SALAD SENSATION 101

A basic list of salad ingredients, toppings, dressings and learn new ways to combine them all!

Base: While this doesn’t necessarily comprise the bulk of the salad, it’s a good place to start. Depending on your hunger level, start with at least 2 cups of any of the following (or a combination of several!)

Arugula
Bok Choy
Frisse
Dandelion Greens
Endive (all varieties)
Fennel
Kale
Mizuna (an Asian green leaf)
Radicchio
Romaine
Savoy Cabbage
Seaweed
Spinach
Tot soi (similar to Mizuna, but with a stronger, more peppery flavor)

Add Ins: Salads are typically better when the portion of vegetable add-ins are in quantities either equal to or exceeding the base layer. So, for a salad that uses 1 cup of “greens,” you’ll probably want to add between 1 and 2 cups of a combination of the following!

Artichoke hearts
Asparagus
Avocado
Banana Pepper
Bell Pepper (all colors except green ones as they are not ripe)
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chilies (hey, some like it hot!)
Cucumber
Eggplant (dehyrated)
Green Beans
Jalapeno Peppers
Mushroom
Olives
Onion
Radish
Snow Peas
Sprouts (try all kinds from alfalfa, fenugreek, sunflower, radish etc.)
Tomatoes

Some people like to add fruits though from a food combo perspective, it's usually best to eat fruits by itself.

Blueberries
Cranberries
Grapes
Raspberries
Oranges
Pear
Strawberries
Apple slices
Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts)
Water chestnuts
Raw Honey (and we’re talking really occasionally and in very small doses here!)

“Oils”:
Avocado Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Raw Mayonnaise from avocados or nuts
Nut based yogurt
Pumpkin Seed Oil (adds a robust and nutty taste to salads or marinades)
Truffle Oil (pricey, but totally worth it!)

Acids: Who’d of thought there were so many options beyond the run-of-the-mill balsamic/red-wine varieties? As a general rule of thumb use 3 parts oil to 1 part acid for a balanced dressing.

Vinegars are not always raw and can be too acid, so it's an individual decision how much you want to incorporate in your dressings. Lemons and limes works just as well to add sour and tangyness to any dressing.

Apple Vinegar/Apple Cider Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Champagne Vinegar
Chingkiang Vinegar (best for Asian-inspired salads!)
Cider Vinegar
Ice Wine Vinegar (hard to find, but impressive when you do!)
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Red Wine Vinegar
Rice Vinegar
Sherry Vinegar (best when aged, so you’ll need to know your stuff regarding good “years”)
Tarragon Vinegar
Tomato Juice


Spices and Herbs: When it comes to salads - and salad dressings in particular - a little bit of spice can transform the entire dish!

Basil
Celery Salt
Cilantro
Dill
Dijon Mustard
Garlic
Garlic Salt
Ginger
Mint
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper
Tarragon

With these ingredients you can create endless salad combinations.

Still seem a little daunting? Try some of these outside-of-the-box salad dressing ideas:

Caesar Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Oregano
2/3 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
rawmesan cheese or any nut based fermented cheeses
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir the white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil to make a thick-ish vinaigrette mixture. Stir in garlic. Add rawmesan cheese just before serving.

Cucumber Dill Dressing:
3/4 cup nut based fermented yogurt
3 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
1 tsp agave syrup, yacon or raw honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup cucumber, peeled and seeded
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and seed cucumber. Chop into small chunks and blend in a food processor until smooth. Add all other ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Lime Almond Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp finely chopped raw almonds
2 tsp raw tamari or nama shoyu or simply use sea salt
1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
Add all ingredients blend or in a jar the shake until all ingredients are mixed!

Garlic Vinaigrette:
3 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic (pressed)
Salt & pepper to taste
Blend in a blender or place in a jar and shake.

Orange Citrus Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp honey

And yet another simple one! Blend the vinegar, orange juice, oil, cilantro, mustard, garlic, and honey in a bowl. Serve chilled.

STRAWBERRY CHIA PUDDING

I've been playing around with chia and Salba pudding.

I soak about 3 to 4 tablespoons of mix chia and salba seeds
a handful of strawberries mashed (without stems and leaves)
a tablespoon of bee pollen
a teaspoon of hemp protein powder or hemp seeds
a teaspoon of cinnamon
a teaspoon to a tablespoon of mesquite
half a teaspoon of carob

I mix it all up and it's like a pudding crumble wrapped up into one delish bowl.

