I Love Green Juice.

I used to think that green smoothies were the love of my life. I still love them but I have a new joy...green juice! I have always juiced and enjoyed it but I decided to make it a daily thing in my diet recently. I try to have at least one quart of green juice a day, preferably first thing in the morning followed by a chia seed pudding a couple of hours later (recipe to come in next post). Last week I participated in my first group cleanse with Elaina Love, David Rainoshek, and Chris Whitcoe. It was all raw and living foods for a week, one day of blended food and one day of juice and water followed by a flush (Kris Carr who wrote the book Crazy Sexy Cancer has a great article on her site at crazysexylife.com/2009/the-gallbladder-flush). Back to the green juice. I have been enjoying the same juice every morning now for about a couple of months and it looks like this:

Green Juice
1 bunch of celery
1 cucumber
7 kale leaves (curly or lacinato kale)
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 lemon
1 apple

I have a greenstar juicer and I absolutely love it. Its the only juicer I have owned so I'm not sure if there is something better out there but most people who have the greenstar also give it a thumbs up. If you don't have a juicer you can always blend up your vegetables and then strain them through a cheesecloth or better yet a nut milk bag which you can purchase on Elaina Love's website at www.purejoyplanet.com.

Truffles mmmmm....

Every year in our neighborhood families get together and create a Halloween celebration without the added corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and FD&C reds, blues, etc. We make home made treats or crafts and our kids go from house to house gathering their treats. This year I had a request for these chocolate truffles. You can make them in a food processor or a high speed blender. They are easy, I promise! I added cacao/cocoa powder to make chocolate truffles but you could omit the chocolate, add more coconut, dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, anything you might like. Its hard to mess it up with this base of ingredients here. Enjoy!
P.S. I notice a number of my posts are on chocolate (must be getting towards the holiday season). Don't get me wrong, I love it and there are numerous health benefits. I do however limit my consumption of it and try not to feast on it everyday!

Raw Truffles

1/4 cup coconut butter softened (I put mine in my dehydrator at 115 for 30 minutes or so, you could do it on the stove or rest the jar in a bowl of hot water)
1/2 cup agave or to taste
2-3 tsp maple sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 vanilla bean seeded
pinch of sea salt
2 cups shredded coconut

Combine all ingredients except shredded coconut in a vitamix, blendtec, or food processor. Add shredded coconut a little at a time until smooth. Once combined and as smooth as you can get it transfer to a bowl and add:
1 cup of cocoa/cacao powder
and/or
Any chopped dried fruits, nuts, spices you might like.
Place bowl in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until the mixture has set and can be easily formed in to balls. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measure out and roll into small truffles. I like to roll mine in extra cocoa/cacao powder or coconut. Store in refrigerator. Yum.

Easy Raw Chocolate Torte

This is an all time favorite with my family and friends. It is very easy to make, kids love it and its a great dessert to wow people with that aren't familiar with raw food! Any nuts can be used for the crust. I prefer to use pecans. Be careful not to over process the crust as the nuts will release oils and it will become too greasy. Enjoy this torte topped with fresh fruit (strawberries or raspberries) or sprinkle shredded coconut on top. Keep it refrigerated until serving so that it is nice and chilled. If left out at room temperature for too long it will soften (still yummy but not as much like a pie, more like a pudding). Enjoy!


Crust:
2 cups pecans
½-1 1 cup pitted medjool dates (or enough so that when you squeeze the crust it holds together)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt

Pulse nuts in food processor until slightly crumbled. Add dates and pulse a few more times. Add coconut oil and sea salt. Pulse until uniform and crust holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Press into bottom of classic 10 inch tart pan.

Filling:
2 cups cashews (not soaked)
¾-1 cup cacao powder
1 ½ cups water
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup agave (or to taste if you like it sweeter, less for more bitter)
½ vanilla bean seeded
Pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour over crust and refrigerate until firm (1 hour in refrigerator, ½ hour in freezer)

Buckwheat Granola

Buckwheat Granola
6 cups buckwheat soaked overnight
6 apples
¼-1/2 cup agave
½ lemon juiced
2 tbsp carob powder
1 tpbsp mesquite powder or 4 tablespoons cacao powder
¼-1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 vanilla bean seeded


Soak buckwheat overnight. In the morning drain and rinse well removing any gelatinous material. Put drained buckwheat in large bowl and set aside. In a heavy duty blender blend apples, lemon, agave, vanilla and salt. Add mixture to buckwheat and mix well. Next add carob powder and mesquite or cacao powder and again mix well. Finally add shredded coconut and combine. Spread on teflex sheets at ¼ inch thick and dehydrate 8 hours or overnight. Flip and dehydrate until crisp (another 12-18 hours). Yields 5-6 Excalibur dehydrator trays worth of granola! Serve with fresh fruit and nut mylk...enjoy!