Stir-Fry with Almond Sauce (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

Makes 6 servings

2 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground corriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbs olive oil
2 c broccoli florets
1 onion, chopped
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced in half moons
1 large carrot, chopped however you like
1 celery stalk, chopped however you like
1 c bean sprouts, or sprouted lentils (I had sprouted lentils in my fridge)
1 c diced cabbage (I used purple, because that's what I had)
1/3 c coconut milk
1/3 c almond milk
4 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs Bragg liquid aminos/soy sauce/nama shoyu
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp salt
sesame seeds

In small bowl or cup, combine garlic, cumin, coriander & cayenne. In a large pan or wok heat olive oil. Add garlic mixture and stir until fragrant, then add onion. Cook until onion is translucent, then add the other vegetables up to the bean sprouts (don't put in the sprouts yet) and cook for a few minutes. Add milks, almond butter, soy sauce & lemon/lime juice. Stir until sauce is blended well. Cook with the lid on for about 10 min, then add cabbage, sprouts & salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

Papaya Pudding (GF, Raw, Vegan)

I like to think of this as digestion pudding. I'm thinking of those Activia commercials now, haha. The combo of papaya, chia seed and coconut water is going to be a happy time for your digestive tract! Not to mention it tastes good!  I like to know reasons that things are good for me, so here is a bit of education on Papaya, Chia Seeds & Coconut Water.

Papaya

Papaya has a high amount of proteolytic enzymes, which is the enzyme that enables the digestion of protein. Many health practitioners today are advising patients to take proteolytic enzymes to help with everything from inflammation and autoimmune conditions to heart disease and plaque. Papaya also contains natural fiber, carotene, vitamin C and essential minerals. Some other benefits include:

-Contains a high amount of potassium and the flesh of papaya is very high in Vitamin A. 

-Helps prevent constipation and also aid in digestion. Papaya contains the protein called papain which is a digestive enzyme that helps in natural digestion process. 

-Juice helps in alleviating infections of the colon by clearing away the infection, pus and mucus. Regular consumption will help in improving the problem.

-The skin of papaya is excellent for treating skin wounds and places that do not heal quickly.

-Low in calories and high in nutritive value hence it is an excellent food for those on a diet.

-Regularly consuming papaya helps to relieve morning sickness and nausea.

-Has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-cancerous properties. The anti-inflammatory properties in papaya will help reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis, edema and osteoporosis.

-Cleans the stomach and studies have shown that papaya alone eaten for 3 to 4 days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines.

Chia Seed

Yeah, I know you are thinking of the silly chia pet, and yep, those are the seeds. But long before they were used to grow green hair on terra cotta animals, they were used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. When it's combined with water, or any liquid, the seeds get a gel like coating on them, so you can use them to make things (in food) stay together, like an egg would. That gel like coating actually makes it so chia seeds can hold 12x's their weight in water, which helps a lot for digestion. It's digested as a protein very easily and is the richest vegetable source for Omega 3 fatty acids, but has no cholesterol (unlike fish). Chia has about three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains.

There are many benefits of chia seeds, you may want to look into them.

Coconut Water

It's one of the best drinks to hydrate the body because it's naturally isotonic with the same electrolyte balance we have in our blood. It helps remove toxins from the body, aids in digestion plus has anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties that help it cure diseases. Unlike coconut milk, coconut water has almost no fat in it, and isn't very high in calories (around 45 for one cup).

fresh cut papaya

Makes a bit over 2 cups

Apprx 1 1/2 C Papaya
1/2 to 3/4 C Coconut Water
1/4 C Chia Seeds
12 drops Vanilla Stevia
3 pitted Dates, medjool preferably (dates used as an additional sweetener, if you don't have any, you can use 3 Tbs agave nectar or raw honey instead)
1 Tbs unsweetened coconut
1 tsp maca, optional

Spoon out seeds from the papaya, and then remove flesh from the outer skin. Put all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Allow it to be at least 45 seconds so that the chia seeds will break up a little bit and start making the gel more quickly. Put in the fridge for at least 15 min for it to set and to cool off.  The unsweetened coconut you can put on over the top of the pudding or mix it in, or both!

