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

Lately, I’ve been having consultations with the lovely Caroline Marie Dupont who wrote what is perhaps my favourite food book, Enlightened Eating: Nourishment for Body and Soul (Cheaty HIGHLY recommends):

In our most recent meeting, some mornings ago, Caroline invited me into her kitchen and made me a chai — because she knows I have that, erm, wretched little GRANDE STARBUCKS SOY CHAI LATTE addiction. I didn’t expect much, to be honest, because nothing thus far has compared to Starbucks’ chai, and I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING. But, I decided to humour her, and I watched with great interest as she pitted the dates (best sweeteners, by the way, for smoothies).

Much to my surprise, this chai FAR SURPASSED Starbucks’. Yes, Caroline did it again. So, I told her I HAD to share it with my readers. And, since this recipe is not in her book, she typed it up just for us. Enjoy! But, first, Caroline’s cat — because LOVE….

ALMOND CHAI (SERVES 4)
A richly spiced creamy treat.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup soaked almonds
4 cups fresh water
1 ½ Tbs ginger
2 tsp cinnamon, or 2 inches cinnamon stick
½  tsp nutmeg
½  tsp cardamom
1 tsp allspice
¼ tsp black pepper, or 4 black pepper balls
pinch sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup soft dates, or soak ½ hour
2 Tbs raw honey (vegans who don’t eat honey can substitute with 1.5 tbsp agave nectar, or to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse soaked almonds and blend with water and all other ingredients at high speed until smooth.  Pour through a fine strainer, pressing with a spoon to remove all milk. Or, use a nut milk bag available through naturallyalive.ca (or do a search under “nut milk bags” on the internet). Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

Serve slightly warmed, chilled or at room temperature.

Serves  4

Caroline and I sipped our smooth sweet chais during the consultation in THIS lovely room that OOZES spirituality (an area in which I have been GRAVELY lacking of late)….

BLISS!

Love!

xo Haley-O

It was my part-time nanny who discovered little Rascal’s love for rice — “RASH, Mama, RASH!” And it was my part-time nanny who fed him hot dogs for lunch today. I almost had a heart attack when she told me, especially since I’m trying REALLY HARD to adopt the DR. FUHRMAN’s eating plan for my children (sshhhh! don’t tell Josh) — which emphasizes loads of vegetables and very little animal products. I’ll leave MOST of the treats and animal products to grandma and the nanny…. The kids’ll thank me later.

Because they had hot dogs for lunch (God help me), I wanted to give them a straight vegan dinner. And it was NICE for me to be able to eat exactly what they were eating. I made this great pesto rice dish and some grilled peppers and portobello mushrooms — which EASILY take the place of steak on a vegan plate. YUM. I finished the meal off with a KALE/banana/strawberry/omega 3 oil smoothie. The ingredients of which I could never duplicate (but see sidebar tag cloud for sneaky smoothie ideas).

And now for the recipes. Check it….

PESTO RICE

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)
1 cup Brown Rice
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Chopped Mushroom
Basil (to taste)
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
Salt (DASH; optional)
Pepper (to taste; optional)
Handful Pine Nuts (or so)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. COOK RICE: In a medium-sized pot, pour in the rice and water and BOIL. Turn heat down to low when water starts to boil, and let sit for 15 mins. Turn OFF heat, and let sit until all water is absorbed.
2. Sprinkle the mushrooms on top as rice sits cooking (this will steam them to perfection).
3. Once rice is done, and enough water absorbed, add the oil, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and pine nuts. Note that HEAT IS OFF. We want to keep the oil, etc., raw, for maximum health benefits!

Et voila!

ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS
Portobello Mushrooms (thickly sliced)
Red Pepper (sliced)
Any other veggie
Canola Oil Spray (preferably high-heat resistant Spectrum, organic)
Tamari Sauce (or soy sauce)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place reusable silicon mat on baking sheet (to make it nonstick). Place veggies on baking sheet and SPRAY until just covered. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until peppers start to darken and crisp lightly at the edges. Place veggies in a bowl and mix with tamari sauce to taste. ENJOY!

This salad dressing is my own li’l concoction. I’d forgotten about it for some time. But, today, I decided to make the family a great salad — because, really?, what better way to show your family you love them than make them a fresh salad, especially after DADA took them out for grilled cheese, french fries and popcorn. Ahem.

It is seriously delicious — nutty and tangy — and composed of only a few ingredients. Walnut oil may be an unusual one for you, but it’s a TASTY alternative to flax seed oil for getting your daily dose of omega 3 fatty acids (which, as most of you know, are essential fats — essential to both physical and emotional health).

Check it!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Walnut Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 clove Garlic (minced)
Pepper (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Put all the ingredients in a bowl, stir, and drizzle on salad. It would be great if you could let it sit for a bit before serving, so the vinaigrette can absorb the garlic flavour, but no biggie.

ENJOY! And let us know what you think!

The Monkey actually ASKED me to make muffins today. And she LOVED these ones. She loved them even more, she claimed, than her favourite STARBUCKS muffins. SO THERE! Ha!

So, I try to keep this blog as vegan as possible. And I’m finding so many baking recipes I love call for eggs. Without further ado, then, I give you vegan egg substitutes — good for vegans AND those who, like me, couldn’t crack an egg properly if their life depended on it….

FLAX SEEDS AND WATER

For one egg, grind 1 tablespoon of flax seeds (or just measure 2.5 tablespoons of ground flax seeds) and mix with 3 tablespoons water. The mixture will become thick and gooey as you beat it. If the recipe you’re using is already pretty wet, you may be able to skip the water — just blend the flax in well. Of course, the best part about substituting eggs with flax (aside from happier hens) is the omega 3 factor! Ground flax is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.

MASHED BANANAS

For one egg, mash half a banana! EASY! Just, be careful: only use this egg replacer if you don’t mind your baked goods tasting a wee bit like banana….

These are my favourite egg substitutes because they’re so easy and available…. But, there are others. See HERE for more on the above ideas and other great egg substitutes.

In the meantime…, I give you your muffins, Gorgeouses!

INGREDIENTS
(Makes 12)

2 cups oat bran (preferably a hot cereal mix — get your high fiber!)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk substitute (I used rice milk)
1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil of your choice)
1 organic egg or egg replacer (beaten)(see above)
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup ground walnuts (grind a small handful of whole walnuts)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease muffin tin.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Pour the dry mixture into the wet, and combine until just blended.

5. Spoon the mix into the muffin tin.

6. Bake for 20 minutes (or until they look ready to you — golden…).

7. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. And ENJOY!

Let me know what you think and, of course, any tips or variations you have!