Emily von Euw's Blog, page 14

RAW VEGAN DONUT HOLES {vanilla caramel coconut}

OMG. Magical sweet balls of glory. Glorious magic balls of sweetness. Sweet balls of magical gloriousness. Call them what you want: these are INCREDIBLE. The glaze is sexy, the donut holes are moist and flavourful, the whole package is a winner.


When I want mac and cheese what I really want is a creamy, salty, warm, carb-filled party in my mouth. I don't have to use dairy. So I create my own cheese sauce from nuts and veggies with lots of flavour and throw it all on some whole grain pasta. Voila. Same for this donut hole recipe here: I want something sweet, decadent, bite size and covered in a sticky, sugary glaze. VOILA. They might not be as light or fluffy as their baked and fried, white flour-filled counterpart but damn they are delicious in their own right, and they're essentially just power bars in the shape of balls. The ingredients are oats, nuts, dried fruit and coconut, but they end up turning out like a rich dessert or daytime treat. I am really excited about this recipe and will be making it again and again in the future. These were inspired by Lee Tilghman's recipe, which is even simpler than mine. Get it here. (P.S. her whole blog and IG account are gorgeous). Enjoy, lovelies.


RAW VEGAN DONUT HOLES
[makes 4 giant ones, 8 medium or 12 bite size]

Dough:
2/3 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup cashews, preferably soaked for 4 hours then rinsed
2/3 cup pitted dates
1/8 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Glaze:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla powder

To make the dough: grind all the ingredients into a thick, moist dough in a high speed blender or food processor. Roll into balls and put in the freezer until cold and firm, around 20 minutes.

To make the glaze: melt the coconut oil on low heat, turn off the heat then whisk in the syrup and vanilla. It will take a second or two but pretty quickly it'll combine into a thin caramel-y consistency. Dip the solid donut holes into the glaze, covering each one completely. Put them back in the freezer until the glaze has hardened, then repeat until you use up all the glaze (you will probably have to re-whisk the glaze every time before re-dipping). I dipped them and put them back in the freezer three times total. Store the donut holes in the fridge for up to a week.

NOTES: I used pitted, dried Deglet Nour dates that were still quite gooey; I'd recommend using these because they provide an amazing moist caramel-y flavour and sweetness, but any date will do. You can replace cashews with any other nut, seed or dried coconut meat. You can replace rolled oats with buckwheat groats, dried coconut meat or more cashews. You can replace vanilla powder with vanilla extract.

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BLUEBERRY COCONUT SMOOTHIE with BAOBAB CARAMEL

The other night I didn't feel like making a big, heavy dinner so I ended up making something deliciously amazing: a smoothie bowl. Then I remembered smoothie bowls have been a trendy thing since like 2013. And it was actually kind of an accident so really I can't give myself any credit for this recipe idea. But I still love me. It's cool. 

The recipe is simple enough (as usual): basically just a bunch of frozen fruit blended together with coconut meat. Then instead of plain maple syrup I made a baobab caramel type thing; it's actually kinda freaky how it resembles caramel once you stir together the ingredients. Finally we top it all off with fresh mango and chia seeds because why not. I hope you thoroughly enjoy it. Definitely recommend pouring extra maple syrup on it.

Oh and SOME NEWS: I'm headin to Toronto for a couple days this weekend to be on The Morning Show (Global) to talk about The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook and to do an interview with a veeeery successful Canadian media company. *Pops collar.* Super stoked, stay tuned! I'm most excited to re-up on the cashew ice cream from Cosmic Treats and a cinnamon roll from Bunner's Bakeshop. Oh and a BBQ steamed bun from King's Cafe. X


BLUEBERRY COCONUT SMOOTHIE with BAOBAB CARAMEL

Smoothie:
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup coconut meat
1-2 cups coconut milk, or more as needed

Baobab caramel:
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 heaping teaspoon baobab powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Add ons:
Fresh mango or other fruit
Chia seeds
Whatever your heart desires

To make the smoothie: blend together the smoothie ingredients until smooth and thick like melty soft serve, add coconut milk or other liquid as you go. Scoop into a bowl.

To make the caramel: stir together the ingredients until it looks like caramel, it only takes a few seconds. Magic.

Scoop the fresh mango, caramel and chia seeds onto your smoothie and dig in with a spoon.

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SELF-CARE, BODY-CARE SERIES (PART II): MY FACE

This is the second post in a self-care and body-care series I am doing in collaboration with Luminance Skin Care, an organic vegan skincare company that I love.

