10 Great things about Bee Pollen and Raw Honey

Here are some great things to know about Raw Bee Pollen and Raw Honey. Both of these foods are receiving significant attention these days for being Super Foods and rightfully so. They are both delicious and very versatile. They can be incorporated into many different recipes. Enjoy abundant and radiant health!!

10 Great Things About Bee Pollen

-It is an alkaline food considered by nutritionists to be one of the most complete foods found in nature.

-Super High antioxidant levels that help increase longevity by eliminating free radicals.

-Potent Aphrodisiac and improves fertility. Can restore deficiencies in sex glands.

-Increases strength, endurance, energy and speed.

-Increases muscle growth and definition.

-Reduces the production of histamine, neutralizing many allergies.

-Abundant in B vitamins, it builds up our defense against stress.

-Increases longevity, helps clear up acne and assists in reversing aging and wrinkles.

-Helps relieve type 2 diabetes symptoms, by restoring mineral and metabolic deficiencies.

-According to research by European doctors, pollen is one of the richest sources of bioavailable protein in nature. It is approximately 25% protein. Gram for gram, pollen is contains an estimated 5 to 7 times more protein than meat, eggs and dairy.

10 Great Things about Raw Honey

-It is a universal medicine, sweetener, and nutrient source.

-Unprocessed honey is natures richest source of live healing enzymes and it increases reflexes, mental alertness and even IQ!

-It has been shown to provide relief for, or to cure, a number of different disorders, including; diarrhea, ulcers, infections, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal problems, cancer and staphylococcus infections.

-It has an antibiotic effect on infectious diseases. It has been used to treat anthrax, diphtheria, ear infections and urinary tract infections.

-It can be used as a topical to heal wounds. It has been used to heal abscesses, bed sores, burns, infected wounds and cervical ulcers.

-It is a great food for athletes, because it is high in sugars like glucose and fructose. It is also high in mineral s like magnesium, potassium(an essential electrolyte), calcium, sodium chloride, sulphur, iron and phosphate.

-It is high in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and C. B vitamins are our central nervous system vitamins which help insulate us from stress.

-It is great for hydrating your skin and it can be used as a moisturizing face mask.

-It is also great for your hair and can be used as a conditioner when mixed with olive oil(of course be sure to rinse your hair thoroughly before you go outside).

-Eating local honey has been beneficial in treating and preventing seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.

Raw Grawnolas, Power Bars and Fruit Roll-ups

Here are some recipes from a class I taught on Raw Granolas, Power Bars and Fruit Roll-ups. These are great for feeding families or for people new to the raw lifestyle who want more delicious familiar foods. Make huge quantities and store them in containers. They'll keep for about 3 months.

Raw Power Bar

Indgredients:

2 C rolled oats

1 C sunflower seeds

½ C flax seeds

½ C cashews

½ C pumpkin seeds

½ C almonds

1 C raisins

1 ½ C date paste (soak 1 ½ C dates in water for 1 hour. Remove water and then process in a blender until smooth. You may need to add a small amount of the soak water.)

1 T vanilla

1 C olive oil

Directions:

Using a coffee grinder(your blender or food processor would work also) process the rolled oats and flax seeds into a powder. Process ½ cup of the sunflower seeds into a powder and keep ½ cup whole. Quickly pulse the cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds in the coffee grinder making sure that most of them stay large and chunky. In a large bowl add the processed nuts and oats, date paste, vanilla, raisins and olive oil and mix well by hand. Measure out ¼ C of the mixture, form into bars or squares and place on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 105 for 6 hours, flip over and dehydrate for another 6 hours. These bars store well in a sealed container. Great for snacks, kids lunches or for a mid workout snack. I like to pack them for long bike rides.

Variations:

For a Chocolate version add 3 T of Raw cacao. For different nuts you could use hemp seeds, chia seeds, brazil nuts, pine nuts, hazel nuts or sesame seeds. Add a tablespoon of bee pollen, green Superfood powder, or maca root powder. Instead of raisins you may want to use goji berries, dried cherries, dried blue berries or dried currants. You can also substitute raw honey or maple syrup(which isn’t raw) instead of the date paste.

