chocolate brownies

Here's a plant based version of that delicious chocolate treat that a lot of people love, the chocolate brownie.
I've made this before, but I decided to revise the recipe and try to improve it.  
So here it is, I think it's a good version. It's gluten free, totally plant based, and uses a secret ingredient which you will never guess by tasting it.
It also produces a fudgey and chocolatey treat that you don't feel completely guilty eating.
So, give it a go and let me know what you think.

Chocolate Brownie
Makes 10

Ingredients


1 400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 TBS flaxmeal
6 TBS warm water
3 TBS coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
3/4 cup raw cacao powder (or good quality cocoa)
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut sugar* (you could also use brown sugar)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
toppings of choice, I used walnuts, flaked almonds & dairy free chocolate chips.

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Lightly grease a 12 capacity muffin pan & set aside, I only got enough for 10!
Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in a small bowlthen let rest for a few minutes.
After about 5 minutes, add all ingredients except for toppings, to a food processor and puree until really smooth.  You will need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to make sure all ingredients get incorporated.
If the batter is too thick, add a tablespoon of water and pulse again. The batter needs to be thick, think mousse consistency.
Place about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin tin and smooth the tops.
Sprinkle on your toppings and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, no more!
Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. 
Be gentle when taking them out as they may still be a little soft. 
I found them to be fudgey which i love, so hope you like it too.
They keep well in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.
You could also warm them up a little and serve them with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, vegan of course!

*You may need to adjust the sweetness, this amount of coconut sugar was enough for me, but for some it may not be enough. I suggest adding either more coconut sugar, or 1/4 cup more of brown sugar.  You could also try using stevia powder if you're trying to watch your caloric intake, although I don't know how this would make the end texture as I haven't tried it myself.  Another option would be to use brown sugar, and then possible add just a TBS of stevia.  Good luck!

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

Juicy juicy yum yum

I really should have written this post about 2 weeks ago but I let time get the better of me.  Reason being, it was still fresh in my mind what I had to tell you, now I have to delve into my fish brain and try and recollect all the great memories that was my juice and smoothie fast.  

As you know, I did the May Juice and Smoothie Festival at the beginning of May and it went for 5 days.  Like with any new thing you do, the initial first days are challenging but then it was smooth(ie)sailing :)

I'm not lying, whilst the beggining was difficult, after the third day I felt positively euphoric!  Yes, not quite like having a flashback of times in my crazy young girl days, but better.  
I had so much energy, I would bounce out of bed hours ealier than anyone else, ready to rampage through the day.  It was a little bit weird yes, but, it was also a very productive time and it has set some great new habits.  
I'll explain......because I was getting up before anyone else was around, not able to make noise goodness forbid I wake up the bear and cubs, I had time to try new things.  Guess what I did.  Yes, that little thing I've been dabbling in here and there.  MEDITATION.

Oh my golly goodness, I tell you what, it is really something.  Now I'm not saying I'm an expert in the discipline of zen, not at all, but, I am managing to do about 30 mins 3X a week.  Now that is huge for me.  I can barely get my mind to stop whilst I go to sleep, least of all when I'm awake.  

But don't ask me to explain further.  I can't really pin point exactly what's good about it, just that it's a lot of little things.  Like the way your body tingles when you start coming back to the moment.  Or the way you can just let things go, like, really let go.  Without mumbling angry swear words under your breath and stuff.  I really hope that with continued practice, I will be able to remain calm in all situations.  Hmmm, you gotta aim big right?

So, meditation was one amazing thing that happened out of the fast, the other great thing was all the support we gave each other during that time.  I started a FB page so that everyone could share their recipes, answer questions, make suggestions e.t.c., and it really was invaluable.  Everyone's vibe was so totally on par, and it made it so much easier.  

It was such an amazing experience, I'm actually doing it as a monthly thing.  So feel free to join the FB group and get into it!  Highly recommend it, your digestive system will thank you for it.

Ok, so now you know how it went, let's get into some recipes.

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding with Activated Buckini Granola & Persimmon

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 TBS chia seeds

1/2 cup water

1 cup of sweet pumpkin*

1 ripe persimmon

2 dates

1/8 tsp each of ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg.

Method

Make the gel by mixing the chia and water and set aside.

Blend the remainder ingredients until super smooth. Add water until you get it to a desired consistency. Not too runny.

Mix with the chia gel and place in fridge overnight or for 30 minutes.

