Vegablog

Simple and Delicious Chocolate Banana Coconut cream pie

2011-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe because it's fast and people adore it. Not only that, it's cashew free!

Crust:
2c sprouted and dried almonds, skin removed before drying (a true friend may be needed for this step! peeling almonds takes much time but yields a delicious result)
(alternatively use regular blanched almonds)
1/4c maple syrup (add more for a stickier crust if desired)
1/4c coconut flakes (you can use fewer almonds and more coconut to keep costs low)
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon (true cinnamon! not that cassia bark bogus)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder

Filling:
3 very ripe bananas
1/4c raw cacao powder (this is to taste, maybe you like more, maybe less)
1/2 jar of artizana raw coconut butter (I think that's about 3/4c, melted in a bain marie)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil (optional yields a solid texture; or use more coconut butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt

pulse the almonds into a flour, mix with the rest of the crust ingredients then press into a pie plate. blend, or food process thoroughly, the filling ingredients after melting down any coconut ingredients. pour into crust and let set in freezer.

variations:
the recipe above makes for a great base but feel free to play with it!
-sprinkle raspberries on the crust before adding the chocolate
-make a vanilla cream sauce and draw a spider web over top once the pie has set
-add ginger to the filling!
-replace the coconut stuff with half an avocado (it's good! really!)

I couldn't photograph this pie when I made it most recently due to the fact that it was quickly set upon by all those nearby and rapidly reduced to a simple pie plate but here's a stock photo that gets the idea across ;)

-V

Maple Water: the harvest and the fast

2011-03-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Aboriginals refer to this time of year as the time of the Sugar Moon; for a few weeks, ranging from late February to early April, the sap of the maple tree flows!
Last year, I posted about how to tap the trees and harvest the delicious nectar within. For 2011, I've kicked things into overdrive and have managed to collect 100L of maple water!
Equipped with a dozen buckets and spouts, my grandfathers hand drill, a hammer and a keen eye for sugar maple bark, I set out with the motto "No tree untapped"!

A great success; many friends aided me resulting in a bountiful harvest that has enabled me to accomplish my year old goal of fasting on maple water. I am now in day three of the fast, consuming purely maple water and herbal tea from The Algonquin Tea Company; specifically the awakening blend, the communion blend and the lucid dream tea in that order each day.

It's been wonderful! I definitely recommend fasting to anyone who wants to cleanse or just feel a totally new relationship to food. Here are a few shots of the project:

Recipe Time: Hot Chaï Latté

2011-01-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

The ultimate winter blues buster, this delicious drink is motivation to head out to martial arts class on my bike in -20 weather because I know how wonderful this will be when I get back :)

Hot Chaï Latté

2c almond milk (home made ideally, I use cold steeped Chai tea instead of water)
1tbsp true cinnamon (best source is Arayuma.com)
1tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract
1cube fresh ginger
1tsp nutmeg
1/2tsp cardamom
1/2tsp clove
pinch black pepper
pinch salt

blend all this together and set on a stove covered at medium heat then turn off heat just before boiling (ie steaming)
sweeten with maple syrup or honey to taste and blend once more to make foam and ensure best consistency. serve immediately, garnished with vanilla powder and cinnamon :D

enjoy!

-V

Epicerie Du Mile End, the greatest grocer on earth

2011-01-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Today I went shopping at L'Epicerie du Mile End as is my habit when I run out of edibles.
While I've always known they offered the BEST price on organic foods in Montreal (so much so that I bike for 30 min, all uphill to get there when I live within 5 min walking of the Atwater Market), today I was truly blown away by how affordable they make eating Organic. Not only that, it remains the top spot for organic dumpstering in Montreal. Just take a look at this tally:

10 ripe bananas, 6 apples, 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 head of celery, 1 large cucumber, 3 lemons, 5 pomegranates, 2 mangoes, 3 avocados, 1 box sprouts, 3 bell peppers and 1 box mixed greens!
Grand total = $23!!!!
Unreal right?
Not only that, I also dumpstered 2 eggplants, 10 fresh figs (I employ the term fresh loosely here), 4 tomatoes and another box of mixed greens.

ALL ORGANIC

Can you imagine?

-V

Recipe Time: Spicy Winter Soup

2011-01-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

Myrite, a holistic wellness coach, posted a link on Facebook today that had me cravin some soup! Her blog: The Tasty Life
Furthermore, said link featured a recipe that showcased chipotle peppers!!! How can I resist :)
Oddly enough, I was able to throw this soup together at a time when I seriously thought I NEEDED to go grocery shopping, and I mean, NEEDED. Well, I guess Grammy's capacity to make soup out of nothing has left it's mark on me ;)

Spicy Winter Soup
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cucumber (the lesser half haha)
2 stalks celery
1 tbsp Fleur d'Ail (if you don't know this, you should :P )
1 small Chipotle Pepper
1 apple
1 cube ginger
1/4c avocado oil (you could put half an actual avocado instead, I just didn't have one. This oil doesn't taste great either so go easy or just go for the real deal)
Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, african spice rub, salt and pepper

add all to blender, add in 1/2c water tops if you have a good blender and have at 'er! You can heat this up a lil on the stove too :)

and of course the customary low quality poorly lit photo that still somehow manages to whet your appetite. I garnished with home made broccoli sprouts :D

Spicy Winter Soup in a new bowl courtesy of Mama for X-mas

Enjoy!

