Category Archives: Raw

It’s Raining Cucumbers!

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Oh my.

My cucumber plants have decided to go nuts.
And more on the way…

They are delicious…
But there’s just my hubby and me to eat it all!

So what to do?

Make Cucumber and White Grape Gazpacho.

So yummy in this hot weather!
You can find the recipe  in Matthew Kenney’s book Everyday Raw, and someone posted it at care2.com.

And there’s Quinoa Tabbouleh, also from Everyday Raw. You make it like regular tabbouleh but instead of wheat bulger,
soak tabbouleh in water for 12 hours (it will begin to sprount!) and use that instead.

Sprouted quinoa

(that's Marty in the background!)

And quick pickles!

I used the recipe in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volgar.
I don’t like to post other people’s recipes, but there are several easy quick pickles recipes online.
I highly recommend the book though.

What else can I do with all these cukes?!

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Meet Feijoa and Pepino

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I tried two new fruits today: a feijoa and a pepino melon!

Feijoa

Feijoa, aka “pineapple guava,” “fig guava,” and “guavasteen,” is apparently the big sleeper of  Fruit World. In the late 1800s it received lots of praise yet very little has come from that.

The Feijoa flower is quite beautiful, don’t you think?

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The actual fruit isn’t quite as impressive:

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The fruits bruise easily, and may overripen without it being apparent from the outside. So for those reasons the Feijoa is not widely exported. In the US Feijoa are grown in California and Florida.

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The fruit has an extremely sweet smell that is apparent even before you cut it open. The taste is sweet with a somewhat gritty texture. I could see these being used to make a smoothie or a pudding. I ate it straight and while it was OK, I’m not in a hurry to get another one.

Pepino Melon

The pepino melon, aka “tree melon,” “bush melon,” and “mellowfruit,” is really cute!

pepino

I was not however, lovin’ the taste. It was OK – a light, mild melon/cucumber flavor.
After doing some research, however, I figured out that my pepino melon was not ripe. Here’s a ripe pepino melon:

pepino ripeHere’s what it looked like when I cut it open:

pepino close

So…I was a little disappointed with my foray into unusual fruits today. I did pick up a few Hachiya persimmons today – I’m excited to compare them to the Fuyus I sampled a few days ago. :)

Have you tried any new foods lately?

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Home Yoga Practice + Raw Banana Ice Cream

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Julia14Starting a new routine is hard! Since I’ve gotten back from Foundations of Yoga Therapy Training with Gary Kraftsow, I’m determined to (finally) make my home yoga practice a regular part of my day.

This has not been easy.

It kind of reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom wanted me to wash my face every night. I used to tell her I had done it when I really hadn’t. She always knew I was lying – I found out later that she would feel the faucet to see if it was warm and when it wasn’t she knew I hadn’t washed my face.

Today I can’t imaging NOT washing my face before I go to sleep!

And so it is with my home practice. Every morning I am getting up at 6am and dragging my butt to my yoga mat where I practice asana in the Viniyoga tradition for 30 minutes or so. I love the practice, I always feel good afterwards, and I know it’s helping me to become a Yoga Therapist. So WHY then is it so hard to do??? I’ve been averaging 5 practices per week which I guess is pretty good. I just thought it would be easier, something that I couldn’t imagine NOT doing. They say it takes 21 times before something becomes a habit. It hasn’t happened for me yet!

Eats

I was flipping through a raw “cook” book a few days ago and was reminded of an amazingly simple and delicious treat – Banana “Ice Cream!”

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Here’s what you do:

  1. Cut up two bananas into 1 inch chunks and toss into a plastic bag. Store the bananas in your freezer for at least three hours
  2. Put the frozen bananas into your food processor and whirl away for about 4-5 minutes.
  3. TA DA! Now you have a creamy, low cal, low fat, raw, vegan, delicious treat for two! I added a few blueberries and a drizzle of Bees n Blossoms honey. You could also mix together agave + cocoa powder for a chocolatey topping, or my favorite -  pb2!

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Homemade Larabars

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Larabars are awesome but kinda expensive, don’t you think? I tinkered in the kitchen tonight and came up with these “larabar-esque” creations. I can’t wait to try some more new flavors!

