Join us Sunday, March 27, for ideas for Quick and Easy Healthy “Fast Food”  from 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Cedar Park, TX.  All recipes are gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, raw and vegan.  Live class includes lots of fun, demos, recipe booklet, questions and answers, high quality digital video to watch again at home and a buffet of samples.  Seating is limited.  Click here for more information and to register.

Delicious Mexican Food without all the Fat, Dairy and Gluten!

by Chef Karen Osborne

I’m so excited that we will be teaching a class that will show you how to create some wonderful, vibrant, and hearty raw-food takes on Authentic Mexican recipes.  The class is called “A Taste of Mexico” and it will be happening in South Austin on Sunday, February 27, from 2:00 to 4:30 pm.

In this class, we will make “Meat” Tamales, “Bean & Cheese” Tamales, Dessert Tamales,  Stuffed Poblano Peppers & more.  Attend and enjoy samples, a recipe packet and a high quality video of the recipes being prepared so that you can watch them again and again as you prepare the recipes at home.  If you think you would enjoy attending this class, sign up now by clicking on the link below:

A Taste of Mexico – Class Registration

Or…see what other classes we have coming up by clicking on the link below and get a discount for signing up for 3 or more and a bigger discount for 5 or more.

Sign up for 3 or more classes and receive a $7 discount per class.
Just use coupon code: LIVECLASS3

Sign up for FIVE or more classes at the same time and
receive $9 discount per class.
Just use coupon Code: LIVECLASS5
(please do not COMBINE the coupons).

SIGN-UP a Friend at the same time and save 15% on the total!

A Taste of Mexico & Other Upcoming Classes

I can’t wait to share  these fun flavorful recipes with you.  I hope to see you there!

Valentine’s day is a romantic occasion upon which we gift our loved ones with dairy and sugar-laden delicacies as an expression of our adoration.  Perhaps the bloating, fatigue, and weight gain that follow the consumption of these treats isn’t what we mean to give our honeys.  So, how else can you surprise your loved one with succulent sweets?  Try these special treats!

These Fudge Cherry Bursts are an explosion of juicy flavor housed in a moist and rich fudge brownie, coated in a thin layer of hard chocolate icing, and topped off with a dusting of finely ground coconut.  These mouthwatering delicacies are the perfect way to show someone you love them on Valentine’s day or any special occasion.

So, if you still have a hankering for Valentine’s sweets, or you just want to show the special person in your life how much you love them, head to the kitchen and whip up some raw chocolate goodness!

Fudge Cherry Bursts

Recipe from Sweets for the Holidays online video class and recipe guide, available at Dr. Ritamarie’s Online Video Class Site .  Additional gluten free dessert recipes without added oil or sweeteners are in Dessert:  Making It Rich Without Oil by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo and Chef Karen Osborne .

Makes 2 Dozen

Ingredients – Dough

• 10 oz. bag frozen organic sweet cherries
• 3 cups soaked dehydrated walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates (not soaked)
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder and 1/4 cup raw carob powder or 3/4 cup of carob powder
• 1 teaspoon ground vanilla bean or vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions – Dough

1.      Thaw and drain cherries and place on mesh screen in dehydrator at 105 for 30 minutes.

2.      Process walnuts and salt in food processor with the S blade until finely ground.

3.      Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together.

4.      Add the vanilla and cacao and/or carob powder and process until the powder is mixed in.

5.      Add the water and pulse a few times.

6.      Roll a tablespoon of the dough into a ball.  Press your finger into the center to make a hole.  Place a cherry in the hole and close the hole forming a ball.  Repeat until all of the dough is used.

