My (mostly) Raw Take On Life

As Promised.

2011-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-08-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-07-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-06-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-05-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-05-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

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:

School, school, school, and more school.
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.
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!
I turned 25. Adam turned 25. We celebrated our 5 year anniversary, too! May is a busy month for celebrations!
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!
Cooking. Eating. Cooking. Eating. ANDDDD fiddling with my diet. Good results so far!
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.

2011-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-04-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-03-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

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..

2011-03-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

It's a MADHOUSE!

2011-03-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

School has resumed, so life has gone from relaxin' and chillaxin' to a chaotic madhouse! But, I am okay with that, because I am a creature of habit and I LOVEEEEE routine.

My love for routine has rubbed off on my girly-man, Cliff, because it is 7am and he is meowing at me to play fetch. Similar to how he does every morning. I am almost positive I have created a fetch monster. As for my favorite girl, Lilly, she is being a big brat. I think she knows it is her birthday week (yes, week) and she is taking full advantage of it. Meowing, jumping in front of me when I am walking, and prancing all over the counters. What a major smarty pants! Her actual birthday (she is 4) is March 21st, but we started celebrating on Sunday by giving her 3 toys, a fish, a mint flavored stick-y thing, and some cardboard on a wire (we are high spenders I know). The toys kept her attention for about 5 minutes. Figures. I think she was more pumped about the special wet food we got her for her birthday! What a fattie....

On to other news.
I have become a bosu ball and balance champion of the world! No, seriously, I have noticed quite a big-ass change in my strength, balance, and performance in my training sessions. In secret, I brush my shoulders off every time I get home after training. :) It all has to go to the wonderful and thoughtful training from Mrs. Leigh Ann Yeager! Not only does she know her shit, but she is super motivating! Thank you, LA!

And on to shopping....I have gone on a bit of a shopping binge (at least it's not food, right) this past week. I found jeans (with a waistband, button and zipper-Adam is thrilled) and some fun shorts, amoung other things. All this is fully justifiable because we are going to Miami in a few weeks and I want to look fly (and prance around in my sick new legs and shoulders-again, courtesy of LA). I would advise anyone who wants to save money NOT to go to anthropologie, free people, lucky, aldo, or j.crew. Buuuuutttt, if you want some sickity, sick clothes, I would go to those stores. :)

Now, sunday it was beautiful here! It was so sunny on sunday morning, that I went on a cooking spree! And, I remembered to take a picture of one of the dishes! Score!

First up, was a wrap, which didn't wrap that well. But it was good either way.
Italian Herb Collard Wrap (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

2 large collard leaves, ribs removed (now I just sliced these, and made a salad since the wrapping wasn't happening)

Fillings:

1 batch Sunny Dill Cheeze (recipe below)
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 bunch rosemary leaves, chopped
1 bunch oregano leaves, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

According to Ani, you should be able to spread the cheese on the collard leaf, top with the fillings and roll. But this was beyond my abilities. In all seriousness, the salad I made was yummy!

Sunny Dill Cheeze:

2 cups sunflower seeds
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of dill
1/2 cup of water, as needed

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add water as needed to make a creamy texture.

Here is a pic:

The dill cheeze isn't pictured, because in my hungry stupor I forgot to pack it to take to school. :(

This is on the lunch menu for today...
Broccoli Salad with Raisins (from Raw Food)

1 large crown of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, coarsely grated
1 red onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped
5 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 apple, cubed
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice

Coat the broccoli with olive oil and salt to soften it. In a large bowl, add the other fruits and veggies to the broccoli. Sprinkle with raisins, sunflower seeds, and lemon juice.

This was lunch on sunday, and it got great reviews (even from the non-raw food eaters in the house)!

Asian Cashew Curry (from Raw Food

Salad:

1/2 head of crispy lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup wild rice, soaked
1 green apple, cubed
2 inches of leek, cut into rounds
1/4 small head of cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 celery stalks, cut into rounds
1/4 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

Soak the wild rice for 3 days. Honestly, this was a big pile of BS. I soaked that damn rice for 5 days, and it was still hard. The rice was omitted from the recipe. To make the salad, just toss all the ingredients in the bowl and top with the dressing (below).

Cashew Curry Dressing:

1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup water
1/4 yellow bell pepper
1 inch of leek
curry, turmeric, tamari and lemon juice, to taste

Blend the nuts into a flour-like consistency. Add the pepper, leek and half the water. Blend until mixed. Add a little water at a time until a creamy consistency is reached. Season to taste.

It is now time to make a smoothie...

I can't think of a title for this one (so I will leave it like this)...

2011-03-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, my spring break has been wonderful. I am currently experimenting with sprouting (the first batch is alfalfa) and soaking rice (for 3 days, yes, 3 whole days). The kitchen has turned into quite a sight, but it is fun to try some new techniques. So, my thursday night consisted of sprouting, soaking, and timing cliff to see how quick he can play fetch. Currently, the time to beat is 7 seconds (and I launched that damn toy all the way through the living room and down a flight of stairs). My spring break might not consist of excessive partying in Cancun, but I can say that I am getting A LOT of homework done, papers written, cooking, cleaning, and relaxing! Plus, my real spring break is two weeks away when Ultra Music Festival takes place in Miami. I just bought an outrageous dress for the event, and I am VERY, VERY proud to say I will be the gaudy Italian. :) I just need to find some equally fab-u-lous shoes and a bag, and then I will be good to go.

Since I have a bunch of time on my hands, I have been making lots of food! I want to start posting pictures of each dish, but I always devour the food before I remember to take a picture of it! I promise (pinky swear) that I will try to remember to take pictures! :)

My effort to calm down has been working. Taking a breath, stepping back, and thinking about how unimportant some things are has really helped. So, now when I am panic-y about everything I have to do or Adam's rotation next year, I think about what a great life we have and how thankful I am that we are both healthy and happy (most of the time).There was a slight tantrum the other night because I was starving, so I got a bit hangry, but thats besides the point....

