These formulas are part of a plan to bring you to a state of bliss and wellbeing! Make the recipes to your taste. If you like things with a bit less salt, or maybe with maple syrup instead of agave nectar, just listen to your heart. Prepare nourishing food for the people you love. Through food, you can express your devotion, and see to it that their bodies are built with love. By preparing yummy vegan food for non-vegetarians, you plant the seeds for their evolution to a non-violent lifestyle in the future. And at least for that one meal you serve, you are saving the life of some living creature that may have otherwise been eaten. Food preparation is a practice that can be a form of prayer and meditation. Always prepare food with love in your heart and caring intentions in your mind. Let your food be your medicine, and you will dwell in a state of wellbeing always.

Cardamom Cashew Breakfast Pudding

You do not have to skip a satisfying breakfast just because you eat raw food! This one is easy to prepare and gives you something blissful to get up and go on. Try it topped with loads of seasonal berries or fruit.
Yields one pint

2 cups cashews
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut butter
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
Nice pinch of vanilla beans or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt or fleur de sel

Soak cashews for at least 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews. In a K-TEC or other high speed blender, blend all ingredients until totally smooth and creamy. Place in a bowl and chill for at least 20 minutes. Top with fresh blueberries or with nectarine slices and mint leaves. Anything you enjoy really!

Fiery Tomatillo Salsa

Balanced, like all things in this beautiful reality. Let the chilies play with the cilantro. Let the salsa play with raw crackers or cool jicama slices.
Yields one pint

2 cups diced tomatillo
1 small hot chili (or to taste)
1 garlic clove
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon Celtic sea salt (to taste)
1/2 small onion
2 limes

Place tomatillos, chili, garlic, cilantro and spices in a food processor or blender. Grind coarsely. Add lime juice and minced onion.

Brilliant Hemp Milk

Hemp is a great source for essential fatty acids and they become smooth very easily in the blender. Enjoy it by the glass or as a base to nourishing smoothies and raw milkshakes.
Yields one pint

3/4 Cup Shelled Hempseeds
1/4 cup Agave Nectar
2 T. Coconut butter
1 T. Celtic sea salt
Small scrape of vanilla beans, or 1 T. Vanilla extract
4 cups filtered water

Place all ingredients, other than the water, into the blender. Pour one cup of the water into the blender, and blend on a high speed for twenty or so seconds until the mixture forms a thick paste. Add the remaining water and blend again on a high speed for at least 15 seconds.

Cacao Jungle Bliss

Citrus and spices play together with raw chocolate in this simple snack. It also works great with the juice and zest of tangerines for a different touch.
Makes one half sheet tray

1 jar (2 cups) Raw almond butter
1/2 cup coconut butter
1 cup Agave Nectar
1 T. ground cloves
1 T. ground cardamom
1/3 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup cacao nibs (optional)
Juice and zest of one large orange
2 T. celtic sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine thoroughly with a spoon. Place a sheet of parchment on a half sheet tray. Place the mixture onto the tray and cover with another piece of parchment. Even out the mixture by flattening the top piece of parchment with the bottom of a pan or cookie sheet. Place the tray in the freezer. Let stand for at least half an hour. Remove the parchment and cut into squares. Enjoy your snacking!

Caramel Pecan Nectar

Nourishing, creamy nut milk, that can stand in for eggnog at the holiday times. Soak unroasted buckwheat and raisons in the milk overnight to make an easy raw breakfast cereal.
Makes 1 quart

1 -1/4 cups pecans soaked
1/2 cups pitted dates soaked in 1 cup of water
2 T. agave nectar or maple syrup
2 t. coconut butter
1 t. cardamom
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
2-1/2 cups filtered water

Place all ingredients except for the final 2-1/2 cups of water in a blender. Blend at a high speen until smooth. Add the remaining water and emulsify. Garnish with a pinch of ground nutmeg and crushed dry pecans.

Chamomile Pine Nut Milk

A delicate floral nectar raining down into your cup from the heavens.
Yields one quart

3/4 cup pignoli nuts
1/4 cup unrefined coconut butter
3 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 Tablespoon Celtic sea salt or fleur de sel
4 cups chamomile tea

Place all ingredients other than the tea in a K-TEC or other high speed blender. As you blend at a high speed, slowly pour in the tea. This will ensure a smooth and creamy, well-emulsified product.

