• Two large carrots – grated
• Handful of raisins
• 1/2 a tin of pineapple pieces (drained)  or use fresh if available
• Sprinkling of cold pressed olive oil
• Juice of one orange (lemon is fine too if you prefer more tart taste)
• Seasoning to taste – salt and pepper, gomasio or your choice of seasoning
• Combine all ingredients
• Stir through and let stand for at least half an hour – better longer
• Garnish with finely chopped Italian parsley or chopped chives
• Extra delicious with pine nuts added

We make this often and its great with cold meats, or a crusty loaf and green salad and optional  extras can be added  like cashew nuts or  swapping  the pineapple for orange segments or exchanging  the orange juice for pineapple juice.  Use this recipe for a starting point and be experimental and see how many favorites you can come up with.

4 hardboiled eggs (shelled and mashed)

1 & 1/2 Teaspoonsful of curry powder ( 2 if you prefer it hotter)

Salt and pepper to taste

Add mayonnaise or butter until smooth and chopped parsley is an optional extra.

Gluten Free Recipes

This same recipe can be used for a shared lunch.

Hard boil 4 – 6 eggs , cool in cold water ( makes them easier to shell) until cool. Shell and cut in half lengthwise.

Take out the yolks and mash with the above ingredients and place the yolks back in the whites.

Serve on lettuce leaves

Link for Devilled Eggs Recipe

Ria Patels Simple Egg Curry Recipe

Gluten Free Recipes

Home made Hummus with toasted pita bread sprinkled with herbs and cheese and pineapple or cheese and gherkin bites on toothpicks

Today I had two invitations and was invited to take a plate - bring something festive they said ! I had done the obvious, club sandwiches, asparagus rolls, sausage rolls to death and I wanted a new twist and it had to be quick, easy, preferably healthy and look fantastic and delicious.

Go here to find 100 healthy raw snacks and treats

Since one of the occasions was an exercise class I didn’t want to take a plate of something we would all spend the next ten sessions working off and the other was a creative fiber group so it need to at least look artistic.

After a rethink here are some quick ideas for a festive occasion finger food that won’t involve slaving over a hot stove, can be prepared fast and will look great too – just remember its how you present it that makes or breaks it and you can get away with almost anything if it looks amazing.

Tooth pick pix:

Freshly sliced Brie cheese and slices of pear

Cocktail onions and cheese

Chunks of Pineapple and cheddar cheese

Polish garlic sausage and cheese

Apricots spread with cream cheese decorated with an almond

Ham and cheese roll ups secured with a tooth pick

Ham (or bacon if you want to cook !) roll up with a prune inside

Asparagus rolled in ham or any sliced meat

Chunky slices of chicken with sliced mango (or other fruit of your choice)

Creative Platters can go down a treat

Try a selection of various sliced meat, fruit, artichokes, curried eggs

Cheese straws with a dip – tomato dip goes extra well with this or an onion and cheese dip

Corn chips and a dip – a very quick dip is yogurt, sweet chilli sauce and a dash of pepper, or yogurt with chopped gherkins, or avocado with a dash of sweet chilli sauce, or avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper – try some curry in it to give a kick, even non avocado lovers like this one.

Dates, sliced oranges, tropical fruits and some cheese slices

Lettuce “rolls” with a selection of what you have on hand, examples, cottage cheese, brie, sliced meat, artichokes

Go here to find 100 healthy raw snacks and treats

Crostini – you can go mad with a choice of spreads the most basic is olive oil and garlic, to any number of additions, we love smashed up tomato on top of the olive oil and garlic with fresh chopped basil.

Mini pizzas either make these very small individual ones or one large oblong one and cut into bite sized pieces.

Pita bread toasted or grilled with grated parmesan cheese or alternatively slice the pita bread into triangles and spray with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before grilling.

Make your servings bite size and leave a supply of toothpicks to self serve and have some festive paper cocktail serviettes on hand. I like to serve my platters with fresh flowers or herbs and if you arrange them creatively then almost any combination will look mouthwatering.

For more cool ideas go to the Healthy Urban Kitchen

Did you know that most of the food we eat is vegan? You probably never thought of it that way, but plant based foods are everywhere. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, there are plenty of vegan choices out there. Here are a few very easy vegan recipes and snacks to help you choose smart, vegan-friendly food choices for your next meal.

1. Terrific Tofu Stir Fry
Tofu is a great source of soy protein, and you can use it in almost every recipe that calls for meat or eggs. My favorite lunch or dinner meal consists of cubing the firm tofu, fry with vegetable oil and raw soy sauce, and add all the organic veggies of your choice: carrots, eggplant, zucchini, cabbage, bean sprouts, pea pods, and onions. Serve over organically grown rice or brown rice and you have a super healthy, hearty meal to fill up even the hungriest appetite!

2. Cool Cold Cereals
Try a bowl of cheerios, 1 cup soy milk, and a handful of fresh strawberries or raspberries. Craving something sweet? Cocoa beans are organic so why not have a bowl of cocoa puffs or cocoa krispies with 1 cup vanilla soy milk? You can ultimately use any of your favorite cold cereals and fruit here, so use your imagination and go nuts!

3. Awesome Acai Smoothie
How about an awesome fruit smoothie for lunch or a snack? If you can find them, the Acai berry is native to Brazil but one of the super healthy foods we don’t find much of around here. You can also use blueberries if the Acai is not available. Blend together these, fresh or frozen, along with all the other fruit you want (pineapples, mangoes, bananas, strawberries, etc). Add some ice or soy sorbet and blend some more. Top it with some granola and fruit slices for a super cool energy boost! Yum, yum!

4. Cosmic Curried Kale
Everyone should eat more greens in their diet anyway, so this recipe is vegan-friendly and also all raw for those super health food fanatics like my good friend Jill from Minnesota! She calls it Cosmic Curried Kale. She de-stems and washes the curly kale, puts it in a bowl with a shredded carrot, then blends together 1 part Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce), 1 part lemon juice, 1 part olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, and adds cumin and coriander for the dressing. Super simple and totally organic!

5. Cookoo for Cocoa Pudding
We all love chocolate, and the classic chocolate pudding is no exception. Even vegans can enjoy this well known dessert. Mix 2 cups soy milk with 3 tablespoons organic cocoa, 5 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Cook it over medium heat until it becomes thick. Pour it into serving dishes and chill in the fridge! Now that’s super easy and should satisfy any chocolate lover’s cravings!