GRAWnola

Ingredients:

3 C rolled oats

2 C sprouted buckwheat

1 C sunflower seeds

½ C flax seeds

1 C raisins

1 ¼ C date paste (soak dates overnight, drain water and blend until smooth)

2 t vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the oats, sprouted buckwheat, sunflower seeds, raisins, vanilla and date paste and mix well. Spread the grawnola mixture onto dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 24 hours. You can store this grawnola in glass jars at room termperature or plastic containers in the freezer.

Variations:

For a chocolate coconut grawnola add 3 T of raw cocao and 1 C dried coconut. Add dried cranberries, dried apples or dried bananas instead of raisins. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or ½ teaspoon of nutmeg. Put 1 ½ C of this basic grawnola mix in a bowl and add 1 banana sliced, ½ C fresh berries, mango or other fruit of your choice and almond milk.

Almond Milk

Ingredients:

3 Bananas

4 dates(soaked) or 2 T raw honey

½ T vanilla

2 T raw almond butter

1 ½ C water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and liquefy. This will keep in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Raw Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 Cups of oat groats soaked

1 apple, cored but with the skin on.

2 Tablespoons of your favorite Raw sweetener. I suggest Raw Honey or 4 soaked dates. Some people use maple syrup also even though it’s not raw.

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon raw coconut oil

½ cup of water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender or high powered food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. This comes out to the consistency of cooked oatmeal, but way more nutrient packed since none of it’s enzymes and vitamins have been cooked out of it. Sooo delicious!

Raw Muesli

Ingredients:

4 C rolled oats

1/2 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C dried coconut

1/4 C flax seeds

1/4 C slivered almonds

1 C raisins

2 T raw honey

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. This will store well for months. Enjoy with fresh fruit and almond milk.

Variations:

For a soft muesli, add 1 C of water and let sit for an hour. You can also add other dried fruits, cinnamon, dehydrated cane juice, cashews, walnuts, pecans or sprouted grains such as quinoa, rye, or amaranth.

Raw Fruit Roll Ups

Cinnamon Pear

Ingredients:

4 ripe bartlet pears

1 t cinnamon

Directions:

Blend the pears and cinnamon in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Spread out on dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 6-8 hours.

Apple Banana

Indgredients:

2 large apples, cored

2 ripe bananas

Directions:

Place the bananas and apples in blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Spread out on dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 6-8 hours.

Apple, Banana, Pineapple, Pear and Strawberry

Ingredients:

1 apple

1 C pineapple

1 ripe banana

1 ripe bartlet pear

½ C strawberries

Directions:

Place the all of the fruit in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Spread out on dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 6-8 hours.

Variations on Fruit Roll-ups:

Add nuts after you’ve blended the fruit for a crunchy variety. Sesame seeds, ground almonds and sunflower seeds work great! Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to bring out the fruit flavor more.  Add dates to sweeten it up a bit. Make your favorite fruit or vegetable smoothie and pour 4 Cups of it onto teflex sheets and dehydrate to make your own concoctions.  Slather a large piece of fruit roll up with raw almond butter and cover with sliced bananas and walnuts. Roll it up like a burrito and devour! Enjoy!!

RAW and COOKED Summer BBQ Kabobs

RAW Ginger Garlic Marinated Vegetable Kabobs

For the Veggie Kabobs:

Portablello Mushrooms

Red Bell Peppers

Avocado

Papaya

Radish

Zuchini

Vadalia Onion

Grape Tomatoes

For the Marinade:

½ C Tamari, Coconut Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu

¼ C Red Wine Vinegar

¼ C White Wine Vinegar

2 TBL Honey

1 TBL Fresh Ginger Root, minced

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl combine the Tamari(Coconut Aminos, or Soy Sauce), white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic and crushed red peppers and whisk until all ingredients are blended well. Set aside.