-V

A summer of Cycling in MTL

2010-10-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I resolved to build myself a new bike, one I'd often dreamed of riding: a vintage Italian speedster! I spent MONTHS tracking down all the perfect pieces and by September, she was up and running :) Needless to say, many wonderful days were spent exploring the many beautiful cycling paths of Montreal, especially as I just moved near the Lachine Canal.

To check out some shots of my new bike, check out the Vegabond on Flickr!

Here is a little photo essay detailing my training ride around the Formula 1 circuit, across the Ice Breaker and then looping Verdun and Lasalle to via "La Route Des Berges" and the "Lachine Canal".

It all starts on the Lachine Canal near the Atwater Market

Via the Peel bassin, I pass Habitat '67 before crossing to Ile Notre Dame

Biodome on Ile St Helene view from Bridge

Time for a few laps around the Formula One Circuit!

The casino as seen from the F1 Track


Leave the track and follow the path to the Ice Breaker. Optional "There and Back" for 10km along this colorful peaceful car free path that leads to Ste Catherine. Best way to leave the city by bike! Careful of return journey headwinds!

The Ice Bridge (Estacade), sweet path across the water. Nasty head winds going back into town; a sign :)


Once back on the Island, I follow the south side of Lasalle all the way to the Lachine Locks about 15km. Headwinds mostly but at least you get 15km back on a sweet tail wind! Often other cyclists hang here but today it was cold and I was alone with the view, the wind and the seagulls.

So there you have it! A ride in photos. I couldn't make a decent map of this but it's all on car free bike paths so if you want directions or wanna roll with next year just holla!

Anyone got any rides they love doing on the regular for training or pleasure??

Thanksgiving got Rawked

2010-10-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some quick recipes that we made for our Thanksgiving dinner.
More important than the food in this case was the awesome company and atmosphere created in our home :) I've always found 4 to be the optimal number for a group when the genders are evenly represented. The result was one of those magic nights where different powers conspire to render something as commonplace as a meal utterly memorable.


Open face Sammich, Spring Mix w/ Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette, Elongated Lasagna and Mashed Potatoes :)

The pizza is onion bread with pesto, sprouts, kale chip sauce (garlic and pine nuts :D:D:D ) topped with a slice of Avocado Bacon. Salad is salad. The lasagna is 4 strips of Zucchini, 2 layers of sun dried tomato sauce with a couple dates, chipotle peppers, garlic etc, pesto and then topped with black olives and green onions. The mashed potatoes are made from Cauliflower, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil aaaand I think that's it! OH! and Thyme, garnished with parsley.

How was your Thanksgiving??

-V

Trip Report: The White Mountains of New Hampshire

2010-09-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hiking the East Coast ain't nuthin like the West. The mountains here are OLD (ie: Shrunken!)
That said, there is one 6000 footer, Mt Washington, of the Presidential Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire so we set out to bag it!

Me and my friend Gabriel had a wild adventure makin it to the summit of this peak but of course, all adventures start with some serious raw food preparation!
Though we were at times freezing, soaked, exhausted and blundering through the dark, we were definitely never hungry!

Here's how to prep for a multi day hiking trip:

From left to right:
-Cereal: so key. this one is packing almonds, figs, coconut, vanilla and blueberries. Essential breakfast.
-Energy Spheres: subject of a passed blog post, these guys are Walnut, apple, cranberry with Hemp. Don't forget to dry your apple FIRST then make the mix. If you don't, the apples are likely to ferment!
-Quinoa and dehydrated Veg mixture: the ultimate supper. Cut up veg (kale, broccoli, onions, peppers, garlic etc) season it with whatever you like then dehydrate it overnight for a long lasting nutrient dense addition to your nightly quinoa.
Trail Mix: ultimate essential for hikes. This one is decked with golden berries, mulberries, hemp, sprouted pumpkin seeds and goji berries.
-Tea: I always bring a few types of tea with me and will often start and end the day with an herbal tea. Helps me sleep and keeps me hydrated. Make sure you're camping near water or that you've got a canteen to fill.

Trip report:
This was a wild trip! We arrived late, hiked 5000' feet up into the alpine of Mt Lafayette and set up camp in strong wind in the rain. Sadly, we chose a terrible campsite and after a sleepless, wet and cold night, we awoke to a destroyed tent :(

Not ones to be discouraged, we drove to a friends place in Amherst, MA to dry our gear and regain spirit. After a relaxing night and a great dinner, we once again hit the mountains to climb Mt. Washington and few other peaks in the presidential range. The folks at Lake of Clouds hut were kind enough to let us sleep on the floor that night.
Lots of fun nonetheless! We definitely learned something about setting up camp in the dark!

