MINI PLUM TARTELETTES

OK, yes, I have recycled the raw chocolate cookie dough recipe yet again.  But can you blame me?  It's just too good. I wanted to show that you could make a fabulous fruit tartelette with it.  Next time maybe with some coconut cream. Yum!  Super simple and so delicious!

PLUM TARTELETTES

For the crust:
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 cup dates
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons raw agave or honey

Process the nuts in your food processor until finely chopped.  Add in the dates and process until the ingredients are mixed well and it starts to get moist from the dates.  Add in the cacao powder and agave or honey and process to combined.

Press into mini cupcake / muffin tray lined with mini cupcake liners.  Press dough firmly into the paper / tin firmly and refrigerate for 1 hour for freeze for 10-15 minutes. 


For the fruit topping:
Fresh  ripe plums sliced
Shredded coconut to sprinkle on top

After the tartelettes have chilled, top each crust with the plum slices and garnish with shredded coconut.  Now its ready to serve!

You can use many other fruits for the topping, such as strawberries and raspberries... The options are endless.

Enjoy!

GREEN MACHINE SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE

Oh my, I ran out of spinach to use in my smoothie this morning so I ended up adding Vitamineral Green to it and WOW! Delish!  Just what I needed to get me going this morning.

There are those days or when you've fallen off the band wagon and splurged a little, feeling the consequences...  That was me the past few days - splurging here and there, but now I am back on the wagon. The super foods drink has got me going!

GREEN MACHINE SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE

3/4 cup frozen mango
1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen pineapple
2 large dates (or 3 small dates)
1-1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon vitamineral green - I got mine at Whole Foods
1 table spoon hemp seeds
Topped with raw sweet cacao nibs

Blend all the ingredients except the cacao nibs together in a high speed blender, pour into your favorite smoothie cup, top with cacao nibs and sip.

Enjoy!

ENERGY BARS

True Confessions.....I am a single mother and I don't have time....like ever, so I try to make recipes that give me the most bang for the buck.   I like these energy bars because they are a great snack that gets me over the 3 o'clock hump, and they last a while in my house.  You can find the original recipe for the Energy Bars here.  This time I made them more of a fruity chewy bar.

I wanted to try some different fruit combinations so I used dried blueberries, dried apricots, shredded coconut, and some ginger chews that I stubled across at Trader Joe's, this is what they look like here.

Some time saving tips that I learned along the way:

*I use a lot of whole nuts, and chopped about 1/3.  

*Blend the nuts first that you want to chop, then the dates.  

*Remember to use a food processor.  A blender will not work, it will turn the nuts into butter too soon, and it's torture to clean the dates off of the blades  (this I learned the hard way),  and who has time for that?

*Also parchment paper is your best friend.  Use it to line your cookie sheet to have less clean up.

*Also once the bars are cut wrap them individually in saran wrap.  This will save you a lot of time when you are daily preparing your snack, just pop one out of the freezer and your ready to go!

This recipe is very versatile so the same guidelines apply, I just used different ingredients.  

Here's what I used:

FRUITS:

Dried Blueberries

Dried Apricots

Shredded Coconut

Crystalized Ginger (found at Trader Joe's)

NUTS:

Cashews
Sliced Almonds
Macadamia

SIMPLE GRANOLA WITH PECANS

Simple Granola with Pecans

Written by contibutor Britney Manuel of Btanjerine and A Simply Raw Life.

 



Have you ever had homemade granola?  It is undeniably... amazing!  It’s one of those things that once you have it homemade, buying it is no longer an option.  When my mom first made it I was addicted, and started making it weekly often quadrupling the recipe.  I wanted to try to change some of the components to make it a tad bit healthier though, and much to my pleasure, it tastes...well... better.  I substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil, and i think it gave the granola a richer flavor, with the light hint of coconut.  Then I also used raw honey.  So here is the link to the original recipe from Everyday Foods Magazine.

The following is my rendition of this favorite of mine.

