My nephews love smoothies.  I got them hooked last summer and we would regularly make smoothies when we were together at the cottage.  I’d pull out the blender and let them go wild with the ingredients.

Enjoy one of Chef Matthew’s creations!  Nothing like enjoying a nice smoothie on a hot summer day.

Mango Surprise Smoothie

Kitchen Table Talk…

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Today’s raw Christmas cookie requires a bit more work. I thought I had it a little too easy these past few days.  It’s still quite a bit less work than making the cooked counterpart so you’ll have plenty of time to whip this up as a last minute treat on your Christmas table. Enjoy! This recipe is courtest of Kristen Suzanne. You can find more great recipes at http://www.kristensraw.blogspot.com/

Capri Lemon Chocolate Bars
Kristen Suzanne of Kristen’s Raw

Bars:
2 cups raw macadamia nuts
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 tablespoons raw agave nectar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 whole dates, pitted, soaked 1 hour, drained
1/2 cup dried apple, soaked 1 hour, drained

Frosting:
8 whole dates, pitted, soaked 1 hour (reserve “soak water”)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons “soak water”
3 tablespoons raw chocolate or carob*
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 cup coconut oil

For the bars: Process the nuts in a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, until coarsely ground. Add the lemon extract, agave, lemon juice, and process to mix. Add the dates and dried apple and process until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Press (or spread) the mixture into the bottom of the glass baking dish. Place in the freezer while you make the frosting.

For the frosting: Blend all of the ingredients together (don’t worry about blending the macadamia nuts until entirely smooth if you don’t want; they can add a nice texture to the frosting). Spread on top of the bars. Place in the freezer for about an hour. After they “set” you can store them in the refrigerator (up to 5 days) or in the freezer (up to 6 months).

I don’t remember my mum making minestrone when I was growing up but I do remember a very close friend of the family making the best soups and minestrone was always one of my favorites. The temperature dipped below freezing today and i needed a good hearty soup to warm me up so I decided to whip up a batch of minestrone. In true Accidental Chef fashion, I made the recipe up as I went along. I used gluten-free macaroni noodles for the pasta (made out of rice flour) that added a nice richness to the broth. When Romana makes the soup, she soaks the dry pasta in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes before adding the pasta (minus the soak water) to the pot.

Minestrone Soup

1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 small can tomato paste (I didn’t have any so I used tomato soup instead)
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 whole zucchini, sliced
1 cup cooked beans (I used Romano beans)
1 cup macaroni pasta (I used gluten-free), uncooked
1 cup spinach
8 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot on medium. Add garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Saute until the onions are soft.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, spinach, zucchini and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients except parsley, cook until pasta is done to taste.

Add parsley a minute before serving.

Accidental Chef’s Note: There is no end to the variations of this soup. You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to make this a vegetarian meal. You can add tiny meatballs. You can even use rice instead of pasta and any variety of vegetables. Feel free to experiment!

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.

I’m back with another raw Christmas cookie recipe from the FREE 12-Days of Christmas Cookie mini-course. Today’s treat is Almond Crunch Bars. I was at my nephew’s birthday party this evening so I didn’t have time to try the recipe so you’ll need to give it a try and let me know if they’re as yummy as they sound. If you don’t have access to a dehydrator (and several recipes in the collection need dehydrating) you can use your oven on the lowest temperature setting and leave the door slightly ajar or even just place the cookies in your oven and turn on the oven light. The oven light generates enough heat to do the trick… and saves on your electrical bill.

Almond Crunch Bars

1 cup almond pulp
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup other seeds or chopped nuts (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, walnuts etc.)
1 large banana

Blend banana with the almond pulp. Stir in nuts and seeds. Spread on teflex sheet and score in bars. The banana supplies the sweet taste to these cookies.

