Notice the oxygen bubbling up in this smoothie! Ready to shake you up and make you come alive!

Sometimes you think you are brewing the greatest smoothie ever and when you take your first highly expecting sip, it turns out you can hardly swallow it down. It happens to everybody. So what can you do then with that rich smoothie, full of nutrients and expensive superfoods and greens and fruit? Drink it up with two fingers shutting your nose? Because the last thing you want to do is throw it out!

I discovered how to save those “failures” and have a wonderful drink after all. Just pour that smoothie in your nut milk bag and sssquuueeeze out the juice. The pulp is a great fertilizer for your wheatgrass (mingle it under your soil, all those minerals will be soaked by the grass and provide you strong shots!) and the juice… the juice is just great! The taste changes and you can pour all the glorious nutrients down to your body.

But now more about my Alive Smoothie. I always use what I have laying around and was lucky with the combination and the great tastes of the greens and fruits. My mustard greens were soft, the banana sweet, the spinach soothing, and then… my secret weapon: rejuvelac! You know how much I am into this elixir of life. I always use it to make my smoothies the best, both taste and content.

When you use rejuvelac instead of water, you add an extra dimension; life. And that is what you will feel in your body; life. You can make a whole lot of rejuvelac and store it easily for two weeks in your refrigerator or in your basement so you don’t have anything else to do but grab and smooth away.

Alive Smoothie

TOOLS YOU NEED

A blender

INGREDIENTS

• One sweet banana
• A handful of mustard greens
• Two leaves of kale
• A grab of parsley
• Fill up the rest with spinach
• A handful of Goiji Berries
• A TBS Maca
• A TBS bee pollen
• Fill up the blender until halfway with rejuvelac

THE MAKING OF…

• Blend and taste. Not sweet enough to your taste? Add a juicy pear…

Drink, chew and be alive!

Mustard Green

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/26/alive-smoothie/feed/ 6 http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/08/good-mood-juices/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/08/good-mood-juices/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:17:36 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/?p=935 Dark weather all day long, rain, cold wind, the birds stopped singing: winter can’t be far away. I feel like looking at colors… and drinking them to juice up my mood. I took what I could find in the refrigerator; beets, carrots en fennel. I grabbed apples and oranges and decided to make very simple, pure drinks. Oh, this beauty!

Color your mood!

I have to share these good mood juices. Even if you can almost predict by looking at them what they are. Some got a little twist.

Sweet Fennel Juice

Have you ever thought of drinking fennel just as it is? I mostly add it to salads or to mixed juices to sweeten and freshen it up. But eaten on its own it can be a quiet overwhelming after a while. As a juice though, you can’t get it enough. With its extraordinary anise flavor, it is like no other juice. A great choice if you are longing for a drink in the evening. You can leave that bottle of Ricard; juice a fennel and you have the same taste. With much more benefits! Fennel is very rich in phytoestrogens and therefor helping with a lot of issues such as…

• colic, wind, irritable bowel
• spleen
• liver
• lungs
• kidneys
• digestive system
• menstruation
• increased urine flow

Fennel Green

But fennel is also used to treat…

• asthma
• anxiety
• depression
• high blood pressure
• decreased libido
• coughs
• heartburn

And the list goes on. But let’s juice now and “feel” instead of read about benefits.

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A juicer
• A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

• One big fennel

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and enjoy heaven!

Sweet Fennel Juice

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/08/good-mood-juices/feed/ 5 http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/06/amazing-grape/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/06/amazing-grape/#comments Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:10:26 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/?p=913 Another day, another juice! I am improvising and jazzing. That’s what a true musician does. So what did I come up with today?  A very simple pink grape juice. Later on I used this juice as a basis to add other fruits and that was a delicious surprise. Here they come.

AMAZING GRAPE

Amazing Grape

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A juicer

INGREDIENTS

• A bunch of pink grapes

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and Jazz!

JAZZY JUICE!

Jazzy Juice!

Leave some of the grapes so you can make fresh juice and improvise with that basis.

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A juicer
• A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

• One or two cups of amazing grape juice
• One or two apples
• One kiwi
• One orange
• Half a lemon
  
• One stalk of lemon grass (a most lovely add!)
  

THE MAKING OFF…

Juice, share and sing! Cheers!

Jazzy Juice!

