B12
banana ice cream
Banana ice cream
cinnamon
Cinnamon rolls
Every time I have too many ripe bananas I make cinnamon rolls and banana ice cream.
Raw vegan cinnamon rolls
Everyone who is into sweet baked goods will love these raw vegan cinnamon rolls. These buttery buns are a perfect treat that helps to forget the unhealthy regular cinnamon buns. This hight carb and gluten-free dessert is perfects for both kids and adults.
Healthy cinnamon rolls
We only use whole healthy ingredients to make this dessert and minimally process them.
So delicious
These cinnamon rolls are sweet and gooey, with a buttery tastes from the almond butter with a strong hint of cinnamon.
So easy to make
It only calls for 3 simple and widely available ingredients. Bananas, almond butter and cinnamon. Even the waiting time is quite long, the dehydrator will do it gladly overnight. All the prep is done within 10 minutes.
Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Banana cinnamon rolls
The recipe
Banana cinnamon rolls are super popular within the raw food community, everyone makes them, with a slightly different spin. The very basic recipe only calls for bananas and cinnamon, common addition are young coconut meat, nut butters, dates, raisins, vanilla, coconut sugar, or date sugar. Usually, the recipes are made of of not more than 3 ingredients.
Raw Cinnamon Buns
All you need to make this recipe
Picking the right banana
The banana should be spotty with no green ends. The bananas should be overripe, no soft brown spots.
Raw, organic, real
When it comes to almond butter, besides buying organic, make sure it’s raw. Check out my post on almond butter to find more info on why I never eat roasted nuts.
Splitting the banana
The hardest part of this is slicing the bananas lengthwise. I usually use a sharp cerated knife, hold the bananas down genteelly and cut is just like I would cut a burger bun. There is another great way to separate the banana into 3 stripes, but the stripes will not be flat. The banana consists of 3 parts and with a little practice, you can split it lengthwise using just your hands. Split it straight down the middle lengthwise and it will spit into equal thirds.
Peel the banana, it is usually a little firmer on the bottom. Look for a little hole right in the center of in the bottom, push it in with you finger and the banana will start splitting lengthwise.
Broken banana pieces
It’s unavoidable to mess up couple of bananas, that’s why I only attempt to make cinnamon rolls when have more bananas than I need. The broken pieces can be frozen for banana ice cream.
no dehydrator, no problem
If you are not a raw foodie jet or/and don’t own a dehydrator, make these in the oven. I wouldn’t recommend trying to dehydrate the bananas at a dehydrating temperature in the oven. It’s a waste of energy and never works out quite well. The oven is not constructed the way a dehydrator is and doesn’t as well as a dehydrator. The banana might start to ferment if you leave it in the oven at a low temperature over night. Bake the bananas for 2-3 h at 120ºC/250ºF on reusable silicon mat/paper.
Storing
Diese Zimtschnecken sind nicht ganz durchgetrocknet und dadurch nicht haltbar. Wenn ich diese am zweiten Tag noch essen will, dann rolle ich diese auf und lasse sie im Dehydrator weitertrocknen.
I'm Ina
In in love with raw vegan recipes. Raw food is not only super tasty and easy to prep, it is also incredibly versatile and exciting. Give one of my recipes a try.almond butter
Recipes with almond butter
Why you should only eat raw nuts
Raw vegan go-to burger recipe
So easy and healthy
Raw vegan burger as a perfect substitute for any burger
When it comes to homemade meals, we have the freedom to make the best meal possible. It means to really think about the ingredients we use and to start from scratch using only the great ingredients we know are healthy. If we just try to recreate the classic recipe, we will end up with the cheap junk food that stole hours from our life for nothing.
Raw vegan burger the easy way
What I love about this burger recipe, is that is so easy and fast to make. We tried many raw vegan burgers eating out at the raw vegan restaurants and the usual recipes require marinating and dehydrating which can take hours if ton days.
My go-to raw vegan burger
Patty
Bun
Sides
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Fruitadmin Book
Raw vegan burger bread
Mushrooms as a burger bun
Mushrooms are a delicious and easy to make burger bun. We wash the portobello mushrooms properly and lay them out onto a clean kitchen towel so the water can drip off.
Lettuce as raw vegan burger bun
If you don’t like mushrooms or can’t find big portobello mushrooms you can always use lettuce for burger buns.
Raw vegan burger variations
There are countless ways of making a raw vegan burger. You can use different nuts for the patty, your fav veggies to replace the carrot. We sometimes add some raw vegan cheese and crispy dehydrated onion rings. Ketchup is also always a good idea.
Who is Stefan?
