What You Need for Creating Delicious Raw Food Dishes?

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Mandatory Kitchen Tools for the Raw Food Enthusiast

When our ancestors transitioned into eating cooked foods the tools they used to create their dishes transitioned with them.

Today, as more and more people opt to focus their diet on primarily raw foods, we are experiencing the same thing in reverse. The tools and utensils needed to create delicious raw food dishes have also transitioned.

Truth is, when it comes to experiencing success with raw food preparation, the proper tools make all the difference.

Let’s look at the primary, mandatory tools used in the modern kitchen that support raw food enthusiasts and help them create delicious, tempting dishes without the need of an oven.

Blender: Powerful, high speed blenders along with food processors may be the most important kitchen appliance for the raw food enthusiast. Because of demand, there has been an explosion of these kinds of machines which in turn has caused their prices to drop.

This allows more individuals to join in and take advantage of this new healthy raw food trend. Raw whole juices are just one of the healthy items you can churn out using this tool. You’ll enjoy smoother, more refined juices, sauces and smoothies.

Food Processor: This tool is perfect for shredded vegetables, creating raw food plates and raw food desserts. You can create crackers, cookies, and breads using a high powered food processor.

They come in every price range and even offer a mini-size that’s perfect for one or two people. The better ones come equipped with slicing and grating attachments so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Dehydrator: Like the high speed blender, this is a must have in any raw food enthusiast’s kitchen. Perfect for hydrating fresh fruits and vegetables, granola’s and seed crackers.

They also work to heat food just enough to soften the texture and are perfect for creating different tastes. The best buys are the ones that come equipped with non-stick pads that lay over the mesh trays. This makes dehydrating easy and quick to clean up.

Spice Grinder: Seeds such as flax seed are common ingredients for raw food enthusiasts but these little seed wonders do not release their goodness to us unless ground up first and the spice grinder does the job perfectly.

Additionally, fresh spices are a very important ingredient in raw foods and a spice grinder is the perfect tool to grind up and make use of these food enhancing flavors that also offer a wealth of antioxidants.

Mandolin and or Spiralizer: These kitchen tools turn vegetables such as Zucchini into long curly noodles, fancy garnishes, and salad toppings. The benefits are obvious…they get more fresh veggies into our bodies.

Opt for one that offers different size pasta settings such as spaghetti or angel hair. You can also employ the spiralizer to create thin ravioli wrappers from sliced vegetables such as beets. You are only limited to your own imagination with this machine.

Juicer: Creating delicious juice from the variety of veggies that Mother Earth has provided us requires power also. Make sure to choose a juicer that offers different speeds and is super easy with clean up. If it’s hard to clean up after you are done you’ll likely be reluctant to use it in the future.

One last thing to keep in mind is the quality of the machines you are purchasing. Bear in mind that if you are switching over to a total raw food diet that your blender (and other appliances) will get lots of work daily.  You’d be wise to purchase the most powerful machine you can from the get-go to experience the best results with pureeing your fruits and veggies.

Not only will it do a better job for you but you won’t have to replace it very couple of years like you would with a cheaper model. Leave the cheaper models on the table and opt for one that has a long warranty such as 7 or 8 years.

If budget is a concern for you, there are options such as Amazon or Ebay. Look for a nearly new “used” machine or one that has been reconditioned that still comes with a warranty. In this new day and age of the Internet there is truly something available for everyone’s budget.

Now that we have your kitchen properly equipped for raw food success it’s time make use of them by getting as many healthy, nutrient rich vegetables into your diet as possible and that includes dessert.

Watch this video to get more ideas for creating delicious raw food dishes – 5 Fully Raw Best / Easy Vegan Recipes for Beginners

Discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes that incorporate a wide variety of healthy vegetables… “50 Desserts with Hidden Veggies. ” 

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

A Sugar and Gluten Free Dessert Recipe – Ginger Carrot Protein Bites

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Enjoy These Ginger Carrot Protein Bites Anywhere

Without a doubt, vegetables boost the nutrient density of any meal or snack they are invited to.

They are perfect in salads and mandatory as side-dishes and are the perfect finger food snack item adding texture, taste, color and flavor wherever or however they appear.

