I ventured into the city yesterday and found these beautiful blood oranges in a health food store. These little gems tasted like I was eating a fresh orange and juicy blackberries all at the same time. So refreshing and beautiful. Isn't nature amazing!
Look at the colours of this natural beauty.
EBook Dessert Dreams
I could not sleep Tuesday night, I had so many creative recipe ideas floating around in my head. I decided to type up a list of my ideas to release them from my mind and transfer them into a visual, hoping to get some rest. I noticed that there was something in common between these recipe ideas, they are ALL desserts! Well, that doesn't really shock me since dessert has always been my favourite food category - to make and eat , but now it's all about the raw desserts which completely kick SAD desserts butt ;) I love making sweet decadent desserts that are healthy for myself and for others to eat, it makes me feel so good inside and I have no feelings of guilt attached because I know they are nutritious, which is equally important to me.
I don't know many people in this small town that I am temporarily living, so Brent and I eat all of the desserts I make, not that we are complaining, though it is nice to share beautiful food with others and to have their feedback. Brent is very appreciative of the food I make, so I think that just adds fuel to the raw dessert producing machine that I am :D I could seriously make raw dessert all day, it's just so much fun! As I mentioned previously, I have so many ideas swimming in my mind that I can barely get to sleep ;)
Of course I plan to share recipes here on my blog with all of you wonderful readers out there, but I have decided that I want to save some of them, the super special ones, for a future ebook.
I feel that I am being called upon to help spread the word of healthy raw foods using my strength which is creating them, but more specifically...for now, desserts. I'd like to start by creating a raw gourmet dessert ebook, and then move forward from there. It's going to take some time, and I will enjoy every moment.
In the future I am hoping to provide raw catering services and then maybe even a little cafe would be in my future. For now I will take things day-by-day and continue to dream big.
Brent and I are planning to relocate out west in the next few months, before fall, and once settled I will be able to focus more on a future business idea. If I could survive doing something I love and have passion for which is making raw food yummies, that would be spectacular.
For now I am grateful that I am able to experiment in my kitchen with new recipe ideas and looking forward to the sunshine that spring is sure to bring.
This spring I will be looking into setting up a table at the local farmers market, to show others how amazing raw food is. It's healing, delicious and definitely nutritious.
Here are some of the experiments that have been going on in my kitchen this weekend in hopes of making it to my future ebook;
Power Packed Granola Bars
These are in the dehydrator as I type. I do hope they turn out because I have been craving a really good granola bar for a long, looong time now. Granola has always been a favourite food of mine. Sweet, chewy, textured, crunchy, slightly salty...it's so good. One things for sure, they are omitting the yummiest smell from the dehydrator!
Coconut and Macadamia Cookies
These too are in my dehydrator. If they turn out good that would be great, because they are a creation using ingredients I had laying around in the kitchen.
Decadent Chocolate & Caramel Swirl Cheesecake
This is one of the best desserts that I have ever eaten in my life. The chocolate cheesecake was creamy, but not too rich and the caramel added the perfect rich sweetness. I'm taking a moment to reminisce in the taste branded to my memory....mmmmm. I was actually worried about the outcome and uncertain if the chocolate was rich and sweet enough. Am I ever glad that I trusted my intuition to wait for the outcome as opposed tinkering around with the recipe. Once the caramel swirl part was added, the dessert was truly amazing! This one is absolutely to live for!
Some chocolate based recipes that have made the ebook cut are;
•Raw Chocolate Turtle Bars
•Chewy Cacao Crunch Chocolate Truffles
•Decadent Chocolate and Caramel Swirl Cheesecake
Here's a photo shoot of the Decadent Chocolate and Caramel Swirl Cheesecake
The whole cheesecake
Isn't it pretty with the swirlies?
Served by the piece
At room temperature...the caramel oozing out *licking lips*
I would like to include a variety of flavours and ingredients in the ebook. I have a lot of ideas such as; Lemon and Blueberry Mousse Layer Cake, Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies, Mini Caramel Apple Tarts, and Gingerbread Cupcakes with Maple Citrus Buttercream Icing. I have quite a long list of what I am hoping to create, but until the final dessert is approved it remains just that, an idea. Lots of experimenting to do over the next few months.
I'm interested to know what type of desserts others are looking for in a recipe book. Please feel free to let me know in the comment section below :)
Even though I love raw desserts, I actually eat very simple meals the majority of time. My daily food intake frequently consists of simple and clean meals such as; blended greens in the form of a green soup or green smoothie, fresh fruits, veggies, sprouts, the real superfoods provided by mother nature.
Greeeens!
A typical lunch
In the summer I love green juice, actually... I always love green juice, but produce is more expensive here in the winter and my juicer is not the greatest for extracting all the green liquid goodness...but I am fortunate just to have a juicer. A few months ago I was drinking a litre of green juice every morning and I felt fantastic. I do need to get back on the daily juice wagon.
Wednesday I enjoyed a large serving of green juice...
...with; 3 celery stalks, 1 cucumber, 1/2 large zucchini, 1 inch of ginger, 5 kale stems (leaf was used in a salad), 1/2 head of red leaf lettuce.
Mmmmmmmmmmm.....nothing like beautiful green juice. I swear this stuff gives you super powers!
Actually, now that we are are the topic of juice, I have a personal juice goal to share. I would like to incorporate juice fasts one day a week starting in the spring and build up to about 3 days, eventually. In August I have some travel plans which will occupy my life (this is when we are hoping to venture out west), so I'm thinking that it would be a great opportunity to try a week of juice fasting. I don't like to eat many heavy foods through the summer, so I think this would be a realistic time for me to attempt my juice fast goal.
Thursday night for dinner I wanted something clean, simple, and easy to digest.
Fresh Lemon and Dill Spinach Soup
Serves 2
•1 zucchini
•1 cup water (more if thinner consistency is desired)
•1/4 cup lemon juice
•1 small clove garlic
•5 cups of spinach, packed
•2 teaspoons of dried dill
•1 avocado
•1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Blend until smooth and creamy. This makes a thick creamy soup, but feel free to use more water for a thinner consistency.
I have not been adding as much Himalayan salt to my daily green soups. For me it's important to use fresh or dried herbs to provided flavour to limit the amount of salt added, even if it is good quality (Himalayan salt) and contains trace minerals. I feel that salt is l hard for the body to process, that's why I am really trying to limit the use in my daily meals, like green soup. I will continue to use my Himalayan salt, but save it more for the gourmet recipes. I have found that lemon and dill create a delicious together and personally I don't feel the need for salt with the bursting flavours these provide.
Tonight I had a smoothie for din din and whipped up a simple pasta dish which Brent enjoyed. We seem to both be eating many pasta dishes these days, perhaps because they are simple and flexible meals. I can't wait till tomato season, then we can make heaps of marinara based recipes, yum :P
Zucchini Pasta with Red Pepper Cheese Sauce and Marinated Broccoli
Serves 2
Marinated Broccoli
•2 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
•1 tablespoon of lemon juice
•2 teaspoons of braggs
Mix together and put aside while you prepare the sauce and noodles.
Red Pepper Cheese Sauce
•1 medium red pepper
•1/4 macadamia nuts
•1/4 cup almonds
•1 tablespoon diced yellow onion
•1 clove garlic
•2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
•1 tablespoons olive oil
•2 tablespoons water
•1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
•1/2-3/4 teaspoons of salt
•1/4 teaspoon chili powder
•1/8 teaspoon tumeric (optional)
Pasta Noodles
•2 medium zucchini, peeled
Use a spiral slicer or make noodles by hand. I used a peeler to make large shavings of zucchini and then cut each one into two or three noodles.
Toss zucchini noddles, broccoli and sauce together. A fast and tasty meal!
Sorry for the ridiculously long post...I need to blog more frequently because I apparently have lots to say!
I hope everyone has a great weekend. I look forward to reading your comments!
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