Recipe Page

ALMOND-CAROB COOKIES

These cookies are delicious! They make me feel like I’m cheating, even though they’re gluten free and incorporate very little agave nectar as sweetener. But beware these cookies are addictive, and not inexpensive. Almond flour is used as the base and can be found at health food stores. Last time I made these cookies I ran out of almond flour and used a ½ cup of spelt flour instead. They were just as good. So if you want to keep costs down, substitute a ½ cup of almond flour with a ½ cup of spelt flour.

You weight watchers say, “Oh no, these cookies are pure nuts—pure fat.” Yes it’s true, almonds and pecans are high in fat, but good fat and studies have shown that those of us who eat nuts are thinner. Nuts are filling and satisfying, they have ample vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies from wanting to consume empty calories. According to the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, “After six months, those on the almond added diet had greater reductions in weight, body fat, total body water, and systolic blood pressure. Those eating almonds had a 62 percent greater reduction in body mass index score, 50 percent greater reduction in waist circumference, and 56 percent greater reduction in body fat compared to those on the low calorie complex carbohydrate diet.” So enjoy and if you’re trying to lose weight (fat), eat a few of them, not the whole batch in one sitting.

Ashley says, "I'm watching you. Don't eat too many yummy cookies at once."

This is my friend Ashley’s recipe. You’re going to want to thank her.

ALMOND CAROB-COOKIES (Makes between 12 – 18)

• 1 ¼ cups blanched almond flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup carob chips (I like more)
• ½ cup pecans, finely chopped

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk grapeseed oil, agave nectar and vanilla together. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Mix in pecans and carob chips.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form dough into ½ to 1-inch balls onto prepared baking sheet and press gently down with a fork. They can be high cookies – you do not have to press them flat because they fall apart. (Wet your hands with water if batter is too sticky when forming cookies.) Bake for about 6-10 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown. Cool.

Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com/025427_almonds_nuts_health.html

 

DRAGON RICE BOWL

I’ve been going to my favorite vegetarian restaurant in Toronto for about fifteen years now.  Whenever I go back to visit my family in the Toronto-area I begin planning, en-route, which day I’ll eat at Fresh Restaurant. 

Last night I made the Dragon Rice Bowl from the cookbook “refresh” written by the owner, Ruth Tal.  There are a few steps involved, but it’s well worth the effort.  The only thing I added was broccoli.  After a few bites, Jay said, “I think this is the best meal you’ve ever made.”  Jay says this every time we make a dish with varying kinds of miso gravy.  I could put miso gravy on bricks and he would say, “Wow.  This is delicious.”  

Happy Cleansing!

DRAGON RICE BOWL — Serves 4

 Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, sliced diagonally
• 1 bunch of broccoli – medium florets
• Tomatoes, sliced thickly
• Marinated tofu steaks – see below
• Cooked brown basmati rice
• Miso gravy – see below
• Cilantro, chopped
• Green onions, chopped
• Brown sesame seeds, toasted

Method

1. Cook 3 cups brown basmati rice according to instructions on the stove or in a rice cooker.  
2. Grill the zucchini, tomatoes and tofu steaks in the oven at medium to high heat (I broiled them at 500 degrees F), until lightly browned.
3. Steam the broccoli until bright green and crisp.
4. Put 1 ½ cups of cooked brown basmati rice in a large bowl.
5. Pour one 4-ounce ladle of warm Miso Gravy over the rice.
6. Arrange the grilled vegetables, broccoli and Tofu Steaks around the inner edges of the bowl.
7. Put chopped cilantro and green onions on the Miso Gravy at the centre of the bowl.
8. Garnish with toasted brown sesame seeds.  Repeat for each serving.

Marinated Tofu Steaks

Ingredients

• 1 block tofu (I used sprouted extra firm tofu)
• 2 tsp. coriander, ground
• 4 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ cup tamari
• 2 cups filtered water

Method

1. Cut the square block of tofu into ¼-inch-thick slices diagonally into triangles.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the tofu triangles.  Marinate for 1 hour.  Store in a sealed container in the fridge.  Keeps up to 5 days.  (You can reuse this liquid for additional tofu if wanted).

Miso Gravy

Miso is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals.  Miso is high in the trace minerals zinc, manganese and copper.  

