We had a family reunion this past weekend.  Forty hungry members of my family were in attendance.  My aunt told me not to bring anything as they had all the food under control but I just couldn’t resist whipping up a batch of coleslaw.  After all, it’s really so easy to make and easy to feed a large group of people with two or three heads of cabbage.  Coleslaw is one of my favorite summer treats though I’ll admit I’m a late convert to this perennial favorite.  Growing up, I hated the stuff… especially the green slimy one that seemed to appear at every Brownie or Girl Guides outing.  My father-in-law makes a coleslaw salad to die for.  Here’s a raw vegan twist on this traditional treat.

Curried Cabbage Salad

1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1/2 head purple cabbage, chopped
2 whole carrots, grated
1/3 cup shredded flaked coconut (be sure it’s raw, if needed)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (if raw, use Nama Shoyu)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon cumin

In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients, making sure cabbage is evenly coated.  If possible, chill for at least an hour and toss thoroughly again before serving.  This will allow all the flavors to mingle and blend.  Variation: Serve with Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing instead of Soy Curry Dressing or substitute vinaigrette for lemon juice.

Kitchen Table Talk…

What’s one of your favorite summer BBQ or picnic recipes?  Do you have a standby recipe that’s easy to whip up in a pinch?  If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

I attended my cousin’s bridal shower yesterday… well my cousin-to-be’s bridal shower

It was a large event held in a banquet hall.  Believe it or not, it’s the first bridal shower I’ve ever attended.  Imagine that!  I didn’t know what to expect.  It was a lovely afternoon.

Inspired by the theme, I came home and let my inner Martha Stewart out and planned a bridal shower luncheon menu for a smaller gathering that caters to someone with my gluten sensitivities.  As the guests at traditional bridal showers are women, I focused on a menu that featured light dishes that are light on the waistline.

Each recipe is gluten-free and is a perfect alternative to a bridal luncheon held in a hall (most do not cater to gluten-free brides).  If you’re planning a larger event, be sure to advise the banquet hall of your sensitivities.  Most are more than willing to work with you to ensure you have a healthy day.

Bridal Shower Luncheon Menu

Brie Stuffed with Peach Preserves

An easy and delicious appetizer to serve while guests arrive and cocktails are served.  Serve with rice crackers.

1 wheel Brie
1 10-ounce jar unsweetened peach puree

Slice the wheel of Brie in half sideways with a large knife and spread a thin layer of peach puree on the bottom half.  Replace the top layer of Brie and present on a large round decorative platter with the slices of French bread or crackers spread out in a circle around the cheese.  Clusters of red or green grapes make a nice decorative touch and compliment the cheese as well.

Wild Rice Salad

This salad is a variation of another salad I make often: the Milestones Salad.  I like adding fresh fruit to my salads and it’s always a hit with my family.  You can save time by making the rice the night before and garnishing with the strawberries and dressing right before serving.  This recipe serves eight so you may need to adjust the quantities as necessary.  This salad is a great choice for those with gluten-allergies or sensitivities.

3 cups water
11/2 cups wild rice
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1 pound strawberries, quartered and then sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

In a medium-large saucepan, boil water over a high heat.  Once boiling add wild rice to the water and return to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 50 minutes or until water is absorbed.  If you have a rice steamer, this recipe works really well with steamed rice.  Allow rice to cool and add oil, orange juice, vinegar, scallions and strawberries.  Toss and serve.

Green Bean Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

Wild rice may not be everyone’s cup of tea.  If the shower is held in the summer (which most are!) then consider offering a refreshing green bean salad as an alternative to the traditional lettuce-based salads on most Bridal Shower menus.  This recipe serves eight so you may need to adjust the quantities as necessary.  This salad is a great choice for those with gluten-allergies or sensitivities.

2 pounds green beans, blanched
2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard
2/3 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup chopped dill

To blanch the beans, place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover and boil until cooked but still crisp.  Drain them in a colander and pour cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly and toss with chopped dill.  Prepare the dressing by blending the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard together.  Toss with green beans and serve.  You may also sprinkle almond slivers or pumpkin seeds on the salad before serving.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Lemon Sauce

My mum used to make this for us regularly, in tiny little bit sized pieces (you could serve it as an appetizer). This recipe calls for using the entire chicken breast so it will serve as an entree. This recipe also serves eight and is gluten-free.

8 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
16 large fresh sage leaves
16 thin prosciutto slices
1 cup plus 4 teaspoons gluten-free all purpose baking flour
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
Splash of dry white wine or, white or red wine vinegar
1 cup warm water
Fresh thyme stems for garnish

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap on work surface.  Using mallet, pound chicken to 1/3-inch thickness.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Place 2 sage leaves on each chicken breast half.  Top each chicken breast with 2 prosciutto slices.  Spread 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour on plate.  Dredge chicken in flour by turning chicken in flour to lightly coat both sides.

