Living Light's Recipe for balancing wonderful Dressings

I feel blessed to have graduated from the Living Light Culinary Institute in Fort Bragg some years ago & to have been taught by Cherie Soria who is the owner & "guiding light" in all things Raw. Recently they have created some classes online for those who can't make it across to the School in the USA, so it may be worth your while investigating their programmes, if you wish to pursue a Gourmet Chef Training in Raw Food.

One of the most important things Living Light teaches is how to create balanced flavors in a recipe. Both seasoned veterans and new people who are just starting to learn how to create raw food recipes need to understand the core principles of the five basic flavors and how to combine them for a balanced dish.

 

 

The ideal is to  create harmony among the various flavor elements so that one element does not “drown out” the others and cause an unbalanced dish. Balancing a recipe goes beyond just taste. When flavors are artfully combined, the entire dish becomes wholly satisfying. The tendency to overeat is much less likely when you enjoy a satisfying, well-balanced dish. In fact, many top chefs serve small portions because they pay careful attention to flavor components, skillfully balance them, and create a dish that is totally satisfying on a variety of levels. At Living Light, they  teach techniques that will help you make perfectly balanced soups, salad dressings, and many other dishes.

 

 

Some ingredients satisfy two or more of the five elements, so it is easy to create a deliciously balanced salad dressing or sauce with just a few ingredients!

 

 

Our World's Resources are Precious

Let us play our part by Reducing Food Waste

While it is certainly thrilling and encouraging to live in a country where awareness of food wastage is finally gathering momentum, we need not wait  for others to show a lead  before taking action in our own kitchens. We are often reminded of the extent of the problem when we see the wastage of fresh food in Supermarket bins & Fine eating Restaurants, & it is refreshing to know that volunteers in many areas of community are now utilising excess supplies & wastage caused from over ordering. We see delicious meals being created from good food often thrown out, for those who are less fortunate & do not have the availability, often on a daily basis, of a healthy meal. There is however, an awful lot we can do within our own households to get the ball rolling on this important subject. With all that we now know about the environmental damage, & the massive ongoing need for fresh food & water for all citizens of our Global Family, it is easy to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go to solve the in-discriminant wastage of food & the resources required to produce it. In our own very small way, I believe we can each make a difference, so why not get started right away?

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

While it may be tedious to sit down to plan our meals for the week before heading out to the Supermarket, it can be very helpful in reducing food waste. When we know exactly what we should be buying for all of our meals and snacks, we’re less likely to make mindless food decisions and buy things we won’t end up eating. We will also have a plan to use all of the perishables like fresh fruits and veggies before they spoil. If we know they’re going into a stir-fry this Tuesday night, we won’t have to worry about finding them molded in the crisper drawer next Sunday morning. This simple idea alone reduces wastage of food, resources & the budget bottom line.

2. Compost

 We can put our food scraps to good use in a number of ways.
Wash the tops of root veggies, the peels & end cuts otherwise thrown in the bin, even the fibre from juicing makes a wonderful broth for soups & casseroles; just boil it all up with some water, herbs & spices & a little salt & the result is a yummy & very cheap veggie broth which can be finely strained & kept in the frig for a few days or otherwise frozen for future use.
Wilted veggies can be revitalised & used in soups & casseroles too, wash them well but make sure they haven't become spoilt with mould; these would need throwing out!
Capturing the nutrients we’d otherwise pop in our bin for garbage collection, and saving them instead to feed our flowers, our worm farm or herb garden or even our chooks, is a wise choice to utilize our food waste.There are also home composting units available, which can easily be explored.

3. Eat Your Leftovers

Chances are the food we have left over from dinner tonight will still be just as good tomorrow. We can also adjust our thinking to create a new recipe incorporating these leftovers which can have amazing results. Maybe toss those cooked veggies from dinner into a tortilla with beans for a taco or wrap at lunch the next day, or make breakfast smoothies with the leftover fruit salad we have. If we buy or make something, try to eat all of it and resist the urge to toss it.

4. Help Someone in Need

Routinely go through our pantry to check dates on our canned beans, dry pastas, and soups. Do we see something in there we might not be able to use within a reasonable amount of time? Food banks would love to take our extra food off our hands and send it home with someone in need.  Donating our food is a much better social and environmental choice than throwing away food or letting it become out dated or decay in the back of our pantry.

5. Get Preserving! 

Pickling, drying, canning, and freezing are just a few ways to preserve food and add some flare to them in the process. This can be especially helpful to get the most out of our bumper crops of tomatoes or apples from our home garden before they go to waste. It’s also a great way to get creative with fruits and vegetables, giving our diet some more diversity. Before the raspberries, we bought have a chance to mold, freeze them for pies or smoothies later. And utilize that great sale on apples to make dried apple rings our children can snack on throughout the day.

6. Use the Refrigerator Wisely

Not properly utilizing our fridge and freezer can lead to food waste with things spoiling. Set our fridge at the ideal temperature (40 degrees or below which is 5 degrees Centigrade, to prevent bacterial growth), arrange our fridge shelves for optimal safety and freshness, and know which items can be stored in the fridge door where the temperature is warmest. Keeping our food fresh and safe is a great way to reduce waste.

These are just a few simple ideas, but I'm sure everyone can come up with others to put into use in our homes. Our World needs our help environmentally & sustainably, our Community needs our help in supporting others less fortunate, & in saving water & resources through education & action; the good practices we implement in our homes is a great place to start, as we are also teaching our children respect for our environment & respect for the food that reaches our dining table.

