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Epic Vegan Food

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EPIC VEGAN FOOD By Ellen and Andrew Fisher {Photo by @cadencia} It s me! Ellen Fisher Thank you SO much for your purchase! The recipes in this e-book are my family’s favorites from all our years being vegan! I put my heart and soul into this ebook and I hope you love the recipes as much as we do. As always, a big THANK YOU for your love and support. You all mean the world to me and I am so grateful for this outlet to share my passions and loves in life. -Love ELLEN FISHER 1 Vegan for Everything 2 “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” Native American Proverb I am vegan not only for my own health, but also for the benefit of the planet and the animals. I am vegan so that my children and their future children get to experience clear ocean water filled with beautiful fish, green trees to climb on and animal friends to embrace. The future of our planet is at stake and our choices matter. Now more than ever each dollar you spend casts a vote for the type of world you want to live in. Your choices make a direct impact on the planet, animals AND people. If you are inspired to learn how your dietary choices directly impact our oceans, forests and air, check out the documentary “Cowspiracy” on Netflix! No doubt about it, when I first became plant based 10 years ago, I found it especially helpful to continually inspire myself through documentaries, books and other recourses. Informing myself of important issues fueled my fire and gave me extra drive and passion. This passion made it easier than ever to transition to a healthy diet which benefitted more than just myself. I cannot express how much gratitude I have for documentaries like “Earthlings”, “Forks over Knives” and “Cowspiracy.” The YouTube videos “101 Reasons to go Vegan” and “The Best Speech You’ll Ever Hear” by Gary Yourofsky (both found on YouTube) also greatly impacted my life. These videos literally transformed my worldview. My eyes were opened and my heart awakened to the reality that animals are on this planet WITH US, NOT FOR US. When we teach children to love some animals (like cats and dogs), but to hurt and eat others (like pigs, chickens, fish and cows), we are teaching them discrimination. This is the first form of discrimination children are taught. Long before all other forms of “isms” like sexism, racism and heterosexism, children are taught that some animals deserve love, tenderness, care and a life filled with love, and that others do not. 3 The number one positive impact for living a vegan lifestyle, in my eyes, is the compassion effect. As our children grow, when we preserve their love and respect for all sentient beings’ right to live and be loved, we are automatically teaching them not to discriminate against anyone. We raise children in LOVE and truly promote world peace! When you go vegan, you give up nothing. Instead you gain health, you gain abundance, and your body no longer becomes a tomb for other creatures! That’s amazing! Your actions begin to align with the ethics you already possess within your heart. Whether you are already living a vegan lifestyle or are simply dabbling in eating more vegan meals each week, I’m proud of you and your journey! These days, practically any food you desire can be veganized. And with a willing and open heart, you will begin to see how your choices can create a more peaceful and nature-abundant planet. 4 I encourage you to educate and inspire yourself by watching these documentaries. You will NOT regret it! www.cowspiracy.com Cowspiracy is about the environmental impact on eating animal foods. You will be SO inspired! (lt is also found on Netflix!) Forksoverknives.com This documentary will blow your mind on the healing power of whole plant foods! Amazing plant based doctors talk about how to help prevent and reverse degenerative diseases. (Also on Netflix.) Earthlings.com This film will soften your heart and help open your eyes to the cruelty involved in the animal foods industry. There is no such thing as humane slaughter. Now more than ever what we need are people brave enough to protect animals from harm. Animals deserve our protection not our violence. The Best Speech you’ll ever Hear This speech literally changed my life in one hour. After listening to this speech, I suddenly found myself an ethical vegan, not just eating plant based for my health. 5 Beginner Vegan Tips 1.Educate yourself Like I mentioned already, educating and empowering yourself will help you tremendously in inspiring you in this new lifestyle change! Because veganism is a lifestyle, not just a diet. And educating yourself will especially help you in the beginning so that when others have questions for you about your new diet, you are able to answer them in confidence. This way, when someone asks you, “Well wait a minute, where will you get your protein?” you will have a simple and polite answer for them instead of having your confidence shaken if you do not know how to answer. Watch the documentaries I mentioned above. Also check out Gary yourofsky’s website adaptt.org in the “All about Veganism” section to help answer any questions that may come your way. This resource is a wealth of information. Reputable books and resources on the health aspect of a plant based diet include, but are not limited to, “The China Study” and “Whole” by Nutritional Biochemist T. Colin Campbell, “How not to Die” by Dr. Michael Gregor, “Proteinaholic” by Garth Davis, MD and “Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes” by Neal D. Barnard, MD. 2.Eat enough calories This is so so important! If you aren’t eating enough calories to sustain yourself, you aren’t going to be feeling your best, you’re going to start craving those “old habits die hard” foods, and your body is going to be missing something! The more calories you eat from whole plant foods, the more nutrients you get into your body. And the more satisfied you’ll be! Plant foods, in general, are lower in calories than animal-based foods and are higher in water and fiber content. This means you need to (get to) eat more bites of food to be satisfied. Your plates need to be larger, and this can take some getting used to, so tracking your calories on cronometer.com in the beginning can be really helpful. Aim for at least 2,000 calories a day for women (at least 2,500 calories a day for men), and eat more if you desire it. Eat more if you are breastfeeding or active. Eat until you are satisfied! 6 3.Stock up on the GOOD STUFF To make it easier to eat enough calories, stock up weekly on the good stuff! Specifically the essentials that are high calorie, high carb, whole plant foods like bananas, dates, mangos, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, quinoa, beans,lentils, oats, rice, etc. Also include some whole plant fats like avocados, sprouted seeds, coconut meat if you can get your hands on it, and small amounts of nuts. By stocking up on these foods it will be easier for you to eat enough calories because you will have healthy options all around your house in abundance! How easy it will be to reach for healthy and compassionate food choices! Pick the foods that you like best. If you don’t care for beans you don’t have to eat beans. If you love bananas, stock up on loads of bananas. If oats keep you full and satisfied in a busy day, go for the oats! Oh and if you live in a colder climate and struggle to get quality tropical fruits like mango and papaya, that’s totally ok! You can easily gravitate towards the foods that are available in colder climates like potatoes, squashes, beans, pears and fresh orange juice. If you are inspired to eat more raw based, simply go at a pace that is comfortable and easy for you. Check out my first ebook, Epic Raw Food, filled with ten pages of health tips and 50 raw food recipes. 7 There are so many ways to eat vegan. Find what works for you and what type of vegan diet is sustainable for you and makes you feel your best. 4, Clean out the junk Animal foods do not need to be in your home anymore. Get them out of your house as soon as possible. If you live with someone who is not vegan, and you will be the only one making the transition, I suggest you put your food in a separate section of the fridge and cabinet so that every time you go to the kitchen for a meal, you can look to your area and see only vegan foods. This way you know your options and you will not be tempted by the foods you grew up on. After a while, if you are eating enough calories to sustain yourself, and you’re getting enough carbs AND enough greens in your diet (calories + nutrients/minerals = satisfaction), you are not going to be tempted to eat animal foods because the more you educate and inspire yourself, the less appealing those foods will become, and the more animal foods will simply not look like food anymore. I can honestly say that animal foods, to me, are the equivalent of cardboard and nails. They are simply not food for me. The longer that you are vegan and the more you educate and inspire yourself, the less those foods will actually look like foods to you. But in the beginning it can be really helpful to separate your foods from the other people in the house who are not eating vegan. Having a cabinet full of your own favorite vegan foods will keep you excited about what you are eating and help avoid temptation by the other foods as much as possible. 5.VEGANIZE your favorite meals! Find recipes to duplicate your favorite foods you grew up on. Every single food you grew up on can be veganized. My favorite recipe sources for classic vegan food is ohsheglows.com, minimalistbaker.com, hotforfood.com, and forksoverknives.com. And veganism does not have to be complicated. You can make meals so simply and you do not have to make fancy vegan pizzas every night! You can seriously just pop some sweet potatoes in the oven, top it with some guacamole and arugula and call it a meal! So good, so simple, and so satisfying. But for those times when you are having a hankering for those comfort foods you grew up on, definitely those websites, and this ebook, can be great resources! 8 6.Surround yourself with like-minded people Spend time with supportive people! People who don’t support you in your efforts to have a more compassionate and healthy lifestyle, are not friends worth having. Connect with like-minded friends through social media or vegan meet up websites. The website meetup.com/topics/vegan has different vegan meet ups all around the world! If you have family members who are negative towards you, simply be the best example you can be for them. This is where informing and educating yourself really comes into play. That way their negativity wont get you down in your new lifestyle change. It is important to realize that others’ negativity towards you is really just the projection of their own insecurities. So keep shining your light! Produce shopping with my sister when visiting California. Enjoying persimmon and orange season! 