Raw Kale Slaw with BBQ Walnut Crumble

Months ago I came across an amazing recipe for Kale Slaw with Barbecue Walnut Crumble by Natalia KW that was posted on Veg News. I knew I had to make it for me and J and I'm so glad I did. It was the perfect summer meal which we enjoyed outside on a hot day. I realize it's no longer summer (heck there's even a bit of snow on the ground here), but this is a hearty kale salad that can be enjoyed any time of year. Don't like kale? This is the perfect salad to ease your way into eating more kale! It's covered in a creamy, tangy mayo and topped with a smoky walnut crumble.

Kale Slaw with Barbecue Walnut Crumble

Kale slaw

3 cups shredded cabbage
2-1/2 cups shredded kale
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Mayo

1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour, drained, and rinsed
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours, drained, and rinsed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt

Barbecue walnut crumble

5 sundried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hours, drained, and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups raw walnuts
1 tablespoon minced sweet onion

For kale slaw, in a large bowl, toss together all ingredients and set aside.

For the mayo, in a high-speed blender combine all ingredients and blend until very smooth. Pour over the kale slaw and mix well.

For the barbecue walnut crumble, in a food processor, place sundried tomatoes, olive oil, water, maple syrup, vinegar, paprika, chili powder, chipotle, and salt. Process until a smooth paste forms. Add walnuts and pulse to create a crumbly texture. Scrape into a medium bowl and fold in sweet onion.

To serve, divide kale slaw and top with barbecue walnut crumble.

I hope you give this delicious salad a try! Eat it with some raw crackers for a super satisfying meal. 

On another note, I just have to share this picture of the partridges in the crab apple type tree in my parents yard. Aren't they cute?! The photo doesn't do them justice - they are so fun to watch trying to balance on those little tree branches and eat the little apples... they usually end up falling (good thing they can fly so they don't actually fall). Maybe I need to take a video of them. 

Part of Wellness weekend, Healthy Vegan Friday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Best Butternut Squash Soup

This weekend was a gloomy one. It was cold, grey, and snowy - yes SNOWY! It's officially winter here. Earlier than usual, unfortunately. The snow usually starts falling early-mid november. It just means we have to bundle up to go outside, and stay cozy by the fire inside. It also means hearty, warming foods. I wonder how I ate all raw vegan through the severely cold winters up here...

By the end of next month the lake will be covered with ice. 

With this cold weather I felt compelled to make creamy hot butternut squash soup. I'm not much of a soup person but occasionally I get a hankering, whether it be a cold raw soup in the summer or a hot creamy soup like this in the winter. When J and I were recently in Toronto we went to Whole Foods one chilly rainy day. I was chilled and I wanted something warm so I scoped out the deli where I spotted a hot pot of butternut squash soup. Perfect!.... until I looked at the ingredients. Sugar and flour?! I went to the salad bar instead. I expected something healthier from Whole Foods. It goes to show that you always have to look at ingredient lists. Maybe I've had the soup craving since that day, lol.

I've made several versions over the years depending on my mood or what ingredients I have on hand. It's nice to add a gingery kick sometimes, or spice it with some cinnamon and nutmeg. Curry works nicely too.

This time I went for a rather traditional soup. No strong spices or flavors. Just creamy, smooth, liquid, squashy goodness. I'll share again the ginger butternut squash soup I posted on Universal Eater two winters ago if you want another version. J and I have been enjoying steaming bowls of this soup with raw crackers. It makes a filling, tasty, and satisfying meal.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is so simple, yet seriously amazing! Add a dash cinnamon if you wish and swirl in some extra coconut milk before serving. Add a few carrots if you want a more orangey color.

6 cups peeled, diced squash*
1 apple, diced (skin on)
1 small onion, diced
3 cups veggie or meat stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups full fat coconut milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of fresh nutmeg

Combine the squash, apple, onion, and stock in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
Add the liquid and veggies to a high speed blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot.
Stir in the coconut milk. Season, to taste.

*Use a veggie peeler. Cut into cubes no bigger than 1".

Here's the soup recipe that I posted on Universal Eater a while back. The post also contains a recipe for coconut crusted salmon with cilantro jalapeno yogurt sauce, and a dilly salmon salad if you're interested.

Swirl in coconut milk before serving for a special touch :)

Butternut Coconut Ginger Soup

This is perfect when you want a spiced soup! Ginger, coconut, and butternut squash are so perfect together. 

