Meatless Monday's: Mushroom Gravy

I've come to realize that making otherwise non-vegan friendly comfort foods into healthy vibrant dishes is sort of becoming my thing. I'm loving that I can eat all these things without a deep-fryer, excess salt and all that jazz. That being said, I don't really want to box this blog into just being that one thing.

Challenges could also be considered my thing.

Although this gravy is barely a challenge since it's been around in the standard diet for quite some time and probably one of the easiest things to make without oil or animal products. I've had it over a million different dishes and now it's always a pleasant surprise to find many restaurants using mushroom gravy instead of their meat based counterparts.

Since I'll be reembarking onto the raw fruity wagon as of my birthday on the 7th of March, I'll be posting many more raw recipes: smoothies, salads, dishes, snacks... However I do have many recipes still in reserve so those will be popping up now and again as well.

Onto the food!

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

- 4 cups sliced or diced mushrooms (I used portobellos)

- 1 medium onion, minced.

- 2.5 cups broth or water

- 2-3 tbsp gluten-free flour

- 2-3 tbsp Braggs Soy seasoning or tamari

- Generous pinch black pepper

In a deep pan, sauté the onion with a bit of water until translucent, add the mushrooms and cook until they start releasing juicy goodness.

Add in the broth/water, braggs and black pepper. Then whisk the flour in a bit of water until well combined and add it a bit at a time to the pan while whisking it continuously and waiting a bit between each addition until you've reached the consistency that you enjoy.

Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, veggies... Whatever feels right!

Enjoy!

ALSO: as I have mentioned I have some plans to grow the blog. I would LOVE your input and have put together a short 2 minute survey. I would be eternally grateful if you could fill it out.
Here's the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YJ6PH75

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Sweet Surrender Zucchini Pasta

This summer has my food cravings going through different seasons every other week. Last week, it was fall, I wanted warmth and density because of the colder days and chilly evening. This week, it's bright and sunny and calls for fresh no-cook meals.

Since I do strive to live a raw lifestyle, with tons of fruit and veggies in their most natural form, I love those days when I just want fresh and raw foods. It's also a perk cause it means not having to turn on the stove or the oven. I find that I get my most creative when experimenting with my raw savoury dinners, where the sky is the limit and I love surprising people with the versatility of raw foods, without even venturing into the gourmet aspect of it.

Right now, almost all I can think of is fresh corn. I've always looked forward to this time of year, simply because I can indulge in mountains of it without killing my wallet. I've gotten more picky about my corn in the last few years though. I prefer local and refuse to eat any of it if I cant be 100% sure that it isn't GMO. So organic is the best way to go, or just talking to the farmers at the local farmer's market where there is tons of organic produce that isn't necessarily certified.

GMO's are a big issue right now, with so little testing being done before they hit the market, and the testing being done is usually solely by the manufacturers, there are too many side effects and unanswered questions for me to justify thinking they are truly safe. There are some great documentaries on the subject, like "The World According to Monsanto", "Seeds of Death" and the like. The independent studies that have been conducted, have shown some effects that I'm not willing to take a chance on!

Onto happier topics.

This pasta is quite delicious and overt-fat-free, although I have been known to add a little avocado now and again. It's incredibly fresh. No boring salads on this table.

Sweet Surrender Zucchini Pasta

Ingredients:

- 2.5 cups corn, raw.
- 1 date, soaked for about 10 minutes.
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
- Pepper, to taste.

- 4-5 medium zucchini, spiralized or peeled into ribbons.
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced.

Blend all the sauce ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth but still retaining some texture.

In a large bowl, pour sauce onto noodles then add tomatoes. Add extra pepper if desired.

Enjoy!