• VegNews Magazine included Practically Raw on their list of 2012′s Ten Must-Buy Vegan Cookbooks! I mentioned it on Facebook yesterday, and my editor Jon talked about it on the Vegan Heritage Press blog as well. Yay!
• Remember the cliffhanger from my first wedding planning post on Rose Pedals? The conclusion, Real Vegan Wedding Planning: Trouble In Paradise, Part Two was posted this morning! Psst…the post reveals Matt’s and my wedding date, which we’ve kept secret up till now. The cat is officially out of the bag!

On Monday, I gave you a photo-packed mega-preview of my cookbook, Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make. I also promised to share one of the recipes with you today. Lots of people voted, and it was a close race between the Apple Pie Oatmeal and the White Chocolate Coconut Fudge Bites. I was actually surprised, since I know I post far more sweet stuff than savory on this blog already…but apparently, you guys love your sweets! However, I promise the next Practically Raw recipe I share will be a savory one.

And the winner is…

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Recipe from Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley (Vegan Heritage Press, 2012)

It’s like dessert for breakfast! This low-fat apple-pie-in-a-bowl oatmeal really hits the spot on a chilly morning. Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by up to 10%—score! You get extra credit if you make this with fresh-pressed apple juice and soaked, blended oat or buckwheat groats in place of the rolled oats (see the Variations below).

1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Big pinch of sea salt
1 cup raw rolled oat flakes OR old-fashioned rolled oats
Additional almond milk, for serving (optional)

Combine all ingredients, except the oats and the optional additional almond milk, in a medium bowl. Add the oats and stir thoroughly to combine. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the oats to soak up the liquid.  If you have particularly thirsty oats, you can add additional liquid.

Serve cold, or warm in a dehydrator for 30 minutes or in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat before serving. Top with a splash of additional almond milk before serving, if desired.

Yield: 2 servings
Per serving: 270 calories, 3.9g fat (trace sat), 55.4g carbs, 6g fiber, 6.3g protein

Substitutions
Almond milk: any other nondairy milk
Apple juice: filtered water plus 1 teaspoon agave nectar or stevia to taste
Maple syrup: agave nectar, coconut nectar, any other liquid sweetener, or 1 tablespoon filtered water plus stevia to taste

Variations
Apple Pie “Groatmeal”: Soak 1 cup raw oat groats in filtered water for 12 to 24 hours. Rinse and drain the groats and transfer them to a food processor. Add all ingredients (omitting the oat flakes and reducing the almond milk to 1/4 cup) except the apple, and process until smooth. Add the apple and pulse 2 to 3 times to incorporate. Serve cold, or warm in a dehydrator for 30 minutes or in a small saucepan on the stove over very low heat before serving.
BONUS—Grain-Free “Oatmeal”: Although this variation isn’t in the book, I realize now that I should’ve included an option for my grain-free friends! Follow the directions for the “Groatmeal” variation above, substituting buckwheat groats for the oats. If you need to make it grain- AND pseudograin-free, replace the oats in the original recipe with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, and/or almonds, double the amount of apple, and reduce the almond milk to 1/4 cup.

ENJOY! Remember, Practically Raw is available for preorder on Amazon, and copies will ship in just a couple weeks. Eee!

3 years ago this week…
Black bean-avocado enchiladas
Vegan French silk pie
Tuscan white bean dip
2 years ago this week…
Nutella-stuffed peanut butter cookies
Tofu-veggie breakfast scramble
Nutty carob chip cookies
1 year ago this week…
I AM THE 2011 HOT RAW CHEF!
Almost Vegan in San Francisco, parts one, two, three, and four

The recipes in Practically Raw are all:

• raw
• vegan
• gluten-free
• soy-free
• packed with substitution options
• adaptable to any kitchen, whether you have a dehydrator or not!

Let’s explore the book chapter by chapter, shall we?