This first recipe is delicious, BUT I definitely spilled the dressing all over the cookbook, so now it is crusty and smells like garlic and ginger good-ness. :)
Creamy Cabbage Coleslaw (from RAWvolution)
Salad:

1/2 cup peeled and shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded radish
2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
2 cups finely shredded red cabbage

Dressing:

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp nama shoyu
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1-2" piece of ginger, peeled
about 1 1/2 cups olive oil (and no, that is not a typo)

In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients and toss to mix. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor. Process. Then, slowly add the olive oil and continue to process. Pour over the salad, toss, and serve.

Easy, quick, and good.

Fennel Salad (from Raw Food)

1/2 fennel bulb, cut into small pieces
1/2 bunch of arugula
seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
5 walnuts, coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix. This is only one serving, so you may need to double, triple, or in my case quadruple. :)

Ok, I hate parsnips with a passion, so I was a bit leery of this recipe. However, this one is a definite keeper! This recipe is two servings...

Parsnip Couscous (from Raw Food)

1 parsnip, chopped
1 celery stalk, cut into small pieces
1/4 cucumber, cut into slices and then quartered
2 pears, peeled and chopped
2 large portions of crispy salad greens (pick your fav)
1 avocado, cubed
3 tbsp walnuts, chopped, for garnish

Dressing:

1 tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

Put the parsnip in a food processor and process until its grainy. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients to make the dressing. Toss the other salad dressing ingredients together with the dressing and serve on a place. Place the parsnip couscous on top of the salad and garnish with walnuts.

This one was money in the bank, and I am sure this recipe will be made over and over again.

Walnut Cranberry Squash 'Rice' (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

about 1 lb of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2" cubes
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp cumin seeds (I used regular cumin, which worked fine)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts, crushed
2 tsp sea salt

Put small batches of the squash into a food processor and process into small pieces. Put the processed squash into a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients. Toss well and serve. Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

I have been making a conscious effort to make more smoothies, and so here are some ones I tried this week. The recipes are all from Green Smoothie Revolution.

Apple Green Smoothie

4 cups romaine lettuce (this was okay, but next time I am going to try using a lettuce with a bit more nutrient value than romaine)
4 fuji apples
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 cups water

Favorite Green Smoothie

3-6 leaves of any kind of kale
1 banana
1 apple
1/2 inch ginger root
2 cups water

Turkish Grove

2 cups of kale
1 pear
3 figs
2 cups water

Have a great night everyone!

Take a Chill Pill!

2011-03-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

That, my friends, is what I am attempting to do.

I am sure many of you are sick of me bitching and moaning about how life/school has been busy, and now you don't have to listen to (or read about) it anymore! This is for two reasons:

It's SPRING BREAK!
I am taking a chill pill, going with the flow, and refusing to freak out when things don't go according to my to-do list.

Just so you know what a lofty goal this is, here is an example of my slightly up-tight (let's call them special) tendencies.

I plan my day by the hour. That's right, I have a written list of everything that happens EACH hour of the day. It makes me feel organized (and not neurotic at all :) ).
Ashley came over to eat the other night and she was worried about putting her bowl in the dishwasher in the right place.

Eeekk, just typing that makes me feel like a psycho.

All this revelation has been spurred by the fact that it is almost the end of this 30-day Raw Food Challenge and I need something new to work on!!

What?!?! What?!?! End of the challenge? Can you believe it?

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is over this Sunday (ish). Never fear, I will be continuing this food plan for a while. Why? Let's compare and contrast.

Before:

Fatigued, napping for 1-2 hours daily, and having 2-3 cups of coffee per day. This is all with 8-9 hours of sleep.
Major cranky pants.

After:

Not, I repeat, NOT fatigued. NO naps. Maybe 1 cup of coffee per day.
Happy camper. The crazy high-strung lady that was beyond flustered and slow in front of me in line at Starbucks didn't even cramp my style. I actually felt sorry for her because she seemed so panicky.

Now, keep in mind this isn't some miracle diet. My body just responded favorably to it, and I like the food, so that is the real reason I am sticking with it. I will also be sticking with the blog, posting recipes and posting cat pictures. Even though every time Adam sees a picture of the cats on the blog, he reminds me that I am the "creepy cat lady," but I am okay with that.

Ok, sorry for the raw food tangent, but raw food is the whole reason for the blog. As for staying calm, cool and collected, I am going to try that for 30 days now. Seriously. Eating (mostly) raw for 30 days has made me feel like I can do anything for 30 days. Imagine that!

How will I do this? I am not sure, but the plan for now is to take a step back, breathe, and let go. Please pray that I don't spontaneously combust. I am all Italian and German you know, and we tend to be a wee-bit stubborn and impatient. Hopefully the prospect of spring (along with all the sunshine) will help keep me smily and chipper even when I am not either of those things. :)

Now on to some mouth-watering raw food recipes.

Yellow Squash Pasta with Olive Tapenade

1 yellow squash
2 carrots
Sun-dried tomatoes, to taste (and those puppies are good, so I add quite a bit!)

Tapenade:

1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
black olives, to taste
lemon juice, to taste
salt and dried herbs to taste

Using a veggie peeler, peel the skin of the squash and carrots and discard. Continue peeling the rest of the squash and carrots until you get to the seeds of the squash. Mix together the tapenade ingredients and add to the carrot and squash pasta. Top with sun-dried tomatoes. Easy, fast and GOOOOOOD!!!!

Don't know what to do with the seedy core of the squash? Don't worry, make this recipe:

Yummy Pasta Leftovers

2 squash or zucchini leftovers, cut into small pieces
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1 pear, cut into small pieces
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
10 purple grapes, halved
1/2 cup white cabbage
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 cup walnuts, halved

Mix the zucchini, pepper, pear, celery and grapes together in a bowl. Add the cabbage strips and the avocado. Sprinkle with walnuts. I just ate this for lunch today and it stood up to its name, it was quite yummy!

Since it's break I will be on a cooking spree this week, so be on the look out for more raw recipes!!