We love to work and to film videos together. Stefan, aka Fruitadmin, is my husband and the best traveling and food prep partner I could have asked for. Check out his Instagram and Youtube channel.Tomato salad with Tahini dressing
Tomato salad with Tahini dressing
Salad
Dressing
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I'm Ina
In in love with raw vegan recipes. Raw food is not only super tasty and easy to prep, it is also incredibly versatile and exciting. Give one of my recipes a try.Green asparagus salad with mustard dressing
It’s a quick and easy to make appetiser or an entire lunch, if I eat it all by myself. I used to get an egg salad sandwich on my way to school every morning till I noticed that I was gaining weight. This recipe comes so close texture and taste wise to the egg salad filling in the sandwich I was eating, in a healthy and much more delicious version.
Green asparagus strawberry salad
Salad
Dressing
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I'm Ina
In in love with raw vegan recipes. Raw food is not only super tasty and easy to prep, it is also incredibly versatile and exciting. Give one of my recipes a try.tahini
kala namak salt
Egg salad bites
It’s a quick and easy to make appetiser or an entire lunch, if I eat it all by myself. I used to get an egg salad sandwich on my way to school every morning till I noticed that I was gaining weight. This recipe comes so close texture and taste wise to the egg salad filling in the sandwich I was eating, in a healthy and much more delicious version.
Egg Salad Bites
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How do we get the egg flavour into our food
Kala Namak salt tastes just like eggs. If you don’t mind using a little salt in your food, kala namak is amazing. It provides not only egg like flavor but also the taste. It is amazing for sauce and dressings like ranch or mayo.
Where to get the ingredients for this egg salad recipe
I'm Ina
In in love with raw vegan recipes. Raw food is not only super tasty and easy to prep, it is also incredibly versatile and exciting. Give one of my recipes a try.How not to die
Utilising the power of plants the scientific way
In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, nutrition expert and creator of NutritionFacts.org, explains the top causes of premature death like heart disease and various cancers based on state of the art research in nutrition and medicine.
Get your copy here.
My rating of How not to die
Contents How not to die
How not to die from heart disease
How not to die from lung diseases
How not to die from brain diseases
How not to die from digestive cancers
How not to die from infections
How not to die from diabetes
How not to die from high blood pressure
How not to die from liver diseases
How not to die from blood cancers
How not to die from kidney disease
How not to die from breast cancer
How not to die from suicidal depression
How not to die from prostate cancer
How not to die from Parkinson’s disease
How not to die from iatrogenic causes
Dr. Greger’s daily dozen
Beans
Berries
Other fruits
Cruciferous vegetables
Flaxseeds
Nuts and seeds
Herbs and spices
Whole grains
Beverages
Exercise
How not to die cookbook
Over 100 Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease
This cookbook is amazing for anyone who is trying to adapt a healthy vegan diet, cut down on oils and salt and to wants to incorporate more healthy ingredients. It’s not a raw recipe book, but a healthy vegan cookbook I recommend to all my friends and family.Get your copy here.
My rating of How not to die cookbook
Take a look at the book with Dr. Michael Greger
Contents How not to die
Introduction
The Daily Dozen
ONE SIMPLE PREPARATIONS
TWO BREAKFAST
THREE SNACKS, DIPS AND SPREADS
FOUR SOUPS AND CHILLIES
FIVE SALADS AND DRESSINGS
SIX BURGERS, WRAPS AND MORE
SEVEN VERY VEGGIE MAINS
EIGHT BEAN CUISINE
NINE GREAT GRAINS
TEN SIDES
ELEVEN SWEETS
TWELVE SIPS
Sample Menus for 14 Days
Kitchen Technigues
Shopping and Stocking the Cupboards
SAMPLE MENUS FOR 14 from the book
WEEKI
DAY 1
BREAKFAST
Summertime Oatmeal
LUNCH
Curried Chickpea Wraps
V-12 Vegetable Blast
DINNER
Super Salad with Garlic Caesar Dressing & Hemp Hearts