7.Don’t fret about mistakes along the way Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. You go back and you go forth, and you never get anywhere. Worrying and stress is very unproductive and it’s not healthful for your body either. If you make a mistake along the way, just pick yourself back up and keep on goin’! I Hope you find these tips helpful. It’s a learning journey and we are here to support you! Love yourself, love the animals, and care for the planet. YOU GOT THIS! 9 Health Tips and encouragement In my first eBook, Epic Raw Food, you’ll find 50 raw food recipes plus all sorts of tips for feeling great while getting more fresh raw foods into your life. Eating a diet with lots of raw foods has helped heal my ailments and continues to bring me so much vitality I had never experienced growing up. That being said, I do LOVE a warm meal of baked sweet potatoes! This e-book includes cooked meals. Not everyone has the accessibility nor the desire to live on raw foods, and that is JUST FINE! Many people feel their best eating more filling cooked foods like oats and potatoes. Others don’t have the time to cook whole foods from scratch as often as they would like. There are so many different ways to eat a plant based diet. Find what works best for you! And the truth is, the animals could care less whether you are eating a raw salad or a vegan burger with french fries. They just care that their bodies and secretions are left off the table. However, you are much more likely to STAY on a plant based diet if the emphasis of your diet is on healthful plant foods that are minimally processed and rich in fresh organic fruits and vegetables, because you are more likely to feel good and thrive! If you are looking to clean up your diet and lifestyle a bit, and if you are searching for information and tips on how to feel better, here are some tips that might be helpful for you like they were for me! First of all, let’s make sure this is clear.You are BEAUTIFUL. You are LOVED. You are valuable. And you are WORTHY of feeling healthy and amazing, inside and out! You DESERVE love and abundance in your life. Tell yourself this daily because it’s the truth. Where Your focus goes your energy flows. Your emotions and self-loving thoughts are just as important as the food you put into your body. Stress does nothing good for our health-neither mentally nor physically. Having lots of stress in your life promotes poor digestion. And poor digestion equals poor assimilation of nutrients, because you can only absorb the nutrients that you can digest. The 10 two most energy-draining things our body does is digesting food and digesting our EMOTIONS. Your body has a really hard time trying to do both at the same time. Which is why the digestion of our food is compromised when we are highly stressed or emotional. If your life situation is causing major stress and emotional tolls, like a broken relationship or a job that makes you unhappy, consider making changes if you can. Surround yourself with loved ones who bring balance and peace into your life. And stress is not just related to outside causes. Sometimes it is caused from within. That’s how it was for me and something I have to be conscious of every day. The power of the mind is, well, powerful! I have always admired my husband in this aspect. Andrew is SO good at letting things go, moving on, and not sweating the small stuff. Being with him has helped me stay grounded and become a better version of myself. You know how the saying goes, you are a product of the 6 people you spend the most time with. I find that so inspiring. My life is filled with more love by consciously surrounding myself with uplifting and positive people. What else will positively impact your health besides the food you eat? Hydrating. Moving your body. The sun on your skin. And deep, restful sleep. Drink lots of water. I always start with a couple large glasses of water first thing in the morning. I also drink water about half an hour before meals. Add lemon or cucumber to your water to breath life into it. Exercise! Wow, I cannot say enough just how much exercising has positively impacted my health. Moving your body rigorously and setting intentions to work your body and push its limits each week helps stimulate your metabolism. Regular exercise helps you sleep better and deeper at night and can even help you fall asleep quicker. Exercising promotes better digestion as well! Win, win, winning. Find whatever type of exercise which you will look forward to each week. Lately I like to do high intensity body weight exercises just 25 minutes a day as many days a week as my littles allow. Often my husband and I rotate off in the morning to watch the kids while the other works out. Andrew loves running. My sister loves to do yoga. Do whatever you love and makes you sweat! 11 12 If you have kids and struggle to find the time to exercise, try incorporating the kids into your workout routine and make it fun for them. Sometimes I hold my toddler while doing squats. The baby gets a little ride while I work in a sweat! Other times I do a yoga video with my eldest son, Elvis, while Sandy crawls all over us. Elvis loves to do yoga and it’s a nice bonding time for us! Get outside in the sunshine. There is a stigma these days to fear the sun, but the sun is LIFE! Sunshine is the happy vitamin. Getting burned is obviously not healthful, but adequate sun exposure in healthful amounts promotes happiness and vitality. If you live in a colder climate, do your best during winter months to at least get outdoors and take in the fresh air, even if that include mittens and snow boots. And add a vegan Vitamin D3 supplement if necessary. Go to bed early. This is the hardest one for me, especially as a mom. Because after the kids go to bed that’s my time to work on projects I’m passionate about, read a book, or spend time with Andrew. Sometimes I stay up too late. But I’m always happiest AND HEALTHIEST in the morning when I go to bed early. My digestion is best, my skin is clearer and my energy levels are up, ready to conquer the day with my little ones. I try to stay consistent with a 10pm bed time by setting aside an hour or so after the kids go to sleep, to answer emails or edit a YouTube video. Then at 9:30 I stop all work, close all electronic devices and sit down on the couch to read a book. This helps me wind down and let go of my thoughts, worries or excitement of the day and helps me fall asleep right away when I lay my head on my pillow around 10pm. Alright, let’s talk about what we all are here for, THE FOOD! Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the recipes in this book. Focus on eating an abundance of WHOLE PLANT FOODS-foods found and eaten in their natural whole state like fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, beans, quinoa, and avocado. Another example is brown rice pasta, which has one ingredient, topped with a homemade tomato sauce. In contrast, a box of crackers or a loaf of bread that has a mile long ingredient list filled with gluten and refined foods such as oil, wheat flour, corn syrup, and “natural” flavors are not health promoting foods. Do you see the difference? Avoid isolated foods and processed foods. The body heals itself when you let it. This is why it is crucial to not only start adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, but to 13 also take steps to cut out unhealthful foods that hinder the body from healing. Here is a broad list of foods I recommend cutting out of one’s diet: 1. All animal foods and their by-products (meat, cheese, milk, cream, butter, eggs, whey protein, yogurt, etc.) 2. All oils, processed sugars, and protein powders (isolated foods) 3. Processed, packaged foods, generally the foods with an ingredient list 4. Minimize salt Most people agree that processed sugar is not health-promoting. But many don’t think of oil and protein powders in that same regard. Oil is isolated fat, just as processed sugar is isolated carbohydrates, and protein powder is isolated protein. In my Blog post, “Let’s Talk Oil” I talk more in depth about why oil should not be considered a health food. Instead of eating oil where 100% of its calories come from fat, we prefer to eat the whole food that has all its fiber, water, and macro nutrients intact. So instead of eating coconut oil, we eat the whole coconut flesh. And instead of sautéing our foods with oil, we sauté our vegetables with a couple splashes of water! Simply add a little water to a sauce pan and stir frequently for the first couple of minutes. Once the veggies begin to cook down you do not need to stir very often. Just keep an eye on them and add a teaspoon of water if the the veggies begin to stick to the pan. Voila! that’s it. It’s super easy to swap out oil in your meals and before you know it, you won’t notice the difference in taste either. Making steps to change the types of foods you are eating, by focusing on whole plant foods as your main fuel, can have a tremendous impact on your health. So get those carbs in! Fuel your body with foods high in carbohydrates and keep your diet lower in fat. Most whole plant foods are predominantly high in carbohydrates and low in fat, with the exception of nuts, seeds, and a few fatty fruits, like avocado and coconut. The human body is designed to thrive on a high carbohydrate, lower protein, lower fat diet. Fat is an essential nutrient and is good for us. But they are only beneficial to the human body when it comes from WHOLE plant foods. We do not need near as much fat in our diets as what is typically assumed and consumed. Fat, regardless of whether it is plant fat or animal fat, is not healthy in excessive amounts. All fruits and vegetables contain fat, but in much lower quantities than the animal foods and processed foods found in 14 the standard American diet. Eating a diet where about 10-20% of your total calories comes from fat is widely recommended by reputable health experts and nutritionists, for optimal health and fitness. Among these distinguished professionals and doctors who are consistently reversing degenerative disease in their patients are Pritikin, McDougall, Harris, Heidrich, Fuhrman, Greger, Barnard, Klaper, Campbell, and Esselstyn, to name a few. But ultimately, tune into your body to find the specific amount of plant fat that makes you feel your best. To learn more about the importance of a whole foods vegan diet for prevention of degenerative diseases, I highly recommend the books The China Study and Whole which are both written by nutritional biochemist T. Colin Campbell. Load up on the GREENS! Definitely don’t neglect your green vegetables, specifically the leafy greens and sprouts. I have stronger nails and teeth, and healthier hair, when I include loads of greens as a regular part of my diet. Leafy green vegetables and sprouts are high in enzymes, minerals, vitamins, healing alkaloids, and micronutrients essential for thriving health and wellness. Eating enough mineral and vitamin dense plant foodsspecifically leafy greens, is powerful for a healthful and healing vegan diet. 15 Here’s a Tip: An easy way to get more greens into your diet, other than just eating big salads and putting greens in your smoothies, is to serve your cooked meals with a side of baby spinach or lettuce leaves to use as lettuce cups! Even with veggie soup I like to scoop some of my dish into the lettuce leaves to eat as lettuce wraps. Eating raw tender greens with cooked meals aids in digestion because of all those great enzymes in the lettuce! Plus you get the added bonus of more nutrients to your meal. It’s a win win! I also find it tremendously beneficial to include copious amounts of green superfood powders in my smoothies for added nutrition, specifically from barley grass juice powder and Hawaiian spirulina. I add about 2 heaping tbsp of barley grass juice powder and 2 tsp of Hawaiian spirulina to my smoothie almost every day. Ideally we should all be thriving in our optimum environment of the tropics with access to an abundance of organic fruits and vegetables grown in richly composted soils, and picking our fruit ripe off the tree. We should be living a low stress lifestyle and an active one at that! But this is just not the case for the mass majority of humans across the world today. Which is one reason why added nutrition from green food powders can be beneficial! The agricultural industry has majorly depleted the soils in which most food is grown today. This happens due to over farming, not giving the soil a long enough break in between harvest, mono crop growing, and not putting all the nutrients back into the soil. With that being said, there is no need to worry about what is out of our control. We simply do the best we can, get our hands in the dirt to grow our own nutrient dense plant food whenever feasible, and purchase organic as often as possible. So yeah, buy organic as much as you can! We vote with our dollars EVERY DAY for the type of world in which we want to live, and the type of world in which we want our children’s children to grow up! Vote for toxic-free food by purchasing organic whenever possible. Pesticides and herbicides create a toxic overload not only in the planet but also in our bodies, going deep into our tissues which causes a lot of health issues as we age. Organically grown produce contains more nutrients than their conventional counterparts and is better for the environment over all! If you live in a location where organic produce is hard find, or is simply quite expensive, just do the best that you can and consider starting your own garden to grow organic herbs and kale when the season is right. Even a large pot outside your front door, if space is an issue, will do the job so you can at least get a bit more organic produce affordably. 