Gluten Free

Sep
25

Kohlrabi and Roots Salad with Asian Touch

I used to see kohlrabi only as a cooked vegetable in soups but since I learned about the benefits of raw food, I’ve been experimenting with the idea and discovering that almost everything is better raw. A great way to introduce raw hard vegetables is to cut them like noodles or slice them “paper thin”. To slice them super thin I used a Japanese mandolin. Please be careful if you’re going to use one! It’s easy to forget that your fingers are at the end of it and cut yourself. It wouldn’t be such a vegan salad if there is blood in it ha?! 😉

Colorful and fresh, this salad could complement any asian style meal and it’s also fun to eat it by itself with chopsticks.

Ingredients

1 Purple Kohlrabi

1 Green Kohlrabi

1 Golden Yellow Beet

3-4 Radishes

3 Celery stems

Asian Dressing

1 Tbsp Soy sauce

1 Tbsp Tahini

1/2 Lemon juice

1 tsp Ginger minsed super fine

1/4 Cup filtered water

1 tsp Maple Syrup

Black sesame seeds (I had the mixture with herbs)

Preparation

Slice the vegetables with a mandolin.

Whisk all dressing ingredients and pour over the salad, sprinkle with sesame seeds and…Done!

Category: Blog, Gluten Free, Lunch, Raw, Recipies, Salads, Uncategorized

Sep
12

Smiley Coconut Snowballs

While I was researching the famous phrase: ‘You are what you eat’, to find out who said it, I stumbled upon a very funny comment in one of the sites. Someone said it was his mom who said it first… 🙂 I’m sure she is not the first mom telling it to her kids, wanting them to eat healthy. As a mother, a big part of my life is worrying about what my daughter eats and I know I’m not alone in the ‘Picky Eaters Parents Club’. So I have to be creative and “sneak-in” the ‘good stuff’ into the food I make for her. It makes me happy to see her eating something healthy in disguise. For her it’s a dessert and all I see is the chia seeds.

Easy and quick, no baking involved so even the kids can help make it. Everyone loves them, including the grown ups! Back to ‘You are what you eat’, even though I don’t have scientific evidence, I’m pretty sure you can become a smiley (and healthy) snowball after eating these cute & delicious munchkins 😉

(makes about 25-35 Balls)

Ingredients

2 Cups Raw Almond Flour/Meal (Ground Almonds)

2 Cups Unsweetened Shredded dry Coconut Flakes

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds, Soaked in ¼ Cup Almond Milk (it will expand into 3 Tbsp. after soaking for 15-20 minutes)

½ Cup Maple Syrup

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil

Pinch of Salt

Options: Add Teaspoon Raw Almond Butter, Cashew Butter or Cinnamon

(If you want Chocolate balls, just add 1 1/2 Tbsp. of Cocoa Powder)

For the Decoration:

Shredded dry Coconut to cover

Vegan Chocolate Chips (for the eyes)

Goji Berries (for the mouth)

Pine Nuts (for nose)

Preparation

Mix everything well, don’t add the liquid all at once (Almond milk with soaked chia seeds), try to play with the amounts to the desirable consistency. The coconut oil melts in room temperature so after you’re done mixing, place in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to harden, so its easy to work with. Take it out of the fridge and form balls. Dip in the shredded dry Coconut, decorate and serve, or keep in fridge for later. Smile & Enjoy!

Category: Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Party, Raw, Recipies, Snacks, Sweets and Desserts, Uncategorized

Sep
7

Vegetable “Rainbow”, Pineapple, Cashew and Tofu in Peanut Coconut Curry Sauce

A few years ago, I traveled to Asia. One of the exotic places I was lucky to be in was Thailand. Picture beautiful beaches, white sand, turquoise water, friendly people and great food. Life was so easy back then… drinking coconut water straight from its shell, so many tropical fruits right from the tree, fun in the sun and no responsibilities. That was a long time ago. Lots of coconuts fell off the trees and lots of pineapples were cut-open since my days of freedom in the sun 🙂 Good thing, I can always go back there in my mind with the help of memories and Thai food.

I once heard that the “secret” of Thai cuisine is in its right balance of flavors: savory and sweet, spicy and sour all together in harmony. This dish, I think, has it all: Beautiful colors, flavors and textures. The peanut curry sauce here is a sauce that can upgrade any vegetable stir fry dish, as long as you have peanut butter, coconut milk and spices at home. Usually I like to add Thai curry paste to give it a spicy kick. Feel free to add it if you like the “heat”, but even without it, this sauce will get you hooked!. The main work here is really just to chop the vegetables.

If you’re not going to use the Thai curry paste, you could use just the curry powder (I like both). Traditionally curry blend is made from “the five C’s”: Chili, Coriander, Cumin, Cinnamon, and Cardamom. I like to make my own from Coriander, Turmeric, Cumin, Cinnamon, Mustard powder, Garlic powder and Hot Paprika.

