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Monarch Butterflies for the Monarchs (raw hummus recipe)

Posted by 2 · June 06, 2011

Remember my last post about Vilcabamba?

I do! I remember Vilcabamba so well, that I can't stop thinking about it and certainly can't wait an entire year till May 2012 for the next Raw Food Conference, so guess what!!!!!....

Elliot, myself and my sister are all heading there to see mum and dad for Christmas! Woooo! Waaahoooo! A warm Christmas! Family! Raw cacao and coconuts in December! Another holiday! Reunion with Kiwi the puppy! So many exclamation marks in one paragraph!

Right... now that I am breathing [semi] normally again... in my last post I mentioned that I will be having a separate blog entry about the Monarchs' Potluck. Keeping my promise :)

Matt Monarch, Tanya Alekseeva (me), Angela Stokes-Monarch

The Raw Food World's Matt and Angela's potluck was very much one of my Vilcabamba highlights, easily. There was something very special about the evening too, a really pleasant electric energy vibe created by all the amazing individuals brought together in one place, sharing their delicious clean raw and organic creations full of love.

Forgive me for sounding dorky, but how else do you describe an evening that really is that 'pleasant' and 'full of love'?.. just a feel good atmosphere, where everything flowed in a seamlessly relaxed fashion and unfolded into what one may have thought to be the most pre organised event of meal courses and performances.

Look look look at all the food:

Oh and something else I really wanted to show you... check out Matt & Angela's incredible outdoor bedroom and en suite! They've had the structure with durable netting custom built as an addition to their property. Can you just imagine what breathing pure air not just during the day but at night will do for your health? Wow!

My contribution was 'raw hummus on dehydrated crackers' with a twist (I made them to look like Monarch Butterflies for none other than Monarch butterflies Matt & Angela). Here is the recipe for you...

LIVE SPROUTED HUMMUS

1,5 Cup Sprouted Chickpeas (see below)
1 Cup Sprouted Lentils (see below)
4 Tbsp Tahini
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Medjool dates, pitted
2 Lemons, juiced
Salt, Pepper
Optional: to the Monarch Butterflies hummus I added parsley; to the hummus in Savoy cabbage leaf I added sundried tomatoes

To sprout
-chickpeas take 4-5 days to sprout, lentils 2-4. Plan accordingly
-soak chickpeas/lentils in water overnight, rinse, transfer to sprouting bag/jar and leave in a dark spot at room temperature
-run water through the sprouts daily, twice a day in summer. Do not leave sitting in water

To prepare
-transfer all the ingredients into a high powered blender
-use the tamper during blending
-if you have a basic blender, you’ll just need more liquid (eg. water and oil), pulse while blending

To assemble
-Either serve in a Savoy Cabbage leaf with carrots and celery sticks or
For Monarch Butterflies:
-Score your favourite cracker recipe into equal size squares
-Scoop a spoonful of hummus onto each cracker
-Cut tomatoes into equal slices and then cut each slice in half (I dehydrated my tomato slices first)
-Gently press each tomato slice into the hummus, rounded part towards the middle
-To create antennae, I used sunflower shoots, see what you can find :)

The Raw Food World has a TV Show on YouTube and of cause this very potluck was a feature...

4 comments

Vilcabamba Raw Food Conference 2011's TOP TEN & Sushi Recipe

Posted by 2 · May 20, 2011

Vilcabamba, better known as The Valley of Longevity, is located at the bottom of Ecuador, South America. It is simply the most magical place with spectacular views, mountains that speak right to you, home to my parents and where the annual Raw Food Conference takes place every May.

The organisers are Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes Monarch of The Raw Food World, who also happen to live in Vilcabamba. This year I was blessed to be part of this powerful gathering and even though I enjoyed each and every moment, I [somehow] managed to sum up my experiences into TOP TEN. Here it goes... (in no particular order)...

1) Family and sushi. I'd be lying if I told you that visiting mum and dad was not my Top Best. It's been 18 months since I last saw them! And then there is mum's insane sushi! I can think of many raw foods that I crave, but only a select few I am sure I can live off. THIS is something I can live off easily. Lucky for you my super amazing mum is sharing her recipe right here as a special guest. Find it at the end...

