Holy Moly! Raw Granola Bars!!

Is it me or does everyone feel let down when it comes to snack time. I know I’m usually starving by that 3:00-4:00 pm hour and always looking for some thing quick but healthy to hold me over till I can get dinner on the table. Every time I go to look for something it’s either got a 20 minute prep time or what we all think is healthy is actually not, once we read the label.

First thing I usually look at is the list of ingredients and then the amount of sugar usually I put most things right back at the store after looking at those 2 things. Granola bars tend to be the worst! We think we’re doing some thing good for our bodies and having a healthy option. Not usually the case! So I started playing this weekend and made some raw ones. Holy Moly! Watch out for these you may not leave them alone! I can’t stay out of the freezer now!

Best thing about these… you can make a large batch and store them in the freezer forever! Well if you can get them to last that long! 😉

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C gluten free oats (I used Irish oats because that’s all I had)
• 4 dates soaked and pitted
• 1 C almond- sliced or chopped
• 1/4 C dried cherries
• 1/4 C local honey or maple syrup
• 1 C sunflower butter
• 2 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1 Tbsp coconut milk

Directions:

1. In a baking pan-line with wax or parchment paper
2. In a bowl mix oats, almonds, half of the cherries.
3. In a food processor blend dates until it makes a paste. Save some of the soaking water and add a few drops to keep it like a paste if it gets too sticky.
4. Add honey, sunflower butter, and date paste to the bowl and mix well.
5. Pour into the baking pan and smooth out. Place another sheet of parchment/wax paper on top and press down with the bottom of a glass or your palm to make it level.
6. Sprinkle the rest of the cherries on top. Set aside.
7. In a small bowl, add the cacao powder and the coconut milk and whisk until blended. Pour on top of cherries and oat mix in the pan.
8. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to let it set and harden.
9. When you’re ready pull them out and cut into bars or squares. Enjoy!
10. Place them in an air tight container and store the rest in the freezer until you get that next hankering!

 

 

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Smoothie Bowl for the Winter Blues

Old man winter has been rough on most of us this year, are you ready to kick him to the curb? Sometimes we need just a little boost to change our day, mindset, mood, and inspiration.  Excess cold and dark days make it harder to be happy, exercise, and to even get out of bed.

If only we could escape to a tropical island or bask in the sun. Right? This smoothie bowl is the perfect getaway. It’s full of antioxidants, vitamins, and  anti-inflammatory benefits! So fight the winter blues and get your smoothie bowl on!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup raspberries frozen or fresh if in season
• 2 Tbsp granola or raw oats
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup mango
• 1 star fruit
• 1 passion fruit
• 1 Tbsp cacao nibs
• 1 Tbsp gogi berries
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds

Directions:

1. In a blender add coconut milk and raspberries and blend well
2. Pour into a bowl. Add granola in the middle. Sprinkle unsweetened coconut, gogi berries and blackberries around the granola.
3. Add cocao nibs, passion fruit (tends to be a little runny),  and chia seeds in each place.
4. Cut mango into chunks and slice star fruit. Place around outside of bowl.
5. Serve and enjoy! It’s sooo good!

 

 

Raw Macadamia Brownies & Other Healthy Super Bowl Recipes

The last day of football season is upon us, it truly makes me sad. I actually have the days counted down till next season already! I know wishing my year away to watch a bunch of men tackle each other! 😉 I love football season but sometimes the partying and excess food and alcohol that goes along with it can be a little taxing on the system and heavy on the waistline! So, here are a few healthy recipes for your big Superbowl party on Sunday. Go Skins!!! Oh wait my team never had a chance this season 😦 Good Luck to all the Seattle and New England fans out there!!

Paprika and Sea Salt Roasted Chickpeas:

2-3 Servings

• 2-(15oz) cans chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika (I have Hungarian and it’s incredible with this dish!)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• Pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle. In a large bowl toss all ingredients until chickpeas are completely covered. Spread chickpeas evenly on a rimmed backing sheet, cook until crispy about 30-35 minutes.

Shaved Brussels Slaw with Pecorino Cheese:

2-3 Servings

• 1 bag of small brussel sprouts
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• pinch of sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons fresh Pecorino-shaved

Slice brussel sprouts into small ribbons or use a mandolin to make ribbons. Add to a bowl with olive oils, add salt, pepper, and lemon. Mix well. Top with shaved Pecorino. Serve and enjoy!