Ingredients

1 Large Sweet Potato/Yam

1 Fresh Pineapple or 1 Can of Pineapple Chunks

1 Pack of Tofu

Handfull Cashews

1 Pack of Mushrooms

¾ Cup Chopped Carrots

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Cup Green Peas

5 Cloves of Garlic

1 Cup Organic Vegetable Broth

3 Tbs Sunflower Oil

For the Sauce:

1 Can of Coconut Milk

1 Inch Ginger

2 Tbs Peanut Butter

Curry Powder or Thai curry paste

Cilantro or Thai Basil (if you can find it)

Coriander

Turmeric

Cumin

Salt

Preparation

Chop all the vegetables and dice the tofu and pineapple.

Mince the garlic and ginger.

Add the oil to a heated pan and start by sautéing the sweet potato.

Gradually add all the vegetables and tofu, starting with the hardest .

Let that cook on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth slowly as needed so the vegetables will not get dry while cooking.

Add the pineapple and cashews towards the end.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl make the curry sauce.

Combine the ginger,garlic with coconut milk, peanut butter, spices and salt.

Mix well until you have a thick yellow sauce.

Pour the curry sauce over the vegetables and let cook for a few more minutes on medium-low heat.

Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.

Garnish with Thai basil or cilantro and enjoy!

Category: Blog, Gluten Free, Lunch, Recipies, The Main Dish, Uncategorized, Whole Meal

Sep
6

Raw Coconut Cherry Pie with Cashew Cream

Who doesn’t love cherries?! They’re so beautiful and flavorful. They are rich in vitamin C and are considered a super-fruit. Their season is short so I knew I had to do something quick with the bag of sweet cherries I got. The first thing I thought about is the color. That’s the real “food coloring” of nature, without the chemicals! Mixing the cherries with the coconut cream makes a pretty purple, then topping the pie with fresh cherries over the white cashew cream and I got two colors for the price of one… There is no baking here, just a lot of blending and cherry pitting.

For the look of clean lines of the pie layers, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes between each layer of cream to allow it to set and prevent the layers from mixing. This decadent pie is so rich and full of nutrients, it is hard to eat more than one piece, which makes it almost a guilt-free dessert 🙂

Before you start, remember to soak the cashew in filtered water for at least 4 hours (preferably in the fridge).

Ingredients

Crust:

1½ Cup Walnuts

1 Cup Pecans (I used small American Native Pecans)

2 Tbsp Water (more if needed)

1½ Cups Pitted Medjool Dates

½ Cup Shredded Coconut

1½ tsp Coconut Oil

½ tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

Cashew Cream:

2 Cups Soaked Raw Organic Cashews

½ Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

Cherry Coconut Cream:

2 Cups Pitted Cherries

½ Cup Coconut Cream (Cream = Not the coconut milk)

½ Cup Coconut “Meat”

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preparation

Crust:

Put all ingredients for the crust into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Note that sometimes the dates are a bit dry and need more water to help bind it all together. Add water only if needed.

Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. You will need to do some patch work to spread evenly.

Place the crust in the fridge to set and harden.

Cashew Cream:

Soak the cashews for a minimum of four hours. Wash and drain.

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender (A good high-speed blender is important, you want the cashew cream to be super smooth with no pieces)

Place cream over the crust and put in the freezer to set.

Cherry Coconut Cream:

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Add this layer of cream onto the pie and freeze to set.

Finally, top the pie with a layer of cherry halves and serve.

* You can freeze the pie. If you do, don’t forget to thaw it ten minutes before serving.

Category: Blog, Gluten Free, Holidays, Party, Raw, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Sep
5

Mango Jalapeño Summer Salad

Hot like the summer, burning like fire, Jalapeño and red onion. Then comes Mango, the hunky fire fighter to the rescue armed with sweet cherry tomatoes and a cool cucumber to ease the heat. Joining them are the fresh breeze – cilantro or mint and freshly squeezed lime juice rain. No, this is not a scene from a movie. It’s what you will experience when you taste this beautiful and surprising salad!

Ingredients:

1 Mango

3-5 Medium Heirloom Tomatoes (or more if you use cherry tomatoes)

1 Jalapeño Pepper

1 Persian Cucumber

1 small Purple Onion

Bunch of Fresh Cilantro or Mint leaves

Juice of 1 Lime

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Preparation

Chop the veggies and mango into cube shape. Chop the Jalapeño, onion and cilantro/mint, add the lime juice, Olive Oil and Salt. Mix well and serve.

Category: Gluten Free, Lunch, Party, Recipies, Salads, Uncategorized

Ingredients

Asian Dressing

Preparation

Ingredients

For the Decoration:

Preparation

Ingredients

Preparation

Ingredients

Crust:

Cashew Cream:

Cherry Coconut Cream:

Preparation

Crust:

Cashew Cream:

Cherry Coconut Cream:

Ingredients:

Preparation

Connect

Subscribe

Search

Like Us On Facebook

Categories

Grab My Button

Recent Posts