Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients:

-1 Gallon Raw Whole Milk or Organic Whole Milk is what I suggest.
-1 Cup of Raw Turbinado Sugar.  (A less processed cane sugar.)
-1 Cup powdered Milk (for thickening)
-2 Cups of a Yogurt Starter (Any organic yogurt will work or some yogurt from your last batch)
-1 TBSP Mexican Vanilla
-3 TBSP of your favorite extract or flavor or
-4 drops of wild orange, lavender, or lemon essential oil.

Supplies:

-Candy Thermometer
-Big pot
-Ice
-Quart Jars to Pour into and incubate in
-A box
-Towel &
-Heating Pad

Pour the milk into a big pot and set on medium to high heat.  You'll be watching the thermometer for 3 temperatures.  150.  180 and 115.  And this is if you want a creamy yogurt texture.  When the milk reaches about 150, pour two cups of it into a blender with the sugar and powdered milk.  Blend at low so as not to add too many bubbles into the milk and then pour back into the pot of milk.  Stir the milk slow to avoid scorching and so that bubbles are not incorporated into the big batch.  Wait till it gets to 180 and then hold for five minutes before turning off.

Fill up a sink with cold water and some ice.  Place your pot into it to give it an ice bath.  You want to bring the temperature down to 115 before adding the culture and flavorings.  This is so that the high temperature doesn't kill the cultures.  But too low a temperature could make it so that it doesn't incubate.    So 115 is ideal.  Once the milk is at 115, pour about 2 cups into a blender again with the yogurt starter, vanilla, and other flavorings blend on low until all incorporated.  Pour back into the big pot and stir slowly.  At this point, you pour your mixture into quart jars.  In your box, place a heating pad on high heat with a towel over it and then proceed to place your finished yogurt into the box on top of the heating pad with the towel.  Tuck the rest of the towel around it and keep it warm.  Let it incubate now for 12 hours.  Then you can put the jars into the fridge to cool for about an hour or eat it as is.  Some bubbles may have made a funny texture on top.  I just scrape that off and eat what's under it.  If it seems the whey and curd have separated, just mix it together and ENJOY!  It's super nutritious for any nursing moms or babies.  Or anyone really.

For the Raw Milk version:

Just heat the milk to 115, dissolve all ingredients into it and then pour into quart jars and let incubate for 12 hours also.  The texture will be a little bit runnier with more curd and whey.  But equally nutritious.  And the living enzymes are not killed at this low temperature.

Watermelon Raspberry Limeade

Want something fast, simple, refreshing and super alkalizing today?  Well, this is light, and not too sweet but super worth the few minutes it takes.  Cleanses your body really well if you take it on an empty stomach in the morning.  

1/4 of a big ripe Watermelon

1/2 the juice of one Lime

1/2 Cup of Raspberries

1 Cup of Ice

Throw into the blender.  Serve and enjoy!  Perfect way to cool down this summer.  Any remaining, can also be thrown into popsicle makers and into the freezer for kids later.    

Mixed Berries and Cream

I have some pretty strong opinions on dairy.  I was a strict Vegan for a period of a little over two years. But I think that on occasion, we do need healthy fat sources.  Most of the time, I try to find it from plant sources, but even when I cave in to the creamy texture that can only can from a cow, I try to find clean whole food sources.  Raw milks and dairy are best in my mind but when it can't be found, I love using the pure vanilla ice cream from Costco.  I'm not advertising for Costco, but that place is Heaven to me.  And their ice cream is delicious.  So my hubby threw some ingredients into the blender today and came up with this:

- 5 scoops of Kirkland brand Vanilla Ice Cream (you'll love the ingredients on the label - easy to read)
- 1/2 Cup of Rice Milk
- 1 Cup of Frozen Mixed Berries from Costco too (Now, I've seen the circulating hype on the berries from Costco being the cause of Hepatitus A.  I think there are many things that contribute to such a complex disease and find it a little bit silly to blame berries for this, when there are probably a number of other factors that have yet to be considered.  Just my two cents on the matter).
- Cherries (To put a cherry on top)

Throw the first three ingredients into your blender and serve into dessert bowls right away.  Throw a cherry on top.  Or more.  Sure hit the spot today.  

Question of the day:
During berry season, do you prefer your berries by the handful or bucketful?  No seriously, I want to know if I'm the only that devours berries any way possible.    

Orange Carrot & Celery Juice (Kids love it!)

Juicing has become a no brainer to me.  I just toss ingredients that are high in vitamins and minerals into a juicer in a fairly yummy tasting combo.  Piece of cake right?  Or should I say, cup of juice?

