The Beauty Detox Solution (41 page)

INGREDIENTS

1½ Tbs. apple cider vinegar

¼ cup cold filtered water

3 Tbs. low-sodium tamari

½ Tbs. organic, unpasteurized miso

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove

1 cup fresh basil

2 Tbs. nutritional yeast

3 drops liquid stevia

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. This dressing is best served fresh.

MINTY FRESH SALAD DRESSING

YIELD:
about ½ cup

 

This light dressing works especially well on mixed greens. It will leave you feeling super fresh and upbeat!

INGREDIENTS

½ medium cucumber, chopped

½ cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 tsp. Celtic sea salt

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. This dressing is definitely best served fresh, rather than stored.

BEAUTY SALADS

DHARMA'S KALE SALAD

YIELD:
1-2 servings

 

I learned a version of this recipe from one of my fellow yoga students at our teacher Dharma's studio. I eat this hearty, delicious salad as the basis of dinner several nights a week at least. It is one of my favorite meal staples. This incredible salad provides a substantial mix of protein-building amino acids, enzymes, minerals (including important ones found in sea vegetables) and antioxidants.

BASE INGREDIENTS

1 head lacinato (dinosaur) kale is best, but curly kale works also

2 handfuls sprouts, any kind you like (I like sunflower sprouts and clover sprouts best.)

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced

1-2 avocados, sliced

1 handful fresh dill, chopped (Optional, but I love the taste it adds to this salad!)

 

Optional for serving: Untoasted nori wrappers

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1 or 1½ Meyer lemons (or regular lemons if unavailable)

3-5 Tbs. nutritional yeast

Cayenne pepper to taste

3-5 Tbs. dulse flakes or chopped dulse strips

Pinch of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt

1 Tbs. olive oil (Optional, I usually leave it out.)

DIRECTIONS:

Take the kale stems one by one, and strip the leaves off the thick stems by hand. Save the stems and juice them later. Once you have gotten the leaves off, add a pinch of sea salt to them and tear them into little pieces for easy digestion. It is important not to chop the kale with a knife but rather to use your hands to break it up. Otherwise it is a different salad with a different energy. Using your hands really helps break down and soften the kale, which is important to help digest it well.

Place the kale in a large bowl. Add the dressing ingredients and mix well. Add the sprouts, tomatoes, avocado slices and dill and mix well again. Feel free to add other raw veggies that you love. Cut the nori wrappers (if using) into halves or quarters and scoop the salad into them, making mini wraps. Delicious!

SUNDAY SALAD

YIELD:
about 2 servings

 

There is a beautiful mix of colors in this salad, which I believe truly makes the salad more satisfying and nourishing on so many different levels. And this salad contains our secret ingredient—Cajun spice mix! It adds a great natural kick of flavor. Be sure to get a brand that doesn't contain any salt.

BASE INGREDIENTS

3 cups fresh mesclun or herb salad

2 large handfuls chopped basil

1 cup sliced sundried tomatoes

1-2 ripe avocados, diced

2 handfuls clover sprouts

5-8 radishes, sliced

Kalamata olives (optional)

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

3-5 Tbs. dulse flakes

3-5 Tbs. nutritional yeast

Cayenne pepper to taste

½-2 Tbs. Cajun spice mix (More or less! Start with ½ Tbs. and adjust to taste. I love it, so I personally load it on there!)

Juice of 1—1½ lemons

Olive oil (Totally optional. I usually don't add it.)

DIRECTIONS:

Add the mesclun and the chopped basil to a large bowl, and mix with the ingredients that make up the dressing. Purists might say to mix the dressing ingredients first and add the dressing to the base, but for this salad I like to just throw it all in there! I guess I'm not a purist. Make sure the salad is mixed well, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the sundried tomatoes, avocado, sprouts, radishes and olives last, and toss. Kick back, and take your time enjoying every flavor!

RAW TABOULI SALAD WITH HEMP SEEDS

YIELD:
about 2 servings

BASE INGREDIENTS

1 huge bunch curly parsley or Italian flat parsley, or 2 smaller bunches

½ white onion, diced

1 organic tomato, diced

5-6 heaping Tbs. hemp seeds

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil

½ tsp. Celtic or Himalayan sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Chop the parsley and place it in a large bowl, along with the onion, tomato and hemp seeds. In a blender, combine the lemon, garlic, olive oil and sea salt, and blend until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well, and you're ready to go!

ISRAELI CHOPPED SALAD

YIELD:
about 9 cups

 

This recipe exemplifies what I mean when I talk about leftovers! This makes a nice big batch for you and your family to enjoy, or for you to have for lunch for a few days. If you do the latter, you could slice up an avocado and put the slices on top for more bulk and it would instantly make a really delicious lunch. This salad is also great to bring to a summer party or potluck.

INGREDIENTS

1 large cucumber, diced (Peeling is optional. I like to keep the skin on organic cucumbers because there is lots of zinc in the skin.)

3 large tomatoes, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

1 cup chopped white onion

1½ cups chopped parsley

3 Tbs. chopped mint

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Place the diced cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini and onion in a large bowl. Add the parsley and mint, and mix well. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper and Celtic sea salt, mix and adjust the seasonings to taste. Enjoy!

SPIRULINA SPINACH SALAD

YIELD:
2 servings

 

I'll admit it up front. Spirulina powder may be an acquired taste for some. Some like it right off the bat, but some have to try it out for a while before they get to really love it. Remember that over time our taste buds may change! Chlorophyll-rich spirulina is certainly worth trying for the fantastic benefits. You never know. You might fall in love at first bite!

