Heart of Palm Ceviche WFPB Oil Free

I made this WFPB and oil free ceviche today and it’ll definitely be a regular chez Hickman! I added some diced jicama and thinly sliced radish. Delicious! 

Original recipe here:

The Yummy Vegan Blog

Gỏi cuốn

 Summer Rolls (aka Gỏi cuốn)

Made some mostly raw summer rolls for lunch today. Filled them with shredded daikon, shredded carrot, fresh basil, fresh mint, julienned red bell pepper, and spinach. Rolled them in rice paper wrappers and some white sesame seeds. It was messy, but delicious. I think I'll try wrapping them in collards, chard, lettuce, or cabbage, too, for a totally raw option.

I finally found a dipping sauce that I like! Woo!

Spicy Raw Almond Butter Dipping Sauce 

(Recipe adapted from von Euw, Emily. The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook. Page Street Publishing Co, 2015, p.40.)

6 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon red miso paste (*it's what I had on hand instead of other miso)

3 tablespoons raw almond butter

Cayenne pepper (to taste)

Deamy Blueberry Smoothie

Dreamy Blueberry Smoothie
(delicious and super healthy!)

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups water or almond mylk (I use almond mylk)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if using fresh I throw in 4 ice cubes)
1 soft medjool date, pitted
1-2 tablespoons unsalted almond butter
1 tablespoon chia gel (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut
*optional: I also put a teaspoon of spirulina in mine.

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth on high setting (about 45 seconds).

CHIA GEL: 3 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 1 and 3/4 cups water overnight

RECIPE FROM: Clean Eats by Alejandro Junger, M.D.

School's out for summer!

Classes for this academic year are finally over and so I finally figured out how to get photos off my phone and saved onto my computer. What will I do with all this free time?! Well, I cooked the tamarind lentils from Veganomicon tonight for dinner (pictured above) with Near East curry couscous (I like to squeeze lime on the couscous! It's divine!) and roasted Brussels sprouts. Mmmm

---

And ... I finally have time to write about some things I've been enjoying over the past couple months.

 

One of my favorite raw breakfasts (pictured above): 1/2 cup buckwheat groats and a couple tablespoons goji berries (both soaked overnight, then drained) blended in my VitaMix with a whole apple, a whole orange (peel removed), 1/4 whole vanilla bean, and some cardamom (only about 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon). Garnish with raw almonds (or other fab nut) and some fresh fruit.   

 

The Polish Summer Salad from Salad Samurai is tha BOMB!

Make it, eat it, love it! I could eat this everyday.

My favorite healthy smoothie of the moment:
1 tablespoon maca powder
2 tablespoons hemp protein powder
(about 1 cup or so) unsweetened almond mylk
1 teaspoon spirulina (more if you can tolerate the taste; I can't but I find the peanut butter masks it.)
1 banana
1 tablespoon organic peanut butter

---

Fancy Raw Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream and a Summer Salad

Fancy Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water overnight (or at least for 10 hours), drained, and rinsed
2 cups almond mylk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
seeds from one vanilla bean (I just throw the whole bean in my Vitamix)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup chia seeds

Method:
Place all ingredients except the chia seeds in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 4 - 10 hours. Serve chilled with fresh organic fruit. Makes 6 servings.

---

Mango and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

(I think this is my favorite salad - ever!)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
6 cups fresh spinach
2 cups arugula
2 large mangos, peeled and cubed
2 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped
Method:
Whisk together the balsamic, agave, thyme, salt, and pepper and add olive oil while whisking. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve topped with pistachios.

**Both of these recipes are from RAW FOOD COOKBOOK & DIET: 75 Easy, Delicious, and Flexible Recipes for a Raw Food Diet (by Rockridge Press) [Available on Amazon to download to your Kindle!]