Once atop Mt Washington, we made our way to Mt Jefferson and en route came across a wild alpine Blueberry bush!

What a great find :D

This week end I'm returning to New Hampshire for a rock climbing trip, I'll be sure to blog it :)

Above the clouds, above the clouds where the sounds are original, infinite skills create miracles.

-V

Vegabond Caters Bike Film Festival Volunteer Lunch @ Crudessence Loft in...

2010-08-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Montreal branch of the Bike Film Festival (bicyclefilmfestival.com) hosted a lunch for its volunteers to be catered by the Vegabond in the Crudessence (crudessence.com) loft one fine Summer Sunday afternoon in Montreal.
This little clip is a gloss over of the meal presented by the yours truly.

Here's a photo of the main dish to get a better idea of what it was like :)

Don't forget to check out the Vegabond YouTube page !
http://www.youtube.com/user/leVEGABOND

peace

-V

Recipe TIme: Summer Fruit Tart

2010-08-10T23:44:00.001-07:00

summer-fruit-torte
Originally uploaded by le Vegabond

A simple and delicious recipe for late summer treats :)
Made this as a dinner for Grammy to celebrate her transition to a living foods inspired diet; inspired by what was around.

Crust:
1c soaked almonds
1/2 coconut flakes
1/4c maple syrup
pinch salt and vanilla powder

Toss chopped fruit (peaches and strawberries in this case) in:
1tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp maple syrup
2tsp true cinnamon
1tsp vanilla powder
pinch salt

blueberry jam:
add 1tbsp agar agar to 1c of water
bring to a boil, let roll for 1 minute
pour mixture over blueberries (1-2 cups) in blender
blend till smooth, add a pinch of salt if desired
chill in fridge while assembling

press crust into rounds, layer fruit on top
pour chilled jam on top, sprinkle coconut flakes and place blueberries on top. let set in the fridge.

serve to someone you love

enjoy!

-V

How do YOU travel raw? Contest + Giveaway!

2010-07-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

So we all know that nuts are great for traveling, cacao nibs will keep you going and that scoping out fresh fruits at markets is a skill worth honing. Alright, sounds good.
But what about mountaineering expeditions? Bike tours? Overnight Kayak adventures???
No produce stands in sight! Limited storage! Sustaining energy needed!!!

The challenge: how do you pack maximum nutrient density in minimal space?

To Submit to the challenge, correctly name each of the 6 ingredients posted below and post your favorite travel food recipe.
Prize The best recipe will win a 6 pack of my Raw Power Spheres for their next adventure!
Contest Period July 25th-August 1st

Top left and top center are a little tricky so here are some close ups to help you out

Raw Power Spheres! Ingredients in the photo above

Bonne Chance!
-V

Recipe Time: Raw Vegan Breads

2010-07-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Raw Bread is definitely one of the KEY transition foods! There ain't nuthin like a raw sandwich I make sure to have at least one a week :)

These are my two favorite bread recipes. I also have a youtube channel where I do one of these recipes: http://www.youtube.com/user/leVEGABOND
the one called "Bread and Cheese" will get you started with some toppings
mad props to Any Phyo and Matt Amsden for inspiring these variations
enjoy!

Seed bread:
puree:
1/2 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 1/3c water
then add:
1/2c sesame seeds
2/3c sunflower seeds
1tsp salt
then, by hand, add:
1c ground flax (gold is nice, brown is cool too)

dehydrate 1hr, flip, then let it go till dry (usually about 7 hours, maybe less, maybe more!)

Onion bread:
2 medium onions
1 zucchini
1/3c olive oil
3/4c sunflower seeds
1/2c water
1 tsp salt
process, then add:
3/4c ground flax

dehydrate 6 hours, then flip, dehydrate till ready, could be as long as 12 more hours, onions got lotsa water!

hemp heart guacamole, fresh salad with cherry tomatoes and egg plant bacon, fresh chives from my garden and 2 slices of onion bread :)

-V

Werd to mother!

2010-07-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'd like to dedicate this blog posting to my Grammy :)
Not only did she teach me to cook, expand my vocabulary and teach me history she even tried to tutor me in German once!
But perhaps most incredibly, she has also given me a certain raison d'etre. You see, Grammy has embarked on a raw food cleanse this passed month guided by her one and only grandson. It has brought me immense joy to share my passion for raw food with someone (let alone someone as dear to me as Grammy) and neither of us could be more excited about the results. One month in, Grammy has dropped 10 pounds, is taking less medication and has totally mellowed out her blood pressure! I also haven't mentioned it, but I feel like I've heard her laugh more these days :)
It's been a blessing to give back to the world in this way and I cannot show enough appreciation for the times I've woken up to breakfast being made or come home to a soup already lovingly prepared. In the passed, I was always thrilled to savor Grammy's cooking and now, I am even more ecstatic to sample her uncooking ;p

Our cleanse started with a full day fast, nothing but herbal ginger tea for a full day. In doing this, I learned of an Austrian tradition that my Grammy partook of as a youngster where they fast once each spring as a cleanse. Should have known, Grammy already knew the secret!
Next followed a day of just fruit. We had a somewhat tough time at a family lunch that occurred that day but Grammy took it like a champ and withheld from the usual selection of smoked salmon, bagels, cream cheese and other undesirables. After we followed a high raw diet with a big focus on green smoothies. It wasn't love at first site, but soon enough Grammy was waiting by the vita-mix in the morning and making sure we had a stash of cucumbers on hand at all times!