I've been listening to a lot of feminist podcasts in the past several months and an overarching theme that they all delve into is the benefits of self-care, and how it is especially important for activists. Whether you are fighting for racial justice, gender justice, animal justice, environmental justice or fighting any other form of structural oppression so many of us face in big and small ways - you gotta keep taking care of yourself. Devoting your time and energy to political and social reforms is inspiring, admirable and awesome but it also takes a lot out of you and can be damaging to your physical and mental wellbeing at times. I don't exactly identify as an activist at this point in my life. At best: I am doing activism in a very non-confrontational way via my blog and books, petitions I sign, opinions I share and events I attend. At least: I am simply going through the oft disturbing process of learning about the various kinds of injustice in the world and simultaneously trying to unlearn problematic behaviours and ideologies. It can be really difficult to feel happy about anything - or even get out of bed - when I know that so many people and animals suffer for merely being born in a different body than me, while I am so disproportionately privileged. But ultimately I always remind myself that these oppressive systems cannot be torn down if I keep lying in bed all day.


I'll have nice warm shower, scrub my body down with some moisturizing soap and gently massage my muscles a little. I also cleanse my face with Luminance's facial cleanser, a handmade mix of soap and oils that leave my skin clear and soft. After drying off I spray some rosewater toner on my face and arms - it smells SO GOOD. Often I'll be done at this step because the cleanser and toner are so moisturizing in themselves, but when I feel like I need a lil extra sumthin sumthin I use Luminance's hydrating facial moisturizer, gently rubbing it onto my cheeks, neck, nose and forehead until it is soaked up into my largest organ. I use their body butter on the rest of me, wrap myself up in my fave fluffy black robe and head to bed with a book or podcast ready to go. I dim the lights and eventually fall asleep on my own time. The next morning I am always amazed how glow-y my skin is, even if I at an entire XL greasy vegan pizza the night before (life happens). I've tried making my own cleansers, toners and moisturizers but none come close to the effectiveness of Luminance's facial care line. I highly recommend it. It's a fun routine that makes me feel taken care of and it keeps my skin happy. For me, it's little things like having clear skin and time to relax that keep me motivated and give me energy to continue trying to change the world.

Now I wanna know: What do you do for self cafe? Is pampering your skin an important part of your self care regime? 

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http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/

RAW VEGAN MINT CHOCOLATE POWER BARS

Okay first of all I need to give a major shoutout to The Good Wife. After hearing so many people (especially ladies who host feminist podcasts) recommend it, I finally gave the show a go last week and have not looked back since. It's full of powerful female characters, interesting court cases and lots of sitting in the living room by myself yelling "YES, ALICIA!" at the TV. Watch it. Moving on: these bars were inspired by Chocolate Mint Builder's Bars, although they turned out way better. Heh heh.


I loooove Builder's Bars, they taste so good after a tough workout and are basically just protein-rich vegan chocolate bars. But the ingredients are really refined and I'm not into the packaging or price. Ideally I want to eat one everyday but it just doesn't seem like a sustainable routine; I'd rather make my own. And so... voila. These homemade power bars are full of healthy fats and proteins from seeds, nuts, coconut and oats; and energy-giving carbs from dried fruits. They taste great and are the perfect food to refuel fast after I'm done at the gym. They are quite rich and dense so cutting them in half might be a good idea before you chow down. At the same time, I'm not the food police. Eat as much as you want... and eat them anytime! You don't have to do exercise to be deserving of delicious food.

Note: I just did a lil calculating on cronometer.com and figured out that each bar (if you end up with 7 bars) has: 40% of your RDI for Omega 6's, 21% of your proteins, 46% of your vitamin K, 16% of your vitamin E, 23% of your vitamin B1, 21% of your vitamin B2, 24% of your iron, 65% of your manganese, 43% of  your magnesium, 52% of your fibre, and more good stuff on top of all that. Score.


RAW VEGAN MINT CHOCOLATE POWER BARS
Makes 7 super big bars, probably 14 servings

Bars:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup gooey Medjool dates (pitted)
1 heaping tablespoon almond butter
1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs

Chocolate mint coating:
1/4 cup cacao powder
2-3 drops peppermint essential oil 
Scant 1/4 cup maple syrup 
1/4 cup coconut oil

Baobab drizzle (optional):
2 tablespoons baobab fruit powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil

To make the bars: blend the lemon juice, dates, almond butter, salt, raisins, vanilla, coconut oil and water into a thick caramel-like mixture. Throw all the dry ingredients (seeds, oats and cacao nibs) into a large bowl. Scoop the caramel mixture into the dry ingredients and mix in until you have a sticky mass that holds its shape and doesn't crumble. Essentially you're using the caramel mixture to bind together the dry ingredients. Press into a lined standard bread loaf pan and let sit in the freezer for at least a couple hours or until solid. Once solid, slice into bars or squares (whatever you like).

