The Full Raw Meal

Main Course

Dessert

 

 

I'm posting pictures today of a meal I made for two dinner guests awhile ago. I made way too much food for three people, but I love making a themed meal so much that I often get carried away. This theme was Italian.

I started with a raw lasagna, which was layers of zucchini, cashew cheese, sun-dried tomato sauce, spinach, corn, and other assorted vegetables.

Then I made raw beet ravioli with a pine nut cheese garnished with cilantro.  I also served raw breadsticks, which were basically nut cheese rolled in sunflower seeds and then dehydrated. I made a tomato base dipping sauce that contained typical Italian herbs. The breadsticks are in the basket to the left of the upper picture

In front of the breadsticks was a Ceasar Salad with raw croutons. I'm getting a bit redundant here, but the croutons were also a nut cheese rolled in dehydrated crushed carrots. These croutons are amazing. They look real, add a bit of color, and taste great. With so many nuts in this meal, I really needed the lighter salad.

The big challenge for me was making raw calamari. I used King Oyster mushrooms to make the circles. I basically cut off the long stems of the mushrooms, then used an exacto knife to carve the inner circle of the calamari, then breaded the mushroom in a ground flax powder. I dehydrated the mushrooms to a soft, slightly chewy texture. To go with them  I made a raw tartar sauce that was flavored with lemon juice, parsley, and capers. I've never had calamari because I've been a vegetarian for so long.  I didn't know what it was supposed to taste like. I was honored when one of my guests said I hit the texture of calamari on the dot. It was her favorite part of the meal. I'm thinking next I should try the same idea with a sweet yellow onion and make onion rings.

For dessert I strayed from the theme and made a pomegranate kiwi pie. I used pistachios in the crust to give it a little more green color to tie in the kiwi. The pie filling was coconut, cashews, and pomegranate seeds. Then I layered the top in alternating circles of pomegranate seeds and kiwi.

In all, the food was a success and so much fun to make. I love to experiment. It's always risky to try new recipes on guests, but I just invite very gracious guests who will love whatever I make, even if it doesn't always look good. I know who to invite if it's an experiement. I've learned this many times, my food may not always look great, but it always tastes great, thanks to pure, organic ingredients. I think in all my years of making raw food, I've only made one thing I didn't like. It was a raw caviar. I don't think I'd like real caviar, so I don't even know why I tried it, except that it was something I'd never made before. I also have this habit of trying everything in a raw recipe book at least once before I begin to riff on the idea.  Raw cookbooks were the first cookbooks I could do this with because I could eat everything in them. For someone like me, those endless possibilities opened a whole new world. It's probably why raw food has stuck with me for so long. I always have something new to try.

I encourage you to do the same.

Jalapeno Corn Chips and Tortillas

Here are the promised pictures of the corn chips and tortillas I made. I am showing pictures of the pre-dehydrated scored chips and tortillas as well as the finished result. Earlier I said dehydrating isn't an exact science. These took about eight hours to dehydrate. I took the tortillas out a little earlier so they would be more pliable. The chips are nice and crunchy. The same recipe is used for both. How you shape them is up to you. You don't even have to shape them. Just rip them into pieces if that suits you.

Corn Chips:

3 c. fresh or frozen organic non-GMO corn
1/2 c. ground flax powder
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 large jalapeno or 1 whole small jalapeno
1/2 t. cumin
Himalayan sea salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Spread mixture on Teflex lined  dehydrator sheet(s). If you don't have Teflex sheets you can use parchment paper. Spread to about a 1/4" thickness because the chips will get thinner as they dehydrate. Score into triangles if desired. You can also cut them into triangles after they are crisp, but sometimes they break more easily at this stage.  Or shape them into approximately 7" circles and use as you would any tortilla. Fill them with guacamole, salsa, spicy lentil taco mix, or be creative. The possibilities are pretty broad. Tomorrow I plan to eat them with the hummus I made today, some salsa, and some guacamole.

A few words about corn. Corn is not easy for anyone to digest.  As my favorite Corn Sisters (Neko Case's first and maybe only duo) song says, "I always do request it even though I can't digest it." Sad but true, but it doesn't stop me from eating a fresh corn chip. Once I started making my own corn chips I didn't crave your store bought ones. The two do not compare. The freshness of these and the brightness of their color pleases me to no end. I also can no longer tolerate the taste of store bought salsa. It tastes like a can to me now, even when it comes in a glass jar. Fresh, pure food cannot be improved upon. It doesn't take a lot of effort to make a great guacamole, either. Just a few avocados, some lime juice, cilantro, and salt is delicious. Of course you can add whatever else you like, but these basic ingredients are fantastic as their own combination.