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped ginger, or more

1-2 teaspoons red curry paste

1 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium/large butternut squash (peeled and chopped)

1-2 stalks celery

6 cups water or stock

1 can coconut milk

In a large pot, saute the onion in the oil until translucent.

Add the garlic, ginger, curry paste, coriander, and salt. Saute for another few minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients except for the coconut milk, bring to a boil and the simmer until the squash is soft.

Add the coconut milk and puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. 

Thin with a bit of water if the soup is too thick.

Shared and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Wellness Weekend

Pumpkin Pie Parfaits

The pumpkin escapades continue! And I have so many recipes yet to share featuring this wonderful food. Two kinds of pumpkin cheesecake, fudge, ice cream, pie, and shakes... stay tuned!

Here's a delicious semi-raw, vegan dessert for this time of year. I think they're great for entertaining because they're so pretty (I think any parfait is great for guests) and make a great dessert or special breakfast treat. 

I guess you could call it a deconstructed pumpkin pie. I layered an easy pumpkin pie filling/pudding with chopped pecans as the "crust" and coconut cashew whipped cream. Now how can you go wrong with that?! 

Pumpkin Pie Parfaits

Pumpkin Pudding

I used coconut sugar in this recipe. It's a great low glycemic sweetener and I love the flavor. I think it smells like graham crackers! 

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 - 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup coconut sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

Blend all but the oil in a blender until smooth and warm. Add the oil and blend again.

Chill in the fridge for a few hours. 

Whipped Cream

Remember the whipped cream I used on my no bake pumpkin pie cream squares? I've used it for this parfait too. It's definitely one of my favorite whipped cream recipes because its ridiculously easy. 

1 cup full fat coconut milk

3/4 cup cashews

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

Blend all but the coconut oil until smooth and a high speed blender (important for the cashews to be completely broken down for proper thickening).

Add the oil and blend to incorporate.

Pour into a large shallow pan and chill in the fridge for 12 hours (if you want to speed up the firming, freeze for 1 hour and then put back into the fridge).

Spread or pipe over the chilled pumpkin filling.

Check it out, Michele made my pumpkin chocolate swirl cheesecake! Recipe HERE! 

I hope you'll try these yummy pumpkin parfaits! Have a great weekend!

Raw Ranch Veggie Wraps

First, thanks to all of you who have left comments and emails with words of encouragement and confirmation about my new blog. I'm super stoked to open the doors to new things on my blog. I'm also going to transfer over some of the savory recipes from Sweetly Raw and Universal Eater.

Now it's time for a savory recipe! I'm wrap obsessed these days - actually I have been for a while. I've been eating wraps for lunch or dinner almost every day for the past 2 months. You might say it sounds rather monotonous but there are heaps of filling options - whatever strikes your fancy. Since I'm a creature of habit, I don't mind the same fillings on a regular basis. When I get on a new food kick I end up eating the same thing for a while, lol (well, except for desserts ;).

You may remember me getting wrap-happy in September with these raw veggie burger wraps with caesar dipping. 

The wrap meal I eat daily consists of a dehydrated veggie wrap filled with lettuce, tomato, red pepper, cucumber, and meat. I spread on some kind of creamy dressing and if I have cooked broccoli, I add that too. I even added roasted brussell sprouts lately. Or a combo of all the above. I also like spiralized zucchini in it - sometimes I make a container of it to add to salads and these wraps.

The wraps are lightly adapted from Cheri Soria's pepper ama wraps. I started make these many years ago, but somehow forgot about them for too long. Glad they've resurfaced in my kitchen again!

I promise these wraps are super easy and I recommend making a double batch. Fill up the dehydrator!

Veggie Wraps

6 cups chopped red bell pepper
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked for a few hours and drained
1 avocado
1 1/2 tablespoons psyllium
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender until smooth. Use the tamper to help it blend. The mixture should be smooth and will be thick.
Evenly spread layers of mixture onto teflex sheets. Don't spread too thin or the wrap will be brittle or so thin once it's dehydrated that it breaks once you fill and roll it.
Dehydrate at 115F for at least 6 hours or until you can peel the wrap off the sheet. If still a little wet on the underside, place on the mesh screen a dry a little longer. Keep checking. The wrap should be pliable but not too wet.

The dip/creamy dressing brings it all to life for me - I usually spread a little of it in the wrap itself and then have a side to dip the wrap in. Reason being, if you add too much inside the wrap it can seep through the fillings and cause the wrap to break apart. No good, right??

I have two slightly different raw ranch dressings/dips for you today along with my caesar dressing. You can always find a jar of my caesar on hand in my fridge for salads and dip.

