Raw chocolate & vanilla custard tarts recipe, plus come and see me 'do my thing' live in Brighton this month..!

What a delicious sweet treat this is! Luscious vanilla custard envelops a sticky raw chocolate layer, all encased in crunchy, crumbly raw pastry and crowned with sweet scarlet strawberries...raw dessert heaven!

Raw chocolate & vanilla custard tarts

Crust:
3/4 cup almonds
3/4 cup medjool dates
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup lucuma
Pinch sea salt

Blitz almonds to crumb consistency in a food processor. Then add lucuma, coconut and salt. Pulse to combine. Finally with the processor running, drop the dates in one at a time until the mixture holds together when pinched between your finger and thumb. You may need more or less dates depending on their size. Split between four 4inch mini loose bottom flan tins and press down and around the sides to form a pastry case. 

Chocolate layer:
1/2 cup unsulphured dried apricots, soaked a few hours
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp. raw honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla powder or extract

Blend this together until a sticky paste is formed. As it's a small amount it may be useful to use a mini food processor or a hand blender. Split into four equal amounts and layer on top of the pastry cases.

Vanilla custard layer:

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked 8 hours or more
4 tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 tbsp. raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod
1/2 cup coconut water or pure water

Blend in a vitamix or regular blender until a smooth consistency is reached. You want the consistency of custard. Split into four equal amounts and top the chocolate layer. 

Topping:

4 strawberries or 16 raspberries

Slice up one strawberry per tart and arrange in a pretty way on top. Or place three raspberries on top instead of strawberries. Refrigerate until needed. Eat within 3 days. Yum.

Vegfest here I come..!

I am doing a demo at Brighton Vegfest on 29th March. My demo is called 'Raw Food Made Sexy' and I'll be explaining why raw food is sexy food, and showing you how to make some simple yet luxurious raw food dishes that are full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and deliciousness! Click on the photo below to learn more...

And click on this photo to be taken to the Facebook event:

I hope you can make it, I'd love to see you there. If you do attend, please do come and say hi!

Wishing you raw health and happiness

Natalie. x

www.rawlifestylecoach.co.uk

Happy Raw Christmas! Chocolate chestnut torte and christmas granola recipes...

I really love this time of year, the beautiful decorations, how everybody seems to be a bit happier and nicer to each other, the excitement and anticipation in the air, the smell of christmas spices...

Yes that's right, I too love the traditional christmas flavours and treats. And I'm here to tell you that you can stay healthy over the christmas period whilst enjoying these things...with a little creative magic in the kitchen that is!

I have been busy in the kitchen experimenting with some new recipes to share with you for the christmas season. Last year I made a delicious raw christmas pudding recipe, and it went down a treat, but this year I wanted something a bit different. Max and I were enjoying some freshly roasted chestnuts the other day, I absolutely adore the flavour of chestnuts and thought what a brilliant combo they would make with chocolate. Not just any chocolate though, it had to be a dessert or cake of some kind. I decided to make them part of a delicious rich chocolate truffle torte. There had to be cinnamon somewhere, and a vanilla topping as well...oh dreamy deliciousness!

Now many of you know I do not advocate eating a 100% raw diet (unless you want to that is), and this recipe is a beautiful example of how you can make something mostly raw but still enjoy old comforting flavours and ingredients as well. It really doesn't have to be all or nothing, 100% raw or 100% cooked, you can choose to do whatever percentage raw you like, whatever fits in with your goals and lifestyle. I am about 70% raw on average, slightly less in winter and slightly more in summer, and that suits my life and what I choose to eat and feed my child. This recipe is great as you have the amazing health benefits of the raw chocolate, the nuts, plant butters, spices and dried fruit, and you get the beautiful christmassy luxurious flavour of the roasted chestnuts in there as well. And it is also free from refined sugar, wheat, soya, gluten, dairy and eggs. Heaven!

Raw chocolate chestnut torte


Base:
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup medjool dates, de-stoned
1/2 cup cacao nibs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt


Topping:
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 heaped tbsp. coconut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:
1 ripe avocado
4 tbsp. raw cacao powder
5 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 cup chopped roasted chestnuts
3/4 cup melted cacao butter
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut water or pure filtered water, room temperature (not chilled from fridge)
1/4 tsp. sea salt

First roast your chestnuts in the oven according to the instructions on the pack. Then peel them (easier to do when they're still warm), roughly chop and set aside to cool.