You want to marinate the vegetables overnight. So cut the portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers, vidalia onions, and Zucchini into pieces a little smaller than a golf ball. You can use the radishes and the grape tomatoes as a frame of reference on how small to cut them. You want to be able to put them on a bamboo skewer and be able to bite them off and have them fit into your mouth. Places these cut up veggies in the marinade and mix well to really coat them. Put a lid on the vegetables in the marinade and place in the fridge over night. The mushrooms are particularly absorbent and taste amazing when left to marinate all night.

When you’re ready to make and eat your kabobs, take your marinated vegetables out of the fridge. Cut up your avocado and papaya to create large chunks that will fit on your bamboo skewers. Using the grape tomatoes, radishes, avocado, papaya and the marinated vegetables, alternate placing each of them on the skewer, doubling some of them up to completely fill your skewer. You should have a beautiful and delicious looking vegetable kabob. ENJOY!!

Mexican Fiesta BBQ Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Ingredients

2 Large Organic Zucchini (1/2 inch slices)

2 Large Organic Yellow Squash (1/2 inch slices)

1 Organic Red Bell Pepper (1 inch squares)

1 Lb Organic Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

1 Organic Red Onion (1 inch squares)

2 Organic Sweet Potatoes (1 inch cubes)

1/2 Lb Organic Portobello Mushrooms

Mexican Fiesta Marinade

3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

1 T Cinnamon

1 t Cumin

1 t Coriander

1 t Freshly Minced Garlic

1 t Sea Salt

1/2 t Black Pepper

1/4 t Cayanne Pepper (optional)

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients for the Mexican Fiesta Marinade into a large bowl or large resealable bag. Place all veggies into the bowl or bag. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Once marinated, place the veggies onto kabob skewers. I personally recommend placing all of the veggies on the same skewers in a rotational pattern, but some people like to separate each type of veggie out. Either way has its advantages and disadvantages. Once veggies are ready to go heat grill to a medium to high heat. Place kabobs on the hottest part of the grill and turn a quarter turn every two minutes. After every quarter turn, brush the top side of the kabobs with the leftover marinade. Once every side of the kabobs has been exposed to high heat for two minutes, move the kabobs to low or indirect heat for an additional 4-5 minutes until all veggies are cooked through but not mushy. 

Serve this meal with a side of seasoned Black Beans, Grilled Corn on the Cob and Grilled or Fresh Veggie Kabobs. This is a great meal for any summer cookout or BBQ and is extremely kid friendly.  

Week 2 Menu

Monday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + 1 Apple

Monday Lunch- Salad Topped with artichoke hearts, olives & tomato

Tuesday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + Raw Bar 

Tuesday Lunch- RAW Veggie Wrap

Wednesday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + Pineapple & Blueberry Fruit Salad

Wednesday Lunch- Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Asian Dressing

Thursday Breakfast- Raw Oatmeal + Green Smoothie

Thursday Lunch- Spinach and Beet Salad

Friday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + Raw Bar

Friday Lunch- Salad Greens Topped With Red Pepper & Zucchini

Saturday Breakfast- Raw Granola

Saturday Lunch- Quinoa (Sprouted) Salad topped with Raisins and Dried Cranberries 

Sunday Breakfast- Raw Oatmeal + Green Smoothie

Sunday Lunch- Raw Pizza

Feel free to follow along on my journey as I experience my transition towards feeling and looking better!

