Step Into Savory... Easy Dinner Recipes

I've been a busy bunny lately with the creation of the Moonie Pie Challenge, in addition to making chocolate creations, having friends over for dinner, and working on other fun kitchie projects ;)

As you know, things are often on the sweet side around here, but I do eat and come up with savory recipes too! Here are a few of my latest veggie delights...

Spinach Basil Pesto

Packed with spinach and much lower in fat than most pestos, this is great over zucchini/kelp noodles, salad, crackers, or veggie sticks. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups packed spinach

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

3 Tablespoons hemp seeds

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2-3 Tablespoons water

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 large clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt

In a food processor, blend all ingredients into a paste. 

Taste, adjust salt. 

Veggie Wraps

I whipped this up for dinner the other evening as a little something different from my normal salad. It was nice to use collard leaves for the wraps, especially since I can't get them at home - not even in the big city 5 hours away from my home! If you don't have access to them either, you can use chard or romaine leaves, which is what I normally do. 

Ingredients:

Leafy wrap of choice

Veggies of choice, sliced into long thin strips

(I went with cucumber, carrot, avocado, red pepper, and Philip's home grown alfalfa sprouts)

Hemp Dip

2 cups chopped zucchini

1/2 cup hemp seeds

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tablespoons tahini

1 clove garlic

Sea salt, to taste

In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy. 

Assembly:

Remove the stems from the collard or chard leaves, creating two wraps. 

Spread some of the hemp dip on a wrap.

Arrange veggies at one end of the wrap and roll it up. 

Serve with extra hemp dip.

Nori Rolls 
Tried and true - nori rolls are quick, easy, and delicious! Roll veggie strips of your choice with pate, all together in a nori sheet.

Carrot Ginger Pate

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup almonds, soaked*
1 Tablespoon tahini
1" knob of ginger, minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Tamari/ Nama Shoyu, to taste
Handful chopped cilantro (optional)


Add all ingredients to a food processor. Grind into a moist pate. Taste the mixture and re-season.
*Dry amount. 

Tomato Basil Pasta

Can't go wrong with pasta! Zucchini noodles and sauce... a light meal packed with flavor.  A friend and I made this the other day for a group dinner - it was enjoyed by all. The hemp seeds add a cool parmesan-like texture.

Tomato Basil Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup sun dried tomatoes
(soaked at least 4 hours in water)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey or 1/2 date
Sea salt, to taste
2 Tablespoons hemp seeds

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, until smooth, or leave slightly chunky. 

A reminder about The Moonie Pie Challenge!

A chance to put your creativity cap on and jump into the kitchie! I'm excited to see all your pies and hear about your adventures - let me know when you blog about it! Click Here for all contest rules and more information, OR check out this post if you're only interested in purchasing the recipe ebook! 

The Moonie Pie Challenge

I am SO excited to share this post with you guys today! I have barely been able to contain myself ever since conjuring up this fun challenge.

Have you heard of the Raw Moon Pie, sold in New York??? This treat has quickly become New York City's #1 favorite raw dessert and I went ga-ga for them after trying one.

Anywho, my brain got going and I just had to create my own raw version of their treat, which I call the Moonie Pie. I made three kinds: vanilla, mint, and banana... and you better believe I have a line up of others to execute.

Now I want to share the raw moonie pie with you in the form of a challenge! You make the pies and blog about it. I judge the entries and select a winner. The winner and I do a swap and taste each other's and decide how we like it. What do ya think? Fun or what? I tend to get over-the-top excited about this stuff!

The Moonie Pie Challenge
How To Enter


1. Sign up for my Newsletter (for exclusive recipes, tips, and cool dessert ideas for subscribers only).

2. Watch my YouTube Video which outlines all the rules in detail, and gives you an inside peek at both moon pies (it was hard work chompin' into those things on camera, but someone had to do it!).

3. Grab a copy of the recipe booklet for $4.97 USD. Click on the link below. 

4. Make a moonie pie of your choice, with my recipe, with or without 2 ingredient changes of your choice.

5. Blog about your moonie (or Facebook it/Flickr it), including your ingredient changes, (if you made any) and then come and let me know via the comments section. Remember to leave a link back to yours which I will check out and judge. Please do not blog the recipe when you're creating your post.

6. The challenge ends Saturday, April 17th at midnight, so get your comments (with link) in by then. I will announce the winner on Sunday, explaining why and how I chose them.

