Vegan Version of a classic favorite! Recipe adapted from Tiatofu.com

Fruit Pizza

• 1 cup vegan butter, softened (I used Earth Balance)
• 1/2 cup stevia
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Frosting:

• 8 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
• 1/2 cup soy margarine
• 1/2 cup stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

• strawberries
• blueberries
• blackberries
• banana
• kiwi
• pineapple
• raspberries

Directions

1. Mix together in a large mixing bowl: stevia, vegan butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
2. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and baking powder until a dough forms.
3. Cover the bowl and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. I greased a baking sheet and pressed the dough out into a rectangle. You can make your pizza round or any shape you choose.
6. Cook for 12 minutes then allow the crust to cool.
7. While the crust is cooking:
8. Soften the vegan cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it easier to mix. Add all other frosting ingredients to bowl. Mix until well blended. Spread it out evenly onto the sugar cookie crust.
9. Top with your choice of fruit. Store fruit pizza in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 1 package whole wheat penne
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 cups kale (torn or cut into bite size pieces)
• 1 cup each chopped celery, sweet red peppers, green peas (defrosted), zucchini and carrots
• 4 tablespoons vegannaise
• 2 tblsp agave
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the all vegetables except avocado, veganaise, basil, oil, agave, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into vegetable mixture-toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Mix in cubed avocado before serving. Yield: 10 servings.

Another recipe I adapted from Raw on $10 a day (or less) …pure genius! We are always on a time restraint in our house (read:impatient) so dehydrating isn’t always an option. These are not raw as we used an oven to speed up the cooking process for the shells.

• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 ripe bananas
• 4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
• pinch salt

• 2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
• a few chopped walnuts and strawberries

Shells Cooking at low temp in the oven.

]]> http://lawsonwellness.com/2012/07/26/raw-white-button-mushroom-pasta/ Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:17:17 +0000 Laws On Wellness http://lawsonwellness.com/2012/07/26/raw-white-button-mushroom-pasta/

I adapted this recipe from Raw on $10 a Day or less…an amazing site with inexpensive and incredibly tasty recipes.

Nut Parmesan

To make these even more tasty, top with a teaspoon or two of this nut Parmesan.

• 1 cup nuts (I used raw jungle nuts and brazil nuts)
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Grind to a fine powder in the food processor. Avoid over processing as it will cause the nuts to become oily. This will keep for a couple weeks in the fridge.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms – cashew cheese and zucchini filling

When I saw these at the Farmer’s Market I was so excited!! I have been looking at recipes for them and knew I had to try making something with them. The farmer I bought them from recommended stuffing them with cheese. Making this recipe vegan was as easy whipping up a batch of cashew cheese (with an added zucchini bonus) and stuffing them full of goodness. With a crispy batter they fried up to be so ridiculously good that you will not believe it! This is EASY. I promise!

NOTE: This dish is cooked using a shallow frying method. Shallow frying is the cooking of food in a small quantity of pre-heated fat or oil in a shallow pan or on a flat surface (griddle plate). While we don’t recommend using this as an everyday cooking method nor do we claim to be giving nutritional advice, this was a perfect treat. If you are concerned about the small amount of trans fat you can use coconut oil (which doesn’t oxidize as easily as other oils) instead of safflower oil, adjusting the heat to from medium to low and the cooking time accordingly.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

8-10 Squash Blossoms (I bought these at the farmer’s market, 4 for $1)

Filling:

1. 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked (Mine only sat for a couple of hours, overnight is best)
2. 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes (optional, but great if you like nooch)
3. 1 tbsp. olive oil
4. Herbs of your choice- I used Parsley & basil
5. salt and black pepper to taste
6. 1/2 of medium zucchini washed and chopped into large chunks

Batter:

1. 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (any flour would work)
2. 1/4 teaspoon salt
3. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
4. 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
6. 1 packet of stevia
7. 1/2 cup cold club soda
8. 1/2 cup cold water
9. safflower oil for frying

Squash Blossoms fresh from the farmer’s market

Get Started!