Almond Cookie
Makes 2-3 bars

  • 1/4 cup dates
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • plastic wrap

Lay out three pieces of plastic wrap, each about the size of a half sheet of paper.
Combine all ingredients in food process and process for about 2 1/2 minutes.
Form the dough into bars and wrap each in a piece of plastic wrap. Store in the fridge – if they last that long ;)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie
Makes 2-3 bars

  • 1/2 cup dates
  • 1/4 cup cashews
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • plastic wrap

Lay out three pieces of plastic wrap, each about the size of a half sheet of paper.
Combine all ingredients except the oats in the food processor. Process about 2 1/2 minutes.
Add in the oats and pulse 4-5 times.
Form the dough into bars and wrap each bar in a piece of plastic wrap. Store in the fridge.

Chocolate Coconut Pie
Makes 2 bars

  • 1/4 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup dates
  • 12 oz dark chocolate (I used Green and Black’s 85%)
  • 4 tablespoons coconut
  • 1/8 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • plastic wrap

Lay out three pieces of plastic wrap, each about the size of a half sheet of paper.
Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Process about 2 1/2 minutes.
Form the dough into bars and wrap each bar in a piece of plastic wrap. Store in the fridge.

What flavor  “larabar” will you create?

Raw

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Lately I’ve been craving raw foods. My main staple lately has been fruit salad.

DSC_0070DSC_0071It’s mostly berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries) + kiwi + unsweetened coconut + sliced almonds. Last weeked I added cashew cream as a special treat!

Cashew Cream

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 T maple syrup
  • 1/2 t vanilla

Blend all ingredients together. Adjust syrup and vanilla as needed. Store cream in the refridgerator for about 1/2 hour to thicken.

Tonight I enjoyed this for dinner:

DSC_0077DSC_0078It’s 1/2 a papaya with fresh lime juice! Kate eats this often and it is really great – light and refreshing!

I also had some of the Ginger Carrot Salad I made yesterday, inspired by a salad I had at Mount Madonna last week. I forgot to measure the ingredients so they are approximate So feel free to play around until you get the flavor you love.

Ginger Carrot Salad

  • 4 cups shredded carrots (organic please!)
  • 1/2 cup orange juice, fresh if possible
  • 1 T freshly grated ginger
  • 2 T honey
  • salt to taste

In a medium size bowl, combine the raisins and the carrots.

Mix together the orange juice, ginger, honey, and salt until everything is blended together.

Pour the orange juice mixture over the carrots and raisins.

Enjoy! It tastes even better the next day :)

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Easy Bean and Veggie Salad Recipe

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Happy Sunday everyone! I just loved today :)

I got up at 645am and took the girls for a walk. It was so lovely outside that when we got back home I decided to go for a run. I ran for 40 minutes -not sure how many miles that was but I’m guessing around 4.25 – 4.50. It was perfect running weather – overcast and slightly cool. I listened to Achtung Baby, my favorite running tunes :)

Then I taught a yoga class at Flow Yoga – what a nice turnout we had! Again it was super hot in the studio and we were all dripping with sweat at the end. I LOVE practicing in the heat – not too hot though!

Then I got to hang out with my friend Ginny, one of my favorite people! We did some yoga together and then headed into town for lunch. Ginny is an AMAZING massage therapist. I told her my hip was a little sore and right away she said “well we can work on that right now!” (I love having massage therapist friends!) Well my hip feels 1000 times better. Thanks Ginny!

The food rundown for the day:

Breakfast: Smoothie

  • banana
  • spinach
  • homemade almond milk
  • touch of vanilla + almond extract + cinnamon + salt
  • Spirutein Cookies n’ Cream

Delish!

Lunch: Minestrone soup + curried chickpea salad + decaf soy latte at South Street Under.
The curried chickpea salad was AWESOME. I have to figure out how they made it!