Courgette Noodles with Avocado-Cashew Alfredo
DESSERT
Strawberry-Banana Nice Cream
DAY2
BREAKFAST
Burrito Breakfast Bake
LUNCH
Vegetable & Red Bean Gumbo
Cheesy Kale Crisps
DINNER
Miso Soup with Spinach & Dulse
Buckwheat Soba & Edamame with Almond Butter Sauce
DESSERT
Berry Chocolate Chia Pudding
DAY3
BREAKFAST
Morning Grain Bowls
LUNCH
Spinach & Mushroom Black Bean Burritos
Edamame Guacamole + raw veggies
DINNER
Mango-Avocado-Kale Salad with Ginger-Sesame Orange Dressing
Yellow Rice & Black Beans with Broccoli
DESSERT
Fudgy No-Bake Brownies
DAY4
BREAKFAST
Super Green Smoothie
LUNCH
Black Bean Gazpacho Salad
Pumpkin Seed Dip + raw veggies
DINNER
Stuffed Portobellos with Herbed Mushroom Gravy
Red Cabbage Saute
DESSERT
Baked Apple Crumbles
DAYS
BREAKFAST
French Toast with Berry Drizzle
Warm Pear Compote
LUNCH
Kale & White Bean Soup
Three-Seed Crackers
DINNER
Super Salad with Garlic Caesar Dressing & Hemp Hearts
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
DESSERT
Very Cherry Nice Cream
DAYG
BREAKFAST
Frying Pan Sweet Potato Hash
100% whole-grain toast
LUNCH
Beans & Greens Quesadillas
Summer Salsa
DINNER
Portobellos & Greens on Toast
Baked Onion Rings
DESSERT
Two-Berry Pie with Pecan-Sunflower Crust
DAY7
BREAKFAST
French Toast with Berry Drizzle
LUNCH
Sloppy Jacks
DINNER
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Roasted Asparagus with Yellow Pepper Bearnaise
DESSERT
Almond-Chocolate Truffles
WEEK2
DAYS
BREAKFAST
Summertime Oatmeal
LUNCH
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Cheesy Kale Crisps
DINNER
Garlic Greens Saute
Mac &Cheese
DESSERT
Raspberry-Peach Crisp
DAY9
BREAKFAST
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Superfood Breakfast Bites
LUNCH
Chopped Vegetable Salad
Champion Vegetable Chilli
DINNER
Quinoa Pilaf with Carrots & Chickpeas
Cauliflower Steaks with Chermoula Sauce
DESSERT
Strawberry-Banana Nice Cream
DAY10
BREAKFAST
Chocolate Oatmeal
LUNCH
Black Bean Soup with Quinoa & Kale
Beetroot Burgers
DINNER
Pistachio-Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
Whole Wheat Pasta with Lentil Bolognese
DESSERT
Fresh Fruit Skewers with Blackberry Coulis
DAY 11
BREAKFAST
Burrito Breakfast Bake
LUNCH
Smoky Black-Eyed Peas & Spring Greens
Brown rice
DINNER
Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry
Brown rice
Indian-Style Spinach & Tomatoes
DESSERT
Fudgy No-Bake Brownies
DAY12
BREAKFAST
Superfood Breakfast Bites
Cherry-Berry Smoothie
LUNCH
Veracruz Tempeh Lettuce Wraps
Smoky Roasted Chickpeas
DINNER
Braised Tempeh & Bok Choy with Spicy Ginger Sauce
Brown rice
DESSERT
No-Bake Oatmeal Walnut Cookies
DAY13
BREAKFAST
Morning Grain Bowls
LUNCH
Black Bean Burgers
Sesame Red Cabbage & Carrot Slaw
DINNER
Roasted Beetroots with Balsamic-Braised Beetroot Greens
Stuffed Winter Squash with Black Bean Sauce
DESSERT
Peanut Butter-Banana Nice Cream
DAY14
BREAKFAST
Frying Pan Sweet Potato Hash
100% whole-grain toast
LUNCH
Kale Salad with Avocado Goddess Dressing
Beans & Greens Quesadillas
DINNER
Lemon-Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Carrots with Pecans
Red Quinoa Loaf with Golden Gravy
DESSERT
Fresh Fruit Skewers with Blackberry Coulis
dehydrator
My dehydrators
Recipes with the dehydrator
Cinnamon rolls
Ketchup
Food Shopping
I'm passionate about eating the best food possible. I always buy organic and try to shop zero waste, in bulk and to support local farmers. For me, the people and the planet.Ketchup
Raw ketchup benefits
This ketchup recipe is easy to make, super healthy and tastes amazing with anything. But isn’t a raw ketchup recipe just for the raw foodies? Not at all, it’s tastes amazing to anyone and is much easier to make than any other recipe.
Why I make my own ketchup
I wasn’t too thrilled with conventional ketchup products once I took a closer look at the ingredients: preservatives, coloring, and E-numbers I wasn’t sure what they meant. Plus the tomatoes are usully chemically treated while grown and in ketchup. I decided to buy organic ketchup, but there was always added sugar. Like they say: “If you want it to be good, make it yourself.” Today, we will make the most delicious and amazing ketchup ourselves.