Chocolate Ice Cream

If there is something that can help you stop craving on a hot summer day, it is ice cream. With this lovely creation in your freezer, you can easily resist the ringing sounds of ice cream cars passing by your house. You will be all smiles because you know you have something much better waiting for you.

When I say ice cream, I mean the real thing. If you have no ice cream maker, you can blend frozen fruits and make the most lovely one-minute- sorbets in the world. This is how I did it… until just now. Since I got this wonderful equipment for my birthday, I am hooked on trying out all possible combinations with flavors and what my garden is offering me. The first spoon I took was a real revelation. I had never tasted such a full ice cream flavor and texture. Nothing can exceed the creaminess of a raw ice cream, made of sweet cashew nuts and fresh picked fruit in your garden or… pure chocolate!

This recipe is based on one of Sarma Melngailis. I was totally new at making ice cream two weeks ago. So I started with an existing recipe and am trying out things now. For this recipe I left out the coconut. It is not always as simple to find them and I rather taste the chocolate. Add some more coconut butter instead to have a hint of memory to coconut. I prefer discrete tastes above an insistent flavor. This is the way you can start looking for your own preferences. Just try and taste.

An ice cream maker doesn’t have to be expensive to do an excellent job. You can purchase a regular one for about $30 or $40. Even Cuisinart is very affordable here. So if you have a celebration coming up, put it on top of your list or just buy one yourself to treat yourself on a healthy and easy to make snack or dessert. Here comes your good mood food!

Preparation to think of first! To receive a smooth ice cream texture, it is always necessary to soak the nuts you are using, even cashews. Soak one cup of cashews for about four hours or longer in filtered water or spring water. Do this in the morning, when you get up. If you have to work, your cashews will be ready for use when you get home and feel like making something special.

Tools You Need

Ice Cream Maker

* An ice cream maker. Even a cheap one will do just fine and delight you with the real thing you have been longing for.

* A blender

* A small and a large bowl

* Measuring cups

* Measuring spoons

* A whisk

* A timer

* Some spatula’s, small and big

* A small bottle to apply chocolate sauce. If you don’t have one, take a square piece of paper, make a funnel of it, and cut a small tip off at the smallest end. Now you can draw with the sauce on your plate. Or simply use a spoon.

Ingredients for chocolate sauce

* 3/4 C raw cacao powder

* 3/4 C Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar (Maple Syrup combines great with chocolate and gives it an extra dimension)

* 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract without alcohol

* Pinch of sea salt

* 2 TBS melted coconut butter for a full flavor

The making of chocolate sauce

Always start with the part where you have to prepare food. So first melt the cacao butter while you are working on the next step. This will save time.

Now blend all ingredients at lowest speed, except for the cacao butter. By the time this is done, the butter is ready.

Add the liquified cacao butter slowly at the slowest speed. Your chocolate sauce is ready! Take a lick! Ever tasted this?

Take the sauce out of the blender but don’t clean the blender. It’s all meant to come together and you don’t want to spill anything of this goddess sauce.

Ingredients for ice cream

* 1 C of soaked cashews (they have soaked in water and became bigger)

* 1/8 C of coconut oil

* 1/2 C of spring water

* 1 C Agave Nectar

* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

* 1/4 tsp of sea salt to bring out all flavors even more

* 3/4 C of the chocolate sauce you just made

The making of ice cream

First melt your coconut oil “Au Bain Marie”

Blend all ingredients except for coconut oil until very smooth!

Add the coconut oil slowly on lowest speed.

This is your cashew creme and chocolate sauce. Keep a bit of the chocolate sauce aside to add lusciously on your ice cream later.

Mix both emulsions together in your blender until they are one. Done!

Set aside a few hours in the refrigerator till the mixture has cooled off.

All set to go. Follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Usually you have to turn on the machine before you start pooring. Than let the machine do the work.

Set the timer; twenty minutes for soft ice, forty for scoop ice cream.

Peeking after about ten minutes…

Ready to taste! Heavenly! You can take a scoop and treat yourself already. Put the rest in the deep freezer.

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/06/29/ravishing-raw-chocolate-ice-cream/feed/ 1 http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/06/25/pure-temptation/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/06/25/pure-temptation/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:28:53 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingrawblog.wordpress.com/?p=29 Love Chocolate Caramel Bar…

As promised here is a tasty preview of how tempting raw food can be. If you thought you would have to forsake all your beloved food you had it all wrong! Insatiable hunger? Eat some chocolate and you will feel immediately satisfied. One of these chocolates is enough to ease your restlessness while looking in your cupboard for that little ‘something’. Provided you have the pure natural ingredients- raw, without milk, gluten or sugar- this chocolate feast is one you can enjoy without guilt.

