Ginger Sesame Bowl

A “tangy and sweet ginger-sesame sauce mixed with shredded veggies and raw kelp noodles, topped with tamari pumpkin seeds and carrots.”

Ginger Sesame Bowl - Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe

Enchilada Plate

“Tomato-flax tortillas filled with herbed cashew cheese, spiced veggies and avocado. Topped with mango pico de gallo and served with a beautiful salad.”

Enchilada Plate - Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe

Morning Energizer and Carrot Juice

The morning energizer was fantastic – extremely refreshing – the prefect combination of “apple, pear, parsley, lemon, ginger.” Basic carrot juice is also extremely satisfying.

Morning Energizer and Carrot Juice - Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe

It’s always great when the food is as tasty as it looks.

QUESTION: What’s you favorite raw dish and drink on offer from the Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe in Seattle, WA and why? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe Elsewhere on the Web

• Chaco Canyon Cafe on Facebook
• Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe on UrbanSpoon

Possibly Related Posts:

• Raw Food in Vancouver, BC: Indigo Food Cafe
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Mango Pudding
• Zimt Artisan Chocolates
• Best of Raw Awards 2012 – Vote Now – Gala Event in San Francisco on February 19th
• Review: Super Dressings from Foods Alive

For the finest, highest quality chocolate, look no further than Zimt. A Vancouver- based, locally owned and operated company, Zimt Artisan Chocolates strives to provide lovers of chocolate and appreciators of health with a phenomenally delicious, and surprisingly healthy, hand-made, organic, vegan, raw, fair-trade chocolate bar line. With nine flavours (and counting!) I want to ensure that there is something for everyone. The current line- up includes:

• Chocolate Coconut Fudge
• Chocolate Coconut Crisp
• Chocolate Nib’d
• Peppermint Nib’d
• Sweet Orange Nib’d
• Chocolate 67%
• Kaffee Chocolate
• Salt of the Earth
• Sugar & Spice

These decadent treats are not only suitable for those who follow a vegan diet for ethical reasons, but also suitable for those with sugar-related health conditions, such as diabetes. All Zimt chocolate is sweetened with low glycemic index coconut nectar- which also contains plenty of trace vitamins and minerals. Unlike many raw companies, which use maple syrup or even agave to sweeten their products, Zimt’s bars are made with pure, raw coconut nectar.

Many of us are also familiar with the benefits of raw cacao- incredibly high in antioxidants, magnesium, and iron, this is most certainly a superfood. To keep this chocolate super, I make sure to make it with the best ingredients. Zimt chocolate contains only pure, raw cacao- the philosophy being, if you can have something that is raw and healthy, and tastes just as good as its cooked counterpart, why not do your body a favour and go with raw?

So, if you are in the mood for something sweet, or would like to give a special treat, look no further than Zimt Artisan Chocolates – your ethical indulgence.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Cake
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Mango Pudding
• Raw Food in Vancouver, BC: Indigo Food Cafe
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Inspired Dessert
• Raw Food in Pictures: Filet de Saumon from the OrganicLives Cafe, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Rawsome Living Foods has been providing education and delicious live plant-based cuisine for the past 3 years. Jim Maurice received his chef and instructor training at Living Lights Culinary Institute in Fort Bragg California. His journey into the world of creating gourmet living plant-based food has been one of adventure and delight. Both is encapsulated in the magical trips Jim takes yearly to Tokyo to train individuals in the preparation of live plant-based foods. He has taught well over 200 individuals to be chefs and instructors, promoting a living plant-based food movement in Japan.

As often is the case, we are regarded more highly away from our home of origin. Yes, www.rawsomelivingfoods.ca does provide workshops, retreats, private dinners, products, and coaching support to 100s of customers yearly on Salt Spring Island. However, the living plant-based foods movement is slow in coming to this island, which is apparent when we attempt to eat out at restaurants on this Gulf Island, often named the Organic Capital of Canada. Jim is seeking to alter that this summer by hosting the first Raw Living Foods Festival from August 10-12.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
August 10-12 Salt Spring Island’s first ever RAW LIVING FOODS FESTIVAL!

Come to Salt Spring Island and enjoy a weekend of expert keynotes, expert panel discussions, raw food prep demonstrations, marketplace vendors, live music, AND AMAZING RAW FOOD!

Pick one session to attend or come for the full 3 days and make it a destination event to remember.

LOOKING FOR: vendors, presenters, volunteers, participants.

COMING SOON – Look for our dedicated Facebook page and website with all the festival details and reservation information. Early bird prices, accommodation links, and more.

For more information, please contact Rawsome Living Foods.

Look for this recipe and more in the Rawsome Living Foods February 2012 newsletter

Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Raw Vegan Cregam of Mushroom Soup

A very quick and easy to make mushroom soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashew milk
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
• Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until blended and creamy, or until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with extra diced mushrooms.

