New Website Coming Soon!

Phew, I've been so flat out all summer. Travelling to beautiful exotic locations, working and writing content for my new website, which is coming very soon. Plus taking on new clients.
I'll be working flat out on on my new site over the next 3 weeks and hope to have my basic pages up by the end of the month. It will be a wonderful Mentoring Club to support so many people I have worked with over the years to stay with a healthy programme of diet, exercise and detoxing. As soon as I go live, I'll be sending out an email blast to all my current subscribers to keep you all in the loop.
I'm having a small exhibition of my paintings at the end of the year, so I'm trying to work my schedule to fit everything into a day... it means less sleep but more creativity! Its the perfect time to get down to intense work..... The garden in France needs less attention now the weeds have stopped growing, although I have to get ready for spring by preparing the soil, planting a few more fruit trees and setting the ground for a few late winter and spring crops. I've been making lots of raw soups all summer - with veggies from the garden. A book with fabulous cleansing recipes will be available to download from my site soon. A great way to cleanse, whilst still working. Tastes fabulous too and incrediblly filling!
Everything in stages and one day at a time right now.
Stay tuned and I'll be in touch soon..
Blessings
Kate x

Marinara "Pasta" and Alfredo "Pasta"

All day I heard a violent buzzing like an insect trying to get out of the window. I finally located the source of the sound. A poor bee stuck in a spiders web right up in the beams of my kitchen. I got there just in time as the spider was on top of it weaving more web around it. I picked it off and took it outside and tried to get off as much of the web stuck to its body and legs as I could, using a small piece of twig, then placed it onto a flower so it could drink up some nectar and revive. I adore bees. This Spring I have found lots of huge dead bees laying on the top floor of my house. It makes me worried as the bee populations are coming under serious attack from invading viruses and chemicals we use to spray our fields...we rely on them to pollinate the majority of our crops. In China huge swathes of the bee population are dying out and people have to hand pollinate miles and miles of pear trees. I'm researching bee keeping so I can get a few hives in the near future and try and help our little furry friends along...

The sun has been hot today. Tending to the endless gardening plus writing, researching, sketching new painting ideas....... and suddenly I got really hungry. Sometimes I love spending hours in the kitchen making Gourmet heaven but today I have far too much to do and too little time.
My smoothie with added ground flax seeds from breakfast kept me going all day until this evening. I was thinking of the old days and how pasta used to be my quick fix dinner. So I decided to rustle up a raw version and here it is. Total energy bliss food:

2 Different sauces:

Rich Marinara with Black Olives AND Creamy Alfredo Basil Sauce

“Mock” Spaghetti made with courgette (zucchini) processed through a spiralizer. Check out how they work. Google for info to buy one. The Metro brand linked above, "The Garnishing Machine" is the cheapest one. If you cant get hold of a spiraliser use a grater and try to grate courgette into the longest pieces as possible grating lengthways down the grater.

Marinara Sauce: (serves 2)
3 tomatoes, cored and de-seeded.
1 medium spring onion

Half a medium red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
1 small clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of chopped basil

1/4 a peeled and chopped apple
Large pinch of salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of Tamari (optional)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes in Olive oil (or dried ones soaked for half an hour in a cup of water. (Keep water in case you want to make sauce more liquid).
1 tablespoon capers.

To MAKE:

Spiralise 1 courgette per person and place into 2 equal size bowls.
2. Place all ingredients except capers into a food processor or blender if you dont have a processor and blend until the sauce is almost smooth.
3. Mix with the spiralised courgettes, sprinkle with capers and a sprig of fresh parsley.
4. Serve onto one half of a plate and garnish with Olives of your choice.

Creamy Alfredo Sauce:

Small handful of Cashew Nuts (If I know I am going to make this before hand, I soak and rinse the cashews for 2 hours. This time around I only soaked them for 1o minutes whilst I was preparing the Marinara sauce as I only decided last minute to make it).
Small handful of Pine nuts.
Stalk of basil leaves (small handful in hand) then shred.
1/2 - 1 cup of water
3 washed and thinly sliced Shitake mushrooms
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
I small tsp Miso paste melted in a cup with a small amount of hot water from the kettle to dissolve.
1 tsp Onion Powder ( optional)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg (Optional)
½ clove of garlic crushed

Add all ingredients to the blender and blend really well. Add more water if you want a runnier sauce. Taste test. Add more salt or herbs if required.
Pour over the second bowl of spiralised courgette and mix well. Add the Shitake mushrooms and mix in carefully.
Serve onto the other half of each plate. Garnish with shredded fresh basil leaves.