Ginny gave me a small piece of Gnosis raw chocolate to try. It was so yummy that I went out and bought a bar for myself. They are really pricey ($10!) but you really just need a tiny piece to feel really satisfied. I got their Fleur de Sel Bar – these are the ingredients:

  • Cacao beans
  • Cacao butter
  • Agave nectar
  • Fleur de Sel salt Pink Himalayan Salt crystal
  • Manna blue green algae
  • Vanilla bean
  • Love

Isn’t that cute? I can’t wait to try it. :)

Dinner: Bean and Veggie Salad + home-brewed peach iced tea + Skinny Cow

Easy Bean and Veggie Salad Recipe

  • 15 oz can mixed beans – mine was kidney, garbanzo, and northern
  • 15 oz can black eyed peas
  • 1 pint sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 zucchini, diced (it was leftover :) )

Dressing

  • 2 T white wine vinegar
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 t dried basil
  • 1/2 t dried oregano
  • 1/2 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 t salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

This was a wonderful, light salad – just what I was in the mood for tonight!

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Best part of the day: D. suprised me with this when I got home!

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Isn’t it beautiful? I’ve never had an orchid before and I love it!

I’m listening to Blue Shoes by Katie Melua right now. What a beautiful voice she has!

It's Raw Vegan Dessert Day!

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Today I had the awesome (rawsome) experience of going to a raw foods restaurant in Tampa called The Leafy Greens. (Oh, did I mention? I’m in Florida!)

I ordered “The Real Deal” which is a sandwich of raw cashew hummus, letttuce, grape tomatoes, and guac served on raw onion bread. Fabulous! Doug ordered the Zucchini Spaghetti – also very good with sun-dried tomatoes and a fresh tomato sauce. Doug’s mom got the “Not Tuna” sandwich, which I didn’t think really tasted like tuna but was good nonetheless, and Doug’s brother got the Mediterranean Pizza – hemp seed and walnut crust with cashew hummus, fennel, olives, cucumber, and tomatoes YUM. A really cool thing about this place was that you could get half orders of everything. So if you really wanted the Zucchini Spaghetti but The Real Deal was calling you too, you could half orders of each. It was totally rawsome (!) to find a raw foods restaurant here since I’ve only seen them in LA and NYC.

Of course we had to get dessert! I got the Carrot Cake

SNC00018Isn’t it gorgeous? There’s no flour in it (it’s raw!) so it was very dense. Just carrot pulp (ah ha!  something to do with leftover carrot pulp after juicing!), walnuts, dates, apricots, and raisins. It was not very sweet at all -  actually I think I would have liked a teeny bit more sweetness.

Doug’s mom got the Mango Cobbler, which I think was the best of all of them.

SNC00022It was like a fresh mango pudding with crunchy pieces of walnut and dates. Sweet and light. Heaven!

And Doug’s dad got the Apricot Pie

SNC00025It was so good that I couldn’t get a picture taken before it was practically gone! This was my second favorite after the mango pudding.

Doug and his brother both got the chocolate peanut butter raw Soft Serve ice cream made with a banana base. It was so delicious it inspired us to make our own raw vegan ice cream!

So for our dessert tonight we had:

Raw (sort of) Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup peanut butter (ours wasn’t raw but you could use raw peanut butter or other raw nut butter)
  • 2 cans of coconut milk
  • 1 cup agave nectar
  • 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Take 1/2 teaspoons of peanut butter and roll into little balls (ok, more like globs). Place the globs on the cookie sheet and put in the freezer.
  3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
  4. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process for about 30 minutes.
  5. When there is about 5 minutes left to go, add in the frozen globs of peanut butter.
  6. You could eat the ice cream right out of the ice cream maker but it will be soft like soft serve. We scooped ours into individual serving cups and put the cups in the freezer while we prepared and ate dinner. When we got the ice cream out for dessert, it was still pretty soft but it was awesome anyway. I’m sure if you leave it in the freezer longer it will become more like traditional ice cream.

The ice cream was delicious. I think I would maybe put in more peanut butter next time but really it was pretty fabulous as it was.

SOOOOOOOO….now we want to make another batch tomorrow night! Hey we’re on vacation! Some ideas we’ve talked about:

  • Changing the base of the ice cream to soy milk + creamer, cashews, almond milk, or hemp milk
  • Adding in avocado to increase the creaminess
  • Flavor ideas: mint, cinnamon, chai, peanut butter, vanilla
  • Sorbet? Gelato?

Any ideas out there on a fabulous vegan ice cream we can make tomorrow?