 

-Cooked

RAW Chard Wrap vs. COOKED Zucchini and Yellow Squash Wrap

COOKED Zucchini and Yellow Squash Wrap


Ingredients
1 Large Zucchini diced
1 Large Yellow Squash diced
2 Artichoke Hearts quartered
3 Leaves Fresh Chopped Basil
1 Red Bell Pepper Roughly Chopped
1 Red Onion Roughly Chopped
Sea Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder (to taste)
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-4 Organic Whole Wheat Wraps


Directions
In a large pan, preheat 1T olive oil. Fold in the red onion and red pepper. Once onion and pepper are beginning to soften, add in the zucchini and yellow squash. Once all veggies are cooked, but not mushy, remove a set aside. In a blender add in 1T Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Artichoke Hearts and Basil Leaves. Blend to create a paste. Spread paste on a Whole Wheat Wrap, add veggies, salt and pepper to taste, roll and eat. For a twist, cook all of the veggies on the grill.

Papaya Chard Wraps with Tahini Almond Dipping Sauce

Ingredients: 

FOR THE CHARD WRAPS

5 Large Chard Leaves(the type of Chard doesn’t matter.)

Sweet pea or Sunflower sprouts

Papaya

Zucchini

Cucumber

Avocado

Directions:

Cut off the stems and de-vein the chard leaves splitting them in to two. Cut those in half, so that you have four large pieces per large chard leave. Cut your papaya into four inch by half inch slices and place in the center of one of the pieces of chard leaves. The zucchini and cucumber work best julienne sliced, but if you don’t have a julienne slicer you can just cut them into thin 4 inch strips. Place two or three pieces of zucchini and cucumber in the center of the chard leave with the papaya. Slice large pieces of avocado and place one each in the chard leave with the zucchini, cucumber and papaya. Top off with some sprouts and roll it up like a burrito.

Ingredients:

TAHINI ALMOND DIPPING SAUCE

1 cup raw almond butter

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic

¼ cup fresh orange juice

1 ½ Tablespoon honey

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. 

Take your chard wraps and dip into your tahini almond sauce with abandon. This recipe was inspired by my friend and amazing Living Food Chef, Jubilee Jen(www.jubileejen.com) who introduced me to the amazing and delicious diversity of using chard to wrap all sorts of tasty things. 

Week 1

After a week eating Raw Breakfast and Raw Lunch, I am still going strong. I have been averaging a Green Smoothie and some Raw Oatmeal for breakfast and an ever changing salad for lunch. By varying what goes into my salad, it keeps life interesting and healthy. A few surprises that I have had have been that I am not constantly hungry. One advantage of eating raw is that I can eat until I am completely full. When eating cooked food, I am constantly thinking about the number of calories I am consuming. All week long, I have felt energized and focused. At the end of week 1, I now weigh 168 pounds. That is a 6 pound decrease from one week ago.

Looking forward to the upcoming week,

Cooked

Day 1

Day one was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be! I anticipated feeling hungry and a bit light headed. For breakfast, I had a green powerhouse smoothie and a banana for a mid-morning snack. For lunch, I had a very large salad topped with cucumber, tomato and raw sunflower seeds. For a snack, I munched on some carrots and sugar snap peas. Overall, I felt pretty good and quite alert all day. My starting weight is 174 pounds. I am interested to see how that changes!

That's all for this morning! Check in later to see how day two went!

Cooked

Raw Lunch

Dear Readers,
This is Cooked. I have something to admit. I am curious about how it might feel. Raw continues to tout the benefits of eating a raw balanced diet. In an effort to lose a few pounds and to see what he is always going on and on about. So, I have agreed to give it 30 days. My plan is to eat raw breakfast and lunch and eat my normal, cooked and healthy, family dinner. I will also be doing some yoga, playing soccer twice a week and jogging 3 miles each day that I am not playing soccer. Along the way, I will post menus and recipes so that you can join in if you'd like. I have already taken some before pictures, but they will only be released once the 30 days are up. Please join me in my journey. Send us photos if you'd like, or post your results to our Facebook or Twitter pages.


My adventure begins this Monday, June 29. I'll post my menu on Sunday if you want to join in the fun!


Thanks in advance for all of your support,


Cooked  

Indian Food Recipes

Alright, our Facebook fans have spoken and here's the delivery. If you'd like to have a say in what recipes you see on Raw vs Cooked, join us on Facebook and leave a comment or vote on one of the options!

