As Promised.

Recipes!

This week, I made mostly cooked dishes with good reviews, so far. 

First and favorite, Quinoa Patties! 

2 1/2 c cooked quinoa

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup chopped chives

1 yellow or white onion, diced

1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup breadcrumbs

water, if needed

1 tbsp olive oil

Combine quinoa, eggs, and salt in a bowl. Stir in chives, onion, cheese and garlic. Add breadcrumbs and let sit for a few minutes so they can absorb the moisture. Form patties with the mixture. In a heated skillet, add the olive oil and cook patties on medium low in the covered skillet for 7-10 minutes. Then flip, recover and cook 7 more minutes. I ate them with: Spinach and Arugula, walnuts, sweet cherries, basil and goat cheese. 

Black Bean Salad

4 cups black beans 

3/4 cup oven roasted tomatoes (recipe below)

3/4 cup raw peptias

sea salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve at room temperature. 

Oven roasted Tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/4 c olive oil

1 tbsp natural cane sugar or maple syrup

sea salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and place on a pan (I used a pyrex dish). Roast 45-60 minutes or until tomatoes shrink and carmelize. Can store in fridge for 1 week. These were scrumptious! 

This one I made for Adam, because the Red Pepper flakes get super spicy. 

Summer Linguine

2 medium zucchini, grated or chopped (I chopped, because I always seem to grate my finger instead of the vegetable)

sea salt

8 oz whole wheat pasta (I used rigatoni, not linguine, because that's what I had in the pantry)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

black pepper

Cook the pasta and drain. Heat the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender. Add the pasta and cheese and toss. Season with salt and pepper. I also added some chicken to this dish to add some protein and it was a-ok. :) 

Now, the recipes below are ones I have planned for later in the week. But, I am so excited about them, I am going to post them now. 

Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole

2 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp dijon mustard

sea salt 

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz cremini mushrooms (or, button, if you are cheap, like me)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 cups of cooked wild or brown rice (i am planning on using brown rice)

1/3 cup grated Gruyere Cheese 

1 tsp fresh tarragon or thyme 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, mustard and 1/2 tsp salt. In a skillet over high heat combine olive oil and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are browned. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add rice to skillet and mix until combined. Add this mixture to the cottage cheese mix and stir until combines. Put in baking dish and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover with foil and cook 30 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with tarragon (or thyme). I am serving this with kale chips (see below) and flank steak. 

Kale Chips (a.k.a the easiest recipe ever!)

1 bunch of kale, ripped into bite size pieces

pam (or olive oil)

sea salt 

*you could also add red pepper flakes or coconut flakes for a twist

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl mix the kale and salt (or red pepper and coconut flakes). Coat lightly with oil. Spread evenly in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep a close eye on these guys, they go from lightly browned to crispy black in 2.2 seconds. :) 

Last meal of the week is: 

Sweet Potato Ravioli with a light butter and sage sauce served with Roasted Asparagus

Now this ravioli is the best thing that ever hit earth (besides the kale chips, of course). There is a woman who has a booth at the Carrboro Farmers Market on Saturday mornings that makes homemade ravioli, pasta, family dinners, and sauce and her stuff is to die for! So, that is where the ravioli is from and the other stuff I am just going to wing and pray that it turns out. 

Cross your fingers. :) 

On a garden note, we planted 3 collard starts and 4 rainbow chard starts outside in our little garden a few days ago. Adam will not let me buy anything else, but we have extra soil, so I may sneak in some more fall starts in the near future. I am thinking arugula, spinach, more basil, and maybe some pumpkin or squash. What do you guys think? Do you have any other suggestions? 

Snuggles.

This isn't the normal post full of recipes, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

I was doing some schoolwork and turned around to these little fuzzies:

So cute! Unfortunately, this picture shows the fact that Lilly is a bit pudgy and Cliff is emaciated (or emancipated, as I wrongly state). We took Cliff to the vet last Saturday and the dum-dum weighed in at 8.3 lbs, which means he has lost 2 lbs!! That is 20% of his body weight. Seems to me the sure-fire way to lose weight is the Cliff-diet, jam packed with finicky eating, meows and moans. Anyway, after the vet, we went to the pet store and got this crazy nutri-cat tube of fatty, molasses-like syrup to put on top of his food. Thank god he loves it, but he is still looking a bit gaunt. But, I am confident that with the calorie dense syrup and some loving from lilly he will turn into a fattie. :)

I went on a cooking spree on Sunday, so I will post recipes soon. :)

Rationale

If you read the last post, you are probably aware that my city-loving ass decided to go country. :) If you know me, then you know that following in the footsteps of farmers is not expected. So, let me explain myself...

