Eating an all raw diet, at least for me, is a great mood booster. When the bulk of what you eat is fresh fruits & veggies, it's hard to feel guilty about over-eating. Being well-hydrated and aware of your hunger is like operating with a post-spa-week clear head. I think it's even been helping with my (self-diagnosed) PMDD.
But there are times...times when it seems like every thirsty co-ed has waited until the shift change to buy their booze...when you hoss 30 cases of Natty into the back of some frat house party wagon and the driver doesn't bother to help or tip...when despite the planning and preparation, your lesson plan falls flat and you end up teaching to twenty sets of blank, staring eyes...when Roomie totals the front of Frankenstein (the van) for the third-ish time this year...
These are the times when, good mood or no, an alcoholic beverage is most emphatically in order. When life deals you a crummy hand, bluff like hell and signal the waitress for another drink.
Now, technically, most alcohol is not raw; hops have to be boiled for beer, potatoes/grains for vodka, sugarcane for rum, corn/rye for whiskey. Wine for the most part is raw, though it may not always be vegan (isinglass and all that). However, as an egotistical raw vegan, I make my own rules. And alcohol is in.
There are ways, though, to make alcohol less detrimental to your health. Lighter colored liqueurs are easier for your body to process; the more times something has been distilled, the less impurities, the less likely a hangover. Natural sugars rather than fake-chemically sodas. Things like fresh herbs can also up the "raw-factor."
Here are a few of my recent "rawktail" (patent pending) experiments.
Raw-jito (adapted from Raw Food, Real World)
In a shaker or large glass, muddle the following:
1 handfull mint leaves
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbs agave syrup
Add to the shaker:
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/2 - 3/4 cup sake
Shake well and strain into two large martini glasses. Top each with champagne or sparkling wine (however sweet you like it, I used Veuve Orange label) and serve. Note that the sweeter the champagne, the less agave you will probably need. Use lemon instead of lime, gin and soda water instead of sake and champagne and you've got a classic Southside Cocktail.
The warmer it is outside the more of these you will drink. I invested in a martini pitcher last summer and this recipe doubled/tripled fills it quite nicely. And the lack of sugar-dense dark rum makes it possible to drink the whole pitcher and still be at the pool at 7 the next morning.
Sweet Basil Lemonade (patent pending)
In a large glass or shaker muddle the following:
1 handful of basil leaves
1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbs agave syrup
Add to the shaker and shake very well:
up to 4 shots of good vodka. I like Chopin, but Grey Goose is alright.
1/2 cup ice cubes
Divide the drink between champagne or wine glasses (depending on how large a drink you want to drink) and top with a sweet champagne or sparkling wine (I like Mondoro Asti).
Like the Raw-jito, this is a green and fruity drink that's wonderful to sip on a hot, summer porch. This is also a quick and (relatively) painless way to drink 5 shots of vodka. I was a bit fuzzy for the first mile of my morning-after run, but nothing lingering.
Cuke-Gin Tonic
In a shaker, muddle:
1/4 - 1/2 cup of cucumber, diced and seeded. Leave some of the skin on to give the drink a nice green look to it.
1/2 tbs agave syrup
at least 4 shots of Blue Gin, Tanqueray Ten, Hendrick's, or some other top-shelf gin.
Strain into two highball glasses filled halfway with ice. Top with very cold tonic water.
Santa's Little Helper
Juice two pink grapefruits. If you have a high-powered juicer, do not take the rind off the fruit. Just cut it into quarters and juice it through. The skin adds extra antioxidants and a nice bitter layer to the sweetness of the drink.
In a shaker muddle:
1 small handful of mint leaves
1/4 cup lime juice
scant 1/2 tbs agave syrup
Add to the shaker and then shake well:
1/2 cup ice
4 shots of gin
Divide the mix between two large, ice-filled tumblers. Top with equal parts of the grapefruit juice and club soda. The fresh juice really makes this drink. Don't use store-bought if you can help it. If time constraints force you to, leave out the agave. The drink is way too sweet otherwise.
***
So there you go kids; a few raw libations to slake your thirst in the coming summer months. Remember: the fresher ingredients the less likely you'll leave your bed on your hands and knees the next morning. Should that happen, however, there's nothing like a little toupe of the (veggie) dog to set you right. Omit the alcohol in any of these recipes in favor of sparkling water, kombucha, rejuvelac, coconut water (or any combination thereof) for a refreshing, hydrating, hangover blocker.
Cheers!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Smooth Operator
Smoothies are a lot like sex. Often cold, usually sweet; sometimes creamy, sometimes fruity; sticky and melty; and most definitely best when shared.
Don't over-think this comparison. Just enjoy the following smoothie suggestions. By yourself or with a significant someone - I won't judge. Unless otherwise noted, just mix everything in your blender until very smooth. Note that these recipes make 3-4 cups of smoothie. Perfect for sharing.
Tropic Tingler
2 cups mango
1 cup pineapple
1 frozen or fresh banana
1 cup macadamia milk (or half coconut water, half macmilk)
1 tsp of vanilla (optional)
1 pkg Stevia (optional)
Red Hot Love
2 cup strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 fresh/frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
1 tbs honey
Up All Night (so named because it looks a bit like a sunrise)
2 cups pineapple
1 frozen banana
1 medium/large orange, peeled
1 1/2 cup brazil nut milk
1 cup blueberries
1 pkg Stevia (optional)
Blend the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Pour half out, divided between two glasses. Add the blueberries and the sweetener (if using) to the remaining mix and blend. Float the blueberry mixture over the pineapple one (use the back of a large spoon to facilitate the floating) and serve.
Sticky Fingers
1 1/2 cup almond milk
3 tbs almond butter
1 frozen banana
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs cocoa/carob powder (or more to taste)
Blend everything but 1/2 cup of the milk on high until well mixed. Add the last half cup as needed to thin the mixture and facilitate blending.
Orange You Glad You Came
1 cup almond milk
2 large oranges, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1 small banana, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp vanilla
Peach? I Could Eat a Peach for Hours
1 cup macadamia milk
2-3 ripe peaches
1 small frozen banana
1/2 cup blackberries (optional)
1 tbs raw honey (optional)
Note: if you add the blackberries this is called 'A Peach After Dark.' You can mix it all together or halve and float it like the 'Up All Night.'
The Morning After
1 cup cranberry juice
1 lime, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1 orange, peeled
1 small banana, frozen -or- a handful of ice and a shot of Chopin vodka
The banana makes this creamier and sweeter, an 'I'll Call You Tomorrow...and I Really Mean It.' With the ice/vodka it's a 'Bear-Trap Buster,' that is to say, the perfect drink should you find yourself in the arms of someone who, like a bear trap, you might gnaw a limb off to escape.
Don't over-think this comparison. Just enjoy the following smoothie suggestions. By yourself or with a significant someone - I won't judge. Unless otherwise noted, just mix everything in your blender until very smooth. Note that these recipes make 3-4 cups of smoothie. Perfect for sharing.
Tropic Tingler
2 cups mango
1 cup pineapple
1 frozen or fresh banana
1 cup macadamia milk (or half coconut water, half macmilk)
1 tsp of vanilla (optional)
1 pkg Stevia (optional)
Red Hot Love
2 cup strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 fresh/frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
1 tbs honey
Up All Night (so named because it looks a bit like a sunrise)
2 cups pineapple
1 frozen banana
1 medium/large orange, peeled
1 1/2 cup brazil nut milk
1 cup blueberries
1 pkg Stevia (optional)
Blend the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Pour half out, divided between two glasses. Add the blueberries and the sweetener (if using) to the remaining mix and blend. Float the blueberry mixture over the pineapple one (use the back of a large spoon to facilitate the floating) and serve.