2) Yoga with a view. Every morning for two weeks straight we were treated to a breathing moving heaven of a yoga. Irlianna Samsara shared her knowledge, tips and techniques that were totally exciting, rejuvenating and always spontaneous. I love my yoga, but I get too easily bored after 3 classes normally when I get the hang of it and can predict what's to come next, ending up just counting down time instead. Terrible I know, but this time I've not only lasted two weeks with Irlianna, I cycled full speed every morning with dad to get to her!

3) Visit to Montesuenos. Montesuenos is a centre for peace, sustainability, the arts and new science. Actually, that is not even my description, I copied it right off the flyer, because I have NO WORDS! Everywhere you look (even the laundry floor) contains the most intricate design and creativity, every wall hangs the most unbelievable painting, every room is entirely unique and each step outdoors brings another 'wow'. And all this developed from the genius minds of Meredith Miller (renowned visionary artist and interior designer) and Brian O'Leary (author of many books on the Project Camelot and ex-Apollo Astronaut, who was hand-picked to lead the first manned mission to Mars). If you do plan a visit, this is the retreat to stay at, as all rooms are for rent!

4) Getting a puppy. I am sooo happy that mum and dad happened to find their new baby while I was visiting. I got to spend the best time with her, as she is at her cutest, funniest and most irresistible stage. Cuter still is her name- curly Kiwi. :)

5) Potluck at the Monarch's. So many parties, dinners and gatherings to choose from for my top ten, I had a difficult time deciding. Accept Matt and Angela's potluck was a no-brainer, a definite highlight. In fact so good, I will have a separate post just for it coming up next..

6) Wild edible herbs walk. Man, this walk was right up my alley, I was deing to find out what sort of local herbs and greens I could pick for juicing and to my surprise- pretty much ALL we passed were medicinal on some level. And I am telling you- there were alot! My fave was the Prickly Pear Cactus aka Nopal Opuntia, which lowers blood pressure, regulates blood sugars, supports immune system, has masses of Vitamin C and 17 amino acids. You just peel it and chop into your salad. It has the texture of a smooth cucumber and OMG so tasty.

7) Chocolate Club Dance Parties from Amsterdam. DJ Crystal DNA is Bastiaan Swager who is also the co-owner of a European based Raw Food business Mastercare. I was over the moon to meet my 'neighbour' all the way in Ecuador and the outdoor parties he put on were just awesome! It was especially hilarious when a whole crowd of locals gathered to watch the drug and alcohol free raw food 'zoo animals' get wild. Love!!

8) Raw Thai Dinner Experience. If you've seen my post on Eating New York, you'll know how much raw goodness I try everywhere and I would easily say this dinner was one of the best. Kirsten Gum, the leading chef of this incredible experience and founder of Raw Trips came for a few short days, just to tease us it seems, but she sure made it memorable. Specialty fruit and chia smoothie, spicy spinach soup, thai nori rolls and dip, pad thai kelp noodles and mango icecream with coconut bites. I went to Raw Food Heaven.

9) The hike to Sacred Suenos. This is a challenging hike up 2118m in altitude, where a very inspirational character Yves began to work the ever barren land 7 years ago and built structures with his bare hands and only from what nature provided (including human poop!). I could listen to him all day- the lessons he went through, the permiculture techniques he mastered are jaw dropping, and the view- oh this is a totally different story. Simply said- I've never seen anything like it. Check out Yves' site and volunteer programs, I am sure this would be an unforgettable experience for anyone.

10) Last but no way least- the presentations. This year's Raw Food Conference brought the most diverse group of bright individuals, who presented on various topics from inspirational stories to educational nutrition advice to practical hands on learning and tasting. I was beyond grateful to listen to and get to know personally David Rainoshek, Tresa Yung, Dave the Raw Food Trucker, Matt Monarch, Angela Stokes Monarch and so many others. Is it a crime to say I enjoyed my own presentation too? :) Well I enjoyed giving the talk anyway- ALOT. It was on one of my favourite topics 'Sprouting' and I'll be posting a video with a summary and recipe shortly xx

Nooow then, onto that amazing Sushi recipe that I promised you at the beginning...