This recipe is really filling, especially if you combine having both sauces. The nuts in the Alfredo are really satisfying.

Serve with the Vitality Circle’s crunchy Olive & Flax seed flat breads. (Recipe coming soon)

If you make enough sauce you will have enough to put in the fridge for the next day. All you have to do is spiralise another courgette and add sauce for an instant meal!

Also, this picture below was my dinner last night. I absolutely love raw beetroot and fennel. I have some in the garden but it wont be ready to pick just yet, so I have to make do with supplies from my local bio shop for now. I have a ton of parsley growing in pots and had to do something with it, so I made a rich parsley dressing and drizzled it all over these finely sliced raw veggies and mixed in lots of fresh herbs like chives and marjoram.

Have fun in the Spring sun... The more alkalised you are, the better you will feel... I'm off to do Yoga and Pilates now. I'll post some tibetan morning exercises here soon. A lovely way to wake up and start the day.

Love Kate x

Raw in a Rush: 3 in One Recipes

Welcome....

Hmmmmm. I'm in heaven!


I couldnt resist writing to tell you about my dinner as I think you would love it too. It was so delicious! There are times when I just want something to eat really quickly, so here is a really healthy 3 meals in one. If you are just starting out on a more alkaline raw diet, this is a must. A base recipe that you should always have prepared in your fridge.

I absolutely love these. I take them with me if I'm out for the day. Pack them in a tupperware inbetween pieces of slightly wet kitchen roll. It will stop them sticking together. The same if you store them in the fridge. Only cut them in half once you are ready to serve. Keep them whole if taking them to work. They will stay together for longer.

Spring Rolls:

Here is a picture of the ingredients. You can put anything you like in really, but to get that lovely Chinese spring roll texture I love using white cabbage really thinly sliced.

Heres a picture of the veggies I use:

1/4 Cauliflower, 1/4 white cabbage, big head of broccoli, half a red bell pepper, 1/4 green bell pepper, 1 courgette, 2 carrots, 1 spring onion or normal onion, fresh herbs of your choice (coriander and chives above).

Top and tail the courgette and cut in half. Then cut each piece lengthways. Using a teaspoon, take out the seeds and discard.

Turn the courgettes over and chop lengthways into very thin strips.


Do the same for the Broccoli and cauliflower cutting each stem lengthways, so it looks like mini trees. If you have long stems on the broccoli, cut them across to make very thin "coins" then cut lengthways once you get further up the stem. Cut into thin stips the Red and Green Bell pepper and Spring onion.
Cut the white cabbage into the thinnest slices possible:

Top and tail the carrots and use a peeler and peel slices all around the carrot, from top to bottom, leaving the inner core behind. I save these for a juice, or raw veggie burgers if you are so inclined. If not just eat them!

Put it all into a large bowl. I use a round washing up bowl for this as my China ones arent nearly big enough to get my hands stuck into...

Now add a large pinch of salt and dash of black pepper. Now either add a large teaspoon of ready mixed Thai Spices, or seperate spices: Powdered Cumin , ginger, coriander, dash of chilli powder. Always put less spices in than more and taste as you go along. Also add 2 dessert spoons of Tamari (wheat free Soya Sauce). If you dont have access to Tamari, then use the best Soya sauce you can buy, then get some Tamari online. Also add 2 dessert spoons of Olive Oil. Now put your WASHED hands underneath the salad and turn it, like you are almost making break. Dont knead it though. Turn and gently massage for 3-5 minutes. This will natually soften the salad, as if it has been cooked. It will also mix in all the herbs and spices and infuse the veggies with flavour. Then let it sit and marinade for a while. I sometimes let it sit for a hour in a cool place. You dont have to. You can use it straight away if you are in a rush.

Now this is where it gets interesting. You can make 3 different meals with this RawFry. If you make enough of it, you can keep it in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

So I'm going to show you how to make:
1.Spring Rolls:
2.Raw Fry Salad.
3.Miso Soup and Salad.

1. Spring Rolls:

Fill a long wide container with water. I use a baking pan from the oven.
Carefully place 1 rice wrap into water and spin it around gently for about 7 seconds.
Now gently pick up the edge and hold it up so the water drips off the bottom.

Carefully wiggle it about abit to get all the water off.
Have prepared a clean cotton tea towel layed on a flat surface next to the water.
Lay the Rice paper on the tea towel and place a smallish amount of the Raw Fry into the middle of the paper. You have to do this fairly quickly otherwise the rice paper will stick to the teatowel. Try using a plastic tray if you have one.