Sorry, I digress. I was talking about corn. It's digestibility is a legitimate concern for many people, and they generally know who they are. The other big issue with corn is that it is hard to find non-genetically modified corn. It's possible in natural food co-ops where bags of chips or frozen corn will identify on the label whether it is GMO-free, but even this isn't a trustworthy. Some co-op brands, like Cascadian Farms, a major producer of frozen organic fruits and vegetables,  is owned by General Mills. This corporation has given tons of money to fight the movement to label genetically modified ingredients.  This movement isn't even about prohibiting GMO's. It's just demanding that consumers be allowed to know when GMO ingredients are used so we can make an informed choice.

Now,  I trust Cascadian Farms was started by well-meaning folks who then sold their business to a corporation which later tried to get in on the profits to be had once sustainability became a major environmental issue. I know people like Wendell Barry saw it coming forty years ago, but most people are still relatively new to the impact of industrial farming. General Mills is counting on their ignorance.

Other sellers of corn products you might think wouldn't have ethics around food production have surprised me.  Trader Joe's signs contracts with their vendors to ensure that their private brand is GMO-free. They don't go so far as to test whether these ingredients are truly non-GMO, but they have taken a step in the right direction. Vendors know  the consequence of not being truthful;  they will lose Trader Joe's business. Whole Foods is also taking steps in this direction. Local food co-operatives have built their reputations on knowing their farmers' growing practices, but that these two big corporations are taking action is good news that the sustainable food movement is growing. More needs to be done, to be sure, but everyone's education starts at the same place. This kind of stand taken by big companies should be applauded. Baby steps are still steps.

We, as consumers, have to respond in kind.  It's like I've always said, we really only have power in two areas: where we vote and where we put our money. Act like Trader Joe's and all the long-standing food co-operatives who have been paving this road so elegantly for so many decades. Demand to know where and how your food is grown. Spend your money where it matters.

For more information on corporations who are fighting the GMO labeling (Prop 37 in CA) movement, please go to the Organics Consumers' Association website  at www.organicconsumers.org. On their website you can print a boycott list of corporations trying to double cross you by selling you organic ingredients while simultaneously fighting your right to know the purity of your food. ( http://organicconsumers.org/label/gmo-boycott.pdf) You can also find companies state by state who use only non-GMO ingredients.  Even if you're not politically motivated to act, I encourage you to educate yourself as to where your food is grown and how. The planet really does depend on it.

Making Food for the Week

Sunday is my favorite day to make food. I listen to great radio programs on MPR, dance in my kitchen, and make lovely food. Usually I sneak a run in there. I love to run during the radio show, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." Laughing while running is pretty fun. I get most of my cooking done during "Prairie Home Companion," but today I had to get an earlier start because I'm participating in an experimental dance project for the next few Sundays. The food I made will be posted over the next two days because some of it is dehydrating as I write.

Many people think raw food is too labor intensive to enjoy making, but I made all of this food in two hours. I don't think that's any more labor than any other way of eating, so don't let those fears of too much work keep you from trying raw recipes. The meal preparation isn't difficult, but it does take forethought. You have to think ahead to incorporate soak/sprout/dehydrating time. Other than soaking nuts/ seeds/ legumes overnight, raw cooking doesn't have to add a lot of time. You just have to remember to soak, but then you go about your day until soaking is done.

With that said, this morning I made three different fresh juices, two different kinds of hummus, an indulgent trail mix, kale chips, and corn chips.

I started with fresh orange juice because I had a lot of oranges to spare. Fresh orange juice or fresh coconut water is my favorite thing to drink right after a long run. It never tastes better than then.  After the orange juice, I juiced a cup of lime juice to use in various ways. I set some aside for later when I'll mix  it with passionfruit kombucha and some agave for a sparkly cocktail. The rest I used in the juices I intended to make for energy today. My favorite juice is a combination of apples and/or pears, kale and/or spinach, lime juice and ginger. Today I used spinach and apples because I needed kale for my chips. This juice makes my cells come alive. I never tire of it. Here is a pic:

Some people don't like the look of green juices, but how can you not love that color? It looks like life, itself. The sweetness of the apples, the tang of the lime, and the spice of the ginger makes the juice alive, indeed.  You'll feel the energy of instantly.

The next juice I made was similar but I substituted parsley for spinach. Parsley is a great chelator and pulls toxins out of your system. I think it tastes sweet, but most people consider it savory. I loved it in the juice. A new twist to my old favorite.