Luau Salad (GF, Raw, Vegan)

Still going strong on my 100% raw diet, a little less than a week to go.  I'm feeling great, lots of energy and my insides feel good. Not that I was feeling bad at all before, this is just what I have been noticing. I'm thinking it's a combo of the 100% raw cleanse that I'm doing and considerable amounts of structured water I have been drinking.
This is seriously such a great salad, and so colorful too! The dressing is a sweet citrus dressing, almost a creamy vinaigrette. I was so excited to sit down and eat it, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed. I don't think you will be either. ENJOY!!

easiest way to cube mango, cut into a grid & then flip inside out & cut apart from the skin

 

Serves A LOT, maybe 10

1 head Red Leaf Lettuce, rough chopped
1 1/2 C Spinach, rough chopped
1 cucumber, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1 mango, cut into cubes
1/3 C Pineapple, chopped
1/3 C macadamia nuts, soaked for 20 min rinsed thoroughly & medium chopped
2 Tbs unsweetened coconut
1 Mandarin Orange, peeled and segemented

Optional Garnish
2 Tbs unsweetened coconut
2 Tbs Sunflower Seeds

Dressing
Juice of 2 Mandarin Oranges/Clementines
1/3 C Olive Oil
1/3 C Raw Agave Nectar
1/3 C Lime Juice
1 Tbs Raw Almond Butter
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Orange Flavor/Extract (I used Simply Organic's Orange Flavor)
1/2 tsp RealSalt (Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt works also)
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
dash of Ground Cardamom


Combine all salad ingredients in large salad bowl and mix. If you are going for presentation, reserve 1/4 of the mango and 1-2 Tbs of the macadamia nuts to place on the top of the salad along with the optional garnish. To make the dressing, just put all ingredients into a small bowl and stir together really well. I also had it in a container with a lid and shook it up to make sure everything was mixed well. You can toss the salad with the dressing, although I have found that it is nice to just have the dressing in a separate container for individuals to add as they please. Plus, it allows the salad to keep longer if it isn't devoured in one sitting.

Collard Wraps (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

Looking for more ways to get greens in your diet? But don't want it to be salads or funky tasting smoothies? Like wraps, but don't want to calories from the tortilla? Ever thought about using a collard green instead? It works quite well actually, it's just smaller than a tortilla, so you will have to make a few of them. Kind of like a taco. You don't taste the collard too much, and collards are more sturdy than lettuce is, so it won't tear apart while you are eating it quite so easily. Plus, as we all know, collards have a lot more nutrients in them than a lettuce leaf does.

I generally start with some type of spread on the collard, like pesto, hummus, cheese sauce or tahini. From there I just put things that I like on it. Changes each time. On these ones I made some of the cheese from the Kale Chips and dehydrated just that to use as a (dairy free, nonprocessed, raw) cheese crumble on salads and wraps. Some of the ingredients I frequently use and all taste good together are:

allfalfa sprouts
spinach
tomatoes
sundried tomatoes
bell peppers
carrots
avocado
Bragg sprinkle
RealSalt
hemp seeds
cucumber
zucchini

Kale Chips (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

These kale chips are so great! Something resembling a healthy version of Doritos or other cheese flavored crunchy thing. They are usually gone in about 30 hrs or less around here, and there are only 2 of us eating them. We went to the local farmer's market today and there was someone selling kale chips there for $9 for a small bag, probably a bit bigger than a sandwich bag. But, they weren't even alkaline (used cashews for the base & had nutritional yeast in the mix) nor did they taste nearly as good.

The topping for the kale, the 'cheese', can be also dehydrated without the kale and used as a crumbly cheese-tasting topping for salads or wraps, or if you love the taste of cheese like I do, just to throw in your mouth from time to time.

1 large bunch of kale, washed & torn into 4-6 inch pieces

Cheese Topping
1 C pumpkin seeds, soaked 4-6 hrs, rinsed well
2 Tbs tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp RealSalt
1 red bell pepper
2 Tbs Bragg liquid aminos (or Nama Shoyu)
1 Tbs hemp seeds
1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Agave syrup (optional)

Put all ingredients for the cheese into a food processor and blend until smooth. Combine with torn kale leaves, making sure each leaf is covered. Place on dehydrator try and dehydrate for about 6 hours. You can tell by looking at them if the cheese is dried all the way. The dried cheese will be lighter in color. Some dark spots are fine since it's not going to be a perfectly even coating.

Yam Chips (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

I am doing a cleanse for 2 weeks and it says to eat all fruits and vegetables raw, so, that's what I'm doing, which in turn makes it so that my recipes one here are going to be all raw ones. These yam chips are just slightly sweet, and remind me subtly of a cinnamon sugar bagel (only MUCH lighter in taste). You can peel them before you slice them, but I like having the peel on, gives 'em character, more fiber & more nutrients.