Carefully fold the two left and right sides into the middle so they touch each other:

Now you fold the bottom leaf right over the filling, squishing back the filling to impact it, then fold the top leaf over that:

And you have the finished Wrap. Once you get used to doing these, you can lay out 6 rice papers at a time, fill them all and wraps. If there are 2 of you it takes not time at all.

Cut the wrap in half at an angle and serve them propped against each other.
There are many variations you can make on Rice Wraps. Sometimes in between the Raw Fry layer, I'll add some Almond nut butter, or Tahini or Hummous or diced Avocado.

Serve with a small bowl of Tamari soy sauce and a dash of Wasabi powder mixed with water on the side for an added hot rush.

Recipe 2:

Raw Fry:

Serve your Raw Fry in a bowl. Drizzle over some Almond butter, a spring of coriander and chopped chives.

If you make enough, you can just take this out of the fridge for an immediate lunch.

Now here's how to make it into a hearty meal to warm you up:

Recipe 3: (Transitional, almost Raw!)

Miso Soup:

Miso is a japanese high protein fermented seasoning. It comes in a paste. Try and find unpasteurizes miso. It aids the digestion due to its natural digestive enzymes called "lactobacillus" It tastes delicious and helps to ward off harmful microorganisms, helping to keep the digestive tract healthy.

There are many brands of Miso available on the market. If you cant find it in the supermarket, try a health food store or japanese shop. These are the brands I can find in France.

Put 2 cups of water per person into a saucepan. (I'm taking about tea cups NOT the measuring cups). Add 2 teaspoons of Miso to water. I add one tsp Blonde Miso and one tsp dark miso. Heat very gently. You do NOT want to boil the water otherwise it will destroy the healthy bacteria in the Miso. Just simmer and stir the miso until it has all dissolved.


Then add however much Raw Fry you want to eat:

Let it simmer for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly more tender. Remember, massaging them in the bowl softened them quite alot, so you only need to cook them enough to make them warm.

Serve:

So there you have it. 3 in One! Always keep some Raw Fry in your fridge and you can make an instant dinner! IN the winter I have this Raw Fry Miso soup for breakfast. It keeps me warm and happy for hours.


See you the next time. Enjoy the beautiful Spring days.

Many Blessings

Kate x

Spring up and Go Smoothie!

Blessed Be!

The sun is shining!
I am so blissed out that Spring has truly sprung! That means less time in the barn chopping wood for the fire and more time out in the garden growing my veggies, so I can again be self sufficient this Summer and Autumn. The lettuce are doing really well and all my herb pots are growing a treat. I think its even warm enough to be reunited with my sun lounger for an hour or so, with a good book.....
I have my kitchen door open all day now, the Spring breeze and scent of blossoms wafting gently in, as I look out to my lush beautiful garden, potager veggie plots and valley. I feel realy blessed I have chosen to live half of my life in the french countryside. This gives me the time to devote to writing raw living books, researching, painting composing and working out daily with a schedule of Yoga, Pilates and cycling. The rest of the time I spend in England. Working, seeing clients, catching up with friends, and painting in my studio. Along with lots of other travel my days are really flat out.

Grow your own even in pots!

Over the last few days I have been helping a friend to regain her health and it has really put into perspective for me how I need to simplify a programme of cleansing, so anyone who is just beginning can easily follow. Sometimes I assume that everyone should know the information I know, then I look back and realise it has taken me many years of study and practice to know what I do! So this Blog is not only for the seasoned Raw Foodist. It is for those just starting out. For those that really want to get well. To purify the body and wake up feeling alive with a spring in their step.

I will post on another page an overview of the importance of alkalising the diet to cleanse the blood, but for today, I'm just going to post some info of a few quick recipes to help my friend and anyone who reads this with some basic Gourmet Raw culinary delights to help with immediate hunger cravings. These recipes are really quick to do. My friend quit smoking yesterday, along with quitting Cola drinks, meat, most dairy and wheat (she can have goats cheese/yoghurt as a transition food for now!). I am helping her along Online to encourage her to move to a more vitality filled life with Raw living foods.... It all takes time but it is so rewarding when I see people blossom... Skin glowing, eyes clear and sparkling, aches and pains dissapearing, health problems melting away... It means this person can then help their friends in the way I helped them. To become empowered in their own health, To take responsibility for their process of healing and daily wellbeing maintenance, so that as one becomes older each day one feels younger with every step!

I live a Raw food lifestlye because I have to. Without this lifestlye I would probably be bedridden or even dead, so I am so grateful to everyone in the Raw health movement for spreading the word, helping others to heal and bringing this message to the masses. We are only teaching what nature intended. Our crazy modern lifestyles have taken us so far away from our true nature, so transitioning , then maintaining a mostly raw diet could give you so much to look forward to each day.