Next I moved onto my hummus. I made a regular hummus recipe and then took half of that and made a spicy red pepper hummus. Here is my recipe for today. It can change based on my taste at the time. Sometimes I use sprouted garbanzos, sometimes I use sesame seeds, mostly I use zucchini. I really love using zucchini in place of garbanzo beans. I've soaked and sprouted garbanzos for hummus, but I really notice that sprouted flavor. This hummus is lighter and airier and has more vegetables by sneaking that zucchini in there. A tip for those of you with children who balk at vegetables.

Hummus:

2 small zucchini chopped
1/2 c.  raw tahini (pureed sesame seeds)
1 or 2 T.  fresh lemon juice ( I like really tart, so I use 2 T. Adjust to your taste)
2 T. green onion (use 1 T. in recipe and the other is your garnish)
1 clove garlic
1 t. cumin
Sea salt ( I used a sea salt that had seaweed bits in it)

Mix ingredients using only 1 T. of the onions in a food processor. Garnish with remaining 1 T. green onion. You can stop here if you only want a regular hummus. Serve with crackers or chips or use as a sandwich spread.

To make Spicy Red Pepper Hummus: 

Take one half of the above recipe and put back in food processor. Add 1/2 chopped red bell pepper, 2 more T. of tahini, and a dried cayenne pepper. Mix ingredients. Note: the red pepper thins the hummus out and the tahini will add back some bulk. Garnish with crushed cayenne and use as above.

Tomorrow I'll post my corn chips, provided they dehydrate well. Dehydrating isn't an exact science. Sometimes I not home at the perfect moment to remove the trays, so things over-dehydrate. Or sometimes I'm asleep in those early morning hours when the time is right.  But mostly it works out.  Luckily chips need to be crisp.

Please see previous post for kale chip recipe. Today I did a jalapeno cheesy kale. You can make variations on the recipe I posted earlier. Just use the cashew base and add your favorite spices or peppers.

Until tomorrow.

Mango Coconut Cardamom Cheesecake

Ok, here is the dessert I promised. I used the recipe from www.sweetlyraw.com. I modified the coconut drizzle and used dried mulberries instead of jakfruit, which I didn't have. Mulberries and jakfruit are in the same family, so it seemed logical. This dessert is so creamy and delightful. It's actually the second pie I've made in one week. I ended up giving much of the first away because it was such a hit, so I had to make it again for me. Here is the Sweetly Raw recipe as created by the great dessert chef, Heather Pace.

My attempt at Heather's Recipe

 

My Version with Modifications

Mango Coconut Cardamom Cheesecake with Jakfruit Puree by Heather Pace

Be sure to make all parts of the cake including the puree and coconut cream. If you don't have dried jakfruit you can try it with dried mango.

Crust

1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup shredded coconut
3 medium dates, pitted
2 teaspoons coconut flour
2 teaspoons water
pinch of salt

Grind the almonds into flour in a food processor.
Add the coconut, dates, coconut flour, and salt. Process until the dates break down.
Add the water and pulse to combine.
Press the dough into the bottom of mini spring form pans or a 6" or 7" spring form pan. Set aside.

Filling

1 1/4 cup diced mango
2/3 cup cashews
2 tablespoons coconut nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla exract
3/4 -1 teaspoon cardamom
4 tablespoons mekted coconut butter
5 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Blend the mango, cashews, coconut nectar, water, lemon, vanilla, and cardamom in a high speed blender until smooth.
Add the butter and oil. Blend again briefly to incorporate.
Pour over the crust(s).
Chill in the fridge at least 8 hours, or until firm. OR chill in the freezer for a few hours and then transfer to the fridge for faster chilling time.

Coconut Cream

Make the coconut cream just before serving the cake as it will harden as it sits or chills.

2 tablespoons melted coconut butter
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon hot water
3 drops vanilla medicine flower essence
1 drop stevia

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. The water must be hot or it will seize the coconut butter.
Spoon the cream over the cheesecake.

Jakfruit Puree

1/3 cup packed dried jakfruit, soaked in 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh mango diced small
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 drops stevia
1 1/2 teaspoons chia seed.

Blend the jakfruit, soak water, mango, lemon, and stevia until smooth.

Ok, so that's her recipe and here are my modifications.

I made it her way the first time and loved it, but I wanted a smoother, softer coconut cream that would stay soft when I refrigerated the cheesecake. She's right when she says her version hardens. So I took 1/2 c. shredded coconut soaked in water and blended it (and water) with 2 T. melted coconut butter. I added 2 T. agave and 1/4 t.  ground vanilla and a dash of salt. Blend and pour over the cake. This is a soft drizzle and not a hard frosting.