What Do You Win?!?

-The winner (hand picked by me) will be featured on my blog (with your pics and everything) with a link back to their site.

-We'll do a moonie pie swap - the winner will send me their moonie creation (I'll pay their shipping cost).


-I'll the winner three of my pies: a vanilla, mint, and banana moon pie. Philip and I will try their pie on video and let you all know what we think - the winner may choose to blog about tasting mine if they want, but that's totally optional. 

Questions about the challenge? Leave a comment below!

"Moonie Pie" Recipes eBook

I am extremely thrilled to announced the release of my
Moonie Pie Recipes eBook!

After falling in love with the famous moon pie, I've recently created three raw versions of this traditionally cooked treat. Now I want to share the raw moonie pie dessert recipes with you, in this book! 

Here's what you'll find in my Moonie Pie eBook:

• Moonie pie dessert recipes in three fabulous flavors: Vanilla, Mint, and Banana.

• Easy to follow, detailed instructions on how to create the pies. 

• Mouth watering photographs.

Vanilla Moonie Pie

Mint Moonie Pie

Vanilla and Mint

"The Moonie Pie" Dessert Recipes are available for download now:


GOOD DEAL: Purchase The Moonie Pie ebook
$4.97



BETTER DEAL: Purchase The Moonie Pie ebook  and The Ultimate Raw Ice Cream Cake ebook and SAVE!
$13.37




BEST DEAL: Purchase all 3 of my eBooks: 1. Just Desserts, 2. The Ultimate Raw Ice Cream Cake, and 3. The Moonie Pie and SAVE... Almost 10% Off
$26.97

All book sales are final 

After your purchase is complete, you should receive an email with download instructions within a few minutes. (If you don't see it in your inbox, make sure that it hasn't been sent to your SPAM/junk mail. )

Having trouble downloading the book?

Email me at heatherpace@sweetlyraw.com


Purchase my latest eBook Raw Food Carob Desserts, and get a FREE mini bonus ebook.

*Special thanks to Philip McCluskey (photos), and Lauren Toppozini (ebook design)*

Sweet Tooth: Coconut Vanilla Crunch Granola

Happy Friday everyone! Hope your week has been fantabulous! What are your plans for the weekend? 
It's supposed to rain in my neck of the woods, so I'll be playing in the kitchie with a friend. I'll take her through raw basic recipes like almond milk, pate/nori rolls, apple pie, banana ice cream, zucchini pasta with sun dried tomato marinara... and then we'll enjoy a feast!

On another note Philip and I have a winner (through a random number generator online) for our giveaway. Congratulations to Christine, who's favourite essential oil is eucalyptus. Your goodies are on their way soon, girl! 

This is my second Sweet Tooth post, and I must say, it's been fun to browse through my old posts in search of dessert recipes. It's a trip down memory lane, for sure! I just went back to my very first post (which didn't even include a pichy, if you can imagine) to discover that I've had my blog for 3 years and 3 months. 

Today's dessert menu features: Coconut Vanilla Crunch Granola, a recipe I came up with just before Christmas. It's photo popped up in a post I did on raw snacks: various flavored nuts, kale chips, and granola.  My "oldie" recipe is a Triple Berry Cake  (from a post in June, 2008), which I created in honor of Raw Freedom Community's birthday. A light, creamy berry cake on a nut crust - perfect for the warmer months. It can be made with your choice of berries. 

Coconut Vanilla Crunch Granola

Don't let this simple looking recipe deceive you - this granola is amazingly crunchy and sweet. I love to eat it with hemp milk and blueberries - but my favourite is eating it by the handful as a snack.  

Ingredients:

2 cups soaked almonds

3 cups sprouted buckwheat

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup soaked sunflower seeds

3/4 cup coconut nectar or maple syrup

3 Tablespoons vanilla water or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. 

2. Spread on teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 135F for 1 hour. 

3. Lower the temperature to 115 and continue to dehydrate for 15-20 hours, or until dry. 

Triple Berry Cake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts

1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates, chopped

Filling:

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1 1/2 cups cashews

1/3 cup agave

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup melted cacao butter

1 tablespoon lecithin

2 cups mixed berries, set aside

(raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, grind the nuts and dates together into a slightly sticky dough. Add 1 -2 tsp water if needed. 

