Raw macaroons are nothing new. Been there, done that. Don’t get me wrong – I love ‘em, but I wanted to create something lighter, something different. So when I saw the Zucchini Cacao Cookies by Rawmazing, I was inspired to re-create the famed raw macaroon.

I began by subbing grated zucchini for the shredded coconut found in the typical macaroon recipe. I replaced the agave in the Rawmazing recipe with a combination of coconut nectar and chocolate stevia for a lower glycemic hit. I also swapped out the olive oil in exchange for melted coconut oil and I added a few chopped almonds to mask the “wateriness” of the zucchini and give the ‘roons some crunch! These chocolate zucchini-roons came out yummy. I served them to my family for Christmas without telling them that they contained veggies or that they were raw. Guess what? They loved them!

Chocolate Almond Zuccaroons

"How 'bout some veggies for dessert?"

• 3 cups peeled & grated zucchini
• 2.25 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup cacao powder
• 2 apples, cored and quartered
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 3-4 dropperfuls of chocolate stevia (to taste)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds (optional)

1. Peel & grate zucchini and set aside.
2. Blend/pulse oats into a fine flour consistency in a Blendtec or Vitamix. In a separate bowl, mix together with cacao powder and set aside.
3. Place apples in food processor with coconut nectar, stevia, water and coconut oil. Process until smooth.
4. Stir together flour mixture and apple mixture.
5. Add to grated zucchini and stir until well combined. Mix in chopped almonds if using.
6. Use small ice cream scoop to drop onto non-stick dehydrator sheets. Dehydrate at 145F for 1/2 hour then reduce heat to 115F and dry for 4 hours. Remove from non-stick sheets and continue to dry until done approx 6-8 more hours.

* Have all ingredients at room temperature (except the coconut oil which is melted ) so that the coconut oil does not harden right away.

More »

I don’t remember the measurements exactly but it was something like 2 eggs beaten, 1 tablespoon of coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tsp coconut oil, drop of vanilla whipped together than pan-fried in raw grassfed butter. Something like that. LOL. With a bit of maple syrup, they were totally satisfying…yum.

Coconut flour trivia – did you know coconut flour is relatively high in protein? Yay.

More »

I loooove to cook with ghee! It gives dishes a delicious nutty, buttery taste and it doesn’t burn like butter, or smoke like olive oil under high heat. I like to make my own ghee because then I can chose the source of my butter, which is usually raw organic jersey cow or goat butter.

What is Ghee?

Ghee is unsalted butter that is slowly melted and simmered until all the water evaporates and the milk solids settle to the bottom. Ghee is very stable and has a high smoke point so it’s great for sautéing and it can be stored unrefrigerated for several months. Since the milk solids are removed, ghee is virtually casein & lactose-free, so many people who are sensitive to milk products are able to eat ghee without problem.

In the Indian Ayurvedic tradition, ghee is considered a sattvic food. Cow milk contains the essence of the grass and cow ghee possesses the essence of cow milk. It is said to be slightly alkalizing on the body and it balances all three doshas. Ghee is also a nutrient dense food and contains healthy fat soluble vitamins which aids in the absorption of nutrients from foods that are essential for good health.

How to Make Ghee

It’s sooooo easy to make ghee! You can practically just leave it on the stovetop and forget about it for 40-ish minutes.

1) Get a pound of the best quality grass-fed unsalted butter you can find. Put it in a heavy bottom sauce pan on low heat and let it slowly melt uncovered.

"Fat (foam) Rising to the Top"

2) You will see foam rising to the top as it slowly bubbles. Let it simmer uncovered for approximately 30-45 minutes and do not stir.

"Milk Solids Falling to the Bottom"

3) Next you will see the liquid becoming clearer as the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan.

"Clear Liquid Ghee in the Middle"

4) The golden liquid in the middle is the precious ghee! When you hear and see that the bubbling has slowed down or stopped, that means all the water has evaporated and your ghee is ready. Turn off the stovetop flame and allow the ghee to cool.

"Golden Ghee"

5) Pour the ghee through a strainer to separate the milk solids and store your ghee in a glass jar. Don’t throw away the milk solids! They are yummy and nutty and can be used to flavor dishes like quinoa or ummm…eat ‘em straight like I did. (Just try not to let the milk solids burn like my pic above – lol.
Do as I say, not as I do. )

"Ghee Solid At Room Temp"

6) After the ghee has cooled, it will be semi-solid and can be stored at room temp or in the fridge. I like to write the date on mine.

So that’s it! Really doesn’t get much easier than that – throw two 8oz. bricks of butter in a pan and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Strain and enjoy! Coconut oil and ghee are now my staples for cooking when oil is called for.

Below is an excerpt from the Weston A. Price Foundation website. Check out the website for more valuable info on natural nutrition.

Actually butter contains many nutrients that protect us from heart disease. First among these is vitamin A which is needed for the health of the thyroid and adrenal glands, both of which play a role in maintaining the proper functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system. Abnormalities of the heart and larger blood vessels occur in babies born to vitamin A deficient mothers. Butter is America’s best and most easily absorbed source of vitamin A.

Butter contains lecithin, a substance that assists in the proper assimilation and metabolism of cholesterol and other fat constituents.

Butter also contains a number of anti-oxidants that protect against the kind of free radical damage that weakens the arteries. Vitamin A and vitamin E found in butter both play a strong anti-oxidant role. Butter is a very rich source of selenium, a vital anti-oxidant–containing more per gram than herring or wheat germ.

Butter is also a good dietary source cholesterol. What?? Cholesterol an anti-oxidant?? Yes indeed, cholesterol is a potent anti-oxidant that is flooded into the blood when we take in too many harmful free-radicals–usually from damaged and rancid fats in margarine and highly processed vegetable oils.³ A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine.⁴

More »

Here is a super easy recipe, for a crunchy raw snack – zucchini shoestring “fries.”

First, spiralize as much zuke or yellow squash as you like. I used 2 medium sized zucchinis. Put it in a bowl squeeze lemon juice over the them, sprinkle with cumin, sea salt and a dash of cayenne. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. You could coat in olive oil too but I didn’t. Then throw it in the dehydrator overnight at 115F. They will shrink up a lot. Separate the fries and munch!

More »

Yay! I finally got around to jotting down the recipe for my cardamom pistachio burfi. Thing is each time I’ve made it, I haven’t written down the recipe, so I’m kind of going off of memory. But the good thing is that with these ingredients, you truly can’t go wrong. Any combination will taste great and it can be tweaked to your desired sweetness or cardamom-yness as you make it.

The secret ingredient is the coconut cream. It has just the right sweetness and consistency when chilled to make a fab burfi treat. And to help you get started, check out my Coconut Cream Giveaway for a chance to win a whooping 32oz jar of the best organic coconut cream concentrate ever!

Raw Cardamom Pistachio Burfi

"Raw Cardamom Pistachio Burfi"

• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped pistachio
• Pinch of vanilla powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 cup honey
• ½ teaspoon stevia (optional)

1. Warm coconut cream in a bain marie (a bowl placed within a bowl of hot water) or gently in a double-boiler until it softens enough to stir.
2. Mix in honey, cardamom and vanilla. Taste & adjust to desired sweetness – add stevia if desired.
3. Stir in pistachio pieces.
4. Press “dough” into a flexible plastic container or mold. Choose container(s) that will fit “dough” to 1″ thickness.
5. Place in fridge to solidify (or freezer if you can’t wait!)
6. Remove from fridge & flex container to release block of burfi.
7. Score triangles and break into pieces. Enjoy!

More »