Coconut Limeade

This is a very rehydrating summer drink.  This recipe is for one drink but it can easily be made for a crowd and served in a pitcher.  It is also good with a splash of pineapple juice.

Ingredients

1 cup of coconut water

4 tablespoons of Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Sugar

Directions

Squeeze juice from lime

If using fresh young coconut, cut top and drain or use 1 cup of bottled coconut water

Add Coconut Sugar and stir well

serve over ice

Sprouted Raw White Bean Hummus (Raw / Vegan / Vegetarian)

This is a delicious raw recipe that contains tahini that has to be made at home to keep it raw or purchased as a raw ingredient if possible.  I will provide the recipe for raw tahini later and link on this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups of sprouted white beans

juice from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves of garlic; pressed

1/2 cup of raw tahini

1/2 cup cold pressed sesame oil

Directions

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

start to blend ingredients and then slowly add oil.

blend until smooth.

Serve with raw flax crackers (recipe also to follow)

Thai Flavored Carrot Coconut Soup

If  at all possible use fresh ginger and turmeric for this recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil

2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger

2 teaspoons of fresh grated turmeric root

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 onion chopped

4 large carrots chopped

2 cups of Vegetable Broth

1 14 ounce can of Coconut Milk (not juice)

cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

Heat coconut oil in large pan.

Saute the onion and carrots until the onions are translucent

add the ginger, turmeric and curry powder and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant 

Add broth and bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes

Stir in coconut milk and heat through

garnish with fresh cilantro leaves

Pickled Radishes with Coconut Sugar and Coconut Vinegar

Why use coconut products?  Coconut Sugar and Coconut vinegar are good choices for people on low glycemic diets.  While coconut sugar should still be used sparingly it is a better choice for diabetics.  Coconut vinegar comes in at 35 on the glycemic index, is rich in minerals and contains nine amino acids.

Ingredients

2 bunches of organic radishes, cleaned and sliced thin

1 cup of coconut vinegar

1 cup of coconut sugar

2 cups of spring water

Directions

Place sliced radishes in a heat proof container (I used a mason jar with a lid)

Heat water, sugar and vinegar until boiling and then lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes

Pour liquide over radishes let cool and then refrigerate.

These are great floating in a mellow creamy soup, on sandwiches or in salads

Superfood Salad Dressing (Creamy Spirulina)

I was at the Lucidity Festival in Santa Ynez this past weekend and ran across a vendor that was serving up smoothies and selling healthy products (I bought a yummy Charge Boss Clusters and golden berries).  I wasn't much in the mood for sweet so I opted for something called the "Miso Sip"  it was a tall glass of warm miso with spirulina and ginger in it.  Perfection!

They had recipe cards out side of their vending station so I picked up this recipe.  

Recipe from Imlake'esh Organics

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

4 tsp spirulina

2 inch piece of fresh ginger

1 inch piece of fresh turmeric

1/2 avocado

1 tsp sea salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Add all ingredients into a blender.

Blend on HIGH for 1 minute

Massage into kale or your choice of salad greens

Toss in your favorite toppings

Mexico Meets Lebanon - High Fiber Citrusy Salad (Vegan / Vegetarian / Gluten Free / Low Carb)

Down the street is an amazing lebanese restaurant called Skaf's.  They have amazing Middle Eastern food, but it is quite more refined than many of the other local places that I have been to.

Now that I am eating less meat  (in fact you can find me on instagram at meeatlessmeat ) I would like to try and recreate some of my favorite international foods without the meat.

This one is a no brainer since it's a salad and doesn't have meat to start with.  I didn't have some of the ingredients in my house.

I will provide the recipe for both my Mexican influenced version and the Lebanese version

Ingredients for Mexican Version

4 cups of cabbage; shredded

1/4 cup of avocado oil

2 Tablespoon Pressed Garlic

1/8 cup lime juice (2 limes)

1/4 cup of packed cilantro; chopped

1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

Shred cabbage (usually I use the light green kind and shred it much thinner than this)

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl

Toss with cabbage and let marinate for at least a 1/2 hour in the refrigerator

For the Lebanese Version

substitute the limes for lemons

The avocado oil for olive oil

the cilantro for mint leaves

Ruby Pink Fizz (Fresh Juice )

Sometimes I feel odd posting juicing recipes because they are so simple, but I forget my combos at times and never can quite get it right again.  This is a very refreshing mid afternoon, summer drink.  The Apple compliments the tartness of the Strawberries

Ingredients

1 cup of strawberries; cleaned with stems cut off

1 piece of ginger (about 1/2 inch long)

1 whole apple (I used Opal)

Instructions

Push all ingredients through a juicer

Stir Well

Pour into pretty glasses and top with soda water

Enjoy