Zucchini Season...

I  have been getting enormous amount of zucchinis from family and friend's gardens lately. Since I hate to waste anything I have been searching for some good zucchini recipes. Here are a few I have tested and tried myself and I absolutely loved them!

Healthy zucchini bread via The Sweets Life. Click here for recipe

Zucchini Fritters via Adoras Box. Click here for recipe.

"Better than Ranch Dressing" - Tried and loved...

This is the best, healthiest, and most delicious "ranch like" dressing I have tried. It is vegetarian, vegan, raw, dairy free, gluten free, egg free, and soy free. Can it get any healthier than that? It is definitely 100% guilt free and worth trying! Recipe and photo via Healthy Blender Recipes. Click here for recipe

Easy Spinach Frittata...

This is one of my favorite, grab what you have left and cook recipes. The following are the ingredients I most frequently use, but you can use any leftover veggies you have. And, as usual, I try to make my recipes as healthy as possible.

3 cups (approx.) of the following ingredients, chopped:

spinach
green onions
red & green bell peppers
corn
tomatoes (squeeze to remove juice as much as possible)

Mix together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the following:

3 organic eggs

Stir in the vegetable mixture and mix very well. Season with salt and pepper. Heat up skillet on medium heat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, pour mixture into skillet. Mixture may seem a little thick first so you may want to press it with a spatula. Let it cook on medium heat until golden brown, then gently turn to other side. You may need to use a big spatula or a lid to turn it nicely and prevent it from braking. Serve hot.

Avocado Pesto Pasta...

1 medium size avocado, pitted
1/2 lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1 cup approx, fresh basil
1/4 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta, or pasta of your choice

Bring about 3-4 cups of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook the in medium heat for about 10-15 min. 
Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredient in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
Once pasta in cooked, drain and rinse. Place pasta in a large bowl, pour on the sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish some grated Parmesan cheese on top as desired.

* This pesto sauce works great as a dip too...

My closest thing to an addiction...

I am known for my constant cravings for chocolate; rich creamy dark chocolate. I am also one of those that makes an effort to try to eat as healthy as often as I possibly can... This sounds like an impossible combination; well...not all the time. Since I was introduced to this product I haven't been able to live without it!

It is my amazing Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss. It looks, tastes and has the consistency of ice cream, but it is not! It is a coconut cream that satisfies all of my ice cream cravings without the unhealthy ingredients. My favorite flavor?...of course, dark chocolate. I suggest you give it a try! It is available at most health food stores.
*I am not endorsing this product. I am just suggesting it out of the goodness of my heart...

Easy Quinoa Salad...

2 cups of fresh chopped spinach
1 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa (quinoa can be found in the bulk section of your health food store)
2 small tomatoes, cubed
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar or your favorite vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

To cook quinoa, boil approximately two cups of water. Add quinoa and let it boil for about 15 to 20 min. until water is absorbed.  Mix all five first ingredients together. Then season mix with olive oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Can be served immediately, or chilled for a great summer salad!
*For some  variety, add a medium chopped avocado with a little bit of lemon juice...

SAS does ...: Vegetarian Moussaka

SAS does ...: Vegetarian Moussaka: "Some dishes are less photogenic than others, but this does not diminish their yuminess. The moussaka recipe comes from a French Cookbo..."

I made this last night. My husband & I absolutely loved it...

Mango Lassi...

I came accross this delicious recipe for this traditional South Asian drink through Care2, one of my favorite blogs. Click here for recipe. Photo and recipe via Care2

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

A deliciously healthy recipe...

Photo and recipe via Care2.

CRUST


2 1/4 cups pecans, soaked overnight and dehydrated for 24 hours

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon date paste

1 pinch sea salt

1. Place prepared pecans in food processor; pulse into small crumbs. Mix pecans and all remaining ingredients together well by hand.

2. Press into plastic (or parchment) lined 9-inch tart pan to desired thickness. Dehydrate 48 hours.

3. Chill crust in freezer for 15-30 minutes before filling. If not using all of hte crsut mixture, store extra in a container in the freezer.

FILLING

1/2 cup cashews, soaked

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup agave (read about agave)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons carrot juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 vanilla bean, scraped

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1. Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix (or a basic heavy duty blender) until very smooth.

2. Fill tart crust and chill in freezer overnight. Remove pie from tart pan, cut into 12 even slices and serve, or wrap each slice in parchment and store in refrigerator.

The Dehydrator. When I first started considering a raw diet, all this talk of a dehydrator made me very nervous. I imagined some very high-tech piece of kitchen lab equipment that was probably very expensive, certainly complicated, and maybe even dangerous! Lo and behold–it’s a simple box with drying trays and a small fan and heater. I got one and use it all the time for a million things, even though I’m not exclusively raw. Anyway, you can live without it. If you are in a cooler climate, Matthew Kenney recommends using an oven at the lowest setting with its door propped open, or if oyu are in a warmer environ, he suggests laying your food in the sun. Again, you can also skip the drying of the crust and make the pie filling as a pudding.

Adapted from the great raw cookbook Everyday Raw (Gibbs Smith, 2008) by Matthew Kenney

And about that picture. It is an actual picture of the recipe, from the cookbook, but the recipe doesn’t explain the grid decoration (or how someone could possibly have such a steady hand with a pastry bag!). It looks to me like they reserved some of the filling mix, maybe mixed it with a little extra coconut oil (or maybe not) and piped it on.

Natural Hand Sanitizer...

Information and photo via Care2
In The New York Times article, Dr. Lawrence D. Rosen, a New Jersey pediatrician who dispenses natural health advice recommends his tried-and-true recipe for homemade hand sanitizer called thieves oil–his formula calls for cinnamon bark, lemon oil and eucalyptus. As legend has it, a group of 15th century European perfumers-turned-grave-robbers were able to defend themselves against the demons of bubonic plague (and other assorted bacterial maladies one might encounter while removing jewelry from corpses) by dousing themselves in a blend of essential oils, hence the name “thieves oil.”

