For this post I would like to honour my teacher, Cherie Soria; Cherie has had a great influence on my life and ultimate food choices. She has written a number of books highlighting Raw Vegan Recipes & a recent change in direction, suggests online Chef trainings rather than having to travel across to the Living Light Institute on the West Coast of America to qualify as an International Gourmet Raw Chef. I must say spending time with Cherie during my training was definitely a highlight, but there is now another way to equally benefit from her wisdom.
Cherie posted this information online sometime ago, but I thought my readers may also like to read it as it gives a very simple guideline to improve ones health.

Boost Nutrition with Healthy Choices

 

Basically, there’s nothing that nourishes the body and makes you feel better than nutrient-dense raw fruits and vegetables.

 

 

Raw Food Recipe

Dairy-Free Pesto Sauce

 

Did you know that you can make a delicious Dairy-Free Pesto Sauce that’s as versatile as the herbs and greens in your garden or at the market? It’s wonderful on raw pasta, or to spread on raw or gluten-free crackers or bread. If you like to include some cooked grains in your diet, add a spoonful of fresh pesto and some chopped, fresh vegetables on top of your grains for a burst of flavor!

 

Blend together your herbs of choice, with some pine nuts, olive oil & lemon juice, some salt & pepper & you have a beautiful pesto!

 

Thank You Cherie, for the impact you have had on so many lives choosing a healthier Lifestyle.

 

Lucuma......perhaps a healthier answer for "sugar lovers".

Do you like the sound of a superfood that is naturally sweet and incredibly good for you? I am forever surprised these days at the abundance & variety of World foods becoming available for many foodies when they are not locally grown in our own Country. The willingness to explore new tastes & recipes brings such a richness to a multi cultural society, & here in Australia we are blessed with such an opportunity.

Human taste buds are naturally primed to love sugar! I find it interesting that from an evolutionary perspective, sweet flavors are nature’s way of signalling low toxicity and a good source of energy in plants. So for those living in the wild, sweetness was somewhat of a compass for finding safe food.

While our love of all things sweet may have helped our ancestors to survive in harsh conditions, our modern intake of sugary foods creates a lot of issues for our health. Sugar seems to have crept into our diets in such quantities in the Western World that healthier solutions need to be found if we wish to live longer in healthier bodies.

Here is a chance to discover a superfood that is naturally sweet and nourishes your body… we’re talking about none other than lucuma, and the benefits it can offer to your health and culinary pleasures!

What Is Lucuma?

Pronounced “loo-koo-mah”, this exotic fruit is cultivated in Peru and has been eaten in South America since 200 AD.

The taste of lucuma has been described in various forms of lick-your-lips deliciousness! Some people report that it’s a blend of pear, mango & sweet potato.The lucuma fruit has green skin with the inner flesh the same golden hue as a hard-boiled egg yolk; it has a large seed in the middle similar to an avocado.

Once upon a time, lucuma was used by ancient South American people for natural healing, and was believed to have antifungal, antibiotic and antimicrobial qualities. Ancient transcripts also indicate that lucuma was thought to help digestion.

Why Is It Good For Me? 

Lucuma is affectionately referred to as the ‘Gold of the Incas’ by local Peruvians, and has been revered as a staple food and sacred offering for many centuries.


Here’s 5 reasons why you’ll love lucuma, too!

1. It Has A Naturally Low GI

You can avoid blood sugar highs and lows by choosing foods with a naturally low Glycemic Index (GI), such as lucuma! This means that the carbohydrate is broken down into glucose and released more slowly, so that your body stays fueled for longer.

Lucuma offers a lovely light sweetness without creating a massive influx of sugar into your bloodstream, the way that sugar does. This way, you can enjoy its sweet flavor and keep your energy and blood sugar levels nice and stable.

2. Lucuma Offers A Major Nutrient Hit

This fruit contains an elixir of 14 trace minerals, as well as many other essential vitamins! In particular, lucuma is a good source of zinc, calcium, vitamin C, niacin (vitamin B3) and iron. As suggested by its brilliant yellow color, lucuma is particularly high in beta-carotene, which our body requires for making Vitamin A and regulating the immune system.

3. A Good Source Of Fiber 

Like most fruit, lucuma is a good source of fiber. Even once it is dried and ground into a superfine powder, we can reap lucuma’s roughage benefits for good digestion & bowel health!

4. It Has An Array Of Antioxidants

Lucuma is rich in many antioxidants which we now know offer widespread beneficial results; it is not generally available in its fresh form in the Western world.
Alternatively, it is delicately dehydrated and powdered before being transported for us to enjoy its rich nutritional benefits. By purchasing high quality, certified organic brands, you can ensure that the fruit has been dried at a suitable temperature to preserve its precious nutrients.


Here’s some other ideas to experiment with.......

Try adding some lucuma to veggie juices, it brings a smooth creaminess to your mix which can help take away the bitterness of some greens.
Lucuma icecream is a real treat & very easy to make. Simply blend up 1/2 cup lucuma powder with 1 cup soaked cashews, vanilla essence, 1/4 cup of coconut nectar, a pinch of salt & a cup of water & freeze......Voila!.....simply delish!
It is worth experimenting with using it in pancakes, tarts, cakes & slices, ( either completely or partially, say a 2:1 mix) but keep in mind it can change the flavour adding a caramel maple type infusion. It is also a delicious additive in smoothies & shakes.