You won’t gain weight because raw chocolate contains many valuable nutrients. It satisfies your eternal hunger for more and therefor will help you losing weight. It will provide you energy for the rest of your day, magnesium, a wealth of antioxidants and make you happy with its high serotonin levels. Too much of a good thing is never good, even with this chocolate. You can end up being constantly over- active when taking large doses every day, not being able to fall sleep when eating it in the evening. But in moderation you will only benefit from this divine food.

Make your own chocolates in ten minutes, or some crunchy chocolate bars with a hint of creamy caramel. For this first recipe I will guide you step by step. What are we waiting for?

Measurements;

C = A cup or 25 cl.

1 / 4 C = 1 / 4 cup or 6 cl.

TBS = tablespoon

tsp = teaspoon

Quantity; this amount is sufficient for a tea with some guests or just for you during the week.

Storing; This chocolate will keep well for a few weeks. If you add the caramel layer use it within one week. Always store in the fridge. These products are purely natural and melt faster than the usual chocolate you buy in the supermarket.

Tips;

* Always add sweeteners, spices or seasonings by bits, and taste, taste, taste. These flavors can be so intense and sometimes surprise you with their strength. You can always add more if you need to.

* Rinse your kitchen tools immediately with warm water, especially bowls or batches of electrical equipment such as your blender or food processor. It is done in a few seconds and will save you a lot of cleanup work afterward, when the food sticks under the blades.

Tools you need

Tools you need; a food processor, blender or hand mixer, a large and a small bowl, a scale or measure cups, measure spoons, a grater or a paring knife, a spatula, a large spoon and a whisk.

Ingredients for raw chocolate

Ingredients for your raw chocolate:

* 100 g. raw cacao butter, grated or cut with a knife

* 6 TBS raw cacao powder

* 2 TBS Agave Nectar

* A pinch of sea sea salt

* A pinch of cayenne will make your chocolate sensual and ‘hot’

* For love ahead and exaltation; add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp maca powder, depending on your taste.

Ingredients for the 'caramel' layer

Ingredients for the caramel layer;

* 1/4 C raw pecan nuts

* 3 medjool dates (I didn’t need the fourth one on the picture…)

* About 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, to your own taste. I usually use more in winter, to make my body glow.

Scrape or Grate 100 g. of Cacao Butter

Start with scraping or grating the cacao butter. (watch your fingers!)

Melt Cacao Butter "Au Bain Marie"

Fill your large bowl half way with warm water, put the small bowl with the grated cacao butter in it. Now you can start making your caramel layer while the butter is melting.

All ingredients for your caramel layer in the food processor

Throw all the ingredients for the caramel layer in the food processor and mix until you have a crumbly but sticky texture.

Fine and sticky texture

This is how your texture looks like. To test if it will stick, take some between your fingers and knead it. If it stays together it is ready, if not, add another date and mix again.

Put some household foil into your mold so you can easily remove the bar later. Certainly when you are not using a spring form, you will appreciate this little trick.

Push the crumble firmly into your mold.

This is how your first layer looks like. You can also build up the sides if you like to. Now put it in the refrigerator while you make luscious chocolate in no time.

Look at this fluid gold! Keep the small bowl in the warm water while you are proceeding to keep it smooth and fluid.

Whisk all dry ingredients in your melted cacao butter until you have a fine, smooth structure. Ready!

Now poor this luscious brown desire on top op your first layer. Take another lick out of your bowl…

Ready to let it sit. No patience anymore? Ten minutes in the freezer and you can put your teeth in your creation. (but don’t forget to take it out! Set the timer) Or let it cool off slowly in your refrigerator for an hour.

You will find the recipe of the following delicious chocolates in my FREE eBook “Raw For 3 Days!” To receive my eBook, sign up and I will send you the link where you can download it.

Buy a lovely note book and always write down your trials

Pick some lovely fresh mint and make yourself a nice cup of tea. Spoil yourself with your first chocolates…

… and with your Pure Temptation.

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/06/25/pure-temptation/feed/ 2