While the chestnuts are in the oven you can make the base. Put the nuts, cinnamon and salt in the food processor and blitz to a coarse crumb consistency. With the motor running, add the dates down the chute. You are looking for the point where the mixture will stick together when pinched between your fingers. You may need to add a couple more or less dates to achieve this so just check as you go. Once the mixture holds together, add the cacao nibs and just pulse to combine, you don't want to break these down at all, they're there for texture and crunch. Press into a 7 inch loose bottomed cake tin, or use a silicone heart shaped one like I did. Make a nice even layer on the bottom of the tin and chill in the fridge.

Good tip - always start with the lightest layer you will be using the blender for so you don't have to keep washing it between stages. So next you'll make the topping as this is white and the filling is brown. Put the cashews in the blender and blitz to a flour consistency. Scrape the sides down to free any stuck cashew flour. Then add the other topping ingredients and blend until smooth. Put into a bowl and set aside while you make the filling (not in the fridge though).

For the filling, blend the cacao butter, avocado and maple syrup until smooth. With the motor running, trickle in the coconut water. Then add everything else and blend until completely smooth. Spoon this mixture evenly over the base and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then pour the topping evenly over the filling layer and return to the freezer for a few hours to firm up. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon and cacao nibs and decorate with something christmassy and sparkly!

Another delicious recipe that came out of my kitchen last week was some yummy raw christmas granola. Granola is great to have on hand as it means you can have a delicious healthy raw breakfast that is as quick to prepare as making a bowl of processed cereal, and you have an easily transportable healthy snack for when you're out and about and don't want to be tempted by all those unhealthy christmas treats in the shops and cafes at the moment! Just add a couple of handfuls to a sandwich bag or small tupperware tub and you're good to go.

I wanted to make my granola a bit special and festive to match the time of year. I decided to add some mixed spice, cinnamon and ground ginger, as well as dried cranberries, raw chocolate powder and vanilla. Yum yum! What a delicious breakfast to wake up to on Christmas day, paired with some gorgeous chilled hemp or almond milk and some fresh fruit. I like it with chopped banana and cherries. I used my dehydrator for this recipe, but if you don't have one and you don't mind it not staying raw, you could bake it on a low setting in your oven. I haven't tried this though so not sure about length of time, you'd have to keep an eye on it, and when it feels crunchy and dry it's ready. Mmmm...the smell that filled the kitchen when this was dehydrating was heavenly....spicy, chocolaty and very christmassy!

Raw christmas granola

Paste:

12 medjool dates, de-stoned

1 large ripe banana

1/2 cup coconut water or pure filtered water (or you could try orange juice)

3 tbsp. raw cacao powder

1 tbsp. maca (optional)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. mixed spice

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Granola:

1 cup buckwheaties (soaked, sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat grains, if you don't have these substitute with soaked buckwheat or omit and add extra nuts and seeds)

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped (could use walnuts if desired)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup goji berries

3/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

3/4 cup dried white mulberries (or use raisins if you can't get mulberries)

1/2 cup de-hulled hemp seeds

Put the granola ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Put the paste ingredients into your blender and blitz until smooth. Pour the paste mixture into the bowl and mix thoroughly to combine everything really well. Spread out over 2 dehydrator trays lined with paraflexx sheets and dehydrate at 115°C for 8 hours. Place another tray with mesh over the top and flip over, then peel the paraflexx sheet off. Repeat for the other tray and return to the dehydrator for another 4 - 8 hours, depending how chewy or crunchy you like it to be, the longer you dry it, the crunchier it will be. When it's done, break it up into bite sized pieces and store in an airtight tub or jar. It will last for a week or so, longer in the fridge. 

Have a fantastic christmas.

Natalie. x

www.rawlifestylecoach.co.uk

Happy Halloween...Raw Pumpkin Pie..!

Hello beautiful friends,

Mmmm....I love pumpkin pie...sweet and spiced just right. There is no reason you can't have a raw version of this delicious dessert. Here is my pumpkin...and my yummy raw pumpkin pie recipe...

Can you see the image I have carved here?