16 My last tip is to eat fruit as your first meal of the day. Ripe fruit moves quickly and smoothly through the body when eaten on an empty stomach. Many times people associate fruit with gas or constipation simply because they are eating fruit unripe or at the wrong time and in terrible combinations. Avoid eating a fruit meal after you have had cooked food within the day to ensure good digestion. When you eat a cooked meal, enjoy it at least one and a half hours after fruit meals for optimal digestion. Adding some berries to oatmeal or granola should digest fine together. But when a large fruit juice or banana smoothie is consumed with or after a heavier meal, like pasta, that can cause some digestive upset. Simply be conscious of this and you’ll soon notice what works for your body and what doesn’t. Ultimately there are many ways to enjoy and thrive on a vegan lifestyle. Find what plant foods work for you and helps YOU feel YOUR BEST. You may feel better eating a little more plant fat than I do, or maybe slightly less! You may love warming cooked meals throughout your day, while others feel best keeping it all raw or raw until dinner time. Above all, Love yourself and enjoy the progress and stage of your journey towards health. Because truly, taking a breather, relaxing, and giving yourself time to heal mentally can do wonders. I am not a doctor and I do not give medical advice or engage in the practice of medicine. My guidance is never intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. All of my tips simply come from information I have learned through studies, plant based doctors and personal experience. I love you all and pray for your ultimate health and happiness! 17 A NOTE about the recipes 1. In a lot of the recipes I say “blend ingredients in a high speed blender.” There are a lot of good blenders out there these days, but the best of the best, in my opinion, is the Vitamix Blender. Hands down, it is the BEST KITCHEN APPLIANCE I’ve ever purchased and I’ve never met anyone who owns a Vitamix and disagrees with me. Click HERE to get free shipping on this epic high-speed blender. 2. Whenever a recipe calls for “the juice of” lemon or orange, be sure to discard all the seeds that come out when squeezing the juice. If any seeds get blended in the sauce, the sauce will become bitter. 3. When using dates in a recipe, be sure to discard the pits. I use the large Medjool date variety for my recipes, but if you only have access to a smaller variety like Deglet that’s totally fine! Just be sure to double the amount of dates used. 4. We don’t use any oil in the kitchen and choose to sauté our vegetables in water. It’s actually very simple and takes very little effort to switch over to this style of cooking. I mentioned this in the last section but thought it would be good to explain again on this page. Simply add a little water to a sauce pan with the vegetables and stir frequently for the first couple of minutes. Once the veggies begin to cook down you do not need to stir very often. Just keep an eye on them and add a teaspoon of water at a time if the the veggies begin to stick to the pan. 5. I describe general instructions on how to cook rice when rice is included in the recipe, but all varieties of rice cook a little differently so do a general google search if you aren’t sure how to prepare the rice you are using. 6. Don’t feel like you have to prepare the exact recipe! Get creative in the kitchen and experiment with whatever veggies you have on hand! Most of these recipes are not an exact science. All they need is to be prepared with quality produce, a little love and creativity. I’d love to see your creations so please tag me in your photos on Instagram @ellenfisher with the hashtag #epicveganfood so I am sure to see it! 18 the RECIPES section 1 1.FRUIT CENTERED MEALS 19 The Ultimate Gr een Smoothie 5-6 large ripe, spotty bananas 2 heaping tbsp of BGJP* 1 cup frozen organic mango 2 cups of water 3 Medjool dates, pitted 1 lilikoi (passionfruit) or juice of one lime This smoothie is so freaking delicious, my mouth waters just looking at it. I have made this smoothie so many times for many meals! ! BGJP is Barley Grass Juice Powder. I order mine atdailygreenboost.com ONE STEP Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. 20 Pink Berry Smoothie Bowl 1 medium mango 2 Medjool dates For the toppings: 2 tbsp coconut flakes 2 ripe frozen bananas 2 tbsp hemp seeds 1 cup frozen mixed berries 1 tbsp cacao nibs 1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries 1/2 tsp cinnamon *flowers to decorate, but don’t eat them ;) ONE STEP Blend the mango, dates, frozen bananas, 1 cup frozen berries, orange juice and cinnamon in a blender until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle on the toppings. (Add flowers if you want to take a nice photo of your creation.) 21 “Veganism is not a limitation in any way; it’s an expansion of your love, your commitment to nonviolence, and your beliefL.inFrancione justice for all.” -Gary 22 Daddy’s Post Workout SMOOTHIE 10 Ripe spotty bananas 1 cup frozen blueberries 2 sticks celery 6 leaves of kale 3 tbsp hemp seeds 24 ounces water 1 tbsp Hawaiian Spirulina ONE STEP Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Enjoy as a meal post workout, or anytime! 23 Wild Blueberr Chia moothie 4 cups frozen wild blueberries 2-3 cups fresh orange juice 3 cups diced mango (fresh or frozen) 2 tbsp of chia seeds This smoothie is so refreshing! Plus, chia seeds are super high in Omega 3 fatty acids. They are an important addition to a healthy diet to balance out the other plant fats in the diet which are high in omega 6’s like avocados, coconut and nuts. These seeds are also rich in antioxidants which helps protect the body from free radicals and cancer. PS- soaking the chia seeds in water will activate the seeds, making it more bio-available to your body. 24 Serves 1-2 hungry herbivores FIRST Place about 1/4 cup water and the chia seeds in a mason jar with the lid on. Shake well and then let sit in the refrigerator over night. Or, you can also get a pretty good gel consistency in about 2-3 hours with this method. SECOND Blend all the smoothie ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. This amount makes about 2 full quart jars so enjoy it as a meal for yourself, or serve it up with a friend or your little one! Top with more frozen wild blueberries and you’ve got a party on your hands. Choose self love. honor your body by eating copious amounts of fruits and vegetables! 25 Ice Cream Papaya Boats 1 big Hawaiian or Mexican papaya 4 frozen bananas (freeze them when ripe and spotty) 1 passionfruit 2 tbsp coconut flakes 1 tbsp cacao nibs 1 lime FIRST Slice papaya in half, scoop out and discard the seeds. SECOND Blend the frozen bananas and passionfruit in the Vitamix blender with the tamper to get it blending smooth. Top over papaya with cacao nibs and coconut flakes. Squeeze lime on to ! 26 Blueberry Cobbler Granola 1 heaping cup oats 1 tbsp cacao nibs 7-8 Medjool dates 1-2 tbsps pure maple syrup 2 tbsp coconut flakes 1 cup frozen wild blueberries ! This recipe is inspired by my dear friend LONI JANE! Check her out @lonijane FIRST Pulse in the food processor the oats, dates, coconut flakes, cacao nibs and maple syrup SECOND Thaw the frozen wild blueberries in warm water for a few minutes then drain the water. Top the granola with the berries and mix together. Add in some fresh raspberries too if desired! 27 EASY PEASY AND DELICIOUS!! 28 The Sunshine Smoothie 6 ripe spotty bananas 1 pinky size piece of fresh ginger 3 cups frozen organic mango about 2 cups of water 2 limes, juiced ONE STEP Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth This page isn’t necessarily about the specific recipe. It is more about this reminder: If you are transitioning towards eating more plant foods, and less animal based foods, you need to (get to) eat more bites of food to be satisfied and to fulfill your caloric needs. i.e. a 16 ounce fruit smoothie is not going to satisfy you for very long. Whole plant foods, in general, are lower in calories than animal based foods and higher in water and fiber content. So, in order to feel satisfied in your body AND MIND, so that eating animal foods and processed foods become less appealing and eventually not appealing at all, eat a wide variety of whole plant foods in ABUNDANCE! 29 Vanilla Ice Cream topped with nature’s candy 4-5 frozen spotty bananas Toppings: 2 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup 1/2 a vanilla bean 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries, 2 tbsp coconut flakes, 1 tbsp cacao nibs ONE STEP Blend in a high speed blender the frozen bananas, maple syrup and vanilla bean with the tamper to push the ingredients into the blade. Once it turns into a whip. Scoop into a bowl and top with coconut flakes, cacao nibs, and thawed frozen blueberries. 30 Raw Mango Sorbet with oat granola For the Mango Sorbet For the oat granola 1 cup rolled oats 3 cups of sweet frozen organic mango 7-8 Medjool dates, pitted 2 tbsp coconut flakes A couple splashes orange juice or water 1/2 a ripe spotty banana (or berries or 1 tbsp cacao nibs other fruit toppings of choice) 1/2 a ripe spotty banana 31 Serves 1 hungry herbivore with a child muncher on the side FIRST Process all the oat granola ingredients in the food processor until chunky and well combined. Do not over process or it will become like dough. If you have a Vitamix blender, it should do just fine in there on the pulse button option and with the tamper to help move the ingredients into the blade. If your dates are not very moist, but rather hard, soften them up by soaking them in warm/hot water for about 10 minutes before making the granola. SECOND Blend the frozen mango with a splash of orange juice or water in a high speed blender like the Vitamix, using the tamper to push the ingredients down into the blade. If you do not have a super good blender, a food processor will work just fine. Try letting the frozen mango thaw for about 15 minutes before putting into the food processor to blend. THIRD Pour the mango sorbet into a serving bowl and top with the granola, sliced banana or other berries of choice. Grab an extra spoon to share with your little one or your buddy because this one is too delicious not to share! 