To make the granola, just mix 1 cup of activated buckwheat with what ever dry fruit, superfood powders, yummies, you want to add.

I added goji berries, pecans, cacao nibs, maca powder, mesquite powder and raisins.

Now all you have to do is layer your chia pudding with fresh chopped up persimmon and the buckini granola.

Easy Peasy!

*feel free to use cooked pumpkin if you want.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Cacao Chia Pudding Breakfast Parfait

Serves 1

Ingredients

Ice Cream

3 frozen bananas

1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder (I use Loving Earth)

1 Tbs lemon juice (to keep it from going brown) 

Method

Blend all ingredients to ice cream consistency 

Chia pudding 

2 Tbs chia seeds

3/4 cup water

1 Tbs raw cacao powder

Method

Shake and leave to set, pref overnight or at least 30 mins. You can add a sweetener to the chia but I left it out. The ice cream is sweet enough & I just wanted the taste of chocolate! 

Layer and enjoy.

Apple, Coconut & Raspberry Crumble

Serves 1

Ingredients

apple crumble

1 large apple 

1 medjool date 

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

Method

process all the ingredients together in your food processor until chunky. 

raspberry chia pudding 

2 TBS chia gel 

1 cup raspberries blended (fresh or frozen) 

Method

Mix ingredients until well combined.

the rest

1/2 cup activated buckinis 

1 tsp raw cacao nibs 

1/4 cup shredded coconut 

3 fresh raspberries 

Method

Mix buckinis and cacao nibs together. 

Place most of the buckini mixture on the bottom of your serving bowl, saving some to sprinkle on the top. 

Top with the apple crumble mixture.

Then add coconut (leave some for the top), followed by the raspberry chia pudding. Top with the left over buckinis, a little coconut and the fresh raspberries and you're done! 

Coconut Chia Porridge with Bananas & Berries

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 young coconut*

1 cup chia gel

1 tsp pure maple syrup

1 banana

1/4 cup raspberries & blueberries

1 TBS activated buck inis (optional)

Method

Blend the flesh and water of the coconut until it forms a creamy smooth consistency.  Add your syrup and blend again.

Mix through your gel and set aside.

Arrange some banana pieces on the bottom of your serving bowl/glass, pour the prepared coconut porridge and then top with more banana, berries and sprinkle of buckinis if using.

YUM!

*you can also use canned coconut milk if there's no coconuts lying about.

And here are a couple of ideas if you're running out of raw breakfast options:

Banana Beet ice cream with buckinis and fresh fruit

Green smoothie with fresh fruit, buckinis, goji and coconut

Apple, cinnamon & date rawnola with chocolate banana milk, green juice and dragon fruit

Green smoothie and custard apple

Raw ice cream: vanilla bean, chocolate almond crunch, raspberry swirl

Mono meal: papaya & fresh lime

Green smoothie, flax meal and raspberries with fresh fruit

Superfoods Chocolate Mousse Pots

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 TBS raw cacao powder

Add the above ingredients to a glass container with lid, shake it like a polaroid picture and leave in the fridge overnight to work it's magic.

The next day, blend with: 

2 medjool dates

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 TBS sweetener of choice (e.g maple syrup) or add extra dates.

1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional if you want to take it to the next level)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you want to get all Mayan and go to Mexico)

Make sure your blender is cranked to it's fullest blending power and do it until it turns into a smooth and airy delicious mousse.

Top with goji berries and enjoy.

Raw Chocolate Bark

Makes about 8 pieces

Ingredients

2 TBS cold-pressed organic coconut oil

1 TBS raw cacao powder

3 TBS shredded coconut

3 tsp pure maple syrup

2 TBS goji berries

2 TBS raw almond flakes/chunks (whatever shape you want really)

Method

Melt oil if it's solid, you can do this by putting it in a glass container than on of a steamer.  Blend all ingredients together until combined.  Spread on a tray lined with baking paper and place in freezer to set.  When ready, about 20 minutes, take out and chop into desired shape pieces.  I like mine a little rustic :)

And now for some savoury bits.......

Fennel, Endive and Ruby Grapefruit Salad

Serves 1

Ingredients

3 cups of endive 

1/2 large ruby red grapefruit, peel and pith removed

1/2 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/2 lemon juiced

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Himalayan pink salt to taste

Method

Layer your endive on a plate.  Pour your lemon juice in a medium bowl and add your thinly sliced fennel (stops it from browning). Remove the fennel, leaving behind the juice, and layer on the endive.  Slice the grapefruit into chunks and layer over previous ingredients.  Add the mustard to the left over lemon juice, along with the salt and mix until it combines well, drizzle over salad and serve.