Raw pumpkin pie recipe:

Base:
3/4 cup almonds
3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup soft dates (if dates are dried, soak in pure water for a few hours)
Pinch pink Himalayan salt

Filling:
2 cups 1/2 inch dice pumpkin or butternut squash
4 tbsp. coconut water
1/2 cup unsulphured dried apricots, soaked for a few hours in pure water
1/3 cup coconut oil, warmed to a liquid
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
Pinch pink Himalayan salt

To make the base, put the nuts into a food processor and process to a breadcrumb consistency. Add in the salt and with the machine running, add the drained dates. The mixture is ready when it sticks together when pinched. If is seems a bit too dry, add a couple more dates, or a tablespoon or two of the date soak water. Press into an 8 inch loose bottom cake tin, making sure you press the mixture about an inch up the sides to form a pie crust. Set aside while you make the filling. 

To make the filling, put everything except the coconut oil in the vitamix or other high powered blender and blitz until smooth. If you don't have a high powered blender, you can use a normal blender, just break up the pumpkin or squash in the food processor as much as you can before putting in the blender, and you may need to use a little extra coconut water, but try to use as little as possible. You'll need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. Once you have a puree, add the coconut oil with the motor running until smooth. Pour filling onto base and pop in the freezer to set for 4-8 hours. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer for 30 minutes to soften slightly. Feel free to garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or some desiccated coconut. YUM YUM!

Max loved this...he kept asking for more and more. I told him: 'You'll turn into a pumpkin if you carry on like that'...He didn't believe me...

But....

Mummy's are always right...

Look what happened....

Happy Halloween from me and my little pumpkin..!

Wishing you raw health and happiness,

Natalie. x

www.rawlifestylecoach.co.uk

Autumn raw food ideas

There is a definite chill in the air and summer has unfortunately come to an end. But what a summer it was! I don't know about you but my family and I really enjoyed all the juicy summer fruits and salad veg. We enjoyed beautiful smoothies, juices, mouthwatering salads, dips and dressings. But now the season is changing and the food offered by mother nature is changing as well. I always recommend eating as seasonally and locally as possible. If you think about the fruit and veg available in the summer, and also from tropical climates - it all has a very high water content. These foods have a definite cooling effect on the body and are perfect to consume when the weather is hot. But when the temperature begins to drop we need foods that keep the body warm, to nourish and sustain us. Enter the autumn/winter crops - root veggies, kale, apples, squash, onions, mushrooms etc. This food is denser and does not cool the body like the summer (or tropical) produce does. I always get asked about how to continue eating raw foods when the weather turns cold and this is one of the things I suggest. Eating what is in season. Now obviously there is some room for other ingredients here; I'm not saying you should only eat root vegetables and kale! But basing your meals around the denser vegetables will have a more satisfying effect on your body. So far this autumn my family and I have been enjoying dishes such as butternut squash & carrot soups, wilted kale salads, apple and pear pies and crumbles, grated root veggie slaws, 'roasted' (dehydrated) root veggies, mushroom nut loaf etc... All raw, satisfying and delicious! I have included a couple of recipes for you to try below.

Kale and mushroom pad thai:

4 chestnut mushrooms

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. tamari

1 cup chopped kale, washed and stalks removed

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Himalayan or sea salt

1 courgette

Sauce:

1 tbsp. raw almond butter

1 tbsp. raw tahini

1 tbsp. tamari

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. sesame seeds

1/2 tbsp. agave

1 tbsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. dried chilli flakes (optional)

Peel and slice the mushrooms and place in a shallow dish. Drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. tamari. Mix to coat and leave to marinate while you do the rest. Put the kale in a bowl with 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. salt and massage into the kale to wilt and soften. The kale will release water, just drain this away. Spiralise the courgette. If you don't have a spiraliser, simply get a vegetable peeler and peel long thin strips from the courgette, going evenly around it to make four sides, so you are left with the seedy core in the middle. Take your courgette slices and stack a few together, then with a sharp knife, slice lengthways so you end up with flat ribbons like pad thai rice noodles. Put the sauce ingredients in a big bowl and whisk until smooth. Put the kale, courgette noodles and drained mushrooms into the bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Spiced squash soup:
250g diced butternut squash
1 large carrot
3 unsulphured dried apricots
1/4 cup pine nuts, soaked 4 hours or more
1/4 cup cashew nuts, soaked 4 hours or more
1.5 cups pure water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Himalayan or sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

If you have a high powered blender, put everything in and blend for a few minutes until the soup is warm and creamy. Make sure you can comfortably keep your finger in the soup and it does not burn you - that way you know it's still raw. If you have a normal blender, break down the carrot and squash in the food processor first so it is easier to blend. You'll also want to make sure your nuts are well soaked - at least 4 hours in pure water, and finely chop your apricots. Add more water if needed. Pour into two bowls and garnish with hemp seeds and a swirl of olive oil.