A Morning Zinger

2011-03-01T05:34:00.000-08:00

That was what the smoothie I had this morning was called (and just in case you haven't caught on, the recipe is below). This morning was quite a zinger, so the smoothie was well fitting. My alarm went off and cliff jumped up on the bed to cuddle and be my little spoon. Poor timing buddy. So I threw the cover off on him and left him, thinking he would get up and start meowing (or play the dreaded fetch game). But the cuddler just stayed and slept (for 2 hours, I might add) like this...

What a little man!

The other zinger, actually happened yesterday, but I am still thinking about it this morning, so it counts. Just for background information sake, my brother is in film school and working on his final project, which is a movie he creates, films, edits, the whole sha-bang. This is taking place at some run down house in GA. There are 15 people on the cast. My parents offered to bring food for them each weekend for two weekends in a row. The first weekend of parent food was this past weekend. Keep in mind that all I have heard about for the last week (at least) is the menu they are planning, the food they bought, etc. So, yesterday (morning, in fact) my dad (who I love and adore) calls in a panic. He wants to know what a natural sugar is, so that he can give the crew a sugar boost in the afternoon. Below is the convo (or something like it) that occurred:

Me: Well, if you want a natural sugar give them fruit. That is easy and they wouldn't have to stop filming.

Dad: What other natural sugars are there? Someone said candy.

Me: Candy is not a natural sugar, are you (CENSORED) crazy?

Dad: Maybe those energy drinks, what are they 5 hour energy or red bull?

Me: Stick with the fruit.

Dad: I think I will get 15 energy drinks and some candy bars. Thanks! Bye!

And I wonder why I constantly have dreams that include people not listening to me!

Oh, and here is my mom (whom I also love and adore) on the film set. This is what she looks like without her whiskey and canada dry.

Adam has described my family as a sitcom and he likes to just sit back, watch us and enjoy. This picture made me VERY VERY excited for their visit in April.

As for the diet, I came to the realization that, even though the word 'raw' implies that the food is healthy, raw brownies, raw larabars, and raw fudge are not. I knew this already, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. Major bummer. So, those are all out of the house. Well, after the new bars that Ashley and I made have been eaten...

The cooking spree that took place last night yielded: mediterranean dolmas, mexican 'rice', ranch dressing, walnut dressing, the bars (PB and J and Mango and Cranberry), and some bean-free olive hummus. And this all was made in about 1 1/2 hours. Give or take a little for wine breaks. :)

Recipes:
Morning Zinger Smoothie (from Green Smoothie Revolution)

1 bunch of dandelion greens
1/2" ginger
1/2 pineapple
2 peaches
2 stalks of celery

Mediterranean Dolmas (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp olive-oil
Collard leaves for wrappers

Mix all the ingredients (except the collard leaves) in a bowl. Put a portion of the mixture in a collard leaf, wrap up and eat. Pretty, pretty okay.

Mexican 'Rice' (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

1 acorn squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut in cubes
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Put the cubed squash in a food processor and process into small pieces of 'rice.' Put the squash in a mixing bowl and add the other ingredients and mix well. Keeps for 2 days in fridge.

Ranch Dressing (from Raw Food)

1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/2 cup water
1/2 sprig basil
1/2 sprig dill
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

Blend cashews to a flour-like consistency. Add half the water and mix. Add the spices, lemon juice and salt. Add a little water at a time and blend until desired consistency.

Walnut Dressing (from Raw Food)

1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp tamari
basil, to taste
1 celery stalk
1/4 cup water

Blend walnuts to a flour-like consistency. Add the other ingredients and add extra water until you reach the desired consistency.
***This dressing was used on a salad with butter lettuce (from the Raleigh Farmer's Market), avocado, walnuts, tomato, and cucumber. It was AWESOME!

Bean-free Black Olive Hummus (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups zucchini, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup kalamata black olives, pitted and chopped
pinch of paprika

Process sunflower seeds into a powder and set aside. Process zucchini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini until smooth. Slowly add sunflower seeds back into the food processor. Process until mixture reaches a hummus consistency. Pour into a mixing bowl and top with olives and paprika.

Now, my friends, it is time for SCHOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!

Is it break yet?

2011-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, school has been serious lately. I have successfully ran around this week like a chicken with my head cut off, but I did get everything done. Boo-yah! Now I am just 3 tests and one practicum proposal away from spring break. Instead of taking a trip for break, I will be getting my shop on at the mall. Spring clothes, shoes, and bags are out in full force and they are calling my name! I. Can. Not. Wait. But my credit card can. ;)

This week has been good, food-wise. More delicious dishes have come out of the kitchen (well, blender and food processor). Wait that was a lie, the tabouli looked good in the cookbook picture, but was down right bad. The marinated bok-choy, cucumber dill salad and cauliflower couscous was money in the bank though, so check out those recipes below.

As for how I feel this week, I have been tired, cranky, and sluggish. I would like to attribute this to less sleep and more stress with school, but it has been concluded that this is probably due to less greens and more sweet treats. More raw fudge, more raw bars and more cheese (not really a sweet treat, but a staple lately for sure). So, the plan this week is to get as much green leafies and other yummy veggies in me as possible and see if my energy takes a turn for the best.

One revelation this week, I need to make a hell of a lot more food. Adam has successfully eaten a LOT of my food (probably because it is soooo damn tasty), which means we run out of food QUICK. Surprisingly, he hasn't been complaining about the lack of meat too much, which is sweet, but I still try to have some frozen animals (chicken or flank steak) in the freezer and beans in the pantry for his cravings. Nonetheless, a bigger grocery cart at whole foods WILL happen this week. It does make me a bit warm and fuzzy inside that he has jumped on the raw food wagon. Keep in mind, I didn't force this, I have always said that I can cook crap for him. :)

Since my grocery cart is usually overflowing every week, one would think our bill has gone up drastically, right? That is actually a BIG, FAT WRONG. Our bill has stayed the same, even despite the $30 I spend weekly on kombuchas, and the $30 I may have spent on cheese last week (shh-don't tell Adam). So, it seems like the approximately $200 that is spent weekly on groceries includes a lot more veggies and a lot less meat and yogurt. I know our grocery bill sounds high, but we rarely eat out so it includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, wine for the whole week (sometimes longer). Plus, I am kind of a food-snob and I try to get organic in anything with a thin skin, or local produce, which does cost more.

