Zucchini Pasta alla Marinara (Raw Vegan)



 

I’ll give you four reasons why these marinara zoodles are amazing:

  1. since they aren’t cooked using heat, these noodles are an excellent method to include more raw nutrient-packed fruit and vegetables in your diet
  2. since it’s a raw dish, you don’t need a heat source, a detail which is most welcomed on these hot summer days
  3. this dish doesn’t take more than 15 minutes, form picking the tomatoes to garnishing the dish with the irreplaceable basil leaf
  4. since it’s august, the organic garden tomatoes are ripe and juicy, which brings a delicious flavor to the dish

The veggie spiralizer does an amazing job, but if have some spare time, it can be replaced with just a cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife. You just have to cut the zucchini in parallel ½ a centimeter – thick slices. Then you have to cut each slice into thin noodles. Obviously, it tends to be a rather laborious job, but it surely does the trick. Continue reading Zucchini Pasta alla Marinara (Raw Vegan)

Watermelon Lemonade

This heat calls for lemonade, that’s for sure. This lemonade manages to refresh wonderfully, it hydrates terribly and it sweetens just as much as it should. I cannot decide what I like the most about this delicious watermelon lemonade. Maybe the hypnotic color. Or the lovely watermelon flavor. Or the fact that it’s ready in no time.

The sweetness of this lemonade is ensured mostly by the watermelon. And if the watermelon I choose is extra-ripe and extra-sweet, I might as well skip the sweetener. I like to keep my watermelon lemonade raw vegan, so if my melon isn’t sweet enough, I add a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup, but sugar or honey works just as fine. When it’s ready, I like to serve it in oversize glass jars, with lots of ice and mint leaves, just for an extra touch of freshness and I enjoy the whole thing at the shade of the huge cherry tree from my back yard. Continue reading Watermelon Lemonade

Carrot & Walnut Energy Bites (Raw Vegan)



If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll fall in love with this dessert / snack / energy booster. It’s incredibly easy to make, you basically mix a few ingredients in a food processor, and the whole shenanigan doesn’t take more than 10 minutes, from start to finish. These balls are raw vegan, they are made from nuts, seeds, cereals and dehydrated fruits, which makes them not only tasty but also very healthy and kid-friendly. For this recipe I used carrots, walnuts, oats and dates, which I’ve seasoned with cinnamon, orange peel and vanilla and I made 20 adorable, sweet, flavorful, fragrant, burnt-orange balls that simply melt in your mouth.

They are not only delicious, but also packed with nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and omega3 and omega6 fatty acids). These carrot balls are sweetened with naturals from dates and carrots, without the addition of any processed sugar, which makes them a great alternative to store-bought sweets. I must confess that since I’ve discovered this type of dessert, I quit visiting the chocolate isle from the supermarkets. Me, the ultimate sugar-lover… Continue reading Carrot & Walnut Energy Bites (Raw Vegan)

Cashew cheese

branza cajuI’m doing my best to go vegan at least 2 times a week. The vegan diet includes the same range of products that you are allowed to consume during Lent. As a child I tried and tried to follow this diet before Christmas and Easter but I failed every single time. My grandmother used to cook during Lent mainly 3 dishes: tomato soup, potato salad and Serbian rice. Don’t get me wrong, they were exquisite. But eventually I would get bored. When I was about 18 years old I discovered tofu and I was enchanted. Yup! I felt enchanted by tofu. I was so sick of those three dishes that I found tofu wonderful. Now I can say I’m quite bored of tofu. Luckily I discovered this tasty cashew cheese. Cashew nuts rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, iron, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Another ingredient of this tasty cheese is nutritional yeast, which is an important source of protein, fibers and vitamins (B complex). I found this recipe on nutritionstripped.com and I made a few changes.
Continue reading Cashew cheese