As well as enjoying the changing produce, autumn is a great time to detox the body. After the extravagances of summer - boozy barbecues with friends, garden parties, festivals, holidays and the like - the body needs and deserves a bit of a break. This has the effect of allowing the body to reset itself, clearing out toxins and debris from the colon and digestive system, thus allowing proper absorption of nutrients from your food and ensuring the immune system is in tip top condition to stave off those winter colds and flu. If you are thinking about doing a detox, it's best to do it sooner rather than later, before the weather turns really cold. Autumn and spring equinoxes are traditional times to detox. To help you with your detox I have created a seven day raw food and juice detox plan. The program is delivered to you via email and you simply read through the info book about raw food and detoxing, and schedule your detox on a week that suits you. I have included a full seven day menu plan, plus all the recipes you need, and I have even included done-for-you shopping lists to make it super easy! The plan has been created to fit in with your busy life, and so the recipes are all fast and easy to prepare, and of course, delicious! For more information go to the website.

Wishing you raw health and happiness,

Natalie. x
rawlifestylecoach.co.uk

Raw Food Potluck and Workshop Availability

Raw Food Potluck

I spent my bank holiday Monday at a raw food potluck on Hove beach. It was a gloriously sunny day and we had such a beautiful array of raw food dishes to sample and share. The delicious dishes included: Raw cherry chocolate cake (made by me), coconut macaroons with raw chocolate icing, raw chocolate brownies, raw falafels, raw vegan tzatziki, sea spaghetti with tahini sauce & watermelon, mixed salad, avocado, pesto stuffed mushrooms, banana and blueberry cookies, durian ice cream, plantain & blueberry ice cream and more!

I made a little video about it, I hope you enjoy:

Raw Food for Beginners Workshop

The Raw Food For Beginners workshop being held on 15th September still has a couple of spaces remaining.

You will enjoy a nourishing green smoothie as we talk about different aspects of raw food preparation, equipment, time saving tips, food shopping and sourcing, plus we will make and eat a yummy raw food lunch, a delicious healthy dessert, and some raw chocolate truffles for you to take home. You will also get handouts with all the information we cover plus recipes to refer back to at home.

Get £5 discount each when booking with a friend!

You can read more about the workshop and book online, click here to be taken to the page.

Wishing you raw health and happiness,

Natalie. x
rawlifestylecoach.co.uk
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All Hail Kale - My Superhero Green

Kale is the true superhero leafy green food. It is massively high in most minerals, chlorophyll, vitamins, enzymes and vitality. Notably, on a per calorie basis, it provides more iron than beef, and more calcium than milk. It is also high in vitamin C (needed for a healthy immune system and for proper absorption of iron, isn't nature clever!), and the elusive vitamin K (for cancer prevention, bone health and blood clotting). Kale also contains protein, omega oils, and sulphur. Sulphur is known as the beauty mineral as it's great for the skin, increasing collagen production and circulation, regulating sebum production, and aiding in the renewal of cells. It is also important to help the body in detoxification and vitamin utilisation. Obviously kale is best eaten raw to preserve its amazing nutritional qualities.

As you may know, kale is quite fibrous and most people have only ever eaten it cooked. So how can you get more raw kale into your diet? There is a way that raw foodists prepare kale to soften and wilt it. We remove the tough stalks, chop the leaves and massage it with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. As you do this, you will see the kale magically 'cook' before your eyes! It will decrease in size as it releases water and take on a darker green colour and soft texture. You can then mix it with other salad ingredients and your favourite dressing. It makes a really filling and satisfying salad. Or, we mix it with a thick sauce and dehydrate it to make crunchy kale chips. Mmmm...sooo delicious! If you don't fancy it in a salad and you haven't got a dehydrator, keep reading for some delicious recipes that hide the kale completely...good one for the kids maybe..?

