Missy's Favorite Fresh Salsa

My daughter Melissa has always loved this salsa.  It's a favorite around here this time of year because most of the ingredients come fresh from our garden.  It's all raw and probably is closer to Pico but we have always called it Missy's Favorite Salsa.

Fresh garden tomatoes ripened on the vine is the secret to the very best freshest tasting salsa.  You could get the other ingredients from the store but we think it's a must that the tomatoes be fresh picked.  Feel free to add more garlic and jalapeno if you like it spicier.

Missy's Favorite Fresh Salsa

8 cups chopped fresh garden tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 fresh jalapenos, seeds removed and chopped
3-4 cloves fresh garlic minced (or to taste)
Zest and Juice of 1 large lime or 2 small ones
2 teaspoons Real Salt
1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Quick and Yummy Stuffed Peppers, 100% Raw

When the weather starts to warm up I start to think of recipes like this one.  No cooking involved so I don't have to heat up my Kitchen which in turn heats up the house.  Having meals that we don't have to cook in the spring is great because I can put off running the air conditioning until Summer.  This is one of Ryan's favorite Raw Dishes!  I love it because it is so quick and easy to prepare and super tasty! 

Quick and Yummy Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. Walnuts, ground fine in food processor

1 lb. Carrots, ground fine in food processor

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning or fresh herbs of choice (sage, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, basil, etc.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup lemon juice

1 Tablespoon honey or 4 dates

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, minced

black pepper or paprika for garnish

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and stir well to combine. Stuff your favorite color of bell pepper, or mushroom, or avocado. Enjoy. We like to use the leftover filling on a sandwich or on a salad. Yummy!!!

Italian Tossed Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

Sometimes your in the mood for a nice, pretty really good salad!  This one reminds me of something you might get at The Olive Garden but this one is even better for you.  With of course only good ingredients in the dressing.  ENJOY!

Italian Tossed Salad

1 recipe homemade croutons (recipe below)
2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 small purple onion, thinly sliced
1 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
1 can black olives, drained
1-2 banana peppers, sliced (optional)

Toss everything together in a large bowl.  Add croutons and dressing just before serving.  Should only take about 1/4-1/2 the dressing made in recipe below.  If you like more or less dressing adjust to taste.  Toss well and serve.

Healthy Homemade Croutons

6-8 slices whole wheat bread cut into cubes
4 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon Vegetable Broth Powder

Preheat oven to 375°.  Pour oil over bread cubes.  Mix until well coated sprinkle with vegetable broth powder.  Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.   Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet.

Creamy Italian Dressing

1 1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/2-2/3 cups Apple Cider Vinegar (depending how tart you like it)
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Sucanat and or Agave
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon Real Salt
a dash of pepper
juice of half a Lemon
1 Tablespoon hemp seed (optional)

Place all ingredients into a wide mouth quart jar.  Stir or shake well.  Keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Chia You Choose

Update:  Had to change the name.  Read to find out why.

Have you heard how great Chia seeds are for you?  Would you like an easy way to get more Chia into your diet?  You know those Chia drinks that are starting to pop-up at health food stores?  Well it's super simple to make your own.

I have a friend who had me try, what she called Chia Fresca, once and it was okay but I wasn't sure about it.  Then recently she came for a visit and bought one of those drinks when we were at the local health food store.  I thought it was pretty good she told me I needed to make it.  So we went home and I gave it a try.

I've been drinking it a lot ever since!  I love it.....I mean yeah the slimy little seeds are kind of weird but they seem so full of......well energy!   I feel like I get more out of them this way then blended in a smoothie.  I feel like they give me more stamina and energy.

In fact I have to be careful and only drink a little every morning otherwise I don't want to sleep at night.  They are also very filling.  Ryan says it is kind of a weird texture but he for sure likes the flavor.  So if you don't mind the texture (give it a few tries to get used to) it's a great way to get live, raw, amazing energy.

I now call it Chia You Choose because I can't use the other name....I guess it's trademarked.....who knew! ;)  I am perfectly happy to respect a trademark......so why don't you choose to call it whatever you would like!  

But it's funny when I try to come up with a catchy name I never thought I would need to see if it was trademarked.  Is there a way I can check before I name a recipe?  Is there even an original thought anymore?  What an amazing age of information that we live in! 

Either way I still love having Chia seeds in my food storage.  Check out a few interesting things about Chia I got in an email below the recipe!  I still feel like it helps recharge me! How about a recharge?!  ENJOY!

Chia You Choose

1 quart water
2 Tablespoons Chia seed
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tablespoons of Agave or other sweetener of choice

In quart jar mix water and Chia seed and let soak at least 15 minutes.  Add other ingredients.  Stir, keep in fridge.  Don't drink all at once this much lasts me a week!  I have also taken the same recipe only reduced the agave to 1 teaspoon and added 2 teaspoons cranberry concentrate.  You could try lots of flavors have fun with it!

