Raw Cacao Fudge Balls

Raw Coconut Covered Fudge Balls

    With a consistency of fudge in a much healthier version, these fudge balls are sure to be to your delight. I have made brownies countless times, I love them, but I wanted something I could really sink my teeth into. This recipe is the perfect solution seeing as they are just the right amount of chewiness and firmness. The brownies have a base of pecans and walnuts whereas these have a base of cashews and almonds which are heavier and less oily than pecans or walnuts. Learning all about consistency really helps when trying to recreate your favorite recipes! I hope you enjoy these guilt free treats!

Yields: 20

Tools Needed: food processor, spice grinder

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Freeze Time: 30 minutes

1 cup cashews

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2 dates

1/2 cup cacao

1/4 cup coconut butter

2 tbsp coconut nectar

1 tbsp raw honey

1 tsp pink Himalayan salt

1/8 cup coconut flakes

-Blend the nuts first

-Grind the sunflower seeds in a spice grinder

-Add in the dates and sunflower seeds to the mixture and blend

-Add in the rest of the ingredients and then blend again

-Roll them into balls or spread it into a pan to cut out fudge pieces

-Sprinkle coconut flakes on top

-Stick them in the freezer for 1 hour and store in the refrigerator

-Enjoy!

All almonds grown in the US are pasteurized, meaning they are not raw anymore. If you have any ethnic markets around you I recommend trying to find nuts there because they are cheaper, and they come from other countries which do not have such pasteurization laws. Even if they are labeled raw from california it's a lie, I don't know why they can do it I just know they sadly do. I was elated to find all my favorite nuts, seeds, and exotic fruits at the turkish market near where I live. I find that when you go out to explore not having any expectations you find the most amazing places. This recipe is so quick and easy there will be plenty of time to go on an adventure for raw unprocessed nuts! 

Vegan BBQ Pulled "Pork" using Jackfruit!

Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit

      The best alternative to BBQ that I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Although it's not raw I'm willing to take the risk and cook it up for a much healthier "pulled pork" sandwich. I actually tried making it raw but the problem was the pulp is too slimy and has a latex like coating which does not come off unless simmered and/or baked.  A little trick is to coat your hands and utensils with coconut oil so that the latex does not end up sticking to everything the jackfruit comes into contact with.

     This recipe takes some patience but it is so worth it to divulge in a totally healthy BBQ. Plus a 20lb fruit should make up to 10 sandwiches!! Living in KC "The BBQ City" is taunting, sometimes I just want to sink my teeth into a juicy slow cooked pulled pork sandwich. I'm salivating just thinking about it....and then...I think about the many videos posted about coca cola+pork=maggots ...my next thought is I wonder how much bacteria must be in pork to begin with to feed off the sugars from the coke and to become visible by the naked eye in just a few hours. No thank you. Now back to the jackfruit...

    Jackfruit can be found at asian markets during late spring and summer. The jackfruit is the largest fruit tree with the larger fruits weighing anywhere from 20-80lbs. Note it's $1.29/lb at the Asian market near where I live. It is also very popular and we are lucky if they actually have them in stock. They use the fruit of jackfruit in many curry based recipes in India. They also boil and salt the seeds which is considered a delicacy. Another interesting fact, juicy fruit gum is inspired by jackfruit. The fruit actually tastes like juicy fruit gum with a chewy meaty texture. For this recipe we will be using the pulp which surrounds the fruit.

  

The outside of a jackfruit is quite jagged but squeezable
and easy to cut with a knife. You may notice white stuff
on the outside don't be alarmed it's just sap from the tree. 

This is the jackfruit turned inside out. The light
yellow strands are the pulp that we will be
 using for this recipe. The dark orange pieces are
the fruit which contains the seeds

The first step is to cut the jackfruit horizontally in half. Next take out the core in the middle. I recommend 3 bowls for each part of the fruit. The seeds come out first, located in the middle of the fruit. The fruit comes out second and then you want to take your coconut oiled scissors and cut out the pulp, rinse and pat dry. Now we are ready to make the BBQ Marinade/Sauce

BBQ Marinade & Sauce

10 sun dried tomatoes

1  large tomato

1/4 cup onions

2 garlic cloves

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

This is what it looks like before 
it's cooked. It is extremely tough 
and hard to chew raw.

2 dates

1 tbsp mustard seed

4 basil leaves

1 tbsp spice (jalapeño, red chili, cayenne)

pinch of salt and pepper

-After we make the BBQ sauce and marinade the pulp for at least an hour, preferably over night, we will then simmer the pulp for 25 minutes. 

-Make sure to add water every time it starts to get dry. 

-When 25 minutes are up put the mixture into a baking pan and pour a little bit of bbq sauce over the top.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, leave it in for 10 min

 -Cool for 15 minutes and it's Time to eat! 

      I used Udi's gluten free buns this time but I would   normally get the sprouted local bread from the 

        farmer's market. Next time I will plan a little better. 

I just happened to see the jackfruit by chance and 

had to get it right then! This really has been an interesting fruit that I enjoyed very much 

and I hope you all enjoy too!

