italian fix

Yes, another pasta recipe... I just can't get enough pasta these days. Plus, I want to prove to you that I don't just eat salad and bananas all day!

I am finding that the subtleties in flavor can make all the difference in a dish. Each pasta recipe is a little bit different, can satisfy a different craving, and brings out the different flavor tones in the tomato. 
So, last night I tried something new and I think it is my new favorite recipe (for now). It is not completely raw, but it is still low fat, gluten free, and vegan. 

 Here is goes... 

basil marinara pasta: 
3 round tomatoes off the vine
2 slices white onion
1-2 zucchinni
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove)
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
pepper to taste
1 tsp coconut oil
4 leaves fresh basil

Coat a pan with the coconut oil and slice each tomato into 6 wedges. Spread the wedges and onion slices over the pan and broil for about 7 minutes - until the tomatoes look dry on the top and the onion begins to brown. If you have garlic cloves, add these to the pan to broil, too. While that is cooking, spiralize 1 large (or 2 small zucchini) and place on your plate. Place the cooked tomatoes and onion (and 1 garlic clove) into the blender and add the cayenne, pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes. If you did not have garlic cloves, add the garlic powder into the blender. Blend until chunky. Pour warm sauce over your zucchini noodles and top with the fresh basil. 

Enjoy!

snicker-doodle-do

Remember when I went to New York and ate a Babycakes? (That was a good day.) Well, I bought one of their recipe books and decided to try some baking of my own. The recipes are all gluten free, vegan, and so simple - it really makes splurging easy! 

Now, I would not recommend eating this way on a regular basis & I've been working on raw dessert recipes that are actually good for you. But, for someone transitioning to a LFRV lifestyle, sometimes cookies like this are a-okay. 

Kristin and I spent the afternoon adapting Babycakes' snickerdoodle recipe to our own version....and then we pretty much ate them all...

snicker-doodle-do:

1 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup raw sugar

3 tbsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup ground flax meal

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sea salt

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Mix together 1 1/3 cup sugar, rice and almond flour, flax meal, baking soda, salt, and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture along with the applesauce and vanilla. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the freezer for half an hour. In a smaller bowl, stir the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp. cinnamon while the oven preheats to 325F.  

Roll together teaspoon sized balls and cover with the cinnamon sugar. Place on a cooking sheet (covered with parchment paper) about an inch apart. Lightly press a fork over each ball to help them spread. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet, and bake for another 7 minutes. Once the cookies are brown and crispy, remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. 

Enjoy with a big ol' glass of cold almond milk! 

What are your favorite desserts? I'd love to try to make more gf/vegan versions of the classics.