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Showing posts with label easy raw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy raw. Show all posts
Time to Play
Someone told me this morning that I have been working too hard and that I should enjoy a day of play.
Hmmm. Let me think about that for a moment.
Check
and
Check
Can I just say. Check, CHECK, check, CHECKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!
Not really complaining! Life is good. I have been working on some great projects. I have a new website in the works, along with some raw food cooking classes and Health & Raw food coaching. As many of you know I have been studying nutrition and raw food for a while. I am so excited to be putting everything together in some fun ways.
Sometimes it is just important to take a BREAK. I think it is great to stop while you are in the midst of a project and just allow yourself to relax, play and have fun.
So today after dropping my daughter off to school and my son off to preschool for a few hours I took a trip to Chapter's. I had fun checking out the raw food and the vegan sections and also the nutrition area. I ended up picking up a new book and a journal for an upcoming trip.
Then into the kitchen to have some fun playing with food.
My husband and daughter made zucinni and squash noodles.
I used a tomato sauce. This one is from the book RAWvolution by Matt Amsden. This is one of my favourite raw books. I added some shitake mushrooms, fresh basil, black olives and a little bit of kale. Can't forget the kale.
Then I made a cashew/ macadamia nut cheese. I think this one is my best yet.
Cheese Recipe
I cup raw cashews
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
pinch of salt
lemon
paprika
onion
nutritional yeast
agave
Raw Play= Yum!!
So I am suggesting that you find some time for play, to relax and just have fun with whatever it is that you enjoy. For me it is often food related.
I would love to here what you are going to do to nourish your sense of play?
Make sure to join my FB page on the right so we can stay connected.
Hmmm. Let me think about that for a moment.
Check
and
Check
Can I just say. Check, CHECK, check, CHECKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!
Not really complaining! Life is good. I have been working on some great projects. I have a new website in the works, along with some raw food cooking classes and Health & Raw food coaching. As many of you know I have been studying nutrition and raw food for a while. I am so excited to be putting everything together in some fun ways.
Sometimes it is just important to take a BREAK. I think it is great to stop while you are in the midst of a project and just allow yourself to relax, play and have fun.
So today after dropping my daughter off to school and my son off to preschool for a few hours I took a trip to Chapter's. I had fun checking out the raw food and the vegan sections and also the nutrition area. I ended up picking up a new book and a journal for an upcoming trip.
Then into the kitchen to have some fun playing with food.
My husband and daughter made zucinni and squash noodles.
I used a tomato sauce. This one is from the book RAWvolution by Matt Amsden. This is one of my favourite raw books. I added some shitake mushrooms, fresh basil, black olives and a little bit of kale. Can't forget the kale.
Then I made a cashew/ macadamia nut cheese. I think this one is my best yet.
Cheese Recipe
I cup raw cashews
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
pinch of salt
lemon
paprika
onion
nutritional yeast
agave
Raw Play= Yum!!
So I am suggesting that you find some time for play, to relax and just have fun with whatever it is that you enjoy. For me it is often food related.
I would love to here what you are going to do to nourish your sense of play?
Make sure to join my FB page on the right so we can stay connected.
Raw Food Meet Up @ Thrive Juice Bar
One of the simplest pleasures in life is to go out for a meal with some great people and spend time eating and talking. Last night our Kitchener-Waterloo Raw Meet-Up selected Thrive Juice Bar for an evening of fun.
When I started the raw food meet up, I really just wanted an avenue to help people learn about raw food. I also wanted to have the opportunity to meet with like minded people in our community. To get together and create a feeling of community for people who want to eat healthy, but also go out and have fun too.
Our evening out was a huge success. Thrive Juice Bar provided us with the best service and the food tasted amazing. I want to send a big shout out to Jonnie the owner and thank him for his great hospitality. I must say this about Jonnie, he is passionate about food and health and this reflects in the food that he provides to his customers. The food is full of flavour, highly creative and the best part of all, it is highly nutritious. You will leave feeling energized, happy and just plain good about yourself and yes the prices are really affordable.
We started off with some drinks. We all got different things but one of the popular choices was the Coconut Cashew Medjoal Date Smoothie. Others tried the Thai Avocado Smoothie that incorporated the flavours of lemongrass, avocado and coconut water.
