Quick'n'Healthy

Everyday over the breakfast table, my son asks me what I am going to have for lunch. Usually when I say it is some kind of salad he just says 'cool' :) But this one a got a ''wooooww' and he also requested if I can make it for dinner instead of lunch, so that he can have it too. I had to agree and he says that it is his favorite salad now :)


Southwestern Ranch Style Dressing:

Raw cashew nuts - 2 Tbs - soaked for couple of hoursRaw Almonds - 2 Tbs- soaked for couple of hoursMexican red chilly -1Lemon juice - 1/4 cupGarlic - 1 cloveRaisins - 1 heaping Tbs.Dried oregano - 1 tsp.Sea salt - 1/2 tspBlack mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.Filtered water - 1/2 - 1 cup (adjust based on the required consistency)Yellow pepper - 1/2 cup chopped Celery - 1/4 cup chopped - optional
Add everything except the chopped veggies and oregano to a blender jar. Puree till nice and creamy. Add chopped veggies and pulse on low speed till chunky. At the end add oregano and run for a few seconds on low s…

You can say this recipe was made by accident. I was actually planning to make black rice orange cookies, but when I came back from my weekend shopping, I realized that I did not buy oranges. I had my black rice already soaking for a few hours. So I had to find something else to add the flavor to the cookies instead of orange. I wanted to give cinnamon and cocoa a try with black rice and they did compliment each other quite well. Also, instead of powdering and mixing the cookie dough, I decided to grind everything. Once I was done with the grinding and mixing, I wanted to give it a nice and cute shape. So instead of making drop cookies, I poured the batter into mini cupcake tins and baked them a little longer. Result was a cute looking, sweet cake bites :-)
Black rice - 1/2 cup - Soaked for 4-6 hoursOrganic coconut palm sugar - 1/4 cupOrganic raw Honey - 2 Tbs (optional - or add 1-2 dates instead) Filtered water - 1/2 cupSea salt - 1/4 tspOrganic virgin Coconut oil - 1/4 cupOrganic drie…

If you decide that you want to start eating heart healthy, plant-based food, but would still want to eat to your heart's content, then Mediterranean cuisine would be an ideal choice :-) Mediterranean cuisine uses a lot of plant based ingredients: veggies, herbs, nuts and legumes. It is flavorful with the use of garlic, ginger, onion, extra virgin olive oil, etc. Another plus I have found is that it is very flexible and  one can create one's own version of Mediterranean salads, sauces and other dishes. 
Now for the falafel recipe; this is a very quick and simple recipe from me as usual, with very minimal ingredients and instructions. The cashew-cucumber sauce is a plant based version of the Tzatziki sauce. Of course like any other plant-based, home-made, or made-from-scratch recipe, you require some planning (to soak the chickpeas for falafel and cashews for the sauce). 
On the topic of planning, my cooking has always been based on some amount of planning. To others it might seem…

Yes, I am back with another raw entrée :) In fact, this week we increased our raw food intake significantly and it felt very good (for the body and the mind). To the uninitiated, raw food might mean just cutting fruits and vegetables and eating it, and this might not sound appetizing. Raw does not mean that there is no cooking involved, in fact, it involves the most innovative cooking and the results are there to see and enjoy.

Among our favorite raw entrées are different variations of raw pasta. The taste of the pasta dish comes from the sauce and the spices, and not from the pasta itself. It becomes better if the sauce is made fresh, instead of the stale and salty store-bought sauces. Our raw pasta is made from vegetables, using a variety of yams and squashes. Take a piece of sweet potato or Japanese yam, and compare that with a piece of any pasta; one to one the veggie tastes better than the pasta as it is juicy and flavorful. So now when you have the same sauce added to a tasty veg…

When I write about buckwheat, I have to make clear the fact that buckwheat is not a type of wheat. It is not even a type of grain. It is a grain-like seed, and can be consumed by people with gluten intolerance. Buckwheat can be bought in many forms such as whole buckwheat, buckwheat groats, buckwheat flour, etc.

I usually buy whole buckwheat, which I sprout and use in salads, or buckwheat groats, which I grind and use in my raw energy bars. This time however, I planned to soak them overnight and make a breakfast pudding/porridge. I actually thought I was being innovative, but there is Google to put everything in perspective :-) Looks like buckwheat porridge and pudding are eaten in many parts of the world in different forms. I saw some recipes where people tried raw versions too. So I decided to go ahead with my plan.

I have to admit, if you are new to raw eating, this might be hard for you and you will find it chewy and grainy. Eventually, you will start enjoying these textures. A gr…

This is our newest favorite salad dressing and we have already made it a few times in the past couple of weeks. Cucumber and basil works so well together, avocado makes it nice'n'creamy and we need the heat from the green chillies. It is raw, vegan, oil/sugar free and can be used as a salad dressing or as a sauce for raw noodles.

Mini cucumbers - 2 ( or 1/3rd  of an English cucumber)
Avocado - 1/2
Basil - 15-20 leaves
Green Chillies - 2-3
Lemon juice - from 1 lemon
Sea salt - 1/2 tsp
Filtered water - 1/4 cup (optional if you want a thinner dressing)


Slice cucumber roughly and add to blender jar, along with green chillies, lemon juice, salt and water (if using). Blend in high speed until everything is pureed well. Mix in the avocado meat  and continue blending on low speed just till it is mixed well and looks creamy (takes only a few seconds). Now add basil and continue for a few more seconds on low speed till basil is just chopped and mixed well into the dressing.

We have been into raw eating for about a year now, I would say 50% of what we eat is raw, and rest semi cooked to cooked. I have been thinking about trying a complete raw entree for quite a while. Quite a lot of raw food bloggers talk about raw noodles/pasta with yam, zucchini, carrots, etc. I was a little skeptical about how well raw yam noodles would taste, but as always my husband encouraged me to give it a try. So here's my first ever completely raw entrée, it tasted awesome. So just ordered my spiral slicer today and am waiting for the delivery. Be assured that i will be trying other such raw entrées more often now :)


For Noodles:
Garnet Yam - 1EV Olive oil - 1 Tbsn.Lemon - 2 Tbsn.Tomato Basil Pesto
Tomato -1Basil - 1 /2 cupSpinach - 1/2 cupAlmonds - HandfulEV Olive oil - 1 Tbsn.Sea salt - as per tasteGreen Chilly  - 2-3To make noodles - peel and slice the yam really thin - I just used a really sharp knife with some patience, but a spiral slicer would work the best. Toss with ol…