I’ve been cooking up a STORM lately. It’s part of my New Year’s Resolution. I’m going to stop going to Starbucks and ordering take-out and START cooking and REALLY paying attention to what I’m putting into my body. And, INDEED, with a little motivation, some good slippers, some help from must-have STAR cookbooks, like…

…and a little creativity, I am SO good to go. I’m, like, DINING in my own home.

This particular recipe was adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s brillers tome Veganomicon (recipe p. 201). And it is UNBELIEVABLE. My little 2-year-old was begging me for “MORE NOODLES, MAMA!” And I…. I could not SPEAK while eating this dish. (I was even able to take a GOOD PHOTO of it — see above? — which NEVER happens; I am NOT a food photographer most days.)

In my adaptation of the recipe, I lowered the fat and salt content, and I added chickpeas for protein — making this a complete, one-dish vegan meal!

OH! And some of the ingredients may seem scary, I know. But, just buy a pack of Udon noodles (I used Kamut), some delicious Umeboshi vinegar (or Mirin, a Japanese rice wine), some brown Miso, and, really, any mushroom will do — I splurged on Shiitakes because they’re apparently among the most healthful. Just go out and buy them. Be adventurous! It’s no biggie, really, and the recipe’s a cinch.

Speaking of healthful, among the shiitakes, the miso, the umeboshi vinegar, the kale and the chickpeas (cooked from scratch), this is not only a ridiculously delicious dish, but it’s also a disgustingly HEALTHY dish.

Check it!

INGREDIENTS

1 package Udon noodles
1 tbsp Oil (I used olive oil – and cooked dish at low to medium heat)
1/2 Onion (thinly sliced into “half moons”)
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/2-1 cup Shiitake Mushrooms (stemmed and chopped)
2 tsp fresh Ginger (grated/minced — use 1 tsp ground ginger if you must!)
1 tbsp Umeboshi Vinegar (OR Mirin)
1 cup Water
3 tbsp Brown Miso

2 cups cooked Chickpeas
2 big handfuls Kale (lovingly tear it up into bite sized pieces)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the Udon noodles (see package instructions).

2. Meanwhile, using low-to-medium heat, sauté onions, mushrooms, and garlic in the olive oil — until onions and shrooms are just softened (about 5 or so minutes).

3. Sprinkle ginger and continue to sauté a little longer.

4. Next comes the umeboshi vinegar, water and miso. Sauté, sauté, sauté.

5. Add the kale and chickpeas, stir it up, and cover until kale is softened.

6. Add in the noodles, mix, and mix.

7. I’d let it sit for a bit — allowing the noodles and chickpeas to really absorb the flavours — if you can resist, that is….

8. ENJOY!

9. Let us know if you LOVED it, too!

Serves 4-6.

As part of my new diet/lifestyle regimen, I am no-matter-what supposed to have a Caroline Dupont green smoothie in the morning. I’ve been doing it for a few mornings now, and it truly is a great, healthy way to start my mornings. INFINITY better than the Starbucks Grande Soy Tazo Chai Lattes I’ve been guzzling daily. So, I want to share it with you here, too.

INGREDIENTS:

Fruit: berries pear, apple, peaches, banana, soaked dried fruit like apricots – any combination;

A big handful (2 – 3 cups) organic baby spinach

Water or fruit juice (about 2 cups);

Green powders like spirulina or barley grass juice powder – you can find this at the – Health Food Store (1 tsp or so);

Natural Traditions sprouted chia and flax;

Possibly Vega Smoothie Infusion (Health Food Store).

I like to add about a half of teaspoon of natural vanilla to my smoothie. It gives it a little ZING and seems to mask some of the “green” taste.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place all the ingredients in a blender, and puree until REALLY smooth. I sometimes puree for 3 minutes (because I don’t want to be crunching chia as I drink – no thank you!). ENJOY!

WARNING: Caroline calls it a green smoothie because it really is GREEN! Don’t let that scare you….

I’ve never taken spirulina before, and I’m really excited about it. It makes the smoothie SUPER GREEN. Imagine how many servings of vegetables and fruit there are in just that smoothie!?

So, try this out, and let us know how it CHANGES YOUR LIFE!