This is what the "pork" will look like when it's done. Delicious.

Chili Cheeze Fries Raw Food Style

This 4 Part Recipe Includes

Jicama hot fries, sweet and spicy chili meat, cheesy sauce, and lime salsa

  I have to say this is probably the most brilliant discovery in raw food history! There is nothing I missed more than warm crispy fries loaded with the good stuff. Miss no more because now there is an amazing raw version.

 There are 4 stages to this recipe but don't be afraid it doesn't take long and it lasts a couple of days!This recipe makes a large batch of "meat", cheeze, and salsa. If I have extra I use them for tacos, chili bowls and/or more jicama fries! Here is my blog for corn tortillas or you can use good ol' collard greens. It's a favorite amongst my raw and non raw friends!

Jicama Fry Marinade

1 jicama peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp oil (grapeseed, olive, sunflower, etc)

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp smoked paprika (not raw but you can substitute for regular paprika)

1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp caynne

salt and pepper

Mix everything but the jicama in a bowl, then add in the jicama and shake it around until evenly coated.

Marinade these preferably over night or just enjoy as is. I like to dehydrate mine so they aren't as messy for about 1 hour at 105 degrees while I make the rest of my toppings.

Sweet & Spicy Chili Meat

Base

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup walnuts

10 sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup carrots

1 cup kale

1/2 cup sweet bell pepper or tomato

Flavor- don't be afraid to add or subtract ingredients

1 scallion

1 bunch chives

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp lemon

2 tbsp lime

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp cilantro

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp miso or nama shoyu(soy sauce)

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp hot pepper

salt and pepper

My favorite extra to add in at the end is 1 cup of raisins. The raisins amp up the texture and provide a sweet little surprise when you bite into it. I prefer not to grind it up rather just keep them whole. Also try to find golden raisins they are delicious!

The flavors get better and better the longer the "meat" sits in the refrigerator. If possible I recommend letting this sit over night to get the best overall flavor.

Cheezy Sauce

1 cup cashews soaked over night

1 red or yellow bell pepper

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast (depends on how cheesy you want it)

1 tbsp lemon

1 tbsp smoked paprika

salt and peper

extras

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 clove garlic

1 tsp soy sauce

If you look at the top left hand corner you can see an elephant head!

Lime Salsa

2 tomatoes 

1/2 cup sweet bell pepper

1/8 cup fresh cilantro

2 tbsp lime

1 tbsp lemon

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp white pepper

salt and pepper

I also like to throw kale or mustard greens in it to give it extra nutrition and a chunkier texture.

Last but not least I cut up a few onion and garlic chive slices and throw it on top and it's ready to eat or you can dehydrate for 30 minutes at 105 degrees until warm. The cheese thickens and stays on the fries better that way as well. Over all this recipe is an A+ for me, it hits the spot every time. 

Raw French Toast or Bread Base!

Versatile Bread

This recipe can be used for a variety of things. I use this as a basic starting point for garlic bread, pizza, french toast or cinnamon rolls. All you have to do is change the flavor and this bread can be used for anything you need. The dough molds perfectly into any shape and I have a special trick to help you spread the bread in no time. I will make the cinnamon roll recipe next so you can use this bread recipe and I will show you how to make the cashew filling and macadamia icing. Update: Here's the blog! Raw food is exciting!

Basic Bread
1 cup flax seed ground
1-1/4 cup almond flour/cashews ground
1 cup sunflower seeds ground
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup water add more if needed
1/4 cup coconut nectar
3 tbsp oil (grapeseed, olive, sunflower)
a pinch of sea salt
-Cinnamon french toast flavors

2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla bean

Date Paste
5 dates
1/4 cup water


Tip: This bread is a soft bread, if you use too much water it won't hold up as well as it should. If you want a crispier bread I have found that replacing any of the dry ingredients with soaked buckwheat groats makes a crispier dough that I very much enjoy as well.

Grind all of the nuts and seeds and put it into a mixing bowl. Next separately blend the dates and 1/4c water. Lastly mix the rest of the ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix well.

You can easily add any spice or herb you'd like, such as rosemary, garlic, basil, and onion for the pizza crust. Sometimes I even add a tomatoes instead of water to give the dough a sweeter taste. For garlic bread I normally use the same spices in the bread but when I flip it to the other side I spread a garlic sauce made of grapeseed oil, a pinch of salt, garlic, and nutritional yeast.

Now it's time to roll the dough evenly to a 1/4 in thick. This trick has helped me out so much. I went from a spoon, to a spatula, to something even better. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the dough. Get these rolling pin rings for $7.50 which comes with a variety of sizes so your dough comes out even every time. When your done rolling out your dough use a spoon or offset spatula to shape the edges, wether you make a crust for pizza or just finish the edges

Dehydrate for 1-2 hours on the first side then flip it and dehydrate the other side for 1-2 hours. (if you want an herbed bread sprinkle your seasoning before it's done dehydrating). You can cut shapes like garlic sticks, circles, squares or whatever you like!