Mango Salsa Guacamole Recipe!

Mango Salsa Guacamole

Many thanks to my friend Kate Siscoe for sharing this absolutely delicious recipe with us! This recipe is inspired by some of the exotic flavors of Costa Rica, where Kate spent time learning from several Costa Rican chefs. Check out her awesome blog Here!

Ingredients:

1 jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 T. fresh basil, chopped

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. cinnamon

1 or 2 limes, juiced

4 small avocadoes, halved, seeded, peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mash together above ingredients for a guacamole base, either with a fork or a masher. Add salt and pepper as desired.

2 cups fresh mango chunks

1 cup fresh sweet corn or canned corn

1 cup tomatoes, diced

½ cup onions, diced

Gently stir chunky ingredients into the guacamole base. Serve immediately or chill for up to 3 hours before serving.

Additional tips

Video:  How to cut mango

Juicing Limes: Microwave the lime for 10-15 seconds, then squeeze lime before cutting. Cut the lime over a bowl to catch all the juice. (Thanks to Rosa Acostaruiz for this tip!)

If you are not serving the guacamole immediately, stir in all chunky ingredients except the tomatoes. Leave the tomatoes as a top layer for the guacamole. The tomato juice will cover the guac and maintain the fresh green color a few hours longer. Right before serving, stir in the tomatoes. (Tip from Blanca Ramos)

Mango Salsa Inspiration: http://princessaioli.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/mango-basil-salsa/

Guacamole Recipe Inspiration: from the many Costa Rican chefs I had the privilege to learn from J (Blanca Ramos, Judit Cabezas Ramos, & Tricia Wegman Contreras) 

Raw Cucumber Sandwiches

This is a simple snack that uses cucumber as "crackers" to make mini sandwiches. Add guacamole, sweet corn, hot peppers and sun dried tomatoes for a "zesty" dish - Or use other vegetables to create your own unique combination!

Raw Salad Dressings

Many animals survive almost completely on grass, and do not have the luxury of pouring dressing over it as they are grazing. Conversely, we as humans add MSG, artificial flavors, processed sugar and excess salt to our foods, often ignoring the harmful effects these flavor enhancers are having on our health. Personally I don't always feel the need for salad dressing when eating vegetables. That being said, I usually do prefer including dressing with my salads. If done right, I believe that salad dressings can be both delicious and healthy. 

One of my favorite raw salad dressings is simply cold pressed olive oil and a squeezed lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit.

Here is one great recipe I found (Link):

"I make this once a week and keep it in the fridge. I find that different families like different ratios of oil to vinegar. The classic ratio to two thirds oil to one third vinegar. Start there and tinker to taste. You can also use other vinegars and follow the same recipe.

"Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing"

1 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of Apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of onion powder
2 tablespoon of whole grain mustard or djion type mustard
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried  basil
1 teaspoon salt"

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I'm also a fan of Bragg's oil free salad dressing, specifically their Braggberry and their Hawaiian dressings. They only contain organic fruit juices with organic apple cider vinegar. I called Bragg and they say that they do not pasteurize the below salad dressings, so they are considered raw.

Braggberry (Raw, organic, vegan according to Bragg)

Bragg Hawaiian Dressing (Raw, organic, vegan according to Bragg)

To make an extremely simple salad dressing, 2 excellent ingredients are raw (cold pressed) extra virgin olive oil (or walnut oil) and raw (unpasteurized) apple cider vinegar. For extra flavor, you can also try blending one or both the above ingredients with one or more of the following: Sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, hot peppers, raw honey, black pepper, a pinch of sea salt, carrot juice, fruit juice, ginger or garlic to taste. If you are on the go - another great option is simply squeezing citrus juice such as lemon, lime, orange and/or grapefruit over your salad!

Raw food author and speaker Paul Nison promotes raw apple cider vinegar as a salad dressing. Also, author and physician Dr. Mercola says apple cider vinegar makes "a delightful salad dressing" (Link).

Bragg raw apple cider vinegar 

Bragg raw olive oil.

