Recipe:

*8 oz Coconut Milk (coconut butter + filtered water) or Almond or Oat Milk (can buy boxed)
*2 Tablespoons Cacao Powder
*2 Teaspoons Cacao Nibs
*1 scoop (2 Tablespoons) Protein Powder of your choice (Raw, Brown Rice or Whey)
*2 drops of chocolate stevia concentrate
*2 drops of vanilla creme stevia concentrate
*handful or two of ice

Optional:

*maca powder- 1-2 teaspoons
*banana or dates (take out the pit!) for sweetener instead of or in addition to stevia
**toppings: buckwheat grawnola, goji berries, cacao nibs

After living in LALA land for almost 8 years, I’ve discovered quite the enticing places to eat. I always love finding new spots to grab a bite, especially when the food is healthy & inspiring and the energy is positive.

Here are my top choices if I WERE visiting Los Angeles and wanted to grab a healthy snack or meal.

Santa Monica:

• Euphoria Loves Rawvolution on Main Street in between Venice and Santa Monica, fun part of town, 2 blocks from the beach. They serve vegan and raw food, sell a few supplements and raw desserts to LIVE for!  I bring my laptop or a book here and cozy up on their couch. They have open mic nights and special events for the community. It’s a very friendly environment, super casual and the staff are wonderful. 2301 Main Street, Santa Monica

• Santa Monica Co-Opportunity this is a lovely place to go if you want to get snacks for a picnic or a smoothie after gallivanting at the beach. It looks like a grocery store, but ohhhh, it’s so much more. You may not know that a supermarket can be cool, until you go here. Juice/Smoothie bar, best bulk variety items I’ve ever seen, and a whole refrigerated section dedicated to raw and vegan prepackaged foods. I’m here minimum 4 times a week! Corner of 16th and Broadway in Santa Monica.

• Planet Raw (owned by raw chef Juliano) Couldn’t leave this one out. To be honest, If I had the money, I would go nowhere else but here. It’s super expensive but the MOST creative dishes in the raw food world. Friends/other planet raw frequenters complain of the service and staff, that they are snooty and give off a bad energy. Planet Raw  is among the quintessential So Cal dining experiences-attempting to be causal with absurd prices and pretentious attitudes. ALAS, their food is OUT OF CONTROL. I highly recommended the Ariel Salad, which will give you your day’s worth of greens and energy, and I crave it daily.  I almost always get a Chocolate “milk” shake, which is beyond my comprehension in tastyness. This place has a great location, blocks from downtown Santa Monica but the energy is much calmer and you would never know it’s inches from the famous 3rd St. Promenade. 609 Broadway, Santa Monica.

Silverlake/Hollywood:

• Cru is a sit down restaurant, great for a nice dinner. You can bring your own wine for a small corkage fee. They have both cooked vegan dishes and raw vegan foods, and I have never had a bad eating experience! “Artfully weaving Italian, Japanese, Tunisian, Thai and Indian flavors into a fresh interpretation of life enhancing gourmet food, including desserts that even the most health conscious individual can indulge in guiltlessly.” They also have uncooking classes here-which I will be teaching in June! Sundays 3-4:30p here’s the link! 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, Silverlake.

• Erwhon Natural Foods Market “Health Food Nirvana” is in West Hollywood. Similar to the experience of the Co-Op (see above) but a little more upscale. They have more of a selection (if it were possible) and the best part about this place is their tonic bar. You’ll find super knowledgeable staff and drinks you won’t find anywhere else.  They have a great selection of raw living foods, vegan, specialty chef spices, local produce, macrobiotic diet and body ecology diet foods.  They also have great cheese, nut cheese and raw chocolate ingredients.  The bulk items are maybe 10% higher than whole foods for organics, but the selection is good.The tonics and vitamin selections are far superior to any juice bar I’ve ever visited in SF, NYC or London. They have tons of great events featuring organic gourmet chefs, raw foodists, and educational talks.  It is definitely more pricey than other “markets” so just be prepared. Don’t come for a big shopping trip, come for an experience. 7660 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood.

dairy-free dessert

Beverly Hills:

M Cafe features Macrobiotic Cuisine—balanced, nutritious, creative cooking which can be enjoyed by everyone, not just vegetarians or people with dietary restrictions. The chefs prepare each item fresh daily, using only the finest ingredients without any refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry. Easy items to grab and go, or sit and have a bite to eat in the center of BH. 9433 Brighton Way.