Fig & Beetroot Salad with a Raspberry Vinaigrette & Walnuts

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup baby spinach 

1 large beetroot* sliced into wedges 

2 medium figs quartered

5 walnut halves

1 cup raspberries 

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

Method

Arrange baby spinach on the bottom of a serving plate, add the figs, beetroot wedges and some of the raspberries on the plate.  Sprinkle on the walnuts.

To make the dressing, mash the left over raspberries with the back of a fork, and mix through the acv.  Spoon over the top of your salad.

*cook the beetroot before by wrapping them in foil and throwing them in a moderate oven until tender.  I do about 3 at a time, with some sweet potato also, and keep them in the fridge to add to salads at a later date.  Meals in seconds!

Speaking of which......

Baked Sweet Potato with Coleslaw and a Beet, Apple & Pepita Salad

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato

1 kale leave, stalk removed

1/2 avocado mashed with a little bit of lemon juice

1 tsp chilli flakes

1/4 cup white cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup purple cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup carrot, grated

2 TBS finely sliced parsley

1/2 medium beetroot, julienne 

1/2 medium apple, julienne

1 TBS pepitas

1/2 lime, juiced

1/3 cup raw cashews

1/2-3/4 cup water

1/2 TBS nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp raw unpasteurized brown rice miso

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 clove of garlic

Himalayan pink salt to taste

Method

Soak your cashews in water and set aside.   Wrap your sweet potato in foil and place in a moderate oven until tender.  Anywhere between 30-40 minutes.

Whilst sweet potato is cooking, and cashews are soaking, make the beetroot salad by mixing the julienne beetroot, apples and pepitas together with the lime juice and add some salt to taste.

Put aside.

When cashews have been soaking for about 30 minutes, rinse and drain them, and place them in a powerful blender with water, nutritional yeast, miso, dill and garlic.  Blend until super smooth, and adjust seasoning.

To make the coleslaw,mix together the cabbages, carrots and parsley, add some of your cashew dressing (you will have some left over) and mix through until all is well coated.

Take your soft sweet potato out of the oven, careful not to burn your fingers! Peel skin back and make cut along the front and push them apart wide enough to fill with the finely sliced kale leaf, and top that with the avocado mash.  Sprinkle on your chilli flakes.

Now add your coleslaw and beet salad and there you have it.

I also added some sauerkraut because I love it and it's good for your guts.

Beetroot and Zucchini Fritters with Chimichurri
Makes 10-12 fritters

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup GF flour (i use Bob Red Mills)
3/4 tsp xantham gum
1 TBS GF baking powder
2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 medium beetroot, juiced and pulp reserved
2 medium zucchini grated, juice squeezed out
1 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Method

Add the acv to the almond milk in a small bowl and set aside.
Sift the dry ingredients together and mix well.  Make a well in the centre and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well.
The mixture will be thick in consistency.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and add about 1/4 cup of the mixture to the hot pan.  Turn over after a couple of minutes, or when bubbles start to appear at the top.  Because it's a thick mixture, I used the back of my pouring cup to spread it out a bit.
Repeat with the rest of the mixture until all used up.

Chimichurri
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1 bunch continental parsley
1 clove of garlic crushed
2 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 small red chilli (deseed and remove membrane if you don't like it hot)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

Method

Chop parsley and chilli finely and add to small glass jar.  Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Adjust seasoning.
Will keep in an airtight container for 7 days.

Add it to everything, or use it as a salad dressing.  YUM!

 The next day I used them as a base and added some homemade tomato sauce on the bottom and topped them with tomato, red onion, baby spinach, figs and topped them with a parsley pesto.

Quinoa Nori Rolls with Pickled Ginger and Tamari

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 Nori sheets

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes

2 TBS finely chopped red onion

Veggies of choice, I used:

Sliced cucumber

Sliced red capsicum

Sliced avocado

Salad greens

Pickled ginger

Tamari

Method

Mix the cooked quinoa with the tomatoes and red onions and mix through.

Lay the nori sheets on top of a sushi mat, then place the cooked quinoa on top, leaving about 2 cm free at the end furthest from you.