1 medium sized yam (or sweet potato)
1/2 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
1/2 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs Coconut sugar (optional, just makes them a little sweeter)
1 Tbs melted coconut oil

Slice yam very thinly on a mandolin so that all slices are the same thickness. It helps them dehydrate better when they are all the same width. Put sliced yams in a large zip lock back, or bowl then put spices & sugar in and mix around so each slice has brown specks on it. Then add the coconut oil and toss to coat. Place slices on dehydrator tray and allow to dehydrate for about 6 hours.

Creamy Roasted Squash Soup (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

Like I've said before, I LOVE delicata squash, and it's still in season. I decided tonight that I wanted to try and make a squash soup, but no recipes online or in any of my books were doin it for me. So, I roasted the squash and just started putting things in. Turned out really good to me! The boyfriend was a fan as well.

If you don't have delicata, you can easily use butternut or another preferred squash instead. It would probably be 1-1 1/2 large butternut squash OR 3 small acorn squash.

Makes 5 cups

4 Delicata squash, roasted 
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup (low sodium) vegetable broth
1 sweet onion
1 Tbs olive oil (extra virgin, of course!)
3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp curry powder
dash ground cardamom
1 Tbs roasted garlic, minced
1/2 tsp RealSalt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper, garnish (optional)
pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds & 'innards". Rinse off & place cut side up on a cookie sheet, then sprinkle with RealSalt and then with 2 pkgs stevia. Put 1/4 cup water on cookie sheet and turn all squash to be cut side down. Bake for 30 min. Allow to cool for about 10 min. Then put halves into a food processor (skin/rinds still on) and process until smooth. If you want a bit of a chunkier soup, save one of the halves and cut it up into pieces to add at the end. I did that, and saved some of the rinds and put them across the top, just for color.

Fine chop onion the onion. Heat oil in a medium size pot and add onion. Saute for about 5 min. Add garam masala, ginger, curry & cardamom to onions and mix. Then add pureed squash and mix again. Once mixed, add in roasted garlic, coconut milk, almond milk and vegetable broth. Stir on medium heat for about 3 min. Lastly add the pepper flakes and salt, turn off heat, stir and allow to sit for about 5 min.
Garnish with fresh ground black pepper & pumpkin seeds.

Sweet Teriyaki Veggie Crisps (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

This is a dehydrator recipe, makes some good veggie crisps. You can use any greens that you want, I happen to have collard greens around and wanted to use them in a little different way than the typical greens recipes. Can't we all use some more greens in our diets? Especially the really green ones like kale, collards, or mustard greens. I used eggplant as well, it makes good crisps after being marinated and dehydrated. The two don't need to marinate together, I actually did them at 2 separate times, there is plenty of marinade to go around.

Dehydrated veggies aren't the prettiest things, but they sure do taste good!

Eggplant in marinade

eggplant crisps

collard crisps

1 eggplant sliced in 1/4 - 1/2 inch rounds
1 bundle fresh collards
Teriyaki marinade

Teriyaki Marinade
 1/4 c Bragg liquid aminos
1/3 c water
1 Tbs Ginger, peeled and minced (or match sticks)
1 1/2 Tbs raw agave nectar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil

In a large ziplock bag, place all ingredients for the marinade, then the eggplant and collards. Put it in the fridge to marinade overnight.
Place on dehydrator trays, sprinkle with RealSalt & dehydrate collards for 2 hours and eggplant for 5 hours.

Awake Chai [non]Tea (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

I quite enjoy ice Chai tea, but don't want the caffine from the black tea that Chai is made with. This version doesn't use any tea, so there is no steeping of course, and it is alkaline as well. The maca in it also helps with energy, so can be a nice wake up in the morning, or whenever you want to drink it.

I adapted this recipe from the book Living in the Raw Gourmet, Chai Nut Milk Recipe.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups

2 1/2 c almond milk
2 c coconut water
1 tsp vanilla extract (no alcohol kind, I use frontier)
12 drops vanilla stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp maca
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy.

*The spices settle fast, so, keep a spoon out to stir if you aren't going to drink it fast.

Puffed Kamut Treats (Vegan)

 I always love a simple recipe with only a few ingredients that tastes great, and one is!

