Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES with QUINOA and ALMOND BUTTER

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/3 cup almond butter
2 teaspoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons water (more or less as needed)
1/3 cup chocolate chips or homemade raw chocolate cut tiny pieces 

Grind the quinoa and buckwheat into flour in a high speed blender. Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips. If it's still very crumbly and dry, add some dates, or add more water in 1 teaspoon amounts until the mix is moist and holds together when you press it with your fingers. Add the chocolate chips and mix them in evenly. If you want to gently bake the cookies, add some dates and a little more water to the mix, then bake at 200 degrees (or use a dehydrator) for 30 minutes or until they get crunchy on the outside.  This is nice because you end up with warm cookies. I used an ice cream scoop to portion out nine big cookies, but you can do whatever you want. Serve with cold non-dairy milk and enjoy!

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SHOCKING PINK ICE CREAM 
Serves one or two or three... or me.

4 frozen, peeled bananas cut into chunks 
1/4 cup chopped red beet
Rawxies cookies or brownie chunks
1/2 cup berries
1/4 cup shredded coconut 

Blend the bananas with the beet until smooth. Add some mylk or water if needed / desired. Serve with the rest of the goodies. Yahhh baaabbay.

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Meet me in the club oreo, it's goin' down.

Take me to the candy shop, I'll let you lick my lolly pop oreo.

I'm hot 'cause I'm fly into oreos, you ain't 'cause you not, this is why I'm hot.

And also this, just because.




Usually this is how my mind works: I find a way to incorporate the lingo of my raw food recipes and lifestyle into rap songs. I don't know why I do this, but regardless, now you know. Moving on.

This recipe is the BOMB yo. It tastes as good as the photos look, and I know ya'll are freaking out over the photos. Hehe. Basically we've got chewy chocolate cookies sandwiching a peppermint vanilla coconut creme filling. Yupp. Oh right, then all the cookies are dipped in chocolate, making them double chocolate. Can life get any better? Well, yeah, because these are also really good for you and easy to make. Okay, now life can't get any better. Unless you throw in a bowl of banana ice cream (but that is a constant truth).

As usual I give you a bunch of adaption/substitution options so no matter what sensitives you have, you can probably make these. I don't think I need to say much else about this recipe. I mean, look at it. Does anyone REALLY need more information? Get uncookin'.

PEPPERMINT OREOS DIPPED IN DARK CHOCOLATE
Makes 10-12 sandwiches

Cookies:
2/3 cup almonds
2/3 cup brazil nuts
1 cup dates
3 tablespoons carob powder
Pinch of sea salt
1-3 tablespoons water, if needed

Vanilla creme:
1 cup coconut chips
1 cup coconut shreds
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1-3 drops of peppermint essential oil, as desired

Dark chocolate:
Use this recipe. 

To make the cookies: grind the nuts into flour in a high speed blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the water) to the nut flour in a food processor and process until it all sticks together in a ball. If it's still too crumbly after a few minutes, add a little water. I did this and suddenly my very dry mixture became the perfect cookie dough consistency! Roll this dough out between two pieces of parchment paper then cut out cookies with a cookie cutter. Put them in the freezer until they are solid and can be handled without falling apart. If you have any extra dough, make a giant 'ugly' cookie and sprinkle it with some sea salt. No dough left behind.

To make the vanilla creme: blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender, adding the peppermint oil to taste (it's very potent!) If your blender isn't powerful enough to blend everything into a thick, coconut butter-like mixture, then add some more coconut oil, and perhaps a liquid sweetener or some dates and water.

Sandwich the coconut creme with cookies, making little dollops on each cookie then gently pressing down another cookie on top. Throw in the freezer for another 30 minutes or until they are solid and very cold.

Make the chocolate, then pour it into a tall, narrow bowl and dip in your frozen cookies. You will have to have 2-3 rounds of dipping, letting the chocolate on the cookies harden after each time. Enjoy!

NOTES: if you want the cookies to be darker, add more carob powder; if you want the creme to be whiter, try omitting the nut butter and adding more coconut oil or maple syrup.

SUBSTITUIONS: use oat flour, buckwheat flour, or any nuts instead of almonds or brazil nuts; use cacao or cocoa powder instead of carob; use vanilla extract instead of powder; salt is always optional; use more coconut shreds instead of coconut chips; use any nut butter instead of almond; use date paste instead of coconut oil; use peppermint leaves instead of essential oil.