To make the chocolate: melt the coconut oil then stir the other ingredients into it until you have liquid mint chocolate. Dip the solid bars into the chocolate and set them on a cooling rack or lined backing pan, then pour the remaining chocolate over the bars so they are double coated. Leave in the fridge or freezer to harden the chocolate while you make the baobab drizzle.

To make the drizzle: melt the coconut oil then stir in the rest of the ingredients, it ends up looking like caramel! Drizzle over your chocolate-coated bars and put in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!

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GLORIOUS DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE MILK

When I was a kid I loved chocolate milk. At my elementary school there would be special lunches once a month or something, and we'd get to choose between pizza and sushi for food, and plain milk or chocolate milk for a drink. I always chose chocolate milk, and usually pizza, until I grew up a little and thought I was really sophisticated by choosing sushi... that sophisticated imitation crab meat. The chocolate milk came in a plastic cup with a sealed tin foil lid, so you'd break the tin foil with a straw then drink up the sweet nectar inside and all was well because life was simple back then. Now life is overwhelmingly complicated but chocolate milk is still amazing, I just make it myself and don't use dairy (leave cow milk to the baby cows). 

When I first became vegan I felt a pressure within the community to conform to a very specific, traditionally-gendered, restrictive body type: thin, fit, glowing and healthy all thanks to my veganism. The implication was that if you were a fat vegan, you were a bad vegan. Or if you got sick a lot, it must be because you weren't doing veganism right. I was caught up in this way of thinking for so long, until the past couple years I started learning about body positivity and deeper ways of self-love. Veganism is not the ultimate answer to solve this world's problems, it's a channel of activism that can play an important role along with other activisms in dismantling the corrupt, oppressive system we all live under and within. Going vegan only in order to lose weight or get fit because of cultural and media pressure seems like a hallow reason when compared with its other tangible effects. You will be lessening your greenhouse gas footprint immensely since animal agriculture makes up 18-51% of all greenhouse gas emissions. You will be making an important step towards ending the needless abuse and killing of animals, and mistreatment of workers in the meat and dairy industry. Being thin doesn't mean you're healthy, being fat doesn't mean you're unhealthy. Live the life that makes you happy and whatever body that gives you, love it. We are all people, deserving of love, respect and freedom and our worth should not be dependant on our weight or how well we conform to binary gender norms. So please: go vegan if it's an option, and eat whatever you want. X

DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE MILK

4 cups water
1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder
1 heaping tablespoon carob powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/4 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup raw almonds (preferably soaked in water overnight, then rinsed)
1/2 teaspoon Reishi mushroom powder (optional) 
Pinch Himalayan salt

Blend everything together until very smooth. Adjust according to taste: add more dates, nuts, cacao, etc. Strain through a cheese cloth or nut milk bag, then I like to let mine sit in the fridge to chill (in a covered jar). Enjoy!

NOTES: If you don't have a cheese cloth or nut milk bag, use 3 tablespoons of almond butter (or any nut or seed butter) instead of almonds. You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder. You can use any sweetener instead of dates (ex. maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut sugar). 

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DEEP DISH CARAMEL APPLE PIE

This pie is DELICIOUS. I have ample evidence of this thanks to the fact that it was hastily devoured by the crowd at a vegan potluck I co-hosted last month. It's sweet, decadent, cinnamon-y and made with 100% good-for-you ingredients. I'm talkin' about nuts, oats, chai spices, fresh apples and dried fruit. I figured the perfect dish to celebrate Apple Month (aka this month) and locally-grown apples is an apple pie because everyone loves it and it's a comforting treat in the fall. Highly recommend you chow this down with some coconut vanilla ice cream.