Raw Curry Soup with Raw Samosas and Fruit Chutney

Curry Soup

This soup is delicious and it was adapted from and inspired by a recipe that I found on www.goneraw.com (http://www.goneraw.com/recipe/creamy-curry-veggie-soup) which happens to be one of my favorite website to find delicious raw food recipes and inspiration.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of purified water

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ an apple, cored but not peeled

½ an avocado

¼ red bell pepper

 ½ tsp cayenne

2 medium sized carrots

1 cup of spinach

5 sun dried tomatoes, soaked

2 tsp curry powder

1 clove fresh garlic

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and liquefy. Garnish with fresh herbs and your favorite sprouts on top. Enjoy!

Samosas and Fruit Chutney 

Samosa filling:

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked walnuts
1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 Yam, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 zuchini, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh peas(you could also use sprouted peas which are crunchy and delicious)
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp celtic sea salt or nama shoyu
2 cloves garlic
pinch of cayenne, habanero or jalapeno (if desired)

Directions:

In a food processor process the nuts and garlic to a paste; then add and process the peeled yam and cauliflower to a puree. Dice onion and zucchini and mix with the rest of ingredients.

Samosa Dough

Ingredients:

2 Apples, chopped

The flesh and water of1 Young coconut

2 Cups ground flax seed

½ cup of purified water

¼ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

Directions:

Place the apples, coconut flesh, coconut water, salt, cayenne, purified water in a blender and liquefy. Add this mixture to the ground flax and mix until it becomes like a dough. Spread the dough out onto teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper, score the mixture into 6 inch triangles and place in your dehydrator. Dehydrate for 6 hours at 105 degrees. If your dough is too liquidy than you may have to wait until the dough has dehydrated for an hour or so before you can score it. You don’t want it to be too crispy. You want the dough to be pliable so that you can wrap it around your samosa filling.

Take one of your dehydrated 6 inch pieces of samosa bread and place a large(mounded tablespoon) of the samosa filling in the center. Fold over one side of the bread so that the corners of the triangle meet up. With purified water, lightly moisten the edges of the samosa bread and press the edges together around the filling. You now have a delicious 3 inch triangle samosa.

Fruit Chutney

Ingredients:

1 Cup Chopped Mango

1 Cup Chopped banana

1 Cup pitted dates

½ tsp Curry

Juice of ½ a lime

A pinch of cayenne

1 tsp sea salt

1 clove of garlic

1 inch piece of ginger

1 tsp olive oil

In a blender place all of the ingredients and blend until creamy. For chunkier chutney, place all of the ingredients except for the mango and banana and blend until smooth. Then add your fruit and just pulse them a few times. Blend and enjoy generously on your Samosas!

Cooked Palak Paneer

Ingredients

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic (minced)

1/2 T fresh ginger root (grated)

1/2 T chile pepper flakes (or 1 dried red chile)

1/2 c onion (chopped)

1 t cumin

1/2 t coriander

1/2 t turmeric

1/2 c plain organic yogurt

1 1/2 lbs. fresh spinach (lightly chopped)

1 large tomato (quartered)

1/2 c fresh cilantro 

1/4 T sea salt 

1 c jasmine rice

4 cups organic milk

1 tablespoon plain organic yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large saucepan heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute garlic, 1/4 tablespoon of ginger, and onion until brown. Mix in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and sour cream. Add the spinach, 1 cup at a time,when it is cooked down,add another cup. 
2. Once slightly cooled, spoon spinach mixture into a blender or food processor and add the tomato, the remaining 1/4 tablespoon of ginger, and cilantro. Pulse lightly until the spinach is finely chopped. Pour back into the saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
3. In a medium frying pan heat milk, 1 T yogurt, and 1 t of salt & sugar over medium heat. Heat until edges begin to bubble. Add lemon juice and remove from heat. Mixture will curdle into   Drain and cut.
4. Cook rice by boiling with 1 1/2 cups water. Once boiling, reduce heat to lowest simmer for 20 minutes. 
5. Stir cheese into spinach mixture and serve over jasmine rice

Ginger! The zesty and Medicinal Root!

