Cashew Cream Cheese

July 23, 2012
cashew-cream-cheese

Nut cheeses are a great item to have in your raw food recipe collection. They are tasty, easily support the addition of many herbs and spices, and will impress your raw and non-raw friends a like. Instead of dairy, this delicious dish is made from blended cashews, giving it a smooth, nutty taste. Cashews make a smooth, easy to flavor cheese that has a bit of a softer texture. It’s amazing as a topping for bagels, in dip recipes and as cream cheese frosting. You don’t need a high powered blender to make it, but if you’ve got one – why not use it.

Cashews are rich in a number of health-promoting nutrients, including magnesium, copper, tryptophan, and healthy fatty acids. A diet that is rich in high quality cashews can help keep your teeth and bones healthy and help prevent high blood pressure. I enjoy eating this nutty spread on crackers with fresh fruit. If you enjoy cream cheese, I encourage you to give the following dairy-free and healthy cream cheese recipe a try. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Cashew Cream Cheese

Vegan, Raw

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (soaking is optional)
  • 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water as needed for desired consistency
  • 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove fresh garlic
  • 2 tsp. agave nectar
  • sea salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Add more water if needed.

The more water you add, the creamier the cheese will become. Add less water for a thicker, more rustic cheese. If you enjoy cream cheese with fresh herbs, add a heaping tablespoon of green onions, chives (or any other fresh herbs that are readily available) to the mix before you blend.

(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)

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Pasta Alla Checca

July 18, 2012
pasta-alla-checca

Vegetarian delight, pasta alla checca is a simple, quick and delectable dish from Italy. It is served in the summer months when tomatoes and basil are at their peak. It is ideally savored during the sultry months when one doesn’t want to spend too much time over a hot stove. It consists of uncooked tomatoes and simple Italian herbs, basil and the outcome is delizioso (translated means “delicious”).

Earlier this summer my boyfriend and I spent a weekend in Rome for my birthday. We had such a wonderful time and I wanted to recreate one of our favorite meals from our travels, but with a little twist – make it completely raw. If you are an avid tomato grower or prefer purchasing them from your local farmers, this is just the recipe for you. Take maximum advantage of the freshest tomatoes that are so bountiful during the summer season. Actually, the secret to making this dish an utter success lies in the use of the freshest, ripest and most flavorful tomatoes. Heirloom or heritage tomatoes are great for this dish as they taste good when eaten fresh.

For the “pasta” in this dish, you can use yellow squash or zucchini, or a combination of both. It’s nice to leave the peel on for extra vitamins and color. A spiral slicer makes lovely noodles in just minutes, but you can always cut them by hand with a vegetable peeler, by just peeling the squash or zucchini lengthwise into long strips. Of course, shredded with a mandoline would be just fine too.

Tomatoes, which we know are a fruit and not a vegetable, are loaded with all kinds of health benefits for the body. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital antioxidant that it actually derives it’s rich redness from the nutrient. Intake of tomatoes has long been linked to heart health as well.

As a part of the summer squash family, zucchini not only offers delightful taste and texture to many dishes, but also carries with it many health benefits. One cup of zucchini has 36 calories and 10% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating.

pasta-alla-checca-zucchini-salad

Pasta alla Checca

Vegan, Raw, Gluten-free

Ingredients:

  • 2 large zucchinis
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1–2 teaspoons herbs (thyme, rosemary or Italian herbs of choice)
  • 12 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 dates
  • ½ cup olive oil, or to taste
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Freshly milled black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Soak dates in filtered water to soften.
  2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, basil, dates, salt and pepper to a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly pour in the olive oil and continue blending until fully emulsified.
  3. Trim the ends of the zucchini. Using a spiral slicer or hand vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini into noodles.
  4. Transfer zucchini noodles onto serving plates and add sauce generously over noodles. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt, as desired. Use basil as garnish.

Buon appetito!

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Key Lime Mousse

July 13, 2012
key-lime-mousse

I spend a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen tinkering with recipes, and I have to say that most of the time my tinkering turns out okay. But sometimes it’s a total failure never to be spoken of at home, on the blog, or anywhere. Then there are times when I simply need to use up produce we have in our kitchen and a new creation is made unintentionally… and wow. Amazing yumminess. That is how this recipe came to be.