When doing juice fasts and cleanses, a good rule of thumb is to use variety.  You get different things from different fruits, veggies and greens.  So when I first read that you never want to stick to the same things over and over again, I became somewhat hesitant to juice.  It became rather intimidating to me.  Don't know why.  Maybe because growing up, all I remember juicing with my mom was oranges and carrots.  So that's all I knew how to juice when I first began doing it for myself and my family.  I remember being overwhelmed with the different juice combos and not knowing which recipes to try first.  So here's one of my first no-brainer recipes that tastes yummy, is full of great energy and also has some alkalizing green juice as well.  The best part is, kids love it!  And mom's love that they do.  This is a tribute to remembering some of my first experiences in the juicing world.  

4 big celery stalks

5 carrots 

1-2 oranges.  Depending on size of oranges, you don't need a lot to make it sweet enough.  If it's big, one should be enough.

I prefer the GreenStar masticating juicer.  In my mind, a masticating juicer is better than a centrifugal one.  But juicing is good for you no matter which kind you have.  Don't let it sit long or most of the nutrition is void as more time passes.   I might expound on this in a future post.  For now, you rinse off your ingredients, stick 'em in the juicer and enjoy freshly squeezed valuable nutrition you can't get from juice sitting on the shelf of your local grocery store.  Enjoy!

On a side note: The Green Star juicer also happens to look like Sid the Sloth from Ice Age spitting out his food.  At least that's what my 2 year old noticed when I saw him laughing, pointing, and saying, "Sid spitting out, Mommy.  He's spitting! Hee hee hee!"   Questions of the day: Does your juicer look like a funny character in your home?  And what is your favorite easy and fast juice recipe?  

Indian Sweet Carrots

This little dish can be a great side or dessert.

4 TBSP melted unsalted Butter
2 Cups Grated Carrots
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon or A toothpick dipped in Cinnamon essential oil and then stirred into the melting butter.
2 Cups of already Steamed Brown Rice
1/2 Cup cashews (roasted or raw to garnish on top or mix into the carrot and rice pudding.

If you're using the cinnamon oil, just dip a toothpick into your bottle and stir it into the melted butter.  A full drop will be too much.  It's a very hot and potent oil.  On medium heat, stir the carrots into the butter.  Add coconut milk, vanilla, sea salt & maple syrup.  Keep stirring to infuse the flavors and soften the carrots.  Toss in the 2 cups of brown rice once the carrots are a bit soft.  Stir the mixture until the rice has absorbed all the milky gooey mess.  You can then either throw the cashews into the mixture for softer cashews or roast them and at some crunch to this yummy pudding.  Sweet and yummy.  Who says sweet things can't be healthy too?

Blender OnGuard Pumpkin Bread

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/3 Cups whole Buckwheat
3/4 Cup whole Flax Seeds
3/4 Cup Quaker Oats

2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. aluminum free Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cups Water
1 Cup Agave or Honey
1 tsp. Danncy's Mexican Vanilla
1 medium sized Organic Apple
1 1/2 Cups of cube cut pumpkin (no need to remove skin)
15 oz. can of Pumpkin Puree
3 drops OnGuard

Optional:
1 Cup Walnuts
1 Cup Dairy Free Chocolate Chips

Put the first three dry ingredients in a vitamix, blendtec, or ninja blender.  Blend into a nice flour.  Pour it into a bowl.  Add the next four ingredients and stir in well.  Then place the wet ingredients into the blender and blend those well.  Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated.  Add any optional ingredients at the end.  Grease a bread or bundt cake pan and pour mixture in.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.  This usually makes two loaves for me.  Easiest and fastest whole grain bread you'll ever make.  And super yummy.  At my house, the two loaves are gone in about an hour.  

A spin on the Citrus Sunshine Juice by Jennifer Cornbleet

I love this juice! The lemon touch gives a je ne sais quoi to this juice that I know you will just love. This is a recipe from the book Raw Food Made Easy

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Oranges
• 1 Grapefruit
• 1/2 Lemon

Romy's variation is to add:

• 1 banana 
• 1 tbs of kefir (up to you whether you use the vegan or non vegan version) 
• 2 pitted dates

PREPARATION

1. Cut the oranges, grapefruit and lemon in half crosswise. Extract juice with a citrus juicer or reamer. 
2. Blend banana, kefir, dates with juice. Serve immediately. 

Millet Pudding

I really can't take credit for this. My cousin Ursula made it for me on our trip out to New Hampshire but it's one I crave often and so I'm posting it up for her.