Ginger is an aromatic, pungent and spicy root that is delicious when used in cooking(or uncooking for your Raw-foodists out there) and is healthy and highly medicinal. Ginger root is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant. The flesh of the ginger rhizome can be yellow, white or red in color, depending on the variety. It is covered by a brownish skin that may either be thick or thin depending on whether the plant was harvested when it was young or mature. Ginger is an excellent source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, and vitamin B6. It is incredibly diverse and can be used in savory dishes such as Asian stir fry’s, Indian curries, and salad dressings or it can be added to fruit salads, made into candies and used in sweet baked goods. Ginger is one of our favorite foods because it is absolutely delicious and incredibly healthy for you. Fortunately for all of us ginger can be found year round at the grocery store or local co-ops. Here are some of the amazing health benefits of this zesty root.

Reduces pain and inflammation- Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are highly effective in reducing pain in individuals with osteparthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

An Immunity Booster- Ginger can be taken for flu and cold prevention and treatment. Especially in cases of nausea, ginger has proven to be highly effective in treating morning sickness, motion sickness, sea sickness and food poisoning. Ginger tea is one of the best hangover remedies to sooth an upset stomach.

Gastrointestinal relief- In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (a substance that promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance that relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract).

Cancer Fighting-Gingerols the main active components in ginger have been found to inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer cells. Gingerols have also been found to induce cell death in Ovarian Cancer Cells.

 A great way to consumer ginger on a regular basis is in delicious Ginger Lemon Honey Tea.  Here is our favorite recipe:

Ingredients:

-1 inch piece of ginger, grated

-1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

-1 Tablespoon Raw unfiltered Honey

-8-12 oz hot water

Directions:

Place your water on the stove in a pot or tea kettle and bring to a boil. In a teapot or thermos add your hot water, ginger, honey and lemon juice. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain into a tea cup and enjoy!

Mother's Day Picnic Recipes- "Make Yo Mama Lunch"

This week's recipes should put a smile on your face. They are the first of many spring and summer inspired recipes. As Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Graduations, and Picnic Season, come upon us, we are hopeful that you will take back a glass of water, juice or smoothie and enjoy these sandwich and salad recipes!  

Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Artichoke Spread Recipe

Ingredients:(Organic Ingredients are always preferred)

4-6 Sprouted Grain or Whole Grain Hoagie Rolls

1 Red Pepper (1 x 3 in. strips)

1 Yellow Squash (1/4 in strips cut lengthwise)

1 Zucchini (1/4 in strips cut lengthwise)

1 Egg Plant (1/4 in strips cut lengthwise)

2 RomaTomatoes (sliced)

4 Portabella Mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 C Spinach 

6 Artichokes Hearts

1/4 C Fresh Basil Leaves

2 Cloves minced garlic

4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)

1T Balsamic Vinegar

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

This sandwich has been designed to be made on an open flame grill. If this is not available, a range top grill plate will do.

Prep all of the veggies by cutting into recommended lengths. Place red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, egg plant and mushrooms in large mixing bowl and lightly coat with 2 T olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Heat grill to medium heat and brush grill with 1 T olive oil. Place veggies from the mixing bowl onto the grill turning once and cooking for 3 minutes per side.  For the last minute of cooking, slice and place the rolls or buns onto the grill to lightly toast them. Remove the veggies and buns from the grill when lightly browned. Place the veggies back into the bowl and stir in balsamic vinegar. 

In a blender or food processor toss in artichoke hearts, fresh basil, 1 T olive oil, and garlic. Pulse blender until a paste is created. Spread the paste onto the buns, grab a tongs and cover the buns with grilled veggies, top with spinach and tomato slices. 

Grilled Fruit and Fresh Greens Salad Recipe

Serve with side salad of fresh  greens, grilled apple and pear slices, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and an olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing.    

