Exotic, Energizing Smoothie

A little 'off the beaten track' but worth the effort:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (soaked a couple hours of over night)
1/2 cup wolfberries (soaked 5 to 10 minutes)
4 - 6 dates (pitted and soaked 5 to 10 minutes, dried) or 1/4 cup agave
2 cups water
3 Tablespoons dandelion leaves (or a small handful of fresh young dandelion leaves)
1 teaspoon ho sho wu (fo ti), ground
1 teaspoon dulse

Place all ingredients in your VitaMix or high speed blender and whir until liquid.

Summertime Peach Cobbler without heating up the kitchen

In the summertime, I like to make dishes that don't heat up the kitchen, so here is a raw peach cobbler:

Serves 6-8

Filling:
4 fresh organic peaches, with seeds removed, sliced thin
1/2 C fresh dates, pitted or figs (for extra calcium)
1/2 C fresh pineapple chunks
2 T honey or agave nectar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground ginger or 2 T. crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt or 1 tsp. dulse

Topping:
1 1/2 C pecans
1 T coconut butter
1/4 C fresh dates, pitted or figs (for extra calcium)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of sea salt or 1 tsp. dulse

Preparation:
Place sliced peaches in a medium-sized bowl (or mix directly in your cobbler pan) and set to one side. Process remaining filling ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour over peaches and gently toss to coat well. Place mixture in cobbler dish.

To make the topping, place all topping ingredients in a food processor and blend until well-combined, with the nuts finely chopped. Sprinkle over peaches and enjoy!

Carrot and Ginger Soup

This is a hearty warming soup, filled with vitamin A and herbs which will prepare your respiratory system for exposure to colds and flu. It has a subtle curry flavor.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. curry powder
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 Tbs. fenugreek seed, ground
1 Tbs. coriander seed, ground
8 - 10 cardamom pods, ground
1 Tbs. kelp or dulse
1 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
6 cups soup stock or water
1 Tbs. miso for each serving
1/4 cup milk, nut milk, or cream for each serving (optional)


In the bottom of the soup pot, saute the onion for 3 - 5 minutes until they start to become clear.
Add the spices and sea veggies. Cook a couple minutes longer.
Stir in the carrots (preferably organic - they make a tastier soup), cooking for another 5 minutes.
Add stock and lentils.
Bring almost to a boil, just at the liquid starts to steam.
Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour until the carrots and lentils are quite soft.
Liquify the soup with a hand blender or VitaMix.
Ladle soup into bowls, adding milk, if desired, and a dollop of miso.

Serve with a good hearty pumpernickel bread or whole wheat crackers.

Apple, Date, Cinnamon Cookies

My son and I made these this afternoon to send to my children who will not be able to be with us for Christmas.

They are very moist and delicate cookies will a low sugar content.

This recipe makes about a dozen cookies.

Mix together in a large bowl:
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1/2 cup dates, soaked, pitted, and chopped

Beat together in separate bowl:
1 Tablespoon oil or melted butter (I used sesame oil)
2 Tablespoons honey or agave
1 egg

Stir together in a small bowl:
2 Tablespoons garbanzo flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon kelp or dulse
1/4 teaspoon green stevia powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Mix wet ingredients into apple, date mixture. Stir in dry ingredients thoroughly.

Drop by Tablespoon fulls on well greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper as they do stick on the edges).

Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 - 22 minutes, until edges start to brown.

Let cool completely before trying to remove from baking sheet.