Seasoning Foods for Health & Flavour

Ingredients added to food to intensify or improve flavour are called seasonings. Some of the most commonly used ones include Herbs such as oregano, rosemary, coriander, parsley, & basil, Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger & all spice, & Condiments like tamari (Soy Sauce) , mustards & vinegars, lemon & of course salt & pepper.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a herb and a spice? Probably not, although perhaps if you only find yourself in the kitchen when absolute necessity strikes or you have takeaway on a regular basis, there may be a query or two if you were asked to define the difference!

In the simplest of terms… herbs are grown and used for their green parts, the leaves and stalks. Often people end up using them dried for convenience but when used fresh, they can really bring euphoric flavors and seductive aromas to a dish.  By combining different herbs together, you can create many wonderful unique flavors.

Spices on the other hand are grown for the roots, bark, seeds, fruits and flowers. Spices are concentrated and have a powerful flavor profile which, when used properly, can electrify a dish and please the palate. However, there is such a thing as using too much which can overpower a dish and render it unrecognizable or unpalatable.

Feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you have in your kitchen or garden.  The key is to mince them up…  "mince well" and "cut pretty small" in a recipe means much the same thing… Make them the perfect size that tend to get stuck in your teeth giving you some “green bling bling” throughout the day if you don't have a friend to draw your attention to the fact!

Have you ever heard the saying " but veggies are so bland & boring?" Using Herbs & Spices & varying the seasonings add flair to food, so I would love to think you are willing to experiment with combinations you might not normally consider. There are dozens of ways to spice up your culinary life, be adventurous & have some fun, all that "love", "deliciousness" & "creativity" in your dishes adds an undeniable "something" that no other home chef can replicate! 

 

Here are just a few ideas to try......( you can use a combination,but not all of them in the one recipe!)

Obviously this is only a tiny whif of the possibilities as the lists could be endless, taste as you go to save overdoing the combinations & to get the balance in your recipe just right.More is not necessarily best, so go easy to start with!

• With Apples- allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg
• With Avocado- cayenne, chili powder, chives, coriander, ginger, paprika
• With Asparagus- basil, savory, tarragon
• Home made Savory Breads- caraway seed, celery seed, ground coriander, dill, fennel, oregano, rosemary, sesame seeds
• Homemade Sweet Breads- allspice, cardamom,chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, nutmeg, poppy seeds
• Chocolate- allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mint, nutmeg, chili
• Carrots,Cabbage & many of the veggies- allspice, ginger, mint, mustard,basil, turmeric, chives, marjoram, paprika, sesame seeds, cumin, tarragon, curry powder, caraway seed, chili
• Mushrooms-cardamom, fine herbs like marjoram, oregano, thyme, parsley, nutmeg
• Spinach- allspice, basil, cardamom, nutmeg, cayenne, sesame seed, ground coriander
• Tomatoes- basil, allspice, cumin, dill, ginger, mint, nutmeg, oregano, poppy seed, sage 

God's Garden is so abundant with every possible opportunity to explore, discover, create & include healthy, vibrant, life giving foods in our day to day diet; so many of these herbs & spices have medicinal properties to support our bodies, keeping them free from disease & aging ailments. It is well worth the effort in familiarising ourselves with at least some of the wonderful tastes & combinations of seasonings, herbs & spices that will not only enhance our own health & those we love & cook for, but "will have our friends crying out for more" at potlucks & get togethers.

May you have every success with your Creations!       

Aging well & enjoying a Healthy Body can start Now!

When I share some of my ideas about improving ones health, the old adage of "What can I Eat" always seems to come up.......I know as a child in my own household, selection was limited & meat, bread & potatoes were high on the menu listing, as "it filled up empty tummies"! We are so fortunate in many Countries these days, as a wide variety of foods has become common place with Cultural Favourite Recipes being shared with other Nations & enjoyed in restaurants & homes across the World. Medical Science has played its role too, & we now have a much better idea of what foods support health & which ones need to be limited to Celebrations or "sometimes foods".  

What to Eat…

Our bodies are high-performance vehicles that need the best fuel possible to ensure maximum performance and long life. Of all the steps anyone can take to look younger, feel more vibrant and joyful, and have clear beautiful skin and healthy hair and nails, one thing stands out among 
the rest — raw plant foods.

 

 

Fresh, ripe, raw, organic, colourful plant foods contribute nutrients important for clear skin, vivid eyesight, a sharp mind and radiant health. Many of these nutrients act as antioxidants, helping protect our cells from free radicals (highly reactive molecules that contain unpaired electrons, which can damage cells and cause premature aging). Let’s take a look at a few high performing fruits and vegetables.

Deeply coloured foods high in phytonutrients and antioxidants combat free-radical damage and promote good health and healing: always think of your plate representing the rainbow;
A multiple selection of brightly coloured foods adds interest, variety & health giving properties.
Dark blue or purple foods: beets, blueberries, blackberries and black mission figs
Dark green leafy vegetables: collard greens, kale, bok choy, 
broccoli and Napa cabbage
Yellow-orange foods: squash, peaches, sweet potatoes and carrots
Red foods: tomatoes, bell peppers, watermelon and strawberries
Foods high in vitamin C: lemons, oranges, strawberries, papaya, kiwi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, red bell peppers, romaine lettuce, kale and mustard greens
Foods containing omega 3 fatty acids: chia seeds, flax, hemp seeds and dark green leafy 
vegetables like kale, romaine and dandelion greens
Healthy fats & oils; avocado, most nuts especially walnuts, almonds, macadamias, cashew & brazil nuts; olive oil, coconut oil, macadamia & seed oils are all valuable sources for a healthy diet.
Foods containing zinc: pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts and lentils
Hydrating foods: juicy fruits, non-starchy vegetables, non-chlorinated drinking water and fresh green juice
Probiotic-rich foods: sauerkraut, grain-free miso and fermented vegetables
As you can see, these plant foods offer such a wide selection of healthy vibrant foods to choose from, & with almost an infinite variety.

