Raw & Vegan Salad Recipes: Alkalizing Watercress & Watermelon Salad

“When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat.” Mark Twain

 

After a weekend of fun, food and spirits, a quick cleanse to balance your body’s pH and detoxify the digestive tract is in order to feel energized and fabulous. This colorful, refreshing raw and vegan salad is full of alkalizing watercress greens, watermelon and fresh lemon juice that will wash away the weekend splurge.  Watermelon is also an excellent source of the potent carotene antioxidant, lycopene, which helps neutralize free radical in the body and prevent premature aging.  Throw in some high fiber radish to soothe the digestive system and vitamin E rich sunflower seeds to control inflammation and you will have a spring to your step in no time. The sunflower seeds and olive oil provide healthy plant oils necessary for the absorption of the fat soluble anti-oxidants A, C, and E.  It is important to eat healthy fats with every meal for optimum nutritional absorption and utilization. Feed Your Body Royally with delicious plants. Click here for more Hail Merry healthy snacks.

Alkalizing Watercress & Watermelon Salad

 

4 cups watercress sprigs

2 cups watermelon cubes, rindless and seeded

2 radishes, sliced into thin rounds

3 tablespoons Hail Merry Salt N Pepper Sunflower Seeds

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

 

1. Place the watercress, watermelon, radish, 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds and mint in a salad bowl. Toss gently to combine.

2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper.

3. Pour the oil mixture over the salad and toss. Sprinkle with remaining sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.

 

 

Dr. Claudia Pillow

Dr. Claudia Pillow coauthored The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook: The Delicious Way to Strengthen Your Immune System and Neutralize Inflammation with her sister, Annalise Roberts (author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics) As part of her dissertation, she developed and tested a celiac disease school screening tool and is currently in the process of making the program available nationally. She teaches gluten-free culinary classes, lectures nationally and writes for multiple websites.

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Muffins for Mother’s Day: Gluten-Free & Vegan Banana Nut Muffins

Last week I craved bread, this week it is muffins and just in time for Mother’s Day Brunch. I have been on a hunt for gluten-free and vegan muffins that are not overly sweet and have no weird after taste from soy or rancid nut flours. The quest landed me in my own kitchen and the result are these delicious Gluten-Free & Vegan Banana Nut Muffins that are perfect for Mother’s Day Sunday Brunch or iced with your favorite frosting for a gluten-free and vegan cupcake dessert (I recommend my Maple Ginger Frosting).

 

Here I converted Annalise Roberts’ gluten-free Banana Nut Muffin recipe (see below) from Gluten-Free Baking Classics to a gluten-free and vegan muffin recipe, replacing the eggs with an omega-3 rich chia seed “slurry” and substituting almond milk for dairy milk.  I also used local honey in place of white sugar and a combination of flax seed meal and coconut oil for canola oil. The result is a less refined, moist aromatic muffin that satisfies the my muffin craving. Mom will be so happy!

BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Makes 15 muffins

1 -1/3 cups brown rice flour (or gluten-free oat flour)

6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons potato starch

1/4 cup  tapioca starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 cup very ripe chopped banana, packed (about 2 medium bananas)

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/2 cup water (room temperature)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup local honey
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)


1. Preheat oven to 350º. Position rack in center of oven. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. To make chia slurry: in a small bowl combine chia seeds and water and let sit 5 minutes (can be swirled in small food processor or blender for smoother texture).

3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flaxseed meal in large mixing bowl. Add bananas and walnuts; stir to coat evenly.

4. Combine honey, milk and oil in small bowl.  Mix in chia slurry. Add liquids to banana mixture and stir until just blended.

5. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan and serve immediately or cool on a rack. Muffins can be stored in a tightly sealed plastic container in refrigerator or covered with plastic wrap and then with foil, and stored in freezer for up to three weeks.

 

Food Philosopher’s® Gluten-Free
BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Makes 12 muffins
Or three 5 x 3 inch loaves

2 cups brown rice flour mix

2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packed cup very ripe chopped banana (this is about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Canola oil
Granulated sugar for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Position rack in center of oven. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray (or three 5 x 3 inch loaf pans).

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Add bananas and walnuts; stir to coat evenly.

3. Combine milk and oil in small bowl; remove 1 tablespoon of combined liquid and discard it.  Beat in eggs. Add liquids to banana mixture and stir until just blended.

4. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake 18-25 minutes until golden brown (35-44 minutes for loaf pans). Remove from pan and serve immediately or cool on a rack. Muffins can be stored in a tightly sealed plastic container in refrigerator or covered with plastic wrap and then with foil, and stored in freezer for up to three weeks. Bread can be in covered with plastic wrap and then with foil and stored in refrigerator for three days and freezer for up to three weeks.  Best when eaten within three days of baking. Rewarm briefly in microwave.

