Raw Lemon & Date Slice

I LOVE lemon slice! It's one of my all time favourites. If I'm ever in a cafe and feeling the need to elevate my coffee experience to amazing (or even mediocre), lemon slice is the first thing I look for.

A couple of months ago, driving back to Perth from Pemberton, we were pretty desperate for a good coffee. Being full time soy drinkers now finding good coffee can be a struggle because there are some hideous soy milks out there. We urbanspooned for the best coffee in the Bridgetown-Donnybrook-Balingup area and set off in the promise of an organic place. This cafe turned out to be closed so we ended up getting coffee from the first place we found in Balingup that was open. It turned out to make a damn good coffee and had excellent soy milk. They also had lemon slice! The biggest lemon slice I'd ever seen, took us about half an hour to eat and it was amazing! It was also my very last non vegan lemon slice.

It's funny how there are just some things that make becoming a full time vegan harder than others. Lemon slice, oddly, is probably the main thing I have craved since making the decision to completely give up animal products six weeks ago. To satisfy my cravings I had to come up with a vegan lemon slice and concocted this raw version as a healthy alternative. I have to say it's pretty damn good too :) Dani says it's the best EVER and that it'll make me world famous, though that may be a biased opinion!

Ingredients 

Base

• 1.5 Cups dates 
• 1 Cup cashews 
• 1 Cup raw almonds 
• 1 Tbsp Coconut butter 
• 0.5 Whole Lemon juice and rind 
• 0.5 Cup dried, unsweetened coconut 
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 2 Tbsp water 

Topping

• 1 Cup of cashews (soaked in water for an hour and drained) 
• 1 Tbsp raw agave nectar 
• 0.5 Whole Lemon juice1/4 Whole Lemon rind 
• 1 TBS Coconut butter 

Directions 

1. Pre-soak cashews for an hour before starting.
2. Place cashews and almonds in food processor and process until they become small and crumbly (thermomix 8 for 3 secs). 
3. Add dates and process again until the mixture sticks together and the dates are well processed (thermomix 8 for 6 secs). Add the remaining base ingredients and process again until the mixture is well combined (thermomix 8 for 8 secs). Stop processing before it gets too soft and sticky. 
4. Press the base mixture down firmly into a cake or brownie pan. 
5. For the topping put all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop frequently and scrap down from the sides.
6. Spread topping over the base and refrigerate until firm (about 1hour).

Spring Onion Brunch Feast

My favourite thing about Brunch is that you can really just have it anytime - dinner, breakfast, lunch, or as a hearty snack :)

Here's a scruptious version of my fave - pan-tossed vegan brunch - that I just made the queerys for dinner on a tired night:







Spring Onion Brunch Feast
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 or 2 gloves of garlic diced or minced
1 or 2 spring onion finely chopped
a decent splash of olive oil
3 or 4 small-medium mushrooms diced into 1 or 2 cm cubes
1 large ripe tomato diced into 2cm cubes/triangles
1 cup of baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste
One avocado
2 pieces of whole grain bread, toasted

Method

1. Put garlic and oil in a pan and turn on a medium heat. Once warm, add mushrooms and the white parts of the Spring onion and toss until onion is transparent
2. Add tomatoes, toss for a minute or two
3. Add spinach and toss until spinach is wilted, adding salt and pepper between tossing.
4. Slice avocado on top of the toast and add cooked vegetables over the top. Season with green parts of Spring onion.
5. Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownie

INGREDIENTS

Base

• 1 C raw almonds(or sub walnuts)
• 1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 C packed dates
• 1/2 C unsweetened cacao powder
• 2 TBS water
• dash vanilla

Icing

• 3/4 C raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours and drained)
• 2 TBS raw cacao powder
• 2 TBS maple syrup
• dash vanilla
• water to add for consistency

METHOD

Base
Line a loaf pan with baking paper for easy removal and set aside.  Add the almonds and coconut to the food processor and process until no large pieces of almond remain.  Pour the almonds into a bowl and set aside.

Place the dates and water into the food processor and process until the dates are broken up and come together in a “dough” that looks almost like a paste.  Add the almonds and coconut and the cocoa powder, salt and vanilla and pulse until combined.  Don’t over mix, but be sure that everything is completely combined.

Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and press down firmly.

Icing
Food process cashews until fine. Add other ingredients and continue process until smooth adding a little water if needed to achieve the right consistency. Spread over base.

Pull the brownies out of pan and place on a cutting board and slice into 60 bite sized brownies. Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to a couple weeks.

References
http://fooddoodles.com/2012/05/16/raw-vegan-coconut-brownies/

Raw Vegan Beetroot Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cashews or almonds
• 1 large beetroot
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 small clove garlic
• 0.5tsp ground corriander
• 0.5tsp ground cumin
• freshly ground Salt to taste

METHOD

Soak nuts in water for 30-60mins.
Grate beetroot and garlic.
Drain water off nuts and food process them until fine (or not, if you want it chunkier).
Add beetroot, garlic, lemon juice and seasonings and food process until desired consistency.
Serve with fresh vegetables or crackers.

Queery your food's benefits - is it worth the  foodventure?

Beetroot is a powerful healer. It is packed with beta cyanin which is a blood purifier and overall promoter of detoxification in the body, aiding the liver to do its job and helping prevent the build of fatty deposits.
This little purple superfood can also reduce high blood pressure, boost your happiness (as it contains betaine which stimulates seratonin production), and build or keep your immune system strong with a nutrient powerhouse boasting high levels of vitamin C, iron, folic acid, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin B6 and more.

References
http://peaceloveandgreens.com/2012/05/02/raw-beetroot-dip-two-ways/
http://rawgastronomy.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/beetroot-dip.html
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Beetroot-And-Cumin-Dip-Recipezaar