Pineapple, Carrot and Mango Salad

This is a sweet and spicy salad that's bursting with flavor. It combines sweet fruit, carrots and spicy radishes to add a kick of flavor. You can leave the radishes out, but they really add another level to this salad. Plus, because of the high vitamin content of radishes, they are helpful for colds, flu, cancer, skin disorders, asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Ingredients:

1 small pineapple, peeled and cubed
1 large mango, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bunch radishes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, juiced
Pinch of stevia or honey to taste
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add pineapple, mango, carrots, radishes and cilantro to a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, orange juice and stevia. Pour over pineapple mix and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Raw Blueberry Tarts

My Grandma always made fruit pies all of which were delicious. However, my favorite was always her blueberry pie. It was so sweet, and the beautiful deep purple color of the blueberries made it beautiful to look at as well. With this inspiration, I wanted to make a healthier blueberry dessert that would preserve the nutrients of the blueberries as they are packed full of disease reducing goodness. And here's my healthy version of the famous blueberry pie!

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cup almonds
1 cup dried apricots (if hard, soak for at least one hour)

Filling:
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, for garnish

Directions:

For crust - Place almonds in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Add apricots and blend until mixture forms a smooth dough. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Next press about 1/2 tablespoon of dough onto the bottom only of each liner. Set aside.

For filling - Place all ingredients into a food processor except the blueberries for garnish and blend until smooth. Add more water if necessary. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each cupcake liner and place in fridge for several hours until firm. Alternatively, place in freezer for a frozen treat until firm. Garnish with blueberries and enjoy. Makes about 18 tarts.

Kiwi Sorbet

Kiwi's are an amazing fruit. They are packed with vitamin C and have this amazing bright green color that is very unique. They are also a great meat tenderizer because they contain a protein dissolving enzyme. Because of this enzyme, you won't find them in any dairy based ice creams. Knowing this, but wanting a kiwi flavored ice cream, I came up with a kiwi sorbet instead. It's still creamy without the cream....and oh so yummy!

Ingredients:

10 kiwi
1/2 cup organic raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of stevia or honey to taste

Directions:

Peel and cut the kiwi into small chunks. Next, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for several hours until frozen. Once frozen, take out of the freezer and let soften for 15-20 minutes. Place frozen kiwi, raisins and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add honey or stevia to taste and pulse several times to mix. Serve immediately.

Tomato, Watermelon and Feta Salad

Watermelon and tomatoes are abundantly sweet and yummy this time of year. They naturally pair well with each other for this salad. Along with all this sweetness, feta cheese is added for its salt and tang which rounds out the all the wonder flavors of this salad.

Look for tomatoes in a variety of colors for more of a visual interest.

Ingredients

1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
4 oz feta cheese
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine watermelon and tomatoes in large bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar, and herbs to mixture and toss lightly. Sprinkle with feta and almonds. Season to taste salt and pepper.