She’s a tart – Açai and Pineapple Smoothie

I tricked my senses into thinking I’m getting low down tropical until I looked out the window. This not-so-sweet smoothie drenches your body in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, probiotics and enzymes. All essentials for the narcissist in you and me.

1 packet Sambazon açai

1/2 cup goat milk yogurt plain

1/2 cup fresh pineapple

2 tbsp flax seed

2 tbsp hemp seed

1 cup nut milk

Blend in Vitamix

Tags: açai, breakfast, shake, smoothie

Sweet Amaranth – the hang over breakfast

After a night of dancing in a cloud of herb smoke and shooting several shots of scorpion honey, I woke up dizzy and ravenous. I needed something with sustenance. Complex protein, amino acids and calcium (more than milk) all to make up for the havoc I caused in my system. Amaranth, the stuff an Aztec goddess would eat, gave me the strength to wash my hair finally. Give this “new girl” grain a chance, she’s been around, just looked over for her sexier sister Quinoa. It’s nutty and satisfying and tastes so sweet with honey and fig. The texture is unique, like nothing you’ve tried before it. You can find this grain at any natural food store.

Ingredients:

½ cup amaranth, soaked if possible (minimum 8 hours)

1 cup almond milk or water (1 1/2 cup if using un-soaked grains)

pinch of cinnamon

raw honey to taste

cut dried figs

chopped soaked pecans (minimum 8 hours)

Tags: amaranth, breakfast, complex protein, hang over food

Sprouted Green Lentil Salad with Dried Figs

Like everything, if it’s basic, it’s boring. Complexity takes more work but it’s worth the effort. Now you can make a salad with spinach and feta or you can get “Alice in Wonderland” on your salad. Add curiouser and curiouser shapes, flavors and color so the tedium of salads won’t strike. What you normally wouldn’t think of adding to a salad, add it. This salad looks like a carnivorous flower and that makes it that much more enjoyable to eat. The atomic bomb of nutrients doesn’t hurt either.

Serves 2
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
½ cup sprouted green lentils
1 head butter lettuce
4 dried figs
5 snap pea pods
1 turnip
1 Lemon
Small purple onion
Mung bean sprouts
Sea salt
Olive oil

Tags: butter lettuce, fig salad, sprouted lentil salad, turnip salad

Spicy Mushroom Moqueca

Everything tastes better slow and low. Eating solely raw is extraordinary and for the steadfast. For those of us who follow our whims, slowly cooked food is a desire worth following. Cooking at low temperatures brings out the flavor in food and spices and will keep more of the nutrients you are trying to savior than traditional high heat cooking. I was in the need of a nice warm, cleansing soup to attack an unrelenting sore throat. This immunity-boosting variation of Brazilian Moqueca took care of any germ that wanted to set up shop in my body.

Serves 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
King oyster mushrooms
Shitake mushrooms
4 roma tomatoes (diced)
2 minced garlic cloves (minced)
1 Serrano pepper (minced)
1 cherry bomb pepper (minced)
1 dried date (chopped)
1 small yellow onion (chopped)
¼ tspn celtic sea salt
7 chopped snow peas
Fresh chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime
2 green onions (chopped)
1 can of lite coconut milk (fresh thai coconut milk is even better)
Coconut and olive oil

Tags: brazilian soup, moqueca, mushroom soup, spicy soup

Lulu’s Luscious Raw Chocolate Body Butter

I found this velvety body butter at one my favorite shops in the Mission, San Francisco the Scarlet Sage Herb Co.. Unlike shea butter, raw chocolate body butter quickly melts into an oil without excessive rubbing and easily spreads over your skin. I liken Lulu’s Luscious Body Butter to D’Angelo circa his “How Does it Feel” era. This edible skin savior moistens and plumps your lips without alien ingredients like the poison sticks you find at drug stores. If you can’t get a full night’s rest and have puffy eyes,  you can also use it as an overnight eye cream with fennel essential oil. A natural beauty cabinet essential.

Tags: cacao butter, chocolate body butter, D'Angelo, Lulu's Body Butter, Scarlet Sage Herb Co.

Yellow Curry Cauliflower with Almonds

If you crave something you should have it. Never restrict yourself. Since eating more raw foods, I haven’t had the desire for any of my old favorites, like naan and chicken curry. Once you see the effect eating nutrient-rich food has, the only thing you’ll crave is more of it. With a little imagination you can transform anything that requires cooking oil into a flavorful raw dish. I don’t propose people solely eat raw or vegan, just explore the possibilities. Eating for your body and skin doesn’t mean spending your whole paycheck either. Even without careful planning, eating more fresh food and buying in bulk keeps more money in your bank account.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tsp Turmeric

1 garlic glove

¾ cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

4 pieces dulce seaweed

1 cauliflower

1 tbsp hemp seed

¼ cup soaked cashews

1 small jalapeño

¼ cup lemon juice

3 dried figs

Tags: curry cauliflower, raw indian food, raw yellow curry, turmeric

Raw Pizza with Olive Marinara and Honey Onion

Serves 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

½ cup fresh basil

3 roma tomatoes

2 green onions

1 garlic clove

½ cup dried tomatoes

3 olives

Juice from one half lemon

Handful soaked cashews

3 pieces dulse seaweed

¼ teaspoon Sea salt

1 dried date

Tags: raw pizza