Vegan collagen + recipe! / Colágeno vegano + receta!

Let’s talk collagen, shall we? As you may already know, most collagen products have animal byproducts as their ingredients and involve unnatural production processes. Two years ago, I found ORGONO ® Living Silica ™ and have been taking it every day since!

Click here to read the first article I wrote about Orgono’s Living Silica when I first started taking it two years ago!

In summary, this is a natural and vegan substitute for those not-so-natural collagen products we see in the market. This Silica hydrates, nurtures and boosts the collagen we already have in our bodies and increases its production by 19% which benefits hair, skin and nails, according to their research. It also removes toxins, aids digestion, acts as an anti-inflammatory, helps strengthen bones, gets rid off acne and many more health benefits that will leave you in awe. All while helping us in an ayurvedic way! I was able to start seeing positive results within the second week of taking it. Mainly in my nails. They got stronger and grew faster than normal!

How do I take this? Simple. With a spoon (1 tablespoon), a sip straight from the bottle, or I add it in my daily smoothies! Don’t worry. The taste is not bad at all. It kind of tastes like water with lemon juice or aloe.

Below is an easy-to-make and delicious superfood smoothie bowl recipe with this supplement, in case you want to make it at home!

If you are ready to give this natural supplement a try, head to their website and use code “waterthruskin” for 15% off.

Ingredients (in blender):

-Dragonfruit or acai

-1 banana

-1/4 cup oat milk

-1 teaspoon maca

-1 teaspoon moringa

-1 tablespoon Living Silica

-1 tablespoon agave

Toppings: strawberries, blackberries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, oats, black cumin seeds, pumpkin seeds, banana, peanut butter, cacao nibs

Super simple to make! Just blend all the ingredients (except for toppings). The milk is up to you. I usually start with ¼ cup and check consistency every few seconds to see if I need to add more milk to the blender. You are aiming for frozen ice cream not liquid smoothie.

Once you have the right consistency, pour into a bowl, add your toppings and enjoy!

(Sponsored by Orgono)

 _______________________________________________________

Hablemos del colágeno. Como ya sabrán, la mayoría de los productos de colágeno tienen subproductos animales como ingredientes e involucran procesos de producción no naturales. ¡Hace dos años, encontré ORGONO ® Living Silica ™ y lo he estado tomando todos los días desde entonces!

¡Hagan clic aquí para leer el primer artículo que escribí sobre Orgono Living Silica cuando comencé a tomarla hace dos años!

En resumen, este es un sustituto natural y vegano para esos productos de colágeno no tan naturales que vemos en el mercado. Esta sílica hidrata y nutre el colágeno que ya tenemos en nuestros cuerpos y aumenta su producción por un 19%, lo que beneficia el cabello, la piel y las uñas, según investigaciones. También elimina toxinas, ayuda a la digestión, actúa como un antiinflamatorio, ayuda a fortalecer los huesos, elimina el acné y muchos más beneficios para la salud. ¡Todo mientras nos ayuda de manera ayurvédica! Pude comenzar a ver resultados positivos después de la segunda semana de tomarlo. Principalmente en mis uñas. ¡Se hicieron más fuertes y crecieron más rápido de lo normal!

¿Cómo tomo esto? Sencillo. Con una cuchara (1 cucharada), un sorbo directamente de la botella, o lo agrego en mis batidos diarios! No se preocupen, el sabor no es feo. Tiene sabor a agua con jugo de limón o aloe.

Aquí les comparto una receta de un bowl de superalimentos con este suplemento, en caso de que quieran hacerlo en casa.

Si están listas/os para probar este suplemento natural, vayan al sitio web y usen el código “waterthruskin” para un 15% de descuento.

Ingredientes (en la licuadora):

-pitayao acai

-1 plátano

-1/4 taza de leche de avena

-1 cucharilla de maca

-1 cucharilla de moringa

-1 cucharilla de Orgono

-1 cucharilla de agave

Toppings: fresas, moras, semillas de cáñamo, semillas de chía, avena, semillas de comino negro, semillas de calabaza, plátano, mantequilla de maní, semillas de cacao

Súper simple de hacer! Simplemente mezclen todos los ingredientes (excepto los toppings) en la licuadora. La cantidad de leche depende de ti. Generalmente comienzo con ¼ de taza y verifico la consistencia para ver si necesito agregar más leche a la licuadora. Buscan una textura de helado congelado, no batido líquido.