ELENA'S INSANE RAW FOOD SUSHI

For the wraps

Nori sheets

1,5 cups sunflower seeds, soaked overnight, drained and processed in food processer to a paste

Carrots, thinly diced

Avocado, sliced

Apple, chopped into strips

Sprouts (we used Snow pea shoots)

For the pickled ginger

4cm ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp raw honey

juice of 1 lemon

For the Soy Sauce

1/3 Cup Braggs Aminos (or Tamari)

1/2 tsp wasabi paste

2 Tbsp hot water

- Mix all the Pickled Ginger ingredients and leave to infuse 8-24 hours. Serve with sushi in the marinade or pour it aside if too much liquid

- Mix wasabi paste in hot water to dilute and mix in well with Braggs for a dipping sauce

- Place nori sheets shiny side down on a chopping board and spoon the sunflower seed paste in a long thin layer strip in the middle of each sheet

- Load either the mentioned ingredients or any of your favourites

-Wet 1 cm of the shiny side of each sheet with water and carefully roll up

- Cut into quarters and serve immediately with ginger and soy sauce on the side

Drooling...

14 comments

Eating New York (Raw Food style)

Posted by 2 · May 05, 2011

New York New York. How easy it is to love you. If only walking through your streets and taking in all those sights we recognise so well from the TV screen wasn't enough, you being my sister's home makes this love unconditional.

To me best thing about New York is that there really is something for everyone. I could turn this statement into a very thick book, but I'll get to the point here... New York is a raw foodie playground! Are you surprised? Just take a look at what my sis Alissa Alekseeva and I have been eating on my recent visit...

Thanks to my virtual buddy and resource guru Robyn from Girl on Raw, we discovered Liquiteria in Manhattan...

I had a Skin Trip Juice with carrot, spinach, cucumber, parsley, aloe vera and liver kidney lymph detox. Alissa had an Immune Rocket Booster Juice with carrot, celery, beet, ginger, flax seed oil and immune system tonic

Lunch, thanks to my sister's Brooklyn bestie Ginger's recommendation was at Quintessence in Manhattan. I will fly back to New York any day just to eat their food again

We opted for the Lunch Combo option, as you get this delicious Apple cider made of freshly squized apple juice, date syrup and Christmassy spices

This is an appetizer Taco of crisp corn tortilla filled with mock refried beans, guacamole, cashew cheese, 'sour cream' and lettuce, erved with guajillo chili sauce. Totally divine. Totally recommend.

Here we are: Alissa, Ginger, Tanya (me)

And here is lunch... This one is Indian Delight of Mali Kofta over marinated veggies with almond curry sauce. Heaven. I must admit even though we all shared, this is the dish I would've been more than happy NOT sharing. The textures and flavours went together so well, I wish I tasted it more consciously to work out what all the ingredients were so I can attempt at recreating it at home.

Portabello Sandwich had marinated portabello mushroom, avocado, onion, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, chipotle cheese sauce and sprouted kamut bread. So simple, yet so incredible especially with that tangy 'secret' green dressing.

Now THIS one is Ravioli. The filling was made of basil "cheese" and wrapped in jicama. I was happy to finally taste jicama, as it is not available in UK and concluded that it reminds me most of Asian pears. This dish was topped with rich tomato Napolitana sauce and served with yellow squash pasta. The parmasan looking cheese is (and this is only my guess) was a combination of crumbled almonds, nutritional yeast and spices. Wow wow wow

Next Stop was a must to check out where my sister works. Thompson Hotel is absolutely stunning, every detail of its interior had New York written all over it. Eye candy.

Alissa even jumped behind the bar on her day off to make me her specialty 'Tanya friendy' cocktail she created...

The beautiful red one you see, she named 'The Rose', it had wild flower tea mix with agave, bio dinamic Pinot Noir and organic gin. The green cocktail is called Emperor Martini and has lemon juice, agave, cucumber, shiso [Japanese] mint and cucumber infused gin.

We were still waaaay too full from lunch, but I wasn't allowed to leave without trying my sister's favourite meal from Shang Restaurant by Susur Lee (at Thompson Hotel). This Singapore Slaw was a delicious tower of 18 ingredients including carrot, picked ginger, baby cilantro, jicama, cucumber, peanuts and edible flowers.