I opted for the Big Green Smoothie. (Yes I love my Greens) This is full of nutrients and flavour. It is jam packed with all things green including E3 Live, Wheat grass and fresh greens.
Then we proceeded to the BEST Raw Soup ever. A melody or carrot, curry & coconut blended to perfection.
For the main meal I choose a fantastic raw Pad Thai dish filled with vegetables such as cabbage, bok choy, carrots, snap peas & daikon to name a few. The veggies are mixed in a creamy cashew sauce and flavoured with chili, cilantro and mint. For all of you health seekers out there, this dish is a nutritional home run. I can't say more about a dish filled with my favourite daikon and cabbage.
And last but most definitely not least.... the desserts.
Here is a rich raw chocolate brownie plate that I enjoyed.
Other's went for a fresh mango marinated carpaccio with coconut ice cream.
So if you have not been to Thrive Juice Bar, go check it out.
Big thank you to all of the meet up members that came out to this event and to those also who helped promote it. I want to give a shout out to Mary, a fellow blogger from This is Vegan, who came out to this event and posted about our night as well. Stay tuned for our upcoming raw meet up events.....
For those of you that don't live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, do you have local support or raw groups in your community?
When I started the raw food meet up, I really just wanted an avenue to help people learn about raw food. I also wanted to have the opportunity to meet with like minded people in our community. To get together and create a feeling of community for people who want to eat healthy, but also go out and have fun too.
Our evening out was a huge success. Thrive Juice Bar provided us with the best service and the food tasted amazing. I want to send a big shout out to Jonnie the owner and thank him for his great hospitality. I must say this about Jonnie, he is passionate about food and health and this reflects in the food that he provides to his customers. The food is full of flavour, highly creative and the best part of all, it is highly nutritious. You will leave feeling energized, happy and just plain good about yourself and yes the prices are really affordable.
We started off with some drinks. We all got different things but one of the popular choices was the Coconut Cashew Medjoal Date Smoothie. Others tried the Thai Avocado Smoothie that incorporated the flavours of lemongrass, avocado and coconut water.
I opted for the Big Green Smoothie. (Yes I love my Greens) This is full of nutrients and flavour. It is jam packed with all things green including E3 Live, Wheat grass and fresh greens.
Then we proceeded to the BEST Raw Soup ever. A melody or carrot, curry & coconut blended to perfection.
For the main meal I choose a fantastic raw Pad Thai dish filled with vegetables such as cabbage, bok choy, carrots, snap peas & daikon to name a few. The veggies are mixed in a creamy cashew sauce and flavoured with chili, cilantro and mint. For all of you health seekers out there, this dish is a nutritional home run. I can't say more about a dish filled with my favourite daikon and cabbage.
And last but most definitely not least.... the desserts.
Here is a rich raw chocolate brownie plate that I enjoyed.
Other's went for a fresh mango marinated carpaccio with coconut ice cream.
So if you have not been to Thrive Juice Bar, go check it out.
Big thank you to all of the meet up members that came out to this event and to those also who helped promote it. I want to give a shout out to Mary, a fellow blogger from This is Vegan, who came out to this event and posted about our night as well. Stay tuned for our upcoming raw meet up events.....
For those of you that don't live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, do you have local support or raw groups in your community?
Raw Food At It's Easiest!
Raw food can be a lot of things. It can be complex, detailed, tasty and delicious. It can also be easy. Easy works for me this week, as many of you busy moms know, time is limited some days. Other days I have lots of time to play and experiment in the kitchen and make detailed creations. Don't get me wrong, I love those days and I have quite a few of them. However there are days well.... you know? Days were the clock goes faster than you thought possible.
But please don't grab for the undesirables on these days. You can actually still eat really well on these hectic days. They may just be in the form of a blended juice or a quick salads like this one.
I have been making a ton of salads and veggie plates this week because I have been multi tasking a little more than I normally do. Who would have thought that was possible. Anyways, I have been so inspired and in love with making "crazy salads" this week. They have been filling, messy and quick, but oh so yummy.
As long as you have a plentiful supply of vegetables and some staples on hand, you can make a super charged salad in a few minutes. Here are a couple of mine from the weekend. Be warned I am on a zucchini kick this week.