Sticky Fingers
1 1/2 cup almond milk
3 tbs almond butter
1 frozen banana
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs cocoa/carob powder (or more to taste)
Blend everything but 1/2 cup of the milk on high until well mixed. Add the last half cup as needed to thin the mixture and facilitate blending.
Orange You Glad You Came
1 cup almond milk
2 large oranges, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1 small banana, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp vanilla
Peach? I Could Eat a Peach for Hours
1 cup macadamia milk
2-3 ripe peaches
1 small frozen banana
1/2 cup blackberries (optional)
1 tbs raw honey (optional)
Note: if you add the blackberries this is called 'A Peach After Dark.' You can mix it all together or halve and float it like the 'Up All Night.'
The Morning After
1 cup cranberry juice
1 lime, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1 orange, peeled
1 small banana, frozen -or- a handful of ice and a shot of Chopin vodka
The banana makes this creamier and sweeter, an 'I'll Call You Tomorrow...and I Really Mean It.' With the ice/vodka it's a 'Bear-Trap Buster,' that is to say, the perfect drink should you find yourself in the arms of someone who, like a bear trap, you might gnaw a limb off to escape.
Remember kids, variety is the spice of life, so feel free to change up the ingredients and ratios to suit your tastes. Little additions like bee pollen, blue-green algae, and/or maca powder turn these sweet treats into stamina building power foods.
More stamina, more power - very smooth.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Go Soak Your Head
There are very few foods that you straight-up can't eat raw. Many of the "toxins" produced by plants like broccoli and alfalfa aren't deadly; rather, they are what wikipedia calls "defense against herbivores." Usually this is some kind of chemical that hinders digestion or messes with the nervous system, either of which is enough to keep a bird or herbivorous mammal at bay. Humans, however, are not so easily deterred. We and our opposable thumbs have figured out that cooking de-activates many of these toxins and that having your nervous system messed with (THC, nicotine, psilocybin) can actually be kinda fun.
What to do, though, when you don't cook your food (and you don't feel like walking around amazed by your own hands all day)? Soaking is the answer. Unlike cooking, which can leach away nutrients with its high temperatures, soaking breaks down the indigestibles while leaving the healthy stuff intact. Soaking also makes non-toxic grains softer, easier to chew, easier to blend with other spices and such.
Oats are a good place to start because they aren't toxic so there's no risk of accidental Death by Delicious (patent pending). Note, however, that rolled oats aren't raw. Most oats are steamed at high temperatures to make the rolling process easier. Them internets tell me that there are raw rolled oats out there, but not readily available. Oat groats are raw and steel-cut oats usually are, the latter being easier to find. All are great sources of fiber and protein but the more bran the better, so I used groats in this recipe.
I give the original measurements here, but after I soak the groats, I usually third or half them so I can blend different flavors. Also note that groats take a while to soak and soften. You can speed things up by using warm water (just not above 115F!). And if you like chunky/chewy oatmeal, you can soak for as little as 2 days. Squeeze the groats between your fingers to get an idea of how soft they are.
Groatmeal Porridge (adapted from Raw Food, Real World)
What to do, though, when you don't cook your food (and you don't feel like walking around amazed by your own hands all day)? Soaking is the answer. Unlike cooking, which can leach away nutrients with its high temperatures, soaking breaks down the indigestibles while leaving the healthy stuff intact. Soaking also makes non-toxic grains softer, easier to chew, easier to blend with other spices and such.
Oats are a good place to start because they aren't toxic so there's no risk of accidental Death by Delicious (patent pending). Note, however, that rolled oats aren't raw. Most oats are steamed at high temperatures to make the rolling process easier. Them internets tell me that there are raw rolled oats out there, but not readily available. Oat groats are raw and steel-cut oats usually are, the latter being easier to find. All are great sources of fiber and protein but the more bran the better, so I used groats in this recipe.
I give the original measurements here, but after I soak the groats, I usually third or half them so I can blend different flavors. Also note that groats take a while to soak and soften. You can speed things up by using warm water (just not above 115F!). And if you like chunky/chewy oatmeal, you can soak for as little as 2 days. Squeeze the groats between your fingers to get an idea of how soft they are.
Groatmeal Porridge (adapted from Raw Food, Real World)
3 cups oat groats, soaked 5 days (change the water at least once a day)
1 cup maple syrup
2 cups golden raisins
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups dark raisins (optional)
In a food processor/dry blade blender, pulse together everything except the dark raisins. Scrape the sides occasionally and mix until you get an oatmeal-like consistency. This can be as chunky or smooth as you'd like. Fold in the dark raisins and serve/refrigerate for up to a week.
There are numerous delicious variations on this recipe. Try using honey instead of maple syrup (though you only need a scant 3/4 cup - honey is very sweet). You can blend dark raisins and fold in the golden. Omit the non-blended raisins and fold in chopped walnuts or pecans. Use craisins instead of raisins. Fold in fresh bananas if you're going to eat it right away. Instead of plain ground cinnamon, try pumpkin pie spice or a mix of nutmeg/cloves/ginger or cocoa/carob powder. It is very hard to mess this recipe up.
Also delicious - dehydrating flattened globs of this mixture for 24 hours (12 on the teflex/parchment paper, 12 on slotted trays). They turn out the texture of chewy granola bars and boy, do they eat up nicely with a cold glass of brazil-nut milk.
***
Another good "grain" to soak is buckwheat. Buckwheat is not wheat or any other kind of grain, rather it is an edible fruit seed similar to a sunflower seed. It contains all kinds of healthy-type-bits that can strengthen capillary walls and help treat PCOS among other things. Buckwheat also contains mucilage which means that, like flax seed, soaked buckwheat creates a Goo! particularly beneficial for soaking and dehydrating. Despite Raw Food, Real World's assurance that this recipe would create crispy cereal bits, my final result was closer to chewy granola bars - kind of like a cereal Fruit Roll-Up. Delicious? Yes. Crispy? No. I blame my POS dehydrator and not my mad kitchen skillz.
Buckwheaties Cereal-Type Snack Chews
2 cups buckwheat groats (not kasha/kashi, which is toasted buckwheat), soaked for at least 3 hours
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 packets Stevia (I only used one though. I like sweet, but not that sweet)
2 tsp sea salt
Drain and rinse the buckwheat. In a food processor/dry blade blender, mix up all the ingredients until they resemble a soupy oatmeal. Spread onto teflex/parchment paper and dehydrate until the top is dry to the touch and they peel away from the dehydrator sheets. (Note: this never really happened for me. I ended up using a spatula to scrape the cereal stuff off and it just never really got crispy). Dry on slotted dehydrator trays until crispy (or, you know, whenever you want to eat them).
These are also very easy to change. Add two tablespoons of cocoa/carob powder instead of the cinnamon. Reduce the vanilla, add a little bit of almond extract, and replace the cinnamon with coarse- or fine-ground almond flour. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure you could throw some dried fruits in the mix as well. Because of the mucilage, it's not as easy to eat this non-dehydrated like you can the Groatmeal Porridge. However, if you like your breakfast foods a little Goo!-y then by all means, eat away!
Since I don't actually do a traditional breakfast meal (it's all green juice, raw fruit, and smoothies until about 3-4pm for me), I've been mostly eating these two recipes as desserts/late-night snacks. Especially the versions using cocoa powder. And despite how decadent they taste, these cereals are really, really good for you. Lots of fiber, vitamins, natural energy; no white sugar, no processed grains, no preservatives.
