I always laugh whenever I make a tomato sauce. I can't get out of my head the bright red color of a cooked tomato sauce. But please don't let the color distract you from the flavorful, living sauce. It is worth a try. Oh, and add a few more red pepper flakes than needed, it's okay.
Garden Vegetable Linguine with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Linguine 1 zucchini, spiralized 1 large carrot, spiralized 1 yellow squash, spiralized ½ tablespoon Italian Seasonings 1 teaspoon sea salt
Place vegetable linguine in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with seasonings and sea salt. Set aside.
Spicy Tomato Sauce 8 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped 2 red bell pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, reserve a few for garnish ½ red onion, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sea salt
Combine ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and silky. Pour sauce over vegetable linguine. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and parsley. Gently toss to coat. Serves 4
Mandoline A compact, hand-operated machine with various adjustable blades that creates slice, julienne, shred, crinkle or waffle-cuts. It's used primarily to cut firm vegetables (such as the daikon radishes and zucchini pictured above) with uniformity. We bought our mandoline three years ago and it took me until just recently to garner the courage to use it. For me , it was an intimating machine, but once I got the hang of it, of course, I wanted to slice everything. Having said that, it's a sharp piece of equipment and you have to be careful. I can provide some basics tips on using the mandoline and these in no way supersedes that of the manufacturer's instructions. I would suggest reading their instructions a few times until you feel comfortable.Mandoline Tips1. Place a damp towel under the mandoline to provide extra support.2. Always, always, always use the safety handle. 3. To avoid injury, note where the straight cut blade and fluted blade are located.4. Do not attempt to slice the last bit of vegetable. 5. To operate, position the vegetable against the safety guard's spikes to hold it in place. Slice the vegetable by moving the guard up and down the mandoline.6. The position of the stand will be determined by the cuts you wish to make. To control the thickness of the slices, you raise or lower the bearing plate by adjusting the thickness lever. The lower the plate, the thicker the slice. 7. When in doubt, consult the instruction manual.
What does this exotic raw food dish and a beautiful raw cookbook author have in common? They're both named Sarma. Rawsome!
At first glance, this dish was given the traditional name of dolma, but upon further investigation I uncovered a different meaning.
The noun dolma derives from the Turkish verb dolmak for "stuffed things" and in this case stuffed vegetables, which could be any vegetable (pepper, eggplant, etc.) hollowed out and "stuffed" with goodies.
Moving on from there, I discovered the correct terminology is Sarma, a wrapped vegetable.
"Sarma is a verbal noun derived from the Turkish verb sarmak meaning "wrapping" or "rolling" in Turkish. Sarma is similar to its cousin dolma, and the two names for such rolls are used interchangeably in many languages." — Wikipedia
No, I'm not saying that Sarma Melngailis is a "wrapped" vegetable. From reading her blog and being a fan of her book, I would imagine she is a sweet, sincere person.
They just share a name and now I'm changing the name of my particular raw food dish to "Sweet Sarmas." It just fits.
This scrumptious appetizer is sweet, savory and succulence all wrapped up.
Sweet Sarmas Servings: 40
20 large collard leaves 3 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 cups pine nuts ¼ cup finely diced red onions ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint ½ cup loosely packed fresh dill 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped 1 cup golden raisins 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Cut away the stem from the collard leaves, leaving you with two leaves.
2 Place the olive oil and sea salt in a large bowl. Add the leaves to the bowl and gently massage them with the oil mixture. Set aside.
3 In a food processor, briefly pulse pine nuts, mint, dill and onion until well combined. Pine nuts should be finely chopped.
4 In a large bowl, toss sun-dried tomatoes and raisins with the pine nut mixture. Add cinnamon, allspice and cumin.
5 Place one tablespoon of the filling center of a collard leaf. Fold bottom of leaf over the filling. Fold sides and roll into a cigar shape.
I hate being broke (especially around the holidays, can I get an Amen). More than being broke I hate arguing with my husband about being broke. A national survey released in February of this year stated 37 percent of couples fight about money. No surprise to me.
But it’s not like I’m purchasing the newest juicy jumpsuit or a acquiring the D&G purse, (although it is very pretty).
I am practical in my spending. The bulk of the money goes to food and kitchen gadgets.
