Posts Tagged ‘agave nectar’

Raw Veggie “Stir Fry”

We found this fabulous recipe on website Rawmazing. If you want something with a little spice and a lot of flavor, this rawmazing dish is for you. For this recipe you need a food processor. It is fun, fast and the flavors are great. Don’t be intimidated by the parsnip rice. The flavor is very mild and when combined with the other ingredients, makes a great meal.

Parsnips are full of vitamin C, have tons of fiber and are high in folic acid. They are a good source of niacin, magnesium, thiamine and potassium. They also have vitamins B6 and E.

Rice:

• 2 C Chopped Parsnips
• 2 Carrots
• 1/2 C Pine Nuts
• 3/4 C Broccoli, Chopped
• 1/2 C Mushrooms, sliced

Finely chop parsnips, carrots, and pine nuts and place in bowl. If you are using a food processor to do this, you will want to do each separately. Combine with chopped broccoli and sliced mushrooms. (mushrooms not pictured)

Sauce:

• 1/4 C Olive Oil
• 1/3 C Sun dried Tomatoes (soft)
• 1 t. Chili Peppers (dried)
• 1 1/2 t. Curry Powder
• 1 T Nama Shoyu
• 1 T Agave (Optional)

Combine all ingredients in food processor, process until well combined. Stir into “rice mixture”. Enjoy!

Source Information: Recipe and photographs are copyright 2009 Susan Powers www.rawmazing.com. All Rights Reserved.

Raw Banana Split

Want a deliciously different dessert? Something that is fun for you to eat but also an excellent recipe for when you have friends and family over? Let’s take your raw dessert experience to the next level. Try this Raw Banana Split and after one bite, your tastebuds will be begging for more.

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana (fresh or frozen)
• ½ C Organic Frozen Cherries
• 2 T Coconut Crème
• 1 T Chia Seeds
• 1 T Honey/Agave Nectar
• ½ T Vanilla Powder
• 1 T Sundried Coconut
• 1 T Wild Jungle Peanuts or Mac Nuts
• 1 T Bee Pollen (optional depending on your dietary choices)

Equipment:
High-powered blender

Directions:
1. Slice banana in half long ways and place open on a plate.

2. In a high-powered blender, blend the cherries, Vanilla Coconut Crème, chia seeds, honey and vanilla powder.  Pour over banana.

3. Top with sundried coconut, chopped nuts and bee pollen.

This is a fast and easy desert that is a big hit with kids and unexpected company.  And it is great comfort food when you have a craving for something sweet.

Source: Vivapura’s Easy Recipes that include Superfoods

StRAWberry Banana Ice Cream

You probably think that raw ice cream will never compare to the real thing. Well, this recipe is sure to prove you wrong!

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

• 1 small frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/3 cup cashew milk*

That is it my friends…it really couldn’t be more simple!! The natural sweetness from the fruits was more than adequate and the cashew milk gave the creaminess needed. Simply blend the frozen fruit up together in the high speed blender and then added the milk. It solidified into this sublime ice cream instantly. If you do not have a high speed blender you should add the milk in at the same time as the frozen fruit; this will allow the blades to mix all of the ingredients more efficiently. You may have to place it in the freezer for it to become completely solidified. Or, you can also try to put the ingredients into a food processor.

Serve this to friends and family and they’ll never guess that it was raw ice cream. It is simple to make and delicious in both taste and texture.

Best of all, since it was made with healthy ingredients, there’s no need to feel guilty for eating this sweet treat. This is truly a recipe for guilt free ice cream.

*Cashew milk: If you are not ready to make your own nut milk yet, you can swap this out for an almond milk that you would find at your local grocery store. Or, if you are feeling fabulous and up for the challenge, you can make the raw cashew milk by following the steps below.

Cashew Nut Milk:

• 1 cup cashews – leave to soak over night
• 1 T agave nectar  (or you can use dates instead)
• 1 1/2 cups of filtered water
• (you can also add vanilla seeds from pod for added flavoring)

1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and pour over some filtered water and leave to soak over night.
2. The next day, rinse the cashews thoroughly and drain well.
3. Place them into a high speed with 1/2 cup of filtered water and blend up until all the nuts become liquid form.
4. Add the agave nectar and the rest of the water to reach the sweetness and consistency you desire. It is all about getting it to the right taste and consistency for you.
5. Then store the milk in a glass bottle and keep it in the fridge. It will last a couple of days.

Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, you can always use a normal speed blender but simply strain the nut milk through a nut bag (or cheese clothe) before storing in the fridge.

This recipe was provided by Loulou; she is an English Las but presently lives in France, near Nice with her French Husband Stophy. Her favorite raw food is apples. Visit her blog at http://rawloulou.blogspot.com for additional recipes and adventures in raw food.

Agave Nectar: So Sweet

A Little Background Info:

Agave has been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in food and drink. This plant comes in well over 100 species that include a variety of sizes and colors. Their syrups are made from Mexico’s Blue Agave. Agaves are harvested when they reach 7 to 10 years old, which is when their sugar is at its peak. The blue agave’s nectar is held in the pina, which are gently roasted or steamed for up to 4 days. Once cooked, juice is pressed from the pinas and the honey water is collected and cleaned. Then the liquid is transformed into an unrefined syrup that can be used in many ways (such as in smoothies, teas, sauces, and baked goods). Due to increasing awareness of agave nectar’s many beneficial properties, it is becoming the preferred sweetener of raw foodist and other health conscious consumers.

Nutritional Information:

When you think of agave, you most commonly associate it with agave nectar. Blue agave nectar is a honey-like syrup with a low glycemic index (GI). It sweetens naturally without spiking blood sugar. They are also appropriate for anyone who is on restricted diets or monitoring their blood sugar levels. And here is something you might not have known, with roasting and processing, a stalk of agave can be fermented into liquor such as tequila.