Lay the rest of your ingredients on top in a line on the edge closest to you, then carefully start rolling away from you, concentrating on making the roll tight.  Remove any excess quinoa, pat a little bit of water on the edge before you roll it down.  Hold down for a little while until it sticks together.  Then cut to desired sizes.

Serve with some pickled ginger and tamari.

I also made some raw nori rolls.  I just filled it with grated carrots, cucumber, sprouts, capsicum, tomato and apple.  Delicious and super quick!

Zucchini Spaghetti with Creamy Sundried Tomato Pesto

Serves 1

Ingredients

For the pasta:

2 medium zucchini

2 TBS finely diced red capsicum

1 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1 TBS hemp seeds

For the pesto:

1/3 cup raw cashews (soaked & rinsed)

3/4 cup water

1 TBS nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp raw unpasteurized brown rice miso

1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves

6 sundried tomatoes (rinse off the oil)

1 small garlic clove

Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

Method

Spiralize the zucchini on the spaghetti setting and place in a medium bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except the hemp seeds and set aside.
For the pesto, add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.  Adjusting seasoning if required.
Pour some of the pesto (there'll be some left over) into the pasta ingredients and toss gently to combine.  I use my hands to make sure each and every strand is covered with the delicious sauce.
Place on serving plate and sprinkle with hemp seeds.
Store the left over pesto in an airtight container with tight fitting lid, it will keep for 4 days but mine never lasts that long!

And here are some meal ideas in case you need more:

Kale, avocado & pomegranate salad with heirloom tomato steaks

Salad in a jar with parsley pesto

Salad with baked pumpkin, raisins, broccoli and a lemon tahini dressing

So there you have it lovelies, another month gone.  Well nearly, but can you believe we're nearly half way through the year, already!!

Seriously, time flies when you're having fun.

Peas, love and mungbeans

love food, love love

It's been such an amazing start to the month, not only do I feel great after nearly a month of eating clean and mainly raw but I also took part in what is one of the most important of traditions.  

Yep, I got married!!!

Getting ready for the big day was an incentive for my new direction in eating and now that it's over, I don't think I want to stop!

Not feeling bloated, getting good sleep, feeling energised, getting compliments on my skin, all good reasons why I want to continue.  Not to mention that it's also so much fun experimenting with new tastes and textures when making a meal.

Of course, this isn't the first time I've gone raw, I did a month of raw a little while ago.  This time however, I did it a little bit different.

I didn't consume as much nuts and seeds as last time, and I also kept oils to a minimum.
I have been keeping mainly to the 801010 philosophy which basically translates to a high carb, low fat way of eating.
Basically, I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.  I get my fat from avocados or flax seed oil, chia and some nuts.
I get my protein, vitamins and minerals from veggies and fruit, making sure I eat a lot of greens which contain all the good things your body needs in abundance.

People ask me all the time if I feel any different now than I did when I ate animal products and the answer is always the same.  A big YES!
Now when I see someone tucking into fried foods covered in sauces, I actually feel a bit sick and I wonder if that person knows that what they are putting in to their bodies is actually doing them harm.
But that's not to say that all vegans are healthy, quite the opposite is sometimes the case.  
One google search of vegan food reveals some pretty scary stuff. Packaged soy products, not-meats, sugar laden cakes made from nutritionally devoid ingredients, these are not what your body is meant to be eating.  But hey, we're all human and we all make mistakes, I know I have.  I haven't always eaten what's good for me.  But if you can learn from your mistakes, then you are on the right track.
I think a common mistake people make when going down the vegan path is that they remove the animal products but don't replace it with anything.
This is why people look sick and pale. 
A diet full of starches and packaged foods is not sufficient to maintain good health.
At the end of the day, regardless of whether you follow a plant based diet or one that contains animal products, eating foods as close to their natural state is what is best.

So what does a raw foodie high carb low fat day look like?
I start the day with 0.5-1L of water.
Follow with a 1 L smoothie/juice, mostly green with some fruit.
Lunch is a big salad with lots of green veggies like kale, baby spinach, cos lettuce and whatever other veggies I have.  
Nori rolls are also a favourite because they are quick to make and super tasty.  Sometimes I replace the nori with rainbow chard leaves, or choy sum leaves.  I still haven't been able to find collard greens here but if anyone has, please message me, I'm dying to sink my teeth into those!!
Snack on fruit if I need to, or half an avocado.
Dinner is sometimes banana sundaes (i kid you not), salad, raw pasta, or some fruit or a smoothie, depending on my level of hunger.

