Raw Beet Salad

My search for a raw beet salad recipe was inspired by the mother of my two piano students. We held a small recital the beginning of January complete with piano music and delicious food. Her beet salad was fantastic. I didn't ask for the recipe, but found this one on my own. I love beets and am always looking for a new way to eat them. I plan to make the beet salad again this week for a daily lunchtime appetizer. Perhaps you should too...

Raw Beet Salad

• 3 beets
  
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoon minced chives, mint, or parsley (or a combination)
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Leaves of 1 romaine heart
  

1. Wash the beets and grate them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade.

2. Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with the beets and herbs. Season to taste with salt. Line a salad bowl or platter with romaine lettuce leaves, top with the grated beets and serve.

See the original recipe here.

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Raw, Vegan "Egg nog"

Have the twinkling Christmas lights got you in the mood for a holiday beverage? Try this raw, vegan version of egg nog. It's thick and creamy with a touch of spice.


Step 1 - Make a thick almond milk.

I used Almonds, Sesame seeds, & Brazil nuts.
1 cup nuts to 3 cups water plus 5 dates
Blend well and strain the pulp if you like. I prefer to keep the pulp in there.


Step 2 - Blend the following ingredients:

• 1 batch of Almond milk
• 2 bananas
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ginger

The spice measurements are approximate. I just kept adding spice until I was satisfied. Also, the drink tastes better if it has time to sit overnight.

This recipe was adapted from Raw Glow.

I hope you enjoy it!

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Quick Raw Snacks

When I get home from work, I'm usually famished and need something in my belly right away. Recently, my favorite 'after-school snack' has been fresh green juice and cilantro-jalapeño hummus on bell pepper slices or a delicious raw paté on crackers. This holds me over well until I can get a more substantial dinner prepared. I got my last raw paté from the farmer's market. My friend has a cart there called The New Leaf selling delicious and satisfying raw meals, patés, and salad dressings. However, when I need to make my own raw spread, I go to my friend Lou's recipe for 'Brazil Nut Cheeze.' Today, I'm having it with avocado.Wow is it good. You should try it too.

Here's the recipe below. Be sure to check out the rest of Lou's blog post for more quick, raw food ideas.

Lou’s Brazil Nut Cheeze

• 1 c Brazil nuts (no need to soak these nuts)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 - 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 t salt
• Bunch of cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeño seeded

Add as little water as needed for consistency.
Process all ingredients until smooth. Read more...

Raw Strawberry Pie

I found this raw strawberry pie recipe on a blog about a year ago and finally got to making it. I made 5 pies total and shared with my raw community here in Portland. It was a smashing success! So many people wanted the recipe for themselves. If you are looking for a delicious, springtime, healthy dessert, give this one a try! It is actually more like cheesecake than a traditional fruit pie but delicious nonetheless.


The recipe comes from Andrea Caplan Livingston of Phytofoods in Portland, Oregon. Her recipe is copied below.

Raw Strawberry Pie

Crust:
2 cups almonds or pecans
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or half of a vanilla bean
4-5 medjool dates, pitted
pinch of sea salt

Filling:
2 cups cashews soaked 1-2 hours
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup agave
3/4 cup fresh strawberries
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean (I prefer the bean)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Topping:
1-2 cups sliced strawberries


Crust:
Place almonds or pecans in food processor and process with the S blade until crumbled. Add coconut oil, sea salt, and vanilla and pulse a couple of times. Add the dates last, one at a time, and pulse until the crust holds together when you squeeze it between your fingertips. If the crust does not hold, add more dates (again, one at a time). Press into oiled (with coconut oil) tart or pie pan. Chill in Freezer for 30 minutes before adding filling.

Filling:
Blend all ingredients well in a Vitamix blender if you have one. Pour part of the filling into the pie crust (just enought to cover the bottom). Take some of the strawberries you cut up for the topping and scatter them on top of the filling. Pour the rest of the filling on top and place in freezer for 1-2 hours until firm. Decorate with the rest of your cut up strawberries. This pie needs to stay refrigerated to keep its firmness so make sure you keep in cold up until serving!
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Chocolate Avocado Mousse

At $3 a piece, an avocado is not something to waste. If you're wondering what to do with an overripe, bruised, or less-than-flavorful avocado, just add chocolate...

Raw Chocolate Avocado Mousse:

• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 C Dates
• 1.5 C Nut Milk (Hazelnut, Almond, Brazil nut, or your favorite)
• 1/3 C Raw Cacao (use a combo of cacao nibs, cacao powder, and carob)
• 1/4 C Pecans
• 1 T Maca Powder
• 2 T Mequite Powder
• 1 t Vanilla
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Blend all ingredients in your VitaMix until you get a thick, smooth, chocolatey pudding.

...'Cause avocados are too good for the compost bucket.