What has my detailed analysis of this diet told me?

It costs the same to go "raw."
Most of the dishes have been scrumptious and have left me feeling satisfied but not near the point of food coma.
I feel lighter and more energetic, all raw food days considered.
I spend less time in the kitchen.

In a nutshell, this "diet" is working well. :)

Now, for the recipes.

Tabouli (try only if you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE parsley)

Salad:

6 bunches fresh parsley (and yes you will get weird looks at the grocery store)
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

Dressing:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
5 cloves garlic, peeled

To make the salad chop the parsley and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and toss together. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour over salad and mix well. Serve.

Cucumber Dill Salad

Note: I first tried this salad in the library when I was studying and I definitely said "damn, that's good" out loud and got a few looks from a neighboring study table. :)

Salad:

5 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red onion, diced
2 bunches chopped dill, stems removed

Dressing:

1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp sea salt
5 cloves of garlic peeled

Add all salad ingredients in a bowl and mix well. For dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor, process and pour over salad. Toss.

Marinated Bok-Choy

5 heads baby bok choy (or if you are trying to save some cash like me, I used 2 heads of regular bok choy)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
4 cloves garlic, peeled

Starting at the bottom of the bok choy, cut the stalks into 1/2" pieces, leaving the leaves whole. In a blender combine the olive oil, nama shoyu, and garlic and blend well. Add to bok choy and mix.

***I found some sliced portobello shrooms at the grocery and added those to the olive oil mixture to marinate. Then, I poured that over the bok choy when I was packing my lunch in the morning. Yummy.

Cauliflower Cous-Cous

2 heads of cauliflower, finely ground in a food processor
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp black pepper
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 bunch each of: mint, cilantro and parsley, stems removed
One 13 oz jar of pitted greek olives (oops, I got not pitted olives, and Adam had now problem reminding me ;) )

Hmm, this one is NOT rocket science. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Adam has been dipping his pita chips in it for a snack, and considering he has probably eaten half of it by now, I would guess it turned out okay.

So, as much as I absolutely love not studying, it is time to devote this saturday night to learning about glucose. Woo-whooooo!

I feel like I should be a member of the Circus...

2011-02-22T05:09:00.000-08:00

because all I have been doing is juggling my health, school (and all the work that goes with it), food, and keeping a smile on my face (which is last priority). And, SURPRISE! It hasn't been working. So, after (unnecessarily) stressing myself out and succumbing to my comfort food of pizza last night, I have decided to try a new approach. Health, getting enough rest, and eating well are top priorities. Without those, nothing else can happen. Next, is exercise so I can turn that frown upside down! If all those things have been satisfied, then school work will get done, and probably more effectively at that.

Alright, now that everything is figured out, back to the pizza cheat. It was delicious going down. So cheesy, warm and bready! But, after I felt like someone had punched me in my stomach and my whole stomach was cramping up! Yuck, I went to bed right after. I feel good now, but THAT will NOT be happening again.

Now, let's backtrack to Saturday. Bassnectar was WAY beyond amazing and totally exceeded my expectations. I knew he would be good, but wowzers! It was great to be around friends, good music, and have spectacular, jaw-dropping people to watch! It made me very excited for the Ultra Music Festival in Miami in March (which is SOLD-OUT by the way)!

Sunday was major grocery shopping and cooking. After getting back from Whole Foods and unpacking all the food, Ashley said I should take a few pictures of the fridge. So here you go..

Lots of cauliflower (for our cauliflower couscous-stay tuned) and a drawer full of fruit! Ignore the soy milk and juice-that's Adam's.

Many, many greens (kale, beet greens, parsley, cilantro, spinach) for smoothies!

And a shit-ton of kombuchas! Again, ignore the tequila that is Adam's.

So, what did Ashley and I make for our meals? Creamy Asian Salad and Dressing, Simple Pasta Marinara, Raw Caprese Salad, Raw Lasagna (a different one) and Coconut Fudge (for our sweet treat). All the recipes are below, including some smoothies I have been making the last two days.

Creamy Asian Salad and Dressing (from the Raw Food Detox Diet book)

For the Salad:

2 cups mung bean sprouts
2 cups shredded green or purple cabbage
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas
1/2 cup mushrooms (shittake or button)
1/2 cup watercress, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped

For the dressing:

1 inch ginger, chopped
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp sweet white miso
6 whole pitted dates
2 tbsp nama shoyu soy sauce
1/4 cup water

For the salad: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

For the dressing: Blend all ingredients together until smooth. One hour before serving, pour half the dressing over the salad and mix. (Side note: the dressing is the BOMB).

Simple Pasta Marinara (from the Raw Food Detox Diet book)

5 vine-ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup packed fresh basil
1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 cup fresh oregano (optional)
1 or 2 dates
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 large zucchini or spaghetti squash (we used spaghetti), cut into thirds.

Place all ingredients except zucchini/squash into a blender and blend until creamy. Then using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini or the squash into noodle-like strips. Pour the tomato sauce over the squash.

Raw Caprese Salad (from the Raw Food Detox Diet Book)

10 thin slices of Alta Dena raw cheddar-style goat cheese
2 Holland or plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
10 leaves of fresh basil
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp ginger, diced (optional)

Layer cheese slice, tomato slice, and basil leaf until each plate has 5 of each. Whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and ginger together and spoon on top of the salad.

