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    delicious alkalising pesto courgette noodles



    As I make final adjustments and recipe testing for my online 28 day program- ACID ALKALINE BREAKTHROUGH (make sure you are on the list to get the scoop once the freebies are ready), there's one recipe I can't quite wait to share with you. I tried and I tried to wait patiently and post it once the program is announced, but think it is so good, so cleansing and so alkalising, that you really deserve it NOW. None of this waiting around...

    Serves 4

    For the noodles
    4 medium courgettes

    For the pesto sauce
    2 cups basil, packed tightly
    2 cup spinach, packed tightly
    1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or flaxseed oil)
    1/2 cup pine nuts
    1/2 cup brazil nuts
    juice of 3 limes
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1/3 tsp Himalayan salt

    To serve
    tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, sauerkraut, salad greens, anything goes!

    - Use a spiraliser to make spaghetti out of courgettes
    - Pop all the dry pesto ingredients (everything apart from the oil and the lime juice) into a food processor and process until finely ground up. You may need to keep scraping down the edges with a spatular
    - Add the oil and lemon to the food processor and pulse the sauce for a final mix
    - Pour the ready pesto over spiralised courgettes and stir it through
    - Serve immediately with any other salady bits you like or let it sit and marinate in all the juices

    ebook bundle deal from tanya alekseeva



    Hi gorgeous!

    Don't you wish that no matter the weather, the occasion, the ailment or the craving- you had a raw food recipe for it? 

    Wouldn't it be super if you owned a collection of warming recipes for when it's cold, a bunch of easy and decadent chocolate recipes for Easter, Valentines and other special occasions (ehem- today!), the most impressive recipe collection for a truly spectacular Holiday season and then when you are ready- have a complete detox program planned out for you, so all that's left to do is print out a shopping list (which of course will be included too)?

    Wouldn't that be great? Well guess what!..

    It IS great, because not only can you get my entire eBook collection, but you can save 20% when you buy the bundle. That's a saving of £12.00 (approx. US $18.50) and available to you right now for the Better Raw Store :)

    Happy healthy browsing,

    x Tanya



    'Purified- Your Complete 7 Day Detox Program' is a step by step detox guide with two different raw food menu plans, one for the luxury detoxer and one for the budget detoxer, every breakfast, lunch and dinner recipe mapped out, each taking no longer than 30 mins of prep, comes complete with helpful tips, information and shopping lists.


    'Festive- The Best Raw Food Christmas Recipes' - includes the most flavour rich, luxury recipes that are not only incredible for the festive season, but any time of the year. This downloadable eBook contains 30 recipes with stunning photography.


    'Seduced- Raw Chocolate Recipes to get very excited for' - it's all in the title really. 22 gorgeous and simple to make chocolate recipes from raspberry jam centres to marzipan cigars to chocolate covered strawberries, it just keeps getting better and better. This downloadable eBook even has a superfoods glossary at the back and none of the chocolate making requires any special equipment!


    'Nourished- Comforting Raw Food Recipes For Winter' is stunning full colour eBook containing 39 of Tanya's most carefully selected recipes to feel warm, comforted and nourished during winter & beyond. Get a whole heap of extra tips on staying healthy & immunised in the cold, as well as a useful guide to seasonal local produce.


    'Thrive on this! 15 World's Healthiest Foods' is a completely free extra bonus report just for you. It outlines what the most nutrient dense foods on the planet are and why.


    Get the ebook bundle>>

    marinated mushroom ravioli with pistachio pesto and soured cream


    If you ever decide on hosting a dinner party, don't bother crawling the net for ideas again. I have you covered!

    This marinated mushroom ravioli is hands-down the best dish I've ever tasted. Maybe I was just really hungry? Well, the best way to really know is to make it for three meals in a row and then decide. Done it. Decided. Yep still the best meal ever.

    So good in fact, that I popped it into an ever growing collection of recipes for my book- a real yummy hard cover book, that you can touch and dribble on- but couldn't possibly keep you guys waiting for however long that will take to get published, so there you go, please enjoy it ASAP.

    Even better still is that you can have the entire recipe all prepared, marinated, and served in less than an hour (just have soaked sunflower seeds and cashews ready!). Everybody wins. 




    So here's what you'll need...


    RAW LIVING RAVIOLI WITH PISTACHIO PESTO & SOURED CREAM
    Serves 4-6

    For the essentials
    Blender
    Food processor
    Mandolin

    For the ravioli pasta
    2 round courgettes/ zucchini

    For the ravioli filling
    150g oyster mushrooms
    150g or 5 medium portabella mushrooms
    3 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
    2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1.5 cups sunflower seeds, soaked overnight
    1 tbsp white miso paste

    For the soured cream
    1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
    1/2 cup pure water
    juice of 1 lemon
    pinch salt

    For the pistachio pesto
    2 packed cups basil
    1 cup extra virgin olive oil
    2/3 cup shelled and non-salted pistachio nuts
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    1/3 tsp salt










     
    And here's what you'll need to do....

