Serves 6 peeps

The Blender that Rules My Kitchen
BlendTec makes my favorite high-speed blenders. I’ve been using them since I graduated from
the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. They offer the best combination of power, quality, long
warranty coverage and the most innovative blending technology. Their latest model, the Designer
Series, features a digital touch screen like an iPhone. It has some pretty awesome attributes that can
turn a novice chef into a groovy gourmand in seconds. Not to mention it looks really sexy chillin’ on
your countertop. A sleek superfood starship, if you will.

Basic Benefits of Blending
Blending your food is an easy way to combine all the ingredients together, while keeping all the
fiber, pulp and most of the nutrients intact. Good amounts of soluble fiber are a healthy addition to
your lifestyle and can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com.
Another benefit of blending (over juicing), notes Disease.com, is that there is a slower rate of sugar
absorption, which benefits blood sugar levels.

Cleansing and Detoxing
For people on a cleansing or detox protocol, blending foods is an easy way to get maximum
nutrition while easing the stress on your digestive system. One of the best things you can do on a
cleanse is to have blended foods, because you’re getting all the benefits of the nutrients, enzymes
and fiber while allowing the toxins to move out and your digestive system to get the much-needed
break it deserves. Blended foods also help to prepare the body and digestive tract for enemas or
colonic hydrotherapy.

Radical Recipe Creation
There’s another HUGE benefit to having a high-speed blender in your kitchen: the radical new
recipes you can start to play with! By investing in a high-speed blender, you can begin to explore
a new world of culinary magic, including instant soups, smoothies, tonics, elixirs, puddings, pie
fillings, guacamole, nut butters, hummus, dips, parfaits, pates and countless other healthy recipes.
It also makes food preparation easier and more fun in the kitchen – two things that are critical to
sustain a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Quick & Easy Meal Preparation
There’s no doubt we are all leading busier, more hectic and more demanding lives these days. This
is one of the biggest challenges of making good, healthy food for you and your family. Having a high-

speed blender allows you to whip up a nourishing smoothie or delicious soup in just minutes. You
don’t have to stress about meal planning or spending 45 minutes slaving in the kitchen to pump
out a good meal. It’s the ultimate time saver (and life saver!) Also, cleaning your blender is easy –
as long as you do it immediately after your use it. It literally takes seconds to rinse and clean your
blender mug.

Maximum Nutrition & Enzymes
Blending your food helps to break down the fibrous cell walls in certain foods, thereby unlocking
the maximum nutrients AND making it easier to digest. By having more assimilable nutrients
available in your food, plus all the healthy enzymes, vitamins and minerals, blended foods can help
you lose weight, have more mental clarity and cultivate boundless energy.
Plus, getting your vitamins naturally through blended whole plant-based foods is far more efficient
and easier for the body to process. By breaking the cell walls, you release maximal nutrition that
may have gone through your system without getting the full benefits. Blending your food has the
health benefit of avoiding the nutrient destroying process of cooking. Clean, thoughtfully prepared
organic cooked foods are fantastic for most constitutions and it’s important to balance them with
fresh, raw vegan plant foods for optimal balance.

Full of Fantastic Fiber
The myriad benefits of more fiber in your diet are well documented in numerous research studies.
Good amounts of fiber can result in weight loss and relief from constipation and other digestive
issues. Fiber is also believed to help prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gall stones and kidney
stones.

Mo’ Greens, Please
Most people could see dramatic improvements in their diet by eating more fresh, raw, organic
greens. They are loaded with tons of nutritional benefits and they’re super low in calories. And
there are a ton of great choices, including kale, collard greens, beet greens, dandelion, mustard,
turnip, arugula, spinach and watercress. Many of these green can be extremely bitter. You can cook
the greens to make them taste better, but then you lose some of critical nutrients in their raw state.
So how do get those bitter greens down while they’re still raw? Blend them with some organic,
raw or frozen fruit. It’s amazing how you can mask the taste of raw, bitter greens in a superfood
smoothie or raw soup. And not only do greens blended with fruit (green smoothies) taste great, but
they’re extremely easy to eat and loaded with powerful nutrients and enzymes.

Investment in your Future
From conference attendees to personal clients, I’ve heard a few people balk at the price of a high-
speed blender. Yet, I haven’t found one single kitchen tool that can support your health, weight-loss
and sustained energy levels while making it more fun, easy and exciting to make your own food at
home. For a few hundred dollars – you can have a terrific new kitchen tool that will potentially last
for decades and can literally help change your life for the better!

For more info on my favorite blender, check out BlendTec Blenders.

