Spiced Orange Carrot Blend

1. Place ingredients in Vitamix, reserving ice. 
2. Blend until smooth. 
3. Add ice. 
4. Re-blend until smooth.
5. Serve & Enjoy with Gratitude!

CheriAvolada

Food for Thought: Science & Spirituality of (Raw) Veganism

Very recently, I blogged about Earthlings and politics surrounding the vegan lifestyle. In that post I discussed ways in which true veganism goes far beyond food, and touched upon how many other factors are to be considered as part of the equation. I concluded the post with an embedded version of the Earthlings film for all to view in its entirety (free of charge), and strong recommendation for anyone who has not seen the film to do so. 

That having been addressed, I would now like to bring to mention yet another aspect of veganism which is also an essential part of my personal equation: 

Spirituality & Mindful Consumption

Food is a gracious and beautiful gift from the Universe, best appreciated and considered to be perfect in its true, original (raw) form. When one sees a lovely, organically grown apple, it is indeed kind practice to give thanks. Gratitude is a key element to abundance, so one should certainly be grateful and mindful in receiving, and equally joyful in offering.

Appreciation, for many, is essentially something of an artform. This is where mindfulness comes into play...

For example, when one is presented with something to be eaten, it should be taken in with full appreciation and little reservation. In order to be accepted and appreciated to the fullest degree, origin and sourcing methods may be key elements. When an apple comes directly from a tree, the origin is obvious and offering thanks to the Source seems a great deal easier. Also, when love is present in creation a the gift of food, ingestion of such becomes something of a sacred act. 

On a similar note, I feel compelled to point out the very obvious fact that a perishable thing of beauty cannot be kept indefinitely... Unless consumed. Once a bite is taken, chewed and swallowed, the energy and chemicals found within the organism become one with the being who ingests. In other words, eating permanently combines us with our food.

One literally becomes one with food once consumed by mouth, so great care should be taken to ensure the energy consumed is positive and obtained in peace & arrant grace.

Please consider this post to be food for thought; a gift from the Tree of Knowledge, bearing seeds to potentially bring forth a new Tree of Life. 

    The apple is now part of you, to carry with you wherever you go for the rest of your days. 

                                               Peace, Blessings & Infinite Gratitude!

Courgette "Pasta" with Raw/Vegan Alfredo Sauce

This dish is quite simple, yet heavy, rich, garlicky & very satisfying. The most arduous, time consuming element of the entire recipe is the soaking of the almonds, so please remember to pre-soak your almonds for 24 hours and set aside enough time for peeling the outer skins. Alternately, one could pre-soak & peel almonds in advance to store in refrigerator, but be sure to keep them immersed in clean water to preserve freshness. They should keep for around 3 days this way, but I would not recommend leaving them for much longer.

I used:
3 medium sized courgettes (green squash)
1 large heirloom tomato (chopped)
Genovese (Italian) basil - several large leaves (sliced)

Sauce ingredients:
2 Cups raw, unpasteurised almonds (soaked & peeled)

1 ½ - 2 Cups water (add as necessary)
¼ Cup EVOO
Celtic sea salt (to taste)
3-5 cloves fresh organic garlic (depending upon preference)


OPTIONAL STEP: Remove the outer skin from courgettes. I do not remove the outer skin from the squash, though I do know some people who prefer to do so for the sake of appearance.

1. Slice courgettes into spiral or fettucini style ribbons. A spiral slicer is quickest, though for this dish I sliced each squash differently for variety in textures (1 thinly spiraled, another thickly spiraled, and the last one sliced mandoline style & then ribboned like fettucini).
2. Combine sauce ingredients in Vitamix, using only enough water to barely cover almonds. Withholding any remaining water to be added in gradually (as necessary).
3. Blend until smooth, adding water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thick, and creamy consistency
4. Arrange "noodles" in a bowl as desired, add tomatoes & basil, pour sauce over top
5. Garnish with parsley, serve, and enjoy with gratitude!

Let The Sun Shine

My raw vegan answer to the delicious & fondly remembered Sunshine Burger!

All organically grown & locally sourced ingredients: sunflower seeds, dinosaur kale, carrot, parsley, scallions, garlic, raw (unpasteurised) almonds, dulse flakes, kelp granules, Vitamineral Green, cayenne, olive oil, Celtic sea salt. Topped with sliced heirloom tomatoes, homemade raw pickles, sliced jalapeños & chopped scallions.

Served over a bed of romaine lettuce on red cabbage leaf.