As some of you know, I have been working on a film that follows a tomato seed from its origins at a seed company, to being planted at Eco Farm (in Carrboro, NC), to its harvest, to being sold at the Carrboro Farmers Market. Filming has opened my eyes to the farmers right down the street. It has also re-connected me to nature, our planet, and our food in ways I never thought were possible. Every time I went to the farm to film, a calming feeling would come over me and I felt like I was home (I know, super duper cheesy...). During filming, I witnessed farmers growing delicious food AND giving back to the land, which is an exchange that does not always occur, especially in the industrial agriculture system (don't get me started on that problem). I became interested and passionate about sustainable agriculture and local food. Since, I am often monotone and am not the most excitable person in the world, it was a miracle that I found something that truly evokes emotion in me. So, I knew that I was meant to nurture the land, grow food and share the power of food with others.

So, I figured this out, but then I had to break the news to my (mostly) supportive parents and boyfriend. I got a few laughs and a few expletives, but I think they know I am serious now. :) If not, they aren't getting any of my fresh produce in the future.

Now, my career plan has changed a bit, but I am more excited than ever.

Thank God, because I was getting worried I would float around in life without any true passion.

Plus, if I am eating (mostly) raw, then what is better than fresh from the farm produce? It definitely will make my dishes taste EVEN better.

Side note, I was super lazy this week in the cooking department. This was what I did:

• bought kale and collards
• cut up purple, white, green, yellow, orange, and red bell peppers
• cut up an orange (yes, orange) watermelon and added orange mint to it
• cut up cabbage, carrots, and zucchini cores
• sliced zucchini
• cut up a big ass cucumber
• bought a box of multicolor cherry tomatoes
• bought shittake mushrooms (from Eco Farm, they are DELISH)
• poached chicken

And, the above ingredients will be mixed together in as many ways possible to make lots of salads, and crunchy dishes. :) Lazy, yes. Raw, mostly. Yummy, definitely! 

enlightened.

Let me just start by saying that I am sorry to my blog and readers that I neglected you so long. Frankly, by the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is type and stare at a computer screen (I would much rather stare at a tv screen or a magazine). 


So what has been happening, one may ask? 
A LOT OF DELINQUENCY! 

Adam (the parent) is out of town and I (the friend) can not yell at this cute little guy, even if he just sneezed in my glass of water...

Seriously, though, raw food has been out the window. Not because of a lack of fresh produce. Not because of limited time to cook. But because I have wanted anything but raw food. Can you say ice cream, pizza, sushi (eh, kind of raw), etc.? 


Creating a new lifestyle does take time, and maybe some failures. That being said, don't get too cranky at me yet. This week was raw week (besides the poached chicken or greek yogurt for protein). Here is what I have been eating today: 
Smoothie (a custom creation)

• 1 c blueberries and blackberries
• 2 inches ginger (which made this smoothie quite a zinger ;) )
• about 3 c spinach 
• about 1 c fat-free plain (sour cream tasting) greek yogurt

Blend the berries and ginger first with a little water. Slowly add the spinach then the yogurt. 

Marinated Mushrooms with Spinach (and I added some happy chicken)

• 3 Tbsp Nama Shoyu
• 2 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 4 c button mushrooms, sliced
• 8 c spinach leaves
• 1 c corn kernels (surprisingly delish raw)
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 3 tsp sesame seeds

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Marinate for about 2 hours. Toss the other ingredients together in a large bowl and add the mushrooms. Eat! 

"Tuna" Salad

Salad:

• 3 cups raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 3 hours, drained and processed in a food processor
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1/4 c dill 

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 c coconut water
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 c lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 2 1/2 c pine nuts, cashews, or macadamia nuts (i used a combo of cashews and pine nuts)
• 1/2 c stone-ground mustard

For salad, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to mix. For the dressing, combine in a food processor and blend until combined. Pour over salad, mix well and serve. I added sprouts (alfalfa, that I sprouted myself), too! 