Raw Lasagna

5 mushrooms of your choice, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp tamari
2 zucchini, peeled
1/2 package spinach
6 tbsp marinara sauce (recipe below)
1 or 2 avocados, sliced

Marinate mushrooms in olive oil and tamari for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the zucchini making noodle-like strips. Put the spinach and a little water in a food processor and process until it becomes a sauce, set aside. Cover the bottom of a rectangular baking dish with 2 tbsp marinara and put 1/3 of zucchini on top of sauce. Add 2 tbsp of marinara and half the mushrooms. Add 1/3 of zucchini, 1/2 the avocado slices and half the spinach sauce. Add the last 1/3 of zucchini, 2 tbsp marinara. Add the rest of the spinach sauce and avocado. Top with mushrooms. (THIS RECIPE WAS YUMMY!)

Marinara Sauce

2 tomatoes
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt, garlic and cayenne pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend. Keeps 3 days in fridge.

Last but DEFINITELY not least...
Coconut Fuge (from RAWvolution book)

3 cups walnuts
1/2 cup carob or coco powder
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
5/8 cup agave nectar

Grind walnuts in food processor until they have a buttery consistency. In a large mixing bowl combine carob (or coco) powder and coconut and mix. Add walnuts and agave nectar and mix well. Press mixture into glass baking dish and freeze for about 10 minutes. Cut and serve (makes 9 bars).

I LOVE Saturdays (especially sunny ones)!

2011-02-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Well, the last few days have been going well. I am slightly concerned that my schoolwork is quickly turning into an adam-pharmacy-school-no-time level of schoolwork. However, I am trying to remain positive that it will not get to that point. Only time will tell. But, let's just all have a moment of silence and pray that I can finish: a 10 page paper, a presentation, a lab report, a research article response assignment, study for a test, a 2 page paper and get my thesis/practicum idea nailed down so I can start writing a monster proposal that is due the first week of march all by Wednesday. Hmm, it looks worse when it's written down. I am going to ignore that to-do list until sunday though, because...

Adam, Ashley and I are about to embark on a road trip to Asheville to see the one, the only...BASSNECTAR! The long-haired legend himself will be spinning this evening! I have my outfit (including a back-up outfit) picked out and I am in the dancing mood!

Play before work right? Or is it the other way around...

There is a small food-related issue with this road trip. What am I going to eat for dinner, breakfast and snacks? The plan is Zucchini Pasta with Marinated Mushrooms (recipe below), some leftover Indian Cauliflower Mash, Nuts, and a Kombucha. It's time for another prayer. Please pray that I don't get HANGRY (hungry and angry) for Adam's and Ashley's sake! Poor Adam is VERY aware of how unpleasant I am when I am hangry, and I want to continue to be buddies with Ashley...

At least I can be thankful that I don't have to deal with Cliff and his stupid purple rubber toy. Below is him with his mouth open and meowing (constantly, loud, and a bit whiny) next to his toy because he wants to play fetch. He doesn't stop meowing until you throw the toy. And, to top it off he is the fastest fetcher ever and comes back in 10 seconds (I mayyyy have timed him), so you can throw the toy again.

Alright I need to go paint my face so I am ready to go dance my butt off. Have a fabulous Saturday everyone!

Zucchini Pasta with Marinated Mushrooms (1 serving)

1 zucchini, peeled
4 mushrooms, sliced
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup sunflower sprouts

Marinade:

1 tbsp Nama Shoyu
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 springs of parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice

Make the marinate and let the sliced mushrooms marinate for 15 minutes-3 hours. Once finished place on paper towels to soak up extra liquid. Make thick strips of zucchini using a veggie peeler. Place zucchini on a plate and put mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and sprouts on top. Enjoy!

Next Up...

2011-02-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

Next up for a raw diet is our little watermelon on stilts, Lilly. That is her tum tum pudge hanging over our entertainment stand. Good thing Adam runs her around with the laser pointer nightly.

Meanwhile, Cliff was on security duty, which means he was watching birds. I just enjoyed his curly, monkey-like tail. The second someone used a leaf blower outside he ran to his scare-dy spot in the bathroom. What a man!

Onto the reason for the blog-the raw food. I woke up slightly later than usual at 5:30 a.m. and got an itch to blend and process. So, I made a pineapple upside-down cake smoothie for breakfast (which is quite a mind-trip because it turns out green but tastes like pineapple cake) and I made an Indian Cauliflower Mash and some salads. All the recipes are below. Unfortunately, for our poor neighbors, I was blending super early this morning, but no one banged on our walls (or so I think-the blender was loud), so I think I am in the clear.

I think I am past the detox crap, so no more weird side effects to report.

One little comment before I type up the recipes. Adam taped a show called Wild Pacific on HD Theater and it is a bit insane. I am watching it now and I just saw fruit flies do a mating dance. In case you are wondering they stick there tongues out and dance to impress the females. Sounds just like humans, right? Hah! The next segment is about this looney-toon caterpillar that is CARNIVOROUS. Yes, you read right. He has a vice-like hold and leaps up and attacks flies! It's pretty badass, I must admit. The show is actually pretty okay because it gives some appreciation for nature! Even though, I am glad there is not carnivorous caterpillars in NC.

Recipe Time!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Smoothie (from the Green Smoothie Revolution Book)

1/2 a pineapple
1 mango
2 bananas
small piece of ginger
some cinnamon and nutmeg
1 cup swiss chard
1 cup water

Blend and drink it down. Like I said, it is green, which is a bit odd.

Indian Cauliflower Mash

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 cup of cashews
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp curry
1 tbsp paprika
cilantro or parsley to garnish

Process the cauliflower into small bits in a food processor. Remove and place in bowl. Add walnuts to food processor and process into bits. Add to bowl with cauliflower. Add salt, curry, and paprika and mix. Garnish with herbs. I haven't tried this yet, but Adam said it was A-OK.

Italian Salad (how fitting!)

1 bunch of arugula
1 nectarine, cubed
10 slices of a red onion
5 kalamata olives
olive oil and lemon juice for drizzling

Add all to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. My guinea pig, Adam, said it was a good lunch today. I am planning on trying it when I am done typing.