Una vez que tenga la consistencia correcta, vierta en un tazón, agrega tus toppings y disfruta!

waterthruskin



Morning, and everyday, natural rituals!

Have you guys ever taken 5 minutes of your busy schedule to sit down and analyze what you are doing to your body? How you're nurturing it? How you're feeding your cells? Or even how you're slowly poisoning them? As you guys might've seen on snapchat, I attended a documentary screening at Dr Smood in Miami last night. This was yet another reminder of the importance of a natural, organic and at least 51% raw diet in our lives. And above all, about performing our research. Food can seriously be our medicine or slowest form of suicide! And this applies to a vegan or vegetarian diet as well! I know a lot of people who went vegan and thought they could survive just on eating pasta and bread and processed vegan junk food (yes, we have that too!) but later found themselves borderline heart-attack in their late 20s and 30s. Going vegetarian and later vegan was a decision I made years ago based on my values and compassion but has now transformed into the best decision I could've made for my health. I've stopped consuming toxic pills and have even been able to balance my Thyroid disease with my diet choices and overloads of superfoods. I honestly can't remember when was the last time I had a headache or took a pill for it! Superfoods like Turmeric, hemp oil, diatomaceous earth, Moringa and many others have become rulers of my kingdom now. BUT, I wouldn't have been able to achieve any of this if I hadn't read as many books as I could and watched as many documentaries out there on how to eat healthy and feed my body with the right nutrients, vitamins and protein from plants! I also changed my entire lifestyle. From the products I put on my skin, to the clothes I use and brands I choose to support. Everything is connected guys! It's a way of living! A conscious way of living! And, to make it easier for you, I've added a search box on the blog at the bottom of the home page where if you type "documentaries" or "natural beauty" or whatever it is your looking for, you'll find articles I've written with helpful tips and summaries on how to live your best life! Are you ready to make the change? The most amazing part about life is that everyday is our new change to start living better, wiser and healthier, and we've been blessed with bodies that have the power of gettting rid of all our toxins if we provide them with the right nutrition. 

Below is a link to a few of the stories I've written about the powerful documentaries that changed my life. One I wish to add to that list is "FoodMatters". It will open your eyes to the magical and miraculous wonders of food as your medicine! From curing cancer and depression to living a longer and happier life. xx

Documentaries: http://www.waterthruskin.com/blog/2015/10/22/must-see-movies-that-will-change-your-life?rq=documentaries

Natural Beauty Tips: http://www.waterthruskin.com/blog/2016/3/23/natural-organic-beauty-rituals?rq=natural%20beauty

Superfoods: http://www.waterthruskin.com/blog/2016/1/25/yummy-vegan-superfood-smoothie-tutorial?rq=superfood

 

Giving Matcha a try!

You guys might have already seen on Instagram and Snapchat how obsessed I am with coffee. I've been drinking it since I was 16, intensified my dosage when I was in the corporate world, and now I'm trying to get rid of it. Fully! Coffee may smell deliciously and give us the energy boost we need every morning but that does not mean it is healthy for us. Therefore, I've decided to try new things and, while performing my research online, I found the wonders of matcha tea and a company that is taking it to the next level: Matchaful

Matcha has 137x the antioxidants of green tea. That's more antioxidants than the levels found in blueberries, pomegranate and dark chocolate! Did you guys know that?! This means that drinking matcha helps our bodies shield themselves from cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol and even aging! As if this were not enough, a daily cup of matcha also provides us with focused and sustained energy throughout the day due to the amino acids found in it. 

Now, the company that is reshaping the matcha industry is Matchaful. It is not only making high-quality organic matcha accessible to consumers, but it is also working directly with tea farmers in Japan to assure transparency and donating 1% of the sales to non-profits that help preserve the health of our planet and future generations. How incredible is that?!

