RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Walnut Pâté

Walnut Pâté Collard Wrap

This pâté is loaded with protein, omega 3, antioxidants and your complex B vitamins with a healthy dose of B-12. This is great for those who strive for a high protein diet...its also great brain food!

Don't be fooled by it being wrapped in collards instead of a flour doughy wrap or bread...you will still be just as satisfied. In fact, I got full from eating half of a collard wrap. I saved the other half for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw walnuts (pre-soaked)
• 1 cup portabella mushrooms
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 cup mixed peppers (red, yellow and green)
• 1/4 cup dried tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 8 small heirloom tomatoes
• 2-3 tbsp wasabi seaweed (soak in one cup water)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp celtic seasalt
• 2 tsp parsley
• 2 tsp onion flakes (dried)
• 2 tsp basil
• 2 tsp turmeric

Making The Pâté

Your pâté should look something like this.

• Put everything in your food processor.  

• Chop until its very fine. 

• Serve on collard greens and make a wrap. It's my favorite way to eat this pâté. You can also eat this with crackers, bread, salad or even alone with a spoon.

TIP:

(a) De-stem your collards so they are pliable/flexible and will fold easily to be tucked and eaten.

(b) Overlapping your collards can provide a sturdier foundation.

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Related Posts:

Almond Pâté

Dried Tomatoes

4 Steps to making a Veggie Burger out of Pulp

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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Lentil Soup (Vegan)

Lentil Soup

I know some of you are wondering how do I have a raw diet, and I'm eating cooked beans. Well if you'll notice I always say I'm about 80-90% raw. I leave room for small luxuries like this. While there are also ways to make raw lentil soup, I tend to gravitate towards the stove every blue moon. But don't worry...a raw lentil soup recipe will be posted soon. 

I always seem to gravitate to "cooked" beans. It seems to hold someplace very near and dear to my heart and my heritage. So every blue moon, I will indulge in "cooked" beans. And what better choice than lentils? I mean, they are loaded with fiber, folate, iron, protein, vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. Lentils are said to be the nutritional fountain of youth.

While lentils have B-6, which helps reduce the risk of breast cancer, lentils are said to have more folate (B9) than any other plant food. This is a very important B Vitamin because its said to work very closely with B-12 to help develop new cells in the body. Most people are so concerned with not having enough B-12 that they forget they are all called "complex B vitamins" because they are so complex that they have to work with all of the B-vitamins together to achieve optimal health.

I added carrots to this recipe, because that's just typically how I make them. Nothing wrong with a little beta carotene in your soup! Now on to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz of dried lentils (presoaked)
• 2-3 carrots (optional)
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 bell pepper (optional)
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp curry
• 1 tbsp celtic seasalt
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 4-5 bay leaves
• 1 pkg of organic vegetable soup stock
• 2 cups of water
• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

MAKING THE LENTIL SOUP

• Chop your carrots, onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper. 
• Sauté your garlic, onion, bellpepper and celery in coconut oil. 
• Rinse your presoaked lentils and put all of the ingredients in the pot. 
• Boil for 45-60 minutes and you have lentil soup. 

TIPS:

(a) Stir your soup about every 20 minutes.

(b) Remove the bay leaves before serving.

I bet you didn't know soup could be so simple? Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Related Posts:

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan NOT-cho's

Raw Vegan Spicy Squash Soup

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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK: A Raw Foodie's Broccoli and Cheese

Broccoli Ingredients:

• 1lb of raw organic broccoli
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp of braggs liquid aminos

Not-cho Cheese Ingredients: 

• 1 cup raw organic cashews (pre-soaked)
• 1/4 cup braggs amino acid
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup water 
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 cup roasted red pepper 
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp crushed red peppers or jalapeno peppers (optional)

  Making the Broccoli

Wash your broccoli. Put it in a container. Spray with braggs liquid aminos. Don't over saturate, just lightly spray to cover all broccoli pieces. Then sprinkle with 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Put a top on your container. Shake periodically and let it sit on your counter top to marinade for about 10 minutes. 

Optional: Put on the dehydrate for 15 minutes to Un-cook it if you want your broccoli warm.

 

Making the Not-cho cheese

Throw all of the ingredients into your Vitamix. When ready, put the cheese into a bowl and let it sit to the side until you're ready to mix it with your broccoli.

Optional: Blend on high in the Vitamix if you want the cheese warm. 

Putting It All Together

Take your broccoli, put some on a plate and top it off with NOT-cho cheese! Yes, its just that simple.

