Papaya Strawberry Kombucha Smoothie

Papaya Strawberry Kombucha Smoothie

This fruity and filling smoothie also contains all the micro-organisms and beneficial properties of kombucha, plus the digestive enzymes of papaya. Papaya is high in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium and potassium. It also contains the digestive enzyme papain which helps to digest protein and is an anti-cancer agent, as well as an anti-tumor compound called carpaine. Eating papaya regularly will improve your skin, hair, nails and eyes. Strawberries are high in vitamins B, C, and E, flavonoids, and iron and contain a powerful anti-cancer agent called ellagic acid. It’s worth seeking out organic strawberries because commercially grown, non-organic strawberries are dowsed with pesticides and herbicides. Strawberries have blood-purifying, and wound-healing properties and are a liver tonic. Kombucha is a fermented drink, a living food, that’s made from tea and aids and improves digestion. Since it’s a fermented food it contains beneficial bacteria (probiotics). It helps alkalize the body, detoxify the liver, relieves constipation, improves eyesight and memory, [...] Read more »

How To Make Sesame Tahini – Take 2

Raw Sesame Tahini

I think this is a better way to make raw sesame tahini than my previous raw tahini recipe. It is very close, in both taste, texture and consistency, to ‘normal’ tahini, and it will keep for much longer too. It takes a longer to make, but only requires a bit more effort since most of that extra time is dehydrating the sesame seeds. Considering you can make a larger batch at a time, because it will keep for longer, I think it’s well worth the extra effort. Sesame seeds are very high in calcium, but the problem with eating them whole is they often pass right through your digestive tract without being assimilated at all. Tahini (ground sesame paste) is a great way to consume sesame seeds because it’s so much easier to digest and assimilate. Normally the sesame tahini you find in stores is not raw. The sesame seeds have been toasted prior to making the tahini. I’ve found [...] Read more »

Apple Juice Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

Apple Cider Vinegar Apple Juice Tonic

Apple cider vinegar is so good for you, and has so many health benefits (read more about the benefits of apple cider vinegar)  that I recommend everyone incorporate it into their daily routine. It’s one of the quickest, simplest things you can do, but the results can be tremendous. There are entire books written on the benefits of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), it seems to help with nearly everything that ails us human beings. But if, like me, you don’t particularly like the smell and/or taste of vinegar, or you want something that even kids will like, try this ACV tonic. The cider vinegar makes the apple juice just slightly more tart, it’s barely noticeable. I’ve got a very acute sense of smell, I hate the smell of vinegar and I didn’t even detect it. Freshly squeezed organic apple juice is the best, of course. But if you don’t have access to a juicer, or fresh juice, be sure to [...] Read more »

Banana Maple Walnut Non Dairy Ice Cream

Raw Vegan Ice Cream: Banana Maple Walnut

Who doesn’t love ice cream? But with all the sugar, and additives and pasteurized milk, it’s not the healthiest of desserts, unless… you make your own non dairy, non soy, raw vegan ice cream. It’s healthy, delicious, and it only takes 10 or 15 minutes to make. A great way to deal with ripe bananas is to peel them and freeze them. I just put them into freezer bags, about 4 bananas per bag, tie the end shut and put them in the freezer so they lie flat. When I find bananas on sale I buy lots, or I order a whole box from the organic wholesalers. They will always get ripe faster than I can use them, but as they do, it’s easy to freeze them. Then you always have them on hand to use in smoothies or quick non dairy vegan ice cream any time you want. Read more »

Roasted Sweet Potato, Rosemary & Orange

Roasted Sweet Potato with Rosemary & Orange

Roasting sweet potatoes really brings out their natural sweetness and almost caramelizes them and the addition of orange juice, mandarin slices and fresh rosemary works with the flavor of the sweet potatoes to create a subtle but very tasty dish. It’s great served warm or cold the next day. It’s really filling too, I’ll often have just this and a big salad. In New Zealand, sweet potatoes are commonly called kumara, and they were brought here by the first settlers, the Maori for whom they were an important staple crop. They come in a variety of different colors, which all have slightly different flavors, but any kind can be used for this recipe. Read more »

Blueberry Orange Smoothie with Acai Berry

Blueberry Orange Smoothie with Acai Berry

When it comes to quick and simple recipes with high nutritional benefits, smoothies are at the top of my list. In an almost unbelievable stroke of good fortune I happened to be looking in a part of the freezer section of my local supermarket that I usually ignore. The supermarket has recently moved everything around, and in my hunt for my favorite organic frozen blueberries I happened to see a few boxes of frozen acai berry puree for less than a quarter of their normal retail price. What!? True. I bought 3 boxes, but I wish now, after having come up with this awesomely delicious smoothie, that I had grabbed all of them. Even though this is yet another blueberry smoothie recipe (and I put blueberries in almost all my smoothies), the fresh, tart flavor of the freshly squeezed orange juice and acai berry make this my favorite so far. In case you’re one of the dozen or so people [...] Read more »

Vegan Carob Mousse (Sugar Free)

Raw Vegan Carob Mousse

This rich, creamy, raw vegan carob mousse only takes about 10 minutes to make. It’s hard to believe it doesn’t contain sugar. But between the sweetness of the stevia, and the natural sweetness of carob, it’s a totally satisfying dessert. It’s very easy to make this a raw vegan dessert, you just need to use truly raw carob, but I can show you where to get that at the end of the recipe. If you’re not familiar with carob, it has a chocolate-like taste, but no caffeine or theobromine, so you don’t get that hyper, jittery feeling that raw cacao (chocolate) can produce. After finding it at my new local bulk food shop I’ve been using it a lot. You can add it to smoothies, substitute it for raw cacao in all my recipes that call for raw cacao powder, make ‘chocolate’ milk, either with nut milk or dairy milk. I actually prefer it to raw cacao now. Read more »