Veggie Plate # 1:
Chopped Spinach
Sliced Beets
Sauerkraut (Bubbies)
Sliced Zucchini
Chopped Tomatoes
Sprinkle of Kelp Powder
Sprinkle with a little Sea Salt or Himalayan salt
Process the beets and zucchini in a food processor. Do a large quantity so you will have lots for the week. Decorate you plate to make it visually appealing. Add bunches of veggies. You can use carrots, parsnip, broccoli or kale. I don't put any dressing on my salads lately. However you could always mix a little oil, apple cider vinegar, sweetener and spices for your own creation.
Salad Plate # 2 Or Nacho Plate:
Sliced Zucchini
Guacamole (avocado, lime and sea salt)
Sunflower Seed Cheese (sunflower seeds,lemon juice, tamari, garlic)
Sliced Red Pepper
Cilantro (chopped and sprinkled on top)
Nutritional Yeast
I used this plate while I was watching one of my season finale's last week. (Sorry just could not give up my shows). I added some salsa and it was so yummy and actually very filling. Love guilt free eating. The sky is the limit with what you want to add to this plate.
Then of course who could forget the green juice. This little glass of green liquid can help give you a good energy punch. This is always a staple in my home. I added arugula to my regular mixture of kale, lemon and apples. Not bad at all. Arugula is a good source of sulfur, so it is great for your skin, hair and nails. A powerhouse veggie that you will want to pick up or even start to grown.
What are your favourite salads? Do you have any ingredients that you always turn to when you are pressed for time? Love to hear from you.
Please be sure to join "Blyssful Health" on Facebook. I would love to see you there!
But please don't grab for the undesirables on these days. You can actually still eat really well on these hectic days. They may just be in the form of a blended juice or a quick salads like this one.
I have been making a ton of salads and veggie plates this week because I have been multi tasking a little more than I normally do. Who would have thought that was possible. Anyways, I have been so inspired and in love with making "crazy salads" this week. They have been filling, messy and quick, but oh so yummy.
As long as you have a plentiful supply of vegetables and some staples on hand, you can make a super charged salad in a few minutes. Here are a couple of mine from the weekend. Be warned I am on a zucchini kick this week.
Veggie Plate # 1:
Chopped Spinach
Sliced Beets
Sauerkraut (Bubbies)
Sliced Zucchini
Chopped Tomatoes
Sprinkle of Kelp Powder
Sprinkle with a little Sea Salt or Himalayan salt
Process the beets and zucchini in a food processor. Do a large quantity so you will have lots for the week. Decorate you plate to make it visually appealing. Add bunches of veggies. You can use carrots, parsnip, broccoli or kale. I don't put any dressing on my salads lately. However you could always mix a little oil, apple cider vinegar, sweetener and spices for your own creation.
Salad Plate # 2 Or Nacho Plate:
Sliced Zucchini
Guacamole (avocado, lime and sea salt)
Sunflower Seed Cheese (sunflower seeds,lemon juice, tamari, garlic)
Sliced Red Pepper
Cilantro (chopped and sprinkled on top)
Nutritional Yeast
I used this plate while I was watching one of my season finale's last week. (Sorry just could not give up my shows). I added some salsa and it was so yummy and actually very filling. Love guilt free eating. The sky is the limit with what you want to add to this plate.
Then of course who could forget the green juice. This little glass of green liquid can help give you a good energy punch. This is always a staple in my home. I added arugula to my regular mixture of kale, lemon and apples. Not bad at all. Arugula is a good source of sulfur, so it is great for your skin, hair and nails. A powerhouse veggie that you will want to pick up or even start to grown.
What are your favourite salads? Do you have any ingredients that you always turn to when you are pressed for time? Love to hear from you.
Please be sure to join "Blyssful Health" on Facebook. I would love to see you there!
Herb and Flax Crackers
These healthy crackers are loaded with good stuff and they taste great. They contain ingredients that are easy to find in most kitchens. As well here is a link to Jordan Rubin's new e-book called " Raw Truth".
Now more about crackers. One of the things that people often ask when you mention raw food is can I eat bread. Really commercial bread is not good for you. I think it is key to find some raw breads and crackers that you like when you are in transition from cooked food to raw food. That way when you are craving a piece of bread, instead you can grab a healthy cracker.