32 the RECIPES section 2 2.Salads + Leafy Lettuce Meals 33 BOMB MANGO VEGGIE SALAD 1 head of romaine lettuce For the dressing: 1 zucchini, spiralized or shredded 1 large, ripe and sweet mango 1 carrot, shredded 1/2 an avocado 1/2 a bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 orange, juice of 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 1 green onion small handful of fresh dill FIRST Dice lettuce and place into a big salad bowl and top with the rest of the veggies. SECOND Blend mango, avocado and orange juice in a blender until smooth. Add in the green onion and dill and pulse blend for a few seconds. Do not over blend or the herbs will get bitter. THIRD Pour dressing over salad and top with a few more dices of green onion and avocado. Optional: add a dash of black pepper and sea veggie dulse! SO GOOD! 34 Creamy Kraut Salad 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped For the dressing (makes 2 servings. 2 sticks dino kale, minced Refrigerate half in a container for the next day) 1 large handful of arugula 1/2 cup raw whole cashews 1/2 cup cilantro, minced 2 Medjool dates 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 stick celery 1/4 cup cucumber, diced 1/4 cup sauerkraut 2 green onions, diced 2 green onions 1/4 cup sea veggie dulse 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup sauerkraut 1 lime 35 This salad is full of depth and flavor from the wide range of flavorful greens to the sea veggies and sauerkraut. It’s rich in antioxidants and oh so creamy dreamy! My kids gobble this salad up and always beg for seconds. Serves 1 hungry herbivore FIRST soak the cashews for a few hours (or overnight) to soften them up and make them easy to digest. SECOND Place the lettuce, kale, arugula, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumber and green onion into a large salad bowl. Tear the sea veggie dulse into small pieces into the bowl and top with sauerkraut. THIRD Drain and rinse the cashews. Then blend the cashews along with the other dressing ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. FOURTH Pour dressing over salad, mix everything together and squeeze with lime. 36 Sweet Mango Zoodles 4 organic zucchinis 7-8 Medjool dates 3 Large SWEET Mangos 1 large handful of fresh basil The key to making this a flavor bomb in your mouth is having quality sweet organic mangos to use in the dish. If the mangos are so-so on their own, this dish will also be so-so. But if it’s summer time and you have access to delicious mangos, whip this up and be surprised at how AMAZING it is! This recipe is dedicated to my sister, Hannah, because she came up with this recipe and I first doubted her when she told me how delicious it was. Once I tried it I was hooked! FIRST Spiralize the zucchini with a spiralizer. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can sim- ply shred them with a grater or vegetable peeler. SECOND Blend the mangos and Medjool dates until totally smooth. Add in the basil and pulse until well combined. Pour over zoodles and mix. Devour and feel amazing. 37 Mango Zoodles Raw Thousand Island Salad in my “Epic Raw Food” Ebook 38 My Go-To Flavor Bomb Salad This salad is SO delicious and super easy to throw together to help you get those greens into your body for optimal health! Use whatever veggies you have on hand or are craving, but in this recipe I’ll share my favorites. Other delicious extras include peas, shredded beets, other sea veggies like nori, or freshly diced basil. The antioxidantpacked veggie possibilities are endless! 1 head lettuce, chopped 1/4 cup sea veggie dulse 2 large handfuls of arugula or spinach 1/2 an avocado, diced 1 medium tomato, chopped for the dressing 1/2 a cucumber, diced 3 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup 1 green onion, diced 1 heaping tbsp dijon mustard handful of cilantro, minced 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 39 Serves 1 hungry herbivore FIRST Place the lettuce greens, tomato, cucumber, green onion and cilantro into a large salad bowl. Tear sea veggie dulse into the salad as well. SECOND Mash the avocado in a separate bowl into guacamole texture. Scoop and top over salad. Top with a little more diced avocado if desired. THIRD Once the avocado mash is on the salad, use the separate bowl you used to mash the avocado to stir together the maple syrup, mustard, and ACV into a fine dressing. Pour over salad and ENJOY! YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR GREATEST WEALTH! 40 CREAMY RED PEPPER SALAD 2 heads of red leaf lettuce, chopped For the dressing 2 large handfuls of arugula 1/2 an avocado 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced 1/4 cup of diced mango 1 tomato, diced 2 tbsp lime juice 1/4 cup sea veggie dulse FIRST 1/2 tsp turmeric Place the lettuce, arugula, bell pepper and tomato into a large salad bowl. Tear the sea veggie dulse and top over salad. Nori sheets are a great substitute in this salad if you don’t have dulse. SECOND Blend all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Pour over salad and devour the healthy goodness. !Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory spice that has long been used in Chinese and Indian systems of medicine. Enjoy it fresh or powdered, as it helps keep the immune system strong! 41 Southwestern Salsa Salad with sweet tahini dressing 1 head lettuce, chopped optional: nutritional yeast 1 green onion, diced 1/2 cup salsa 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped for the dressing 1/4 cup celery, diced 1-2 tbsp tahini 1 medium tomato, diced 2 tbsp maple syrup sprinkle of pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp dijon mustard FIRST Place the lettuce, green onion, cilantro, celery and tomato in a large salad bowl. SECOND Top with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast. Also top with leftover salsa from BOMB Mexican Tacos, see page 62, (or jarred salsa.) THIRD In a separate bowl, stir together the tahini, maple syrup and mustard and pour over salad as the dressing. Enjoy! 42 Creamy Collard Wraps with cauliflower rice 43 For the cauliflower rice 3 big collard leaves 1 small cauliflower, diced 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen) 1/2 a stick celery 1/2 a red bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 sticks green onion 1 tbsp hemp seeds 1/4 cup cilantro 1/4 an avocado, diced juice of one lime For the creamy dressing 1 cup fresh coconut meat 3 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp mustard seed powder 1/4 cup water 2 Medjool dates, pitted sprinkle of sea salt 1/2 cup peeled zucchini 2 sticks green onion Serves 1 hungry herbivore FIRST Pulse in the food processor all the cauliflower “rice” ingredients. Set aside SECOND Blend the creamy coconut dressing ingredients in a high speed blender. Set aside THIRD Layer and spread the collard wraps with the coconut dressing. Top it with a couple scoops of cauliflower rice and the veggies. Finish off with a sprinkle of hemp seeds. Wrap it up like a burrito and go to town! 44 Rainbow Radish Sprout Salad with marinated shiitakes & pumpkin seed pesto 4-5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced For the pumpkin seed pesto 1/8 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp pure maple syrup + 1 tbsp coconut aminos 3 cherry tomatoes 1/2 a head of lettuce, chopped 1/2 a zucchini 1 small radish, thinly sliced 1 Medjool date 1 zucchini, peeled and grated 1/2 a tsp garlic powder 1 large handful of sunflower sprouts 2 sticks green onion 1 large handful of clover sprouts 1/4 cup packed fresh basil 45 FIRST Place the shiitake mushrooms into a small bowl with the maple syrup and Coconut Aminos. Mix together to let the mushrooms marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad. SECOND Place the lettuce, rainbow radish, zucchini, sunflower and clover sprouts into a large salad bowl. THIRD Blend all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. If the blender doesn’t blend the ingredients very easily, you may need to double the dressing recipe to get the blender going smooth. That gives you an excuse to make a salad for your friend too! Pour the dressing and mushrooms over salad and devour this nutritionally rich meal! 46 Sweet n’ Sour garden salad for the dressing 2 cups diced sweet, ripe mango 2 heads of crispy lettuce, chopped 1/3 an avocado 1 big heirloom tomato, diced 1/2-1 lemon, juice of 1 pinky size piece of ginger 2 green onions, white parts only ONE STEP 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced Blend the mango, avocado, lemon juice, ginger, and green onion into the high speed blender until smooth. Pour over a big bowl of lettuce and tomatoes or split into two serving bowls to share with a friend. 47 the RECIPES section 3 Family Style Dinner Recipes! 48 Stir Fry Noodles with Creamy Secret Sauce For the Secret Sauce For the Stir Fry 3 Packages Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles, or 4 sticks celery equivalent of 24 ounces (We like Annie 4 medium carrots Chung’s brand) 1/2 an onion 1/2 a medium head of cauliflower, chopped 2 medium tomatoes 1-2 zucchinis, diced 1 red bell pepper 1/2 a pound of Oyster Mushrooms, diced 4 tbsp tahini 1/2 an onion, minced 5 Medjool dates 6 ounces of Tempeh, cubed (we like “sesame 1 tbsp low sodium Miso garlic” flavor, but any flavor works!) garlic powder + black pepper to taste (about 1 lime 1 tsp each) 49 serves 2-4 Hungry herbivores Oh my goodness this dish is delish! My husband Andrew came up with this dish one evening and it became a staple family dinner meal for a while! FIRST Begin to cook your noodles according to the package. Sauté the cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms and 1/2 an onion in a large pan with a little water or low-sodium veggie stock on medium heat. SECOND While the veggies are cooking blend all the sauce ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. THIRD Add the tempeh to the sautéed veggies when they are about half cooked. FOURTH After the veg- gies are sautéed to your liking, pour the Secret Sauce in to mix with the veggies and turn down to low heat. FIFTH Pour drained and rinsed noodles into the pan to mix together and heat up for a couple minutes. Scoop bowls full and serve with lettuce cups and a side of lime to squeeze on top! 50 ONE POT VEGGIE STEW This recipe is for those nights you just feel like throwing a bunch of veggies in a pot for a warm and hearty soup! Feel free to get creative and use whatever veggies you have on hand! 2 golden potatoes, chopped 2 medium carrots, diced 1 large white sweet potato, chopped 4 cups fresh or canned diced tomatoes 1 medium yam, chopped 2-3 tbsp organic tomato paste 3-4 cups of low sodium veggie broth 1 head of broccoli, diced 1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeños, minced about 1 tsp each of dried oregano, chili pow- 2 sticks of celery, chopped der, cumin, garlic powder and black pepper 5 Crimini mushrooms, diced 1 avocado + 3 tbsp sauerkraut 1/2 a medium onion, minced 1/2 a pound of arugula or spinach 51 This dish serves 2 high carb vegans FIRST In a large pot on medium heat, boil potatoes, sweet potato and yam in 1.5 cups of veggie broth. Add the broccoli, celery, mushrooms, onion and carrots to the pot as you go. Cover the pot but stir every minute or so to be sure that the veggies don’t stick to the bottom. The goal is to add enough liquid (water/broth) so that the veggies cook but don’t stick to the pot. Add a little more veggie broth as needed until veggies are cooked. SECOND After about 10 to 15 minutes, once all the veggies are cooked down, turn the heat down to low/medium and add the rest of the broth. (Use as much as you like. If you like a brothy soup like I do, add lots. If you want the soup thicker, don’t add as much.) Also add the tomatoes, tomato paste, pickled jalapeños and spices to taste. Stir until well combined and leave on low heat for about 10 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and top with mashed avocado, sauerkraut and greens! 