The Components

SIMPLE GRANOLA WITH PECANS

THE SUPPLIES

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup raw honey

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tspn ground cinnamon

1/2 tspn fine salt 

3 c. rolled oats (make sure not to use 1 min quick oats)

2 c. chopped pecans & walnuts (optional)

PROCESS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.  Add rolled oats, and chopped nuts; stir to combine.  Spoon mixture onto sheet.  Bake 15 minutes, and use a spatula to turn over the granola.  Bake another 15 minutes until mixture is golden brown. (Don’t cook it any longer if you like it chewy like I do, if not cook a few minutes more for a crispier texture).

You can add any dried fruits, coconut, or nuts that suit your fancy.  Cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, coconut. (Store in an airtight container up to 3 weeks)

Makes about 3 pints

**NOTE: I usually make a big batch trippling it and sometimes quadrupling it.  I love to give it as gifts, and I don’t like to run out very fast.  It is also important to use fine salt.  I tried using a thicker salt and the salt was too pronounced.  I was also was researching brown sugar being vegan and came across this article. 

Ready to be baked

Fresh baked granola! I wish you could smell it!

And this granola makes a great gift

The perfect breakfast, Granola with Sliced Bananas and Banana Milk 

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH!!!

VANILLA + PEAR SMOOTHIE

Vanilla Pear Smoothie

Written by contibutor Britney Manuel of Btanjerine and A Simply Raw Life.

 

 

I am currently in love with this smooth, subtle smoothie.  It's one of those things you sip and savor.  A definite keeper for a great go-to meal on the go.

And the perks are, that this buttery fruit can deliver up to 6 grams of fiber, including pectin, which lowers bad cholesterol.  Can I get a woot?  And the juicy flesh contains vitamin C and copper, essential for the formation of red blood cells.  All the more reason to take advantage of this delicate fruit.

VANILLA + PEAR SMOOTHIE

 

THE ESSENTIALS

1 frozen banana

2 pears peeled

1 c. coconut milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 inch. vanilla bean 

THE PROCESS

Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean and blend it with the coconut milk for 20 seconds.  Then add all other ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Serves 1.  Makes approximately 2 cups.

Love the flecks of vanilla bean!

BLUEBERRY + CUCUMBER SMOOTHIE

BLUEBERRY + CUCUMBER SMOOTHIE

 

Written by contibutor Britney Manuel of Btanjerine and A Simply Raw Life. 

 

 

Looking to add some unique smoothies to my repitore,  I came across this one again from the app Whole Living Smoothies (here's the link to the website).  I am always trying to make sure to incorporate something green, I mean might as well since you won't taste it anyway.  And this one came out light and mild.  Perfect in my opinion!

A few health tips.  Berries are full of anti-inflammatory and disease-preventing stuff (too many words I can't pronounce but trust me it's good stuff).  And cucumbers are loaded with water to help keep you hydrated.  They are also a source of silica, a trace mineral that strengthens connective tissue.

The Line-up before

Et Voila! The finished product!

BLUEBERRY + CUCUMBER SMOOTHIE

 

THE LINE-UP

1/2 c. frozen blueberries

1/2 cucumber

1 c. almond milk

1 pear

2 dates

THE PROCESS

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

Makes 1 serving approximately 2 cups.

Enjoy!

PINEAPPLE + GINGER + MINT SMOOTHIE

Here in Southern California it is still burning up, so before I can even think about soup and cozy sweaters I’m still making smoothies, and thinking about getting that mani/pedi.   I have a few resources I like to use for smoothies, one being the app Whole Living Smoothies, you can see some of her other smoothie recipes here.  Its a collaboration from Martha Stewart and it includes smoothies for detox, immunity boosting, weight-loss, etc...  I adapted this weight-loss smoothie to make it raw.

Written by contibutor Britney Manuel of Btanjerine and A Simply Raw Life.

This smoothie is a melange of pineapple, ginger and mint.  And did you know pineapple can give you more than 100% of your recommended daily allowance of manganese, a mineral required to metabolize food?  Ginger is known to be a stomach settler, and a remedy for colds.  And mint is rich in Vitamins A and C and also contains smaller amounts of Vitamin B2. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant and may help to decrease the risk of certain cancers such as colon and rectal cancer.  And i didn’t know this, mint is a very good cleanser for the blood, and mint tea can help clear up skin disorders such as acne.  For more of the benefits of mint click here.  These are just a few reasons to get your sip on with this revitalizing and refreshing smoothie.