If you think smoothies can get boring, then here are some that you can try to get you out of your smoothie rut.
All recipes serves 1

Pitaya, Blueberry and Banana

2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup pittaya cubes
water
a sprinkle of chia seeds (optional)

You know what to do!!

Pitaya, or dragon fruit as it's known in Australia, is said to be a good source of vitamin C, specially the red skinned variety.
Pitayas, like most fruit, are also rich in fibre and minerals, notably phosphorus and calcium.

The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and in particular Red Pitayas contain very little saturated fat.
Pitayas also contain significant quantities of phytoalbumin antioxidants.  WIN!

Banana, Blueberry, Beetroot and Pear 

2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 medium beetroot
2 small pears
water
ice

green on left, beetroot on right.

Green Smoothie

1 frozen banana
3 cos lettuce leaves
2 cups baby spinach
4 cm piece of celery
1/2 mango cheek
1 pear
water
goji berries for garnish (optional)

I had this particular combination of smoothies on the day before a fun run.
Beetroot is said to help with carrying oxygen in your blood, particularly helpful when you're going to be needing the extra oxygen I think!

Banana Chocolate Pie

2 frozen bananas
1 pear
1/4 avocado
2 medjool dates
2 TBS raw cacao powder
water
chia seeds and raw cacao nibs (optional)

When a chocolate craving calls, I don't shy away from it.  
I just make sure it's as full of as many nutrients as possible.
The avocado really gives it that creamy taste and the good fats your body needs.
The dates give it an extra touch of sweetness and a hint of caramel.
Are you drooling yet? I am!

Pine Green Smoothie

2 frozen bananas
1 large pear
3 kale leaves
2 handfuls of baby spinach
2 cups of pineapple cubes
8 mint leaves
water

We went on holidays with our girls after the wedding, more like a "famimoon" if you will.
We stayed at a caravan park but that didn't stop me from taking my hand held blender.
I just can't live without my breakfast smoothies!
This combination was really fresh and tropical and it just screamed out sandy feet and salty skin.

The Valentine's Edition

1 large frozen banana
3 kale leaves
2 handfuls of spinach
2 medjool dates
1/2 lemon juiced
1 punnet of strawberries
1 mango
6 basil leaves
water




We went to a strawberry and tomato farm the day before Valentine's day and had the pleasure of picking strawberries with our girls.
It was such an enjoyable experience, specially getting to eat them after our hard work.
I had to add them to my smoothie the next day, being Valentine's day and all.

Cherrie Berry Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen blueberry
1/2 cup of cherries, stones removed
1 pear
water

With the end of cherry season upon us, I tried to make the most of it by adding them to my smoothies and making some cherry ripe sundaes, but more on those later :)

Antioxidant Hit

3 kale leaves
2 handfuls of baby spinach
4 cos lettuce leaves
1/2 stalk of celery
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 TBS raw cacao powder
coconut water (about 300 mls)
Raw cacao nibs and dried coconut flakes to garnish

I really needed this after a weekend of celebrating with friends and drinking a glass of wine more than I'm used to.

Definitely did the trick though.  Felt so energised and revived after this little beauty, I think I'm going to keep it as my secret weapon anytime I'm having a down day.  Well, not so secret anymore but sharing is caring!

Pear Vanilla & Coconut

2 frozen bananas
2 large ripe pears
400 mls of coconut water
2 TBS of coconut flesh
1 vanilla bean, insides scraped out and added to the smoothie

It was hot and humid today and after my huge lunch, I just wasn't up to making a big salad so I whipped up this most uncomplicated smoothie and had it with a mixed fruit salad for dinner.
It was absolutely delicious and ended up being super filling too.  So satisfying.  


Sometimes I can't decide on what flavour smoothie to make, when that happens, I make a little bit of all the ones I want, stick it in a glass and call it a Breakfast Parfait!

 

The bottom and top layer is green smoothie, the second layer is blueberry smoothie and the white layer is just banana and coconut flesh.
Just make sure that you reduce the amount of water and ingredients so that you don't get any wastage.
What I did was use 1/2 a banana for each layer and that gave it the perfect consistency for each layer.

And before we move on to the more savoury dishes, I just have two more treats for you.