Inactive yeast is used in this recipe and is also called nutritional yeast, or Brewer’s yeast.  It’s high in all vitamins and minerals.  It boosts high levels of chromium, selenium, all B vitamins including B12 and protein.  It’s yellow and often found in the bulk section at health food stores.     

Ingredients

• 4 ½ tbsp. spelt flour
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¾ cup inactive/nutritional yeast (powder or flakes, Engevita is a popular brand)
• 1 ½ vegetable stock
• ¾ cup sunflower oil
• 1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. miso paste, light or dark (I used brown rice miso paste)
• ¾ tsp. sea salt

Method

1. Put spelt flour, garlic powder, and inactive yeast in a sauce pan over low heat.  Whisk in the vegetable stock to make a paste. 
2. Let this come to a boil and simmer for 30 seconds.
3. Add the oil, mustard, miso, salt to the ingredients in the saucepan.  Whisk until everything is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.  Serve hot.

  

VEGETABLE BROWN RICE COUSCOUS SALAD

Cleansing and vegetables certainly go hand-in-hand.  The Vegetable Brown Rice Couscous Salad is a complete protein (without meat) because it combines a grain (brown rice) with a legume (aduki beans or chickpeas).  It’s also a wheat free salad because it incorporates Lundberg Brown Rice Couscous instead of the durum wheat couscous option.  Not only does this salad offer an array of nutrient dense veggies, but it also tastes great.  It’s light and the sesame oil offers a hint of nuttiness – if allergic to sesame substitute with olive oil.  I had this last night with the Butternut Squash Apple Soup.  I found my meal satisfying and didn’t wander around the kitchen later looking for something else to munch on.  Happy Cleansing!

 

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 orange pepper, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 head Swiss Chard, stems removed, only use greens, chopped. (I save the stems and put them in my smoothie the next day).
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 10 oz box of roasted brown rice couscous, or whole wheat couscous
• 1 – 15 oz can of aduki beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt (about ½ tsp) and pepper to taste

Method

Stir fry sweet potato in 1 tbsp of olive oil until soft.  In a separate pan, stir fry red pepper, orange pepper, zucchini, and asparagus in 1 tbsp of olive oil and garlic until vegetables are tender.  Add chopped Swiss Chard and continue to stir fry for a few minutes.  Follow the box directions for brown rice couscous (takes about 15 minutes).  Add all vegetables and aduki beans to cooked couscous and mix it all up (try to drain most water before mixing ingredients together).  Stir in 1 tbsp of sesame oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serves 6-8.  Enjoy.

 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH APPLE SOUP 

My friend Ann brought this soup to The Community Cleanse potluck we had in Novemberand since then I’ve made this soup many times.  The recipe is from Simply Recipes (with only a few very minor alterations).  Last night I had the Butternut Squash Apple Soup for dinner with the Vegetable Brown Rice Couscous Salad.  Happy cleansing! 

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped (squash and apple should be at 3 to 1 ratio). 
• 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian) – check all labels for sugar.  “Imagine” Free Range Chicken Broth does not have added cane sugar.
• Pinches of cinnamon, all spice, salt and pepper

Method

Combine butter (or olive oil), onion, celery, and carrot in large saucepan.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add squash, apple and broth.  Bring to boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is soft.  Puree.  Add spices to taste. 

Serves 4-6.  Enjoy!

 

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

James A Drake – Community Cleanser

*Bio – I had a Community Cleanse potluck to attend a few nights ago and I had to come up with a delicious dish to bring.  I knew I was going to be outnumbered by women and my dish needed to make an impression.  So I turned to the Food Network website and found a sure home run from Giada (Yay Giants).  It was a big hit – the ladies loved it!  And of course it’s also cleanse friendly. 

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 ears fresh corn or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Vinaigrette

• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
2. Peel back the corn husks. Remove the silks and replace the husks. Soak the corn in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and place on the grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and remove the husks. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the grilled corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, bell pepper, and mango.
4. In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, basil, and cumin.
5. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.
6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour and toss again before serving.
9. Enjoy!

*Bio written by The Healthy Junkie, approved by James A Drake.