Drain Cashews and add all ingredients for filling EXCEPT zucchini to food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt and pepper to liking. Add in chunks of zucchini and process again until smooth. Using either a pastry bag or plastic bag with tip trimmed off gently open blossoms and squeeze cheese into the flower. Carefully twist top to close. It is okay if some of the mixture is visible…it won’t matter!

Next, mix batter in a shallow bowl.  Place pan and about an 1/8 inch of oil on medium heat.

Dip stuffed blossoms into batter thoroughly coat and place in heated pan. Brown one side completely before flipping. About 4-5 minutes each side. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate and serve immediately. These don’t need a sauce! They are so incredibly good!!!!

So we have this thing for carrot cakes. Not just any carrot cakes, but perfect carrot cakes. So far, Café Indigo has created the perfect carrot cake that has given the whole Laws On Wellness crew lasting memories. Unfortunately, we’ve given up the consumption of sugar. And with the exception of Heather’s birthday that means no Café Indigo until the WNBA season is over. Well, we found a plan B. Not only is it refined-sugar free, it is completely raw and insanely delicious.

“Cake”

• 2 cups shredded organic carrot
• 3/4 cup dates, about 9 soft medjool
• 1/2 cup raw pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• pinch of salt
• zest 1/2 a lime

Add all ingredients to your food processor and pulse several times. Continue to pulse until ingredients are mixed and sticking together. Form mixture into small cake, or patty, and place on baking sheet covered with wax paper.

Cashew Frosting

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked for a few hours and drained
• 1/4 cup water, more if needed
• 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest 1/2 lime
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

In a blender or food processor mix all ingredients except coconut oil, until smooth.  Depending on your blender, you may have to add more water to get everything to move.

Add coconut oil and continue to blend until creamy. Chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator or until firm and spreadable. Spread on refrigerated cakes and enjoy!

Inspired by Jessie Monds

I really don’t know where the idea for this came from other then Heather asking me, “Did you make that polenta yet?” I had polenta. I had eggplant. Add some sauce and something green and you have dinner.

• 2-4 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 medium organic eggplant
• I cup of Italian dressing (preferably fat free)
• 1-2 cups of panko bread crumbs (spread in a large bowl or on a plate)
• 1 tube of polenta
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 sliced tomato

 Sauce

• 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• ¼ cup fresh or dried basil
• 1 tbls oregano
• Of course you can skip this part and buy a premade sauce, I love Everyday 365 Eggplant Marinara

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook desired amount of brown rice according to package directions.

Lightly spray a baking dish with a cooking spray or spread some safflower oil on the dish.

Slice eggplant into round pieces about ¼ – ½ inch thick. Individually dip each slice in Italian dressing, letting excess dressing drip off. Press eggplant into the bowl or plate of bread crumbs. After lightly coating each side, set in baking dish. Repeat until all pieces are covered and placed in baking dish.

Bake at 400, flipping eggplant over after 12-15 minutes. After flipping, bake an additional 10 minutes or until bread crumbs look toasted.

Bake polenta alongside eggplant, flipping at the same time you flip eggplant.

Lay brown rice on plate then begin to alternate eggplant, spinach, tomatoes, and polenta. Use sauce as desired. (We topped each eggplant with sauce before adding spinach and polenta then added additional sauce to rice.) 

Lighten up your pizza using summer squash and a few other fresh vegetables! Have fun with this one, pick your favorites and enjoy!

Make your pizza crust using this recipe!

Crust:

• 1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (not too hot! hot water will kill the yeast.)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar

Grill or saute your vegetables in extra virgin olive oil.

Top with organic pizza sauce, Daiya (cheese substitute), and veggies. Bake until 20-25 mins or until crust is golden brown.

• 2 c. cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tbls  hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine
• 2 tbls chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp lemon zest.
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• juice from 1 lemon
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook quinoa according to directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Combine 2 c. cooked quinoa with flour, ground flax seeds and water.

Add grated carrots, spices, lemon and lime zest, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Wet hands with water, and form thick quinoa patties. Pat edges of patties to firm up–rewetting hands with water if needed.