2. Press into the bottom of a 6” springform pan, or into a pie plate.

3. Blend the first four ingredients until completely smooth. Add the cacao butter and lecithin. Continue blending until incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of this mixture into a bowl. 

4. Add the berries to the remaining cream in the blender and pulse the berries until they start to break down, keeping some texture. Transfer the berry mixture into a bowl.

5. Pour half of one cream onto the crust. Pour the other half on top. Continue, pouring the first cream on top, followed by the second.

6. Now, with a knife, swirl the two creams together into a pretty pattern.

7. Chill the cake for a few hours, or until firm.

Do you have any dessert requests for Sweet Tooth??

Let me know! ;)

Stay tuned for big news to be announced on Sunday! Get ready for a challenge that's never been done before.... 

Also, my newsletter is now available! I'll be sending out exclusive recipes, tips, ideas, and events/classes in your area. Sign up in the cupcake box at the top right hand corner of my site, or click here. 

(*Cupcake graphic by my best friend, Lauren Toppozini)

Free Giveaway: Natural Beauty Products and Raw Chocolate!

Today Philip and I have a FREE giveaway for you! Yuppers, a sweet package of raw chocolate and natural beauty products!



This is a quickie though - only two days to enter! You have until March 24th, at midnight. 


How To Enter:

• Check out the above video to see the goodies!

• Answer the following question below in the comments section.

Question:
What is your favourite essential oil ?

My Answer: 
Rose Oil (Peppermint is a my second choice!)


The Goods:

• A basket of Tamu beauty products
• Half a dozen fruit nut choccie clusters made by me! 

Thanks guys! Take care!

Sweet Tooth: Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

For a while I've wanted to feature a weekly recipe on my blog. Enough procrastinating - the time has come! 

My new Sweet Tooth blog will be posted every Friday, and I'll have 2 raw dessert recipes for you - something new, in addition to an old sweet treat from the earlier days of my blog.

Since ice cream is my favorite dessert (besides chocolate), this is what I've chosen to start off with. Here's a yummy nut-free ice cream that is perfect for the warm spring weather that is upon us. I like to drizzle mine with chocolate sauce, but you could top yours with coconut flakes, fresh berries, or nuts. 

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups young coconut water

1 cup young coconut pulp, packed

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4-1/3 cup agave

1/4 cup coconut oil

Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean

1/4 teaspoon pomegranate powder (optional)

Instructions
1. Blend all ingredients except the oil, until smooth and creamy. 
2. Now add the oil and blend again to incorporate. 
3. Chill the liquid in the fridge for a few hours. 
4. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions, or freeze in ice cube trays. 


Chocolate Almond Crunch Ice Cream

I pulled this recipe from the old archives when I did a fun post on ice cream. This is super delish! I love the flavor of almond - if you're not as fond, you can omit it and just enjoy this as plain chocolate ice cream. I recommend making the almond crunch first, to allow for enough freezing time, but its totally optional. If time is of the essence, simply stir in chopped almonds/nuts. 


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts
1/2 cup brazil nuts
2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup cacao powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract 
1/4 cup coconut oil


Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients (except the coconut oil) in a blender until smooth and slightly warm. 
2. Add the oil and blend again to incorporate. 
3. Chill the mixture in the fridge for a few hours. 
4. Process the mixture through an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions, adding the Sweet Almond Crunch in toward the end of the churning process.  


Alternative: If you're not using an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into ice cube trays. Place a piece of nut crunch into each cube of liquid and freeze, OR save the crunch as a topping when you are ready to eat the ice cream.

Sweet Almond Crunch


Ingredients
1/4 cup almond butter
1 Tbs agave
1 Tbs coconut oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1/2-3/4 cup almonds, chopped


Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, adding the almonds in after an initial mix. 
2. Spread the mixture onto a parchment lined tray, or paraflexx lined dehydrator tray. 
3. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or while you make your ice cream. 
4. When ready to fold into the ice cream, peel the nut crunch off the paper and break or chop into pieces. 
5. Add to the ice cream toward the end of the churning process.

I wish you a fabulous weekend... perhaps filled with some raw ice cream treats.  ; )  

(*Cupcake graphic by my best friend, Lauren Toppozini)

A Weekend In NYC

Another fabulous weekend spent in NYC! What can I say? I just can't get enough!
Philip and I travelled into the city on Saturday and met up with friend's Dhrumil and Ben. We enjoyed dinner at One Lucky Duck that evening.

