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Tag Archives: vegan
20 Minute Lip Smacking Vegan Pecan Pie
My Holiday Pecan Pie 🙂
My favorite thing in the world next to green juice, is dessert, so I made it a mission to master the art of creating simple, healthy, raw and vegan desserts in record time. Here is another twenty-minute pie, suitable for vegans or anyone who would like to not sacrifice the taste of their pecan pie, but are okay with letting go of the belly bulge that occurs after eating the conventional version. I made this for family, vowing to give them a healthier version that they would still enjoy. The pie disappeared quickly, and the general consensus was that this version tasted better!
Ingredients:
2 cups pecans (soaked) , 6-7 cups dates (soaked briefly), 1 pre-made crust ( I used Whole Foods 365 Whole Wheat pre-made crust), 1/2 cup organic oats, and grade B maple syrup
Put the dates in a bowl and let soak in hot water. While the dates are soaking, put your crust in the oven. During the 15 minutes or so it will take to brown your crust you are going to make your filling and topping for the pie.
Pour soft dates into high-speed blender, with some of the water. Make sure not to add too much water. Blend until a creamy, thick consistency, continuing to add water if needed.
Strain the water from your soaked pecans. Use a frying pan, and with low to medium heat, brown the oats in the pan. When the oats begin to brown, add in pecans and drizzle agave nectar on the mixture. This will be the topping for your pie.
Take our your pie crust from the oven, and pour in date filling. Spread the pecan an oat mixture evenly on the top of the pie. Let it cool, and then serve & enjoy !!!
To make a raw crust as a substitute, use the crust recipe explained in the post for the 20 minute sweet potato pie.
The copyright of this recipe is owned by Esosa Edosomwan (AKA Chef Eazy E.) Permission to republish this recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Gourmet Raw Vegan Pizza! – Part Two
Just in case you missed it, in the last post I included the necessary ingredients and step-by-step process of how to make the crust and sauce for the raw pizza featured in the photograph. Now we’ll focus on making the cheese and adding toppings.
Cheese Ingredients:
2 cups cashews ( soak a couple hours or soak night before), miso paste (white), 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water
Topping Ingredients:
Dice a variety of vegetables that you like. I used: yellow zucchini, mushrooms, shalots, orange bell pepper, black olives, tomatoes, & basil. Then, I seasoned with thyme and hot red pepper.
Again, here is Raw Chef Elaina Love’s video demonstration of the process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKG9H-k9KYg
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKG9H-k9KYg]
Anti-Aging SHE-RO # 3
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying. ~Woody Allen
Well, if I have to die, I better look fabulous on my way out. If I were Iman, this would be a given, being that her name alone is synonymous with grace, elegance, style, and striking beauty. I personally believe her name should be written in Webster’s Dictionary as a noun interchangeable with Goddess. When I was younger the best compliment, regardless of if it holds water, I ever received was someone saying I reminded them of Iman. Years later, I had the opportunity to see her in person, and the sight of her took my breath away. Literally, I stood there, dumbfounded. The most beautiful thing about her is that slightly intangible something, call it self-confidence or self acceptance, that lies within and radiates from her. In a 2005 interview on The Paul Gordon show titled The Politics of Beauty, She said in reference to her makeup line: “This country has really moved on to a more multicultural way of thinking… I just want to celebrate the women. Sure this is all about makeup, but it’s also about some other things that are more deeply rooted. I just want to open a dialogue where we can talk about these things, where we can define our own beauty and approve of ourselves. We have to approve of ourselves before anyone else will. Women need to celebrate their God-given beauty instead of always trying to be something else.”
Amen to that. She continues on: “It’s time for grown ups to act like adults. Stop obsessing over what you don’t like about the body you have. Start paying attention to things that really matter. Get educated. Find out what’s going on in the world. Teach your children empathy for the poor instead of feeding them the latest fashion frenzy…And stop blaming the fashion industry for what you don’t like about the false values and over-sexed outfits confusing little and not-so-little girls and boys. Consumers hold the power in the world of fashion, she says, not the advertisers or magazine editors. Use that power.”
Iman defines the true meaning of the label, supermodel, is CEO of IMAN Cosmetics, Fragrances & Skincare, and just recently launched the IMAN GLOBAL CHIC Collection, an affordable accessories line done exclusively for HSN. Author of The Beauty of Color and I am Iman, Iman’s meteoric rise to the top echelon of the fashion world began in 1975 when she left university in Nairobi for New York City. There she began her remarkable 14 year modeling career. In 1994, she launched her business, the IMAN brand now sold around the world. Actively involved in Children’s Defense Fund, For All Kids Foundation, and Action Against Hunger, she has received numerous awards for her humanitarian work. Somalian by birth, Iman is the mother of two and married to musician David Bowie. http://imancosmetics.com/
New Article: B12 an Essential Supplement for Vegans
“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.” ~ Redd Foxx
True, we are all gonna die, but I am playing my cards so I still have the upper hand when I’m older. I’d rather get taken out by a bus than cancer. Or any disease that degenerates my mental faculties for that matter. My hope is that at least I will be able to play a round without having someone wheel me over to the table, or have to ask someone else hold my hand for me in the game of life.