Marvelous M!

WOW! Great recipes have not been logging in busy with travels lately. Love all the stuff you have added. I've been sticking to good ol' favorites such as zucchini hummus with variations of tomatoes and bellpeppers always a yummy treat and quick. Then I've been doing loads of vege pates either with a bit of nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds combo and will try macadamia and pine nuts for a richer, deeper flavor). I usually have mostly cruciferous veges and will be trying some beets.

You will love this place that grow their own veges and sells them dirt cheap and even gives away free herbs. Yesterday, I went to stock up on greens as I was running low. They had these amazing chicory ahhh yum yum heaven! They were not as bitter as the usual kind. She didn't tell what kind they were but you would have loved it! I bought the whole cagette. I had about seven heads for about 2 or 3 E and then free herbs to go. The cucumbers were juicy and so so fresh really great for making the green juices.

I will try some of the recipes you posted now that I'm back into the swing of things. The Business Plan is going really well. As I write it, I'm getting lots of insights and will forward a bunch of questions from your end that we can add together to complete THE PLAN :)

I'm so excited about our venture!!! I've also been looking at other similar ideas or concepts and none really that matches what we're creating. I'm also collecting a bunch of articles for you to read re: cuisine crue taking up Europe by storm. Fab info. I also got you a bag of spicy Italian spice from Umbria. Will mail those to your parents' home so you can get them when they go to the States.

Bye for now and merci mille fois for all the delish recipes. Keep them coming and we'll we busy in the kitchen experimenting some more.

Cheers and will email you on your personal one. We'll Skype tonight for updates.

J. xoxo

Chutney recipe and variations to try out

Inca Berries-Mulberries Chutney

1 cup soaked Inca berries

1 cup soaked Mulberries

1/4 cup minced red onion 

1/4 cup cilantro

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp of chopped ginger

Dash of cayenne or piece of seeded Jalapeno (if red, green are unripe) or piece of seeded Thai chili... Quantity up to taste

Bit of salt

Put 1st the berries in the food processor (not the belnder as you want texture) and process a little the berries. Then add other ingredients and process until chutney texture so not blended all the way.

Personally would 

Increase 

Red onion to 1/2 cup or do 1/4 cup red onion and then add the end add 1/4 cup scallions/green onions/cebettes very finely sliced

Cilantro to 1/2 cup

Add

Few leaves of fresh mint, a handful, and throw them in at the end, just pulse to chop them or minced by end and add to the final product

Ground cumin

Ground coriander

Maybe orange zest or lemon zest

Substitute

Shredded raw coconut (use up to 2-3 Tbsp, to taste) instead of olive oil and blend with other ingredients

Ideas

Instead of Inca and Mulberries we can use:

Fresh mango (then add lemon or lime juice too)

Fresh figs or fresh plums + something more sour

Fresh apricots as they have a sweet and sour taste, I love apricots!

I like the sour taste given by the Inca berries in the chutney and if i was doing it again with the dried and soaked berries would do 3/4 cup Inca berries and 1/4 cup mulberries. Maybe that 3/4 cup Inca berries and 1/4 cup figs (or plum) would work???

We could also use to spice it up one of the delicious spice mix we bought in the pretty boxes. I like the curry one with vanilla, clove....

Oh vanilla and fresh ginger would be great with mango, with apricots too!!!

Just done this great green smoothie with

Apricots, spinach, little bit of kale (very good without too), fresh ginger, fresh vanilla bean (yum!!!! i am eating vanille daily these days!), few ice cubes

Topped it with lots of bee pollen

Cinnamon would also be a nice addition

Ok enough for today

Enjoy

xoxoxo

Anyway let me know what you think

Divine Desserts - Ist

Chocolaty Chocolate Mousse Cake


To prepare - soak 3-4 cups dates for 15 min

Pie Crust:

Grind up 3 cups of hazelnuts in food processor until almost powdery
Add 8 dates (soaked first for 15 minutes)
Add 5 tablespoons honey
Add 1 cup raw carob powder
Pinch of Salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
(May need a tablespoon or two of the date soak water to get it all going)
Blend all in food processor until doughy
(Form in to pie crust in pie dish)


Carob Mousse Filling:

