Forbidden Rice and Pineapple Salad

This is a rice salad that uses black rice.  Thank you Andrea (from www.thehomeschoolingjourney.blogspot.com) for this excellent recipe.  I made it one morning to eat for lunch.  I could not help but sneak many spoonfuls of this salad all morning before serving it for lunch.  I ate it for lunch 3 days in a row!

1 1/2 cups black rice, cooked
1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green onion sliced thinly
1/2 cups crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon raw can sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup kale, diced into bit size pieces
3/4 cup chopped chicken or marinated tofu (optional)

Cook rice according to the package directions.  While rice is cooking make dressing by combining oil, sugar, vinegars, salt and pepper in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  When the rice is done rinse it with cool water.  Place it in a salad bowl.  Add the bell pepper, onion, pineapple, kale, chicken or tofu, almonds and dressing.  Mix together and blend.  Chill for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!

Quinoa Bites

These are fabulous!!  You can store the mixture in your refriderator and make them when you need a snack, breakfast, lunch or dinner.  They can be served anytime.  

I have found a lot of variations for this recipe.  You can add chopped chicken and bbq sauce.  You can add crumbed tofu or any chopped vegetables you have on hand.  Be creative and add all the extra flavor you would like.

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 large organic eggs

1 cup shredded carrot

2 stalks green onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or any cheese you are use too (non-dairy is ok)

2 tablespoons flour (any flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

(again you can add any other chopped or shredded vegetables, chopped chicken, crumbled tofu or a couple tablespoons of your favorite sauce)

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1 cup of quinoa.  Turn to low and cover.  Cook quinoa for 15 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together cooled quinoa, carrot, eggs, green onion, garlic, cheese, flour, salt and pepper.  Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (2 tablespoons each).  Bake for 15-18 minutes.  You can dip these in ketchup or bbq sauce or eat plan.  Enjoy!

Millet and Chickpea Salad

 

Need lunch?  This salad stores great for a few days in a sealed container.  You can eat it as a salad or use it to stuff in whole grain pitta bread.

1 cup cooked millet
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup organic lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 can organic garbanzo beans, drained
any and all vegetables you have on hand (I added chopped carrots and cucumbers, steamed broccoli and sauteed zucchini and cabbage)

To cook the millet place one cup of water into a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  Add 1/2 cup millet to the boiling water.  Turn the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  In small bowl beat together oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Pour over cooked millet and mix with a fork.  Toss in remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate.   This is great eaten as a salad or stuffed in whole grain pitta bread.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Banana Bites

 

 

Do these even need an explanation?  Addicting!

melted semi sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free or vegan if needed)

organic peanut butter 

bananas

Slice the bananas into 1 inch thick pieces.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Top banana slices with a dab of peanut butter and cover with melted chocolate.  Place in refrigerator and allow to harden.  These are best stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken Mango Quinoa Salad

 

 
 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained if necessary
3 cups organic chicken broth
2 organic chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (I used a 1/2 of a pepper and it was plenty spicy)
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used just 1/2 teaspoon and it was plenty)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 mango, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

In a medium size sauce pan, bring the chicken broth to a boil.  Add the quinoa and stir.  Turn the heat down to low and place the lid on the pot.  Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.  In a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, saute your chicken in the olive oil until nearly done.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the red onion, red pepper and jalapeno pepper.  Saute, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the chili powder and stir.  Place the cooked quinoa in large bowl.  add the chicken/onion mixture, lime juice, mango and cilantro and stir until mixed.  Serve immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Pie

 

This pie is very rich.  A little goes a long way.  You could omit the crust and it would still slice nicely.  Without the crust you could serve it as a moose.

Crust:
1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons whole grain flour (any flour will work)

Filling:
1 package firm organic tofu
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons nondairy milk
1/8 teaspoon slat
8 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons organic agave or honey

Whipped topping:
1/2 cup canned organic coconut milk (the really thick coconut milk that comes in the can, not watered down) or organic dairy whip cream
2 tablespoons organic agave or honey

To make the crust:  Combine all the crust ingredients in a a food processor and pulse to mix.  Press crust evenly along the bottom of a pie pan.

To make the filling:  Melt the chocolate.  Combine all filling ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender.  Blend until super-smooth.  Pour over the pie crust.  Refrigerate until firm (at least 3 hours or even over night).

To make the whipped topping:  Place the canned coconut milk or dairy whip cream into a mixing bowl.  Add the agave or honey.  Whip cream until stiff peeks form.  Top the pie with the whipped topping.

Enjoy!!

Sprouting

Sprouts are an alkalizing, living food rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes.  They are easy to

grow and can be added to salads, sandwiches or smoothies!

I like to purchase organic sprouting seed mixes.  You can sprout whatever seeds you have.  Typically if you buy a package of sprouting seeds they will have directions on the package.  