Live Bloody Mary

Serves 2

1 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked in 1 cup of water for at least one hour
2 large leaves of kale
2 tomatoes
4 stalks of celery
1 medium sized cucumber
1 clove of garlic
2 inches of leek
10 carrots
2 T. flax oil
2 t. black pepper
1 t. thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 T. nama shoyu

Soak the sun dried tomatoes in a bowl and set them to the side. Juice the kale, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, garlic, leek and carrots. Blend the sun dried tomatoes with the soaking water, flax oil, pepper, bay leaves, thyme and shoyu until smooth. Add the juice to the blender and blend for 30 seconds to incorporate.

Garlic Soaked Spinach with Maple Sesame Mushrooms

This dish presents a nice balance of flavors and textures. You can use a variety of dark or caramel colored mushrooms. Shitake mushrooms are preferred, with their rich taste, delicate texture and excellent medicinal properties.
Serves 3

For the Spinach:
1 lb. Spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 T. celtic sea salt
Juice of 1-½ lemons
1 T. thyme leaves
2 T. capers or chopped raw olives
3 T. olive oil

For Mushrooms:
2 portabello caps, 12 shitake caps, or 6 crimini caps
3 T. maple syrup
2 T. nama shoyu
½ t. chili flakes or cayenne pepper
3 T. sesame oil
¼ cup sesame seeds

Wash the spinach and remove extra stems and undesirable leaves. Dry the spinach thoroughly and place it in a mixing bowl. Mince the garlic. Put the salt on the minced garlic, and using the side of a sharp knife work the garlic into a smooth paste. Add the garlic, lemon juice, theyme, olives and oil to the spinach and tenderize the spinach by squeezing the marinade into the leaves.
If you are using portabellos or criminis, slice or chop the mushrooms into small pieces. Crimini or porabello stems can be used, but not shitake stems. Place the mushrooms into a mixing bowld with the rest of the ingredients and massage the pieces to soften and soak up the flavors.

Ginger Date Bliss Wraps

Nourishing greens stuffed with a bright and balanced chutney. Full of iron and and preserved with love, the chutney can last up to a week refrigerated for use in several dishes. Try it as a dip for flax crackers or even used as a marinade for vegetables.
Makes 24 leaf wraps

Chutney:
1-1/2 cups dates soakes and pitted
2 T. date soaking water
1 t. fresh ginger
1/2 lime juiced
1 large banana
1/4 cup minced leek
1 small red chili, or 2 t. chili flakes
1 t. cumin
2 t. chat masala or garam masala
2 t. tamarind paste

Leaf wraps:
1 lime juiced
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. thyme leaves, fresh or dried
1 T. stone ground mustard
20 large romaine leaves
1/4 cup hempseeds
1 avocado diced

In a food processor or blender, pulse the chutney ingredients until they are well mixed, but still a little chunky. Combine the lime juice, olive oil, thyme and mustard in a bowl. Mix the leaf marinade together with a fork. Toss the romaine leaves in the dressing. Smear the chutney onto the marinated romaine, and garnish with hempseeds and avocado.

Marinated Kale and Tarragon Pesto Squash Pasta

You would never suspect the greens in this dish of being raw. Massaging them by hand really helps them become tender and digestible. I confess, when my daughter insists on having her greens cooked, I sometimes like to trick her with this preparation.
Serves Two

For the Greens:
One bunch of Curler or Dinosaur Kale
3 T. cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 T. umeboshi vinegar
1 T. nama shoyu
1 T. dried thyme leaves
1 T. fennel seeds

For the Pasta:
One large Zucchini, Yellow Squash or Parsnip
One bunch parsley
1/2 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
3 T. raw pine nuts
2 T. tarragon
2 lemons, juiced
2 T. Celtic sea salt

Easy! Clean the kale by washing and removing any unwanted stems. Slice the kale into thin strips and place into a bowl with the marinade ingredients. USING YOUR HANDS massage the greens, squeezing handfuls to make the greens tender.
Remove the stem and rough portions from the squash or parsnip. If using a parsnip, peel the skin off. Cut into two pieces about half way up the vegetable. Using a spiralizer, turn the squash into thin pasta strings. Place the parsley leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, tarragon, lemon juice, and salt in a blender or food processor. Grind the mixture into a fine paste. In a bowls combine the pasta and pesto and toss, until the pasta is evenly coated. Place a pile of the kale on a plate and top it with the pesto-covered pasta.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Basil Hemp Seed Ricotta and Guacamole

Serves 2

Mushrooms
10 crimini, shitake, or white button mushrooms
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. nama shoyu
Juice of one lemon
1 T. agave nectar

Basil Hemp Seed Ricotta
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
1 T. umeboshi plum vinegar, or lemon juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. minced fresh basil
1 t. thyme leaves
1/2 t. Celtic sea salt

Simple Guacamole
1 ripe avocado
1 T. minced fresh cilantro
Juice of one lemon
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
3 T. thinly sliced scallions

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Toss the mushroom caps in the marinade ingredients and set them to the side.