Serves 4-6 peeps

3 cups filtered water
1 cup hemp seeds
1 teaspoon agave nectar, coconut palm nectar or stevia to taste
2 cups broccoli, florets only
1 avocado, pitted
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon onion, minced
1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Take a 2 quart saucepan and fill with water. Bring to a rapid boil. Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket, place the basket in the saucepan, cover it with a lid, and steam for 10-12 minutes until tender. In a high-speed blender, blend water, hemp seeds and agave until smooth and frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth. Warm on the stovetop or the dehydrator before serving. Garnish with hemp seeds.

Variations: Use steamed cauliflower instead of broccoli for a Cream of Cauliflower soup!

Serves 6-8 peeps

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1⁄2 cup raw almond butter
1⁄2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked for 1-2 hours

1 medium to large lime, juiced

4 garlic cloves, crushed
9 dates, pitted
1 tablespoon agave or yacon syrup
1⁄4 cup cold-pressed olive or sesame oil

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄4 fresh habanero, seeded
1 tablespoons ginger, diced
1 tablespoon tamari or nama shoyu

Fresh minced lemongrass to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender, except the dates and almond butter. Blend at high speed until smooth, with some texture. Slowly add the almond butter and dates to make sure they are well incorporated into the mixture. The sauce will be very thick and you can add extra olive oil or sesame oil if it is difficult to blend. When the sauce is ready, mix into the marinated kelp noodles and fresh vegetables. Serve at room temperature.

Noodles:

2 bags kelp noodles, drained and marinated 1 red bell pepper, julienned
1⁄2 red onion, julienned
2 green onions, cut lengthwise on a bias

1⁄2 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half 1 handful fresh basil, torn by hand

1 handful fresh cilantro, torn by hand

Directions:
Start by draining the water from the kelp noodles and
bowl with 1⁄2 cup olive oil, sea salt, and lemon juice. Let marinate for 1-2 hours to soften and break down. Cut all vegetables and combine with the marinated noodles, 1⁄4 cup olive oil and lime juice. Mix in the spicy thai sauce from the recipe above and serve with crushed cashews and lime juice squeezed on top.

Variations: For a sweeter sauce, add more agave nectar or use yacon syrup/coconut palm nectar.

Two brand-new sweeteners that I’m truly stoked about are Sweet Mesquite Powder and Green Stevia Powder. Both products have been harvested by indigenous cultures for centuries and they’re now available to use in pumping up our favorite recipes. Sweet Mesquite powder tastes awesome in puddings, pie crusts, nut butters, bliss balls and also in homemade catsup or old-school barbeque sauces. It tastes sweeter than other mesquite powders and has a lighter color with a smooth, fine texture. Green Stevia Powder is actually a zero-glycemic sweetener, so it has no effect on blood sugar levels. I’ve used it in smoothies, elixirs, tonics, desserts, salad dressings and savory sauces. It has a super potent level of sweetness (25 to 30 times sweeter taste than refined sugar) and doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste like many liquid stevia products do.

Ultimately, what’s the point of using healthy, low-glycemic natural sweeteners? First of all, refined sugars can contribute to obesity. Without delving too deep into the research, they have also been linked to the onset of diabetes, endocrine disruption, compromised immune systems, accelerated symptoms of aging and a variety of serious inflammatory conditions. And, an excess of refined sugar can potentially feed into the growth of candida, fungi, cancer cells and other pathogenic microorganisms. Not exactly a recipe for lifelong vitality and youthful vivaciousness.

What I love best about natural sweeteners like Sweet Mesquite Powder, Green Stevia Powder, Lucuma Powder, Coconut Palm Sugar and Clear Agave Nectar is that they are all minimally-processed, low-glycemic, products that enhance the flavor profile and dynamic taste of your recipes. Culinary magic aside, they’re much easier for the body to recognize, digest and assimilate in a balanced and sustainable way.

Healthy sweeteners. Yep, they really DO exist. So, what’s next, “weight-loss chocolate”? Hmmm…

Raw foods, which can also be living foods and/or superfoods, are natural, complete whole foods where the powerful enzymes, minerals, nutrients and life force are kept intact by utilizing mindful growing, harvesting, processing and packaging methods. A lifestyle incorporating organic raw plant-based foods has been shown to gently detoxify the body, cleanse the organs and cells of toxins, provide clear radiant skin, strengthen nails, hair, and bones while promoting feelings of euphoria, joy, confidence, focus and boundless creativity.

A healthy, balanced lifestyle is all about trying new, exciting foods. When you open your mind (and your mouth) to the plethora of delicious new foods, you can experience tremendous healing powers and boundless energy. Start by sampling delicious superfoods like cacao, goji berries, agave nectar, maca, hemp seeds and locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Incorporating raw, organic plant-based foods into your lifestyle is an epic, ever-expanding journey that unfolds into limitless possibilities for optimal health and vibrant living.