My mom used to make something called puffed rice balls, when I was growing up. I loved those things! It was puffed rice coated with carmel and rolled into balls.  This recipe is like a cross between those and rice krispie treats, but a much healthier vegan version of them both.

I don't really do rice now, and I didn't want to have a rice cereal that has pointless sugar added to it (even the stuff at the health food store), so I used some puffed Kamut that I had. You can use puffed whatever though; corn, millet, rice, wheat. They don't turn out as sticky as traditional rice krispie treats do, or as sticky as my mom's puffed rice balls were.

I gobbled these things down! They are yummy, and not too sweet... well, to me they aren't.

Modified from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan Nicer Krispie Squares recipe.

3 1/2 c puffed kamut (you can use puffed rice or puffed millet instead)
1/2 c almond butter
1/3 c agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
**1/4 tsp agar flakes
1/2 tsp RealSalt (or sea salt)

Over medium-low heat, put agave and agar flakes in a pot, stirring for about 2 min. Add almond butter, vanilla and real salt. Stir until smooth, add in puffed grain in 1/2 cup increments, coating completely. Then press into a brownie pan with parchment paper on the bottom and cool in the fridge until set.

You could make them into balls if you wanted to by rolling them into balls and placing them on parchment paper or waxed paper.


**You can ditch the agar flakes, but they will lose some of the firmness.  What are agar flakes you might be wondering...
Agar Agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute produced from a variety of seaweed vegetation. It is sold in health food stores in both flake and powder varieties, and can be used in a variety of dairy-free and vegan recipes as a stabilizing and thickening agent for custards,puddings, sauces and even vegetarian marshmallows.

Link to entire agar agar info page 

Almond Soba Soup (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

You can easily make this recipe ENTIRELY raw by omitting the Soba noodles and replacing them with zucchini noodles or whatever other raw noodles you prefer.

This recipe is made very quickly
Soba noodles are a great gluten-free & rice-free option for noodles, but you have to be cautious. Most soba noodles have a mix of buckwheat and some other glutenous flour. In order to make it gluten-free, make sure that they are 100% buckwheat. Bear in mind that the 100% buckwheat noodles are stickier than the ones that have wheat mixed in with them.

The sauce/stock that is in the soup is very much like a peanut sauce, but uses almond instead of peanut.

I got my inspiration for this from Integrative Nutrition's Healthy Cooking Recipes pamphlet by Andrea Beaman.

Serves 4

4oz Soba noodles
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 carrot, thinly sliced or julienne sliced
1/4 crown of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced or julienne sliced
handful of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
handful of mung bean sprouts
a few pumpkin seeds (preferably soaked and dried), for topping
sprinkling of sesame seeds, for topping

Almond Sauce
1 c water
1/2 c raw almond butter
1/4 c Bragg liquid aminos
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
2-3 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 pkg stevia powder, or 3 tsp green stevia powder
1/2 tsp RealSalt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
dash of cayenne pepper


Cook soba noodles following the directions on the package. While noodles are cooking, in a blender or food processor place ingredients for sauce, blend until smooth.
Chop veggies and place in a large bowl.
Once noodles are done, strain them from the water and place with the vegetables. Pour the almond sauce over the top of the noodles and veggies, mix. Top with pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds, optional (or green onions).

Zucchini 'Spaghetti' with Spinach-Sundried Tomato Pesto (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

Zucchini makes a great pasta sub! You can have it be raw, or you can blanche it and have it become even more noodle-like.

4 Servings

4 zucchini, julienne sliced, or cut into ribbons/noodles
handful of spinach/arugla
20 grape tomatoes chopped
Spinach-Sundried Tomato Pesto Sauce (recipe below), to preference

If you are doing the not raw version, boil some water and put the zucchini shreds in the water and cook for about 3-4 min. I've also found that I can use my electric kettle, barely boil some water in that & pour it over the zucchini shreds/ribbons, leave it for about 2 min, and then drain. It doesn't cook it quite so much, but makes it a little softer. I put the spinach & arugla in with the hot water just to wilt them a bit.
Basically scoop on some of the pesto and mix it together with the zucchini/spinach/arugla and put the grape tomatoes over the top. Very simple, very tasty dish!
The pesto sauce is just edited a bit from the pesto that I've posted on here before. Edited to make it be less calories and a bit more moisture.