I use a canning jar and sprouting lid.  You can get sprouting lids at any health food store for around $1.50.  The lids have either a plastic or stainless steel mesh covering the top and the lids fit on a wide-mouth mason jar (canning jar).  Sprouting lids make it very simple to drain your seeds after each rinse without loosing the seeds down the drain. 

Here are general directions for sprouting seeds.

Place 1 tablespoon of seeds into a canning jar.  Cover the seeds with water, place sprouting lid on canning jar and soak for 3-4 hours.  Rinse and drain the seeds.  Spread evenly in on the bottom of the jar by shaking the jar lightly.  Sprouts must be rinsed and drained 2-3 times per day and kept from light (placing the sprouting seeds in a cupboard is best).  I typically make a note that reads "sprouts" and post it somewhere where I will see it often throughout the day and it will remind me to rinse my sprouts.  Rinsing your sprouts 2-3 times in a 24 hour period is plenty.  On the 3rd of 4th day they are ready to eat!  You can place them in the refrigerator and use them when needed.  They should last another 2-3 days after placing them in the refrigerator.  If you use sprouts on a daily basis (for smoothies or salads) then as soon as you have one jar in the refrigerator ready to eat you'll want to start another jar sprouting.  This way you won't be without sprouts!  Enjoy!

Trail Mix

Effortlessly keep your metabolism strong by eating frequent snacks and small meals throughout your day! With organic nuts and a bit of organic dried fruit (and don't forget a hint of dark chocolate), trail mix is one of the staple snacks everyone should have available to enjoy whenever they need a quick snack.

2 cups organic raw walnuts
1 cup organic raw almonds
1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
1/4 cup organic dried raisins
1/4 cup organic dark chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together. Keep in a sealed jar and always available to grab a handful as a quick and necessary snack. Enjoy!

Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

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  I actually do not like the grapefruit on this salad. I included it because the dressing is very good. I do highly recommend spinach, quinoa, avocado and walnuts together! An incredible combination of taste and nutrients. (You can eat the grapefruit on the side!) If you cook up a batch of quinoa and keep in a sealed container in the fridge it is always available to mix into a salad. To the quinoa you can add spinach, walnuts, avocados and any other vegetable and mix it with your favorite dressing. The dressing below is a good one. You can eat this for lunch or a snack more then once throughout the week! Just keep all ingredients separate until you are ready to toss together. This recipe makes one salad.
  
  Ingredients:
  organic baby spinach (about 4 ounces, but I just toss in a few handfuls)
  1 organic ruby red grapefruit, peeled and fruit separated, reserving 3 slices
  1/2 organic haas avocado, diced
  1/2 cup cooked quinoa (cook up 1/3 cup dry quinoa and you'll make 1 cup of cooked quinoa, you'll have enough to save for a second salad :))
  1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
  3/4 tablespoon olive oil
  3/4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  1 tablespoon chopped shallot
  salt and pepper to taste
  grapefruit juice from 3 reserved slices of grapefruit (if not using grapefruit you can use 3/4 tablespoon lemon juice instead)
  
  Directions:
  
  Rinse quinoa well under cold water. Place 1/3 cup dry qunioa into 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes. Lay out on a plate to cool. Peel the skin and white membrane off the grapefruit and separate the pieces. Reserve three grapefruit slices for the vinaigrette and squeeze the juice; set aside. Cut the remaining grapefruit into small pieces for the salad. In a medium bowl whisk the olive oil, grapefruit juice (from 3 slices of grapefruit), vinegar, chopped shallots, salt and pepper. In a large bowl toss spinach, quinoa, avocado, grapefruit and vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

This is the best gluten-free sandwich bread recipe I have come across. It has a great flavor and texture. This recipe calls for both potato starch and tapioca starch. I am not a big fan of potato starch or tapioca starch. They are refined and removed from there "whole food". However, in small amounts these two starches help make a gluten-free bread turn out most like "real bread". I keep a small jar of both starches in our pantry and we use them sparingly. If you are on a gluten-free diet you would thoroughly enjoy this sandwich bread and it is simple to make too!

If you don't have to eat gluten-free (our family does not have to eat gluten-free) then why make gluten-free bread? It is always good to switch up the whole grains you include in your diet. This bread is high in protein (2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites) and healthy fats (flax seeds and safflower oil). It is always nice to balance out complex carbohydrates with fat and protein when baking bread.


1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons organic raw cane sugar
1 1/4 cup organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup organic ground flax seeds
1/2 cup organic potato starch
1/4 cup organic tapioca starch
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons organic apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons organic safflower oil
2 organic eggs
2 organic egg whites

Combine warm water, yeast and sugar in mixing bowl. Let sit 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients into the mixer. Mix dough for 8 minutes at lowest speed. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Spoon into prepared bread pan. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove bread from oven and let it sit 5 minutes. Remove from bread pan and allow the bread to cool on cooling rack. Or slice the loaf while it is still warm and eat it with Earth Balance (or butter) melted on top! Enjoy!

