Perfect Kale Chips

There are probably a few hundred different ways of making kale chips, and most of them are fairly similar. Some recipes call for short blasts of very high heat, others say slow and low is best. I'm of the latter group. I used to make my kale chips in the oven but almost always ended up burning a few (or all of them), so now I prefer the dehydrator. I'm not going to claim I invented this recipe, as I got tips from a few Twitter friends as well as online searched for the magical combination of toppings. I love them so much I even eat them for breakfast some days ;)

Perfect Kale Chips

1 bunch of curly kale, thoroughly washed and patted dry
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried dill
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp dried garlic (finely crushed)
pinch of salt

Start by tearing the kale leaves from the spine. Place in a large bowl. Next mix olive oil and vinegar together and drizzle over kale leaves. In a small bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and evenly sprinkle over kale.
Massage the seasonings onto the kale leaves so they are all evenly coated. Lay the leaves flat on the mesh screen of your dehydrator and dehydrate at 105F for 8 hours (or overnight). Kale chips can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

*If you don't have a dehydrator, lay prepared kale on metal baking sheet and bake at 250F for approx 30 min. Make sure the leaves do not turn brown (burn) or they will be bitter. Depending on you oven they may need a few minutes more or less. Check them 5 min early and test their crunchiness and go from there.

Marinated Mushroom Stuffed Endive

These tasty bites double as a perfect appetizer to serve dinner guests and as a quick work lunch the next day. I made these at a recent party I hosted and they were a total hit! Perfect for a Cinco De Mayo Party tonight. This is a great recipe to keep nearby if you're following a raw vegan diet and want something satisfying and quick, but still tasty.

Raw Vegan Marinated Mushroom Stuffed Endive
1 1/2 cups (any) white mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp nama shoyu (can substitute coconut aminos or soy sauce if you don't have nama shoyu)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sesame oil (or olive oil)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
Himalayan salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

12-14 endive leaves. (Can substitute romaine hearts if unable to find endive, however the dish will lack that extra zing of the endive)

Combine all ingredients for the mushroom pate and allow to marinate for 15 min. Scoop into the endive leaves and serve immediately. If making the mushroom mixture in advance, store the endive separately, and do not cut the endive leaves away from the stock until ready to serve, as they can turn brown.

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Whenever Spring rolls around I start craving ice cream. Usually I buy the coconut or soy ones, however I wanted to make a raw vegan ice cream that was safe for the kids to eat, without all of the added preservatives, thickeners and colors. So here it is! A yummy, easy homemade vegan ice cream recipe that's actually good for you!

Raw Vegan Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
2 ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup raw cacao powder (if not following a raw diet, using regular cocoa powder works just fine)
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp dark raw agave nectar (equal amount of maple syrup can be substituted if you don't have agave on hand)

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth. (It will look like chocolate pudding). Pour into freezable air tight container and freeze for at least 24 hours - preferably 36 hours. Or you can skip freezing and eat it as a chocolate pudding! To serve I always like to add toppings such as shredded coconut or crushed walnuts.

Vanilla or Plain Almond Milk

Once you start making your own almond milk, you'll never go back to store bought! All it takes is remembering to soak the almonds the night before, and then 5-10 min of time, depending if you are making plain or vanilla. For general drinking, cereal and lattes, we prefer vanilla, and for cooking I use plain. Almond milk will stay fresh, stored in the fridge for 3 days. 

RAW VEGAN VANILLA OR PLAIN ALMOND MILK
1 1/2 cups raw, un-pasteurized almonds (usually available in bulk at organic markets/grocery stores)
4 cups water, plus 2 cups filtered water (divided)
3-4 medjool dates, pits removed
1 vanila bean, scraped or 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
You will need the following tools for this recipe:
high speed blender
nut milk bag


Place almonds in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups water. Allow to soak 10-12 hours, uncovered at room temperature.
Once almonds have soaked, rinse thoroughly. You will notice the murkiness of the soaking water, which needs to be completely washed off of the almonds. Place the soaked almonds and 2 cups of fresh filtered water into the canister of your high speed blender. Increase the speed until it is at the max and blend for approx 1 min. Pour the contents into a nut milk bag, over a pitcher or bowl and squeeze the milk from the pulp. The milk is now ready to refrigerate if you are making the plain version.
If you are making vanilla almond milk, rinse your blender canister completely, then pour the milk back in and add the dates and vanilla. Blend on high until dates are have completely blended in; refrigerate and enjoy!

Raw Organic Almond Butter

I never realized how easy it is to make your own nut butters... no more paying $7 for a tiny jar of organic almond butter for me! With a few simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand, and approx 10 minutes, you too can whip up a batch of fresh, raw organic almond butter to spread on your toast, throw into your smoothie or blend into a stir fry sauce!

Raw Organic Almond Butter
1 cup raw organic unpasteurized almonds
1 tsp raw organic sesame oil (or canola oil)
pinch of Himalayan salt
1 tsp filtered water

Place almonds, sesame oil and salt in a food processor. Turn the blender on and run for 1 minute. Turn the blender back off, wait till the blades have completely stopped, then scrape down the sides of the blender canister with a spatula. Next turn the blender back on and let it run for 3 minutes. The almonds should be getting sticky and balling up at this point. Turn the blender back off and scrape down the sides as well as loosen any of the mixture that is stuck to the bottom. Now add the 1 tsp of water, and turn the blender back on for an additional 3 minutes. Check the consistency, and add another 1/2 tsp of water if you like a more smooth almond butter. Viola!

Zucchini Hummus

This raw hummus is a delicious way to eat your veggies! It's a bit lighter than traditional hummus, as it is made form zucchini instead of chickpeas. I recently had a party so I tripled the recipe and all of it got eaten! This yummy dip is super easy to make and will keep in the fridge for three days.
Click HERE for recipe