Source for recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/corn-and-black-bean-salad-with-basil-lime-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html

 

YOGI CHAI TEA

About ten years ago, I went on a two-month spiritual camping trip with a friend of mine.  One of our destinations was the 3HO Kundalini yoga retreat in Espanola, New Mexico.  Here I learned to make the Yogi Chai Tea recipe developed by Yogi Bhajan. 

Last night, we had a dinner party and I tripled the recipe.  Now that’s a lot of tea.  I left it to simmer all day long, the house smelled divine.  The only real alteration to the recipe is that I incorporate Rooibos (or decaf black tea) to eliminate all caffeine for The Community Cleanse.  

Yogi Chai Tea

Ingredients

• 8 cups of water
• 15 cloves
• 20 peppercorns
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 20 whole cardamom pods (break them apart once they start to split)
• 8 fresh slices of ginger( ¼ inch thick)
• ½ tsp of Rooibos or ½ tsp decaf black tea (equal to one teabag)  
• Almond milk, nut milk, or soy milk to taste
• Agave or honey to taste

Method

1. Bring water to a boil and add the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
2. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes.
3. Simmer for as long as desired.  I let the tea simmer for well over an hour.
4. Add the Rooibos tea (or black tea if not cleansing) and let simmer for a few more minutes. 
5. Add nut milk or soy milk and agave or honey to taste.
6. You can always reheat a cup at a time.
7. Enjoy!

Spicy Info

• Cloves are anti-inflammatory and high in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Peppercorns (or black pepper) help with digestion.
• Cinnamon has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory benefits and helps to control blood sugar levels in the body.
• Cardamom is an antioxidant.
• Ginger boosts the immune system and has anti-inflammatory benefits.  Studies have shown ginger to be protective against certain types of cancer.  It also helps greatly with motion sickness.     
• Rooibos is a powerful antioxidant.

 

THAI COCONUT RED CURRY

I’m from a family of six and have never been able to cook small portions.  I like to cook, but would rather not cook a new dish for every meal – I find the grocery shopping, preparation and dishes a little time-consuming.  I like leftovers and have no problem eating the same lunch or dinner a few days in a row.  So, you’ll notice my recipes almost always serve six to eight.  If this seems like a few too many servings, you can always freeze food, invite people over or cut the portions in half. 

THAI COCONUT RED CURRY – Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 3 peppers (red, orange, yellow, green)
• 1 large bunch of broccoli
• 1 zucchini
• 3 cups of bean sprouts
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 2 limes – juice
• 2 cans of coconut milk
• 2 heaping tbsp of Thai red curry paste
• ½ – 1 pound of shrimp (or use 1 firm block of sprouted tofu cut into medium-sized pieces)
• 2.5 cups of brown rice or use brown rice noodles

Method

1. Stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger in some olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add the peppers, broccoli, and zucchini and stir fry until warm.
3. Add the coconut milk, lime juice and red Thai curry paste and mix together.
4. Cook until the vegetables are almost tender.
5. Add the bean sprouts, arugula and cilantro.  Cook until tender.
6. In another pan, pan fry the shrimp or pieces of tofu in a skillet until cooked (about 5 minutes).
7. Cook the brown rice or noodles.
8. Top the brown rice or noodles with the coconut vegetable red curry and place about 6 shrimp on the plate.  (If using tofu, add the tofu into the pot of coconut vegetable red curry).
9. Add a little hot sauce if you would like it to be spicier.
10. Garnish with cilantro or basil.
11. Enjoy!

 

“CHOCOLATE” NUT ORBS

Orbs are kind of like energy balls.  They’re a great snack and treat to make for Halloween.  I will be shoving a few of these in my mouth tomorrow night instead of chocolate bars and candy.  The following recipe was inspired from the cookbook “How It All Vegan” and has been cleansed for all community cleansers.  Note to Roxanne and any other sugar mongers – eat a few at a time, not the entire plate in one sitting. 

They taste better than they look – delicious!  Yesterday evening, I tried these out on six friends (men and woman), most of them not YET participating in The Community Cleanse (you can join anytime) and they all gave the me the thumbs up.

“CHOCOLATE NUT ORBS”

• 1 cup nut butter (e.g., almond, organic peanut, sesame, cashew)
• ¼ cup agave
• 1 cup oat bran
• ½ cup wheat germ
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
• ½ cup carob powder to make them “chocolate”
• ½ cup water

This recipe normally calls for 1/3 to ½ of real maple syrup (or agave). 