For the jakfruit puree, I took 1/4 c. dried mulberries soaked in water and blended them with the mango, lemon juice, chia seed, and 1 T. agave. I really appreciate that Heather's recipe is light on the sweetener, but I generally get an aftertaste of stevia, regardless of the type I use. So I didn't mind a couple of tablespoons of agave in the cream and puree. Everything in moderation, right? Though I guess two cheesecakes in one week isn't really moderation, but that's why I share the love. And I'm really grateful to Heather for sharing her love of desserts with me because I get to share them with you. Try this one. It's a winner.

Jicama Salad and Waldorf Salad

Today I had to quickly put together a light meal for my best friend who was coming over. I made two light salads and a dessert, which I'll post tomorrow when I have more time.  I was using up stuff I had that needed to be used.  I came up with this Jicama Salad that almost looks like a potato salad but has a very satisfying crunch.

I originally got the idea for a raw Waldorf salad from Alissa Cohen's Raw Food for Everyone. I modified the idea to fit my own tastes. Waldorf salad ingredients are pretty standard, usually consisting of apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts. I was inspired to add coconut. The dressing for the Waldorf is a riff off of Cohen's recipe, though, in the end, it isn't really anything close to it.

In the end, the two salads look a lot alike, but the tastes are very different. The Jicama is a savory salad, and the Waldorf is sweet. I hardly needed dessert, but I feel no meal is complete without it. Both of these salads are great for the summer. And today it finally feels like summer is on its way. My doors are open, the windows are open, the sun is shining, and the birds are singing. It's a good day to make and share a meal.

 Jicama Salad

 Salad:
1 large jicama
1 c. corn  kernels (frozen is fine if fresh isn't available)
2 stalks celery chopped
2 small carrots chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
2 T. red onion finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Dressing:
1 avocado
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. tahini
1 T. lemon juice
1 jalapeno pepper
2 t. celery salt
Himalayan sea salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Pour over salad ingredients and toss. Serve and enjoy.

Waldorf Salad

Salad:

4 apples chopped
1 c. raisins
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1/4 c. walnuts
2 stalks celery chopped
Himalayan sea salt to taste

Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Set aside.

Dressing:

1/2 c. coconut milk
1/2 avocado
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. fresh ginger
Himalayan sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Pour over salad mixture and toss. Serve and enjoy.

Spinach Dip

I recently bought a bunch of spinach because I wanted to try it in the Avocado Mint Smoothie. Now I have a lot of spinach that I must use quickly because greens don't keep well for very long. Today I made a really simple spinach dip that I ate with crackers. The color doesn't keep well, so make small batches.

Spinach Dip:

2. c. spinach
1/2 avocado
2 t. lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Himalayan sea salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Serve immediately with dehydrated crackers or chips. This can also be used as a spread for raw sandwiches. It's an easy way to get more greens into your diet. Spinach is pretty versatile. I use it in smoothies, salads, juices, and tortillas. In fact, my spinach tortilla recipe is very similar to the dip recipe.

Spinach Tortillas

4 c. spinach
1/4. c. flax powder
3 T. lemon juice or lime juice
Himalayan sea salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Spread onto two Teflex-lined dehydrator sheets in equal portions. Dehydrate for approximately six hours at 105 degrees until tortillas are pliable.  Flip the tortillas, removing the Teflex sheet as you do this. Dehydrate another hour or until underside is the same texture as the top side. These tortillas should be flexible enough to bend. Cut into desired shape. I often score the tortilla into four quarters as I spread them onto the Teflex sheets. You can either use them in this square shape or use your food scissors to cut them into circular tortilla shapes.

I like to fill the tortillas with guacamole. My favorite is a mix of avocado, mango, and cilantro. But you can use hummus, salsa, or anything else you  might put into your familiar corn tortilla. A new twist on an old favorite.  Enjoy.

Avocado Mint Smoothie Take 2

This morning I tried the avocado mint smoothie again with spinach and fresh mint. I adjusted the SweetlyRaw recipe to my taste. The color was definitely better, but the taste wasn't too different than my first recipe. The color improved because I didn't put the cacao nibs in the blender.This time I just sprinkled them on top, but I like the taste of them mixed into the smoothie. Color versus taste, I guess. The fresh mint was spearmint, and I think I prefer peppermint, but that's a personal bias.

Minnesota got another fresh snowfall on April 23. Seems every time I make this smoothie, it snows.  If I want spring to finally arrive, I might have to come up with a new recipe.

See what you think about this version. Let me know the verdict.