They can be sweet or tangy, soft or crunchy, dressed up or plain, mixed with sauces or shining on their own and nature seems to have provided us with an endless variety to choose from.

But their beauty and benefits don’t stop in the savory department. These colorful, sometimes exotic foods are broad in spectrum and serve us equally well when included in desserts and treats.

Sweet and Savory Friendly

Truth is veggies are the workhorses of the food kingdom transitioning between savory and sweet dishes without an issue.

They are true multitaskers, sometimes appearing in a starring roles and other times in more subtle supportive roles but always making their presence known –  adding flavor, texture and color.

Potatoes, for example were a favorite ingredient at one time for adding moisture to many cakes – particularly good in chocolate cakes. They provided the moisture needed without adding density keeping the cakes light and fluffy.

Carrots have been used in desserts as a sweet substitute for a very long time because of their natural sweetness. They also add both moisture and texture to your dishes and were favored in tough times when other sweeteners were too expensive or difficult to obtain.

The many variations of carrot cake that have been handed down over the years are still family favorites in many households and is not only a great way to get children to enjoy their veggies but to see firsthand the versatility of them.

Zucchini, because of its moisture and relatively subtle flavor is another favored veggie when it comes to making a “carrot like bread.” Zucchini bread is just as moist and delicious as it’s more orange relative.

For the most part, veggies are dense in nutrients and light in calories. There are exceptions of course.

Bottom line is this: There are plenty of ways to keep your taste buds happy and satisfied without adding a ton of unneeded calories to your desserts and treats. All it takes is an open mind and willingness to try new things with old ingredients.

It’s time to add exciting new ingredients to your old worn out dessert recipes and turn that otherwise unhealthy dessert into something that actually contributes to your health.

Here’s a yummy white flour, sugar and gluten free dessert recipe that squeezes in the added nutrition of carrots (along with all the other great ingredients) to bring it to another level. Take these along in your lunch box for a super snack lift throughout your day.

GINGER CARROT PROTEIN BITES  

• 1 cup walnuts
  1 carrot (or one cup) grated
  1 cup dates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
  1 cup desiccated coconut
  1 tablespoon fresh ginger (finely chopped or minced)
  ¼ cup coconut oil, warmed until melted
  ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  1 scoop protein powder (optional)
  ¼ – ½ cup hemp hearts (seeds) or more desiccated coconut to roll balls in

Place walnuts in food processor and process until they resemble breadcrumbs.
Add dates and other ingredients and process until mixture is well combined but still a little chunky.

Shape into small 1” balls and roll in hemp hearts or coconut.

Store in fridge.

Want to have another sugar and gluten free dessert recipe? Watch this video – Lemon Dessert No Bake Weight Loss Recipe (Sugar-Free & Gluten-Free) Protein Treats by Nutracelle

Ready to take your traditional type desserts and turn them into “life giving” desserts? Grab my “50 Desserts with Hidden Veggies. “  In it you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free, healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

It’s time to make every bite you take count!

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

How to Create Healthy No Bake Nutrient Rich Veggie Desserts?

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Health Enhancing “Veggie” Desserts

Do you view dessert as your enemy? Have you assigned a “damaging” title to it subconsciously?

If so, it’s time to change your perception of dessert to something that contributes to your health rather than subtracting from it and the only way to do that is by shifting the ingredients that make up your desserts from unhealthy ones to healthy ones.

Create Healthy Nutrient Rich Desserts

Desserts are commonly thought to be “dead nutritiously” and because of that, they have never been viewed as a serious contribution to our health. It doesn’t have to be that way if you change your desserts to include healthy nutrient rich ingredients by tapping into the variety of veggies that nature so generously offers.

Veggies bring vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fiber to all recipes wrapped up in a tasty package.

With healthy veggies thrown into the mix, no longer will you view your desserts as nutritiously dead but you’ll begin viewing them as healthy additions to your daily diet – a fresh new healthy perspective, raising desserts from the level of damaging foods to those that heal.

Veggies are highly versatile. They add natural sweetness to desserts, make a perfect binding agent, provide needed moisture, are a great substitute for eggs and fat and boost nutrition and the best thing of all…they eliminate the guilt normally felt when eating dessert.

