The last recipe I did was a cooked, more traditional version of sweet pesto pasta – but for those of you who like it raw, I offer you my uncooked interpretation. Zucchini, squash (and even eggplant and carrots!) can be shredded into thin, linguine-like strips. If you suffer from gluten allergies, want to shrink your carb-footprint, or just want a lighter, healthier dish – check this cheap and easy (just like me!) recipe:
WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 2):
1 med-large zucchini
1.5 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 ripe avocado
1/4 cup water
1 clove raw garlic
2 dried black mission figs
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs nutritional yeast*
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
DIRECTIONS:
Using a vegetable peeler, shred the zucchini very thinly (using almost no pressure).
In a blender, combine the basil, cashews, avocado, water, garlic, figs, vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt, and Italian seasoning. Save the black pepper for putting on top!
Pour the pesto over the shredded “pasta”, mix, top with the pepper, and serve!
Q&A
*Sometimes when I include Nutritional Yeast in a raw recipe, readers ask, “Is Nutritional Yeast actually raw?”.
The answer is no, it’s not raw. However, you NEVER want to eat raw yeast! Nutritional Yeast it is a really valuable supplement with a rock-star nutritional profile. So if you’re religiously raw – skip it. If not, it’s crucial – and tastes like yummy, nutty, cheesy goodness! According to Sundance Natural Foods:
Raised On Molasses Nutritional yeast is grown on mineral enriched molasses and used as a food supplement. At the end of the growth period, the culture is pasteurized to kill the yeast. You never want to use a live yeast (i.e. baking yeast) as a food supplement because the live yeast continues to grow in the intestine and actually uses up the vitamin B in the body instead of replenishing the supply. (Brewer’s yeast is nutritionally the same but as a by-product of the beer-brewing industry it has a characteristic bitter hops flavor.)
It’s Good For Ya’ Nutritional yeast contains 18 amino acids (forming the complete protein) and 15 minerals. Being rich in the B-complex vitamins, it is vital in many ways and particularly good for stress reduction. The B-complex vitamins help make nutritional yeast such a valuable supplement, especially to the vegetarian. It is one of the rare vegetarian sources of B12.
One element of yeast is the trace mineral chromium, also known as the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). This is necessary to regulate blood sugar and is important for diabetics and people with a tendency toward low blood sugar.
When I was asked to be a judge for the first Veggie Conquest showdown in NYC on August 22nd, I had visions of myself as a TV judge like Judge Judy or Gordon Ramsey – handing out brash words of wisdom and catchy, yet condemning spitballs of criticism. “Don’t feed me mushy pasta and tell me it’s al dente,” I may accuse. Or “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen!” There may also be moments where the audience believes I am going to rip someone a new one – but then after a dramatic pause I say, “This…is…the best dish here.” O, to dream. And that is why you need to enter this competition. Because you know you can make the best dish there. I know it too. So do it. The SECRET INGREDIENT will be revealed a week before the competition!
On food competition shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef, the food is so often an obnoxious cliché. Foie Gras. Lamb. Caviar. Bacon. I mean bring a book, people. How many times can you showcase diseased liver, a cuteness-icon, fish periods, and the ass of an animal that’s smarter than your dog before it gets boring?
I am so excited that there is finally a vegan food competition! I hope you will all buy your tickets for August 22nd, and come join me in Chelsea for this landmark event as a chef or a taster. See you there!
Challenge #1
Amateur Cooking Competition
Aug. 22, 2009
Chelsea, Manhattan
This raw, creamy pasta dish uses thinly-shredded squash and zucchini instead of grain-based pasta. It is amazingly delicious – and as a pasta-lover, I was happily surprised by how much I loved it!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 4):
1 organic zucchini
1 organic yellow squash
2 large organic tomatoes
1 organic avocado
1/4 cup raw, organic cashews
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
pine nuts for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Using a vegetable peeler, shred the zucchini & squash very thinly (using almost no pressure).
In a blender, combine the avocado, tomato, and cashews. Add in the Italian seasoning, salt and Nutritional Yeast.
Pour the sauce mixture over the “pasta”, top with olives and pine nuts, and serve at room temperature.
ONLY 1 DAY LEFT TO ENTER TO WIN THESE BOURGEOIS BOHEME BROGUES! It’s so easy, don’t kick yourself later for not even trying!
Turk + Taylor, creator of handsome, organic garments, has opened a pop-up store in San Francisco! If you’re on the west coast, you must check out their tailored goods for both men and women. And of course they’re offering up a batch of striking tees!
The Turk+Taylor Pop-Up Shop is located at 1529 Fillmore Street in San Francisco. Their phone number is 415-336-5364. They’re open Thursday through Sunday, Noon – 7pm through the end of August.
Animal Rights Activist Jailed at Secretive Prison Gives First Account of Life Inside a “CMU”
In a Democracy Now exclusive interview, Andrew Stepanian, an animal rights activist who was jailed at a secretive prison known as a Communication Management Unit, or CMU, speaks to Democracy Now. Watch the FULL VIDEO.
Jim James of the lionized My Morning Jackethas announced that a portion of the proceeds of an upcoming, limited-edition EP will go to some of our favorite peeps at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!
LEARN TO SHRED! Raw chef Judita(who also happens to star as “Judy Nails” in Guitar Hero) is teaching some raw un-cooking classes in NYC. If you want to learn Raw Foods 101 from a rockstar chef, you musttake the class!