Ketchup
In just a couple of minutes our healthy raw ketchup is ready to eat.
I'm Ina
In in love with raw vegan recipes. Raw food is not only super tasty and easy to prep, it is also incredibly versatile and exciting. Give one of my recipes a try.Cake mold pre-cut pieces
If I only could by one cake mold, it would be this one. So easy to use and so versatile.
When I first discovered this cake mold, I knew, it’s going to be perfect for raw vegan cakes! I love making raw vegan cakes and now, that I have a little more time for that, I totally enjoy the freedom of making different flavors using just one mold. It is also super easy to use when you freeze your cake what I usually do. The pieces come out beautiful and even.
Recipes using a cake mold
Avocado Cake
This is by far my favorite raw vegan avocado cake. It’s not only tasty, but it is also quite healthy. There are no oils or sugar in it. It is also pretty easy to make. No baking and affordable for a super tasty cake.
Avocado Cake
Crust
Cream layer
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If you are not sure about using avocados for a desert, try making just one pies using one avocado to see how you like it! Or just make a thicker crust and a thin cream layer.
Cake mold pre-cut pieces
food processor
blender
How to replace some of the ingredients if you need to
Almonds
You can use any kind of nuts of your choice. Cashews are great, walnuts are awesome, you can even try using seeds like sunflower seeds for the crust.
Dates
You can replace the dates using mulberries, dried apricots or even raisins.
Orange juice
You can use juice of lemons, limes, or clementines instead.
Common difficulties and mistakes while making the avocado cake
If you came across a problem not mentioned below, please comment in the comment section, I would love to help you out.
The avocado cake is not sweet enough
- you can add more dates
The crust is crumbly
- add dates
- add more juice
The avocado cake crust is too sticky
- to many dates
Can I make the crust using the blender?
- No!
The crust is too runny
- use less juice
Avocados are not creamy
- avocados are not ripe enough
- the blender is not powerful anough
- you might need to blend a little longer
- the blender jar is too large for the amount of avocados you were blending
The cream is too runny
The avocado cream doesn’t taste good
- your freezer temperature might be too hight
- you need to keep the cake in the freezer longer
- много сока
- you left the cake outside of the freezer for too long
- it’s better to eat the cake right after it is defrosted, you can’t keep it
- Caramelized Onion, Cheese and Cherry Tomato Flatbreads
- Taco Salad
- Rawitch
- Taco Wrap
- Mexican Pizza
- Pecan Pie
- oil used as an ingredient in over 50 recipes
- photos are pretty bad
- clean tables
- clean kitchen (if visible)
- clean menu
- clean cutlery
- hair in food
- server touches the food while serving
- dirty hands
- sneezing, coughing in the kitchen or while serving
- cutlery directly on the table
- Organic
- Freshness
- clean food
- not bitter or over-salted
- good combination of ingredients
- good texture
- I wouldn’t be able to do it easily in 15 minutes
- I ate the same recipe somewhere else
- plating
- variety of the main dishes
- variety of the deserts
- variety of the salads
- variety of the drinks
- no honey
- no dairy
- Substitution
- Oil-Free
- Salt-Free
- Friendly stuff
- Transparency
- temperature
- space
- decoration
- location
- nuts not raw
- use other cooked ingredients
- use blanched frozen ingredients
- before order
- before first meal
- inbetween meals
- price, considering the complexity the dish
- price, considering the location, costs of labor in the country
- price, considering the used produce
my raw vegan cake didn’t freeze properly and is too soft
After defrosting the cake melted
Код для скидки VWN983
Delicious and healthy raw vegan avocado cake. Only 4 ingredients, made in 15-20 minutes. No oil, no sugar, raw and vegan. The best raw vegan avocado cake recipe.
I'm Ina
In in love with raw vegan recipes. Raw food is not only super tasty and easy to prep, it is also incredibly versatile and exciting. Give one of my recipes a try.Live Organic Food Bar
The Live Organic Food Bar in Toronto is an awesome place with many great raw vegan options and also cooked vegan food.
What we had at Live Organic Food Bar
Enchiladas
chipotle corn wrap, sunflower refried beans, tomato salsa, chocolate almond mole, arugula, pickled red onion, jalapeños cilantro, cashew sour cream
I had the enchiladas ($16) first. It was ok, not much flavor, pudding like texture. So good there were fresh tomatoes and arugula, they gave this dish at least some texture. The taste was not bad though.