Now that the food talk is over...Why is the title of the post enlightened? 

Well, I have been in a very happy and content mood because I finally figured out how to mesh everything I like into a career. And, I found a new passion, that I know deep down in my heart is right for me. And it is...Farming. 

Filming this movie has made me realize the beauty and huge reward in being able to nurture a little seed into a huge tomato plant. I want to be a part of that. 

That's all I'm sharing until I organize how to make that dream into a reality (and hopefully a career). Have a good night, friends! 

Time flies...

 even if you are not having fun. :) 

That comment was slightly cynical. All has been well, just busy, like stupid busy. Between microbiology and this film I have hardly been able to get in my afternoon, the-heat-has-beat-me-to-a-pulp, nap in. No nap just means more coffee, and I am okay with that. :) 

The local food film is going great, and I am getting a bit obsessed with it. We have started taping interviews and seeing it all come together is cool. There is still plenty left to do though. 

Other things that have happened in the past month:

• My super, awesome, wonderful brother, Tom, graduated from SCAD and won a few awards in the senior film festival (can we say outstanding artistic achievement?!?!). I felt kind of old during the whole thing, since I remember pretending our hockey sticks were light sabers and battling out in the lawn when we were younger. And, my pansy-ass may have gotten a bit teary, too. So proud of him, and I hope he is able to grace me with his presence in July before he moves out to LA to make the big bucks. :) 
• Our vegetable/herb garden is growing at a disgusting rate. I swear everyday I look outside they have grown INCHES overnight. It's sick. The herbs have been yummy in plenty of dishes and dressings, and I can't wait until we get our first veggie from the garden! 
• Adam drank, slept, and DJ'd his way through the month of may. I'm happy he gets a break. 
• The bass pumping duo (Ashley, Adam and myself) went to Starscape in Baltimore, MD. Craziness ensued. 
• Lilly and Cliff slept. A lot. 
• Duh, I cooked. 

Here are the pictures:

Tom getting his award. 

Starscape. 

More Starscape. 

Hard groovin'.

 No joke: I walked out of the bathroom to these two hard loafers.

Lilly's new morning routine. Yep, thats the top of the kitchen cabinets.

Cliff's new hangout. I WILL be investing in a padded kitty helmet for him. 

Last night was a MAJOR cooking extravaganza. Here's what was made:

• Sushi because that was the bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb. 

Corn, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad

• 6 ears of corn ($2 for 3 ears at Weaver Street!), cut off the cob, raw
• 6 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• Olive oil, to taste
• Garlic, to taste
• About 10 basil leaves, chopped 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. To my surprise, the raw corn was AMAZING. It tasted cooked, even though it wasn't. Score! 

Raw Kale Confetti Salad

• 1 giant head of kale, ripped into bite size peices
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• lemon juice, lime juice, and salt, to taste

Put kale in a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil, ginger, and salt. Massage oil and salt into leaves and let it sit for 15 minutes. Add onion, pepper, carrot and toss. Drizzle lemon and lime juice over salad and mix. 

Sweet Brown Rice with Leeks (or in my case, green onions), Ginger, and Garlic

• 1 1/4 cups brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium veggie sock or water
• 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast
• 1 large leek (or 1 green onion bulb), chopped
• 3 tbsp ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp mirin (in the asian aisle at the grocery)

Place rice in pot with water (stock) and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover, cook until liquid is absorbed. In a large skillet, saute leeks, ginger and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Add mirin and continue sauteing until leek is soft. Add chicken (and I added some extra veggie stock) and cover. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Toss with rice. This has very good flavor, considering there is not a lot of ingredients. :) 

Seared Tempeh with Dried Cherries and Pine Nuts over Arugula 

• 8 oz tempeh
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 cups arugula (since that is not in season, I am mixing chard and kale instead) 
• 1/2 cup pine nuts 

Vinaigrette:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• orange zest
• salt and pepper

Slice tempeh in 1/4" strips and steam for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together and set aside. In a skillet, saute onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add cherries, mirin, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Put tempeh in skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Drizzle 1 tbsp vinaigrette over tempeh and saute 2 more minutes. Flip tempeh and saute 2 minutes. Then drizzle with vinaigrette. Remove from heat and set aside. Put arugula in a bowl and top with tempeh mixture and pine nuts. :)

Daikon Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Peanuts

• 2 cups of julienned daikon
• 2 cups of julienned carrots
• 2 cups sliced napa cabbage (local at Weaver St :) )
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and julienned
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup dry roasted nuts 

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (I didn't have this, so I used more sesame instead) 
• 2 tsp brown rice syrup
• 1 tbsp ume plum vinegar
• 1 tsp lime juice
• sea salt 

Add salad ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk dressing ingredients. Add over salad and toss to coat. 

