Banana Dog with Turmeric Whipped Coconut Cream

Hello~! Hope your week has been good so far. It's only Tuesday, and my week has already been a bit overwhelming. The awareness to keep healthy could easily be forgotten. Luckily, I remembered to make myself a healthy snack - Super Healthy Snack - A Banana Dog...with Turmeric Whipped Coconut Cream!!!   It's a healthy alternative to a really unhealthy hot dog...yuck!

You just need ... 

A Banana, Nut Butter, Turmeric Powder and a can of Coconut Cream* (or Coconut Milk).  NOTE: The coconut cream (or milk) is refrigerated. 

Direction:

1. Whip the coconut cream (or milk),  add turmeric powder to make it a "Mustard" color. (NOTE: If it's the coconut cream, you don't have to whip it much.)  Put the content in the ziplock bag with an icing tip. Save it for later.

2. Blend / Food Process the Almonds (or whatever nuts), add a bit of coconut oil. Mold it like a "hot dog" shape.

3. Split the banana, and place the "dog" in the middle.

4. Decorate the Banana Dog with the Turmeric Whipped Coconut Cream (in #1).

5. Serve.   You can save the "nut butter (dry enough to mold it to the shape of the hot dog)" & "Mustard (Turmeric Whipped Coconut Cream)" in jars, and use it for another "snack time!"

Hang in there! Take a little "Banana Doggie" Break once in a while! xoxo

Pineapple-Banana Smoothie Bowl with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

For a Friday-morning breakfast, of a very long week, I had a Frozen Pineapple-Banana Smoothie Bowl with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream Topping.   Needed to perk up a day. Of course, with a hot cup of green tea with a piece of a ripe pineapple as a sweetener. <3

Ingredients:

Frozen Pineapple (Recommend freezing actual ripe pineapple, nice and sweet)

Frozen Banana (For this morning, I just used a room-temp banana,  because the pineapple was frozen. I'm sure frozen one would keep the texture of the smoothie bowl more solid.)

A Can of "refrigerated" Coconut Milk to make a whipped cream (I usually have a can in my fridge. The cream and water parts would get separated, and you open the "cream" side of the can. Take out just that "white" creamy part, and whip it up.)

A little bit of almond milk.


Also Need:

Small plastic ziplock bag and an icing tip (for the coconut milk whipped cream)... Make sure you cut the tip of the ziplock bag so the icing tip can actually fit and function. :D :D


Direction:

1. Put the frozen pineapple and banana in the blender to make a smoothie bowl material. Add a little bit of almond milk... Just a little bit.  Pour it in the serving bowl.

2. Whip the refrigerated can of coconut milk cream. Put it in the ziplock bag for icing. Decorate the smoothie bowl, and serve!


Have a healthy day!  xoxo

Pineapple-Ginger Tea

Taking a break with "Pineapple-Ginger Tea" to relax and keep warm. <3  A ripe pineapple serves as a perfect sweetener. :)

Have a beautiful day! xoxo

Raw Mocktail: Genuinely Blue Hawaii

With sun shining brightly, all the snow from the recent snow storm melted away.  Been thinking of Hawai'i a lot lately, especially after yesterday's missile scare. Beautiful islands of Hawai'i, dear friends and places filled with memories, sounds of the ocean and nature galore, warmth of people, amazing history and legends, hidden gem... and...Rainbows, lots of rainbows!  It is a sacred place.  Please keep this place safe, away from harm and destruction.


Here's my raw mocktail of the day:  "Genuinely Blue Hawaii"

Ingredients:

- Love, most of all, LOVE (Aloha)

- Compassion

- Peace

- Diversity 

- Thankfulness

- Genuine Kindness

- Pineapple Juice (Juice the real pineapple)

- Coconut Water

- Blue Latte/Blue Spirulina Powder (I used Mermaid Latte Powder from Nutra Organics, Australia)

- Garnish (I used Pineapple and a skewer of blueberries. Missed the timing of hibiscus blooming... :/ )

Direction:

1. Crush ice in a blender.

2. Fill the glass with crushed ice.

3. Pour the mixture of coconut water, pineapple juice and blue latte/blue spirulina powder into the glass along with Love, Compassion, Peace, Diversity, Thankfulness and Genuine Kindness.

4. Add garnish and serve.

Raw Chocolate Dessert: Raw Pomegranate-Chocolates

Good Sunday Afternoon! <3  Been blessed with bright sunshine, and snow has melted away. Could it be spring, already? :P

Today, I made Raw Pomegranate-Chocolates for dessert. The last time I made one was 2013... So long ago! A little different recipe this time. I will share both here. 

Today's version is photographed below:

Ingredients: 

1 Whole Pomegranate

1 Cup Cacao Powder

3/4 Cup Coconut Oil (Adjust to your liking)

1/2 Cup Raw Honey (Adjust to your liking; I added Maple Syrup because I didn't have enough honey)

Direction:

Put Cacao Powder and Coconut Oil in a saucer pan, melt them on low heat. Add honey and stir well. Add 3/4 of Pomegranate into it, and stir well. Make sure the chocolate is moldable and not liquidy. Prepare a parchment/wax paper on a plate(s), and place small chunks of the "Raw Pom-Chocolates" and add the remaining Pomegranate seeds on them. I kind of like a "free form" in not-so-conformed shape. ;P (See photo below)  Then, refrigerate / freeze (30-50 min if freeze, depending on how hard you'd like).   So good~!!!!  Remember, genuine sweetness is a healthy one. ;)

Below is 2013 version of "Chocolate-Covered Pomegranates" photo and recipe:

DESSERT: Chocolate-covered Pomegranate!!

