By Rip Esselstyn
This fabulous pie was given to us by Austin singer and song writer Libby Kirkpatrick shortly after our son Kole was born. It is sinfully simple and succulently delicious.
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients for crust:
1 cup dates
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup almonds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Ingredients for filling:
2 to 3 bananas, sliced lengthwise
4 ounces strawberries, blended into puree
4 ounces strawberries, sliced
4 ounces raspberries
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
Instructions:
1. Blend crust ingredients together in a food processor to achieve a sticky consistency.
2. Press blended crust ingredients into a pie pan.
3. Lay the bananas on top of the crust and press along the sides.
4. Place strawberry slices on top of the bananas.
5. Pour strawberry puree over the strawberries and bananas, and press into the gaps.
6. Place berries and mandarin oranges on top of the pie.
7. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or longer before serving.
Rip Esselstyn is a mission-driven man. As a swimmer at the University of Texas at Austin, he was a three time All-American. As a professional athlete, he was one of the premier triathletes in the world for more than a decade. As a firefighter for the Austin (TX) Fire Department, he helped people and saved lives. As a friend to other firefighters, he transformed the way Austin’s Engine 2 ate to save firefighters’ health. Now, as the author of The Engine 2 Diet, he is teaching people the irrefutable connection between what they put in their mouths and their ability to reach their ideal weight and their ideal health. Recently, he has teamed up with Whole Foods Market as a Healthy Eating Partner to raise awareness for Whole Foods Market team members, customers, and all of America about the benefits of eating a PlantStrongÔ diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Rip comes from a family steeped in medicine. His great-grandfather, George Crile, co-founded the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., was chief of the breast cancer task force and completed one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the relationship between the heart and diet–proving that a plant-based diet can stop, prevent, and even reverse heart disease.
Rip serves on the Board of Directors for The Wellness Foundation, EarthSave’s Meals For Health Program, and the AllergyKids Foundation.
