I have released four recipe books so far:

The Best of the Sunny Raw Kitchen
The Best of Raw Freedom Community
Delightfully Raw and
Deliciously Raw

These feature some of the most delectable creations to have come out of my raw kitchen and will appeal to anyone interested in a healthier diet, regardless of their level of knowledge and experience. From easy one-step everyday fare to more elaborate and involved gourmet dishes and layered cakes, they offer something for everyone and every occasion. Incredibly tasty smoothies, creamy and comforting warm soups, sexy salads, delicious nut cheezes, satisfying entrees and scrumptious guilt-free desserts...

Healthy food never tasted so good!

To learn more about my recipe books, click here!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Raw in a Flash Video: Almonnaise

 

It's been quite a challenging week for us. For one thing the weather has really turned and we can feel the undeniable promise of winter coming. In our case this means we have to get ready to move, as we won't be able to stay comfortably in the trailer where we are for much longer than another 5 or 6 weeks. My fingers are actually so stiff from the cold that I'm having a hard time typing right now. Brrr! Anyhoo, as always, transitions are not an easy time. We still haven't got a clear sense of what The Mystery has in store for us next and are doing our best to try to decipher the omens.

Also my laptop is seriously sick. We suspect that the logic board or the video card is toast; a costly repair that is probably not worth getting done as the computer will be obsolete in another year or two anyway. It's a major expense we hadn't expected, especially unfortunate right now. In times such as these it can be hard to remember that all will work out for the best in the end. I just wish I could see with greater clarity what is the right course of action.

Anyhoo, difficulties or nay, thankfully I can still take refuge in my sunny raw kitchen and whip up something delicious to brighten up my mood. Today I'm sharing with you a video in which I demo how to make a raw vegan almond-based mayonnaise. We've been making a variation of this recipe for many years. It's sooooooooo creamy, versatile and best of all yummy! It makes a fantastic dip for veggies, condiment for sammies (try it on a piece of onion bread with a slice of tomato and some sprouts!) or even dressing (just thin it with a little water).



Almonnaise
From Carmella's Delightfully Raw

1/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water (put 2 ice cubes in the water)
1 1/2 tsp raw agave or honey
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp herbal seasoning of choice (I like unsalted Spike)
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp yellow mustard powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic
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1 cup cold pressed olive oil
3 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Process first nine ingredients in a high-speed blender such as the Omni V 3HP until smooth. It may take a while to break down all of the almonds but don't lose heart!

With the blender running on low, remove insert in top and drizzle in the oil in a thin stream.

Keep the blender running and add lemon juice and vinegar. Blend on low for a few more seconds to allow mixture to thicken.

For a plain Almonnaise, stop here.

For a Herbed Almonnaise, now add:
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried dill
1 small green onion, minced

Blend briefly, only to incorporate.

Refrigerate in an airtight container. It will keep for about 10 days.

Carmella's Notes:
~ The purpose of the ice cubes is to help thicken the mixture. If the almonnaise seems runny after adding the oil, add in an ice cube or two to help thicken it up again. Bear in mind that it will also thicken once refrigerated.

~ If you don't have almonds already soaked, you can also use dry almonds. Just make sure to powder them up in a coffee grinder or in the blender first before adding the rest of the ingredients.

~ For a lighter almonnaise you can replace half of the olive oil with 1/2 cup Irish moss paste. To make Irish moss paste, blend 1/2 cup packed soaked Irish moss with 1 cup water until completely broken down.

~ Don't hesitate to make your own herb blend by using your favorite dried or fresh herbs!

Omni V 3 HP
You can learn more about the Omni 3HP blender on this page.

 You can visit Omni's website directly by clicking on the banner below.



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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Raw Radiance Special Announcement


As you probably already know my friend Ulla and I will be conducting a Raw Radiance Retreat from Thursday Sept 20 to Sunday Sept 23, 2012 in the magical Slocan Valley in British Columbia. Maybe you'd like to join us but don't feel you can get away for the entire duration of the Retreat. Or perhaps you live in the vicinity and won't be needing accommodation. If that's the case then I've got some great news for you!

We now offer you the possibility of participating for one, two or three days, with or without accommodation. Find out more details here.

P.S. You can also contact me for a detailed timetable to help you decide when you'd like to join us!

Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Raw in a Flash Video: Cucumber Dill Soup

The weather has started to cool off noticeably since September has arrived. It's as though Autumn is suddenly in the air. I was hoping for an extra month of heat since Summer was so late but I guess that was wishful thinking. *sigh*

Anyhoo, I've got just the perfect recipe, whether you're tucked away in a warm corner of the globe or getting ready to bunker up for the cold months! It's no big secret that Don and I are huge fans of raw soups. We've been starting off our dinners with them for years
and years.

Just Like Campbell's Tomato Soup
For us, soups are the perfect healthy savory fast food; just chop everything and dump it in the blender with some water, exactly like for a fruit smoothie but with vegetables instead. A fantastic way to consume lots of fresh veggies with minimal preparation!

Here's a wonderfully alkalizing and refreshing soup that is a major staple for us. We make a variation of it at least a couple of times a week. We're partial to warm soups - they're sooooo comforting! - so we like to use hot water for a lovely lukewarm mixture, but I'm sure it would also be awesome served cold.

"What? Hot water!?! Doesn't it cook the soup?," you wonder? No need to worry, there's a trick to insure that your soup retains all of its nutritional value and precious enzymes in the process. See, because the veggies are usually coming straight out of the fridge, once combined with hot water we've found that the soup comes to the perfect lukewarm temperature. It does require a little practice, however, as the density and temp of your ingredients will affect the amount of hot water that you need. For instance a tomato soup will require less hot water than a zucchini or celery soup. It sounds complicated but, really, you get the hang of it very quickly. The key is to start off with a small amount of hot water at first, run the blender for a few seconds in order to pulverize everything, then adjust the temperature by adding more hot or cold water, depending on what's needed, in order to reach the consistency that you'd like.

Another option would be to use cold water and then very gently - and meditatively! ;-) - warm the soup up on the stove on low while stirring constantly, so as not to cook the enzymes touching the bottom of the pan.




Cucumber Dill Soup
From Carmella's Delightfully Raw 

Serves 2

1/2 medium avocado
2 cups lettuce, packed (optional)
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped cucumber
1⁄4 cup parsley
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 green onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon light miso
Salt, to taste
Water, until the desired consistency is reached
---
 1⁄4 cup fresh chopped dill

Blend all ingredients except fresh dill in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.

Add dill and process briefly only to incorporate.

If desired, break up seaweed, such as a sheet of nori into your soup bowl for extra traced minerals. Just make sure to omit salt in the recipe!

P.S. If I've gotten you curious about raw soups, hop over to my Recipe Index where I must have close to a hundred more yummy soup ideas!

P.P.S. You can learn more about the Omni 3HP blender on this page or visit Omni's website directly here.

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My Other Omni Contest Videos