"CHEEZY" SNACK MIX

I don't know about you, but I LOVE a good salty, crunchy snack!!! I used to love to eat Chex Mix, but that went out the window after changing to a Plant-based Diet. The other day, I was desperately craving that Chex Mix taste, so I decided to make a similar, V-friendly version of it, and it turned out AWESOME!! Luckily, I made an enormous batch of it, so I can munch on it whenever I want! It's pretty darn easy to make, and you can really throw whatever you want in it. I microwaved mine, due to lack of time, but if you are off of the microwave, it can be made in the oven.

"CHEEZY" SNACK MIX:

* 4 C Rice Chex style cereal
* 4 C Wheat Chex style cereal
* 3 C small twist pretzels
* 2 C mixed, raw nuts
* 3/4 box Earth Balance Cheeze Crackers
* 6 TBS Earth Balance
* 5 drops Liquid Smoke
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1 tsp Spike Seasoning
* 2 1/2 TBS Vegan Worcestershire (I use Annie's brand)
* 1/3-1/2 C Nutritional yeast

-In large, microwavable bowl, combine cereal, pretzels and nuts.
-In a smaller, microwavable bowl, put Earth Balance in and microwave 30-35 seconds, or until melted. To melted butter, add liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, Spike and vegan worcestershire. Stir to combine.
-Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients, and working quickly, stir to coat all ingredients evenly.
-Place in microwave for 2 minutes. Remove. Add 1/3 of the Nutritional yeast, stir well, and place back in microwave. Cook another 2 minutes, then repeat same process. Do one more round in the microwave, for 1 1/2 -2 minutes. Remove and stir in the last of the Nutritional yeast and the Earth Balance Cheeze Crackers.
-Spread the snack mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and allow to cool completely.
-Transfer to an airtight container, for storage.

* If you want to make in the oven, place on baking sheet after stirring in butter mixture, sprinkle with the Nutritional yeast, and bake at 250 for about 1- 1 hour and 15 mins, stirring every 15-20 minutes.

RAW ZOODLES WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO & RED PEPPER MARINARA

RAW: 1 : not cooked. 2 : being in or nearly in the natural state.

I LOVE eating Raw!!! I often wish I ate Raw more, and have toyed around with the idea of being Raw Till 4, but have never made the leap. Mostly it's due to lack to lack of time (to eat more times daily), and finacial reasons. Eating Raw can be costly. You definitely consume a higher quantity of food in a day than you would on a Vegan diet. I ate Raw for a few days once, to see how I felt, and I was floored how much produce I went through. I felt phenominal though......Raw Till 4 would definitely be a good compromise. Maybe I'll give it a go in the new year, once I get my finacials back on track!
In the meantime, I will continue to incorporate Raw meals into my diet a few times a week. This recipe is one of my favorite, and easiest, Raw meals to make. I've made it several times, tweaking it a bit each time, and I'm very pleased with the outcome, so I think it's time to share!!
To make the Zoodles, you will need some form of Spiralizer. I have this model (http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1/185-6815642-4095123?ie=UTF8&qid=1413427440&sr=8-1&keywords=spiralizer), which I'm in love with!! I use it to spiralize carrots, cucumbers, beets, apples and it makes great curly fries!! Pretty much any veg/fruit that fits in it, has been spiralized!! I'm a dork, and I like to spiralize!!
The best thing, in my opinion, about eating Raw, is the amount of food you can eat. I actually ate ALL of the zoodles (3 zucchinis worth) for dinner!! There was plenty of Marinara leftover, which I may heat up and eat as a soup tomorrow for lunch.

RAW ZOODLES WITH HEIRLOOM & RED PEPPER MARINARA:
Makes 1 large serving, or 2 small

FOR ZOODLES:
* 3 medium zucchinis
FOR MARINARA:
* Olive oil
* 1 lb Mini Heirloom tomaotes (TJ's has them)
* 1/2 red bell pepper
* 1/4 large, or 1/2 medium, sweet onion
* 2 big garlic cloves
* Himalayan Salt, to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* Generous pinch red pepper flakes
FOR PARM:
* 1/3 C raw walnuts
* 1/4 C nutritional yeast
* Himalayan salt, to taste

-Spiralize your zucchini, and place in a paper towel lined strainer, to extract some of the moisture.

-In the meantime, prepare your marinara. Place heirlooms, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and olive oil into your blender or food processor. Processor until melded, but still a bit chunky.

-Once zoodles have released most of their moisture, pat dry and add to a bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and olive oil and toss. Set aside to soften a bit (about 10 mins).

-While waiting, make your Raw Parm. In a mortar & pestel, or food processor, combine all ingredients. Hand grind or process until it looks like parm. Season with salt, to taste.

-To plate, top zoodles with the marinara and sprinkle with generous amount of parm.

-DIG IN, and ENJOY!!!