Melt butter with oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, prosciutto side down; cook 4 minutes.  Turn chicken over and cook just until cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to platter and cover to keep warm; reserve skillet.

Whisk wine with remaining flour in small bowl.  Add broth and lemon juice to same skillet; bring to boil.  Add wine mixture; whisk until sauce thickens slightly, about 30 seconds.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

Growing up, I always had a salad on the table.  Our dinner’s didn’t vary too much.  It was always the same thing.  Our salad was always radicchio with a red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing.  The only thing that varied was the color of the radicchio.  In the winter it was red, in the summer, green from our vegetable garden.  Here’s a raw spin on this classic dressing.

Raw Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

1 cup first cold pressed olive oil
1/2 cup raw red wine vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons raw agave nectar
1 to 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper

My favorite way of mixing together the ingredients is to put all of them into a mason jar, seal it shut, turn on some fantastic “shaking” music, and shake, shake, shake, senora until well mixed.  Or you can use a large bowl to whisk all of the ingredients together, and then transfer it to a container for storage.  Whatever works for you!  Serve with chopped radicchio salad or your favorite greens.

Well here I am on the other side of Christmas.  Dinner on Christmas Eve was a success!  Fifteen members of my family went home to await the arrival of Santa Claus with full bellies and visions of mincemeat pies dancing in their heads.

I had promised to take pictures… and of course, forgot!  But I can share the menu and some of the recipes (at least for the items I made).

Antipasto

Veggie tray: One of my Christmas platters filled to the brim with bite sized pieces of broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, celery, cucumber, red peppers and grape tomatoes.  I had a small bowl of spinach dip for my sister-in-law who likes to dip her veggies.  The rest of us made do with raw.

Deli plate: The classic staple on my family’s dinner table.  Prosciutto and salami.  I also had a small serving dish with bocconcini and another with olives.

Cheese platter: Another festive platter filled with bite sized pieces of 5 year old aged cheddar, 2 year old aged white cheddar, swiss cheese, parmesan, and brie.  Rice crackers and bread sticks were in handy reach of all the different platters.

Appetizer

Minestrone Soup

BBQ Meatballs (for my nephews)

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 large egg
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Combine ingredients.  Form into 1-inch meatballs.  Brown in skillet.  Drain.  Serve with tomato sauce or barbecue dipping sauce.  Can be made one day ahead and reheated.

Entree

Vegetarian Lasagna courtesy of my sister

Prime Rib Roast

I honestly don’t know how many pounds my prime rib roast weighed.  I know it was 8 bones.  That’s what I asked the butcher for when I went to pick up the cut of meat.  It’s hard to give precise measurements for seasonings but I’ll post the basic quantities for a smaller roast and you can adjust as required.  I let the prime rib rest uncovered in the bottom of my fridge for two days before roasting.  Makes the meat much more tender.

3 pounds beef
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil

Mix seasonings together.  Rinse beef and pat dry.  Rub roast liberally with olive oil.  Pat roast liberally with seasonings.  Insert meat thermometer.  Cook in roasting pan on low heat (200F to 250F) until roast hits internal temperature of 145F.

Sides

Caesar salad

Milestones Salad

My sister-in-law eats at Milestone’s often and always orders this salad.  While I don’t know the real recipe, she said my version is just as good as that in the restaurant.

4 cups mixed baby green salad
12 whole strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup walnut halves, carmelized
1 tablespoon goat cheese
honey dijon dressing, to taste

Mix first four ingredients.  Toss with honey dijon dressing minutes before serving.  Variation: I added a handful of dried cranberries and a handful of sunflower seeds for an extra special treat.

Scallop Potatoes, courtesy of my sister-in-law

Roast Potatoes

Dessert

Believe it or not, people had room left over for dessert.  I spent a few hours in the kitchen the day before our Christmas eve dinner baking up a storm.  Cheesecake, chocolate brownies, macaroons and almond butter cookies.  I also picked up some desserts at the bakery.  I haven’t quite mastered Greek pastries yet and didn’t think this was the year to try LOL

There was also a big fruit platter: strawberries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and pineapple.  As well as a billowing bowl of oranges, apples and pears.

And my nephew got his little hands on the chocolate covered profiteroles and proclaimed them “Soooo good!”

No one went hungry, that’s for sure!  And my parents and brothers left with a week’s worth of leftovers.  I have a fridge full of leftovers too.  Keep an eye out for the leftover recipes LOL

Happy holidays!  I hope you were able to enjoy good food and laughter with family and friends.