Awhile ago we bickered about the amount of money I spend on produce and springform pans (my fetish). Silly, right?
The details of the argument isn’t as important as that fact that it is like detoxing it brings up past issues and hurts and such, totally unrelated to the disagreement at hand.
In our case, the quarrel really was about me not doing the laundry often enough or him not putting the toilet seat down again. I forget which.
To resolve the issues, I promised to do laundry once in awhile; he guaranteed the lid will descend after his potty sessions. The making up was very nice and I received a gift to get over the hurt feelings.
“It’s quinoa” “Keen-who,” I asked?
“Q-U-I-N-O-A. It’s a grain,” he explained.
And not just any grain. Once considered "the gold of the Incas," quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is an amino acid-rich seed that has a slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when sprouted. Speaking of sprouting. It takes these tiny guys 6-8 hours to sprout, sometimes less. You can’t beat that.
Sprouting quinoa: 1. Wash 1 cup quinoa with water very thoroughly to get rid of an unpleasant-tasting saponin on the seed coat. 2. Soak 2-4 hours in a jar. 3. Drain. Rinse well with water before sprouting 6-8 hours.*
The strong flavor of the quinoa can be unpleasant. To counteract this I soak mine in a mixture of 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar and 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu. yields approximately 1 -1/2-2 cups sprouted quinoa*This time can vary. I sprouted quinoa on four separate occasions and they all sprouted at different times. Once a batch sprouted while it was still soaking. They remind me of a bulgur or rice. Once rice came to mind an Asian creation wasn’t far behind. After scanning the frig and silently praying to the GE appliance for some usable ingredients, it delivered: mushrooms, broccoli, red onion and walnuts. Score!
Searching the refrigerator is a huge step for me, usually I just write a list and go to the store, but, we just argued about being broke so that wasn’t an option. I decided to marinate the ingredients separately in their own special sauces to create more of a vegetable bowl, but this dish also lends itself well to a stir-fry.
So from being broke, to fighting about it, to detoxing, to laundry, to making up, to a grain worth its weight in gold, to scanning the frig, to a vegetable bowl gift for my husband to say I’m sorry. Here we are. Enjoy!
Vegetable Bowl with Quinoa BROCCOLI MIXTURE 3 cups broccoli 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon raw agave nectar
MUSHROOM MIXTURE4 cups sliced mushrooms¼ cup Nama Shoyu½ cup apple cider vinegar2 tablespoon olive oil RED ONION MIXTURE
½ red onion, sliced into thin strips ½ lime, juiced 1 teaspoon sea salt
WALNUT MIXTURE 1 cup soaked walnuts 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar ¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 cups sprouted quinoa 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ tablespoon Nama Shoyu
1 BROCCOLI MIXTURE: Marinate the broccoli in the apple cider vinegar, raw agave nectar, sea salt and red pepper flakes for 2-3 hours or until broccoli breaks down a bit. 2 MUSHROOM MIXTURE: Place ingredients in bowl and marinate in for 2 hours.
3 RED ONION MIXTURE: Marinate the onions in the lime juice and sea salt for an hour.
4 WALNUT MIXTURE: Marinate the walnuts in the raw agave nectar and sea salt for an hour.
5 Toss quinoa with apple cider vinegar, Nama Shoyu and sea salt until well coated.
With the Great Sweetener Debate (mainly not raw agave nectar) in full swing, I thought I would weigh in where I could. And what better way to start than a product that's not raw. Didn't think I would go there, did you?
But check this out, in all seriousness. Whatever foods you choose to consume should be your business and yours alone. The recipes showcased on The Daily Raw Blog are what I eat personally and I want to share. I may not use all raw products, but that's okay, you can choose raw substitutions to match your needs. On the products that aren't of a raw nature, I want to provide you with as much information (based on my understanding of them) as possible so you can make your own decision.
As far raw sweeteners go, there were a couple of great posts I have read over the last year or so that have done a beautiful job on the subject. I honestly don't feel I can add more to the topic.
Agave Nectar — To Use Or Not To Use — Kristen Suzanne sweet possibilities: the lowdown on raw sweeteners — Bitt of Raw List of Raw Sweeteners — RawInfo.com Guide to Raw-Friendly Sugar-Free Sweeteners — Raw Food, Right Now!