Savory desserts are nothing new – home and professional cooks alike have been experimenting with veggie-based desserts for a long time (think Pumpkin Pie and Carrot Cake), however, they are enjoying renewed attention as wise cooks and smart homemakers everywhere demand nutrition out of every bite for both themselves and their families. Desserts are no longer excused but included in the equation.

Truth is, there is no logical reason to be eating “dead calories” even in dessert when dessert is so easily transformed into something that contributes to health by including veggies as either the star or supporting ingredient.  

They are easily disguised in most dishes (so, you can enjoy veggies in your desserts that you might not ordinarily enjoy as a savory dish) but silently work their magic once they get inside your body.

Vegetables That Work in Desserts

Carrots: Carrots have been used as a sweetener for thousands of years. Rich in vitamins A and beta carotene, carrots provide antioxidants and phytochemicals that help reduce cancer and cardiovascular risks, improve immune functions and regulate blood sugar.

Sweet Potato: These colorful gourds can be used in desserts in several ways. They are the perfect “fat” substitute…you can use ¼ cup of mashed sweet potato to replace 1 egg or ½ cup of oil nor butter when baking.

Kale: This ever popular nutrient dense green veggie is not only great in salads, juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and chips…but Kale even has a “sweet side” and works well in cakes, brownies, cheesecakes and other sweet treats.

Squash: Squash is another veggie that makes the crossover from savory to sweet dishes easily and done correctly makes a great ingredient for cakes, pie, cookies, waffles, homemade granola’s, muffins, pancakes and the list goes on.

It’s time to pack added flavor, color, nutrition and health benefits into your indulgences and make every calorie count simply by experimenting and including nature’s bounty of veggie choices into your sweet dishes. With such a vast variety available, your imagination is your only limitation.

Its never been about the amount of calories going in but about the amount of nutrients consumed. Make every bite count.

Most veggies and many herbs can be used with great success in desserts and treats and can be key to getting the required daily requirements of nutrients that your body needs.

Want to have some more healthy no bake nutrient rich veggie desserts? Watch this video – HEALTHY VEGAN NO BAKE DESSERTS ‣‣ easy to make!

If you are ready to expand beyond your traditional recipes and upgrade them to a more nutrient dense level you will love my newest creation…“Blended Bites.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

The Incredibly Versatile Sweet Potato – Super Food Choice for Guilt-Free Snacking

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

The incredible sweet potato. This high powered super food deserves a separate post of its own for what it contributes to our health and well-being.

Sweet potatoes are root veggies (meaning they grow below ground) that are treated in similar ways to butternut squash, turnips and parsnips.

There are about 400 different varieties with the skin and flesh appearing from white to cream to yellow, to orange (these are the most common) to pink and deep purple. They are often mistakenly grouped together with yams but they are a different food family altogether.

Sweet potatoes are nutrient dense powerhouses that offer a whole range of essential micro-nutrients as well as a wealth of important fiber. Vitamin C is the most prominent nutrient in sweet potatoes – one large sweet potato contains more than double that of white potatoes.

But, these golden, orange gems (that actually come in a purple color also) offer more than vitamin C. They are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and rich with thiamine, potassium and manganese and provide a hefty dose of Vitamin A.

Although they contain a good amount of starch, their starch is known to impact blood sugar levels less dramatically than simple carbohydrates would (white bread, white potatoes and pasta).

The intensity of the color of the sweet potato is directly correlated to its beta-carotene content. Some studies are even suggesting that sweet potatoes are actually a better source of bio available beta-carotene than green leafy veggies. All sweet potatoes offer amazing antioxidant properties but the antioxidant activity in purple ones can be as much as 3.2 times higher than that of a blueberry.

Sweet potatoes are multi-talented and play both starring and supporting roles in main courses, side dishes and desserts. Yes, you read that right. Sweet potatoes make the crossover from savory to sweet dishes with flying colors…literally!

Because of their sweet taste, creamy texture, ease in growing and their low cost and long shelf life, sweet potatoes are a stable in countries throughout the world supplying much needed nutrients.

If you presently view the sweet potato as something to be made into a casserole at Thanksgiving buried under a mound of marshmallows, it’s time to shift your perception and begin seeing the real value of this colorful tuber so you can begin using it as often as possible in your sweet as well as savory dishes.

