Raw Vegan Ginger “Bananavo” Pie with Cacao Pepita Crust

Happy Friday! Today is 3/14, aka Pi Day. So instead of doing my bi-weekly Food Feature Friday, I’ll be posting a pi(e) recipe instead! This pie isn’t your typical pie. It doesn’t contain any flour, butter, or sugar. There’s no milk or cream. Yet it’s one of the creamiest pies I’ve ever eaten. So what is it, you ask? It’s raw. And vegan. And as far as the internet has told me, this pie doesn’t exist. Yet. Execpt for in my stomach. Right now.

I’ve been wanting to make a raw vegan pie for a while now, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. While I don’t follow a raw or vegan diet, I do tend to incorporate raw/vegan foods into my diet fairly often — and who says your diet has to have labels anyway? Anything that’s healthy, delicious, and REAL is good enough for me. I also wanted the pie to be GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day on Monday! So it’s a Pi-Patrick’s Day Pie. That’s a thing, right?

I’d never used avocado in baked goods before, and the interwebz told me that Avocado Pie is a California “tradition” — but seeing as I’ve lived in California, oh I don’ know, my entire life and have never tried it before, I think they might be wrong. The traditional recipe calls for condensed milk which is obviously a big no-no if you’re dairy-free or vegan. So I decided to add cashews and banana instead. (P.S. Banana + Avocado = Bananavo… get it?)

So what’s it like? The avocado-cashew-banana base is thick and creamy and while it tastes ever so slightly of avocados, the ginger and banana definitely shine through. The subtly sweet cacao pepita (pumpkin seed) crust pairs perfectly with the soft spice of the filling. And all you need is a food processor to make it. What’s not to love?

Food Feature Friday: Avocado

So I did this once a long time ago but now I’m bringing it back and switching the name around. Why? ‘Cause it’s my blog and I do what I want, that’s why! Feature Five Friday is just my way to recognize all the great food blogs and gluten-free, dairy-free, whole food recipes that I come across throughout the week. It also gives me a chance to share them with you! This week, the featured ingredient is avocados. And boy do I love avocados. So creamy, so delicious. Full of good fats that keep you full and do wonders for your skin, brain, and body. Sometimes I even eat them straight out of the shell topped with sea salt or hot sauce!

According to World’s Healthiest Foods, avocado is a wonderful source of fiber, vitamin K, copper, and folate, and can help fight inflammation, promote blood sugar regulation, and support cardiovascular health (thanks to its high Omega-3 content, which is beneficial on its own). Avocados contain high levels of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein. Better yet, adding avocado to salad increases your absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants, lycopene and beta-carotene by 200-400%, so you’re really getting the most out of those vegetables! It’s also though to have anti-cancer benefits as well! Not bad for such an unsuspecting fruit. Now on to the recipes!

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Garlic Sauce

I have a confession. I love zucchini. I could eat zucchini all the time, in some shape or form, at every meal. Here’s the catch though: it has to be organic. The flavor of organic zucchini is so far superior to non-organic that to me it’s not even comparable. I actually used to hate zucchini as a kid unless it was covered in cheese! Talk about a complete 180. In this simple recipe, fresh zucchini gets turned into a delicious “pasta” covered in a creamy Italian flavored sauce with just a handful of ingredients.

This recipe can be enjoyed completely raw as a refreshing main or side dish, but for those who prefer their “pasta” to be warm feel free to give the noodles a boiling water bath. I would refrain from actually cooking the noodles as zucchini tends to get soggy easily when it’s this spiraled this thin. In case you’re wondering, the spiralizer I use is from Paderno World Cuisine and I highly recommend it. It makes everything so easy and so tasty!