    First of all prepare the mushrooms to marinate. Peel the skin off portabella mushrooms and slice them very thinly, slice the oyster mushrooms too and transfer the lot to a large bowl. Pour the Braggs, Balsamic, ACV and minced garlic over the mushrooms, stir to mix in the juices and set side to marinate.


    Peel the courgettes and slice them on the thinnest possible setting of your mandolin. They must be able to bend freely and be easily folded in half. If the courgette is too wide for the mandolin, slice the edge off, just as I've done in the picture above.

    Prepare the soured cream by blending all ingredients in a high speed blender. Use a tamper or the pulse function, blend until creamy.

    Prepare the pesto by blending all ingredients in a high speed blender until fully broken down but not smooth. Alternatively use a food processor.

    To make the mushroom filling- transfer marinated mushrooms (30-60 minutes should do it) to a food processor, add the sunflower seeds and miso paste. Process until slightly chunky.

    Lay the courgette slices onto a non slick pan, scoop a teaspoon full of mushroom filling and fold in half.  Assemble the ready ravioli onto the plates, drizzle with each sauce and serve.

    Tasty, right?
    Enjoy!



    NOURISHED - Comforting Raw Foods for Winter

    As it gets colder outside and we shift a gear towards hibernation, our body starts to ask for more warming, grounding and comforting foods.
     
    I have created my brand new downloadable book with the intention to give your body that rest and nourishment, which Mother Nature longs to shower you with, when temperatures drop.
    This is 'Nourished- Comforting Raw Foods for Winter'...
    WHAT TO EXPECT:
    * 71 full colour page eBook with stunning photography
    * A collection of 39 carefully selected recipes for winter
    * Drinks, Breakfasts, Sauces, Sides, Snacks, Meals and Desserts
    * Only the healthiest, enzyme rich and nutrient dense raw ingredients to every recipe
    * A list of my top tips to eat and stay raw when it's cold
    * A guide to local and seasonal produce
    * Easy to follow instructions, including selected step-by-step images
    * A full glossary list with suggestions of where to shop for your superfoods
    Here are the glorious recipes you will find inside:
    Nut/Seed Milk  ◈  Green Vitamin C Smoothie  ◈  Spiced Hot Chocolate  ◈  ‘Beet It’ this Winter Smoothie  ◈  Ginger Heathers  ◈  Pecan Pie Smoothie  ◈  Apple & Cinnamon Chia Pudding  ◈  Crunchy Granola Clusters  ◈  Veggie Crisps & Chews  ◈  Long-Keep Ketchup  ◈  Ranch Dressing  ◈  Warming Avocado Fries  ◈  Tanya’s Onion Bread  ◈  Sweet & Tangy Cabbage Salad  ◈  Pesto Courgette Crispies  ◈  Aubergine/ Eggplant Bacon  ◈  Crunchy Croutons  ◈  Creamy Mash  ◈  Cheesy Kale Chips  ◈  Cream of Mushroom Soup  ◈  Butternut Squash Soup  ◈  British Savoury Pie  ◈  Curried Winter Sun Burgers  ◈  Hearty Kale salad  ◈  Root Veggie Satay Noodles  ◈  The Fastest Disappearing Stuffed Mushrooms  ◈  Raw Vegan Chili  ◈  Creamy 'Never Miss Meat’ Strogonov  ◈  Thai Curry Noodles  ◈  ‘Roasted’ Veggies  ◈  Indian Curry in a Hurry  ◈  Spinach & Cheese Quiche  ◈  Frozen Chocolate Acorns  ◈  King of Pumpkin Pie  ◈  Dense Chocolate Mousse  ◈  Traditional Apple Crumble  ◈  Carrot Cakes & Cream-Cheese Icing  ◈  Honey Pear & Walnut Cake  ◈  Lucuma Custard Cream 
    Would you like instant access to all the recipes, tips and tricks for your healthiest winter ever?
     Download your own copy in seconds for just £15 (approx US$24) 

    Practically Raw book review with a special Sopes con Mole Poblano recipe


    If you've been reading this blog for a while and had to bet on whether I do book reviews or not, you could confidently bet on 'not' and win. 


    I'm pretty happy with my modest collection of raw food recipe and nutrition tomes, but I also know that if I was to start reviewing each one, it could quickly turn into a full time activity. (Don't know how my coaching clients would feel about that.) 


    And theeeen....
    I hear Amber Shea Crawley is releasing a book! Instantly I knew that once it's out, I'll happily smudge my own rules and do what ever I can for a girl, who over the past two years has become one of my closest virtual friends ever! And that's a big call.


    Scroll to the bottom to read Amber Shea's professional bio, but I'm here to tell you what she never mentions in it...


    Her blog Almost Vegan Chef is- hands clapping, tummy stitching, whole body bending, jaw aching, hiccup making- hilarious! I've been guilty of scaring Elliot with my random laughter outbursts while reading it, and not just once. And lucky me- my own eBooks Seduced and Festive have been featured in her giant, world-famous corner of vegan cyberspace.