Here's a recipe I made today with Matchaful and my favorite vegan protein, Vega. You can add a teaspoon of matcha to hot water and drink it as tea, or add it to your favorite smoothie bowl or shake. I chose smoothie bowl! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Ingredients:

-1 banana

-1 pack Vanilla Chai VEGA

-1 tsp Matchaful

-1 tsp Diatomaceous Earth

-1 tsp Moringa

-1/2 cup of Almond milk

All in blender, serve and top with your favorite superfoods and fruits. I chose: straweberies, bananas, blackberries, granola, cacao nibs, toasted coconut, hemp seeds and agave. 

Superfood Smoothie Bowl + Coco Cream Recipe!!

Happy Friday, babes!

I've been getting a lot of questions from you guys lately about my everyday breakfast options so I decided to show you what I prepare almost every morning. And I mean literally show you with this step by step video :) Plant-based, organic, fair-trade, easy to make and delicious smoothie bowl with coconut cream and superfoods on top. 

I felt really inspired after I received a call from my doctor yesterday with my annual lab results. Everything is balanced, healthy and normal!! Even my Thyroid hormones!! I’ve had Thyroid disease since I was 7 and had to take pills for over 20 years until a year ago when I decided to switch those toxic pills for natural remedies such as hemp oil! Even my doctor was surprised with my results. The secret? A healthy and delicious plant-based diet!! I first went vegetarian 5 years ago and then vegan over 2 years ago. Best decision I’ve ever made. For our planet and my health!

I hope you guys like this video!

For more recipes, click here

xx

Go Vegan for Earth Day?...Tips, Videos and More.

Earth Day is coming up and our planet is probably one of the main reasons why most of us go vegan. Some do it for the animals, others to reduce soil and water depletion, others to help stop climate change, and then there are others who also do it for health issues. Whatever the reason behind it, there’s honestly no excuse not to go vegan or at least try it for 21 days and see how it feels. (I recommend 21 because, as research says, that’s the number of days it takes for something to become a habit/routine).  For me, it was mother earth: Animals and nature. I’ve been a big fan of them since I was little. Saving cats, mice, lizards, frogs and whatever other lonely earthlings I found in my way. I also remember talking to trees when I was little, specially the Weeping Willow trees. I somehow felt protected by their size and the way their leafs hung all the way from top to bottom as if they were trying to cover whomever sat next to their trunk from the world. So of course, going vegan was a no-brainer the minute a friend of mine sent me the link to Paul McCartney’s PETA documentary revealing the cruelty behind the meat industry. I have to be honest though. Back then it was not as easy and simple as it today. , Today, the vegan industry has grown so big worldwide, we have hundreds of healthy alternatives to animal products compared to 5 years ago! Today, the US alone has 13million vegans and 25million vegetarians and growing! Can you believe that? Those numbers put a huge smile on my face. Seriously!

With that being said, I want to challenge you guys a little (or maybe a lot. Depends on how you see it! :p) Yes, I want you to go vegan! For Earth Day, April 22. If you don’t want to do the full 21 days, try it for 3 days or even 1 day! Every action counts and each person who switches to a vegan diet can save 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent per day, and dozens of animals’ lives. Incredible, right? How the power to help heal our world and solve every human-inflicted issue is in the palm of our hands? Think about it, babes!

For more info about how a vegan diet impacts our planet as a whole, please watch “Cowspiracy”. Another documentary that gave me a different perspective of life.  

PS: I leave you guys with this yummy 100% vegan, healthy and organic smoothie bowl recipe. Besides the regular ingredients I use on my morning smoothies, this time I also used Pure Potions superfood box. Inside of it came the prettiest glass jars and tiny bottles (Beauty, Longevity & Brilliance) with different superfood powders, dates, coconut oil and hemp seeds. Talk about happiness in a box! I put a little of each and Voilá! Vitamin, vegan protein, minerals, omegas, antioxidants and everything I need to become the best and purest version of myself all in one smoothie bowl serving. <3

Plant-based lifestyle taking over Miami!!!

