Triple C Smoothie

This is another favorite of mine in the morning. It's incredibly refreshing and rich. Of course, I pretty much drink my staple Green Smoothie everyday, but it's nice to vary it up a little. Easy with the cayenne....it's just enough to wake the senses. This recipe serves 4.

1/2 cup goji berries
2 1/2 cups frozen mango
1/2 cup young coconut meat
6-8 oranges, juiced
2 pinches cayenne (optional)
1 pinch sea salt

Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix on high for 30-40 seconds.

Recipe if from everydayraw.

Banana Pear Cereal

Once in a while I crave cereal - not store-bought cereal, but something in a bowl with milk over it and being inserted into my mouth via spoon. Don't get me wrong, I love my smoothies, but this is a way to put most of my smoothie in a bowl and chew it, rather than drink it. I found this recipe a couple of years ago and I have no idea where it came from, but I've made it into my own version anyway.

1 pear cored and cut into cubes
1 banana cut into slices
2 dates cut into pieces
2 tbsp. hemp seeds
2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
1/2 tbsp. carob powder
almond milk

(you can add chopped almonds as well -adds a little crunch)

Enjoy!

Success 2!

Raw Food class number 2 was a success! I had 6 people in total, which made for a more intimate setting. It seemed like everyone enjoyed the meal and asked questions along the way. What I learned from this class is that people are looking for ways to start! They need guidance. I remember those days when I first got started and feeling extremely overwhelmed. What it basically came down to was every recipe I'd ever known was being put aside as well as the ease of a microwave and a stove. I had this blender in front of me and "I'm supposed to do WHAT with these 5 heads of romaine?" Through the years this process became easier for me as I experimented and experimented and experimented. So, now I'm thinking how I can expand my business and start helping people get started on their journey by doing meal planning for a week and/or coming into their home to prepare meals for them. It seems like people are open to this. Hmm....lots to think about, but VERY exciting!

So the menus for tonight was a green smoothie, an Asian kale salad, zucchini with garlic white sauce and coconut carob haystacks. Everything was similar to my first class, but prepared differently. It sure was fun and it didn't feel like work. That's what I love about doing this!

May the journey continue to snowball! :)

Chocolate Love Cake

I'm in love with this cake! I couldn't believe how delicious this was! Whenever I go to RAW restaurants I order one of their desserts because they look so amazing in the refrigerators just calling out to me. The work put into this was moderately easy. There's soaking involved and scraping those impossible little vanilla beans. Does Pampered Chef have anything to make that job easier? This recipe was from my RAWlicious book....which if you haven't noticed by now, it's one of my favorites! It called for agave nectar, but I used maple syrup instead. Reason being that agave is actually not that healthy for us and has higher levels of fructose than corn syrup. AND it's not even made from natural ingredients. NICE! A lot of raw foodists use agave, but I have put a halt on it! Shame.... So, I'm not sure if that's why my crust was a little crumbly. Perhaps next time I'll use honey to have it gel better.
I had to use a little cocoa b/c it's all I had, but cacao is better since it has magnesium in it to support heart health....and it's just all around better than cocoa which is processed and stripped of it's nutrients. Poor cocoa!
This cake is HUGE! You'll definitely want to save this for when you have guests! It is now sitting in my refrigerator looking at me saying, "Really? Do you think you're going to eat all of me? Did you feel how much I weighed?"
It's a little pricey to make this cake, so put it together once in a great while.

For the base:
3 cups almonds, soaked for 2 hours
1 cup pecans, soaked for 2 hours
1/4 cup agave
Seeds of 2 vanilla pods
1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a food processor, grind the almonds and pecans until fine. Add the agave, vanilla seeds and salt. Process all the ingredients together until a sticky, crumble-like base is formed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides. Press into a springform cake tin or quiche tin with removable base. Make puncture holes in the base using a fork and put it in the refrigerator while you make the topping.

For the topping:
4 cups pitted dates, soaked in warm water
1 1/2 cups coconut oil
1 cup cacao powder
1 avocado
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
1 tsp. sea salt

Blend the dates with a little of the soak water (keep some on reserve if you need more) in a power blender or food processor. Add the coconut oil, cacao powder, vanilla seeds, avocado, and salt. Blend until all ingredients are mixed through. (This part didn't work out so well for me. I actually needed to dump it all out into a bowl and mix by hand due to overheating). Transfer into the cake or quiche tin and spread evenly. Decorate with cacao beans and pecan nuts (optional). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Keep it in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Thai Coleslaw

All I have to say is....DELICIOUS! You can even do without the cashews to make it nut-free! My daughter helped me with this one tonight....peeling, grating, etc. She loved it - and she's 3! It is a little time-consuming with the grating, BUT it's so worth it! Honestly, it probably took longer because my daughter wanted to do everything. ;)

This is definitely a great side-dish. You can follow it up by some sweet-chili cashews to give your palette some more zing. Enjoy!