Chapter 1: Raw, Practically is my lengthy introductory chapter, containing an explanation of the benefits of raw foods, the story of how I got into raw food, a nutrition guide, money-saving and make-ahead tips, a detailed ingredient guide, a raw vegan pantry checklist, an equipment guide, and basic techniques and recipe guidelines. As I told a friend recently, this chapter took almost as much work to write as the whole rest of the book combined, and I’m quite proud of it. I hope you’ll take the time to browse it and perhaps learn something new!

Chapter 2: Milks & Smoothies contains recipes for a variety of nut and seed milks as well as an array of colorful, nutrient-packed smoothies, such as Peaches ‘n Creamsicle Smoothie, Tropic Thunder Smoothie, and this Cocoa Corruption Smoothie.

Chapter 3: Breakfast & Brunch contains lots of morning favorites, from Biscuits and Sausage Gravy to a Breakfast Banana Split to this Apple Pie Oatmeal.

Chapter 4: Bread & Crackers offers a variety of raw vegan bread recipes, like Rosemary-Garlic Bread and Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread, and cracker recipes, like Basic Flax Crackers and Zesty Corn Tortilla Chips.

Chapter 5: Cheeses, Spreads, & Sauces is a condiment lover’s dream, with multiple raw cheese recipes (like my Christmas Cheese Ball, above) and dips both sweet and savory, like Chocolate Silk Ganache and Garden Fresh Salsa.

Chapter 6: Kale Chips is just that—an entire chapter of kale chip recipes! Cheesy Chili Kale Chips, Pizza Kale Chips, and Chocolate Kale Chips are some of my favorites.

Chapter 7: Hummus is dedicated to my favorite food of all time! You choose your base recipe (Classic Chickpea, Zucchini, or Cashew-Macadamia Nut Hummus), then add a variety of seasonings to craft creative variations.

Chapter 8: Soups & Salads will show you how to make Butternut Squash-Chipotle Soup, Chilled Watermelon Soup, and Kale-Tahini Salad, among others.

Chapter 9: Main Dishes is a monster of a section containing nearly 20 delectable entrées, like Vermicelli with Pecan Cream Sauce, Stuffed Peppers with Sunseed Hash, Sopes (Mexican Corn Cakes) con Mole Poblano…

…Deconstructed Sushi Bowl…

…and Fiesta Taco Roll-Ups with the most amazing raw taco nut-meat you’ve ever had.

Chapter 10: Snacks & Sides contains a bundle of easy, no-advance-prep-needed recipes, including a quartet of seasoned nuts (clockwise from top): Mesquite Candied Pecans, Baklava Nut Medley, Curry-Glazed Cashews, and Cocoa-Dusted Almonds.

Chapter 11: Desserts may well be my favorite! Learn to make Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cakes, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, Spiced Pumpkin Spooncream…

…White Chocolate Coconut Fudge Bites…

…and Raspberry Lemon Mousse Tart, among others.

Chapter 12: Menus & Resources gives you a variety of themed menu ideas and a list of where to find raw vegan ingredients, equipment, and educational resources.

Are you excited yet?!
Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make debuts March 15th, but again, is available for preorder on Amazon right now. Have you reserved your copy yet?

Now that I’ve whet your appetite, I’m planning to share a recipe straight out of Practically Raw later this week, and I want you to choose which one I post! Please comment below and let me know which of the following recipes you’d like to see:

a) Apple Pie Oatmeal
b) Sopes con Mole Poblano
c) Deconstructed Sushi Bowl
d) White Chocolate Coconut Fudge Bites

I’m looking forward to seeing what you choose!
Thank you all so much for your support of Practically Raw…I can’t WAIT for you to see the book!

3 years ago this week…
Black bean-avocado enchiladas
Vegan French silk pie
Tuscan white bean dip
2 years ago this week…
Nutella-stuffed peanut butter cookies
Tofu-veggie breakfast scramble
Nutty carob chip cookies
1 year ago this week…
I AM THE 2011 HOT RAW CHEF!
Almost Vegan in San Francisco, parts one, two, three, and four

• Did you catch my wedding planning update last week on Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings? Click here to read my guest post Real Vegan Wedding Planning: Trouble In Paradise, Part One (uh-oh!).

