Avocado & Almond Joy Salad

Ingredients:
Handful of spinach
Chopped up carrots, cucumber, celery, almonds
1 avocado
Pinch of sea salt

What to do:
1. Throw down that spinach into a bowl!
2. Add all other veggies.
3. Sprinkle on some salt.
4. Enjoy!

This is really easy! The ingredients make it tasty to eat without the need for salad dressing (although if you do want some, you could use olive oil or another type of oil).

Soaking Nuts

When I began my raw food journey, I switched from eating roasted/salted nuts to eating raw nuts. I quickly learned that my stomach did not agree with this and I had some pretty painful moments. At first, I didn't understand why my body was acting this way! Then I learned of the technique of soaking nuts and seeds. Raw nuts and seeds are more difficult for the human body to digest, but by soaking them, we neutralize their enzyme inhibitors, increasing the absorption of vitamins and minerals, and create a more energy-packed and lively nut! Here is a good place to start learning about how to soak nuts.

Quite simply, I soak mine overnight in a large bowl with a towel on top. Then, in the morning, I will drain & rinse, then place them in the dehydrator for about 12 hours, or until they're dry. They taste different, but in a very good way! I actually prefer them to their raw or roasted versions.

Banana Nut Granola Bar

Serves 6


Ingredients:
4 bananas
1 1/4 cup pitted dates
1.5 cups soaked (& dried) almonds, roughly chopped
1.5 cups dried, shaved coconut meat
1/8 cup flax meal

What to do:
1. Blend bananas, dates, and flax meal in food processor until smooth.
2. Stir in nuts and coconut.
3. Evenly spread mixture on dehydrator tray lined with teflex sheets, wax or parchment paper. Make it into the size and shape you prefer.
4. Dehydrate at 105 degrees. After 6 hours, they become warm, chewy granola bars! You can leave them in for longer (up to 20 hours) to make them crispier is you prefer.
5. Store in fridge or freezer for up to 4 months.

YUM!

Coco-Garlic Veggie Dip

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (meat & water)
2 cups of soaked almonds
4 cloves of garlic
4-5 pitted dates
Small piece of ginger
A couple shakes of dill

What you do:
1. Put all ingredients inside of a food processor and blend until smooth! That's it!



Suggestions:
If you're not satisfied with the final product, play around with the ingredients until it tastes how you want it! This is the fun part of creating raw, natural meals. :)
I usually use this recipe as a veggie dip because of it's consistency, but if you use less almonds, I bet it would make a good salad dressing.

Another yummy idea - turn it into a sauce for a lettuce wrap!

IC Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (use water & meat)
1 pear (or apple if you can tolerate it)
1 banana
3 stalks of celery
1-2 cups of spinach
1 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions:
1. Put all ingredients inside blender and blend! May need to add in some water if there is problems blending.

Suggestions:
Coconut: It's hard to always have a fresh coconut, so sometimes I use IC friendly coconut milk or coconut water from a carton. I find that a fresh coconut makes the smoothie taste the best!

Seeds: I currently use chia seeds, since I just learned of this super food's positive benefits. But I've also used flax meal and I'm sure you could get creative and add in other seeds, nuts, powders, etc.!

Healthy breakfast: This is a great, healthy way to start your day! Ever since I started drinking 1 green smoothie a day, I've experienced many positive health benefits, including extreme IC pain reduction. :)