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Go Green: Smoothie & Juice Du Jour

With the new year approaching, many are thinking about self improvement. One of the best ways I can think of to accomplish health improvement is to incorporate more greens into one's diet. That doesn't sound fun at first, but it totally is. Check this out: Green Smoothie & Green Juice du jour. It will make your cells dance. Wahoo!

My green smoothie of the day:

• 1/2 cup of water
  
• Half cucumber
  
• 1 peeled lemon
  
• 1 ripe banana
  
• Big handful of spinach
  
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  

Add all ingredients to your Vita-Mix blender and power it up.

Green juice of the week:

• 1 head of organic celery
  
• 2 organic granny smith apples
  
• 1 lemon
  
• 1 bunch organic lacinto kale
  
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
  

Run all ingredients through a masticating juicer such as the Champion or Green Star. This makes about 4 cups of juice. Drink it up!

Make it your green smoothie and green juice of the year!

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Raw Power Breakfast

My favorite mid-morning breakfast (after my green smoothie, of course) is a sprouted buckwheat cereal with Hazelnut milk. So good! This combo will stave off hunger all morning. Just yesterday I prepared for a long trek up Mount St. Helens by starting off with a coconut smoothie and the buckwhat cereal I'm going to share with you today. It did the trick and gave me the energy I needed for the climb.

Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal

Ingredients:

• Raw buckwheat groats
  
• Raw sunflower seeds
  
• Raw pumpkin seeds
  
• Raw Chia seeds
  
• Cinnamon
  
• Raisins
  Optional:
  
• Slippery Elm Bark powder
  
• Licorice Root powder
  

At least 8 hours beforehand, you will need to sprout some raw buckwheat groats, raw sunflower seeds, and raw pumpkin seeds. Amounts don't matter much here; you just make as much as you want and keep the ingredients in the refrigerator for the next day. I sprout each of these items overnight by soaking them in water. In the morning, I drain the water and rinse the seeds. I store the sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a jar in the refrigerator and continue to rinse the buckwheat for another 8-24 hours. I sprout the buckwheat just until I can see little tails poking out, but I do not want them to get too long.

Once you have your sprouted seeds and buckwheat, combine the ingredients in a bowl in the following approximate amounts:

• 1/2 C. Buckwheat
  
• 1/4 C. Sunflower seeds
  
• 1/4 C. Pumpkin seeds
  
• 1 tsp. Chia seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 1/8 C. Raisins
  
• 1 tsp. Slippery Elm Bark powder
  
• 1/4 tsp. Licorice Root powder
  

Top the combo with homemade Hazelnut Milk made as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. Raw Hazelnuts
  
• 4 Dates
  
• 1" Vanilla Bean
  
• 3 C. Filtered water
  

1. Sprout the Hazelnuts overnight by soaking them in filtered water.
   
2. Rinse the nuts in the morning and put them in your blender.
   
3. Add the dates, vanilla bean, and about half the water to the blender.
   
4. Blend on high for approximately 3 minutes.
   
5. Add what remains of the water.
   
6. Adjust the sweetness with dates and consistency with water.
   

Yummy!

Sprouts are an energy-giving food. As Ann Wigmore states in her book, they are "biogenic--alive--and capable of transferring their life energy to your body." You should incorporate as many sprouts into your regular diet. Sprouting your nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes increases the vitamin and mineral content significantly as well as increases the digestibility. Check out Ann Wigmore's book The Sprouting Book to read about the amazing benefits of sprouts.

Pumpkin seeds and Sunflower seeds provide high quality proteins and fats, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, and vitamin E. By eating the seeds sprouted, those nutrients are ready and available to nourish your body.

Chia seeds provide amino acids for rebuilding tissues and Omega-3 oils to keep your brain and joints healthy and to assist in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

The Slippery Elm/Licorice combination is a great addition to soothe, heal, lubricate, and nourish the entire digestive tract. Both act to calm inflamed mucous membranes and tissues.


Sources:
http://articles.herballegacy.com/slippery-elm-ii-%e2%80%93-applications-of-slippery-elm/
http://articles.herballegacy.com/the-benefits-of-the-use-of-licorice-in-herbal-preparations-part-iii/
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From Happy Hour to Healthy Hour!

Tonight I am drinking my favorite beverage in the whole world -- Love Juice! I discovered this delicious concoction at a juice bar I used to frequent - Namasté Café Juice Bar in New Brunswick, NJ - and have been hooked ever since. Because I love it so much, I want you to share in the pleasure. Treat yourself to a happy hour that never was happier.

Equipment needed: An electric juicer of some kind. I am using a Jack Lalanne juicer; however, if you are in the market for a juicer, read a product review on the amazing Breville juicers here.

Ingredients:

• 1 small beet
  
• 2 apples
  
• 4 carrots
  
• 1 lemon
  
• 1" fresh ginger
  
• Love!
  

