Brunch, dinner and dessert =

A very full raw foodie.

Even living the raw lifestyle can lead to overindulgence today, and I definitely don't feel deprived with this Thanksgiving feast.

Last year, I stuck to the traditional fare: mock mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, Maraw's fabulous Southern Corn Nut Dressing (you really must try this recipe), cranberries, and marinated/"cooked" (in the dehydrator, of course) green beans and carrots. For dessert, I made a raw version of my mom's apple crisp.

I remember rushing around, trying to get everything ready to visit both sides of the family for dinner. That's right; we were scheduled for back-to-back meals, consisting of the same menu items x 2. No wonder I felt so stuffed.

This year, I skipped the stuffing altogether (although I highly recommend trying that dressing recipe when you get a chance), in favor of a simple veggie pot pie I rawified from an old copy of Vegetarian Times.

Inspire by the one in the magazine, I made the base out of butternut squash, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, miso, olive oil, white wine, curry powder, poultry seasoning, fresh thyme, sea salt, cayenne and fresh ground pepper. I pureed all these ingredients in my blender. For texture, I added chunks of zucchini, mushrooms and green beans, along with some more carrot, celery and onion. Then, I topped off the pot pie with a crust made out of ground mixed nuts.

Alongside the savory pie, I'm serving a kale salad with raw "caramelized" red onions and almonds. It's dressed in EVOO and balsamic vinegar, like the kale featured in the same issue. I also added some agave and dry mustard for a sweet and spicy twist.

For dessert, I made a raw mini version of the chocolate pie my mom makes every year. She's quite the pie maker, usually baking (in an oven; she's not raw) a variety of flavors to suit everyone's tastes (there has to be pumpkin, my one sister loves chocolate, the other one likes apple, my dad requests lemon meringue, etc.).

Today, we won't be around for the pie, since we already dropped in for brunch instead. Pumpkin muffins and fresh fruit were part of the spread. Therefore, I decided to bring along some of my raw pumpkin cupcakes/muffins. Yum.

I hope your Thanksgiving is just as tasty. I know I'm thankful for all that's on my plate :-)

Matthew's pumpkin trifle

Who's Matthew? Well, my husband's name is Matthew, which is why this recipe caught my eye. However, he's not the Matthew that inspired the name of this trifle.

I came across this layered dessert, while flipping through the pages of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine at work. It was simple to make, perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday and it had my hubby's name in the title. I just had to rawify it.

The original recipe calls for pumpkin bread, whipped topping, pudding, pumpkin butter and a sprinkling of walnuts. All of these ingredients are piled up in a tiny cup for portion control.

It's no surprise that I whipped up one of my raw pumpkin spice cupcakes in place of the pumpkin bread. I sliced off the cap, filled it with raw cream and pumpkin butter (pumpkin puree combined with date paste, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice), and put more of cream and pumpkin butter on top. Then, I garnished it with some chopped walnuts (I used these maple ones).

So, how did it taste? Was it good? You bet your home and garden it was :-)

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Hot as in spicy, that is. After having so much fun with my mock meatloaf and faux mash potato cupcake, I decided to add a little spice to the recipe to create this festive version.

My fiesta cupcake uses the same "meaty" base with the addition of some taco seasonings, like cumin, coriander and chili powder (as you can see in this naked cupcake pic to your right. Quick, cover the eyes of your little ones).

Then, I swapped out the tater top icing and green pea polka dots for a creamy guacamole, shredded carrot flakes and jalapeno pepper sprinkles. I kept the cherry tomato on top, because it was just too cute to pass up.

To really take this savory cupcake to the next level, you could also fill the inside with some cashew-based sour cream or mock refried beans (like how the cream is hidden inside my rawtess cupcakes). Then, add some salsa, chopped olives and/or your other favorite taco toppings to make this decked out meal your own. It's like a party on a plate, or in this case, in a cup :-)

Who says savory can't be fun?

Oops; I guess I did. If you recall my vampire breath post, you may remember me mentioning the fact that I don't post as many savory recipes, because "they're just not as fun to write about."

But tonight I'm posting an exception. Not yet ready to give up the cupcake theme, I decided to whip up a mini mock meatloaf and top it with some faux mashed potato icing (I wonder where I got that idea). It's accented with some green peas and a cherry (or in this case cherry tomato) on top. Now that's home uncook'n at its cutest.

The mock meatloaf is my own personal recipe, which I hid beneath a layer of Matt Amsden's Rawvolutionary Mashed "Potatoes." I won't be providing Mr. Amsden's recipe; for that, you'll have to pick up his book.

