who says super bowl snacks have to be bad for you!?!?

Beet Tartare & Citrus Avocado Mousse Canapes

Ingredients:

3 endives (leave in refrigerator until you are ready to serve)

1 large red beet (peeled and diced)

2 medium golden beets (peeled and diced)

1 cara cara orange, juiced 

1 meyer lemon, juice 1/2 (set the other half aside for garnish)

10 basil leaves (messy chop)

1/4 tsp salt

2 medium limes, juiced

4 avocados 

"cooking" time : 30 min

serving size: 2 leaves

Servings per batch: about 10

*You can wear gloves if you want to prevent your hands from turning red when peeling and cutting beets.

Directions:

Beet Tartare - Combine diced beets, chopped basil leaves and salt into a large bowl.  Squeeze the juice of cara cara orange and 1/2 of meyer lemon onto the beets and blend ingredients.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave out at room temperature while you make the avocado citrus mousse.

Avocado Mousse - Scrape the meat of the avocados into food processor, discarding the skin and pits. Finish with lime juice and mix until avocado become smooth and fluffy.

Endive - Wash endive and pat dry, discard any leaves with bruises or imperfections. 

***  Time for plating ***

Place a dollop of avocado citrus mousse on an endive leaf with a small spoonful of beet tartare on top of it.  To finish, squeeze a few drops of meyer lemon juice on the beets.

Photo credit: Sayf Khidir

Apple Walnut Napoleon with Raw Vegan Whipped Cream and Fresh Blueberries

Ingredients:
6 Medium Pink Lady Apples
3 cups apple cider (fresh and local if possible)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups crushed walnuts
1 pint fresh organic blueberries
2 cups raw cashews
2 tbsp  agave
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water

"cooking" time: 2 1/2 hours
serves 6 - 8 people

Directions:
 *Prep cashews for whipped cream by soaking them in water for 2 hours.

Apples - Peel apples length wise in a cube fashion leaving peels on.  Lay apple slices in a pyrex spreading them evenly around the surface.  Add 1 tsp of cinnamon to 3 cups apple cider, mix and pour over apple slices.  Cover the pyrex with plastic wrap and set aside for 2 hours at room temperature.

Crushed Walnuts - Using the back of a large spoon crush the walnut pieces in a plastic bag until your reach a soft flour texture.  Remove from bag and pour into a small bowl and set aside.

Whipped cream - In a food processor combine 2 cups presoaked raw cashews, 2 tbsp agave, 1 tsp vanilla extract with 1/4 cup water.  Stop frequently to stir contents helping them move along.  After blended slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup water until the whipped cream is light and fluffy.

*** Now for the fun part... time to assemble your apple napoleon! ***

On the center of the plate of your choice, place a dollop of whipped cream.  Take one apple shaving from pyrex and place on crushed walnuts dusting both sides. Place on top of the dollop of whipped cream and continue layering with more walnut dusted apples until the height reaches about 2 inches.  Place a hardy spoonful of whipped cream on the top of apple tower and finish with fresh (pre-washed) blueberries.

Photo credit: Sayf Khidir

Day #1 Let the raw begin!

Ok lets get down to business!  Today is Day #1 of my transition back to the raw food lifestyle.  This process will take my body about a week to become accustom to only eating raw fruits and vegetables.  One thing to keep in mind is that everyones body will shift differently, meaning some may become super tired while others more energetic.  As well as how you are digesting your food and in what combinations they are being consumed.  No matter how you are adjusting to the raw lifestyle you always want to be aware of how your body is feeling during the process.  Also drink water and lots of it!!!

I started my day off with 16 ounces of water, an iced coffee and a cashew lara bar.    I know what you might be thinking, "iced coffee isnt raw!!" Well all I have to say about that is... I will give up wine, spirits and beer but not my cawfee!

In the spirit of kicking this off right I decided to step up my workout and run the lyon street stairs.  Let me tell ya this girl was a strugglin'!  I can feel the difference in my body now in comparison to just a few months ago when I was a raw food rock star.  If you live in the Bay area I encourage you to push yourself and get moving on these stairs... they do a booty good!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lyon-street-steps-san-francisco