Cheers Gram! You the best!

I also wanted to share a video we shot together; Grammy has always been the soup queen and I'm convinced she could make a delicious soup out of thin air if need be. After going raw, the tradition carried over so I now present you with unique edition of "Cooking with the Vegabond" featuring a guest appearance by Grammy herself.
Enjoy!

This video also appears on my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/leVEGABOND

Stay tuned for next week's blog post. I'm about to embark on another adventure and will be doing a travel food giveaway contest in honor of the occasion.
-V

"Don't be touchin ma Cornbread!"

2010-07-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

Finally getting back to blogging!

Today we're taking a look at what you can do with Purple Corn!
Available at Organiclives.org, this Heirloom variety of organic purple corn is a thoroughly intriguing food. To get the full scoop on the benefits, check out this awesome blog:
http://purplecorn.wordpress.com/

So without further ado, here's what to do!

Aquainted with the ingredients? Alright!
Next step: grind the corn in a coffee grinder or dry container vita-mix.
Throw the lot in your food processor (you can use about half of the corn I show in the video, otherwise it overpowers and remains grainy in the bread, use about 1.5c ground corn meal)
I dehydrated it in two forms, the first is pictured here:

The second will be in the next post because they're still getting ready!
Grammy then whipped up a super delish snack with the bread:

Bon Appetit!

Be sure to check back in a few days to get the low down on my other purple corn recipe adventure as well as a fresh raw soup demo from Grammy herself!

-V

DIY to a tea

2010-06-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Tea is amazing. Here is a quick list of glorious things about herbal tea:
-it hydrates you
-it has its own TIME of day
-it's both a reason to wake up as well as get into bed
-it is cleansing
-it is warm and tasty
-available everywhere
-it is a social event OR a solitary inquest

I could go on but to get to the point, it is, above all, easy to DIY!

As a fanatic of all things Chai, here is the latest herbal tea blend I made for myself
Comment with your own experiments! Inspire me to drink something other than cinnamon cloves and ginger ;p

The Vegablend:
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp true cinnamon
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp lemon rind
3 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 pinch black pepper
6 blueberries
half a nectarine

mix it all up, dehydrate then grind

steep and savor :)

-V

Recipe Time: Coco Veg Curry Soup

2010-06-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

While unabashedly idolizing smoothies, I attest that the blender is a multi-purpose item.
One such example, is SOUP! Blenders make soup quick, easy and fun! Not only that, but you can always skip the cooking part and just have a sort of super vegetable smoothie;just what you've always dreamed of I'll wager!
This thai inspired creation can be go either way. It kept well the next day and after a quick hike up the mountain, we savored these at the look out spot in jars.

Cocurry Vegetable Soup

1.5 cup Coconut Milk (home made or can)
2tsp Curry Powder or Paste
1tsp Turmeric
1/4c Basil (whole, or torn by hand)
1/4c Cilantro
1/8c Mint
1 Lime, juiced
Garlic (2 lrg cloves)
Ginger (a chunk)
Salt, Pepper, Chiles!

Combine in blender adding in 2-3 cups of vegetable broth or water (can be boiled).
Pour this mixture over Veg (Onions, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, Carrots etc etc) in bowls and garnish with fresh basil and green onions or pour over veg in a pot and simmer till served.

To make home made coconut milk:
Use your blender to combine a cup of coconut flakes and a cup of water. Blend thoroughly, if your blender is strong you can probably not bother with straining the milk.
OR
use coconut powder and water, hard to find but very useful. Crudessence.com carries it!

Of course, you can also just use the flesh and water of whole (ideally, young) coconuts if you can find them organic/aren't picky.

Enjoy!

-V

NYC 5 Boro Bike Tour!

2010-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

This week end, my family and I hopped down to NYC to join the 5 Boro bike tour: 5 Boro Bike Tour
Naturally, I also sauntered off one day to check out some of NYC`s raw food hot spots!

After a quick stop at the Brooklyn farmer`s market at the grand army plaza (more photos here: Flickr/Vegabond), I hopped the subway over to Williamsburg to check out Rockin`Raw! I ordered the Tacu Tacu and was blown away! the white disc on top is a fried egg with a meaty patty below it and some marinated greens in between surrounded by salsa and barbecue plantains!
DAMN that shit was off the hook. I was so pleased I grabbed a chocolate chai sundae on my way out to savor in the heat of McCaren where I watched a soccer game.

