Thai Spring Salad

This is a beautiful spicy thai salad. A great side to a beef or chicken stir fry, thai greens or rice paper rolls. 

Ingredients
1/2 purple cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 bunch of mint
1/2 bunch of thai basil 
1 small chilli 
Sesame seeds

Dressing 
3 tsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
A dash of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
1. Chop all veggies into desired pieces. I choose julienne carrots because I like the crunch.
2. In a separate small bowl add dressing ingredients and mix well.
3. Add dressing to salad and wholah you have a beautiful salad. 

How to Make Tea

 Lavender : Traditionally used to calm the nervous system, relieve headache muscular tension and anxiety. It is considered a sedative, calming, digestion enhancing and uplifting herb.

Chamomile : It settles digestion, nervous system and soothes mental and physically inability. 

 I love the idea of making your own tea blend it is so therapeutic and a nice way to get to know your herbs and try new flavours . This is a beautiful blend of lavender and chamomile flowers. It is specific for stress, anxiety and calming the nervous system. 

 Once you have combined the tea put on a medium heat for about 10 mins.

 Strain through a strainer

 Pour into cup and enjoy the calming tea blend

Also I am now on tumblr check it out here tandspice,tumblr 

Wild Breakfast

This breakfast is a fantastic way to use wild rice. It is nutritious and will keep you full throughout the day. How great is having breakfast that is this colour? What a fabulous way to get your day started especially on a cold rainy day.

Ingredients

1/4 cup wild rice

1/2 cup brown rice

Cinnamon

Pomegranate seeds

Fresh coconut cream
Raw honey

1 vinilla pod (or vanilla essence)

Method

1. Soak brown rice overnight in a medium bowl.
2.In a medium pot add rice,cinnamon, coconut cream, honey and vinilla. Leave on a medium heat so not to damage delicate nutrients.
3. Stir occasionally so not to burn, cook for 15 minutes or till rice has cooked.
4. Pour into a bowl adding pomegranate seeds and cinnamon on top. You can add yogurt for a complete meal.

Sweet Almond Milk

Ingredients

I cup of almonds

2 cups of water (double the ratio if you want to make more)

1 whole vanilla bean or a dash of vinilla extract

1 tsp of honey or agave nectar

Cheese cloth

Directions

1. Soak the almonds in water overnight
2. Drain the almonds and rinse well to get rid of phytic acid
3. Add water, almonds, vanilla bean and honey into a blender. Blend till well combined. Taste and add sweetener or water depending on what you like.
4. Spread the cheese cloth over a large bowl and secure with an elastic band. Strain the mixture through. Once you have poured all the mixture in, take the cheese cloth and squeeze with your hands making sure to get every last drop.
5. Drink almond milk straight or add to your favourite smoothie.You can then use that extra pulp for nut butter or sprinkle on your porridge. 

Chocolate Treat

A desert recipe that is not only guilt free but is actually good for you? You thought it could never happen but here it is, the most delicious treat you will ever have. You can change the type of fruit that you add to this to suit your own taste. The best thing about it that it does not take any time at all to prepare or make. This means you can serve those hungry mouths at a drop of a hat. 

Chocolate has gone back and forth in the media trying to determine if it good for you or not. And as many other things it largely has to do with its processing. The cocoa bean has so many benefits but processed "chocolate" is full of chemicals and all sorts of nasties. The chocolate that is pre packaged is so far removed from its original bean that its hard to put them in the same category. There is plenty of raw chocolates available now which have not been heated and do not contain copious amount of sugar.  

Here is a list of raw chocolate companies I recommend 

Loving Earth raw chocolate bars are my favourite they have the most amazing chocolate plus all there products are raw and taste delicious.

Conscious chocolate is gluten, dairy and soy free and complete raw.

Cocolo chocolate is a beautiful Australian based company and they sell at most health food and deli stores.

Mast Brothers hand crafted chocolate made and packaged locally in brooklyn.

Benefits of cocoa

 Cocoa contains a substance called phenylethylamine a feel good chemical that is the same chemical that is released when you fall in love. This is great if you need a mood booster.

High in magnesium which helps regulate moods and keep your stress levels down as well as helping with PMS symptoms.

Boost your energy levels due to a substance called Theobromine that gives you a natural lift without the lows of other stimulants.

