Grab a copy of the April 2011 issue of Delicious Living Magazine and enjoy my Raw Power cover feature with 6 raw food recipes for a preview of the flavors I’ll be bringing you in my newest East West Fusion raw food book Ani’s Raw Food Asia, available everywhere May 10, 2011.

I made several smoothies in San Diego on FOX TV including an Almond Buttered Banana Freeze.

Watch my 6-minute video segment here.

Almond Buttered Banana Freeze + Açaí
Recipe (adapted from Ani’s Raw Food Essentials)
Makes 4 servings

Almonds provide calcium, protein, and vitamin E, bananas are loaded with potassium, and açaí is full of antioxidants and healthy omegas. This easy smoothie is a great post workout fuel – it helps increase circulation and blood flow to stressed muscles, while building lean tissue.

• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1/4 cup raw almond butter
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 3 to 4 cups Organic Sambazon Açaí Juice

Combine the banana, almond butter, and organic Sambazon Açaí Juice in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Best served immediately, but will keep for a couple days in the fridge.

I’m using my favorite blender, the Personal Blender. It costs about $69, and you can find more about the Personal Blender and find organic ingredients at www.GoSuperLife.com.

A book trailer for Ani’s Raw Food Essentials for a naturally effervescent probiotic drink called Water Kefir from page 56.

This healthy drink is simple to make using water kefir grains that you can purchase online. I include resources in my book, and recommend going straight to the source for the living grains. Avoid the processed, dried, packaged grains because they are not as vital as the living grains. Plus, the dry grains only brew maybe three batches before you have to go and buy more dried grains again.

It takes just 48 hours to brew Water Kefir, and it’s full of friendly bacteria for building healthy intestinal flora. It helps me with digestion, assimilation of nutrients, and elimination. I enjoy Water Kefir with and after meals to help with digestion. I drink a cup on an empty stomach before bed to balance my intestinal flora.

In this video, I use a variation of the recipe in my book.

Water Kefir
Note: avoid metal. Metal damages probiotics and water kefir grains. Use only plastic spoons, measuring cups, and glass jars.

• 4 cups filtered water
• 1/3 cup organic cane juice crystals (sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon turbinado (brown)
• 2 pieces ginger
• 3 slices dried pear (unsulphured)
• 1/4 cup water kefir grains

Place water into a glass jar. Add sugars, ginger, pear, and stir. Add grains. Close lid, and store in cabinet for 48 hours to brew.

Pour brew through a plastic sieve to catch the grains. Remove ginger and pear. Store brew in glass bottles at room temperature to increase vitamin B levels. Or, store in fridge to chill.

Start your next batch immediately.

ani's raw food essentials

My new book, Ani’s Raw Food Essentials, will be available everywhere May 3, 2010. That’s in less than a month from now. I was dropped shipped an early copy fresh off the presses, and this is a huge book. With over 250 recipes, it’s my first hard cover. It’s always amazing to hold the finished book in my hands. And, it takes 9 months for the book to be designed, printed, and distributed before it shows up in bookstores. A long journey.

In this book, I break down recipes to the simplest of ingredients. Then, I show you how to build from there to make variations and different flavors. I hope you’ll enjoy my new raw food book! Can’t wait t hear what you think about it.

My recipes for Cobbler Crumble Topping and also my Fresh Taco Wraps ranked numbers 4 & 5 for Delicious Living Magazine’s Top 10 Gluten-free Recipes of 2009.

Read more about the 2009 Top 10 at Delicious Living.
Read my original article Classy Raw Cuisine with 7 recipes in the July 2009 issue of Delicious Living Magazine.