How To: Blackberry / Raspberry Jam

I had to finish this natural pectin series with a classic jam recipe.  This is another Advanced Plan suitable jam, Blackberry Jam!  You can also switch out the blackberries equally with raspberries or blueberries.  Delicioso!

Blackberry Jam (or Raspberry, or Blueberry Jam)
Makes 4 half pint jars

3 lbs (10 cups) organic blackberries, washed and shaken dry
2 1/4 cups xylitol
Juice of 1 organic orange (rind reserved)

4-5 sanitized half pint jars and lids
1 muslin bag or tea ball

1.)  Mash the berries and decide if you want seeded or seedless jam.  If you prefer seedless, run the berries through a mesh strainer or sieve (You can also add some of the strained berry pulp back to the mix if you want a slightly seedy jam).  Combine the berries, xylitol and orange juice in a large non-reactive pot.  Chop the reserved orange find and put in a muslin bag / tea ball.  Place bag in pot, cover, and set on counter for 3-6 hours.

2.)  Place pot over High heat on stove and bring to a boil.  Skim off any foam along the way.  Stir constantly until jam reaches setting point, around 218 - 222 degrees F (use a candy thermometer).  Test the jam using the ice cube test (hold a spoonful of the jam over an ice cube for a minute or so and see how well it gels.  If it doesn't form a giggly skin, it needs to boil a few minutes longer.  Test again until gel point is reached).

3.)  Remove bag of orange rind and discard.  Ladle jam into jars leaving 1/4 inch room at top for air.  Push out air bubbles with a spatula.  Put lids on and place jars in pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove jars and set on counter to cool.  Check lids for proper seal after about 15 minutes before dumping out hot pot of water from the stove.

Raz-Apple Smoothie

A tasty tart and tangy smoothie!

Raz-Apple Smoothie
Makes 1 Serving

1/3 cup organic unsweetened coconut water or almond milk
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, chopped, frozen
1/3 cup organic raspberries, frozen
1/4 cup full-fat organic Greek yogurt or coconut milk
8 drops pure liquid stevia
1 scoop plain or vanilla protein powder
Ice (optional)

Blend together the frozen apple and raspberries with coconut water until smooth.  Add in remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Cucumber Raspberry Mint Salad

I know, I know, it sounds weird to enjoy garlic with raspberries.  But seriously, this salad is delicious!  It's a spin off of the classic cucumber garlic mint salad.  Mine is refreshing and savory at the same time.  Give the dressing and cucumbers 24 hours in the fridge to blend together, then add the raspberries just at serving time.  The flavors work really well together!


Cucumber Raspberry Mint Salad
Makes 6 Servings

2 cups plain full fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium organic cucumbers, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup fresh organic raspberries
Sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste

1.)   In a mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, mint, and garlic.

2.)   In a salad bowl, toss cucumbers with yogurt sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Gently stir in raspberries just before serving.

Product Review: The Organic Whey

A few weeks ago, I was a happy recipient of a container of The Organic Whey certified organic, "thoughtfully raw," 100% grass fed, hormone-free and gluten-free protein powder.  The company was kind enough to ship it to me so I could sample.  Happy to say I am so pleased with everything about this protein powder, and especially the company!

The Organic Whey was founded under a fabulous philosophy, which I and I'm sure many of you fall right in line with.  After they looked at dozens of protein powders on the market (which I'm sure most of them claimed to be natural), they found none to be truly natural.  And think about the slew of ingredients in most commercial whey proteins...food colorings, preservatives, denatured non-organic whey...etc.  This is what drove the founders of The Organic Whey to create this wonderful pure product.  I encourage you to read their philosophy and mission statement here.

What is unique about The Organic Whey is the specific way they process their whey (haha, sorry, couldn't help but laugh).  In order for any food to remain raw thru processing, meaning all nutritional value is left fully intact, it cannot be heated over 118 degrees F.  If raw fruits/vegetables/dairy/meat/nuts/anything is heated past that, the food is chemically altered to create carcinogens and an acidic food vs. alkaline food.  This is why I am SO excited about The Organic Whey!  Their protein powder is completely raw!  This means our bodies can thrive from it.

It is also great that the ONLY ingredient in this whey protein powder is whey!  No added fillers, preservatives, colorings or flavorings.  Since this is a "plain" flavored powder, it is very versatile.  When we mixed with cold water, I personally thought it had a sweet almost light vanilla taste, but Dave thought it to be just a plain flavor.  It mixes well and isn't gritty.  I do love that there isn't that overpowering vanilla or chocolate flavor to the mix, which most commercial proteins take on.  This means YOU control the ingredients in your smoothies.  If you want vanilla, add some organic extract.  You want chocolate?  Add some organic cocoa powder and a little stevia.  Simple as that.

So, if you can't tell, I am very satisfied with The Organic Whey protein powder.  Here is a new smoothie we created using the powder.  It would also be great in any of my smoothies already on Healing Cuisine!

Green Tea Spinach Smoothie
Makes 1 Serving

12 organic frozen raspberries
2 heaping Tbsp The Organic Whey protein powder
1/2 cup strong brewed organic green tea, cooled/cold
1 big handful organic fresh spinach, rinsed
1/2 cup organic unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup organic full-fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)

Add frozen raspberries and spinach to blender and puree to a pulp (may need to add a little of the almond milk).  Add all remaining ingredients to and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Visit The Organic Whey:  http://theorganicwhey.com/.  I recommend signing up for their weekly newsletter, it's great!  Deals, organic recipes and more!  Give their protein powder a try and you will not be disappointed!  I love it!