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Related Posts:

Diary of a former cheese addict

NOT-Cho's 

Veggie Tales

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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK: 4 Steps To Making A Veggie Burger From Pulp

My Raw Vegan Burger 
 (garnished on a bed of romaine with avocado and dried tomato topped with cheddar cheese)

Are you wondering what you can do with your juice and nut pulp? Is it stacking up in your freezer? Or are you one of those people who simply throw all that good pulp away? 

Let no food go to waste! Pulp is still food with nutritional value left in it that can be used for something. Juice pulp and nut pulp, can be used to make a variety of foods. Today's post is about showing you how to make veggie burgers from all that pulp. Here's my basic Raw Vegan Veggie Burger Recipe, that is a no fail! It will have your house smelling really good just from mixing the seasonings up alone.

INGREDIENTS

• Green Juice Pulp
• Veggie Juice Pulp
• Nut Pulp
• Coconut Oil
• Finely Chopped/Diced onion (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced celery (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced garlic (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced red bell pepper (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced green bell pepper (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced yellow bell pepper (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced mushrooms (optional)
• Finely Chopped/Diced carrots (optional)
• Seasonings of your choice...I used the following:
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Hemp Powder
• Dried Tomatoes
• Himalayan Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Basil
• Parsley
• Curry
• Nutritional Yeast
• Braggs Liquid Aminos
• Ground Mustard Seed
• Chia Seeds (pre-soaked in water-this will help "bind" it all together)

STEP ONE: Let your pulp(s) un-thaw. Put them all in a bowl.

Un-thawed Juice and Nut Pulp

STEP TWO: Add your additional chopped veggies and seasonings.

Added chopped veggies and seasonings

STEP THREE: Mix by hand very well and form into balls.

Form into balls to "set"

TIP: Let the balls sit in the fridge for AT LEAST AN HOUR. This will help "set" your veggie burgers, but also allow it to let the seasonings and variations of flavors from all of the different pulps set in too. P.S., Don't let that green color scare you away. I used a lot of "green juice" pulp. So of course my veggie burgers will be green...but if you scroll down, it comes out brown(ish) just like a "real" burger when its done.

STEP FOUR: After your veggie balls have set. Make them into patties and put them on the dehydrator. It never takes long for veggie burger to be ready. I let mine dehydrate for about 5-7 hours on 115 degree setting. 

Make into patties and put on the dehydrator

TIP: Now I know some of you stove cookers are thinking, that's a long time to wait for a burger. But trust me the time flies. You can prep everything the night before, and put them on the dehydrator the next morning and go to work. Or do, as I do, and simply un-cook them while you're sleeping. When you wake up, they are ready! *smile*

And voila! You've just made your own veggie burger and all out of left over juice pulp that you probably was going to throw away!

A finished "un-cooked" veggie burger

Please Note: 

(a) Feel free to add additional veggies, nuts and/or seeds to make your veggie burger more filling. I didn't add any nuts or seeds to this particular batch because I used a pretty hefty amount of nut pulp left over from making almond milk. 

(b) You'll notice I used Chia Seeds to help bind it all together. It's not really necessary if you use nut pulp, like I did. But if you want to use them feel free...another option is flax seeds or flax flour. 

(c) You'll notice I didn't put specified seasoning amounts because the amount you choose to use would depend on the amount of pulp you have and how large of a batch of burgers you make. When in doubt, you can always taste test it...its not like you're eating raw meat. *wink*

(d) You can fry or bake these. Whatever you prefer. Please know that by cooking you cook majority, if not all, of the nutrients out of your veggies. I typically dehydrate, as a way of "un-cooking" to maintain the full nutritional value of the vegetables. Also, while it's called "un-cooking" your food still comes out warm, just like it would from an oven.

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Related Posts:

Raw Vegan Teriyaki Burger with Bread and Mayo

MeatLESSloaf with Mashed UN-potatoes

Spaghetti and MeatLESSballs

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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Raw Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

With winter slowly creeping upon us, its that time of the year where we want comforting warm foods. Nothing can be more comforting and warming than a nice bowl of soup. You don't have to buy canned soups with all of the preservatives, sugars, salts and GMO's. You can make your own healthy soup from fresh fruits and veggies.

For those of us who prefer our veggies raw, one might think we don't get the luxury of warm foods. This recipe is to prove that thought wrong! You can still eat raw and have warm foods like soup. If you turn your Vitamix blender on high it automatically warms up the food for you. The difference is, it doesn't heat it past 115 degrees, so you still get all of the wonderful nutrients in your veggies, even when making soups. 

