Raw Walnut Cake with Raspberry Sauce

With my birthday over my sweet tooth is still in full swing. I was inspired my @therawfoodie to come up with my own raw cake! It's super sweet and reminded me of my favorite nut rolls I would always eat for the holidays. Dates are super sweet and delicious and the prefect addition to raw sweets. 

Here's what you'll need:

I used a 7in round spring form pan (found at home goods for $4)

2 pound Medjool dates pitted

12 oz of figs

2 cups raw walnuts 

Tbsp vanilla bean powder

1 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Directions:

1. Place 1 pound of the pitted dates and all the figs in a food processor and pulse till smooth. This will be very sticky and clumpy. Add water if needed. Place in separate bowl.

2. Combine the walnuts, 1/2 cup water and vanilla bean and pulse till blended. Add remaining dates (leave about 10 out for raspberry sauce) blend till smooth. Set aside.

3. Clean processor and place raspberries and remaining 10 dates in and pulse till smooth. 

Place in pan in layers and place in freezer for about 20 minutes to make more firm, this is not required!

Chickpea Peanut Butter Cookies

I have always loved peanut butter cookies but always felt guilty after eating them. I saw this recipe on a friends Instagram page and figured why not. Who would think of using chickpeas in cookies, not me. I was so surprised at how amazing they were and that the taste of chickpeas was not there.

What you'll need:
Yields about 25 small cookies

I can of garbanzo beans drained
1 cup plus 1/4 cup organic creamy peanut butter
6 tbsp. raw agave
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. vanilla


Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350F
2. Place drained and washed beans and all ingredients into a food processor and pulse till smooth. It is very sticky so you may have to slightly stir and continue to pulse.
3. Roll dough into small balls. Mine were a little larger than a quarter.
4. Place on greased baking sheet pan.
5. Using a fork make grooves going vertical and horizontal. Pushing down on the dough.
6. Place in heated oven for about 13-15 minutes or until slightly brown.
(You can eat them when they are warm but they are slightly mushy so may want to let them cool.)

Blooming Cauliflower

Oh has it been awhile since I have been active on here; but I must say I have missed it. My life has been crazy lately with school and just trying to get back into a routine. I have been focusing on a more raw diet and continue to eat raw besides one meal a day which seems to be working for me. It amazes me how my body just reacts differently to fruit and vegetables compared to cooked and gluten rich foods. I am so glad that I have been able to pinpoint the cause of my acne and break outs. Gluten is the culprit and I admit last week I ate some gluten foods and I broke out like crazy. Which is amazing to me that all this time I attributed it to stress...nope gluten.

A follower on Instagram requested that I share the recipe for the roasted cauliflower so here it is. Also, I am one to just throw stuff together and I judge my dishes based on texture, temperature, look and smell not just on measurements, so please adapt to what you have or desire.   

What you need:
I head of cauliflower
2 tbs nutritional yeast
Coconut oil spray
Pepper

Sauce:
1/2 can chickpeas
2 tbs ketchup

Directions:
1. Turn oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash and cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces.
3. Spray pan with coconut spray then place cauliflower on the tray and spray cauliflower with coconut spray.
4. Place in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden.
5. Take out of oven and sprinkle with nutritional yeast and pepper
6. Place back into oven for about 10-12 minutes or until brown and crispy on the bottom. (If you want you can turn them over half way through)


Sauce:
In a food processor blend the chickpeas with some water till a hummus consistency, add ketchup and mix.

Banana pancakes!

Recipe adapted from Fitness Magazine:

Makes about 10 small and 5 large pancakes.

What you'll need

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your preference)
• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 2 ripe bananas chopped
• 1/2 cup gluten whole wheat flower
• 1 Tbsp., plus 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 tbs vanilla

Directions:

Place oats and milk in blender and mix then add rest of ingredients and blend together. Pour in hot skillet with a thin amount of coconut oil spray and cook till brown on both sides.

Enjoy!