Matt and I celebrated Valentine’s Day early, on Saturday, with dinner at Blue Bird Bistro.

Blue Bird Bistro is located in the 17th and Summit area of Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood (right next door to FÜD!). It is, in my opinion, KC’s best upscale organic restaurant. 90% of the ingredients are organic, and most of them are sourced locally from some 50 different farms. Not only is there a delicious array of vegetarian dishes, but their commitment to local and properly-treated animal foods – grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and fresh, wild-caught fish – means that even carnivores can eat sustainably and responsibly at Blue Bird.

Matt and I started out the evening with wine—Palacios Remondo, La Vendimia, Rioja, Spain, sustainable, to be exact. (Spanish reds are my favorite!)

We had to start out with the Hummus appetizer—of course! Blue Bird’s herbed hummus is served with house-made pita bread. (Apologies for the garish flash in all the rest of these photos; it was quite dim in there.)

Luckily for us, Blue Bird started serving its special Valentine’s Day menu several days early. Matt got the vegan Potato Rösti: marinated Central Soyfoods smoked tofu over potato cakes, topped with a tomato-ginger sauce and served with sautéed spinach. (It’s been a long time since I last ate rösti!) The smoked tofu was too smoky for me (I hate barbecue flavors; I’m a bad Kansas Citian), but the sauce was complex and the crispy potato cakes were excellent.

My main course was so awesomely creative that I’m still dazzled by it! The Panting Potato Pasta was vegan gnocchi smothered in rich, thick mole sauce and dusted with sesame seeds.

The best part? There was a cheeky little tart cherry embedded inside every piece of gnocchi! I never would’ve thought to pair cherries with mole, but oh man, it WORKED.

For dessert, Matt chose the vegan Orange Cake with chocolate-coffee glaze and crushed almonds. I tried a bite, and though the texture was unbelievably good, I am just not a fan of anything orange-flavored.

I chose the non-vegan Honey Cake, which was made with local raw honey and Missouri pecans. It wasn’t as moist as I would’ve liked (if it were me, I would’ve soaked the cake in additional melted honey), but with the crunchy toasted pecans, it was still my kind of treat.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

P.S.—For anyone in Kansas City interested in partaking in Blue Bird Bistro’s special V-Day menu, they’ll be serving it until Wednesday, 2/15/12!

3 years ago this week…
January restaurant roundup
Homestyle blueberry cobbler
2 years ago this week…
Cauliflower-chickpea tagine
Vegan Italian Valentine feast
1 year ago this week…
Review: Sacred Chocolate
P90X weeks 5-6: from cooked to raw

• Some of you have been curious about how my wedding planning is coming along, and today, I finally have an update. In case you didn’t see it, I am the newest monthly guest blogger for Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings, the #1 vegan wedding website on the ‘net! My Real Proposal Story (an interview of sorts), Amber & Matt’s 10-Course Proposal, went up in November, and today, my first official guest post has gone live. Click here to read Real Vegan Wedding Planning: Trouble In Paradise, Part One (uh-oh!).
• I’m still eating a smashed avocado salad for lunch every single day. I’m so proud of myself! My latest and greatest additions to the mix are chopped fresh cilantro and alfalfa sprouts, mmm.
• The last couple times I’ve eaten my cinnamon-spiced sweet potato-pumpkin purée, I’ve enjoyed it with extra coconut butter drizzled on top. Zomg, so amazing.

I can’t believe it’s already almost Valentine’s Day! Matt and I have no plans yet (that I know of), although I’m brainstorming a special treat to make for him. Meanwhile, I’ve got numerous ideas for Valentine yummies from the AV archives, so I thought I’d share a few with you today.

Italian food and pasta dishes always scream “romantic” to me, for some reason. Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs…

…or Rotini with Walnut Sauce would make a fab main course.