Rockin' Raw in Brooklyn was another experience to keep us going for an entire day...

Fully Loaded Nachos were insanely good. I am pretty sure even the meat eater wouldn't know the difference if they weren't told. The seasoned flax chips were 'fully loaded' with seed meat, sour cream and nacho cheese.

And just take a look at this Lasagna! What a clever dish of flavour. It had layers upon layers of zucchini, mushrooms, marinara, nut cheese, herbs and spices

BBQ Eggplant Cream cheese wrap of breaded seasoned eggplant with 'bbq' sauce, cream cheese, greens, in sun-dried tomato wrap served with marinated plantains. The plantains were unbelievable, just like stringy melted cheese, but oh so much better.

I really don't know how we managed it, but we did fit in cocktails for desert. When I see something with peppermint on the menu, it may as well read 'Tanya Alekseeva'. I got a Peppermint Twist with cacao, peppermint, agave and coconut cream. Sis went for a Lavender Courtship with lavender infused water and vanilla.

This little cutie is a nut free cookie, that we ordered for desert as well. There was no way we could manage though and saved it for breakfast. Best decision ever! Breakfast never tasted as good as these raspberry, cacao and coconut flavours in one creamy chewy cookie. Mmmm

biking all over

Sun in Bloom was very much a worthwhile destination on a pretty street in Brooklyn surrounded by boutique shops. It had a real fresh feel to it with alot of space and lots of light. I especially loved their bookcase with every Raw Food book that's been published.

Kombucha was so so good after the long bike ride to get here

This soup of the day was really something else. Romaine, parsley, cucumber, avocado, lemon and garlic. I am pretty sure that if I remembered my dreams, I'd know this is the soup I dream about

Sunny Couture Futomaki - an aphrodisiac blend of dehydrated vegetables, avocado, romaine, sesame ginger dressing wrapped in Nori. It did come with brown rice, as apparently we had to specify if we wanted Raw or simply Gluten Free. Will know for next time

Raw Star NYC was a really pleasant surprise in Brooklyn with the most relaxed atmosphere, had really nice decor and a super mouth watering Carribean raw menu

We started with a Green juice of celery, lettuce, parsley, lime and everything else green in season

Crackers and cheese were A-mazing! Simple crackers of pumpkin seeds and flax went so well with the cheese made of cashews, pineapple and red bell peppers. I can't believe I never made that combo before

Sea vegetable salad was very nourishing amd totally satisfying at the same time. There was nori, arame, wakame, hijiki, dulse, cabbage and red onion drizzled with a creamy mild spicy sauce. I loved that this was not your typical 'mock something' raw dish. Recommend!

Pure Food and Wine was a stop for cheese crackers and desert with my oldest friend in the world! Beautiful Anya and I grew up together in Russia, since our parents have been friends forever. I got to meet her awesome husband Kevin too. Oh how I didn't want the night to end!

This one is a fancy plate of assorted cultured Dr. Cow Tree nut cheeses, rosemary crackers and mustard greens

Panacotta made of passion fruit, mango pulp, coconut meat and coconut butter accompanied by dark chocolate icecream with caramelised cacao nibs. I feel pretty confident adding this one to my Top 5 Deserts. Yep done!

Well I don`t know about you, but I am certainly salivating now that I put all the pics together. It is 11.11PM in Vilcabamba, Ecuador and I am about to go rummaging through my parents`pantry and fridge...

18 comments

7 x 10 second tips to conquer Stress and OMG Kale Chips

Posted by 2 · March 09, 2011

Did you know that the word Stress is the same in nearly every language? Maybe even all; I just didn’t know how to read Korean or Hindu when I looked it up...

The interesting thing however is when you ask a group of 12 people what Stress means to them, you will get 12 different responses. What’s even more interesting is that a small amount of Stress is helpful, vital even, to stay focused, motivated and excited, but as constant problems take their toll, this could have giant effects on your health, energy levels, concentration, lifestyle, your relationships, weight, increased blood pressure and weakening of immune system.

We’ve all experienced it and it’s not very nice it is? I work predominantly with busy people and driven professionals, coaching them to achieve superbeing health and their ultimate energy levels- guess what the #1 word is in their vocabulary when they come to me? Not a difficult question and what’s better is it doesn’t have to be difficult to eliminate this word from your vocabulary for good!