I chose to make a squash soup because I really wanted a "creamy" soup that was rich in flavor. Since I hadn't had squash in a while and because its "in season" (meaning its in abundance and on sale), it was the winner for the soup recipe. I got this squash for $1.00. So basically this entire meal is about $1.50 if you include the spices added in...and I think I'm probably guesstimating $.40 cents over.

Because it has seeds, butternut squash is technically a fruit; Therefore, it has a sweet undertoned taste, that really kicks the spices up a knotch for this recipe. Not to mention the nutritional and health benefits of this fruit is amazing. It's rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. It's low in fat and provides dietary fiber, thus making it heart healthy. It provides a good amount of potassium, which we all need for bone health. The greatest thing about this fruit to me, is that it has a good amount of B6. As we know the "complex" B-Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems. Can you believe I got all of that for a $1.00? Who said going raw was  expensive? *smile*


Anyway...enough of my rambling on...I know you want the recipe now...so here it is...


INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash

2-3 cups water

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 large garlic cloves

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp curry

2 tbsp onion powder (or dried onion flakes)

1 tbsp braggs liquid aminos

1 tbsp parsely

1 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp hemp powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp black pepper (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

Please Note: This soup is spicy. If you don't like spicy food, you can always omit the black pepper and cut the cayenne in half or even just add a pinch. You can always add more if you need it...but you can never take it out once its in there.

MAKING THE SOUP

Peel the squash with a potato peeler. Chop it into pieces. I didn't remove the seeds from mine, but feel free to do so if you wish. Put it in the Vitamix Blender. Add the Water. Blend...begin blending it on low and gradually turn it up to high so that you can puree all of the squash and liquify it. Once its liquified, put all of the remaining ingredients in. Blend on high for about 5-10 mins. Be sure to stop intermittently and push all of the spices down so that its thoroughly mixed throughout. 

Notice while blending in the Vitamix on high that it warmed your soup for you? No stove necessary! You now have soup! Pour some in your serving bowl and eat!

This recipe should be about 4-6 servings (or more)...depending on the size of the servings and the size of the squash you used. My Vitamix was filled to the 64oz capacity. This soup lasted me a week! Lunch for a week and for $1.00. Really, you can't beat that! It took me about 10 minutes (if that) to make this meal.


TIP: 
(a) Storage options: Get some glass jars and fill them with this. You can easily fill 5 of them and you now have your lunch ready to go and for the entire week! 
(b) You can freeze some of this soup and have it handy for those days when you just don't feel like doing anything.
(c) This soup is so creamy, it makes a great sauce for zucchini pasta.

Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

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Related Posts:
Genetically Modified Organisms ("GMO") Facts
Benefits of Coconut Oil
8 Ancient Superfoods That Promote Good Health
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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Raw Vegan "Nope It's NOT Butter" Pecan Icecream

2 scoops of Raw Vegan "Nope It's NOT Butter" Pecan Icecream!

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews (pre-soaked)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 1/3 cup raw blue agave
• ¼ tsp himilayan salt
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp non-alcoholic organic vanilla extract
• 1 cup raw pecans (pre-soaked and dried/dehydrated)

**NO ICECREAM MACHINE NEEDED**

With the exception of the raw pecans, put all of the above-listed ingredients into your Vitamix. Blend on low slowly turning the dial to high…blend until smooth and creamy…but a bit liquidy. Stop your blender and pour a little into your container. 

Put some of the chopped pecans in with your icecream mix, stirring until its saturated with pecans throughout. Add more icecream mix and add more pecans on top … again stir and make sure your pecans are thoroughly through. Continue this process until your container is either full or the pecans are all gone. You don’t have to mix your pecans and icecream this way, I just do it this way because I literally like every spoonful to have some pecans in it. More is more with me! *smile*

Put it in your freezer. About an hour into freezing, take the icecream out and stir it. Try not to eat it all! I know you're tasting it! I sure did! Put it back into the freezer to completely freeze. In a few hours it should be frozen and ready!

The Icecream half frozen, just finished stirring mid-way through

Now go ahead...scoop some out and try it! You won't believe how good this tastes!

Frozen Icecream...still soft and scoopable!

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Related Posts:
Coconut Macaroon Icecream
Blueberry Yogurt
The Truth About Soaking Your Nuts
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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!

