Freshly Picked and Made with Love!

Part 1 -

If you haven’t been raspberry picking yet this summer you should go before it is too late! These little red gems are so good when they are freshly picked. They are small, tart and juicy – and beaming with red hot love!

Last Saturday – my friend Jaime and I went to an Organic raspberry farm about a half hour north of Toronto (so worth the short drive). A cute cozy plot of land filled with lines of raspberry bushes.  At first we both opted for the largest basket, but didn’t realize how much work it actually is to pick raspberries. Also when they are this small, it takes that much longer to fill up a box. So by the end of the first line, we decided to combine our efforts and just have one basket between the two of use. This would bare more than enough fruit for our soon to be made – Raspberry Tart!

It was a hot one, so we didn’t last too long before we were anxious to get home and start baking. When raspberries are so super tart (in taste) like these ones, they are especially good when paired with something sweet. So the attempt was a fresh raspberry tart with a sweet almond crust. We stewed the raspberries with some Kuzu and Agar-Agar – (my two favourite sea-veggie based thickeners) to make the raspberries hold together in a jello-like consistency. I love using this stuff! Then instead of putting the raspberry blend on the tart crust, we put the raspberries in a bowl and crumbled the crust on top. Since baking likes to do it’s own thing sometimes, the crust didn’t turn out as planned. It was supposed to be on the bottom of our tart, but since it stuck to the glass (which isn’t supposed to happen – even though there was enough coconut oil on it)  – we scraped it out and used it as a crumble instead. Either way it was going down the same “pie-hole” – so to speak, and it all tasted the same – DELICIOUS. We weren’t trying to impress anyone but ourselves, so the actual look of it didn’t really matter. What mattered is that it tasted delicious and we have fun making it. So the moral of the story, is get out there, go pick some raspberries and put them in a smoothie, granola, a pie or raw pie, on cereal, fruit salad or just eat them straight from the bowl! Raspberries are not only beautiful and glorious to eat in the summer but they are full of antioxidants, fiber – and of course lots of love!

Jaime – stewing up those Raspberries!

Our gorgeous up-side-down Pie!

Two ladies in the bush – I promise, I am not naked!

Part 2-

I had so many leftover raspberries, I  made a Raw Berry Pie – as a second attempt. I have strawberries growing in my backyard, just bought some fresh blueberries, and picked some fresh mulberries from a friends tree (right here in Toronto!). So I was inspired not to cook these berries up- but instead – blend them up in my blender – with some fresh peaches for thickness – then I made an almond coconut raisin crust, poured my berry blend on top – and let it freeze. What a nice treat!

These are the tastiest, sweetest berries!

It was a treat to have fresh Mulberries, as I have only ever had dried ones! They are also the most beautiful shade of purple!

Here is my Raw Berry Pie!

So there you have it. Two ways to use up your berries this summer. Both Vegan, both gluten free and both delicious! Enjoy!

Fresh Berry Tart with Almond Crust (Cooked)

1 cup almonds

¾ cup brown rice flour

2 Tablespoons maple crystals

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

¼ cup maple syrup

Filling:

2 tablespoons agar flakes (to gel it together)*

1 ¾ cup apple juice

2 tablespoons kuzu dissolved in ¼ cup apple juice (to make it like pudding)*

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Sea salt

4 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 9” tart pan.

For the Crust:

1. In food processor, grind nuts to a meal. In mixing bowl, combine nuts, flour, maple crystals, baking powder and salt.
2. In separate small bowl, whisk together oil and maple syrup.
3. Mix wet ingredients (oil and syrup) into dry ingredients (nut meal and flours).
4. Press crust mixture into tart pan. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes, and then bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the filling

1. In a small pot, simmer agar flakes in apple juice until agar completely dissolves. When agar dissolves, add kuzu/juice mixture. Whisk until mixture thickens. Add maple syrup.
2. Add pinch of salt and berries. Cook 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool partially. Pour into cooled crust pan.
3. let set completely. Garnish with mint before serving. There may be a small amount of filling left, you can enjoy as a pudding by blending in food processor.

**Kuzu and Agar can be found at your local health food store in the Asian or macrobiotic section. There are tons of resources online to help you use them.

But two quick tips, dissolve and heat!

Raw Berry Tart with Almond Coconut Crust

For the crust:

2 cup almonds, soaked

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup raisins

- blend in food processor until you have a uniform “dough”

- press out in a tart dish evenly all over and up the sides (there should be enough)

For the filling

2 cups fresh berries

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 fresh peaches

- blend in a high speed blender until thick and creamy

- pour the blended berries into the raw pie crust and decorate ad you would like

- place in freezer for several hours, serve and enjoy!