Even without all the poisons, though, these dishes have the power to boost your mood and alter your consciousness for the better.
You've been warned.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Sometimes a Beaver is Just a Beaver
I grew up in a town called Beaver Dam. Every summer, the town put on a week-long party called "Beaverfest." There were parades, games, historical things to visit, fair food & games, and most importantly t-shirts. "Get your t-shirts! T-shirts for sale! Show 'em where ya been by getting a t-shirt!" There was a contest of sorts for anyone who cared to enter, to decide the slogan/theme for the t-shirt and the festival. The two I remember (and the t-shirts I still have) are from 1989 and 1990.
"Yours & Mine, Beaverfest '89"
"Relax, Enjoy, and See the Best, 1990 Beaverfest"
In this post-Abercrombie&Fitch-designer-t-shirts-silk-screened-with-clever-double-entendres-nudge-nudge-wink-wink world that we live in, these shirts are worth their weights in gold. People rarely believe that such a fest actually exists, let alone that I attended such a gathering as a 6/7-year-old. I especially like wearing the latter to work at the liquor store. I get lots of knowing smiles; 'gentlemen' ask if I have personal knowledge of the 'best' beaver. It's a conversation piece if nothing else.
What does this have to do with raw foods/vegan baking? Well, I have been very busy. Beavers are busy. Ergo - Beaverfest.
And what have I been busy doing, you might ask? The two big 'S's' of raw food: soaking and sprouting. I've soaked nuts before (to make my Hero-worthy milks), but this is my first time soaking grains and seeds. I'm not sure if I've been text-book-ly successful with my sprouting, but everything is edible (read: I'm still alive and kicking) so I'm giving myself a 'W' and passing the recipes on to you.
The first thing I tried to sprout (as it was the only sproutable grain in my house at the time) was quinoa. Quinoa is a grain-like seed originally cultivated 6000 years ago by the Incas who considered it sacred because it could be grown at the high altitudes where they lived. Fun fact! I'm 1/4 or so Incan on my Dad's side. I don't speak Spanish (or Quechua) and I've unfortunately never been to Bolivia, but I'm always looking for ways to connect a little bit more with that part of my heritage. Even if it's only checking the 'Hispanic, non-white' box on a Scan-Tron form.
Anyway, as evidence of my cultural ignorance, when I first started using quinoa in my vegan cooking (it's awesome in chili), I pronounced it kwih-noah. This is wrong. Do not pronounce it this way. People will laugh at you in posh restaurants. It is most commonly pronounced keen-wah, with the accent on the first syllable. Men's Health's pronunciation guide in its recipe for turkey-quinoa pilaf taught me, now I'm teaching you.
To sprout quinoa, soak overnight in a bowl of water. Drain into a fine mesh colander draining over a bowl. Cover with a towel and let sit for at least 6 hours. Rinse once or twice. I let mine sit on the window sill draining and sprouting for almost 2 days and it was just fine. The nice thing about sprouting is the lack of work needed to do it succesfully.
Note that quinoa doesn't really sprout a tail or a leafy sprout like lentils or sunflower seeds. It just sort of opens up a little bit and gets chewy. Other than the recipe below, sprouted quinoa makes a great substitution for bulgur in tabouli salads.
Quinoa and Grape Salad (from Raw Food, Real World)
1 cup quinoa, soaked and sprouted
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups red or green grapes, halved or quartered
3 stalks of celery, finely sliced or diced
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 handful mint leaves, chopped
1 handful basil leaves, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
Mix the quinoa, lime juice, mirin, oil, and salt in a large bowl. Let sit for a while so the quinoa can absorb some of the flavor. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Add black pepper to taste and chopped raw cashews right before serving if desired. Without the cashew added (they get soggy if left to sit too long) this salad will keep for several days in the fridge. It travels well, (I took it to Philly in a cooler) and it works as a chunky dip for veggies.
This salad is high in protein (quinoa is about 17% protein), and resveratol (from the grape skins) which is a possible cancer fighter. Cilantro can help pull toxic metals out of your body, mint aids digestion, and basil is an antioxidant. Delicious and healthy. Muy bien.
Encouraged by my apparent success with quinoa, I decided to try sunflower seeds. Same basic process for sprouting: and over night soak, rinse and drain in a mesh colander, let sit for a while, rinsing occasionally. I let my sunflower seeds sprout on the windowsill for about 3 days. Some of them opened up and had little green leafy tails growing. Some did not. I think I had too many in the colander. Roomie said I was going to give myself hallucinations or tremors from eating fungus-fied grains. I replied that 1. sunflower seeds are not grains and 2. ergot only occurs on rye and plants like that. Still, his prediction weighed on my mind as I prepared to eat my sprouted sunflower seeds. They tasted pretty good on a salad - a little spicy and very green. And since I did not need treatment for St. Anthony's Fire, I figured the seeds were safe for other recipes.
Sunflower Pate (from Raw Foods for Busy People)
2 cups sprouted sunflower seeds
2 tbs. tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbs tamari
1 tbs cheater garlic
2 green onions, chopped
pinch of chipotle powder
1/2 cup water (for blending)
Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whip up until combined, occasionally scraping the sides. If you use the blender, you'll need to add the water to keep it blending and get a nice smooth consistency.
I think this dip is called "pate" because it comes out a greyish, semi-chunky glob. Otherwise, there's nothing pate (read: minced meat and pureed fat) about it. It's high in protein, essential fatty acids, and fiber. It's a little strong flavored to be used as a straight veggie dip, but as a filling for romaine lettuce wraps sunflower pate is top notch. And non-hallucinogenic.
From semi-aquatic rodents to the Andes mountains to mind-altering grains. You never know where raw veganism might take you.
"Yours & Mine, Beaverfest '89"
"Relax, Enjoy, and See the Best, 1990 Beaverfest"
In this post-Abercrombie&Fitch-designer-t-shirts-silk-screened-with-clever-double-entendres-nudge-nudge-wink-wink world that we live in, these shirts are worth their weights in gold. People rarely believe that such a fest actually exists, let alone that I attended such a gathering as a 6/7-year-old. I especially like wearing the latter to work at the liquor store. I get lots of knowing smiles; 'gentlemen' ask if I have personal knowledge of the 'best' beaver. It's a conversation piece if nothing else.
What does this have to do with raw foods/vegan baking? Well, I have been very busy. Beavers are busy. Ergo - Beaverfest.
And what have I been busy doing, you might ask? The two big 'S's' of raw food: soaking and sprouting. I've soaked nuts before (to make my Hero-worthy milks), but this is my first time soaking grains and seeds. I'm not sure if I've been text-book-ly successful with my sprouting, but everything is edible (read: I'm still alive and kicking) so I'm giving myself a 'W' and passing the recipes on to you.
The first thing I tried to sprout (as it was the only sproutable grain in my house at the time) was quinoa. Quinoa is a grain-like seed originally cultivated 6000 years ago by the Incas who considered it sacred because it could be grown at the high altitudes where they lived. Fun fact! I'm 1/4 or so Incan on my Dad's side. I don't speak Spanish (or Quechua) and I've unfortunately never been to Bolivia, but I'm always looking for ways to connect a little bit more with that part of my heritage. Even if it's only checking the 'Hispanic, non-white' box on a Scan-Tron form.
Anyway, as evidence of my cultural ignorance, when I first started using quinoa in my vegan cooking (it's awesome in chili), I pronounced it kwih-noah. This is wrong. Do not pronounce it this way. People will laugh at you in posh restaurants. It is most commonly pronounced keen-wah, with the accent on the first syllable. Men's Health's pronunciation guide in its recipe for turkey-quinoa pilaf taught me, now I'm teaching you.