1. Blend the nut butter and the agave in a big bowl.  Add the oat bran, wheat germ, sesame seeds, unsweetened coconut, carob powder and half the water.  Blend.  We want the mixture to become a stiff dough-like consistency.  Add the rest of water as needed to create this.  You may even need a little more water.  You can use a food processor.  I just use my hands.  I find this to be the easiest way to get the “dough” all blended together.  Roll the mixture into about 18 individual orbs and chill.  Makes about 18 Orbs.

Sources:  Barnard, Tanya and Kramer, Sarah. How It All Vegan – Irresistable Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet. Arsenal Pulp Press, 2002.

 

PESTO PIZZA

Laura Levesque-Page (aka – The Healthy Junkie)

Who doesn’t love pizza?  I have re-tweaked this recipe to make the most nutritiously delicious, cleanse friendly pizza possible.  The pesto part of the pizza recipe (you may have some left over) is also good on spaghetti or brown rice topped with stir fried vegetables.  You can of course add chicken if you’re looking to eat meat. 

Pesto Pizza (serves 6)Ingredients

Pesto

• 7 oz of arugula 
• 1 head of dino kale
• ½ cups of frozen peas
• 2 bunches of basil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 cup walnuts
• Juice of 1 1/2 -2 lemons
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Pepper to taste

Vegetable Topping

• 2 onions
• 3 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow)
• 2 zucchini
• 3 Portobello mushrooms or other mushrooms

Pizza Crust

• 1 package “Lavish” whole wheat flat bread or other flat bread (6 pieces)
•  ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic

“Cheese”

• Soy cheese, brown rice cheese or other type of “cheese” while on cleanse

Method

1. Put all ingredients for pesto in a food processor or a strong blender and whip it until smooth.
2. Chop up the vegetables for the vegetable topping and sauté in some olive oil until tender.
3. Grate the soy or brown rice cheese.
4. Mix olive oil and minced raw garlic in a small bowl and brush mildly over the bottom of the Lavish flatbread.
5. Place Lavish bread on pieces of tin foil or cookie sheets.
6. Spread some pesto over Lavish flat breads.
7. Add grated cheese on top of pesto.
8. Add the vegetable mixture on top of the pizzas.
9. Bake at 425°F for about 15-20 minutes – the flatbread should crisp up.
10. Sprinkle with crushed red peppers – if desired.
11. Eat and enjoy.

 

EVERYDAY BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

Jay and I drink this smoothie every morning for breakfast.  My friend Julia is an advocate for the green smoothie revolution and I’ve incorporated many of her ideas into this smoothie.  The following recipe contains more servings of fruits and vegetables than a typical American consumes all day.  *Excluding potatoes, on average Americans consume a combined total of only three servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  The Everyday Breakfast Smoothie has about five servings of combined fruits and vegetables per person.  

You are going to need a blender.  The idea is to drink fresh veggies and increase overall nutrition.  So play around with the ingredients if you want.

Everyday Breakfast Smoothie (serves 2)

• 1-2 bananas
• 1 apple
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup of blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 4 large stalks and leaves of kale
• 1/2 red or green pepper
• 1/4 bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp wheatgrass (bought from a Health Food store)
• 2 tbsp of flaxseed oil
• water to blend 

You can also eat a handful of nuts for protein on the side. 

Serve and enjoy!

Source: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-full-story/index.html

 

SNEAKY WHOLE WHEAT SPAGHETTI

 I swear my husband acts like a child sometimes who hates vegetables.  He doesn’t of course, he loves them.  But lately he’s been trying to get as many veggies into his dishes as possible and likes the idea of blending them away into bits of nothing.  The other night he made this Sneaky Whole Wheat Spaghetti and if I hadn’t sat on the kitchen bar stool and watched him make it, I would have sworn it was a beef and mushroom tomato sauce without any added vegetable goodness.  (Of course for all you vegetarians, you can simply omit the meat, or add ground soy or tofu).  This dish is jammed packed with nutrients.  It’s amazing how many vegetables you can get into a sauce when you blend them.  This is a great recipe for those who simply want to try something new or have children who complain about large pieces of vegetables on their plates.  The dish is also Community Cleanse friendly. 

