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Ginger Carrots in Lime with Peanuts

Well, it took quite a while for summer to arrive in France this year, but it’s finally here. Sometimes, the heat wrecks havoc on my appetite. Eating light and raw is easy and healthy. Here’s my latest raw creation perfect for hot summers.

Ginger Carrots in Lime with Peanuts

Grate carrots into a bowl.
Add a T of coconut cream (or olive oil if you prefer).
Add in a can of rinsed white beans.
Juice 1/2 of a lime and pour over carrots.
Finely chop a small spring onion and add to carrots.
Mince a square inch of ginger and a clove of garlic; add to bowl.
Season with salt and cayenne pepper or a splash of Tabasco.
Sprinkle with a handful of roasted peanuts.

Chow down!

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Cookie Dough “N”ice Cream

I confess. I am a dessert addict. After I eat lunch or dinner, I always have to have something sweet to seal the meal…even if it is just a dinner mint. But in my efforts to eat less of the bad stuff (not all of it, mind you; just less!), I was thrilled last year to learn the benefits of a marriage between an ice cream maker and ripe bananas.

For this cool treat, you’ll need to have prepared some Yummy “Raw” Chocolate Chip Dough in advance.

Cookie Dough “N”ice Cream

You will need:

  • an ice cream maker
  • three or four ripe bananas
  • an optional splash of vodka or, as I like to use, Bailey’s Irish Cream (just a splash now!)
  • yummy “raw” chocolate chip dough cut into little pieces

Then all you do is mash up the bananas. Add the alcohol (which provides both a nicer taste and texture…yeah, sure Dielle!) and the cookie dough chunks. Stir it up, put it in the machine, and let it do the rest of the work.

It’s so easy. And it is so much better for you than ice cream.

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Yummy “Raw” Chocolate Chip Dough

I have confessed to my sweet tooth before. Because it can become a real problem if I’m not careful, I do everything I can to find satisfying alternatives that are delicious and better for me. Then the problem isn’t so much the need for a sweet treat as it is not eating too much!

I adore chocolate chip cookies, but I really don’t like white sugar and white flour. This recipe helps me satisfy my chocolate chip cookie craving, but it’s dead easy, super fast, and much healthier.

Here’s the recipe for one person. It’s good to do it this way at first to get the hang of the texture you want.

Yummy “Raw” Chocolate Chip Dough

Grab a package of refined almond flour (the kind used in pastry making).
Put some in a bowl (as much as you care to eat) and add a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle in some nice dark chocolate chunks or chips.
Add a t. of vanilla.

Now for the tricky part. You can use the sweetener of your choice: maple syrup, honey, or apple sauce. Put in too much and it’s going to be too wet. Put in too little, and it won’t hold together. You don’t need a lot! And in fact, as you mash it all together, you will find you need less than it appeared at first.

Ideally, you want to be able to shape the dough into little bite-sized balls. If it is too sticky, just add more almond flour. (To be quite honest, I rather like it when it is a bit too dusty and crumbly, but I can’t serve it to anyone else like that!)

Once you have cracked the single serving, you’ll be able to make bigger batches on intuition. But don’t eat them all! Put some aside (even freeze ’em) and you can make some Cookie Dough “N”ice Cream too.

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Crunchy Fennel & Chickpea Salad

Nom, nom nom. Nothing like food you can really sink your teeth into to satisfy. My latest colorful creation has plenty for you to chew on! Fresh fennel, crunchy sunflower seeds, snappy cucumber, and crisp carrot blend nicely with the flavors of nutty chickpeas and dill.

What I prepared fed me and hubby. But don’t sweat the amounts. Use your eye and trust your gut. That’s part of the fun.

Crunchy Fennel & Chickpea Salad

Chop a medium carrot
Chop a small cucumber.
Chop a spring onion or two.
Slice and then dice some fresh fennel.
Place the veggies in a mixing bowl and shower with the juice of half a lemon.
Rinse canned chickpeas, dry and add to bowl.
Add dill, salt, and pepper to taste.
Add a nice sprinkling of sunflower seeds.
You can also add a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Finish off with some parmesean cheese.

This recipe is wide open for options. Can’t find fennel? Substitute celery instead. No sunflower seeds on hand? How about some chopped almonds?
No parmesean left after last night’s pasta? Feta will do. You get the idea.

Now get munchin’!

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Tahini Carrot Salad

Call me crazy, but I get very excited over color. Vibrant colors in my environment makes me smile. There’s something about a bowl full of color that makes a meal all the more appetizing…even if it’s just one color like in this fabulous Tahini Carrot Salad. It’s cruncy, tangy, and entirely satisfying either by itself or on the side of something else.

Tahini Carrot Salad

Peel and then grate as many carrots as desired. I like a nice big chip as opposed to a scrawny little thread. Place the grated carrot in a mixing bowl.

Mix in a mashed clove of garlic and some fresh grated ginger.

Mix the following dressing to taste:

tahini paste
lime juice
olive oil
greek yogurt

Add salt and pepper to taste while humming a happy tune and pour this over your grated carrots. Mix well. Then commence munching. Happy bunny?

Serving Suggestion: This dish looks great alongside and tastes great with Zesty Zucchini Salad.

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Zesty Zucchini Salad

One of my favorite restaurants in Asheville where I used to live was raw. I considered dining there a rare treat and never really considered making raw food for myself. I had it in my head it was far too labor intensive…all that slicing, dicing, culturing and sauce making. But lately, I’m having quite a ball exploring the world of easy-to-make raw dishes.

For a couple of years now, I’ve observed myself looking at raw food sites online, fantasizing about the colorful cuisine and dreaming about going off to some raw food cooking school. It finally dawned on me that “not having the right equipment” or “the amount of things I’d need to buy to even start” were not sufficient excuses to just diving in.

I’ve been asking myself lately the things in life that bring me the most joy. Healthy food certainly fits that bill…both in the making and the eating. So I decided no more excuses. I’d start simply and work my way up.

Not one for following recipies to the letter, ever, I skimmed some “easy raw food recipes” online to get a sense of the ingredients and ways to prepare things. Then I worked with what I had and made some experiments.

I’ve been loving my raw food creations so much that I decided to share some of them here with all of you. I love food. I love the way it looks and the way it tastes. But I’m also a very picky eater. There are many foods I just won’t eat no matter how “gourmet” they are. Food should elevate the body, mind and spirit. Food should be fresh and full of life…and prepared with the highest intentions. I hope you try this dish and discover just how easy and enjoyable it can be to eat  raw too!

Zesty Zucchini Salad

Dice or spiral some fresh, organic zucchinis (about three cups worth) pondering the springy texture, subtle fragrance, and rich green skins.

Place in a mixing bowl with the following to taste:

chopped scallion
chopped red chilis
juice of half a lemon
crumbled feta cheese
crumbled brazil nuts
and maybe a T of olive oil
soy sauce and/or salt
black pepper

Mix while reciting the mantra, “OMmy goodness!” and eat!

Serving suggestion:
Zesty Zucchini Salad looks awesome beside and tastes great together with my Tahini Carrot Salad.