Today I prepared a living zucchini noodle dish with fresh marinara for my mother for dinner. I wasn’t planning on making this but found myself in some sort of dancing state in the kitchen where I was doing things without thinking about it.

I used one small yellow bell pepper, two handfuls of cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. I added soaked & rinsed sun-dried tomatoes, one date, salt, black pepper and chili powder. I also julienned some yellow bell pepper and cherry tomatoes to add a little crunch, color and texture. If I wanted to I could have added coconut oil or a little avocado if I thought fat was needed. But I am a fan of keeping things light and simply delicious!

I just wanted to share with you all that my mother enjoyed the pasta :D! Sometimes it doesn’t take lots of planning or money to make something that can wow someone or make them interested in eating vegan or living vegan foods.

Another dish I made that “wowed” people was a Living Vegan Coconut Caramelized Apple Crumble I made for my mom’s big Christmas Eve dinner. I do not have any of my aunts, cousins or relatives in the United States so over the years my mom, brother and I have friends who are pretty much our family. We typically have them over for Christmas Eve. These people eat a Standard American Diet and on top of it they are “Old School Portuguese.” So yes, lots of potatoes, fish, flan, bread and other heavy foods surround me.

I decided to make my crumble, cut it into servings and leave it out. If anyone was interested in having a piece they could. I didn’t tell them what it was or anything of the sorts. Below are some photos I took with my phone of the different stages the crumble went through 😉 I dehydrated the crumble and sliced it when it was still warm. I wish there were coconuts where I live, I would have loved to serve this with spiced coconut ice cream or yogurt ❤

Almost everyone thought it was Baklava and was super-duper confused as to who the heck brought it over hahaha. Since I used a mandolin to slice the apples nice and thin it looked like thin layers of dough, the liquid coconut sugar and the dehydration process made it appear that the dessert was covered in honey. I brushed each layer of apple with the caramel liquid and saved the most for the top. The crumble was a hit and it looks like I will be teaching a class to a few of my mother’s friends all about living vegan food and some easy yummy treats they can make at home.

I only used almonds, walnuts, one date, raisins and some spices in the crust. The nuts create a lot of oil and rather quickly. First I put just the sprouted almonds and walnuts in the food processor and quickly mixed them. Then I blended in the rest of the ingredients. To have a proper crumble I did not press the crust mixture down hard or anything.

I also used my favorite apples, Fuji. I used Coconut Secret Coconut Crystals, water, vanilla, lemon, lime, coconut oil and a little bit of the crust mix for the caramel look.

I’ve mentioned before how I’ve noticed over the years that pushing my lifestyle, ideas and food on people just doesn’t work.  I recommend preparing something that is somewhat familiar to your loved ones. This way they aren’t intimidated by the dish. Desserts are the easy way to go for sure 😀 The holidays tend to be a time that is extra difficult to stick to your guns and eat the way you truly want to eat. All of the smells, memories and childhood favorite things show up again.

When you feel like giving up on a food lifestyle you have created for yourself try to think about where your feelings are actually coming from. Sometimes it is out of convienence, may be you think it is easier to just eat what is already in front of you. Try to think about how sick you will most likely feel afterwards, how much  work that puts on your body and mind. It’s just food! Remember all of the effort, care, passion and the health care plan you have created for yourself. Being with the people you love is the most important memory. The best present from the holidays is to be present.

Thank you for stopping by! Much love ❤ and raw power 😉

xoxo Jess