To sprout quinoa, soak overnight in a bowl of water. Drain into a fine mesh colander draining over a bowl. Cover with a towel and let sit for at least 6 hours. Rinse once or twice. I let mine sit on the window sill draining and sprouting for almost 2 days and it was just fine. The nice thing about sprouting is the lack of work needed to do it succesfully.
Note that quinoa doesn't really sprout a tail or a leafy sprout like lentils or sunflower seeds. It just sort of opens up a little bit and gets chewy. Other than the recipe below, sprouted quinoa makes a great substitution for bulgur in tabouli salads.
Quinoa and Grape Salad (from Raw Food, Real World)
1 cup quinoa, soaked and sprouted
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups red or green grapes, halved or quartered
3 stalks of celery, finely sliced or diced
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 handful mint leaves, chopped
1 handful basil leaves, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
Mix the quinoa, lime juice, mirin, oil, and salt in a large bowl. Let sit for a while so the quinoa can absorb some of the flavor. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Add black pepper to taste and chopped raw cashews right before serving if desired. Without the cashew added (they get soggy if left to sit too long) this salad will keep for several days in the fridge. It travels well, (I took it to Philly in a cooler) and it works as a chunky dip for veggies.
This salad is high in protein (quinoa is about 17% protein), and resveratol (from the grape skins) which is a possible cancer fighter. Cilantro can help pull toxic metals out of your body, mint aids digestion, and basil is an antioxidant. Delicious and healthy. Muy bien.
Encouraged by my apparent success with quinoa, I decided to try sunflower seeds. Same basic process for sprouting: and over night soak, rinse and drain in a mesh colander, let sit for a while, rinsing occasionally. I let my sunflower seeds sprout on the windowsill for about 3 days. Some of them opened up and had little green leafy tails growing. Some did not. I think I had too many in the colander. Roomie said I was going to give myself hallucinations or tremors from eating fungus-fied grains. I replied that 1. sunflower seeds are not grains and 2. ergot only occurs on rye and plants like that. Still, his prediction weighed on my mind as I prepared to eat my sprouted sunflower seeds. They tasted pretty good on a salad - a little spicy and very green. And since I did not need treatment for St. Anthony's Fire, I figured the seeds were safe for other recipes.
Sunflower Pate (from Raw Foods for Busy People)
2 cups sprouted sunflower seeds
2 tbs. tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbs tamari
1 tbs cheater garlic
2 green onions, chopped
pinch of chipotle powder
1/2 cup water (for blending)
Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whip up until combined, occasionally scraping the sides. If you use the blender, you'll need to add the water to keep it blending and get a nice smooth consistency.
I think this dip is called "pate" because it comes out a greyish, semi-chunky glob. Otherwise, there's nothing pate (read: minced meat and pureed fat) about it. It's high in protein, essential fatty acids, and fiber. It's a little strong flavored to be used as a straight veggie dip, but as a filling for romaine lettuce wraps sunflower pate is top notch. And non-hallucinogenic.
From semi-aquatic rodents to the Andes mountains to mind-altering grains. You never know where raw veganism might take you.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Love Your Mouth, Love Your Body
I recently subscribed to a "Daily Raw Inspiration" email list via the website http://www.thegardendiet.com/, a site run by a husband-wife team of raw foodies. I sort of found the site by accident and though I don't buy into a lot of the "philosophy" behind the web-authors' diet/lifestyle choices (I'm an egotistical raw vegan, remember?), I figured, what the hell? Let's see what resources these raw foodists have to offer. Just because I don't completely agree with you, doesn't mean I can't learn something from you - even if it's learning how I don't want to live my life.
These emails are like mini-blogs. Sometimes there's a recipe, sometimes it's the authoress' thoughts on some larger raw eating topic, sometimes it's links to other raw websites and groups.
The very first email I recieved was a story about the wife drinking a, "nasty green juice - mustard greens, dandelion, kale, chard, celery, and broccoli." She goes on to say that while she was complaining about how hard it was to choke down, her husband (also a raw foodist) had this advice to give: "Now you see why people are kind to their mouths at the expense of their bodies, rather than kind to their bodies at the expense of their mouths." The wife replied that she might never be able to drink green juice again. "He continued to lecture," she writes, "telling me that this was so good for me because I might now transform my relationship to food from one of eating for pleasure to one of eating for power!" (my bold emphasis added).
This anecdote got me thinking. Actually, it really kind of annoyed me. The (perceived) gap between what tastes good and what is good for you is one of the largest roadblocks a vegetarian/vegan/raw foodist has to overcome - both for themselves and when dealing with others. The stereotype of vegetarians who eat grass and leaves, or "tasteless" blobs of tofu and steamed vegetables is a pervasive one. But there are lots of people who buy into the idea that it doesn't matter what food tastes like - if it's good for you, eat it. And many of them aren't even remotely vegetarians. I have body builder friends who eat raw eggs and powders that taste and look like soggy chalk dust. Blech. The myth that eating healthy has to taste horrible will never go away if the people who are eating healthy are the ones perpetuating it.
I see no reason why being kind to your mouth and kind to your body have to mutually exclusive. Or why eating for pleasure and eating for power can't be one and the same. I drink green juice every single morning. Here's my basic recipe:
Green Lemonade
1 large or 2 small apples, any kind
1 lemon
1 good sized bunch of kale (green or purple)
1 bunch of celery
Juice everything in the order above and enjoy. Sometimes I use spinach instead of kale or romaine and cucumbers instead of celery. Somtimes I'll throw in a bunch of dandelion leaves or parsley if I have it around. I've put a couple of carrots in before or a few crowns of broccoli. Whatever I'm in the mood for. It's sweet-sour, refreshing, hydrating, and I've yet to find a better hang-over remedy.
One time, I was visiting my mom and asked her to pick up some juice supplies for me. She accidentally bought mustard greens instead of kale and I didn't notice when I was juicing. Drinking mustard greens is AWFUL! It's like adding tabasco to apple juice - horrible. If my first experience with green juice had been with mustard greens I wouldn't be the raw foodist I am today. One sip of my mustard juice and I poured it down the drain and made myself some fruit salad. I didn't feel like I had to "choke it down" just because the greens are high in vitamins K and A. Why juice mustard greens if they taste awful that way? Why not eat them raw with some sweet onions, tomatoes, and a creamy vinaigrette dressing?
I'm not a complete "eat whatever tastes and feels good" hedonist, though. I realize that often we have to give up things or eat things that don't make us completely happy in order to acheive some goal that will. All I'm saying is that there's no reason to place an added hurdle in your way by forcing yourself to eat things that make you completely unhappy. Especially when there are so many delicious, raw and veggie foods out there to enjoy.
To do my part in dispelling the misconception of bland health foods, I'll be trying to add nutritional information for my recipes when I can. It probably won't be calorie counts or fat grams (despite my obsession with food and my body, I rarely think about those things anymore). Rather, I'll try and include vitamin and mineral content and the possible benefits of eating a particular dish.
If it's going to be healthy it's going to taste good. If it's going to taste good it's going to be healthy.
These emails are like mini-blogs. Sometimes there's a recipe, sometimes it's the authoress' thoughts on some larger raw eating topic, sometimes it's links to other raw websites and groups.