I went out to dinner with my friend Michael last night and we were talking food glorious food. Michael is a rare breed, at least in my circle of friends, in that he can cook. We were talking about pasta and he mentioned a new pasta that he has seen that absorbs more pasta sauce than other brands due to the way it’s been cut. While I can’t remember the name of the pasta (it wasn’t gluten-free so it didn’t register in my memory banks), it did give me a craving which could only be satisfied with a big billowing bowl of pasta for dinner this evening. Of course, no pasta is complete without a great tomato sauce recipe so I will share my mama’s recipe for tomato sauce. Mine still doesn’t taste as good even though I have the exact same recipe.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine

Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. My mum used to use a pot and triple the recipe as we’re a family of seven but a skillet will do. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.

Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for garlic for 30 seconds until it starts to give off an aroma. Add the tomatoes. Add the tomato paste, wine and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered until thickened, about 45 minutes. You can serve as is or pop into a blender and give it a whiz to give it a smooth consistency.

I love chili! The hotter, the better. It’s an taste addiction that I inherited from one of my favorite bosses, Bill. He was my first job fresh out of University and was like a father to me. We would compete for who could take it spicier! His wife introduced me to the best chili I’ve ever tasted. She would occasionally bring food for us at the office and her chili quickly became a recipe I just had to master. She said the recipe came to her by accident: she reached into the cupboard and pulled out the wrong spice… and her 5 alarm chili was born (the secret spice was cumin!).

5 Alarm Chili

2 pounds ground beef
28 ounce can diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
19 ounce can red kidney beans
6 tablespoons ground chili pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Brown meat in large saucepan. Add diced tomatoes. Mix well. Stir in all spices, and simmer on low heat for about an hour. Add kidney beans and simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar.

Here’s another healthy alternative to your Christmas cookie indulgence: Apple Blossoms. I can honestly say that the first email I look for daily is the FREE 12-Days of Christmas Cookie mini-course. Today’s recipe is extra special to me as my pet name for one of my dearest friends is Apple Blossom.

Apple Blossoms

2 cups soaked quinoa
1 whole apple, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (more if you really like cinnamon)
1 teaspoon raw honey

Mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on to flex tray. Dehydrate until soft cookie or longer if you like a crunchy cookie. If you leave a bit of the apple peel (best if organic) you have a really pretty cookie for your dessert tray!

Healthy and yummy!!

I just can’t help myself! Another tasty recipe from those yummy Divas has got me unbaking up a storm. I’m really popular with my neighbors now. After yesterday’s Tera Bites and today’s Almond Morsels, they are clamoring for more.  Funny how none of them thought to sign up for the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies mini-course themselves

Today’s recipe requires a dehydrator. I haven’t used mine in years but surprisingly still had it. I wonder though if I could set them in the oven at an extremely low temperature (though then I don’t know if they would count as raw anymore) and get the same effect.

This recipe also does double duty as a gluten free cookie recipe.

Doll’s Almond Morsels

2 cups soaked almonds (over night)
handful of dried cranberries
¼ cup finely chopped dates

Blend almonds with water to make almond milk (save milk for something delicious). Take the almond pulp add enough date water to make a firm paste.  Add the dried cranberries and chopped dates.  Drop by spoonfuls on to flex tray.  Dehydrate until soft cookie consistency or longer if you like a crunchy cookie.

The Raw Divas have started sending me their delicious raw cookie recipes. The first day of Christmas brought this wonderful treat. The ingredients look so yummy I just had to run out and get them (I was out of dates) to whip up a batch. You can sign up for the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies mini-course yourself as I may be too busy in the kitchen to post them regularly. The best part is, they also qualify as gluten free.

Tera Bites

1 cup dates
2 tablespoons coconut butter
3 tablespoons raw cacao
1 tablespoon orange juice

Blend all together in a food processor or blender.  Roll into bite sized pieces. Refrigerate!

Notes from Tera: The more you blend them the smoother they become.  I have put the whole amount on a piece of waxed paper and formed a square, scored in squares and cut as fudge.