Transfer cakes to a baking sheet and bake for additional 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Remove from oven and serve. We garnished ours with Heather’s Southwest Black Bean Salad.

Ingredients

yeilds: 1 big serving or 2 small side salads

• 2 big stalks of kale
• Sea salt
• Red pepper salad dressing (see recipe below)
• 1/2 avocado, cubed
• 1/2 pear chopped
• 1 tablespoon red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2  teaspoon sesame seeds

1. Pull the kale leaves off  the stems, and break into small, bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with sea salt and massage the leaves for a couple of minutes, scrunching handfuls of kale in your hands.  Repeat until the kale becomes darker in color and more fragrant.
2. Put kale into a bowl, drizzle in desired amount of salad dressing. Toss Kale until fully coated.
3. Add the avocado, carrots, pear and red onion.
4. Top with a big sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!

This recipe adapted from Healthyhappylife.com

Cheezy Broccoli Bean Fritters
makes 7-9 fritters

• 4 cups minced broccoli (from whole florets)
• 1 1/2 cups cannellini beans, drained from one can
• 1/4 cup vegan cheese (I used a blend of pepper jack and cheddar shreds)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

for frying: 1/4 cup safflower oil
bread crumb coating: panko or fine plain bread crumbs

To Make:

1. Mince florets in food processor until finely chopped into flaky bits. I used one medium head of broccoli – mostly the florets and a few stems.

2. Add the beans and minced/chopped broccoli to a large mixing bowl. With a large fork or potato masher, mash the beans until at least 75% of them have been mashed together with the broccoli.

3. Add in the garlic powder, apple cider, hemp seeds, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, s and p. Fold in the vegan cheese. Fold together until a moist mixture forms.

4. Preheat a few tablespoons of safflower oil in a large skillet.

5. When the oil is hot, for the mixture into golf ball sized balls and roll in the bread crumbs until well covered – pat down into flatter cakes and place in the hot oil – carefully.

6. Continue until the pan is full – leave about an inch space between each cake for easier flipping. Cook on each side only about 2 minutes – or until toasty brown.

7. Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel to cool. Serve in about 5 minutes after cooling a bit.

*Store in the fridge and reheat in the oven if desired. You can freeze as well. However, these fritters are best hot off the skillet!

A quick and easy Southwestern-inspired bean salad came to me on the day of a picnic when what I had laying around for ingredients would have to do. It was a hit!

Ingredients:

• 2 15 ounce cans black beans, well drained
• 1 1/2 cups corn
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced (any color will do but orange made this salad very colorful!)
• 1 avocado, diced (optional, but do not add until serving)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Quinoa Crusted Polenta with Potato:

Ingredients:

• cup cooked Quinoa (I used red and black quinoa)
• 1 tube Polenta
• 2 Baked and sliced Sweet potatoes
• Olive oil spray
• Safflower oil for cooking Polenta
• Salad ingredients, Baby spinach, cucumbers, tomoto

Prepare salad and set aside.

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Spread Quinoa out on a baking sheet to dry and cool. To speed this up, put baking sheet into refrigerator for 5-10  mins.

Heat safflower oil on low heat on stove top.

Cut polenta into rounds. Spray lightly with olive oil spray and coat both sides in cooled and dried polenta and place in heated pan. Cook until brown and crisp. Remove from pan and and let cool on a paper-towel lined plate.

Have baked sweet potatoes cut and ready.

Arrange salad in the center of plate and put polenta and potato in a circle surrounding salad. Serve with favorite dressing.

Edamame Dip:

• 2 cups shelled, cooked edamame
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Nothing beats a fresh salad…except a fresh salad with grilled veggies.

This is as easy as it gets.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 zucchini sliced
• 1 eggplant sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado pitted and cubed
• Olive oil
• sea salt

Heat grill  or preheat oven to broil.

Cook quinoa and beans according to directions on packages. Lightly brush sliced zucchini and eggplant with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Grill or broil until golden brown on both sides.

Cut spinach into bite size pieces, pepper into strips and cube avocado.

