Vegan, Raw Ice Cream--believe it!!!

I'm trying to remember life before I had a food processor--and I can't. I think I've blocked it from my memory. I must have been eating only Odwalla bars, starbucks and peppermint patties--and believing if I THINK I'm healthy, I'll be healthy. That's not how it works, yo. There is no shortcut to eating fruits and veggies, but we can prepare them in more fun and delicious ways...LIKE THIS. (you're gonna freak out when you taste this.)

Ingredients for original flavor:

Frozen bananas (about 1 per serving) *Important! Peel them first, then put them in tupperware to freeze. If you don't peel them, you'll have a hell of a time getting the frozen outside off.

Directions to happiness:

Put frozen bananas in your food processor or VitaMix and blend for 3-5 minutes until texture is smooth and creamy--like soft serve! If there are any lumps, keep blending.

For different flavors consider adding:

1) Fresh or frozen strawberries
2) Fresh or frozen blueberries
3) Raw cocoa powder and agave sweetener
4) almond or vanilla extract

Toppings:

1) chopped nuts (I prefer cashews)
2) diced fruit (kiwi, mango, berries etc)
3) chocolate sauce (mix 1 tbsp of raw cocoa and 2 tbsp of agave for a syrup)
4) Butterfingers--oohhh shit, that's not healthy, sorry.

I'm gonna be Pinkberry's newest competitor with this treat. (Has anyone else noticed the chemical-ish aftertaste of PB? Gross.) Why make millions when we can make billions?

Life should not be this sweet!

Surprise Falafel with Sweet Cashew Sauce

I've experimented with raw falafel this weekend and I must say--they are probably the most delicious thing I've made, ever. I call them 'Surprise Falafel' because you will be surprised that these are not fried and actually good for you. I'm not big on measuring, so feel free to explore with your own proportions for the below (or add other veggies/nuts to your liking).

Ingredients:

Falafel:
5 hearty handfuls of sunflower seeds
1-2 cups of green cabbage
handful of pulp from carrot juice
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 cup parsley
1 robust tablespoon turmeric
1 robust tablespoon curry
1 robust tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt*

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until you get a sticky texture and spices are evenly blended throughout. Make small balls with mixture. If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate several hours until outside of balls are slightly crispy. If you don't have a dehydrator, place on a baking sheet and in oven at 150 degrees with the oven door open until outside is slightly crispy.

Sweet Cashew Sauce:
2-3 tablespoons of Raw Cashew butter (I love the one from Artisana)
juice from one lemon
splash of H20
Dash of Himalayan sea salt*

Blend all in food processor until light and whipped. This is an amazing sweet dipping sauce or dressing (if you want to make a falafel salad). The sweet complements the salty, curry flavor of the falafel.

Go get to work! Enjoy!

*I've come across Himalayan sea salt thanks to raw food guru Sarma Melngailis of NYC's Pure Food & Wine. To learn about it and the health benefits visit: http://www.himalayanlivingsalt.com/ I don't use much, if any, salt in my cooking (it makes me feel puffy and retain water and is an appetite stimulant) but when I do, I now use Himalayan sea salt and don't experience the negative side effects I once did with processed/stripped table salt.

Chocomole! (Raw Chocolate Mousse)

This treat will rock your world!

Ingredients:

1 avocado
8 pitted organic dates
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder
1/2 cup of water


Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy, like a mousse consistency. You might need to let the processor run for 5 minutes to get the right texture. If consistency is too watery, add a few more dates to make it thicker.

Chocomole is quick, easy and *so* decadent. You won't feel like a lard-ass after eating it either! Promise.

MediterAsian Raw Fruit & Nut Salad

Ingredients:

Red and Green Grapes
Dates*
Apricots*
Lychees
Walnuts
Hempseeds
Hemp Oil (Cold pressed, unrefined--dark to clear light green in color, with a pleasant nutty flavor)

*I always buy organic dried fruit, otherwise they add sulphur dioxide and extra sugar/preservatives. Ingredients should just say=fruit.

Chop the grapes into quarters. Chop walnuts, apricots and dates into bite-size pieces. Buy lychees fresh (if you can find them) and peel & pit them, or buy out of a can and drain excess syrup. Toss in a bowl and sprinkle with hemp seeds and dress with oil.

I had this salad at Galaxy Global Eatery on 15th & Irving (NYC) and it was SO GOOD. The hemp oil and seeds were a nice surprise. I don't think I've ever had hemp before, but I am going to experiment more with it on veggie/quinoa salads.

Enjoy!

SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Put them on sandwiches, turn them into soup and more. Make these in advance, even days ahead, but be sure to serve them at room temperature.

SERVES: 8
TIME: 3 hours, almost completely unattended

* a dozen vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in half horizontally
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 275ºF.

In a small roasting pan, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil. Roast the tomatoes, seed-side up, for three hours.

GRILLED ZUCCHINI WITH MINT AND RED CHILI

This requires a little patience because it’s best to let the flavor of the zucchini develop slowly on a not-too-hot grill, rather than just char them quickly. They get a wonderful, almost fried flavor.

SERVES: 8
TIME: 15 minutes

* 5 medium-sized zucchini (each about 1/2 pound)
* 1/2 cup olive oil, divided in half
* 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* a dozen large mint leaves, finely sliced
* as much very thinly sliced red chili as you can handle


Preheat your grill to medium.

Cut each zucchini in half crosswise and then cut each half into 1/8" planks. In a very large bowl, toss the zucchini with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Lay the zucchini on the grill and cook for about four minutes per side, keeping the heat moderate so you’re sweating them and not really giving them a ton of color. Turn the heat up to high and grill for about a minute more on each side to mark them. Depending on the size of your grill, this may need to be done in batches.

Remove the zucchini to a large platter. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with the vinegar, mint and chili (I just use the bowl I originally tossed the zucchini in). Drizzle this over the zucchini, being sure to evenly distribute the chili, and serve.

LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO SALAD

This delectable recipe comes straight from the kitchen of the one and only.....Gwenyth Paltrow! Love you Goop!

Ingredients:
* 2 sweet potatoes (each about 2/3 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
* 1 1/2 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup
* 2 pinches red chili flakes
* 1 yellow onion, cut into 1/4" dice
* 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2" dice
* 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
* 2 cups green lentils, rinsed and drained
* a healthy drizzle of your finest, best quality olive oil
* 2 tablespoons torn parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, the maple syrup and one pinch of chili. Roast, stirring, until caramelized and a paring knife slips easily through a piece, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the additional two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the remaining pinch of chili, onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, pepper and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are a bit softened and just beginning to brown. Add the lentils and four cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to low, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Let the lentils cool to room temperature. Fold the lentils together with the sweet potatoes. Drizzle with your good olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.