Simply Vert Salad

Sometimes you just crave greens.. crisp, organic, raw ones.

Ingredients:
1 Bundle Broccoli

1 Sm Bundle Asparagus

1 Lg Avocado

1/2 C Fava Beans

1 Lg Handful Raw Pepita's

Cut broccoli asparagus and avocado into desired pieces, place in bowl. Roast Pepita's plain in saucepan until golden, this adds a wonderful flavor to the salad. Add fava beans and set aside.

Dressing:

Juice from 1 lemon

3 Tsb Olive Oil

1 Lg Tbs Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

1 tbs Nutritional yeast

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix well, then dress salad. Add fresh parsly or desired herb for garnish.

Enjoy!

Fresh Skin Saver Juice

Yes! I've been loving our new juicer from Breville

Before we were going to invest in a juicer we wanted to make sure we were getting one that got the most juice out of the fruit. Keith and Suzanne recommended this one HERE. It has worked wonders and is also a nice design so I don't mind keeping it out on the counter all the time. We've been using it almost everyday and sometimes twice a day on the weekends. The best part about juicing is that your breaking down the ingredient to it's finest state allowing your body to gain full benefits that go straight into your blood stream. That's why you feel more alive and so good after a fresh juice. And yes, you can buy a fresh juice at a juice bar but investing in a good juicer is worth it not only will you drink more juice more often but also save. We make 3 16oz glasses for the price of 1 at your standard juice bar.

So now, the Skin Saver Juice- I got this recipe from the book "Raw Food Real World" sweet Melissa from Reverie brought me this book when she was visiting Laguna Beach. I love it and have learned a ton such as this Skin Saver Juice is like having a facial from the inside out... who doesn't like the sound of that? After I read that, this was the first juice I made for my sister and I. Radishes and watercress are rich in sulfur which help build collagen, a nutrient that's necessary for elasticity. And grape seeds are full of essential fatty oils and antioxidants that protect your skin from radical damage. They should be serving this juice after a facial right?

Recipe for 2:

1/2 C Chopped Radish

6 C Green Grapes

1/2 Bunch Watercress

1-2 Lg Cucumbers

1 Ginger Knob (Thumb Size)

~Run all ingredients through juicer and enjoy~

I was lucky to find watercress at our local farmer's market but if you can't find it use 5 kale leafs instead. Grapes can be pricey so if they're not looking fun to buy substitute for more cucumber and less grapes.

Raw Nutty Chocolate Energy Bars

These are a new favorite around here. I just used what I had in the kitchen and wanted an easy grab snack to have around so made these. You can use different nuts if you like.

You'll love the Raw Chocolate Sauce on top of these, it's packed with rich antioxidants and healthy fatty acids that provide an immediate source of energy. It's creamy and so addicting.

If you want, make extra for dipping fresh strawberries. :-)

Raw Chocolate Before Refrigerated (below)

Raw Chocolate Sauce:

2 Tsp Raw Cocoa Powder

3 Tbs Raw Coconut Oil

1 1/2 Tbs Agave to sweetness

Mix in food processor, put in bowl set aside.

Raw Nutty Bars:

1/2C Dried Tart Bing Cherries

1/2C Raw Cashews

1/2C Raw Almonds

1/2C Raw Pistachios

1 C Raw Sunflower Seeds

10 Pitted Dates

4 Tbs Agave

Mix dates & agave in food processor, scraping sides as needed. Slowly add remaining ingredients. (I like to add cherries last and just stir them in) Put mix in large bowl. Using damp hands press firmly until you get a dough like clumpy texture. Put mix on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and firmly pack mix until it's 1/4" thick. Mix should be tightly packed together forming a large rectangle. Refrigerate 45 minutes. Remove from fridge, and cut your rectangle into desirable sized bars. Scoop raw chocolate over each cut bar and spread chocolate to cover the top of each. Refrigerate so chocolate sets and keep bars in refrigerator until gone.

Makes 16 Snack Bars

~Enjoy~

Raw Breakfast Smoothie

I've been making this smoothie a lot, I made it one day just using ingredients from the kitchen and it's turned into a permanent recipe. It's a great way to start off the day and is packed with nutrients that give you healthy energy. Mike and I love it and love the way it makes us feel.