What foods to ideally avoid....if you choose these, moderation is paramount …

Animal proteins: meat, eggs, and dairy products 
(raw or cooked)
Foods high in concentrated sugars (raw or cooked)
Foods devoid of nutrients: refined wheat and other high-gluten products (pasta, pizza and pastries)
Fried foods and high-fat foods: vegetable oils, margarines & animal fats
GMO foods
Don’t make alcohol consumption part of your daily routine.
Eat foods that are easy to digest and won’t interfere with sleep, and do not eat anything late at night

What cooked foods can I include with my Raw Food selection? Obviously many, but here are a few...
Lightly steamed vegetables: broccoli, yams, and squash
Non-glutinous ancient grains: quinoa and millet
Legumes: lentils, adzuki beans and mung beans

What makes raw food tasty?
We want contrast and excitement in the foods we eat, whether they are raw or cooked, so include these:
Pair crunchy and creamy foods together, like crispy cucumbers with guacamole or flax crackers with raw nut cheese
Contrasting flavours like a sweet and sour salad dressing on bitter greens. Dressings & Sauces can change any meal into an extravaganza so it is well worth gathering a wide selection of home recipes.
Dramatic, pungent flavours like garlic, onion or chili
Fresh Herbs not only have medicinal properties but add delicious flavours to many a dish

It is considered that adding a large variety of Raw Foods to any diet can offer the best quality fuel for good health, healing from disease and anti-aging — and the best part is, they can also be delicious! Why wait until you are old or sick to try to get healthy, when you can enjoy great taste and excellent health NOW?

Choco-Chinos for Rainy Cold Days!

It is a wet & cold day here as I look out across the fields of home and type up a quick blog to you all. Spring in the Southern Climes is definitely on its way, but just not to-day!
I have been a bit slack with my blog of late, so thought I would just like to share with you my favourite hot drink for days like to-day.......cacao with some hot water & topped up with some Coconut or Almond milk is my number 1 go to! Some people may like to add a little honey, but I prefer it as it is.
I have also tried a richer version recommended by a friend, which becomes a bit like a Choco-Chino, & is equally delicious. Add a good teaspoon or more of Cacao to hot water, top it with coconut cream & 1/2 teaspoon or more ( depending on taste) of coconut oil, & blend on high speed.
Voila....Choco-Chino!
A few points worth considering about Cacao...........

•  It is a component of chocolate & researchers suggest it is one of Nature's great nutrients. It comes from raw cacao seeds, a product of the fruit grown on the Cacao Tree.
• Cacao can increase blood flow to the brain & enhances brain function.
• It contains a certain compound known to give us feelings of well being.
• It contains antioxidant flavonoids similar to those found in blueberries, red wine & black & green teas.
• Cacao stimulates the secretion od endorphins which can produce pleasurable sensations that some people experience when running or jogging.
• It is a great source of magnesium, assisting in balancing brain chemistry, bone health, heart, beat, blood pressure & cramps.
• The sulphur compounds in Cacao build healthy hair, shin & nails.

BUT...........MOST of ALL

It is Yummy & Delicious when added to Raw Food Recipes, especially Deserts, Cakes & Drinks!

What.......a Vegan Fish Sauce!

I seem to have a real Yum Yum desire for more Asian inspired meals these
days. I just love the ginger, garlic, coriander, chili, lime combo with noodles
( can spiralise your zucchinis to make fresh noodles if you wish) & all that
freshness of flavours & veg. Many traditional Asian recipes demand that dreaded
Fish Sauce as the total answer in acquiring the perfect result, & I have often
played around tweaking a recipe trying to achieve the desired result without
the Fish Sauce.
Well I have finally come across someone else who has come up with a real
solution, although I am not able to credit the person as she or he remain
anonymous.
Here is the Recipe with thanks to the mystery person for solving my dilemma!

1/2 cup of shredded wakame (sea weed)
2 cups water
2 large cloves of garlic
1 tea whole peppercorns
1/3 cup mushroom soy sauce
1 tea dark miso
Combine Wakame, garlic, peppercorns & water in a saucepan & bring
 to the boil & simmer for 20 mins Strain
Return the liquid to the saucepan, add the soy sauce & lightly boil until
reduced. Take off the stove & stir in the miso.

Decant into a glass bottle, seal & keep in the refrigerator for use.
Trust me....using this does add another layer of flavour to Asian Dishes,
so I can only recommend you might like to try it!

Has this Happened to You?