Seared Lemon Pepper Tofu

• 1 pound of tofu, cut into 1/2" fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mirin
• black pepper
• lemon zest
• crushed red pepper flakes 

Wrap tofu in towel and press out extra liquid. Heat skillet and saute garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp mirin and black pepper (to taste). Stir to combine and put tofu in skillet. Saute for 4 minutes, flip, add another tbsp of lemon juice and black pepper (to taste). Saute 4 minutes, flip, add tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp mirin. Saute 4 minutes. Flip, add left over lemon juice, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper. Saute 4 more minutes or until evenly browned. Serve. Pretty okay in the corn/tomato salad or the daiko/carrot salad. :) 

Cliff just brought me his bracelet to play fetch and is meowing/bitching at me to throw it...So, adios! 

My absolutely amazing and delicious lunch!

I am at school and I just finished eating some yummy, homemade (or should I say lively-made) sushi! 

It is raw and fabulous! 

Super easy recipe and perfect for this ungodly hot weather! Nori sheets wrapped around matchstick carrots, cucumbers, mung bean sprouts, avocado, and leeks. There is a sesame-tahini sauce in there too. It helped hold the Nori sheets together, but I don't have the recipe since I'm not at home. You could easily make any type of sauce to put inside the rolls. 


Alright, now I need to go work on this film... 
Stay cool (if that is even possible). 

Wow, this is embarrassing...

It has been a month (exactly) since my last post. Eeek! Sorry, guys! 


Here's what I have been up to in the last month:

1. School, school, school, and more school. 
2. Moving (only down the street), but we still had to pack up all our shit. So, it counts. We are actually still in the process of finishing the new place up, but we (Adam, Lilly, and myself) love it so far! Now, Cliff is a different story. It took him a good 3 days to get his wimpy ass out from underneath our bed. Oh, and did I mention he barely ate that whole time? But, after 2+ weeks at the new he seems to be relaxing. Thank God. 
3. Making a Local Food Film called 'Seed' for my practicum project for school. This film business turns out to be a wee bit more complicated than I naively thought...Although it is A BOATLOAD of stuff to learn and do, it is completely opening my eyes (even more) to local food and farmers' markets. So that is awesome! 
4. I turned 25. Adam turned 25. We celebrated our 5 year anniversary, too! May is a busy month for celebrations! 
5. Speaking of Adam, he finished his last in school year of pharmacy school! One more year of rotations, then 2 years of residency, and poof! He is a pharmacist! That merits another Thank God! 
6. Cooking. Eating. Cooking. Eating. ANDDDD fiddling with my diet. Good results so far!
7. Last thing, but perhaps the one I am most excited about. We started a garden!!! HELL YES! Adam and I have been toying with the idea for a few years, but our old place's balcony never got enough sun. Enter, new house with a back patio that gets the good ol' morning sun!  An innocent trip to the nursery (at 54 and Barbee) to get a tomato post thing turned into a civic-full load of new plants, soil, and pots! It all started with a friend giving me an heirloom tomato plant and some parsley. Then, at the nursery we got 4 cucumber plants (for $1.50!), 4 zucchini plants, 4 cute little ruffly lettuce plants, cilantro, basil, chives, and oregano. Plus, with the lemon thyme purchase at the Carrboro Farmers' Market, the generosity of a friend at school (a a tomato plant that has the VERY BEST tomatoes EVER), and some red pepper plant donations from the Meredith College garden, we have quite a spread! Everything seems to be thriving too. :) 

Now onto the FOOOODDDD! 

Currently, breakfast smoothies are on the back burner right now and eggs are on the front burner (literally). I have been using green garlic from the farmers' market, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and about 4 egg whites (from a farm in hillsborough-at Weaver St, these puppies were only $5 for 2 1/2 dozen! What!?! What!?!?!). Sometimes, I add a slice of Ezekiel bread for good measure. Here is the finished product: 

Next up: Lunches and Dinners! Now, I have been trying to eat mostly raw, with some non-raw recipes sprinkled in. I'll talk about Raw Recipes first, because they all turned out quite FABULOUS! 

