Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Vegan Mofo: Raw Food Tuesday

Once again, it's time for my monthly edition of Raw Food Tuesday — an all-day, all-raw "cleanse" intended to expand my knowledge of raw-cipes and give my body a power boost of healthy foods. No coffee, no cupcakes, no processed vegan cheeze — just pure veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and plant oils. As usual with my raw days lately, I started my day with a liquid meal — Tropical Fruit Smoothie:

This little guy contained one banana, a fourth cup of frozen blueberries, a handful of strawberries, mango, and pineapple, a couple tablespoons of dried coconut, and a dose of ground flax seed. It sustained me from 7:30 a.m. to about 10 a.m., and then I had to down this Green Juice for energy:

Isn't that green color lovely? I combined two cups raw spinach, one large tomato, a couple celery stalks, two carrots, half a yellow bell pepper, and a small chili pepper in my Jack Lalanne juicer. I also snacked on a local pear before lunch.

Lunch was a delicious bowl of Gena's Raw Tortilla Soup with avocado from Choosing Raw:

As usual, raw food goddess Gena did not disappoint with this spicy Mexican-inspired soup. The base is made from tomato and red pepper, and it contains lots of spices like cumin, cayenne, and chili powder. Next time, I'll add a jalepeno for an even spicier kick. On the side, I downed this green salad with pomegranate seeds, shitake mushrooms, and a basic oil & vinegar dressing:

The soup kept me full for hours! In fact, I ate way more of it than I should have and I had a bit of a bellyache for an hour or so. Raw food fills you up faster than cooked food, and my hungry brain has a problem understanding that sometimes.

I snacked on some raw veggies — cherry tomatoes, raw okra, bell pepper, and cucumber — around 3:30 p.m. After work, I came home to one of the two greatest meals of my day. Last night, while purchasing veggies at Whole Foods, I discovered this pre-made Raw Vegan Carrot Cake from Intentional Food (by Journey to Bliss):

The lady who makes the Journey to Bliss raw goods lives in Smyrna, Tennessee, a tiny town outside of Nashville. I'd tried her raw cheeze at a vegan potluck in Nashville, but had no idea her products were also available in Memphis!

So I shelled out the $7.99 for this package of cheezecake, despite my lack of funds. I just couldn't resist since I rarely make whole raw cakes and pies for little ole me to eat alone. This was the perfect size — enough for two decent portions (I'm saving half for tomorrow!). Made from cashews, pecans, walnuts, carrots, dates, and raisins, this cake tasted so much like cooked carrot cake — but way healthier! The frosting was the best part (of course!), and it tasted JUST LIKE cream cheeze. Swear to god.

After savoring dessert and hitting the gym, I experienced another glorious raw meal — Gena's Zucchini Alfredo from Choosing Raw:

Sorry for the flash photo, but it was dark outside. I've tried several of Gena's recipes, and trust me, every single one has been a winner. But this really takes the raw cake! The sauce is made from cashews and it's so very, very creamy. I served it over zucchini and carrot noodles (made with a vegetable peeler) and cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're just so darn healthy Bianca!! The raw alfredo sauce recipe is one of my favorites - warmed or cold. Mmmmm...

The Voracious Vegan said...

What a great day of delicious food! I love the glass you had your smoothie in, very sweet! Isn't Gena the BEST? I just made her raw tortilla soup last week and have made it again this week, it is that good. She is a genius!

Wow, I love that raw vegan carrot cake, looks perfectly delicious!

Brittany said...

Oo, the carrot cake looks really yummy. Worth the yen?

http://ramblesandroots.blogspot.com/

Jen Treehugger said...

Everything looks sooo good. I'm really loving the tortilla soup - YUM!

JohnP said...

OK, so now I have to get some of that carrot cake!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

SUCH gorgeous eats!

Vic Robinson said...

Oh my! I totally love the skull glass.

chocolate-covered Katie said...

OMG why do the WF in Dallas not have amazing-looking raw goodies like that?!?!?! Drooling over here! I'm off to see if I can buy it online... although maybe I don't need more expensive addictions. Wild Bars are eatin' a hole in my wallet.

Love,
Katie

Happy Older Hippie Woman! said...

It's so difficult to try to not rave on and on - to just write WOW!! and leave it at that...this is truly an amazing parade of wonderfulness, freshness, and goodness!! WOW!!

Gina said...

That soup looks so fantastic. Next time I need some raw-ness I am definitely heading to Gena, her stuff always looks amazing.

Debra said...

OH goodness! It allllll looks soo good! I am working at high raw so this is right up my alley! Thanks for sharing!

Leslie Richman said...

That looks like such a delicious raw day!

nora said...

the cake and alfredo looks so good! i'm a sucker for the creaminess included in both!!

Jessica said...

I had that Tortilla Soup last week for lunch! Deeeelicious!

Also, oddly enough, I also started my day today with a tropical smoothie. :)

Jen said...

what an awesome food day! that torilla soup intrigues me so.

Cyn said...

Everything looks so delicious! Especially that cake and the alfredo. Your raw days are always so impressive.

Carrie said...

Everything looks so amazing! I am so in love with that wine glass with the skulls.

Katie said...

These meals looks so delicious!! Both you and Gena have really inspired me to try one raw day a week... I'm gonna go for it! XD

Anonymous said...

What a yummy day! The cheezecake definitely looks like it was worth the mulah.

Monique a.k.a. Mo said...

All of this looks so delicious!