Urth Cafe: For beautiful lattes and organic specialty salads and sandwiches, visit Urth Cafe. This is a good place to go with non-vegan friends because you’ll be happy and so will they! Something for everyone. 267 South Beverly Drive.

Lemonade is a new discovery of mine. They have delicious salads to chose from, and the secret is to have them take one scoop from each salad choice so that you get more options. (you get 2 scoops for each salad) Another good place to go with non-vegan friends, sandwiches and fish/poultry dishes.. but everything is clean and healthy! Oh, and definitely try their house-made lemonade! Peach Ginger was my fave!  9001 Beverly Blvd.

I’ll never forget the first time I watched almonds blend away and white, pure “milk” be created. It’s a surreal experience, try it for yourself!

To make dairy-free mylk, you can use pretty much any seed, grain or nut. I like almond, oat and coconut mylk the best. Experiment with your own taste buds  to see what works for you.

Ingredients:

• Nuts or seeds of choice
• Pure water
• sweetener of your choice (a few soft dates, raw honey, raw agave or stevia)
• 1 pinch of unprocessed sea salt (optional)

To create Mylk:

1. Soak nuts or seeds (almonds and hazelnuts for 8-12 hours, sunflower seeds or brazil nuts for 3 hours) I like to soak the nuts before bed and then in the morning it’s ready for biz-nas!

Before blending...

2. Place soaked nuts or seeds in a blender so that the nuts are even with the level of the uppermost part of the blades.

..after!!!

3. Add pure water to just cover the nuts and blend until smooth. Add more water until desired consistency is reached.

4. Sweeten to suit your taste buds with a soft date or two, raw agave, raw honey or a packet or drop of stevia (if you use too much stevia, it will become bitter). Strain with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag.

5. Make only what you will use in a day or two. Refrigerate.

(These milks will go bad after about 48 hours)

Vanilla Hemp Seed Mylk:

• 1/4 cup shelled hempseeds (buy them in air-tight containers, not from bulk bins where they can be rancid)
• 1 liter pure water
• 1 pinch of unprocessed sea salt (optional)
• sweetener of your choice
• vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla stevia instead of sweetener

To Create Mylk:

1. Place the hempseeds in a blender with just enough water to cover them and blend well.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

3. Strain in a mesh strainer and drink! Refrigerate the remainder.

Optional: for a thicker, more omega 3 rich milk, soak 1/4 cup flax seeds for 2 hours, then rinse and blend with hemp seeds.

*If you want to make these mylks chocolate for a kid or for a yummy treat, add raw cacao powder at the end of the final blend. It tastes DELICIOUS and no one will ever know you are drinking something with amazing superfoods, antioxidants and health benefits!!!

Organic produce can be very expensive. I’ve previously written about the benefits of eating and buying organics… but are you wondering which fruit and veggies you can buy conventionally?

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests.

Organic fruits and vegetables are by definition grown without the use of pesticides. But some find the expense of organic foods prohibitive.

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown.

Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:

* Broccoli

* Eggplant

* Cabbage

* Banana

* Kiwi

* Asparagus

* Sweet peas (frozen)

* Mango

* Pineapple

* Sweet corn (frozen)

* Avocado

* Onion

Sources: DrWeil.com July 30, 2008; FoodNews.org Printable Shopper’s Guide

missing fish? pate? meat? this may just do the trick!

This is a great dish to bring to a potluck or for a party.. easy to snack on with flax chips or veggie sticks and no one will know there’s not a single animal product!

Mock Salmon Pate

• 2 cups almonds or walnuts, soaked overnight
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 2 med. or large carrots
• 3 tsp. lemon juice
• Dulse Flakes, rinsed
• 1/4 cup purified water
• Parsley
• 1 head romaine lettuce, raw crackers, or 1 bunch celery stalks

Run the almonds/walnuts and carrots through a Champion juicer, using the “blank” plate to make a smooth pate. If you don’t have one, you buy organic carrot juice and almond butter and blend in a food processor.

Mix all ingredients except the lettuce in a bowl, adding the dulse to taste.

Form the mixture into a rounded (or other shape) loaf, and garnish with parsley.

To serve, spoon onto the lettuce leaves and eat like a sandwich, eat with toast or spread onto celery sticks.

This is a staple dish in our home. Everyone loves it! My husband, friends AND PUPPY! It will store for a few days in your fridge after marinated and prepared.

