This is a wonderful, vibrant, and flavorful way to enjoy raw zucchini noodles. It combines the creaminess of avocado pesto with the textural crunch of zucchinie noodles. Is it a meal? Yes, but it is also as nourishing as it is delicious. Spice up your dinner routine and get away from salads by making this incredibly easy raw vegan entree. As you’ll see when you make it, the ingredients and steps are quite simple. You don’t need to overcomplicate recipes; rather, you just need quality ingredients.

The raw vegan world celebrates zucchini noodles and the majesty of the spiralizer. They are quite versatile and give you the feeling of indulging in spaghetti, only you don’t feel that common feeling of bloating and digestive discomfort that can result after eating a giant bowl of pasta. A bowl of zoodles covered in a creamy pesto is also a great introductory meal into the raw vegan world. The fresh basil and garlicky undertones come together beautiful in the beautiful pesto. Now, the pesto calls for raw walnuts, but if you enjoy the classic flavor of pine nuts in pesto, you can obtain raw pine nuts. Just keep in mind that pine nuts can be quite expensive, while raw walnuts are a much more affordable option.

The vibrant green pesto is a glorious celebration of fresh ingredients. Make sure to add nutritional yeast to achieve that signature cheesy flavor you know and expect from pesto. Fancy a bit of spice to your pesto? Feel free to add red pepper flakes! Love this recipe? Let us know in the comments or tag us on social media when you make the recipe.

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Making your own salad dressing can be intimidating. That’s especially true if you don’t know what ingredients to use. Do you just grab any oil off the grocery store shelf and use a vinegar at random? Do you even need oil and vinegar? The reality is that there is no blueprint for a salad dressing because they can be whatever you want them to be. For example, you can go the basic route and mix oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper and call it a day. Alternatively, you can blend together a bunch of herbs with water, lime, red pepper flakes, and other seasonings. Or, you can make this almond butter turmeric salad dressing that is reminiscent of a class Thai peanut sauce.

The great thing about making your own salad dressing is that you get to avoid high fructose corn syrup, disodium cuanylate, and other crazy ingredients in bottled dressings. Additionally, you get to avoid unhealthy saturated fats and sodium when you make your own dressing. In the case of this dressing, you have a lot of healthy fats and protein from the raw almond butter. That is the base, which provides a lovely nuttiness that complements the turmeric, ginger, garlic, and coconut aminos. If you want to add a little zest, feel free to squeeze half a lime into the dressing. We’ll leave that decision up to you, though. Lastly, you can use this dressing on salads, in raw vegan wraps, or as a dipping sauce for freshly cut vegetables.

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Get ready to eat just about every color of the rainbow with these raw vegan collard wraps. They are quick and easy to make and pack one of the biggest nutritional punches you’ll ever enjoy. The wraps include shredded purple cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, sliced avocado, and alfalfa sprouts, and a delicious tahini-based dressing that ties everything together. Feel free to swap out ingredients for others that you either have in your fridge, or ones that you enjoy better. Just make sure that the ingredients you use are cleanse-approved, provided you are cleansing.

The trick for wraps is rolling them without breaking the collard green leaves. In order to roll the collard leaves easily, remove the thick stems. Not only does this allow for even rolling, but it also gets rid of a bitter, unpleasant, fibrous bite. To do this, simply use your knife to cut away the thick stem at the bottom of the leaf. You can also shave off the back part of the stem that runs slightly up the leaf, creating a flatter surface for rolling.

Now if rolling the leaves proves too difficult, you can always turn these wraps into tacos. That said, they are much easier to eat as wraps; not to mention, a lot less messy. The choice is yours and we don’t judge over here. The important thing is that you are making a great decision (and a healthy one at that) to enjoy this recipe as your next entree!

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When you want to avoid some of the toxic chemicals in store bought sunscreens, you can reach for this non-toxic sunscreen to protect your skin. Not only is it waterproof, but it is also safe for babies and marine life. The last thing you want to do is damage your skin (or your child’s skin) while simultaneously destroying reef and ocean life. You can truly avoid sunburn while avoiding toxic chemicals! 

Why Make Homemade Sunscreen?

There are more than enough sunscreen choices at your local supermarket, drugstore, or convenience store. Why are those traditional sunscreens not the best for your skin? Scientists note that commercial sunscreens contain a lot of ingredients that are not safe for your overall health, let alone your skin. Some common problems with conventional sunscreens include:

• Non-biodegradable chemicals typically lurk in commercial sunscreens. Some of these chemicals are known hormone disruptors and carcinogenic. The skin rapidly absorbs whatever you put on it, and you don’t want it to absorb those chemicals into the bloodstream!
• Nano zinc oxide contains particles small enough to penetrate the deep layers of the skin. That ultimately leaves the outer layers unprotected, meaning the sunscreen is ineffective at blocking UV rays. 
• Once you apply conventional sunscreen, the chemicals can seep deep into the body, reaching many of the skin’s layers. These chemicals can react with UV light and cause skin damage. Sunscreens that contain vitamin A or its derivatives, for example, may increase the risk of skin cancer, according to an evaluation of sunscreens from 2011.