2 Cups Granola

3 Cups Millet (cooked . . . 1 Cup Millet and 3 1/2 Cups Water, for 45 min., let it cool)

4 Tbsp. Maple, Honey or Agave (your choice)

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 1/2 Cups Cashew Cream (1 Cup Cashews & 1 Cup Water & 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice)

1 Tbsp. Vanilla (And I'll add once again, Danncy's is best)

Layer 1/2 of the granola on 11x13" pan. Make cashew cream by blending ingredients in a good blender. Slowly add the cooked and cooled millet into the blender as it's blending until the mixture is nice and creamy. Pour over the granola in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining granola on top and chill till the mixture thickens. This just makes the pudding thick and easier to cut and serve. Slice up and enjoy with your favorite fruit or fruit that is in season. Yum!

Easy Vita-Mix Flax Carrot Cake

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to put together this cake. Granted you have a Vita-Mix or other high speed blender. And lately, I'm in love with making my own flours so I know what's in my breads and cakes. And this recipe is super moist and very nutritious.

1 1/2 Cups Wheat, Spelt or Farro Berries

3/4 Cup Flax Seeds

3/4 Cup Oat Groats or Rolled Oats

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder (I use the Rumford Aluminum-Free brand)

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 1/2 Cups Spring Water (you could also use almond milk or half water and any other nut or rice milk)

1 Cup Honey (I love using Raw Honey, but since this is getting baked, raw honey is not necessary)

1 tsp. Danncy's Mexican Vanilla (I stress this one in most all my recipes because the Vanilla really does make a difference)

1 Medium Apple

3 Medium Carrots

1 Cup chopped Walnuts (optional)

1/2 Cup Raisins (optional)

Blend first three ingredients in a Vita-Mix or Blend Tec until ground up. Pour contents into a bowl. Add the baking soda, powder, salt and cinnamon and stir. Blend the water, honey, vanilla, apple and carrots in the empty blender and then pour into the dry ingredients and stir well. Add walnuts and raisins if you want and incorporate. Pour into a bread, cake or bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. This recipe also makes great muffins if you want to reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! In my family, this cakey bread does not last.

Coco Nutties

I've had people begging me for this recipe and have just barely posted it today.  So here it is for all who have wanted it.

2 Cups Pecans
2 Cups unsweetened shredded Coconut
1 Cup chopped Chocolate (dairy free chocolate chips work too)
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
3 Tbsp. Organic Agave Nectar
3 Tbsp. Raw Honey
1 tsp. Danncy's Mexican Vanilla (or any vanilla - but Danncy's makes a big difference)
1/2 tsp. Salt

Pulse nuts in a blender or food processor.  Not too fine.  Then place all ingredients in a bowl and stir together.  Let chill in a freezer for about 15 min. to solidify oil a bit and then take out and squeeze into cookie balls.  The mixture does not roll into balls very well.  So you really have to squeeze them into balls.  Then keep in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat or serve.  Best dessert or snack ever.

Vanishing Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Okay, so we all need some holiday treats on occasion. Even if they do contain sugars, here's a recipe that is a much healthier substitute and still tastes great. Definitely satisfies that sweet tooth. I promise I will start posting more healthier recipes after the holidays are over.

-1/2 Cup + 6 TBSP Earth Balance Vegan buttery spread

-3/4 Cup sucanat (a less refined sugar)

-1/2 agave or maple syrup (another less refined sugar)

-2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds in 8 Tbsp, or about 1/2 Cup, of Water (This is your egg substitute)

-1 tsp. Danncy's Mexican vanilla or 1/4 of a whole vanilla bean blended with the flax seed mixture in a blender (trust me, if you choose the extracted vanilla, the brand makes a difference)

-1 Cup whole wheat flour

-1/2 Cup unbleached white flour

-1 tsp. Aluminum free baking soda

-1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

-1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

-3 Cups of Oats (I blend about half of this to almost make an oat flour. I prefer it this way.)

-1 Cup dairy-free Chocolate chips or Raisins. (Optional.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Blend the buttery spread and sugars together well. Add the flax seed mixture and vanilla. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then slowly incorporate it into the rest. Stir together well.

Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls and bake 8-11 min. or until golden brown. Let cool completely. Enjoy!

Fudge with Essential Oil Zing

Another take on some fudge. Pretty similar to Kira's. A little more dark and fudgey. If that's a word.

1 1/2 Cups Coconut oil

1 1/4 Cups Agave Nectar

1 Cup Organic Cocoa Powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 of a whole vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Preferably Danncy's Mexican)

1-2 drops doTERRA Peppermint essential oil (you can go up to 3-4 if you want a stronger minty flavor)

Liquefy coconut oil over hot water. Blend the rest together until creamy. Pour into a pan over some wax paper. Cool and solidify in fridge. Cut into bite size candies. Enjoy.

