Ok, first off… how the heck do you pronounce the name of this spice? I coughed, sneezed, and muffled my words into my arm every time someone asked what “that” spice was that I was using. But then I thought, “Shoot, if I am going to make food and serve… read more »
Last week I was gifted some gorgeous peppers that were grown organically just down the road from us. I wasn’t sure if they were hot or not, so they sort of scared me. I like things spicy but HOT… well the only bead of sweat that I want dripping down my… read more »
Raw, vegan, gluten-free desserts… they are darn near unbeatable! They are rich, decadent, and satisfying … (isn’t that the definition of dessert?!) Lucky, through the power of whole foods, we can also tack on the description of nutritious! If you are new to raw the concept may sound limiting, boring, and/or overwhelming. It is none of thee above and I am here to help dispel that notion.
This burrito deserves a celebration, a sombrero and a hungry tummy. I can’t sing worth “refried” beans, I lost my sombrero but my tummy is hungry. One of out of three qualifies me.
When it comes to purchasing produce there is a lot of sniffing, poking, and shaking going on. That’s because we want to select the freshest whole-istic foods as possible. Here are some tips on choosing the best produce at the market, getting the most for your money, and more importantly… peak nutrition.
~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar ~ “Do you like to throw parties but find that you are fretting far too much to enjoy the party yourself? “ There’s more to being a gracious host than just providing abundant food, topping off drinks, and entertaining at the same time.… read more »
Obviously, the star of this dish is the sauce. With all of its sweet and savory Asian flare packed in there… it left me licking the spoon and bowl nice and clean! raw, vegan, and gluten-free!
It slices, it dices, it whips up a batch of raw cookie batter in no time! My food processor is one of those multi-tasking kitchen tools that I really don’t think I could live without at this point.
Ok, we have our knives, we know how to store them, but now we must talk about cutting boards. They are equally important when it comes to keeping a sharp blade on your knife. A properly designed board should minimize wear and tear on the edges of your knife.
To preserve the quality of a knife and our fingertips, we need to start off with some proper storage ideas. I will be sharing many different ways that you can store your “investments.” It will be up to you to decide which works best, with consideration of your family and kitchen space.
Knife Anatomy… get out the scrubs, face guards, gloves, and sponges (hollers, “I need more light over here!”). Clearly, I have been watching too much TV. When it comes to investing in the right tools for the job, it is important to learn all that you can about these items. So, today we are diving into the parts and pieces which create this amazing tool. Each part of the knife plays a role in the utility, balance, and longevity of the knife… and let’s not forget… safety.
The key to a healthy eating lifestyle is to create one that brings balance and variety. We need a wide array of nutrients to achieve and sustain optimal health. It’s not enough when they stand on their own. I mean really, who wants to play on the merry-go-round by themselves? Nutrients, much like children do better when they play together. What I am trying to convey here is that they work better when combined.
I like to think of raw food cuisine as a form of art, whereas baking is a combination of science and precision. Unlike baking, raw food recipes are forgiving. A decade ago, I thought that I wanted to be a baker because I couldn’t cook anything without a recipe. I loved… read more »
Non-dairy milks are a raw vegan staple. If you haven’t experienced freshly made milks, whether they are made from nuts, seeds, coconut, or even some grains… you are missing out. Boxed versions that you can find on the grocery store shelves are typically loaded with unnecessary ingredients and are void flavor. And that my friend is just a crime.
I am sure that you all have a kitchen cabinet overflowing with bowls, strainers, and colanders. If you do, maybe this a good time to go through them. Reorganize, get rid of ones that are chipped, broken, or wobbly. But if you don’t have some nice functional bowls, you are… read more »
I am always asked about ways to save time in the kitchen. Organizing your pantry is just one way to reduce the amount of time it takes in finding ingredients. Using glass containers that either stack or line up on the shelves will speed things up as well. It allows your eyes to give everything a quick glance over, taking inventory of what you have on hand. There are times where I use plastic cambros, which I will talk about down below.
The Magic Bullet can chop, mix, blend, whip, grind, and more. It includes a wide array of dishwasher-safe attachments which makes clean up as easy as it gets. I highly recommend owning a Magic Bullet or the equivalent.
A mandoline isn’t mandatory… well shoot, none of these items listed here today are mandatory… but they will help get the job done safely and quickly and who isn’t for that?
As a raw food chef, I would have to say that owning a dehydrator is vital for this type of cuisine. Mandatory? No, but if you want to take advantage of everything that the raw food world has to offer, then I recommend investing in a dehydrator
~ raw, gluten-free, grain-free ~ Bob and I love hosting parties… we don’t do it near enough, but we are talking about changing that. :) For our last gathering, I turned to my faithful Velvet Chocolate Mousse recipe. It’s been on the site for years and turned out to be… read more »
A quick pick-me-up sandwich. I love making loaves of raw bread because they are lovely staples that you can always have on hand. The key is to wrap the individual slices in plastic wrap and then freeze them. That way, you can always pull, one, two, four, slices out as needed.… read more »
~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~ When hosting a party, you want your guests to leave happy, refreshed, and with a micronutrient filled belly. We don’t want them doubling over with a distended tummy, cursing our names later that night. So how do avoid this? Serve up single serving sizes or samplers.… read more »
Being prepared for the week leads to less stress–a perfect tool is batch cooking! It’s perfect for busy weeknights and easy meal prep. A container of unseasoned prepared brown rice can become the foundation for many meals. Enjoy alongside steamed vegetables, add it to your burritos and salads, and so… read more »
– raw, vegan, gluten-free – Muesli is one of those breakfast cereals that turns out to be perfect for both summer and winter. In the summer serve it with a splash of cold non-dairy milk, eating it as you would a regular bowl of cereal. And in the winter, try… read more »