Choc Chip Banana Split
Serves 1

Ingrediens

2 frozen bananas
1 fresh large ripe banana
2 TBS raw cacao powder
1 tsp raw cacao nibs
1 tsp dried coconut flakes
3 fresh cherries

Method

In a food processor, place your frozen bananas and process until banana has broken up and starts to look like soft serve.  Add your raw cacao powder and process until it becomes incorporated into the banana ice cream.
Cut your large banana in half lengthways, place on a serving plate, spoon on your chocolate ice cream.  Top with fresh cherries, and sprinkle on the cacao nibs and coconut.
Enjoy!

and yes, i did have this for dinner!!

Cherry Ripe Sundaes
Serves 2

Ingredients

2 fresh cherries
1 TBS dried coconut

For Cherry Ice Cream                    For Chocolate Mousse

10 pitted fresh cherries                2 small avocados
2 TBS coconut milk                      2 medjool dates
2 frozen banana                         2 TBS of raw cacao powder
                                        1 tsp vanilla extract
                                        1/4 cup coconut nectar *

Method

For Cherry Ice Cream

Place all ingredients in your high speed blender (i use vitamix) and blend until ingredients are incorporated and resemble ice cream.

For Chocolate Mousse

Place all ingredients in your food processor and process until super smooth.
*coconut nectar can be hard to get, feel free to use 100% maple syrup if you can't find it.  I use loving earth and order it through their website.
Alternatively, you could leave it out and add some extra dates, possibly half the amount of raw cacao powder as it is pretty rich!

To Assemble

Just layer the chocolate mousse and cherry ice cream in whatever beautiful glass you have, top it off with a cherry and sprinkle on the coconut.
Too easy!

I placed mine in the freezer for a little while as it was a very hot day and I wasn't going to eat it until later.  You could double the recipe and make some to have in your freezer for those days when you don't have time to make something delicious.

Okay, let's go down to savoury town with these next few recipes.
Y'all know I love nori rolls and I've put up some recipes for them before so I may be repeating myself but so it goes....
I love the simplicity of them and the fact that you can add anything you want!  It's such an easy meal, and perfect for when you need to eat your veggies fast before they lose their sparkle.

Seasoned Seaweed Nori Rolls
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 nori sheets
1 cup of alfalfa sprouts
1/2 handful of enoki mushrooms
6 strips of red capsicum
100g of seasoned seaweed (i bought mine from the fish markets)

Method

Lay out your nori rolls on a sushi mat, make sure you have some water close by as you'll need it to seal the edges once you roll them.
Place your chosen ingredients in the middle, leaving about a 1.5 cm space at the edge.
Roll up, roll up, seal and serve with your favourite accompaniments.

 Note the pickled ginger.  You should try to include some type of pickled or fermented food in your diet, it really helps your digestive system stay in tip top shape.

I also love sauerkraut,  really delicious on it's own, or in fillings with some salad and tahini.

The following recipe is for a dressing that I made up when we were away.
As I said, all I had was my hand held blender so this was quick and pleased the family.

Minty Avocado Dressing
Makes approx. 1 cup

Ingredients

1 large ripe avocado
1/2 lime juiced
small handful of mint sprigs, leaves only (or more depending on how minty you want it)
Freshly ground pepper
Himalayan pink salt to taste

Method

Place all your ingredients in a blender (or use your handheld) and process until super smooth.

I served it on top of a salad made up of baby spinach, thinly sliced zucchini (use potato peeler, no spiralizer), grated carrots, capsicum, tomatoes and cos lettuce.
Fresh and delicious.

If you don't like mint, feel free to substitute with whichever herb tickles your fancy.
I also use this dressing like mayonnaise and add it to my nori rolls or when I make sandwiches for my girls.

If you eat salmon or tuna, this would be really nice if you substituted dill and had it in a wrap with some salad greens and capers.  

If you have any left over, it will last in the fridge for a max of 3 days.


Mango, Pineapple and Grapefruit Ceviche
Makes 6 cos lettuce cups

Ingredients

6 large cos lettuce leaves
1/2 large mango diced
1 cup of diced pineapple
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves sliced thinly
1/2 cup mint leaves chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
1/2 large red chilli thinly sliced (remove pith and seeds if you don't like it hot)
1 lime juiced
Himalayan sea salt 
Freshly ground pepper

12 grapefruit segments

Method

In a large bowl, mix your ingredients except for your lettuce leaves and grapefruit segments.
Do so gently with your hands, just enough to coat all the ingredients whilst keeping them fresh.  You don't want a squishy mess.  Remember, people eat with their eyes also ;)
Once mixed add your grapefruit and mix gently again.
Place your cos lettuce cups on a serving platter and carefully add your ceviche into the middle.