On to NuNaturals. I recently had the opportunity to try out NuNaturals Stevia products and create some pretty tasty recipes.
NuNaturals’ NuStevia products provide several forms of stevia extracts in liquid and powder form. It contains zero calories and has a low glycemic index so it doesn't effect blood sugar levels, making it safe for diabetics.
Like stevia, a little goes a long way when it comes to NuStevia. In some of the components of the recipes, I used the bare minimum of extract (20 drops from a convenient dropper) and I still received a sweet dish. There was no strange aftertaste or smell, as a matter of fact, it brought out the natural flavors of the ingredients, only enhancing the recipe.
Pure Liquid™ Alcohol Free Stevia™ Size: 2 fl oz Price: $14.15 Ingredients: Water, vegetable glycerine and natural flavors Sweetness: 6 drops = 1 teaspoon sugar
Pure Liquid™ Cocoa Bean Extract Size: 2 fl oz Price: $13.99 Ingredients: Water, 20% pure grain alcohol, vegetable glycerine, NuStevia Stevia extract and natural flavors
Pure Liquid™ Lo Han Supreme™ Size: 2 fl oz Price: $17.99 Ingredients: Water, 20% pure grain alcohol, vegetable glycerine, NuStevia Stevia extract
Luohan guo (or Luo han guo) is a fruit from China and Northern Thailand, traditionally used in medicine and as a sweetener. The fruit extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar. According to Wikipedia, "The sweet taste of luohan guo comes mainly from the mogrosides, a group of Triterpene-Glycosides that make up approximately 1% of the flesh of the fresh fruit." NuNaturals is certified to contain a minimum 80% of the mogrosides in its Lo Han Supreme extract.
Cheesecakes! I have stated for the record that my favorite dessert is cheesecake. In the April/May 2010 of Fine Cooking there was a beautiful spread on cheesecakes complete with 18 variations. A few of which I have garnered inspiration.
Chocolate Cheesecake CRUST 2 cups walnuts, unsoaked ¼ teaspoon sea salt ¼ cup organic cocoa or carob powder 20 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract 1 cup dates, pitted, unsoaked
Process nuts, and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add powder, extract and dates. Continue to process until well-incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.
FILLING 3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour to soften 1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons) ½ cup organic cocoa or carob powder ¼ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Cocoa Bean Extract ½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste
Mix cashews and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Add powder, extract and stevia. Continue to blend, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. Make sure filling has no lumps.
Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.
TOPPING ¼ cup Cacao Nibs Sprinkle cacao nibs on top of the cheesecake. When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving.
Toss ingredients in a bowl. Spread mixture on mesh dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12-24 hours or until dry and slightly crunchy.
*Alternately, top cheesecake with slivers of fresh ginger.
CRUST 2 cups walnuts 1-inch piece ginger, peeled ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes ¼ teaspoon sea salt 20 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Lo Han Supreme™ 1 cups dates, pitted, unsoaked
Process nuts, ginger, coconut flakes and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add extract and dates. Continue to process until incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.
FILLING 3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour 1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons) 2 ripe Mangos, peeled 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger ½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Lo Han Supreme™ ½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste Mix cashews and lemon juice in blinder; process until smooth and creamy. Add mango, ginger, Lo Han and stevia. Continue to blend, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. Make sure filling has no lumps.
Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.
When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Top a few slivers of crystallized ginger on top of each slice. Let the slices set at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving.
Mint Chocolate Cheesecake CRUST 2 cups walnuts ¼ cup organic cocoa or carob powder ¼ teaspoon sea salt 20 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract 1 cup dates, pitted, unsoaked
Process nuts, and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add powder, extract and dates. Continue to process until incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.
FILLING 3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour 1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons) 1 cup loosely packed chocolate mint leaves, coarsely chopped ¼ teaspoon NuNaturals Cocoa Bean Extract ½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste
Mix cashews and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Add mint, extract and stevia. Continue to blend until all the mint is processed to tiny specks, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. The cheesecake should have a light green hue. Make sure filling has no lumps.
Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.
TOPPING Chocolate Glaze ¼ cup water ¼ cup maple syrup (not a raw product) ½ cup cocoa powder 2 tablespoons coconut butter
Combine ingredients in the blender until well combined. Pour the glaze on top of the cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the freezer for an hour or until the glaze hardens.