Ambrosia (from The Raw Food Detox Diet book by Natalia Rose) 

• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced into matchstick pieces (FYI-I had some carrots to burn, so I added about 5 instead of just 1)
• 1 zucchini, sliced into matchstick pieces 
• 1 large beet, sliced 
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup apples, sliced or diced, however you like it 
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, diced 
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced 
• 1/2 cup dried, unsulfured cranberries 
• 1/2 cup sliced sunchokes (aka Jersulem artichokes) 
• 1/4 cup of fresh mint
• 1/2 cup fresh basil 
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro 

As usual, mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve! Now, if you really want a SPECTACULAR dressing to go on top, make this: 

Liquid Gold Elixir (from the same book) 

• 2 cups fresh lemon juice 
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp minced ginger
• 3 tbsp Nama Shoyu (aka soy sauce)
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 1 1/2 cups cold-pressed olive oil 

Put all ingredients except the oil in a food processor and process. Slowly add the oil, until its completed blended. Put in jars and store in the fridge for up to a week! 

The finished product. 

Apple Raisin Dream (from the same book as above)

• 1/2 pound romaine lettuce (its LOCAL at Weaver Street in Carrboro!)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 fuji apple, chopped
• 3 tbsp scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp chives, chopped (from the backyard garden :) )
• 1 yellow bell pepper (or any color bell pepper you are partial to), chopped
• 1 english cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 cup basil (from the backyard garden, again) 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve. 

Quite refreshing on a summer day. 

Tomato Gazpacho (from the same book-notice a trend?) 

• 5 large tomatoes, quartered (Local and pesticide free at Weaver Street for $1.99/lb (I think)) 
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 cup olive oil 
• black pepper 
• 1/4 cup basil 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until pureed. Now, the black pepper and basil were added for extra flavor, so you can modify that if you want. 

Serve cold. Unless, if you are Adam and don't know what a Gazpacho is and heat it up in the microwave. BTW, he said it was still good warm... 

Last raw recipe:

Crunchy Sprouts and Veggies (from Becoming Raw by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina)

• 3 cups chopped Napa Cabbage, chopped (this was also Local from Weaver St)
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup lentil sprouts (I have lentils to sprout, but I didn't have them finished in time, so I omitted them from this recipe)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks of celery, cut into matchsticks
• 15 snow peas, quartered
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1/2 to 1 avocado (I omitted this, too)
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts (or whatever sprouts you like, pea shoots are in season...)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix and serve. If you are using avocado set that aside, and use as a topper. 

Here it is. I packed this for Adam's lunch yesterday with some Shittake Ginger dressing (store bought, not homemade) and it got good reviews. 

On to the not so raw, but still healthy and delicious! 

Mostly Not Potato Salad (from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson)

• 4 small red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
• big handful of green beans, trimmed and sliced
• 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• sea salt
• 1/4 cup chopped dill 
• 1 leek, trimmed and chopped
• 6 stalks of celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and cut into cubes
• 6 oz extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp chives

Bring a pot to a rolling boil, add potatoes and cook until tender (about 10 mins). Add green beans to pot and cook for a super-quick 30 seconds. Drain and set aside. Make the dressing by whisking together mustard, vinegar, olive oil, sugar and salt in a bowl. In a skillet saute the dill with a splash of olive oil and stir in the leek. Saute until slightly crispy (4 minutes). In a big ass bowl, toss potatoes, green beans, celery, cucumber, tofu, chives, leek and dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

This recipe has been one of my favorites this week! 

Kale Salad (from the Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson)

• 1/3 cup olive oil (or if you are like me, spray with pam)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp Nama Shoyu
• 3 1/2 cups Kale, stems trimmed, ribs removed (local and organic at Weaver St for $1.89-ish/bunch!!!)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened large flake coconut
• 2 cups cooked whole grain (optional-I did not include this) 

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, and Nama Shoyu together. Put the kale and coconut in a large bowl and spray with pam to lightly coat. Then toss with the oil mixture (in my case, since I used pam I just sprinkled Nama Shoyu on top). Spread kale mixture evenly on two baking sheets and bake for 12-18 minutes, until slightly browned. You can toss the finished product with a whole grain of your choice if you want. Serve warm. 

