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

Fried Eggplant with Olives, Artichoke Crowns, Capers in a Lemon-Wine Sauce (Vegan / Vegetarian / Gluten Free)

This is a recipe based off of one of my favorite Italian dishes…Chicken Piccata.  Since I am trying to eat less meat, I decided to try out a version with golden fried eggplant and it came out so good.  This one is a keeper for sure

Ingredients

1 large Eggplant; peeled and sliced length wise

3 eggs blended (to make this vegan use egg substitute) I use free range chicken eggs

3 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Butter or more Olive Oil for Vegan

3/4 quarter cup of gluten free bread crumbs

1/2 cup of gluten free flour

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

1/2  teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of lemon pepper

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/4 cup of lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/2 cup of white wine

1/2 cup of vegetable broth

1/2 cup of black olives; cut in half

14 ounce can of artichoke crowns; drained, rinsed and cubed

1//4 cup of capers

Instructions

Set oven to lowest setting

In a shallow bowl combine flour, bread crumbs, lemon zest, paprika, garlic powder, lemon pepper and sea salt.  Mix well

In another bowl beat eggs and pour into another shallow bowl

Heat up olive oil in a fry pan

dip your eggplant slices in the eggs and then dredge them in your flour mixture and place in fry pan.  Make sure oil is hot enough

Continue in this manner until all eggplants are frying.

cook 2 minutes per side or until golden brown

remove to a napkin lined plate and keep in warmed oven

In the same pan add additional oil or butter and let get hot.  

Add Lemon Juice, Wine and broth and scrape sides and bottoms to deglaze.

Simmer for 10 minutes

Add artichokes, Olives and Capers and Simmer 5 more minutes

Sauce should have reduced and thickened from the eggplant drippings.  When it is the desired consistency pour over eggplant and serve

Ayurvedic, Raw Activated Pepitas with Spirulina (Raw / Vegan / Vegetarian)

  I have been using my dehydrator a ton lately.  Everything from nuts and seeds to fruits and veggies and even some pretty incredible raw health bars.

This is a pretty great combo of spicy and very healthy ingredients.  I tried to recreate an Ayurvedic blend I had tasted early this month and think I came pretty close.

Ingredients

2 cups of activated raw Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

2 teaspoons of cold pressed sesame oil

2 teaspoons of garlic powder 

2 teaspoons of Berbere

2 teaspoons of turmeric

1 teaspoon of Spirulina

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Instructions

First off you will need to activate your seeds.  You do this by soaking the raw Pepita in water overnight.  This causes them to begin to sprout and become a powerhouse of nutrients.

Dry them well.  I use a salad spinner for everything, including these :)

Combine all of the spices in a small bowl

Place seeds in a medium bowl and drizzle with oil.  You don't really need a lot it's just co help the spices adhere.

add spices and toss to coat.

You will want to use the mesh screens with your dehydrator so the seeds don't fall down the cracks

Dehydrate for about 24 hours.

South West Inspired Avocado, Corn and Black Bean Salad (Vegan / Vegetarian / Organic)

I can never say no to a ripe Avocado.  In fact in my quest to discover my "Spirit Fruit" it hit me!  It's the avocado, more like a veggie in mellowness, but a fruit nonetheless.

Expect many more avocado recipes as we enter summer in California

Ingredients

1/3 cup of orange bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup of fresh corn, cut off cob and roasted or grilled

1/3 cup of olives; sliced

1/3 cup of black beans (rinsed if canned)

2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro

1/2  teaspoon of ground cumin

1 Tablespoon of Olive or Avocado Oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon of minced Jalapeño

1 large or 2 small avocados, peeled and cubed

Instructions

If using fresh corn, cut it off of the cob and pan cook it over heat with no oil, until it starts to blacken.  You can also do this on the BBQ grill

set aside and let cool

Chop bell peppers  and slice your black olives

Combine Olive Oil with lime juice and cumin.  Whisk together

In a medium bowl place all ingredients except Avocado.

Toss ingredients with liquid dressing (i.e. oil, cumin and lime)

Add Avocado and gently toss to coat.

Enjoy!  

Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Raspberry and Chia Seed Vinaigrette (Vegan / Vegetarian / Organic)

I have a thing for beets and all root vegetables in general.  I love the earthiness that each type brings to a dish, but beets are my all time favorite.  I roasted these and created a pink raspberry vinaigrette to enhance their flavor and keep the color pretty.

Ingredients

1 cup of roasted beets; skinned and cubed

2 Tablespoons of Raspberry Vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon of toasted Hazlenuts

Instructions

You can either buy pre roasted beets that are all ready skinned or you can roast them yourself.  In this case I was making a quick lunch so I purchased pre roasted at Whole Foods Market.

Cube them into pretty uniform little squares and place in a medium sized bowl

Toss with Vinaigrette

Garnish with toasted Hazlenuts

*****Note:  If you buy raw hazelnuts just put them onto the stove in a hot pan, tossing every once in a while until then are golden brown.

Let cool before serving

Fresh Organic Raspberry Vinaigrette (Raw / Vegan / Vegetarian)

This is a very tangy yet sweet dressing.  It can be used in so many ways, as a salad dressing, a fruit dip or a marinade.  I used it to make a beet salad that was delicious.  I will link to that recipe too.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh, organic raspberries

1 Tablespoon Agave 

1 Tablespoon Raw Honey

1/4 cup Almond Oil

6 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds

1/2 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Kombucha

Instructions

Place all ingredients EXCEPT CHIA SEEDS in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add Chia Seeds and let sit for at least 30 minutes to let them absorb the liquid.

Enjoy