Note:  You are going to need a food processor or a good blender for this recipe.

Sneaky Whole Wheat Spaghetti (serves 5 to 6)

• 1 pound of organic, grass-fed, lean ground beef (OR 1 package firm tofu, or ground soy protein)
• 1 onion
• garlic (5 cloves)
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 zucchini
• 2 red peppers
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1/4 bunch of fresh parsley
• 15 cremini mushrooms
• 1 can of tomato sauce (read ingredients)
• 1 tbsp of each: Italian seasoning, basil, thyme
• 1 tsp of oregano
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Step 1

Brown the beef with the onion and garlic.

Step 2

Put all the veggies (zucchini, peppers, kale, parsley (raw) and jalapeno), except the mushrooms, into the food processor or blender and blend until it becomes a ”soup”.

Place the blended mix into a large sauce pan and add the tomato sauce and spices.

Add the beef, onions and garlic to the sauce pan and simmer for as long as you can (Jay let it simmer for an hour).

Step 3

Slice the mushrooms and brown in olive oil.  Add to the sauce.

Step 4

Boil water for the whole wheat spaghetti noodles and cook according to instructions.

Step 5

Serve and enjoy.

 

MESSY BAKED BURRITOS

We had these Messy Baked Burritos for dinner last night.  It’s not the prettiest dish in the world, but I’m always more concerned with nutrient density than appearance.  As long as I think it tastes delicious and the dish is nutritiously up to standards – I like it.  I especially like it if I’m also satisfied after eating it.   I say it serves six because there are six tortillas.  But really the portions are large.  So it probably serves six of me or eight to ten less hungry people.  The Messy Baked Burritos is a Community Cleanse friendly recipe.  Anyone on a Candida cleanse omit the goat feta and plain yogurt.

  Baked Burritos (Serves between 6 and 10)

• 1 package Ezekiel wraps (6)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 big sweet onions
• 2 peppers mixed colors
• 1 zucchini
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 head of Swiss chard
• 1 firm block of tofu – (you can substitute chicken, ground turkey or extra lean ground beef)
• 1 package of organic taco, enchilada or burrito mix – read labels 
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can crushed black beans
• 1/2 pound of goat feta (or not)
• Plain yogurt (or not)
• Salsa

Step one:

Saute onions, ginger and garlic together in some olive oil

Add blocks of firm tofu (mashed – you can use your fingers)

Add the taco seasoning package

Step two

Stir fry all vegetables until cooked nicely (peppers, zucchini, broccoli and Swiss chard together in some olive oil or sesame oil).

Mix in the can of tomato sauce.

Step 3

Mix all cooked ingredients together

Add mashed can of black beans (mash them in a bowl)

Add feta goat cheese

Step 4

In a large baking pan –  put a little of the tomato mixture or some salsa on the bottom of the pan to keep the wraps from sticking.  

Put two large scoops of the mixture into each Ezekiel wrap and fold them together like a burrito and place them one beside the other in the baking dish (they can be tightly beside each other).

Save some of the mixture and scoop half a large spoonful on top of each burrito in the pan.

Step 5

Bake at F350°, 15 minutes

Serve with a dollop of yogurt and salsa on the side.

RED PEPPER SMOOTHIE

When peppers came into season about one month ago, I thought I’d try a little different smoothie action in the blender.  I used one full red bell pepper and the result was pure deliciousness.  My husband exclaimed, “Oh this tastes amazing, like mouthwash for your insides.”  Now granted he’s fully drank the kool-aid and is onboard the health train, I still consider him a good solid guinea pig.

Yummy and oh so healthy!
(the recipe is for two people)
put the following ingredients in a blender…bottoms up…
2 bananas
1 apple

about 10 strawberries (I used frozen)
1 red bell pepper
One third of a bunch of cilantro
just a little water – start with a ¼ cup and add more if necessary to blend (add ice instead if your berries are not frozen)

I love eating vegetables this way (in the blender) because they’re raw. It’s not often I sit down and eat half a bell pepper and loads of cilantro.  It’s super easy to increase our intake of fresh veggies, when we throw them in the blender. You can try any variety of them, maybe just not mustard greens.  Take my word for it, mustard greens taste horrible in a smoothie – wasabi shooter smoothie – no thank-you.