52 Fully Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes Russet Potatoes and/or sweet potatoes! (As 1/4 cup of pickled jalapeños, minced many as you want to eat) 1 small can of tomato paste 1 tbsp of low sodium miso For the Chili Oregano, cumin, chili powder, and black- 1 onion, minced pepper to taste (about 1 tbsp each) 3 cloves garlic, minced For the guacamole 2 carrots, diced 2 sticks celery, diced 2 avocados 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 lime 1 can red kidney beans garlic powder, black pepper, and chives to 1 can pinto beans taste (leave some extra diced chives on the 1 28oz can of Organic crushed tomatoes side for garnish) 1-1.5 cups Low sodium veggie broth 53 For the Cashew Sour Cream 1 cup raw whole cashews, soaked for 2-10 hours, then drained and rinsed with water 3 tsp lemon juice 1/8 tsp sea salt 1/2 cup of water Blend all cashew sour cream ingredients in a high speed blender until totally smooth. If your blender isn’t “whirling” the ingredients properly, you may need to double the recipe and then save the extra for left overs to use as veggie dippers or as a salad dressing the next day. So creamy! serves 2-4 hungry herbivores FIRST Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Fork whole sweet potatoes, yams or russet potatoes and place on parchment paper for 1 hour to an hour and 10 minutes, depending on the size of potatoes. SECOND Meanwhile, make the Chili. Sauté the onion and garlic in a large pot with a few dashes of veggie broth. Then add the carrots, celery, and bell pepper and cook that down/stir for 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Add more veggie broth as needed to keep it moist. THIRD Drain and rinse the beans with water thoroughly. Then add the beans, canned tomatoes, veggie broth, pickled jalapeños, tomato paste, miso and spices to the pot. Stir and cover the pot and turn down to low heat for 15 minutes or so. Then voila! The chili is ready. FOURTH Mash together guacamole ingredients and make the cashew sour cream. FIFTH Once the potatoes are finished cooking, take them out of the oven and slice them in half to let the heat come out. Load the chili, guacamole, cashew cream and chives on top for a truly hearty and epic dinner. 54 Bean CHILI! cashew sour cream GUACAMOLE 55 DECONSTRUCTED SUSHI BOWL dressing choices: For the sushi bowl 2 cups of (uncooked) basmati rice “classic sushi” 1 head of lettuce, chopped 2 tbsp Braggs liquid Aminos (or coconut Half of 1 cucumber, cubed aminos) 1 small carrot, peeled 1 lime, squeezed 1-2 tomatoes, diced handful of sea veggie dulse “creamy sweet mustard dressing “ nori sheets the avocado pickled ginger 2-3 tbsp mustard 2 tbsp white sesame seeds 3-4 tbsp maple syrup 1 avocado 56 57 Serves 1-2 hungry herbivores FIRST Boil 2 cups of rice with 4 cups of water on medium/high heat. Once the water bubbles, turn the heat down to low and cover until cooked, about 25-35 minutes. SECOND Place the lettuce greens, cucumber, carrots, and tomato into a large salad bowl. Tear some sea veggie dulse and nori on top. Save some nori on the side for wrapping with scoops of your sushi bowl! THIRD Once rice is cooked scoop it onto your sushi bowl. Top with pickled ginger and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Pickled ginger is generally found at an organic health food shop or Asian specialty grocery store. FOURTH Prepare your dressing of choice. For the “classic sushi” dressing just pour Braggs liquid Aminos into the bowl and squeeze in lime. Don’t forget to add the avocado, either diced or mashed, up to you! For the “sweet mustard dressing”, in a separate bowl, mash the avocado with a fork and add in the mustard and maple syrup. Stir in together then pour over your bowl. SO GOOD! 58 59 HEARTY Lentil CURRY Stew 60 1/2 an onion, minced 1 cup red lentils 2 carrots, diced 1/8 tsp sea salt 2 sticks celery, diced 28 ounces of canned crushed tomatoes 2 pounds of potatoes of choice, cubed 1 tsp each of black pepper, chili powder, 2 cups low sodium veggie broth cumin, garlic powder and curry powder Serving size: 2 hungry herbviores FIRST Sauté the onion, carrots, celery and potatoes in a large pot with a little veggie broth on medium heat. SECOND Meanwhile, cook the lentils in a separate small pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn to low heat with the lid covered for about 30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. THIRD After the veggies are cooked down, turn the heart to medium/low and add the rest of the ingredients (including the cooked lentils). Stir together and let simmer until ready to serve. 61 exican acos This dish is inspired by the Mexican rice my mama friend, Cissy, made for me one night when I had a hankering for Mexican food while pregnant with Sandy. And we have been making this family dinner consistently ever since! Her rice recipe is out of this world delicious, moist and fluffy and I’m so excited to share it with you. Check out more of what Cissy has going on at her IG @cissylala! For the rice 1/2 an onion, minced 2 cups basmati rice (uncooked) 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 cups canned diced tomatoes 4.5 cups low sodium veggie broth 1 tbsp each of cumin and chili powder 62 For the Beans For the Guacamole 1 large can of pinto beans 2-3 avocados a couple splashes of water 1/2 tsp garlic 1 tsp each of garlic powder, black pepper, 1/2 tsp black pepper cumin, oregano, and chili powder 1 tbsp lemon juice For the Homemade Salsa For the Mushrooms 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes half a pound of crimini mushrooms, diced 2 tbsp lime juice 1/4 an onion 1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos large handful of cilantro For the Cashew “sour cream” 1/4 cup of pickled jalapeños (page 54) 1 tsp garlic powder Yellow or blue organic corn tortillas 2 cups romaine lettuce, diced 63 Serves 2-4 hungry herbivores FIRST Get the rice started. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in a large pot with a little veggie broth on medium heat. After about three minutes add in the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Let the pot come to a boil then turn down to low heat and put the lid on. Let it cook for about 25-30 minutes until the rice is done. SECOND While the rice is cooking prepare the rest of the taco toppings. It is helpful to make the cashew sour cream and salsa the night before if you have time, but it is not necessary. To make the salsa you can either finely dice all the dry ingredients, place in a bowl, and stir in the canned tomatoes or you can place all the ingredients except the canned tomatoes in a food processor or blender and pulse until well broken down. Then add the tomatoes and give it one or two more small pulses. Using fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes works great too! THIRD For the beans, drain and rinse thoroughly. then pour into a small pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on medium/low heat until warmed and mash well. 64 FOURTH For the mushrooms, sauté in a small pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp of Braggs or low sodium soy sauce. Mushrooms let out a lot of moisture while cooking so you don’t need to add extra liquid as long as you stir very often in the beginning while the pan is heating up. FIFTH Make the guacamole by mashing the avocado into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. SIXTH By now the rice should be finished cooking. Warm your tortillas on the stove on low heat for 10 seconds each side and then place in a clean dish towel to stay warm until ready to serve. Place diced romaine lettuce in a bowl to serve on the side. SEVENTH Mix the rice together a bit once it is done cooking. Top your warm tortillas with all the fixings and dig in! 65 66 Baked Sweet Potatoes with trio dipping sauces 67 3-4 pounds of root veggies (like golden potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes),sliced 3 cups diced non starchy veggies to steam of choice. This time we did broccoli. For the Creamy Hemp dip 1/4 cup hemp seeds For the Spicy “Siracha” Sauce 1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours) 5 Roma or other medium tomatoes, diced 1 small zucchini 3 heaping tbsp tomato paste 1-2 Medjool dates 1 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 a lemon, juiced 4 Medjool dates 1/2 tsp garlic powder 3 tbsp lemon juice 2 green onions 1 tsp garlic powder black pepper and sea salt to taste 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1/2 a small onion, minced For the Low Fat Guacamole 2 creamy avocados 1/4 cup diced cilantro 1-2 limes, juiced 1 medium zucchini 1 diced green onion garlic powder + black pepper 68 The possibilities are endless with this simple meal. You can substitute the sweet potatoes for any root vegetables you like, such as squash, russet potatoes and other starchy vegetables like carrots and beets! Instead of steamed broccoli you can opt for asparagus and cauliflower, or simply serve lettuce cups on the side. You don’t have to make THREE sauces to go with this meal. Often, when I’m looking for a quick and filling meal, I simply pop sweet potato wedges in the oven and make one of the sauces to dip in like the Spicy Siracha Sauce, served with a side of lettuce greens. Find whichever sauce suits you best and get dipping! Serves 2 Hungry Herbivores FIRST Thinly slice the sweet potatoes into preferred shapes and place on a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. I prefer to slice sweet potatoes into wedges and golden potatoes into circular discs. Sprinkle the potatoes with garlic powder and black pepper and pop into the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 to 50 minutes. Check the oven at 35 minutes to get an idea of how much longer to cook your dippers to the desired texture. Once ready, take out of the oven and place into a large family size serving bowl. SECOND While the potatoes are baking, boil or steam your desired green vegetables. Set aside lettuce leaves to use as lettuce cups, if desired. THIRD To make the Creamy hemp dip, blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Use the tamper to push down the ingredients into the blade. If you don’t have a high speed blender like the Vitamix, you can add a splash of water to get the ingredients blending. FOURTH To make the Spicy “Siracha” Sauce, sauté the onion and one tomato in a me- dium saucepan with a splash of water on medium heat. Stir every minute or so for about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the rest of the Siracha ingredients in a blender until smooth. Once the onion and tomatoes are cooked down, add the blended mixture to the saucepan and turn down to low heat. Stir until sauce is warm. FIFTH To make the low fat guacamole, process the avocado, zucchini, cilantro, green onion and lemon in a food processor until well combined. Add garlic powder and black pepper to taste and pulse a couple more seconds. 