Raw vegan food....Is it the third week already?!

Wow guys. This Matthew Kenney Cuisine course is slowly coming to an end with a bittersweet taste. On one hand, I'm truly excited to graduate but on the other hand I'm not ready to let go of the amazing people I've met, our Chefs, or the kitchen where we made colorful magic happen. I'm honestly already meditating about taking Level 2 next year. How about you? Any of you interested in learning more about the healing power of raw vegan food or the infinite recipes that will change the way you view food? If so, I have some great news for you!!! If you reserve your spot for December or next year before the end of 2015, you can get 15% off your tuition with the code "WaterThruSkin". Just email admissions@matthewkenneycuisine.com with your information, the course you would like to take, and the discount code. You can take it at any of their locations (Miami, LA, Maine, Thailand!). Like Christmas in November! ;)

Now, back to cuisine this week we learned how to make raw vegan cheeses, water kefir, buckwheat granola, raw vegan chocolate, coconut yogurt, tiramisu, zucchini tartare and other yummy recipes! Let's start with the vegan cheeses. Who knew they could taste so good! We also learned how to create our own flavors by adding or replacing some ingredients from MKC's original cheese recipe. I made a shiitake & black pepper cheese and then a "brie" cheese topped with a raspberry & basil sauce. (If you decide to take the course, this is one of your exams. Cheese plating!)

Buckwheat granola. Even though this might sound common and simple, this granola is very different, starting with the buckwheat ingredient instead of oatmeal. Buckwheat has more protein and nutrients than oats. We also learned how to make coconut yogurt from scratch and I layered it with the granola, some raspberries, bananas, pomegranate and agave.

And one of my favorites: Zucchini Avocado Tartare. I don't know what it is about this recipe...maybe it's the colors and flavors, or the avocado or the fact that it's so easy to make, but I could honestly eat this every day! Avocado, Zucchini, lemon juice, olive oil and flowers. Simple yet refreshingly delicious!

Last but not least, we also visited the Farmers Market in Santa Monica as a class to get any extra ingredients we wanted for our cheese plate exam. The Farmers Market is a few blocks long and absolutely wonderful!! You'll get to see and taste exotic veggies, fruits and herbs you might have never seen or heard of before like Buddha's fingers or the light pink raspberries (combination of the orange and red ones). How about that!? <3

Stay tuned for the next post on Monday (and the final one since graduation is this Friday!!) about MKC.

To read about my Week 1 and 2 at MKC, click here.

To see some recipes, click here. I'll also be sharing some more in the next few days. xoxo

The Art of Raw Vegan Food

Hello from LA!!

As you guys might've already seen on my Instagram, I've relocated to LA to take my love towards animals and our earth to the next level by taking Matthew Kenney's Culinary 4-week raw vegan course. Week 1 is over and this has honestly been an eyeopening and wonderful experience already! Not only because I'm learning the powerful basics of a raw plant-based diet and the healing power of foods but also because throughout the past week I've discovered a side of me I didn't know existed. A creative side. After spending 5 years working in the Private Banking industry and 4 years studying International Business in college, I was taught to see (and was used to seeing) life in numbers. Everything was either black or white, even when it came to cooking. Until now! It's been only 7 days and I have learned to get out of my comfort zone and dare to play with ingredients and colors fearlessly. I've also discovered that plating is a big factor when it comes to serving food. Even if you're cooking and serving it for yourself. Believe it or not, besides food being our medicine (or slowest form of poison), the way we serve it can very much brighten up our day or sadden it. Since day 1 at MKC, we've learned to combine colorful raw ingredients like beets, carrots, cabbage, microgreens and beautiful flowers that have managed to open up my mind to a new blissful side of gastronomy. Not to mention the mouthwatering flavors of the recipes we've been preparing. I'm sharing a few pictures of the recipes I made during the past few days in the hopes that I get you a little excited about raw vegan food, but most of all, excited about getting out that comfort zone and trying new things. Specially, cooking consciously. For your health and the future of our planet. I'll also keep sharing more details of this course with you as the weeks go by but, in the meantime, you can find out more by visiting www.matthewkenneycuisine.com. 

PS: I've never EVER taken a cooking class and somehow managed to create the dishes below, so there's really no such excuse as "I could never do that". I'm literally starting from 0 here too and possibilities are endless. You just have to believe, let go and have fun! :)

*In case you guys don't know, raw cuisine is just like veganism- in the sense that no animal products of any kind are consumed- but goes a step further by not cooking anything above 118F to preserve the enzymes and nutrients of each ingredient. Like the name says it, everything is "Raw", unprocessed and made from scratch. 

How we start every morning. Knife skills. Best part of it is that we juice every ingredient and enjoy fresh and organic veggie & fruit juices every day! :)

Raw vegan Zucchini Lasagna with Macadamia Ricotta, Red Pepper-Sundried Tomato Marinara, and Pistachio Pesto. 

Veggie Hand Rolls with Spicy Mango Chutney. 

Red Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cheese, Pistachios & Bell Pepper Puree. 

Kale Cesar Salad with Sunflower Dressing & Shiitake Anchovies.

Sushi roll with Jicama Rice, Shiitake Mushrooms & Chipotle Mayo.