Raw Pumpkin Seed Butter

 

I’m pretty new to nut and seed butters available in the US. Until a couple of years ago, I’d only tried peanut butter – the others simply weren’t available in the UK.

I’ve now made my own peanut, cashew, almond and coconut butter. I wanted to sample sunbutter (from sunflower seeds) and cheated, by buying it from PCC at $6.99 for an organic jar. It just reminds me not to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach! When I do, I can easily add $40 onto my bill! Anyhow, when I got home, I ripped the jar open and

Read Full Post »

Raw Chocolate Cheesecake

 

Raw-food purists would never call this raw, as it has cashews in it. So to call this raw, isn’t entirely true – alas…

Although raw, by definition is also vegan – I would like to point this out to people who aren’t huge raw-food fans, like myself. So, not only is this cheesecake raw, it’s also vegan and has no processed sugars in it. You can of course sweeten it with agave nectar or maple syrup, but this will no longer make this cheesecake “raw”. 

A plus side to this vegan cheesecake is that it’s soy-free, guar and xanthan gum free – whooo! 

Read Full Post »

Raw Raspberry & Chocolate Fudge Cake

 

Who would think that a cake that was vegan, gluten-free and raw could taste so darn good? Well, believe me, it does!

It’s also packed full of goodies, such as omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, monounsaturated fats, dietary fiber and more. 

This cake is definitely not low-calorie, but if you compare the nutritional value and health benefits of eating this cake compared to that of a conventional cake made from refined flour, sugar, fat and eggs, this cake wins hands-down every time. 

Read Full Post »

Bean-Free Sun-Dried Tomato “Hummus”

 

A hummus with no beans I hear you cry. Am I mad? Probably – but I’m not mad for making this no-bean hummus. If you try it, I promise I won’t call you mad – just let me know how much you enjoyed it. 

It’s smooth, slightly sweet and garlicky, yet being light and fresh at the same time. I had to stop myself eating the whole batch with carrot sticks when I whipped up this batch! Hmm… I wonder what’s going to feature in J’s packed lunch tomorrow…

Read Full Post »

Coconut Butter

 

Coconuts and coconut oil have had its fair share of bad press in the last few decades. It’s still a common misconception that the saturated fat in coconut oil raises cholesterol.

There are no scientific studies which have been published, that indicate the consumption of coconut oil increases blood cholesterol or leads to heart disease. There have however, been numerous reports [1-6] that have shown that coconut oil cannot be held responsible for the development of coronary heart disease. Other studies have pin-pointed populations that regularly consume coconuts, such as Polynesia and Sri Lanka and show that “dietary coconut oil does not lead to high serum cholesterol nor to high coronary heart disease mortality or morbidity” [7-9].

Read Full Post »