A Veggie-Q for my QT!

Being a vegetarian does not mean that you can’t enjoy summer parties, potlucks and BBQ’s. You just need to get a little creative and have fun with it. So this past weekend was my fiances birthday. He  wanted a low key night, a dinner in with some family and close friends. Of course what this means, is that I am making dinner! Which is no problem of course, I  love providing delicious goodies, especially things that everyone can enjoy! Not everyone who was coming was a vegetarian, but that didn’t matter, my mom took care of some chicken for the group, and I handled the rest!

Make sure that when you are in this situation, you find out what all your hunny’s favourites are – and go from there (hopefully you know them already!). Luckily everything that Ryan loves, are things that everyone could enjoy – and they also make great compliments to the main meal.

So we started off with some yummy appetizers,  There was a  home made guacamole, parsley-hummus, along with an organic store bought salsa – lots of spelt flatbread and organic corn chips for dipping. Then we had a selection of side dishes – Ryan’s favourites include (quinoa tabule,  pasta salad, yam fries and “caesar” salad) and the main meal for us was Organic Sunshine Burgers (which  are truly scrumptious) simple ingredients and are so easy to enjoy at a summer-Q with or without a bun!

Of course the night was topped of with Ryan’s all time favourite – a tender Chocolate Cake – made from spelt flour (all vegan and sweetened with maple syrup) crowned by an almond butter, cocoa icing – this is his number one request on a annual (or more like weekly) basis! So I paired this with coconut-mint (from my garden) cacao ice cream (the colour green in the ice cream is actually from Ormus Super Greens). No one even questioned why the ice cream was so bright green! I may even post this recipe too since it was soooo fantastic!

So there you have it, an amazing, wholesome meal that everyone can enjoy – lots of variety, flavour and texture. You want to keep your crowd happy, but most importantly you want to make your CUTIE smile on his birthday!

If you are in need of some delicious summer recipes – there are still a few spots open in this weeks SENSATIONAL SUMMER RECIPES CLASS on Wednesday night!

The Dips – post enjoyment!

I meant to take this picture before they were all devoured!

Quinoa Tabule – a perfect summer recipe!

Brown Rice Pasta Salad with Garden Snow Peas!

My Delicious Plate of Goodness!

Vegan Caesar on left and Sunshine Burger on right- under the guac and hummus

My Award- Winning Vegan Chocolate Cake!

Vegan – Mint Cacao Coconut Ice Cream

Chocolate Cake with Mint-Cacao Ice Cream

Me and my QT (Ryan)

Mint-Cacao Coconut Ice Cream

2 cans of organic coconut milk

1/4 cup vanilla rice milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp fresh stevia leaves (only the fresh leaves or else leave it out!)

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (or you can use a few drops of peppermint oil)

1-2 tbsp Ormus Super Greens (it has a minty flavour)

1/4 cup cacao nibs

Place all the ingredients except the cacao nibs in a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and green.

If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in and begin to churn, adding the cacao nibs after a few minutes.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a large bowl for about an hour, then remove and stir in cacao (so they don’t all sink to the bottom).

Then continue to freeze for another hour or two (depending on the consistency you like).

ENJOY!!

If you are in need of some delicious summer recipes – there are still a few spots open in this weeks SENSATIONAL SUMMER RECIPES CLASS on Wednesday night!

Please share what veggie dishes you like to make in the summer for special events and occasions!

Super Foods for Super Health!

Superfoods are the super-powered heroes of the plant world and they have magical properties. They are healing, rejuvenating and immune boosting. They are loaded with nutrients that truly make you super happy and super healthy. I promise! If you have never tried them you may just have a chance to win one of them free…read on!

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to add these yummy foods into your diet, whether it is hemp, goji, acai, cacao, coconut – they all taste amazing and make you feel great!

I have written many a blog post on superfoods. There are various recipes and articles on these foods right here on my blog. That way I can provide you with as much information and ideas of how to use and consume these foods. Superfoods is such a buzz word these days, and it is important to understand why, when and how to use these foods. But the bottom line is to just get them in!

In David Wolfe’s Superfoods book he goes into detail on each of these superfoods (and so much more). So I encourage you to pick up a copy! It is a really comprehensive book as it gives you a detailed outline of how to use these foods, which are “the most nutritious foods on the planet!” David Wolfe.

Here is a mini outline of some of the top ones…

Goji Berries: Goji berries are the most nutritionally rich berry fruit on the planet. They taste delicious and are well balanced for nearly all body types. They are a complete protein source and contain nineteen different amino acids, trace minerals and vitamins. (also great for vision, libido, hormones and an incredible source of antioxidants)

Cacao: The best natural source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, omega 6 – and chocolate just tastes good!