Silly dancing with mum and sister-
Oct 2009, applying my own strategies during worst time of my life
It worked!

Here are my top Seven Stress Conquering Tips (in no particular order):

1. Plan your meals. Planning your meals ahead of time could quite literally transform your life. Everytime I don’t go through with this, I tend to end up going to the supermarket way more than I should and buy way more than I need. Sound familiar? Take a piece of paper and separate it into 7 columns, look at your diary ahead of time and for everyday you are home for dinner write a dinner idea and list main ingredients you will need for it. When you are shopping, double those ingredients so you always have enough left for lunch the next day. This will save you plenty of cash, time, frustration, make you enjoy creating dinners again and look forward to next day (leftovers taste so much better after all).

2. Choose the stairs. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit, so exercise is a biggie. The good news is you don’t have to be a marathon runner to reap the results, just choose the stairs instead of the lift, cycle to work instead of drive and catch up with friends by taking a walk, instead of coffee and cake. If you find it difficult to exercise 30 minutes each day, just do 5 or 10 (and then be pleasantly surprised at how you can’t stop once you start going!)

3. Clown much? ‘Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you increase your chances of a heart attack’. The research behind health benefits of laughter is everywhere. Those using humour to cope with stress have stronger immune systems, 40% less chance of strokes, digest food faster, experience less pain during dental surgery and live at least 4,5 years longer! So next time you are tossing up between movies- go for a comedy, spend time with people that make you laugh, read and tell jokes and when all else fails- trip up and laugh at yourself, really really loud.

4. Peace out. Are you one of those people whose entire life is in your bedroom and just by walking in, you get a headache? Take out the TV, computer, electrical devices, and clutter, pick up the clothes off the floor and pack away what you don’t need till next season, remove all food and dishes. Replace with pot plants, wall paintings, colours that make you relaxed and happy and everything clean and fresh. Creating a peaceful place to sleep will have a huge effect on your mood when you wake up too.

5. Pray for others. You shouldn’t need scientific proof to feel the positive effects on your health and stress levels by praying for others. But for those who find it a rather ‘different’ approach, you might like to know that a huge research was conducted at University of Michigan, interviewing people about the nature of their prayers, finances and health and discovery showed very clearly that praying for others helped reduce the financial stresses and strains as well as improved wellbeing of the person doing the praying. If you aren’t the type to get on your knees and talk to someone you don’t believe to be there, you can still get the results by keeping a journal writing your well wishes for others or simply send them love, light and happiness from the heart.

6. How about lunch? When was the last time you’ve walked away from your desk at lunch time? 60% of people eat at their desk and just 10% take a decent break away from the desk at all. A lunch break gives your brain the same opportunity as when you sleep- to rest and repair. Imagine skipping a night’s sleep, will you be productive the next day? Why should skipping a lunch break be any different? Also getting away from your computer and eating food makes you conscious of what you are eating and appreciating it more, sending signals to your body that you care about it and want the food metabolised and digested properly. Do you see how this would affect your health and energy levels?

7. Get coached. Imagine what a better place the world would be if each one of us had a coach, a mentor, someone to help us clarify direction, strategise our actions, optimize our environment and achieve results easier faster and with remarkable success rate. So when you look for a coach, make sure they too have a coach. Since I know you may be wondering- well, I have several J

So what are you waiting for? Choose a tip (or seven!) and begin implementing it straight away. I’d love to know how you get on or if you have a simple stress reducing tip of your own, make sure to let me know in the comments below...

As for this week’s recipe and staying on the simplifying, energising and stress reducing topic, here’s one of my favourites! Remember the delicious Curry in a Hurry recipe? I usually have leftover sauce (it’s pretty filling), so I make...

OMG KALE CHIPS

‘OMG’ Kale Chips- because that is exactly what I said when I first pulled them out of the dehydrator. Wow, I couldn’t believe how good they tasted! Best ever!!