In a large dish arrange ingredients in segments. Serve with lemon slices or fresh balsamic for dressing.

Place all berry ingredients in food processor and pulse a couple times, just enough to chop berries and blend them together. Place berry mixture in a 8×8 casserole dish.

Add all crust ingredients into food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped. Pour nut mixture on top of berry mixture. For an extra kick, place casserole dish in dehydrator for 2 hours or so. Enjoy!

Filling

• 1 container organic Strawberries (sliced)
• 1 container organic blueberries
• 1 container organic raspberries
• 1 tbls of agave nectar

Crust

• 1 cup of mixed nuts (we used raw hazelnuts and raw macadamia nuts)
• ½ cup of regular oats
• 1 tbls of agave nectar
• optional: ½ cup of organic shredded coconut

This really should be called Vanilla Almond OH MY GOODNESS this is good Granola….

Too long, right?

Yeah, I thought so too.

Granola is hard to keep in the pantry in this house. Everybody loves it on everything. It gets snacked on right out of the jar and poured into a bowl, topped with almond milk. We love this granola sprinkled on top of our Everyday Oatmeal, it goes great on top of our Smoothies and is a MUST with our Chocolate Chia Soft Serve.

Ingredients:

Dry

• 3 C Oats (Not instant or quick cooking)
• 1 1/2 C Raw Almonds
• 1/2 C Millet
• 1/4 C Sesame seeds
• !/4 C Sunflower Seeds

• 1/4 C Pumpkin
• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Seasalt

wet:

• 1/2 C Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 C Brown Rice Syrup
• 1/2 Safflower Oil
• 3 Tbsp Almond Butter
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325*

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients. Stir until nuts and seeds are fully incorporated.

In a medium size bowl combine and stir all wet ingredients.

Pour over dry in ingredients in large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring once about 10 minutes in. Watch Granola carefully!! Crispy is good but it can go from brown to burnt in a flash.

Cool, on baking sheet. Place and store (if you don’t eat it all right away) in a air tight jar or container.

This post was designed to showcase a delicious sweet potato and avocado combination Kara and Heather came up with during our Memorial Day celebration. As the simplicity of the recipe became apparent, I called Heather saying, “This is too easy. What should I serve with it?” The truth is, the whole meal is simple, easy, and takes no time at all. Just the way I like it! So follow along… its extremely simple.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• 2 Sweet potatoes
• 1 avocado

Boil the sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes depending on the size. Add cooked sweet potatoes and avocado to food processor and process until smooth (not runny). Yeah, that’s it. No oil or butter required. The avocado adds a delicious accent and thickness to the potato. It tastes just like the sweet potato casserole my Grandma used to make (without the butter, brown sugar, milk, and marshmallows).

Portabello Hot Wings

• 2 portabello caps, cleaned and cut
• ¼ cup of Franks Buffalo Wing sauce
• 1 tbls agave nectar
• Nutritional yeast

Whisk wing sauce and agave together. Coat chopped portabello caps then top with nutritional yeast. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Just enough to warm. Don’t cook too log or mushrooms will shrivel and shrink. Serve with a leafy green and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Zucchini Spiraled
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup tamari
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp safflower oil
• 1 jar favorite marinara sauce

Directions:

Spiral Zucchini or using a vegetable peeler make long noodle like strands.

In food processor combine beans, oatmeal, garlic, and 1/2 cup tamari. Pulse until mixed but not too much.

Roll mixture into balls then coat with bread crumbs.

Heat safflower oil over medium low heat on stove top. Add bean balls and cook until all sides are golden and crisp.

In a separate pan cook zucchini noodles with 2 tbsp tamari until thoroughly heated. Add marinara sauce, top with bean balls.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 15 1/2-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained, thoroughly patted dry

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper. Add chickpeas and toss to coat thoroughly. Turn chickpeas out onto baking sheet and roast, stirring or shaking baking sheet often, until chickpeas are browned and crunchy, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving, stirring occasionally.