As featured in the book Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine by Gabriel Cousens, MD. This is actually a salad dressing, but I have used it as a sauce or dip. I use it often with raw falafels.

2 cups carrots, chopped
2 whole tomatoes
1/3 cup flax oil
1 medium orange
1 teaspoon celtic salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper or cayenne

In a blender, process all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

As many of you know, I don’t have any kids of my own but my life is full of children nonetheless.  I have nephews and nieces whom I adore to bits and because our family is close, I get to enjoy some of the joys of parenting without having to bite the bullet and have my own child.

One of my favorite things to do with the kids is have fun in the kitchen.  My nephews have helped me make several tasty treats.  They’ve both had their hands in the home made pizza dough.  They’ve helped to roll out pasta.  And recently, I’ve managed to get them hooked on smoothies!

I’m always on the lookout for fun recipes I can try with them that are not only delicious, but focus on whole foods and nutrition.  Kids these days get their fill of processed food and junk so when we’re together as a family on weekends, we try to give the kids their fill of home made goodness.

Imagine my delight when I received notice about this new Raw Foods cookbook aimed at kids.  I just couldn’t wait to share the news with you:

Introducing…

Monkey Mike’s Raw Food Kitchen!
The First Ever Un-Cookbook for Kids!

I know from years of experience, that the best way to get kids to eat healthy food is to inspire them and make eating fun.  I smile when I think of all the fun I’ve had in the kitchen with my nephews and step-daughter.  They love helping me in the kitchen and I love the time we get to enjoy together, creating memories that will last a lifetime!

So be sure to grab your copy of Monkey Mike’s Un-Cookbook For Kids today!

I was in University when I first discovered quinoa.  I had a recipe for a quinoa salad that quickly become a favorite to bring to potlucks and a good way for me to eat healthy on a budget!  It’s been years since I’ve made that salad but the recipe is still locked away in my memory banks.  We’ll be having some guests this weekend so I thought I’d dust off the old memory banks and mix up a batch of quinoa salad.  Quinoa is one of the few grains I can still enjoy now that I’m following a gluten-free diet.  Looking forward to the change from rice!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 whole cucumber, diced
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 whole red pepper, diced
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium sauce pan, cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Stir occasionally.  Allow to cool.

Whisk together vinegar, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Toss the quinoa with the remaining ingredients, except the feta.  Pour the olive oil mixture over the quinoa and toss gently.

Add salt and pepper if desired.  Crumble the feta cheese over the salad and serve.

In recent years, I’ve started making my own salad dressings.  Not sure why I started, but I did.  Luckily, I worked with a few raw food experts for a few years and had access to an unlimited supply of recipes and inspiration.  The recipe below was inspired from a recipe in the Healthy Salad Dressings e-book that I helped compile (and features a few of my own recipes).

Mango Dressing

3 whole peeled & chopped mangoes
1/4 cup organic rice vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon finely chopped scallions

Take 1/2 cup of the chopped mangoes and add to a food processor. Reserve the rest of the mangoes to add to the salad later. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor. Whiz away until smooth. Serve over mixed baby greens.

As featured in the Healthy Salad Dressings ebook compiled by Deborah Carraro

This creamy, filling dressing is delicious and much healthier than the old version, and has helped keep my family and friends RAW! A tasty treat for special occasions.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup raw, organic tahini
2-4 Tablespoons cold-pressed, organic flax/hemp or olive oil (optional) OR mashed Avocado
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 inch ginger, grated, optional for added zest!
Celtic sea salt, Nama Shoyu or olives to taste for newbies OR powdered dulse and kelp for black belt Raw Fooders

Blend, stir or shake until mixed.  Use immediately, or store in an air-tight jar for 3 days.  Garnish with a pinch of ground flax seeds for a ‘parmesan cheese’ effect if desired.  Serve with a generous helping of bliss!  Enjoy!

I saw some fresh dandelions in the market recently and was inspired to add them to my salad today.  Yum!  Here is one of my favorite recipes with a perennial favorite: citrus dressing.  The light citrus dressing goes just right with the tangy, bitter taste of the dandelion leaves.  Raw versions can substitute raw olive oil (if you can get it) or an avocado for the olive oil in the recipe.  And best of all, the recipe is gluten-free.

Dandelion Salad with Citrus Dressing

2 cups fresh young dandelion leaves
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh dandelion petals, for garnish

Citrus Dressing:

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil
2 tablespoons flax seed oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon thyme
2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon herbal salt, such as Herbamare or Country Sun
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

In a bowl, blend dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning.  In a large salad bowl, combine dandelion greens, spinach, sprouts, onion and parsley.  Drizzle with enough dressing to coat greens and toss well.  Sprinkle with dandelion petals and serve.