Raw Cashew Milk Recipe

(Non-dairy milk substitute)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• Water
• Dash sea salt, to taste

Directions:

• Cover raw cashews with water and allow to soak for at least one hour. Drain and rinse.
• Place soaked cashews and 2 cups water into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
• You can use more or less water to vary the thickness of your “milk”, depending on your personal preference, but in general a 1:4 ratio of cashews to water works well.
• “Milk” may also be strained through a nut milk bag.

Possibly Related Posts:

• April 2010 Events at Rawsome Living Food, Salt Spring Island, BC
• Eat Raw Vegan Mentioned in December 2009 Rawsome Living Foods Newsletter
• Home-Made Vanilla Almond Milk Recipe
• Basic Juice Recipe: Apple Ginseng
• Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Sometimes it takes going on a trip to Thailand to rejuvenate the taste buds so one can recreate a live plant-based version of traditional Thai street vendor food. Having been a raw foodist for 4 years, I’m not afraid to admit that ‘when in Rome’, I will eat some cooked plant-based dishes, especially if I am new to the culture and country. The three recipes I’ve provided are Thai-inspired, fashioned after what we tried in Thailand during our recent trip abroad. Also they represent some of the foods that seemed to be common in most places we found ourselves.

When making the transition to a live plant-based lifestyle, I always stress the importance of adhering to one’s values. For me, plant-based is my bottom line whether live or cooked. And in Thailand, it was no different. Some good questions to ask your self are:

1. What am I willing to let go of?
2. What must remain in my life?
3. When can there be some wiggle room?
4. What is foundational regardless of where I find myself?

www.rawsomecoaching.ca provides weekly tips and recipes for those who are looking to gain some insight into incorporating more live plant-based foods into their diet. And www.rawsomecoaching.ca asks the powerful questions that get you looking at more that just the physical aspects of your life. Eating live plant-based foods is more that a diet, it is a lifestyle – mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical.

I hope you enjoy the Thai-inspired meal below and I hope you sign up for your weekly fix of www.rawsomecoaching.ca – where possibilities abound.

Spicy Thai Salad

Serves 2-4 people

Salad Ingredients – Toss in salad bowl

• 1 carrot – julienne
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce – chopped
• 1 tomato – cut in chunks
• 2 green onions – chopped
• 1 cucumber – chopped or sliced
• 1/2 cup cashews

Dressing – Blend in blender. Drizzle on top of salad.

• 1 lime – juiced
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp Tamari (wheat-free)
• 1/4-12 tsp chili flakes
• 2 Tbsp oil (optional)
• 1 zucchini – chopped
• Water as needed

Pad Thai

Serves 2-4 people

Pad Thai Sauce – Blend in blender and coat kelp noodles

• 4-6 key limes – juiced
• 1/4 cup Tamari (wheat-free)
• 4 Medjool dates (soaked if not soft)
• 1/4- 1 tsp chili flakes (depending on how hot you like it)
• 1 Tsp fresh ginger – grated
• 4 Tbsp sesame oil

Pad Thai Ingredients

• 1 bag Kelp Noodles or 2 zucchini spiralized or young Thai coconut cut into strips to look like noodles
• 1-2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
• 2-4 green onions – sliced
• 1/2 – 1 red pepper – sliced
• 1/4 cup crushed almonds
• Any other fresh vegetables you would like to include for added colour

Plating Directions

Marinate the noodles in the sauce for 1-2 hours until they soften slightly. Lay the noodles on the plate. Then top the remaining ingredients on top of the noodles starting with the mung beans.

Banana Cacao Ice Cream

Serves 2 people

Blend in blender until smooth. Serve and eat immediately.

• 1 frozen banana
• 1-2 Tbsp raw cacao
• 1 Tsp vanilla
• 1-2 Tsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Lemon Paprika Dressing Recipe
• Review: Super Dressings from Foods Alive
• Sports Nutrition for the Active Lifestyle Class – March 2011
• Raw Beauty 2011: 13 Real People Gone Raw
• Grand Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

The Best of Raw Awards Gala is on February 19th in San Francisco, California. This is the 4th annual event honoring and celebrating the people, places, products and media of the raw vegan foods movement. It will be the raw food movement industry event of the year, including red carpet entry, raw celebrity award announcers, gourmet raw food, live music and performances and live streaming of the event on line.