Spirulina: ancient blue-green algae that is power packed with protein and chlorophyll.

Hempseed: contain all the essential amino acids and fatty acids to maintain human life. Enough said!

Coconuts: The health benefits of coconuts is immense, that I can’t even begin to list them all in one line – but in one sentence as quoted by David Wolfe “Coconut water is the breast milk of mother earth”. That should give you an idea!  (Click here for More info!)

Honey: unprocessed honey is natures richest source of live healing enzymes and one of natures sweetest treats!

Superfoods may be new to you, or they  may already be a staple in your diet….either way:

Tell me which Superfoods you use, how you use them and why you love them!

If I like what you write, you may just WIN! The best answer will get a pack of Goji Berries – compliments of me!

1. Please Post A Comment Below

2. Post it in on Twitter and Link To this Blog Post

3. Share it on Facebook and Link this Blog Post

4. Share on Your Blog and Link Back to My Blog

RAW WALDORF SALAD

Ingredients:

1-4 cups of arugula or mixed greens

¼ cup peeled jicama

3 stalks celery diced or cucumber chunks

1 apple, diced – I like granny smiths

1 cup sunflower sprouts

½ cup walnuts, chopped

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp goji berries

1/4 avocado, sliced

Waldorf Dressing – makes over 1 cup (use

¼ cup hemp oil

2 tbsp raw tahini

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon raw honey

2 tablespoon tamari

2 tbsp – ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Filtered water (add slowly only if needed without hemp oil)

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour over salad ingredients and toss until well coated.

A Coconut a day…

I have recently been struck with coconuts. I am talking the real deal, whole, full and ripe young coconuts. It can’t get much better than this (well yes it can, if only I lived under a coconut tree!). But this is still pretty good. So I have been enjoying cracking them open, putting in my glass straw and sipping my way to health. A coconut is only good if you can share it! So of course I had to extend the invitation to my favourite 2 year old – Andy. He is the most delicious little guy who not only drinks “coco-mutt” right from the source but enjoys such things as kale chips, blueberries, smoothies and any other concoction that is mom has in store (which is pretty much the cleanest diet that a kid can eat!). Did I mention that he loves just about every bite of it! If only we could get kids these days to eat coconuts, kale, quinoa, dried apples – instead of wonder bread, peanut butter, candy and coke, then we would be heading in to a much brighter future for generations to come! There are ways to get these vital ingredients into children. You have to start young and you have to make it fun for them. They need to know that “healthy” food can be colourful, interesting and delicious. If it is anything short of that – they will be at the vending machines in no time!

In my last post The Full Package, I discussed the importance of having a litter- less lunch packed full of yummy snacks. This is great for not only a child to take to school, but also for moms on the go – that way there are always healthy snacks available for any time of the day.

If you make it fun at home by making snacks with your kids, and showing them that you too love to eat healthy food, then hopefully they are sure to follow. I can’t speak from experience yet – but if Andy’s mom can do it with three kids – then anyone can!

Have you ever seen a kid so happy to drink a smoothie that was made with the purest of ingredients? This ones got chia, avocado, banana, cocoa, rice milk and Sun Warrior Protein!

What about here where he is eating just pure blueberry puree and loving every second of it?Or here, this is the best one, because he can’t wait to get his hands on these delicious and nutritious kale chips!

This just goes to show you a that kids can get excited about healthy organic and nutritious foods that will most definitely…keep the doctor away!

Please send me your best kids pictures or favourite healthy snacks that your kids just LOVE to eat!

For those of you still in question about Coconuts and their extreme health benefits and relevance to the human body – please CLICK HERE!

Better than Timbits!

Of course these are better than timbits, because timbits are not even food. So really there is no comparison.(For those of you that don’t live in Canada – Timbits are donut holes!) I really should have titled this post “GREAT Balls of Bliss” – because the second you let one of these little gems break apart and melt into your mouth, there is no turning back-you are in bliss. But don’t have too many or you will be left with a tummy ache. Each little ball is so power packed full of nutrition – that you only need one or two to satisfy that sweet tooth or give you that much needed burst of energy. Just in case you didn’t know, timbits or donuts only do the opposite – they make you tired and sluggish – not to mention there isn’t one useful calorie in a donut. As they are filled with empty calories – meaning they contain refined white flour and white sugar and usually some low quality oils. Just for the record each “Bliss” ball is loaded with calcium, protein, fibre, iron, b vitamins, healthy fats and give you long lasting energy and make you feel great! So why not make something that looks just like it, is better for you and has a taste that is out of this world? Really there is not reason not to!