*I found this recipe at allrecipes.com but there are a ton of variations. Use your favorite spices to create a snack you’ll love.

The quest to create refined sugar-free desserts that blow your mind continues…don’t let the avocado scare you off. This little dessert is big on taste and pretty healthy as far as desserts go!

Yeilds: 18 Mint Avocado Cups

Ingredients:

Base:

• 8 squares Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate
• 1/2 cup soy margarine
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp Agave

Mint Layer:

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon stevia, liquid
• 3 tablespoon agave
• 1 tablespoon mint extract
• 1 teaspoon Spirulina (this is optional, but go for it! Spirulina is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids and in this recipe it helps with green color! Source.)

Crumbly Cake Layer:

• 2 1/2 cups whole walnuts, shelled, unsoaked
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp liquid stevia)
• 2 tbsp agave or maple syrup

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. To prepare base put chocolate and soy margarine in a medium size bowl and heat until melted. This takes about 3-4 minutes in the microwave. Watch carefully and stir until mixture is smooth when finished. Add the rest of the base ingredients and stir. Pour or spoon mixture evenly into each lined muffin cup.

In food processor combine Crumbly Cake Layer ingredients.  Pulse until all ingredients are blended but leave this layer fairly chunky. Place mixture in a small bowl and ready processor for the next layer.

Lastly, prepare the Mint Layer. Place both peeled and pitted avocados into processor along with the other Mint Layer ingredients. Process until smooth.

Add Mint Layer to your chocolate base using either a spoon, pastry bag, or plastic bag with corner cut off.  Top with Cake  Layer and put pans in freezer to set. Cups should be ready to eat in about 45-60 minutes.

A Sunday morning break from juicing and some inspiration from Angela at ohsheglows.com brought this beauty for breakfast!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Whole Wheat Wraps
• 1 package extra firm cubed tofu
• 1 baked sweet potato cubed
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 4 large leaves of kale torn into bite size pieces
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• parsley, basil, salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and red pepper. Once garlic has turned golden brown add tofu, Kale, sweet potato, lemon juice and spices. Stirring and gently mashing some of the potato cook mixture until thoroughly heated. Roll  mixture into a heated wheat wrap and enjoy!

When you find a recipe this good…you can’t wait to share it with everyone!

These little pies are so sweet!

Loaded with antioxidants and because they are already a single serving size,

they make the perfect snack or dessert!

This recipe was adapted Amy Layne at Damy Health.

Prep time: 15 Minutes

Yield: Makes 12 Single Serving Pies

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Pitted Dates
• 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Plain Coconut
• 1 Cup Raw Nuts (cashews work really well)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Zest

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup Natural Cashew Butter
• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Blueberries
• 1/2 Cup Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 3 Stevia Packets
• 1 1/2 Tsp Lemon
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Place all crust ingredients into your food processor and blend until dough-like (If your mixture is not sticking add a couple tbsp of warm water and mix again).
Spray your muffin tin with a non-stick cooking spray.
Evenly press down crust into each tin as thick or thin as you would like. Place muffin tin in the freezer while you prepare filling.
Place all blueberry pie filling in the food processor and blend until completely smooth (stopping to scrape down the sides). Evenly spoon pie filling on to individual crusts and spread evenly. Enjoy!
Store these sweet little pies in a sealed-tight container in the refrigerator.

You ever have a dream and wake up with a new recipe that you know you have to make?

So, you get up (at 2:35am) and make a note to yourself because you REALLY don’t want to forget???

I really hope someone else out there said yes…

But even if you didn’t, even if you are not a vegan, even if you are not a pizza lover…this recipe is the stuff dreams are made of (literally) and needs to be made!

Here it is savory, simple, so delicious!

yeilds: two 8 inch pizzas or one 14 inch pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (not too hot! hot water will kill the yeast.)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar

Sauce:

• 1 can of your favorite organic red enchilada sauce

Toppings:

• 1 package of chicken style seitan
• 2 tbsp favorite taco seasoning
• 1/2 of red onion sliced into rings
• 1 red pepper cut into strips
• 1 cup Daiya pepperjack style cheese shreds
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup corn kernels
• nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 425*.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water until white and creamy. In a large bowl combine flours, flaxseed, salt, basil, and red pepper flakes. Make a well in the middle and add yeast mixture, and agave nectar. Stir well to combine. Cover and set aside while you cook the seitan.

