Move over stevia, we've got a new non-glycemic, raw, natural, low-calorie, organic sweetener in the house! Yacon powder, a sugar substitute made from the root of the South American yacon plant, might just have a chance at becoming my new friend. Coined the "apple of the earth," it seems yacon's greatest attribute is its naturally high content of inulin, a complex sugar that isn't digestible and simply passes through the body. It also promotes the production of healthy probiotics within the body, which contribute to better digestion and colon health, and help with the absorption of calcuim and minerals. Because of these benefits, yacon is being promoted as a valuable health food and alternative sweetener.

Yacon powder is lighter in taste than the more popular syrup form, which has a flavour that is often described as a cross between an apple and molasses. Much like brown rice flour in texture, with a yellowish colour reminiscent of the desert, the powder form tastes sweet and starchy, with a fruity undertone. I picked up a box in Kensington market a few weeks ago and it sat on my shelf until I figured out what to do with it (sometimes my inspiration is a slow process). Then I had a revelation: the sweet, fruity flavour of yacon and the richness of dark chocolate chips practically beg for a marriage via cookie combination!

In this recipe, oats and almond meal add a wonderful flavour complexity and the coconut oil gives them a shortbread-like texture, making these a truly remarkable treat. Because yacon is found in the desert, it likes to absorb moisture, so you may notice it clumps very easily once opened. I just run it through my spice grinder before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. I also made my own oat flour and almond meal by grinding whole oats into flour and whole almonds to a fine meal. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do!

Chocolate chip hemp cookies
1 cup oat flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup yacon powder
2 tbsp hemp hearts
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp warm water, if needed
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond meal, yacon powder, hemp hearts, baking soda and salt.
2. Add the coconut oil and mix to combine. If the dough seems dry, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time. The mixture should stick together when pressed between two fingers. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Roll the mixture into flat disks by hand and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Allow to cool completely. Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.

I'm constantly amazed by the ripple effect of inspiration that comes from the food blog world. When one blogger tries something new and presents it to the world with positive energy and excitement, everyone feels that energy, and before too long they're making their own daring creations and inspiring others around them, too.

Fellow blogger and friend Lisa recently spent four weeks at 105degrees Academy in Oklahoma City expanding on her raw cuisine expertise through the Fundamentals of Raw Cuisine course. She dutifully chronicled her learning adventure with inspiring blog posts and gorgeous photos, and I know more than a few of us followed along and felt as if we were right there with her.

Last weekend, Lisa and I spent an amazing Saturday together in my kitchen, practising and recreating some of the techniques and processes she learned at 105. The hours seemed to go by quickly as we soaked, chopped, measured and blended our way through some fantastic recipes. Before we knew it, my dehydrator was packed and my kitchen filled with the sweet and savoury scents of garlic buns, pizza crust and chocolate chips.

After following her handbook of instruction to a tee, we were eager to get creative. Lisa had the fabulous idea to make our own raw vegan version of the ever-popular cake pop, as seen on many blogs, and in books and coffee shops. We started off by making the chocolate cake and frosting recipes from Matthew Kenney's Everyday Raw Desserts, and then spread a thin layer of the cake mixture on a cookie sheet and set it in the freezer. Once firm, we crumbled the cake in a food processor and combined it with some frosting. Then we carefully rolled the mixture into balls and returned them to the freezer to set. Next came the raw chocolate coating, dipping the frozen balls and then inserting the sticks. It was quite the process, but it was definitely worthwhile.


While they tasted great and looked pretty, they didn't turn out quite as we had imagined. As is often the case when developing new recipes and food creations, things don't always work out. The batter seemed a bit too moist and the coating didn't turn into a hard shell as we had hoped.

Do you think you could come up with the perfect raw vegan cake pop recipe? Lisa and I want your help, so we're proposing an official challenge to all the amazing bloggers out there. If you're interested, and prepared to get creative, we'll set something up for April and start working on prizes. Let us know!

When it comes to baking for family, friends or special occasions, some people think it's necessary to use ingredients outside their diet philosophies. I'm definitely not one of those people. I won't break out the eggs and butter in order to please other palates. Rather, I like to think my sweet treats can be used as a tool for vegan outreach by opening others' hearts and appetites to healthier, cruelty-free options. We all know the way to a person's heart is through the stomach, after all. So far, it seems to work. I rarely meet a person who sticks their nose up at a slice of chocolate cake or a chocolate chip cookie.

I'm pretty unpredictable when it comes to baking for a crowd though. Sometimes I'm in the mood to "wow" the crowd, and other times I settle for comfort food recipes that are popular and recognizable. Either way, I always put a spin on it. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not.

I'm honoured to have been chosen by Aine of PeaSoupEats to receive the Stylish Blogger Award, and by Lisa of Vegan Culinary Crusade to receive the One Lovely Blog Award. I've seen these little awards floating around the blogosphere and I'm quite flattered that they were passed on to me. Since starting my blog a mere seven months ago, I've honestly become a happier person because it has provided me a creative outlet to improve my baking and photography skills, and an opportunity to develop some amazing friendships and connect with compassionate vegans within the blogger community. So, thank you!

I'd like to nominate 10 more fantastic bloggers for these awards. Without further ado, the Stylish Blogger Award goes to:

Manifest: Vegan
Allyson's vegan and gluten-free food blog is quite a feast for the eyes, with bright colours and gorgeous photography that complement her unique recipe creations beautifully. She's determined to show the world the unlimited possibilities of compassionate cuisine, and I always feel inspired after seeing what she can do with potato starch and xanthan gum.