Right: Kale. I didn't even get to try it because Adam woofed it down. Guess it's good...
Left: Arame Saute (see below)

Arame Saute (from Clean Food by Terry Walters)

• 1 cup dried arame
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil (C'mon, who has this? I used olive oil, and the recipe turned out fine)
• 2 small cipollini onions (Ok, don't know what those are either, so I used these tiny onion bulbs I got from the farmers' market)
• 4 carrots, julienned
• 1 cup peeled and julienned jicama (I had to be a super sleuth to find this, Harris Teeter had some) 
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed (from farmers' market :) )
• 2 tbsp mirin (Another mystery ingredient, so I didn't use. I just got some teriakyi sauce instead)
• 1 tbsp brown rice syrup (see mirin comment)
• 1 tsp Nama Shoyu
• 1/2 tsp ume plum vinegar (see mirin comment)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds

Place arame in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a skillet, saute onions in oil until soft. Add carrots, jicama, and snow peas and cook until al dente. Add arame and (in my case) teriakyi sauce and heat through. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds. 

Whew! That was a long one! Most of these recipes were made earlier in the week, so I will be cooking more today. Stay tuned! 

Adjusting.

One of the greatest things about life is that it is ever changing. Sometimes during you life you need to stop, take everything in, and re-evaluate. That is what I have been doing the past week. 


Fun, fun. ;) 


On a serious note, I noticed that I was splurging (and I mean SERIOUS splurging) on some of the "luxuries" included in my version of the raw food diet. AKA avocados, chocolate (and lots of it), nuts, and dates. I also have been focusing on many of the foods that are not including in eating raw. Annnnd, I have been dragging major ass lately. Tired, napping, cranky...


This. Is. Not. Good. 


I have re-evaluated my diet choice and I have come to some conclusions. Some are good. Some are bad. 


Good: 

• I have eaten more fruits and veggies in the past 2 months than ever! 
• I eat a lot less of processed foods. 

Bad: 

• Carbs only from fruit (I need bread, people!).
• Thinking and basically drooling over sweets or pizza.
• Lack of protein (I know my body doesn't like excessive protein, but it does need a bit).

What to do. What to do.

Well, my body likes balance. Anything in excess does not agree with me. Therefore, I will be changing a few things about my diet to get to a balance. But I will be sticking with raw fruits and veggies. I like those suckers. :) 

But never fear! I will be posting all my recipes still. Raw and not raw, but all my foods will be whole, natural and healthy. 

Recipes Galore!

As usual, time got away from me, and I have not been posting. BUT...I have been MAKING FOOD! So, I have lots of recipes to share. 


Sesame Kale Salad (this is my lunch today)

• 4 cups Kale (any kind)
• 10 Crimini Mushrooms
• 15 Cherry Tomatoes 

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Nama Shoyu
• 1/4 tsp each of Black Pepper and Sea Salt
• Water to taste

For the salad, put the ingredients in a large bowl. For the dressing, process all ingredients in a food processor and drizzle over salad. Serves two. 

P.S. I found this recipe and the next two on www.goneraw.com. They have a shitload of recipes, and most of them look easy and yummy. 

Risotto (had this for lunch yesterday)

• 1/2 Cabbage 
• 2 turnips
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Any of your favorite veggies, chopped

Process all ingredients in a food processor (unless you have some crazy industrial size one it will take a few rounds. Mix in a bowl. Makes about 2-3 servings. Now, this is where I strayed from the recipe. I just made one of my favorite dressings and drizzled it over the risotto. But, if you are a rule follower, here was the 'cheese' that the recipe called for. 

Cheese:

• 1/2 cup nuts, any kind
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Process all ingredients in the food processor and mix with the risotto. 

This is my version of the Risotto.

Nutty Pineapple Salad (Ladies and Gentlemen this one is a real WINNER!!!) 

• 1 cup pineapple
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 carrots 
• 1 cup peanuts
• 2-3 green onions

Dressing:

• 2/3 cup Peanut Butter
• 2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
• 2 tsp Nama Shoyu
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Chili Powder

Mix the salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Top the salad with the dressing and enjoy. 

Last one...