69 Creamy Hemp Dip Low Fat Guacamole Spicy Siracha 70 Coconut curried veggies with rice and lentils This meal is one of my husband’s favorite hearty dinners! Rice and lentils are filling, easy to whip up and affordable. Can’t beat that! Feel free to use whichever kind of rice you prefer. 2 cups of Basmati rice Optional topping ideas: 1 cup dry red lentils lettuce greens 1 head cauliflower, chopped diced tomato 1 zucchini, diced avocado Siracha 1 small eggplant, diced 1/2 an onion, minced 1 can light coconut milk 1 tsp each of curry powder, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, fresh grated turmeric 71 Serves 3 hungry herbivores FIRST Cook the rice in a large pot with 4 cups of water on medium/high heat. Bring to a boil then turn to low heat with the lid covered for about 30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. SECOND Cook the lentils in a small pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn to low heat with the lid covered for about 30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. THIRD Meanwhile sauté the cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, and onion in a pan with the coconut milk on medium heat. Soon after the veggies begin to cook, add 1/2 a tsp each of garlic powder, black pepper, and curry powder. Stir lightly until the veggies are tender. FOURTH Once the lentils are cooked, stir in a 1/2 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and curry powder. Once the rice is cooked, add in about 1 tsp of freshly grated turmeric (or turmeric powder or curry powder. Whatever is available to you.) FIFTH Scoop generous helpings of the rice, lentils and sautéed veggies into a serving bowl. Serve as is or top with fresh produce like greens, and diced tomato. Drizzle Siracha on top if desired and devour! 72 Creamy Yam Soup with potato crisp dippers 73 1 big white sweet potato, diced 1 medium tomato, diced 1 yam (orange sweet potato), diced 1-2 limes, juiced 2-3 pounds golden potatoes, sliced 2 heaping tbsp raw macadamia butter 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup cilantro 1/2 an onion, minced 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 stick celery, diced 1 tsp garlic powder 1 mild Aneheim pepper, minced 1/2 tsp each of black pepper and cumin 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/8 tsp himalayan salt Serves 2 Hungry Herbivores FIRST Thinly slice all but half a pound of the golden potatoes into circular discs and place on baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper and bake at 400 degrees Farenheit for about 40 minutes to an hour. SECOND Meanwhile cook the sweet potato, yam and 1/2 pound of golden potatoes with about 2-3 cups of water in a large pot on medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, Aneheim pepper, garlic cloves and tomato to the pot as you chop them. 74 THIRD Once the veggies are cooked (after about 20 minutes or so), add them to your high speed blender but leave about 1/2 a cup aside to garnish your soup with. Add the lime juice, macadamia butter, cilantro and spices to the blender as well. Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. ! FOURTH Pour soup into soup bowls and If you don’t have access to macadamia butter, feel free to substitute with 1/4 cup of raw soaked cashews or macadamia garnish with the leftover cooked veggies. nuts. Just be sure to blend it super well to Top with cilantro and green onion as well if desired! make sure all the nut pieces blend smooth. FIFTH Take out the baked potato chippies and dip into the creamy soup. You will not regret this move! SO INCREDIBLE! 75 76 Penne Pasta and Veg with homemade creamy tomato sauce 2 16-oz bags of brown rice penne pasta For the tomato sauce 1 head of broccoli, chopped 1 large yam (about 2-3 cups diced) 1/4 an onion, minced 6 cups of diced fresh tomatoes 6-7 mushrooms, diced 6 large Medjool dates 1/2 a red or orange bell pepper, diced large handful of fresh basil a few large handfuls of arugula 1/8 tsp sea salt 2 tomatoes, diced 1 tsp each of oregano, garlic powder and black nutritional yeast to taste pepper 77 78 This fresh dish has been a staple dinner meal for us for awhile! Feel free to use whatever style pasta noodles you prefer. Spiral, fettuccine, and spaghetti work great for this dish as well! If you are preparing this dish for picky kids who don’t like the veggies mixed in with their pasta, try blending the veggies into the sauce for a secret healthy kick. Serves 3-4 hungry herbivores FIRST Boil the yam in a small pot on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. SECOND Meanwhile sauté the broccoli, onion, mushrooms and bell pepper in a large pan on medium heat with a little water. No oil is needed to cook veggies. Just add a couple tablespoons of water at a time as needed to make sure the veggies don’t stick to the pan. THIRD Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, make the creamy tomato sauce. Blend the tomatoes and dates until smooth. Once the yam is done cooking, drain in a strainer. Scoop most of the diced yam into the blender, but save a little on the side. Blend the tomato sauce some more with the yam, basil and dried spices until combined, but do not over blend or the spices will become bitter. Add a sprinkle of sea salt if desired. FOURTH Turn the pan with veggies cooking down to low heat and pour in the creamy tomato sauce to mix in with the veggies. Stir lightly and as it heats up and give the sauce a taste to see if you’d like to sprinkle in some more herbs. FIFTH Once the pasta is cooked, drained and rinsed well, pour it into the large pan with the tomato sauce, veggies and the rest of the boiled yam, and mix well for a few minutes to rewarm up the pasta. Scoop into serving bowls and top with fresh arugula and more diced tomato. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast if desired for a vegan “cheesy” topping and enjoy! 79 Loaded Nachos with bakedchips and quinoa “meat” 80 This nacho recipe is inspired by a couple people! The “quinoa meat” is adapted from @minimalistbaker and the potato carrot cheese is inspired by @ohsheglows. Check them out for epic vegan recipes! Put these components together and BAM, you’ve got the tastiest nachos bound to remind you of your childhood, without the sick feelings afterwards, because THESE nachos are vegan and HEALTHY! 2 cups red quinoa For the Nacho Cheese 2 cups diced sweet potato 2 cups veggie broth 2 cups diced russet potato 1.5 cups water 2 medium carrots, diced 1 tbsp cumin 1 medium fresh jalapeño,minced 1 tbsp chili powder 1/2 an orange bell pepper 1 cup canned diced tomatoes 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, minced 1/4 cup raw whole cashews 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2-3/4 cup water 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp garlic powder For the Quinoa Meat 2-3 tbsp lemon juice 1/8 tsp sea salt 81 For the beans For the Guacamole 2 large cans of black beans 2-3 avocados a few splashes of water 3 tbsp sauerkraut about 1 tsp each of garlic powder, black pep- 2 tbsp diced cilantro per, cumin, oregano, and chili powder 2 tbsp diced chives Additionals: 1 can sliced olives, 2 tomatoes, cilantro and 2 packages of corn tortillas for the “chips”! SERVES 4 HUNGRY HERBIVORES FIRST Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, boil the quinoa with the veggie broth and water on high heat until it boils, then turn it down to low and cover the pot with the lid for about 25 minutes until fluffy and water is dispersed. SECOND Slice the corn tortillas horizontally, then vertically to make 4 “chips” per tortilla. Place them spread apart on 2 baking sheets with parchment paper underneath and 82 place them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Be careful not to over bake them. The way to tell when they are done is if the chip cracks when you lightly touch a fork to it. You will likely need to make two batches of chips preparing a total of 3-4 trays. THIRD Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, carrots and jalapeño in a large pot with water on medium/high heat for about 20 minutes until tender. Next, get out a large mixing bowl and add the cumin, chili powder, canned tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic powder and paprika to the bowl. Once the quinoa is cooked, add it to the bowl and mix it all together. FOURTH Mash the avocado with the other guacamole ingredients into a separate small bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator until dinner time. FIFTH By now the chips will be done and have freed up oven space. Pour the quinoa “meat” mixture onto a a tray with the parchment paper underneath. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Halfway through cooking, lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork so it bakes evenly. SIXTH Once the potatoes, carrots and jalapeño have boiled, drain the water and add them to your high speed blender with the rest of the nacho cheese sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy! SEVENTH Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly in water. Pour into a small pot and add the rest of the bean ingredients. Mash the beans with a potato masher and cook on medium/low heat, stirring occasionally until warm, about 10 minutes. EIGTH Slice the tomatoes, chop some cilantro, and place sliced black olives in a bowl for toppings. !FOR THE BEANS: Draining and rins- ing your beans thoroughly before cooking helps promote good digestion! NINTH Load your plate with layered chips, quinoa meat, nacho cheese, beans, more nacho cheese, guacamole and toppings of tomatoes, olives and cilantro. Pretend like you’re a kid at the fair again and dig in! 83 YAMtastic Bowl For the almond crusted yams: 2.5 pounds of yams/sweet potatoes, diced 5 tbsp almond flour 2.5 pounds of golden potatoes, sliced 1/2 pound arugula + baby spinach 1 tbsp each paprika, garlic powder, and 1-2 tbsp each paprika, garlic powder and black pepper black pepper 3 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup 1 serving of Avocado Aoili, recipe page 107 2 tbsp lemon juice 84 85 !You can totally skip the almond crusted yam part of this dish if you are looking for a simpler meal. Just sprinkle the spuds with spices, bake, then top over greens with avocado! (But give the almond crusted yams a go next time you are craving something divine and “battered” like.) SERVES 2-3 HUNGRY HERBIVORES FIRST Set the oven to 400 Degrees Farenheit. SECOND In a large mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour and 1 tbsp each of paprika, garlic powder and black pepper. In a separate large bowl stir together the maple syrup and lemon juice. Place the diced yams in the bowl with maple syrup and lemon juice and stir together until each piece is well coated and the liquid has absorbed into the yams. Then pour the yams into the mixing bowl with the almond flour mixture and coat well with your hands. Place the yams on a baking sheet with parchment paper and place in the oven. Then place the regular potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle with spices and pop into the oven as well for about 40-50 minutes. THIRD While the spuds are baking, blend the Avocado Aoili sauce (recipe on page 107.) FOURTH Once the potatoes are cooked, scoop them over bowls of greens, top with Avo- cado Aoli sauce and squeeze with lime. Stir together for the creamiest salad bowl ever. 86 87 Forbidden Rice Bowl with sautéed veggies and