For more recipes and health info from Caroline, see her truly excellent book Enlightened Eating. Also, please visit her website for more resources, such as her new healthy eating DVD and meditation cds, Carolinedupont.com.

Since I can’t post as much as I’d like here lately, I’ve asked some friends to help out. Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Raw, otherwise known as Mike and Jennifer Laur. You can read all about their journey toward the raw vegan lifestyle in their adorable, inspiring bio (and great read) HERE. Take it away, MIKE!

Hello everyone. Lets talk movies.

I am a movie fanatic. And if you give me enough hours in a day I’ll watch as many movies as I eat goji berries.  And I eat A LOT of goji berries.  Just ask Jennifer, she has to bring them home from her store all too often.

But for me films create a complex world of stories and memories and like my goji berries, I couldn’t live without them.

I get laughs, I get scared, I get thoughtful, I get all the things I expect to get from a great film, I even get tears…ah, well I mean, from all those fresh onions Jen cuts up.

But how often do we watch a movie that changes our lifestyle?

The six movies below have affected me and Jennifer profoundly. In fact, Food Matters was a film that changed our paths even before the end credits rolled. We knew we had to change our lives immediately, and in the four months that have passed since we watched the film we have become a 100 percent raw foodists.

But that’s what it takes sometimes. You don’t have to be sick or in pain or whatever rock bottom it may be for you. In some cases all it takes is a great movie to  just wake you up and send you off as a new student just about to enter the doors of a new school of thought. The other five films can be just as life changing and I hope they can affect you in the positive ways they have for us.

But don’t stop there! Continue on a you’ll find a few delicious raw recipes from Jennifer that you can munch on while you view your film. No need for popcorn!
Enjoy!

Mr. and Mrs. Raw

1. Food Matters

This is an exceptional film and happens to be a great one for the uninitiated as well. And it makes perfect sense. You are what you eat. From raw food to superfoods, organics to vitamin supplementation, this movie covers it all.

2. Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

You mean food has the ability to cure me? Most of us are dead set on science and conventional medicine to make us better but this movie is an inspiring look at 6 diabetic individuals and the journey they make towards a cure through raw foods. The results are astonishing.

3. Crazy Sexy Cancer

Cancer. The very thought of it can cause fear. How would we react if we were
told we couldn’t be cured? This is another uplifting film that documents survivor Kris Carr’s journey into experimental healing as she stumbles upon raw food. It is filled with stories of strength, determination and humour.

4. Our Daily Bread

Ever thought about how your food is created in this high tech world of production? This is a unique film that uses powerful imagery to reveal just what process our food is subjected to. Without narration the film provides the viewer with the information to create an opinion without corporate name dropping and biases.

5. The World According to Monsanto

How far will corporations and governments go to make a profit? Even your food is at risk. A detailed look at how a company like Monsanto is working towards a global seed stranglehold and the dangers we all face with GMO foods. This movie solidified my belief that organic food is the only way to eat.

6. Blue Gold: World Water Wars

I would say most North Americans take water for granted. I certainly did until I viewed this movie. And eventually if we continue down the path of environmental destruction and excessive waste we might all see the effects of water deprivation and privatization. Thanks to the World Bank and IMF, poor economic countries are already witnessing the misuse of their water. Could you live without water for more than a week?

Raw “Where’s the Beans?” Hummus

2 zucchini, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups) leave peels on for a green hummus
1/2 to 3/4 cup raw tahini (put 1/2 cup if you don’t really love the taste of tahini and 3/4 cup if you love it!!)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup raw olive oil
2 to 4 cloves garlic depending on your own preference
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp cumin

Process all ingredients in a food processor and process to desired consistency.  Eat with cup up veggies or some raw crackers.

Fresh Rawtastic Guacamole

4 avocados
1/2 small red onion chopped fine
5 to 6 cherry or grape or one small tomato chopped
1 lemon or lime juiced
1 to 2 cloves garlic pureed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 hot pepper finely chopped (jalapeno if you have) or 1 tbsp of hot sauce (omit if you do not like spicy!!!)

Add all ingredients together and mash either with a potato masher or with a fork.

Sometimes I like to add cucumbers finely chopped to add some more crunch to it.

