I really enjoyed last night teaching my students how to eat healing foods that taste delicious and look amazing. It was a fun night with some amazing ladies. We learned so much about foods you can eat to prevent cancer and foods that help detox your liver. The menu for the evening:

Organic Goat cheese and Sage stuffed chicken, Stuffed Red Roasted Peppers with Moroccan Quinoa, RAW kale, apple and carrot salad, Goat cheese purses and for dessert Asian Ginger Spiced Poached Pears in butter phyllo dough cups drizzled with a balsamic caramel sauce. For our cocktail we had a RAWtini Lemonade Mango with cucumber and ginger shots. Yum O !

Hope you enjoy these recipes.

Poached Pears:

10 pears, peeled with
stems attached(Bosch Pears)

2 cups organic can sugar

1/2 cup of organic honey

3 cups red wine

3 cups water

1 thumb of ginger ( skin on)

2 star anise

2 tbsp of each spice powder ginger, powder cinnamon, powder cardmom, powder indian nutmeg

1 tsp of cumin

zest from 1/2 orange and 1/2 lemon (optional)

2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan on medium heat, mix sugar, red wine,honey, water, spices, the ginger piece and zests of orange and lemon. Let come to a boil and add pears to saucepan and turn the heat down and simmer on a med/low heat for about 35 minutes or until pears are heated through but not mushy. They should have a little firmness but you should be able to easily stick a knife in them.

While the pears are cooking prepare

Phyllo dough cups.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1 cup of melted butter

a pastry brush or newly bought paintbrush

12 sheets of phyllo dough each cup needs to be 4 sheets thick you should get about 4 medium circles out of each set of sheets. You need 10 circles.

Layer the phyllo sheets on top of each other brushing butter on the first phyllo dough and on the last sheet. Using the cookie cutter, cut out 10 med circles and press them into the large muffin tin, make sure to have the dough go up side the muffin tin. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Balsamic Reduction:

1 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 of Organic Cane Sugar

Add ingredients to a saucepan on med/hi heat and let cook for about 10 -15 minutes until you have less than half

of the liquid remaining and it has become thick. Cooking time may vary based on your stove.

Prepare the Garnish for the Pears

TIP: make your sauces for the pears about 20 – 25 minutes into cooking the pears so you do not have to rewarm your sauces.

Ginger and Cardmom Sugar ( sprinkle over the pears, optional)

2 tbsp of ginger

1 tbsp of cardmom

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper ( optional) but so worth trying it

3 tbsp of organic can sugar

Simply mix all the ingredients, makes a great little touch to the pears.

Caramel Sauce:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a medium brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring
occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Make sure to keep an eye on it, it will burn quickly. When adding cream be careful to stand back to avoid splattering, and gradually add the cream and vanilla extract. Simmer until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes.

Here is the magic! The balsamic reduction should have cooled and looks nice and thick. This is the time to add the balsamic reduction and the caramel together. Add the sauce to the cups and once the pears are done add the pears to the sauced cups and drizzle sauce over the pears and sprinkle the ginger,cayenne and cardmom sugar over top the pears.

Delicious!!

Now to the really healthy stuff!!

RAW Kale Apple and Carrot Salad with citrus dressing

2 bundles of kale chopping finely

4 finely chopped med carrots (diced)

3 organic apples

3 organic med oranges

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup of organic olive oil

2 tbsp of organic honey

1/2 tbsp of cumin

1/2 tsp cardmom

1/2 tbsp of smoked paprika

Mix the spices and liquid ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl. Add finely chopped kale, apples and carrots. Toss the salad and add sea salt and pepper to taste. I like to also at the end drizzle little more olive oil.

Remember to Set the table with love!