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Portabella Stacks with Arugula Walnut Pesto:

Makes 2-3 Servings

• 4 Portabella mushrooms
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• ½ cup of Arugula
• 2 tablespoons arugula walnut pesto
• 2 tablespoons goat cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of Himalayan sea salt

In foil, drizzle some olive oil and place portabellas top side down. (Make sure to wipe them off with a paper towel to get rid of excess dirt before placing them in the foil) Pour small amount of Balsamic vinegar on the undersides of the portabellas. Bake or grill mushrooms at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, they will start to shrink up a bit and soften. Let them cool for 5 minutes. Then stack one mushroom top down on a plate. Slice tomatoes and place them on top, then place goat cheese, arugula, and pinch of sea salt. Spread arugula walnut pesto on the remaining mushroom. (Underside-just think of it as a hamburger bun) Then place the mushroom, top facing up to complete the stack. Cut into bite size pieces. It’s going to be messy but so good!

Arugula Walnut Pesto:

• 2 cups fresh arugula
• 1 cup walnuts
• Pinch fresh ground pepper
• Pinch Himalayan Pink sea salt
• ½ cup Olive oil (possibly more)

Blend everything together well, till it makes a paste. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator or make a larger batch and store in the freezer.

Raw Macadamia Nut Brownies:

Not enough servings 😉

• 3/4 cup cacao
• 2 cups dates
• 1 cup almonds
• pinch sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups Macadamia nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Add almonds and 1 cup of Macadamia nuts to a food processor and process to finely ground. Add cacao, salt, and cinnamon, pulse to combine. Place in a separate bowl. Add dates to food processor (you may have to add a little water to get them to soft and pulse) Pulse until small chucks. Add cacao and nut mixture, little add a time till completely mixed. In a cake or bread pan, place parchment paper, add brownie mix and smooth out until even. Top with 1/2 cup of Macadamia nuts. Place in freezer to chill before cutting. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raw Date Nut Torte with Lime Frosting

I’ve been holding on to this one for a long time and demonstrated this recipe at my Raw Food demo last Saturday and everyone went crazy over it! So, I’m sharing it today. I added the pomegranate seeds to the top to make it a little prettier because it can look a little blah using the neutral ingredients so feel free to change-up the frosting with any citrus and top with anything to add color! Hope you love it as much as we do!

 

Torte:

• 1 C raisins
• 1 C walnuts

 Frosting:

• ½ C dates, pitted and soaked for at least an hour
• ½-1 lime, juiced (Use lemon,orange, grapefruit to sub)

Directions:

Torte: In a food processor, combine raisins and walnuts and blend well until moist like fudge. Mold into a round circle on a plate 1 ½ inch thick.

Frosting: In a food processor, combine dates and lemon juice until smooth and creamy, spread on top of torte.

 

Kale, Pear, and Pomegranate Salad

This a perfect dish for the holidays! Take for as a side dish to a Holiday party, salad for Christmas dinner, or to work for a healthy lighter meal after all the heavy holiday yummies! The Citrus dressing makes it so much better! Here’s to a little health this time of year.

 

 

 

Salad:

• 2 Cups of kale- washed and de-stemmed
• 1 cup of chopped cabbage-purple tends to be sweeter and adds more color
• 1 large pear sliced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup quinoa- sprouted
• 1/4 cup- chopped Macadamia nuts

Dressing:

• 1 cup good olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. 1 cup of quinoa soak in 2 cups of filtered water for 4-6 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
2. Chop kale and cabbage and place in a bowl.
3. Add sprouted quinoa
4. Slice pears and place on top of quinoa
5. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and Macademia nuts on top
6. In a jar- add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice. Shake well and add to salad
7. Toss until well blended. Serve and Enjoy!

Raw Cacao Truffles

Yeah!!! Christmas is coming again! Red wine, Champagne, family, friends, and Chocolate!! Best time of year right?! I love this time of year! Now if I could slow down enough to enjoy them 😉 I was playing in the kitchen this week and bam! Another recipe thrown together and guess what (in my whispering voice) they’re gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, raw, and I think they actually taste better than what you buy in a box at the store!

So you ready for the recipe??? I had a little locals market show to sell my cookbooks this week and had these out for samples and I couldn’t keep them on my serving plate! (Of course one of my favorite girlfriends was sneaking by often and grabbing them too, when she didn’t think I was looking! Umm, I won’t say her name, since she reads my blog!) 😉 You can store these in the freezer and then just snatch one when you get that hankering! I made a couple different kinds using different spices and essential oils! Impress your friends by trying different flavors!!

What are those other truffles? Raw Cinnamon Ginger Truffles! Grab that recipe too!

• 1.5 cups Medjool dates pitted
• 2 tablespoons organic cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil-melted
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 drop cinnamon essential oil or use 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon spice
• extra cacao powder to dust truffles

( Want to change it up? Add a drop of wild orange or lemon essential oils, 1/4 teaspoon                               ginger or nutmeg or alcohol-free vanilla extract.)

1. Add all ingredients into a Vitamix or food processor. Roll into desired sized balls and roll into cacao powder. Place in refrigerator to harden for a 15-20 minutes. Dust with a little more cacao powder to make sure they are fully covered.