CHIA SEED

Chia seed was traditionally used by Native Americans and was domesticated in Mexico around 2,700 B.C. They were the primary staple food of the Aztec, Mayan, and other indigenous people. One spoon of chia seed mixed with water was used to supply sustenance for an entire day of hard labor. It was also used by Native Americans and settlers as a poultice for wounds and to prevent infection and promote healing. It is a great food storage item to have on hand.

 

Nutritional Value

The nutritional profile of chia seed is quite impressive.  Chia seed is about 20% protein, 35% oil, and 25% dietary fiber. They are high in antioxidants and also offer a range of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and boron (which acts as a catalyst for calcium absorption in the body). They are one of the richest vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help protect against heart disease and inflammation, and they are especially beneficial for those with diabetes, hypertension and arthritis. They contain all nine essential amino acids and are a great source of vitamin B-17.

1/4 cup of chia seed provides as much calcium as 3 cups of milk, magnesium 10 stalks of broccoli, 25 % more dietary fiber than flax seed, 30 % more antioxidants than blueberries.

 

Serving size of 2 Tbs Chia Sees Provides the Following Nutrients:

Calories: 66

Complete Protein: 4.14 grams

Total Fat: 6.56 grams

Saturated Fat: .64 grams

Trans Fat: 0 grams

Monounsaturated Fat: .44 grams

Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.44 grams

Omega 3 (ALA): 4.2 grams

Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid): 1.24 grams

Cholesterol: 0 grams

Carbohydrates: 7.5 grams

Total Dietary Fiber: 8.25 grams

Soluble Fiber: 1.07 grams

Insoluble Fiber: 7.18 grams

Sodium: .42 milligrams

Potassium: 140 milligrams

Calcium: 142.8 milligrams

Iron: 3.28 milligrams

Phosphorus: 213.4 milligrams

Magnesium: 78 milligrams

 

Uses

Chia seed has a mild nutty flavor and can be sprinkled on salads, cereals, yogurt, or soups, or ground up and used in breads and muffins as you would use wheat germ or rice bran. It is most commonly used as chia seed gel, which can be made by soaking 1/3 c chia seed in 2 cups of water. In about 9 minutes the gel will be ready to use. The gel will keep for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator. You can also soak chia seed in apple juice or other liquids you like. The gel can be used as an oil replacer in baking, an egg substitute, or a thickener in various recipes. The gel can also be mixed into smoothies, granola, salad dressings, or pudding.

Since chia seed absorbs so much water (up to 9 times its volume) they can be used for hydration purposes, as they will help a person retain water.

Unlike flax seed, chia seed does not need to be ground or soaked before using to obtain the nutritional benefit from the seed.

 

Shelf Life

Chia seed has a relatively long shelf life and is a great food storage item. They can be stored at 70 degrees F for 5 years or more without going rancid, due in part to the high antioxidant content of the seeds. 

Citrus Strawberry Splash

Have you ever juiced fresh strawberries? Oh so very good! I made this juice one morning for breakfast.....obviously no complaints! All fruit juices or all fruit smoothies can be a great place to start for reluctant little ones that are still nervous about greens. Then gradually adding in greens will help them see that they aren't so bad!  Also I don't know about you but my kids have quickly learned that when I say, "This fruit needs to be eaten," that it's not the best fruit they have ever had.  In fact the other day I had some apricots and strawberries that I pulled out of the fridge and said...."This fruit needs to be eaten!"  To which my youngest Charly, who is 6 quickly responded, "Mom I don't like fruit that needs to be eaten."  She loves both apricots and strawberries...but she has learned if Mom says they need to be eaten then they may have some bruising or slightly mushy parts that she simply doesn't care for.  Although not rotten or bad yet fruit that needs to be eaten I have found is better frozen for smoothies or juiced. Then Charly along with all the others will happily enjoy the fruit that once seemed so unappetizing.

Citrus Strawberry Splash

1 pint fresh strawberries
1-2 large oranges
1 pear

Wash fruit, cut peel off orange, run through your juicer.  It's hard to mess us fresh fruit juice.  Do any combo you want.  Fresh Pineapple is Heavenly juiced, watermelon also works great with strawberries!  Fresh mint juiced with the fruit is fun too!  It's a great fast way to use up that fruit that "needs to be eaten!"

Raw Guacomole Lettuce Wraps

My Sister told me about this recipe and they were called Raw Burritos.  Well I just have to tell you they taste NOTHING like a burrito.  Although they were pretty darn tasty.  Here is my version.