So here are the deets.

PINEAPPLE + GINGER + MINT SMOOTHIE

 

THE ESSENTIALS

1 c. frozen pineapple diced

1/2 c. coconut milk

5 mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon ginger (about the size of a dime)

dash of cinnamon

THE PROCESS

Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Makes 1 serving approximately 1 cup

Yumalicious!

RAW DESSERT: MEXICAN SPICED BROWNIES



My friends have been waiting for a raw dessert recipe and so I have finally posted a super, super easy and delicious recipe.  Most of my gal pals LOVE chocolate.  When I say LOVE, I really mean LOVE!  So, this recipe is right up their alley and will definitely satisfy that craving for chocolate.

 

Now, please do not get afraid when you see the word raw in the dessert title.  Many people get afraid when they see a raw recipe.  But really, it only means "uncooked" and "keep in the nutrients" and so really, you can, in this case, equate it to simplicity.  You will not believe how EASY this is!

Lately, I have been loving that fact that I am able connect with some wonderful people over Instagram.  What a great way to connect with other Raw, Vegan and Vegetarians all over the world and exchange food ideas and recipes.  This recipe is adapted from what I originally saw on A Life Unhurried.  I recently connected with her on IG.  Her recipe was adapted from Judita Wignall's famous Mexican Spiced Brownies. So delicious!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Chill time: 1 to 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:

BROWNIE BASE
4 cups walnuts*
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup medjool dates, pitted
2/3 cup cacao or carob powder
1 tablespoon Mexican (ceylon) cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely ground star anise
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
pinch of sea salt (optional)
2 tablespoons water

*preferably soaked 6-8 hours and dehydrated but not crucial.  For this version, I did not soak or dehydrate them and they came out very nice.  Just a tad more chunkier than it would be soaked.

1. Place walnuts into a food processor and grind into the consistency of a meal. Don’t over process or it will release too much oil.

2. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture is well combined.

3. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, cayenne and sea salt and process again until mixture is sticky yet still crumbly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the water and mix well using your hands. It should start to resemble a dough.

5. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.

FROSTING:
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
2/3 cup cacao or carob powder

1. Add maple syrup to the blender first followed by the coconut oil and cocoa powder. Blend well until smooth.

2. Spread topping over brownies and chill at least 1-2 hours.

3. Remove brownie by lifting up the parchment paper and slice into desired size pieces.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for one month.

NOTE: Try substituting cayenne pepper with chipotle or ancho pepper for a whole new experience. Chipotle is smoky and spicy while ancho is mild and sweet. For a traditional brownie omit cayenne, anise and cinnamon.  My next batch will be the Traditional Brownie.  (Actually, think I will make this and not tell anyone its raw and see what they say.  Hee hee!)

Makes 12 to 16 servings

These are incredible!

Check out Judita's book Going Raw HERE.

Enjoy!




EGGPLANT & HERBED QUINOA



Vegan: Eggplant & Herbed Quinoa

 

A few of my friends are loyal Sprouted Kitchen followers, so naturally, I adopted them too as a great go to food blog for all things wholesome and scrumptious.  I was quite thrilled...ok probably more surprised when I tasted this medley of herbed quinoa.  The ingredients seemed kind of random while I was preparing it, dill, cilantro, basil, capers...etc.  All of these herbs and the capers have very distinct flavors so I was a tad skeptical that some of the flavors may be a bit overpowering, but I was wrong!  You can see the post at Sprouted Kitchen here.

The first time I made this dish I did the eggplant as suggested, and it was wonderful, but as of lately I’m a bit burnt out on the aubergine vegetable.  So I opted to use portabello mushrooms and zucchini, and it worked just as well.

So here are the deets!