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DID YOU KNOW: Transitioning Tips For a Healthy You

So you're thinking about having a plant based diet? Or maybe you're just trying to implement a few positive and healthy eating habits...whatever your reason, you've already completed step one by realizing that changes need to be made. I wish I could write you a fool proof step by step process that tells you "If you do this...your transition will be smooth" but can I just be frank? Every person is different so the transitioning for each person WILL BE different. There is no fool proof step by step process that you can do and it will make everything easy. It will get trying. It will get overly-burdensome. It will get emotional. There may even be times that you fall off. Furthermore, there may be times you want to give up. I'll be further frank in saying that this IS probably one of the most life impacting decisions one can possibly make (This comment will make more sense to you later.) While I realize I can't tell you EXACTLY how to transition, I can share how I transitioned into a plant-based lifestyle and hopefully that will help you navigate you to a healthier you.

Eating Style. I had to sit down and figure out my eating style. I quickly learned that I didn't "eat" as much as I thought. I learned that I needed to do something to fill in those gaps for the time frames I wasn't actually eating. By not eating a lot, I realize my metabolism was in jeopardy and needed a rejuvenation. So here's what I did...Instead of trying to completely change who I was. I simply learned to accept who I was. Then I implemented positive changes into my lifestyle. By doing this, it really made the transitioning easier. It also didn't become overly-cumbersome or like a "chore" to make these positive transitions, because I was simply going with what was already my style. I started out by drinking homemade smoothies and juices for breakfast. I've never been a "breakfast" person. I typically started my day out with water or tea. This needed to change. I also learned that I snacked a lot, and admittedly, my snacks were not always an apple or an orange. So I knew something had to be done about that too.

Healthy Snacks, Desserts, Etc. While I don't eat a lot. I am a "grazer" meaning: I can snack a little bit all day. So I quickly learned instead of grabbing candy, cakes, cookies or a bag of chips, that maybe I should make healthier choices and try dried fruit, raw trailmixes, raw vegan desserts, crackers and snacks and keep them on hand so that if I felt the urge for a snack or "junk" food, at least it will be all healthy options that was still feeding my body full of essential vitamins and nutrients and not sugars, preservatives and saturated fats.

Healthier Meals. I love "comfort" foods. I grew up eating "real" food...SOUL food. I didn't grow up eating salad as a meal. I grew up having a little salad on the side. So I've never been much for salads. This being the case, what made me think I would start being a salad person now? Upon realizing this, I knew that I needed to learn how to cook healthier. By cooking healthier, it made me want to learn to UN-cook healthier. When I learned how to UN-cook, I realized I could still have pasta, cookies, cakes, icecream and everything else I loved to eat and it didn't have to be loaded with fat, antiobiotics, steroids, disease and/or have all of the nutritional value taken from it. When I learned that I could mimic the taste to be the SAME as the foods I grew up on and quite often better tasting, it just made me want to do it more. I mean why not? I'm getting more nutrients and it actually tastes more flavorful.

Embrace Uniqueness. I have no one in my personal (close) inner circle that eats as I do. To my friends and family, I am "extreme".  And here it is to my associates that eat like this...I'm very NON-extreme. *smile* Don't get me wrong, I have the support from friends and family, and the support has grown little by little over time. But aside from quickly realizing I probably needed to change some of my social habits (dining out, etc), I also learned to take something for ME to eat even when I visit friends. When invited to potlucks, I typically take more than one dish. This not only introduces people to my lifestyle, but also help them to realize that I do eat more than salads and apples...Not to mention the food is good. So Yes, you eat  "differently"...and there's absolutely nothing wrong with being different. We were all uniquely designed to be different. Embrace your uniqueness.

Open-Minded. You'll quickly learn as you move closer into transitioning into a healthier lifestyle, that there is so much to learn, as I did.  I wasn't afraid to experiment in the kitchen. If I tried a dish and it's wasn't quite suited for my taste buds, I would think about how I could improve it and then just did it! I branched out and spent time in different cultures learning a little bit from everyone about things to eat, that I might like. I also spent a lot of time doing a lot of research and reading. Needless to say, this brought me into meeting and befriending new people. This wasn't a bad thing. I mean, I had a new lifestyle, it seemed only befitting that I eventually started to be around a few people that ate like me, since majority of my friends and family do not. Be open to change, new people and trying all sorts of new things. You just never know where it can take you.

