blueberry parfaits ~raw dessert~

raw blueberry pie parfait

I made these little treats last Sunday to celebrate the completion of the Spring Renewal Yoga and Nutrition Series.  These Blueberry Parfaits are a guiltless raw /vegan/gluten-free dessert that tastes sinful!  You can prepare them a few different ways.  For the class I put the crust into mini muffin cups.  In this variation I layered the ingredients in a small bowl.  Other times, we even ditch the crust completely and eat the pie filling like ice cream!

I promised the group I would give them the recipe, here it is!!!

Blueberry Parfaits

Crust

1 cup dates, pitted

½ cup coconut or almond flour

1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon vanilla

water as needed

~This produces a LOT of crust!  I used a third and refrigerated the rest for later use~

raw blueberry pie parfait 1

Pie Filling

1 ½ cups frozen blueberries, partially thawed

3 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

¼ cup cashew butter

½ cup coconut oil (liquid)

Directions:

-Put crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until combined.  Add water a tablespoon at a time until a fluffy consistency is achieved.  Remove from food processor.  If making mini-bites, press a layer of crust into the bottom of the cup and place in freezer.

-Place pie filling ingredients into a food processor and blend until a smooth consistency is achieved.  Add layer to the mini-muffin cups and freeze or layer in a parfait glass.  My favorite, simply enjoy directly out of the bowl!

buggsponytail

So, we’ve been getting a lot of grief from certain family members (no fingers pointed) to cut Noah’s hair.  Shaye and I know we will be heart-broken if we do, but we are starting to think we may be growing his hair for our own selfish reasons.  Help us out!  What do you think???

strawberry (and hemp) fields forever

strawberry

Hemp seeds are right up there with kale and avocados on my “Super Foods” list!   Don’t worry you won’t fail a drug test or find the urge to wear patchouli from eating these little seeds!  They are a product of a plant that is similar to the marijuana plant however; it lacks the cannabinoid compounds (ah, shucks!). It is the same plant that produces hemp for the production of rope and cloth.  Eating the seeds actually does the opposite of marijuana, they boost your memory!

hemp

Hemp seeds have a mild, nutty flavor and are a great addition to your morning smoothie because they contain high levels of protein (3 tablespoons contain 11 grams of protein!).  Save your cash on those expensive protein powders and use hempseeds instead!  Not only will you be getting a great source of plant based protein, you will get a healthy dose of polyunsaturated fatty acids (ALA and GLA) as well.  These fatty acids may alleviate skin issues such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.  Hemp seeds also contain high levels of vitamin E, which will decrease inflammation in the body lowering your risk of cancer and heart disease as well as ease pain from arthritis.

Strawberry Fields Forever Smoothie

(2 servings)

strawberry fields

2 cups milk of your choice, preferably non-dairy (or water)

3 dates, pitted

1 ripe banana

1-2 tablespoons cashew butter

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 ½ cups frozen strawberries

1-2 cups baby spinach

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

strawberry fields forever smoothie

Now, try to get that song out of your head!

listen to your body

love this!

love this!

How come your best friend thrives off of eating a raw, vegan diet that leaves you feeling cranky, drained and constantly craving good old cooked food?  Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size fits all approach to healthy eating.

What works for some may not work for others.  

So where does that leave you, how do you know what foods to eat?  Use your body as a laboratory!  Listen to it and learn what fuels you best.  Experiment and keep a food journal to connect the dots.  For example, start off each morning with a different breakfast.  One morning eat a grain-based meal, the next morning have a breakfast high in protein, then the next morning have a light breakfast of fruit.   Monitor and record how you feel 1-2 hours after eating.  Maybe you will discover you feel sluggish and reaching for sugary snacks when you started the day off with a bowl of oatmeal.  Use this information to create a “diet” that is unique to your needs!

Take the time, experiment, and listen to what your body is telling you!

The more you listen, the more you will learn!

Check out this story of how a devout vegan started eating meat to cure her chronic illness.

Need help?

Contact me at www.beginwithinnutrition.com

crispy coconut kale, tempeh and chickpeas with maple tahini dressing

Yes, another kale recipe….but, I couldn’t help myself from grabbing this bunch of dino kale as I was walking through Phoenix Fruit.  I won’t go into detail on the benefits of kale yet again, so I will just leave you with the recipe :)

 crispy coconut kale

This is something we make on a regular basis because it is so easy to whip up! This recipe packs a protein punch from the tempeh, chickpeas and quinoa, it’s a surefire way to keep you full and energized!

Crispy Coconut Kale, Tempeh, and Chickpeas with Tahini Maple Dressing

Crispy Coconut Kale:

1 bunch of kale, trimmed and rinsed

olive oil

unsweetened coconut flakes

sea salt

Tempeh and Chickpeas:

1 block tempeh, cut into cubes

1 can chickpeas, rinsed

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons braggs amino acids

crispy coconut kale

Tahini Maple Dressing:

½ cup water

¼ cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons braggs amino acids

2 tablespoons tahini

Directions:

-Rinse kale and pat dry.  Massage with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with coconut flakes and sea salt.  Bake in a 375 degree oven until leaves are crispy.

-In a frying pan heat coconut oil on medium high heat.   Add tempeh and sauté for a few minutes.  Add chickpeas and bragg’s amino acids and sauté for another 5 minutes or until tempeh is crispy on all sides.

-Put all dressing ingredients into a blender and mix until well combined.

-Serve over cooked quinoa and enjoy!

Click here for instructions on how to cook quinoa!

crispy coconut kale

What are your favorite kale recipes???

Clean 15 & Dirty Dozen 2013

Fruits-and-Vegetables

The Environmental Working Group just released the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” list!  Print it out to take to the grocery store with you!  Going Green is the way to go.  It is best for our health and the health of the planet but, lets face it, buying everything organically is a pipe dream!   It’s not easy on the wallet to buy organic avocados at $3.00 each!  The “Clean 15” are the safest conventionally grown crops and the “Dirty Dozen” are the foods with the highest pesticide load.   I would be a little cautious of the sweet corn on the “Clean 15″ list given that most corn is GMO.

Clean 15:

  1. Onions
  2. Sweet Corn
  3. Pineapple
  4. Avocado
  5. Cabbage
  6. Sweet Peas
  7. Asparagus
  8. Mango
  9. Eggplant
  10. Kiwi
  11. Cantaloupe (domestic)
  12. Sweet Potato
  13. Grapefruit
  14. Papaya
  15. Mushrooms

Dirty Dozen:

  1. Apples
  2. Strawberries
  3. Grapes
  4. Celery
  5. Peaches
  6. Spinach
  7. Sweet Bell Peppers
  8. Nectarines
  9. Cucumbers
  10. Potatoes
  11. Cherry Tomatoes
  12. Hot Peppers

~Newly labeled “highly toxic” foods include Kale/Collard Greens and Summer Squash~

To read more, visit the EWG website www.ewg.org

  • clean 15, dirty dozen