Recipe of the Week: Lemon-Mint Water

It's always important to drink plenty of water and particularly so in warmer weather.

The following simple recipe (from Heather Flournoy, Deli Manager at Organic Connection) creates an even more refreshing drink:

Place two stems of fresh peppermint or spearmint, or applemint into a half gallon glass pitcher, fill with filtered water or spring water, add 4 slices of lemon. Place in refrigerator, covered for one to two hours before serving.

Banana Nut Ice Cream

By Tara Schapers, Bulk Department Manager, Organic Connection

1-2 ripe bananas
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2 tbsp. raw tahini
vanilla

Cut bananas into bite size pieces and freeze over night.

Place frozen banana pieces, pine nuts, tahini, and vanilla in heavy duty blender. (VitaMix recommended).

Carob Sauce Topping: In blender, place half cup of water, two tbsp. raw tahini and blend together. Add 2 tbsp. honey, blending one tbsp. at a time. Add half cup of carob, blending gradually. Add half tsp. of vanilla. Enjoy!

Heather's Gluten-Free Banana-Carrot Breakfast Bread

By Heather Flournoy, Deli Manager, Organic Connection.

Flour mixture
1 1/2 cups sunflower seed flour
1/2 cup pepita flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp clove

Liquid mixture (blend)
1-2 ripe bananas
1-2 eggs
1/2 cup water

Veggie mixture
2 grated carrots
1 small grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
handful of raisins
1/2 cup sunflower or safflower oil

You can grind your own sunflower and pepita flour in a coffee grinder.

Gently mix flour mixture with liquid mixture to make fairly thick batter then gently fold in veggie mixture.

Oil pans and bake on 350 degrees until it is solid (usually about 45 minutes). "Bread" may be very moist.

Kale Avocado Salad

Recipe by Chad Sarno, www.RawChef.org (submitted by Lisa Weinstein, North Salem, NY)

1 head kale, shredded
1 c tomato diced
1 c avocado chopped
2.5 T olive oil
1.5 T lemon juice
1 t celtic sea salt
1/2t cayene (we only use a dash)

• Toss all together, squeezing as you mix to 'wilt' the kale and cream the avocado. (Wilting makes the kale easier to digest as well as making it tastier). Serve immediately. Add chopped herbs for variety.

Oven "Roasted" Fennel

• Wash fennel and slice lengthwise into quarters or halves.
• Brush with olive oil, place on shallow baking dish and bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven 30-45 minutes till desired softness.
• Serve with freshly ground black pepper.

Coconut Curry Chicken

(Submitted by Caraleigh Wilson, Newtown, CT)

1+ pound organic chicken cut into bite sizes
1 can organic coconut milk
1/3 cup organic raisins
1/3 cup impressive organic curry cashews, chopped
1 cup organic brocolli florettes
3 tbsp curry powder or paste

• Saute chicken in a skillet with 1 tsp olive oil until almost done. Combine and add all other ingredients to skillet. Simmer for additional 4-5 minutes. Serve with rice if desired.

Sunflower Almond Cereal

(Submitted by Tara Schapers, Organic Connection Manager - Bulk Department)

All ingredients can be found at Organic Connection!

one half cup almonds, soaked 8-12 hrs.
quarter cup sunflower seeds, soaked 8-12 hrs
four tbsp. raisins, soaked 8-12 hours
(reserve soak water)
Almonds and sunflower seeds will double in size
and the fats and proteins will be converted
into a simpler and more digestible form.

● In a blender (VitaMix recommended), combine the almonds and sunflower seeds, and enough soak water from raisins, to allow the blender to operate smoothly.

● Add raisins and blend 10-15 additional seconds.

● Try adding fresh seasonal fruit and enjoy!