Purple basil, dill & cilantro

portabello mushrooms

Dill, tri-color quinoa, red onion, pine nuts and capers

EGGPLANT & HERBED QUINOA

THE ESSENTIALS

• 3-4 medium eggplants (maybe 2 larger ones, 4 smaller ones)
• sea salt
• extra virgin olive oil
• za'atar seasoning
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• half of a small red onion, sliced thin
• generous handful each of fresh basil, dill and cilantro
2 Tbsp. capers, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

THE PROCESS

Cut the eggplants into 1 1/2'' rounds. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to release water.

Add the quinoa to a pot with a pinch of salt and 3/4 cup water or stock. Bring it to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff with a fork, cover again and leave it to steam another 5 minutes.

Heat up your grill or grill pan. Press the eggplants between a dishcloth or paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill for about 5 minutes per sides until you get nice dark marks and the texture seems pretty soft throughout. I like the softer texture that comes with covering them. Remove to a plate, drizzle a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar to taste.

To finish the quinoa, toss in the onions, all of the herbs, oil, vinegar, honey or agave and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Taste and adjust as you like.

Put the eggplants on a plate, top with the quinoa and garnish with the toasted pinenuts.

***NOTE:  A few things I changed.  So I've never heard of the seasoning za'atar, and the person at my local market had never heard of it, so I abandoned that seasoning.  If you have heard of it please leave a message below because I'd like to know where I can find it.  But wait it's probably at Whole Foods!  Also the first time I made this I did coat each eggplant piece with olive oil.  But the second go round I opted to just put some olive oil in the pan, and let the mushroom coat themselves, again I am a lazy vegan.  I also thought I'd try it this time with portabello mushrooms and zucchini.  So instead of the 2-3 eggplants I used 2 portabello mushrooms sliced, and 1 zucchini sliced into spears.

THE END...

CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH PESTO

I am really loving this "rice" recipe!  Super, super easy and packed with flavor.  The pesto recipe is vegan and super flavorful.  I have been craving some pesto lately since my basil plant is still thriving... pray for me.  I hope it stays strong.



I definitely think this "rice" will be one of my go-tos for a quick and easy raw meal. 

CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH PESTO

FOR THE RICE

1 head cauliflower, chopped in the food processor

1 red pepper, diced

4 stalks of celery, diced

3 persian cucumbers, diced

1 small basket of crimini mushrooms or portobellos, chopped

VEGAN PESTO

1/3 cup pine nuts                  

1/2 cup olive oil                  

5 cloves garlic

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1 bunch fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto all the ingredients except the olive oil in the food processor, start processing and then slowing drizzle in the olive oil as everything is being processed.  Mix thoroughly.

Mix all the ingredients for the rice into a large bowl.  Then fold in the pesto sauce as desired and its ready to serve!

Such a delicious recipe.  Enjoy!





CARROT GINGER CONFETTI "RICE"

 

 

 

Last weekend I went to a conference where I needed to pack a picnic lunch and was racking my brain as to what I wanted to bring.  My friend Christine posted a raw "rice" dish photo on her Instagram that I thought was fabulous.  So, I made my version of it.   It's so easy to make you won't know what to do with yourself.  I love the color!  And the flavor of the carrot ginger dressing just gives it a subtle tang that's just delicious.

 

CARROT GINGER CONFETTI RICE

 

1 head cauliflower, chop in the food processor

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup cucmbers diced

 

DRESSING:

 

Carrot ginger dressing... you can find the recipe HERE.

 

Chop up the head of cauliflower in the food processor to your liking.  You can chop it really fine or leave the pieces a little bigger if you'd like.  Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and stir in the carrot ginger dressing to taste.  And voila!  It's so easy!

 

I topped it off with my vegan flat bread.  Can you say tasty???  You can find the flat bread recipe HERE.  I friend of mine who is not raw or vegan tasted it and she was so surprised by how flavorful it was. 

 

Let me know how you like it or what your own raw rice combination is. :)

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL







 

 

 

I have been seeing a lot of mason jar recipes on Pinterest and on my favorite food blogs lately.  However, I really fell in love with this recipe and concept.  I try to eat mostly raw, but at times I crave something real breakfast-y if you know what I mean.  This is perfect because you don't cook the oatmeal.  I couldn't find raw oats (groats) so this time I just used organic rolled oaks.  This dish came out just perfect.  I had to pack our breakfast this past weekend and what a cute way to pack a meal.

