Sunflower Seed Milk

It will take a photographer with better skills than I to capture the lovely pale green color of sunflower seed milk. Much prettier in real life than my photos would convey...

I've taken to using sunflower seeds a lot when making fresh nut milk (or in this case, "seed" milk...). They're packed with nutrition, some highlights of which include a significant source of the anti-oxidant Vitamin E, as well as the essential fatty acid Omega 6, and a good bit of protein. It's also a great source of folate (folic acid). Especially good for pregnant mothers.

In addition, sunflower seeds are less than half the cost of my favorite nut milk ingredient, pecans. Very attractive when you are trying to minimize costs.

I make milk from sunflower seeds using the same proportion as with the nuts, I make sure to use the leftover pulp in some fashion. I purchased my nut milk bag online from Alissa Cohen's site... it's a nice large size. And I make sure to always use it so the seam of the bag is on the outside, that way the pulp doesn't get caught in it when I'm trying to clean it.


1 C. sunflower seeds (no need to soak)
4 C. quality water
good dash himmy salt
1 T. raw honey (or other sweetener to taste -- sweetener is optional, as you might want the milk for a savory recipe, such as a soup)

Blend ingredients till smooth in blender. Place nut milk bag in pitcher (or bowl) & pour the milk into the bag. Carefully (so you don't splash yourself or the counter) squeeze the pulp down towards the bottom of the bag & the milk out the bottom. Slide and push down as you would a tube of toothpaste. When you get to the bottom, really give it some good squeezes to get all the moisture out.

Use right away, or by the next morning. Keep leftovers in the fridge. It's normal for separation to occur, but when you stir it up it gets creamy again.

Warm Raw Cocoa

I am a full convert to the health-enhancing properties of raw cacao. Feels like a wonderful tonic whenever I take it. And the Navitas "Cacao Power" Raw Chocolate Powder is really what is says on the bag: "King of Cacao". It is absolutely superb. Far superior to anything I ever ground up myself from raw nibs.

Mixed with warm nut milk and your sweetener of choice, it's a great way to start a cold morning...

1 C. raw nut milk (I used some leftover sunflower seed milk here, but you can use milk made from almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts... whatever you like)
1 T. raw cacao powder
dash himmy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)

Warm ingredients together in saucepan. Serve.

Makes 1 mug or 2 smaller cups of cocoa.

Live Butternut Squash Soup

Pictured here garnished with chopped avocado & pistachios, but you could do any kind of chopped nuts, scallions, mushrooms, tomato, or red onion. Topping with hemp seeds will give a comfy texture to the soup, as if you'd added rice or bits of pasta.

I like to make live soups with water heated up and then taken off the stove & blended with raw ingredients. You end up with a perfect-temperature soup that's warming but hasn't killed the living enzymes of your food.

1 medium butternut squash, chopped & peeled (around 3-4 C.)
(include the seedy-pulpy insides, which you would normally throw away)
2 small or 1 medium garlic clove
1/2 t. himmy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)
fresh pepper
2 C. quality water

Put everything in large pan, reserving a bit of the squash.
Heat til the water starts to steam.
Take off heat and blend til smooth (I use a portable hand mixer so I can carefully blend it up right in the pan, but you can use a regular blender).
Add reserved squash, blend a bit more (the object being texture rather than a straight puree...).

Pour in bowl & top with something nice (shown above with 1/2 chopped avo & some pistachios). It sounds so simple -- even bland -- but the quality salt really makes this deliciously savory, as well as healthful. And whatever toppings you add make it interesting.

Serves 2...or, in my case, two servings all for me!

Live Shitake Soup with Butternut Squash, Red Pepper, and Hempseeds

Mild soup made creamy with the addition of hempseeds, with just a tad of heat from chilis.

This is a live soup -- the ingredients are not simmered, but are added into just-steaming water that's comfortable enough for you to put your hand into. That way, it's warm and comforting, but doesn't extinguish all those wonderful living nutrients...

4 C. quality water
1 C. shitake mushrooms, cut into pieces
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in pieces (including the squishy-seedy inside part you normally throw away)
1/2 red pepper but into pieces
1/4 C. hempseeds
1 small clove garlic
1 t. chili paste (or a piece of fresh raw chile according to your taste)
1 t. himmy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)

In large pot, heat the water til steaming. Add all ingredients and take off heat. Blend til smooth right in the pot with a hand blender (or blend in countertop blender).

2 Servings. Very filling.

Raw Cashew-Pumpkin Seed Pop-ems

For when you want something sweet or some extra energy. Throw them in your bag & hit the road. No photo yet... they're not very photogenic & will need some special TLC before they get their closeup. ;-) But they can brag that they are a lovely shade of green!

Note: You could use any combination of nuts you want with these, and change the flavoring according to mood & supplies.

1/3 C. raw cashews
1/3 C. raw pumpkin seeds
1 T. raw honey
1/8 t. organic almond extract
dash himmy salt

Put all ingredients in a mini food processor (or chop & mix by hand). Roll into four walnut-sized mounds & wrap in cellophane

Makes 4 pop-ems.

