Celeriac Pasta with Curried Cashews

I was in the mood for a really light dinner and chose celeriac as my base ingredient. Celeriac is a close relative of celery but looks more like a root vegetable with its knobby bottom. Picture something like a rutabaga with knobs at its base. Celeriac is very low in calories, is full of antioxidants, and has anti-cancer properties. It is also a good source of vitamin K, which is good for your bones. Celeriac is a very good source of many minerals, including phosphorous, iron, calcium, copper and manganese. It also contains some B vitamins, including pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Lastly, it also has moderate amount of vitamin C. All that for so few calories.

I chose to keep it pretty clean. I was going for an Asian flavor, maybe inspired by the celeriac pasta looking like bean sprouts. Simple but flavorful, and I still have room for dessert. 

Celeriac Pasta with Curried Cashews:

1 large or 2 smaller celeriac roots spiralized or shaved
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. sesame oil
1 handful cilantro cut into pieces
1 red chili pepper cut thinly with your food scissors
sea salt

Toss all ingredients in a bowl.

Curried Cashews:

1/4 c. raw cashews
1/2 t. olive oil
1/4 t. curry powder
1/4 t. turmeric

Toss all ingredients in a small bowl, draining off any excess olive oil.

Toss cashews with pasta to complete the dish. Serves 1-2 depending on size of celeriac.

Kale and Carrot Salad

Here is a slightly spicy kale and carrot salad with a tahini dressing. It's easy to make and great for you. Kale is a high in calcium, vitamins A, C, and K, and iron. It is also low calorie and high fiber, a winning combination. Kale is full of antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory. Carrots are well known for their high beta-carotene properties, which can help fight off certain cancers. They are also high in vitamin A and rich in fiber. Foods high in vitamin A may support healthy vision. I added yellow bell pepper and red onion to round out the rainbow colors in this salad. I believe in eating a brightly colored diet to ensure the spectrum of nutrients found in different shades of vegetables. So here you have green, orange, yellow and purple. It's pretty much got it covered.

Kale and Carrot Salad:

Salad:
1 bunch lucinato (also called dinosaur) kale
1 carrot spiralized
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1/4 c. red onion chopped

Dressing:
1/2 c. raw organic tahini
1/2 c. water
juice of one lemon
3 T. olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. white miso
1 T. black sesame powder
1/2 jalapeno
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Add and toss dressing slowly in salad so you don't overdress the salad. I admit to liking a lot of dressing. Reserve leftover dressing as a dip for vegetables or use on a lettuce salad or as a dressing for kale chips. Serves 3-4.

Roy G. Biv Salad

I love the colors of this salad. Talk about a color wheel!  I also love the combining of fruit and vegetables in one dish. There's enough fruit in this salad to satisfy your dessert cravings. For me, it's super satisfying for that reason. It saves me a step.

Roy G. Biv Salad:

Spinach to fill a bowl
1/4 grapefruit sliced
1/2 orange sliced
1/2 c. raspberries
1/2 c. blueberries
1/2 avocado
1/2 mango
1/4 c. pickled red onions (in a combination apple-cider vinegar and beet juice brine)

Pile all ingredients into a big bowl.

Dressing: 

1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice (or less)
1 t. dijon mustard
1 t. thyme
sea salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. Toss salad with dressing just before serving.

Orange Jubilee

I loved the taste of Orange Julius when I was a kid, but I hate to think of what was in it back then. I've renamed it to reflect the joy it gives me to taste this flavor again. I've made a few variations over the years, and maybe now I don't even remember what an Orange Julius really tasted like because I love my variations so much more. For me, it's the goldenberries that really kick it over the edge and give me the reminiscent flavor. I've posted a similar recipe before, but this one is relying on fresh squeezed orange juice I had on hand. It hits that sweet nostalgia spot.

Orange Jubilee:

2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. shredded coconut
1 mango
1 T. goldenberry powder or 1/4 c. goldenberries
1 T. coconut butter
1 T. lacuma (optional)
1 t. vanilla bean seeds scraped from the vanilla bean
1 t. tumeric

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. This may take awhile because the shredded coconut takes awhile to liquefy. You could also use coconut meat from a young coconut, but these are harder to find than shredded coconut or coconut flakes. The shredded coconut gives it more texture, to be sure, but it will blend well eventually.

Serves 2.  I could easily drink this whole thing, but that much coconut at once probably isn't a good choice. I like my healthy fats, but everything within reason. So share this with someone whose day you want to brighten.

Avocado Pear Spinach Smoothie

This was inspired by a recipe in Everyday Raw Detox by Meredith Baird. It's pretty close to her recipe with only slight adjustments. Her recipe is a bit more savory while I went towards the slightly sweet.