Easy Lunch

1 avocado
1/2 cup (or more) of sunflower sprouts
lemon juice and salt

Slice avocado and top with sprouts. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle some salt before eating.

Oh Shit! I just looked up on the TV and the millepedes came on! This sucker is a food long and sickety-sick! Time for my nightly glass of wine...

Love is..

2011-02-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

Love is...playing fetch with Cliff for an hour, while I do homework.
Love is...Lilly licking off my wet feet when I get out of the shower.
Love is...Adam eating raw food (with meat supplementation) to make packing lunches easier on me.

The cats must have known it was valentine's day weekend on saturday, because for the first time ever (in 2+ years) there was a cuddle session on the same tier in their massive cat tower. Get ready to feel all warm inside, these two are too cute!

Alright, enough of the mushy gushy crap, I think all the sunshine today has got to my head! To be honest, I am not a fan of valentine's day. Shouldn't you show the people you love appreciation that they are in your life (and love you back) everyday, not just February 14th? Plus, I am not one for flowers, jewelry, or boxed chocolates. Surprisingly, Adam doesn't like the fact that I am not into flowers or jewelry. I think the sunshine may have gotten to his head..

No new recipes today, but that Raw-zania was THE BOMB. Oh my newest obsession is the brownies that Ashley made this weekend. Yes, raw, homemade brownies. With frosting, I should add! And, that frosting is better than anything store bought. Believe me, I know since I used to stock the tubs of frosting in the fridge in my dorm room to eat plain and out of the tub! I don't have that recipe since it was found on the world wide web. :(

What I DO have are some cat pictures from when I was cooking yesterday.
When I was using the food processor Cliff got a bit spooked.

After I took the picture, he then ran around in sprints around the apartment. What a character!

After I finished cooking I had set my cookbooks next to the table and went to do dishes. When I got back, Lilly was smothering poor Ani (on the Ani's Raw Food Kitchen book) and giving me a serious stink eye.

I am beginning to think this diet is not going over well with the cats. And Adam doesn't look like a happy camper either...

Well, whatever you are eating on this day of love, enjoy it!

The Monster of a Post

2011-02-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well the reviews for Butternut Squash in good 'ol Chapel Hill are in...

A+!

Dinner was fabulous!! It may have been because I was STARVING, but nonetheless the food was yummy. Adam and I shared a mix tapas plate for an appie (appetizer). It had guacamole, salsa, hummus, grapes, carrots, celery, cranberry jam and the grand finale was FLASH-FRIED GOAT CHEESE BALLS. Needless to say I kept asking Adam how the goat balls were during our meal. Yes, I'm mature. ;) For the main course I got a vegan club and cole slaw and my fave Pharmie-in-training got Thai Green Curry. The only regret I have is not reading up on the place enough to know they only have a $3.50 corking fee if you bring your own bottle of wine! Much to my dismay, I forgot all about ordering dessert (probably because I was salivating for the wine at the Pharmal).

Alright onto the food! The fridge has been restocked for the week and there are many delicious items on the menu. Here is what I made today:

Italian Rawzania (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)
4 servings
Noodles:

3 zucchini squash, peeled into thick "noodles"

Fillings:

1/2 batch Sun-dried Tomato Marinara (see recipe below)
1/2 cup shredded raw cheese (look for unpasteurized milk)
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup oregano, fresh or dried leaves
1/4 cup thyme, fresh or dried leaves

First, peel the zucchini into noodles. In a 8"x9" baking pan start by layering half of the squash on the bottom. Top with half of the cheese, half the tomato, half the onion, half the marinara, half the olives, half the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and thyme. Layer the rest of the squash and layer the remaining cheese, tomato, onion, marinara, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and thyme. Keeps for one day in the fridge. According to Ani, it tastes better the 2nd day once the flavors marinate together, but I wouldn't know since Adam inhaled most of it, and I had to fight for my little quarter. So, the obvious verdict is...this recipe is a winner.

Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp pitted dates
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes

Combine all the ingredients except the sun-dried tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and blend until mixed well. Keeps for two days in the fridge, but it's so good, I doubt it will last that long.

Spanish Scramble (Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 batch of the love-the-chicks pate
1 cup spinach leaves or other soft greens
pinch of black pepper

Place cilantro, tomatoes, scallions, and pate into a bowl and mix. To serve, scoop the mixture on top of a bed of spinach leaves. Top with black pepper.

Love-the-Chicks Pate (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

2 cups almonds, dry
1 cup sunflower seeds, dry
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp tumeric
1 cup water

Add all the ingredients except the water in a food processor and process into a powder. Add the water and process until mixed well.

Last recipe-I know this was a monster of a post, but Sunday is my Cooking Day!

Berry Blue Smoothie (from Green Smoothie Revolution)

2-3 cups water
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
1 ripe pear
1/2 bunch kale

Blend. This would have been better if I would have practiced PATIENCE (argh) and actually blended the kale completely. It wasn't that enjoyable since I had kale particles all up in my smoothie.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end! Have a good sunday night!

Hey Stranger!

2011-02-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't posted for the past 2 days, I feel like my little blog has become a stranger. Either way, I am back and in full force! I had a (small) slip-up with that stupid valentine's day candy on thursday night. Just to clarify, it was not used as a reward for eating raw for 4 days, it was used as a reward for finishing my metabolism test with my sanity. Or, maybe I didn't actually get through it thinking clearly and sane, since I came home and woofed down a big peanut butter cup. Hmm..

Thursday night I had some help in the kitchen (thanks Ashley!) and whipped up a yummy mushroom risotto! As always, the recipe is below. Friday was quite a whirlwind. Not only did I have an appointment with (one of) my favorite trainers, I got to play with the new TRX bands at the gym. Holy crappola, those things are AWESOME! They made me feel like the biggest badass in town! Perhaps I was too pumped from my appointment because I then doubled up on exercise classes in the evening. Cycling for 60 minutes and Cycling and Sculpting for 60 minutes at the one and only SYNCStudio! I am made it through though!!! Success!