Hidden kale and mixed berry smoothie:
1.5 cups frozen mixed berries
2 frozen bananas (or 2 unfrozen bananas and 4 ice cubes)
1 large handful kale
2 tbsp. shelled hemp seeds
4 tbsp. goji berries
1-2 dates to taste if desired
3 cups pure water

Put the fruit in the blender first, then the kale and other ingredients. If you don't have a high speed blender like a vitamix then you may want to remove the fibrous stalks from the kale and chop the dates. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water if it's too thick. Give to your children and smile knowing how much nutrition you are infusing into them!

Pumpkin seed, kale, olive & sun dried tomato pate:
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 2 hours or more in pure water
1 large handful kale
1 small handful basil
1 cup pitted black olives, rinsed well
6 sun dried tomatoes (the ones that come in oil. If you have dried ones, soak for a few hours first)
2 tbsp Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil Blend, or extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. water
Freshly ground black pepper

Udo's Choice oil is a blend of flax, sunflower, sesame, evening primrose, coconut, rice bran and oat bran oils, plus it has lecithin and tocopherols (vitamin E). This is available in health food shops. If you don't have this then just use olive oil, or flax or hemp oil. Put everything in the food processor and blitz until a coarse pate consistency is achieved. Taste and adjust the lemon and pepper if necessary. Store in an airtight tub in the fridge. Will keep for a couple of days. Eat with raw crackers, wrapped in cabbage or lettuce leaves, with crudités, or as we did, wrapped in nori sheets with strips of carrot, cucumber, pepper, avocado, alfalfa sprouts and shredded lettuce. Mmmmmmm.....!

Wishing you raw health and happiness,

Natalie. x
rawlifestylecoach.co.uk

Acai power berry smoothie, new raw food workshops and raw cake!

I have been enjoying the benefits of the beautiful acai berry recently. Many of the superfoods used by raw fooders are native to South America, and this wonderful fruit is no exception. It is rich in anthocyanins and flavenoids, both of which are powerful anti-oxidants, helpful in preventing diseases such as heart disease and cancer. These substances also help neutralise free radicals and so have an anti-ageing effect! My favourite way to use the acai powder is in this delicious smoothie:

Acai power berry smoothie:
1.5 cups frozen mixed berries
3 tbsp. goji berries
1 tbsp. acai powder
2 frozen bananas
2 tbsp. shelled hemp seeds
1 tbsp. maca
3 cups pure water

Blitz in the blender until smooth.

I am proud to admit that my raw food enthusiasm is starting to infuse out into my circle of family and friends. It was my brother in law's birthday last week and he requested a raw birthday cake! Of course I could not refuse, I love making raw cakes, and I love giving presents so I couldn't wait to get started! I decided to do a chocolate cake as I knew that's what Dan would like best. So I made a layer of squidgy chocolate cake made from brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, cacao powder, cacao butter, dates and chocolate covered mulberries. Then I made a sticky toffee layer from dates, almond butter and cacao butter. The final layer was a chocolate icing crafted from cacao butter, coconut butter, cacao powder, agave, almond butter, hemp seeds and lucuma. I then made raw chocolates with fillings inside to go on the top of the cake as I wanted it to look extra special. I filled some with almond butter and some with coconut. I will show you a pic of the finished product but I am keeping the recipe a secret for now as I plan to put it in a new book I am working on, so watch this space for more details about that!

Announcing my new Raw Food for Beginners Workshop! You are invited to join us for a fun and informative half day workshop, learning all about raw living foods. Take part in making and eating a selection of dishes including a nourishing raw green smoothie, yummy raw lunch, mouthwatering raw dessert and luxurious raw chocolate truffles to take home. You will also learn about the basics of raw food, equipment, how to set up a raw prep area in your kitchen, food shopping and sourcing, time saving tips, my top 5 most harmful foods and my top 5 most beneficial foods. You will also receive all information printed out in beautiful handouts, recipe sheets, access to a private Facebook group, and a special bonus free gift from me.

The next workshop is taking place in Rusper, West Sussex on 15th September 11am - 3pm.
Places are strictly limited and are going fast so book your seat today! Only £60 including all teachings, smoothie, lunch, dessert, truffles, materials, hand outs and recipes, private Facebook group and special bonus free gift. Book with a friend and receive £5 discount each, two places for only £110!

Book online at: http://www.rawlifestylecoach.co.uk/#!workshops/c1krl

Wishing you raw health and happiness,

Natalie. x
rawlifestylecoach.co.uk