Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

Why no dairy? Read this.

This is a very simple recipe for any basic nut milk. I love cinnamon and like things sweet, so I add cinnamon and a date. My favourite nut to use is sprouted cashews, because of their creaminess.

Non-dairy milks are delicious and I recommend anyone to buy EdenSoy Organic Soy Milk. It's totally non-GMO and about as nutritious and environmentally sustainable as you can get. In fact, I wrote an entire university paper on this product. If you don't want to make your own vegan milk - BUY THIS! =) I love supporting great companies.

Having said that, raw vegan milks aren't actually a big part of my diet. But that's just becuase I didn't drink much milk before I was vegan.
If you are (or were) a big milk drinker, then this recipe and other non-dairy milks are a must. It's super easy to make in bulk and tastes divine after it's been in a the fridge for an hour.

My friends, Eva and Peki (two really wonderful people), came over today to carve pumpkins for Halloween weekend. Eva brought a lovely Kabocha squash.

I usually don't like pumpkin-carving (I know, call me a loser) but somehow it's way funner with friends... and soup! I had a great time and with all the pumpkin seeds, we made a yummy snack.

A couple weeks ago, I began to get the Autumn Soup Cravings. And I wanted a warming soup made from some sort of gourd, with curry spices and coconut milk. I was at the farmer's market last Saturday and when we saw butternut squash, I decided to make it the star of the soup.
I bought two, just to be sure I'd have enough. A nice thing about gourds is you can let them sit around FOREVER. We've had this spaghetti squash in the kitchen for like a month now. They keep extremely well... They're tough little guys. So it was fine that I wasn't able to make the soup until today.


My family ate this soup right up, even my little carnivorous brother. They said they weren't crazy about the texture, because it is a little chunky... but that's the fibre! If you prefer it smoother however, just strain it.  No biggie. I suggest using the fibrous stuff left over in baked goods, raw crackers, even cookies, etc.
I also made a simple cashew cream that really complemented the colours and flavours of the soup; sweet and cool while the soup was spicy and warm. 

I actually had about 3 cups of squash left over so I made muffins (baked)! They were delicious. Sometimes ya just need a muffin and some soup. Oh, and some good friends to carve pumpkins with =)



I love how this soup is raw, but warms you up anyway because of the ginger, onion, garlic, and curry. I also love how nicely the sweet cashew cream contrasts. And I love that it's all mostly squash! Which is just water, vitamins, nutrients and fibre! I hope you like it.
Remember, if it's too chunky: just strain it. It will become like creamy cooked soup.

Why's it the best? Because it's got more nutrients, vitamins and minerals than your multi-vitamin. BAM!

Why should dessert make you feel GUILTY?!
What is that?!
Everything you eat should make you happy, in all ways - inside and out.



This banana split is glorious because it's just a bunch of healthy fats to keep my hair and skin glowing; plus fibre, iron, amino acids, protein, potassium, magnesium, electrolytes, B vitamins for your brain, zinc... I mean I could go on for ever. Needless to say, this is one healthy banana split.

All it is is the raw coconut ice cream, with some almond butter, cashews, goji berries, coconut flakes, and of course - an organic banana.
Scoop out maybe 3 scoops or so of your fave ice cream. Sprinkle with cashews, coconut, goji berries, and spoon on some almond butter. Add whatever else ya want, like cinnamon, cocoa, other fruit, etc. Then chop up a banana and enjoy!

AGH SO GOOD.

You must forget everything the media and your momma (who's only been influenced by the media) have told you about milk. The dairy board is extremely powerful. Plain and simple.


All dairy is, is nasty antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals they pump into the poor dairy cows to keep them alive in their disgusting factory farms. If they didn't have all these drugs in them, they'd die immediately because the conditions are so dirty and gross.
They don't even feed them the right food, so the milk you're drinking isn't from a healthy animal. All their stress, pain and fear while alive creates disease in their bodies. I don't want that in mine. I also don't want to support the immoral treatment of dairy cows.

If you don't believe dairy cows are treating cruelly, watch Earthlings. 
Beware though, it's not for the faint of heart... it's reality. 
 
So even if you don't care that the cows were treated like dirt, I would hope you care about your own body. Milk causes all sorts of serious health problems. From osteoporosis (you heard me), to cancer, to diabetes, to kidney stones, the list goes on and on. I'm not kidding, people.

Why do we drink milk? Vitamin D, calcium, and protein, mainly.
Vitamin D: We should really only get from the sun, period. Maybe 10-20 minutes a day in sunlight. So go for a walk.
Calcium: Because milk is acidifying, and our bodies require an alkaline environment; we try to buffer the acidity with calcium.We can't use the calcium in milk anyways so our bodies have to LEECH CALCIUM FROM OUR BONES. Yep, that's right. Over time, milk thins your bones, doesn't strengthen them.
The very-absorbable calcium found in broccoli, other greens and plant foods strengthens your bones.
Protein: Ever heard of a protein deficiency? Me either. That's because we hardly need any protein to survive. Many call it the Protein Myth. It's just not something you need to worry about, unless you're a bodybuilder. In which case, eat some hemp seeds and spinach.