You can vote for your favorite raw food finalists until February 13th. To find out more about the awards gala, please visit: http://www.bestofrawfoods.com/awards-ceremony/

Possibly Related Posts:

• Lover’s Gourmet Raw Valentine Retreat February 13, 2011
• Raw Yoga:Yoga and Raw Foods Weekend Experience with Jillian Love & Wendy Faith
• Grand Opening of the New Quebec Street Location of OrganicLives Enterprises, Saturday, November 21, 2009
• Zimt Artisan Chocolates
• Raw Food in Vancouver, BC: Indigo Food Cafe

Indigo Food elsewhere on the Web

• The Indigo Food Café Facebook Page
• Indigo Food on Urban Spoon
• Indigo Food Cafe Facebook Page

QUESTION: What is your favourite dish at Indigo Food Cafe and why? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Mango Pudding
• Raw Food in Pictures: Filet de Saumon from the OrganicLives Cafe, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Another Awesome Meal at OrganicLives with Friends
• geoffmobile: “What’s it like being Raw Vegan in Vancouver?”
• VeggieWorld Interviews Aaron Ash of Gorilla Food – Organic Raw Vegan Food in Vancouver, BC, Canada – Part Two

Mike’s Organic Special Golden Flax Oil

I really enjoyed Mike’s Special Golden Flax oil. In the product description, it mentions that the dressing “is the perfect drizzle sauce for any dish, salad, veggies” and that the “taste is similar to French dressing, but with a nice kick in the pants!”. I don’t really think it tastes like French dressing, but it definitely is flavourful and extremely versatile – as versatile as my own lemon praprika dressing recipe. The dressing would work well on any mix of salad greens, on a basic carrot salad and might even make a nice marinade for kale chips (though I’ll have to verify this).

Meg’s Organic Sweet & Sassy Hemp Oil Dressing

Many oils & dressings one comes across have already started to go rancid, often because the manufactures use low-quality ingredients. Foods Alive uses high quality organic ingredients and creates their dressings and oils in small batches to insure freshness. One of my friends whom I asked for their take on the super dressings is particularly sensitive to the taste of rancid oils. She was extremely impressed with both of the super dressings we got to try, but particularly the Meg’s Organic Sweet & Sassy Hemp Oil Dressing. My friend was unable to detect any sign of rancidity. (Oils that are starting to go rancid can really affect the outcome the walnut mylk recipe and Better than Brownies, and in general any recipe that uses nuts.)

The Sweet & Sassy Hemp Oil dressing has less ‘kick’ than Mike’s Special Golden Flax Oil. My friend was extremely impressed with this dressing, as she’s previously avoided hemp oil based dressings because they have either started to go rancid or are too strongly flavoured. I enjoy both subtle and strong flavours, so both super dressings were a treat for me – my friends and I quickly used up both dressings.

Super Dressings from Foods Alive

What is the greatest compliment a food review can give a product? Answer: The reviewer enjoyed the product so much that they go out and buy some more! I’m going to do just that – one bottle for home and one for the office.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Review: Flax Crackers from Foods Alive
• Lemon Paprika Dressing Recipe
• Date Syrup Recipe
• Grand Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
• Another Awesome Meal at OrganicLives with Friends

Apple Ginseng Juice

Ingredients:

• organic granny smith apples
• fresh ginseng root
• ice cubes (optional)

Equipment:

• Your favourite juicer

Directions

• Juice 3-4 apples for every 2-3 small ginseng root.
• Put all ingredients through the juicer
• Test juice for taste and adjust by adding more apples or ginseng.
• Serve over ice cubes in a glass and enjoy!

You can find fresh ginseng at many Asian markets. Try to get organically grown ginseng if you can – you can even try growing your own

QUESTION: What is your favourite variety of apple, especially with this juice combination and why? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Raw Food in Pictures: Dehydrated Veggie Patties with Chutney and Cucumber Salad
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Cake
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Mango Pudding
• Raw Elvis Sandwich with Raw Peanut Butter Recipe
• Raw Food in Pictures: Filet de Saumon from the OrganicLives Cafe, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Veggie patties served with pear-celantro chutney, sliced cucumber over mixed salad greens.

I hope the picture above inspires your own raw food creations. Have a great day!

Possibly Related Posts:

• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Cake
• Raw Food in Pictures: Filet de Saumon from the OrganicLives Cafe, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Basic Juice Recipe: Apple Ginseng
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Mango Pudding
• The Benefits of a Vegan Diet are Many: Before And After Photo

This class is designed to be very interactive and as such leaves plenty of room to cover specific topics that affect each of you.

We will cover the following within the class:

• The Mind, Body, Food connection
• Fundamentals of Food (Carbs/Fats/Protein)
• Sources of Essential Nutrients
• Food Combining
• How muscle is built and trained
• Increasing strength, stamina and size
• Best practices to stay lean
• Quick and easy recipes when you are on the go
• All day recipes when you have the time

The Class will begin at 9am and runs until 12pm.

Please register online by following this link.

These classes fill up fast. Space is limited, and there are roughly only five spots left! Register now to secure your seat.

If you have any further questions, please contact OrganicLives.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Sun., Dec. 5th, 2010: Raw Vegan Holiday Feast with Living Food Instructor Chantale Roy
• Raw Food in Pictures: Chocolate Mango Pudding
• Raw Food in Pictures: Filet de Saumon from the OrganicLives Cafe, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Another Awesome Meal at OrganicLives with Friends
• Kombucha Tea Making Workshop – Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 7:30PM (Commercial Drive Area, Vancouver, BC, Canada)