1 c. coconut milk
1 c. spinach 
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1 avocado
4 medjool dates
2 T. fresh  mint
2 T. chia powder
1 T. vanilla
8 ice cubes

Blend in a high powered blender. Pour into a glass and top with cacao nibs if desired.

My Idea of a Whitman's Sampler

I made these chocolates yesterday because I needed a quick bite-size sweet fix. I made a variety of different flavors. Some were plain chocolate, some were peppermint, some were cinnamon, and some were cayenne flavored. These are so easy and quick. If you're a chocoholic like me, these are the best chocolates for you.

 

 

 

1 c. shaved Navitas cacao paste
1/2 c. organic coconut oil
2 T. coconut nectar or agave
1 t. vanilla

Melt the cacao paste and coconut oil in individual pyrex measuring cups. I melt mine in the dehydrator. You can also use a 'double boiler' method by placing the measuring cup in a saucepan and then placing that saucepan inside another large saucepan filled halfway with water. Heat at the lowest setting until melted. This will keep the chocolate from reaching too high of a cooking temperature. The dehydrator, however, ensures the temperature won't get too  high.

Next. whisk the paste and oil together with other ingredients. You can stop here if you want pure chocolate.  At this point you can pour the chocolate into silicone molds and place in refrigerator or freezer for 15 minutes. Pop the chocolates out of the mold  and enjoy.

If you want to try a variety a flavors, here is what I did with this batch. After mixing all ingredients, I poured the mixture into four equal portions. The first is the pure chocolate. Pour into your mold.

For peppermint: Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil or extract to the chocolate. Whisk and pour into molds.

For cinnamon: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the chocolate. Whisk and pour into molds.

For cayenne: Add a quarter teaspoon of cayenne powder to the chocolate. Whisk and pour into molds.

Freeze or refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Pop chocolates out of molds and enjoy.

Note: The Navitas cacao paste isn't the only way to make homemade chocolates. They also make a great product called Cacao Power, which is a big block of cacao butter that can be shaved and melted like the paste. If you use that, then add a few tablespoons of cacao powder to the mix and proceed with sweetener. You can also use a combination of cacao butter, coconut oil, and cacao powder to get your base. 

 Superfruits are a great addition to your chocolate. I often use goji berries, mulberries and goldenberries. Or you can put nuts into the chocolate. Cacao nibs are also nice and give the chocolate the 'nestle crunch' factor.

I can't say enough about silicone molds. They are great for raw cooking/baking. Everything pops out pefectly. There is a lot of fun to be had trying different molds. Tip: I get mine at Joann fabrics with those always plentiful 50%  off coupons. No need to go to a fancy cooking store and spend a lot of money on molds. All that money you save with your coupons can be spent on the cacao paste and cacao power. These cacao products aren't inexpensive, but they go a very long way. You'll have chocolate for months. And trust me, after trying these, you'll want it.

Gnoocchi Carbonara

This was a meal I recently made for dinner with two friends. One of my friends doesn't like spicy food, so it was a challenge for me to make something milder in flavor. I tend to really love extreme tastes and definitely love really hot, spicy food. To meet this challenge I pulled out Alissa Cohen's Raw Food for Everyone. I highly recommend this cookbook if you are only going to buy one.  I love raw cookbooks and can't stop myself at one, so trust me when I say I've compared this book to my two dozen others. It is the most comprehensive by far. It contains over three hundred delicious recipes. I'd say everything you need to know about raw food is in this book. When I need inspiration, I grab it off my shelf and get to work.

I made the whole meal using recipes from this book as a base. I rarely follow a recipe exactly, but the basic idea was the gnocchi carbonara, pickled asparagus topped with a beautiful salad containing pickled red onions and macerated berries that added color to the blander looking gnocchi. I served the meal accompanied by a kombucha/lime juice beverage that also added color to the meal. For dessert I made a white chocolate cheesecake topped with a chocolate ganache. Within the cheesecake was a hidden raspberry layer that tied in the shades of red that popped in the rest of the meal. The bright pinks of the pickled onions, kombucha and raspberries pulled the whole thing together.

The basic idea of the Gnocchi Carbonara was a mix of cashews, pine nuts, and some seasonings rolled into little dumplings that were rolled into sunflower seed flour. Then I made Cohen's Rawmesan cheese out of more cashews, pinenuts and some coconut milk and drizzled that over the gnocchi. I added lemon juice and nutritional yeast to the rawmesan because I like the cheesiness that it gives.  I topped that with some raw eggplant 'bacon,' which is basically marinated eggplant dehydrated to a crispy, crunchy, bacon-like texture. I needed a little color to go with the whiteness of the meal, so I added fresh peas and arugula. The green accents helped to tie the meal together with the salad.