2 cups of soaked dates (remove pits after soaking)
1-2 tablespoons of vanilla extract (or 1-2 inches of vanilla bean)
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil or flax oil
Blend up in food processor until creamy
Add 3 avocados
Add 1 cup carob powder
Add pinch of salt
Blend all in food processor until moussey

- inspired by a recipe in Rennee Loux Underkoffler's book Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods

RASPBERRY GANACHE FUDGE CAKE~ Ani Phyo

CAKE
3 c walnuts
2/3 C cacao or carob powder
1/4 t salt
1 C pitted Medjool dates
Process the nuts into a fine ground, add everything and mix well but do not over-process. Form into two round cakes

FROSTING
1/3 C Medjool dates
1/4 c agave
1/2 ripe avocado
1/3 cacao powder
(I also used 1 T coconut oil)
Process until creamy

FILLING
berries

Its that easy!

To order your own copy of this sweet little treasure, go to www.aniphyo.com

Recipes for J - Ist

Creamy Zucchini, Summer Squash and Herbs Soup

Serves 1 or 2

1/2 avocado or ¼ cup brazil nuts (soaked for 4 hrs)
1 cup yellow (if not available use green and peel) zucchini, cubed and if you wish peeled (more delicate flavor)
1 cup yellow summer squash, cubed (or substitute zucchini)
1 garlic clove
½ cup fresh basil leaves
2 or 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons unpasteurized chickpea or white miso
Pinch of cayenne
Up to 2 cups water (start with 1 ½ cups and add more if necessary)

2 tablespoons unsoaked cut up wakame (my 1st choice) or salade du pecheur or laitue de mer…
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Blend all ingredients except wakame and chives until smooth and creamy in high-speed blender.
Adjust seasonings to taste and add dry wakame pieces. Let them rehydrate for 4-5 minutes.
Serve topped with finely chopped chives.


Sunflower-Rosemary-Orange dipping sauce

Thick, rich and creamy this dipping sauce compliments winter nori roll, goes well with crudités, or use as a condiment or spread.

¼ cup sunflower seeds, soaked (or hemp seeds, unsoaked)
1 orange, peel and remove any seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
¼ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Peel orange, separate segments, remove any seeds and put in blender or food processor. Add all remaining ingredients, except olive oil, and blend until incorporated. Slowly add olive oil and blend until thick and emulsified.
Serve immediately or chilled for later use. Store up to two days.

Black Olive Tapenade

• 3 cups black olives, pitted 

• ½ cup oil-packed or soaked sun-dried tomatoes, optional 

• ½ cup olive oil 

• ¼ cup fresh flat parsley 

• ¼ cup fresh basil 
leaves
• 2 cloves garlic 

• 2 tbsp lemon juice 

• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves 

• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
• Himalayan (or Celtic) salt and black pepper to taste


Place all ingredients except olives, optional sun-dried tomatoes and capers in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add in olives, capers and sun-dried tomatoes if you choose to use them and pulse until only little bits of olives are visible. Chill and serve.


Creamy Cauliflower Soup
3 cups almond milk
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup chou-rave (kohlrabi), peeled and chopped
¼ cup hemp seeds or soaked sunflower seeds or soaked macadamia
1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg OR one of the spice mix you have
Pinch of turmeric powder
¼ cup finely chopped parsley to garnish

Blend until smooth, if desired strain through nut milk bag.
Add ¼ cup finely chopped parsley and a handful of cauliflower florets (small size)


Parsley Coriander (cilantro!) Pesto

2 cups parsley
1 cup cilantro/coriander
½ cup mint
½ cup green onions, chopped
¼ cup pine nuts or sunflower
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger, grated (optional)
½ tablespoon light/white miso
Salt to taste (start with ¼ tsp)
Cayenne (optional)

Process in food processor until almost smooth.
I am trying to make it seed based only (lighter) but it can be done with ½ pine nuts or pine nuts only, soaked for 2 hrs or not.


Dolmas

Sauce to marinate the grape leaves (well-rinsed)
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teasppon crushed garlic

Filling
2 medium zucchini, julienned and cut into rice-like pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup oine nuts, coarsely chopped
1 ½ Tbsp minced chopped parsley
1 ½ Tbsp minced dill
1 Tbsp minced green onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flax oil
1 Tbsp currants or chopped raisins
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed garlic

Toss diced zucchini with salt and wait 5 minutes. Gently squeezed out the excess moisture using your hands.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the shredded zucchini and toss gently to combine.