The Cruelest Show On Earth! Ringling Bros has fastened itself onto Coney Island like a parasite for the summer. Find out what happens during typical behind-the-scenes training for circus elephants:
I am on a summer salad kick! They are so easy to make, and you really can’t go wrong. This Raw Fig & Pear Herb Salad with Cashew Cheese & Sweet Almond Vinaigrette is so satisfying that you might want to double the recipe. As always, try to buy organic and go to the farmer’s market, for crying out loud.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 2):
2 cups of baby herb salad
2 pears (of your choice)
10 dried black mission figs
1 wheel of Dr.Cows Aged Cashew Cheese
2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbs Agave Nectar
2 Tbs Raw Almond Butter
DIRECTIONS:
Chop the pear, half the figs, thinly slice the cheese, and toss with the herb salad.
Pour the *Dressing on, and serve!
*DRESSING: in a cup or small bowl, mix the Apple Cider Vinegar, Almond Butter, and Agave.
Most people are surprised to find out that you can eat kale, raw. This raw kale salad is hearty, filling, and delicious. It’s packed with super healthy foods that will give you enough protein, vitamins and minerals to make it to the end of the day focused and strong! I’ve been eating it for lunch a couple times a week, and it never disappoints. As always, make sure to use organic ingredients!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 2):
5 leaves (with stems) of uncooked, green kale
1 large tomato
1 avocado
1/4 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
the juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tbs flax meal
1 tsp nutritional yeast
handful of cilantro
salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Roll the kale leaves together into a tight scroll, longways. Starting at one end, thinly slice all of it.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the avocado.
Chop the tomato & onion, add to bowl.
Dice the cilantro & garlic, add to bowl.
Add in the Kale and, using a fork, mash it into the other ingredients.
Pour the vinegar, and squeeze the lime into the bowl. Add the yeast & mix well.
Top with flax meal (to make, simply put dry flax seeds in a blender)
Marisa and David's Outrageous Kitchen. photo: lordjdavis.com
Last night was such an overwhelming food frenzy! There were more amazing dishes than I had room for on my plate or in my stomach. Last night was also a true testament to the fact that I really don’t miss any non-vegan foods! I’ll be posting the recipes for my two dishes, in a couple of days: Smokey Seitan w/ Mushroom Mousse & Braised Apples in a Pumkin Butter Shell, & Pumpkin Pie Cookies!
photo: lordjdavis.com
I am really blessed to have such an amazing group of people in my life. I can’t tell you how revolutionary it is to be at an event overflowing with amazing drinks and food and conversation, and never have to worry once about the ingredients of anything, defending my choice to be an animal advocate, or losing interest in any conversation. From shoe designers, comic artists, TV personalities, and food-science artists – to organizers, fund-raising powerhouses, filmmakers, lifestyle experts, full-time animal rescuers, lawyers, wellness therapists and fashionistas – there was so much good karma in the room that I was high on it.
Pablo & Veronica brought their finest creations: raw, vegan, aged cheeses. Cashew Blue Cheese, Macadamia, Brazil Nut, Fennel Pollen, and 1 Year Aged Cashew Cheese were more than any cheese-lover could ask for.
On my last day in LA, I stopped by Kelly Green Design who carries Sustainably Harvested Skateboards. These boards were rad – and the graphics were burned on, as opposed to using toxic paints. They made really nice wall art as well.
Sustainable Skateboards
I made my way to Sedona, AZ where I checked out some petroglyphs by the Sinagua with Enzo, munched on raw coconut macaroons, avocado seaweed salad, and other vegan delights at D’Lish, and steered clear of the vortex!
Silver Lake in Los Angeles has become a hotbed of vegan dining. I stopped by Cru for a mostly raw, totally vegan dinner. The vegan joints in LA are notoriously lacking in decor – so I was very impressed with Cru’s dim-lighing, large black and white photographs and sleek, modern details. The atmosphere was great – and crowded on a sunday night, which Zoe informed me is also unheard of in LA. I started with a Watermelon Grenada and the Fig Paté with Cashew Cheese (not aged or as good as Dr. Cow’s, but still delish!) Zoe started with the Ceasar Salad, which was mostly just romaine lettuce and avocado. My entree was very good – Raw Ravioli with Marinated Shitake and Arugala Salad. The ravioloi had the same Cashew Cheese as the appetizer. Raw food is so filling, but i managed to save room for Zoe’s cooked entree. Zoe ordered the Chana Masala over Quinoa which was amazing! Definitly the highlight of the meal. I’ll be stopping by Cru again!
1. Ethletic Blackout High-tops. Retro ‘blackout’ high-top sneaker made with 100% cotton canvas upper and tough rubber sole. Sole is produced and stamped with all natural and sustainable latex. A Fair Trade premium is paid to both the rubber producers in Sri Lanka and to the shoe stitchers in Pakistan. Certified by the Fair Labeling Organization and the Forest Stewardship Council. 100% Vegan. $56
2. Nutella, eat your heart out. RAWtella does it betta’ with 100% raw, vegan, organic ingredients. Who knew that indulgent dude-food could be so chocolaty and… chocolaty? $11.95
3. “Postman” Organic Hemp Bag by SATIVA. Hemp and cotton, finished with metal buckles and plastic zips. Made in Hong Kong, China in an audited factory ensuring no child or prison labour. Only $79.95
DB’s Etiquette Recommendation: Using leather is unnecessary – alternatives are abundant. SATIVA does use leather in some of their products. Click HERE to find out why not to support the leather industry.
Posted by TheDiscerningBrute 
On food competition shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef, the food is so often an obnoxious cliché. Foie Gras. Lamb. Caviar. Bacon. I mean bring a book, people. How many times can you showcase diseased liver, a cuteness-icon, fish periods, and the ass of an animal that’s smarter than your dog before it gets boring?