-Sometimes throwing peanuts or almonds into the mixture is fun.

-For truffles: Roll your fudge squares into little balls, and roll them in cocoa powder or crushed nuts for a deliciously lovely presentation.

-Flavor substitutes: 1 drop Cinnamon essential oil, 1-2 drops Wild Orange essential oil, or 1 drop Lavender essential oil.

Key Lime Mousse

So I'm sure some of you are aware I have quickly and excitedly become a doTerra girl. Here's one of my first recipes using the oils to help support immune function as you enjoy it in a dessert.

1 1/2 C. Mashed Ripe Avocado (About 1-2 large ones)

1/2 C. Raw Honey or Agave Nectar

1/4 C. Fresh Lime Juice

3-4 Drops doTerra Lime or Lemon essential oil

Sliced Fresh Fruit of your choice to enjoy with. (I prefer strawberries and pineapple.)

Blend first four ingredients together well in a blender or food processor and use fruit to dip into or layer. Makes about 2-4 servings. Dazzle your family with the dessert of the season. Healthy for you and tastes GREAT!

Fennel, Apple and Walnut Salad

INGREDIENTS

serves 4

I was in New York a couple weeks ago and I had this salad at an italian restaurant and I just founded to be OH SO DELICIOUS! I thought I would share it with you. You can also try it without the arugula and just simple lemon, grape seed oil and sea salt dressing. 

• For the salad
• 1 cup walnut halves or pieces
• small bulb fennel with top
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 5 oz. baby arugula (or regular arugula, sliced into wide ribbons)
• 
  
• For the dressing
• juice of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar (omit if the orange is especially sweet—add last if it needs it)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil

PROCEDURES1

1. In a 350ºF oven or small skillet, toast the walnuts until fragrant and warmed through, 5-7 minutes.

   
   
2. Combine the dressing ingredients except the sugar in a small jar and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste, and add the sugar if necessary (it depends on how sweet the orange is).

   
   
3. Slice off the fennel stem tops and root, then halve. Halve and core the apple. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice both as thinly as possible. If not using immediately, keep the slices in a bowl of water to avoid browning.
4. Toss the fennel and apple slices with the arugula in a large bowl with the dressing. Top with the walnuts and some chopped fennel fronds.

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad

This is my new favorite salad! I slightly altered it from the recipe on Melskitchencafe.com I halved the dressing and it was more than enough, and cut a few things out. This salad is Sweet, crunchy, and oh so healthy. Hope you enjoy it as much as my husband, 2 year old, and I!INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch kale
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries/craisins (optional, but delicious)
3/4 cup small-diced apple
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon agave

DIRECTIONS:
Wash the kale and pat it dry. Slice off the stiff stems below the leaves and continue slicing the stem away from the leaf until you have cut a thin v-shape into the kale leaf and removed the tough stem all the way up. (I save the stems for green smoothies). Stack the kale leaves two or three at a time, roll them up, and slice the leaves into thin ribbons.

Place the kale ribbons in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and massage it into the kale with your hands for two minutes. You’ll notice the kale start to turn a darker green and the texture of the kale will begin to soften a bit.

Toss in the red onions, craisins, apples, and sunflower seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and agave. Pour over the salad and toss. Sprinkle The salad can be refrigerated for up to a day before serving.

Lemon Thyme Bars

These lemon thyme bars are just plain delicious and so much chic compared to the regular ones! You gotta try this. Of course I had to make some changes from the original Giada de Laurentiis because well...I can't help myself :) 

Ingredients

• Vegan butter, for greasing dish
• Whole wheat flour, for dusting dish

Bars:

• 1 stick (4 ounces) earth balance vegan buttery spread, at room temperature
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish.

For the bars:

In a small bowl combine flour, thyme and salt. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick of butter and powdered sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Using damp fingers, press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:

In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled crust. Allow the glaze to harden, at room temperature, for at least 1 hour.

Using a metal spatula, remove the crust from the pan. Cut into 1 1/2-inch square bars and arrange on a serving platter or store airtight in a plastic container at room temperature.

Since the original recipe is with all-purpose flour it looks white but yours will be brown

Soyican

One thing you need to know about me is that I'm Chilean and I thought it would be cool to share my vegan version of this Chilean dish called "charquican." Usually this dish has ground meat, beef jerky or Durvillaea anteractica (chilean seaweed) but my version is a bit different. Also, I wanted to show you how to make "Ensalada Chilena" which is a tomato salad that has tons of flavor and shows you how the textures of raw food make all the difference.