Raw Muesli Recipe

Bob's Red Mill Muesli is one of the most popular store-bought brands of Muesli available. While it is a healthy, whole foods product, it is not a raw food. All almonds that are grown and harvested in the U.S.A. now have to be pasteurized - this includes the almonds in Bob's Red Mill muesli. Also, most store-bought rolled oats are steamed at about 220 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve flavor, so they are not truly raw.  The same can likely be said for the whole grain wheat, rye, triticale and barley in this muesli. That being said, the date crumbles, raisins, sunflower seeds and walnuts in Bob's Red Mill muesli are likely raw.

Raw Muesli Recipe

Source: page 161 of "the Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose.

1 cup raw pecans or walnuts
1 cup chopped dried apples
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
Pinch of ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg

To serve, toss the ingredients well and serve in place of nuts, or enjoy in a bowl with almond milk and maple syrup. Or serve atop your favorite bowl of raw oatmeal!

Green Smoothie - A Great Way to Start Your Day

Note: Scroll down for a great daily smoothie recipe!

For many people, sacrificing a hot breakfast for a cold green smoothie can be difficult at first. However, for most people, the benefits of this sacrifice will pay off greatly. Of course results aren't guaranteed, but  with so many servings of powerful fruits and veggies, a green smoothie is a great way to start your day!

While I like to avoid hard set "rules" in dieting in favor of an intuitive and balanced approach, I also believe that some things can generally be seen as healthy. One of these things is a green smoothie, which can be an energizing and delicious meal option to incorporate into your life. Again, this isn't necessarily a rigid daily rule to follow, but rather an understanding of the benefits that green smoothies can bring.

Dr. Brooke Goldner has had amazing success healing people of a variety of terrible and debilitating diseases. She healed from lupus on a high raw vegan diet, and recommends green smoothies as a staple to her program.
Dr. Josh Axe helped his mom heal from cancer in an amazing story, and he promotes starting every day with a kale green smoothie.
For my smoothies, I do not include canned or jarred ingredients, as they have almost always been pasteurized and therefore do not retain many of the living enzymes found in fresh produce. Frozen fruits, on the other hand, are generally still in their unprocessed original state.  

Kevin Gianni was one of the more influential raw vegan pioneers around the years 2000-2010. He ended up eventually adding animal protein into his diet, yet he still recognizes the power of a green smoothie as a part of a balanced diet. Check out this amazing interview where Gianni continues to affirm the power of a green smoothie!

In the below interview, Arnold Kauffman interviews Elaine, who claims to have had more success with green smoothies than with traditional cancer treatments for her mouth cancer! Of course, this was her decision and I'm not prescribing anything on this blog. Yet I find her story to be very inspiring.

Brenda, the "Real Food Rebel," beat a terrifying infection of parasites and lyme disease that left her totally debilitated and even suicidal. In her own words, "When I was very sick and going through heavy lyme and parasite cleansing I often did a green smoothie fast for a day or two. I would eat as much smoothie as I wanted and it really helped to clear the body of die-off toxins. Go ahead and give it a try" (Link)!

Feel free to vary your smoothie to what works best for you. Here are some possible ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen pineapples. 

"Pineapple contains compounds that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are linked to cancer. One of these compounds is the enzyme bromelain, which may stimulate cell death in certain cancer cells and aid white blood cell function" (Link).

• 1/2 cup of frozen wild blueberries

"Blueberries are the King of antioxidant foods. Antioxidants protect your body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to aging and diseases, such as cancer" (LINK).

• One Banana

Bananas are a rich source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber. 

• 1 Cup of Carrots: Beta-carotene is said to aid in the treatment or prevention of the following health problems: Age-related macular degeneration, Arthritis, Asthma, Cataracts, Heartburn, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Parkinson's disease and Psoriasis (Link).

• 1/3 cup of Omega 3 Seeds (chia and/or flax)

- "Flaxseed is a rich source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber. The seeds contain protein, lignans, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3. The nutrients in flaxseed may help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease." (LINK)
- "Despite their small size, chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke" (Link)

• 4-6 cups of organic mixed greens (Kale is best)

• Enough filtered water to create a smooth consistency. 

• Optional: sugar free coconut yogurt

• Optional: Vegan Protein Powder

After combining all of the above ingredients... blend and enjoy!