I have always loved fruits, salads & raw snacks & although not entirely Raw in my food choices, I can not remember ever being faced with digestive issues; a number of people have recently expressed to me their personal experiences & discomfort in trying to embrace more Raw Food into their Diet. I am told that digestive upsets can be an issue many people deal with on a regular basis and no one seems to want to talk about it, but it’s obviously very important. Digestion isn’t something any of us should be embarrassed about, nor is it apparently an uncommon issue. It’s essentially how our bodies turn food into fuel and how efficiently they do so. Digestive problems are apparently one of the top health problems in our society today with IBS being the number one gastrointestinal complaint.                                                                                                                       It would seem that a fair number of people deal with digestive struggles while transitioning to a plant-based diet, though most of the time these issues get better within a few weeks or months. Some people also transition perfectly and don’t struggle at all; everyone’s body is different & our emotions can play a vital role as well. As a sideline & perhaps "food for thought"....ask ourselves some poignant questions if we are having problems......one question could be..... what in our life are we having trouble accepting or in other words, digesting?                                                                       Gas and bloating may be due to eating too much fiber, while frequent bathroom trips are likely when the body is adapting to eating more fiber-rich, cleansing, natural foods versus animal foods. If you have bloating all the time, you may need to consider laying off the beans, legumes, and the fruits at first or simply minimise the amount of these foods you are eating at any given time.You may also consider eating more pseudograins (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat or millet) versus typical grains. Although these foods are healthy, they can cause some bloating or fermentation in the digestive tract for many people, so see how they work for you. Smaller meals more frequently works for some so it may initially require some experimentation. Raw foods require more chewing & eating too quickly without adequate chewing can also add an extra burden for our digestive process. .
Be willing to make changes when necessary and give your body the support it needs. And remember that as the body is a cleaning house, it will take a little time to adjust. So allow yourself to find what foods work best for you initially and implement whatever you need. Emphasize easier-to-digest foods like lightly cooked vegetables and greens if necessary at first, smoothies, porridge, rice, coconut & avocado, root veggies & soups, and be sure you give your body enough healthy & natural fats, vitamins, and minerals. Probiotics & fermented foods are important for our digestive tract as they give the gut extra support, & I am aware that enzyme enriched green papaya has helped many with digestive issues. These challenges are fixable I believe, & need not be the excuse for returning to processed foods, meat & dairy.

Sauces for Flavour

I just love Sauces & I find any meal can be turned into something delectable with the simple addition of a really flavoursome sauce or dressing. Collecting a repertoire of assorted recipes opens the doorway for a favourite to be whipped up at a moments notice, a few simple ingredients come together in the blender & Voila! .....the whole meal can actually become a mini extravaganza.
Here are 3 wonderful Sauces to get you started

Mock Peanut Sauce, makes about a cup
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup water
1 Tab freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
2 teas maple syrup
2 teas tamari
1 clove garlic
1/4 inch of peeled ginger root
Dash of cayenne or Red curry paste
salt to taste
Blend all the ingredients well, keeps for 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator
I especially love this sauce as a salad dressing on an Asian inspired salad, as a dip with crudités, or as a sauce on a Thai rice bowl, which might include brown rice, steamed broccoli, shredded red cabbage & carrots & perhaps some sauerkraut. It also goes well with zucchini noodles or pasta

Creamy Red Pepper Sauce, makes about a cup
3/4 cup cashews well soaked
3/4 cup water
1/2 chopped red pepper
2 tabs of lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1tea onion powder
1/2 tea Dijon mustard
1/2 tea salt
2 tab minced parsley after blending
Blend everything well & finally pulse in the parsley to mix. Keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed jar. I love Creamy Red Pepper Sauce as a salad dressing, but it is also wonderful with some quinoa, lightly steamed kale, ( can keep it raw by massaging with salt & a little olive oil if you prefer) shredded red cabbage & carrots with some chopped hazelnuts sprinkled on top

Creamy Avocado Lime Sauce, makes about a cup
1 mashed avocado
1/2 cup water
1 tab lime juice
1/4 tea salt
Blend & will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Once again great over a crispy salad or with rice & veggies with coriander sprinkled on top

I suggest you try these 3 Sauces, & then try experimenting further; once you have a repertoire of 5-10 different sauces that you love, you will never again buy dressings & sauces from the Supermarket & you will always have a flavoursome meal that is absolutely delicious. You will notice that each of these have the added bonus of including healthy fats in the recipe & transform salads into a hearty meal.

Lentils

Lentils were not a food that was included in my diet as a child, so it has taken me sometime to really appreciate their versatility & utter deliciousness in many recipes. They are so easy as they don't require soaking & cook much faster than many grains & legumes. They are also very easy to sprout which adds extra nutritional value if the recipe is a Raw one.
For most households, clever ways to include healthy but cheaper foods & added protein as part of the weekly menu, can be of value, so recognise how marvellous those little lentils can be in stretching the budget when it is called for!
Lentils work wonderfully in soups & veggie casseroles; they are low in calories & fat & add bulk with good fibre & additional protein to any recipe; they are high in magnesium as well as having a list of other beneficial nutrients for heart health & combine deliciously into a yummy lentil salad or even a side dish.
 Lentils are readily available to purchase in bulk, but it can be a good idea to store them in jars in your pantry with a label stating the variety & cooking instructions, to avoid having to look up how to cook them each time you use them.
There are many varieties of lentils, ( green, brown, black & red are the most common) the French Green Lentils, Lentilles du Puy, are actually my personal favourite. I love their tasty slightly peppery flavour but all varieties offer similar health benefits & can be cooked & enjoyed in any number of ways.  The Black or Beluga Lentils are the smallest ones with a delicious nutty, earthy flavour which are perfect for whole grain recipes & salads, whereas the Red Lentils whilst the sweetest, are often transformed into a golden puree & added to soups, curries & casseroles.
I like to rinse my lentils first in a colander, picking out anything that may not be lentil & gathered up in the harvest! I then pop 1 cup of lentils to about 1 1/2 cups of veggie broth or water in a saucepan & bring to the boil, then simmering gently until they are al dante, so checking regularly; if they are overcooked they become mushy which of course is not an issue if you intend blending the recipe, but I find them more enjoyable when they are just a little chewy. Some people remove the saucepan from the stove once the lentils come to the boil, pop a lid on  & let them then sit for 5-10 minutes before serving or adding to a recipe.
I prefer to sprout them whenever I can, as they then become an excellent addition in many Raw Food Recipes, especially salads; they can also be used sprouted in crackers & breads in a most delightful way, remembering of course that sprouted foods are especially high in nutrients & I believe better than cooked, when you can manage to eat them this way !

Some Basic Ideas.
Lentils encourage home cooking, sprouting & creativity & it is very easy to invent your own favourite way of including them in the menu.
One idea is to add some veggies to the simmering lentils no more than 5 mins before they are cooked or keep a veggie portion of choice, raw, & just add to the lightly cooked or sprouted lentils.

