The Ultimate Raw Vegan Date Balls

Posted on December 10, 2015February 24, 2016 by carmenrawlove

Sunday afternoons have always given me a bit of a twilight zone feeling – enough time has passed to rest and recover from the week’s activities – but not quite enough time to feel ready for Monday morning.

Naturally , I find myself in the kitchen trying out new recipes I have marked with posted notes , stuck up on the fridge or saved on my computer screen during the week.

This Sunday it is fun and lovely raw vegan date balls with a dash of feelgood Peruvian superfood Maca.

As a nutritional couch trained by Raw food guru David Wolfe – the one thing I am very passionate about is the endless possibilities of combining Superfoods into everyday meals and treats.

Nothing feels better than biting into a yummy , gooey date ball – knowing that every ingredient from the brain food walnuts to the Magnesium rich cacao is packed with healthy goodness.

..and without further delay :

Into a food processor place 1 and 1/2 cups dates ( covered in water for 2 hours )
1/4 cup of the date liquid ( you can save the balance of the date liquid for sweetening your morning smoothie )
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup walnuts
3 tablespoon Cacao powder
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon Maca

Combine till a gooey paste consistency – and enjoy every moment of rolling into balls of your desired size.

I try to get 24 little gems out of a batch.

Now I am ready for Monday and every day of the week after ! 🙂

Be sure to pack one or two into your lunch box – that afternoon energy slump will be something of the past – with every bad sugar slump you have ever known.

Also makes for lovely gift ideas.

Carmen Xxx

The French Balance

Posted on December 9, 2015February 11, 2016 by carmenrawlove

In every country traveled I find there are lessons to be learned – passed down from generation to generation – ingrained into the very essence of the culture.

When I am fortunate enough to stumble across these , normally happily shared by a generous local , I treasure the experience and find a way to take it home with me and incorporate into my every day life.

From the French – I have copious little habits and rituals … some of them have become such a part of how I live that it would be unimaginable for me to think there was a time these little culture treasures where unknown to me.

I want to share two of these with you today.

The first is to always buy the best ingredients available. From time to time this might make for a smaller portion of your chosen dish.

You see – the French know that with amazing flavor and taste – the taste buds are happy and fulfilled long before the tummy is filled to capacity.

In this lies a big part of the secret to all the fabulous French ladies we see enjoying a buttery croissant while fitting into their lovely chic outfits.

The second secret is presentation. Even a busy workday can leave space for a sit down – lovely prepared , and presented salad – made with the best ever ingredients.

I share with you my Monday “pick up and go” green salad :

Big hand full of Rocket and Sunflower sprouts
1/3 Cucumber sliced and cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon Capers
5 Green olives

Vegan mayonnaise – made by blending : 2T apple cider vinegar , 1/4 cup olive oil , 1t honey , pinch of salt and a garlic clove – with a 3/4 cup water

As it is Monday and we are embracing the French way – lets finish this off with a single delicious chocolate truffle and a little espresso?

Carmen xxx

Glorious, humble tomato

Posted on December 8, 2015February 11, 2016 by carmenrawlove

Over the years I have quietly come to realize that most of those “old-wife tales” are very true and still relevant in our modern times.

One of them is : breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

From personal experience I have come to see , the days I take the time to prepare a beautiful healthy breakfast and sit down and enjoy every bite … I feel full of energy , inspired and can have a super productive morning till my tummy send me those – time for a little lunch break message 🙂

The alternative is not a pretty picture .. me with a grumpy , edgy personality and not a three year old with a zoo-cracker is safe in my company .. you get the picture ?

So , this morning with the full romanticizing moment of stepping out with a fresh espresso and picking the first three fully ripe , lovely tomatoes from my own garden made for the beginnings of a perfect morning.

I have fallen in love with the combination of tomato and green olive paste – all piled onto a slice of gluten free sprouted bread topped with freshly picked basil and a thick slice of avocado.

Yummy , foodie happiness

Carmen xxx

Bookclub Girls | Italian Influence

Posted on December 3, 2015February 11, 2016 by carmenrawlove

So last night was my turn to host my fabulous book club girls.