Here are some fun planet-loving events and news worth sharing today!

1) Matthew Kenney's restaurant "Plant Food & Wine" is opening its doors in Miami Monday, February 29th! Yes, babes!! Remember the vegan cuisine school I attended last November in LA? Well, that's my friend Matthew's! Not only did his school teach me how to prepare the most delicious raw vegan dishes in the world (not joking!) but it also taught me that food and art have a direct connection. Literally! His creations will blow you away! They are all about the taste, colors, edible flowers and surprise elements.

Plant Food & Wine is having a special dinner for the SOBE Food and Wine Festival this Saturday, February 27, from 7-10 pm at their location: 105 NE 25th Street, Miami, FL. Click here to get your tickets. 

Click here to learn about my experience at MK Culinary. 

2) Artichoke Vegan Catering is changing the way busy professionals eat. Seriously!! Yesterday I received a box with 1-day full of meals. From chicken-less curry to meatless potato pie to mushroom soup and squash-carrot soup. Everything packed in mason jars and biodegradable boxes. The presentation was on point and the food was delicious. Better than anything I tasted while I was in banking working the 9-5 (more like 8-9) and ordering from the nearest restaurant with vegan options. Not to mention that Artichoke is 100% organic and free of pesticides, additives, and hormones. AND....their prices are not bad either! A no brainer, guys! This is your opportunity to get healthy, organic, vegan food without stressing about food options while you are at work. Click here to contact them. 

 

3) The WTS Cooking & Yoga workshop is taking place this weekend!!! I'm excited beyond words! There's still time to sign up for Saturday and Sunday classes (Miami & Online). Can't wait to give you guys a super strong hug (in person or via the camera). xx 

Yummy Vegan Superfood Smoothie Tutorial

Ok guy so here’s the story. After all the emails I’ve received with questions about my vegan diet and exercise routine (yoga), I’ve decided to start posting video tutorials about both on the blog. Something you might not know about me is that it wasn’t until 5 years ago that I began eating healthier, following a vegetarian and later vegan diet, and dedicating myself fully to learning yoga and meditation. You see, during my teenage years I went through what 30 million of girls, boys, women and men are going through in the US today: eating disorders. Or what I like to call billboard and media brainwash syndrome. At age 16 I moved to Germany for 6 months as an exchange student and, due to the change in my diet, I gained 20 lbs. Those 20lbs came with insecurity, anxiety, depression and lots of other mental issues I lived with for over 6 years. I remember staring at the models on billboards and on the pages of magazines for hours questioning why on earth I couldn’t be like them. That’s when bulimia knocked my door. I don’t even remember how it started. I just remember thinking that was my way out of the 20lbs. I would weight myself at least 3 times a day after eating meals, exercising, or else…. A year after bulimia took over, my family found out and took me to a psychologist. They were all so worried for my life. The psychologist helped and I was able to calm my anxiety but then I went to college and found myself alone. That’s when anorexia decided to rule my kingdom. I would eat an apple and a tiny salad with a can of tuna per day from Monday to Friday and then stuff my face with all the junk food I could find on Saturdays and Sundays. I had no clue of what I was doing to my body, soul and mind. A slow form of suicide. I dealt with bulimia and anorexia until I turned 22 and found yoga. It helped me quiet my mind and find a balanced connection with my soul. At age 23 I decided to become vegetarian because of my love towards animals, and for the first time in years I stuck to something GOOD. Something pure. Something healthy. It was through yoga and a vegetarian (and later vegan) diet that I learned to calm my cravings, quiet those insecure thoughts, eat food that actually nourishes my body (lots of it!), feel good after eating, and even learned to understand and love my body. Every inch of it. I’m not perfect. I don’t have the curves of a VS model but I am me. This body is mine. My temple. My treasure and I only have one of those. One body. One life. The last time I weighted myself(besides annual doctor visits) was exactly 6 years ago when I promised myself I would never have a scale at home again….and I never did. This is one of the reasons why I believe so powerfully in the wonders of a yogi, plantbased and  balanced lifestyle guys. You might be wondering how I dare to share this phase of my life with you…total strangers. Let’s just say I also promised myself I would use the blog, my social media and my story for a greater purpose this year and every year after. Use it for something kind and life-changing…for those reading this and going through something similar (There’s always a way out, loves. Always!), and for me as well. Life should be about inspiring and being inspired, babes. Every day!