For the salad I first pickled asparagus spears in apple cider vinegar and dried cherries. The recipe called for figs, but I didn't have any. I loved the slight hint of cherry flavor on the asparagus. I pickled red onions in apple cider vinegar, beet juice, vanilla and added a bay leaf to the mix. Then I soaked goji berries, mulberries, goldenberries, and golden raisins in apple cider vinegar. I also dehydrated some almonds I had rubbed  in olive oil and salt. I made the salad with a mix of greens so there would be color variations within the salad leaves. I added to the greens some grapefruit, the pickled onions, the macerated berries, and the almonds. To assemble the salad, I laid the pickled asparagus on the plate, drizzled a fig vinaigrette over them, and then topped the spears with the salad. I used the same vinaigrette as a salad dressing.

The meal was a success. I am now absolutely in love with the pickled red onions. You'll see them show up in other salad combinations. I've kept them on hand since I made this meal. They will always brighten up your greens.

I wish I had taken a picture of the dessert. We dug into it so fast I didn't have a chance to think about it. It was really indulgent and rich. What's not to love about chocolate and rasperries? It's worth making again, so I'm sure I will, and then I'll remember to post it.

Mint Avocado Cacao Smoothie

Today's smoothie was inspired by two people. I recently visited my sister in Florida. We had a great time making food. She makes a delicious mint ice cream using avocados. The ice cream has been on my mind, but it's still too cold in Minnesota to be thinking seriously about eating ice cream, especially with the four to six inches of snow we got last night. Then yesterday I got a blog post from Heather at sweetlyraw.com/2013/04/mint-chip-protein-shake.html that got me thinking mint again. I had also recently made a mint smoothie for St. Patrick's Day because that day always makes me think of the Shamrock Shakes of my youth. So with those things in mind but not all the ingredients of the recipes on hand, I came up with this:

1 avocado
1/2 c. coconut milk
4 medjool dates
1 scoop raw vanilla protein powder ( I used Garden of Life Vanilla Raw Meal)
1 to 2 drops peppermint extract
1 T. cacao nibs
1 tray of ice cubes

Blend ingredients. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with cacao nibs. Enjoy.

Please check out Heather's raw dessert blog, Sweetly Raw, for an even more beautiful recipe for a mint shake. I love the idea of spinach in her smoothie, but I used the last of mine on yesterday's drink. Her recipe is a lovelier shade of green than mine. She uses fresh mint, which I didn't have. Fresh mint is much better than extract, in my opinion, but sometimes you have to use what's on hand. I  like her use of ice cubes, which I also  use in a chocolate shake I make. Ice cubes really lend a fluffiness to smoothies.  The visual pleasure notwithstanding, the taste of the smoothie I made is delicious and filling. Use peppermint extract sparingly. It gets overpowering really fast.

Off to shovel this springtime snow. Unbelievable. Truly.

No big post today. Just my morning smoothie combination. Today's combination:

1 c. pineapple
1 orange
1 c. spinach
1/2 c. strawberries
4 medjool dates
splash of coconut milk to get things mixing
vanilla to taste

Blend and enjoy.

These are my favorite snack to keep on hand. It's also pretty popular with some of my friends. I don't have an exact recipe for these seaweed bites because it's different every time. I juice quite often and use the leftover vegetable pulp to make these.  The pulp can vary with the juice choice of the day. This pulp was carrot, kale, beet, and lettuce. I mix the pulp of the day with some kind of seed, usually about 1 c. sunflower seed or pumpkin seed (or a mix of the two). Sometimes I use 2 cups if I really have a lot of pulp. Today I was out of seeds, so I used walnuts. Then I add a splash of coconut aminos, some lemon juice, a few dried cayenne peppers, a little sea salt,  and any other seasoning I might be in the mood for. Then I cut up strips of raw nori along the cut marks on the nori, then into about 2 inch long sections. I top the nori with the vegetable/seed mixture, put them on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees until crisp. I usually make these at night, and they're done by morning. I guess it's about twelve hours. They are a great way to get your vegetables and your seaweed in a chewy, spicy little bite. This inexact recipe makes quite a few seaweed bites. This batch used up four trays. It's a great to use up every bit of the vegetables. That leftove pulp always made me feel wasteful. Now it's transformed into juice and crackers. What could be better?