French Lunch Salad (from Raw Food book)

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 6 radishes, cut into thin wedges
• 5 snow peas, cut into small pieces
• 1 carrot, cut into rounds
• 6 green olives
• 1 Tbsp Capers

Dijon Vinaigrette: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp dijon mustard 

Mix the dressing in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the romaine into smaller pieces. Add the radishes, snow peas, carrots, olives and capers. Top with dressing. Serves 1. 

Now it is grocery time to get ingredients for this week's recipes! 

Have a great Tuesday! 

Yes, I am still alive.

Obviously, it has taken about two weeks to get back into swing of things from a weekend in Miami. Oops!


The problem has really been my refusal to return to real life. Miami was just so fun. 75,000 people (mostly scantily clad, entertaining individuals), awesome music with dir-dir beats and great bass, and 80 degrees and sunny days. It was definitely what I needed. Here are some pics:

Carl Cox Tent

Ultra Day 2=Super Pumped

Sea of People

Main Stage

The other pictures I am not allowed to post, because I *may* have been drunk snapping pictures of us dancing. Eh, drunk dancing (and thinking you look awesome) happens to the best of us.  ;)

Now, eating raw in Miami wasn't too terrible. Mostly because I didn't much. I surely didn't drink raw beverages, but I gotta live, right? 

The week back from Miami could best be described as mass chaos (think three tests, a presentation, and a few project meetings). Although that is not a viable excuse for not blogging, you probably would not have wanted to hear from me anyway. I was a bit cynical and cranky that week. 

Just one more excuse, then I will get to the raw food talk. This past weekend there were 5 parents visiting us (two from my side, three from Adam's). Adam got his whitecoat for finishing (well, almost) his third year of pharmacy school. 

It ended up being a fabulous weekend. However, not much raw food existed except salads. I did make a green smoothie one morning and I got a lot of weird commentary from family members. Oddly enough, the same family members made fun of me when I got a veggie burger at Ted's Montana Grill. I can hear it now (accompanied by smirks and laughs): "No salad, Sam? You are actually going to eat real food?"It really was very funny. I laughed my butt off.  ;) 

One important thing to note is, I did not feel guilty from ANYTHING I ate last weekend, not from the veggie burger, not from the flatbread, and not from the daisy cakes. You gotta go with the flow (and in this case, going with the flow was DELICIOUS). 

Surprisingly (or not) I felt like poo earlier this week and have been napping to my heart's content. So, I have slowly been getting back into eating raw food items, however it has been a struggle. Finally today all the junky food is out of the house and I am back on track! 

No recipes to report as of now, but I am having a cooking extravaganza tomorrow (it's on my to-do list), so stay tuned! 

It's SPRING!

The beginning of spring meant one thing in our house...
LILLY'S 4th BIRTHDAY!!
Like any cat, she totally milked her special day by loafing around in the sun and doing tighty-tucks on the dining room table. 

What a spoiled girl. 

In addition to lilly's (or as adam lovingly calls her, a watermelon on stilts) birthday the week has been filled with school work and prepping for MIAMI. Ultra Music Festival is right around the corner which means dancing to great music in the sun for three days! So, don't expect to hear from me. :) 

I did make some dishes this morning to last us for the next few days. One, was a repeat-Cucumber Dill Salad. A friend told me how delicious she thought it was, which made me crave it, so I whipped that up for lunch. The second dish was a newbie... 

Sweet Potato Noodles with Jerusalem Artichoke Dressing (from Raw Food)

• 1 sweet potato

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp water
• 1 jerusalem artichoke (aka sunchokes), I had no idea what the hell these were, but they were easy to find in whole foods produce department. They look like big gingers. 
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1/2 yellow or red bell pepper
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• chili flakes, to taste

Make sweet potato noodles by using a grater. Put the jerusalem artichoke in the food processor and process. Add the water, walnuts, raisins, and pepper. Pulse until smooth. Add lemon juice, salt and possibly more water to taste. Pour the dressing over the noodles. Garnish with chili flakes if you want some spice. I endorse this recipe-it was YUMMY! 

Onto cycling to work out my tight ass muscles from a killer training yesterday with LA....

So, far this week is 3 things..

