Raw Vegan Stir Fry

I have been on quite a raw kick, lately. The weather is still pretty hot in sunny Southern California, and the last thing you want to do in 90+ degrees is turn on the stove. I picked up Gena Hamshaw’s new book “Choosing Raw” and have been inspired by her creative, raw spins on traditional dishes.

My husband requested a raw stir fry and it was much easier than I imagined. He sliced up the veggies (since I have not got over my mandolin fear) and I went to work on a sauce. He thinly sliced up the following veggies:

• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot

We also threw in a handful of edamame and broccoli.

 The sauce was made by trial and error and adjusting seasonings here and there. The ingredients were:

• tahini
• sesame oil
• tamari
• sriracha
• rice vinegar
• turmeric powder
• cayenne pepper
• ginger powder

I used a dash here and a spoonful there. I was constantly tasting and whisking the sauce till I got it just right.

 After that, it was simply a matter of pouring the sauce over the veggies and stirring. We served the stir fry topped off with sliced avocado and black sesame seeds.

 The flavors melded so nicely together and it was much more filling than you would think. I don’t think I can get enough sesame oil in my food lately, and you really cannot go wrong with a dish that contains both sriracha and avocado, right?

What is your favorite raw meal?

Vegan Dessert-Coconut Banana Ice Cake (Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free)

I am not huge on desserts. I hardly ever crave sweets, and even when I do, one or two bites of a dessert is plenty for me. My weakness definitely lies in salty, savory foods. I could take or leave a cupcake, but would have a hard time doing the same thing with chips or fries.

I am also a horrible baker. I guess I am just not motivated enough to become good at it, or I am simply too impatient to allow things to cool or rise properly. Almost everything I have baked comes out to be a complete, lopsided disaster.

This created anxiety when I needed to make a cake for my 9 year old step-son’s birthday, this past weekend. I searched through Pinterest, and when I find this no bake cake, I knew it was the one I would make.

I really loved how few, yet flavorful ingredients it contained, and I especially loved that there was no added sugar!

As long as you have a food processor or blender, this recipe is pretty simple. You first start off by making the crust with pecans (toasting them first added such a nice flavor), dates, cocoa nibs, shredded coconut and sea salt.

The filling was soaked cashews, lemon juice, vanilla extract, coconut oil, agave, mashed banana and shredded coconut.

After the filling is on, you pop it into the freezer, bringing it out to thaw in the refrigerator, about an hour before serving.

I thought it came out really well, and got positive feedback on it. The crust was my favorite part and the banana + coconut was a great combination.

Another great combination was pairing it with a little Almond champagne!

Click here for the full recipe.