1 Large Smoothie:
1 Organic Banana (Frozen)
1 1/4 C Organic Rice or Vanilla Almond Milk (Frozen)
1 Lg Tbs Raw Hemp Protein
1 Lg Tbs Raw Almond Butter
1 Lg Tbs Raw Chia Seeds
1 Lg Tbs Soy Lecithin Granules
1 Sm Scoop Raw Cocoa Powder
Agave to desired sweetness

~Blend all together in blender~

I like to freeze banana and milk for approx 45mins before blending - makes smoothie nice & cold & thicker. The vanilla almond milk is nice and sweet, enjoy switching it up from the rice milk or use 1/2 & 1/2.

~Enjoy~

Learning the Essentials

The past couple weeks I haven't been making many recipes as I found myself just making things without knowing if we were getting all the essentials our bodies need. So I've been researching and found a book called "Becoming Raw" it teaches you the necessities and is packed with facts such as when you cook broccoli it looses 50-70% of it's nutrients! I wanted to share the essentials that I've recently added to my kitchen and share some tips that will help you gradually transform your diet. Any book that I've picked up tells you to add raw into your diet a little more and more each day. You don't need to start everything all at once, just add something new or pick up a new ingredient from the store and get creative.

Adorable French Grocery List Tote from Etsy - Visit HERE

Essential Grocery List, Fill Up Your Tote!

I purchased all below at Mother's Market. Also available at other health food stores or online. Don't be frightened by the prices on some, a little bit goes a long way.

Manna Bread - This is heaven sent! Organic sprouted grains baked at very low temperatures. It's so addicting and so good for you. Comes in many different flavors, I love most the cinnamon date flavor for breakfast or snack, it's so moist as if it were straight out of the oven. Find in freezer section - you'll LOVE it.

Nama Shoyu - An organic healthy soy sauce. Almost every recipe calls for it.

Raw Tahini - Sesame Seed Butter/Spread. I love adding lemon to this for a sauce on veggies or adding smooth & flavorful texture to any dish. High in calcium & iron.

Raw Coconut Oil - Great for desserts and amazing in shakes. Adds healthy fatty acids.

Nutritional Yeast - Loaded with nutrition, makes a great thickener adding a cheesy nutty. flavor.

Soy Lecithin Granules - Loaded with benefits for your body and memory. Makes a great thickener as well. I've added this to smoothies, raw cookies, and raw nut cheeses.

Agave - Just like honey but with less sugar.

Raw Carob Powder or Chips - Yum! It's a great sweet to add to trail mixes, or just to snack on. High in minerals and B vitamins.

Raw Cocoa Powder - I love how much chocolate is included in raw recipes! Add this to anything in place of regular cocoa.

Raw Chia Seeds - Nature's most powerful food. 5x more calcium than milk. These are tiny little seeds with so many benefits. I add these to just about everything.

Raw Hemp Protein Powder - Packed with healthy protein. Great for smoothies or snack bars.

Spices & Herbs - Pick up the basics: Italian, cinnamon, ginger, paprika, turmeric, coriander. You'll notice there's a lot of seasoning in recipes to create an authentic familiar flavor in meals.

Raw Nuts & Dried Fruit - I'm amazed how much nuts have grown on us. Get your favorites to start and watch the variety grow. For fruit, stay away from sulfur & preservatives.

Essential Supplement - Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found in meat and fish. I learned that most raw, vegans have Vitamin B12 deficiency. Without Vitamin B12 blood cells become abnormal and start to malfunction. Take a trusted source of vitamin B12 daily. Sushi is a great raw alternative~

Lots of Hues

The more colorful your plate is, the more variety of nutrients you'll get. This is the easiest way to plan on getting all your essentials of calcium, iron, protein, and healthy carbohydrates.

Up until now I've been using a blender and small food processor for everything. Mike and I are getting a juicer and dehydrator next week. I look forward to sharing more with you soon!

~Enjoy~

Delicious Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

-So this whole raw thing has really got me thinking-

I've mentioned before on my other blog, Fanciful how our good friends Keith & Suzanne introduced raw to us. They had us over for dinner the other night and made us the most delicious raw meal. If they didn't tell me it was raw, I would have had no idea - it was that satisfying. Suzanne has this way of living figured out and I couldn't be more thankful for her and Keith's guidance. They have approached it in such a way it showed me it can be easy and that it is easy.