Mezze pLate
sunflower falafels, sunflower hummus, mixed olives, cauliflower/kale tabouli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, pickled red onion, flatbreads, tahini sauce, za’ atar oil
Mezze pLate ($16) was my favorite dish. I love falafel, tabbuoleh, hummus, olives and greens. The sun-dried olives were wonderful. Beyond wonderful. The regular olives were way too salty for me after not eating salt for month, I would ask for more sun-dried instead the next time. They are the best.
Pizza
almond crust, red pepper marinara, arugula, tomato, black olives, artichokes, cashew feta, almond parmesan
This Pizza ($16) was my hubbies’ favorite dish. The crust was wonderful, the sauce and the topping too, especially the nut cheese. First I thought the big fresh tomato slices on the pizza were a little to salady on the pizza, but actually it balanced the dish perfectly. The artichokes were so great on it.
Falafel and Taco Wrap
red wrap, sunflower falafels, smoked carrot hummus, cauliflower/kale tabouli, cucumber, tomato, pickled red onion, micro greens, tahini sauce, za’atar oil & flax corn wrap, sunflower refried beans, guacamole, tomato salsa, walnut taco meat, micro greens, cilantro, green onion
We took the 2 wraps ($15) to go to eat on the plane later that day. The falafel wrap was basically the mezzo plate wraped into a red wrap. The taco wrap was hearty and smokey, really delicious. The wrapping veggie paper itself wasn’t so great after caring it around for 3 hours, the next time I’ll make sure to eat the wraps right away.
Our experience at Live Organic Food Bar
We liked it here a lot. I would totally bring family and friends there.
What to order
They have a sample platter with 4 awesome raw vegan dishes to try. Perfect for first timers. The atmosphere is relaxed and alternative. They also manufacture crackers, wraps, superfoods, I saw some of them at Whole foods earlier that day.
Desserts
They also have a big selection of desserts, some of them contained honey. So be careful if you are vegan.
Quality of the food at Live Organic Food Bar
The food is supposed to be all organic and vegan, so we were told. On the way to the bathroom I passed by the kitchen and saw some boxes of non-organic avocados and greens. I asked about the corn, they guarantied me it was non-GMO. The thing about eating out is, you have to trust the restaurant, even knowing they might not try as hard as yourselves to serve you the best food possible for the money spent.
Menu
Raw and cooked mixed. A decent variety of raw dishes for a mixed restaurant.
We ate here April 2015.
Raw food recipe books you need in your life
Rating Live Organic Food Bar
Overall
Quality
Taste
Creativity
Variety
Vegan friendly
Communication
Atmosphere
Value
Waiting time
Rawlicious at Home
More Than 100 Raw, Vegan and Gluten-free Recipes to Make You Feel Great by Angus Crawford and Chelsea Clark
I got this book Rawlicious at Home after eating at the Rawlicoius restaurant in Toronto, or more like grabbing takeout there.
Recipes
The books holds many amazing basic recipes. Smoothie, starters, pizzas, wraps, soups, desserts.
Favorite must try recipes from Rawlicious at Home
What to expect from Rawlicious at Home
You will learn to make lots of dishes served at the restaurant. The food is basic simple gourmet raw food. You will need a high speed blender and a dehydrator.
Not so good
My rating of Rawlicious at Home
Contents Rawlicious at Home
A Practical Guide to Eating Raw and Eating Well
Equipment to Get You Started
Stocking Your Raw-Food Pantry and Fridge
The Five-Day Challenge
Drinks and Smoothies
Lean Green Juice
Veggie Juice
Vitamin See
Ginger Love Juice
Almond Milk
Chocolate Protein Shake
Choco-Minty Smoothie
Chocolate Nut Milk
Strawberry Nut Milk
Strawberry Milkshake
Tropical Green
Creamsicle Smoothie
Coconut Cooler
Lea’s Lemonade
Hot Chocolate
Breakfasts
Overnight Oatmeal
Granola
Hemp Seed Yogurt
Granola and Hemp Seed Yogurt Parfait
Sweet Crêpes
Appetizers and Snacks
Nacho Platter
Caramelized Onion, Cheese and Cherry Tomato Flatbreads
Nori Rolls
Spring Rolls
Pad Thai Sauce
Cranberry Sauce
Mango Chutney
Salsa
Guacamole
Avocado Scoop
Nacho Chips
Kale Chips
Sweet Potato Chips
Spiced Almonds
Soups
Velvety Vegetable Soup
Rosemary Red Pepper Soup
Confetti Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
Creamy Celery Soup
Corn Chowder
Miso Noodle Soup
Salads
Rawlicious House Salad
Strawberry Pecan Salad
All Green Goodness Salad
Caesar Salad
Arugula Salad
Olive, Currant, Nut and Seed Salad
Taco Salad
Summertime Broccoli Salad
Sandwiches