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MEYER LEMON COCONUT CREAM TARTS with MINT + LAVENDER
Makes two huge tarts; four servings

Crust:
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup almonds
1 teaspoon maple syrup (if desired) 

Lemon coconut cream: 
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup cashews 
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4-1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (preferably from Meyer lemons since they're sweeter) 

Garnish:
A few mint leaves
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (optional) 

To make the crust: put the groats and almonds into a high speed blender and blend until it turns into a thick, slightly crumbly paste. If needed or desired, add a little maple syrup, then press into two tartlet molds or whatever shapes/molds you like. Put in the fridge.

To make the lemon coconut cream: put the coconut and cashews into your high speed blender and blend until it turns into a thick paste/butter. Stir in a 1/4 cup lemon juice and the maple syrup until evenly combined (or blend it in). If you'd like more lemon flavour, add more lemon juice! I like mine quite tart - no pun intended, seriously - so I used a full 1/2 cup. Spread this mixture evenly into your crusts, then let them sit in the fridge overnight or for at least a couple hours so the flavours can get to know each other. Garnish with mint, basil, lemon zest, maple syrup or whatever else you like! Life is good! 

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 When I started making this recipe this morning my aim was to revamp one of my first ones ever (from 2011 when I started da blog). But I just realized that this turned into an almost exact replica of my immediately previous recipe, with the addition of a tart crust. Oops. Oh well! Don't cry over repeated ice cream + chocolate recipes, I always say. Actually that is the first time I've ever said that yet now I think it should be stated more often. I do eat banana ice cream and chocolate nearly every day, and positive reminders are always... positive. Ah, I just started the new semester today so my brain is already overworked. Thank goodness no one comes here for the prose. I know you only love me for my ice cream recipes and it's OOOKAY. I love you right back.




I totally failed at redoing the original recipe; it was a peanut butter crust with buckwheat, filled with banana ice cream and topped with a thick chocolate frosting. The only thing I really did the same was the banana ice cream filling. The crust in THIS recipe is made from pecans and raisins, and the "frosting" is definitely a drizzle. I guess this just means I will have to try my hand at a third attempt. I don't hear any complaints, right?

I'm finding it very relaxing, rejuvenating and nostalgic looking through my old posts (back when I just started this blog in the fall of 2011). Now I read what I wrote back then - I was 16 years old - and realize how much simpler life was. I had just started university, not sure where I wanted to go with it. I had never been in a romantic relationship. Veganism was all new and thus very exciting, with so much to explore and learn. And obviously, no one read my blog then! Or, almost no one. What I mean is that I wasn't defined by my blog or cookbooks. Of course I'm not entirely now, but you all know me through those platforms. I wasn't a professional blogger or author or vegan public figure or whatever ya wanna call me... I was simply Emily! A young teenager, freshly vegan and enthusiastic about sharing my passion for compassion with the world and everyone around me who would listen. In short: I was a baby! It's helpful for me to go back to those times, via reading my blog posts from that age, to remind myself who I was and how I got to be who I am now. As humans, we are constantly changing; physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. For one second we are never the same. Being a human is a crazy, chaotic, entropic, wonderful experience. I decided this year that every year I want to look back at who I was a year ago (example: on New Years, I reflected about who I was at the beginning of 2014). I want to remember who I was, what I thought about myself and the world around me, and what I wanted. I've made it a goal to try to always improve myself every year. I want to look back and say, "Hey, you were awesome! But you've accomplished even more now! High five, woman." This isn't to devalue myself now, I'm not standing here - yep, I've got a standing desk - thinking I suck or anything. I just believe in consistently trying to be a better version of myself, while simultaneously loving whoever I am at any given time. After all, self-love should be everyone's #1 priority. Without it, what's the point of anything?

Loving myself is at the heart of everything I do. Maybe that sounds ridiculously arrogant, since we live in society that shakes its head at being proud of yourself and loving who you are, but it's true. We're allowed and expected to compliment our friends, peers, and partners all the time, but what about complimenting ourselves? Self-love is independence, healthy confidence and a necessity for a happy life. Get in front of the mirror today and express out loud all the things you like about yourself, physical and non-physical. You're a magnificent creature who can do anything you set your mind to.

Looking back at my older posts, I am proud of who I was then, and even more proud of who I have grown into. I look forward to future years when I can reflect on this time in my life with a smile on my face, and gratitude for myself and the world that built me. For now, I'm gonna eat another one of these tarts. Wanna join?