Following this most pleasant afternoon, I hopped the subway over to Manhattan for what ended up being my last stop! I parked myself in One Lucky Duck, the take out counter for Pure Food & Wine and was so engrossed in some fabulous conversation with some other raw foodies that I ran out of time before I had to meet up with my folks for dinner at Raw Star!
I had a tall bottle of Organic Young Thai Coconut Water and bought a chocolate bar for a friend back home and enjoyed the cozy bustle of the cafe amidst the company of artists, chinese medicine practitioners and other One Lucky Duck regulars. The Salads looked phenomenal and came in these huge bowls with tons of add ons to choose from. Of course, the joint was PRICY, a word people have come to associate with Pure Food and Wine though it was well worth it. I passed by Caravan of Dreams as well and promised myself I would be back with my appetite!

My final raw food destination was an happening little joint on Washington Ave in Brooklyn. The walk there took us by the botanical gardens and community center which were overrun with boisterous activity.
The place reminded me alot of Gorilla Food in BC because it had a sort of jungle style inside with minimal seating space and the nicest people imaginable working there.
We ordered all our food to go and went back to the seating area outside the community center to absord the sites and sounds while we ate. I tried raw tempeh, my dad had the burger, I ate most of my moms stuffed mushroom because she can`t tolerate raw onion and my sister had a kale salad.

The next day we were up bright and early to partake in the NYC 5 Boro Bike tour! An almost 50 mile journey through Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn and then on to Staten Island!

The happy riders

32 000 Riders!!

This reminds of the bridge from the golden compass

Thanks for reading!

I`m planning a bike trip from montreal to the adirondacks to do some hiking, mountaineering and foraging with a trip to some of the lesser known organic restaurants in upstate NY.

Anyone down!?

-V

Living the Dream: Harvesting Maple Water

2010-04-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

In the words of Crudessence founder David Cote:
L'eau d'Erable, c'est notre eau de coco! (Maple water is our coconut water!)
The quest for locally sourced superfoods should occupy all who seek to eat well. In speaking with David, I have learned that not only does Quebec provide us with Physalis (ie: Golden Berries) it also the land of maple water! This water boasts similar properties to Coconut Water, is free, delicious and readily available when the season is right.

The conditions that yield the unobtrusive life force of the sugar maple tree involve temperatures that drop below -4 at night and rise above +4 during the day. This is known as maple season in Quebec, when many families and schools will go sugaring off to eat fresh taffee on snow.
Rather than boiling down the precious water, I chose to leave it living and drink it in its pure form which is only slightly sweet but oh so hydrating.

Let's start with the tools needed:

1. Ville Brequin (or hand drill)
2. Copper Spout or a Funnell
3. Jar
4. Hammer
5. Hemp twine

The setup is simple. Find a sugar maple tree (see photo below), drill a hole about 2 feet from the ground as deep as you like. Use your hammer to tap in a copper spout OR just jam a funnell into there. Using the twine, set up the bottle and then just chill!

A sugar maple leaf is rounded between the points of the leaves, look for ones on the ground in early spring. In the photo, the curved section just to the left of my thumb gives it away. You can also find them by the bark which basically looks like this. There are other ways to identify them, check online if you need more signs to look for.

Pick your spot; if you're not using twine, use your bottle to get a sense of what height. Select a drill bit that is the width of your spout then tap in the spout to funnel the water into your jar. Place the jar and wait! Maple water will drip slowly, though I have had a couple of taps that were fairly quick and filled a litre in only a couple of hours. Usually I place
my gear, leave the spot, and return later in the day. The water should be clear, have little taste except for a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Use it in smoothies or just drink it straight for one of the most refereshing drinks I've yet to encounter.

Enjoy!

-V

Recipe Time: Raw Cookies!!!

2010-04-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

I actually refer to these as Macookies in my head because i like to lace em with maca :)

Macookies

1.5c almond flour
3-4 tbsp coconut oil
1/2c coconut flakes
1/2c date paste
2tsp vanilla powder
2tsp true cinnamon
pinch salt
2tsp Peruvian Red Maca

process into a crumbly paste
form into cookies, dehydrate

to garnish i used home made apricot jam (using agar agar and ripe fruit from the market :) and some more coconut flakes, dehydrate for a few hours untill slighty crisp

to get true cinnamon check out Arayuma.com
I think they have the vanilla as well

enjoy being a cookie monster

-V

Recipe Time: Raw Vegan Crepes w/ Whipped Cream and Fig Syrup

2010-03-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

I got on a real raw crepe buzz after discovering a recipe for curried crepes in the book Raw by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein, intense combo!
The curried crepes turned out great and with a bit of tweaking yielded a fantastic sweet version:

Crepe Batter
1c golden flax (ground)
1/2c shredded coconut
1 apple (granny smith) OR 2 bananas (i like nanners better flavor wise but apple is a better food imo)
cinnamon
pinch salt
cloves, nutmeg, whatever
you could put a teaspon of coconut oil too if you got it around, or some chia

I put it all in the Vita mix, add about 1c water and then add about another half cup as its combining.
THEN I put my small pie mold on my dehydrator sheets and make four crepes per excalibur tray.

dehydrate for about an hour, flip, then 4 hours more.
these are cool cause you can do em with other lunch stuff and have em for desert at dinner, if you got that kinda time!