With that being said, here’s the first video tutorial of one of the things I drink every morning for breakfast (combined with Ezekiel toasts or an oatmeal or something similar) or have as an afternoon snack. Yummy, kind, vegan and filling protein smoothie FULL of superfoods. :)

Quote of the day: “Food can be your medicine or your slowest form of poison.”

What you'll need the following organic ingredients:

-Maca

-Camu Camu

-Hemp Oil

-Diatomaceous Earth

-VEGA protein (Vanilla)

-Plantbased milk (Almond, Soy, Coconut or Cashew Milk)

-Frozen Berry Mix

-Frozen Mango Mix

-Banana

-Raw Agave Honey

-Toasted Coconut Chips

Graduated as a Raw Vegan Chef!!

I owed you guys this post! …My last week at Matthew Kenney Culinary in Venice, California. It took me so long to write it because that week I was honestly focused on studying for the written final and on preparing a 3-course raw vegan menu for the second part of the final!! My mind was solely thinking about that menu but turns out I did great! I aced both finals but more importantly, I had the BEST time of my life! Besides learning how to make eye-seductive and delicious recipes that are kind to our planet and humanity, I also got to meet the most incredible and inspiring souls during those 4 weeks. So, if you’re planning on taking this course, be prepared to have a blast creating healthy food-art while laughing at every joke your classmates or the Chefs throw at you. And, to make my last week even more memorable, Nov 19th not only marked Finals day but also my 28th birthday!!! Yeap! It’s that time of the year again. J Right after we finished presenting our dishes to the Chefs and our loved ones (you get to take your friends and family with you), I got surprised with a delicious Chlorella cake topped with chocolate and ice cream. All vegan, organic and made at the MK’s restaurant! No words to describe how good it was. All I can say is, some of us almost licked the plate clean!!

OK, now back to MCK. These are the recipes we made and the menu I prepared for my final. Each of us needed to write a 3-course menu but only execute and present 2 of those dishes. I made a spinach-carrot cream with avocados topped with a truffle oil foam and smoked paprika for the appetizer, and raw vegan Arroz con Leche topped with white chocolate for dessert. Thoughts? <3

PS: I'm officially a Raw Vegan Chef! How about that for my 28th birthday?!!

PS2: Don’t forget you guys can still sign up for MKC’s classes in LA, Miami, Thailand, Maine or even online! They have one every month! Use code “waterthruskin” for a 15% discount. Email admissions@matthewkenneycuisine.com

Raw vegan food....Is it the third week already?!

Wow guys. This Matthew Kenney Cuisine course is slowly coming to an end with a bittersweet taste. On one hand, I'm truly excited to graduate but on the other hand I'm not ready to let go of the amazing people I've met, our Chefs, or the kitchen where we made colorful magic happen. I'm honestly already meditating about taking Level 2 next year. How about you? Any of you interested in learning more about the healing power of raw vegan food or the infinite recipes that will change the way you view food? If so, I have some great news for you!!! If you reserve your spot for December or next year before the end of 2015, you can get 15% off your tuition with the code "WaterThruSkin". Just email admissions@matthewkenneycuisine.com with your information, the course you would like to take, and the discount code. You can take it at any of their locations (Miami, LA, Maine, Thailand!). Like Christmas in November! ;)

Now, back to cuisine this week we learned how to make raw vegan cheeses, water kefir, buckwheat granola, raw vegan chocolate, coconut yogurt, tiramisu, zucchini tartare and other yummy recipes! Let's start with the vegan cheeses. Who knew they could taste so good! We also learned how to create our own flavors by adding or replacing some ingredients from MKC's original cheese recipe. I made a shiitake & black pepper cheese and then a "brie" cheese topped with a raspberry & basil sauce. (If you decide to take the course, this is one of your exams. Cheese plating!)

