Kelp Noodles with Cheezy Sauce | Ooh, Baby I Like It Raw #1

You know I love doing blog series! I just started the "Ooh, baby I like it raw" series to share more raw vegan (uncooked) recipes. Enjoy!

How is your day? I've been enjoying Kristina's Fully Raw challenge! It's only day# 2 but it a lot easier than I thought it would be.

For lunch yesterday I made raw kelp noodles with a simple and delicious cheezy sauce. 

No cooking required? I could get used to more raw recipes!

Kelp is a sea vegetable (seeweed) that is low in calories, gluten-free and is a decent alternative to wheat and/or rice noodles. It's clear, thin and doesn't taste like anything solo. You can find it at an Asian market or order it online. 

Only one of my 3 kids liked it. Since it was their first time, I'll try it again in another recipe. The texture is fine, so maybe they didn't like it because they knew it wasn't regular spaghetti. lol You know how kids can be. lol

I don't know if the olive oil I used in this recipe is considered "raw" but everything else is.

I thought it was yummy though. Here's the simple sauce recipe...

Kelp Noodles & Cheezy Sauce

by Brown Vegan

Ingredients (serves 3)

• 1 lb kelp noodles
• 2 cups of raw cashews (soaked in water for at least 4 hours)
• 5 basil leaves
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 cup olive oli
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (you can find it at a health food store or online)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water (add more if necessary)

Instructions

Blend together everything (but the kelp noodles) in a food processor, slowly adding the broth/water. Scrap down the sides and continue to blend until smooth. Add more water/broth if necessary.

Toss with the kelp noodles and garnish with more basil.

Enjoy!

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Instead of saying I'm not eating junk, I'll add an extra vegetable to my plate.

Instead of saying no more soda, I'll buy kombucha (I stan for this!) and a new filter for my water pitcher.

Instead of saying no more sugar, I will put more fruit in my grocery cart. 

It's all about mindset, baby!

Establish little habits, do you best and you will move forward.

Thanks for reading!

4 Mindset Shifts to Go Vegan in the New Year (Audio)

Starting a vegan journey is much more than just finding recipes online. There are several mindset shifts that have to happen in order for you to have a long-term vegan life.

Listen to the mindset shifts audio here (7 mins)....

• Write down why you want to go vegan - Is it for ethical, health or environmental reasons? Maybe it's a little bit of everything. Take a few minutes and write down your reasons and visualize how your life will look after the transformation. Having this purpose on paper will give you something to refer back to when you get discouraged.  Write it down, make it happen!
• Make the decision - If you don't decide to go vegan, you will always make excuses about why you can't do it. When you make the decision to take this step, you're more likely to research and take action. There's so much power in that declaration!
• This journey is NOT perfect - Please don't beat yourself up! You will fall. You will feel overwhelmed. Some days cooking will be the last thing you want to do! Hold on! You got this! Always remember progression over perfection!
• You need a meal plan - There's really no way around this one. You must plan your meals in order to stay on track. Use Pinterest, Findingvegan, Google and library books for ideas. You can also check out my recipe page for suggestions. Also, check out this previous article with 5 Meal Planning Tips for New Families 

As We Bring 2014 to A Close... | Reflections

I spent Sunday night sipping on whiskey (a new experience) and redoing my vision board. My initial plan was to just update it, but I realized most of the pics & quotes were outdated and random (I had a pic of Andre 3000 on it and don't remember why lol). 

I can't believe how much clarity came from this simple project! I visualized the life I want for the new year and feel sooo confident that it will come true. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can have the life that I want and deserve. My best life is right outside of my comfort zone.

I still can't believe the year is over. So many lessons learned and a few awesome milestones.

• We finally moved closer to DC (10-min drive, baby!)
• I workout nearly daily - even though it's usually a very light workout, I show up.
• I've been more courageous about my experiences and putting myself out there more

The new vision board is centered around my kids, upgrading my life physically, travel, gratitude, improving my diet and finally seeking help for my depression.

In January, I declared 2014 my year of uncomfortable and overall it was a success:

• Taught a meal planning class online
• Was more candid about my food struggles & depression
• Paid for biz coaching
• Met online friends in person (this used to scare the shit out of me)
• Shopped for makeup at Sephora & had an consultation
• Took a solo trip to NYC
• Raised the price of the guide and was more open about promoting my biz. 

Going forward into 2015, I will...

• Focus on more action and less thinking (I overanalyzed everything so I didn't get as much done this year)
• Take being uncomfortable to the next year...basically get comfortable being uncomfortable to stretch myself
• Self- care & gratitude over errthang!

As far as the Brown Vegan brand goes, I will be more visible in the new year. I will bring you consistent quality content, offer more products/services that will get you started on a long-term vegan journey, and make genuine connections with peeps in my community.

Most importantly, I will get out of my own way!

A vision board & goals are only as good as the action you take to move forward in your life.

Let's rock out 2015 together!

What were youR wins this year and how do you plan to step it up in 2015?

Have you ever made a vision board?

How to Replace Buttermilk in A Recipe

It's becoming easier and easier to start and stay on a vegan journey these days. More information is mainstream and vegan companies are working overtime to bring us delicious cruelty-free alternatives. 

Dairy tends to be the one area that stops folks from embracing a vegan journey. I get it - it's addicting!

If you don't want to become a vegan overnight...that's fine. Make gradual changes and you'll be good to go.

One simple adjustment you can make immediately is how you use buttermilk in a recipe. 

Pic Credit 

Here's what you need to do:

• In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of soy milk & 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (you can also use lemon juice)
• Allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 mins to curdle.
• Use as normal in your recipe.

Simple, right?!

This is awesome in pancakes, biscuits and waffles!

I've used almond milk in the past, but it doesn't curdle the same as soy does. *You may have better results than me though*

How do you replace buttermilk in your recipes?

Rosemary Garlic Potatoes Recipe (VIDEO)

When I interviewed Shantelle Gary last month about her vegan journey, we discussed her love for accessible recipes that everyone will love. After our talk, I downloaded a copy of her cookbook and it didn't disappoint.

I took her rosemary garlic potatoes to Thanksgiving dinner with my extended family and they ate it up without question.

Yes ma'am! Who doesn't love garlic and potatoes?

Make this for your fam and let me know what you think. :-)

Order Shantelle's Vegan for the Holidays here 

Check out the full recipe and video below....

Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35 mins

Keywords: bake vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 2 lbs of baby potatoes, cleaned and cut into halves
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven at 375º

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes and olive oil together.

Then mix in the garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper.

On a baking sheet, spread the potatoes in an even layer and bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping them over after 15 minutes.

Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.

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