Also if making this dip for a lot of people puree up some celery and add it to the avocado to increase the amount of dip without using more avocado, plus it is a good way to get some of that celery goodness without the celery taste, for all those who dislike celery!!!

If making the dip ahead of time, put the pits back in, as it helps keep the guacamole  green.

Enjoy with organic chips or raw crackers.

Michael currently works in an advertising company, but with tasty food, proper nutrition and amazing health constantly on his mind his goal has him in enrolling in the Natural Nutrition program at the Canadian College for Natural Nutrition next fall. He is constantly inspired by the likes of Victoria Bountenko and David Wolfe.

His wife Jennifer works at Organic Abundance, an organic grocery store in Toronto and is lucky enough to spend all day talking about organic food, looking at organic  food and eating organic food!!

Please check out their extended bio: “Did My Meat-Loving Self Just Call Me a Veggie-Loving Pansy?”

My kids ate their salad last night. We’re talking carrots and LETTUCE. Romaine lettuce. And it was all because of Dreena Burton’s “Sesame Mustard Tahini Sauce” (from her awesome cookbook Vive le Vegan p. 56), which I drizzled generously on their salads. I am telling you, this dressing is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. It’s so good, I’m bringing it to dinner tomorrow night — for my entire extended family and friends to enjoy.

Here — look how happy:

The beauty of this dressing, too, is that it’s versatile. It’s great not only on salad, but also on grain dishes and veggie burgers. Since it gets thicker over time, it makes a dip that’s actually better than hummus.

The ingredients in this dressing are also beyond healthy — a healthy dose of apple cider vinegar (great for arthritis, I hear), and tahini (which is a good vegan source of calcium, protein, B vitamins, and essential fatty acids for GORJ skin, etc.). And the kids never have to know….

Check it!

DREENA BURTON’S SESAME MUSTARD TAHINI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

(Note: See Dreena’s book for further recommendations for use. I have altered the ingredients only slightly to make it more raw, and because I only own cold-pressed sesame oil!)

1/2 cup water (if desired, add more water to make it thinner)
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic (sliced)
1.5 tbsp agave nectar
3 tbsp low-sodium tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil (cold-pressed unrefined, if possible)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Easy: Just stick it all in a blender and puree until smooooth!

Enjoy!

Posted with the permission of Dreena Burton.

Whenever I go to one of my favourite health food stores in Toronto, Organic Abundance, I not only stock up on wholesome goodies, but also knowledge. They’ve got some wise vegans over there, including one Jennifer Laur.

Jennifer Laur is a raw vegan, and she — like a growing number of peeps from all walks across the globe — are loving this eco-friendly and truly tasty way of life.

Maybe it’s the trademark youthful glow of these raw vegans (Jennifer looks amazing), I’m not sure…. But, I want to get ON THAT! I mean, it makes sense. When you cook something, as the theory goes, you’re killing all its key nourishing enzymes. While I don’t believe one has to go completely raw to reap the benefits, I do think the more raw you eat the better. I certainly feel better since I’ve consciously added more raw into my diet.

So, Gorgeouses, meet Jen. Jen? Meet the Gorgeouses. Jen’s going to help us add more raw into our diets by bringing on the scrumptious recipes now and then. Starting with this delightful raw vegan Caesar Salad. I tried it just tonight. And, while it doesn’t taste EXACTLY like Caesar (I may have used too much lemon juice, and I didn’t have any coconut on hand), I loved it, and, more importantly, my picky little eaters each ate A BOWL of salad drizzled with it. So, there you go. TRY IT!

INGREDIENTS

SALAD

1 head romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 large carrot shredded
1/2 cup dried coconut, grated

DRESSING

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (2 tbsp max, I’d say)
1 tbsp honey (vegans who don’t eat honey can substitute with 1tbsp agave nectar)
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, ground

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, onion, carrot and lettuce in a large bowl.
2. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Pour dressing over salad. Toss well, and serve!

Again, I didn’t have coconut on hand, and I decided to omit the onions. So, I’d say these two items are optional. The shredded carrots, however, are a must. Their juice somehow adds to the richness and texture of the dish. ENJOY! And let us know what you think!

Thank you Jen!

Love!
xo Haley-O