Greek Salad Pita
FILLING: about a quarter of a medium cucumber, diced 10 grape tomatoes (give or take), cut in half diced red onion to taste (roughly 2 TBSP) 10 black olives (give or take), pitted & cut in half 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 2 TBSP lemon juice 1 & 1/2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 TBSP chopped fresh) DRESSING: 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 TBSP chopped, fresh mint leaves a few dashes of pure salt freshly ground black pepper 2 whole grain or sprouted pitas Mix together filling ingredients and fill 2 pitas. Combine dressing ingredients and drizzle into each pita....
Read MoreArugula w/ Golden Vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 TBSP brown mustard 1 tsp ground turmeric pinch of pure salt freshly ground black pepper Whisk all ingredients together and toss with salad greens (pictured here with baby arugula). ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ A salad doesn’t have to be fancy and time-consuming to make. This is a great example of how a few handfuls of greens with the right dressing can be absolutely extraordinary. I am in love with this simple salad. ~ Turmeric (one of the primary spices that...
Read More“Nutella” (Choc. Hazelnut Butter)
2 cups hazelnuts, roasted & skinned 2 TBSP cacao (or cocoa) powder 1 to 2 TBSP natural sugar (or 6 – 12 drops liquid stevia) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast hazelnuts for 10 – 15 minutes (until skins split). Remove from oven and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Rub the nuts together in the towel until the skins flake off. Add the nuts to a food processor or Vitamix blender and process until you get creamy butter. Add the cacao and sugar and process again until combined. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ To be...
Read MoreChipotle Mayo
1 cup mayo 2 tsps chipotle powder (or less) Mix. _________________________________________________________ For a fancier version: Optional add-ins…. 2 tsps lime juice 1 TBSP finely chopped cilantro 2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder) 1/4 tsp dried oregano dollop of high quality sour cream ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Chipotle mayo is a great way to add a smokey, spicy flavor to any meal. Use it any way you’d use regular mayo (on a sandwich, burger, burrito, taco, fish, chicken, as...
Read MoreBalsamic Mustard Vinaigrette
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (or to taste) 2 tsps high quality brown mustard 1 large garlic clove, crushed 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/8 tsp pure salt a few grinds of black pepper Whisk together all ingredients (or combine in jar with tight-fitting lid and shake well). Store in the refrigerator. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Very easy/tasty dressing to whip together. Of course, the key to making a salad dressing (or anything for that matter) taste delicious, is using the highest quality ingredients...
Read MoreCranberry Pecan & Feta Salad
mixed salad greens dried cranberries pecans feta cheese (optional) Italian dressing Toss together and enjoy. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This salad is based on something I picked up at Whole Foods a while back while traveling. If I remember correctly, they used goat cheese which was really tasty. I happened to have feta in the fridge so that’s what I used & it was just as good (albeit a bit different). For those with various food restrictions, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy...
Read MoreFarmer Bean Soup
1 & 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans 2 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered 1 celery stalks, quartered 6 scallions, green tops only, cut into quarters 1 large sprig rosemary, needles only 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 8 cups broth (veggie or chicken) 1/2 tsp pure salt freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 thinly sliced onion for garnish (optional) a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce or worcester sauce (optional) lime wedges for serving (optional) Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Rinse and drain the beans. Put the beans in a soup...
Read MoreCaribbean Roasted Root Veggies
DRESSING: 3 TBSP tamari/soy sauce 2 TBSP coconut oil 2 TBSP red wine vinegar 1 TBSP natural sugar 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 large garlic clove, minced or crushed Puree dressing ingredients in a blender. VEGETABLES: 12 cups (more or less) mixed root vegetables, chopped This time, I used a combination of rutabaga, beet, sweet potato, and carrot. Other good options are parsnip, turnip, white potato, or any type of winter squash. Preheat oven to 400. Peel and chop...
Read MoreOven-Roasted Chipotle Potatoes
3 & 1/2 lbs potatoes (red or white) 1/4 cup melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil 1 tsp pure salt 3/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 – 1 tsp chipotle powder (or regular chili powder) freshly ground black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425. Wash potatoes well and chop into bite sized pieces (leave skin on). Melt ghee (or whatever you choose to use) and pour into a large bowl (big enough to eventually hold the potatoes). Add seasonings and mix well. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Transfer to two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Roast for 45 mins to an hour, depending on how...
Read MoreCoconut Milk Smoothie
3/4 to 1 cup coconut-milk-tonic** 2 TBSP high-quality protein powder (optional) 1 banana 3/4 to 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit Add to blender (in that order), and blend. Yields one serving (approx 16 – 20 oz). ________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: **The COCONUT-MILK-TONIC is just coconut milk, thinned out with some water (equal parts of both). Nothing fancy or difficult to prepare. ~ I load the blender in that particular order for a reason. If you add the milk first, you can measure it accurately right in the blender (most blenders have...
Read MoreCaramel Sauce
1/2 cup cashew butter 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup DATE-PASTE 2 tsps vanilla extract 1/8 tsp sea salt Place all ingredients in a blender & process until smooth. Will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge. Once refrigerated, the sauce will need to be warmed (to at least room temp) before serving in order to obtain the proper consistency. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Adapted from “Raw for Dessert” ~ There’s not too much to the date paste. It’s only dates blended with water so it’s no big deal to...
Read MoreBanana Caramel Crumble
Ridiculously good! Adapted from “Raw for Dessert.” ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. MAKE DATE PASTE: 16 pitted medjool dates 1 & 1/2 cups filtered water Soak dates in the water for at least 20 minutes (& up to overnight). Drain the dates but reserve the soak water. Place the dates along with 1/4 cup of the soak water in either a Vitamix or a food processor fitted w/ S blade, and process into a smooth paste. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl if necessary. Yields 1 & 1/4 cups. Date...
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