ICE CREAM TARTS with CHOCOLATE SAUCE & PECANS 
Makes about two big ones. 

Crust:
3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup raisins

Chocolate sauce:
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

Ice cream:
2 cups frozen bananas (peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes) 

To make the crust: process the pecans in a food processor until they turn into tiny crumbs. Add the raisins and process until it all starts to stick together. Press into two lined tart tins and put in the fridge. 

To make the chocolate sauce: stir the ingredients together until smooth. Add water if it's too thick.

To make the ice cream: blend the bananas in a high speed blender until smooth and thick like soft serve ice cream. Scoop into your tart crusts. Drizzle on your sauce and eat 'em up.

ADAPTIONS: use any nut or seed instead of pecans. Use dates, figs or prunes instead of raisins. Use cocoa powder or carob powder instead of cacao powder. Use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder, or omit the vanilla powder. Use coconut ice cream instead of banana ice cream. 

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Sooooo going vegan is pretty much the best decision ever, because it means you can eat ice cream and chocolate all day long and get healthier and happier than ever before. How is this possible? You can make the best ice cream in the WORLD with one ingredient: bananas. You can make the healthiest dark chocolate sauce ever with super nutritious foods like cacao and carob. I eat ice cream for breakfast regularly, and I am smiling and jumping around the rest of the day, every day. Why spoon a bowl of antibiotic- and sugar-loaded bovine secretions when you can gorge on ripe fruit!? No offence to the cows. They are awesome, but we don't need their milk. Another terrific bit of information about vegan ice cream: it's inexpensive! Organic bananas are often $1.00/lb here in Vancouver, Canada (conventional ones are 70 cents/lb or so) and I KNOW they are often cheaper in the States.




Buy 'em in bulk (ask your grocery store if you get a box, or get a discount on extra ripe ones) and let ripen until they are covered in brown spots. Then peel, chop into chunks, lay them out on parchment paper-lined baking pans and freeze until solid. Finally, dump all the frozen chunks into big Ziploc bags and keep in the freezer until you want ice cream (like, everyday). The first time I made banana ice cream - also known as 'nana ice cream' or 'nice cream' - I couldn't believe how delicious and simple it was. In the recipe below I list vanilla and almond milk as ingredients, but the simplest form of banana ice cream is literally just frozen bananas. Note: you need a strong blender to do that (Vitamix or Blendtec). The second simplest? Frozen bananas + water. Ah, ain't life swell?

When I became vegan I thought I'd have to give up my favourite food (i.e. ice cream) until I realized the best ice cream IS vegan. Hello, brave new banana-filled world. It's good to be here. Join me?

OH AND JUST SO YA KNOW: I will be going away with my lovely Jack for a week in the snow-covered woods of northern British Columbia. We are escaping to his grandparents' cozy cottage in Wells, where we went in the summer, before I go back to university on January 7th. I probably won't be posting much on le blog in the next week, but stay tuned to my Instagram for daily photos of what we are eating! There is no oven and possibly no running water, so it'll be a healthy challenge for me to keep us nourished and I plan on sharing all my tips and tricks with you. Yams baked on an open fire? It's goin' down. Steaming veggies with melted snow? Expect it.


BANANA VANILLA SOFT SERVE with DARK CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Ice cream:
4 peeled, frozen bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 cup almond milk (or water)

Chocolate drizzle:
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cacao powder
1 teaspoon water

To make the ice cream: cut the frozen bananas into 1-inch chunks. Put in a high-speed blender with the vanilla and almond milk (or water). Blend until it becomes the consistency of soft serve ice cream. It may not seem like it will get to this stage, but it happens quickly and then all of a sudden your blender is full of a creamy, thick, white ice cream! Scoop this into a bowl. 

To make the drizzle: stir the ingredients together until smooth, it will take a second for the cacao to combine with the liquid. Drizzle on your ice cream and enjoy! Add whatever else you like: berries, almond butter, cinnamon, cacao nibs, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut... I like using this delicious mix from Blend Co. 

ADAPTIONS: you can use cocoa or carob powder instead of cacao. You can use whatever non-dairy milk you want. You can use coconut nectar or date paste instead of maple syrup. You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder. 

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Apparently it's National Hot Chocolate Day... I am doing it wrong.