Place the ingredients for the basil hemp seed ricotta in a food processor and grind them until the seeds are broken and the mixture is fluffy. Do not process them to long, or the resulting product will be pasty.

Remove the meat from the avocado and placed it in a bowl. Add the rest of the guacamole ingredients and mash them together with a fork or potato masher until they reach your desired consistency.

Stuff each mushroom cap with a spoonful of ricotta, and top it with a spoonful of guacamole. Enjoy over a bed of spinach or your favorite greens.

Red Beet Ravioli with Lemon Pine Nut Cream and Portabello Mushroom Ragout

Serves 4

Pine Nut Cream
1 cup pine nuts, soaked in water for at least 20 minutes
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. oregano
1 T. thyme
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. minced lemon rind
1 clove garlic
1/2 t. salt
2 T. minced fresh basil (optional)

Drain the pine nuts and place them into a blender with the remaining ingredients. As you blend, slowly add water as needed (no more than 1/3 cup) to get a smooth and creamy consistency.

Portabello Mushroom Ragout
2 medium sized portabello caps and stems (or equivalent)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked in 1/4 cup water for at least 1/2 hour
2 T. capers
1-1/2 inches thinly sliced leeks
1 T. fennel seeds
2 T. nama shoyu
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Coarsely chop sun dried tomatoes and the portabello, being sure to discard any casing soil that may be present at the base of the stem of the mushroom. In a small mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, including the soaking water from the sun dried tomatoes. With your hands massage and squeeze the mixture, so that the mushroom pieces are thoroughly penetrated by the liquids. Allow the ragout to sit for at least 1/2 hour in the refrigerator. The longer the mushrooms and tomatoes marinade the better the finished product.

Assembly
2 medium size red beets
minced parsley and extra virgin olive oil to garnish

Select beets that will be smaller than the size of the blades on your vegetable peeler. Larger beets may be used, but you may have to sacrifice the circular ravioli shape, in exchanged for a half moon shaped ravioli. Scrub the beet thoroughly and starting at the root end of the beet, take off thin circles of beet using the vegetable peeler. Peel each beet entirely, all the way up to the stem butt. Lay half of the beet circles out and place a small spoonful of the pine nut cream onto them. Top them with the other beet slices. Plate the ravioli and spoon some ragout onto each one. Garnish the plate with minced parsley and extra virgin olive oil.

Savory Brussels Sprout Salad with Pine Nut Aioli

Serves 2

Salad
8 brussels sprouts
1 clove garlic
3 inches of leeks
2 T. hunza raisons
4 t. lemon juice
4 t. nama shoyu
2 t. thyme leaves
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Aioli
1/3 cup pine nuts, soaked at least 45 minutes
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup filtered water
4 t. umeboshi plum vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 t. ground pepper, white pepper if available
salt to taste

Thinly slice or shred the brussels sprouts. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the leek. In a mixing bowl, massage the brussels sprouts, garlic and leek, with the raisons, lemon juice, shoyu, thyme and red pepper. If you do not have a food dehydrator, place the mixture into a container for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight. If you do have a food dehydrator, place the vegetables on a teflex sheet and dehydrate for 1-1/2 hours.

Strain the Pine nuts, and place them in a high-speed blender with the remaining aioli ingredients. Blend until smooth. Plate the brussels sprouts and top them with a loving spoonful of aioli. Enjoy at room temperature are slightly warmed from the heat of the dehydrator.

Macadamia Chocolate Milk

Makes one quart

1/2 cup soaked macadamia nuts
3-1/2 cups filtered water
2 T. coconut butter
1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
1/4 cup powdered cacao
2 t. celtic sea salt

Blend all ingredients, starting with only 1 cup of water. Once the mixture is smooth and creamy, add the remaining water and emulsify. Garnish with cacao nibs or sliced macadamia nuts.