Buckwheat granola. Even though this might sound common and simple, this granola is very different, starting with the buckwheat ingredient instead of oatmeal. Buckwheat has more protein and nutrients than oats. We also learned how to make coconut yogurt from scratch and I layered it with the granola, some raspberries, bananas, pomegranate and agave.

And one of my favorites: Zucchini Avocado Tartare. I don't know what it is about this recipe...maybe it's the colors and flavors, or the avocado or the fact that it's so easy to make, but I could honestly eat this every day! Avocado, Zucchini, lemon juice, olive oil and flowers. Simple yet refreshingly delicious!

Last but not least, we also visited the Farmers Market in Santa Monica as a class to get any extra ingredients we wanted for our cheese plate exam. The Farmers Market is a few blocks long and absolutely wonderful!! You'll get to see and taste exotic veggies, fruits and herbs you might have never seen or heard of before like Buddha's fingers or the light pink raspberries (combination of the orange and red ones). How about that!? <3

Stay tuned for the next post on Monday (and the final one since graduation is this Friday!!) about MKC.

To read about my Week 1 and 2 at MKC, click here.

To see some recipes, click here. I'll also be sharing some more in the next few days. xoxo

 

Second week of yummy green knowledge!

Last Friday marked the end of our second week at Matthew Kenney Culinary. We still have two more to go and the best recipes are yet to be covered: Raw vegan cheeses and chocolate!!! How about that?! For every soul outthere who uses "addiction to cheese and chocolate" as a reason not to go vegan, that excuse has reached its expiration date my friends. NO VALIDA anymore! Honestly guys... possibilities are endless! We can pretty much make any non-vegan recipe vegan and even raw vegan.

A few things you should know about MKC's Raw Vegan Cuisine courses:

-You don't have to be a raw vegan or vegan (there's probably only two or three vegan students out of the 12 of us in class), a food expert, or a Chef (I've never taken a cooking class in my life!) to take this course. You just have to have the right attitude and be serious about it since you'll be surrounded by people who are actually looking to become Chefs. You are expected to wear your Chef uniform at all times, have your hair tied up and nails clean (no polish), do dishes, clean your station and be present in class every day from 8-2. Yes! You are a student again and expected to show respect towards your teachers and classmates, and take exams almost every Friday. I know I know... I freaked out too but the minute we started going over the recipes and the MKC methodology I immediately knew I had made the right choice. 

Let's start with the MKC methodology: 

-A raw vegan cuisine course (no animal bi-products are used and no ingredient is heated over 115F to preserve enzymes and nutrients)

-Any leftovers of ingredients or recipes you don't want to take home go directly into the compost bin, which is later given to the school across the street to be used for their soil. 

-MKC works only with local farmers

-EVERYTHING is made from scratch (nothing processed, chemical or toxic)

-Colors are everything & you can create masterpieces on your plate (my favorite part!)

-Their restaurant "Plant Food & Wine" (below the MKC "lab" on Abbot Kinney) grows its own herbs and flowers.

And I could go on for hours but let's just leave it at Matthew Kenney Culinary had me at hello! 

Something else I've practiced a lot throughout the past two weeks is meditation/patience, discipline and "ahimsa". Three things I was not expecting to encounter while cooking. The whole discipline concept starts with me getting up every day around 5.30/6am. I haven't done that since I left the corporate world almost 8 months ago! To be honest, a part of me is loving it! I get to enjoy my morning coffee in LA's cold sunrise temperatures, walk Coco around Venice, practice yoga, make myself a Vanilla Chai vegan protein shake, and then head out to class, which is only an 8-minute walk from where I'm staying. Now, meditation and patience...two tricky words that are inseperable. I had my first encounter with patience the day we were told we would have to practice our knife skills (and exact cut measurements) on veggies and fruits for 60 minutes. Right there I knew it! Patience would be key. And the beautiful part about patience is that, once you've accepted and befriended it, meditation follows and takes over your body out of the blue. Specially in cuisine where you NEED to be fully present while cutting, cooking and plating. If you are not there- patiently- and you don't connect with the veggies, fruits, colors, and scents not only will you be missing an incredible experience but you won't be able achieve the results you are looking for. 

