Browsing Tag

raw

Raw Chocolate Mousse

September 2, 2016
healthy-chocolate-mousse

You know those times it seems you can’t ever catch a break? That’s been me the last month. In the span of just a few weeks I managed to come down with a sinus infection, chip a tooth and throw out my neck (all unrelated events, surprisingly). Talk about bad luck.

I think I deserve a treat. Sometimes you just have to treat yo-self. I know just the thing…

When I first started out as a vegan chef, I worked at a restaurant that served a rich, creamy and decadent mousse made of avocado and raw cacao. This stuff was perfection. Here’s the version I like to make at home.

Raw Chocolate Mousse

Vegan, Raw, Gluten-free, Refined Sugar-free

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium ripe avocados
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (almond, cashew, hemp or coconut)
  • 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon cacao nibs (optional topping)

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until creamy and smooth.
  2. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with toppings of your choice.

Have you signed up for my newsletter? I’m going to be starting a new weekly series about making small changes towards a healthier life. Sign up in the side bar!

I’ll see you back here next week with new content! Have a lovely holiday weekend!

 

Photo credit: my sister, Jenny Norris.

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Orange Crush Smoothie

August 1, 2016
smoothie-orange-crush

Hey friends!

Hope you are all having a nice summer (or winter, if you are on the other side of the world from me)!

It’s been a bit quieter over here lately and I wanted to touch in. I started this little blog of mine a while back as a way to inspire and educate people around the importance of eating real food. Sadly, I lost my way as the pressure of keeping the blog updated grew to be too much. While things may appear sparkly on the surface, there are times I’ve wanted to throw in the towel or just work on someone else’s dream. The good news is – I’m back!

I adore you readers and the community we have created here. You have no idea how much joy I find in being part of your health journey. When you pour your heart out about your daily struggle with digestive issues, weight loss or body image – I totally feel your pain. You then have gone on to tell me your life has transformed after making a few small changes that were mentioned in the blog. It is in these moments when I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, doing exactly what I was meant to do.

Wherever you are on your journey, I’m here for you.

I’m working determinedly behind the scenes to be here for you in a much bigger way… details to follow later this week!

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you this refreshing smoothie.

Orange Crush Smoothie

Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Raw

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 2 oranges, peel and pith removed
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2-3 ice cubes (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

  1. Toss oranges, almond milk, vanilla bean and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Place coconut oil in last and blend for additional 10 seconds. *Note – coconut oil may clump depending on temperature of ingredients. Don’t desire clumps? Omit ice, make sure ingredients are at room temperature and use coconut oil that is melted.
  3. Pour into large glass and enjoy.

 

Photo credit: My sister, Jenny Norris

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Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

July 23, 2014
chilled-cucumber-avocado-soup

This summer, NYC is bringing the heat. It has been a hot, humid summer tempered only by an occasional thunderstorm and lots of cold watermelon. With all this sticky humidity, I have to remind myself of all of the great things that the summer brings: farmer’s markets, long days of sunshine, flowers, roof top parties, afternoons spent at the pool, ice pops.

To celebrate summer I made a raw soup. It combines two summertime favorites – avocado and cucumber. This refreshing, delicate soup is a perfect pairing to a sunny day.

cucumber-avocado-soup

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

Vegan, Raw, Dairy-free & Gluten-free

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 large cucumbers, roughly chopped
  • 2 avocados, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 4 fresh dill sprigs, to garnish

Directions:

  1. Combine cucumbers, avocado, garlic, lime and salt in a food processor or powerful blender and blend until totally creamy and smooth.
  2. Chill 30 minutes before serving and top with dill to garnish.   
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Bircher Muesli with Berry Compote

January 29, 2014
bircher-muesli-with-berry-compote

Happy new year to you! I hope that your holidays were filled with lots of warmth, love and happiness. A new year is a brand new beginning so let’s kick things off with renewed energy and a sparkling fresh focus. You may have noticed that I’ve been pretty quiet on the blog for the past few months. That’s because I’m head down in creativity mode creating HUGE and very EXCITING new projects that I’ll be bringing your way next month and later this spring! One of the surprises may be an updated look to the blog!

I’ve been chatting with some of you about what kind of recipes are helpful to you, and it sounds like we are all very busy people. Too busy to make breakfast, too busy to make lunch and too busy (and tired) to come home and make dinner. With that in mind, I am trying to include more recipes for busy people so that they can eat homemade + healthy more often. Starting with breakfast.

This one right here takes minimal effort and can be made ahead of time. As you would expect, it is dairy-free and gluten-free and oh-so delicious. The idea of this bircher is to create an easy weekday meal that can be portable if needed. You then have the option to eat it as is, or add some extra bits and bobs as toppings. This is a fabulous start to the day. It provides a complete balance of sustaining complex carbohydrates, protein and essential fats.

bircher-muesli-berry-compote

Bircher Muesli with Berry Compote

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup grain of choice – quinoa, buckwheat, oats (I used steel cut oats)
  • 1+ cup of non-dairy milk or water (I used almond milk)
  • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed or chia seeds
  • berries of choice
  • nuts or seeds

Additional topping ideas:

  • pomegranate
  • bee pollen
  • cacao nibs
  • coconut flakes
  • nut butter

Directions:

  1. Combine the grain, non-dairy milk or water, flax/chia seeds in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Mash fresh berries with a spoon until mostly smooth.
  3. Spoon both mixtures creating layers into a container with a lid or place in jars for individual servings. Leave covered overnight in the fridge.
  4. Top with fresh berries or whatever you have at home. Enjoy.

Keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge.

 

Tell me, what other types of recipes, nutrition advice or other daily things would you like to see featured on the blog? Are there any design elements or functions you would like added/changed? Leave comments below! You can also join in the conversation on the figgy & sprout Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram too. Don’t forget to sign up for the monthly newsletter while you’re at it! 

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