Ingredients:
Pomegranate seeds, dark chocolate bars, coconut oil and sea salt.

Direction:

Melt 2 dark chocolate bars, add a spoonful of coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt. Pour the pom seeds (2 pons) and mix them all. Scoop them with a spoon and place them on a cutting board (or some flatware) covered with a wax paper. Sprinkle pom seeds for decoration and refrigerate till hardened.  :)

Pea Ginger Soup

Big snow storm today. Keeping warm with a "Pea Ginger Soup" with a Cape Codder mocktail. 

Pea Ginger Soup:

Ingredients --- Edamame peas, Ginger, Cilantro.

DIRECTION --- Boil Edamame, Either mush it or use food-processor/blender. Grate ginger (I used a good chunk). Mix them in boiling water enough to have a creamy soup texture. Add a pinch of sea salt, if you'd like. Garnish with a couple of cilantro leaves (or any green garnish). Serve.

Cape Codder mocktail:

Put ice in a glass, pour coconut water and add 100% cranberry juice. Serve.

Stay safe and warm!

Rawfoodish Chirashi Sushi

Rawfoodish Chirashi Sushi:

I love the free form of Chirashi (meaning "scattered" or "artistically arranged" in  Japanese).  ALL VEGGIES in this recipe. (The "yellow" is NOT eggs. It's yellow squash.)

Bringing it to the Japanese New Year's Party. HNY 2018!! :)


Ingredients:

Base --- Red Vietnamese Rice (Red is celebratory in Chinese and Japanese culture, I think.)

Toppings --- Carrot, Edamame, Baby Bella mushroom, Red radish, yellow squash.

Seasoning --- Umesu Vinegar and a pinch of sea salt.


DIRECTION:

Cook rice, cut veggies, soak veggies in mildly-boiled mushroom/veggie end broth. Season Rice with Umesu Vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Serve.

Rawfood Breakfast: Colorful Smoothie Parfait

Good First Morning! <3  Colorful Smoothie Parfait for breakfast.

Colorful things give me power, especially colorful foods.


Ingredients:

4 Bananas for each color
(Optional: Add avocado and coconut flakes; I did use them this time.)

Red layer --- Velvet Latte Powder of the Nutra Organics, Australia

Yellow layer --- Golden Latte Powder of the Nutra Organics, Australia

Blue layer --- Mermaid Latte Powder of the Nutra Organics, Australia

Green layer --- Matcha Powder of the Touch Organic, Canada

White layer --- Coconut Flakes

Toppings --- Blueberries and a strawberry (sliced leaving the leaf on)


Have a wonderful morning! <3

Toshikoshi "Daikon-noodle" Soba

Toshikoshi "Daikon Noodle" Soba:

"Toshikoshi Soba" is a year-end Japanese tradition. I made a rawfood version of it on a New Year's Eve.

Happy New Year!

...my housemate said the spiralizer looks like a "torture chamber for vegetables." :D


Ingredients:

Spiralized Daikon Radish (for mock-soba noodle in rawfood style)
Chopped green veggie (I used Vietnamese "Cai Ngot"; Spinach would do)
Sliced carrot
Sliced green onions
Shiitake Mushrooms
Sprinkle of white sesame seeds


Broth:

Veggie ends, Shiitake mushrooms...


DIRECTION:

1. Make Daikon Noodle with Spiralizer. (Can use a simple Peeler instead.)  And, cut all the vegetables.

2. Boil water and throw in Shiitake Mushrooms and Veggie ends to make a broth.

3. Once there's enough color in a broth, take out the above. Slice Shiitake Mushrooms.

4. Throw in and soften the Daikon Noodle in the broth. Once soften, take out the noodles and place them in the soup bowl you'd be using to serve.

5. Throw the other veggies in the broth. Wait till they get a little softer than raw and somewhat soaked the broth.  Take them out when it's done.

6. Pour the broth into the soup bowl that has the daikon noodle already in it.

7. Place the other veggies, decorate and sprinkle white sesame seeds to add a little more flavor.

8. Ideally and traditionally, eat it around midnight. Happy New Year!

Easy-breezy Rawfood Snack: Potato Starch-Covered Date Pieces

Easy-breezy snack today. Potato starch-covered date pieces. <3 

Cut the dates into thin pieces with scissors (easier than knives), roll 'em in potato starch or any yummy flour. I used a mason jar and shook it a few times. Probably used too much starch this time. Use less starch if you don't want powdery shirt while snacking. :P

Fruit and Green Salad: Ruby Red Grapefruit, Green Apple, Mango and Arugula with Mango Dressing

Fruit and Green salad for breakfast! <3

Ruby red grapefruit, green apple, mango and arugula with mango dressing. Mango dressing is seasoned with a sprinkle of garlic and a pinch of sea salt.

Had a warm veggie soup (veggie broth), too.

Surviving the cold morning. :)

Blueberry-Avocado Guacamole (Spread)

Blueberry-Avocado Guacamole (Spread) for a light snack! <3

Ingredients:

1 Avo
A handful of blueberries
A pinch of sea salt
Garlic
Squeezed lemon

Just mix the ingredients and crush the blueberries to sweeten the Guac.

Have a wonderful day!

Mocktail: Kombucha Champagne

Cheers to the snow-bright new day with Kombucha Champagne!

Home-brewed green tea kombucha with drops of blueberries and pomegranate seeds.

Raw Mocktail: "Was-gonna-be" Tequila Sunrise

Raw Mocktail: "Was-gonna-be" Tequila Sunrise

The cranberry juice wasn't exactly a good sub for a grenadine which sinks to the bottom of the glass... Other ingredients: squeezed clementines and coconut water.