Smells Like Pumpkin Spirit

With autumn upon us, I've been working on a smoothie recipe that fits the season. This one incorporates a lot of healthy, delicious and super nourishing ingredients into this raw power refresher. It is really great if you are a raw vegan and trying to keep your B vitamin intake up (especially B12 and folic acid). Check this out:

PUMPKIN CREME POWER SHAKE

milk and meat of 1 baby coconut

1 frozen banana

1/4 cup chia seeds, soaked with one cup fresh almond milk

1/4 cup (or more) fresh carrot juice

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (add more if you prefer)

2 - 3 soaked dates

1 scoop maca powder

1 tsp. liquid vitamin B complex

1 heaping tbsp. Crystal Manna Flakes (optional)

large glass of crushed ice

Place all ingredients into your high speed blender and mix until smooth and frothy. This drink isn't only incredibly healthy and delicious, it is guaranteed to keep you rocking and fueled up for hours!

Crisp Fall Evening - Dinner for 4

This was one of my most memorable raw dinners.....

Marinated Kale Salad

1 bunch of Lacinato or dinosaur kale, chopped
olive oil
sea salt

Once your kale is chopped, place into a mixing bowl and add just a touch of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Massage and mix the oil mixture into the leaves until they are shiny and covered. Allow this to rest for at least an hour, or so, until the leaves have begun to wilted just slightly.

Add:
1 apple, gala or other crunchy variety, chopped and not peeled
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

And toss with a dressing made of:
1 tbsp. stone ground mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup basalmic vinegar
1/4 cup agave or raw honey
juice of 1/2 lemon

Serve!

Curried Pumpkin Soup
Although there isn't actually pumpkin in this soup, your guests will never guess. Carrots are just easier to work with and blend more smoothly than cubed raw pumpkin.

3 cups carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup fresh hemp or almond milk
1 -2 tbsp. nut butter (I used cashew, which was delicious!)
4 dates, pitted
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. curry

Add all ingredients into your Vita Mix, or other high horse powered blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more liquid if your soup seems too thick. I blended mine until the engine of the blender warmed it very nicely to around 100 degrees. I garnished this with diced red bell peppers and a bit of cilantro. Truly delicious!

Warm Corn Bread
Although this recipe is a bit more labor intensive than some, it is a fun addition to an autumn or holiday table.

4 ears of fresh organic corn - cut from the cob (you can substitute 16 oz. of frozen organic corn)
1/2 sweet yellow onion
1/3 of a large red bell pepper
3/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
juice of one lime
1-2 jalepenos (you can use a milder pepper, if you prefer)
1 tbsp. raw honey (I added just a bit more to mine ;-)
2 tsp. sea salt
1 clove minced garlic
and for good measure I added a few good splashes of Tabasco sauce - another ingredient I haven't given up)

Blend all ingredients in your food processor until you have a nice grainy texture. On Teflex lined dehydrator trays, begin scooping the mixture and build muffins or biscuit like formations. Mine were about 3 inches wide and 1-ish inch thick. My husband said they looked like little hockey pucks. Place into your dehydrator and set at 105 degrees overnight or for about 8 hours. Flip your muffins over and continue to dehydrate another 12 or so hours or until you reach your desired consistency.

We enjoyed ours straight from the dehydrator, while warm and the kids slathered on a little more raw honey....YUMMY!