These little guys are so easy to make that all you need a food processor and some basic ingredients. What is also so much fun about making these, is that they are simple and they are not baked or heated. You can also sub in other ingredients and get creative every time you make them. If you or your child has nut allergies, you can use a seed based butter instead of almond butter or just just use pureed dates or figs. You also have the option of putting in all kinds of super foods like goji berries, spirulina powder, raw cacao etc… or you can just keep it to the basics like I did.

Chocolate Coconut-Almond Bliss Balls

3/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup coconut flakes

Procedure:

1. Add nut butter, tahini, and maple syrup to a bowl or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add sesame seeds, cocoa powder, oat bran and quinoa flakes and blend until mixture becomes like dough.
3. Scrape down sides of food processor as necessary. Spread coconut on a plate.
4. Rolled mixture into 1-inch balls and rolls in shredded coconut.
5. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

CooCoo For Coconut

Coconut oil has to be among one of the most controversial topics these days. I am constantly being asked about it’s relation to health. How can a saturated fat be healthy?
Coconut oil has been perpetuated by both the media and medical practitioners as unhealthy, fattening and damaging to the arteries. Well let me tell you something- this is a wrong approach as those who are against coconut oil have not really looked at the whole picture. It is the hydrogenated coconut oil that is use in most processed products that are deemed unhealthy, as hydrogenation changes the delicate nature of virgin coconut oil into a trans fat. By the way this goes for most cold pressed vegetables oils (such as olive, sunflower, safflower and sesame) that when heated at high temperatures they too become denatured and altered into a trans fat!

There have been studies upon studies done on the health benefits of virgin coconut oil (in it’s original state), from its antibacterial, antiviral, energizing and healing properties all the way to being used daily as a moisturizer!
Bruce Fife, among many others such as Conrado S. Dayrit have proven that coconut oil is actually a cure to so many health ailments and diseases.
For example, the saturated fat component of coconut oil is made up of certain fatty acid chains called medium chain triglycerides or MCT’s. These are different from animal sourced fatty acid chains made up from long chain triglycerides. This may not sound like a big deal, but in your body it is! The long chain fatty acids found in animal and dairy fats are the ones that clog arteries, contribute to increased cholesterol, heart disease and weight gain. Also the consumption of processed and packaged foods made up of trans fats (or altered vegetable oils) such as margerine and shortening are also the main culprits that lead to high cholesterol and other heart damaging conditions such as atherosclerosis. Whereas the medium chain triglycerides found in coconut oil actually help people who suffer from digestive problems to protecting against infections to boosting energy and metabolism and it even protects against serious health problems such as cancer and diabetes. (Source: The Truth about Coconut Oil : Conrado S. Dayrit, 2005)
So don’t be afraid of this wonderful and tasteful fruit, use it whole, use it’s water, use it’s butter, use it’s shell. There are endless possibilities!
I make wonderful recipes with Coconut Oil – it is one of my favourite ingredients. It is dairy free, gluten free and full of delicious flavour. It can also be heated to high temperatures in baking and stir frying without any fret or used raw in smoothies and desserts. You can even drink the water straight from the coconut and use it as an energy drink before, after or during exercise!

I could really get into a whole long discussion about how wonderful coconut oil really is, but I am going to leave it at that.
So get yourself educated about the benefits of coconut by reading some books or going to:

http://www.coconut-info.com/coconut_oil_why_it_is_good_for_you.htm http://www.coconutresearchcenter.com/

OR Please CLICK HERE! to find out more about nature’s miracle food!

I will also leave you with a recipe for shortbread…yes coconut oil is the perfect replacement for butter in this decadent and rich shortbread cookie created by Jae Steele.

Enjoy!

Spicy & Sweet Shortbread Cookies
(Slightly Adapted from Jae Steele’s recipe for Shortbread Cookies in her book “Get it Ripe”)

1/2 cup maple sugar or organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup virgin coconut oil, diced
1/4 cup room temperature applesauce
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, cocoa powder or maple crystals

Preheat oven to 275 F
1.Place sugar and salt in food processor and blend for 30 seconds to give a finer texture.
2. Add the flour and baking powder and blend to combine. Add the oil and applesauce and process until well combined, but do not allow to form a ball.
3. Scrape dough onto a clean surface with spatula and knead gently with your hands and form a ball. Divide dough in half and roll out each half to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut dough into rounds using a cookie cutter (I chose a heart!)
5. Place cookies on to parchment paper lined baking sheets and dust with cinnamon, cocoa powder or powder maple sugar.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until they turn a light colour. The shortbread will be be firm at first, but it will harden as it cools.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets before storing in an air tight container for up to a month.