deep purple smoothie

Deep Purple Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 1/2 - 2 cups almond milk
1 tablespoons raisin puree*
2-3 drops liquid stevia
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cacao nibs (optional)

blend until smooth

*raisin puree - 2 cups raisins(Thompson or golden, whichever you like best) soaked overnight in about 2 cups of water. once the raisins have absorbed the water and have plumped up, puree in a blender until a soft paste has formed. This substance can be used as a sweetener in many recipes: smoothie, drinks, dressings, cookie/cakes, spread on bread(Essen or Ezekiel are great choices) like jam . . . etc. It can even be eaten right out of the jar !

tabbouleh

My lunch today : one large bowl of Tabbouleh, and a Deep Purple Smoothie !

Tabbouleh
1 large bunch of curly parsley, finely chopped
1 or 2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced(i leave the seeds in for extra nutrients, but if you want you can take them out)
1/2  cup soaked sprouted and steamed buckwheat or quinoa (optional, i didn't add any grains in this time)

dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice(or orange juice if you want the salad to be sweeter)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dill
salt and pepper, to taste

Shake dressing ingredients together in a little jar, then pour over the salad, toss and enjoy !

I like to make a large amount of this salad and leave it in the fridge. The flavors will marinate within the next couple of days and make the salad taste even better . . . not that this salad last even three days in my house, I'm a sucker for Tabbouleh, along with any Mediterranean dish. yum yum !

buckwheat porridge

I thought up this recipe on my way home from work the other day(a great companion to recipe creating is a hungry belly). I think it is a really yummy dish, i hope you like it !

Buckwheat Porridge
3/4 cup soaked sprouted and steamed buckwheat groats
1 tablespoon dried currants
1 tablespoons freeze dried berries(i used raspberries), or you can use fresh berries if you want
about 1/2 cup almond milk

In a small serving bowl full of buckwheat, add in the almond milk and dried currants, then just before eating add the freeze dried berries. If serving this to your family for breakfast(or whatever meal you choose), i would suggest putting each ingredient in a separate bowl on the table for your family to grab from, then they can  assemble their own serving of the porridge and you don't have to worry about anything getting mushy.

A great addition to this porridge would be to serve some yummy green juice. A green smoothie might be too filling, this porridge is pretty filling in itself . . . then again i get filled up pretty fast. You be the judge !

asian kelp noodle salad

I was inspired by this recipe to make a kelp noodle salad. Kelp noodles are so much fun to play around with, and they makes for the tastiest recipes.


Asian kelp noodle salad
1 carrot peeled with a julienne peeler
1 leaf of bitter lettuce, chopped into fine ribbons
about 1 cup of kelp noodles
1 tablespoon dried currants, or raisins or even cranberries
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons olive oil

this would make a wonderful salad in addition to any meal . . . but in this case i had it for breakfast !

chocolate banana mousse

chocolate banana mousse
1 ripe banana
about 1 tablespoon bitter baking chocolate
1-1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
3 teaspoons agave nectar/maple syrup

OR instead of the bittersweet chocolate, coconut oil, and agave. You can use some raw chocolate which would be even better.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate coconut oil and agave. once the chocolate is in syrup form pour it into a blender with the banana(or use an Emerson Blender which is what i did). blend blend !

pour into a cup of your choice, place in the freezer for about 1 hour to allow the mousse to thicken up. You can decorate this pudding with Berries(i chose blueberries ), chopped nuts, Goji berries, or whatever your imagination can come up with !

(picture above)grocery shopping at the Florida, Whole Foods Market. Lots of greens !

This week i am addicted to salads. What is happening with you ?

Florida Chop Salad

I went on  a trip a few days ago where i was inspired to make this salad, and ever since my trip i am always craving avocados . . . which isn't a problem in the slightest. It just means there may be more avocado recipes coming your way !

Florida chop salad
1/4 cup fresh peas
1/2  of a small avocado, chopped
1/2 of a mini cucumber(i used the variety that is often used for pickling)
1/2 of a Roma tomato

add in pine nuts if you have them . . . which i do not.

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dill(fresh or dry)
salt & pepper

toss !

Also today(on my day off) i took my mom to the Cacao Tree Cafe(raw cafe) where we had an extended mother's day lunch. It was a lot of fun, it is always nice to go to this cafe in particular, the energy in the restaurant is just so pleasant. Me and my mom both had a big salad, and a mango cheesecake. yumyum!
We want to go there every day and have lunch . . .

buckwheat apple krispies

How was your day?

I hope it was pleasant . . .

If it wasn't, then maybe this granola will brighten your day . . .

buckwheat apple krispies

around 2  cups buckwheat groats, soaked and sprouted
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons coconut shreds, soaked in( tablespoon) nut/seed/coconut milk
5 Medjool dates, pureed with some water to make a date paste
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Feel free to add in any dried fruits, nut/seeds or even cacao nibs !

In a large bowl combine the buckwheat with the date paste and maple syrup, make sure the sweetness covers all of the buckwheat. Then add in the rest of the ingredients, combine evenly. Spread the granola on a dehydrator tray lined with a Teflex sheet. Turn the dehydrator up to about 105 degrees. Let the granola dehydrate for about 2 days, or until the granola is completely dried out, including the apple bits.