• 1 bunch fresh kale, de-stemmed and shredded
• 1 avocado, cubed or sliced thin
• 3 stalks celery, sliced thin or minced
• 1 green apple, sliced thin or minced (in the same size as your celery pieces)
• 1/3 C lemon juice
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 2 T Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 1/3 C olive oil
• 1 T honey or agave nectar

Put the shredded kale in a large bowl with the salt. With your hands, squeeze and massage the kale and mix it well with the salt. Keep massaging the kale for up to 3-5 minutes as the kale will darken, shrink in size and the fibers will break down. Once this happens, mix in all of the other ingredients into the bowl, except the avocado.

Serve on a pretty plate and garnish with pretty avocado pieces on top.

note: you might want to experiment with how much lemon juice, bragg’s, and agave/honey you put in this. the above recipe is a pretty good guideline but you’ll find that you’ll have your own preferences. Go with whatever tastes good to you!

There are so many benefits to seaweed. This salad has a wide array of colors, which is key to a healthy diet. The more colors, the more vitamins and antioxidants.

I led a workshop recently and this is one of the recipes I taught. enjoy!

Seaweed Spectacular Salad! 

• 2 C fresh organic baby spinach leaves
• 1 T dried wakame flakes, soaked in water 10 min
• Sprouted/ raw sunflower seeds
• Orange and yellow mini bell peppers
• ½ Cucumber, diced
• Edible flowers for garnish
• Purple cabbage, shredded
• ½ Tomato, diced

Dressing:

• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T dried arame , soaked in water 10 min
• 1 t liquid aminos or nama shoyu
• 1 t miso
• 1 T minced garlic

Blend in blender or by hand

Toss together in bowl!

Now that I’ve “come out” to the world about being pregnant it’s time to share all the knowledge I’ve been acquiring throughout the past 2 1/2 months!  (Facebook & technology has changed the world in so many ways!! so easy, with just a click, my world knew!)

In my opinion, Iron is absolutely the MOST important supplement/nutrient to get into your body when you’re pregnant.

This metal carries oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body. Its other big role is to make blood. Blood volume increases by 50% during pregnancy. Blood feeds the placenta and uterine lining. Without large members of oxygen-rich red blood cells, your baby won’t grow.

For a straight hit of iron, eating red meat or liver is a sure bet. Clams, chicken liver, duck and oysters are excellent sources. (if you’re vegan or vegetarian, look below for an awesome option) Fish, poultry, spinach, dried apricots and unsulphered or black-strap molasses are decent sources. Grains and dairy foods are not.

It’s also wise to eat iron-friendly foods, including fresh produce for folate and vitamin C, banans for B5 and any meat, milk or eggs for B12.

I highly recommended Floradix, a liquid supplement with organic iron in an absorbable form (ferrous gluconate) instead of inorganic iron, which can cause constipation. I take this almost every day. I love the way it tastes and I instantly have more energy after consuming it. I don’t eat red meat and haven’t for almost 10 years, so it’s vital to get it from a supplement source. I’ve taken it for years, (I’m slightly anemic) usually every day when I’m on my period and here and there when I’m not.

Another option is taking ground liver capsules. If you’re not anemic, don’t take iron. The body doesn’t excrete iron easily, and too much can be toxic.

check out this great interview with a Parisian Chef

he was incredibly curious about my way of eating… here’s what we talked about!

Looking for an easy dessert to make without getting an stomach ache or preparing something extravagant for hours?

Make a little extra of this pudding and store it in the fridge for a few days! *warning: can be addictive

Vanilla Pudding

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup pitted dates, soaked 10-20 minutes
• 1/2 cup fresh berries
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract/vanilla pod

Coconut Banana Pudding (chocolate or vanilla!)

• 1 ripe banana
• 6 dates, soaked up to 30 minutes
• meat and water from one young coconut
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/4 cup raw cacao or carob powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Coconut Banana PIE!!!!!!!

• 3 Avocados
• 3 Bananas
• 1/4 cup of honey or agave (add more or less depending on how sweet you like it)
• 1/4 cup of raw chocolate

*Mix these ingredients together in the vitamix or blender. In a blender you may need to add some water or nut mylk to get it to mix together. When creamy and smooth, spread the pudding into a dish.

Dairy-free Whipped Cream Topping:

• Meat from 2 young Thai coconuts
• 1/4 cup of honey/agave

Mix together in your food processor or high-speed blender. Mix until creamy and spread it on top of the chocolate mixture.

*Garnish however you like. I cut up one banana and sprinkled with coconut flakes

all of these recipes are dairy-free, gluten-free and raw! bona!