Instructions:

Juice all the ingredients in any order and make quantity adjustments to match your preference. Some people like a lot of ginger while some people find it to be too spicy. I recommend starting with a conservative quantity and giving it a taste before you are done juicing. The ginger is a key ingredient, however, so don't leave it out!

Yesterday, I took a mid-day break from work for a wheat grass shot pick-me-up. I went to The Energy Bar in downtown Portland and ended up ordering a full juice instead. It tasted very much like Love Juice except it was green. The ingredients were:

• 2 oz. wheat grass juice
  
• Apples
  
• Lemon
  
• Ginger
  

Now you have a starting point to develop your own happy hour beverage!

Cheers!

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Tropical Green Smoothie

Here is a new delicious green smoothie recipe that I highly recommend trying for yourself. The idea comes from Karen Knowler, the Raw Food Coach. You can find out more about her and getting started on a raw food diet through the link on the Lemon Letter home page. She shared this recipe as a raw food fresh juice. I decided to blend the ingredients rather than juice them. I do, however, juice the lemon and lime. This smoothie is great for sipping on a summer afternoon or for drinking as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Tropical Green Smoothie

Blend the following:

• 1/4 of a fresh pineapple (I don't have to be as careful about peeling off the skin when I plan to blend the pineapple. I don't even cut out the tough core. The Vita-Mix will take care of it all.)
  
• Half a medium-sized cucumber (I buy organic and don't bother with peeling)
  
• 1 freshly juiced lime
  
• 1 freshly juiced lemon
  
• 2 celery stalks
• Handful of organic spinach
  

As with all smoothie recipes, quantities are approximate. Customization is encouraged.

Enjoy!

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Quick & Tasty Dressing For One

Now that you've got your salad made, you need a dressing. And you need it now. Don't grab the ranch bottle out of the refrigerator. Whisk together this quick and tasty dressing for one. You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.


This dressing comes from Traci Sellers. Her website is at bestfoodist.com.

Recipe:

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp. Mustard (Dijon or Spicy)
  
• 1 tsp. Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar highly recommended)
  
• 1/2 tsp. Maple Syrup
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste
  

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Almond Milk

I drink almond milk everyday and use it the same way I would use animal milk or soy milk. I always use it as a base in my smoothies because it is tastier than water and is healthier than sugary, pasteurized juices. I choose to make my own almond milk at home because store-bought almond milk contains preservatives or mysterious additives that I would prefer to be without. Additionally, I like to be in control of the sugar and sweetness.

Today, I will tell you how to make your own almond milk at home so you can replace the pasteurized cow's milk and soy milk.

Reasons for eliminating these products raise controversial issues. Nevertheless, I will briefly provide a couple reasons here.

Conventional Cow's Milk: Healthy and important bacteria and digestive enzymes are destroyed through pasteurization making assimilation by the body difficult. Even worse, antibiotics are added which destroy your own existing beneficial and critical intestinal flora. If you want to drink animal milk, get it organic and raw from a farmer close to you.

Soy Milk: Much controversy exists concerning whether soy milk is good or bad. Criticisms include the following:

Estrogen-like compounds present in soy can affect hormone balance in both men and women.

Soy has a high phytic acid content which takes important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and iron from the body.

Additionally, modern manufacture may use some undesirable processes such as quick blanching of the bean (instead of slow soaking) and deodorizing of the final product to eliminate the beany taste or smell. The process of slow soaking is necessary to eliminate the naturally occurring phytic acid and to make the nutrients bioavailable.

My solution for soy milk would be to make my own, but why not make almond milk instead? It is really quite easy!

Recipe and Instructions For Homemade Almond Milk:

Sprout 1/2 cup of raw almonds by soaking them in water for a minimum of 4 hours. This activates the enzymes which get rid of the phytic acid and make the nutrients in the nut available and assimilable by the body.

(Note: Almonds grown in the USA are now all pasteurized/irridated by order of the FDA and USDA as of September 2007. However, they are still labeled "RAW". This is very unfortunate as the almonds become dead and unable to sprout. Thus, the sprouting process is rendered useless.)

Put the sprouted almonds in a blender (Vita-Mix highly recommended) along with a 1/2 cup of other nuts of your choice to make 1 cup of nuts in total. I recommend cashews and Brazil nuts. Hazelnuts are a great choice as well. Cashews and Brazil nuts do not need to be sprouted. Hazelnuts do.

You will be using 6-8 total cups of water. Start with only 2 cups or just enough to cover the nuts plus 1 inch. Using only a portion of the water to start allows the nuts to circulate through the blades more frequently and become so finely chopped that a smooth texture is achieved. Ensure enough water is used to get the mixture circulating quickly but not allowing too much space between particles.