But, I can share the secret to making my meatless loaf. Embellish it however you like or construct your own savory masterpiece using another raw meatloaf recipe as the foundation. Have fun :-)


Two Mini Mock Meatloaves
1/2 cup walnuts
3 or 4 baby bella mushroom caps, diced
drizzle of Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 Tbsp. miso
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup finely ground almonds or almond pulp
1/4 cup grated zucchini
2 Tbsp. grated carrot
2 Tbsp. finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced onion
fresh ground pepper
cayenne pepper
poultry seasoning
parsley
*Your favorite raw ketchup or barbecue sauce (optional)

In a food processor, combine walnuts and diced mushrooms. Add a drizzle of Bragg's, along with the miso, garlic and all of the seasonings (pepper, cayenne, poultry seasoning and parsley), to taste. Process into a blended, yet chunky consistency.

Remove the "meat" from the food processor and put it in a bowl. Add the almond flour, zucchini, carrot, celery, onion and more of the parsley. Mix to combine and divide between two ramekins.

Top both mini loaves with your favorite raw ketchup or barbecue sauce recipe (I like the one from Juliano's book). "Bake" them in your dehydrator for a couple hours until warm and they appear "cooked" on top.

Greening my reading

... and my beauty routine, too. That's what I've been busy with lately.

Swimming in a sea of raw cupcakes, you may not have noticed my little needle-in-a-haystack comment about participating in a virtual book tour. Therefore, I thought I'd share this opportunity with you now.

My blog has been selected as one of the stops on "The Green Beauty Guide" tour. As a result, I've been soaking in the information from Julie Gabriel's book on the subject and applying it from head to toe.

Now, I've always been a fan of natural beauty, so I absorbed this guide like a sponge, even testing out some of the recipes and recommended products. Every girl deserves some pampering.

If you want to find out more about my thoughts on the book, drop by my blog for the full review on Wednesday, Dec. 3rd. Feel free to purchase your own copy and read it before the big day. You're welcome to post your own comments about the book and start a discussion. I'm anxious to hear what you think, too.

In the meantime, for all you cupcake fans, I didn't want to disappoint. After hearing that Kristen (hey girlie girl, I think this book is right up your alley) started greening her home literally with a Christmas tree, I decided to dig up this photo of some of my rawified cupcakes displayed like a tree. Just ignore the birthday-themed background, as I made this for my blog's 1-year anniversary.

A hazy shade of yet another cupcake

And what a hazy photo it is. This was obviously a last minute shoot of my final cupcake in the collection (at least for a little while; I figured you needed a break).

If you look rather closely, you may be able to make out the creamy chocolate filling (it's the same as the topping from the rawchachinos in my last post, except with more cocoa added) in the center of these hazelnut cupcakes. Just like the one in "Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World," this rawified version is iced with a chocolate glaze and garnished with some chopped hazelnuts.

This was a lovely way to calm my cupcake cravings long enough to get to work on my next assignment. I have a book to finish reading, so I can be ready to review it soon. I'll give you more details in my next post.

Wake me up before you cocoa

Like mochachino, chocochino. You know; something to wake you up before you go go (that's a Wham reference for those of you who are too young to remember).

Anyway, nearing the end of my cupcake kick, I decided to make one with a kick of its own in a slightly nontraditional fashion. This raw cake is actually served in a cup.

Now, I gave up coffee years ago, but still make room for a substitute every once in a blue moon (what color is the moon now? That reminds me of the line from the "Great Muppet Caper," when Kermit says they're gonna catch the thieves red-handed and one of the muppets responds with, "what color are their hands now?") Sometimes I perk myself up with raw cocoa, maca or yerba mate, but other times I just opt for the similar aroma and taste of Teeccino.

This time, I awakened all of my senses with a combination of raw cocoa powder, Java Teeccino, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. I added these ingredients into the following raw cake recipe and topped it off with some leftover raw whipped icing/cream flavored with a tad more cocoa. A sprinkling of cinnamon, and you guessed it, more cocoa powder make this treat reminiscent of those found at your local coffee shop, minus the coffee. Here's how to make your own:


Rawchachino Cupcakes for Two
1/2 cup almonds, ground into flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp. Java Teeccino grounds
1 Tbsp. coconut milk or other nut milk
generous drizzles of agave nectar, to taste
sprinkling of cinnamon
dash of cayenne pepper
pinch of sea salt
*raw whipped icing mixed with a hint of cocoa powder
*more cocoa powder and cinnamon for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, Teeccino, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and sea salt. Add the coconut milk and agave, and mix to combine. Adjust the amounts for both flavor and texture. The mixture should be damp, yet still crumbly like a cake.

Divide the mixture between two small espresso mugs and gently pat down the surface. Top off both mugs with some raw whipped icing tinted/flavored with a touch of cocoa powder. Garnish both mugs with a sprinkling of cinnamon and more cocoa powder.