Kick @$$ Summer Salad - Pulled Pork, Purple Sweet Potato , Avocado and Feta cheese

Excuse my language but it needed to be said, when i made this I said exactly that, wow this salad is kick ass! So tasty! The other day I made my first batch of pulled pork in my crock pot, Ill definitely be making more, it was so good and I was able to use it in so many different dished throughout the week :)
As a little side note if you ever get the chance ( they can be hard to find but often Asian import stores or Fairway market carry Japanese Purple sweet potato/Yam) They actually are the best potato type carb you can eat, packed full of nutrients , low on the GI scale and so tasty - and who wouldn't want to add some purple to their mean ;)

RAW Pear Ginger Cheese Cake

All right everyone!!! HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE :) yaeeeee! I'm so happy summer is finally here! Today was a beautiful day and what not better a way to ring in the new season with a summer inspired Raw cheese cake! This one turned out fantastic, I love pears and ginger, the pairing is lovely, Hope you all enjoy!

Pork tenderloin With Oregano And Roasted Red Pepper, Paired With A Strawberry Spinach Balsamic Salad

One more day until summer is upon us! This summer inspired meal was so fresh and delicious! Strawberries and balsamic go so well together , it is a strange combo but thats the beauty in it!

Paleo Bread

Well now, this may be the first time I have had bread in ages! It turned out quite nicely actually but still not quite the same as your typical flour bread. It was so good fresh warm out of the oven with some butter and 100% fruit Mango Apricot Jam that I bought from the farmers market :) I found this recipie in my new Primal Cravings cook book, I thought it was worth sharing for those of you who miss your bread, I hope this substitution helps!

Italian Zucchini Noodle Prawn Pasta

Nothing like fresh herbs, a little olive oil and some cheese :) This simple Zucchini noodle pasta can be whipped up in no time and taste amazing! Feel free to mix up the ingredients!

Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Ice Cream

Strangely enough when I was young I hated rhubarb , now I ask myself what was wrong with me!? It is true that all our taste buds change as we age but a lot of times it is more like giving something a second chance before you decide haha. I now love the taste of strawberries and rhubarb together, the perfect melody of sweet and tangy. In this recipe I decided to add a hint of ginger to the taste which worked out wonderfully! This is also the first time I have made traditional dairy ice cream . Usually I make dairy free or raw ice creams, but I think the pairing of the rhubarb and strawberries with the creaminess was fantastic. Summer is almost here, this is a refreshing sweet yet tangy way to enjoy the sun out side :)

Rhubarb stalks ready to be made into delicious sauce :D

Having the first taste!

Spring perfection in a bowl :)

Cooking With Herbs! So Many Benefits!

Spring is here! Since recently moving to a new city I wanted to make my own little herb garden. back home we had a huge garden and plenty of herbs. These little boxes are transferable , so they can be moved easily :) Herbs are a wonderful gift from mother nature! They can enhance our food in so many ways, and also have many health benefits! Showing off my new herb garden here I have ... Flat leaf parsley, lemon thyme, Cilantro, Chives, Pineapple mint, lemon oregano , traditional oregano, and rose marry. In the two pots in front of the long planters I have a thai chilli pepper plant ( cant wait for it to start producing chillies :D) and next to it a basil plant ( I am going to transplant it into a bigger pot so I can enjoy more basil :p

Here is a link to more information on the benefits of herbs and cooking with them!

http://everynutrient.com/herbsandspices.html
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com/benefits-of-culinary-herbs-and-spices/

Costarican Fried Plantains With Guacamole And Nectarine Salsa

Something I fell in love with in Costa Rica ( other than the coffee :p) was the plantains! I have never had them like this before, they are do delicious and packed with nutrients! I once had them before but they were cooked when the plantain was still under ripe. They work a lot different than a banana surprisingly haha. yellow = not ripe , Black = ripe! hahah You can cook them before they start to blacken of course but I find it has a chalky and mild taste. When they are ripe they make an amazing aroma and caramelise naturally in the pan. Hope you enjoy this simple yet delicious meal!

Matcha Tea

Yes I admit, I have a strange addiction to the amazing taste of matcha tea, but for good reason! The health benefits are fantastic! check out the link below for more information on all the health benefits of matcha and why it would be a great addition to your daily liquid intake :) As a side note make sure to try and buy "Organic shade grown matcha" of the highest quality. There is a lot of matcha teas out there claiming to be the real deal but has nothing on the organic shade grown . The taste can be a little strange for some, others will love it right off the bat! If you find it a little to bitter for yourself try adding a few drops of stevia , that will be sure to sweeten you up ;) Matcha is also a great boost of energy n your water bottle, I often put a TSP in my water (shaking it each time before I drink to mix up anything that has settled). Hope you find this information useful in the link below, sit back, relax and enjoy a cup of green delight ~

http://www.matchasource.com/matcha-tea-health-benefits-s/14.htm

Raw Chocolate Banana Caramel Tiramisu Bars

Since I have come back from Costa Rica I have been hooked on their amazing coffee!! I find my self a little disappointed every time I go out for a coffee with a friend here in Canada now haha ( Although Im sure you can get good costa rican coffee here I just have not found it yet). This recipe was inspired by a recipe over at http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.ca . Her blog is amazing! I HIGHLY recommend you to take a look and be inspired yourself if you have not already :) Don't forget there are lots of substitutions you can make for any recipe if you cant find something or don't have it on hand. Don't be afraid to give it a shot, 9 times out of 10 it will taste awesome if its made with real whole food ingredients ;)

The centre layer of the desert before adding the tiramisu topping :)

The finished product, YUM!