I’ll never forget the first time I watched almonds blend away and white, pure “milk” be created. It’s a surreal experience, try it for yourself!

To make dairy-free mylk, you can use pretty much any seed, grain or nut. I like almond, oat and coconut mylk the best. Experiment with your own taste buds  to see what works for you.

Mylk Ingredients:

• Nuts or seeds of choice
• Pure water
• sweetener of your choice (a few soft dates, raw honey, raw agave or stevia)
• 1 pinch of unprocessed sea salt (optional)

To create Mylk:

1. Soak nuts or seeds (almonds and hazelnuts for 8-12 hours, sunflower seeds or brazil nuts for 3 hours) I like to soak the nuts before bed and then in the morning it’s ready for biz-nas!

Before blending...

2. Place soaked nuts or seeds in a blender so that the nuts are even with the level of the uppermost part of the blades.

..after!!!

3. Add pure water to just cover the nuts and blend until smooth. Add more water until desired consistency is reached.

4. Sweeten to suit your taste buds with a soft date or two, raw agave, raw honey or a packet or drop of stevia (if you use too much stevia, it will become bitter). Strain with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag.

5. Make only what you will use in a day or two. Refrigerate.

(These mylks will go bad after about 48 hours)

Vanilla Hemp Seed Mylk:

• 1/4 cup shelled hempseeds (buy them in air-tight containers, not from bulk bins where they can be rancid)
• 1 liter pure water
• 1 pinch of unprocessed sea salt (optional)
• sweetener of your choice
• vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla stevia instead of sweetener

To Create Mylk:

1. Place the hempseeds in a blender with just enough water to cover them and blend well.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

3. Strain in a mesh strainer and drink! Refrigerate the remainder.

Optional: for a thicker, more omega 3 rich milk, soak 1/4 cup flax seeds for 2 hours, then rinse and blend with hemp seeds.

*If you want to make these mylks chocolate for a kid or for a yummy treat, add raw cacao powder at the end of the final blend. It tastes DELICIOUS and no one will ever know you are drinking something with amazing superfoods, antioxidants and health benefits!!!

I stared at my fruit bowl today and felt sad. My pears and apples were going to go bad any minute and I knew we wouldn’t eat them in time. There were just too many. What to do?? Make a raw pie crumble of course!! This dessert can obviously be just made of apples and use as many different varieties as you like.

Ingredients for Crust:

* 2 cups almonds (soaked 12-24 hours)

*2 cups pitted dates

*1 tsp orange or lemon zest

Ingredients for filling:

*5-6 organic apples

*3-4 organic pears

*1 cup raisins (soaked several hours in just enough water to cover them)

*2 tbsp ground flax seeds or psyllium powder

*2 tsp cinnamon powder

*1/2 tsp allspice powder

*1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

*1 pinch Garam masala

To make crust:

place all crust ingredients in a food processor and process with the S blade until it resembles dough. It will form a ball in the processor, then you know it’s ready! Press into a pie plate or 9×12 pan.

To make filling:

*Core and chop the apples and pears into medium sized pieces. Place half the apples into a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, including the water from the soaking raisin’s, and process until smooth. Set aside the mixture in a mixing bowl.

Place the rest of the apples in food processor and pulse until a chunky texture is achieved. Mix the batches together. Pour into the pie shell or pan and enjoy!

Letting the pie settle in the refrigerator for a few hours will stiffen up the filling. Or place in the oven on low for a few minutes with vegan ice cream on top! yum!

Garnish with apple slices and sprinkle spices on top!

Dairy-free, gluten-free eggnog!!!!

Tonight we are having a holiday party and I want to make something festive!!!

Healthy vegan eggnog it is!

• start with 2 Cups of a non-dairy milk such as almond/rice/hazlenut (recipe here)
  
• add 2 tablespoons agave
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• fresh vanilla bean (1 tablespoon vanilla extract is fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
  
• rum or brandy if you want alcohol
  
• add 2 drops of vanilla stevia if you want it sweeter

Blend on a low speed for 45 seconds, sprinkle nutmeg on top before serving!

Enjoy!! Happy holidays from the Philosophie!!

Orange fleshed squash such as acorn and butternut are a large storehouse of beta-carotene. On top of being an antioxidant to help fend off those pesky cell-damaging free radicals, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body that helps with immune defense and good vision. You could also do this entire recipe with pumpkin… or half and half!

2. Scoop the squash out, allow to cool and puree in your food processor. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, chia seeds, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and pumpkin spice and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the agave, vanilla, eggs substitute and butter. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in the butternut squash puree. My batter was a little dry so I added a little almond milk and Organic canned pumpkin.