 The Crazy Raw Delicious Veggie Sandwich Recipe

Raw Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups of sprouted buckwheat(or your favorite sprouted grains. I’ve made this recipe with sprouted wheat berries and raw soaked oats as well.

1 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for about 2 hours

2 garlic cloves

2 T olive oil

2 t sea salt ½ cup fresh herbs(a combination of rosemary, basil and oregano is my favorite)

1 large tomato

3 T ground flax

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until it has the consistency of bread dough. Spread onto teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper, ¼-1/2 inch thick and score into squares, rectangles or your favorite sandwich shape. Dehydrate for about 4 hours, flip over and dehydrate for about 8 more hours. This bread is delicious! Enjoy!

For the sandwich toppings:

Avocado Spread

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

2 cloves of garlic

½ t sea salt

½ t black pepper

1 T lime juice

Directions:

Mash all of the ingredients together until spreadable.

-Thinly sliced portabella mushrooms marinated in tamari or nama shoyu for about 15 minutes.

-Sliced zucchini

-Sliced cucumber

-sliced tomato

-Red onion

-Sunflower sprouts

Liberally slather the avocado spread on the sun-dried tomato bread. Then pile on your marinated portabella mushrooms, zucchini, cucumber, tomato, and sunflower sprouts. Devour!

Pear and Avocado salad with Japanese Ginger Dressing

Salad Ingredients: 

-Spinach

-Pea Sprouts

-Mixed Spring Sreens

-Ribbon sliced Kale

-1/2 of a ripe pear(pick your favorite variety. Bartlet pears are always delicious. This salad tastes best when pears are in season.) cut into thick slices.

-1/2 of a ripe avocado cut into large slices.

Directions:

Mix all of the greens together and top with the pear and avocado.

Dressing Ingredients:

3 Medium carrots

¼ cup chopped ginger root
¼ cup chopped white onion

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 T nama shoyu or tamari

¼ cup sesame seeds

1/8 t sea salt

½ unrefined sesame oil

¼ cup water

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender and cover your salad with it. Enjoy!

Cancer and The Body's pH

Maintaing a healthy pH of 7.365 is integral for all healthy bodies. Particularly when someone is battling cancer or at high risk for cancer. An alkaline pH is required for all cells, tissues and organs to function optimally and specifically for a healthy immune system. When the body’s pH falls below 7.365 the body becomes very acidic(the condition is called acidosis) and creates an environment where disease can thrive, particularly cancer. When the pH of cancer cells goes above 7.5 it dies and if it goes above 8.0 it will die much much quicker.

So eating an alkaline diet rich in nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and sprouts is one of the best things you can do to prevent or battle(dare I say CURE) cancer. Our diet should always be 80% alkaline and 20% acidic to maintain a healthy pH of 7.365. If you look at our alkaline and acidic food chart you’ll notice that the highly alkaline foods are all of your greens and most of your fruits and vegetables. You’ll also notice that your very acidic foods are animal flesh, fats and oils, cooked starches, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, cooked grains, cooked beans and legumes(I specify cooked, because sprouted grains and beans are alkalizing to your body). Let’s examine a standard American meal of a cheeseburger and french fries; The bun is most likely processed and bleached grain flour: acidic. The bun is probably sprinkled with sesame or poppy seeds; acidic. Then there is both animal flesh and cheese made of cow’s milk; acidic. Finally this acid-bath of a meal is served with a side of starchy root vegetable fried in oil; SUPER ACID CITY . 

Now let’s examine a salad loaded with tons of delicious greens such as spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, chard, collard and dandelion greens; alkaline. On that salad may be a variety of healthy vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, peas, sprouts, pears, strawberries, apples and zuchinni; alkaline. Finally lets sprinkle this salad with some pumpkin seeds, almonds or sunflower seeds; alkaline. SUPER ALKALINE BLISS.