Heat seitan over medium heat until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and stir. Set aside.

Roll out pizza dough on a generously (at least a handful, it will make it so much easier) floured cutting board. Using a spatula transfer dough to pizza stone and pre-bake 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven.

Starting with sauce, then cheese assemble pizza with toppings. Get creative, this is YOUR pizza!

Put back in oven and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes. Oven temp varies, watch carefully.

Indianapolis Road Trip (June 7^th-June 9^th)

We embarked on a quick early season road trip last week to Indianapolis for what would be a huge test for our team.  This is my first season as a Vegan and what complicates things even more for me on the road is that I am a Raw Vegan on game days.  I researched Indy and the surrounding areas for Vegan friendly establishments.

In the airports I don’t have too many options for food so my best bets tend to be salad places or Mexican places.  I had some black beans and rice with guacamole for lunch on our layover in Detroit.  I also carry snacks with me and I was fortunate enough to have a few of Heather’s amazing bars  on the trip so I snacked on one as we were landing in Indy.

We stay really busy on the road.  After the bus dropped us at the hotel, we had about 45 min before we had to be back downstairs to board the bus again for practice.  Film, shooting, Fever game plan, then ice.  By the time we got back to the hotel I was STARVING!  I went upstairs to the Concierge Lounge (perks of being on the road a ton) to see what was available.  They had a bunch of snacks and I decided to nosh on some raw veggies (carrots, celery, cucumbers and broccoli) to hold me over.

I found a Vegan Café’ online that was within walking distance of our hotel, called the Earth House Collective.

The Café’ has a cool ambience. It’s in part of an old church.  The seating around the perimeter of the establishment are old church pews.  I happened to visit on Open Mic night as well so local bands were playing Live Music while everyone ate dinner.  I settled on the Seitan Gyro and as you can see from the picture, it was delicious.  Home made flatbread, seitan, and cucumber dressing, spectacular.

The Raw Vegan commitment on game days takes a little more planning.  I make sure that I stop at a grocery store to pick up some organic fruit or veggies to have in the room in case I need a little extra.  Breakfast is usually fruit and they had plenty of it in the Lounge the next morning.

I lifted weights after eating breakfast and found I was still a little hungry.  On a normal day I will try to eat something every 3 hours, but I find on days I eat Raw that I have to eat every 2 hours.  I walked to a juice bar  to curb my appetite before shootaround.  In the morning is a great time to have a fresh, vegetable juice.  You can lock in your vegetable allotment for the day in one drink.  Natural Born Juicers tries to be as local and as organic as possible.  I had an Ultimate Greens juice.  I’ve never been a coffee drinker but fresh green juice gives me a huge jolt of energy every time.

I actually returned to the juice bar right after shootaround to get two smoothies.  The Black Mamba smoothie had blueberries, banana, cacao, spirulina and almond milk.  I drank one with my lunch and put the other on ice in my room for later.  Lunch was a salad.  I love those salad places where you can “create your own”. I’m picky with my veggies so I like to decide the combinations.  The more colorful the better, I think I did a pretty good job with this one.

I took the requisite afternoon nap and woke up to the smoothie I put on ice from earlier in the day and my new game day must have, the PB HeatherBar!

All of this beautiful nutrition planning and execution, was clearly the main reason we beat the Fever for our 2^nd road win of the season! I played well, scoring 12 points in the 3^rd quarter and 18 points in the game.

Post game I like to go out to eat with my friends in different cities.  Since I’m no longer under the raw restriction after the game, I’m a little more flexible and can almost eat anywhere.  I had some steamed veggies and brown rice for my postgame meal and some much needed sleep.

We had an early wake up the next morning and recovery is such a huge part of performance so I always try to get back to hotel at a decent hour in order to start that process as soon as possible.