Peaches & Greens

Millions of peaches… peaches and greens.

So a friend and I (hey Kas!), bought a truckload of peaches from an orchard a few weeks back. The last few members of the bushel were super ripe and smelling sweet when I had the idea to juice them! The result was delicious! Just throw 6-8 ripe (and pitted) peaches, a peeled orange and 2 cups of spinach in the juicer. And when I say ripe, I mean easily-bruised-smells-super-sweet-and-is-super-soft-ripe. This juice is refreshingly sweet and jam packed with call sorts of vitamins and minerals including beta carotene (from the peach… who knew?), vitamin C, and phytonutrients without tasting super verdant.

Feastival—Composed Raw Salad Platter

One thing I like to do when I have a little extra time is to make a bunch of raw salads, pâté, dips and/or sauces and keep them at the ready in the refrigerator. It’s a lot easier to stay on track when hunger pangs hit and you have a bunch of things to choose from. The great thing about making an all raw dish or pre-made dip or pâté is that it’ll keep up to 5 days. They do lose some of the nutritional value the longer they rest, and the flavor will slowly dissipate after a couple days or so. But still, these little salads are a great go to!

Just Beet It.

They told you don’t you ever come around here…

This sweet juice is so great for all things circulation. Beets are naturally high in antioxidants and nitrates (which improve blood flow by naturally increasing  nitric oxide). In a very basic description, it opens up your blood vessels and gets your blood flowing. So it can improve all things blood-flow related including lowering blood pressure. And don’t forget to wash and juice the beet greens as well. There are a ton of phytonutrients in those.

G’Day Sunshine Juice

So it’s been a minute since I’ve blogged. I admit my focus has been a little scattered the past few months, and part of getting shiznit back together was to get my health and mental space back up to par. So, in addition to reinstating (again!) a workout regimen, I’ve returned to eating a clean, high raw-diet as well as drinking a lot of smoothies and juices. More importantly, I’ve inspired my parents and my grandmother to start adding fresh juices and some low-fat, raw foods into their diet as well. So with that extra, super-important family accountability, I thought that I would start posting again.

This is one of my favorite juices in the morning. It’s crisp and fresh, sweet and tart. It packs a huge nutritional blast and enough zing to get you buzzing.

Raw Vegan Wilted Spinach & Mushroom Salad

Before I started eating a primarily plant-based, raw diet, one of my favorite salads was a wilted spinach and mushroom salad. Of course, what made it wilted was the hot bacon that was tossed into raw spinach (and sometimes) sautéed mushrooms. I had all the ingredients on hand one night around dinner time and I whipped this up. It quickly became one of my new favorite dishes.

“You do eat brown rice & vegetables, don’t you?”

This delicious, healthy (and vegan) alternative to traditional risotto is inspired by a happy accident. One great thing about brown rice, is that when stirred often while cooking, it releases a lot of the natural starch, resulting in a creamy rice with a little extra bite from the natural grain. The flavor profile is naturally nutty, and reminiscent of parmesan cheese, so you really don’t need to add it (making this dish vegan-friendly). And a serving (one cup of dry brown rice makes four servings) is about 200 calories. Mind blowing. Don’t get me wrong, I am not anti-tradition when it comes to risotto. This is just a healthy alternative that may surprise you.

Lemon-Pumpkin Pancakes w/ Tea-Infused Syrup

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of pumpkin. These cakes are substantial enough to stand alone for a breakfast. The lemon zest adds a nice zing, and the tea-infused maple syrup is so refreshing. I used Aveda’s tea for this because I love the flavor the peppermint/licorice root/sweet fennel-infused maple syrup has. It’s a little menthol, complex and decidedly sweet. It’s warm and thin and makes a great side dipping sauce (versus pouring it all over the top and consuming more calories then you need to). The combination is unexpected, and surprisingly bright.

Vegan Beer-Bashed Beans

This dish is so simple and so satisfying, it may very well become the only way you ever make beans again. It works great as a side dish, as dinner (with a big ole salad on the side) or as a component to your home-based burrito or taco stand.

Kale Yeah!

Cumin-Scented Massaged Avocado & Kale Salad

This is my favorite salad. Period. I literally constantly crave this salad—probably more then any other meal. I eat it at least once a week. And when I am on a raw and vegan diet, massaged kale and avocado is my go to, favorite meal. It’s creamy, a little spicy, a tad sour and sweet with a nice substantial bite. It’s filling and you can eat heaps and heaps for about 300 calories. Score and score.

Curried Lentils with Tomato Jasmine Rice

Thisrecipe for curried lentils is not a traditional method for making lentils, but it’s a quick way to get the same flavor profile of a nice spicy curry. Paired with the bright tomato jasmine rice, it’s perfect for winter comfort food, or a spa night in. The lentils are finished with a bagaar, a traditional tempering oil used in Indian cooking and it really adds an incredible depth to a pot of lentils that were, literally, a bag of pebbles in your cupboard about a half hour prior.