Here's a recipe you might like to try....

Berry Cream Chia Pudding

Scrumptiously energizing

This luscious chia pudding is actually a pretty serious dose of "long lasting energy" all packed into one beautiful and scrumptious breakfast dish that will carry you through the day.
It can also be used as a quick desert; some slices of banana & other fruit on top can be nice, perhaps with some cacao nibs!

1 Cup frozen Blueberries or berries of choice
1 Cup Almond Milk (or nut/seed milk of choice)
2 pitted Medjool Dates, optional for added sweetness
1 Tab Lucuma Powder
1 Tab Vanilla Extract
pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
¼ Cup Chia seeds

Blend briefly & top with some almonds.

Vegan Honey....WHOW!

My husband keeps bees & they are such industrious baby creatures; they are truly fascinating & continuously busy; our bees are very quiet & even tolerant of me lawn mowing around their hives once or twice a year without any upset, to keep the doorway to their homes free of long grass! With Winter not too far away in the Southern Hemisphere, our family will now reserve all honey in their hives for the bees' Winter sustenance, so we are always careful to only use surplus supplies for our own enjoyment. I was observing their activity yesterday & got to wondering about a possible Vegan Recipe; many may not feel comfortable eating honey unless they know the bees are cared for in the best possible way & that their hives are never depleted. For those who don't eat honey & those who are looking for a top up of  honey in their larder over the Winter months, a substitute is at hand.
Vegan honey … is that even possible? Yes it is! Today I show you how two simple ingredients can combine into a sweet and gooey, thick syrup that will fill any honey void you may have as a Vegan.This is a tasty vegan honey alternative that kids and adults all love.

  

Vegan Pineapple Honey [Gluten-Free]

Serves

1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup coconut sugar

Preparation

1. Prepare a pan and stirring spoon. I like to use a non-stick pan so it makes clean up easier.
2. Pour pineapple juice and sugar into pan.
3. Turn heat to medium high and bring mixture to a light boil.
4. Turn down the heat and keep the mixture at a steady simmer. Continue to stir the mixture to keep it smooth and to stop it from burning.
5. After about 15 minutes you will notice that the mixtures become thick and gooey. Once it reaches the consistency you are happy with, remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.
6. Pour into a glass jar… YUM!!!

Information from the Internet 

Honeybees

Honeybees live in large "families" and are found all over the world. The honeybee is the only social insect whose colony can survive many years. That is because they huddle together and eat honey to keep themselves alive during the winter months.

Honeybees pollinate more than 100 crops.

Their wings flap 11,000 times per minute, which is why it sounds like they are "buzzing". Honeybees can only sting once, because their stingers are barbed and tear off when they try to get away.

• Size: 1/2"
• Shape: Oval, bee shaped
• Color: Golden yellow with brown bands
• Legs: 6
• Wings: Yes
• Antenna: Yes

How Bees Make Honey

It has been said that except for man, nowhere in the world is there anything to compare with the incredible efficiency of the industry of the honeybee. Inside the beehive each bee has a special job to do and the whole process runs smoothly.
Bees need two different kinds of food. One is honey made from nectar, the sugary juice that collects in the heart of the flowers. The other comes from the anthers of flowers, which contain numerous small grains called pollen. Just as flowers have different colours, so do their pollen.
Let us go with the honeybee from her flower to the hive and see what happens. Most bees gather only pollen or nectar. As she sucks the nectar from the flower, it is stored in her special honey stomach ready to be transferred to the honey-making bees in the hive. If hungry she opens a valve in the nectar “sac” and a portion of the payload passes through to her own stomach to be converted to energy for her own needs.
The bee is a marvelous flying machine. She can carry a payload of nectar or pollen close to her own weight. Consider that even the most advanced design in aircraft can only take off with a load one-quarter of its own weight and you’ll appreciate the miracle that the honeybee can remain airborne with such a load.
When her nectar “sacs” are full, the honeybee returns to the hive. Nectar is delivered to one of the indoor bees and is then passed mouth-to-mouth from bee to bee until its moisture content is reduced from about 70% to 20%. This changes the nectar into honey. Sometimes the nectar is stored at once in cells in the honeycomb before the mouth-to-mouth working because some evaporation is caused by the 32.5°C temperature inside the hive.
Finally, the honey is placed in storage cells and capped with beeswax in readiness for the arrival of newborn baby bees. Pollen is mixed with nectar to make “bee bread” and is fed to the larvae. A baby bee needs food rich in protein if the bee community is to flourish.
Before returning to the flower again for more pollen, the bee combs, cleans and cares for herself ? not because she is vain but so she can work more efficiently. Throughout her life cycle, the bee will work tirelessly collecting pollen, bringing it back to the hive, cleaning herself, then setting out for more pollen.
Forager bees start out from the hive for blossom patches when three weeks old. As they live to be only six or seven weeks old they have much work to do and little time in which to do it.
There will be many other bees working at the same time, and the air will be noisy with their droning. It takes 300 bees about three weeks to gather 450 g of honey. On average, a hive contains 40,000 bees.

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?