INGREDIENTS

Large bowl baby spinach leaves

1 large tomato, diced

1-2 ripe avocados

2 handfuls adzuki, lentil, or garbanzo (chick pea) bean sprouts, or a combination (to add crunch)

½ tsp. spirulina powder, to start

Splash of olive oil

Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Be sure to wash and dry the spinach very thoroughly. We do not want any soggy spinach for this salad! Add it to a large bowl and toss in the tomato, avocado and sprouts.
Start
with ½ teaspoon of spirulina powder, a splash of olive oil and a bit of salt. If you like what you taste and want to go a bit further, feel free to add more spirulina!

AVO-TOMATO LUNCH PLATE

YIELD:
1 serving

 

Back to basics, this recipe relies on the flavors of fresh, natural plant foods! Avocado, tomato and basil are a combination that must have made Mother Nature smile to herself, knowing how fantastic it would be when we earthlings discovered it!

INGREDIENTS

1 large tomato or 2 small plum tomatoes

1 medium avocado

Handful of basil leaves

½ Tbs. olive oil (optional)

Black pepper to taste

Celtic sea salt, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the tomato into thin slices, and arrange over a plate.

Cut the avocado in half lengthwise using a large, sharp knife, and twist the halves to separate them. Lift out the pit with the knife and spoon out each half from the peel. Carefully slice the avocado into strips.

Place the avocado slices on top of the tomato, and sprinkle the basil leaves over the top. Add the olive oil and seasonings to taste. If you feel you don't need the olive oil or salt, leave them out! I often do. The perfect bite would include a combination of avocado, basil and tomato all together.

BEAUTY WRAPS AND SANDWICHES

FRESH ROMAINE SOFT TACOS

YIELD:
about 2 servings

 

Who says healthy raw snacks and meals have to be time consuming? This is a really fast little dish when you are on the go or Hungry with a capital
H!
It is a great idea to always keep a bag of romaine hearts for this very reason. I used to nibble on a variation of these tacos as a snack when I worked at a raw food longevity center in New York and was taking a break. A few of these tacos also make a great lunch!

INGREDIENTS

1 large avocado

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Cayenne pepper to taste

1 tomato, chopped

½ cucumber, chopped

1 Tbs. chopped sweet white onion

1 heart romaine lettuce Handful of clover sprouts

DIRECTIONS:

Slice the avocado lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop out the green avocado flesh and add it to a medium-size mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle some cayenne pepper in there, and mash the avocado up, using a fork. Make it as smooth or as chunky as you like. Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumber and sweet white onion, and mix well.

Chop the hard end of the romaine head off so the leaves fall off intact. Scoop some of the avocado mixture onto each leaf, and top with some of the clover sprouts. Roll up the leaves, and enjoy!

OPEN-FACED AVO BEAUTY SANDWICH

YIELD:
1 sandwich

 

This is a perfectly Beauty Food Paired sandwich. It is very satisfying and filling, and is excellent as the main course of a heavier lunch or even a casual, quick dinner. It is so much better than all those processed meat sandwiches, which are ill-combined and should be taken off the menu! Typically one Avo Beauty Sandwich is a serving, unless you have been really active.

INGREDIENTS

1 slice gluten-free millet bread or another gluten-free bread

Stone-ground mustard

½ avocado, sliced

2-3 thin tomato slices

Cayenne pepper

Celtic sea salt (optional)

Clover sprouts

Probiotic & Enzyme Salad

DIRECTIONS:

Toast the bread lightly, and then spread on the mustard. Layer the avocado and tomato on top, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper and sea salt to your desired taste. Top with clover sprouts and some Probiotic & Enzyme Salad, and you have a delicious sandwich to enjoy!

THE ANANDA BURRITO

YIELD:
about 3 burritos

 

I have made dozens of versions of this super-easy “burrito” and in fact, it is a lunch food I personally eat often, after a green salad. It is tasty, and instead of using a gluten-filled flour tortilla or a corn tortilla, we are using nori wrappers, which have so many beautifying minerals.

If you bring your lunch to work, you could pack up the filling and the nori wrappers separately, and assemble the burritos there.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

1 Tbs. organic Dijon mustard

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

½ tsp. nutritional yeast

Black pepper, to taste

Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, to taste (optional)

BASE MIXTURE INGREDIENTS

1 cup diced celery (about 2 long stalks)

1/3 cup diced white onion

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1 avocado

Untoasted nori wrappers (available at a health market or online)

Sprouts

 

Optional add-ons:

Handful of baby spinach or a few kale leaves

A few Tbs. Probiotic & Enzyme Salad

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the mustard, lemon juice and nutritional yeast together in a medium bowl and set to the side. Add the celery, onion and parsley to the dressing bowl. Mix everything together very well. Season with black pepper and a little bit of sea salt to suit your taste.

Cut the avocado lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh and cut it in lengthwise strips. Lay a nori wrapper flat on a plate, and lay some avocado strips right down the center (the long way) a few inches from the edges. Next spoon some of the celery mixture on top of the avocado strips. Top with sprouts and any add-ons you like. Wrap up the nori as you would a burrito, by folding the ends up, then rolling. Hold the burrito in your hands so all the folds are held securely in place. Beginners—or anyone really!—should definitely eat these over a plate. Enjoy and experiment to find your own favorite combinations!