Posted by: Zoe V | August 26, 2011

Breakthrough Update on RAWbundant

August is known to be the slowest month of the year. While for most people taking time off and getting away was a priority, things were quite the opposite here. My raw food line of products RAWbundant made some huge strides that took the way we’ve been doing business to a whole new level. So here I thought to share with you the progress we’ve made in the last month.

1. We finally got a commercial kitchen space! YAY!

For so long I’ve been trying restaurants, cafes, bakeries and catering businesses to rent some space. Nothing seemed fitting. Either the hours they offered were not good, the distance was too far, the rate was too expensive or the space they had was rather tight. Then I got the idea to go ask local churches if they may have kitchens available to rent. After trying about 40 churches near my town, I got two interested in working with me.

Father Scott from a local church in Linden, NJ, happened to be a huge fan of raw foods. What are the odds?!?! I know! When I told him what I was hoping to do with RAWbundant, he was thrilled and after getting approval from his diocese, he gave me the green light to proceed.

Next I met with the health inspectors and zoning inspectors at Linden City Hall. After hearing all about my plans, they also said “Yes”! I have submitted all necessary applications required for my operation and now waiting to get my inspections and finalized permits. It’s such a relief to know that RAWbundant now has a place to start building its business. It’s a stepping stone toward having our own customized kitchen in the near future.

2. We are going Wholesale!

With great pleasure I announce that our products are now available for purchase in select retail locations. Our first large wholesale account is Dean’s Natural Foods Market in Ocean and Shrewsburry, NJ. Since they started carrying our products, mainly Nut Cheezes and Flax Crackers, they have been selling out quickly. I conducted a couple of tastings which were very successful. We are working together on doing more tastings in September. Thank you, Dean’s, for catapulting RAWbundant into the next stage of wholesale distribution!

Delivering my first large wholesale order for Dean's Natural Foods Market - 54 Bulgarian-style Nut Cheezes!

The other locations you can find RAWbundant’s products are Natural Green Market in NYC and Giamano’s Ristorante in Bradley Beach, NJ.  Nature’s Corner Food Market in Spring Lake Heights, NJ, will be getting their first order and tasting next Wednesday. More opportunities are in the works.

If you know of any stores, cafes, restaurants and businesses that may be interested in our products, please feel free to pass on the information. Your help spreading the word on RAWbundant is greatly appreciated. :-)

3. Got Nut Cheeze?

If you don’t, you definitely want to try our Bulgarian-style Feta and Creamy Nut Cheezes. They have emerged as the breakthrough products of our line. The majority of people have never tried cheese made with anything other than dairy or soy. When they try my Nut Cheezes,they are pleasantly surprised how closely they resemble the dairy version. When they hear the cheeze are based on Organic Raw Cashews from Shi Lanka and fermented with dairy-free probiotic, they are immediately captivated.

Bulgarian-style Feta Nut Cheeze

We offer two different styles – Feta, which is harder, and Cream, which is softer more spreadable. The Feta flavors include Original, Garlic & Dill and Cracked Pepper. The Creamy flavors are Original and Herb. I am working on more versions such as Aged Nut Cheeze which has lower moisture and sharper taste. It’s a fantastic combination with wine and grapes. It will soon be released for sale. Message me at zoe@rawbundant.com if you are interested in ordering information.

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No doubt RAWbundant is on a roll! Things are starting to fall into place and I am super excited for all the new developments coming in the next months. Some of the projects I am currently working on are a photo shoot of my products, packaging design and a website. Stay tuned for more updates soon.

Peace, love & health ~

Zoe

Copyright © 2011 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved

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Posted by: Zoe V | August 3, 2011

Chef Zoe’s RFB: Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

I love ice cream! Who doesn’t? Even my cat Domino lines up to get his share. But today’s commercially made ice cream is so full of “junk” – pasteurized milk treated with hormones, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), processed white sugar, GMO soy lecithin, suspicious preservatives and a handful of artificial dyes and flavors. Yes, that is even in your favorite Ben & Jerry’s and Hagen Daaz!