Are All Sunscreens Bad?

With certain bans on chemical sunscreens in place, many manufacturers have started to make better, more natural sunscreen options. That said, you should still read the ingredient list, as many “natural” sunscreens still contain harmful ingredients. The same applies to so-called “healthy” foods, which are oftentimes not healthy. Just keep your eyes on the lookout for problematic ingredients. Fortunately, that is not something you have to do for the DIY sunscreen in this article. 

Does Homemade Sunscreen Work?

This recipe uses non-nano zinc oxide, a type of zinc oxide that has particles that are too big to seep deeply into the skin. Instead, it actually creates a physical barrier that protects the top and deeper layers of the skin from harmful UV rays. This DIY recipe also contains skin-nourishing oils, butter, and wax that protect and hydrate the skin. Some of the oils contain natural sun protection factor (SPF), which measures how well a sunscreen protects the skin from ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays. It should be known that no sunscreen can block 100% of the sun’s UVB rays. 

The oils and butter are stable fats on their own, so they don’t go rancid easily. The cocoa butter also gives the sunscreen a beautiful chocolate scent. Beeswax also contributes a lovely scent, but it also makes the sunscreen waterproof. Although it may work well if you go in the pool, lake, or ocean, you may want to reapply not long after exiting the water. That ensures that your skin is optimally protected. 

DIY Sunscreen

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces virgin coconut oil
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 2 ounces cocoa butter
• 2 ounces beeswax
• 2 ounces non-nano zinc oxide

Instructions:

• Add all of the ingredients to a heat-safe glass measuring cup. Create a double boiler by placing this cup on a cloth inside a saucepan with about an inch of water in it. 
• Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and keep it there until the ingredients in the cup are fully melted. Stir to combine and then remove the pitcher carefully from the hot water. 
• Let the mixture cool slightly at room temperature and then pour into a glass container or silicone squeeze tube. Allow to cool completely before sealing the jar/tube and storing in a cool, dark place. 

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Is this dandelion pesto nature’s green powerhouse in sauce form? We’ll leave that for you to decide. What we can tell you is that this highly addictive sauces is crafted from dandelion greens, which bring a wild, bitter-green twist to a classic sauce. Forget the basil and cheese, because they aren’t needed here. It still contains pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and other seasonings, but the dandelions require other ingredients to tame the subtle bitterness.

Often dismissed as pesky weeds, dandelions are rich in antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and K, and other minerals like calcium and iron. That makes this pesto a superfood sauce in disguise! Blended with heart-healthy olive oil, crunchy pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and sea salt, this pesto strikes a great balance between bold, rustic flavors and bright citrusy tones. It’s a great sauce, whether you decide to pour it over zucchini noodles, use it as a dip, or pile it onto a tray of roasted veggies. It truly awakens the palate!

Best of all, it does not contain preservatives, dairy, and artificial additives, which are common ingredients in most store bought pesto sauces. This sauce is pure plant-powered goodness straight from the garden to your plate. Now, that does not mean you have to go foraging for dandelions, but they are a common weed that people discard. Just forage for flavor! Play it safe and buy dandelion greens from the grocery store, a move that will also ensure you have enough greens free of pests for the pesto.

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Who doesn’t love a good snack? It’s so easy to open up a bag of chips and just start eating handful after handful. The same can be said for a bucket of popcorn. Unfortunately, we all know that these snacks are empty calories and only leave us wanting more. Plus, the sodium content is through the roof! The good news is that it’s possible to enjoy a crunchy snack in a healthy way.

That’s right, folks, we are talking about kale chips. These crunchy creations are not only addictively delicious, but also highly nutritious. Closely related to cabbage, broccoli, collard greens, and cauliflower, kale offers an assortment of nutrients, including vitamins, A, B6, C, & K, manganese, magnesium, riboflavin, folate, fiber, calcium, and other important plant compounds. The antioxidants in kale include quercetin and kaempferol, both of which are present in large amounts in kale. According to test-tube and animal studies, these compounds work to support heart health, reduce inflammation, slow the growth of cancer cells, and protect against chronic diseases.

What separates these kale chips from the next batch is that you dehydrate them after covering them in a creamy cashew cheese sauce. Because of that, the kale takes a lot longer to get crispy. You will need about 12 hours of dehydration in order to yield a crispy, cheesy kale chip. Before you sauce the kale in cashew cheese sauce, make sure to massage it with sea salt and lemon juice. Once the leaves are coated, you can toss them in the cashew sauce before placing them on dehydrator sheets. Don’t overlap the kale pieces or else they won’t get crispy.