Making raw crackers and bread is really quite easy once you give it a try. The neat thing about it is that you can than add any flavor profile that you like.
Here is my cracker "dough". It has been all mixed and is ready to go into the dehydrator.
Ingredients
1 tomatoe chopped
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup kale pulp or shredded kale
1/2 cup soaked flax seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
couple of teaspoons of nutritional yeast
pinch of Himalayan salt or sea salt
1/3 cup or more ground flax seed until a light dough is formed
Now you can add your choice off seasoning such as thyme, chopped onion, cumin. Just remember that the spices may have a slightly more intense flavor when the are dehydrated. Dehydrate about 7-8 hours and make sure to flip the crackers half way through so the underside gets dry.
For the non-raw version. Oil a pan with coconut oil and place in the oven on a low heat. Remove when dry.
Add on some avocado, nut cheese and tomatoe and you're all set.
I would love to hear about your healthy bread alternative. Do you make your own raw crackers?
For my new health enthusiasts you can make the transition away from commercial bread by switching to a Ezekiel bread, found in your health food store in the freezer section. This is a much healthier option for you.
Remember to check out the link for Jordan Rubin's (the founder of Garden of Life) e-book. It has some useful information in it and also contains a bit of history. He does talk about his own line of supplements but also about foods, enzymes, digestion and more.
Stay tuned for sunflower cheese and walnut spread.....
Rockin' Raw Nori Rolls
Really this is a great appetizer or main meal to share with your friends and family who are interested in raw food. If you haven't tried raw food than this is for you. It is simple but packed with flavour. Just for the record...there is no raw fish here.
In my personal opinion this is an easy, fast, yummy dish! I remember when my sister tried this. She is also an avid foodie. She loved it and kept talking about it for about a week or more afterwards. It is really simple to do and of course as with most raw food it is GREAT for you. HINT...This is one time that you might want to double the ingredients.
This recipe is adapted from Cafe Gratitude. So let's get started. The first step is to go buy some organic pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are great for you and are a good source of protein and zinc. Soaking time varies from about 4-6 hours. I just put mind in water before I go to bed. Soaking nuts and seeds helps start the sprouting process and increase the nutritional value of it. As well it removes enzyme inhibitors present in nuts/seeds that keep the seed dormant. After you have soaked the seeds make sure to rinse them off and drain well before using in any recipe.
Put the pumpkin seeds in the processor with some ginger, scallions and tamari or Nama Shoyu. Add any Asian seasoning of your choice. I do love cilantro so I added a little to mine. I used just over one cup of pumpkin seeds. If you have a smaller amount it can be a little harder to get smooth in the food processor. I add about 1 tbs of water to mine to help it get nice and smooth.
Once processed it looks like this. Scrap out and put into a bowl.
Next take a Nori wrap and get started. You will notice that my nori wrap below is a black. This is actually a roasted wrap. Raw Nori are available on line and at some health food stores. Depending on where you live you may have to do a special online order. Today this is all I had at home so I used to. Start to put the pumpkin seeds mixture on the wrap, followed by the toppings of your choice. I put avocado, red pepper, shredded carrots and shredded lettuce. The sky is the limit.
Roll up and enjoy. You can make a dipping sauce if you like or add some hot peppers or wasabi depending on your taste buds. You could do a simple asian style sauce with a little lime and tamari or namu shoyu..
Dig in and enjoy.
Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Hope you are all having a special day! I love Valentine's Day. I got engaged 7 years ago today. Here are some beautiful raspberries to celebrate the morning with.
This is a lunch I created the other day. It is so easy to make and it tastes great.
Ingredients
shredded carrot and zucchini
handful of mixed sprouts
onion
cucumber
cubed green apple
Dressing
Olive Oil
Agave
Lemon
turmeric
lots of pepper
pinch of Himalayan salt
I added some mashed avocado and some raw carrot crackers that I bought the other day.
Wishing you all a great Valentine's Day! I am working on sprouting quinoa so we will see how that turns out and what else the day brings.
This is a lunch I created the other day. It is so easy to make and it tastes great.
Ingredients
shredded carrot and zucchini
handful of mixed sprouts
onion
cucumber
cubed green apple
Dressing
Olive Oil
Agave
Lemon
turmeric
lots of pepper
pinch of Himalayan salt
I added some mashed avocado and some raw carrot crackers that I bought the other day.