Hostess me – is one very happy person.

It was one of those evenings when I wish I could record all the conversations and save it in a time capsule for those rainy days.

My Italian friends have a way of making any evening feel like the best evening ever! So I decided to add a little Italian flare to the menu.

It is officially summer in Cape Town , I wanted to make something the girls could enjoy without feeling guilty when they wake up the next morning … you know – food wise – no mention of the wild conversations and copious glasses of bubbles and vino 🙂

..and very important , I wanted to visit with my friends and not get stuck in the kitchen.

For a lovely starter , a cold gazpacho soup is always a winner – and my blend of fresh tomato, cucumber, black pepper, onion, red vine vinegar and a dash of Chardonnay was a huge hit. Straining the solution through a muslin cloth make for a very smooth silky soup. A little olive tapanade to go a red onion and flax seed crackers had the girls completely satisfied – and I could relax and be part of all the juicy conversations.

Main course was a big bowl of courgette pasta – drizzled with olive oil and served with a rich , garlicky arrabiata on the side.

My faithful NutriBullet makes sauces a pleasure to prepare – place one cup of sundries tomato, one red onion, 4 dates and three garlic cloves and blend till smooth – you can add water to make the consistency smoother.

Raw pineapple cheese cake, made yesterday – out of the freezer 20min before serving – with fresh lavender to garnish from the garden.

One happy, easy , stress free evening – with all yummy healthy food and even a few minutes at the end for a quick book swap – it is a book club after all !

Carmen xxx

Coconut Oil & Pineapple Vegan Cheesecake

Posted on December 2, 2015February 24, 2016 by carmenrawlove

Now , it is important to know that when the temperature hits 28degrees Celsius and every Capetonian runs to the beach .. I retreat back indoors and into the comfy surrounds of my kitchen.

The main excitement is that my number one cooking essential for every delicious dessert that you can imagine … my coconut oil – is in it’s yummy, runny , lovely to work with natural state. Just looking at the opaque liquid in it’s glass bottle on my kitchen shelf , hmmmmmm – my imagination is full of styled pictures of Raw Cheesecakes , Raw Chocolate tarts , Raw Avo Lemon tart …. you get the picture , right ?

It is as easy as blending 4 cups of pineapple , 1 1/2 cups of coconut oil , 1T lemon juice , 2T honey , pinch of salt and pouring that glorious oozing liquid over a tart base of 1 cup of walnuts , 3 cups of desiccated coconut , 1T coconut oil – ground in your favorite food-processor. Put the whole lot in the freezer for 4 hours.
This recipe works best when using the small individual metal pie dishes with the removable metal plate.
I normally take the little precious gems out of the freezer 30min before serving – just to soften the inside to resemble the soft cheesy center of a baked cheesecake.

When last have you been able to have your slice of cheesecake – and get right into that swim suit with not a guilty thought in site?

Coconut oil is low fat and anti-bacterial , anti-fungal – the perfect substitute for all those traditional cholesterol , calorie packed empty nutritional binding substances.

Carmen xxx

For the LOVE of Quinoa

Posted on December 1, 2015February 11, 2016 by carmenrawlove

A happy day it was when I first discovered quinoa , the protein packed , wheat free , super healthy alternative to every starchy comfort food you have ever known.

Even the most hardy of raw foodist has days when all you can think of is a warm , hearty bowl of solid goodness.

I could not think of a better “no guilt” treat as a lovely salad made on a bed of juicy greens, topped with warm quinoa , avo cut into chunks , topped with parsley hummus , chopped walnuts and a hand full of goji berries.

Walnuts , not only have the shape of a brain , but are also high in omegs-3 fatty acids – a well known brain food.

Avo has all the heart friendly fats , much needed in our every day diet.
Quinoa – the king of grains – with 16% protein , ranked the highest percentage protein.

Goji berries has been prescribed inChinese medicine since ancient times for it’s wisdom giving qualities.

I have always found winter times the most challenging to stay on a 80% raw diet. Quinoa is easy to make and keeps well for a good three days in the fridge – ideal for a busy working girl’s lifestyle!

Carmen xxx