Worry no more because there is a much safer, easier and tastier way to enjoy ice cream. Enter the world of raw vegan ice cream! My recipe for Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream will change your perception of ice cream forever. You will be able to enjoy an amazingly smooth, creamy and flavorful ice cream created with 100% plant-based ingredients. No, you are not dreaming.

It took me a while to get the recipe right. Dairy ice cream has signature creaminess usually delivered by the heavy cream and eggs. To duplicate this quality I combined Organic Balinese Cashews with the “meat” of Young Thai Coconut. Then I added a little bit of Organic Raw coconut Oil and emulsified everything with Raw Sunflower Lecithin

Lecithin is very important in recipes involving blending fats with other liquids. Pretty much all salad dressings, ice cream, chocolate and cheesecakes on the market contain lecithin. However, they use GMO soy lecithin. You do not want that one. Raw Sunflower Lecithin is a much healthier alternative and provides 25% more choline than soy lecithin. Choline is very important for the healthy development of the brain and it aids in the detoxification of the liver. If you cannot find it locally, I carry it through my company RAWbundant www.rawbundant.com.

Please first watch the video tutorial on how to open Young Thai Coconut. If you cannot find one at your Asian market or Whole Foods, you may substitute with packaged coconut water, coconut milk or almond milk. If lower fat ice cream is your goal, you can even use simply spring water.

~ Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream ~

by Chef Zoe

Serves 4

Equipment:

  • Cleaver – for opening the coconut (see video above)
  • Cuisinart or another home ice cream maker
  • Vitamix or another high-speed blender
  • Cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, ice cream scoop

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Raw Cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 1 Cup Water from Young Thai Coconut
  • “Meat” of 1 Young Thai coconut, approximately 1 Cup
  • 1/2 Cup Raw Agave Nectar
  • 4 Tablespoons Raw Coconut Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Vanilla Bean, scraped
  • 1 Tablespoon Raw Sunflower Lecithin
  • Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

*You can purchase any of those ingredients via my website www.rawbundant.com. Email me at zoe@rawbundant.com if you have any questions or to place your order.

Method:

  • Rinse out the cashews and add to your Vitamix blender with everything but the lecithin and coconut oil.
  • Blend on high for about two minutes.
  • Stop the blender and add the lecithin and coconut oil. It’s very important you follow that so you get creamy emulsified texture.
  • Blend for another minute and pour the mixture into a container and leave in the freezer for an hour to chill completely. You may skip that step if you do not want to wait. Colder mixture simply speeds up the time of churning the ice cream.
  • Turn on your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. If you are using a Cuisinart unit, make sure to chill the bowl complete int he freezer overnight.
  • After 25 minutes, you should have ready to consume ice cream!

Mixture before churning

Mixture after 25 minute churning

Flavor variations:

Chocolate – skip the vanilla bean and add 1/4 – 1/3 Cup Raw Cacao Powder.

Chocolate Chip Mint – skip the vanilla bean; substitute the vanilla extract for a few drops of peppermint essential oil and toss a couple spoons of Raw Cacao Nibs five minutes before the ice cream has finished churning.

Strawberry/Blueberry/Raspberry/Mango – crush desired amount and add to ice cream maker five minutes before it has finished churning. You may also add those to the blender and create a homogeneous fruit flavor.

Butter Praline (my fav!) - after you scoop out the ice cream into bowls add pieces of RAWbundant Candied Brazil Nutz and drizzle with Raw Coconut Nectar. It’s like caramel but so much healthier!

If you create some cool new flavor, you are welcome to share with us by posting the recipe below in the comments.

Left: Butter Praline / Right: Vanilla Coconut

Copyright © 2011 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved

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Posted by: Zoe V | July 26, 2011

Forks Over Knives Premiere in Red Bank, NJ

Last Thursday I attended a fabulous event in Red Bank, New Jersey – the premiere of the new documentary Forks Over Knives. The documentary is based on the work of  Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, the most comprehensive study on health and nutrition ever conducted. Tickets quickly sold out for the first show at 7 pm with more than 200 people coming to see it. A big success!

The movie closely resembles the finding in Dr. Campbell’s book. Without giving out too much details, the main message is to show the viewers how the over-consumption of animal products has led to many of the health problems polluting our bodies today. In addition to the scientific evidence, the movie follows the journeys of a few people, showing their remarkable transformation after adopting a plant-based diet.