Gluten FREE Fluffy Pancakes

Here is a delicious recipe that I hope you can utilize on Christmas morning.  I know growing up pancakes were a treat we only enjoyed on Christmas morning.  I've been attempting to perfect my pancake recipe for some time now, and I'm finally satisfied with this one.  I've also made it with finely ground almond flour, and it works very well!

These guys are super fluffy and easy to make!  They have a light texture, which is sometimes hard to achieve with pancakes.  The fluffiness is controlled by how much you whip the egg whites.  The more you whip them, the fluffier the batter will be.  I usually separate my egg whites and yolks, then beat my egg whites to the point of just starting to get white and airy.  If you want even fluffier pancakes, go ahead and beat your egg whites to a stiff peak.

Fluffy Pancakes
Makes 10

6 large free-range eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp raw butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp spoonable stevia powder
1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1-2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (optional)

1.)  We don't use maple syrup in our house.  Instead we make a berry syrup/compote to drizzle over top our pancakes.  In a medium saucepan, add berries and simmer over Medium heat for about 12 minutes.  Use a fork or masher to squash berries down and blend into a compote.  Make as smooth or chunky as you'd like!

2.)  Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over Medium heat.  In a medium bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk together until well blended.

3.)  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Whisk together until well blended and frothy – this will get them even fluffier!

4.)  Add a dab of coconut oil to the skillet to grease it.  Spoon batter into small circles or shapes in the frying pan.  Keep the heat fairly low and let the pancakes heat up slowly and rise – about 3 minutes.

5.)  Wait until there are several bubbles appearing on top of the pancake  and the edges are cooked.  Flip each pancake to cook the other side.  This will take only about a minute more, then move cooked pancakes to serving platter.  Continue this until all the batter is gone.  Drizzle pancakes with raspberry topping and serve.

Make Christmas morning fun with festive holiday characters!  Get creative!  Stack large, medium and small pancakes to form a snowman's body.  Rudolph with your cranberry nose so bright -- use a leaf shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut out antlers.  Santa's beard, a half circle.  His hat, a quarter circle with a notch taken out of a straight side.  An angel using a small pancake for her head, 2 quarters for wings and 1 quarter for her dress.  There are so many options! (snow flake, Christmas tree, gingerbread man/woman, cross, elf, mitten)

Dress these characters up and bring them to life -- grab raisins, dark chocolate chips, cranberries, cream cheese, shredded coconut, fresh or frozen berries..eyes, nose, arms, mouth.  Your kids will love to help!  This could be a new tradition your family looks forward to every year.  We'll be doing it when we start a family.  :)

Here are a few pictures for inspiration of what other bloggers have done.  Just remember to keep it healthy and cut out as much of the sugar as possible.  A Holiday breakfast to remember!

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheesecake

In honor of my lovely friend Suzy's birthday last week, I made her a Double Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheesecake.  Suzy can't do dairy, so it was the perfect opportunity to attempt choclafying my Strawberry Cream Pie.  What a success!  I had two perfectly ripe avocados chilling in the fridge and a pint of raspberries next to them.  The inspiration was born for a raspberry cream layer!  I think the next time around it would be better as the top layer?  But either way, this no-cheese-cake is a WINNER!

Organic Double Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheesecake
Makes 8 Servings

The Crust:
1 1/2 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup 73+% chocolate chips
Pinch or two of sea salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp gluten free and/or raw cocoa powder
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup dried cherries or raisins, soaked for 2 minutes (if Advanced Plan, omit and add 2 more Tbsp coconut oil)
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

The Raspberry Cream Layer:
2 ripe avocados
1 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed and shaken dry
2 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tsp stevia powder

The Chocolate Filling:
3 cups cashews, soaked 1-2 hours, drained
1 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp natural raspberry extract (if you have it, or use vanilla)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup gluten free and/or raw cocoa powder
3 tsp stevia powder (more/less to taste)
3 Tbsp filtered water

1.) The Crust:  Grind the nuts, cacao nibs and salt in a food processor until coarse.  Add the remaining Crust ingredients and pulse to thoroughly combined.  Press firmly into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round spring form pan.  Place in the freezer while you make the fillings.

2.)  The Raspberry Cream Layer:  (you might like this layer better on the top, up to you!  I did it 2nd in the picture)  In blender, add the avocados, lemon juice, raspberries and stevia.  Blend until smooth.  Pour and spread over crust in spring form pan.  Back in the freezer it goes.

3.)  The Filling:  In your blender, blend all Filling ingredients until smooth and creamy.  This took me a couple minutes and I used a spatula thru the top hole in the lid while blending to stir the chunks down to the blades at the bottom.  You might need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple times.  Pour the filling into the spring form pan and smooth it out to a level finish.  It should be nice and thick.  Cover and put back in freezer to set, about 1-2 hours.  If longer than that, let it thaw for an our or so before cutting (makes it easier and for better presentation).

This no-cheese-cake will be a hit!  Decedent, rich, and HEALTHY! :)

Raspberry, Avocado and Mango Salad

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 ripe mango, diced
1 small ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped raw hazelnuts or sliced raw almonds

1.)  Dressing: Puree 1/2 cup raspberries, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender until combined.

2.)  Combine greens, mango, avocado and onion in a large bowl.

3.)  Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to coat.

4.)  Divide the salad among 5 salad plates. Top each with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle with nuts.

Serves 5.