Creamy Ranch Dressing #1

This is a more herby ranch that I love. Use greater amounts of fresh herbs if you prefer, to taste. The flavors will develop more as it sits.

3/4 cup cashews
1/3-1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you like it - if you want a thicker dip, use 1/4 cup)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vingegar
1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 drops stevia
3/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

Blend all but the dried herbs and green onion until smooth and creamy in a high speed blender.
Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the herbs/onion.

Perfect for dipping veggies!

Creamy Ranch #2

You know that I love irish moss and put it in lots of my desserts. This time I decided to add some moss gel to the ranch, but you could probably get away with adding 1-2 tablespoons olive oil instead. Of course I recommend making a batch of irish moss for this recipe, and the rest for some of my desserts at Sweetly Raw ;) Another difference in this recipe is that I've used all fresh herbs and omitted the basil and oregano.

3/4 cup cashews
3 tablespoons irish moss gel
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small clove garlic
2 drops stevia
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

Blend all but the herbs until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the herbs. Let sit in the fridge for a few hours to maximize flavor.

Creamy Caesar Dressing

You've seen this on Sweetly Raw many times because it's my absolute favorite. Sometimes I add fresh dill to it, or a bunch of spinach (pulsed in at the end). I personally like lots of pepper in it. Makes it very "caesar-y".

2 medium avocados

1/2-1 cup water

1/4 cup cashews, optional (makes it more rich and creamy - I usually leave them out)

1/4 cup lemon juice, or more

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1-2 teaspoons himalayan salt

1-2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

1 date, pitted

Blend all ingredients until smooth, starting with lesser amounts of salt and pepper. Add enough water to achieve desired thickness.

So who's up for wraps?!

Shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy Vegan Friday

My New Blog and Pumpkin Blondies (gluten free and vegan)

Welcome to my new bloggie! It's a new beginning! Food and Yoga for Life is my new nook on the web for sharing food, yoga, and life with you. I'm so excited about it.

So why am I starting a new blog when I already have Sweetly Raw and Universal Eater?? A few reasons:

- I've received a lot of emails from people who say they enjoy my dessert recipes but they want more dinner/savory recipes. I've been thinking about sharing more savory recipes too so this was a confirmation.

- Since I want to share more savory recipes but am no longer a vegan (post about all of that HERE), I want to post recipes that are both raw/vegan, vegetarian, and paleo, yet I want to keep Sweetly Raw a raw dessert blog.

- The other passion in my life is yoga. I've been a yoga instructor for 6 years and have been practicing for about 12 years. I thought about sharing more of this on Sweetly Raw, but again it just didn't seem to fit so here is the perfect spot!

- I want to share thoughts about life and spirituality because there is more of me that you don't see on my food blogs.

So what will you see on Food and Yoga for Life?

- Lots of recipes! Savory cooked and raw vegan, vegetarian, and even a few recipes containing meat. Cooked gluten free vegan dessert recipes too. Only raw vegan desserts will be posted on Sweetly Raw.

- Various things involving yoga, perhaps including videos. Do you have questions or ideas you want me to include? Let me know. Leave a comment or email me heather@sweetlyraw.com

- My travels and personal life will now be on here instead of SR.

- Maybe some product reviews of my favorite things.

- Your ideas! What do you want to see on here that ties in with my theme?

On that note, I've gotta launch this blog with a recipe right?! It probably comes as no surprise that my first recipe is a sweet one ;)

In the spirit of Autumn and pumpkin goodness, I came up with these gluten free, vegan, pumpkin blondies for a tasty afternoon snack. They're dense, chewy, moist, and yummalicious. Oh and best of all they're super easy to mix up and pop into the oven!

Pumpkin Blondies
Gluten free & Vegan

3/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca or potato starch
2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup sucanant
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips

In a bowl whisk together all dry ingredients.
In separate bowl whisk together all wet ingredients.
Add the dry mixture to wet and mix together until evenly combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread into a greased 8x8" pan.
Bake in 350F oven for 20-25 minutes. (I baked mine for about 22 mins. I give a big window because all ovens are different). A toothpick will come out clean.
Cool, slice, and enjoy!

Notes:
Make sure all ingredients are room temperature to allow easy mixing of the coconut oil (so it doesn't cease when mixed with cold ingredients).
I used raw almond butter in these - roasted might change the flavor slightly but will work just fine.
Try coconut sugar instead of sucanant.

I hope you'll give these a try. And let me know if you can think of anything you'd like to see on this new blog!

Shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend, Healthy Vegan Fridays