When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving.
Blueberry Cheesecake TOPPING ¼ cup blueberries 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Toss ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
CRUST 2 cups walnuts ½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon sea salt 1 cup dates, pitted, unsoaked
Process nuts, and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add extract and dates. Continue to process until incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.
FILLING 3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour 1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons) 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract ½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste
Mix cashews and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Add blueberries, extract and stevia. Blend until blueberries are incorporated, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. The cheesecake should have a pretty purple hue. Make sure filling has no lumps.
Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.
When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving. Arrange blueberry topping on the cheesecake slices.
NOTE: One cheesecake recipe makes approximately 48 mini cheesecakes.
Thanks very much to the hundreds of people who came out today to my cooking demo at the Boston Vegetarian Society Food Festival! 400 samples of the recipes I cooked today were prepared, but we ran out faster than expected. Apologies to all who were not able to try a sample of what was made today. For those who missed a copy of the chickpea polenta recipes, and for all of those who could not be there with us today, I am posting it below along with a link to the olive oil cake recipe that was also demoed today.
Among the many reasons to love this dish are its elegance and relative simplicity to make, the rich creaminess of a custardy polenta made with chickpea flour, just like the Romans did it hundreds of years ago, and the flavorful, multi-textured bite of mushroom with a light crunch of leek. Serve with sautéed greens or a salad for a complete and beautiful dinner. The cool autumn months when locally foraged mushrooms are available and winter leeks are thriving is the perfect time to prepare this dish.
Look for chickpea flour in health food stores, ethnic food sections or Italian or Indian markets. In Indian markets, this flour is sometimes called chana flour, gram flour or besan. They are all made from chana dal, a cousin of chickpea. Though there are slight variations in texture and flavor, they are perfect substitutes for one another.
Ingredients:
4 cups cold vegetable broth
1 ½ cup chickpea flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup dry white wine (recommend Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 large or 4 small leeks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces (about 2 cups) sliced wild mushrooms (miattake, chicken of the woods, chanterelle, oyster, morel, porcini, or other)
8 ounces (about 2 cups) sliced domestic mushrooms (cremini, white button, etc.)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Prepare:
Oil a 9” springform cake pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a food processor or blender, blend the vegetable broth and chickpea flour until well combined and frothy. Leave food processor work bowl or blender carafe attached to base unit.
In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until garlic is golden and crisp. Pour white wine into pan and stir to scrape up any bits of garlic clinging to pan. Briefly pulse the chickpea-broth mixture before pouring into saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to medium-low. Stir frequently and vigorously for 10 minutes. Add sea salt, nutmeg and parsley. Mix well to combine.
Pour polenta into oiled pan, brush the top with olive oil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden and lightly crisped.
Leeks:
Clean leeks and slice into very thin pieces, 2-3 inches in length.
Place olive oil in a skillet and toss the leeks in it. Sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until leeks have wilted. Transfer to an 8x11 baking pan and place in the oven. Stir every 5 minutes through baking time and continue to bake about 20 minutes or until leeks have browned and lightly crisped.
Mushrooms:
Using the skillet in which the leeks were wilted, heat olive oil over a high flame. Add mushrooms and toss with oil. Cook about 4 minutes or until mushrooms have softened slightly. Add wine, salt, nutmeg, white pepper and stir well to combine. Cook about 2 more minutes or until mushrooms are softened and well coated in spices. Add parsley and combine before turning off heat.
To serve:
Allow baked chickpea polenta to cool at room temperature about 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan and releasing the springform. Cut into wedges and place on a plate. Top with mushrooms and finish each wedge with a generous pile of crisp leeks.
Recipe for the olive oil cake with orange macedonia and cocoa nibs may be found at American Feast.