I hope these 5 tips have been somewhat helpful to you. I realize this isn't a complete roadmap for success. I also realize I left somethings out. But feel free to fill in the gaps...what things have helped you along the way? What changes have you made that's been so positive that now you want it applied into your life-long health practices? Do share? I'd love to hear from you.  

PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Raw Vegan Pizza

When I first implemented a plant based diet into my lifestyle, I thought I'd never eat pizza again. Being a Chicago native...this was sacrilegious! If you know anyone from Chicago, you know we take our pizza VERY seriously. I've played around with quite a few experimental recipes and (for me) I've come up with and mastered the ultimate Raw Vegan Pizza. It mimics what is (in my mind) the best version of a Chicago Style thin crust pizza...except in Raw Vegan form...Enjoy!

My Raw Vegan Pizza Slice!

INGREDIENTS

Basil Tomato Pizza Crust

• 1 1/4 cups organic brown or golden flax seeds (I used brown)
• 2 apples (peeled and shredded/use any sweet apple)
• 1 pint of sweet mexican cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried onions
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup water 
• nutritional yeast (optional to sprinkle on top)

Savory Tomato Pizza Sauce

• 7 oz sundried tomatoes
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/4 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage
• pinch of morgoram
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Pizza Cheese

• 1 cup raw organic cashews (soak for at least 8 hours-it doubles to 2 cups)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp parsely
• 1/2 cup water

Pizza Topping

• 1 cup Braggs liquid aminos
• 1 package Portabella mushrooms thinly sliced
• 1.5 bell peppers
• 1/4 sweet red onion
• 15 oz pitted black olives 
• 1 tomato
• 10 mexican cherry tomatoes

MAKING THE TOMATO BASIL CRUST

If you want a lighter crust use golden flax seeds.

Put the flaxseeds in your dry Vitamix blender. Blend on high. It will turn into a powdery substance. Please Note: This is how you make flax flour. 

Add your dry spices. Blend a little more. (I do this to make sure the spices go to every ounce of the crust). 

Add your wet ingredients (i.e., the water, apple and the coconut oil). Blend until it turns into a thick batter. It should be thick, not quite as thick as dough, but not watery like cake batter. You should be able to maneuver and work with it.

Take it out of the vitamix and fold in your chopped and diced mexican cherry tomatoes. Then put it on your dehydrator and mold it into a circle or square. Make it look how you want your pizza to look.

Sprinkle a little nutritional yeast and dried basil on top. Dehydrate it on 110 degrees (time may vary depending on your dehydrator). Be sure to turn the pizza crust over dehydrate it on the other side.

MAKING THE SAVORY TOMATO SAUCE

Put everything into your vitamix and blend. Take out then place it in a bowl. Refrigerate it for 24 hours so the flavors can savor. 

MAKING THE PIZZA CHEESE

Put everything into your vitamix and blend. Take out then place it in a bowl. Refrigerate it for 24 hours so the flavors can savor. 

MAKING THE PIZZA TOPPINGS

Slice your mushrooms and black olives thinly. Dice and finely chop your onion and bell pepper. Put your chopped veggies into a bowl with 1 cup of Braggs liquid aminos and 1/4 cup olive oil. Fill the rest of the bowl up with water until all ingredients are covered. Let it marinade in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. 

Take out of the refrigerator and add chopped tomato. Let it marinade in the mixture for at least 2 hours at room temperature. This is also good to soften up the oil that has solidified.

TIP: Everything that is sitting and marinading for 24 hours while your crust is in the dehydrator. The Cheese will thicken. The Tomato Sauce will be savory and your raw veggies will be tender and robust. You won't even notice it wasn't oven baked!


Drain your marinated veggies.

MAKING THE PIZZA

The whole pizza before dehydrating it.

When your crust is ready...Spread the tomato sauce on it...

Then spread your cheese on top of the tomato sauce.  I tend to like more cheese...so I have a lot loaded here...but you add as little as you like...

Place your toppings on top of it...(I'm a bit heavy handed...LOL)

If you like add more cheese on top. (this is optional)

Dehydrate it for another 30 to 60 minutes (this will help to hold it all together a bit...and it warms everything up) and...VOILA!

The whole pizza!

This is a close up of the dehydrated pizza...see how the cheese is a little darker? It un-cooked and solidified on the pizza, just like animal cheese does! Isn't Raw Vegan living grand?

I had more than 1 slice! ha ha ha ha

Now I am back in the Veg Lab trying to work some magic for a deep dish version...stay tuned!!!

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