Ginger Green Juice

I woke up this morning not feeling my usual self so I drank 1L of alkaline water, 2 cups of dandelion root tea and one of those fizzy green spicy juices below. This juice has many health benefits, especially in boosting the immune system. Within an hour of drinking this juice I felt a burst of energy. Now I'm not a fan of ginger, but by combing it with the green apple it was much easier to swallow. 

What you Need:

Juicer & Blender

1/4 Ginger Root

2 Broccoli Stalks

1 Green Apple

1/4 tsp Chlorella

1/4 tsp Spirulina

1/4 tsp Barley Grass

1 Kiwi

1 Banana

1 cup Spinach

1/2 tsp Raw Agave

1/4 cup Alkaline Water

What to Do:

First juice the ginger root, apple, kiwi and broccoli stalk. Add to blender, then combine spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, agave and water. 

Ginger Root - Ginger root is anti-viral and works successfully due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties by boosting the immune system. Ginger has been found to be quite effective in cleansing the system of toxins. 
Spinach - Just one cup of these greens contains over 337% of the RDA of vitamin A that protect and strengthens the human body, such as mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts, but is also a key component of lymphocytes (or white blood cells) that fight infection. http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/11-health-benefits-of-spinach.html
Broccoli Stalk - Before throwing those broccoli stalks away consider juicing them. They contain high amounts of vitamin C, aiding iron absorption in the body and ease symptoms of the common cold. The health benefits of broccoli have been linked to preventing and controlling the following medical concerns: Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, calcium deficiencies, stomach and colon cancer, malignant tumors, lung cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even the aging process. http://healthfood-guide.com/HealthBenefitsOfBroccoli.aspx

Brazilian Nut Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

For those of you who haven't tried brazilian nuts before then I really suggest you do!! They have a light nutty taste and are high in selenium content making this chunky white nut considered a complete protein. After all, we have to consider nutrient facts since health is such a major priority. These nuts are relatively high in fat, which I don't consider bad but since oil is already added in this recipe I didn't want to over-do it. Adding only two nuts was just enough to top this cake off. Next time I'm thinking about blending them with a vegan cream cheese frosting. Always making myself drool. Anyways, you must try this recipe :)

Be careful of anyone with sticky fingers & a sweet tooth this mix is delicious *guilty of licking the bowl* I couldn't help myself.

Chop up the two brazilian nuts into small enough pieces to sprinkle on top of the cake before it goes into the oven. This took about a minute since the nuts are pretty soft.

What You Need:

3 cups organic spelt flour

1/2 cup blonde coconut sugar

1/2 cup raw blue agave nectar

2 organic bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup organic coconut oil

1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup vanilla almond milk

1/4 teaspoon raw organic apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon organic ground cloves

1/4 cup chocolate chips (dairy, nut and soy-free)

What to Do:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Whisk all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Mash the bananas in a separate bowl with a fork, then add the vanilla, oils, agave, vinegar and milk. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and add chocolate chips. Lightly grease an 8x8 - 2 inch deep pan with coconut oil. Add the mixture to the pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Brazilian Nut Falafel Balls

Falafel balls are very popular in the Middle East, as well as in my house. In Egypt, they actually sale a sandwich called the McFalafel at McDonalds. These balls can be served in pita pockets, on salads or as a main dish. I've pretty much been hooked on falafel balls ever since my boyfriend and I ate at the Maoz Vegetarian in DC. This was my third time making falafel balls and I fell in love with this variation. 

Every other time I would make these I kept feeling like something was missing or the consistency wasn't coming out correctly...which I discovered mashing the chickpeas with a fork instead of using a processor makes it a lot thicker, so be prepared to use just a *little* arm muscle. 

We had just bought these raw brazilian nuts from Wegmans and I thought to myself (just maybe chopping them up in small pieces would give them a nice cripsy texture on the outside) which they did! 

The balls turned out a medium golden color and the seasoning was perfect. We decided to top them off with a creamy avocado instead of the usual tahini (see pic at top). Delicious meal! My boyfriend says that these falafel balls definitely made his list of favorites. 

To make the falafel balls:

1 - 16oz can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon himalayan sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons spelt flour

To make the nut/flour mix:

4 tablespoons of spelt flour

4 brazilian nuts, chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

What to do: 

Make the nut/flour mixture and set aside. Combine all ingredients to make a falafel ball and press chickpeas with a fork until the consistency of the mixture is a thick smooth paste. Roll the mixture into quarter sized falafel balls & roll in the nut/flour mixture. Fry in 2 inches of coconut oil at 350 degrees (or med-high) in a small pan. This only takes about 3 - 5 minutes on both sides. When you have reached a nice golden color the falafel balls are done.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Pie

Avocados in dessert? Who would think that avocados could taste so sweet? Last month my boyfriend and I took a weekend trip to New York City and checked out some amazing vegan restaurants. We are still pretty new to this lifestyle - 8 months and counting!! This one restaurant called the Peacefood Cafe stood out the most to us, because they served raw vegan food. One of the raw choices we made was to get the chocolate avocado mousse pie, which was oh soooo delicious that he has been begging me since to make. Well not really begging me since I wanted it as well. We just needed to find avocados with that perfect ripeness for this recipe. All you need is four ingredients, yes that's ONLY 4, unless you want to make this a non-raw dish and add the spelt pie crust like I did. 

You need four nicely ripe avocados, 1/2 cup organic raw cacao powder, 3/4 cup raw blue agave nectar and 1.5 teaspoon organic almond extract. First puree avocados, then add the remaining ingredients. Smooth until thoroughly blended.

Allow mousse to refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.