Macadamia Whipped Cream
1c macadamias
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 banana or some date paste
pinch salt, maybe mesquite, cinnamon, maca
irish moss (just enough to make it a lil fluffy, like 1 oz)
water as needed, probably around a half cup to cream the macadames

Fig Syrup
6-12 figs
cinnamon
water to blend em down
a Vita Mix to get all them seeds!

What's your crepe filling of choice??

-V

Trip Report: STP Father & Son Bike Trip

2010-03-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

It was late summer of '09 when me and my father set out on a trip that would have us follow yearly race from Seattle to Portland aka the STP route. The race is done in one shot: 200km from start to finnish. It took us about 3 days to do the whole thing at a leisurely pace and loaded down with touring gear.
We had an awesome ride!

We flew to Vancouver where I picked up my touring bike, my dad`s ride was in this box here. Tracy at Jett Grrl bike studio (http://www.jettgrrl.com/) was kind enough to let him leave the box there for his return voyage.
It was a rough flight and I didn`t sleep the night before so I was pretty ready for a nap! We got to Van, hit the main street farmer`s market (http://www.eatlocal.org/markets.html) to load up on berries and waited for our grey hound to Seattle where we spent a comfortable night in the downtown area.

Ready to hit the road in the early morning and being in no rush, we opted to check out second breakfast at a nearby raw food resto called Healo (Healo.com)

We met the owner, pictured here while we gnoshed away happily on our
Raw Cereal, Green Juice and fruit bowls. I took a green juice to go as well and was infitely thankful as I rode throughout the day! What a boost!

Pictured below is a favorite quote of mine (Mark Twain) that was posted at the Organic Comfort Food Cafe http://www.comfortfoodcafe.org/
in small town Washington: Puyallup. That`s right, Puyallup, WA.

After a great salad and vegan vanilla milkshake, we carried on to the town of Yelm to bunker down for the night. I once again actually managed to find a place for organic green juice in the morning, taking one to go as well.

Riding on at a measured pace along an off road bike path in the crisp fall air with the open road to guide us, we stopped to pick some blackberries which grow like wildfire on the west coast.

The bounty of berries didn`t keep me from dipping into our box of Larabar`s though! As far as commercial food bars on the market, they are among the best of the both the organic and non organic variety as they contain very simple whole food ingredients. I wish they were organic but for a trip like this one appreciates spending 15$ on a box of 12 bars in three flavors; compared to Macro Greens bars which, though healthier and organic, run up to almost 5$ per bar! Yikes!

We rode another full day, parked it at a hotel, didn`t find anything great to eat and promptly konked out for the night! In reminiscing on our hotel that night, my dad's only remark remains:
''What a dive!''

Another day of riding brought us across the bridge into Oregon where the scenery and vibe shifted palpitably.
Only minutes from Portland I snapped this clutch action shot:

Before we knew it, we had arrived! We waltzed into a cafe and had some vegan delights and a couple of shakes and promtly checked into the downtown marriot for a very swanky and memorable 3 and a half days spent exploring the river city!
Places to check out definitely include Alberta street, Blossoming Lotus' two locations and numerous bike shops dotting the streets.

The Walnut Fig Torte
from Blossoming Lotus!

The river side bike path in Portland

Eventually, it was time to part ways as my dad hopped a train back to Van to catch a flight home to Montreal and I continued the trip south to Eugene, Oregon where I couch surfed with college kids for 3 nights testing the rather iffy fall weather. Eventually, I opted for hopping a train to San Fran from where I biked, camped and couch surfed my way to Los Angeles passing through the incredible region known as Big Sur.
An inward journey, I brought no electronics except for a head lamp so sorry for the lack of photos!
All I can say is go go go!

Big props to my Dad for such an awesome ride! T`was a blast! We`re hoping to make it to norther France this summer for an even longer trip!! Too stoked!

Freegan Life: GREEEEEEEEEEEN Drank

2010-03-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

so freeganism is officially the way to go!
I was able to make this lovely juice just the other day with the help of a regular blender and a nut milk bag!

I always get off on using beer mugs for green juice :)
This one is packing:
Celery
Cucumber
Lemon
Parsley
Ginger
Apple

pretty classic, just how I like it. The blender strainer method isn`t my favorite though. I prefer either a total Vita-kill or a champion but I just moved in so I can`t be too picky! At least there`s a blender!
Might be time I decided to stay in one place and brought my dehydrator and vita mix over from my folks place huh

peace

-V

Gluten Freegan Lasagna What!?