No Impact Man

I just watched a documentary titled No Impact Man. It was distributed in 2009 and tells the story of how Colin Beavan,  his wife, Michelle Conlin, and their infant daugher, Isabella, spent a year trying to make no impact on the environment. They went far beyond recycling and riding their bikes to work, though they did these things, too. They went from being fast-food, take-out eating, clothes shopping, t.v. watching, gas guzzling consumers to vegetarians who ate only locally and went without toilet paper, television, electricity, processed food, motorized transportation of any kind, and coffee, which isn't grown locally.

What struck me most about this film was the disdain that so many people had for this family's choices, including interviewers like Diane Sawyer. The hostility with which peopled viewed their experiment made me wonder what is it exactly that people fear? Does a conscious and ecological choice such as this push people's guilt about their own consumerism? Is it that being inconvenienced in our ever so busy lives is too much of a personal sacrifice to make so we judge those who attempt to make the sacrifice? I mean, let's face it, it's pretty hard to make no impact on the planet. We were born, we take up space, we use things, things wear out, we throw those things away. But I marvel that more people didn't commend this couple for so bravely facing their own story of consumption. In no way did I find this family judgmental of others' choices. It seemed they were conducting an experiment to test their own capability to survive without so many of the comforts we take for granted. That they hoped to inspire others to be cognizant of their own consumption did not come off as a diatribe, but as a sincere wish to help the planet, to slow down their own lives, and to search for meaning in life beyond designer clothes and the fast track to success.

The hardest part of their experiment for others seemed to be their choice to go without toilet paper because of the number of trees cut down every year to make this luxury item. Logging has environmental implications to be sure, and forgoing toilet paper is a sacrifice few of us would make. But why would we chastise them for choosing this route? People put their babies in cloth diapers and get green points for keeping plastic diapers out of landfills. Is forgoing toilet paper so very different? Why do we think it's ecological where babies are concerned but draw the line at adults basically using the same method, meaning using cloth for sanitation. We don't have to make the choice this family did, but we also don't have to horrified by the fact that they made it. I guess I couldn't understand why more people weren't cheering them on, learning from their process, and thanking them for the education they so generously provided. 

I consider myself pretty green. I reduce, reuse, and recycle. I bicycle commute almost everywhere I go through all the seasons.  I cut up old clothes and make new ones. I don't buy packaged or processed  food except for some raw food items I can't find locally. I compost. I grow my own food when seasons permit. I shop in the bulk sections of co-ops and at farmer's markets. I don't own a t.v. or a microwave. I take the stairs. Every third year I swear off buying any new clothes or shoes.  I do what I can. Yet I don't think I could have done what Beavan/Conlin family did. They inspired me to do more, to use less plastic and not rely on recycling as the answer, to make my own cleaning products ( I do some of that already but could do more), and to get to know the growers of my food. They made me want to be more inconvenienced and be grateful for it.

I can see the gifts in the sacrifices they made. Knowing who grows your food strengthens your connection to your community. Bicycling provides not only exercise but a slowed down pace, an intimate knowledge of your neighborhood, and an actual view of the scenery. As they talked by candlelight, I couldn't help but think of the possibilities for renewed romance. And if not that, then just think of how much more sleep they would get because who would stay up late by candlelight if not for romance?  In living more with the rhythm of the seasons, how could one not slow down, relax, and rest? In eating food locally grown, how could one not feel innately nourished? Really, who doesn't crave potatoes in the winter? And think of all the time saved not watching television or shopping. Time that could be spent nurturing their family, their friendships, their creativity.

It's been a few years since this experiment has ended for the Beavan/Conlin family I trust they found their own gifts and kept some of what they started. I hope for the rest of us that we have learned enough about the precipice we're on concerning the environment that we would now applaud the choice they made rather than ridicule it. And if the Beavan/Conlin clan hoped to inspire others, I can say they inspired me. I'll do more in my own little world. This is a revolution that requires action, not  just words. And as Colin Beavan says, "The most radical political act is to be an optimist." The next time we hear of someone bravely making the choices he made, let's be optimistic about it and support that person. Let's thank them for opening our own eyes and making us question what we everyday take for granted. Let's do our own part to live on this earth with as little impact as we can.

 I came across a huge bag of organic kale that would have gone bad before I'd ever get a chance to eat it, so I made these kale chips with a pine nut cheese dressing. The basic dressing that I rubbed onto the kale is as follows:

1 c. pine nuts
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. tahini
1/4 c. coconut aminos (could also use nama shoyu but I don't because I'm allergic to wheat)
1/4 c.   lemon juice ( less if you don't like tart)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 dried cayenne pepper

Blend it all in a Vitamix and massage onto kale. These were baby kale leaves, so the pieces are small. Place kale on teflex lined (parchment paper will work, too) dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 105 degrees until crisp. To crisp faster,   take off the teflex sheet when the top side looks crisp.This will allow more air to flow through the trays. Remove trays when thoroughly crisp.