 

 

Guiltless Berry Cobbler

Who else is ready for fresh produce?!?!? I am definitely ready for lighter foods, fresh fruits and veggies, and getting in the garden more. The cold is still trying to hang on tight here, but strawberry pickin’ is right around the corner and blackberries are close behind. This is the perfect dessert for your waistline and will leave you feeling guilt free.

 

 

Makes 3-4 Servings

• ½ cup chestnuts
• ½ cup almonds
• 5-8 Medjool dates- pitted and soaked for 10 minutes
• 1 drop doTERRA cinnamon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon Himalayan Sea salt
• 6-8 large organic strawberries
• 1/2 cup organic blackberries

In a food processor, blend dates once they become soft. Don’t soak to the point where they begin to get mushy. Pulse dates into small chunks. Add date mixture to a bowl.
Add chestnuts, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pulse again in the food processor until finely ground. Pour nut mixture over the dates and massage together, till you have a nice crumble. Slice strawberries and place on separate plates. Put crumble on bottom add strawberries and blackberries. Add a pinch of sea salt, to enhance sweetness. Serve immediately. You can also make a larger batch and keep the “crumble” in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just add the berries when you’re ready to eat! Guiltless dessert!!

Raw Strawberry Cobbler

It’s definitely strawberry season! I love summer for the fresh fruits and vegetables. I honestly can’t get enough. The kids and I went strawberry picking twice in a week. We picked over 20 pounds!! We actually ate the entire first 10 pounds within the week! The other beauties… I’ve been freezing, using in smoothies, they’re also the perfect healthy, bite size snack! As a raw chef I try to make recipes that are satisfying and filling, so I’m not running to the refrigerator an hour later. This recipe is from my new summer recipe book just released!! This recipe and over 20 more garden to table recipes are featured! You can grab a copy of “Farm Foodie Fitness Homegrown” on my new website www.farmfoodiefitness.com. And check out all the fun and exciting things I have going on! Hope you enjoy this recipe, one of the best for summer. Low on sugar levels and pretty close to guilt free! Pair it with my homemade Cinnamon Whipped Cream and it’s even harder to share!!”

Makes 3-4 Servings

½ cup walnuts

½ cup almonds

5-8 Medjool dates- pitted and soaked for 5-10 minutes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Himalayan Sea salt (optional)

6-8 large organic strawberries

1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

In a food processor, blend dates once they become soft. Don’t soak to the point where they begin to get mushy. Pulse dates into small chunks. Add date mixture to a bowl. Add walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and pulse again in the food processor until finely ground. Pour nut mixture over the dates and massage together, till you have a nice crumble. Slice strawberries and place on separate plates. Sprinkle crumble over top of strawberries. Add a pinch of sea salt, to enhance sweetness. Top with maple syrup if desired. Serve immediately. You can also make a larger batch and keep the “crumble” in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just cut the berries when you’re ready to eat! Hope you love it!

Guiltless Almond Chocolate Mousse

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. A day to show your love and commitment to your spouse, lover, partner, and even your special loved ones. We stock up on chocolates, flowers, balloons, and jewelry. (Which like most women, I don’t mind getting pretty things too!) 😉

This Valentine’s make your honey or indulge yourself in some guiltless chocolate mousse. My version is in the raw form, you can add and take away anything you don’t like or like to make it your own. Change up the recipe a bit and add peppermint or lemon zest. So many versions to do with this recipe and it’s super simple! Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy all the love you deserve on this special day!

Ingredients

• 1 C cashews- soaked for 6-8 hours
• 2 Tbs Agave
• 4 Tbsp of melted coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp of almond extract
• 1/2 C of water
• 2 Tbsp of cacao powder
• 2 Tbsp of shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 Tbsp of cacao nibs

Put cashews, agave, coconut oil, almond extract, water, and cacao in a food processor or immersion blender- like a Vitamix. Mix for 2-3 minutes till it’s thick and smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides while it mixes. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Then eat!

Alternatives to the Recipe:

1.  1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 C of sliced strawberries
2. 1 tsp of peppermint extract and 1/2 C of raspberries
3. 1 tsp of orange or lemon extract and add zest to the top
4. 1 tsp of Maca powder and 1/4 C ofGoji berries for the top (Be sure to research if Maca root is okay for any health conditions you may have)
5. A pinch of cayenne powder and 1 tsp of sliced almonds

Holiday Eggnog-The healthy and raw version

With all the yummy and heavy foods we all love so much over the holidays…eggnog being one of the biggest drinks consumed over the holiday season-next to wine of course! 🙂 Here is my healthy version of the all time favorite. Pump it up with Cacao nibs and peppermint or leave it traditional, full of spices. Make it your own! Happy Holidays! Hope you all enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cold organic almond milk
• 2 bananas
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Optional- 1 Tbsp of cacao nibs, 1/8 tsp of peppermint extract/oil

Add all ingredients into an immersion blender such as a Vitamix and blend well. Pour and Serve!