Rawitch
Don’t Be Chicken Salad Sandwich
Caesar Wrap
Taco Wrap
Stuffing Wrap
Entrées
Thai Burgers
Savory Crêpes
Soft Corn Tacos
Teriyaki Stir-fry with Parsnip Rice
Pad Thai
Chili
Bolognese
Lasagna
Turnip Ravioli
Beet Ravioli
Zuchetti Rosé
Zuchetti Pesto
Sprouted Buckwheat Pizza
Mexican Pizza
Tropical Pizza
Desserts and Treats
Vanilla Hemp Bars
Superfood Cookies
Coconut Cinnamon Snowballs
Carrot Cake Bites
Blonde Macaroons
Chocolate Macaroons
Chocolate
Chocolate Crème Cookies
Brownies with Vanilla Icing
Chocolate Banana Cheesecake
Chocolate Sauce
Coffee Cheesecake
Lemon Cheesecake
Fruit Sauce
Key Lime Tarts
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Maple Walnut Ice Cream
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Vanilla Cardamom Ice Cream
Staples
Nut Loaf Patties
Refried “Beans”
Rawitch Spice Mix
Almond Cheese
Cashew Cheese
Pine Nut Parmesan
Sour Cream
Pizza Crust
Burger Buns
Tortillas
Herb and Onion Flatbread
Onion Bread
Rating raw vegan food
Eating out and writing about food, I came up with a rating system, that helps me to evaluate the restaurant more objectively considering all the important dimensions and not falling for the halo effect, the overall impression of the experience or the personality of the owner or server.
Overall rating
the average of the sub-category rating.
Hygiene
how hygienic is the restaurant and food handling
Quality
Taste
Creativity
Variety
Vegan friendly
Special requests
Communication
Venue,ambiance, atmosphere
Really Raw
Waiting time
Value for the money
Crucina
Crucina is the raw vegan restaurant in Madrid that has been on our Spain travel list for a while. Today we had a long lunch here. I only had my iPhone on me, the pics don’t do the food justice.
We more than recommend checking out the restaurant, not only if you are a vegan or a raw foody! It’s one of the few raw food restaurants in Spain. With its hearty, Greek twist, the dishes are flavourful and filling. The atmosphere is relaxed and the service simply awesome.
Conveniently located in the city center, Crucina is the only raw vegan restaurant in Madrid. We were super excited to visit and to try all the dishes we checked out on instagram and google beforehand. Otherwise, we did not expect much, just wanted to dive into gourmet raw food we have been successfully avoiding for months, except for an occasional raw cashew ice cream.
My overall rating of the restaurant compared to a “normal” restaurant in its price range is definitely 5 stars.The quality of the raw food, the mostly organic ingredients and the attention to the detail while creating these raw food dishes compared to the food at a regular restaurant food are winning all the way here. I will provide a more in depth rating, comparing this restaurant to other raw food restaurants down below.
Let’s see what we had! We ordered the tasting menu, that was different, than on the menu that day, the burger and the pizza.
Lemon milk
macadamia-, brazil-, and almond nutmilk; avocado, xylitol, lemon juice and zest, berries
The lemon milk (part of the menu 35 €) was amazing. It tasted like a sweetened condensed milk. The flavor and the texture were amazing, with a hint of lemon. I didn’t feel like eating the berries though, they seemed not washed. I know, many restaurants don’t wash the berries for the looks, I prefer them washed.
Moussaka
3 kinds tomatoes, avocado, sunflower seeds and sage base, macadamia cream with coconut sugar crust
This moussaka (part of the menu 35 €) was great. Served on a warm plate it had this “out-of-the-oven” feel to it. The tomato layer was flavorful, sweet and savoury. The base was meaty, the cheese layer unbelievably cheesy, even texture-wise.
meat balls
sunflower seeds, almond, curry, coconut sugar, with broccolini
The meatballs (part of the menu 35 €) were very tasty. Nice soft juicy meaty texture.
burger
zucchini, sunflower seeds, curry. raw bread, raw mayo, greens and veggies
The burger (14 €) was delicious, the taste and texture was similar to the meatballs. The dish is super filling, a perfect main dish. We got an oil free version at our request, which was awesome.
Pizza
seed and veggie crust with sprouted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, and cashews; nutmeat, mayo sauce, tomatoes, arugula
The pizza ( 11.25 €) was very tasty and filling. The soft crust, the sauce and the meat combined were on point, with a fresh touch of tomato and arugula. The meat tasted meaty, a perfect balance of juicy softness and bite. We got a customised pizza without oil. So happy about the substitution.