I suggest as another example, you could do this;

Chop up & lightly fry these veggies & add to the lentils
1 cup  onion,
2 cloves garlic
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup celery
1 cup  carrot
1cup frozen or fresh corn
1 cup red pepper
1 cup kale or spinach
1 cup fennel

Once added to the lentils fold through a sauce of your choice

This could be something along these lines

Mix together testing for personal flavour before folding through warm veggie lentil mix,

1 tea salt, more may be required
1 tab tamari
1 tea garlic powder
1 tea ground cumin
1-2 tab balsalmic vinegar
1-2 tab olive oil
1-2 tab rice vinegar
1 tea curry powder
1 tea dried mustard
1/2 tea smoked paprika

Cooked lentils also go beautifully with buckwheat soba noodles, just add some lightly steamed broccoli florets & leeks or veggies of your choice & dress with olive oil, garlic & ginger for a quick & easy meal.

ENJOY!

 

 

 

The Wonders of Tumeric

 Photo from the Internet



If you are new to the wonders of Tumeric then there is more to this healing herb than meets the palate.
You've probably heard of this exotic sounding spice, found mostly in Eastern recipes, so perhaps you have not had the chance to try it.
Aside from its growing popularity as a cooking herb world wide these days, Tumeric is also known to be one of Nature's most powerful healing herbs. The root of the plant is somewhat similar in appearance to ginger although well recognised by its bright yellow root; it is typically dried & used as a seasoning, most commonly in Indian dishes, but it can now be more readily found in selected Supermarkets & Health Food shops in its fresh form. Internally ingested or outwardly absorbed, Tumeric is a benefit packed wonder herb & can help keep you healthy inside & out. This savoury herb contains a bevy of health benefits including reducing inflammation in the body & assisting the brain to continue functioning efficiently well into old age.
The bright yellow colour has been known to put some people off using Tumeric as it is well known to stain clothes mercilessly with the slightest drip or splash! An Indian lady once told me to wash the clothing item as usual & lie on the grass to dry & the stain will disappear.......well she is right, it does work brilliantly, so there is no need to be concerned about possible unsightly stains.
My constant reminder continues however......I strongly believe, through personal experience, that including emotional work in any desire for an extraordinary & healthy life is a vital component & swallowing all the herbs, pills & even great food that God provides for our wellbeing in Nature, is only part of any solution. Honouring the sacredness & gift of life through keeping our bodies healthy & nutritionally supplied with natural whole foods is part of this challenge, but as an example, will not help too much if we are angry, resentful, non forgiving & without compassion, gratitude & love.
In our household, I add a little Tumeric to some soups & stir fries, dips, curries & veggie dishes. I find it does not have a particularly strong flavour if used in moderation so there is an opportunity to add it to many recipes as an additional part of any diet. I think it would be fair to say however, that I tend to leave it out of recipes when entertaining guests, but this is really not necessary & purely a personal choice I make. I find it does turn the dish yellow without too much encouragement, so in some instances this may need to be considered if presentation is taken into account!



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Cherie Soria's Healthy Tips

I am one of Cherie's greatest admirers; she owns the Living Light Culinary Institute where I trained some years ago as a Raw Food Chef & she always breaks knowledge down so simply, so anyone can understand at a glance how best to look after our bodies; I thought you might like to consider some of her dietary suggestions, those healthy choices to include in your diet, and those, when regularly consumed, are more likely to lead to health issues as time goes by. Each & every mouthful is creating & maintaining our bodies, so wisdom is called for if we wish to stay away from Doctors & live a long & healthy life.
Here are Cherie's guidelines.






There are of course additional factors, other than food, affecting our health, stress being one of them along with unhealed & suppressed emotions; the latter plays a big role & we see this with childhood damage being carried into adulthood & affecting lives in many ways when not addressed.

Close your Eyes & Imagine

This Blog is somewhat out of the ordinary for me, as I don't usually write so much about any subject, but I hope you will bear with me as I feel it is so important to share some recent revelations.
Jesus & Mary recently pointed out to our family some very alarming & confronting insights about how we have used animals to support our livelihood & accumulate wealth, whilst at the same time being quite happy to have them eventually mercilessly slaughtered or sold on to other farmers perpetuating the meat industry. Some of our family members are actually Vegans whilst others are Vegetarians, so there is definitely something hypocritical & very wrong here! This confrontational conversation has brought about a number of things including emotional mayhem and delving further into our acceptance in the past of how animals are treated once they leave our farm. "Why would we want to be part of such a atrocious industry" has lead us down a dark tunnel of shame & remorse.