You can also make these in a regular oven. Put the kale on a baking sheet. Turn your oven to its lowest temperature, crack open the door slightly, and remove when crisp. The cracking of the oven door is to lower the temperature even more. This is only necessary if you are aspiring to raw chips.

I store my chips in containers with the little fresh packets that come with my seaweed. Sometimes they come with packaged raw food items or other packaged food like crackers. Just hold on to them as you find them. They will really help keep your kale chips crispier.


After the kale chips, I made these strawberry cupcakes because I also got a really good deal on organic strawberries. I froze some, dipped some in homemade raw chocolate, and then used the rest on these. This recipe is courtesy of Natalia KW who has one of my favorite raw websites. NataliaKW.com is a great site for any raw foodist, but I think it's particularly good for beginners because her recipes are freely available. They also don't require a lot of equipment. There isn't a lot of dehydrating, spiralizing, mandoline use, etc. Pretty easy but delicious and beautiful recipes. Everything I've made has been fantastic, and I've made many of her recipes. If you love cupcakes, her book Cupcake Heaven is loaded with really interesting combinations of flavors. You can order it from her site.

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES WITH HONEY GINGER FROSTING

cupcakes:
2 c. chopped strawberries, packed
3/4 c. raw honey or agave (I used agave)
1/2 c. raw coconut oil ( I melt mine in the dehydrator. You can also put some into a Pyrex measuring cup, place that cup in a pan of water, and heat it on the stovetop at the lowest possible setting)
seeds of 2 vanilla beans
pinch of salt
2 c. raw coconut flour

Place the strawberries in your food processor fit with the S blade and process until smooth. Add honey or agave, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt and process again until well combined. Finally add the coconut flour and process until completely combined. Fill your cupcake liners to the top and press firmly to form their shape. Freeze for two hours to firm. Once solid, pop the cupcakes out of the liners , and they're ready to be frosted.

frosting:
2 1/2 c. raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained/rinsed
1/2 c. honey (I used agave)
6 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger ( I used two big chunks because I love ginger)
seeds of one vanilla bean
pinch of Himalayan sea salt
1/ 3 c. raw coconut oil ( in liquid form)

Place all ingredients except coconut oil  in a blender and blend until very smooth. Add coconut oil and blend again until just combined. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours until firm. When thickened, frost the cupcakes.

These were delicious, especially with added ginger. I use silicone cupcake pans because the cupcakes slip out of them so beautifully. I also sometimes add an apple to the cupcake batter to make it a little more moist. Coconut flour can be dry. Apples give it a little more juice.

Enjoy. And thanks to NataliaKW and her fantastic site.

My breakfast this morning was this pineapple/mango/spinach smoothie. I know that drinking things that are green often freaks people out, but if you've found this blog you are probably way past that. This smoothie is delicious and sweet, nothing to be afraid of. Coworkers tease me that most of what they see me eat looks like baby food, and they may be right, but baby food never tasted like this. It's a great way to make sure you get your greens in for the day while making them taste like dessert. Enjoy.

1 c. pineapple
1 mango
1 c. spinach
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. coconut ( I used fresh from the coconut but shredded works, too)
4 medjool dates
1 t. vanilla ( I use Ojio Raw Wildcrafted Ground Vanilla made by Ultimate Superfoods)
splash of lemon juice

Blend it all up and enjoy.

Birthday Party

These are pictures from my birthday party while ago. I made an entire raw spread, including raw crackers and chips, raw slaw, kale salad, salsa and guacamole, hummus, and, of course, dessert. My desserts were the highlight for me because they are my favorite thing to make. I made two raspberry tortes, a key lime pie, a lemon poppyseed cake, chocolate cake and really decadent raw brownies. I had twenty-four guests, and it made my day to feed them such wholesome and nutritious food. My favorite thing is to feed my family and friends.Good food, good times.

Welcome to my Be Rawsome blog! This blog will be devoted to good, pure food. I love to make food and am a raw food enthusiast. I also love to read about good food, good soil, and growing food. I'll note books I've read, authors I like, cookbooks I rely on, and documentaries relating to food, soil, and sustainability. I'll also post recipes of the food I'm making on any given day. I'll highlight other raw food cooks I follow and why I love them. And I'll post pictures of the food I make and the dinner parties I hold. I do consider myself a raw foodist, but I also make exceptions for social engagements. My kitchen is raw, but since my friends aren't, sometimes in order to share a meal I eat cooked whole food. Everything within reason, I guess. I hope you find something here worth reading.