Or you could turn up the heat with spicier fare, such as Tofu Makhani Curry…

…or Cuban Shredded Seitan over Black Beans and Cilantro Rice.

But who are we kidding? V-Day is really all about the SWEETS! On the baked side of the spectrum, you could make Hazelnut Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Filling…

…Pumpkin-Cheesecake Swirl Brownies…

…Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies…

…Dreamy-Creamy Tiramisu Cupcakes…

…Best-Ever Chocolate Cake (seriously, best EVER. Do not doubt me on this!)…

…or what is quite possibly my favorite baked dessert on this whole blog: White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Blondies.

Speaking of blondies, on the raw side of things, there’s my famous 5-Minute Raw Vegan Blondie…

…or, if you prefer chocolate, my Award-Winning Caramel-Fudge Brownies.

You could drizzle my raw Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache…

…or White Chocolate Coconut-Macadamia Nut Butter over, well, just about anything.

Finally, my raw Raspberry Cream Filled Chocolate Candies couldn’t be more perfect for Valentine’s Day!

QUESTION: Whether you’re single or taken, what are your V-Day plans? I know a lot of people hate this holiday, but for me, it’s always just been a fun excuse to make or bake sweet treats, whether I’m in a relationship or not!

3 years ago this week…
January restaurant roundup
Homestyle blueberry cobbler
2 years ago this week…
Cauliflower-chickpea tagine
Vegan Italian Valentine feast
1 year ago this week…
Review: Sacred Chocolate
P90X weeks 5-6: from cooked to raw

This week has been…trying, to say the least. On Monday night, there was a fire in the apartment adjacent to ours—thankfully, we’re back home now and everything’s ok. Then yesterday, Matt and I finally got an answer on the condo we’ve been trying to purchase for the past month—we were outbid over the weekend, and someone else got it. So we’re back to square one in finding a new home, which is now all the more pressing, because our current place is fire-damaged and smelly! In addition, I’m working on advance promo for Practically Raw, starting work on a second book, trying (and so far largely failing) to get my wedding planning underway, keeping up with emails and blog posts, and dealing with some health issues that are throwing me for a loop. Aaahh!

Suffice it to say, simple, easy foods are still really appealing to me this week. This healthy and delightful dessert is a great example. It’s warming and winter-appropriate, plus it’s vegetable-based and super-nutritious. Just what my body is craving!

Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato-Pumpkin Purée

1 medium sweet potato
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 tablespoon coconut butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Stevia to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stab the sweet potato all over with a fork, place on the baking sheet, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

When cool, cut the sweet potato open lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add the pumpkin, almond milk, coconut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and process until smooth. Taste for sweetness and add stevia if desired. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Substitution Options
Pumpkin: bake and use two sweet potatoes instead of one
Almond milk: any other nondairy milk
Coconut butter: almond butter, melted coconut oil, or just leave it out
Stevia: 1 tablespoon maple syrup, raw honey, coconut nectar, or any other sweetener

Yield: 1 huge or 2 medium servings
Per serving (1): 324 calories, 10.7g fat (8g sat), 56.2g carbs, 18g fiber, 7.5g protein
Per serving (2): 162 calories, 5.4g fat (4g sat), 28.1g carbs, 9g fiber, 3.7g protein

A bowlful of this pudding-like purée provides starchy-carb comfort along with loads of fiber and beta-carotene/vitamin A, plus nice hits of protein and healthy fats. Whether you eat it as a snack, a side dish, or a dessert, your body will thank you!

QUESTION: Do you like sweet potatoes? What’s your favorite way to eat them?

3 years ago this week…
Tofu parmigiana alla marinara
Deep chocolate bundt cake
2 years ago this week…
Overnight steel-cut oatmeal
Chocolate banana bread
1 year ago this week…
P90X week 4 + Happy Herbivore cookbook
Ethiopian feast & KC raw food meetup