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Raw Chocolate Pudding

This is a delicious and unique (not the mention healthy!) recipe. It was very simple to make...the only time involved is soaking the dates. Try this straight off the spatula or frozen. There is another version here (it's a little more gourmet...but Renee is one of my favorite chefs...so I had to mention it!). No photo today...you'll just have to make it yourself! Yum!

Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People
by Jennifer Cornbleet

Yeld: 1 cup, 2 servings

1/4 c. pitted medjool dates, soaked*
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. mashed avocados (1 1/2 avocados)
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa or carob powder
1/4 c. water

Place the dates, maple syrup, and vanilla in a food processor fitted
with an S blade and process until smooth. Add the avocado and cocoa
powder and process until creamy. Stop occasionally to scrape down
the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the water and
process briefly. Stored in a sealed container, it will keep for
three days in the refrigerator, or two weeks in the freezer. Serve
chilled or at room temp.

FOR DOUBLE BATCH:

Increase amounts to 1/2 c. dates, soaked, 1/2 c. maple syrup, 1 tsp.
vanilla extract, 1/2 c. mashed avos (3 avos). 3/4 c. cocoa powder,
and 1/2 c. water. Yield: 2 cups, 4 servings.

Salad Love

I love salad. I could seriously DRINK my balsamic vinaigrette dressing (below). I love it that much. I've been trying to eat a lot cleaner lately (no refined sugars or flours)...basically eating raw until supper. Fruit for breakfast and snack and I've making a huge salad like the one above nearly everyday for lunch. Eating greens will really help curb sugar cravings...try it! I'm so excited for the Farmer's Market to begin so I can get some local, organic greens and veggies. Oh the joy!

My salad usually consists of:

• organic spring mix or romaine
• walnuts
• raisins
• broccoli
• kale
• tomatoes
• ground flax
• hemp seeds
• carrots
  
• avocado

Don't ever say that a salad won't fill you up! This salad will :)

Here is the dressing recipe again. I usually make a double batch and it keeps for at least a week, if not longer. Just add a little water each time you use it and shake.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods
Renee Underkoffler

6 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 T maple syrup or raw honey
1 T nama shoyu
1 T white miso
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 t oregano
Sun-dried sea salt to taste

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Store in a glass jar in refrigerator. Keeps for 3-4 days. To re-use, add a little water and shake.

Pesto Pizza

This was the first meal I made in the kitchen in our new apartment. However...the oven was pretty much worthless and it took about an hour to melt the cheese! They are replacing our oven...yay! It was still delicious.

I started with garlic naan and topped it with pesto. Then I added some sliced roma tomatoes, artichokes, feta and romano cheeses and topped it all off with an Italian blend of cheeses and melted it all up in the oven. Yum. Yum. Yum. It was so fast and easy. Everyone had their own personal pizza and we devoured them.

Sweet Potato, Squash, & Apple Soup

I found this delicious, simple soup in How it All Vegan. I've made this twice in one week. You MUST try it. The sandwich next to the soup is my latest obsession. Hummus and avocado sandwich. Oh. My. Goodness. I love them. I've been eating them daily. Matt loves it when I breathe garlic hummus breath on him. He says he can smell it from every pore in my being. Hmmmm...it's not gonna stop me. Yum yum. I digress. Here is the recipe:

Sweet Potato, Squash, & Apple Soup
1 medium onion
1 T olive oil
2 cups veggie stock
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 cups sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and diced
2-3 medium apples, cored and diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

In a large soup pot, saute the onions in oil on medium high heat until translucent. Add the stock, squash, potatoes, apples, and salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne and bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Take 2 ladles' worth of veggies and 1 ladle of stock and blend in the blender or food processor until smooth. Return to soup pot and stir together before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

This soup makes great leftovers too...all the goodness soaks together.

Glorious New Teas

We went to Gong Fu Tea today with my family...and my dad bought me some tea for my birthday! Yippeeee! Here is the run down:

Pacific Breeze: My all-time favorite. This is what I drink everyday. It makes me infinitely happy. It smells so amazing. Here is their description: We can only describe this extraordinary blend as "eye-popping"! This tea is an exotic mélange of only the finest organic ingredients - Oolong tea leaves, wild roses, jasmine blossoms, lemon myrtle and natural citrus oils that come together to produce a beautiful, dry, and flavorful brew that will linger on the palate. This tea is an experience that must be tried.

Blue Spring Oolong: I got this one because it has a unique look to it...kind of like little turds. hee hee! The owner's wife said it's her favorite...so I just had to try it out. I love oolong tea. Description: The leaves for this oolong are grown at high elevations in Fujian Province, China -- amidst a landscape that is home to the ideal breezes and humidity for producing quality teas. The partially oxidized leaves are hand-rolled in a licorice powder, causing them to take on the appearance of small pebbles. When brewed, the liquor emits a delicately sweet aroma and provides a pleasantly peculiar, lingering finish. This is perhaps the most unique oolong tea we have ever experienced.

Gobi Green with Citron: This delicate green tea with a hint of citrus and orange flowers will provide a gentle awakening to the new day. After a few cups of this unique blend, you will find your adventurous spirit exploring paths that are often less traveled.

Yum! Does anyone want to come have a cup of tea with me?!

EVOO

EVOO...otherwise known as extra virgin olive oil. This stuff is like gold at our house. This bottle of organic goodness was given to me by my dad when I saw it at his house and exclaimed..."Where did you get organic olive oil?!!"...he replied "Costco...you can have it". What!? Sweeeeet. I use it in nearly everything I make. Delicioso.