5. Prepare your muffin pan and add the batter a little over halfway. I made 12 cupcakes, you can make more. Bake at 350º for 18 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center and check to see if it comes out clean.

Last weekend I was really craving a peppermint patty. I made my girlfriend pull into a (*gasp!) gas station to buy me one because I needed it so badly. I’m a big mint&chocolate person… my favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I’m so glad there are a few great vegan brands out there now made with coconut milk or almond milk. I have yet to find a good substitute for peppermint patty’s though! I decided to get working in the kitchen, and here’s what I came up with! (inspired by a recipe by Kelly Keough)

Ingredients:

*1 1/2 cups extra virgin coconut oil, melted

*3/4 C hemp butter

*1/2 C ZSweet (see bottom of post)

*1 teaspoon peppermint extract

*3 drops of liquid stevia peppermint

*3 drops of liquid stevia chocolate

*1/4 C agave

*3/4 C vegan carob chips (melted) or powder

*1/2 C raw cacao nibs

FILLING

*1/2 C hemp butter

*1/4 C agave

*1/4 C powdered ZSweet

*2 drops of liquid stevia peppermint

Line mini cup cake tins with paper liners. Melt coconut oil by placing jar under hot water. when coconut oil turns to a liquid, pour the oil in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in hemp butter until smooth.

Whisk ZSweet into wet batter. Add in peppermint extract, liquid stevias, and agave one at a time and blend.

Slowly stir in the carob and cacao powder a spoonful at a time. Stir raw cacao nibs one at a time. Batter should run off the spoon easily, but not too runny.

To make the filling:

in a small bowl, mix together hemp butter and agave. Add ZSweet and Liquid stevia and mix. with two spoons, drop a small teaspoon full of filling into prepared paper liners.

Spoon a tablespoon full of prepared batter on top of the filling. Freeze for 15 minutes. Store in the freezer.

Yield: 50 candies

Score!!

My Hubby Loved them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A fellow LA vegan chef, Kelly Keough, introduced me to ZSweet. This recipe was my first time experimenting with the calorie free sugar substitute, and to be honest I didn’t taste any difference. I am going to keep experimenting with it and let you know my thoughts! So far, so good!

Today I am home, visiting with one of my oldest and dearest friends on the east coast near Washington DC. It’s so nice being here with our new baby, in the fall season. I took a jog today to really soak up autumn-the changing and falling leaves, the cool air against my skin, and the crisp colors.

We decided to make a big feast for dinner! We made one “regular” lasagna (gluten-free and free range meat) and one DELICIOUS vegan pumpkin lasagna. here’s the recipe!

for the layers:

• *brown rice lasagna (you could use quinoa also, or any lasagna that’s gluten-free)

• *1 1/2 C Pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) I like Trader Joes Organic canned pumpkin

• *for mock ricotta, see below
• *1 egg (or egg replacer like flax and water)
• *almond milk
• *4 C spinach
• *nutmeg, salt, pepper, sage to taste (i like a lot!)
• *nutritional yeast sprinkled on top for mock parmesan
• *cream sauce: 3 tbsp vegan butter (or regular if you don’t care), 3 tbsp tapioca starch 1 1/4 almond milk

Time to play!

1. Prepare the brown rice lasagna according to the box instructions, until al dente (firm, not hard)

2. For the pumpkin sauce, mix pumpkin, egg replacer and 1/4 C almond milk. Then mix in nutmeg, salt, pepper and sage.

3. For the mock ricotta cheese:

• ½ cup macadamia nuts
• ½ cup almonds
• 1 can water, or enough to cover to the level of the nuts
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, you may want to add up to 2 more tsp
• 3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup almonds, or up to 2 cups

Preparation for Mock Ricotta Cheese:

In your high powered blender, blend mac nuts, almonds, water, 1 tsp of salt, and apple cider vinegar. This will take about 7-8 minutes. Blend until very smooth.

Add the rest of the almonds, 1/4 c at a time, waiting until they are finely ground and fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

Blend until smooth, with a very slightly grainy texture (It should NOT be gritty). You may want to finish this in your food processor (unless you have a great blender).

4. Make the “cream” sauce by melting the butter on low heat. When it’s melted, whisk in tapioca starch, then remove from heat. Slowly whisk in almond milk, then turn the heat back on and whisk constantly until the consistency is thickened enough to coat a spoon. (about 3-5 minutes)

5. Begin layering all the ingredients. Start with a small amount of the pumpkin sauce to layer on the casserole dish and to act as a non stick ingredient. Then add strips of lasagna. Then pumpkin sauce, then mock ricotta cheese. Add a layer of fresh spinach leaves. Then drizzle the cream sauce on top.

Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the casserole dish. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top for a mock parmesan flavor.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes and serve warm.