Help your heart! Recent studies have shown that it can help with your cardiovascular system such as lowing blood pressure and reducing cholesterol.

Cocoa also contains substantial amount of protein to this is good for cell repair.

Ingredients

2 tsp of cocoa

1 handful of blackberries (fresh or frozen)

5 pitted dates

2 avocados

Method

1. Make sure that the dates do not have any seeds even when you buy pitted dates on the odd occasion they will still be there. So it's best to be on the safe side.

2. Mix all ingredients in a blender till smooth. You can use a hand blender if you do not have one.

3. Garnish with blackberries. 

Dutch Carrots with Turmeric Paste

These delightful carrots I picked up from the health food shop a couple of days ago. They are so pleasant on the eye and to keep up with the yellow feel I decided to couple them with turmeric paste. This is a perfect snack of great addition to a green salad.

If you don't already know turmeric is a true " superfood" and although I don't like to use that term this really is. It has been used in Indian and Asian cooking for centuries. It's properties have been well document and used in aurvedic medicine to treat a host alignments. The biggest healing property is it's anti-inflamtory affect it has on the body. As our society becomes more toxic our body is in a constant state of inflamation. That is caused by alcohol, sugar, wheat, gluten, even tomatoes have an inflamtory effect on the body. While in small quantities have not a big effect on the body an overload can cause series health concerns. Inflamation has now been linked to heart problems, obesity, diabetes, arthritis and now even cancer. So adding a little tumeric into your life will help heal and repair. A curry is a great way to add all those beautiful anti-inflamatory herbs. There is a reason why indians despite being one of the poorest country's in the world are one of the healthiest. 

Ingredients
1 bunch of yellow dutch carrots
2 tsp of turmeric
1 small chilli
1 garlic
A few pepper corns
Olive oil
Rock salt

Method
1. With a water and pestle add spices and garlic and mash till you have a paste.
2. Chop heads and tails of carrots and chop in half if you have some larger ones.
3. In a separate bowl mix in the carrots and paste well so that everyone part of the carrots are covered.
4. Bake in a small baking tray for 25 minutes or till nice and soft.

Raw Berry Compote

 If you have not noticed yet I LOVE coconut. I have a slight obession that is bodering on crazy. I would have it with everything if I could. This desert is coconutty, beautiful and complety guilt free. I addedd all these ingredients together the other day when I felt like somthing sweet and I am telling you know it will satisfy your sweet tooth. If you wanted to you you could add a date or two to sweeten even more but I dont think it needs it.

Ingredients
1/2 cup of berries

The flesh of one coconut or 1/2 can of coconut cream

2 tsp of honey or agave nectar

Shredded coconut

Shredded coconut and honey to garnish

Blend together till smooth and there you have it!

Broccoli Salad

Summer is well on it’s way! The flowers have bloomed, the sun is shining and the new seasons produce is out and about. It is now time to introduce more raw food to encourage your body’s natural cleaning process.

Broccoli is in season and its beautiful green florets are a perfect for eating raw, steamed or baked. Broccoli is one of the vegetables included in the “dirty dozen” so make sure it is organic to avoid toxic chemical exposure. 

Why you should eat broccoli:

• Broccoli is from the Brassica family that includes kale, cauliflower and cabbage; known for their anti cancer properties.
• Contains chlorophyll the substance that gives plants their green colour, a powerful substance that helps clear your liver as well as having many other amazing benefits.
• Helps with your bodies own detoxification system by activating detoxification enzymes in your system.
• Broccoli also has anti-inflammatory properties.

  Raw Broccoli Salad

1 bunch of broccoli

½ onion (either Spanish or white)

Black and white toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

2 tsp of tamari

1 tsp of olive oil

2 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp brown rice vinegar

1 tsp of raw honey

Method

1. Break the broccoli into tiny florets
2. Chop the onion into very small pieces
3. Toss together with sesame seeds
4. Mix the dressing together in a small bowl and pour over the salad
5. Garnish with sesame seeds

Soak Your Beans!

Another recipe from the farm, I picked these wonderful small carrots and garlic shoots, it was cold so I made a lovely stew. I used a combinations of beans, this way you get a full spectrum of nutrients and a complete protein. Legumes are very beneficial to our health but they have to be prepared properly to receive the full benefits. When beans are not prepared properly not only do they cause series amounts of gas they can also be very damaging.