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake

If you have fresh mint in you garden, you now have a good place to use it! For a more fulfilling beverage, use coconut water instead of plain water and cut back a little on the nuts, so the drink doesn’t become too thick.
Makes 1.5 quarts

2 cups almonds, soaked for ate least 45 minutes and drained
1 ripe avocado
2 T. minced mint leaves or 1 T. mint extract
1 T. vanilla extract or a small scrape of fresh vanilla beans
2 T. coconut butter
2 T. celtic sea salt
¼ cup agave nectar
3 cups filtered water
2-3 cups ice
Small handful cacao nibs or beans

Place everything but the ice and cacao in the blender and process at a high speed. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Add the cacao. If using nibs, pulse to distribute the pieces. If using whole beans, pulse to break up the beans into smaller nibs.

Omega Elixir

Serves 2

1 cup hempseeds
1/3 cup raw cacao
2 T. flax oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 T. maca powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3 1/2 cups mild brewed yerba mate tea

Place everything in a high speed blender, starting with only one cup of the mate. Blend on a medium speed for a minute until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the remaining tea and blend thoroughly to combine. Always enjoy the elixir within 24 hours of itÕs creation.

Spicy Cacao Sloppy Joey

This dish is named after my wife Joey, a maniac for chocolate as well as spice. The filling can be used to make sandwiches on raw onion bread, or dehydrated in balls for a couple of hours to make hearty raw meatballs.
Serves 6

Filling:
1 Portobello mushroom
1/4 cup sliced leeks
1/2 red bell pepper
2 t. chili flakes (or to taste)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. nama shoyu
2 soaked dates, pits removed
2 T. cacao powder
2 t. thyme leaves
1 t. black pepper
2 soaked sundried tomatoes

Marinated Kale Leaf Boats:
6 large kale leaves
1 T. stone-ground mustard
1 T. umeboshi vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 t. thyme leaves
1 t. oregano

Mince the mushroom, leeks, and red pepper. Blend the rest of the ingredients to create a thick marinade. Massage the marinade into the minced vegetables by hand. The mushrooms should feel

Wash the kale and remove the thicker stems if the bother you. Massage the remaining ingredients into the kale thoroughly, making sure not to tear the leaves. Place a generous spoonful of Sloppy Joey filling into each leaf.

Spicy Mango and Avocado Rolls with Red Miso Dressing

Serves 2

Seed Rice
3/4 cup hulled hempseeds
3 T. sesame seeds
2 t. nama shoyu
1 T. mirin or lemon juice

Rolls
1 ripe mango, sliced
1 T. miced ginger
2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (or as little as desired)
2 t. nama shoyu
1 T. sesame oil
1/2 avacado sliced
2 nori sheets

Dressing
1 T. miso paste
1/2 t. wasabi powder
1 T. umeboshi vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
3 T. water
2 T. minced scallions

In a food processor grind the rice ingredients until they are moist and chunky, but not creamy or pasty. In a bowl toss the mango with the ginger, red pepper, shoyu, and oil. Smear the rice evenly upon the nori sheets, making sure there is a thin layer on the top edge. Place a layer of mangos and avocados in a horizontal line about 1 inch from the bottom of the sheets. Roll nori over the filling and continue rolling up the nori into a tight cigar shape. With a SHARP knife, cut each roll into 6 pieces. In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients with a fork, adding the scallions last after all other ingredients have been combines smoothly. Drizzle the dressing onto the rolls, or serve the dressing on the side in an attractive small condiment bowl.

Sun Dried Tomato Sunflower Salad Stuffed Leaf Wraps With Spicy Cacao Mole

Makes about 8 small leaf wraps

For the Filling:
1/2 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes (submerge in water for at least 1/2 hour)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 a carrot diced
1/2 celery stalk diced
1 T. dried oregano
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 T. powdered cumin
1/4 cup nama shoyu

Drain the tomatoes and grind the all filling ingredients until most sunflower seeds have been obliterated.

For the Mole:
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
The juice of 2 limes
2 cloves of garlic
3 T. nama shoyu
one seeded and minced chipotle chili or 1 t. cayenne pepper and 2t. Mexican chili powder
2/3 cups water

Blend all ingredients until totally smooth. Add more water for a thinner sauce or to use as a spicy cacao soup.