I had a custom Salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, macadamia red pepper cheese, dulse, and caesar dressing. It was super delish!

Philip had an Asian Salad...

Ben had the chocolate mint ice cream sundae for dinner (I love the idea of dessert for dinner!)

Ben had a Mallomar too! Yumm.... i chose a half pint of oreo cookie ice cream for my dessert.

We took a trip to Quintessence for lunch on Sunday. I had the mango pudding parfait, layered with bananas and strawberries... it was mediocre - i didn't eat the berries, as they tasted like cardboard. 

After a fun afternoon of perusing the streets of NYC, we ended back at Dhrumil's for dinner, and then Ben and I jumped into the kitchen for a choccie making session... which turned into chocolate painting!

We added yummy things like coconut, cashews, goji berries, raisins, and cacao nibs into the chocolate - I always like some crunchy and chewy in my chocolate. What are your favourite chocolate add-ins? 

Golden pot of chocolate... Mmmm!

Have a great week! 

Jakfruit Pudding and a Great Giveaway

You may remember my jackfruit spiel (which included an ice cream recipe featuring the fruit) not long ago, but for those of you who haven't, I loooove jackfruit! In fact, it's my favorite fruit of all (papaya is probably second). I'm so grateful to be able to get it dried (I get it from Vivapura) since I don't have access to the fresh stuff. 
I made this delicious pudding yesterday for breaky. I like to keep the other flavours pretty neutral to keep the jackfruit flavor (think juicy fruit gum) intact. 

Jackfruit Pudding


1/3 cup packed, dried jackfruit
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen, chopped mango
1 frozen banana


Soak the dried fruit in the water for at least 6 hours - I soak mine over night.
Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
I sprinkled it with jarrah bee pollen.

Staying on a sweet note for another second... My bloggie friend, Averie is famous for her dessert balls. I had been wanting to make a few of her goodies for ages, and finally got around to it a few months ago (yes, I'm often waaay behind in blogging).

I chose her Almond Butter Cookies - totally awesome, although hers look much firmer than mine which turned out fairly gooey. Heck, I didn't care how firm they were because the taste and smooth texture was just to my liking! I enjoyed them straight outta the freezer like rich chewy fudge. While she added vegan chips, I added chunks of my raw chocolate from Just Desserts.

I also made some Coconut Almond Butter Balls, by simply adding shredded coconut to the almond butter dough. Yumm!

Onto the giveaway! Not actually by me this time, but by my sweetie, Philip! He's got 3 great gifts for one lucky winner. Check out the video here - I got to make a quick appearance.

Also, I've finally joined the Twitter phenomena... I'm probably the last person in North America to do so (my friends have been telling me to get it for years)... and have no idea what I'm doing, so if you have any tips, let me know! My screen name - @heathypace. I have one friend so far... :) Hehehe

New Winner, Pudding, and Jumping Around...

A bit of funny news, the chocolate giveaway winner didn't get back to me, so it's time to pick another one... Natalie, you're the new winner! Congrats! Hope you like the choccies and book! 

I've got a few blended goodies to share today...

I enjoyed this Mango Berry Pudding the other day. I used a bit of chia and psyllium to thicken it a bit - psyllium definitely needs to be used in moderation to prevent the mixture from getting overly sticky and gluten-like in texture. I garnished it with cacao nibs (love to have some crunch with my cream!), goji berries, and freeze dried strawberries.

Mango Berry Pudding

1 Tablespoon chia seed
1 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 cup frozen mango
1 Tablespoon agave powder
3 Medjool dates
1 teaspoon psyllium hulls


In a glass jar, shake the chia and milk together. 
Set aside while you assemble the other ingredients, in order for the chia to start swelling. 
Now blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. 


Another blender recipe, I enjoyed this smoothie the other day... it's light in flavour, and pretty watery. You could add more banana if you want to thicken it up a bit.

Banana Choccie Smoothie


1 large frozen bananna
1 large handful spinach
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbs cacao powder
1 tsp agave powder
1 tsp lecithin
8 drops english toffee stevia 
3 large ice cubes
Blend all ingredients until frosty and smooth!


Now, for some of my latest travel shenanigans... I had some fun jumping around one night in front of the water in West Port with Philip. He got some really cool shots of me mid-air!

A yoga shot! 

That's all for now, hope you're having a grrreeat day!