A great way to maintain a healthy pH and a balanced diet is to look at your plates of food like a pie chart. Creating meals to be 80% alkaline and 20% acidic for optimal pH balancing. Or for someone who is trying to rid their body of existing cancer cells, go super alkaline pushing your pH to 7.5 or above until all of the cancer cells are gone.

We have a good friend named Pat who cured herself of colon cancer by eating raw foods and drinking alkalizing greens smoothies. Check out the PowerHouse smoothie in our juicing vs. blending section. Or for those of you who like to stay away from all sugars including fruit, may enjoy the green smoothie invented by my friend Teresa who is a nurse of holistic medicine at Natures Garden Wellness Center.

 We call this one:

 “Teresa’s Veggie Drink”

2 large handfulls of dark leafy greens

6-12 sprigs of cilantro

½ an avocado

1 lemon peeled

1 roma tomato

1 slice of onion

1 clove of garlic

1 thumb sized chunk of ginger

a pinch of cayenne

2 cups of distilled water

Blend it all together and enjoy!

In addition to these foods being very alkalizing, detoxifying, and energizing they are all very high in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and enzymes when eaten raw. Even if you’re not battling cancer or at high risk for getting it, consuming an alkalizing diet is just a great idea for anyone who wants to feel they’re best, age gracefully and have a super immune system.

Easter Brunch Recipes- Raw vs Cooked Oatmeal

Fruit Filled Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups organic whole rolled oats

1 cup organic skim milk

2 cage free vegetarian eggs

1T Brown Sugar

1T Cinnamon

1/4 t Baking Powder

1/8t sea salt

1/2 cup organic blueberries

1/2 cup dried organic cranberries

1 organic apple (skinned and thinly sliced)

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk and eggs. Whip together until fully blended. Stir in the milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or the top begins to brown. When fully cooked, cut into squares and serve with skim milk and any toppings that sound delicious!

Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 organic Yukon Gold Potatoes

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 T Rosemary Leaves

1/2 t Sea Salt

1/2 t Garlic Powder

Directions:

Slice potatoes into 1 inch chunks. In a mixing bowl stir together potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder and sea salt until potatoes are completely covered. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 375 degrees. After 10 minutes in the oven, turn the potatoes and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. Once lightly browned remove from oven and serve.    

Raw Oatmeal and Fresh berries with Cashew Cream and Cinnamon Zuchinni Wafers

Raw Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 Cups of oat groats soaked

1 apple, cored but with the skin on.

2 Tablespoons of your favorite Raw sweetener. I suggest Raw Honey or 4 soaked dates. Some people use maple syrup also even though it’s not raw.

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon raw coconut oil

½ cup of water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender or high powered food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. This comes out to the consistency of cooked oatmeal, but way more nutrient packed since none of it’s enzymes and vitamins have been cooked out of it. Sooo delicious!

Fresh Berries with Raw Vanilla Cashew Cream

Ingredients:

For the fresh berries I suggest;

 Strawberries

 Blueberries

 black berries

 raspberries

Directions:

Combine them all in a bowl and display them beautifully. Cover them with raw cashew cream and devour.

Raw Vanilla Cashew Cream 

Ingredients:

1 Cup cashews, soaked 2 hours

2 Tablespoons raw honey(or your favorite raw sweetener)

1/4-1/2 cup purified water

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.

Raw Cinnamon Zucchini Wafers

Ingredients:

2 Cups golden flax seeds, ground

1 Cup pecans, soaked 6-8 hours

1 ½ Cups raisins, soaked 4-6 hours

1 Cup Zuchini

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Directions:

Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder or blender. 

Process the pecans to a meal in a food processor fitted with the S blade.

In a blender, process the raisins and zuchinni until smooth. Add some of the raisin soak water to blend. Combine the ground flax seed,s pecans, raisins, and zucchini in a mixing bowl, add the cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom and sea salt.

Spread the mixture ¼ inch thick onto teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 6-8 hours. They should be crispy and delicious when done.