Avocados give this luscious dessert its rich, creamy texture. Avocados are considered one of the healthiest foods in the planet because they contain in excess of 25 essential nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, copper, iron, phosporus, magnesium, and potassium. In fact, you would need to eat two or tree bananas to obtain the potassium content of one avocado. Avocados also contain fiber, protein and beneficial phytochemicals such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein, which help protect against various disease and illness. Although avocado is high in fat content, it is mostly the monounsaturated fat which is a healthy fat variety.

Avocados are Mother Nature’s skin moisturizer. With their healthy fats and phytonutrients, they offer remarkable benefits to human skin — both when eaten and when used topically. The avocado oil is added in many cosmetics because of its ability to nourish the skin and make your skin glow. Make your own skin mask by mashing avocado and spread on the face. Leave it on for 25-30 minutes and it’ll instantly reveal radiant skin.

This mousse makes for a healthy dessert or snack that tastes great alone or layered with crunchy graham cracker crumbs. I hope you enjoy this delightful creation.

key-lime-mousse-raw

Key Lime Mousse

Vegan, Raw, Gluten-free, Sugar-free

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp. lime zest
  • 4-5 Tbsp. agave nectar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of sea salt
  • stevia to taste
  • coconut flakes (optional)

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, process all the mousse ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add stevia to taste and process.
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Healthy Travel Tips

July 10, 2012
healthy-travel-tips

Tomorrow I’m jetting off to America. First stop – home. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with my loved ones and enjoying the warm weather. After two weeks of roaming the corn fields of Iowa, I’ll then be spending a week visiting my sister in New York City. She always shows me the best time. Only time will tell what kind of crazy adventures we’ll find ourselves in.

With a little preparation, any excursion, whether it’s packing up the car for a road trip or hopping on a plane for a journey halfway around the world, can be executed with nutritious flair. Keep safe and stress-free during your travels with these helpful tips.

Healthy travel can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. The easiest way to maintain good health while in transit is to bring your own food. This will save you time, money and most likely- indigestion. I like to take along some of my favorite healthy snacks which are easy to fit in a carry-on or in my purse: salads, homemade sandwiches on a hearty whole grain bread, fresh fruit & veggies, nuts & seeds, high quality meal replacement bars (see recipe below) and granola.

Here are some healthy food travel tips, plus a recipe for delicious whole-food bars:

  • Stay hydrated. Pack your favorite glass or BPA free bottle in your carry on bag and fill it at the airport. This way you save money and you aren’t drinking unhealthy water or contributing to landfill waste. If you’re really stuck, purchase bottled water upon entering the appropriate gate. Above all else, staying hydrated during air travel is key to cutting down on fatigue and helps fight off the munchies!
  • Take your vitamins and eat your veggies. If you’re running around and not able to eat balanced meals on your travel day, be sure to pack water soluble vitamin packets. In addition, there are many powdered veggie drinks that you can down and get your recommended servings of veggies a day to keep your immune system top notch.
  • Stay away from caffeine and sugar. Drinking caffeinated beverages on or before a flight will keep you from relaxing on the plane. In addition, both caffeine and sugar mess with your insulin levels and can cause you to overeat. Not a good combination when you’re on vacation.
  • Pack snacks. Stock up on healthy bars, nuts and even healthy sandwiches. Pack your carry-on with healthy goodies so you aren’t spending money at the terminal on expensive convenience food and you are sure to have something on hand when hunger strikes.

These bars are not only filled with natural plant-based protein, they are also magically delicious. I’ll definitely be slipping a few of these into my purse before leaving the house.

raw-hemp-protein-bars

Raw Hemp Protein Bars

Vegan & Raw

Makes 3 large bars or 6 smaller portions

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup hemp hearts
  • 1/2 cup fresh medjool dates, pitted
  • 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

  1. In a food processor or blender pulse the pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes and hemp hearts quickly. Do not over-process, we want it crunchy. Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Add wet ingredients (dates, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla) to the food processor or high speed blender and blend to combine.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Add oats, cacao powder, chia seeds and cinnamon and stir until well combined.
  4. Spread the batter evenly into a baking dish, make sure it becomes quite compact. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  5. Cut into bars. Wrap them in paper and store in an air-tight container. Will keep for about a week in the fridge. They also freeze very well. Enjoy!

I will continue to post regularly while I’m away. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to LIKE my page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter to keep up to date on my whereabouts and what I’m up to. Hope you all have a lovely week. Take care.

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