Yummy recipes

None of these recipes are my own but they are really great! Some great ideas for Mother's Day.

Lets start with sweets...

From Paul Nison's The Raw Life Health Show (online)
Goji berry truffles


Soak some gojiberries for about 1 hour (I think it is 1 to 2 cups)
a few dates soaked (I soaked 4 )
coconut & coconut oil
carob powder

In a food processor add 1/2 cup soaked goji berries, dates, and some of the soak water. Pulse to make a paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup carob powder and stir. Add the coconut flakes to cover the mixture. Stir together then form some of the mix into a ball roll this in some of the extra goji berries and put on a plate in the fridge until time to serve. Pretty simple.

This next one is a favorite of mine from Renee Loux Underkoffler's Living Cuisine..Perfect Chocolate Mousse. And it is!

`1/2 cup pitted soft dates
3-4 tbs. real maple syrup
1 tbs. cold pressed coconut butter (optional)
1 1/2 tbs. non alcohol vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups mashed avocado (about 3 med. avocadoes)
3/4 cup carob powder
4-6 tbs. cocoa powder or additional carob powder
Soak the dates for 5-10 minutes to soften drain the soak water keeping a little of it to use later. In a food processor add the dates,maple syrup, coconut butter and vanilla. Blend until smooth. add the avocado and blend until smooth. Add a few tbs. of the date soak water if needed while blending. Spoon in the carob and cocoa powder and blend. Serve. I like to serve alone, with fresh berries or thawed frozen berries in the food processor so they are like a sauce. Keeps for several days but won't last several days b/c it is so good you will just want to eat it.

My husband loves these almond cookies from Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup raw walnuts
dash of salt
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates unsoaked
1/4 tsp almond extract (I have never used this in my cookies)
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup dried cherries or raisins (I have never added these)

Put almonds & walnuts in a food processor and process until coarsly chopped. Add the dates, and extract and process until it all sticks together. Add dried fruit if desired and process briefly. Remove and put mixture into a mixing bowl. Scoop out about 1 tbs and roll into a ball. Roll each ball into the ground almonds on a plate. Chill for about 1 hour before serving. Now I have made some changes to make my own version. I used About 2 tbs. Almond butter and 1 tsp. real maple syrup in my version. I add those to the food processor after grinding the nuts. Works well.

A simple dipping sauce for spring rolls or nori rolls also comes from Raw Food Made Easy. Mock Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup water
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. pure maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tsp. tamari (I like Nama Shoyu)
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic (1 clove)
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger
dash of cayenne
dash of salt
Place all ingredients in a food processor, the mini processors work well for this) and process until smooth. Will keep for 5 days covered in the fridge.

I like this with spring rolls using rice papers, carrots, avocado, cucumber, cilatro, red cabbage and whatever other veggie you choose. The trick is to cut the veggies thin. a mandolin slicer is perfect to do this but the rice papers are easier to handle than the nori in my experience and especially if you don't have good knife skills to cut thin slices or a mandolin slicer.