The Gourmet series of the Living Light Institute includes Ethnic Flavors Cuisine, RawFusion Spa Cuisine and Raw Event Catering. Both Ethnic and RawFusion are recipe development courses. Which means for two weeks each student writes a recipe based on a theme (Latin American) and a food availability list. The next day we vote to see what recipes are chosen to create a 5-course menu (with a side) for that day and we break into teams to prepare the dishes. On Today's menu
Real Japanese Taste Appetizer
Thai Coconut Vegetable Noodle Soup *
Cabbage Salad with tart Vinaigrette
Indian Vegetable Crunchy and Meaty Curry
Coco-no-no Pot Stickers
Lemongrass and Lime-zest Granita
*My team creation based on three coconut soup recipes
Have I mentioned how wonderful and supportive the raw community is in Denver. I attended a rawluck on Saturday and I was at another last night. And I tell you what, Denver is building something special. I haven't had such a stimulating, exciting evening in quite a while. Thank you Loriel, Soleil, Mila, Rachel and CJ for the lively conversation.
Of yeah, the food looked great too. My contribution was Lentil Patties with Coconut Peanut Sauce, but alas, I won't share the recipe until next week. Please forgive.
Today I present my dish from Saturday's rawluck. The tapenade and vegetable dip works perfectly with crudites and flax crackers.
There's many a day where I'll whip up the dip and chop some veggies for the littles to eat for lunch.
Olive Tapenade Yield: 2 cups 1 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped ½ cup Green Olives, roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings 1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) 1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 Combine olives, garlic and Italian Seasoning in a bowl. 2 Add red wine vinegar and olive oil. Gently toss. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to marinate. Overnight is best.
Vegetable Dip Yield: 2 cups 1 celery stalk, finely diced ¼ onion, finely diced ½ carrot, shredded¼ teaspoon sea salt ½ garlic powder 1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours ½ cup water, or more as needed Juice of one lemon
1 Toss celery, onion and carrots in a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. 2 Place cashews, lemon juice and water in a blender. Process until cashews are very creamy, add more water if needed.
3 Combine cashew cream and vegetables. Chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
I would like to pass along my Inspirational Blogger Award to Rediscover Raw Foods. She is a honest, straight forward lady. As for the other four? They will have to wait I'm going to bed.
Are you cool as a cucumber (botantically a fruit but it's okay for this survey)? Do you like to hang close to the ground like an eggplant or do you swim with the fishes like seaweed? My question to you if you so choose to answer is.... "If you were to be a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?"
It started simple enough. Jonathan Weber’s Spicy seed mix (p. 117) transformed from thick, soggy glob to a very crunchy, seasoned snack, in a relatively short amount of time. The spices were on point, Man on the Raw thought the nibbles was just spicy enough without overpowering the taste buds.
Beware of John Larsen's Tasty Sea snacks (p. 117). I found a half of cup of Nama Shoyu a bit too generous, causing it to be to salty. Although, Man on the Raw enjoyed the flavor, he suggested I tone down the Nama Shoyu, if I were going to take a batch to an Oscar party I was attending. On a second batch, I decreased the amount of Nama Shoyu to one-fourth of a cup, made them bite-size and was off. Ha, ha happy ending.
This is the point where happy endings turn sour and my mild obsessive tendencies came to surface.
The story actually begins on February 19th, when I came across some incredible Raw Zucchini Chips featured on the blog Green and Crunchy. They were beautiful, crispy, crunchy little discs. By far a perfect substitution for Lays or Pringles any day.
Life moved forward, as it does so often, and I quickly forgot about the little bits of heaven, at least until I saw Bitt of Raw’s posting of Zucchini Chips and her cute dog eating raw zucchini. Adorable.
Zucchini chips were not going away any time soon, thus the seeds of my obsession was firmly planted in my brain.
I went to The Complete Book of Raw Food, you know my endeavor and all, searching for a recipe comparable to what I had read on the blogs. I found what I was seeking on page 178, Shazzie’s recipe for Curly Crisps.
On the surface, everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. I had a cool hand-held mandoline, a few small zucchini, a beet and a couple of plump, light green, stubby things called Mexican Squash.
Using my cool, hand-held mandoline, I sliced the vegetables into thin rounds, a shy away from being paper thin, but not quite. I choose a variety of basic seasonings, including garlic, onion, wasabi and barbecue powders, nothing too spectacular or out of the ordinary. Well maybe the wasabi, but I digress.
My first batch, I placed in the dehydrator for 115 degrees for about 12 hours. The edges of my produce curled, taking on a slight crispiness, but nothing compared to potato chips. The middle of the vegetable discs were something less to be desired. They were soft and pliable, resembling nothing like a chip.