Detox & Delish Dips

Detoxify with Exercise
From Brian Clement

A good way to keep your body free of congestion is by vigorous daily exercise. Unless you are active, your body deteriorates very quickly. The fact that your body contains more than 700 muscles is an undeniable indication of the fact that your body is created to be active. Many people habitually fall into the trap of inactivity, thereby experiencing the catch-22 vicious cycle, whereby one avoids exercise because he is grossly out of shape, while the reason that one is out of shape is that he does no exercise!

You must be determined and motivated to exercise daily, thereby eradicating the restrictions — physical, mental and emotional, that result from inactivity. Sluggishness of body, thought and feeling is manifested as a pervasive internal stagnation that constrains most of the organs to function at only a percentage of their capacity, which inevitably results in a toxic accumulation. An improper diet and lack of exercise constitute a potentially-literally-deadly combination.

When you exercise vigorously, you are giving your body a thorough house cleaning. Among the important functions of your bloodstream, three are particularly-health-promoting and very much benefited by exercise.

The bloodstream carries nutrients that are extracted from the food that you eat to every cell in your body. Exercise facilitates the journey of these nutrients to their destination while, at the same time, generating enormous amounts of oxygen in the bloodstream. The intensely-oxygenated blood helps the nutrients that constitute our fuel to be burned more completely when they reach the cell. It might be more-than-figuratively said that exercise helps to feed our cells.

The bloodstream is also the corporeal sanitation-department, eliminating the residue that remains after the food/fuel has been burned. Every microscopic cell is akin to a tiny oven in which low-level combustion occurs. And, since the body must eliminate large amounts of residue and toxic waste daily, only an unimpeded bloodstream that is powered by vigorous exercise can do the job thoroughly.

An unimpeded bloodstream obviously keeps the veins and arteries open, because it inhibits the accumulation of cholesterol on the inside walls of these channels. Exercise helps to maintain our internal cleanliness and, when arteries and veins are clear of obstructions, blood-pressure is normal. Exercise strengthens the heart, and a strong heart works at a slower but more efficient pace. The more one learns how the body functions, the more one can understand the importance of exercise.

Just got this article and thought of you.

How are you gorgeous goddess? everything ok? still not a 100%, need to go to bed earlier tonight... Yet life is great and I am looking forward to the raw spirit festival next friday, saturday, sunday. Will let you know all about it, i know it is going to be lots of fun.

Haven't made them yet but was thinking that you may like to play with a couple recipes I have in my head. You need to adjust the amount of each ingredients to your taste and/or to achieve the right texture.

Zucchini-sundried tomatoes hummus

2 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped

Sundried tomatoes (1/2 cup or a little more) packed in oil

Garlic, fresh better but dry ok, 1 or 2 cloves or more to taste

Lemon juice, start with 1/4 cup but may require more (i like everything with lots of lemon as you know!!!)

4 tablespoons (up to 6) raw tahini

6 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, soaked) or hemp seeds

Salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) or white miso to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne, optional

1 or 2 tablespoons of water if needed

Combine all ingredients except the tahini and sesame/hemp seeds in a high-speed blender and puree.

Add sesame seeds and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy.

Add tahini and blend again.

Serve in romaine lettuce leaves and pile on top chopped tomatoes, finely chopped red bell pepper and lots of sprouts. Rehydrated wakame would be nice too!

Red Bell pepper Curry Hummus

2 zucchini, peeled and chopped

1/2 red bell pepper

1 clove garlic

¼ cup sesame tahini

¼ to 1/2 cup hulled (white color) sesame seeds (soaked for 2-3 hrs) or try with unsoaked hemp seeds

2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 or 2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt

1/2 teaspoon of salade de pecheur or nori flakes

Putting first all the liquid ingredients at the bottom of your high-speed blender, blend until smooth.

Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy

PS : if too runny add sun-dried tomato powder (blend sun-dried tomatoes, use dry not oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes)

It Started with a Salad...

Our first post is our first exchange of recipe that M created:

Made a delicious salad:

green lettuce, lots of sprouts (sunflower greens, pea shoots, alfalfa, clover), seaweed, cherry tomatoes, grated summer squash, dill, basil, mint, scallions, olives + flax oil, borage oil, spirulina, curry spices. It was all chopped finely and i tossed it well so managed to use it as a filling in butter lettuce leaves and topped it with raw sauerkraut, yummy!