Please forgive me if I appear to be standing on a podium right now, but this alarming realisation led me further to read Will Tuttle's insightful yet horrifying book "The World Peace Diet" & I must say it has had a profound & sickening affect on me.....anyone still Eating Meat or lingering between being a Vegan or a Vegetarian (not Eating Meat or Fish but still eating Dairy & Eggs) might care to take a look at this book if they desire to be a true Environmentalist & make a real difference in the World.
I first must make it very clear, that I have been part of a farming family all of my life, I ate meat 3 times a day as a child, & have been regrettably responsible for propagating & earning a living from animals & the meat industry most of my life in some form or other. I do not wish to now become an enraged Vegan, judging others & the atrocities going on in the animal world, as I feel this would be nothing short of hypocritical in my case, but I do believe it is only through education & wanting to know the dark secrets held in Animal Agriculture, that real change can begin to take place. "Wanting to Know & getting out of Denial" is only the 1st step as Jesus pointed out, understanding the whole picture over & above including the choices we place on our dinner plate, will all contribute towards many taking action, emotionally, ethically & morally as well as for better health, a peaceful Planet & a more joyful World honouring & supporting all of Creation.
I have been Vegetarian on & off for many years, 15 years back in the 90's & 5 years recently, but I have still eaten eggs & dairy when the recipe includes them & I am a "dinner guest", or when emotions kick in & I wish to stuff them down with a dairy delight or a milk coffee as an example! Giving up dairy has been particularly hard, I have found it is totally addictive & is closely related to perceived childhood nurturing for me....I have failed over & over in my efforts as I have been unwilling to engage the process emotionally. I have thought of every reason why it was & wasn't that important in the scheme of things....it's like when you are looking for a green car, all you see are green cars, & all I wanted to see was information supporting my choices! "My body needs the protein when I'm not eating meat" , "it makes it impossible to go out to dinner" " I will be judged as a loony",  "vegan choices are so limiting & I don't know what to cook"  etc etc, has kept me in my addiction & fear of being judged by others.
After so many conversational revelations & then reading Will's book I can see how blind I have wanted to be to my chosen actions, both on & off the farm & how much I have not wanted to address my emotional baggage, grief & shame or even look at the far reaching ramifications of my actions & why I convinced myself it was all OK. My pride & arrogance in believing I loved animals & the Planet & thought I was an environmentalist having saved water, planted trees, switched off lights, recycled home commodities etc, has finally caught up with me & I have needed not only some deep reflection, but also many emotional realisations. The interconnectedness between how we treat animals by eating them & stealing their eggs & the milk from their babies, is totally reflected back to us in humanity & yet so few are willing to see the connection.
I will not go into further detail but I hope you will see the connection between this blog & my passion for food, what we choose to put on our plates, & how we treat animals.
The current state of the World & Humanity is a total reflection & result of our past & current actions. Our dismay at the ongoing wars & terrorist activities, the rage & unloving behaviour that is so prevalent in many of us, the horror of how many women & children are treated so appallingly, the deteriorating health of Nations, the materialism & consumerism particularly of the West, the starvation & homelessness of many, the loss of our rainforests, water resources & animal species, & endless other issues that flood our World, do offer an opportunity for immediate action. The right action will eventually bring about solutions when enough of the World's population says "enough is enough"; by changing our false beliefs & demands & emotional disconnectedness from all life including one another, we can contribute towards the challenge in one small way as an example,  "one bite at a time" through what we purchase and what we put on our plate. People Power is worth remembering & keeping in mind that "As we sow, so we Reap".
I do hope some of you may be drawn to read Will's book, " The World Peace Diet" ( available from Amazon & most outlets) and that you are perhaps drawn to share it with others.

"Seeing our eating habits for what they are, and answering the call of our spirit to understand the consequences of our actions, we become open to compassion, intelligence, freedom, and to living the truth of our interconnectedness with all life. There is an enormously positive revolution implicit in this, a spiritual transformation that can potentially launch our culture into a quantum evolutionary leap, from emphasizing consumption, domination, and self-preoccupation to nurturing creativity, liberation, inclusion, and cooperation.”

~ The World Peace Diet, Dr. Will Tuttle

Point of View

By Shel Silverstein

Thanksgiving dinner’s sad and thankless,

Christmas dinner’s dark and blue,

When you stop and try to see it

From the turkey’s point of view.

Sunday dinner isn’t sunny

Easter feasts are just bad luck,

When you see it from the viewpoint

Of the chicken or the duck.

Oh, how I once loved tuna salad,

Pork and lobster, lamb chops, too,

Till I stopped and looked at dinner

 From this other point of view.

Jesus & Mary's teachings can be viewed and explored on www.divinetruth.com

Vegan Substitutes.....Let's give them a Try!

One of the most difficult parts of any transition from a traditional diet to a plant based diet is knowing how to retain flavour & what substitutes work equally well in any recipe; I have been amazed how substitutes work so well & there is no sense of deprivation when choosing a healthy recipe over one containing dairy products, eggs, wheat, meat & many grains. Here are just a few you might like to try.



Substitute   Dairy Milk          with nut milks or coconut milk. Almond milk is creamy & light,           
                                               coconut milk imparts the richest flavour but has a coconut flavour
 
                   Buttermilk           1 cup of nut milk plus 1 tab lemon juice or 1 tab vinegar
 
                   Cheese                 Nutritional Yeast has a cheesy flavour, otherwise make vegan nut
                                                                                                                                         cheese

                   Cream                 Pop a tin of coconut cream in the refrigerator  for an hour, then whip
                                              or soak cashew nuts & blend until creamy adding a little water


                   Gelatine              1 tea gelatine powder =  1 tea powdered agar agar ( dissolve in hot
                                                                                                                                      liquid)
                   Chocolate           Cacao takes chocolate to a whole new level of healthiness! Try some in
                                              in the recipe below for "Choccie Wonders"!

                   Butter                When baking beat  3 parts coconut oil + 1 part water to substitute butter
                                             Or use olive oil/ macadamia or coconut oil for frying

                   Meat                  Mushrooms & dishes with mushrooms are delicious & great for burgers
                                             as a substitute for the meat; walnuts are also used in many ways.
                 