Spinach-Sundried Tomato Pesto Sauce
2 cups packed fresh spinach
8-10 basil leaves
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (preferably the ones not in olive oil)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
10 grape tomatoes
1/2 green onion
3 garlic cloves
3 tbs olive oil
2 tsp RealSalt

Put the garlic and onion in a food processor, continue until all chopped. Scrape down sides & add spinach, basil, sundried & grape tomatoes. Pulse about 10-15 times. Add hemp seeds and salt, pulse a few more times. Then turn on food processor & slowly add in the oil.

Sweet Yam Cupcakes (Vegan)

I had 2 yams that were already cooked that I needed to do something with. So, I used things that I happen to have laying around the house. Yams for the muffins and the frosting, sounds crazy, but tastes good, I promise! And thus these (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, almost sugar-free there is cane juice in the chocolate chips), cupcakes were born. They are very moist, and they are sweet, but not super sweet, I can't really tell if they are a muffin or a cupcake. I guess since there is a frosting, it is more of a cupcake.

12 cupcakes

Yam Cupcake/Muffin Batter
1 cup cooked yam
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 very ripe banana
1/3 c agave nectar (or sweetener of choice)
1/4 c almond milk
10 drops vanilla stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp maca powder
pinch of cloves
1/4 tsp RealSalt
1/4 cup (vegan) chocolate chips (I used enjoy life chocolate chips)
2 Tbs cacao nibs


Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients up to vanilla in a bowl with a blender. Then put in the rest of the ingredients up to the salt, mixing with a spoon. Once all mixed together, then mix in the chocolate chips and cacao nibs.  If you don't have maca, you can omit it, it just gives the cupcakes a little more depth, a bit of a malty flavor. Scoop into muffin tin with cupcake papers 3/4 of the way full.
Cook for 28-32 min.
Allow to cool before frosting. Frosting recipe below.


Sweet Potato Frosting

3/4 to 1 c cooked yam

1/4 c agave nectar

2 Tbs coconut sugar (optional)

6 drops liquid vanilla stevia

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or you can use butter) melted

1/8 teaspoon RealSalt

Place all ingredients up to vanilla, in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add melted coconut oil arrowroot powder and RealSalt, and beat again.  Arrowroot is a thickener, so you can use another thickener if you wish, and regular salt, though I love RealSalt.

Gingered Quinoa with Garbanzo Beans (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

Quinoa is great tasting and great for you. It's a gluten-free whole grain, but it isn't actually a grain at all, its the seed from a goosefoot plant (which is related to spinach). It contains potassium, magnesium and manganese. Of these three minerals, magnesium is one of the most common mineral deficiencies in the body. Magnesium helps regulate the absorption of calcium, energy production and aids with muscle contraction. When comparing Quinoa VS Brown Rice quinoa is the winner.
I used sprouted the garbanzo beans (chickpeas) for 2 days. Why sprout? Well, one reason is that it neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors present in dry grains, seeds and legumes, and starts the production of numerous beneficial enzymes.. How to sprout? Click on the link & there are directions.

my sprouted garbanzo beans

finished product

8 servings, about 1/2 cup each

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced or grated
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups sprouted garbanzo beans
1 tomato, diced
1 packet stevia
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a medium pot and add cumin seeds. Heat until the seeds start to pop. Add in ginger and stir until it becomes fragrant, then add in the curry powder, heat for another 30 seconds while stirring. Put in 2 cups water, diced tomato, stevia, and salt. Bring to boil, add garbanzo beans & quinoa. Then turn down the heat to a low simmer, cover with a lid. Cook for about 30 min, (or until all the moisture is gone) stirring every 5-10 min. After all the moisture is gone and quinoa is cooked, take off heat and leave lid off to cool for 5 min, then add in chopped cilantro.
*This recipe really goes great with Spicy Cilantro Pesto put over the top of it!!

Sundried Tomato Spinach Pesto (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

Seriously some of the best pesto I've had! Once I made it I couldn't stop eating it. If you like pesto and or like sundried tomatoes, you will most likely be a fan.

Makes about 1 2/3 cups

2 cups fresh spinach
8 basil leaves
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/2 green onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp RealSalt
1/4 c olive oil

Put the garlic and onion in a food processor, continue until all chopped. Scrape down sides & add spinach, basil & sundried tomatoes. Pulse about 10-15 times. Add hemp seeds and salt, pulse a few more times. Then turn on food processor & slowly add in the oil. Tah-dah!! All done