It's that time for the weird side effect report: a runny nose all day on friday (so runny that I used a whole box of kleenex!) and lots of sneezing. In case you are wondering, I still yell toxins! whenever it happens.

Positive side effect report: I have not taken a nap due to fatigue since monday!! I was napping 1-2 hours daily (eek!) so this is beyond exciting! Secondly, I am spending a lot less time cooking in the kitchen. Now, all I have to do is cut stuff up instead of cutting food up and then having to cook it all! Between less napping and less cooking time, I am overwhelmed with free time, which is actually perfect since school has gone from acceptable to full out insane.

Tonight, Adam and I are going to Butternut Squash in Chapel Hill on Franklin Street, so I will let you know how their food is! It is also the evening of the Pharmal, so I better start picking out my outfit now...

Mushroom Risotto with White Truffle-Infused Olive Oil
Risotto:

1 3/4 pounds of acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

Marinated Mushrooms:

2 cups mushrooms, any type, sliced
3 Tbsp Nama Shoyu

Cream:

2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups almonds
3/4 cup water
1 cup olive oil

Toppings:

1/4 cup white truffle-infused olive oil
1 scallion, chopped
OR, if you are a student (or cheap) like me, skip the olive oil and just top with scallions.

To make the risotto, but the cubed squash into the food processor and process into risotto size pieces. Put in a large mixing bowl. For the mushrooms, mix the sliced shrooms with nama shoyu in a bowl and marinate for 5 minutes. To make the cream, add all ingredients into the food processor and process into a creamy texture. Add the mushrooms and cream mixtures to the risotto and top with scallions. Keeps for 3 days in fridge.

Feelin' Good, Feelin' Great, How Are You?

2011-02-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

I hope I am not jumping the gun here, but I felt pretty damn awesome today. I made it through my workout this morning (Rock the Band with Miss LA) without too much trouble, which was a major score! I survived this stupid busy, on-the-go day without a nap! Double score!

No weirdo detox side effects except one mount everest pimple on my chin. Pretty sweet.

The climax of the day was definitely coming home to a package on the front porch from my parents (who are well aware of the raw food diet commitment I have made). It was for valentine's day. It was from a bomb-diggity candy store in Savannah called River Street Sweets. It was a 20 oz (that's over a pound people) of a candy assortment for chocoholics. Bear claws, peanut butter cups (super-sized), chocolate covered pretzels galore. WTF. I love you, mom and dad but SHIT, talk about temptation!

Am I supposed to reward myself for eating raw for 3+ days with a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate treat? Should I just smell them? Should I have Adam hide them in the house so I can't possibly eat them without him knowing?

I am thinking that I will hold off on eating one. ONLY because when I cheat it usually turns into a (major) problem. That and I don't feel I deserve being rewarded for eating fruits and vegetables for a few days. I may feel differently after a glass of wine or maybe after I kick this nutrient metabolism's tests rear end, but until then I will just drool over the damn candies.

On a raw note, I did do some major "cooking" today, which, contrary to popular belief took less time then actually cooking normal food. I made a peach smoothie, zucchini hummus, tagliatinni with pesto sauce, and a kale slaw (all the recipes are below).

Peach Smoothie (from Green Smoothie Revolution)

3 peaches
1/2 pint raspberries
1 head of butter lettuce
2 cups of water

Blend and enjoy! I enjoyed this smoothie, but it was odd having the taste of lettuce in your mouth early in the morning.

Zucchini Hummus (from RAWvolution)

2 zucchini, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup raw tahini
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin

Blend all ingredients in a blender and eat with raw veggies.

Tagliatinni with Pesto (from Raw Food)

1 zucchini
1 carrot
2 tbsp pesto (see recipe below)
5 cherry tomatoes
5 kalamata olives

Peel the zucchini and carrot into thick pasta strips. Toss the pasta with pesto and add the tomatoes and olives.

Pesto

1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 sprig of basil
2 tsp sea salt
lemon juice to taste

Mix all in a mini food processor until well blended. Lasts for 1 week in the fridge.

***Although as an italian, I feel slightly embarrassed to saw how fabulous this "pasta" was, but it was very easy to make and was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was soooo yummy I even took a picture of it!

Cabbage Kale Slaw in Simple Greek Dressing (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

1/2 head of kale, any kind
1/4 head of red cabbage

Dressing:

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp thyme

Thinly slice kale and cabbage and place in bowl. Add the vinegar, oil, salt, and thyme to the bowl and mix well (or keep the salad and dressing separate and store for 5 days in the fridge).

The 3rd Day is a Charm

2011-02-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

Ahhh! Day 3! Honestly I am in disbelief that I survived this far. I tend to give into food cravings quick (like within minutes). :) I can't say I wouldn't kill for a piece of bread, but overall I am surviving. I even passed on the Peanut M and M's jar in class today. And that NEVER happens, I repeat, NEVER.

So, onto a detox side effects report. I continue to feel like a big pile of poop in the morning but the nausea, upset stomach (no diarrhea-this is not a pepto-bismol commercial) subsides by the afternoon. And after that, it is smooth sailing! Except for the tingly, feels-like-I-have-to-sneeze constantly nose and the occasional runny nose I have been A-OK.

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself here, but I think this may be do-able long term. I will be happy when I just start to feel super miraculous like the many raw foodies say they do, but until then I will continue to sneeze and blow my nose and testify that I am ridding my body of built-up toxins to anyone who will listen (which is mostly Adam or the cats).

No new recipes to post since I have been eating leftovers, but I am cooking tomorrow evening so stay tuned for more reviews.

Oh, one funny thing (or I thought it was funny) that happened this morning when I was cursing at the blender. Adam yelled from in bed (it was 5am, but he gave me permission the night before that I could blend that early) that maybe the diet will teach me patience. Needless to say I do not have any patience considering I am a bull-headed Sicilian/German gal, but maybe he is right. Feeling great and more patience? I will take whatever the raw diet has to offer!