Fill romaine leaves with a spoonful of the sunflower meat salad. Top with the mole sauce. Garnish with minced peppers, avocado, minced onion and cilantro.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Leeks and Mushrooms

Yields one quart

Base:
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup sliced parsnips
1/2 cup soaked pine nuts
1 stalk celery
1 T. fresh or dry dill leaves
2 t. thyme leaves
1 t. fennel seeds
1 lemon, juiced
3 T. Nama Shoyu
3 cups filtered water

Mushrooms & Leeks:
1 cup sliced crimini, oyster, white button, or shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks
1 T. Nama Shoyu
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. oregano

Start by preparing the mushrooms and leeks. Mix the ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl, gently squeezing the marinade into the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms and leeks into a food dehydrator set to 115 degrees. Allow the leeks and mushrooms to achieve a cooked appearance. It will take between 1-1/2 and 3 hours.

Blend the soup base ingredients starting with only 1/2 cup of the water, and gradually adding it until the desired consistency is reached. Add the dehydrated mushrooms and leeks, and pulse briefly to combine. Be careful not to puree the mushrooms.

Creamy Parsnip Soup with Sage Olive Oil

Makes one quart

BASE:
1 cup chopped peeled parsnips
1 cup soaked pine nuts
1 stalk celery
1 T. fresh or dry thyme leaves
1 T. capers
1 lemon, juiced
3 T. Nama Shoyu
3 cups filtered water

OIL:
3 T. fresh sage leaves
2 t. fennel seeds
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the soup base ingredients starting with only 1/2 cup of the water, and gradually adding it until the desired consistency is reached. ÊIn a spice grinder, grind the sage and fennel into a powder. Blend that powder into the olive oil and salt. When serving, drizzle the oil onto the soup, and top it with minced scallions and pine nuts.

Live Carrot Ginger Soup

Makes one quart

3 cups fresh carrot juice
1 medium sized tomato
1 stalk celery
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet potato
1/3 cup finely chopped parsnip
1/4 cup pitted dates soaked in 1/4 water
1-1/2 inch leek
1 inch ginger
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 T. grated fresh orange rind
2 T. Nama Shoyu

Garnish:
1 peeled parsnip
1 peeled carrot
1 T. olive oil
1 T. paprika
1 T. umeboshi plum vinegar
1 T. Nama Shoyu
1 T. Agave nectar

Blend all ingredients together including the soaking water from the dates. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the remaining carrot and parsnip into thin strips. Toss the strips in the remaining garnish ingredients and top each cup of soup with a few of the marinated strips. Cut the strips into smaller sizes if necessary.

Soupa di Tomate with Tarragon-Pumpkin Seed pesto

Makes 1 quart (3-4 servings)

Tarragon-Pumpkin Seed Pesto
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 T. taragon leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all pesto ingredients and set aside.

Soup
1-1/2 cups sun dried tomatoes soaked in 2 cups water
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or flax oil if preferred
3 pitted dates soaked in 1/4 cup water
1 stalk celery
1/2 carrot, chopped
2 T. red miso
1/2 t. black pepper
1 T. oregano
1 large tomato (or two roma tomatoes)

Add all ingredients to a blender except the large fresh tomato. Blend the ingredient until smooth. Add 1 cup of water and the chopped tomato, and pulse the mixture a couple of times, leaving the tomato a little chunky. To serve, place the soup into warmed bowls, and drizzle with the pesto. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and coarse sea salt if desired. Soup should NOT be eaten cold, but rather at room temperature, or slightly above body temperature.

South Indian Spinach Soup

Yields one quart

1 inch leek
1 small avocado
1 stalk celery
1/2 carrot
3 cups filtered water
2 T. chana masala
1 t. asafetida
2 t. Celtic sea salt
3 T. minced cilantro
1 T. brown mustard seeds
2 cups chopped spinach

Blend together the leek, avocado, celery, carrot, water, chana masala, asafetida, and salt. Thoroughly wash the spinach and chop it roughly. Pulse the spinach, cilantro, and mustard seeds into the base. Pour into a warmed bowl, or a hollowed out cucumber.

Spicy Habanero Soup

Yields one quart

2-1/2 cups sliced tomatoes
1 stalk celery
1 minced carrot
1 clove of garlic
1 inch sliced leek
3 T. red miso
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. ground cumin
1 habanero, scotch bonnet, or jalapeño pepper (or less if desired)
1 T. agave nectar
1 T. lime juice
3 T. flax oil
2 cups filtered water

Topping:
3 T. shredded or minced red beet
2 T. cilantro leaves
2 T. agave nectar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the soup ingredients first. Reserve the soup in a bowl or container. Blend the topping ingredients. Pour the soup into a warmed bowl and drizzle the topping into it. Enjoy with raw crackers or greens.