And lastly, "ahimsa". As most of you yogis might know, "ahimsa" means non-harm in Sanskrit. And believe it or not, is the name I've given my knife. I've realized that if I treat my knife  (above all its blade) with proper care, respect and love, it will show the same respect, love and care towards me. As crazy and funny as it may sound, I haven't cut myself a single time throughout the past two weeks. Let's hope this love affair grows strong! 

Now that I've covered all those points, here are some of the recipes I learned last week. :) 

xoxo

ps: To read more about Week 1 at MKC or to find out more about their courses, click here.


The Art of Raw Vegan Food

Hello from LA!!

As you guys might've already seen on my Instagram, I've relocated to LA to take my love towards animals and our earth to the next level by taking Matthew Kenney's Culinary 4-week raw vegan course. Week 1 is over and this has honestly been an eyeopening and wonderful experience already! Not only because I'm learning the powerful basics of a raw plant-based diet and the healing power of foods but also because throughout the past week I've discovered a side of me I didn't know existed. A creative side. After spending 5 years working in the Private Banking industry and 4 years studying International Business in college, I was taught to see (and was used to seeing) life in numbers. Everything was either black or white, even when it came to cooking. Until now! It's been only 7 days and I have learned to get out of my comfort zone and dare to play with ingredients and colors fearlessly. I've also discovered that plating is a big factor when it comes to serving food. Even if you're cooking and serving it for yourself. Believe it or not, besides food being our medicine (or slowest form of poison), the way we serve it can very much brighten up our day or sadden it. Since day 1 at MKC, we've learned to combine colorful raw ingredients like beets, carrots, cabbage, microgreens and beautiful flowers that have managed to open up my mind to a new blissful side of gastronomy. Not to mention the mouthwatering flavors of the recipes we've been preparing. I'm sharing a few pictures of the recipes I made during the past few days in the hopes that I get you a little excited about raw vegan food, but most of all, excited about getting out that comfort zone and trying new things. Specially, cooking consciously. For your health and the future of our planet. I'll also keep sharing more details of this course with you as the weeks go by but, in the meantime, you can find out more by visiting www.matthewkenneycuisine.com

PS: I've never EVER taken a cooking class and somehow managed to create the dishes below, so there's really no such excuse as "I could never do that". I'm literally starting from 0 here too and possibilities are endless. You just have to believe, let go and have fun! :)

*In case you guys don't know, raw cuisine is just like veganism- in the sense that no animal products of any kind are consumed- but goes a step further by not cooking anything above 118F to preserve the enzymes and nutrients of each ingredient. Like the name says it, everything is "Raw", unprocessed and made from scratch. 

 How we start every morning. Knife skills.&nbsp;Best part of it is that we juice every ingredient and enjoy fresh and organic veggie &amp; fruit juices every day! :)

 

How we start every morning. Knife skills. Best part of it is that we juice every ingredient and enjoy fresh and organic veggie & fruit juices every day! :)

 Raw vegan Zucchini Lasagna with Macadamia Ricotta,&nbsp;Red Pepper-Sundried Tomato Marinara, and Pistachio Pesto.&nbsp;

 

Raw vegan Zucchini Lasagna with Macadamia Ricotta, Red Pepper-Sundried Tomato Marinara, and Pistachio Pesto. 

 Veggie Hand Rolls with Spicy Mango Chutney.&nbsp;

 

Veggie Hand Rolls with Spicy Mango Chutney. 

 Red Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cheese, Pistachios &amp; Bell Pepper Puree.&nbsp;

 

Red Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cheese, Pistachios & Bell Pepper Puree. 

 Kale Cesar Salad with Sunflower Dressing &amp;&nbsp;Shiitake Anchovies.

 

Kale Cesar Salad with Sunflower Dressing & Shiitake Anchovies.

 Sushi roll with Jicama Rice, Shiitake Mushrooms &amp; Chipotle Mayo.&nbsp;

 

Sushi roll with Jicama Rice, Shiitake Mushrooms & Chipotle Mayo.