A lovely dish doesn’t have to be complicated. With only a few ingredients you can create the most gorgeous meal in a few minutes. If you like looking at food as I do, try out other ways to cut a vegetable and play with colors in one tone. Plate it differently than you usually do and it will add that extra you need to feel special…

TOOLS

• A potato peeler
• A bowl

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cucumber, peeled
• 2 spring onions, sliced thinly
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• A handful of parsley, minced
• Olive oil
• Some apple cider vinegar
• Some black pepper

THE MAKING OF…

• Slice the cucumber in half, length wise
• Start slicing thin, long slices of your cucumber until it is all gone
• Place the slices in a bowl and throw all the other sliced and minced ingredients on top
• Be generous with your olive oil
• Pour a bit of apple cider vinegar on top
• Mix with your hands without squeezing until everything is mixed and coated
• Let it marinate for a half hour

NOTES

These gorgeous greens are a delicious side dish for a salad or raw burgers. You can present them in a small bowl on the side when you have guests. They make each recipe beautiful and fresh!

Bon Apetit!

HAPPY RAW YEAR!

A small but oh so nice treat for your guests on New Year’s Eve are these olives and marinated vegetables. Easy, colorful and delicious. Even if your friends don’t like raw food, they won’t notice the difference and lick their thumbs and fingers.

A home party doesn’t require that much work if you present daily snacks a bit different. A lovely snack are olives and colorful marinated vegetables. Some crackers left? Place them next to this tempting food with a few dip sauces and your friends can create their own snacks with what you are offering. Happy Raw Year!

Find some nice cocktail skewers, look for ‘something else’ and your olives will look fancy.

MARINATED VEGETABLES

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A bowl

INGREDIENTS

• A red bell pepper
• A yellow bell pepper
• An orange bell pepper
• 2 C cherry tomatoes
• 4 spring onions
• A bunch of parsley
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs; a few sprigs of thyme, oregano, basil
• Olive oil

THE MAKING OF…

• Make small nice cubes of all your vegetables
• Cut the cherry tomatoes in 4 parts
• Mince all the herbs and spring onions
• Mix everything in a bowl
• Pour olive oil generously until the veggies are moist
• Add some sea salt and pepper
• Cover up and let sit for a half hour, but when you leave them soaking overnight, they will be heavenly soft
• To have more effect, dehydrate them on a teflex sheet for two hours

Pure and delicious! Have a wonderful New Year!

Hugs and love,

Marie-Claire

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

Winter, snow, freezing wind… I am aching for warmth inside of my body. Sure, my green smoothies help but when dinner time is there, I want more. I bet you do too! I learned that when you cheat your ‘eye’ with the food you make, you feel warmer just by looking at your plate. Making or finishing off dishes with raw food that is looking as if it is cooked is a trick that works every time. How you can change that raw view into a softened, wilted look?

It is very simple. Marinate your vegetables. Slice them very small, cover them up with olive oil, add a spoon of hemp oil for great omega’s and… you know what? Let me put it down here in a simple, fast and delicious recipe for two persons. This is a lovely side dish which combines so well with nori rolls or on top of a pizza or pasta to get that cooked look or simply mixed with salad.

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A sharp knife
• A large bowl
• A (wooden) spoon
• A dehydrator or oven (optional)

INGREDIENTS

• About a half pound of mushrooms to your choice
• Enough olive oil to moist the mushrooms (be generous)
• A TBS of hemp oil or sesame oil (optional)
• A big bunch of finely chopped parsley
• Whatever herbs that can enhance that wild taste of mushrooms; chive, rosemary, thyme, oregano… (optional)
• Sea salt to taste
• A tsp of kelp granules (optional but great if you have thyroid issues)
• Juice of a half lemon
• Some apple cider vinegar (optional if you added lemon juice but a nice touch)

THE MAKING OF…

• Chop up the mushrooms into fine slices and throw them in a large bowl

• Pour your oil generously over them so they can soak in it

• Add the herbs of your choice, the salt, the lemon and apple cider vinegar and enjoy the odors!

• Mix well with a spoon or your hands
• Taste if it is to your taste and add what you want more in there
• Set it away for about twenty minutes; the mushrooms will wilt and start looking cooked!
• For maximum effect; put it on a tray with teflex sheet and warm it up for an hour in your dehydrator
• Add some extra olive oil so they still stay moist while dehydrating

TIPS

• You can easily make one pound  of these marinated mushrooms. They will be even better the next day!
• You can add them with another recipe then and they will give another extra dimension
• You can marinate whatever you like to look cooked; peppers, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes …

Enjoy your uncooked, cooked looking dish!

CINNAMON ROLL

I love it when I make something that rocks and it gets even better the next day. You can roll this cake whistling and eat it right away if you can’t wait. It is a lovely recipe to make on a rainy or foggy or snowy winters day. Even if you get a call from friends or family that they are on their way to you and you have absolutely nothing to serve with tea, cinnamon roll is your savior. All you have to do is see to it that you always have a jar of pecan nuts around. I probably don’t need to say ” and chocolate”.

What is so nice about this cake is that it has such a rich, soothing flavor. With the first bite you will feel the warmth of the pecans and dates, the glow of the cinnamon, your body smiling. Picture snow outside, burning wood in the fireplace, jazz  in the air. And who knows love… Definitely a winner in winter!

