This is a staple healthy, raw, vegan 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!

I just finished preparing 4 cleanses for my clients. Thinking of their reaction to one of my fave soups sparked my blogging fire. 

Here's a recipe for my most popular Carrot Ginger gazpacho. (this can be warmed on the stove top as well, in the winter)

-3 cups carrot juice
-1 small ripe avocado
-1/4 cup lime juice
-2 tablespoons agave
-1 tablespoon minced ginger
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-black ground pepper to taste
*add a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish

1. In a high-speed blender, puree all the ingredients until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

2. Divide among bowls. Garnish with a drizzle  of avocado-lime oil (or any type) and a few cilantro leaves in the middle and serve immediately.

3. If you want it heated: gently warm the soup in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring it continuously for a few minutes.

To read about the benefits to carrots-check out this past post.

CHERRY JUBILATION

A raw vegan dessert truffle with cherries, chocolate and Brazil nuts.

• 1/3 cup  coconut cream butter (Artisana is a great brand)
  
• 1/2 cup powdered carob
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp agave
• 2 tsp Stevia Plus powder
• 2 droppers dark chocolate Stevia liquid
• 1 cup fresh, pitted organic cherries
• 1 1/2 cup organic Brazil nuts
• ½ cup unsweetened carob chips
• 15 cherries, pitted and halved

Purée all ingredients in food processor except carob chips. When dough is formed, pull out blade and stir in chips. Form into balls and scoop into paper mini cupcake liners. Top each one with a cherry half.

Freeze for 15 minutes and they’re ready to serve. Store in refrigerator. Tops of cherries will get frostbite if kept in the freezer over 15 minutes.

Yield: 30

here is a great recipe for A Blueberry Breakfast Bread!

• 1 C egg whites
• 4 tablespoons light agave
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 c Organic unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 droppers liquid stevia *clear
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 C buckwheat groats, ground
• 1/2 C quinoa flakes
• 1/2 C quinoa flour
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 C fresh or frozen organic blueberries
• 2 tsp quinoa flour

preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites,agave, lemon juice, applesauce, liquid stevia, and cinnamon. Stir in the quinoa flakes. Allow to sit for a minute. They will puff up and soak in the liquid.

In coffee grinder or blender, grind buckwheat groats until powdered.  In small bowl, sift together ground buckwheat groats, quinoa flour, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum.  Add pre-mixed dry ingre- dients to wet mixture.

Carefully dredge blueberries in 2 teaspoons quinoa flour and add to wet mixture.  Pour mixture in an 8x8 prepared glass baking dish that has been spray oiled and floured with quinoa flour.  Spread evenly with spray oiled spatula.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

*leave the blueberries out for a plainer, anytime bread. Explore and experiment!

My husband is from Israel. Kids in Israel used to take pods straight from a tree and chew on them for the sweetness. For years he searched for this mystery "haroov" from his childhood.

Low and behold, it turns out it was carob from a carob tree!

We love this sweet raw, vegan, carob truffle. Made with hemp butter, agave and rolled in coconut, we're sure you'll love it, too!

fudge- it ball truffles

• 3/4 cup organic raw, unsalted tahini
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons light agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 packets or 2 teaspoons Stevia Plus Powder
• 1/2 cup raw carob powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
  

In a medium mixing bowl, place tahini, almond milk, agave, vanilla, and cinnamon.  With a flat spatula, mix until smooth.  Add stevia powder and mix until powder is distributed evenly.  Using a tablespoon at a time, add carob powder to mixture.  Using spatula, work carob powder into mixture with a folding and pressing action against the bowl.  Continue this process until all the carob powder is used.

The batter will look and feel shiny and hard like a fudge.  If the batter is too sticky to roll, add a bit more carob to get the texture of a non-sticky fudge.

Scoop out a tablespoon of the fudge batter and roll into a ball.  Roll ball in unsweetened coconut and serve in mini-cupcake papers.

Yield: 24ish truffles.