For the essentials

Blender

Dehydrator (best option, but oven OK too)

For the sauce

See Curry sauce recipe

For the chips

Bunch Kale

-Destalk all the kale leaves and roughly chop

-Transfer the kale and sauce into a large bowl

-Use your hands to massage the sauce in really well and to coat all of the kale

-Assemble onto mesh trays, evenly distributed

-Dehydrate at 110degrees F overnight

[Tip: if you don’t have a dehydrator, turn your oven on the lowest setting and check every half hour to make sure they don’t burn)

Do you have a simple stress reducing tip? I'd love to know it and I am sure everyone else would too, please share in the comments below...

7 comments

Marinated Mushrooms stuffed with Basil Pesto Video

Posted by 2 · November 26, 2010

How beautiful is Edinburgh!! I mean this is not supposed to come out as a question, it is a pure statement on my behalf, but I'm not about to get over it any time soon- how beautiful is that little city with its enchanting structures and surprising abundance of greenery!

Loving the Royal Mile

I say pretty stunning and I was over the moon to be going there with a group of nine friends to see the All Blacks [rugby team] show the world what New Zealand is all about!

Small confession... as much as I support New Zealand all the way, it is official- I am just not a rugby woman. I’ve tried, I really have, over my 14 years in New Zealand, I tried to watch it on TV, to attend games, learn some players names, familiarise myself with the scoring system and what on earth the line out and scrums are (even though I did manage to go through High School thinking it was called a ‘scrub’- see what I mean?).

With Elliot at the Edinburgh Castle

When it comes to rugby, I am all Russian! So when in Edinburgh I parted with the rest of the group for a short while, as they cheered on our champions and went wondering the charming streets on my own, well ok- shops.

But you won’t imagine how hard my guilt swallowed me whole, as the very next day at the airport we saw the ENTIRE rugby team come through the departure gates one by one and I was the one asking everyone’s favourite players for a group picture with us! I believe that is also ‘So Russian’, accept maybe for the feeling guilty part (that’s just me).

From left: Gareth, Reece, Mel, Chris, Ben, Nick,
BRAD THORN &DAN CARTER,
Me, Kirsty, Elliot, Tim

Kirsty and I with a very handsome All Blacks captain Richie McCaw

I would like to make a special point here, that Richie put his arm around me First (!!) and then I got to touch his back.. his wonderful, strong solid back... perhaps I could be a rugby supporter afterall :)

Right! What is this blog about again? Recipes! Richie.. I mean Rugby.. I mean Raw Food!! This recipe is good, really good! I made it first thing as we got back home, because Edinburgh was so ridiculously cold and I was left with no choice, but come up with a very satisfying, comforting and warming Winter Recipe, which very quickly made it right to the top of my favourites:

MARINATED MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH PESTO (and VIDEO)

For the mushrooms
10 x Medium Chestnut mushrooms
8 x Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 x Tbsp Tamari
4 x Tbsp Lemon Juice (or juice of 1 whole lemon)
4 x Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 x Garlic cloves, minced

-Prep the mushrooms: carefully wiggle out the stalks and peel back the skin to reveal a white surface
-Gently pierce the surface with a tip of a knife, so marinade soaks in more evenly
-Lay the mushrooms flat in a container with the gills facing up. Careful not to pile them on top of each other or you will require much more marinade
-Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over the mushrooms
-Ensure every part of the mushroom is coated well, lightly shaking the container or dipping them with your hands. Don’t worry if there is not enough marinade for the mushrooms to swim in, as long as each side has been wetted, they can now sit to soak in the juices from the bottom
- Leave to marinade at room temperature overnight

For the Basil Pesto
3 x packed Cups Basil
1 x Cup Macadamia nuts
1 x Cup Pinenuts
4 x Tbsp Lemon juice
3 x Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 x Garlic cloves, minced
1 x tsp Sea salt

-Process the basil leaves in the food processer with an S blade
-Pulse in the macadamia nuts, not too fine so you have texture to your pesto
-Add the pine nuts and pulse
-Add the rest of ingredients, scrape everything of the sides of the processer and onto the blade. Pulse again
-Scoop mixture out with your hands forming into balls and place inside the mushroom caps
-To serve warm: place in the dehydrator on 105degrees F for two hours before serving or for half an hour in a warmed oven (which has been switched off before mushrooms go in)

Watch how to prepare this effortlessly...

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