Happy May Day!

It's May 1 and that means new produce available.  So take a peek at the Seasonal Foods list on this page.  All of a sudden we have a lot of fresh, local foods here in Illinois.  

Can't wait for that first Farmer's Market...

Raw Popcorn!! YAY!!

Popcorn used to be my favorite food group.  Yes, I'm kidding.   Well, no, not really.  I love(d) popcorn.  It's a crunchy, warm vehicle for butter.  I even ate it for dinner.  Amanda still remembers a morning when she was about 4 and came downstairs asking "what's for breakfast?"  I asked her what she wanted and she said "popcorn".  And I actually made it for breakfast.  Now, I don't really remember this, but I certainly believe it's something I would do.

So, when I finished this video it took me 30 seconds to get into the kitchen and make it for the first time.  Oh, yum!  And so easy.

 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut up
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• nutritional yeast to coat
• any seasoning you might want to add (Italian blend, cayenne, cajun, etc.)

Put all in a large plastic ziploc bag and shake.  Eat.

Raw Roasting Addiction

I admit that I absolutely love roasted vegetables of all kinds.  And I also have to admit that in the middle of winter, I want some warm food.  So, I had to figure out a way to get both. 

Luckily, a few weeks ago, Fresh Picks delivered some beautiful Brussel sprouts.  These are a favorite winter food and the idea of eating them raw just wasn't very appealing.  So, I started playing.  (In these pictures I used 2 lbs. of Brussel sprouts so it looks like a lot.  The amounts for the marinade are correct for 1 lb. of Brussel sprouts.  You can easily double the recipe if you want.)

Step 1

Step 1.   For 1 lb. Brussel sprouts remove outer leaves.  Rinse, drain and slice thin.

Step 2

Step 2.  Thoroughly mix 1/3 Cup olive oil and 

1/3 Cup nama shoyu (raw soy sauce) OR 1/3 Cup coconut aminos.
Add seasoning if you like.  I added 1 Tbsp. of Italian Seasoning.

Add to the Brussel sprouts.  Stir to coat.

Step 3

Step 3.  Place into a glass casserole or large glass bowl.

Step 4

Step 4.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 8 hours.  Stir a few times to make sure all are coated.

After 8 hours the Brussel sprouts will look and taste like they've been roasted in the oven.  Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later.  I didn't get a picture because I couldn't stop eating them long enough to get my camera.  They're great just coming out of the dehydrator or cold by themselves or tossed into a salad.

I've made this 3 consecutive weeks now and will get another batch started tomorrow.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.  Easy, delicious and versatile as a side dish.

Really? Raw Apple Pie? Yes, Really!

I'm not really a dessert person although I've been known to indulge a bit too much sometimes - okay lots of times.  Okay, maybe I'm a dessert person after all.   My question was how to make something that was delicious, raw, simple to make, and appreciated by those in my life who prefer a cooked, carnivorous meal.  I stumbled on Any Phyo's video and have made this several times now.  The recipe fits all of my criteria and everyone has loved it.  Enjoy!

 
             

Ingredients

Almond Pie Crust

• 2 cups almonds, dry
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups pitted dates

Syrup

• ½ cup pitted dates
• 1 oranges, peeled and seeded
• water, as needed

Filling

• 5 cups apples, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced, about 5-6 apples
• 1 cup raisins or cranberries
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. To make crust, pulse almonds and salt in food processor until nuts are in small pieces. You want your crust to have chunks of almonds in it, so don't overprocess. Use some of the finer powder to "flour" the bottom of your pie dish.  Slowly add dates into processor in small batches to mix with almond bits. The dates will bind the almonds to form a dough. Press dough into the bottom of "floured" pie pan. Set aside.

2. To make syrup, place orange into your blender first. Then add dates and blend. If needed, add small amounts of water to help everything mix well (I haven't "needed" this, but like to add the water to make more volume of the syrup). Set aside.

3. To make filling, place sliced apples in a large bowl with raisins. Toss with cinnamon and syrup. Spoon filling into pie crust.

Will keep for two days in the fridge.

For 16 servings, per serving: calories 230, protein 5g, carbs 39g, fat 8g, sugar 21g.

Recipe from Ani Phyo's "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen"
 

Best Salad Dressing - Ever

I love a great salad.  And great to me means top quality, fresh ingredients with a delicious, fresh, home made salad dressing.  Here's my new favorite.

1/2 Cup olive oil

1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's raw ACV)

1/4 Cup nama shoyu (raw soy sauce) - you could substitute regular soy sauce if you don't care about being 100% raw

4 - 5 Tbsps. honey (depends on how sweet you'd like the dressing)

1 minced garlic clove

1 Tsp. minced fresh thyme or parsley (or your favorite herb)

1 Tsp. minced fresh ginger

Pinch of cayenne

Shake until combined.  Pour over salad. 

Wrap and Roll

This past weekend I took a raw food cooking class at Green Spirit Living.  As much fun as I've been having with raw foods and as much progress as I've made I find there are many techniques that are a bit intimidating.  Since I don't back down from a challenge (well, sometimes I do) this seemed like a perfect chance to learn what I needed to make some new kinds of foods.

The menu for the day included:

• California Rolls with Orange Tahini Dipping Sauce
• Vietnamese Salad Rolls with Mock Peanut Sauce
• Falafel Collard Green Wraps with Hummus and Lemon Tahini Sauce
• Banana Crepe Ice Creme Roll

The food was terrific and the sauces were phenomenal.  The instructor, Linda, is so passionate and skilled.  I rolled my first nori roll and will finally make them for dinner this weekend.  (Note:  buy a bamboo mat.) She made me believe that I can finally open up a young Thai coconut.   And I never thought I'd want an ice cream maker, but I sure do now.

Here's a  picture of Linda getting the falafel wraps ready.

Linda from Green Spirit Living

The class was a lot of fun.  Location is on the north side of Chicago - almost Evanston.  I came from far and we had somebody from Indiana.  It was well worth it.

The First-Ever Raw Food Superhero :)

When the kids were younger, actually very young, we used to dance around the family room whenever Captain Vegetable was on Sesame Street.  Not a one of them likes celery, but I'm convinced this played a part in all 3 of them liking carrots.  Enjoy!