The idea is that you leave room to wrap them up in little parcel which you stick in your mouth and devour!

Ceviche is a dish that is traditional to my birth country Peru and I grew up eating it.
It is a really healthy dish that traditionally uses boneless white fish and it's eaten raw, with the only cooking taking place due to the acid from the lime and lemon juice.  It is normally served in a lettuce cup with a side of corn and sweet potato.  There is no oil used, and the only other ingredients are red onion, coriander, salt, pepper and chilli.
This is my version of a beloved dish that always reminds me of my family and Peruvian heritage.

Fettucine with Spicy Tomato Sauce*

Serves 2

Ingredients

For pasta

4 medium zucchini

2 handfuls of baby spinach

4 medium cup mushrooms sliced

8 kalamata olives sliced thinly

4 cherry tomatoes halved

2 basil leaves roughly torn for garnish

For sauce

2 large tomatoes

1 garlic clove

1/4 red onion

1/3 cup red capsicum

1 TBS tomato paste

1 small red chilli (remove seeds and pith if you don't want it too hot)

1 tsp dried oregano 

5 large basil leaves

1 medjool date pitted

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1/2 lime juiced

1/2 medium carrot

Method

For the fettucine

You will need a spiraliser or a potato peeler (please see previous posts re: how to do this).

Use whatever method to make the zucchini into fettucine.

Place zucchini pasta in a large bowl and add your other ingredients except basil.  Toss gently to combine.  Set aside.

For Sauce

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until super smooth.  

To serve, pour sauce over fettucine, sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.

if that's not fast food, i don't know what is!

*ok so this may not be completely raw due to the tomato paste.  You can make it completely raw by using sundried tomatoes and soaking them in water for 30 mins before adding them to your sauce.  I just didn't have any at hand but was craving this dish so bad.

Cherry Tomato Salad

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

20 cherry tomatos

5 large basil leaves

1/2 small red onion

1/2 lemon juiced

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan pink salt and fresh pepper to taste

Method

In a large bowl, add all your ingredients and toss gently to coat with oil and juice.

Serve with your meal.

These are the tomatoes that we got at the farm.  They are award winning due to their amazing flavour and I just didn't want to complicate the dish. With flavour this good, it was best to leave things simple.

Choy Sum Wraps

Serves 1

Ingredients

Wraps

4 large choy sum leaves

1 cup of fenugreek sprouts (or whatever sprouts you like)

carrot sticks

red capsicum sticks

thinly sliced zucchini

Dressing

Tamari

Fresh chilli thinly sliced

Method

Place choy sum leaf on a plate and add fillings to the centre of the leaf, leaving some space on the bottom so that you can turn it up and tuck it when you are rolling so that your filling doesn't escape.
Roll them up and use a toothpick to secure them into place.
Place them, edge down, on your serving plate.

To make dressing, just add your tamari and mix it with your chilli and place in a little dipping bowl.

I served this with a yummy salad which is super easy but super tasty.

Apple and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Lemon & Poppyseed Dressing
Serves 1

Ingredients

10 brussel sprouts (remove tough outter leaves)
1 apple peeled
5 mint leaves sliced thinly*

Dressing

1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced
1 tsp poppy seeds

Method

Put your apple and brussels sprouts into a food processor and process until it resembles chunky crumbs.
Place in a medium bowl and add mint leaves and dressing ingredients.  Toss well to combine and serve.
Top with some pomegranate seeds (optional).

*an easy way to thinly slice herbs is to get all the leaves on top of each other, roll into a tight little stick and slice thinly.  Fast and gives you uniform strips.... and yes, I am a bit of a control freak.

So, that's me and my raw food clean eating adventures to date.
Lots of fresh, in season ingredients, which in this country, we are lucky to have in abundance.
Which brings me to a point I want to make.
Being able to have a choice about what food you put into your body is a gift.  I am humbled and grateful every day that mother earth has chosen me as one of the lucky people who can do this.
To eat food, (let's call it food but I don't believe that junk food is real food, just junk)that is bad for you and is doing damage to your body, is like shitting on those people who are not as fortunate.  Sorry to be so blunt and crude but seriously. 
And no, I don't believe that you necessarily have to have a plant based diet to do this.  Just be mindful of what you eat, where it comes from, what you waste, what you consume. 
Waste not, want not.

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb