Simple Recipes and Awaiting a Special Visitor!

The sun is shining but there is definitely still a chill in the air! I am getting so excited for the warmer weather, which will bring warmth, and an abundance of fresh local veggies, yum!

I made this very simple vegetable couscous stuffed red bell pepper for lunch the other day, it was nice and light.

I wrote the recipe on a scrap piece of paper and of course now I can't find it:( If it turns up I'll post it.

I have been blending galore! It's so fun to make simple smoothies, they are quick and delicious! I was craving a strawberry milkshake the other day and feeling inspired by the young coconuts that I purchased. Coconut water is one of my all time favourite things on this planet, it's so refreshing, ahhhh. I'm sure that you could always use soaked cashews or macadamia nuts in place of the coconut meat, though I haven't tried it yet. You may also need a little extra coconut water.

Strawberry Milkshake
Serves 1-2
1 1/2 cups coconut water
1 1/2 cups strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1 1/2 cups coconut meat
4-5 medjool dates
1-2 tablespoons of agave (optional)

Blend until smooth and serve!

Another coconut inspired recipe. This cream turned out sooo yummy!

Red & White Parfait
Serves 1-2
White Coconut Cream
1 1/4 cup coconut meat
3/4 cup coconut water
3 tablespoons of hemp seeds
3 tablespoons of agave
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 tablespoons of finely grated cacao butter

Blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate or freeze until it firms up.

Red Super Syrup
3/4 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons of goji berries, soaked (about 15 min) and drained
3 tablespoons of agave
1 vanilla bean, scraped

Blend until smooth.
Layer coconut cream, then syrup then fresh raspberries, repeat. Top with raspberries, goji berries and hemp seeds. Enjoy!

One thing about my style of creating food is that I am not really a fan of oil, for multiple reasons. I have recently been trying to avoid it or use it minimally. I find many raw gourmet recipes call for heaps of oil, especially in soup, yuk!

B and I seem to be into pasta lately...I think it's the texture of the noodles. I made this marinara sauce with what I had in my raw kitchen. I would have loved to use some fresh herbs but unfortunately there were non in my friggy, plus I can't find organic herbs lately other then parsley and cilantro.

Sexy Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce
Serves 2
2 cups of chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of sundried tomatoes, packed (soaked for about 15-20 min and drained)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon agave
2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt (I only used pinch because we are cutting back on salt)
good pinch of chili powder

I like to rub the dried herbs between my hands before placing then in the blender...it helps release their natural oils. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. If you have a less powerful blender you may need a few teaspoons of the sundried tomato soaking water to help blend the ingredients.
Pour over zucchini noodles and serve.

Guess who's coming to town...nope, it's not Santa Claus!
My mommy is coming for a visit tomorrow, and she is staying over until Monday, yay! We need to get all the quality time in together before our big move out west! She is also coming over Easter Monday for a sleep over and I will plan a special, nontraditional yummy menu. This weekend we will probably keep things simple, but I do want to make a raw dessert for her because she loves them :) Brent, my mom and I are probably going to all just hang out together, talk, watch movies and tour around town. On Monday I will bring my mama to the thrift store in search of some treasures...I LOVE thrift shopping!

In need of a house cleaning!
As I had mentioned I am working on tweaking my diet. I want to include more greens, sprouts, more fruit, more sea vegetables, more fermented foods and algae. I will continue to limit my salt and raw gourmet foods, keeping them for special occasions. I really feel like I need to detox, and a juice fast seems like a perfect fit. The plan is to explore my first mini juice fast mid April. Any suggestions, tips or experience that anyone would be willing to share is greatly appreciated.

Greens, Ebook Dessert Dreams and Everything in Between

Natural Beauty
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!

Valentine's Day = Sexy Pasta & Chocolate

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!!

Brent and I celebrated Valentine’s by spending a quiet day together and enjoying some delicious food. We did not do the whole big-bam-boom celebration with all the frills. The definition of Valentine’s according to Wikipedia "Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions." We show one another love daily, so I guess that means everyday is V-Day ;)

I wanted to give a homemade prezzy to Brent, which he would of course share with me, in the form of chocolate, done up raw. I really wanted to make raw chocolate turtle truffles, but I couldn’t find a good recipe, so it was a perfect reason for experimenting. The result....

Turtles, Turtles, RAW, RAW, RAW!


They turned out awesome! I was so proud of myself.

I am slightly ashamed to report that they did not last, and Brent still wanted more. I think he was really craving the richness of chocolate because it’s been a while since we have had a chocolate based dessert.

I decided for my next experiment that I wanted to keep the base of the turtle truffle recipe, but with MORE caramel and pecans because that combination was my favourite part. With this goal in mind raw Turtle Chocolate Bars were created.

Raw Turtle Chocolate Squares


When Brent and I bit into these little squares oozing with velvety chocolate, sticky caramel, crunchy pecans and more chocolate we just starred at one another with amazement. There were no words.

It’s a very fulfilling feeling when you have made something so delish that there are no words. I was really proud of the love and work that I put into these two gifts, and I know they were well received.

For dinner we shared a sexy meal, pasta!

Lightly Peppered Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves 2-3 people


Pasta Noodles
•4 small or 2 medium zucchini, peeled

Use a spiral slicer or make noodles by hand(I do not have a spiral slicer). I used a peeler to make large shavings of zucchini and then cut each one into two or three noodles.


Lightly Peppered Alfredo Sauce
•3/4 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours
•1/4 cup brazil nuts, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight
•1 small clove of garlic
•1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of water
•1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
•1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice
•3/4 teaspoons of salt
•1/2 teaspoons of ground black peppercorns
•1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ( I used freshly ground – it smells so good)

Blend until smooth.

“Steamed” Spinach
•2 cups of spinach, packed
•Juice from half a small lemon
•2 teaspoons of braggs (or nama shoyu or tamari)

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and massage spinach until it wilts. It may seem like a lot of spinach, but when you massage and marinate it the volume reduces significantly.

Marinated Mushrooms
•5 sliced white mushrooms
•1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
•1 1/2 teaspoons of braggs (or nama shoyu or tamari)

In a bowl mix all ingredients together, set aside.

Toss the zucchini noodles, alfredo, “steamed” spinach and marinated mushrooms. We had about 2-3 tablespoons of sauce left over. We don’t like it too saucy ;)

I served this with a simple green soup.


For dessert I made an oreo-like soft serve, topped with nibs and caramel sauce.

This Valentine's was definitely a sweet one, hehe.