                  Fish Sauce         Add some dulse to Apple Cider Vinegar

                   1 egg                 Use 3 tab apple or sweet potato puree or 3 tab whisked silken tofu
                                             To bind a recipe, 2 tab cornflour or tapioca flour + 2 tab water
                                             If too wet....add 2 tab flour or breadcrumbs or oats or tomato paste

                   2 eggs or more 1 Seed egg = 1tab seeds ( chia/flax/linseed) +3 tab warm water
                                            or for each egg replace with 1/2 mashed banana or 3 tab apple sauce or
                                            sweet potato puree or non dairy yogurt

                 If baking a cake For lighter results, add 1/2 tea baking powder extra
                 If egg heavy like quiche  Thicken with whipped tofu mixed with a little chickpea flour

                 Spaghetti           Using a spiraliser or a veggie peeler, zucchini or carrot  noodles replaces
                                            wheat flour in most noodle products beautifully; other substitutes for 
                                            white flour recipes you can use almond meal, cauliflower for pizza bases,
                                            lettuce cups to replace white flour tortillas, quinoa to replace white rice.
         RECIPE

        "Choccie Wonders"...... A dark chocolate treat to nourish your body & is simply Delish! 
                                                  A great alternative to those milky Easter Bunnies in stores now.

• 1/3 cup dried coconut chunks/shreds
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1-2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2-3 tablespoons honey/maple syrup/agave
• 1 teaspoons peppermint oil
• Pinch of salt

Chocolate Layer

• 1-2 tabs of melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup cacao powder
• 4-5 tabs maple syrup or honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 tea cinnamon & cayenne

Method 

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth. 
2. Pat into flattened discs with your hands and place them in the freezer to set for around 30 minutes.
3. Process all ingredients from the chocolate layer together until smooth.
4. Dip each minty disc in the chocolate sauce and watch them harden almost immediately!

 

Let's Go Nuts

With a special thanks to James & "Food Matters" I thought you might enjoy this small segment on Nuts.
I seem to have been caught up in many things of late & this blog has suffered, so apologies, but I have some great thoughts floating around in my head, which I will get to share with you all in the months ahead.

PREVIOUSNEXT

James Colquhoun (Filmmaker, Food Matters & Hungry For Change)

We’re crazy about nuts! They’re convenient, delicious and portable. Plus they’re bursting with health benefits. Here's 5 of our favorite ways to incorporate them into your day.

We’re crazy about nuts! They’re convenient, delicious and portable. Plus they’re bursting with health benefits. Packed with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, protein and fiber, they’ll help curb your appetite, keep you regular, and help to maintain healthy gut bacteria.

Plus a mere 30g serve can help reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart attacks and stroke!

What’s not to love?Here’s our favorite ways to incorporate them into your daily diet.

1. Spread It Around

Make your own nut butter to use as a spread, in smoothies and homemade ice cream, or salad dressings for extra creaminess. Simply process soaked or dehydrated nuts (dry roasted works too) in a high speed food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides when necessary. If you need to add a little oil, do so, but make sure it’s light in flavor to prevent overpowering the nuts! Store in an airtight container, and resist the temptation to double dip to help it last longer.

2. Add Some Crunch

Excite your tastebuds by tossing some activated nuts into your salad. They’ll bump up the protein and fiber content, as well as add an extra textural element to your dish. Walnuts, pecans and pine nuts are especially delicious alongside leafy greens!

3. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Curb your cravings with nourishing bliss balls and nutty homemade granola bars. Activated nuts are perfect additions to snacks as their protein, healthy fat, and fiber content helps to keep you satisfied until your next meal. Blend fruits such as dates, figs, and cranberries with raw nuts for a delicious bliss ball; or combine nuts, fresh dates and your favorite granola (or just oats!) for quick and easy granola bars. Just press the mix firmly into a lined container and refrigerate to set.

4. Say Cheese

Vegans are onto something by swapping regular cheese for cashew nut cheese. Simply blend soaked raw cashews with nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, and any other seasonings you desire e.g. sea salt, pepper, garlic, mixed herbs. Enjoy with crackers, as a spread, or as a creamy cheesy dip with vegetables. Swap the yeast flakes for a little sweetener and vanilla, and you’ve got a creamy vegan cheesecake filling too!

5. Bake Them

Almond meal and hazelnut meal make especially brilliant alternatives to regular flour for a highly nourishing base to your baked goods. Trial it in muffins, cookies, cakes and bread loaves. Our tip: Typically you can’t substitute regular flour for nut meal cup for cup due to it’s higher fat content. So if you’re not one to experiment in the kitchen, opt for making recipes already using almond meal to avoid ‘baking fails’.

Side note: We're big believers in activating your nuts! Not only does it increase the nutrient value of the nuts, it also breaks down the problematic compounds that help enhance their digestibility.

Little Bursts of Goodness in so many Recipes

    Picture supplied from the Internet...thank you





I just love to have a supply of lemons & limes on hand in my kitchen. Aren't they the most delicious of fruits to enhance almost any recipe & to include in our diet. Whether we enjoy Raw Food or Cooked, I imagine that lemon & limes are on every weekly grocery list as the juice or zest thereof are included in so many meals. I use them almost everyday in some form or other, perhaps even as a simple  basic dressing with a healthy oil, garlic & salt & pepper added to the juice or as a marinade to soften raw veggies like kale, cabbage or broccoli.
Although lemons & limes may not be what we would choose for an afternoon snack, they are powerhouses when we want to bring out the flavour of other foods, both sweet & savory. They "brighten" a recipe making it a magical addition & often help balance out the sweeteners, as well as having antioxidant properties & Vitamin C for wellbeing. I think many of us can remember making a delicious refreshing lemon or limade with our mother as a child & we often see lemon or lime juice added to a cocktail or a drink we might enjoy whilst watching the sun go down in the West!  If you are using the zest as well as the juice to add even more lemony/limey flavour, remember that conventionally grown fruit will probably have pesticide on the skin, so an organic fruit would be more desirable when using the zest; the white pith under the skin is bitter so avoid this in the recipe.
Always select fruits that are rather thin skinned, those with thicker peels have less flesh & are therefore less juicy. Choose lemons & limes that are heavy for their size with peel that has a finely grained texture, both keep well in the refrigerator for some weeks. The juice freezes well  Possibly the sweetest lemon is the Meyer lemon; most varieties are tart, acidic & astringent, but are also surprisingly refreshing.
If I am wanting to juice them, I like to have them on the bench top for some hours to warm up; they produce more juice when warmer, so use at room temperature or place for a few minutes in warm water. Rolling them under the palm of your hand on a flat surface also extracts more juice.
Throughout the eons, lemons have been used for a myriad of non culinary purposes as well. The juice can be added to household cleaning recipes, it is a bleaching agent & has a multitude of other uses even dating back to the days of witchcraft!

