Candied Yams
4 lbs yams or sweet potatoes cut to large-bite size
1/2 cup ornge juice
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar

Boil yams until slightly underdone. Strain, cool and set aside.In a large bowl, whisk orange juice, corn syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon zest. IN another bowl, qhisk flour and both sugars. Put cooled yams in a deep baking dish, add dry ingredients and stir to coat. Pour liquid over yams and bake 25 minutes at 350f.

Ingredients

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

This salad is so easy to make, but it is always such a crowd pleaser! Suitable for persons with allergies to dairy, wheat, gluten and peanuts.

Serves 4 to 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
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1 12.3 ounce box silken extra firm tofu, drained
2 T. olive oil
2 T. stone ground mustard
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. sugar, plus more to taste
¼ t. salt, plus more to taste
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For the salad:
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4-5 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2-4 clementines or tangerines, peeled and sectioned
1 cup raw cashews
Preparation:

1. In a blender, process the tofu with the olive oil until smooth. Add the mustard, lemon juice, sugar and salt, processing for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer, until creamy and well combined. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli florets, chopped celery, red onion, clementines and raw cashews until well mixed. Toss the salad with the dressing and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Raw Vegan Pecan Pie Squares

An energy-filled and nutrient-loaded alternative to traditional pecan pie

If you loved pecan pie (before going “raw,” of course), I’m certain you’ll think these are out-of-this-world delicious! They’re quick and easy to make, and will stay yummy in the fridge for up to one week. Raw Vegan Pecan Pie Squares make a wonderful mid-morning or late-afternoon snack, or a lovely dessert after any meal! We eat these throughout the day at my house.

Ingredients

2 cups pecans, made into a smooth “pecan butter” (your food processor can do this)

30 dates, pitted (I recommend medjool)

1 1/2 cup shredded, dried coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In food processor, process dates until smooth (or as close to smooth as you can get). Add the “pecan butter,” coconut, salt, and cinnamon. Process until everything is well mixed. Remove from food processor and place the mixture in a medium-sized bowl or onto the counter, then sort of “knead” in the chopped pecans until they’re well distributed. Press this sticky, pecanie-datey, bit of yumminess into a 9×9 or 8×8 inch glass pan. Store covered in the fridge. Depending on the size you slice these bars, I’d say this makes 16-36 bars. Enjoy, and thanks for making such nutritious food for yourself–Raw and Vegan is so much better for you and the planet!

Raw Vegan Salad with mayo – Credits to Ligia Pop

1 glass of water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup macadamai nuts, pre-soaked

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, pre-soaked

sea salt to taste

chopped parsley to taste

2 tbsp buckwheat, pre-soaked

1 stalk of celery

1/2 white cabbage

1 carrot

1/2 turnip

1/2 red beet

for mayo:

add macadamia nuts, half of sunflowers seeds, buckwheat, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and water. all blend well, until smooth. sET ASIDE.

in a food processor,  Shred cabbage, red beet, carrot, turnip and celery stalk and the rest of the sunflower seeds.

Mix with mayo and plate as you wish.

To make this Indian tofu rice pilaf recipe vegan, I’ve substituted tofu for panir and oil for ghee.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c long grain brown or white bhasmati rice

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1 lb firm tofu, drained

2 Tbsp Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce

1 stalk celery, chopped small

1 small zucchini, cubed

1/2 red or green pepper, diced

1 or 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped or 1/2 c tomatoe puree

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seed

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

1 – 2 Tbsp minced jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded, or 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne

1 – 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced, or 1/2 – 1 tsp dried

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 bay leaf

1/2 cinnamon stick

4 green cardamom pods

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 c cashew pieces, toasted in a dry pan or with a little oil

2 1/4 c. water

1/4 c. minced cilantro or parsley

Directions:

If using brown bhasmati rice, soak 4 – 6 hours, or 1 hour in boiling water

Drain (your plants will love the soaking water), rinse 3 times, set aside

If using white bhasmati rice, rinse and drain until the water is clear

Drain and cut tofu into smallish cubes or slices

Marinate in Braggs or soy sauce 15 min – 1 hr

Heat 1 Tbsp oil or ghee in a non stick frypan, and lightly brown tofu pieces on 2 sides and set aside (leave this until last for slow cooker or crockpot cooking)

Prep veggies

Sauté* veggies, (including jalapeno & fresh ginger if you’re using) in oil 5- 10 minutes

Add remaining spices and herbs, except cilantro, and sauté another two minutes

Add rinsed, drained rice, sauté another 2 minutes

Add salt, water & tomato puree if using

Slow Cooker or Crockpot: Place all in preheated crockpot, cook on low for 1 hour, or 2 hours for brown rice. For the slow cooker, it’s better to marinate the tofu ahead, then fry just before before adding to the cooked rice and veg

Stove Top: Bring to a boil, cover & simmer 30 min for brown rice, 10 – 15 min for white

Remove the bay leaf and cardamom pods, which will be floating on top

Gently stir in the tofu, cashews and cilantro or parsley, and cook for 5 – 10 more minutes

*’Sauté’ means fry on med-high heat, stirring constantly. It’s different from stir fry, which uses more heat, and is the end step in cooking. Usually after sautéing, the contents are subjected to another step, like steaming or adding to a soup or stew.

Although white rice is faster cooking and lighter, the brown rice adds taste, texture and substance that is truly satisfying.

I reduced the fat content and cooking time, varied the vegetables, and added cashews. This dish is lovely served with a green salad. The original Indian vegetarian version, with zucchini, ghee and panir, is also delicious.

Nutrition Info for 1 Serving, 141g: 238 calories, 35g carbohydrate, 9g fat, 350mg sodium, 3g dietary fiber, 6g protein, Estimated glycemic load: 23 This food is very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, and a very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.

Serves 4 – 6: Either white or brown long grain bhasmati rice works well. For more heat use the larger amount of jalapeno, ginger and cayenne.

Adapted from Lord Krishna’s Cuisine – The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, by Yamuna Devi

Ingredients:
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup raw carob powder
1 teaspoon mesquite powder (optional)
1/8 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

Recipe Tips:
I was not able not taste the walnuts as the other ingredients were so flavorful. The original recipe uses 3/4 cup, but if you like walnuts there’s no harm throwing some more in there. You could also try the recipe with any other nut that you like. You may prefer to use cacao powder instead of carob power. I’m sure the recipe would work just as well with this substitution.

Storage:
Store the balls in the fridge or freezer. If you store them in the freezer then you will need to thaw them for a few minutes before you eat them. I placed half in the fridge and half in the freezer. The freezer ones were firmer, but it wasn’t a huge difference to the ones that had been in the fridge. I did like the coolness of the ones from the freezer though. Supposedly they last for weeks in the fridge or freezer, but I couldn’t tell you for sure since they disappeared in my home within 24 hours

I put together this recipe one evening when I had a craving for pizza but realized I had no yeast and no time to let it rise. So I tried this.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour (add a bit more water if you use wheat)

1 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

optional, few sprinkles of rosemary

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine all ingredients. Knead by hand until it becomes a dough and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.

Spread it to a lightly greased pizza pan (I use few drops of olive oil).

For topping, I use chopped tomatoes, fresh or from can (drain the liquid), onion slices, peppers (of any color). I sprinkle it with a dash of salt, oregano, basil , vegan cheese and off to the oven it goes for 30 minutes.

And voila !

Bon apetite !