Ingredients – Colored Coconut

• 1 cup raw finely shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon  Just Raspberries ground to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or 1/8 teaspoon beet juice

Directions – Colored Coconut

1.      Place  coconut in a jar with  Just Raspberries powder or beet juice.

2.      Close the jar with the lid and shake to mix the coconut and the color.

Ingredients – Chocolate or Carob Coating

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil softened in dehydrator for a couple of minutes
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar powdered in a coffee grinder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Raw cacao or carob powder

Directions -

1. Whisk the coconut oil and the coconut sugar in a bowl until they are blended.

2. Add the cacao powder and whisk until it is incorporated.

3. Dip a ball in the coating and quickly drop it into the jar of colored coconut.

4. Roll it around until it is coated, and put it on a clean plate.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of the balls are coated. You may have to whisk the
coating occasionally. If the coating starts to become solid, just put the bowl of the
coating mixture in the dehydrator for a minute or in a larger bowl of hot water and
whisk again.

6. Chill the finished treats in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

Waldorf Salad

By Chef Karen Osborne

Ingredients

• 5-7 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 3 large apples , chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup rough chopped walnuts, soaked & dehydrated
• 10 ounces arugula
• 2 cups coconut meat, young Thai
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 medjool dates
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/32 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoons orange juice
• 1 cup pecans, soaked & dehydrated

Directions: Candied Pecans

1. Combine coconut sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, orange zest and orange juice in a bowl.
2. Stir and press with the back of a spoon until it becomes a thick paste.
3. Add more orange juice if necessary, but keep it thick.
4. Stir pecans into the mixture until coated.
5. Put pecans on a non stick sheet in the dehydrator at 105 degrees for 12 hours or longer until crispy.
6. Store these in an airtight glass jar in the freezer.

Dressing

1. Combine coconut meat, water, lemon juice, dates, salt, garlic and cayenne in a high speed blender until smooth being careful not to let it get warm.
2. Set aside as you prepare the salad

Salad

1. Combine celery, apples, raisins, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing.
2. Serve the celery apple mix on a bed of arugula and top with candied pecans.

Apple Ginger Pie

By Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

Crust

• ½ cup pecans
• ½ cup hazelnuts
• ½ cup shredded dried coconut
• ½ cup dates

1. Place all ingredients in food processor fitted with S Blade and run until it just starts to hold together and the nuts are chopped finely.
2. Press the crust mixture into a glass pie dish.

Filling

• 4 medium apples
• 1 inch slice ginger
• ½ cup almonds preferably soaked and drained or soaked and dehydrated.
• ½ cup shredded dried coconut
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup date paste
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Process the apples, ginger and almonds until coarsely chopped, by hand or in a food processor.
2. Stir in coconut, lemon juice, date paste and cinnamon.
3. Place filling in crust. Decorate top as desired with apple slices, coconut or other fruits.

Christmas Kale Salad

By Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

Ingredients

• 2 bunches dinosaur kale
• 1 small head red cabbage
• 1 small red or yellow onion
• ½ cup tahini
• Juice of 1 small lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 inch slice ginger
• ½ teaspoon kelp powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions 1. Shred or finely slice the kale, onion and cabbage and place in a bowl. 2. Blend tahini, lemon juice, water ginger, kelp and salt until creamy. Adjust water to if the mixture is too thick. 3. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix well to combine. 4. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Your taste buds will be dazzled and your guests will receive the comfort and nourishment that holiday food should provide!  I whipped up a wonderful Christmas dinner at my home and shared the meal with my family and my good friend and colleague Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.  Even my mother and brother, who are not that familiar with raw food, really enjoyed the meal!

Check out our slide show to see our Christmas Meal.

Three of the recipes we used in my family’s Christmas meal are going to be available in subsequent blog posts.  The Christmas Kale Salad, the Apple Ginger Pie, and the Waldorf Salad are coming soon, so stay posted!  The German Carob Cake is made with completely gluten-free, whole raw foods.  There are no extra oils or processed sweeteners added in there.  Can you believe it?  To find more decadent dessert recipes that aren’t loaded with oils and agave, check out our new book, “Dessert: Making It Rich Without Oil”. The book features around 50 amazing and exotic dessert recipes that are pretty simple to create and friendly to your figure.