tahini This dish is SUPER simple to whip up on those days you don’t have time to prepare a fancy feast, are out of ripe fruit for smoothie recipes or simply want to eat a big bowl of colorful rice and veggies. Feel free to substitute whatever veggies you have on hand! 2 cups black forbidden rice 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 cups low sodium veggie broth 1-2 tbsp tahini 1.5 cups water 1/2 a head of lettuce greens, chopped 1-2 tbsp Siracha 1 lime 1 large tomato, diced garlic powder + black pepper to taste 1/2 an onion, minced 88 Serves 1-2 Hungry Herbivores FIRST Boil the rice in a small pot with the veggie broth and water on medium/high heat. Stir together once or twice in the beginning. Once it boils, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with the lid for about 25-30 minutes until the water is absorbed and rice becomes fluffy and perfectly chewy. SECOND Place the lettuce greens and tomato into a large salad bowl (or two bowls if serving two people.) THIRD Sauté the onion and bell pepper (or whatever veggies you have on hand) in a small pan with a few dashes of veggie broth or water on medium heat. Sprinkle the veggies with garlic powder and black pepper while they are cooking FOURTH Once the rice is cooked, scoop spoonfuls onto your salad bowl. Top with the sautéed veggies and drizzle with tahini, Siracha and lime. Mix in and chow down! 89 Manicotti Stuffed Cauliflower “Riccotta” with easy marinara 2 packages (18 ounces) of manicotti or For the marinara jumbo shell brown rice pasta 1 onion, minced 1/4 cup or more of nutritional yeast 1-2 cups organic corn (fresh or frozen) 1/8 cup oil free sun dried tomatoes For the “Cauliflower Ricotta” 4-5 Medjool dates 1 large cauliflower, chopped 1 heaping tbsp miso 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk 7 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh) 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 tsp each of garlic powder + oregano 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder 90 Serves 2-3 hungry herbivores FIRST Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Start a large pot of boiling water. SECOND Meanwhile, get the marinara started by sautéing the onion in a large pan with the corn and a few splashes of veggie broth or water on medium heat. Blend the sun dried tomatoes, dates, miso and as much diced tomatoes as is needed to get the blender going until smooth. (About 1/2 a cup of diced tomatoes is needed for my blender, but depending on the size of your blender, you may need a little more.) THIRD In the food processor, pulse all the “Cauliflower Ricotta” ingredients until chunky and well combined. Set aside. FOURTH By this time the onions and corn should be cooked down, so add the blended tomato/date/miso sauce to the large sauté pan along with the rest of the diced tomatoes, garlic powder and dried oregano. Continue to sauté on medium/low heat. FIFTH Add the manicotti or jumbo pasta shells to the pot of boiling water and cook halfway, according to package instructions. SIXTH Scoop spoonfuls of the easy marinara to two casserole dishes and spread an even layer across the dishes. Take the al dente manicotti out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Stuff each pasta shell with the cauliflower mixture and lay on top of the marinara in the casserole dish. Once they are all filled, scoop the rest of the marinara on top across the pasta. SEVENTH Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve with sprinkled nutritional yeast and minced fresh basil! 91 Raw Corn Salsa Lettuce Boats with Sun Dried Tomato Relish and Pineapple kale smoothies For the Corn Salsa For the Sun Dried Tomato Relish 2 cups organic corn (fresh or frozen) 1/4 cup oil free sun dried tomatoes 2 cups diced tomatoes 1 Medjool date 2 cups diced mango 1 cup diced tomatoes 1 avocado For the Lettuce Boats 1/4 cup diced cilantro 1-2 heads of romaine or butter leaf lettuce 1 lime 92 For the Pineapple Kale Smoothies 1/2 a pineapple, diced 3 sticks kale 1 ripe spotty banana 2 passionfruit (or 3 tbsp lime juice) 3 cups frozen organic mango 1/2 a cup of water Serves 2 Hungry Herbivores FIRST To make the Corn Salsa, place the corn, tomatoes, mango, avocado and cilantro into a serving bowl. Squeeze with half a lime and mix together lightly with a spoon. Use the other half of the lime for garnish. I leave the cilantro on the side because Elvis doesn’t like cilantro but if everyone in your family likes it, go on and mix it in! SECOND Then make the Sun Dried Tomato Relish. Soak the sun dried tomatoes and pitted date in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften. Then drain the water and blend all the relish ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. If your blender is really big and doesn’t blend this small amount of ingredients well, you may need to double the recipe to get the blender going smooth. 93 THIRD Get your lettuce boats ready by separating each leaf, washing if necessary, patting dry and placing in a large serving bowl. FOURTH Next, prepare your smoothies! Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. If you don’t have access to passionfruit, simply squeeze a few tablespoons of lime juice into the blender. Serve up in mason jars for you and your friends or little ones. FIFTH To assemble, layer the corn salsa inside each lettuce boat and top it with a little Sun Dried Tomato relish. Devour as you would enjoy tacos.This meal is seriously deli- cious, so colorful and refreshing! Fueling your body with nutrient dense raw foods one bite at a time. !Healthy Tip: I like to make the smoothies on the side to ensure caloric sufficiency! And I often serve a side of my kids’ favorite fruit with raw meals, like jackfruit in this case, because raw fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than most cooked meals. So you need to eat more bites of food to ensure caloric sufficiency! 94 With every bite of food you are either feeding disease or fighting it. 95 Plant Based Burgers This recipe isn’t about the patty so much as it is a how-to for making epic AND HEALTHYAT-THE-SAME-TIME plant based burgers. The possibilities are endless. Our family loves using the brand “Vegan Burger by Vegan Mixes” for the patties because they are 100% made out of whole foods, low in sodium, low in fat and are SO easy to prepare. If you’d like to create your own plant based patty from scratch check out my friend BONNY REBECCA’S ebook “Carbolicious”HERE. Firstly, the bun. We personally prefer toasted gluten free bread to use as the bun. Gluten Free “Food for Life” bread is our favorite. 96 Complimentary toppings go from the obvious ketchup, mustard, tomato and lettuce to pickles, grilled mushrooms and onions, guacamole and cashew sour cream. The recipe for the sour cream is on page 54. !Most ketchups are pretty high in salt, and often have an over powering flavor. Try diluting the ketchup by mixing in 3 tbsp organic ketchup with 1 cup of finely diced tomatoes or canned (no salt) crushed tomatoes. It creates a fresher take on the ketchup deal! SWEET POTATO FRIES: Every burger needs a side of fries, right? Traditional fries are covered in oil and salt which leaves a feeling of heaviness and does not promote optimal health. But there is an easy way to make tender, crispy on the outside, full of flavor “sweet potato fries” that leave you feeling happy on the inside AND tastes delicious as well! Slice your sweet potatoes to desired “fry” shape. Then layer them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 min, or until desired texture is reached. Flip them half way through and rotate the trays so each get some time on the bottom shelf closest to the burner, about 15 minutes, to get crispy. Eat in abundance! 97 98 Cozy Potato Lasagna Duuuude! This grainless lasagna is so cozy and delicious! If you are someone who is sensitive to grains, but you’re craving a comforting Italian lasagna, this dish is for you! The recipe is inspired by someone I wholeheartedly love, Anthony William, the @medicicalmedium For the layered lasagna for the tomato sauce 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced 2 pounds golden potatoes, sliced 1 medium yellow onion, minced 2 medium zucchini, diced 8 cups diced tomatoes 1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/2 a pound spinach 6 Medjool dates 1-2 tsp garlic powder 1 big heirloom tomato, sliced 1 handful fresh basil 1 tsp oregano 3 heaping tbsp tomato paste 99 For the creamy Ricotta 1 large cauliflower, broken into chunks 4 tbsp lemon juice 1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked and drained 1 tsp garlic powder 1 small peeled zucchini, diced 1/8 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup diced carrot 1/4 cup water Serves 4-5 hungry herbivores 100 FIRST Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes, zucchini and eggplant on a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. You can even double up the baking sheets by laying an extra layer of parchment paper and vegetables on top of the first layer of sliced veggies. This will make it easier to pre-cook all the veggies in one go. Bake them for about 20 minutes. Make sure the potatoes are fork tender (almost fully cooked) before taking out. SECOND Meanwhile, prepare the ricotta. Blend the cashews, zucchini, carrot, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt and water in a high speed blender until smooth, using the tamper to drive down the ingredients into the blade. Set sauce aside. Then separate the cauliflower into big chunks. THIRD Once the potatoes, zucchini and eggplant are halfway cooked, take them out and set them aside. Now place the cauliflower chunks in the oven on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. FOURTH Meanwhile prepare the tomato sauce. Sauté the mushrooms and onion in a little water on medium heat. Reserve about 1/4 of the onion to add in the blender. Also add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, dates and blend until smooth. Then add in the herbs and spices and pulse until well combined. Add the sauce to the pan with the mushrooms and onion and stir on low heat until warmed up and cooked nicely, for about 10 minutes. FIFTH Once the cauliflower is cooked, pulse it in a food processor (or Vitamix blender) with about 1/3 of the cashew sauce until it becomes chunky and creamy like ricotta. SIXTH To assemble, spread a layer of marinara at the bottom of 1-2 casserole dishes. Top with a layer of potatoes, then cauliflower ricotta, then another layer of marinara. Continue adding layers of spinach, zucchini, eggplant and potatoes with marinara, cashew sauce and ricotta in between. For the finishing touch spread a layer of the remaining cashew sauce and diced heirloom tomato on top and bake lasagna in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. Enjoy! 101 Kabocha Squash Lettuce Tacos This dish is so simple and satisfying! If you don’t have access to Kabocha squash you can substitute it for another variety of squash, or sweet potatoes and yams! But if you have the option, definitely get the Kabocha. It’s the most FLAVORFUL squash! 