Fruit is just the best; I could write poems about fruit. Actually, I think I have. Anyways: I hope you try out this apple pie and dig it. Have a fabulous week, y'all. xo


DEEP DISH CARAMEL APPLE PIE

Crust:
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1 cup oats
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
2 cups pitted dates
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Pinch Himalayan salt

Caramel:
1 cup pitted dates
Pinch Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Scant 1/4 cup maple syrup
Scant 1/4 cup almond butter
Scant 1/4 cup coconut oil

6 medium apples (I used a mix of Gala, Ambrosia and Spartan from BC Tree Fruits)

To make the crust: grind the walnuts, oats and flax seeds into a crumbly flour in a food processor. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and process until it lumps together in a sticky mass; it should be able to hold its shape when pressed between two fingers. Press into the bottom and sides of a lined tart tin or 9" springform pan and put in the fridge.

To make the caramel: blend all the ingredients together until smooth; it should be thick like yogurt.

Cut the apples into halves and core them, then slice thinly on mandoline slicer. The slices should be thin enough to bend without breaking. Throw the caramel onto the apple slices in a big bowl and rub the caramel into them until they are all evenly coated. You may have leftover caramel. Let them sit for 30 minutes to soften. Fill your crust with the apples and let sit in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!

Notes: the pie might be a little messy to cut so the sharper your knife, the better. Alternatively you could make mini deep dish tarts! Way less messy.

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This post was a partnership project between This Rawsome Vegan Life (that's me, Emily) and BC Tree Fruits, a local farming cooperative.
http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/

GREEN CURRY with MUSHROOMS, BELL PEPPER + PEAS

I wasn't planning on sharing this recipe but it ended up so photogenic and delicious, I figured I should. Like I was saying in my last blog post, I went to a North Indian cooking class - shoutout to Colin - the other night and was reminded about the glories of curry and spices. So here is another recipe inspired by that class. Although at the same time I am putting what I learned in the class to shame because we were taught how to make fresh garam masala and yet in this recipe I am still my can't-be-bothered self and used pre-made green curry paste. I AM SORRY. 

Well let's face it: I just typed wowza. Moving on. 
The turmeric is the reason this "green curry" isn't really that green. Turmeric makes everything orange or yellow. Remember that, kids. I have stained a great many things orange / yellow accidentally thanks to this flavourful lil plant (which sidenote: is a cousin of ginger). I added a few other veggies we had in the fridge and willed myself to make brown rice instead of white... cuz fibre and stuff. But white jasmine rice is sooooo good. It just makes me feel weird after I eat it. So brown rice AND some kimchi I made a few days ago, I added these to the curry before chowing down. If you want the recipe for the kimchi, let me know! I am happy to share it, though FYI it's mostly copied from The Kitchn. I truly hope you try out this recipe and enjoy it. I liked it. That is why I am sharing it. 
Lastly: any good movies you know that have a mostly female cast? 
I just rewatched Bridesmaids the other night and want more. I don't usually do comedies but when I can actually see people like me all over the cast, I dig it. I am trying to expose myself to / support more women-centred media in general; podcasts, TV, movies, music, even university courses. Men still rule this overwhelming and often unjust world and that needs to change. Go, ladies. Let's eat.

GREEN CURRY with MUSHROOMS, BELL PEPPER + PEAS
Serves two or three.

Curry:
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chunk ginger
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons green curry paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups mushrooms
1 bell pepper
1 cup peas
1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

Pair with:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons kimchi (optional but yay for probiotics)

To make the curry: mince the onion, garlic and ginger. Roughly chop the mushrooms and bell pepper. Heat the coconut oil in a pot on medium heat and add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Once the onions are translucent add the curry paste and mix it into oil. Add the turmeric and black pepper, then the mushrooms and bell pepper, mixing it all up so the veggies are coated in the spices and oil. Add the coconut milk and let the curry simmer until it's thickened up and the veggies are tender. Throw in the peas and as soon as they are cooked, take the curry off the heat and enjoy it with some rice! This would be delicious topped with some roasted peanuts and cilantro as well. Just saying.

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TURMERIC SMOOTHIE (DELICIOUS, DIFFERENT + GOOD 4 U)

Surprisingly delicious. So here's the story: I have put turmeric in my smoothies before. It was always pretty decent. I gradually stopped because in general I get bored of the same thing everyday after a few days. Then last night I went to a FeedLife North Indian cooking class put on by my friend Colin and his mum (they are the two nicest humans on earth FYI). Colin explained the myriad of health benefits that traditional South Asian spices provide and every time he said "menstrual pain relief" my ears perked up and I excitedly turned around to Jack with eyes that said: "REMEMBER THIS." Among other useful pieces of info I learned turmeric is literally 200-2000% more nutritionally beneficial when you eat it with black pepper (and ideally a fat source). What the heck. Here's the study that proves it. Basically: the stuff in turmeric that we want is the curcumin, and this thing in black pepper - piperine - helps the absorption rate and bioavailability of the curcumin... a lot.