Lastly, I am looking to take my carnivore boyfriend to a nice vegan restaurant for valentine's day (what a nice girlfriend I am, I know). If you have any suggestions pass them my way. :) To be fair, I am going to his Pharmal (pharmacy formal) this weekend, which means getting all spiffy and socializing, so the compromise is a vegan v-day dinner.

Now it is time to stop procrastinating studying nutrient metabolism...

2011-02-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

This morning started like every other morning at 5am for Plyometrics class at SYNCStudio with (gasp!) Beth. She delivered a good workout alright. So good I wanted to barf or my head wanted to explode, either could have happened at any time. I think this is pretty normal during the detox period, so life will go on. After my morning coffee and smoothie (same one as yesterday) didn't help, I took a few Advils (which is not so raw) and took a nap with my feline friend, Cliff.

I woke up feeling slightly refreshed and plugged through some homework even though I would rather be doing what Lilly was doing at the time...

or maybe a "please pet my belly" pose like Cliff...

Okay, just to get it straight, I would never actually do Cliff's belly pose, but it did make me smile.

Although my lunch (a thai coleslaw) was ah-mazing, I went to class this afternoon as a big, grumpy sourpuss since my head was still feeling foggy and ready to explode. I got a burst of energy and went to Whole Foods after class and boy am I glad! I found...wait for it...wait for it...RAW BROWNIES and RAW CHEESE!

AMEN!!

So, needless to say I had a delicious almond, dried fruit, and cheese plate with a brownie for dessert. My frown has officially been turned upside down.

Now it is study time (yay!).

Here is the thai coleslaw recipe:

Thai Coleslaw Salad

3 cups finely shredded Napa Cabbage
1 cup peeled and shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrot
1 bunch each of basil, mint, cilantro and chives (stems removed and leaves chopped)
1/2 cup raw, unsalted peanuts

Combine all ingredients in a big-ass mixing bowl and toss to mix thoroughly.

Thai Coleslaw Dressing

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
2 tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1" piece of ginger, peeled
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder

Combine all dressing ingredients in a mini food processor and pour over the salad. Note: this dressing is so delicious Adam could have slathered it all over his body and I would have licked it off. That maybe TMI, sorry mom and dad, but the dressing was fabulous!

The End of Day One

2011-02-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

Now is the time that I normally get bored and turn to our pantry, so I thought it would be a perfect time to write up a post! It seems like it's working...

I survived the first day!

The morning started with me wrestling with our stupid blender in an attempt to make a smoothie for breakfast. I did get everything blended, eventually. The cats were not thrilled with a new, loud, and terrifying noise so early in the morning (and neither was Adam). But, I did enjoy my dandelion green, endive, apple, pear, banana, and cranberry smoothie. Even while Adam was eating leftover pizza and ice cream for breakfast (right in front of my face!).

After breakfast I continued to terrorize the house making some meals for the next few days. I think the blender, mini food processor, vegetable peeler and knives got more use this morning then they have in the past year. The poor oven and pyrex pans feel neglected, I'm sure. It was super easy to do dishes though! It is less frustrating to rinse a cutting board than scraping off burnt food crusties from baking sheets!

The rest of the day was filled with my normal sunday routine. Laundry, homework, and exercising (a killer 60 minutes of cycling at SYNCStudio). I got back home around 5pm and it hit me that I made it a whole day eating ONLY raw food. Go me!

One thing I know is that I want to publicize are the yummy recipes I enjoyed today so, here they are!

Breakfast
World's Safest Liver Cleanser Smoothie (from Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko)

4 cups dandelion greens
1 head endive
2 small apples
1 banana
2 pears
1 cup cranberries

Chop and blend. Serves 2. Super easy and delish!

Lunch

Butternut Squash Soup (from Raw The Uncook Book)

3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 mango, cubed
2 tsp curry
4 cups OJ
1/2 cup honey (or dates)

Blend all ingredients until creamy. Garnish with plantains, bananas, mangos, mint, or jalapenos. Serves 4.

This recipe was acceptable, but I don't know if I will make it again. If I do, I am definitely garnishing with bananas instead of gross plantains.

Dinner

Sun Burgers with Sun-Dried Tomato Catsup (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

Burgers:

2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell peppers, chopped
2 tsp oregano
1 cup sunflower seeds, ground
1/2 cup flaxseeds, ground
1/2 cup water

Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding the water last. Mix well and form 4 patties.

Catsup:

1 tomato, diced
3 tbsp pitted dates
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Keeps in fridge for 4 days.

The burgers were quite yummy, but the catsup was TO-DIE-FOR. I have already reserved a spot in the fridge for it so I have it on hand at all times.

Snacks

Mystic Mango Synergy Kombucha

Raw Crunch Gogi Berry Bar

Small Glass of Red Wine

And now it is time for some reading and bed since I have to get up bright and early at 5am tomorrow!

The Beginning

2011-02-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

I feel rushed. Even though I had plenty of time to buy some raw food cookbooks, look them over, pick out recipes, and grocery shop for my week of raw eating, I still feel overwhelmed. See, the initial plan was to start my new raw life on Monday, not Sunday. However, the other half in this raw food diet adventure has convinced me to start on Sunday. So, tomorrow it is. As I write this, it is 10:47 p.m. on Saturday, and I can't help thinking about what food I want to eat before the clock strikes midnight. I had my pizza (a weakness that is built into my sicilian genes), ice cream, and cookie dough (raw cookie dough at that!). Twice.

I think I am ready. I know this diet switch will be more mentally difficult than anything. Cravings, temptations, and my regular food eating boyfriend/roommate will be the hardest part. But, I am determined to see what food not cooked above 118 degrees will do to my body.

Why even put myself through this you ask? Because I am tired. I take a nap every day. Keep in mind I am not even 25 yet! Because I know how good I feel when I eat one meal that is raw. Lastly, because I am curious.

Cross your fingers that this goes well (but how could it not?). Stay tuned for my likely cranky, withdrawl-symptom ridden post tomorrow.