Now there are any number of stories circulating about this legend, and just as many recipes, many of them with a vinegar base. But going on Dr. Rosen’s fail-safe recipe and the proven efficacy of cinnamon oil.

The fomula includes equal amounts of the following therapeutic grade essential oils:
cinnamon bark
lemon
eucalyptus
clove
rosemary
Mix them with jojoba or olive oil as a carrier, and use on hands as a sanitizer.
(Note: pure essential oils can be very potent, it’s important to test some on a small patch of skin to check for any adverse reactions.)

Dairy-free Creamed Spinach Dip

This really yummy dip has become one of my husband's favorites. You can find this and other wonderful recipes at goneraw. I have changed this one around a little bit to make it creamier. Hope you enjoy it...guilt free as it is completely healthy!

10 oz fresh organic spinach
1/2 organic red onion
1.5 cups raw almonds (soaked for about 6-8 hours)
1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked for about 2 hours)
1/4 cup organic, cold pressed oilive oil
1 cup water (approx. depending on desired consistency)
lemon juice from 1 large lemon
2 tbsp nutritional flakes
4 small garlic cloves
2 tsp sea salt

Chop spinach and red onion and place in mixing bowl. Put remaining ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Pour this content into bowl and mix. Chill for 1-2 hours to increase the dip thickness. Garnish with chopped red bell pepper for color. Serve with flax crackers or cut veggies.

Lemon Poppy Teacake

Goop had a wonderful article today about the benefits of vegan, gluten free, sugar-free diets. Read here for more information. Here are some great suggestions about simple replacements to consider on our daily diets:

Instead of Sugar ------------------- use --- agave nectar
"         "    all purpose flour     "  ---- Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
"         "    vegetable oil          "  ---- Coconut oil

Now, here is a wonderful recipe via Goop

Lemon Poppy Teacake

YIELD: about 10 slices

2/3 cup rice milk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1⁄4 cup poppy seeds

3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour

1/2 cup rice flour

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, plus more for pan

3/4 cups agave nectar

1/3 cup applesauce

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons pure lemon extract

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 7 × 4 × 3-inch loaf pan with oil.
Pour the rice milk, apple cider vinegar, and poppy seeds into a small bowl – but do not stir – and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, and lemon to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the poppy seed mixture into the batter, and combine just until all ingredients are blended. The batter will expand slightly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 18 minutes. The teacake will be golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Let the teacake stand in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge of the bread. Cover the top of the pan with a cutting board, and invert onto the board. Carefully lift the pan away and re-invert the teacake onto another cutting board. Either cut and serve warm, or wait until it is completely cool before storing. Cover the uncut teacake with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tomato Bread Salad | Healthy and Green Living

I found this wonderful recipe via Care2 and I absolutely love it. It's wonderful way to use all those recently harvested tomatoes!

Tomato Bread Salad Healthy and Green Living: "Tomato Bread Salad
Serves 6-8
4 large ripe tomatoes
1 whole grain baguette, or 3 cups bread
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh squeezed tomato juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tablespoons golden balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Ume Plum vinegar or 1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Cut or tear the baguette into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Slice each tomato in half. Gently squeeze the juice into a bowl or measuring cup.
(The operative word here is “gently”, and I suggest you wear a full apron to avoid damaging your favorite T-shirt).
You don’t have to squeeze them dry, just enough for at least a half cup of juice.
3. Strain the liquid from the seeds and set aside. Discard the seeds.
4. Combine the juice from the tomatoes with the oil, vinegar, and ume plum vinegar (or salt).
5. Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion, basil and parsley.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well, making sure to coat the bread cubes with the liquid. Let sit a few minutes, tossing from time to time to let the flavors absorb"

Lee's Asian Salad

This salad is delicious! I found it in Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP

1 small clove of garlic, peeled and finely grated

one 1"-piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon light agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon spicy sesame oil (or more or less to taste)

freshly ground black pepper

coarse salt

2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Whisk the garlic, ginger and rice wine vinegar together in a bowl and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. This is a good time to cut up your vegetables if you haven’t already. Whisk the soy sauce, agave and sesame oil into the vinegar mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine the cabbages, carrot, pepper and scallions together in a large bowl and toss with the dressing at the last minute, sprinkling the seeds on top.

12 Steps to Whole Food Eating...

I thought I would pass this information along...

Robyn Openshaw, the Green Smoothie Girl, will be presenting her 12 Steps to Whole Food Eating program at Classic Books and Gifts in Lehi on July 17 from 6:30-8:30pm.

Robyn teaches at Brigham Young University (BYU) and is the author of 12 Steps to Whole Foods with over 250 recipes and The Green Smoothies Diet available in bookstores September 2009.

To register and for more information click here.

Visit her website for some amazing information!

Banana chocolate smoothie...

This is an wonderful energizing healthy drink. Perfect for this season! It is not only very filling but a good way to use those almost overly ripe dark bananas.

Once you see them getting mostly dark, just through them in your freezer. Once you are ready to use them, just thaw them by dipping them in hot water for a few seconds. You will notice that the peel starts getting soft. Remove the peel with a knife. It will come off really easily. For those who are not too fond of the raw/vegan diet, try the options in parenthesis. You can find all these ingredients at you local health food store. OK, here we go:

1 large frozen banana, peeled
1 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
About 10-12 ice cubes

Blend all of the above. Use the ice crush feature if using a regular blender. A Blendtec or Vita-Mix blenders are highly recommended to retain flavor and nutrition. Enjoy!