Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

Let me show you how to get those deliciously fragrant vanilla beans out of their pod. Whenever possible, I opt for the fresh whole vanilla beans over the extracts. A vanilla bean can cost anywhere from .50 and up, but the flavor it adds is priceless yumminess. Remember to keep the remaining â??barkâ?? to blend into your smoothies with your high-speed blender. I like to store the bark in my glass jars with my nuts and seeds. Vanilla beans come from different regions. My favorites are Bourbon beans from Madagascar, Indonesia (rich taste and smell, creamy and sweet) and Tahitian beans from Tahiti (aroma is fruity and floral). Beans from the same plant stock grown in Mexico are called Mexican beans, and have a more mellow woody fragrance. www.aniphyo.com

A great way to enjoy whole oranges. Just blend with vanilla, and add pecans for maple-flavored creaminess. Just use the whole vanilla bean in your high speed blender, or de-seed and use only the seeds in a lower-speed blender. You can always use a Tablespoon of vanilla extract instead, but make sure itâ??s alcohol-free. www.aniphyo.com

Hereâ??sa delicious raw vegan donut hole recipe. Naturally sweetened with whole dates, and flavored with vanilla. Plus, coconut, which is a great source of eletrolytes. I love making these with kids, they have a lot of fun rolling up the balls with their hands. www.aniphyo.com