The very first email I recieved was a story about the wife drinking a, "nasty green juice - mustard greens, dandelion, kale, chard, celery, and broccoli." She goes on to say that while she was complaining about how hard it was to choke down, her husband (also a raw foodist) had this advice to give: "Now you see why people are kind to their mouths at the expense of their bodies, rather than kind to their bodies at the expense of their mouths." The wife replied that she might never be able to drink green juice again. "He continued to lecture," she writes, "telling me that this was so good for me because I might now transform my relationship to food from one of eating for pleasure to one of eating for power!" (my bold emphasis added).
This anecdote got me thinking. Actually, it really kind of annoyed me. The (perceived) gap between what tastes good and what is good for you is one of the largest roadblocks a vegetarian/vegan/raw foodist has to overcome - both for themselves and when dealing with others. The stereotype of vegetarians who eat grass and leaves, or "tasteless" blobs of tofu and steamed vegetables is a pervasive one. But there are lots of people who buy into the idea that it doesn't matter what food tastes like - if it's good for you, eat it. And many of them aren't even remotely vegetarians. I have body builder friends who eat raw eggs and powders that taste and look like soggy chalk dust. Blech. The myth that eating healthy has to taste horrible will never go away if the people who are eating healthy are the ones perpetuating it.
I see no reason why being kind to your mouth and kind to your body have to mutually exclusive. Or why eating for pleasure and eating for power can't be one and the same. I drink green juice every single morning. Here's my basic recipe:
Green Lemonade
1 large or 2 small apples, any kind
1 lemon
1 good sized bunch of kale (green or purple)
1 bunch of celery
Juice everything in the order above and enjoy. Sometimes I use spinach instead of kale or romaine and cucumbers instead of celery. Somtimes I'll throw in a bunch of dandelion leaves or parsley if I have it around. I've put a couple of carrots in before or a few crowns of broccoli. Whatever I'm in the mood for. It's sweet-sour, refreshing, hydrating, and I've yet to find a better hang-over remedy.
One time, I was visiting my mom and asked her to pick up some juice supplies for me. She accidentally bought mustard greens instead of kale and I didn't notice when I was juicing. Drinking mustard greens is AWFUL! It's like adding tabasco to apple juice - horrible. If my first experience with green juice had been with mustard greens I wouldn't be the raw foodist I am today. One sip of my mustard juice and I poured it down the drain and made myself some fruit salad. I didn't feel like I had to "choke it down" just because the greens are high in vitamins K and A. Why juice mustard greens if they taste awful that way? Why not eat them raw with some sweet onions, tomatoes, and a creamy vinaigrette dressing?
I'm not a complete "eat whatever tastes and feels good" hedonist, though. I realize that often we have to give up things or eat things that don't make us completely happy in order to acheive some goal that will. All I'm saying is that there's no reason to place an added hurdle in your way by forcing yourself to eat things that make you completely unhappy. Especially when there are so many delicious, raw and veggie foods out there to enjoy.
To do my part in dispelling the misconception of bland health foods, I'll be trying to add nutritional information for my recipes when I can. It probably won't be calorie counts or fat grams (despite my obsession with food and my body, I rarely think about those things anymore). Rather, I'll try and include vitamin and mineral content and the possible benefits of eating a particular dish.
If it's going to be healthy it's going to taste good. If it's going to taste good it's going to be healthy.
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Milky Way
Once upon a time, Zeus tricked Hera into breast-feeding Heracles. When she realized her mistake, Hera tossed Heracles away mid-suckle. The resulting back-splash of milk created the streak of stars we call home.
True story. Happened to me twice last week.
... ...
Ok, ok, ok. So maybe I've never been asked to nurse a demi-god. Maybe my boobs haven't created an entire galaxy.
Yet. I'm only 27 - there's still time.
What I have been nursing (yes, I'm gonna run with this metaphor; don't fight it) is a desire for cereal. Crispity-crunchity, eat mindlessly by the boxfull, cereal. There are lots of ways to make raw cereal - muesil, gronola, and oatmeal being the most common - but all involve soaking and dehydrating. Worth it, but time-consuming. I'm willing to put in the time and energy, but a rawgirl's got to have something with which to pass the time.
While my oatgroats are soaking (read all about it in a 'coming soon!' post) I have been occupying myself with various nutmilks. I'm not sure, though, if I like the term "milk." To me, at least, the work milk implies squeezing or pressing (and cows and teats and all that). Nutmilk, as I make it, is more about blending and pureeing. But what to call it? Nutjuice? Nutbeverage? Nutdrought? I'm open to suggestions.
Anyway, both my milk-speriment recipes are altered versions of recipes in Raw Food, Real World. Everytime I successfully make a recipe from this book, it gives me the self-satisfaction I need to be a raw foodist for another week. The authors of this book are so into each other and into their raw lifestyle. It's not exactly what I want, but it's analogous to it in such a way that reading the little stories that precede their recipes and making something edible out of their instructions makes me feel like the life I want is possible.
First up, Creamy Macadamia Milk
1 cup raw macadamias, soaked for at least one hour
3 cups filtered water (I've just been using my Brita)
3 tablespoons agave
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 packet of stevia
(I omitted 2 tablespoons of coconut butter, 1 tablespoon lecithin, and reduced the stevia from 2 packets to one. The former two were labeled as optional [coconut butter adds another flavor dimension; lecithin makes a smoother milk], and the latter was just because I didn't think I wanted my milk to be so sweet)
Blend the water and nuts on high for about two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and blend til smooth.
Now, I'm not one for hyperbole but this might be the greatest beverage to ever exist, in this or any other reality, since the beginning of time. Seriously, macmilk tastes like liquid cake batter. It is light-years beyond the soy- and almond-milks I used to buy at the store. It makes a kick-ass base for smoothies and Roomie used it to dunk some oatmeal cookies I made as a gift for someone (he was just taste-testing the "burned" ones). Plus, bonus! Macmilk is super healthy for you. Lots of selenium, zinc, and omega-9's. Definitely four stars.
Today I tried a brazil nut milk. When I use new ingredients I almost always head over to wikipedia to learn a little more about it. So here are a few brazil nut fun-facts before we get to the recipe:
1. Despite the name, the largest exporter of brazil nuts is Bolivia. Bolivia nuts. It just doesn't roll off the tongue in the same way.
2. The continued production of brazil nuts is entirely reliant on pristine rainforests in which live large-bodied bees and the coryanthes vasquezii orchid, the scent of which the boy bees use to attract girl bees who in turn polinate the near-by nut trees. Nature is weird!
3. Brazil nuts contain radioactive radium. 1000 times more than in any other foods. Perhaps this raw diet will have the added benefit of finally giving me the mutant powers I have been waiting on my whole life.
Vanilla Brazil Nut Milk
1 cup raw brazil nuts, soaked for at least 2 hours
4 cups filtered water
3 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 packet stevia
(once again I omitted the coconut butter and lecithin and reduced the stevia)
Blend the nuts and water on high. The next step is to strain through a nut-milk bag or a few layers of cheese cloth. This helps make a smoother milk since brazil nuts have a kind of skin on them that does not blend. However, this is not an essential step - especially if you plan to pour the milk over cereal. I do not currently have either milk bags or cheesecloth so I didn't strain, skipping right to adding the sweetners and blending some more.
Was it a smidge gritty? Yeah a little. But it tasted a lot like french vanilla ice cream and that can forgive a multitude of sins. And like macadamia nuts, brazil nuts are full of selenium and magnesium and the good kind of saturated fat. Tastes great, great for you.
So now I'm the kind of person who makes their own nut milks and keeps it in old fruit jars in my fridge. At least when Zeus shows up at my door with a bastard son, I'll be ready for them. Who needs a goddess' breast when you've got a blender?
True story. Happened to me twice last week.
... ...