The thing is, even if you are already a sexy vegan, and eat a wide range of fresh organic produce, if you don’t take your B-12, you may find youself lacking in energy, depressed (which is definitely not sexy), and loosing mental faculties way before your time. I had my own personal experience with B12 deficiency after being a vegan for almost ten years and then transitioning into a diet consisting of mostly raw foods. To say the least, it was not fun. I started to notice I felt tired a lot, my feet and hands were tingling, and my memory was horrible. Let’s not get into the fact that I was pretty sure I was actually loosing my mind! It was a scary experience, but luckily the core issue was remedied in time.
Supplementation of this vitamin is not optional if you are a vegan, it is an absolute necessity. Apparently even though B12 is found in animal products, many meat eaters are deficient as well. David Wolfe, one of the leading authorites on raw food, claims that Spirulina, which is a type of blue green algae, is the best food source of B12. More on Spirulina later…
Cleansing in the New Year…
Last year, I began the ritual of juice fasting into the new year. The aim of the fast was to give my body a rest, clean out my system, affirm release of old habits or blocks of the past year, and renew a spiritual and physical connection. Last year the fast was 10 days. This year, I made it to day 7 and then on day 8 had a strange burning desire for vegetable broth that I couldn’t shake, so I used the last three days to come down off the fast. If your looking for a way to jump start the year, amplify new positive resolutions, or renew yourself spiritually, physically, or mentally, you may want to give fasting a try. Just make sure to consult your doc if you have a special condition and to give your body adequate time to come down off the fast.
If you aren’t a fan of fasting cold turkey on vegetable juice, or would like to ease into it, here are some modifications that may allow you do some form of cleansing in this New Year:
- Try starting and ending the day with vegetable juice or master cleanse, and eating a meal mid-day.
- Eliminate meat for a specified period (3 days to a week) If you are transitioning into the vegan world, and still eating all kinds of meat, you can use your fast to eliminate red meat and still eat fish.
- Go raw for a couple days: meaning you consume only fruits and vegetables and/or juices for a specified period of time.
- Try to go for 3 days to a week not eating any packaged, heavily processed, unnatural foods. Read the labels on everything you consume and try to understand what the ingredients actually are in the food you are eating. It’s harder than you think… as they say, ignorance is bliss!
- Substitute morning meals for fruit smoothies with flaxseed or pysilium husk.
For a refresher on the benefits of fasting feel free to revisit this article: Juice Fasting: The Ultimate Tool for Anti-Aging & Spiritual Awakening
** Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Listen to your body, consult w/ yr doc if need be, and take my advice at your own risk. Side effects may include general joie de vire, a spiritual awakening, or an increase in magnetism & overall sexiness.
Gourmet Raw Vegan Pizza! – Part One
My Finished Pizza on Dehydrator
Most of my raw recipes are quick and require very little equipment, but over the holidays I decided to try my hand at a gourmet recipe. I bootlegged this delicious pizza recipe from raw chef Elaina Love, and of course added my own secret ingredients. If you are a food connoisseur or just someone who loves good pizza, the rich raw flavors in this recipe will win you over fast. It was amazing and disappeared from the dinner table quickly, but as a forewarning, making the crust takes time. The actually prep time is quick but then the crusts have to dry in a dehydrator for anywhere from 8-12 hours. So this definitely requires planning a day in advance, but is worth the wait and you can also maximize your time if you make a lot of crusts and save them for later in the freezer. Make sure to have fun and modify ingredients to your taste buds!
Crust Ingredients:
3 cups chopped yellow zuccini, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup soaked almonds (soak 1/2 cup to get 1 cup when soaked), 1 cup flaxseed meal, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, ( I added in a bit of yellow curry*)
Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup sun dried tomatoes (soaked briefly), 3 chopped regular tomatoes, 2 dates, garlic clove, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 7 basil leaves, 1/16 onion
Here is the cheesy video I watched that breaks down preparation step by step:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zg5Jmf3tk&feature=related
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zg5Jmf3tk]
Best Fresh Juice Spots in NYC
At this point, I pretty much have every raw vegan spot in every borough in the city committed to memory. Here’s a list of locations where I found the best organic fresh juice in NYC:
1. 
