The Naked Vegan

The Naked Vegan

Maz laughs when she admits she started her career as a nurse‐turned pharmaceutical sales manager who partied hard, chain smoked and ate whatever she liked. One day she went to a yoga class 'to get a toned butt' and this snap decision changed her life forever, leading her to become a huge advocate for organic, plant‐based raw food health.

After making every vegan recipe I could get my hands on, even I began to wonder if there was more variety and excitement to the vegan diet. I'd been buying vegan versions of all of the junk food I used to eat, and ordering one mock meat dish after the other… and it was less than satisfying. Then along came 'raw' food, and I was hooked. Raw food was vibrant, beautiful and fresh.

In The Naked Vegan Maz shares her story in a no‐nonsense friendly and helpful way. Maz includes her fantastic salads, stir‐no‐frys, banh mi wraps and Sadhana's beloved desserts, free of refined sugars and nasty filler ingredients. Think choc‐raspberry cheesecake, banarama cupcakes and superfood caramel slice that hum with fresh fruit and nourishing nuts. And let's not go past the cold pressed juices, vitality shots, superfoods smoothies, warm tonics, cold elixirs and mylks. This energising, vibrant food will undoubtedly inspire – from the vegan non‐believers to the devout clean‐eaters.

Maz Valcorza was a child who ate Spam from a can – now she's an influential vegan foodie, founder and director of Sydney's first organic raw food and vegan café, Sadhana's Kitchen.

Follow Maz www.mazvalcorza.com and on Instagram @mazvalcorza

The Naked Vegan
Murdoch Books
Author: Maz Valcorza
ISBN: 9781743366233
RRP: $35.00

 

Sadhana Kitchen Super Bowl

Serves 4
This is one of our most popular dishes at Sadhana Kitchen because it's so vibrant, beautiful and delicious. That it's one of the healthiest things you could eat is just a happy bonus.

Ingredients
Baby English spinach leaves, to serve

1 batch Brazil nut cheddar cream cheese (page 79)
1 batch Tomato, paprika & zucchini hummus (page 125)
1 batch Sauerkraut (page 84)
1 batch Beetroot dip (page 122)

Zoodles
2 zucchini (courgettes), spiralised 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
pinch of Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt

Minted cucumber
2 large cucumbers, sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lemony kale
140 g (5 oz/2 cups) shredded kale
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

Parsley tomatoes
250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Method Put the zoodles ingredients in a small mixing bowl and toss together. Toss the minted cucumber ingredients together in another bowl, and the lemony kale and parsley tomatoes in two separate bowls.
Line a large bowl or platter with some baby spinach leaves. Arrange the four different salads on top, along with the Brazil nut cheddar, hummus, sauerkraut and beetroot dip. Enjoy straightaway.

 

Beetroot Dip

Makes 250 g (9 oz/1 cup)
A pretty addition to a meze plate, and delicious dolloped over salads and wraps. I'm known as the person who always packs her own food, and I love taking a jar of this dip to the movies and nomming away happily with some Kumara chips (page 136).

Ingredients
150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) peeled and chopped raw beetroot (beet)
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) activated cashew nuts
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tablespoons activated sunflower seeds
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 heaped teaspoons carob powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt

Method
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Pour into a clean, airtight glass jar and seal the lid.

The dip will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Sadhana Guacamole

Makes 250 g (9 oz/1 cup)
Who doesn't love a good guacamole? It's such a versatile, tasty thing to have on hand.

Ingredients
600 g (1 lb 5 oz/4 cups) chopped avocado flesh; you'll need about 3 large avocados
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
juice of 1½ limes
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
45 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) finely chopped red onion
½–1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt
cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, for covering the guacamole in the fridge

Method
Gently mash the avocado flesh in a bowl, leaving it a bit chunky. Add the garlic, lime juice, coriander, onion and salt to taste, then stir until well combined.
Transfer to a clean glass jar. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top, to seal the surface.
The guacamole will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Stir No-Fry With Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Serves 4
A great working-week dinner option, this dish is colourful, filling and delicious, and really easy to prepare when you're short on time. Just chop, whiz up some stuff, and throw it all together.

Ingredients
Lime & tamari marinade
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cold-pressed sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
4 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

Vegie mix
125 g (4½ oz/2 cups) broccoli florets
1 red capsicum (pepper), seeded and finely sliced
90 g (3¼ oz/1 cup) julienned carrot
115 g (4 oz/1 cup) bean sprouts
30 g (1 oz/½ cup) shredded bok choy (pak choy)
40 g (1½ oz/½ cup) shredded savoy cabbage
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed

Coconut cauliflower rice
500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) cauliflower florets
45 g (1½ oz/½ cup) finely desiccated coconut
½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt

To serve
4 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds
3 tablespoons coriander (cilantro) leaves

Method
Blend the marinade ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
Add all the vegie mix ingredients to the bowl. Toss together, then allow to marinate while you make the cauliflower rice.
Carefully pulse the cauliflower coconut rice ingredients in a food processor until the cauliflower resembles the texture of rice. Do not over-process, or the cauliflower will turn into a purée.
To serve, divide the coconut cauliflower rice among four bowls and top with the vegie mix. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, garnish with coriander and serve.

The Naked Vegan
Murdoch Books
Author: Maz Valcorza
ISBN: 9781743366233
RRP: $35.00