©2007 Annalise Roberts

Dr. Claudia Pillow

Dr. Claudia Pillow coauthored The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook: The Delicious Way to Strengthen Your Immune System and Neutralize Inflammation with her sister, Annalise Roberts (author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics) As part of her dissertation, she developed and tested a celiac disease school screening tool and is currently in the process of making the program available nationally. She teaches gluten-free culinary classes, lectures nationally and writes for multiple websites.

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Cucumber, Mint & Blueberry Smoothie

Celebrities seem to dictate food trends for weight loss: low-carb, gluten-free, vegan and now juicing. And juice bars are sprouting up in every major city across America. So what really is the buzz? Just like any healthy diet, it is about eating more fresh plants in their natural state. I love the idea of juicing but not the cleanup and I don’t live near any organic juice bars. My solution? Smoothies of all colors: green, pink, yellow and today purple, made quickly in my blender at home. This invigorating Cucumber, Mint & Blueberry vegan smoothie delivers not only taste but also plenty of anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients to keep you healthy and strong all summer long.  Plus, the chemical compound menthol in the fresh mint leaves helps stimulate the mind and detox the body all while relieving anxiety.  The combination of fruit and vegetables in this smoothie is especially good for people who suffer from digestion discomfort and IBS.  Feed Your Body Royally!

Cucumber, Mint & Blueberry Smoothie

Serves 2

 

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

1 cup frozen organic blueberries

2 teaspoons maple syrup (or favorite sweetener)

1/2 cup coconut milk (or nut milk)

ice to thicken (optional)

 

Blend all ingredients until smooth in blender.  Add ice if desired. Serve immediately.

 

 

Dr. Claudia Pillow

Dr. Claudia Pillow coauthored The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook: The Delicious Way to Strengthen Your Immune System and Neutralize Inflammation with her sister, Annalise Roberts (author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics) As part of her dissertation, she developed and tested a celiac disease school screening tool and is currently in the process of making the program available nationally. She teaches gluten-free culinary classes, lectures nationally and writes for multiple websites.

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RAW FOOD RECIPES: Zucchini & Yellow Squash Pasta with Green Pesto Sauce

Looking for a little RAW food fun that takes gluten-free pasta to a new level? Try this Noodle Tool to make colorful raw plant-based noodles instead of grain-based pasta that will surely impress your family and friends.  Eating raw zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers in place of traditional pastas, or served in combination with pasta, is a delicious way to consume fewer calories and eat more raw “alkaline” plant foods to help balance your body and neutralize inflammation.  For a simple and easy raw, vegan and gluten-free meal, make the Green Pesto Sauce below to toss with your vegetable noodles.  Eat raw to Feed Your Body Royally!

Recently I purchased this Cool Little Noodle Tool by Chef Minh from oneluckyduck.com. I was a little skeptical about ease of use so I put it to work right away. I made zucchini and yellow squash pasta. It was really easy and in less than 3 minutes I had enough “pasta” for 4 hungry people. You just hold the vegetable length wise firmly in one hand and press with the noodle tool from top to bottom to form strands of pasta. I found it easier to noodle from the outside in (hollowing out the vegetable) rather than turning the vegetable slowly like you would to peel a carrot.

Raw GREEN PESTO SAUCE

One of my favorite meals is this raw and vegan Green Pesto Sauce made with both spinach and basil and packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and plenty of phytonutrients and flavonoids that protect against cancer and chronic inflammation. You can whip up a batch in 5 minutes to serve with the raw zucchini and squash noodles. Hail Merry® sunflower seeds are a delicious replacement for parmesan in traditional pesto recipes and the Chimayo Chili Pecans add a little spice on a hot summer day. See raw, vegan and gluten-free serving suggestions below.

Raw GREEN PESTO SAUCE

1. Place garlic in food processor and process until minced. Add remaining ingredients except the water and process to fine paste.

2. With the machine running add 1/4 cup of water. Continue to add water by the tablespoon until pesto becomes consistency of a creamy thick sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or transfer to a glass container and top with a thin coat of olive oil to prevent the top of the pesto from discoloring.

Pesto will keep for 10 days in refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions:

Raw: Drizzle over sliced fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, thinly sliced zucchini and yellow summer squash, thin rings of orange peppers and chopped olives.

Vegan & Gluten-Free: Toss with your favorite gluten-free or raw vegetable pasta, baked spaghetti squash, roasted baby potatoes, or grilled portabella mushrooms.

 

Dr. Claudia Pillow

Dr. Claudia Pillow coauthored The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook: The Delicious Way to Strengthen Your Immune System and Neutralize Inflammation with her sister, Annalise Roberts (author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics) As part of her dissertation, she developed and tested a celiac disease school screening tool and is currently in the process of making the program available nationally. She teaches gluten-free culinary classes, lectures nationally and writes for multiple websites.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

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