2 medium kabocha squashes 1/4 cup sea veggie dulse , 2 cans of organic black beans 2-3 avocados 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, black pep- 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 2 heads romaine or butter lettuce 2 tbsp lime juice optional: 1/4 cup cilantro, minced cherry tomatoes per, cumin 102 sunflower sprouts and diced Serves 3-4 hungry herbivores FIRST Cut open the Kabocha squashes and discard the seeds. Keep the skin on and dice into chunks. Place into a large pot and boil with water for about 20 minutes until fork tender. SECOND Meanwhile, drain and thoroughly rinse the beans with water. Pour the beans into a small pot on medium heat, add a few splashes of water and mash with a potato masher. Then add in the garlic powder, black pepper and cumin and mix together. Once the beans get hot, turn down the heat to low and let simmer for a few more minutes. THIRD Dice and mash the avocado into guacamole. Add in lime juice, a sprinkle of garlic powder, cilantro and dulse. If you don’t have the sea veggie dulse, you can skip it. It just adds a nice dimension of flavor to the guac. FOURTH Sauté the mushrooms in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir frequently until the moisture from the mushrooms leach onto the pan, then you can stir once every minute or so for 5 minutes until cooked. FIFTH Once the kabocha squash is fork tender, drain the boiling water. Layer the romaine lettuce leaves with guacamole, beans, diced kabocha squash, sautéed mushrooms and optional tomatoes and sprouts. Bam! Nutritious and delicious! 103 KABOCHA SQUASH BLACK BEANS mushrooms guacamole! 104 Buddah Bowl with roasted bell pepper hummus 2 pounds red potatoes, diced for the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus 2 large yams, sliced 1 can of garbanzo beans 1 large purple or white sweet potato, sliced 1 tsp paprika 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp garlic powder 2 red or yellow beets, peeled and cubed 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños 1 red or orange bell pepper, sliced 4 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 a big onion, sliced 1/2 cup water 1-2 head of broccoli, broken into chunks 2 tbsp tahini 1/2 a pound of arugula *also 1 cup of the red potatoes and 1 cup of garlic powder and black pepper to taste the bell pepper and onion 105 Serves 2 hungry herbivores FIRST Boil or bake the red potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams. I sometimes feel like boiling the red potatoes, and baking the sweet potatoes and yams. For baking, slice the sweet potatoes and yams into desired shapes, and place on baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle garlic powder and black pepper generously over the spuds. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit SECOND You can also boil the beets and broccoli along with the red potatoes. Toss them all into the large pot of boiling water together for 20 minutes or until fork tender. THIRD Sauté the bell pepper and onion in a pan with a little water on medium heat. Stir occasionally and check to see if you need to add a couple splashes of water to keep the veggies from sticking to the pan. FOURTH Slice the portobello mushrooms into thick long slices, or however you prefer. I just like them big! Sauté them in a separate pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce or Coconut Aminos. You do not need to add water because if you stir continuously for the first minute or two, the mushrooms will leak moisture from their spongy selves as the pan warms up and it will create the perfect consistency. Continue cooking until desired texture is achieved, generally about 5-10 minutes. FIFTH To make the hummus, drain and rinse the garbanzo beans in a strainer. Pour them into a high speed blender along with paprika, garlic powder, pickled jalapeños, lemon juice and water. Add 1 cup of the boiled red potatoes to the blender as well. Once the bell pepper and onion have finished cooking, add about 1 cup of them as well to the blender. Blend away until chunky and well combined. Do not over blend or it won’t have the texture of hummus. SIXTH Place all the cooked veggie assortments into large serving bowls and top with arugula. Serve the hummus on the side for dipping or drizzle all over the bowl for big Buddah bowl goodness. 106 SO DELICIOUS! 107 Raw Rainbow Noodles with avocado aoili This recipe is quite low in calories to be considered a full dinner, so be sure to eat fresh fruit before this meal to ensure caloric satisfaction. You can even serve this dish with large fruit smoothies on the side! Or, for a partially cooked version of this dinner, add boiled sweet potatoes to this bowl of healthy goodness! 2-3 big zucchini, spiralized For the Avocado Aoili 1 large red beet, spiralized 3 avocados 1-2 large carrots, spiralized 1/4 cup lime juice 1 cup sunflower greens 1/4 cup orange juice 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes 2 Medjool dates 1 cup sea veggie dulse or nori 1.5 cups cilantro 3 tbsp sprouted pumpkin seeds 1 tsp garlic powder 2 green onions 108 Serves 2-3 hungry herbivores FIRST With a spiralizer, spiralize the zucchini, carrots and beet and divide evenly be- tween 2-3 serving bowls. If you do not have a spiralizer you can use a vegetable peeler for a flatter, wider looking “noodle.” Check out theequipment page on my website for my favorite kitchen utensils, including the spiralizer I use for raw veggie noodles like these ones! SECOND Blend the Avocado Aoili ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Add sea salt to taste if desired. THIRD Pour Avocado Aoili over noodles and top with sunflower sprouts, sea veg- gies, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and more avocado if desired! Serve with fruit smoothies or sweet potatoes for a higher density and calorically sufficient meal. 109 Creamy Quinoa Bowl with kabocha squash and veggies 1 medium kabocha squash For the macadamia cilantro cream 3 cups quinoa, uncooked 1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked in water 4 hours 1-2 red bell peppers, sliced 2 tbsp lemon juice 1-2 cups diced asparagus 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 an onion, minced 1 Medjool date black pepper to taste garlic powder to taste 1 cup diced zucchini 1 tsp garlic powder 2 cups diced tomatoes 1/8 tsp himalayan salt 1/2 cucumber, sliced 1/4 cup diced cilantro 1/2 head lettuce for lettuce cups 1/4 cup water 110 Serves 3-4 Hungry Herbivores FIRST Chop the kabocha squash and discard the seeds. Boil in a large pot of water for about 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain the water and set the squash aside. In a separate large pot (or in the same pot you used for the kabocha squash once it is done being used), boil 3 cups of quinoa with 6 cups of water. Once the water reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let simmer with the lid on for 25-30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. SECOND While the quinoa and squash are cooking, sauté the bell pepper, asparagus, and onion in a saucepan on medium heat with a little water. Add black pepper and garlic powder to taste and cook until tender and soft. THIRD Blend all the macadamia cilantro cream ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Serve quinoa and kabocha squash in serving bowls topped with the sautéed veggies, madacamia cilantro cream, diced tomatoes and cucumber. Stir together and enjoy! 111 Pad Thai Noodles with lime peanut sauce 112 3 packages brown rice Pad Thai noodles, For the sauce or equivalent of 24 ounces. We like Annie 4 Medjool dates Chung’s brand 1.5 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh) 1/4 onion, minced 2 tbsp peanut butter 1 cup snap peas, sliced 1 can of light coconut milk 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced 1 tbsp miso 1 head broccoli,, diced 1.5 cups low sodium veggie broth 5 baby fingerling red potatoes, diced (or 2-4 tbsp siracha 2 cups diced potatoes of choice) 1-2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce 1 cup mung bean sprouts 2 limes, juiced 5 big Crimini mushrooms, sliced For garnish 1/4 cup minced cilantro, 1/4 cup diced green onion, 1/4 cup diced peanuts, 1/4 cup grated carrots, 2 limes 113 This dish is SO bomb! In case you haven’t noticed by now, I LOVE noodles. Noodles anything really. Italian pasta, baked noodle casseroles, asian noodles stir fries, you name it. If it includes noodles and a good sauce, I’m all about it. Ever since I visited Thailand in college I became obsessed with Pad Thai. I even have a delicious raw vegan pad thai recipe in my Epic Raw Food ebook called “Bomb Digity Pad Thai” which is my most popular recipe in that ebook. Here is a cooked version which is sure to be a crowd pleaser as well. Serves 3-4 hungry herbivores FIRST Start a large pot of boiling water for the noodles. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, snap peas, bell pepper, broccoli, and potatoes with a little veggie broth in a large pan on medium heat. About 5 minutes after it begins cooking, add the bean spouts and mushrooms to the pan. SECOND Prepare the sauce by blending the dates, tomatoes, peanut butter, coconut milk and miso in a high speed blender until smooth. Pour into a small pot or sauce pan to warm up on the stove at medium/low heat. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to mix in well together and continue to simmer. 114 THIRD Pour the noodles into the boil- Salty Talk: The Siracha and soy sauce ing water and cook according to instruc- portions are recommendations depending tions. on how salty you prefer your meal to be. We FOURTH Once the noodles are like to keep salt to a minimum, and I feel my best this way. If I eat too much salt I end up cooked, drained and rinsed, add them feeling bloated, puffy, and dehydrated. And back into the large pot and combine with I LOVE feeling lean, hydrated and fresh! So the the sauce and sautéed veggies. Mix for dishes like this, a tad bit of soy sauce thoroughly and warm on medium/low heat. goes a long way for us. But feel free to add more according to your liking! FIFTH Scoop into large serving bowls and top with the garnishes. 115 and 1 DESSERT RAW Crumbly CACAO Cake with Vanilla Layer Frosting 1 pint strawberries, sliced For the vanilla frosting For the filling 1/2 cup cashews 1 cup coconut meat (substitute 1/2 c more 10 big Medjool dates cashews + 1/4 c extra water if you don’t have 1 cup oats coconut meat) 1/4 cup coconut flakes 7-8 Medjool dates 2 tbsp cacao powder 3/4 cup water 1 tbsp cacao nibs 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped 1-2 tbsp water 116 serves 6 slices FIRST Pulse all the filling ingredients in the food processor until crumbly and well combined. Place 1/2 of the mixture into a pie pan or similar sized wooden dish and press somewhat firmly until flat and smooth. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the frosting. SECOND Blend all vanilla frosting ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tbsp of water at a time if you are having trouble getting the ingredients blending, but don’t add too much water or it will become runny. THIRD Take the pie dish out of the freezer and pour about 1/3 of the frosting as a layer over the first layer of crumbly filling. Set back in the freezer for a couple hours. Then take out and place the rest of the crumbly filling on top of the first layer of frosting and lightly press until a smooth layer is reached. Top with the rest of the frosting and smooth it out. Refrigerate overnight then place in the freezer for 5 hours prior to cutting/serving for best consistency. Top with sliced strawberries when ready to serve !NOTE: you can skip the steps of layering the filling and frosting if you are crunched for time. Simply press the entire crumbly filling into the dish then top with all the frosting and refrigerate. Though layering the frosting is my favorite way to go because it tastes delicious to get the creamy frosting in between each crumbly and crunchy bite! 117 Thank you for your purchase! Love, The fisher Family 118