I popped them back in the dehydrator for another few hours.
Nothing changed, except the size of my zucchini chips, they shrank.
This whole process continued over the course of a week. Attempting varying sizes and thinness of different root vegetables, with Teflex sheet, without Teflex sheet, with salt, without salt, with oil, without oil. Good, eatable food was thrown in the compost bucket because they weren't crisp enough.
I was relentless, Man on the Raw was impatient with my compulsive, slightly psychotic behavior.
But I couldn’t help it. I wanted a crispy, crunchy chip and I was bound and determined to create one.
Finally, I received a reprieve.
I had a promising batch of zucchini and beet chips on Sunday. They came from the dehydrator after 30 hours at 115 degrees and they were actually a good, crunchy consistency. Success, the girls enjoyed them and I finally had something the Man on the Raw could give his seal of approval on and he wouldn’t have to send me away to a psych ward. That was the case, until the girls ate most of them and the ones that remained were left uncovered and I suppose the moisture from the Colorado air (yeah, right), turned them back to a soft, pliable chip taking on the texture of a mildly waterlogged potato chip.
Of course, when Man on the Raw came home after an exhausting evening of work, he wasn’t in the correct frame of mind to believe me when I told him my chips were crispy at one point in their life.
He just kind of heaved a sigh and his chin sank to the ground.
I bite down on the side of my lip and quickly promised I wouldn’t attempt another batch of vegetable chips until I ended my juice feast and I was able to taste test them myself.
Recipes number 56-58 of The Complete Raw Food Endeavor.
Silence across the phone line, my sister has abandoned me.
“I’m starting a 92-day juice feast.”
“I heard you, why are you fasting?"
I explained to her that I’m not fasting but I’m going to feast daily on 1,200-1,500 calories of fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
“Why?”
I told her about the video I saw of Angela Stokes. She is a raw foodist from the UK who embarked on the feast created by David Rain. The video focused on Angela’s first solid food after completing her 92 days.
My sister listened quietly as I went on and on about how Angela’s skin glowed and her crystal-clear blue eyes reflected the clarity she spoke of acquiring during this fascinating journey.
In that 8 minute and 36 second video, she simplified the world for me. She gave me hope that life could be as simple as she stated and dare I say that I could acquire the peace that my sister and I beg for on a daily basis.
Forget that we have seven children between us, we still wanted peace.
“You want blue eyes that reflect?”
“By juicing you remove the fiber from foods, thus your body can absorb and assimilate the nutrients quicker.”
“What?”
I spent the next few minutes explaining that my body, particularly my digestive system, was going on a three-month vacation. With nothing to digest but liquids, my body could concentrate on cleaning matter out of my colon and small intestine. Decades of eating cooked foods will hopefully come out and I’ll be able to start fresh with a clean body.
As Angela puts it in her e-book, “The aims of Juice Feasting are to: Cleanse, Rebuild, Rehydrate and Alkalise.”
The beautiful Wendi Dee from Pure Jeeven has kicked off February's Daily Raw Blog recipe challenge with "Easy To Swallow Veggie Soup," a delicious-looking vegetable soup. For the recipe visit here. Thank you very much Wendi Dee for submitting your soup, you are truly rawsome. To everyone else keep it coming! For the details of the Daily Raw Blog recipe challenge visit here.
Other blog news. I have passed along my Creative Blogger Award to Paulina of Veggie Delight. She is our future in raw and vegan cuisine and I wanted to acknowledge the talent that this 16-year-old possesses. Keep up the great work Paulina!
Image by Cool Text: Free Logos and Buttons — Create An Image Just Like This It's been nearly three years since I offered up a holiday guide, I promise not to wait another three years for the next one. I forgot how fun it is to share my picks for the gift-giving season.
Here are some holiday gift suggestions to give to that rawsome person in your life.
If you have more gift ideas please share in the comments box below.
World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer, $33
Recycled Bamboo Utensil Kit, $19.99
Reusable shopping bags from Waste-Less Bags, 3 bags and a pouch, $14.99 or a single bag $4.95
Cashew Creamery, Choose-Your-own Flavor, including vanilla, mango, cappuccino, mint cacao chip, chocolate and more. 12 Pack, $125.04 wheatgrasskits.com The Gift of Education
Associate Chef and Instructor, Gourmet Chef and Pro Chef programs available at Living Light Culinary Institute. Classes begin January 8 and continue throughout the 2011. Register for a complete Chef Training Series and save 10-15% on tuition.