Raw bread
chickpea, flax, bell pepper, tomato, pimento
The bread (free) was soft, spicy and amazing. We wanted to eat it with a dish, but while waiting, we devoured it, even before taking a picture, here you see the small left-over piece. Tasted like a delicious pizza.
The menu at Crucina
The menu was surprisingly small for a completely raw restaurant, many items were not available and the menu itself and the tables were dirty. I, with mine OCD tendencies, spoke out the option of leaving to Stefan, but I’m glad we stayed.
Hygiene
I’m a huge hygiene fan when it comes to food, and here, couple of things were disconcerting. Dirty tables, piles of dishes even the restaurant just opened after a day off, the server coughing in the kitchen and while serving, touching the food while serving, placing cutlery directly on the table, food scrapes on servers hands to name the once I observed without seeing the kitchen. Nothing really a big deal, but each of those make me less exited about going back.
Special requests
The restaurant made many alteration to our dishes as soon as we asked for it. We only asked for no extra oil, but the kitchen redid many dishes so there were no oils in dressing, just WOW! And everything tasted amazing, sometimes the dishes really on the oil for the taste, not here, everything tasted as if it was created oil free.
Waiting time
The waiting time was very long, I’m not sure if it was a misunderstanding, I specifically asked for serving everything at once, but the dishes came long time apart, we spend over two hours there, for a lunch way too long for my German taste. Maybe the restaurant wanted us to enjoy the food or the kitchen was simply slow, hard to say.
As I have timestamps on my iPhone pictures, here is the exact time.
Arriving 1:09
Menu 1:11
1st dish 1:49
2nd dish 2:14
free bread 2:25
3rd dish 2:35
4th dish 2:59
5th dish 3:23
The raw food takes a long time to prep, it surely does, but many components are pre-made. Then there were the alterations we requested. On the other hand, there were not so many other guests.
Other than us, there were 2 more parties served, 4 businessmen on lunch break and a family of 4-6, don’t remember exactly. They all stayed almost as long for lunch as we.
Quality
The food is mostly organic, except for the nuts, we eat 100% organic at home and for us, a place that serves conventional ingredients even partially, will never become a go to spot on the regular basis. Considering all the dishes were nut based, we would prefer the nuts to be organic. And sure, we would be willing pay more for all organic ingredients.
Taste
The food tasted great, the flavors were rich and the texture great.
Creativity
The dishes were rather simple, there was nothing I haven’t had before in a similar form at couple of other raw food restaurants. Some parts of the dishes were surpassingly creative though, like the taste and texture of the dessert and the cheese layer on the moussaka. The plating was not amazing for most dishes, the veggies were not cut nicely and the broccolini had a dried out stem I would cut off first thing making a salad for myself.
Portion sizes
The portion sizes are on point. We shares 5 dishes plus bread, and it was almost too much even we were very hungry. A starter and a main dish are super sufficient for one person. Add a salad or a dessert, and you will be more than full.
My rating of Crucina in Madrid
Scale 1 (lowest possible rating) – 5 (highest possible rating). More about how I rate the restaurants here.
Overall
Hygiene
Quality
Taste
Creativity
Variety
Vegan friendly
Special requests
Communication
Atmosphere
Rawness
Value
Waiting time
Menu
The english menu Crucina Madrid.
Rawlicious
Rawlicious is a nice little all raw restaurant with a to-go service. We planed on eating there first thing in the morning, the door sign said they open at 9 am, but what the sign doesn’t say, they don’t serve food before 11 am …
I preordered, but ended up coming back several times and got my food by around 11:30. Rereading this, I don’t have a bitter aftertaste, we liked the food.
What we had
Herb & Onion Flatbreads
nut and seed flatbreads with dill cashew nut cheese topped with cherry tomatoes & caramelized onions
We ate these Herb & Onion Flatbreads ($10) right in the car. They smelled so good and tasted even better! I could swear they tasted like a very good Tarte flambée. The crust was great, the nut cheese creamy. The Onion, really juicy and spicy! Maybe the dill was too much. And I love dill, but not a whole bunch on a tiny piece of bread. The recipe is in the Rawlicous recipe book.
Taco Wrap
seasoned nut loaf, guacamole, romaine lettuce, salsa & almond nut cheese wrapped in a collard leaf
We had the really good Taco Wrap ($9.50). I never had such a delicious collard leave wrap before. Usually, once you have a leaf wrapped around and greens inside, it’s hard to make it taste like something else than a salad. But here, the taco meat was so awesome, and the cheese rich and creamy, it was as far from a salad as it could possibly be! If I didn’t know it was raw vegan, I could have believed it’s real meat. This wrap was much better than the taco wrap I had later that day at another restaurant in Toronto.