We're not eating strictly raw and we're not doing this because we don't like the way animals are treated etc. (of course it brings peace to the back of my mind knowing an animal has nothing to do with my meal) We're doing this because it makes us happy and we consistantly feel good. I don't ever feel like I'm missing out or even crave something greasy. At least, not yet. In fact I had a yogurt the other day and was excited to get it thinking of how yummy it was going to be and suddenly an unfamiliar feeling came across me - It really wasn't that good. It was the first time I didn't finish my yogurt. Later I learned, your body changes and you begin to create new taste buds. My mind liked the idea of getting a yogurt because it's what I was used to and I'm excited to say it's not what I'm used to anymore.

I made this Raw Strawberry Cheesecake for Mike's Birthday! I looked at a few different recipes on-line and always find myself changing it up to simplify it and make it more my style.

Crust:

1 C Pecans

1 C Walnuts

6 Pitted Dates

2 Tbs Agave

Combine in food processor until sticky, firmly pack mix in pie pan, set aside

Filling:

3 C Cashews Soaked 4hrs then processed in food processor and chilled overnight.

2 1/2 C Fresh Sliced Strawberries

1/2 C Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/4 C Water

5 Tbs Agave to sweetness

5 Tbs Soy Lecithin Granules (I read these are used to thicken smoothies, batter, etc. It really made the filling nice & thick and am happy I gave it a try. You can buy these at a health food store. Soy Lecithin supports learning & memory)

1/2 C Raw Coconut Oil

2 Tbs Organic Vanilla Extract

Add pre chilled & processed cashews, lemon juice, water, and vanilla in blender and blend. Slowly add remaining ingredients until nice and creamy like cake batter then pour over crust in pie pan. I prefer mine a little frozen or refrigerate for 3hr before serving.

~Enjoy~

Raw Apple & Beet Salad

I can't even tell you how much I love this combo. The apples soak up the dressing and neutralize the beets so they're more bearable to eat. I don't mind the taste of beets but I know some people (like Mike) don't prefer their "dirt" like taste. I remember seeing this idea with fennel added but I decided to keep the fennel out and make my own dressing.

Each bite is so fresh & juicy, it came out perfect.

~Beets are loaded with folic acid and rich in antioxidants~

Recipe:

2 Organic Beets (shredded or peeled)

2 Organic Granny Smith Apples (shredded or peeled)

1/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 C Olive Oil

1 Tbs Avage

Salt & Pepper to taste

Asian Vegetable Wraps

Last night Mike and I were watching a hamburger

competition on the food network and

before we knew it, we were creating our own burger inspired recipe. :-)

This is what we came up with and it's by far my new favorite thing!

Originally we were going to use butter lettuce but I was lucky to find organic collard leafs at Mother's Market.

They work much better for wraps and are healthier anyway.

Collard leafs are new for me and I have to say they're amazing!

They are thick and durable with a soft yet crisp bite.

Recipe for two:

2 Garden burger Patties (You can substitute raw veggie burgers to make the recipe completley raw.)

1/2 C Sliced Water Chestnuts

2 Peeled Carrots

2 Collard Leafs

1/2 C Bean Sprouts

1/2 C Sugar Snap Peas

1/2 Sliced Avocado

Sauces:

3 Tbs Sweet & Spicy Dip (I used " Ginger People" brand)

2 Tbs Dijon

2 Tbs Nama Shoyu (Better than Soy Sauce)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tsp Agave

Grill garden burgers with olive oil until golden, slice in strips and set aside.

In a small bowl mix dijon, soy sauce, olive oil and agave then spread on bare collard leafs add grilled garden burgers, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, sugar snap peas, and avocado. To follow, mix sweet & spicy sauce with water chestnuts and add in collard leafs. Wrap everything burrito style and enjoy this crisp and flavorful treat!

~Enjoy~

Raw Ginger Crumb Cookies

My sister said these reminded her of the classic cinnamon 'crumb' donuts. Once she said that, I couldn't agree more. They're delightfully sweet, with that addicting cookie dough texture.

It's very easy and you probably have most of the ingredients in you kitchen already..

10 Ripe Pitted Dates

1C Walnuts

1C Muesli

2/3C Shredded Coconut

1/3C Peeled & Chopped Fresh Ginger

1 tbs Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Vanilla

Soak walnuts and muesli in separate bowls for 1 hour or more. Combine drained muesli & walnuts in food processor along with everything else. Mash, blend and mix until everything is sticky like cookie dough. Roll into balls and dip the tops in shredded coconut if you like adding sprinkled cinnamon on top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating~

Enjoy,

Noel