But don't worry! You can still grab my healthy recipe for hot cacao here. I personally went in the opposite direction and made a cold, fruity treat. It was delicious nonetheless. I need to announce that as I write this my record player is spinning the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever. I thought that was important for you to know, as it might affect the content and quality of my writing. The Bee Gees can do that to me.

Well let's see, how can I connect a disco movie to sorbet... oh! This recipe is as vibrant as the leather platform boots John Travolta wears in Saturday Night Fever. There! (Seriously though, they are like 3 inches high.) This recipe is a mix between banana ice cream and sorbet, if I am being 100% honest - and I am. That's because the base is walnut milk, and there's also 2 bananas in here, making it oh-so-creamy. The pineapple and mango add sweetness, and the berries add colour. Yes! No refined foods required to make this baby sing. Speaking of singing... do yo have carollers  yet? I've seen and heard some a few times now. I personally wouldn't carol, but I do appreciate that other people do. Kind of like how I feel about neurosurgeons. Good thing SOMEONE wants to do it. And it does create a nice, cheery mood when you're out 'on the town' (the carollers I mean, not the neurosurgeons, although I am sure they do their part). I'm not really that into Christmas, but I do love the joy it brings to [some] people's faces. Happier folks around Emily = happier Emily. City people can look downright depressed most days, and I can only try to compensate for them with my own smile so much. Stay strong, carollers, you're making a difference.

What are your weekend plans? I'm gonna go see my mom's Christmas play with Jack, then we will probably go check out some locally-made pottery that I want for my food photos, maybe walk in a park, and eventually go out for pizza! Vegan, of course. One thing that is priceless about treating your body and mind right is waking up EVERY morning excited to be alive to experience another miraculous day. Now let's eat/spoon.


BERRY MANGO SORBET with BANANA and PINEAPPLE

1/4 cup walnuts
1 cup water
1 cup frozen mango
2 frozen bananas
3/4 cup pineapple
3/4 cup frozen berries 

Blend the walnuts together with the water until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and thick. Feel free to add whatever else you want. I topped mine off with goji berries, coconut, cacao nibs and later some carob syrup. Yum. 

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Caution: these are almost as addictive as my chocolate cream caramel bars. This is the THIRD TIME I have made them because they are so damn delicious. Please, make them. Share them. Rejoice in the miracle that is raw vegan chocolate + almond butter + coconut. Essentially what you have here is a super wide peanut butter cup with raw chocolate, but I use almond butter instead of peanut butter, and I mixed in coconut shreds to thicken it up. By the way, I found the best shredded coconut! It's from a really neat little company right beside me (on Vancouver Island) called Harmonic Arts. They have the most amazing tea blends too, and many of their products are wild-harvested. Everything is organic.




The idea for these chocolate almond butter cups came my lover, Jack. He suggested I use my mini tart tins to make peanut butter cups with. We didn't have peanut butter, and I love almond butter more anyway, so I used that. Holy HOLY. We couldn't get over the magic and quickly proceeded to inhale one a piece. Then I had to make more. So I did a few days ago at his place, and left them in the freezer overnight. EVEN BETTER. Then I realized... hey, why am I not sharing this with all my favourite people (i.e. you guys)? So I made 'em yet another time just to take photos. These are not my best pics ever, by a long shot, but they get the point across. That point being: this recipe is a life/game changer. Perfect for any human, but especially the ones who don't think eating plants is the best thing ever (in other words, those who are skeptical of veganism). As plant-lovers, I think it is our responsibility to share our delicious grub with the world in order to prove the stereotypes wrong. We don't munch on carrot sticks and lettuce while we cry about being deprived (although I cannot speak for all vegans here). We actually can be some of the healthiest, happiest, SEXIEST - ya know I am lookin' at you - and most emotionally-grounded folks around. Inspire and lead by example! That is my philosophy. Certainly there are other methods out there to sharing the plant-based message, but I prefer to just get excited about healthy, cruelty-free food and share it with others whenever they are open to it. I don't preach (or at least I try not to), and I don't guilt trip people if they eat McDonald's! I give them a chocolate coconut almond butter cup and dance around while subtly letting them know I am this happy mostly because I eat a lot of plants and love animals. It doesn't have to be a negative experience. I think support, encouragement and baby steps are the best way to go when it comes to helping people change their minds about their diet and lifestyle. CHOCOLATE COCONUT ALMOND BUTTER CUPS FOR EVERYBODY!



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