Pesto Buckwheat Pizza
sprouted buckwheat & flax crust, cashew cheese marinara or pesto, daily toppings & topped with cashew parmesan
This pizza ($10) was a special, so glad I saw it smiling at me from the dehydrator. We ate the pizza on the plane, I know, things taste better on the plane, and this pizza tasted really good, super salty, but very good. Definitely something I would get the next time and will try to recreate it at home from the Rawlicous recipe book. Such an amazing idea to use pesto as a pizza sauce.
Quesadillas
cashew cheddar cheese, crumbled nut loaf, salsa, avocado, & romaine lettuce in a red pepper wrap. served with coleslaw
Quesadilla ($15), not a fan. It was pudding like, the wrap gave up on me completely 2h after it was prepared. The coleslaw was something in-between fresh and pickled, not how I like it at all.
BBQ Burger
cashew cheddar cheese, crumbled nut loaf, salsa, avocado, & romaine lettuce in a red pepper wrap. served with coleslaw
I assume it was the burger ($15), hard to tell from the pic and I did’t write a note for this one.
Our experience
So we were patient, we asked to pick up the chosen food at 11am saying that we have to go to the airport shortly after. The food wasn’t ready by 11:30, which was pretty devastating, as we ordered in advance and were insured it will be ready by 11:00.
I almost requested my money back as I arrived there at 11 and no sign of my food, but in the end I’m glad I didn’t. I liked the food at Rawlicious. Because of the horrible service, I still don’t understand why it took 2 people 2,5h to place the pre-made raw food dishes into the containers, they did it then in front of me after letting me wait for half in hour within 2 minutes.
Because of all the waiting, there was no time to take proper pics of the food, so I took them after the security check at the airport. The food went though a lot already. I see it as the representation of in what state the food gets to the customer considering the service at that place. But enough about personnel that hopefully gets trained or replaced before we will eat at Rawlicious again, what we definitely planning on doing next time we are in Toronto.
Menu at Rawlicous
The menu is small, but sufficient for a lunch. On Rawlisious’ website they claims to use as much organic as possible, the girls at the cafe assured us that everything is organic. Everything I saw in the open kitchen, like salad boxes, spices, veggies, was certified organic.
We ate here April 2015.
Raw food recipe books you need in your life
Overall
Quality
Taste
Creativity
Variety
Vegan friendly
Special requests
Communication
Atmosphere
Value
Waiting time
cacao
Where do I get raw cacao from
Most health food stores have raw organic cacao powder nowadays. If your store doesn’t carry it, you can order it online here.
Is cacao healthy or not?
Health benefits of cacao powder
Cocoa contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc and iron. Since I only consume cocoa in small amounts, I do not rely on cocoa as a source of these minerals in my diet and eat it solely for the sake of taste.
Realth risks
Pesticides in cacao
The cocao is grown in tropical countries, where the regulations for pesticide use are very loose and pesticides are used, which are long banned here.Therefore, I only by certified organic cacao powder to avoid this health hazard and not to poison the environment and the growers unnecessarily.
Disadvantages of cocoa due to the caffeine content
Cacao contains caffeine as well as theobromine and can be irritating, especially if consumed in a large amount or if you consume it rarely. I try to eat cocoa only in the mornings to avoid insomnia.
Phytic acid in cacao
Cacao contains the phytic acid. Phytic acid can hamper the absorption of calcium, magnesium and zinc. I buy organic and fermented cocoa products, the phytic acid content is expected to be lower in these. Whether the cocoa is fermented or not can be found on the label or the product website.
recipes with cacao
raw vegan recipe books with chocolate recipes
Kitchen gadgets I love
Cacao varieties h2>
Forastero
Criollo
Trinitario
More Raw Cocoa Products h2>
Whole fresh cacao pods
cocoa nibs
Dried cacao beans with white pulp
Whole dried fermented cacao beans
Cacao butter
Cacao paste
Whole fresh cacao pods
cocoa nibs
Dried cacao beans with white pulp
Whole dried fermented cacao beans
Cacao butter
Cacao paste
dates
Where to buy organic raw dates
I always buy raw medjool dates online.
recipes with dates
Dates are the best sweetener. Medjool dates are juicy soft, fresh and wonderful for many recipes. Whether for raw cake or ice cream, ketchup or milk, so many creations are not only delicious but also healthier made with dates.
Why are dates so heathy read this study. Or watch the video.