Anise Pastry Cream

Makes 1 pint

1-1/2 cups macadamia nuts soaked for at least 1 hour
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 T. coconut butter (coconut oil)
1 t. anise extract
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt

Drain the macadamia nuts. Add all ingredients to a blender. Add 1/4 cup of water and blend for 30 seconds to a minute on high. After the mixture is smooth, add enough water to reach your desired consistency. Less water for a firmer cream, more water to reach a creamy sauce consistency. Enjoy the cream on fruit as a breakfast, add a little more sweetener and use it in an ice cream maker to make a rich frozen dessert, or use it to frost raw cookies or pastries.

Chocolate Pine Nut Bars

Pine nuts, a flavorful source of protein and fat, fuse together with raw cacao, to become a powerful desert, full of antioxidants and bliss.
Makes one nine inch square

Crust:
2 cups shredded coconut
4 t. minced orange rind
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 t. salt

Cream:
4 cups pine nuts, soaked
1/3 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 T. vanilla extract or fresh vanilla beans
1 T. salt
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup whole cacao beans
1/4 cup dry pine nuts

Place the shredded coconut into a DRY blender. Process it at a high speed until the coconut releases it’s oil and becomes soft. Add the remaining crust ingredients, and process until smooth. Press the crust into a lightly oiled pan. Place the soaked pine nuts, coconut butter, agave, vanilla and salt into the blender, and blend until totally smooth. Add a small amount of water or coconut water if required. Place half of the cream in a smooth layer on top of the crust. Place the tray in a freezer for at least half an hour. Blend the cacao powder into the remaining cream. Spread the cacao cream on top of the plain cream. Roughly chop the cacao beans and pine nuts, and use them to garnish the tray. Allow the tray to freeze completely. Slice the frozen dessert into bars or squares and always serve cold.

Macadamia Raspberry Cheesecake

Here’s the cholesterol free version of a childhood favorite. The macadamias lend themselves nicely to berry and fruit sauces. If you would like a variation, make up mango sauce or some kind of lovely grapefruit guava sauce, for a tropical style. Don’t tell anybody, but a slice of this can also be a satisfying breakfast!
Makes one 9 inch cheesecake

For the Crust:
3 cups shredded coconut
2 cups macadamia nuts
2 t. celtic sea salt
1 t. ground cardamom
1/3 cup agave nectar

For the Filling:
2 cups soaked macadamia nuts
2 cups soaked cashews
¼ cup coconut butter
2 t. celtic sea salt
1 cup agave nectar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 t. umeboshi vinegar
1 T. vanilla extract or small scrape of vanilla beans

For the Sauce:
2 cups raspberries
Zest of one lemon or lime
2 T. minced mint leaves
3 T. agave nectar

Place the coconut in a dry blender or food processor and grind until the oil becomes visible, the coconut becoming creamy and wet in appearance. Add the macadamias, salt, cardamom, and agave and grind until smooth. Press the mixture into an oiled pie pan and refrigerate.
Drain the nuts and place them in the blender with the rest of the filling ingredients. Process until the mixture is smooth. You will need to stop the blender and scrape the sides down with a spatula. If the mixture is too thick for your blender, add a small amount of filtered water to keep it moving.
Fill the crust with th filling and allow it to set up in a refrigerator or freezer until firm.
Blend the sauce ingredients. Strain out seeds if they bother you, making a raspberry coulis.
Slice the cheesecake, spoon on some sauce and enjoy!

Rainforest Buttercups

This is the super-food take on peanut-butter cups. Experiment with different nut butters in the filling, or make your own raw peanut butter to use from unroasted peanuts.

Chocolate Fudge:
2 cups cashews, soaked for at least 1/2 an hour and drained
1 cup hempseeds
1/2 cup unrefined coconut butter
1 cup filtered water, or coconut water
1 cup agave nectar
1 cup cacao powder
1 t. sea salt

Sweet Nut Butter Filling:
1 1/2 cups raw nut butter (almond butter labeled “Raw” is no longer raw)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 t. vanilla extract, or 1/2 t. vanilla beans
1 T. filtered water
1 t. salt

Blend the fudge ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Mix the nut butter filling in a bowl with a fork. Line cupcake tins with unbleached cupcake wrappers. Place a spoonful of the fudge down in the bottom of each paper, layer it with a spoonful of nut butter, and top it with a final spoonful of fudge. Allow the treats to set up in a freezer for at least 1 hour.