Live Shitake-Miso Soup

Unpasteurized miso is an unusual comfort food, in that it makes you feel great & provides numerous health benefits, in addition to being very soothing to eat. Some of its many healthful qualities include beneficial microorganisms and enzymes that aid in digestion and destroy disease-causing bacteria and toxins.

Here I've paired an aged barley miso with shitake mushrooms. Shitakes are believed to be anti-viral, cholesterol-lowering, and metabolism-enhancing, and have such a nice delicate earthy flavor. The soup does not involve cooking or simmering the ingredients... their living energy is preserved, but the soup is still warm to taste.

3 C. quality water
2 T. unpasteurized miso (here, I've used South River certified organic, wood-fired Three-Year Barley miso)
1 C. fresh shitakes
a few slices red onion
1 small clove garlic
1 small piece fresh ginger (about 3/4", peeled)
1 small tomato, chopped
handful cilantro (I've shown the soup here with parsley because that's what I had on hand, but this soup is much better with cilantro)

Put water in large pan and heat just til steaming. Remove from heat and add all ingredients except cilantro. Blend in the pan with hand-blender (or blend in regular blender). Top with chopped cilantro.

2 servings.

Coconut-Grape Soup w/ Strawberries & Macadamia Nuts

Naturally sweet with a very milky/dairy consistency & flavor.

1 young coconut, both the flesh & the milk
2 C. red grapes, about one large bunch (best if cold from fridge)
fresh strawberries, as many as you want
raw macadamia nuts, as many as you want

Blend in blender; no need for additional liquid.
Top with fresh strawberries & chopped raw macadamia nuts.
Shown here with sprinkling of freshly ground nutmeg.

Easily serves 2... very filling. But I drink leftovers smoothie-style... 8-)

Chocomaca Hempseed Shake

3 C. nut milk
2 T. raw cocoa powder
1 T. raw maca powder
2 T. cold-pressed coconut oil
5 T. hemp seeds
1 T. raw honey
1/4 t. organic vanilla
1/4 t. organic almond extract (optional -- good if you've used almond milk)
a few dashes himmy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)
3 C. ice

Blend and drink.

The raw cacao is rich in anti-oxidants & magnesium. The hemp seeds have a perfect balance of Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids, a full spectrum of amino acids, and a massive array of trace minerals -- a true superfood. The coconut oil fires up my metabo for the day (among other things). And maca... so many benefits... a powerful adaptogen affecting many aspects of vitality & balance.

Vanilla Macadamia-Hempseed Fruit Topping

Pictured here on strawberries with fresh pecan milk and topped with hemp seeds. Use whatever honey you prefer. For this batch, I used raw organic Hawaiian Lehua honey from Garden of Life... one of the tastiest I've tried. Quite floral... delicious with the vanilla.

1/4 C. raw macadamia nuts
1 t. raw honey
dash himmy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)
2 T. hemp seeds
1/8 t. vanilla extract (or a snippet of vanilla bean if you have some on hand)

Blend in small food processor, or just chop the nuts & mix by hand.
Serve on fresh fruit with fresh nut milk.

Chocomacananner Sprouted Cereal Shake

Great breakfast shake... or when you're craving something sweet. No greens in this one. Has fresh bananas for sweetness. And is done so quickly because there's nothing to extract or wash from the fridge!

Fill blender no more than 1/2 full with quality water, then add:

heaping tablespoon raw cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon maca powder
2 bananas
3 heaping soup-spoons of Lydia's Organics Sprouted Cinnamon Cereal
dash himmy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)
dash almond extract
dash vanilla extract
3 C. ice

Blend & drink. Makes about 4 glasses. Drink them all yourself or share. :D

Note: I use Navitas brand raw cocoa & maca powders.

Spring-Green Sunshine Smoothie

This smoothie is the prettiest shade of fluorescent, full-of-life-and-light spring-green I've seen yet in a live smoothie! And the turmeric, which has a unique flavor, harmonized beautifully with the pineapple.

1/2 peeled Pineapple, cut in large chunks
2 handfuls Spinach (1-2 cups)
a few dashes of Himalayan crystal salt
1-2 T. virgin coconut oil
water to fill blender

Chocomacaverde

Who woulda thought... greens and raw chocolate are a match made in heaven! Especially spinach...

Here is the basic chocomacaverde that I prepare pretty regularly. The proportions below do not make a sweet drink -- it's mellow-sweet. Make your own adjustments according to taste and the contents of your pantry!

One note: If you add 1-2 bananas to this, you'll have a Chocomacanannerverde!

1/2 blender (about 3 C.) of spinach or baby romaine
2-3 C. spring water
2-3 T. ground raw cacao nibs
1-2 T. raw carob powder
1-2 T. ground maca root
1/8-1/4 C. hemp seeds or pine nuts
2 tsp. agave (or 1-2 bananas)
a few good dashes of Himalayan salt

Blend everything together and slurp ecstatically!