LifeThyme Natural Market (410 6th Avenue @ W.9th Street) Why # 1? Only one name necessary: MELVIN. I am a firm believer that the energy with which food is prepared greatly affects how well food is assimilated. Melvin, is an incredible dreadlocked man with great energy who has the art of juicing down to a science. I also appreciate that the brother knows how to handle a coconut, which is rare in Manhattan (elsewhere you might end up with pieces of coconut shell in your smoothie). He is usually found whipping up juice and smoothies for long lines of customers who know him well in the am hours until early afternoon. My favorites there: Sweet Christine, Coconut Smoothie with pineapple and banana, & of course a Juice with all greens.
2. Gobo Restaurant (401 6th Avenue @ W. 8th Street) I stumbled upon the juice at Gobo one day, when Melvin wasn’t around at LifeThyme–it is literally almost across the street. They have very fresh wheat grass juice, and other blends, and every time I have gotten excellent service.
3. Westerly Natural Market (913 8th Avenue @ 54th Street) Although they sometimes take their sweet time making your juice or can’t find a coconut, I still love Westerly. They have a nice range of juices and smoothies, and great vegan snacks to grab on the go!
4. Integral Yoga Natural Foods (229 13th Street between 7th & 8th Ave.) Integral Yoga has been hit or miss in the past. I never really feel great energy there from the people making the juice, but I still stop by if I am in a bind and in the area because they have a range of fresh organic produce and its the cheapest place to get a large celery and apple juice which is the bomb when detoxing!
20 Minute Lip Smacking Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
While most people were slaving over a hot stove this holiday season, I kept it cool in the kitchen and still managed to whip up several delictable desserts and a main course in record time, including a Sweet Potatoe Pie which was ready to eat in 20 minutes. This is a vegan, (almost raw–suitable for those who are less than 100% raw)recipe, as the sweet potatoes used were baked prior to preparation.
In order to make the crust, you need a high speed blender (I use a VitaMix) or a food processor, capable of grinding the nuts.
Ingredients
For the filling:
3 or 4 medium sized baked sweet potatoes (bake before hand until soft)
3-4 cups of dates (these add sweetness so modify according to your sweet tooth)
For the pie crust:
2 cups walnuts, 2 cups pecans, 1/2 cup raisins
Put the dates in a bowl and let soak in hot water. While the dates are soaking, put walnuts and pecans into your blender or food processor until the nuts are ground into almost a powder (make sure there aren’t huge chunks). You can stop blending and use a spoon or spatula to move nuts around to catch any large pieces that haven’t blended properly. Once the nuts are ground, add in the raisins and continue to blend. DO NOT ADD WATER or you will have a mushy hot mess o’ nuts! To get it all consistent you will have to stop blending and manuever mixture around in order to make a consistent mixture. Once the raisins and nuts are thoroughly blended, grab pie dish and use your fingers to press the mixture into the the dish to form the crust. Make sure there are no holes.
Then, rinse out your blender and add the dates and the sweet potatoes (without the skin of course) adding a little of the hot water as need. Blend until a creamy, thick consistency, continuing to add water if needed.
Pour the filling into the crust, and put in the freezer for 5 minutes, 10 minutes max. Serve & enjoy !!!
Want to have a regular crust and still keep it vegan or vegetarian? Get a premade crust, try the 365 Brand Whole Wheat crust at Whole Foods. To modify you would pop the crust in the oven, and make the same filling while the crust is baking. Once crust is done pour in filling and pop in freezer. Still only 20 minutes!
The copyright of this recipe is owned by Esosa Edosomwan AKA Chef Eazy E. Permission to republish this recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Anti-Aging SHE-RO #2
They say “black don’t crack,” so Christy Turlington has a lot of explaining to do. Of course she is a supermodel, but she is still managing to age with grace and still make the hottest new models look like amateurs. It must be all that yoga. Whatever it is, I am definitely taking notes.
In a TIME Magazine article in 2001, Turlington said that she practices at home three mornings a week, and tries to take at least two classes a week. As far as the benefits of yoga, she says: “I was interested in cleaning my body on a deeper level. Yoga really purifies your organs and blood. You feel that. You feel that circulation of energy. But the real lesson yoga gives you is learning how to be present.
My New Health Article on “Quinoa”
Below is a link to my new article about the health benefits of quinoa, which includes a description of how to prepare it. http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/quinoa
Quick Tips for Interesting Quinoa recipes: (it can be cooked or sprouted by soaking)
- Prepare quinoa and mix in parsley, diced tomatoes, diced mint, garlic, and lemon juice for a tabouleh like dish
- Use quinoa as a filler for wraps
- Add quinoa to soup
- Try quinoa as a substitution for rice in sushi. Wrap in nori rolls (seaweed) with diced and sautéed vegetables.
- Season with curry, thyme, & sea salt and mix in with any salad