Ok, ok, ok. So maybe I've never been asked to nurse a demi-god. Maybe my boobs haven't created an entire galaxy.
Yet. I'm only 27 - there's still time.
What I have been nursing (yes, I'm gonna run with this metaphor; don't fight it) is a desire for cereal. Crispity-crunchity, eat mindlessly by the boxfull, cereal. There are lots of ways to make raw cereal - muesil, gronola, and oatmeal being the most common - but all involve soaking and dehydrating. Worth it, but time-consuming. I'm willing to put in the time and energy, but a rawgirl's got to have something with which to pass the time.
While my oatgroats are soaking (read all about it in a 'coming soon!' post) I have been occupying myself with various nutmilks. I'm not sure, though, if I like the term "milk." To me, at least, the work milk implies squeezing or pressing (and cows and teats and all that). Nutmilk, as I make it, is more about blending and pureeing. But what to call it? Nutjuice? Nutbeverage? Nutdrought? I'm open to suggestions.
Anyway, both my milk-speriment recipes are altered versions of recipes in Raw Food, Real World. Everytime I successfully make a recipe from this book, it gives me the self-satisfaction I need to be a raw foodist for another week. The authors of this book are so into each other and into their raw lifestyle. It's not exactly what I want, but it's analogous to it in such a way that reading the little stories that precede their recipes and making something edible out of their instructions makes me feel like the life I want is possible.
First up, Creamy Macadamia Milk
1 cup raw macadamias, soaked for at least one hour
3 cups filtered water (I've just been using my Brita)
3 tablespoons agave
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 packet of stevia
(I omitted 2 tablespoons of coconut butter, 1 tablespoon lecithin, and reduced the stevia from 2 packets to one. The former two were labeled as optional [coconut butter adds another flavor dimension; lecithin makes a smoother milk], and the latter was just because I didn't think I wanted my milk to be so sweet)
Blend the water and nuts on high for about two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and blend til smooth.
Now, I'm not one for hyperbole but this might be the greatest beverage to ever exist, in this or any other reality, since the beginning of time. Seriously, macmilk tastes like liquid cake batter. It is light-years beyond the soy- and almond-milks I used to buy at the store. It makes a kick-ass base for smoothies and Roomie used it to dunk some oatmeal cookies I made as a gift for someone (he was just taste-testing the "burned" ones). Plus, bonus! Macmilk is super healthy for you. Lots of selenium, zinc, and omega-9's. Definitely four stars.
Today I tried a brazil nut milk. When I use new ingredients I almost always head over to wikipedia to learn a little more about it. So here are a few brazil nut fun-facts before we get to the recipe:
1. Despite the name, the largest exporter of brazil nuts is Bolivia. Bolivia nuts. It just doesn't roll off the tongue in the same way.
2. The continued production of brazil nuts is entirely reliant on pristine rainforests in which live large-bodied bees and the coryanthes vasquezii orchid, the scent of which the boy bees use to attract girl bees who in turn polinate the near-by nut trees. Nature is weird!
3. Brazil nuts contain radioactive radium. 1000 times more than in any other foods. Perhaps this raw diet will have the added benefit of finally giving me the mutant powers I have been waiting on my whole life.
Vanilla Brazil Nut Milk
1 cup raw brazil nuts, soaked for at least 2 hours
4 cups filtered water
3 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 packet stevia
(once again I omitted the coconut butter and lecithin and reduced the stevia)
Blend the nuts and water on high. The next step is to strain through a nut-milk bag or a few layers of cheese cloth. This helps make a smoother milk since brazil nuts have a kind of skin on them that does not blend. However, this is not an essential step - especially if you plan to pour the milk over cereal. I do not currently have either milk bags or cheesecloth so I didn't strain, skipping right to adding the sweetners and blending some more.
Was it a smidge gritty? Yeah a little. But it tasted a lot like french vanilla ice cream and that can forgive a multitude of sins. And like macadamia nuts, brazil nuts are full of selenium and magnesium and the good kind of saturated fat. Tastes great, great for you.
So now I'm the kind of person who makes their own nut milks and keeps it in old fruit jars in my fridge. At least when Zeus shows up at my door with a bastard son, I'll be ready for them. Who needs a goddess' breast when you've got a blender?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
PSA
As part of a "guerilla ad campaign" started at a recent website find of mine (http://www.thegardendiet.com/) I present the following:
Spread the word, kids!! If you need a snack - have a piece of fruit! The raw-er the better! Where else can you get carbs, calories, and hydration without any artificial dyes and colors (and without harming any animals)?
Spread the word, kids!! If you need a snack - have a piece of fruit! The raw-er the better! Where else can you get carbs, calories, and hydration without any artificial dyes and colors (and without harming any animals)?
So feel free to post these pics all over the place: your FB page, your blog...print some out and paste them all over your respective towns!
Yay fruit!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Brotherly Love & Broken Windows
My mini-vacation to Philadelphia was most exciting and tons of fun. As this is my food/eating-related blog, first and foremost let me say that I was able to be 100% raw the entire time. Not an easy feat, but it's getting much easier. That Roomie is so accepting and supportive is a big part of my so-far success as a raw foodist. He doesn't insist on going out to eat all the time; he's willing to try pretty much any kind of food at least once; he doesn't make me feel bad for having to lug around a cooler full of food every time we travel.
As with my trip to Cleveland last month, this jaunt required lots of planning and lots of packed food. Thankfully, we were staying at an extended stay-type hotel so our room had a kitchen with a full-sized fridge/freezer. That made things much, much easier. It allowed me to pack en masse, all the veggies and dips (see previous entry) and fruit that I would need to eat, rather than worry about having to find a grocery store/restaurant to suit my needs.
So here's how things went down:
Wednesday: It takes me nearly 2 hours to pack/prepare all the food I need. I would rather err on the side of having too much than not enough. I take the following: a thermos of Green Lemonade (it only keeps about 24 hours so I could only pre-make it for the first morning I was gone); 2 gallons of broccoli (I'm using Ziploc measurements here); 1 gallon of cauliflower, 2 bags of baby carrots, 5 celery stalks in sticks, a yellow pepper, sliced; a pint and a half of cherry tomatoes, a half-gallon of mushrooms, a pint of blackberries, a pound of strawberries, a honeydew, 4 bananas, 5 peeled oranges, 2 heads of romaine, 1 head of green leaf lettuce, a bunch of fresh spinach, 3 zucchini, mandolined; a mango, 4 pounds of grapes, a pound each of raw almonds, raw cashews, raw walnuts, and a container each of pesto, romescu, vinaigrette, and tahini. I also made a big salad to eat in the car on the road.
Like I've said before, raw foodism is not for wimps or people who aren't a little bit in love with their kitchens. (**note - very little of the above-mentioned foods made the return trip).
I also tried two new recipes prior to leaving, Quinoa-Grape Salad and Macpep Cheez. The recipe for the former I'll leave to a near-future post as it also concerns my first adventures in sprouting. The latter however, is a fairly simple blender/food processor & dehydrator dealie. This recipe is from "Raw Food, Real World." Once again, I halved the recipe for space's sake - though I give the original measurements here.
Macpep Cheez
1 1/2 cups chopped red/orange peppers
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Puree the first three ingredients in a blender.
In a food processor/dry blade blender, pulse the nuts until they are ground. Add the nutritional yeast and pulse a few times to mix.
Pour the pepper mixture over the nuts and blend until well mixed and only a smidge chunky.
Spread thinly over solid dehydrator trays or parchment paper sheets and dry overnight. Remove from the sheets and dry on slotted trays for another few hours.