One

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This was last year:

My dad will pick the nose of anyone. :) 

And my mom and her friends will out-drink you. :) 

This is this year:

What a bummer. At least I won't be killing brain cells this year. :) 

This is my mom this year. She doesn't look that happy. Maybe I should be thankful I am not there! :) 

Two

This week is MS Awareness Week!!! This is near and dear to my heart. 

To me, MS= two things.
1. A daily annoyance for the past 5 years, that tends to rear its ugly head at dumb times.
2. A constant reminder of my strength.

So, that was me telling you all (even after living here for almost 3 years, I can NOT say/type y'all) that I have had MS since I was 19. For anyone that doesn't know what it is go here. This is in no way a pity party. I have had my fair share of struggles (double vision, lack of coordination, blurry vision, can't walk/write/or take a bath alone, tingles, headaches, etc.) BUT I have been LUCKY. I attribute this to:

• my sarcastic attitude (which is my version of a positive attitude
• my humor about the situation 
• my stubborn-ness  
• a wee bit of good fortune
• and perhaps, the most important, exercise (at my favorite place, SYNCStudio) and healthy eating 

Everyone has battles, and MS is mine.

I try to do everything I can to stay healthy, I exercise practically daily and eat a hell of a lot better than a lot of people my age, but I can't control this damn MS completely. So, here is my shameless plug. The National MS Society has fundraising events throughout the year and one of them is at the RBC Center on April 9th. The MS Walk is a fabulous event that raises money to fund MS research. I will be walking with the team, Master Striders. If you want to join the team, go here. It would be really cool if anyone wants to donate some money (like, $1) or walk with me! Especially because raising money to find a cure (or other medicines for MS) would mean I wouldn't have to inject myself with some crazy meds every other day.


Three

Tuesday night was a food preparation extravaganza! 

First up was the Waldorf salad (from Raw Food). I haven't had the pleasure of eating this one yet, but it will be my lunch for tomorrow. :)

For anyone wondering the black 'noodle' thingies are the arame. 

• 2 carrots, cut into rounds
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 red apple, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup arame, soaked for 10 minutes (found this ingredient at whole foods in the asian section)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tbsp clover sprouts
• lemon juice and olive oil, to taste
• 1/4 cup walnuts

Peel and cut the carrots. Toss the celery, carrots, apple, arame, raisins and sprouts in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil. Garnish with walnuts. 

Next, I made Pad Thai with a BOMB almond sauce (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen). The sauce really was the best. Adam was complaining about the loud noise from the food processor grinding the almonds, and he immediately apologized when he got a taste of the sauce. :) 

Noodles:

• 1/3 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp Nama Shoyu
• 2 zucchini or yellow squash, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• meat from 2 thai baby coconuts, julienned (if you don't want to use these, add an extra zucchini)
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts

Fresh Thai Herbs:

• 1/3 bunch of basil, chopped
• 1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 bunch mint, chopped
• 2 thai red chilies, seeded and chopped

Almond Sauce:

• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• juice of 4 limes (8 tbsp)
• 3 tbsp pitted dates
• 3 tbsp Nama Shoyu
• 1 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup water, as needed

Toppings:

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1/3 cup almonds, sliced

To make noodles, marinate onion in Nama Shoyu for at least 5 minutes. In a big bowl, combine zucchini, bell pepper, coconuts, and sprouts. Add the marinated onions. Set aside 2 tbsp of fresh thai herbs and a tbsp of red chiles for garnish. Place the rest of the herbs and chiles in the bowl. To make the sauce, blend the ginger, lime juice, and Nama Shoyu until smooth. Add almond butter and enough water to make a thick, creamy sauce. To serve, toss noodles with sauce and toppings and garnish with herbs and chili. 

Last up was Marinated Portobello Steak and Brazil-Broccoli Mash with Mushroom Gravy (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen). Yes, this really is raw! 

Steak:

• 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup Nama Shoyu
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Mash:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup brazil nuts
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped

Gravy:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup mushrooms, any kind
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

To make the steaks, in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and set aside for 1-2 hours to marinate and soften. To make the mash, process the garlic, pepper and salt into tiny pieces. Add brazil nuts and process into a powder. Empty the powder into a bowl and set aside. Process the broccoli slowly while adding the brazil nut powder back in. To make the gravy, blend all the ingredients until smooth. To serve, slice each mushroom into thick strips and serve on top of brazil-broccoli mash. Drizzle with gravy. YUMMMMMM!!!!