Raw Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Bars

Makes one 9 inch Block

For the Crust:
2-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup hempseeds
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. celtic sea salt

Gind the coconut at high speed in a dry blender until the oil becomes apparent and the material becomes smooth. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and blend to create a slightly wet fealing crust. Press the crust on the bottom of a slightly oiled square 9 inch pan.

For the Mouse and Sauce:
3 cups of raspberries
Peel of half a lime
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups soaked cashews (submerge in water for at least 1/2 hour)
1/2 cup powdered cacao
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 T. vanilla extract
2/3 cup coconut butter

Blend the raspberries, lime peel, ¼ cup of agave and salt until no seeds are visable. Pour out and reserve half of the resulting liquid to use as a sauce. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender with the remaining ingredients. Add a little water (or coconut water) if needed. Blend until the ingredients are well combined and the cashews have become smooth.

Smooth the filling over the crust and chill for at least one hour. Slice into bars or squares when solid and serve with the raspberry sauce. Garnish with cacoa nibs and mint leaves.

Spiced Cacao Truffles Stuffed with Orange Cream

These decadent treats have a nice balance of flavors and nutrients. They are an excellent source of calcium. The truffles should be served semi soft, at the temperature of refrigeration. They can last for weeks in the freezer… if you don’t devour them immediately.

Cacao Truffle:
1 cup cashews
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup cacao powder
1 t. vanilla extract or 1/4 t. vanilla beans
1 T. nama shoyu

Orange Cream:
1/4 cup raw tahini
3 T. agave nectar
1 T. orange zest
2 T. orange juice
1/2 t. sea salt

Five-Spice Mix:
1 T. powdered star anise
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. powdered clove
1 T. powdered fennel seed
1 t. powdered hot chili

In a food processor, grind the cashews until they become nut butter. Add the remaining truffle ingredients and combine until smooth. Chill the cacao mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 an hour.

Process the orange cream ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Place small round lumps of the filling onto a tray and allow them to firm in the freezer for at least 45 minutes. Remove the cacao truffle material and the orange filling from refrigeration. Roll each lump of filling in your hand to make them smooth and round. Flatten out a tablespoon of cacao material, place a lump of filling into it, and roll the package closed into a ball. Roll each ball in the five-spice and allow the truffles to set up in the freezer for at least 1/2 an hour.

Thai Coconut Soup

Makes about 1 quart

2 young Thai coconuts
1 medium sized tomato
3 T. minced fresh basil
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
1-1/2 t. minced fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T. agave nectar
2 inches lemongrass, minced (optional)
1/2 small red chili or 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
3 T. nama shoyu
4 t. yellow curry powder
1 T. brown mustard seeds

Open the young coconuts and pour their water into a blender. Cut the coconuts in half and using a spoon, add the coconut meat to the blender. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the mustard seeds. Blend until smooth. Add the mustard seeds and pulse briefly to combine. Serve the soup in a warmed bowl at room temperature or slightly above.

Thai Curried Coconut Soup

Makes one quart

2 young Thai coconuts
1/2 cup soaked cashew nuts
1 stalk celery
1 medium sized tomato
1 clove of garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1 inch sliced leek
3 T. red miso
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 T. agave nectar
1 T. lime juice
2 T. Nama Shoyu
3 T. flax oil
2 cups filtered water
3 thinly sliced scallions
2 t. brown or black mustard seeds

Open the coconuts with a heavy sharp knife. Drain the liquid into a measuring cup. Crack the coconuts in half. Add the meat of one of the coconuts into a blender. Score the other coconutÕs meat into thin strips and spoon the strips into a small bowl. Add two cups of the coconut water and all remaining ingredients accept the water, scallions, and mustard seeds to the blender. Blend the soup base until completely smooth. Add as much of the remaining water (or if you have left over coconut water, you can use that) to reach the desired consistency. Add the scallions and mustard seeds and pulse the blender once or twice to evenly distribute (but not obliterate) the seeds and scallions. Serve the soup in a warmed bowl by filling your bowl or cup with boiling water and draining it first before adding the soup.