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A paste role or a clean glass bottle
  
• A whisk
• A food processor
• A mix bowl
• A knife
  

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH

• 0,55 pound or 250 g. pecan nuts
• 0,55 pound or 250 g. pitted medjool dates
• Quite some ground cinnamon

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FILLING

• 4 heaped scoops of raw chocolate powder
• 4 TBS Agave (you might have to add more, depending on how high you made your heaps of cacao)
• A pinch of Himalayan salt to bring the flavors out
• A pinch of cayenne for a subtle glow (optional)
  
• 1/2 tsp melted coconut butter

THE MAKING OF…

THE DOUGH

• Weigh and throw the pecan nuts in your food processor
• Add the dates
  
• Pulse until you have a nice sticky consistency. Don’t let it run too long or the nuts will release all their oils. You can test by taking some between your fingers and press; if it sticks and the nuts are grind fine, it is ready
  

THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

It has to be a firm consistency, a creamy paste.

• Place the cacao powder, Himalayan salt and cayenne in a mix bowl and poor the agave in it
• Whisk until the agave blends with the powder, this can take a minute; be patient and don’t add more agave too fast
  
• Add the coconut butter and mix well
  
• If it is not enough agave to get a thick sauce, add some more
  

THE MAKING OF THE ROLL

• Sprinkle enough cinnamon on your working space so the dough won’t stick to it
• Now make a ball of your dough and place -don’t throw-  it on your counter on top of the cinnamon
• Take your paste roll or a glass bottle, rub it in with cinnamon so it won’t stick and rock and roll!
• Make a nice firm square by cutting of the edges with a knife. Yes you have your first taste!
• Take your chocolate, flatter it on your pecan layer and divide it well with a flat tool
• Make sure all is well covered with a thin layer of luscious sauce, also the edges
• Now you pick up the end nearest to you and start rolling, rolling, rolling on a ri-i-ver…
• Push the roll a little bit down so the cake closes nicely and gets a lovely shape
• Sprinkle with cinnamon dust
• Cut and serve with a cup of tea
• Or put in the refrigerator for a few hours until it is all firm and set

TIPS

• You can also sprinkle with chocolate powder if you are not a fan of cinnamon or want to try something new after ten cinnamon rolls…
• You can add some chopped up pecans on the layer before rolling, or raisins if you have a very sweet tooth

Orange Juice With A Twist

It is the season of the oranges. They are juicier and sweeter than ever during this time of year. I almost forgot how nice a simple orange juice can be. Then I saw that last piece of lemongrass and thought; “What if I …?”

A very simple juice, but only one glass is covering five fruit servings. We are so used to squeezing oranges but what do we know about them? That they are rich in vitamin C, yes. But did you know that they also…

• … have high levels of magnesium and potassium? So one glass a day will balance high blood pressure!
• … have inflammatory  properties and help relieve joint pains?
• … contain folate and increase growth of skin cells and blood cells?
• … contain enough nutrients and minerals to boost your immune system?
• … are very good for your bones and teeth because of their calcium?
• … are very rich in antioxidants and the carotenoids fight free radicals to reduce damage to your cells?
• … enable a good DNA in your body with their niacin content?
• … are a rich source of phytonutrients who make the nutrients work optimal?

A lot of good reasons to make that fast juice in the morning when you are out of time!

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A juicer
• A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

• Three oranges
• One stalk of lemongrass

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and twist!

Beets me!

I never was really fond of beets until I started juicing them. They are now on my list of favorites. Not only because they make the loveliest juices, but also the best ones for your health. Drink one glass of beet juice every day and it will beat high blood pressure. Beets also increase the body’s production of glutathione, the most important antioxidant we have. Without glutathione, our most powerful detoxifier of cancer-causing poisons, you can’t absorb other antioxidants or can’t pull the environmental chemicals into the colon where they can be removed. So they will stay in our precious body, causing serious health problems.

High cholesterol? Too low cancer-destroying CD8 cells in the colon? Skin problems? Stress? Digestive disorders? Beet juice takes care of you and ‘upbeets’ your health with its rich content of antioxidants, vitamin A, C, B6, B1, B2, calcium, sulfur, sodium, iodine, bioflanonoids, potassium and natural sugars. Oh and don’t forget the source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, folic acid, magnesium, biotin and niacin.

When you start drinking beet juice, you might experience some diarrhea in the beginning, red stool and urine. Don’t worry and remind that you have been drinking red beets before running off to the doctor. It will go away by itself and when you drink it more often and is purifying you, you will notice less or no coloring as time goes by.

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A juicer
• A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

• One beet, unpeeled if it is organic
• Two apples, cored

THE MAKING OF…

Cut, juice and get your upbeet!

Juicy Stuff!

After two days of wiggling from juices to smoothies to salads, I had a very juicy day! And guess what; I wasn’t hungry for one moment, or even craving. Once you flow with the clean feeling you get when you add more an more juices, it all goes by itself. I am now thriving and feeling so much better. It is amazing in what a short notice juices can calm down the body and uplift it to more energy and clarity!

I am starting my day very simple: with water. I even keep drinking water and herbal tea until noon before I make my first juice. It has a great effect on my body. It feels very clean and light when I give it a chance to get rid of all toxins of the day before. Because this is what happens in the body in the morning until noon; it is awakening and releasing all the toxins of previous meals. This is also the reason why it is best to start your day with a light meal.

But let me share this great juice with you, because it tasted so heavenly!

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A Juicer
• A sharp knife and a cutting board

INGREDIENTS

• Two big apples, cored
• One pear
• One kiwi
• About 6 to 8 carrots
• A BIG chunk of ginger (I love ginger! so if you don’t, you can leave it out or add less)
• One lime

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and slurp!

You will be amazed how filling this juice is. Leave one hour between several juices to give them a bit of time to digest. But that will no problem. It took me hours to feel the first hunger and make a  very green juice of cucumber, celery stalks, kelp granules, dandelion and spinach. Enjoy!

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

TOOLS YOU NEED

• A juicer

INGREDIENTS

• A bunch of pink grapes

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and Jazz!

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 OF…

Juice, share and sing! Cheers!