VEGAN PESTO

I was away for a week and came back to a forest of basil in my garden!  I made this nutrient-dense pesto with vegans in mind because it is rich in B12, Omega fatty acids and protein.  

Ingredients: 
2c packed fresh basil leaves
5T walnuts
3T hemp seeds
2 large garlic cloves
3T nutritional yeast
1/2t sea salt
1/4t fresh ground pepper 

1T + 1t fresh lemon juice
1/4c + 2T olive oil
2T flax oil

Directions:  
1. Put the basil in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds to reduce the volume.  
2. Add the next 6 ingredients and process until desired consistency is reached.  (I like mine a little chunky.)  
3. Add the lemon juice and oils and pulse for a few more seconds. 

 4. Serve over pasta, as a sandwich or wrap spread or as a pizza sauce.  
5. Store leftovers in a glass jar in the fridge for about a week or store in the freezer for up to 6 months.  Cover the top of your pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to help prevent oxidation.  

MANGO CARDAMON SMOOTHIE

This is my NEW favourite mango smoothie!  

Ingredients: 

1 large mango or 2 small           

2 -3 small oranges

1 cardamom pod

1/2- 1 c fresh raw almond milk, 

soy milk or rice milk

Water

Directions:  
Cut up the mango.*
Peel the oranges and remove the seeds.  I find it easiest to peel oranges with the aid of a spoon.  

Crack open the cardamom seed and discard the shell.  
Put the fruit and the cardamom in your blender (if you don't have a powerful blender you probably need to grind the cardamom seeds before adding them).  Add your choice of milk.  Blend on high adding water to thin if necessary.  

*Ref: http://www.mango.org/how-cut-mango

QUINOA VEGGIE BURGERS (gluten-free)

Ingredients A: 
1 c quinoa, rinsed*
1/2 c long grain brown rice 
1 c chopped red onions
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1 t sea salt
1/4 t fresh ground pepper
3 c water

Ingredients B: 
2 c carrots, shredded 
1 c broccoli stem, peeled and shredded 
1 c dark green leafy greens (eg. kale, spinach, beet greens) chopped finely
2 T ground flax seeds (flax meal)

1/4- 1/2 c chickpea flour

Directions: 
Put the ingredients in list A in a rice cooker and turn on!  Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients in list B (except the flour), put them in a large bowl and mix together.  

When Ingredients A are cooked add them to the bowl of shredded veggies and mix well.  Add 1/4 cup chickpea flour and stir.  Cover and put the mixture in the fridge for 1/2 hour.   

Form balls that are about 6 cm in diameter.  If the ingredients are not forming a ball add some more flour.  Flatten the balls to about 1 cm thick patties.  

Heat a cast iron pan over medium low heat.  Add a small amount of coconut oil.  When hot fry the patties turning when brown.  Serve with tomatoes, mushrooms, pepperocini, hummus and buns for burgers or tortillas for wraps.  

*http://www.3fatchicks.com/5-health-benefits-of-quinoa/

RAINBOW JUICE

Ingredients:  

6-8 medium to large carrots
2-3 medium sized beets
2 grapefruits
2 oranges
2 cups of dark greens (kale, beet greens)
ginger (2 cm slice or to taste)

Directions: 
Wash and remove the stems of the carrots.  Cut the greens off the beets and wash both the roots and greens.  Wash the kale.  
Peel the grapefruits and oranges and remove the seeds.  I find the easiest way to peel citrus fruit is with a spoon!  

Put all the ingredients through your juicer and enjoy!  

This fresh juice is packed with nutrients and is a great after-workout recovery drink!  

BREAKFAST IN THE RAW (for 4)

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups flakes (oat, kamut, spelt or a mixture)

1/4 c unsweetened coconut shreds

2 T  chia seeds

3 T hemp seeds

3 T quinoa flakes

1/2 t ground cinnamon

2 T maple syrup

2 c raw nut milk or soy milk

1-2 c fresh fruit in season

3-4 T raw nuts (optional)

Directions: 
Put all the dry ingredients (except the nuts) in a dish with a lid (I use a pyrex dish).  Stir to mix the dry ingredients.  Add the maple syrup and the milk.  Cover and let sit overnight.  
In a small bowl soak the nuts in enough water to cover.  Soaking the nuts makes them more digestible, increases the availability of nutrients and rinses off some toxins that are normally on the skins of nuts. * 
In the morning, drain the nuts and rinse them a couple of times.   Put some "Breakfast in the Raw" in your cereal bowl and add your nuts and choice of fruit.  Add extra milk if desired.  

This is a nutrient-dense, healthy breakfast that is a great way to start your day!  

*Ref: http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/the-benefits-of-soaking-nuts-and-seeds