Raw Guacamole Lettuce Wraps (or you can call them Raw Burritos if you want to)

Romaine Lettuce Leaves
3 ripe avocados
1/4 of a yellow onion, chopped
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
3 teaspoons lime juice
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder or taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Real Salt or to taste

In bowl mash the avocados then add all other ingredients except lettuce and stir well.  Spoon filling into individual Romaine leaves.  Feel free to add other favorite raw topping and/or dressings if desired.

Raw Southwestern Salad

Another favorite raw dish!  Great for Summertime un-cooking! ;)

Raw Southwestern Salad

4 cups frozen or fresh off the cob corn
6 green onions, sliced
5 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
juice of 2-3 limes
Real Salt to taste
Southwestern seasonings to taste (we used chili powder and cumin, just a few shakes)

In a bowl combine all ingredients, stir.  Serve fresh or chilled.

Liquid Sunshine

I have also heard this green drink referred to as Mean Green!  Well our family has decided it's not mean at all.  In fact both Ryan and I have found that since our cleanse we crave it on a regular basis.  I made this batch the other day and Ry said, "I gotta tell ya Tam, I have actually been craving this......"  It was funny he said it in more of the form of a question, like is it possible for me to crave this?  I thought it was funny and just told him that when you give your body what it needs it will ask for more of it!  Would you like to know what Charly is doing in the background of the picture above?........

......I guess she was craving it too! ;)


Liquid Sunshine Green Drink

1 cucumber
4 stalks celery
2-3 apples
6-8 Kale leaves (start with less if you are not used to GREEN)
1/2 of a lemon
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger

Wash and cut everything and run through a juicer.  For most available nutrients drink right away.  I like mine in a glass with ice!  Charly likes hers straight from the juicer! ;)

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Another raw (or mostly raw depending on the sweetener you choose to use) favorite!  We made with with fresh raw carrot juice it doesn't get much healthier than that.  We were almost surprised at how yummy it tasted!

Carrot Cake Smoothie

3 cups fresh carrot juice
2-4 frozen ripe bananas (depending on consistency you want)
2-4 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch of cloves and ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
small handful of walnuts (optional)

Place all ingredients except walnuts into blender.  Blend until smooth.  Can use other sweeteners or none if desired (depending on sweetness of carrots and bananas) will have to adjust amount of sweetener depending on one used for example 1/2-1 teaspoon of Stevia would add about the same amount of sweetness.  May use less or more spices the measurements are to my taste adjust to your taste.  May also add a pinch of salt if desired.  If using walnuts add after blended and pulse quickly, leave in fairly big chunks (you don't want a grainy smoothie).

Spicy Citrus Juice

Last month Ryan and I did some cleansing.  For two plus weeks we ate all raw and as part of that we did the 7 day Arise and Shine Cleanse.  It felt great to have a......well......a......... Spring Cleaning!  Along with the raw foods we did a lot of raw juices.  I have not done a lot of raw juicing but found I really liked it!  We are still doing some juices a few times a week, smoothies too and eating high raw just because we like it!  That's the funny thing about cleansing when the body is nice and cleaned out it craves what it needs.....heavy rich desserts and foods, even the healthified kind are less appealing (notice I said less.....we still like 'em ;) compared to whole raw food nutrition.

I'm excited to post some of our favorite raw food and juice recipes!  I'm starting with this one because we loved it!  It is super healthy, super tasty (in a very healthy sort of way) and super cleansing! (did you know cilantro even helps clean our heavy metals from you body)  Enjoy this recipe and watch for more of our favorite raw food recipes!

Spicy Citrus Juice

3-4 Large carrots
1 Large handful spinach and/or 2 leaves of Kale
1 green apple
2 Fuji or other pink to red apples
2 Large Oranges, peeled
2 stalks celery
1 small bunch cilantro (about half of a bunch that you get in the store)
1/2 jalapeno (optional but I like it ;)

Wash remove stems and quarter fruit.  Process through juicer.  I like to poor pour the juice over ice and drink.  The pulp is great for the compost bin!

How to get your Kids to Love Kale!

It's getting to be that time of year again!  I got some Kale starts from my Sister that my Dad put in pots and has been taking care of for me.  I plan to plant in my new yard this weekend.  (Yep it's the first thing going in even before the grass!)  She lives in a warmer climate than I do and has had Kale for a while now.  This is also her favorite way to use Kale so I'm bringing this recipe forward!  Be sure to give it a try!

Kale is amazingly healthy but, to most people, not too Tasty! It's pretty strong, a little bitter and kind of thick and chewy!  Ryan and the kids claim to hate it but that's not entirely true.  I love it because it grows well here and its just so good for you, I think everyone should have some on a regular basis!  I don't mind the taste as much as the rest of the fam but you won't see me just eating a plain leaf very often.  So when Ryan came home with 3 foot tall Kale from the farm guess what the kids said?  After commenting on how huge it was Missy even came out with "Holy Kale!"  Matt said,  "I think we should make those into Kale chips!"  It's their favorite way to eat Kale and made this way they will eat leaves and leaves at a time!  I find it easier to throw them in a green smoothie but when we have excess Kale around making "chips" is the first thing we do with it.  I love snacking on them too!  And so does my 4 year old daughter Charly!  Check her out!