105degrees Academy offers Fundamentals of Raw Cuisine and Advanced of Raw Cuisine chef certifications.
Raw Prep & Raw Chef Mastery programs taught by Raw Chef Dan of Quintessence Restaurant
Creative Health Institute hosts Raw Living Chef certification programs.
The Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute teaches Dr. Ann Wigmore's Living Food Lifestyle through one- and two- week educational programs in the Living Food Lifestyle.
Cousin's Incredible Vitality presents the Raw Gourmets International, the Raw Culinary Art and Hospitality Institute. THE GIFT OF DETOX
The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center hosts an array of programs including Detoxing and Juice Fasting, Spiritual Restreats, Vegan Spirit Vacations and more.
During the Opitimal Health Institute's Holistic Healing Program, participants cleanse and nourish the body with diet, fasting, and exercise; quiet and focus the mind with journaling and meditation; and renew and awaken the spirit with study, prayer and celebration.
Tanglewood Wellness Center offers upervised fasting programs.
Needak Non-Folding Soft Bounce Rebounder, $272
The Organic Wheatgrass Growing Kit, $32.95
THE GIFT OF BOOKS
Ani's Raw Food Essentials: Recipes and Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food, by Ani Phyo, $18.45
Everyday Raw Desserts (Raw Food) by Jo Cook, $12.90
Raw Food for Everyone: Essential Techniques and 300 Simple-to-Sophisticated Recipes, by Alissa Cohen with Leah J. Dubois, $23.10 DVDs
Raw Food for Real People — Three-part series offers easy-to-prepare, delicious raw food for a healthier diet. $39.99.
The Best of New Holiday Traditions, computer DVD, includes 16 raw vegan culinary demonstrations plus a bonus DVD with 9 additional demonstrations and an Adobe PDF file with all of the recipes in writing. $195
Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days, $29.95 STOCKING STUFFERS
Raw Food World Gift Certificates, starting at $10.
One Lucky Duck Gift Cards can be used online at OneLuckyDuck.com; at Pure Food and Wine Restaurant; and at One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway in Gramercy Park.
Stainless Steel Tongue Cleaner, $7
Blackbird Naturals Truffles, 10 Truffles pack $20
Raw Beauty 2011 Calendar, $16.99
Mila, the Miracle Seed, has the highest combination of Omega-3 fatty acids and phytonutrients of any source on the planet. It is gluten-free, sugar-free and high in fiber and protein. 1-pound bag, $55
Glass Dharma Straw, $9
Raw-luxe 3-piece Face Kit, by Carol Alt's Raw Essentials Skin Care line, $48.50 * The products and services included in The Daily Raw Blog Holiday Gift Guide are selected solely at the discretion of The Daily Raw Blog owner. Links to retailer sites are provided as a convenience for readers of josculinary.com and do not represent an endorsement of any store or brand.
Like the cooked version, this lasagna is all about the layers.
Lasagna noodles 2 large zucchini, peeled Pinch of sea salt
Cut the zucchini crosswise in half. Use a vegetable peeler and thinly slice each half of zucchini lengthwise. Place zucchini noodles on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside.
Marinated Mushroom and Yellow Peppers 3 cups sliced mushrooms 1 yellow pepper, diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon raw agave nectar ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings ½ teaspoon sea salt
Toss mushrooms and yellow pepper with olive oil, agave nectar, Italian seasonings and sea salt. Let marinate for 2 hours.
Chunky Marinara Sauce 2 ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour to soften, reserve soaking water 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded, roughly chopped 4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour to soften 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ onion, roughly chopped 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon pepper
Combine dates Roma tomatoes, garlic, onion, Italian seasonings and olive oil in a blender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, using soaking water to get the blender going. Puree until you reach a chunky consistency. Add sea salt and pepper.
Creamy Spinach Ricotta 2 cups fresh spinach 1 cup pine nuts, soaked for 1 hour Juice of one lemon 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon sea salt
In a blender, grate the spinach until it’s reduced to small pieces. Add pine nuts, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and sea salt. If needed, gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to create a slightly creamy texture.