Ingredients: Charquicán
Serves: 4-6

• About 12 small potatoes or about 8 big potatoes (yukon gold will do)
• one cup of green beans (not canned but fresh or frozen) 
• one cup of kernel tcorn (fresh of frozen) 
• 1.5 cup banana squash cubed 
• 1/2 big onion (purple or white depending which one you like)
• 2-3 roma tomatoes 
• half a bunch of spinach  
• 3-4 small carrots 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1/4 of a red bell pepper 
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• 1 1/4 cup of textured soy protein (or soy meat, textured vegetable protein)
• 1 serrano pepper
• sea salt 
• pepper if you want (not a fun of adding pepper to every single dish like people do sometimes) 

Preparation: Charquican 

1. Wash all of the ingredients.
2. Boil potatoes, banana squash, corn and green beans in salted water until potatoes are soft. I prefer using a pressure cooker for this if you are in a hurry. 
3. While all ingredients in #2 are boiling get a sauté pan or frying pan add olive oil and turn the heat to med high.
4. Mince or dice (depending on your cutting abilities and how much your family likes onions) the onion. Mince garlic, Serrano pepper (take out the seeds before mincing) and red bell pepper. Add to the pan and turn down the heat to medium. Cook everything until onions until they are translucent. 
5. Add sliced mushrooms, and sliced carrots and diced tomatoes (if you have a this is a piece of cake) and add them to the frying pan with the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 3-4 min. Turn the heat to med-low
6. Boil about 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add the soy meat. It will mandoline dehydrate in about 2 min. After that drain the meat very well and add it to the frying pan with the sliced spinach and add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix very well and cook for another 2 min on med heat until everything is been incorporated very well. Make sure that the spinach keeps the green color. 
7. Drain the potatoes, green beans, squash and corn but leave about 1/4 of the water. Place in a big pot or bowl. Gently smash them (do not puree) you should be able to see big chunks of the ingredients. Add all of the ingredients from the frying pan to the bowl and mix gently until everything has been well incorporated. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve hot. 

Ingredients: Ensalada Chilena 

• 6 globe tomatoes ripe but not still hard 
• half a bunch of cilantro 
• 1 big yellow or white onion
• sea salt  
• red wine vinegar
• grape seeded oil (Love this type of oil for salad or salad dressings) or olive oil 

Preparation: Chilean Salad 

1. Wash all ingredients 
2. In chile everyone peels the tomatoes. Don't ask me why but I enjoy the peel so I leave it on in my version 
3. Thinly Julienne onions. In case you don't know watch the video below. 
4. Add the onions to a bowl with cold water and about 2 tbs of sea salt. Pressed the onions with your hands until everything has been kinda of covered with salt and the water. Leave it there for about 20 min and rinse.
5. Roughly chop the cilantro 
6. Mix all ingredients in a bowl with salt, grape seeded oil and vinegar and mix. 

Raw Chocolate

This is way too yummy. I have to make a 1/2 batch of it because I usually eat all of it within a day.

Raw Chocolate

• 1 cup almonds-blend into flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (warm to liquid)
• 1/2 cup agave
• Blend until incorporated
• 1/2 cup cacao pwd.
• Blend until incorporated.

Put wax paper in 8x8 pan, pour mixture in and freeze.

*A friend told me you need to follow the blending directions because adding the cacao powder earlier will make it separate? Also, this is a treat to leave in the freezer until you're ready to eat it, since the coconut oil melts easily.

Tuscan Kale Salad

Kale is my new favorite base for salads. But it is really tough and a little bitter until you learn the following trick. Instead of lightly tossing kale, you almost massage it with the dressing. I squeeze it and rub it with my hands for a couple of minutes. You will feel the texture change and see it diminish in volume by almost half. Then your salad is ready to eat!

This recipe is modified from 101cookbooks.com

Tuscan Kale Salad

1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and save for green smoothies. Slice the kale into 1/2-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.
If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking. Mix the minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Add 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and mix/massage it very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing and rubbing to coat the leaves).. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs.

Melissa's Roasted Eggplant Pesto

I love pesto! Even though olive oil is good for you, I probably get an excess when I'm on a pesto kick. This recipe uses a roasted eggplant to replace most of the oil. I love this pesto served on pasta, on top of a tortilla as the basis for a pizza or veggie wrap, and served over roasted zucchini strips or raw zucchini noodles.

Melissa's Roasted Eggplant Pesto



1/4 c. almonds -blend first
1 large eggplant, roasted and peeled
2 sundried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 cups spinach
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeats
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt
pinch red pepper flakes

Hot water
olive oil

Blend all ingredients. I used maybe 1/4 cup hot water and 1 Tbs. olive oil, but just add those ingredients to achieve desired consistency. Enjoy!