Soak your beans

People of the past used nuts,seeds and grains in smaller amounts and knew how to prepare them properly. Now with mass production of food we have lost the knowledge and thus have endured a range of health issues. Why is soaking your beans important? It stops the anti nutrients in beans that prevent the absorption of the vitamins and trace minerals. Soaking starts the breakdown process allowing the beans to be better absorbed by the body. When soaking add a little vinegar, lemon or yogurt this aids in neutralising enzyme inhibitors. Depending on the bean you should soak  them for between 10 - 24 hours. This mix I used I soaked for 24 hours but something like lentils will take about 12 to soak. Legumes that have beans soaked usually cook quicker have more nutrients and have a fuller flavour. This small step will take no time at all as is very powerful one.

Ingredients
1 cup of mixed beans (barley, yellow split peas, green split peas, white beans, kidney beans,lentils and black eyed peas or any packet of mixed beans)
1 onion finely chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 garlic shoot
1 sweet potato chopped
3 stalks of kale
1/2 jar of tomato puree
1 tsp of dried chillie
1/2 bunch of coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Soak beans overnight in a squeeze of lemon.
2. When ready to cook turn a medium pot into high and through in garlic and onions, simmer for 5 mins.
3. Add vegetables and herbs and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Add beans and stir the mixture together. Add in the tomato puree and water or vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
5. You should simmer the stew for an hour, or til the vegetables and tender and the beans are soft to touch.
6. When it is ready tear of a couple of stalks of kale and place in the bowl. Pour the mixture over the top so you slightly wilt them without overcooking it.
7. Sprinkle freshly chopped coriander to garnish.

Paleo Chocolate Cake

Eggs, eggs and more eggs! I have been eating so many up at the farm that I almost turned into one. The chickens were producing so many that I did not know what to do with them all. I found this recipe and fell in love. It's naturally gluten free, free from grains and guilt free. When choosing gluten free, make sure you are educated about it and don't get caught up in the media hype. As mush as gluten is not an essential part of our diets neither are processed foods. Just because something says "gluten free" on the packet does not make it automatically healthier for you. The same advice applies, read the labels and always check for any nasties and sugar. Coconut flour is a great substitues for other gluten free flours because it does not spike your blood sugar levels and had a higher protein content. It has been less processed and still retains many of coconuts health benefits. Not only that it taste amazing, get your hands on some as it's such a handy alternative!

Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup organic cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
3 chicken eggs and 3 duck eggs (6 chicken eggs would be fine to)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (more for greasing pans)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 natural cane sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Baking paper for lining cake pans

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Grease cake pan and line the bottom with baking paper.
Combine coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Whisk the eggs, either by hand or with a hand mixer.
Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract in with the eggs. Make sure it is well combined.
Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together. If using a hand mixer, mix on a low speed for about 30 seconds. Otherwise mix with a whisk for about a minute or till it is light an fluffy.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and cook for 30 minutes. You will know it's ready when you put a tooth pick in and it comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes or if your anything like me start cutting up as soon as it gets out because you can't wait anymore. 

Chia Pudding

If you haven't heard of chia seeds you are seriously missing out. These beautiful little seeds come from the aztecs and have been used for hundreds of years for their healing qualities. This recipe is super easy. I love how you can just spend a minute making this at night; and you have the most perfect breakfast that is plant-based, raw and extremely good for you. Here a few benefits of chia seeds:

• They are very high in omega 3 fatty acids which is the same substance thats in fish that helps with brain function. Being that omega 3's are a lot harder to come by then omega 6's this is a very very good thing. 
• Chia seeds are also high in calcium. This is a plant based form of calcium for all those who are lactose intolerant.
• High in protein, containing almost all the amino acids needed to sustain you
• When you soak chia seeds you create a gelatinous texture around the seed. This is the same thing that happens in your gut. So it soothes your gut lining, making it easier for food to pass and break down. It is also great for breaking down carbohydrates making it perfect for weight loss.

Ingredients

 1/2 cup of chia seeds

1/2 cup of coconut cream

Method

Add the chia seeds and coconut cream into a bowl or cup and stir vigorously till well combined.

Make sure there are no clumps of chia seeds in the mixture.

Put in the fridge and let it soak overnight.
And there it is - the easiest breakfast ever.
If you want you can add some yogurt or nuts and seeds on top.