2010-02-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

So there were a bunch of Zuchinni out back today. What better way to use em than to make a lasagna I ask?

I started by using a vege peeler to make thin slices of the Zuchinni which I layered in a glass dish and coated with salt, pepper and olive oil.

the next layer was an onion and black eyed pea medley.

Then I roasted some tomatoes and layered them on there kind of like a sauce. I tossed them in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper first. I topped some crumbled brazil nut cheese on top as well. The flavors used were pretty standard and the dish ended up being more hearty than bursting with flavor. If I had been shopping for ingredients I would have gunned for some fresh basil no doubt.

All in all, it was a nice thing to have stocked in the fridge for the week though :)

Freegan Experiment: The Case of Tomatoes

2010-02-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

So last night we went shopping and found a huge case of tomatoes which were in excellent shape as well as 4 bunches of cilantro, parsley, green peppers and a host of other veggies including romaine and some hot chiles.
It was pretty cold out so coming home to this soup was rather delightful!

Spicy Tomato Cilantro Soup

8 tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro (plus some for garnish)
2 cloves garlic
4 green onions (reserve some for garnish)
1 habenero pepper (use less if you`re not a spice freak like me :)
olive oil
salt, pepper
garam masala
cumin
2 dates

other optional ingredients could include avocado, spinach, other onions etc etc

we blended the lot then let it simmer for a while to get it warm and flavorful but you could eat this raw like a tomato juice in the summer as well.

peace!

-V

Freegan Experiment: When Life Gives You Lemons

2010-02-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Found a whole case of Lemons in the back alley last night on my way home from work and true to the proverb I made a tasty lemonade this morning. After juicing about 10 lemons by hand in a lovely glass juicer and picking out the seeds, I added 2 papayas which were from the same haul along with a lonely ripe pear and some ginger from the Crudessence fridge. It was a pretty tart brew but given its cleansing properties I was pretty stoked.

The 2 Week Freegan Experiment! Day One

2010-02-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

HEY!
so I`ve decided to try out freeganism in the city of montreal for two weeks. Part of the ploy is to save some cash and buy a third bike :) I want to have something friends can use if they come over and I also need something for the last few months of winter. But then again, who needs excuses to buy more bikes!?

A Freegan is someone who opts out of the current economic system in various ways. For my part, this will mean getting most of my food by dumpster diving! About 2 seconds from my apartment is an organic grocer who puts out all the old produce in the back alley. Major scores to be had! This week there was an abundance of apples and onions. So! Soup time!

3 Apple 3 Onion Soup

3 onion (red, yellow and shallot)
3 Apples (breaburn, golden and granny)
2 cloves garlic (also from the dumpster)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil (my room mate is cool about sharing food)
Masala (Grammy had got this somewhere, fair trade, really earthy blend)
Parsley (also from back alley)
Hungarian Paprika with Green chile powder (a gift from our hungarian neighbors across the street :)

saute the onions in the oil
add apples and garlic and spices
toss it in the blender with a little of water and tada! Soup!

garnish with sun, sprouts and green :)

Trip Report: Van Island Sunshine Coast Bike Tour!

2010-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings All! The first trip report has officially begun!

The Route: Vancouver BC up the Sunshine Coast Highway, across the Georgia Straight and back
down the east coast of Vancouver Island to Nanaimo with a visit to Hornby and Savary Islands.

-Places to eat: 5
-Bike Shops: minimum 3
-Free Camping: plenty
-Bears: plenty
-Weather Solutions: plentiful
-Scenery: mostly stunning
-Time of Year: Summer '09
-Company: recommended
-Other activities: mountaineering, kayaking, swimming, sailing, mountain biking

This being my first bike tour, I was pretty excited to see how things would pan out for myself and my intrepid companions Jesse and Robbie. As it happened, this is a great route to start out on! There's plenty of help along the way, be it food or bike shops, and the terrain is never too rigorous. But on to the day by day!

Day one had us leaving my appartment in Van on a the bus that would take us to Horseshoe Bay where we hopped a ferry over to Gibsons. A HUGE hill greeted us so we got off to a sweaty and glorious start. As I recall, there were no walked bikes on this first slope and we were soon zipping up the sunshine coast. We spent the rest of the day riding and eventually made camp a few km off the highway down a logging road. As I recall, Robbie got pretty sick that night for over exertion but at least he didn't puke in the tent and was right as rain by morning! Good on ya bro!

A couple ferry rides and some monster hills later,(they tend to be right after ferry rides so the Gods can deem you worthy of rising above sea level again) we made camp in some native territory up in Sliammon on the other side of Powell River.

Powell River: Silke's is the name of the health food restaurant in PR, stock up!! We sure did!

The next day we got to Lund (downhill for 3 KM baby alright!) and chartered a water taxi over to Savary Island where we camped for a few nights enjoying the beaches and peculiar lifestyle of the locals who are mostly seasonal cottage owners. Savary is a lovely island with white sand beahes, warm water, friendly people, no cars, no power lines and plenty of places to camp and relax.