If you want to learn more about the TRUE FACTS of what milk does to your body, read The China Study. It is called the "the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted" for a reason.

Milk is not meant for us. Firstly: we aren't weening babies anymore so we shouldn't be drinking any kind of milk anymore. Secondly: WHY ARE WE DRINKING THE MILK OF ANOTHER SPECIES? Do you see piglets suckling at the tit of lions? No, because that wouldn't make any sense... see my point?


If you must indulge on dairy, I seriously recommend you only buy local, non-pasteurized, humanely-milked dairy. If not for the cows - do it for YOUR HEALTH and the health of your FAMILY!
"Too expensive", you say? Then buy almond/rice/coconut/soy/cashew or any other non-dairy milk! It's cheaper and doesn't go bad. You can even make it yourself in bulk and save more money. This is far better for you than the best organic milk out there.
"Non-pasteurized - that's not safe", you say? If the only way you feel comfortable eating something is if it's been heated so that it basically kills the food and all it's nutrients... maybe you just shouldn't eat that food.

So what should you have INSTEAD of dairy? I mean, who doesn't like cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, or butter?! As humans, we love creamy fats. It's only natural. I will be posting a ton of raw vegan better-than-dairy recipes, and...
Luckily, there are countless other delicious plant-based alternatives. You won't miss a thing. Right now, I'm currently making two wheels of aged nut cheeses for X-mas! Recipe soon!

Here are two sites that list a few alternatives:
http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/our-favorite-products.aspx
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/cookingtipstools/tp/dairysubstitutes.htm
If you've got any questions about dairy or anything else, please contact me! =) 
Now, on to banana splits!

*Also check out avocado pudding - it's insane.

Today my friend Emily came over and we studied for our Philosophy midterm... somewhat successfully. But then it was time for a distraction and Emily wanted some chocolate pudding.

Well, rather than making sugary, chemically-flavoured pudding from a "milk ingredient"-derived powder like Sugar, Modified Food Starch, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Disodium Phosphate (For Thickening), Contains less than 2% of Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate (For Thickening), Mono- and Diglycerides (Prevent Foaming), Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Artificial Color, Bha (Preservative) - Yum?

I made a delicious concoction out of bananas, chia seeds, raisins, agave and cocoa. We also added some cinnamon and almond butter. It was creamy and very satisfying.

It seriously took just a few minutes, so if you're short on time and want a healthy, filling and rad breakfast/lunch/snack/even dinner pudding - this is for YOU =)
And as with EVERY RAW RECIPE: it's so friggin' easy and totally adaptable to anything your little heart desires.


This is one chocolate pudding you can feel GOOD about eating!

Raw fooders definitely have some common favourite foods. Some that come to mind are avocado, banana, some swear by fruit, some by nuts/seeds, etc. One raw food that's always a topic of controversy and discussion is the illustrious durian.

Half of us love it, half of us loathe it. In any case, it's smell is infamous and nobody likes it.
Durians are grown in Thailand and are so smelly that they're illegal indoors. They also have to be frozen when shipped overseas for the same reason.


I have been wondering for many months now what my opinion of the durian would be. I tend to like foods and smells others find a little unusual, so I was optimistic.

Well, I finally found where they keep the durians in the T&T Asian Market and bought one. They were hiding in a giant freezer behind a pillar in the meat section... hmm.
We probably looked a little strange walking through the market, my mom and me; two white women on a mission holding a giant spiky, tropical fruit. But then that's Vancouver culture for you, and I love it.

Okay - so my durian experience. It began to smell a lot more once it thawed, and my dad immediately recognized the scent. My mom and dad lived in Thailand for many years and ate a lot of durian. They both love it, but like most people, my dad can't stand the smell. I personally think it smells like really sweet rotting fruit... not as bad as it sounds!

We sliced it open after I noticed it starting to split - a sign of ripeness - and I got my first look at the guts. They were giant yellowish pods and they had the texture of custard. In each pod there's a seed.


I had my first bite... YUM!

I liked it! Wouldn't use the word love, as I thought I would... but it was very tasty. Like nothing you have EVER tasted. I can only describe it as fruity, almond-y, and toasty and the same time. I advise everyone to try a durian. Whether you like it or not, it's a unique and fun experience. My brothers' reactions were absolutely hysterical - we were literally all on the ground laughing.

Sufficed to say, they did not like the durian.