7. Enjoy your delicious lasagna and store the leftovers or have a big meal and share with friends (with wine!!)!

Hi lovely Philosophie readers! <3

Here are 5 Tips I gave to London’s delicious restaurant Insprial to start bringing more raw and vegan foods into your life.

Sophie’s Top 5 tips for going raw-vegan

1. Luckily, no matter where you live, anything is available now. Get a fun cookbook (or “uncook” book!) or DVD from the internet and get started!
2. Begin slowly. Don’t take on too much. Cut things out one at a time, dairy seems to be the hardest for people. Start with just milk for example, supplementing with almond or rice milk. From there move to raw cheese, etc.
3. Make sure if you are going vegan, it’s for the right reasons. I’ve heard plenty of people (especially in the Hollywood community) that “went vegan” to get “skinny” like celebrities. Then they end up gaining weight! You want to make choices that please you and make YOU happy, not just following trends blindly.
4. Whichever new diet you take on, be sure to get enough green vegetables.
5. Always know that we are ever evolving creatures and constantly going through phases. Be patient with yourself!! This is supposed to be enjoyable, not a punishment.

The full interview can be found on the Inspiral website, where I designed their new raw and vegan full menu! I wish they were closer!!! I miss their desserts BADLY (vegan tiramisu anyone!?! eek!) Full Interview: Click Here

A friend of mine wanted me to make a raw, gluten-free, dairy-free cake for her co-worker who loves chocolate.  Here’s the recipe I used:

Crust:

raw chocolate cake!

• 1/2 C cacao powder
• 1/2 C carob powder
• 1/2 C ground raw almonds
• 1/3 C agave/honey
• 1/4 C cacao butter
• sea salt to taste

Filling:

• 2 C Cacao powder
• 1 1/2 C agave
• 1 C coconut butter (melt by placing in a warm/hot bowl of water)
• 1 tbsp lucuma powder

1. take all ingredients for the crust and mix in the food processor. Once they are combined, take the filling and push it into a pie/tart pan with your fingers. (the best kinds are the ones that have a removable bottom) Chill in the fridge for an hour or freezer for 30 minutes.

2. Mix the filling ingredients and add on top of the filling. Put back in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour. Viola!

You’ll never know (or anyone else) that this is completely gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and HEALTHY for you! Cacao is the highest ranked antioxidant in the world!

*Top with raspberries, strawberries and/or nuts and drizzles of cacao! (an easy cacao topping is mixing cacao powder and agave with a spoon until it’s runny)

Kelp noodles rawk!!! They are virtually calorie free and don’t taste like the sea at all. There is no sugar, gluten, wheat, rice or flour. Kelp is known to aid the metabolism, boost energy, aid in digestion and they contain an abundance of minerals.

Ingredients for Raw, Vegan Pesto Kelp Noodles:

*2 packages Kelp Noodles

*2 large bushels of fresh Basil leaves

*1 Cup fresh Spinach

*1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*1/2 Cup raw Pinenuts

*2 fresh Garlic cloves

*1/2 Teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

pinenuts

Directions:

1) soak kelp noodles in warm/hot water for at least 20 minutes. Drain and  wring out excess water.

2) combine all ingredients in food processor/Cuisinart (except kelp noodles)

3) taste the pesto. It may need more sea salt or garlic for your taste. Also, if it’s too chunky, add more olive oil or a little bit of filtered water. If it’s too watery, add more pine nuts or spinach/basil.

Pesto Kelp Noodles

If you want a variation, try my recipe for Cheezy Kelp Noodles!

I love this recipe for raw, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. They taste like the raw cookie dough we aren’t supposed to love and eat while we’re making “real” cookies… only these are egg-free and completely safe to eat a ton of! Now I’m sharing the recipe with you, for your noshing pleasure.

Recipe for Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies

*2 C nuts (soaked almonds)

*1/2 C dates

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1/2 tsp sea salt

*1/4 C coconut oil, melted (not in a microwave)

*1/4 C-1/2 C chocolate chips (depending on your love of chocolate)

Directions

1. With a food processor, grind up all above ingredients except the chocolate chips. If you process them for a long time they will taste much more like cookie dough, if you process for less time they will have a nutty consistency which is fun and tasty, too!

2. After processing to desired consistency, drop the chocolate chips into the dough and mix with a spoon. Then pulse 3-4 times to mix it and grind the chips into the mixture.

3. Take a cookie sheet and spread the cookie dough into the pan, using your fingers to press into the corners and flatten into one even, level, layer.

4. Put in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to harden.

5. I then took it out and used heart cookie shape cutters but you can roll them into a ball and leave them that way, use another shape, or take the ball and flatten it into a round “cookie”. sky’s the limit! ENJOY!!!