Roomie likens this to the walnut-covered cheese balls often found on party platters. I thought they tasted a little like Doritos. Roomie just rolled his eyes and asked when was the last time I had a Dorito. My admission of, "at least 6 years" was met with laughter. Whatever. This cheez is really tasty; very hearty crumbled on salads or as a side for some raw veg. Keep it for up to a week in an air-tight container. It gets better with age.
Thursday: One of the best parts of travelling is finding new places to swim and run. As important to me is having the right thing to eat, is being able to keep working out the way I want. It took a little digging on them internets, but I found a health club with a pool that didn't charge an arm and a leg for a guest pass. A 3-mile run, 2K swim, hot shower, and thermos full of G.L. later, and I'm pretty much a happy camper for the day.
Unfortunately for my rowing friends, it torrentially poured the night before so the Schuylkill was moving superfast and full of boat-damaging debri. It also decided to torrentially pour during the day, cancelling any practice rows. I just hung out in the van (recently christened "Frankenstein" explanation below), grading papers and munching grapes and raw veg & romescu. We also found Roomie a place to sublet over the summer that happens to be within walking distance of a Whole Foods. I can now visit him with confidence.
Friday: Lots of rowing to watch today and I run about 6 miles on the bike path along the river. It was neat to see the starting line of the boat race since usually I'm cheering at the finish. Lots of sun today, too. When we finally get back to the hotel, Roomie and I both have pretty awesome sunglasses tans. Though the girls head to Buca di Beppo's for dinner, Roomie and I opt for wine, pesto over zucchini noodles (for me), and pasta with vodka sauce (for him) in the room. I think part of the reason Roomie is so accomodating with my eating idiosyncrasies is that we are also trying to save money/be more conscious of our spending. Eating in is more cost effective, especially on the road.
Saturday: Even though Roomie's crew didn't advance to the finals (they rowed SO well, though!!), we go back into Philadelphia for the morning to de-rig the boats and load them on the trailer. And, more importantly, run the Philly Art Museum steps like Rocky. It was a wonderfully hot and sunny day. Me, Roomie, and about 18 rowers head out running the 1.5/2-ish miles to the museum, ran the stairs 4 times, and ran back to the boats. Exhausting but very fun - especially when "Eye of the Tiger" is cued up on the ipod.
The plan then was to get the car, drop a few people off downtown to see the sights, and head back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. However, the individual who wanted my GPS and Roomie's ipod bad enough to break the van window changed those plans. It was almost 4pm before we were done cleaning up shattered glass and filing a police report. The bike cops at the regatta were, surprisingly, less than helpful.
Following the van debacle, Roomie and I decided the van's new name was Frankenstein since it's on its 3rd windshield, 2nd bumper and fender, has had all of its side panels un-dented and buffed out, and is about to get a new window. For being 10 years and 142,000 miles old, the old girl ain't doing so bad.
We also decided that we earned a restaurant dinner. In a nice coincidence, there was an all-vegan chinese place within walking distance of our hotel. SuTao had a full menu of typical chinese foods (lo mein, general tso's) but everything was made with soy or vegetable protein products. I had seaweed salad and pickled vegetables. All raw and all delicious.
Sunday: Have you ever driven 8 hours on a highway with the window rolled down? It makes talking and listening to music quite hard. It is also quite cold. I was worried that birds might try and fly in, but Roomie assured me that was highly unlikely. It wasn't the most pleasant car ride I've ever taken but there was plenty of raw food for snacking so all was not lost.
Now I'm back in Athens, the van is almost fixed, and crew season is over. Kind of a bummer, but less travelling means more time to be experimenting in the kitchen. Plus I'm starting my training for the Hilton Head Firecracker 5K this week.
No rest for the weary. No rest for the raw.
As with my trip to Cleveland last month, this jaunt required lots of planning and lots of packed food. Thankfully, we were staying at an extended stay-type hotel so our room had a kitchen with a full-sized fridge/freezer. That made things much, much easier. It allowed me to pack en masse, all the veggies and dips (see previous entry) and fruit that I would need to eat, rather than worry about having to find a grocery store/restaurant to suit my needs.
So here's how things went down:
Wednesday: It takes me nearly 2 hours to pack/prepare all the food I need. I would rather err on the side of having too much than not enough. I take the following: a thermos of Green Lemonade (it only keeps about 24 hours so I could only pre-make it for the first morning I was gone); 2 gallons of broccoli (I'm using Ziploc measurements here); 1 gallon of cauliflower, 2 bags of baby carrots, 5 celery stalks in sticks, a yellow pepper, sliced; a pint and a half of cherry tomatoes, a half-gallon of mushrooms, a pint of blackberries, a pound of strawberries, a honeydew, 4 bananas, 5 peeled oranges, 2 heads of romaine, 1 head of green leaf lettuce, a bunch of fresh spinach, 3 zucchini, mandolined; a mango, 4 pounds of grapes, a pound each of raw almonds, raw cashews, raw walnuts, and a container each of pesto, romescu, vinaigrette, and tahini. I also made a big salad to eat in the car on the road.
Like I've said before, raw foodism is not for wimps or people who aren't a little bit in love with their kitchens. (**note - very little of the above-mentioned foods made the return trip).
I also tried two new recipes prior to leaving, Quinoa-Grape Salad and Macpep Cheez. The recipe for the former I'll leave to a near-future post as it also concerns my first adventures in sprouting. The latter however, is a fairly simple blender/food processor & dehydrator dealie. This recipe is from "Raw Food, Real World." Once again, I halved the recipe for space's sake - though I give the original measurements here.
Macpep Cheez
1 1/2 cups chopped red/orange peppers
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Puree the first three ingredients in a blender.
In a food processor/dry blade blender, pulse the nuts until they are ground. Add the nutritional yeast and pulse a few times to mix.
Pour the pepper mixture over the nuts and blend until well mixed and only a smidge chunky.
Spread thinly over solid dehydrator trays or parchment paper sheets and dry overnight. Remove from the sheets and dry on slotted trays for another few hours.
Roomie likens this to the walnut-covered cheese balls often found on party platters. I thought they tasted a little like Doritos. Roomie just rolled his eyes and asked when was the last time I had a Dorito. My admission of, "at least 6 years" was met with laughter. Whatever. This cheez is really tasty; very hearty crumbled on salads or as a side for some raw veg. Keep it for up to a week in an air-tight container. It gets better with age.
Thursday: One of the best parts of travelling is finding new places to swim and run. As important to me is having the right thing to eat, is being able to keep working out the way I want. It took a little digging on them internets, but I found a health club with a pool that didn't charge an arm and a leg for a guest pass. A 3-mile run, 2K swim, hot shower, and thermos full of G.L. later, and I'm pretty much a happy camper for the day.
Unfortunately for my rowing friends, it torrentially poured the night before so the Schuylkill was moving superfast and full of boat-damaging debri. It also decided to torrentially pour during the day, cancelling any practice rows. I just hung out in the van (recently christened "Frankenstein" explanation below), grading papers and munching grapes and raw veg & romescu. We also found Roomie a place to sublet over the summer that happens to be within walking distance of a Whole Foods. I can now visit him with confidence.
Friday: Lots of rowing to watch today and I run about 6 miles on the bike path along the river. It was neat to see the starting line of the boat race since usually I'm cheering at the finish. Lots of sun today, too. When we finally get back to the hotel, Roomie and I both have pretty awesome sunglasses tans. Though the girls head to Buca di Beppo's for dinner, Roomie and I opt for wine, pesto over zucchini noodles (for me), and pasta with vodka sauce (for him) in the room. I think part of the reason Roomie is so accomodating with my eating idiosyncrasies is that we are also trying to save money/be more conscious of our spending. Eating in is more cost effective, especially on the road.