Have Cake, Will Travel
Celine's posts never fail to put a smile on my face. She has a fun, fresh style all her own and professional photographs that are equally fantastic. As the author of several cookbooks, including 500 Vegan Recipes, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions and the upcoming Hearty Vegan, she'd get my vote for the next Vegan Idol (if there was one).

Vegan Culinary Crusade
I just recently discovered the blog of twin sisters Jennifer and Jaclyn. It highlights "vegan, gluten-free, mostly allergen-free and sometimes raw recipes without the use of 'processed vegan foods,'" which many people are looking for these days. The girls' creativity in the kitchen proves how you can turn simple and healthy ingredients into something fantastic.

The Blissful Chef
This is the blog of Christy Morgan, a.k.a. the Blissful Chef, a vegan macrobiotic chef to eco-conscious celebrities in Los Angeles. Her inspiring blog and website is a great resource for diet and lifestyle changes. I love her enthusiasm and excitement for all things healthy, vegan and green, and her mission to help others make the connection between mind, body and spirit.

Sweetly Raw
Heather Pace is a raw dessert diva. Her blog encourages me to break out of my comfort zone when it comes to raw foods and raw desserts. She's the creator of raw moon pies, which are out of this world. Although her dietary choices have changed somewhat, I still go back to her archives regularly when I'm in need of some inspiration.

Choosing Raw
I recently became a dedicated fan of Gena's blog after reading some of her thought-provoking posts on eating disorder recovery, sticking to healthy habits, and not letting a bad day turn into two. As a certified clinical nutritionist, she promotes a nourishing and cruelty-free lifestyle with her delicious recipes, and acts much like an online coach and friend with her supportive and knowledgeable posts.

Happy Little Vegans
I read very few family-related blogs, but I love Jenna's focus on veganism and the modern family. Her blog is proof that a vegan family with two active boys can survive and flourish, contrary to popular belief. Her family-friendly recipes and gorgeous food photography provide inspiration for all parents interested in a planet-friendly lifestyle.

For the bloggers above who are interested in passing their award on to others, here's what you need to do next:
1. Make a post that links back to the blogger who gave you the award (that’s me!).
2. Nominate up to 10 bloggers to receive the award and list them in your post along with links to their blogs.
3. Don’t forget to tell them they’ve received the award by posting a comment on their blog.

Whoever came up with the basic raw cheesecake recipe is a genius. I'm constantly amazed, not only by its short ingredients list, but also by its versatility. You soak some nuts, blend them with some sweetener and coconut oil and whatever flavour options you prefer, and then you throw it in the freezer. This dessert is seriously hard to mess up.

I recently had a reader ask if it's possible to make a raw cheesecake like my raw chocolate chili cheesecake that is free of coconut and cashews. Although both cashews and coconut oil are main ingredients in most recipes, I was determined to create an alternative.

Here's the deal: a raw cheesecake means that all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes present in the whole foods you use to make the cake remain intact. Instead of a plateful of empty calories, you actually have a handful of fruit and nuts that are doing your body some good. Coconut oil is important in helping raw cheesecakes firm up because it solidifies at temperatures below 25 C. Cashews are also a staple because of their bland flavour. Soaking them is a pretty common practice: it neutralizes their enzyme inhibitors, makes them easier to digest and also softens them for easier blending. In this case, macadamia nuts came to the rescue and proper proportions made it so that the cake could sit at room temperature sans coconut oil without melting into a nutty mess.

In case you haven't already heard the buzz, the Book Publishing Company has a vegan book campaign going on right now called Live Delicious, Eat Vegan. They're promoting a fantastic assortment of vegan books and, as part of the campaign, they're offering free book drawings!

One of BPC's newest titles, The Natural Vegan Kitchen, features recipes from the Natural Kitchen Cooking School in Princeton, NJ. Christine Waltermyer, the school's founder and director, is a masterful chef and teacher who specializes in macrobiotic, vegan and raw cuisines.


Filled with wholesome recipes sans meat, eggs and dairy, The Natural Vegan Kitchen manages to pack tons of flavour into the simplest of preparations. This natural style of cooking focuses on fresh, seasonal, local and organic ingredients and empowers readers with the skills and knowledge to create delicious, nutrient-dense meals. Taste-tested by Christine's students and clients, the recipes are easy to prepare and fun to make.

I have yet to meet anyone who claims to dislike chickpeas, and considering they are high on my list of favourite foods, the recipe for easy scallion hummus from the appetizers chapter held great potential. After all, how can you go wrong with any flavour of hummus, really? Interestingly, I've never actually added scallions to any of my variations. With only five ingredients, this popular dip is sure to be a new addition to your snack list. I've made it three times in the last week! It's simple and satisfying.


There’s nothing better than a big vat of soup bubbling away on a chilly winter afternoon, so I wasted no time whipping up a giant potful of the French onion soup from the soups and stews chapter, since I've yet to try a vegan version of this classic meal. No less involved than my typical approach to any staple soup, that complex mushroom goodness definitely came through in the final flavour. Although there seemed to be some information missing in the recipe, I was able to figure it out along the way. In lieu of cheese, this recipe called for a product called mochi, which is made from brown rice. Since I had trouble finding it, a handful of Daiya cheese was a perfect substitute. Happily producing enough for a few meals at once, I was thrilled to have leftovers for the busy work week.


Being somewhat biased in my opinions of what makes a good dessert, I opted to go for something I wouldn't normally make for myself. A Lebanese classic, the apricot pudding from the desserts chapter proved to be an interesting surprise. Combining apple juice, dried apricots and agar flakes, this thick mousse-like pudding would make the perfect, light ending to a more decadent meal, or better yet, topped with nondairy vanilla ice cream!