One of my favourite deserts is a lemon or lime tart......Key Lime Pie is a well known popular choice, but here is another Raw, but simple recipe, you might like to try.

For the Base.

Mix together 1 cup of walnuts with 4 dates, a pinch of salt & a tea of vanilla & press into a spring pan

Blend the following well until smooth & pour into the base.

1 cup soaked cashews or macadamias
1/8 cup water ( can use more citrus juice instead of the water if desired)
1/4 cup of your chosen sweetener ( agave, maple or rice syrup)
1 heaped teaspoon coconut oil
A few good squirts of lemon or lime juice with the zest, keeping the mix still reasonably thick

Refrigerate for an hour, top with a sprig of mint & more zest if desired, before serving with coconut cream. Some like to top with a couple of blueberries or a small lemon or lime wedge. ENJOY!

Secret to Keeping "left over" Avocado Unspoilt

 Because I only grocery shop once a week, I buy at least 6-8 Australian avocados at a time...... yes they can sometimes be expensive but they are high on my priority list when shopping & if it means less of something else, then that is the choice I usually make.
I like to buy avocados green & hard, as generally they have not been squeezed & poked by shoppers looking for a ripe one; this of course bruises the fruit so I avoid buying the ripe ones.
They generally then sit on my counter for 3 or 4 days, by which time they have softened around the top, indicating they have ripened sufficiently to eat. The whole ones then stay perched on any shelf in the refrigerator, but not in a container, until required......fortunately they stay in much the same condition this way & do not spoil or over ripen for at least 10 days. If one is in a hurry for a ripe one, popping one in a brown paper bag in a dark cupboard with a banana, hastens the process.
I don't know about you, but I have been familiar in the past with pieces of wrapped up left over avocado lurking in different places in my refrigerator, only to find on opening, a mushy brown piece needing to head for the compost bucket! We have tried wrapping leftovers in glad wrap, keeping the seed in tact or using the skin of the used half, to cover the remainder; all these techniques work to some extent, but results can still be disappointing.
Avocado has to be one of Natures many delectable fruits, God's butter as it is sometimes referred to. It supplies the body with beautiful healthy fats & incorporating a list of nutrients including potassium & in our household, my husband eats at least 1/2 of one a day, whereas I probably have 1 or 2 a week. He likes to cut one in half, dice the 1/2 without the seed in its skin & lift out with the back of a spoon & spread it on a cracker for a quick snack.
But Voila! There is help at hand for the "leftover" piece if you are not into unnecessary food wastage!
Try cutting up a few chunks of a red onion with the skin on, place in an airtight glass container with the leftover avocado on top touching it ( skin & seed still in tact) & I think you will find this is at least one solution to stop the avocado browning & becoming unappetising . Pop the lid on & into the refrigerator until required.
Enjoy as a creamy addition to any meal or dish; I have used them in salads, wraps, deserts, dips, smoothies, stuffed or even in a zucchini pasta dish. A squeeze of lemon will stop the avocado from browning if the dish is made in advance.

Try this light & delicious Lime Avocado Salsa........

2 diced avocados
Juice of 1 lime
1 tab olive or avocado oil
1/2 finely minced red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped coriander
3 or 4 drops Tabasco Sauce
Yumo with a Cauliflower Steak or a marinated Portabello Mushroom & a tossed green salad!

Veggie Stock

Vegetable soup stock is really easy to make at home.
It’s a staple for me to have on hand as it has a depth of flavour that is unmatched by bought stocks or plain sea salt.
It’s very economical and it’s a really great way to clean out the refrigerator. You can tailor the stock to whatever you like, then store it for a couple of days in the fridge or up to several months in the freezer.

Some people even keep veggie scraps & boil these up. I can't see any reason why this wouldn't work although I haven't compared the idea with using let over veg that is looking a little sad in the bottom of the refrigerator!

These Veggie scraps work well I'm told

Onion peel
Garlic skins
Pumpkin skins
Celery and carrot leaves
Mushroom and broccoli stems
The woody parts of asparagus

You can put all of the scraps into a freezer bag and collect them until you have about 4 cups of scraps.
Then use about 2 litres of water, and add the scraps to it.
For additional flavour, add:
1 sliced onion
2 bay leaves
1 tsp of thyme
5-6 peppercorns
1/2 cup parsley with stems
Put it on the stove and bring to a high boil, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
When the soup is done you’ll need a large bowl with a strainer; simply pour the stock through a strainer into another bowl or container.
For a more soup-like version without using the freezer scraps, sauté the vegetables you have in your refrigerator before adding water. It will give it a different texture and a different flavour, and can be served as soup – a stand alone dish. You can also add other vegetables like potatoes, turnips, leeks, shallots, dried basil, sage and rosemary.

To store it.
Pour the stock into ice cubes trays, let them freeze overnight, and then pop them out. Store them in a freezer bags, making them perfect to add a depth of flavour to weeknight meals.
Use this stock in place of water when you’re making rice, polenta or quinoa. You can also add this to mash potatoes,  braising or even stir- frys.