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If we can agree on one thing, it’s that we promote the consumption of flavor-packed recipes. A romesco sauce is exactly that: a concentrated, flavorful sauce that has a variety of uses in the kitchen. Consider pesto, for example, which goes great with a variety of ingredients and can function as a sauce or dip. Romesco is similar, in that it is what we like to call: a power condiment. 

Romesco is an institution in the Catalonian region of Spain, containing many of the region’s signature flavors. There are most likely numerous variations of this sauce, but they all usually contain tomatoes, garlic, almonds, red peppers, toast bread, smoked paprika, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Some people use it to sauce fish, while others like to use it with vegetables. For the sake of the raw vegan diet, we’ve modified the classic romesco sauce and paired it with raw zucchini noodles. 

The great part about this recipe is that it couldn’t be easier to make. As with pesto, you can use a food processor or blender to make this romesco sauce. Alternatively, you can go the old school route and make it in a mortar and pestle. Just keep in mind that going that old school route will result in a more textured sauce, but some argue that it is more flavorful. We’ll leave it up to you to prepare and decide!

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No, this is not the comedian Carrot Top’s signature chimichurri recipe. Instead, this recipe is made with actual carrot tops! Carrots don’t typically come with tops, but they usually do if you buy an organic bunch from the store or farmer’s market. And now you have something to make with those lovely, vibrantly green tops.

Chimichurri, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this lovely condiment, is a flavorful herb sauce with roots in both Uruguay and Argentina. It is commonly made with flat-leaf parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt. It is classically served with beef, but you can serve it with chicken, seafood, pork, beans, eggs, or vegetables. There are, of course, variations depending on the region, and then you have to factor in secret family recipes. You can make your own version with a plethora of greens, but the flavor may change slightly from the original recipe.

Carrot tops have a strong flavor that is somewhat bitter, so you need other ingredients to balance them. Just make sure to remove the delicate carrot leaves and stems from the thicker central ones. You can discard those thicker, central stems. We added cilantro to help balance the intense carrot greens, in addition to dried oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, and a handful of other seasonings. One pro tip that we will give you is to let the minced garlic sit in the vinegar for a few minutes. That will mellow the intense garlicky flavor, and that is a culinary tip from us to you. Now go out there and make some chimichurri!

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Here we go again with the creativity! This isn’t a plane Jane pesto, people. We have to change it up and keep you on your toes so that your taste buds remain interested in raw vegan foods. Varying your ingredients and straying from the well-traveled path is a great way to enjoy new flavors and reap the benefits of different plant compounds. Because we live in a society that regularly wastes edible parts of fruits and vegetables, we wanted to provide a unique way to use celery leaves, which most people discard without hesitation.

Next time you have a bunch of celery with beautiful leaves, turn those leaves into a pesto. While you can incorporate them into salads, it is much easier and quicker to transform them into a pesto sauce. From a nutritional standpoint, celery leaves are rich in the following vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Fiber
• Beta-carotene

Celery leaves may help enhance immune function due to the presence of vitamins A and C. Both of these vitamins work to protect the body against infections, while simultaneously enhancing skin health. The calcium and magnesium in celery leaves are essential for maintaining strong bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Because celery leaves contain antioxidants and chlorophyll, they aids the body’s natural detoxification processes. In fact, they may aid the body with toxin elimination.

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It’s no secret that holiday side dishes and main courses are loaded with unhealthy fats, sodium, sugar, and calories. To put it in perspective, a single one-cup serving of traditional scalloped potatoes contains the following nutrition:

• Calories: 227
• Total fat: 10.5 grams (g)
• Saturated fat: 6.4 g
• Sodium: 835 milligrams (mg)
• Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
• Protein: 5.2 g

Needless to say, you will most likely eat more that a one-cup serving of scalloped potatoes because they are just that tasty. They are incredibly creamy, garlicky, and sensationally delicious, especially when made from scratch. Yes, from scratch! We don’t want to bother with that damn boxed stuff! Those are not real potatoes in that box and the contain too much sodium and preservatives. Instead, make this vegan scalloped potato dish, which will hook your taste buds after the first bite.

When it comes to choosing the type of potato for a scalloped potato dish, we recommend Russets or Yukon Golds. The starch content of these potatoes helps the cashew cream thicken during the cooking process, creating a wonderfully creamy sauce. Russet potatoes have the most starch, while Yukon Golds hold their shape a bit better during baking. Both are great choices, but whichever potato you decide to go with, make sure you use a mandolin slicer to cut them. This will make all the potato slices uniform in thickness, which creates an even texture during the cooking process. Please enjoy this vegan holiday recipe!

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