If you have seen Food Inc. or Food Matters, you would definitely enjoy Forks Over Knives. It will continue your education toward healthier eating habits and it will make you more conscientious of your food choices. Check out the movie’s website to find out when it will be showing in theater near you http://forksoverknives.com/.

Having RAWbundant as one of the several food vendors at the reception prior to the screening was an honor. We had a table full of our Signature Products – Feta & Cream Cheezes, Flax Crackers, Sprouted Grawnola, Macaroons and Portabello Sunburgers. I also made two huge bowls of my Bulgarian Feta Cheeze Salad which was a big hit. Some of the other vendors were Dean’s Natural Food Market, Good Karma Vegan Cafe, Papa Ganache, The Cinnamon Snail, Veggie Brothers and Whole Foods.



The BEST thing about the Red Bank premiere was that Dr. Campbell was there. I had the chance to meet him prior to the showing at my RAWbundant table. It was such an honor and privilege to shake his hand and serve him some of my raw vegan foods.

Following the movie, Dr. Campbell was gracious enough to answer questions from the audience. When my turn came, I began by telling him that it’s because of his book The China Study, that I chose to become vegan two years ago. No other health book has ever changed my life in such positive way before. Consequently, I launched my company RAWbundant with the goal to offer people more healthy plant-based products to incorporate into their diet. My gratitude to Dr. Campbell is beyond words can describe.

Then I asked him a questions that has been pressing my mind for a while. I’ve been wondering if eating only organic, grass-fed and free-range animal products makes any difference. Some people believe that by consuming ethically sourced meat, eggs and dairy, they are doing less damage to their body. So my question to Dr. Campbell was if he has seen any difference in people who eat one versus the other.

While he has not studied such circumstances, he was confident that there would be no difference in the outcome. Because the chemical composition of meat, milk and eggs is essentially the same regardless of how they are sources, eating organic grass-fed and free-range products would still has the negative impact on your body as the processed, factory produced counterparts. That was a big revelation. I will make sure to pass it along in my future classes and workshops.

Many thanks to the organizers Patti Langan Siciliano from Funk & Standard and Jen Portman from Synergy Hot Yoga, for bringing such an amazing experience to our local community. And thanks to Dr. Campbell for coming and sharing his wisdom and knowledge. For more of his work, I recommend that you check out his foundation website http://www.tcolincampbell.org/.

Copyright © 2011 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved

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Posted by: Zoe V | July 13, 2011

Chef Zoe’s RFB: Top 4 Appliances for Healthy Kitchen

Many people have come to me and asked me how to start the raw food diet, where to begin, what kind of tools and equipment is needed. To help answer those questions, I created a video review of the four appliances I consider essential not only for those interested in raw food preparation, but also for anyone who is interested in healthy food preparation in general. The appliances are a Vitamix Blender, Cuisinart Food Processor, Omega VRT330 Juicer and an Excalibur Dehydrator. Once you understand the immense health benefits they can bring into your life, you would wonder how you lived your life before them.

Each one of them has a distinct purpose that cannot be substitute with another appliance. The Vitamix blender is the ultimate emulsifier. The Cuisinart Food Processor is the ultimate veggie chopper. The Omega VRT330 Juicer is the ultimate masticating machine. And Excalibur is the ultimate in food dehydration and preservation. Together they will completely revolutionize the way you do food preparation. You will become more efficient with time, you will have a plethora of recipes to explore, and you will have so much fun experimenting.

Vitamix Super 5200, Cuisinart 11-cup Food Processor, Omega VRT330 HD Juicer

Questions/Orders

>> zoe@rawbundant.com <<

Excalibur 9-tray Dehydrator

But above all, those four pieces of equipment will allow you to eat more fresh living foods. You won’t need to boil, bake or fry as much anymore. Many foods can easily be combined to create delicious dishes without any cooking. It may be hard to conceive how you can make soup, apple pie, veggie burger or cracker without heat. But with the help of those four appliances, you will be amazed what kind of “cooked-like” dishes you’ll create. Some may even taste better than their cooked counterparts. Not to mention the abundance of living enzymes, vitamins and minerals that you will get from eating more raw foods. It’s a win-win on all levels.