TURMERIC SMOOTHIE
1 roughly chopped red bell pepper
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon maple syrup (or whatever sweetener you like)
1 cup fresh orange juice

Blend it all up and drink it down.

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BODY CARE SERIES (PART I): YOU DESERVE IT ALL

This is the first post in a series of six wherein I talk about taking care of ourselves and more specifically, how taking care of ourselves starts with taking care of our bodies. The series is sponsored by Luminance Skin Care; a wonderful vegan, organic body care company.

What if you owned a machine that did everything for you? Some examples: transported you where you need to be, made sure your blood sugar levels and bones were healthy, told you when to sleep and wake up, alerted you to what kinds of foods you should eat or stay away from, warned about dangerous situations and helped you escape them, reminded you of things you love and rewarded you when you did them, or had trillions of individual union workers on the job 24/7 with your longevity as their main objective?


The reason I am writing all these words about how rad you are is because I want you to understand... how rad you are. Your body IS a wonderland, dammit (but please no affiliation to the John Mayer song), and you deserve all the things to take care of it. I'm talking about BODY CARE (a huge aspect of self care, in my opinion): looking out for your skin and keeping it happy by using organic, ethically-produced products made with your wellbeing in mind. Luminance Skin Care is a shining example of a company that provides this. I will be the first to say that I like making my own body products, anything from shampoo to deodorant to mouthwash to face masks: I've tried DIY versions and love them. But at the end of the day I don't really know what I am doing and am not an expert on my epidermis. I don't understand how to navigate making a truly excellent daily skincare product or master the art of soap-making, I'm better at concocting edible vegan recipes in the kitchen. So yes I do enjoy making my own face masks sometimes with oats and fruit but for my everyday routine, Luminance Skin Care is my go-to. The company is literally five people (started by Kim when his wife needed skincare products that didn't cause migraines) and all products are handmade, always vegan, organic and raw without anything synthetic.

I have very sensitive skin and majorly screwed it up moisture-wise after years of over-exfoliating, but Luminance products helped bring it back to a healthy place and now I am constantly getting compliments on how nice my largest organ looks (which makes me feel really good about myself). I use their cleanser, moisturizer and rosewater toner daily; their masks every week or two; and their body butter every few days. Honestly them getting in touch with me to do a series of sponsored posts was SUCH a great idea because I love talking about self care, and for me body care is a major part of that. So in the coming posts (I'll be doing one every month for the next five months) I hope to share with you my thoughts on giving ourselves what we deserve in terms of self care and body care, and gushing about how Luminance goodies are a terrific match for this. Oh and I almost forgot! Luminance wants you to try their products yourself, for freeeeeee. I am hosting a giveaway of their Introductory Gift Box which includes a cleanser, toner and moisturizer (the winning trio I use everyday). Enter the giveaway by commenting below: ask a question about Luminance Skin Care. This giveaway is open to all people worldwide. MUCH LOVE Y'ALL.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
xo

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GIANT PEANUT BUTTER CUPS (QUICK + EASY)

I guess I could've called my blog This Rawsome Chocolate Life but it's too late to change now. Here is yet another chocolate-inclusive recipe and I am not apologizing. It's delicious, really easy and quick to make + high in protein, iron and other good stuff. I've been hitting the gym regularly again (after a hiatus due to my period and then a cold) so a bit of extra protein in my diet helps me recover faster and build back stronger muscles. Or something like that.


Oh P.S. I just did a podcast interview with Marly from

GIANT PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

1/4 cup coconut oil
Scant 1/2 cup vegan chocolate protein powder (or cacao powder)
Scant 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons almond slivers 

Melt the coconut oil in a pot, then stir in the cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Line a couple single-serving tart tins with tinfoil or plastic wrap. Pour 1/4 of the chocolate mixture into each of the bottoms of the tins, scoop on a spoonful of peanut butter then pour on the remaining chocolate mixture, covering the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with almond slivers and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until solid.

NOTES: you can use any kind of nut or seed butter you like; you can use cocoa or carob instead of cacao; you can use vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract; you can cacao butter instead of coconut oil; if your peanut butter doesn't have any salt in it, I suggest sprinkling on a little before putting the cups in the freezer. I used Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter and Ka'Chava Chocolate Whole Body Meal (vegan protein powder).

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