 

 

My husband doesn't like walnuts, so I put raw sliced almonds and raspberries in his.

 

 

 

I tried raw walnuts and raspberries in mine.  Just delicious.  I added in a tablespoon of chia seeds that are packed with protein.  One tablespoon will give you 3 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 2.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.  

 

Oatmeal has great benefits as well.  Some of you may ask if eating uncooked oatmeal is healthy.  Check out the benefits of oatmeal cooked or uncooked HERE.  Whether cooked or uncooked, oats have high nutritional value and approximately 310 to 390 calories per 100 g serving. This serving size delivers 9 to 11 g of fiber and 13 to 17 g of protein. Oats are also a good source of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, which are healthy for the heart. Although they don't pack a powerful punch in terms of vitamins, they are high in several minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and manganese. The soluble fiber in oats helps to eliminate cholesterol and lower blood pressure, and the insoluble fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy and efficient. The beta-glucan in oatmeal can also help regulate blood sugar, and the lignans can protect the body against cancer.

 

 



 

I got these jars from Ikea.  These SLOM jars with lid are only $2.99.  What I also love about this recipe is that there are no set rules.  You can use any kind of milk you like, use your favorite berries, dried fruit or nuts.  Such a great little recipe! 

 

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

 

1/2 cups oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

3/4 cup almond or coconut milk

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 table spoon shredded coconut

1 tablespoon raw almonds or walnuts

fresh fruit

 

Mix the first five ingredients in the mason jar.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 5 hours.  Top with the nuts and fruit in the morning and enjoy!

I have also done versions with figs, no dried fruit, with dates.  They have all been really good.  Just choose your favorite combination!

 

Bon appetit!

 

 

 

Oh, and here's my Instagram shot of eating this the other day on the run.  It was the perfect breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 



FARM TO TABLE: SUMMER SALSA WITH PEACHES

This salsa was delicious!  My sister gave me some tomatoes and cucumber from her garden the other day.  I was thinking....what can I make with these.  Ah yes, a peach salsa to snack on!  Super easy and so yummy!   Here's a pic from my Instagram of the garden picked veggies from my sister.  She has become quite the gardener.

I really like this version because it's a bit different from the traditional salsa and the peaches add that slight sweetness to make it a fun summer snack.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tomatoes, chopped
1 green heirloom tomato, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped (I used 1/2 of this one)
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
2 limes, juice of
1 Jalapeno, diced - optional
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Mix all the vegetable and fruit ingredients together in a large bowl.  Squeeze in the lime juice.  Mix in  the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with your favorite chips or crackers and dig in!


Hope your summer is going well!

Enjoy!



Photo taken with iPhone4, plates from Ikea, paper from Michaels

SUMMER PEACH SALAD WITH PEPITAS

Summer is rolling quickly past us here in Los Angeles.  I am a bit sad by it because the weather in Southern California is quite nice year round.  It's hot where we live in the summer, but we can drive 20 minutes to be near the beach and have fabulous weather.  I've been eating a lot of peaches for breakfast, raw or in smoothies this summer, but I thought what about in a salad?  I've seen a few recipes that use nectarines and so I thought, why not, let's try it! 

PEACH SALAD WITH PEPITAS

1 package arugula salad mix (spring mix or baby greens will works too)
1 organic cucumber (I made strips with my vegetable peeler to change it up)
1-2 organic roma tomatos, to your liking
1/4-1/2 chopped red onion to your liking (you can also use green onion)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup Pepitas, or more if you'd like

DRESSING:

Creamy Cucumber Avocado Dressing - find the recipe HERE

Mix all the salad ingredients in a big bowl, plate, drizzle on the dressing and serve.

This salad is so refreshing!
I hope to do one more peach recipe tomorrow to get ready for the long weekend.


Enjoy!


Photo: Taken by Felicia using iPhone 4, Summer Peach Salad, Creamy Avocado Cumumber Dressing, Plate from Ikea, paper from Michaels.