A chutney is actually a condiment, and really, there’s all sorts of chutneys, some similar in consistency to jelly, salsa or relish.

But let me tell you, I love chutneys, especially coconut chutneys and coriander chutneys. I can, believe it or not, can eat them by a bowl full if nobody stops me.

There’s this fabulous fresh raw green chutney that’s a favorite of mine, and it just goes very well with everything. If your family is not into raw, then, this chutney is a sneaky way to add more fresh raw greens into their diet. Try it on grilled fish, seared scallops, pompadums, unsalted chips, sandwiches, roasted potatoes, fried eggs. You can try replacing pesto in your pasta with this chutney. Japanese sashimi purists will cringe, but I’ve been told it’s really good topped with raw salmon. The possibilities are endless.

Easy-easy Coriander Coconut Chutney Recipe

1/2 cup washed and chopped coriander leaves and stems

1 large red chilli with the seeds removed. Also rinse the chilli. This will remove the heat, which is good for people like me who unfortunately can’t eat too spicy food.

1/4 cup freshly grated coconut (or if you can’t get fresh grated coconuts, try getting 1/4 C fresh coconut pulp. You’ll want an older coconut pulp that’s hard, and does not have a consistency of jelly)

Salt to taste

A few drops of lime juice to taste (the sourness of the juice is what gives the dish an extra oomph!)

Just put everything into the blender and blend away until the cilantro is completely broken down. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little bit of water. Season with salt to taste.

Not only is this condiment tasty, all the ingredients for this dish helps you body remain healthy. The coriander leaves are full of antioxidants. Coconut is an anti bacterial, anti viral health food. Lime juice have plenty of Vitamin C among other things.

Chilli has tons of Vitamin C as well, plus it’s an anti parasitic health food, meaning it helps get rid of parasites in your body.  Not only that, I read it’s helpful for arthritic sufferers as it relieves joint pain.

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Note:

About 90% of the human population has some sort of parasite, one time or another. Consider this. Flu bugs are parasites. To read more about parasites and to see if you have some, go to

• Do you have parasites?
• How can you tell if you have  parasites
• Killing parasites with chilli peppers
• Yummy raw Pineapple juice can kill parasites in your tummy
• Protocol For Pineapple Parasite Cleanse
  

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Hookworm image taken from http://curezone.com

We were having breakfast at an al fresco restaurant when we happened to see this spiky purple plant popping out of the edge of the sidewalk. Hubby said, every time he see this plant, he is always reminded of the time when his sister healed after drinking tea brewed with this plant’s delicate flower.

Shaun was a young boy at the time when his sister, Florence, fell ill with very, very high fever. Try as they might, their parents could not get the fever down. It got so bad, they had to put her in an ice bath, and that didn’t help either. Then, someone told his mum that drinking a brew of this flower would help reduce Florence’s fever. The family immediately bundled the kids into the car in search of this plant. They would stop at the road curb, walk onto stranger’s neighborhood, … to pluck flowers. Hubby said, at that time, he was highly embarrassed at what they were doing …. plucking people’s flowers without permission. But plucked they did. That was his mum’s mission. And today, being a parent, he understands what lengths parents would do to save their children.

So anyways, they collected a handful of flowers, which his mum washed and boiled with some water. Florence drank the brew, and her fever went down.

I should try to get the recipe from her, but it’s past midnight and I could not wait to download this picture and blogged about it. So, the recipe will have to wait another time.

I have been traveling often lately due to work.

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What work we do?

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The problem with eating more raw food while traveling is the how to? Since I’m very busy, I often don’t have time to visit the supermarket where I’m at, and my bag is so heavy, I really don’t like to carry a blender, like some raw foodist do. Also, there’s no raw food restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore as I know of.

So, I do have to compromise when I travel. Lucky for me, there’s plenty of restaurants, coffee shops (Starbucks, take note!) and food stalls that sell freshly squeezed or freshly blended fruit juices at very reasonable prices.

But fruit juices have very high sugar content, so if you are up to it, while traveling in these neck of the woods, you can carry some fresh organic vegetables, like spinach or salad lettuce in your carry bag and just pass it to the guy who makes the fruit juice at the stall to blend the fruit juice together with the vegetables. Most of them are very accommodating.

I also get munchies when I am on the go. Most raw foodies carry raw nuts, but I don’t really like to eat too much nuts. I have this hang up, since I was a kid, about nuts getting stuck between my teeth. Instead, I carry lots of fruits and maybe some raw, fresh Egyptian dates.

The latest box of Egyptian dates I bought

Anyways, while I was in Beijing, I stayed in this cool B&B place, and they planted lots of mint and some other herbs all over the garden. So, mint was my daily green while I was there. Should have taken a picture of the garden to show. It was fab! I just plucked the mint, washed it and chewed it for some greens and to freshen my breathe (not that it wasn’t awesome in the first place!).

Plus, you know, there’s always salads at restaurants. Speaking of fruits, you can generally find fruit stands all over the place, like at shopping centers, food courts and at busy streets so it’s easy for me as I don’t have to specially run to the supermarket everyday.

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See what fruit I ate in Beijing

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What’s your challenge when you are on the go?

I like these books, especially Carol Alt’s book “Eating In The Raw” which is a great autobiography of her raw journey and Ani Phyo “Raw Food Kitchen”.

Guess what I saw at Kinokuniya, the hip and happening bookstore in Singapore?

I saw almost 30 different Raw “Uncook” books at the culinary section!

Boy! Was I pleased.

Just a year ago, there was barely 2, and the year before that, none.

It goes to show raw food is becoming mainstream and not so “strange” anymore. People are becoming more accepting, and the mainstream businesses are starting to “get” it. I love it.

I don’t advocate people becoming totally raw, especially if they don’t do enough research beforehand because they might actually hurt themselves by not providing their body with the correct nutrients, but I do think people should eat more raw, healthful food stuff. Grab a juice, maybe eat more salads, or just chuck a piece of fruit, like an apple or bananas (my kids favourite) into your bag to eat on the run.

Asian Carrot Salad

Combine shredded carrots, green onion, and sprouts (alfalfa, red clover, daikon radish, and bean sprouts will all work). Dress with sesame oil and rice vinegar. Then sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. For extra kick, add a small amount of grated ginger or chili pepper.

What is this salad doing for you?

Carrots are antioxidant-rich foods filled with beta-carotene, beneficial to eye health. Sprouts are packed with many nutrients with a bounty of health benefits. And sesame oil, the oil most commonly consumed oil by Chinese centenarians, is rich in phytic acid, the antioxidant that may prevent cancer. Studies have also indicated that one variety of sesame oil, called lignan sesamin, radically reduced cholesterol levels in the bloodstream and liver of rats.
By Dr. Maoshing Ni
Taken from Health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/19517/6-salads-that-help-you-live-longer/

Fennel and Dried Plum Salad
Combine sliced fennel, sautéed or raw, and dried plums on a plate. Drizzle with a ginger vinaigrette. (Olive oil, vinegar and minced ginger, if you are making yourself.)

What is this salad doing for you?
This salad soothes digestion and supports weight loss. Fennel helps digestion in two ways: It stimulates the production of gastric juices and also calms the nervous system, regulating the action of the muscles that line the intestine. Packed with vitamin C and essential minerals like potassium and magnesium, dried plums contain a perfectly balanced proportion of soluble and insoluble fibers, ensuring bowel regularity and preventing insulin resistance—making them a great ingredient for weight management.