Coleslaw:
2 cups grated red cabbage
2 cups grated green cabbage
2 cups thinly grated zucchini (approx. 2)
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (approx. 2 big ones)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, then chopped
1/3 cup cashew nuts
1 tbsp. black sesame seeds (this is for color...I used white b/c it's all I had)

Combine all ingredients, except for sesame seeds, in a large bowl. Pour thai sauce over vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Thai Sauce:
1 red bell pepper
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp. chili flakes or cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp. tamari
1 1/2 tbsp. raw honey
3 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger, peeled
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. cilantro
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Blend all ingredients together in a power blender.

Gearing Up For My Next Class

This coming Thursday I have my second raw food basics class. So far there are 10 people attending! I am excited about yet another opportunity to bring delicious, healthy options to people's lives. The stress level is not as high this time around because I feel more prepared after already have one under my belt. After hearing I'd have some repeats from my first class, I decided to change the menu, but still keep it within a basic level. I'm hoping everyone enjoys the prepared dishes and impressed with how easy it is to live a raw food lifestyle.

Guacamole

This is a new love of mine! With a creamy texture and delicious taste, it takes the cake on any guacamole I've ever made. It's fast, easy and inexpensive. Don't forget to keep the avocado seeds...they help your guacamole to stay green, so put them back in once you're finished processing!

2 large avocados
1/8 cup olive oil
1 scallion
1 handful cilantro (I put the entire bunch in)
1 lemon, juiced
sea salt to taste

Put all ingredients into you power blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is becoming a more popular item in health food stores and even Jamba Juice! Why? Because this tiny blade of grass, when properly juiced, is filled with so many health benefits, you'd be silly not to consume it on a daily basis! It contains a high amount of chlorophyll (about 70%), which is a plant's way of encapsulating the sun's energy, and when consumed gives US energy (the all-day kind of energy)and a highly alkalizing effect! Coffee just doesn't sound that appealing anymore, since it can't deliver the same kind of results....and not to mention toxic to your body. It also hold 80 known enzymes and 17 amino acids! That's just what researchers KNOW at this very moment! Imagine all the benefits that have yet to be discovered. To enjoy this superfood in the best way, it should be freshly juiced because it is extremely fibrous and indigestible for the human stomach.

Here are some ways in which our bodies benefit from wheatgrass juice.

1. Prevents Alzheimer's Disease by removing heavy metals from the system.
2. Body Building: Remember those amino acids? They are the building blocks for protein and wheatgrass is reported to be 50% protein. MOVE OVER BEEF!
3. Lowers high blood pressure
4. Reduces cancer risk due to high chlorophyll and beta-carotene found
5. Reduces inflammation due to the high alkalinity properties
6. Weight control is maintained by relieving the body of cravings
7. Has the ability to stabilize blood levels for diabetics
8. Prevents tooth decay, gum bleeding and bad breath....as well as body odor!

AND MANY MORE!

Aren't these reasons enough to say, "Grande Shot of Wheatgrass" versus "Grande Cappuchino"?

Mint Cacao Chip Ice Cream

Raw ice cream? Really? YES! Welcome to one of my favorite kinds! I love how I can create and still enjoy pretty much anything with natural foods. The cacao nibs give this ice cream a nice texture and taste. What I like about eating raw ice cream is that I feel satisfied....I don't need to keep scooping more into my bowl because I can't get enough artificial sugar!
RAW ice cream does harden more than regular ice cream, so when you'd like some, let it sit out for about 10 minutes to thaw a bit in order to make scooping a little easier. I also did not use an ice cream maker. I took it out once to stir and placed it back in the freezer. This recipe is from everydayraw by Matthew Kenney.

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
1/2 cup young coconut meat (I used a banana in mine b/c it's all I had)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp. spinach juice (optional)
2 tbsp. peppermint extract
1/4 cup cacao nibs

Blend all ingredients except the cacao nibs in a high-speed blender. Mix until very smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker, add cacao nibs, and follow manufacturer's instructions. Yields 1 quart.

Sweet Chili Cashews

These are a perfect little party snack or everyday snack with a little bit of zing! I just made these yesterday and they are SO yummy! One adjustment I will make next time is to let them "air dry" a little after they dehydrate so that the honey hardens before putting them in a bowl. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can put these in your oven on the lowest setting. Technically they won't be raw because it will exceed 118 degrees, but sometimes you have to make do with what you have. Enjoy!

2 cups raw cashews
2 tbsp. raw honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. curry powder

Make a blend of honey, salt and spices. Add a little water if required. Roll the cashews in the mix and dehydrate overnight for 8-12 hours or until dry.