Saturday: Even though Roomie's crew didn't advance to the finals (they rowed SO well, though!!), we go back into Philadelphia for the morning to de-rig the boats and load them on the trailer. And, more importantly, run the Philly Art Museum steps like Rocky. It was a wonderfully hot and sunny day. Me, Roomie, and about 18 rowers head out running the 1.5/2-ish miles to the museum, ran the stairs 4 times, and ran back to the boats. Exhausting but very fun - especially when "Eye of the Tiger" is cued up on the ipod.
The plan then was to get the car, drop a few people off downtown to see the sights, and head back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. However, the individual who wanted my GPS and Roomie's ipod bad enough to break the van window changed those plans. It was almost 4pm before we were done cleaning up shattered glass and filing a police report. The bike cops at the regatta were, surprisingly, less than helpful.
Following the van debacle, Roomie and I decided the van's new name was Frankenstein since it's on its 3rd windshield, 2nd bumper and fender, has had all of its side panels un-dented and buffed out, and is about to get a new window. For being 10 years and 142,000 miles old, the old girl ain't doing so bad.
We also decided that we earned a restaurant dinner. In a nice coincidence, there was an all-vegan chinese place within walking distance of our hotel. SuTao had a full menu of typical chinese foods (lo mein, general tso's) but everything was made with soy or vegetable protein products. I had seaweed salad and pickled vegetables. All raw and all delicious.
Sunday: Have you ever driven 8 hours on a highway with the window rolled down? It makes talking and listening to music quite hard. It is also quite cold. I was worried that birds might try and fly in, but Roomie assured me that was highly unlikely. It wasn't the most pleasant car ride I've ever taken but there was plenty of raw food for snacking so all was not lost.
Now I'm back in Athens, the van is almost fixed, and crew season is over. Kind of a bummer, but less travelling means more time to be experimenting in the kitchen. Plus I'm starting my training for the Hilton Head Firecracker 5K this week.
No rest for the weary. No rest for the raw.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Feelin' Dippy
This coming weekend I'll be travelling to Philadelphia for the Dad Vail Regatta - the largest inter-collegiate event in the country. If last year was any indication, I'll once again be tromping through the mud, running up the Philly Art Museum steps a la Rocky, and taking pictures of Ben Franklin's grave.
In preparation for all this awesome-ness, I spent today holed up in my kitchen making dips. Dips (and dressings and sauces and marinades and pates) are the life-blood of a successful vegan/raw travel experience. Finding veg is not hard. Hell, even some liquor stores stock fresh celery for Bloody Mary's. But woman can only live on plain veg alone for so long. A homemade dip is the difference between boring and bee-you-tee-full.
Not only are homemade dressings more economical (especially if you're buying organic), but you'll find you need less to flavor your salad than with the store-bought stuff. When you eat as many vegetables, as often, as I do having affordable, flavorful accouterments is a must.
Here, then, are the two dip/dressing recipes I made for the coming road trip (along with Bikini-Tahini, Raw-nch, and Thumb-Pinky Pesto)
From Raw Food, Real World: Sun-Dried Tomato & Cashew Romesco. The only thing I tweaked here was omitting the tablespoon of za'atar seasoning. I also quartered everything (I give the original recipe here) because I was unsure if I'd like it and didn't want to have 8 cups of something I didn't like.
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked at least an hour
2 cups raw cashews, soaked at least an hour (the longer you soak the nuts, the smoother the romesco)
zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup miso
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon za'atar (omitted because I didn't have it)
2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
black pepper to taste
Whip up everything in the blender/food processor until smooth. This is very thick so add a little water if you want a thinner sauce.
Even without the spices, this is a wonderfully savory dip. Any one of the several spices that make up za'atar would probably do just fine in this dip alone. Next time I might throw in a few fresh basil leaves or a little dry oregano. Also, I normally omit the zest from recipes because I'm in a hurry (or feelin' lazy) but in this case I recommend taking the time to zest an orange. It adds a nice bitter-sweet undertone to the whole thing. Feel free to experiment as you see fit. And let me know how it turns out!
Next up, from Raw Foods for Busy People, a recipe I've dubbed Roomie's Favorite Vinaigrette.
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup basalmic vinegar
1 tablespoon cheater garlic
2 tablespoons agave or raw honey
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
Blend on high until emulsified - or - put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake. It all depends on how mixed you like your salad dressings.
This is such a versatile recipe. Throw in a few celery stalks and you've got a creamy vinaigrette. Use apple cider vinegar instead of basalmic for a sour-tart flavor that is perfect for a bitter greens and sweet onion salad. Add a green onion, half cup of tahini, and a little dill for a great spread for wraps. Or a little onion powder, a cup of OJ, and a heaping cup of raspberries and you've got a delicious topping for a spinach-walnut salad. I could make this 3 times a week and Roomie would make sure there were no leftovers.
Armed with my dips...Philly here I come!
In preparation for all this awesome-ness, I spent today holed up in my kitchen making dips. Dips (and dressings and sauces and marinades and pates) are the life-blood of a successful vegan/raw travel experience. Finding veg is not hard. Hell, even some liquor stores stock fresh celery for Bloody Mary's. But woman can only live on plain veg alone for so long. A homemade dip is the difference between boring and bee-you-tee-full.
Not only are homemade dressings more economical (especially if you're buying organic), but you'll find you need less to flavor your salad than with the store-bought stuff. When you eat as many vegetables, as often, as I do having affordable, flavorful accouterments is a must.
Here, then, are the two dip/dressing recipes I made for the coming road trip (along with Bikini-Tahini, Raw-nch, and Thumb-Pinky Pesto)
From Raw Food, Real World: Sun-Dried Tomato & Cashew Romesco. The only thing I tweaked here was omitting the tablespoon of za'atar seasoning. I also quartered everything (I give the original recipe here) because I was unsure if I'd like it and didn't want to have 8 cups of something I didn't like.
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked at least an hour
2 cups raw cashews, soaked at least an hour (the longer you soak the nuts, the smoother the romesco)
zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup miso
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon za'atar (omitted because I didn't have it)
2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
black pepper to taste
Whip up everything in the blender/food processor until smooth. This is very thick so add a little water if you want a thinner sauce.
Even without the spices, this is a wonderfully savory dip. Any one of the several spices that make up za'atar would probably do just fine in this dip alone. Next time I might throw in a few fresh basil leaves or a little dry oregano. Also, I normally omit the zest from recipes because I'm in a hurry (or feelin' lazy) but in this case I recommend taking the time to zest an orange. It adds a nice bitter-sweet undertone to the whole thing. Feel free to experiment as you see fit. And let me know how it turns out!
Next up, from Raw Foods for Busy People, a recipe I've dubbed Roomie's Favorite Vinaigrette.
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup basalmic vinegar
1 tablespoon cheater garlic
2 tablespoons agave or raw honey
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
Blend on high until emulsified - or - put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake. It all depends on how mixed you like your salad dressings.
This is such a versatile recipe. Throw in a few celery stalks and you've got a creamy vinaigrette. Use apple cider vinegar instead of basalmic for a sour-tart flavor that is perfect for a bitter greens and sweet onion salad. Add a green onion, half cup of tahini, and a little dill for a great spread for wraps. Or a little onion powder, a cup of OJ, and a heaping cup of raspberries and you've got a delicious topping for a spinach-walnut salad. I could make this 3 times a week and Roomie would make sure there were no leftovers.
Armed with my dips...Philly here I come!
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