Avocados are rich in healthy fats, but they also have other great benefits. They have twice the amount of potassium as a banana without all the sugar of the banana. They are a good source of fiber, Vitamin E, Vitamin B, and folic acid. All the 'lettered' vitamins are good antioxidants.  Folic acid may help prevent heart disease, depression, Alzheimer's, and type 2 diabetes.

Many of us grew up watching Popeye cartoons, which touted spinach as a good source of iron. This isn't really true. Spinach contains only about 4% iron. In contrast, it has about 56% Vitamin A, but we never heard that. Spinach has many beneficial properties, but iron isn't significantly one of them. It is rich in fiber, flavonoids (which help fight free radicals and may help prevent certain cancers), anti-inflammatory compounds, and anti-oxidants (Vitamins C, E, beta carotene, manganese, zinc, and selenium). Spinach may also help fight osteoporosis because most leafy greens are great sources of calcium. Spinach may additionally help fight atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. It is rich in lutein, which will help with vision loss. It's also a great immunity booster as well as being great for your skin and bones.

Fruit and vegetables in one smoothie. You almost have your daily recommended servings in this smoothie alone. And you definitely have a powerful combination of nutrients to serve you well through the day.

Avocado Pear Spinach Smoothie:

1 pear with core removed
1 avocado peeled and pitted
2 c. spinach
1 T. coconut butter
1 c. hazelnut milk
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. spirulina (optional)
a pinch of stevia

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Serves 1-2.

To make homemade hazelnut milk:

Soak one cup hazelnuts in filtered water for at least two hours to release the enzyme inhibitors in the nuts. Drain the nuts and discard this water. Blend the nuts with 4 cups filtered water in a high-speed blender. Strain the milk through a mesh bag or cheese cloth. (Use the pulp in cookies, if desired)

Beet Pasta with Cilantro Pistachios

Another light meal using beets as the base. I spiralized two smaller sized beets, and it made quite a lot.

Beets contain many minerals, including sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosperous. They are also considered a fiber food and contain vitamins A and C as well as niacin, which is a B vitamin.  Beets contain folic acid which is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. This is especially important for pregnant woman or anyone undergoing physical healing. Studies have also shown that beets guard against cancer, especially colon cancer, as well as protecting the body against heart disease. You can't "beet" that. I know, I know, but I couldn't resist.

I used balsamic vinegar, which isn't raw, but I love the flavor with beets. The vinegar and nutmeg give the sauce a nice sweetness while the parsley gives it a more savory flavor.  I also used dehydrated papaya seeds mixed into my pepper mill for a surprise flavor.

Note: if using the pistachios, make them a few hours ahead of the salad because they require some dehydrating time. 

Beet Pasta with Cilantro Pistachios:

2 medium beets spiralized
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T. olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Toss ingredients in a bowl and set aside while making dressing.

Dressing:

1 c. parsley
1/4 olive oil
2 T. aged balsamic vinegar
1 t. rosemary
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. grated nutmeg
sea salt to taste
pepper using dried out papaya seeds mixed in with peppercorns

Blend all ingredients in a small food processor.

Toss the pasta with the dressing.

Cilantro Pistachios:

1 c. pistachios
 juice of one lime
 1/2 c. cilantro
1 t. jalapenos
sea salt to taste

Blend the lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno in a high speed blender. Toss the nuts in the mixture. Lay nuts on a Teflex lined dehydrator sheet. Sprinkle the nuts with sea salt. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for at least two hours. 

Finishing touch: Sprinkle the pistachios over the pasta and serve. Makes enough for two.

You can also line the bowl with a few lettuce leaves prior to spooning the pasta into the bowls. This will make the dish a little more colorful.

Strawberry Apple Mint Juice

This is a fresh summer juice full of color and flavor and health benefits. Perfect for these hot, humid days.

The phytonutrients in apples help control blood sugar. Apples contain quercetin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Quercetin is used to treat many heart conditions as well as diabetes, hayfever, cataracts, and some cancers.

Strawberries are an amazing little fruit. So much packed into so little. They are a great source of antioxidants and help to reduce inflammation. Strawberries are a well known source of vitamin C, which is crucial for eye health, cancer prevention, and the production of collagen. Collagen is necessary for healthy, elastic skin. Who knew strawberries were nature's wrinkle fighter?

We all know mint is good for oral care and bad breath, as evidenced by all the mint flavored toothpastes and chewing gums on the market. But maybe you didn't know that mint is also good for respiratory ailments, including coughs, asthma, allergies and hay fever. As a natural stimulant, mint is good for depression and fatigue. In this same capacity it is used also for nausea and headaches. Lastly, mint is good for your skin, especially if you suffer from acne. It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it also good for bug bites or any other skin eruption. And you thought it just made your kisses sweet.

2 apples
1 c. strawberries
1 handful mint

Juice all ingredients. Garnish with mint leaf.