Of course I have the recipe for you! 
It's not too late you can get some Kale seeds and plant them today!

Kale Chips

1/3 cup cashews

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 small chunk of onion

½ teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 clove garlic

Ground black pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth in blender. Using a pastry brush “paint” both or one side  (I do both sides) of a Kale or Collard leaf and set them on a nonstick sheet on your dehydrator.  Dry them at 105 degrees for 6-12 hours, take off sheets, turn them over and dry for 2-4 hours more, until crispy.

Robyn of GreenSmoothieGirl posted this recipe a few years ago on her blog, she had gotten it from a reader!  It became an instant family favorite! 

 
Speaking of Robyn I went to another one of her classes last night!  I recently read her book "The Green Smoothies Diet" and wanted her to sign it plus I love hearing her speak.  She tells it like it is and I just love that!  She does classes all over.  If she comes to your area I highly recommend going to one, be sure to tell her Tammie@SimpleHealthyTasty sent you, she will know who you are talking about.  She told me last night as I was getting the picture below with her, that I should start teaching some classes for her.  Oh that could be so much fun!  I've thought about maybe doing some local classes in the next few years.  But I don't know if I'm ready to travel as much as Robyn does, I'm kind of love being at home!  But maybe as the kids get older.  I do love teaching classes and seeing the light come on as people start to understand true health principles!  Robyn is doing such a wonderful thing it was so fun to be there and learn more from her!  I also love reading her blog she is just such a good writer and inspires me on a regular basis!  Thanks Robyn!!!!

Oh by the way thanks so much to those of you who said hi to me at the class!  It made my day!  It's so fun to meet readers!!!!  If you ever see me please don't hesitate to come say hi and introduce yourself.  And if you have time I would love to hear "your story" too!!!!

Raw Brownies n' Ice Cream.

When my husband and I changed our diets 8 years ago, we ate 95% raw food for the first year. In my pile o' recipes...I still have several of the 'thumbs up' ones from clear back then. The other night, I busted this brownie one out that I had received from a friend. It is still as tasty as we remember.

This ice cream is nothin' but frozen bananas run through the Champion Juicer with the blank cover on. Go ahead and love on my mom's avocado green juicer, she's and oldie but a... beauty.

Jan's Brownies

1 cup dates, soaked 3 hours and chopped {save soak water}
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup raw carob powder
1 cup raw tahini {sesame seed butter}
1 cup raw almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup date soak water or 1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cup raw walnuts, soaked for 2-3 hours, drained

Place all the ingredients into a food processor in order given. Pulse after adding every two ingredients. Process until well combined. Add walnuts last and pulse in. Press into lightly oiled 9x11 pan. Chill. Cut into squares. Keeps well in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Rawchos.

My little family loves nachos and we eat them for dinner every Friday night. When we discussed eating raw for an entire month...the kids first question was, "what about Nacho Friday?" I scoured the internet looking for good Raw Corn Chip recipes. I found a few, but this one looked the easiest and the best. I made just a couple of changes to the recipe and we were all delighted about how tasty they turned out.The only thing that wasn't completely raw on our Rawchos were the beans. I soaked some dry pinto beans for 24 hours changing the water every 8 hours. Then I turned the crock pot on low and let them slowly cook for about 16 hours. Finally, I drained the water and added raw ketchup, raw mustard, black strap molasses, honey, onion and seasonings to the beans and let them cook a little longer. The result, although not totally raw, was delicious. And much healthier than canned.I'll share that recipe soon.Anyway...enough blabbering, I present to you......

RAWchos:

Corn Chips

6 cups Frozen Corn
1 red bell pepper
Juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients, one by one, in food processor and pulse until a paste is formed. Remove from processor and stir in the flax seeds. Spread onto teleflex sheets as thin as possible for crispy style chips. Dehydrate at 145 for 1 hour then 114 for 5-6 hours. Flip chips over, remove teflex sheets and finish dehydrating until dry.

Nacho Cheeze

1 cup water
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1 teaspoon mexican seasoning {or chili powder}
1 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water if too thick. Add more cashews if too runny.

Raw Almond Ranch Dressing

1 cup raw almonds, soaked
2 cups water
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 soft dates, pitted
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/8 cup finely chopped green onions {optional}

Blend almonds, water and oil together in high powered blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.

Raw Toppings

Grape tomatoes
Green onions
Red Bell Pepper
Fresh Mushrooms
Jalapenos etc..Any raw food toppings that you can dream up for Nachos...chop 'em up and sprinkle on top!


Have a Wonderful Day!