    So yes, I am a BIG fan of Amber's writing. This girl has such a poetic way with words, I found myself reading her brand new book Practically Raw- Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make, for hours. Yep just sitting there and reading RECIPES! I don't know about you, but I don't really think that's 'normal'. I mean I would usually flick, turn, return, skim, zip, and blink through pages of recipe books, but I actually found myself reading (and loving) Amber's, word for word. 


    It is just jam packed with helpful tips, various options, mini stories, flexible suggestions and substitutions, that were revolutionary to me! The book is structured in the most easy to use way and each recipe begins with a lovely introduction about it by the author. A huge bunch of recipes come with instructions on making them both raw or cooked and there is an entire section devoted to KALE CHIPS! OMG!


    I also had the time of my life finding out what new name Amber would assign to each of her snacks, meals, sweets and drinks. Here are some of my top favourites: Pizza Kale Chips, Cocoa Corruption Smoothie, Naansense Bread,  Famous Five-Minute Blondies, and Deconstructed Sushi Bowl. Pure awesomeness.


    Oh and did I mention how cute she is?...



    With well over a hundred incredible looking and sounding recipes to play with, I discovered I must have a group of chipmunks living inside my own head. Because why else would there be all kinds of little voices arguing over which recipe I ought to make first?

    One got its way and if you remember my last post on a Three Course Raw Food Dinner, you might recall that winning choice! I just couldn't resist the sound of the ingredients in Sopes con Mole Poblano and Wooweeee Amber Shea Crawley The First- did you know what you were doing when you rocked up with this sensation!

    My guests couldn't agree more!...

    Practically Raw fans (from left): Riki, Elliot, Tanya, Britney
    I served the Sopes with my Sauerkraut from the Raw Food 101 DVD. It is fermented and probiotic rich cabbage, which I also mixed with grated carrots and cucumbers for that summer touch. It complimented the recipe so well with a mix of flavours and textures, just irresistible to the taste buds.

    Luckily for us all, Amber also happens to be the sweetest and most generous person, whom I didn't need to beg in order to share her special recipe with my readers. Let me know how much you also love it in the comments below and make sure to get the book here>>




    Sopes con Mole Poblano

    From Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make by Amber Shea Crawley, (c) 2012.  Used by permission.


    Sopes (pronounced "SOH-pehs") are Mexican corn cakes that can be topped with just about anything you please.  I crown mine with a luxurious lava-flow of mole poblano, a complex tomato-chile-chocolate sauce.  For another pop of color, serve the sopes over a bed of spinach leaves and/or top them with thin, creamy slices of avocado.


    For the sopes:

    2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

    1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 to 4 hours and drained

    1 teaspoon ground cumin

    1 teaspoon sea salt

    1 teaspoon lime juice

    3/4 cup ground flaxseed


    For the mole sauce:

    1 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

    1/2 clove garlic, peeled

    1 small jalapeño or Serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded (optional)

    2 tablespoons chili powder

    2 tablespoons cacao powder

    2 tablespoons almond butter

    2 teaspoons olive oil

    2 teaspoons lime juice

    1 teaspoon ground cumin

    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    3/4 cup filtered water


    To make the sopes, combine the corn, cashews, cumin, salt, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth.  Add the flax and blend until incorporated.


    Make it Raw:  Drop the batter in 8 portions onto two Teflex-lined dehydrator trays (4 portions per tray).  Use a spoon to spread each portion into a circle about 1 inch thick.  Press the spoon into the center of each to create a slight depression.  Dehydrate for 2 to 4 hours, until dry on the surface, then flip the sopes over onto a mesh-lined tray.  Dehydrate for 4 to 6 more hours, until dry and firm.


    Make it Baked:  Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking sheet with coconut oil.  Drop the batter in 8 portions onto the baking sheet.  Use a spoon to spread each portion into a circle about 1 inch thick.  Press the spoon into the center of each to create a slight depression.  Bake for 10 minutes, until dry on top, then remove from the oven and carefully flip over with a spatula.  Bake for about 10 more minutes, until dry and lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.


    To make the mole sauce, combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.  To serve, spoon mole sauce generously on top of each sope.


    Yield:  8 servings

    Per serving:  256 calories, 16.8g fat (2g sat), 23.8g carbs, 7g fiber, 8.6g protein


    Substitutions

    Cashews:  macadamia nuts

    Lime juice:  lemon juice

    Cacao powder:  unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder

    Almond butter:  peanut butter


    Cooked variations

    Spoon cooked black beans, pinto beans, or vegan refried beans onto the sopes before topping with the mole sauce.








    Amber Shea Crawley is a linguist, chef, and author specializing in healthful vegan and raw food. Known for her flexible recipes and friendly voice, she was classically trained in the art of gourmet living cuisine at the world-renowned Matthew Kenney Academy, graduating in 2010 as a certified raw and vegan chef. In 2011, she earned her Nutrition Educator certification at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. Her first cookbook, Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make, debuted in March 2012. Amber blogs at AlmostVeganChef.com and can be found on Facebook,  Twitter and Pinterest.

    UK links for Practically Raw