Raw Food Living Diet

After pondering raw food sweeteners and wondering if could make a treat with Yacon Syrup, I created this raw treat to satiate my sweet tooth without messing with my glycemic index.  I think they are better tasting than the ones I make with Agave, so I will certainly keep experimenting with Yacon!

Almond Chocolate Chip Truffles 

The almond pulp left over from making almond milk. A little less than a cup of pulp.
1/4 cup raw cocao powder
1/2 T vanilla powder
1/4 cup Yacon Syrup
3 T melted coconut oil
2 T currants
2 T cocao nibs (the chocolate chips)
1/2 tsp almond extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Roll into balls and then roll into raw cocao powder to coat the outside.

Freeze for 15 - 30 mins. So they firm up a bit.

They will keep in the refrigerator for one week or they keep in the freezer for 2 months.

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Greens, glorious greens!

I just can't seem to get enough!

It's impossible to mess this salad up, and you can use any kind of hearty greens.

The squeezing action along with the lemon juice acts in tandem to "cook" the greens down to a fraction of their volume in their fresh state, so "go big" when filling your bowl with fresh greens when you begin this recipe, or you won't have enough to share.

This salad is an easy and delicious way to get nutrient-rich greens into your diet. It also saves in the refrigerator for a few days, so you can make a big double or triple batch and have a perfect meal waiting to be garnished with other veggies of your choice when you are ready to eat.

It's also a great traveler if you want to take a "salad" to work that won't get soggy. The greens just kepp getting more flavorable!

Massaged Kale Salad

This salad can also be made with a combination of raw hearty greens such as the Kale and Beet Greens, Chard, or Spinach.

4-6 cups kale leaves (or other greens)

Rinse and dry one bunch of greens (or a combination), tear it up and place it in a roomy bowl.

Add two or three cloves of finely minced garlic, a light coating of cold-pressed olive oil, the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper.

Now it’s time for the “massage.”

Wash your hands and have at it. Toss the whole lot together and take big handfuls and squeeze the greens. Keep doing this for about a minute. Everything will get nice and juicy and the greens will soften and shrink in volume.

Then you can let it sit for a while. The lemon will ‘cook’ the kale, soften the greens and garlic even more.

Before serving, add whatever sliced of grated veg you have. I like sliced or diced avocado, grated beets or carrots, or diced apple and top with pumpkin seeds or any other chopped nut or seed you have for a bit of crunch and texture.

For an Asian-Inspired version, you can also “marinate” the greens in this dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 clove garlic, 1 T fresh ginger, 1T light Tamari, 1/2 cup water, pinch cayenne.

Make this version a few hours or even a day or two ahead of time.

The marinade will soften the greens and when you are ready to serve it you can toss with the avocado, apple and nuts.

   

Click here to download:

Massaged_Kale_Salad.zip (353 KB)

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Lately I've been a bit obsessed with greens! I crave them all day long, which has inspired me get a little more creative beyond my usual morning green smoothies.

The fresh mint and kale at the market today was so beautiful, on my drive home I started dreaming of how yummy a mint shake would be and how the kale could not only punch-up the green coloring, but enhance the nutrient content as well.

Fortunately I already had some fresh almond milk in the refrigerator ready to go for this DELICIOUS concoction:

Krazy Kale Mint Shake:

1.5 cups chilled almond milk
4 kale leaves
2 soft dates
1 small frozen banana
1 small bunch of mint - about 20 large leaves.

Blend in a high speed blender - I use a Vita-Mix.

For a chocolate version add 1.5 T of raw cocao.

       

Click here to download:

Krazy_Kale_Mint_Shakes.zip (379 KB)

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With Sunchokes still in season and Asparagus getting into full swing, these two lovelies caught my eye and the imagination of my taste buds today to the Alemany Farmer's Market.

This creamy, raw soup takes 5 minutes to make:

Asparagus Sunchoke Soup

1 bunch of asparagus (ends cut off). Chopped it measures 2 cups.
1.5 cups chopped sunchokes
1 small avocado for extra creaminess (but this is optional)
3 cups hot water
1 clove garlic
juice of one lemon
1/3 cup raw pine nuts
1 T light miso
3/4 tsp salt

Blend everything oh high in a powerful blender (I use a Vita-Mix) until creamy-smooth and warmed.

Add-Ons:These toppings  made it prettier: Cracked black pepper, sliced asparagus tip and drizzle of truffle oil.
12-15 basil leaves added and nice light basil complexity.

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A warming winter soup packed full of living whole food nutritious goodness! Today this soup really satisfied, as it was both comforting and energizing!...And when I say "creamy", you need to know that it's also dairy-free!

Creamy and Spicy Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 head kale, just the leaves, stems removed - about  4 cups
1 pint cherry tomatoes (12 oz)
1/3 cup of fresh basil
1/4 cup raw pine nuts
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 cup carrots
1/4 -1/2 jalapeno pepper - spice as hot as you prefer
1/2 lime or lemon juiced
2 T light miso
1-2 clove garlic, depending on your taste for garlic - I always opt for more when it comes to garlic
1/4 tsp salt - I used smoked salt.
2 cups hot water

Blend in a high-speed bender like a Vita-Mix until creamy-smooth and heated.

This makes enough for 2 very large bowls!

When I skip my morning green smoothie on cold winter days because a chia breakfast pudding or warmed apple spiced cookie seems more appealing, I still crave the greens!

This soup and is a way to get in the greens for lunch or dinner!....um, and it's YUMMY!

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Today's "go juice" Green smoothie is:

One bunch of red chard- just the leaves

2 ripe persimmons

1/2 bag of frozen organic blueberries.

1.5 tsp of vanilla powder

2 T ground flax seed

Two 11 oz containers of coconut water

It will be a purplish brown color.

       

Click here to download:

Blueberry_Persimmon_Chard_Gree.zip (599 KB)

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Love, love, love the Raw Family!!
Everything they do is fabulous!

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The simplest smoothie yet:

3 big frozen bananas

Greens: I used Trader Joe's "Southern Greens Blend"

Some fresh water..

Blend in the Vitamix and Viola!

Enough to take with me on my daily erronds too!

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I'm so excited about this recipe!

I make Cheesy Kale chips all the time, in fact I have some in the dehydrator right now!

But these that I just found on http://rawlivingfoods.typepad.com/ have a fabulous KICK!!

   

Click here to download:

Spicy_Kale_Chips.zip (356 KB)

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Blend These Ingredients:

         

Click here to download:

Raw_Superbowl_Chili.zip (793 KB)

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