Eating more organic raw food is a simple way to give yourself more love, respect and gratitude while healing and energizing your body. Let’s face it, you’re going to look, feel and BE amazing, sexy, vibrant, confident and totally unstoppable. Who doesn’t want that?

move your body
Get out and exercise: walk, run, swim, bike, do yoga, rock climb, wrestle, throw a dance party or have a pillow fight. Kissing burns two calories a minute alone.

breathe, breathe, breathe
Deep, rhythmic breathing is the best way to get more oxygen into your cells and clear your mind. You have 10 trillion cells & only two nostrils. Start breathing, baby.

stop before you’re full
Stop eating when you’re around 80% full. Studies show that cultures who eat less, live longer. You never see an obese centenarian, do you? Exactly.

prepare your own food
Put love, creativity and intention into your food. Oh, and play your favorite music in the kitchen. The happier you are, the better your food will taste.

share with others
Seek out cool people in your community. Go to potlucks, tastings, lectures and parties.
Good food is a great way to make new friends. Especially chocolate.

eat locally-grown organic fruits and veggies
Nothing tops the robust flavors and high nutrition of locally-grown organic foods. Support your local farmers and compliment them on their stylish overalls.

discover superfoods
Fair-trade superfoods grown by indigenous cultures offer myriad health benefits. Have fun and impress people with foods like cacao, goji berries, maca and camu camu.

eat living and cultured foods
Kefir, kim chee, sauerkraut, kombucha and yogurt all offer beneficial living organisms to support your digestion and immunity. The tang is the thang!

be grateful
An attitude of gratitude is the cornerstone to a positive outlook. Count your blessings and remember: people love to see you smile. See, there it is!

speak your truth
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Speak your truth and be yourself. You’ll feel more alive… and maybe even turn into a superhero!

Serves 2-4 peeps

½ cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hours
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
½ tsp. sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp. turmeric powder
⅛ tsp. holy basil
5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. organic asparagus, washed and ends trimmed
Crushed Italian Almonds, reserved for topping
Hemp seeds, reserved for topping
Fresh Italian Parsley, for garnish
Red bell pepper, small dice, for garnish
2 TBS. extra-virgin coconut oil, for grilling asparagus in a skillet

In a medium to large skillet, add 2 TBS of coconut oil and lightly grill the asparagus spears for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat, until tender. Set aside. In a food processor, add the cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, holy basil and olive oil and process until smooth and creamy. If necessary, add more oil and a little water to thin to your desired consistency. Plate the asparagus spears alone, or on top of a gluten-free bread slice or English muffin. Spoon a generous amount of the Hollandaise sauce over the asparagus. Top with crushed almonds, hemp seeds, parsley and diced red bell pepper.

Serves 4-6 peeps

Ingredients:
2 small heads cauliflower, chopped, florets only
¾ cups golden raisins or goldenberries
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, small dice
1 ½ cups carrot, diced
1 cup onion, diced
½ coconut milk
¼ cup curry powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
¾ cup raw hemp seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 medium to large Heirloom or Roma tomatoes, chopped
Ground stevia powder, to taste
½ cup finely shredded coconut, for topping
1 cup tri-color quinoa, rinsed
2 cups filtered water

Cook the quinoa with filtered water for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Set aside. Chop cauliflower into small pieces, add golden raisins (or golden berries), diced sweet potatoes, carrot and onion and mix in a large bowl. Put all remaining ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until combined and very saucy – add more water (or some nut milk) if required. Pour sauce over cauliflower mixture and cook on medium heat in a saucepan for 15-20 minutes, until the veggies are tender. Top with shredded coconut and more golden raisins to taste.

Makes 8 medium to large pan-crepes

1 cup gluten-free flour mix
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup coconut milk, hemp milk or almond milk
½ cup orange juice
½ tsp fresh orange zest
3-4 TBS of ground chia seeds (use a coffee or spice grinder)
1 tsp ground vanilla powder
1 TBS maple flavored agave nectar or grade B maple syrup
2 TBS coconut oil, melted, plus extra for cooking
½ cup dried mulberries, finely chopped
Agave Maple Syrup for topping
2 bananas, sliced (reserved for topping)
1-2 packages fresh blueberries (for topping)

In a medium bowl, mix the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground chia seeds and sea salt. In a high-speed blender, mix the coconut milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, agave or maple syrup and 2 TBS of coconut oil into a smooth liquid. Add the dry ingredients into the blender and blend again until well combined. Fold in the chopped mulberries by hand. Warm a skillet over medium heat and brush with a generous amount of coconut oil. For each pancake, add no more than ¼ cup of batter into the skillet, smoothing it out slightly with the back of the spoon to flatten. Cook until bubbles form and begin to burst on the top, then flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Top with agave or maple syrup, sliced bananas and fresh blueberries.