I honestly can’t keep up with the incredible barrage of new vegan cookbooks! To help out, Denise Mari, founder of Organic Avenue (a small chain of organic, plant-based, “grab-and-go” cuisine in New York), is offering a taste of her new cookbook, Organic Avenue. She’s sharing her delightfully easy Walnut Vegan Banana Pudding recipe.
Organic Avenue: Recipes for Life, Made with LOVE* is a fully illustrated lifestyle book that includes much of the delicious and sustainable food Denise has repeatedly served to stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Meg Ryan. It contains recipes like the following:
- Booster Shots: Allowing Aloe Booster Shot, Ginger Gem Booster Shot and Power Pom Shot
- Juices: Real LOVE* Green Juice, Sweet LOVE* Green Juice, Clearly Coconut Water, and Wonderful Watermelon Juice
- Tonics: Generous Ginger Lemonade, Master Tonic, and Truth Tonic
- Smoothies: Cheerful Chai Smoothie, Champion Chocolate Smoothie, and Magical Matcha Chia Smoothie
- Mylks: Appealing Almond Mylk, Creamy Coconut Mylk, and Grand Green Mylk
- Salads & Dressings: Sun-Kissed Kale and Collard Salad with Coconut-Miso Dressing, Mighty Mushroom and Fennel Salad with Arugula and Lemon-Mint Dressing, and Delicious Dandelion Salad with Ranch Dressing
- Cheeses, Dips, and Spreads: Confident Cashew Cream Cheese, Plentiful Pine Nut Parmesan, Happy Hummus, and Lucky Lebanese Dip
- Soups: Awesome Avocado Mint Soup, Totally Tomato and Tarragon Soup, and Tasty Thai Coconut Soup
- Entrees: Thai Wrap with Thai Almond Cream and Sweet and Spicy Prune Dipping Sauce, Tasty Tacos with Chipotle Mango Corn Salsa and Pickled Red Onion and Fanciful Falafel with Lucky Lebanese Dip
- Nut and Seed Snacks: Perfectly Peppered Walnuts, Spicy Pumpkin Seeds, and Memorable Moroccan Cashews
- Sweet Treats: Soulful Strawberry Chia Custard, Magnificent Chocolate Mousse, and Wonderful Walnut Vegan Banana Pudding (recipe below)
But Organic Avenue isn’t just about eating. It’s about living. In Organic Avenue Denise shares how the pain of tragically losing both her younger sister and mother to leukemia inspired her to explore vegetarianism, veganism, raw foodism, and ultimately, the birth of Organic Avenue, the restaurant. Organic Avenue also includes adaptable cleanse programs for bright eyes and glowing skin, weight loss, improved stamina, positive thinking, inner calmness, and mental clarity.
For anyone interested in a holistic approach at diet and lifestyle, I think Organic Avenue is worth consideration. But before you take the plunge, trial Denise’s no-cook Walnut Vegan Banana Pudding, and see what you think. It takes just 5 minutes to make, and a little patience while it sets up.
I’m submitting this recipe to Gluten-Free Wednesdays and Allergy-Free Wednesdays.
Special Diet Notes: Walnut Vegan Banana Pudding
By ingredients, this recipe is non-dairy / dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and raw.
- 1½ cups (150 grams) walnuts, soaked in water to cover overnight and drained
- 1 ripe banana, broken into pieces
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) water
- ¾ cup (90 grams) coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder (see Note below)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend from low to high speed until silky smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the machine once or twice.
- Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate for a couple of hours to firm up, then spoon into dessert bowls and serve.
