2 cup of lemon juice if you don't want an overwhelming lemon taste.

*You don't have to soak your raw cashews but it will give your cake a more creamy consistency, if you do.

Lemon Creme Cake w/ Strawberries-No Bake

by Brown Vegan

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ½ cups raw macadamia nuts
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup dates, pitted
• ¼ cup coconut flakes (optional)

Filling

• 3 cups raw cashews, soaked for about 3 hours in water
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¾ cup agave nectar
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup water, as needed

Instructions

To make crust, process macadamia nuts and salt for about 20 seconds in a food processor. Slowly add in dates until mixed well.

Dust the bottom of a dish with coconut flakes and flatten crust on top.

Set aside.

To make filling, add filling ingredients in the food processor (expect water) and mix for about 30 seconds. Slowly add water as needed in the food processor to make a creamy consistency. Pour on crust and freeze for about 2 hours to allow cake to set.

Top with fresh strawberries.

You can also make a strawberry sauce by cutting fresh strawberries into halves, sprinkling on a little sugar and allow to sit covered for about 15 minutes to marinate.

Will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

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Song playing while we unbaked...

Mercy-Kanye West (clean version)

Got 5 Minutes? No-Bake Donut Holes

This is one of our favorite recipes!  I can quickly throw these together for the boys to snack on in the afternoon or as dessert after dinner. 

Recipe adapted from Ani Phyo's book, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

Ani Phyo uses 2 cups of pineapple and dates but 1 cup of each is plenty in my experience. 

Watch me make the donuts in this video below....

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Donut Holes No bake/fry (raw vegan)

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 5

Keywords: vegan

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ raw almonds
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried pineapple, chopped (it's ok to skip this step if you don't have dried pineapple)
• 1 cup Medjool dates (or any other dates available)
• 1/3 cup plus ¼ shredded coconut

Instructions

In food processor, place almonds, salt, and vanilla. Process into a fine powder. Slowly add chopped pineapple and dates mixing well. Place in a large bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup shredded coconut.

To serve, use your hands or an ice cream scooper to form donut holes. Roll holes in ¼ cup shredded coconut.

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Happy Birthday to Me: Gifts and Fudge Cake

The day has finally arrived! Hello, Thirty!

The older I get, the more I see value in experiences opposed to physical possessions. I like vacations, good food, movies, and true friendship. Sure, I still like the newness of getting things (like a car or clothing), but once the luster has worn off, it’s hard for me to connect the item to the person who gave it to me. It just becomes stuff.

I received an amazing birthday gift when I volunteered in Theodore’s 1st grade class this morning.  I usually sit in the teacher’s lounge and file paperwork, sharpening pencils (the most annoying task ever), prep for their math and language activities, etc.

When I came back into the class, the students sang happy birthday to me and made me a crown (everyone signed it). Sooo sweet! I didn’t even realize my little guy told the class about my birthday.

THIS is my favorite kind of gift! The type of gift that stays with you forever and doesn’t need to be replaced or maintained.

The Hubs said he would pick up a vegan cake at Whole Foods for me, but I decided to make my own instead (and save him a 30 minute drive).

I made Ani Phyo’s Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake a few days ago and it looked like this…

I made another one after returning from school this morning….

I didn’t use raspberries this time and it was still very good. 

Ingredients:

Fudge cake

3 cups dry walnuts

2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup pitted Medjool dates

Frosting

1/3 cup pitted Medjool dates

¼ agave syrup

½ cup ripe avocado flesh

1/3 cup cacao powder

Filling

½ cup raspberries

Instructions:

To make the cake, combine the walnuts, cacao powder, and salt in the food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed.  Avoid over processing. Add the dates and pulse until well mixed. Shape into 2 stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.

To make the frosting, combine the dates and agave syrup in the food processor and process until smooth.  Add the avocado and cacao powder and process until smooth.

To serve, frost the top of one of the cakes with half the frosting and top with raspberries. Stack the second cake on top and frost the top and sides.

Cake is good for up to one week in the fridge.

I’m off to enjoy this cake, some tea, and a few hours of silence.

Thirty never tasted so good!

Recipe adapted from Ani's Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats