GF, Vegan & Raw Archives • Page 9 of 11 • New Nostalgia

Date Paste – A Healthy. Raw Sweetener

Date Paste is popular in the raw food world. After making it a few times myself, I can see why! I am not a fan of dates-maybe it is their shriveled up wrinkly appearance but when softened with water and blended in a food processor into a smooth paste, then I become a BIG fan!

Date paste is creamy and has an almost “caramel-y” like flavor that I fell for immediately. My favorite way to use date paste is on my oatmeal in place of brown sugar. I have also used it to sweeten smoothies & chia oats. We have spread it on tortillas, added banana & chia, then rolled up as a healthy snack (post on that coming soon!) My kids loved these, but FYI, make the date paste when they are not around. My girls saw the dates soaking and were a bit skeptical to try it. The second time I made it, I did it privately, and called it “sweetener.” They ate it up.

So why go to the trouble to make date paste? Well, first, it is not much trouble.

Second, I like that it is one more way to satisfy our sweet tooth while keeping blood sugar levels stable due to the fiber that dates contain. They are also good source of iron, vitamin A & potassium. They have their fair share of antioxidants and are not processed like most sweeteners are.

I have seen date paste used not just raw, but in all types of baking, like this Banana Date Paste Bread Pudding, which I want to try, it looks awesome!

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Date Paste

1 1b Medjool dates

1/2 cup reserved soaking water

Pit and cover dates with water. Soak for 10 minutes. Pour off water reserving 1/2 cup. Process in food processor until desired consistency, adding more water if needed. Place in a jar and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

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What about you? Do you look for more healthful ways to satisfy your sweet tooth?

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

How A Sip Of Soda Impacts Your Health

I’m a visual person, so when this came up in my Facebook feed, it caught my eye. We all know soda is bad for you, but this image helped me understand why it is bad.

I was at the pool with my kids when I first saw this, and they asked for a pop, and this image was enough for me to say NO! I gave them ice water, they gulped it up & jumped back into the pool.

If your reaction is “but it TASTES good” and you are one that loves fizz, then try this recipe:

Fresh Lime Soda

This recipe is easy, and will not spike your blood sugar! Even my kids love it.

Brunch/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

Strawberry Banana Raw Breakfast Oats

Chia oats is our go to snack and breakfast around here. Full of fiber and protein, (13 grams of fiber & 11 grams of protein!) they are super healthy and super filling! You can make them ahead of time and let them sit in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Start with mashing a banana. Don’t like bananas? Not sure about a substitute, as bananas are the base of the dish. Maybe mashed mango or peaches?

Our usual chia oats calls for banana, peanut butter and a bit of maple syrup. This time we skipped the peanut butter and added strawberries instead. Yum!

Chia is a superfood that we eat everyday around here.

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A little bit about:

Chia Seeds

~the are jammed packed with protein and minerals and healthy fats and fiber

~they provide more plant based Omega 3’s than any other food, even FLAX

~they have 5 GRAMS of fiber PER TABLESPOON!

~they are flavorless and dissolve in juice, soups, stews, shakes etc..

~they are FILLING!

Here is a great post on the benefits of chia seeds and different ways to use them.

Back to the recipe, I don’t really measure. I use 2 handfuls of oats. It is a very forgiving recipe, no need to be exact. We have made chia oats so often that even my 9 year old knows how to make them.

I use 2 palmfuls of chia.

One capful of vanilla. So easy!

We eyeball the almond milk…

…then stir it all up.

This is how it should look right after stirring. You want it a little runny. As it sits, the chia seeds soften and swell and the oats soak up some of the milk.

Let it sit in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to soften the oats and thicken. A little someone ate up the oats before I could take a final picture! She added a bit of agave and they were gone before I knew it!

Strawberry Banana Raw Breakfast Oats

1 banana, mashed

4-5 strawberries, cut up

1 cup oats (or two handfuls)

2 tbls chia seeds (or 2 palmfuls)

1 tsp vanilla (or 1 capful)

1-1/2 cups milk (almond, coconut, dairy)

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a drizzle of honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup

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Mash banana. Add strawberries, oats, seeds & vanilla. Add milk. Stir. If too thick, add more milk, you want them slightly runny like picture above. Let sit for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator. Before eating, drizzle with sweetener of choice. Can be refrigerated up to a day.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

I love it when I find a recipe that after tasting it, I immediately know it will be a recipe that I will be making and enjoying often. This is one of those recipes. A staple.