Savary Island: Eat at the Sandbox Cafe! They've got organic salad greens!!!

After a few nights on Savary we got back to Lund via the taxi but lo and behold, THE RAIN!! After contemplating our options, we threw our bikes in some kindly folks pick up and rode the 6 KM ride to Powell in comfort and dryness. We then booked a hostel for the night, got some groceries and bunkered down in style!

At that point we split up form Jesse who worked from a motel room for a while and later end up doing some mountaineering over on the island. Robbie and I continued our Odyssey, flying down the old coast highway to reach Hornby Island after a night in Courtenay where we pigged out at Zen Zero for Robbie's 19th Birthday. Once on the island, we spent a few nights there staying with some people we'd contacted prior to our departure one of which being Michelle of Deerheart Sanctuary, a really lovely retreat center with an outdoor kitchen and beautiful camping spots. The other was Jeremy, he owns the bike shop on Hornby, is an amazing host and was found through the following site:

Essential Ressources: Warmshowers.org & Couchsurfing.com

Once back on Vancouver Island, we sailed down to Qualicum where we had a fantastic raw meal at Rawthentic; a restaurant that clearly extols a man near to my heart: Russell James.

There's not much else to see on this part of the trip, so we parked ourselves for a night of camping in a ravine 30 Km north of Nanaimo and got on the ferry the next day and back home! What a ride!

Recipe Time: Chai Shake

2009-09-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

I went and had me another one of them Chia Chai shakes at Crudessence today, quite tasty! Inspired me to write up a blog post about a personal breakfast favorite.

Ultimately thought, I would have to classify this as a strictly transition food. As I'm still in my first year eating raw, I think it's an acceptable choice but I'm looking forward to completely cutting out nut milks and bananas as soon as possible. The reasons being the digestive incompatibility of water (ultra fast) and nuts (ultra slow) and hybridization respectively. For more info, consult Dr. Doug Graham for the former and there is a section in David Wolfe's "Sunfood" that informed me as to the dangers of the latter.

In the meantime, enjoy this tasty shake!

Chai Shake

1c Almond Milk (I flavor mine with vanilla, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, a tsp of coconut oil and a drop of manuka honey)
2-3 tsp Garam Masala (you can also make your own chai blend with Ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves n a lil black pepper)
1 inch cube of Ginger
1 tsp Vanilla Powder (I get mine here www.organiclives.org)
2-3 frozen bananas (can be replaced with figs though texture will suffer)
1T Maca (also from organiclives.org)
1T hemp hearts

the last ingredients can be substituted for Vanilla Chai Vega Powder if you dig that stuff. It's good if you're about embark on a bike tour or something and need to keep your protein levels high but I find it tastes a little strange I'm not huge on supplements to begin with but it has its uses for sure.

an alternative to the Almond Milk and Banana thing is to use Coconut Water and Coconut Flesh respectively. Both are available in Raw Organic forms at www.organiclives.org

-V

Recipe Time: Tempeh Wrap

2009-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings All!
thank you for visiting my blog I hope the information will serve you well and that this bit of cyberspace might become used as a resource and center of discussion as we learn and grow together.

check back regularly as I'll be posting updates on my upcoming bike tour from Vancity to Los Angeles as well as putting up some excerpts from a novel I am in the process of writing on top of a plethora of other useful and useless tid bits.

For my first few post, I want to visit a vegan days classic, the TEMPEH WRAP!

Raw Tempeh Wrap

for the tortilla:
1c Golden Flax, milled
1 large red onion
1 small zucchini or summer squash
herbs and spices
1/4 c olive oil or 1/2 avocado
1/2 water (add more as needed if at all)

process the lot, you want just enough water that the flax turns everything goopy but you don't want it to be pure liquid. then spread em on dehydrator sheets. I use my spring form to make circles and dehydrate it for a couple hours. flip em then keep a sharp eye you don't want it to get crunchy just supple and firm. should be about 3-4 more hours but don't worry if it's more all depends on your water to flax ratio and the wetness of your veg.

Tempeh Strips

3/4-1 c Pumpkin Seeds or walnuts or sunflower seeds (soak 'em the night before!)
1/4c gold flax
1/2 c sun dried tomatoes
1/2 red onion
herbs and spices, I mostly went with dill here a la Russell James Falafel
chilies, I used chipotle
something sweet like a date or two, I used a couple of figs
some oil if you want
1/4c water

process it, should be fairly dry. form into strips, dehydrate till top gets crusty then flip it for another couple of hours, that should do the trick.

Filling Ideas

Guacamole
sprouts
veggies! I used green onions, cucumber, red pepper, whatever's fresh
I tossed the veg in some salad dressing to get a lil extra flavor going in there

And now! what you've all been waiting for, the step by step slide show! muahaha

Bon Appétit!

-V