The rest of the recipes featured at our Christmas dinner were recipes I taught with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo at our “Healthy Holiday Feasts Class” in November.  You can view the step-by-step videos and download the recipe book by clicking the following link : http://drritamarie.com/videoclasses/holidayfeasts2010-11.  You can get a special discount if you use the coupon code: BLOGVIDEOS.  These recipes combined make an extravagant holiday feast, but they are by no means only for the holidays.  You can make these recipes for your family any time!  They will leave you feeling energized and clear-headed rather than lulling you into the food coma that usually follows a big holiday meal!

Whole  Raw Ingredients and Natural Fruit Sweetness

Holidays are a time of celebration and cheer. They’re special events when you set aside time to get together with friends and family to simply appreciate each other. It’s a time to enjoy the festivities, the decorations, the parties and the connection with the special people in your life.

The fall and winter holiday season begins with Halloween and Thanksgiving, and continues through to New Year’s Day, 2 months later. In between are Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule, and Solstice, holidays that are celebrated to varying degrees by those in the Western world.

One thing that all holidays and celebrations have in common is their focus on food.

Office parties, family dinners, and holiday open houses offer an array of tempting cookies and festive desserts. Unless you have yummy healthy treats and really strong coping strategies it’s hard to resist.

The foods that fill your holiday plates do nothing to enhance your health and do everything to clog your arteries, raise your blood sugar, expand your waistline and leave you feeling sluggish, bloated, and foggy headed.

Even if you’ve been dedicated to vibrant health for a long time, staying strong and true to your health commitment is a challenge when you’re surrounded by the smells and tastes that remind you of past holidays and connect you with family and friends. You may have even learned to equate these foods with love.

The pressure from friends and family to eat the old favorites can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve only recently adopted healthy eating habits. Add to that the magnitude of the long holiday to-do list (shopping for, wrapping, and exchanging gifts; sending cards; decorating; and making food) and it’s only natural for you to become overly stressed or anxious.

Face it – most of us, myself included, grew up using food to comfort and soothe us.

Certain aromas may remind you of the comfort of grandma’s house on a special holiday, or a special person or feeling that you became connected to early on in your life.

Rather than giving in to temptation, or depriving yourself of tasty foods and feeling angry and resentful about it, you can learn to recreate your favorite holiday treats in ways that are delicious, nutritious and fun and easy to make.

Learn how to satisfy your palate while letting go of the emotional attachment to the foods of your past. Join us for our class “ Sweets for the Holidays: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Oil-free Holiday Treats” and learn to make amazing gluten free, dairy free, raw vegan versions of traditional holiday treats such as gingerbread men, cookies in festive seasonal shapes, candy, turtle brownies and more.

You can take these to parties, give them as gifts or serve them at your own holiday gatherings. These recipes are not just for the holidays, either. You can use them for celebrations all year long.

This class is taught by Dr Ritamarie Loscalzo, and Chefs Karen Osborne and Pamela Weems. Its available Live and In person in Austin, Texas or online with online video access after the class.

Live and In Person Class In Austin Texas

The live class will be held in central Austin, Texas on December 12, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., and we’ll also be broadcasting it online. All live and in person and online participants will receive access to the high quality web videos after the class.

Early Bird Investment of Only $47 includes demos, hands on, samples and a recipe guide.

Click here for more information and registration.

Come join us live in Austin, TX  to make gluten free, dairy free pizza, pasta & more.  We had this delicious ravioli tonight, and my daughter said that I made heaven.  We’ll be teaching this dish and more on Sunday, Oct. 17 in South Austin from 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.  (Central Time).  The live class includes hands on and samples.

If you are not local, you can watch on the WEB.

Either way, you also get a high quality digital video of the class and a recipe packet.

Description: Explore ideas for a romantic Italian meal for you and that special someone. Experience the traditional tastes of Italy with a gluten free and dairy free twist as we prepare pizza (crust, sauce and cheese), Living Lasagna, Spaghetti and other pasta dishes, “Parmesan Cheese” and more. Class includes hands on, samples and more.

The investment is $47 for the live class with samples.  Bring a friend, and get 30% off of the second tuition.  2 people attend for $79.90 or $39.95 each. Add your friend’s name in the comment box on the check out page.

Click here to access the video and recipe book.