Next, add at least 4 dates with the pits removed. If you want the milk sweeter, add a couple more dates, a bit of agave, or raw honey.

Additionally, I recommend adding a few ice cubes to make it cold.

Finally, run your blender on the highest speed for 3 full minutes to liquefy all the ingredients and eliminate possible grittiness.

After 3 minutes, turn down your blender to stir speed or off. Pour in the rest of the water (I usually end up with 8 cups of milk when I am done), blend a bit more, and you are done! Give it a taste and determine if it needs more water or sweetness.

Now, you are ready to make a delicious smoothie or pour it over a bowl of Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain cereal!

Some people like to strain the milk through a cheesecloth or other very fine strainer to eliminate any grit. I prefer to eat the whole nut and don't find that straining is necessary when using the Vita-Mix.

Store the milk in a half-gallon glass jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week. You will need to shake the milk after it has been sitting as particles will settle out.

Variations include adding a banana, cinnamon, or vanilla.

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Green Salad Smoothie

Drink your salad for the day! Are you having trouble getting down your daily greens? I know that sometimes I do. That is why I assure myself of getting my greens by including them in a daily smoothie. They are so much easier to eat, and this way I eat a much wider variety than if I had to chew them mouthful by mouthful.

Here is the basic, green smoothie formula to get you started (--for those who need a formula. Creativity is highly encouraged, however):

• 1 cup of liquid: almond or nut milk or filtered water
  
• 1 big handful of greens (Kale, Spinach, Collard Greens, Grape Leaves, Carrot tops, Beet tops, Cilantro, Parsley, and more!)
  
• Banana (to make it creamy)
  
• Lime juice or 1 peeled lime (or other citrus for zest!)
  
• 1 C. Frozen Fruit (pineapple, mango, strawberries, etc. to make it cool)
  
• 1 Tbsp. Omega oil such as Barlene's flax oil for those essential fatty acids
  

Blend!

I like to add a couple tablespoons of superfood powder for good measure. (Recommended superfoods: Dr. Schultze's Superfood, Boku, Revitaphi, Vitamineral Green, Gary Null's Green Stuff)

Here's another green smoothie that I have made for breakfast.

• 1 cup of almond milk
  
• 1 big handful of Kale & Spinach
  
• Avocado
  
• 4 Dates
  
• Frozen mango & strawberry
  
• Juice of 1 Lime
  
• Small chunk of ginger root (optional, but good)
  
• Superfood
  

Blend!

For a sweeter taste, add dates. You don't taste the greens at all. And start saving up for a Vita-Mix. It's a great investment in your health if you use it well (by making and drinking green smoothies, for instance!). I never want to live without it! If you purchase one through my website, you get free shipping!

You can use this link:
https://secure.vitamix.com/redirect.aspx?index.aspx?COUPON=06-003646

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Caesar Dressing! (Vegan, Raw, Healthy, & Delicious)

Here is the Caesar Dressing recipe that I use. I got it from Traci Sellers. Her website is bestfoodist.com.

This dressing is healthy, vegan, and chemical free. It does take some preparation, but if you don't enjoy salad and vegetables very much, this dressing is a spectacular way to liven them up and help you enjoy your daily greens!

First, you will need to prepare Traci's Almondaise. This serves as the creamy base of the dressing. You should start a minimum of 5 hours in advance due to almond soaking. If you are planning further in advance, soak 1/2 cup of raw, whole almonds overnight before you begin.

Almondaise
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Raw, Whole Almonds Soaked Overnight
  
• 1/2 cup Water
  
• 1 cup (approx.) Light Olive Oil
  
• 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  

Instructions:
1. (Optional) Peel almonds. Peeled almonds will produce a whiter, finer textured end product. (I have never peeled the almonds. It sounds like a lot of work, and since I use the Vita-Mix, there is no problem). Have the rest of the ingredients handy.
2. Place the almonds in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. If it's necessary add a little additional water to keep it moving.
3. With the blender still running, remove the top insert and drizzle in the olive oil gradually until the mixture is thick. A bead of oil should rest on top of the churning mixture.
4. Add lemon juice. Blend for 1 minute longer, stopping the blender to stir down the sides as the mixture thickens.
5. Store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for 5-7 days. The water tends to separate. Just stir before using.

Caesar Dressing
Ingredients:

For the "parmesan"

• 1/3 cup dry almonds
  
• 2 tsp of nutritional yeast
  
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
  

For the dressing:

• 1-2 cloves of pressed garlic
  
• 1 cup of Almondaise
  
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  
• 2 tsp lemon juice
  
• 1 tsp Sea salt
  
• 1 tsp black pepper
  
• 1 tsp raw honey
  
• 1/2 cup water
  

Instructions:
1. In a dry blender, pulse almonds with yeast and salt until crumbly
2. Add remaining ingredients to blender and blend to combine

You are done!

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