Raw Waldorf Salad

This is a brilliant remake of the original Waldorf salad. This salad is rich and hearty, and a satisfying stand-alone meal. It is packed full of healthy fats, protein and the only sweetener (besides the lovely fruit) are a couple of pureed medjool dates.

Complements: Live Raw by Mimi Kirk


For the Salad:
2 green or crisp, firm apples, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Handful of raisins; if they are not plump, soak in filtered water for 15 minutes
1/2 cup walnuts and pecans, broken or chopped
Generous handful of grapes cut in half, your choice of color
1/2 lemon, juiced

For the Dressing:
1/2 cup almond, soaked for 4 hours
1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed (I wanted a sweeter tasting salad (instead of a savory salad) so I omitted the garlic and added 1 teaspoon real vanilla instead)
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 medjool dates, pitted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix and set aside or cover and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to add the dressing and serve.

Place all dressing ingredients except olive oil in a high-powdered blender. Blend at medium speed while drizzling in the olive oil. Blend until creamy and smooth. I added a few tablespoons of water to make a thinner sauce. Chill for 4 hours (I did not do this step, I was a bit impatient to indulge in my salad).

To serve the salad slowly pour 1/3 of the dressing on salad and toss well. Use as much of the dressing as suits your taste. Place a lettuce leaf on a salad plate or in a shallow bowl. Place a large scoop of the salad into the leaf. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

4 cups cooked black beans (or 2 cans of black beans)
4 cups cooking liquid (from the cooked black beans) (or juice from 2 cans of black beans plus enough water to equal 4 cups of liquid)
1 small red onion
3 leeks
3 cloves of garlic
1 large sweet potato
4 carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large tomatoes, diced or 1 small can tomatoes, diced (14.5 ounces)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
sea salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add spices. Stir until fragrant. Add chopped onion, leek, and salt. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to wilt a bit. Add garlic, the rest of the chopped vegetables and tomatoes. Stir occasionally. Using a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the cooked beans with 4 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Add to the pot with the remaining 2 cups of whole, cooked beans. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season to taste. Add the juice of 1 lemon, maple syrup and sea salt. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge; freezes well. This is even better the next day. You can make it before hand and reheat the next day to serve. Enjoy!

Raw Tacos

I could live off these for the rest of my life. They are that delicious.

Complements: www.mynewroots.blogspot.com

Walnut Taco Mix:
1 cup raw walnuts
1 tablespoon tamari (soy sauce)
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (optional, but I highly recommend it)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse just to mix. Don't over-blend or you will end up with walnut butter.

Cashew "Sour Cream"
1/2 cup raw cashews
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons water (approx.)

Put all ingredients except water in a high speed blender or food processor and blend, adding water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If you want a thick cream, use less water, for a thinner sauce, use more.

Raw Salsa:
1 cup chopped organic cherry tomatoes
1/2 organic red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 organic orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 organic red onion or 4 organic green onions, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lime (about 1-2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Whisk the garlic, lime juice, honey, olive oil and sea salt in the bottom of a bowl and set aside. Cut up the veggies into rather small pieces, chop the cilantro and add everything to the dressing bowl. Fold to combine and let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.

Other Raw Taco elements:
ripe avocado, cabbage, collard, kale, romaine or spinach leaves

Place all the prepared items out on the table. Start with a large lettuce leaf and layer in the walnut taco mix, cashew "sour cream", raw salsa and anything else you have included. Wrap up the taco and enjoy!!

Raw Salted Caramel Apple Dip

Everyone in the house will devour this dip! I am now infatuated with our new Vitamix and you will be seeing a lot of raw wholefood recipes being posted this coming year! (FYI: The dates take 2-4 hours to soak before making this recipe)

Complements: www.mynewroots.blogspot.com (One of my new favorite blogs!)

2 cups pitted Organic Medjool dates
1/4 cup raw nut or seed butter (I took 1/4 cup raw cashews and added them to the blender whole. The Vitamix purees them perfectly smooth)
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I used 1 teaspoon pure vanilla instead)
soaking water as needed

Soak dates for 2-4 hours in enough water (enough to cover the dates completely). Drain dates, reserving the soak water. Add dates to a food processor or powerful blender along with all other ingredients, except for soaking water. Blend on high until dates are smooth. Add soaking water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached (for a sauce to pour or drizzle, add more water). Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!

Vitamix

A breakfast for champions! Why oh why did it take me 15+ years going through 3 magic bullets, 2 Cuisinart food processors and 2 Kitchen Aid blenders before I invested in the only machine I need!! If you have a Vitamix blender you know what I am talking about. If you want to wake up to fresh, organic, raw smoothies in the morning or chop, blend and mix anything your heart desires then I would highly recommend buying a Vitamix. Enjoy!