If you have any questions or would like to place an order, I would be happy to help you out. I am an authorized distributor so I can offer you some discounts. Feel free to email me at zoe@rawbundant.com and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

Copyright © 2011 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved

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Posted by: Zoe V | June 9, 2011

Happy 1st Birthday, RAWbundant!

A year ago, my company RAWbundant officially came into existence. The date was June 7th, 2010, lovingly referred to as the birth of my second “child.” It’s truly amazing to watch how a concept born into your head manifests itself into a physical entity. In this sense, raising a child and growing a business are ironically identical processes. Below is a video interview I created explaining more about RAWbundant’s journey:

What is so unique about RAWbundant Signature Products?

Our specialty is to create food products that combine outstanding taste and healthful benefits. They are 100% Raw and Vegan, FREE of processed sugars, dairy, eggs, gluten, soy and peanuts. We do NOT use any preservatives, artificial flavor and colors or genetically modified ingredients. Whether you are into healthy eating, have special diet needs or struggle with food allergies, we offer products that anyone can enjoy without guilt.

Signature Products

We worked feverishly on perfecting our Signature Products and raising awareness in the local and national community. Through tasting events we were able to gather essential feedback on what products we wanted to focus on. Quickly we realized that the Dairy-free Feta Cheezes were the Top Seller, followed closely by our delicious Cheezy Kale Chips and Sprouted Grawnola. Later in the year, we introduced the Portabello Sunburgers, Mexican Beans, Raising Rosemary Crackers and Caramel Squares. They all seem to be quite popular with our customers.

Check out our products at www.rawbundant.com

 

 

 

 

Water Kefir

Another area we expanded was the Water Kefir. Following the huge success of my video tutorial What is Water Kefir and How to Make It, I began receiving many requests to share my water kefir grains. Eventually, I started growing larger amounts of kefir grains and put together various sets for sale. Hundreds of people have purchased our kefir grains and have successfully made their own water kefir at home. You are welcome to check out our blog section Buy Water Kefir Grains for information on various packages and prices.

Master Cleanse

The popularity of my Master Cleanse videos and blogs, inspired me to write my own Complete Guide to Master Cleanse and put together the Complete Master Cleanse Set. What separates my Master Cleanse Set from others is the use of low-glycemic Raw Coconut Nectar in place of the Maple Syrup. To read more about the benefits of Master Cleanse and to purchase a set, check out my blog section All About Master Cleanse.

Vitamix, Excalibur, Omega

Not only do we provide the education for healthy eating, but we can also supply you with the necessary equipment to create delicious recipes at home. As distributors of Vitamix blenders, Excalibur dehydrators and Omega juicers, we have offered many customers discounts and competitive prices. Just contact us at zoe@rawbundant.com to learn more.

RAWbundant is a Trademark!

As soon as I registered RAWbundant as a business, I also applied for a Trademark. This was an important step of building RAWbundant as a brand so it would not be confused with any other “rawbundant” name out there. As of April of 2011 my application was approved and it’s now an officially registered Trademark.

What is next for RAWbundant?

The first year was dedicated to market research and product development. Now that the products have been established the challenge is moving from the Research & Development stage into large-scale production. I would love to see RAWbundant having its own facility, hiring its first employees and making appearance on store shelves nationwide. There is definitely a demand for our products. But to bring a product from my kitchen to the store shelf is a process that requires solid financial funding. As a self-funded company, I have to focus on raising capital through outside sources. Business plan is in the works and I hope to soon secure a prospective financier. I’m confident it will all work itself out  when the time comes.

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Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has supported my efforts in launching RAWbundant. From my family to my close friends to my dear customers to all the wonderful supporters on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter – THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! It’s wonderful to see how many people appreciate what I do. As I’ve said many times, this isn’t just about me…I’m doing what I do to serve my fellow humans and make a positive difference in the world. By empowering others to eat better and live better I get to fulfill my purpose here. Thank you, God and Universe, for allowing me to do so.

Copyright © 2011 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved

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