Here’s a dessert and treat recipe that uses sweet potatoes as one of the main ingredients. Sure to become a family favorite!

SWEET POTATO BARS

BASE:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup dates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place almonds and seeds into a food processor and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates, coconut and cinnamon and process until well combined. Press mixture into an 8 by 8-inch pan or dish.

TOPPING:

• 2 cups sweet potato, steamed or raw and grated
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon the filling onto the base and smooth out. Place in fridge to firm up and set. Cut into squares as desired.

What can be considered a super food choice for guilt-free snacking? Watch this video – 12 HEALTHY FOOD SWAPS ‣‣ snacks & sweets

This recipe is only one of 50 exciting new dessert and treat recipes that you will find in my newest addition: “Blended Bites” where I show you how to use a variety of fresh veggies in your sweet dishes to turn them into nutrient powerhouses.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

Why Carrots are a Great Choice for Preparing Some Healthy Hearty Snacks?

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Crazy for Carrots

One of the most widely used and enjoyed vegetables in the world is the brightly colored carrot.

Scientifically classified as Daucus carota, it is considered a root vegetable.  The carrot top is the most popular and used part of the carrot, however the greens are also beneficial and great if used in salads and other dishes.

Carrots are grown all over the world, exported worldwide and used successfully as fresh veggie snacks, savory side dishes and essential ingredients in many recipes.

This healthy colorful root vegetable (found in colors ranging from white to purple with orange being the most popular) is rich in nutrients, providing a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. They offer vitamins A (widely known for their antioxidant Beta Carotene content), B3, C, E and Carotene as well as potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. 

They help to reduce cholesterol, prevent heart attacks and keep certain cancers at bay. They are known to improve vision and reduce the signs of premature aging, detox the body, improve digestion and increase heart health. They also help to maintain acidic and alkaline properties in the body.

These tall slim beauties are easy to grow and can be eaten raw or roasted, baked, steamed, boiled and mashed for any savory dish but the real added benefit to carrots is that they are naturally sweet with a slight nutty taste and this sweetness works well in sweet as well as savory dishes giving them a broad range of use.

Like other fresh veggies, they taste best and provide the most nutrition when home grown or organically grown. Choose brightly colored, uniform in shape and size, firm to the touch, relatively young, thin carrots as they will be slightly sweeter in taste than the larger older carrots. Avoid carrots that are soft, withering or have yellowing tips.

Forget about those “baby carrots” you often see at your grocers…there really is nothing baby about them. They are not young, nor are they any sweeter. They have simply been pressed through a machine that skins them and shapes them into those smaller bite size pieces. They may very well be those “larger, older carrots” they are using for this process. You’re better off buying your own fresh organic carrots and cutting them as you use them.

Carrots contain more sugar than any other vegetable (besides sugar beet) and this natural sweetness combined with the nutrient density of carrots has made them hugely popular to use in fresh juice and in smoothies as well as healthy desserts. They offer not only sweetness to every recipe they are invited to but moisture as well.

The moist sweet carrot cake has been around and evolving since the Middle Ages (thought of as a pudding then) and nearly everyone has enjoyed a slice of this sweet cake at one time or another.

After washing and removing their green tops, store your carrots in the coldest part of your refrigerator offering the highest humidity. You can also add a bit of water in the bottom of the bag to keep them crisp and colorful.

Like other veggie superstars that work in both sweet and savory dishes, carrots add flavor, sweetness, moisture, texture and color to every dish.

Most of the mineral content in carrots is actually located near the skin so it’s best not to peel or scrape off the skins. Just scrub clean if necessary and store properly. That’s another advantage of buying organic carrots. You can eat them right out of the bag and never have to worry about peeling.

Do not store carrots near fruits such as apples and pears because they release ethylene gas that causes carrots to turn bitter.

For more ideas on making some healthy hearty snacks, watch this video – 7 Healthy Recipes For Guilt-Free Snacking • Tasty

If you are ready to take your dead desserts and turn them into “life giving” desserts grab my “50 Desserts with Hidden Veggies. ” In it you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

Isn’t it time you began introducing much ignored nutrient-dense veggies into all your dishes…including your desserts? Why not make every bite you take count!

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.