Wishing you all a great Valentine's Day! I am working on sprouting quinoa so we will see how that turns out and what else the day brings.
Chocolate Blyss
I just love making these Chocolate Blyss Treats. My sister and I having been making these for the last couple of years. We always like to experiment with food and have many different variations of this over the years. My daughter's name is Blyss, hence the name and spelling. As luck would have it she was my little helper in the kitchen today.
These are a raw treat, but you can make them non raw if you choose. However I will tell you that if you are trying to do raw food this is one of the easiest things to do. Partly because I stick them in the freezer and the other part is that they always taste good. Here is a blueprint of what you can add. But almost anything goes with these. What ever taste you love you can add.
Grab a large bowl for mixing. Add a 1/4 cup of shredded coconut(non sweet, you want to add your own sweetener). Add some cacao nibs. I love these. They are bitter and give a good crunch. This is what they look like. You can buy them at your local health food store. They are great to have around and can be used in many raw dishes including smoothies. I added about a 1/4 cup again.
Cacao Nibs
Next I added some Organic coconut oil. COCONUT OIL is good for you. Go out and buy some. I just kind of poured this in maybe about a 1/4 of a cup or more. Then I added in a handful of sunflower seeds, goji berries,hemp seeds. Then a good sprinkle of ground flax seed. Lastly the key ingredient is cacao powder and lots of it.
Adding Goji Berries and Do Matcha Green Tea(sneaking some Matcha tea in because I love it)
Then mix and add your sweetener of choice either raw honey, agave syrup or stevia. Add more coconut oil if mixture is too dry and not all coated.
Mix it together.
Now time to get messy, don't worry you get to lick you hands after. Put your hands in it and roll into little balls. It will be oily but that is okay. If they don't stick that well you can add some nut butter or even more ground flax. It can help bind the mixture. They neat trick is that they don't have to be perfect or stick perfectly because you are going to pop them in the freezer.
Getting messy and rolling into balls
My little helper. I am thinking "Please don't touch the wall"
And Voila! Put them in a glass freezer safe dish and grab one when you are low on energy or have a craving. THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!!!
I eat them frozen, but you can slightly thaw them or keep them in the fridge. They seem to go faster in the fridge. For a party you can roll them in hemp seeds, sesame seeds or whatever you like to make them look all fancy. Enjoy.
These are a raw treat, but you can make them non raw if you choose. However I will tell you that if you are trying to do raw food this is one of the easiest things to do. Partly because I stick them in the freezer and the other part is that they always taste good. Here is a blueprint of what you can add. But almost anything goes with these. What ever taste you love you can add.
Grab a large bowl for mixing. Add a 1/4 cup of shredded coconut(non sweet, you want to add your own sweetener). Add some cacao nibs. I love these. They are bitter and give a good crunch. This is what they look like. You can buy them at your local health food store. They are great to have around and can be used in many raw dishes including smoothies. I added about a 1/4 cup again.
Cacao Nibs
Next I added some Organic coconut oil. COCONUT OIL is good for you. Go out and buy some. I just kind of poured this in maybe about a 1/4 of a cup or more. Then I added in a handful of sunflower seeds, goji berries,hemp seeds. Then a good sprinkle of ground flax seed. Lastly the key ingredient is cacao powder and lots of it.
Adding Goji Berries and Do Matcha Green Tea(sneaking some Matcha tea in because I love it)
Then mix and add your sweetener of choice either raw honey, agave syrup or stevia. Add more coconut oil if mixture is too dry and not all coated.
Mix it together.
Now time to get messy, don't worry you get to lick you hands after. Put your hands in it and roll into little balls. It will be oily but that is okay. If they don't stick that well you can add some nut butter or even more ground flax. It can help bind the mixture. They neat trick is that they don't have to be perfect or stick perfectly because you are going to pop them in the freezer.
Getting messy and rolling into balls
My little helper. I am thinking "Please don't touch the wall"
And Voila! Put them in a glass freezer safe dish and grab one when you are low on energy or have a craving. THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!!!
I eat them frozen, but you can slightly thaw them or keep them in the fridge. They seem to go faster in the fridge. For a party you can roll them in hemp seeds, sesame seeds or whatever you like to make them look all fancy. Enjoy.
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