Gluten Free Quinoa Tabouli would have to be my favourite raw salad of all time. As my Lebanese friend (who taught me how to make this) always humorously reminds me as we chow down with love, “Yeah, I’ve told you. We Lebs really know our food”. It always makes me laugh. I met my friend Christine when we were both working at a café in Brunswick Street in Melbourne many years ago. Her grandmother is the well known Lebanese Chef, Abla, made famous by her inspired Lebanese restaurant Abla’s in Carlton. My friends and I often make pigs of ourselves, snouting in her trough of Lebanese magic. Christine taught me the Lebanese version of this popular vegan salad, which is a weekly staple in my diet. I then modified it to make it a gluten free... Keep Reading

The combination of raw fruit and nuts never gets old for me. Throw in some berries and vegan cream for good measure, and you have a match made in piggy heaven, and a raw nutritional powerhouse. I almost didn’t include this raw vegan breakfast recipe, as I thought it was too easy and obvious, required no skill, and not really a recipe. But then I thought, "that is the whole point of this recipe blog!" So here it is. On of my favourite raw food breakfast recipes. My raw vegan breakfast parfait that was featured in one of my vegan Chow Tips. I am sure many of you have made similar things with granola and yoghurt. This gluten free dairy free vegan version is another reminder of how good the simple things can be; and a perfect example of how... Keep Reading

I love a support act that holds its own; and this fantastic little vegetable side dish fits the bill. This is another baked tomato recipe dish inspired by my trips to Italy, and my love of “all things Italian”. I just love their stuffed vegetables and rich creamy pesto dishes. This is a healthier, dairy free incantation of a stock standard favourite. I don’t know about you, but I don’t miss the cheese at all. These little baked tomato treats are bursting with flavour and colour, and are super easy to prepare and devour. I love vegan tomato recipes, but I don’t tend to eat a lot tomatoes. But I will make an exception every once and a while and baked some tomatoes for this delicious recipe. The sweetness of the roasted tomato and the basil... Keep Reading

I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good basil pesto. In my previous life, I clung to the firm belief that the key ingredient was a really good quality parmesan cheese. However, I have discovered since my raw vegan days, that that simply isn’t the case. You can reach basil pesto nirvana without being cheesy. There are a ton of really great vegan basil pesto recipes and dairy free pesto recipes out in the world. This simple healthy recipe is just my quick easy favourite that I got from my vegan friend, Beck, about 15 years ago. I have been revisiting Beck’s trough of heaven with gratitude ever since. I think this combination of basil, parsley and raw cashews hits the spot for me. But you could also make a more traditional basil... Keep Reading

Yes, I know you want to ask me, “Do I use raw cashews in ALL of my recipes?” Well, I am not going to deny my partiality to the wondrous cashew; particularly when whipping up raw vegan treats. She just can’t be matched for replicating the creamy texture we all know and miss from the dreaded dairy counterparts. And she really does deliver, and hit the spot in more than one area, without needing to be the star attraction with a lot of attention. What is great about the cashew, as opposed to other raw nuts that have stronger flavours, is that it is kind of like milk and cream; in the respect that the cashew will give itself over to whatever you pair it up with. It is this virtue that makes it perfect for making vegan dairy free dips. And... Keep Reading

I love a good “loaf-style” gluten free cake that strikes a satisfying balance between savoury and sweet, and still feels decadent enough to hit the spot when you want a treat with a beautiful cup of tea. I don’t know what it is about nut and seed loaves, but I never feel quite so naughty enjoying more than one slice at a time. In fact, recently, two friends and I devoured this whole gluten-free nut loaf in one sitting! Sad, but true. What can I say? We got a bit nutty and it brought out the little pigs in all of us. Nut loaves are like gluten free banana bread for me -- they are dead easy, absolutely delicious, and not too naughty! There are countless different gluten-free nut loaf recipes out there. But this simple little recipe remains a... Keep Reading

OK. So if I wasn’t a fan of mayonnaise, then it would only make sense that I would not be a card carrying member of the coleslaw fan club. You would be right! The ubiquitous sloppy, drenched coleslaw that would appear on the table at every BBQ or picnic in the 70’s and 80’s was just about enough to make me sick! My opinion of coleslaw did not improve when I moved to California to go to college, and that dreaded acquaintance showed up at every salad bar, just as overdressed, for a party I was never interested in attending anyway. However, when I became macrobiotic, I discovered the joys of shredded pickled vegetables. That opened the door to cultured vegetables, which prepared my palate for tart tastes. So when I followed a raw food diet... Keep Reading

OK – So if your snout has not dipped into the gluten free skordalia trough of heaven - skadaddle! The Greeks really were Gods! Do yourself a favour and partake of this simple rustic gluten free vegan dip inspired by the fabulous spud. As anyone will happily agree -- a spud is never a dud; and these mashed spuds are simple and sublime; a pre-requisite for any self respecting healthy blender recipe. There are a ton of fantastic skordalia recipes out there. A lot of them use crusty bread, which is of course, a recipe for disaster for those of us snouting in the gluten free trough. I like this simple easy alternative gluten free skordalia that uses raw almonds. My snout first fell in love with skordalia when I was dining in a cafe in Henley... Keep Reading

I just can’t eat enough nuts and berries. They would dominate my desert island food list of “can’t live withouts”. I would go berry nutty, but I would be berry happy. In fact I almost did go berry nutty -- all the way to the bathroom and back a few summers ago by over-indulging in this gluten free vegan mixed berry crumble. If I had to pick a dessert of choice, it would have to be anything berry – berry smoothies, berry pancakes, berry pies, berry strudels, berry cakes, berry muffins. Oh, the list of pleasures is endless. But the list of calories would also be too, if I allowed my mouth to open too berry wide. This gluten free crumble is the Switzerland in my war of heart and mind. It satisfies the need for a berry blast, but doesn’t blow... Keep Reading