I'm not going to write info on this blog other than my kitchen adventures. If you want more indepth information you can go to my website (still under construction) for more detail.....Updates on this blog about its progress.

Bombay Munchies:
Wow, I just remembered I had something in the dehydrator from yesterday. I just went and got it out and now I am eating some delicious Raw Bombay Mix! I was thinking of my friend who, as long as I have known him always had a bowl of Bombay Mix in his studio whenever guests come over... He munches on it all the time. So I wanted to develop something that he would like that is a healthy version. Bombay mix is deep fried processed, spicy snack with peanuts, and although delicious is not healthy at all... So I soaked some Almonds overnight then rinsed them, shredded carrots and sweet potato in a food processor and made a spice/marinade mix. Garam Masala, sesame seeds, tamari, chilli spice & 1 tbsp olive oil. Add to carrot and sweet potato and mix in well with your hands... then I added a spoon of Gomasio (sesame seeds and salt), to give it a coating.. You could also blend some flax seeds in the coffee grinder, then add this to a food processor and add some garlic, tamari, water until it makes a smooth paste... then mix this into the veggies to coat them also... Then you put it in the dehydrator for 12 hours, on a teflex sheet... turn over half way if necessary to make sure it all gets dried... And there you have it. Delicious RAW Bombay mix. Store it in an airtight container and it will last for weeks unless you eat it all first! You can ONLY make this is you have a dehydrator.

Anyway, typical of me, I never measure anything when I food prep! I just throw things in and taste, then throw in a bit more, so I promise next time I make this and ANYTHING else I want to post here for you, I'll take measurements to make it easier for you to follow...

So here goes. This is what I am making for breakfast. This will give you energy for hours!
Almond Milk Raspberry Ripple:
You will Need:













1 peeled Banana
1 cup of Almond (soaked in water overnight, then rinsed).
1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries ( you can use a mixture of berries if you like).
1 tsp Agave Syrup (if you dont have any the banana will do).
1/4 tsp nutmeg and cinnamon (optional according to taste).
4 cups of pure water.

Step 1:
Add the soaked almonds to the blender, then add the 4 cups of water.

Blend until the almonds are completely pulverised.



Take your nut milk bag and place it over a bowl. (if you dont have a nut milk bag, use unbleached muslin cloth). Pour in the mixture then Squeeze the milk out of the bag leaving the nut pulp inside:

You will be left with a delicious cream almond milk which is alkalising and filling.
Add the Almond milk back into the washed blender. If you have a dehydrator, the pulp can be put in the freezer to be used for dehydrated Raw Almond and Vanilla biscuits or Raw Nut Burgers at another stage.

Add the Berries and chopped Banana then blend:

Add a touch of Agave Syrup if you have it and a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon if you like it. You can even add some vanilla essence or fresh vanilla pods.

I serve mine with crushed ice on very warm days:



Smoothie for Three....

Tips to keep off the hunger pangs and your Blood Sugar balanced:

Once I have made my smoothie I grind 1/2 a dessert spoon of Golden Linseeds (aka: flax seeds) in a coffee grinder. Hold the lid of the coffee grinder and shake it as you grind to make sure you get all the seeds into the blade.

Do NOT add the flax seeds to the smoothie mix in the blender. ONLY add it to the smoothie you have in a glass. You can either add 1 or 2 teaspoons into your glass. Stir with a fork really well, until it has all blended in. You need to drink this smoothie fairly quickly otherwise the flax seeds will make the drink go like jelly.... By grinding the flax seeds first you help to make the Omega 3 oils in the seed more absorbable in the body. Golden Flax seeds contain, fiber, lignans and Omega 3 fatty acids. They help to clean your intestinal tract and promote regular bowels. Lignans support the immune system and cellular health. I make a big batch of flax crackers in the dehydrator every week, all with different flavours. They are a staple for me.

Keep any unused Raspberry Milk Ripple in the fridge to be used throughout the day. Alternatively, if you are working, take it in a flask. Give it a shake before pouring. Also if you prefer, once blended, pour through a sieve to eliminate all the little seeds from the raspberries, otherwise they get stuck in your teeth!

As always, whenever you consume any fruit, wash your mouth out with water once finished, to help protect your teeth.

Oh and if you have a garden, no matter how small, devote an area of veggies instead of flowers they taste so much better and will save you a fortune at the organic store.

My luscious Veggie garden:

Thats it for now. I'm off to do Yoga in the sun. Hopefully I'll have time to post my RawFry and Raw Spring Rolls tonight. If not I'll catch up with you soon.

Spring Blessings

Kate x