It uses quinoa, a grain (a seed, actually) that is gluten free and high in protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein. The addition of beans in this recipe makes it super healthful and full of protein. It is a great example of how plant foods can be filling and make a full meal.

Quinoa is super easy to prepare. It is very much like making rice, 2 parts liquid to one part quinoa. The only difference is that you need to rinse quinoa to avoid a slight bitter taste.

Quinoa is super mild in flavor, and ends up taking on whatever flavor you add to it, again, much like rice.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

{inspired by Pennies On A Platter}

Yield: 10 servings

1 teaspoon vegetable oil {I used coconut oil}
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa {I used red quinoa}
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro {I skipped this}

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper, and saute until lightly browned. Mix in the garlic and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the quinoa, then pour in the vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the frozen corn and continue to simmer about 5 more minutes, until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans and cilantro. Serve warm or cold.

This recipe can be eaten warm, at room temperature, or cold. It makes the perfect pot luck dish, and a great grain salad to keep in the refrigerator for a quick and filling lunch.

I like to take it to go in a small mason jar, and eat it outside, sitting in the springtime sun while writing.

Try it! Let me know what you think.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

Cream Of Broccoli Soup-No Dairy!

I don’t eat much dairy anymore, so I had been on a search for a dairy-free, creamy, broccoli soup. My sister-in-law also eats a plant based diet, and at a family gathering she brought the most amazing soup recipe. It was creamy and had layers of flavor, and I really couldn’t believe it was dairy free! When she shared the recipe with me, I saw that from Forks Over Knives Cookbook, which made me smile, as it was a recipe that had caught my eye and I had even marked the page of my Forks Over Knives cookbook.

This soup recipe starts like most of my other soup recipes, with chopped onion, celery and carrot. This mix from Trader Joes is reasonably priced and very convenient. I felt a little lazy and not in the mood for chopping, so I grabbed it.

Such pretty little layers!

Look how healthful these ingredients are! Bet you can’t guess what makes the soup creamy!

The bag of cashews became this creamy base thanks to my food processor. What a great trick for non-dairy eaters!

This recipe does take some chopping. I didn’t get to be lazy after all. My sister-in-law used frozen chopped broccoli in hers and honestly, I could not tell the difference.

I get way too excited seeing photos full of plant color. I get even more excited knowing I can get them into my body in the form of a delicious soup! The recipe calls for potatoes, I didn’t have any, so I used sweet potatoes instead. It slightly changed the color of our soup, but really added a nice flavor.

Cooking down the veggies.

Adding the cashews

Mix and cook down.

Puree using a hand held blender. I have this one by Cuisinart and I love it.

A hand held blender makes pureeing soups so easy and is much safer than trying to transfer hot soup to a blender! I love mine and use it all the time.

Delicious, creamy, full of flavor (Non-) Cream Of Broccoli Soup!

Cream Of Broccoli Soup

6 cups vegetable stock or bouillon
1 rounded cup raw cashews
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium unpeeled potatoes, cubed
1 large head broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 Cups if you use frozen broccoli & stems)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Puree 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, cook the onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed. Remove the pot from heat and puree about half the soup, in small batches, until smooth. Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat, stirring well. Serve.

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Have you seen Forks Over Knives yet? It is a great film, one that really changed my views on food. Below is the trailer. I believe it is on Netflicks, or you can buy the DVD here.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Meals/ RECIPES

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

{Aren’t those labels cute? Click here for more.}

I can’t quite put my finger on why I liked this sauce so much. I think it is because it is so easy, makes a ton of sauce, and tastes just like some of the great sauces you can buy at the store, minus the added ingredients (like high fructose corn syrup)! The red pepper gives it the perfect bit of spice, barely noticeable.

Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender

I was skeptical of a sauce with no onion or garlic, but that is the beauty of this sauce, no chopping! I did use my hand dandy hand blender to chop up the tomatoes. My family does not like chunks.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce (inspired by My Recipes)

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 cup water

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper

16 ounces spaghetti, cooked (I prefer whole grain)

Stir together first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 60 minutes.
Serve over pasta.

*leftover sauce freezes well

**if you prefer, you can add some thawed but fully cooked Italian Meatballs (or meat-less balls) to the sauce the last 20 minutes.

Older Posts

Newer Posts

GF, Vegan & Raw

Date Paste – A Healthy. Raw Sweetener

How A Sip Of Soda Impacts Your Health

Strawberry Banana Raw Breakfast Oats

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Cream Of Broccoli Soup-No Dairy!

Raw Cookie Dough Bites

Easy Spaghetti Sauce