STUFFED NAAN POCKETS

This is one of Nina's favorite things to eat for lunch.

Still in the process of slicing

Guacamole...yummy

Ingredients:

1 Naan bread, lightly warmed in oven for about 2 minutes at 350 degrees

Guacamole:

1/2 red onion, chopped finely
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
2 Haas avocados, chopped  *In Cameroon we call them 'pears' instead of 'avocados'*
1/2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of black pepper
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp Olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stuff into warm naan bread.

Ninashka, my little assistant

This is the black and white version of her year book picture I took. BTW, she makes all her earrings including the one in this photo :)

Remember to EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

The Dirty Dozen

No, we are not talking about a movie here, we are talking about food. Did you know there is a list of foods that are considered 'The dirty dozen'? These are the 12 foods with the most pesticide residue on them, here is the list:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale and Collard Greens

The only way you can save yourself from all these harmful chemicals is to buy them organic. Whole foods stores can be a bit pricey but if you look for farmer's markets around your area you will be amazed at what great deals you can find. Sometimes the difference between buying inorganic and organic at a local farmer's market is just a few cents. I know times are hard and money is tight, believe me I know but I try to buy Organic whenever I can. Shopping at my local farmer's market allows me to support the local farmers who keep bringing us good organic/clean produce.


RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE

Baby Ricky loves his breakfast smoothies

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
2 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup soy milk (vanilla flavored)
2 Tbsp flax meal
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and enjoy.



CUCUMBER SLIDERS

Ingredients:

1 - 2 cucumbers, sliced thinly

Pesto:

1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups fresh basil leaves
Pinch of salt or salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients into a food processor with an 'S' blade and blend till smooth.

ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

In everything ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY and remember to EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

Vegan Veggie Pizza with Gluten-Free Crust

My friend Maureen Lermer and her three children have been on a gluten-free diet for years and I love to feast my eyes on her beautiful food photography. I have been toying with the idea of eating gluten-free myself. When I'm doing all raw of course I am totally gluten-free but when I am making some vegan foods I still incorporate some gluten in my diet. Today I decided to make a vegan veggie pizza with a chickpea crust and the result was DELIGHTFUL!

WHO WANTS PIZZA?

SO FILLING AND NUTRITIOUS I WAS FULL AFTER TWO SLICES

THIN, FLUFFY, GLUTEN-FREE CHICKPEA CRUST

 PIZZA TOPPING

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, sliced into rings
1 zucchini, chopped
1 small Indian egg plant , chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and and let marinade for about 15-20 minutes.

CHICKPEA CRUST:

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour
Dash of salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil

First, add yeast to cup of warm water and mix. Pour mixture into bowl with chickpea flour and salt, mix until smooth and then cover and let stand on kitchen counter for 30 minutes. Uncover and  add olive oil and mix well. Pour into baking pan and place in 450 degree oven. Let bake for 10 minutes. Take out and set aside.

I  decided to use left over mango pesto I had in the fridge for my 'cheese'. Here's the recipe from an old blog entry:

CHEESE: MANGO PESTO

Ingredients

1/2 cup pine nuts
3 cups basil leaves (I used 1 bunch)
2cm ginger root
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup + 2Tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt or salt to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 Tbsp almond butter (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups ripe mango chunks
3 cups of mung beans, rinsed and patted dry

Put all ingredients except the mung beans in a food processor with an 'S' blade and blend until smooth.


ASSEMBLY:


Generously spread mango pesto over crust. Add pizza topping over the pesto and place pizza into the oven for another 5-10 minutes to warm. Serve and enjoy!

Eating healthy is a labor of love just like every worthy thing we have or strive for in our lives. Taking time to prepare your foods makes it very much easy to be grateful and appreciate life and ourselves. If you do try this out I would like to know how you liked it. Next, I will be working on making some vegan condensed milk, yup, you heard right, yummy stuff isn't it? Till then, be safe and ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY.

MY SISTER TOOK THIS PHOTO, I think she did a good job, thanks Gege

Remember TO EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!