To assemble: In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, layer 1/3 of the zucchini noodles, 1/3 of the marinara sauce, 1/3 of the marinated mushroom and yellow peppers and 1/3 of the creamy spinach ricotta. Repeat layers until noodles are gone. Top with marinara sauce. Serves 6.
Here are some photos from The Denver Living and Raw Food Cafe rawluck I attended yesterday.
Kale Salad I made a platter of crudites with three different flavors of flax crackers, olive tapenade and
vegetable dip. I will share the recipes for the platter sometime next week. As you can see there were a variety of raw dishes at Saturday's rawluck, it was amazing! Fettuccine Alfredo
Blondies
Stuffed peppers with Cashew/Macadamia nut cream and avocado
Fruit Salad
Apple with chocolate
I am attending a second rawluck on Tuesday so there will be even more tasty treats to share!
What do you blog about when your stepson has come to live with you and you won't be talking about your Vegetable Bowl with Quinoa? Your children drinking coconut water out of coconuts of course.
This is a handy gadget called a Pipe Knife or Coconut Pipe Knife. You push the sharp edge into the coconut and pull out and Voila! you have a straw-size hole.
My friend Scott of Raw Denver got it at an Asian Market in Denver. I tried searching the internet for places to buy it with no luck. If any one out there has any information about it let me know.
Although the Cyber Celebration is Thursday and Friday, today is the official anniversary date of The Daily Raw Blog. It was three years ago today that I first placed fingertips to keyboard to lay document in the blogosphere.
Please enjoy this blast-from-the past as I revisit May 25, 2007.
Happy Anniversary Daily Raw Blog!
It started with a Feast. “I’m going on a 92-day juice feast.”
Silence across the phone line, my sister has abandoned me.
“I’m starting a 92-day juice feast.”
“I heard you, why are you fasting?"
I explained to her that I’m not fasting but I’m going to feast daily on 1,200-1,500 calories of fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
“Why?”
I told her about the video I saw of Angela Stokes. She is a raw foodist from the UK who embarked on the feast created by David Rain. The video focused on Angela’s first solid food after completing her 92 days.
My sister listened quietly as I went on and on about how Angela’s skin glowed and her crystal-clear blue eyes reflected the clarity she spoke of acquiring during this fascinating journey.
In that 8 minute and 36 second video, she simplified the world for me. She gave me hope that life could be as simple as she stated and dare I say that I could acquire the peace that my sister and I beg for on a daily basis.
Forget that we have seven children between us, we still wanted peace.
“You want blue eyes that reflect?”
“By juicing you remove the fiber from foods, thus your body can absorb and assimilate the nutrients quicker.”
“What?”
I spent the next few minutes explaining that my body, particularly my digestive system, was going on a three-month vacation. With nothing to digest but liquids, my body could concentrate on cleaning matter out of my colon and small intestine. Decades of eating cooked foods will hopefully come out and I’ll be able to start fresh with a clean body.
As Angela puts it in her e-book, “The aims of Juice Feasting are to: Cleanse, Rebuild, Rehydrate and Alkalise.”
10:15 a.m. Smoothie (ingredients listed above) at my work
11:30 a.m. Mila and water with celery at work11:45 a.m. celery at my desk
2:23 p.m. Mixed greens with food prepared by the Associate Chef students — Vegetable Teriyaki Stirred Not Fried, Pineapple Skewers, Sesame Sea Palm Salad, Asian Slaw, Seaweed crackers
3:35 p.m. Chocolate Cheesecake3:59 p.m. Raw Chocolate at work
6:36 p.m. Granny Smith apple and date paste at home
StellaRoseFoundation left a message on Garden Vegetable Linguine with Spicy Tomato Sauce post.
StellaRoseFoundation asks "what do you use to get your vegis to look like noodles. I bought a spiralizer but either can't use it properly or have the wrong tool.. HELP"
StellaRoseFoundation, I used the Spirooli Spiral Slicer to create those noodles.
I don't have many of my raw kitchen gadgets with me (this one included) or I would totally do a detailed video explaining it all. But I'll do you one better. Check out Living Light's newsletter from March of 2010; it has a video link to Cherie Soria demonstrating the various equipment that create noodles.
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