Mango Honey Lime Sherbert...

I tried this at my last raw class and the hardest part of me is remembering the quantities of the ingredients...very often I throw stuff into the vitamix and taste as I go, remembering little of how much I put in.  Most of the time, I surprise myself with the same recipe never tasting the same...I sort of like that, though.  

August is a time for mangos, and when I make this I much prefer cubing my own fresh mango and freezing it. You can certainly use frozen mango chunks if you want, however when they're $1 each, you can't go wrong.  Buy fresh.  


Also, I love raw local honey.  Eat one tablespoon a day starting in the summer, through winter, and then come Springtime you'll thank yourself.  You've built a serious defense system against any little bugger that might make your nose run and your eyes tear.  Forget the over the counter stuff...

You really do need a vitamix blender for this, otherwise you might do a serious number on your blender or food processor.  But in a pinch, it's worth a try, if you feel like your motor and blades can handle it. 

1 mango cubed, frozen

1/2 cup coconut water (preferably fresh) or water

1/8 - 1/4 cup raw local honey, depending on your taste 

(if you use water, use 1/4 sweetener...

if you use coconut water which is sweet, slow down on the sweetener)

shaved or grated lime peel

Place the water, agave and mango in a vitamix and pound away as it becomes a smooth soft serve consistency.  Pour out in bowls and serve with the shaved lime.  Delish!

Seaweed Salad Rice Wraps with KimChi...

Say that title 5 times in a row...I dare you.  I can't...but can say that I simply devoured these.  Honestly, I don't know what it is with me but I get these cravings like a pregnant lady once in a while, and they come over me like a fury...and it's always salt.  Nothing really satisfies it except for seaweed...I've tried olives, a salty dish, or anything savory I can think of....in the end, my body needs iodine or the thyroid-supporting agents in glorious seaweed. And after a few tastes of this salad, I'm just in heaven.


You can eat the salad as is, but I love them in these handy dandy little pockets of love that I can dip in the kimchi sauce, or even a home-made peanut sauce.   I'm very very conservative about the sauce ingredients amounts (yes, 3/4 tablespoon!) because I want the tastes without a runny dressing....nothing in my book is more off putting than runny sauces oozing everywhere they're not supposed to....our of sandwiches or rolls.  If they're thick, like a peanut sauce, that's a different story...but if it's runny, it's just plain yucky...So here goes.

Seaweed Salad and dressing:

1 cup dried wakame seaweed

spring water

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 tablespoon tamari

1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 baby carrot, grated

1 tablespoons scallions, sliced(optional)

1/2 garlic clove, grated (optional)

For the rolls:

Any rice paper roll you can find (large or small)

2 tablespoons raw kimchi (or kimchee, since some spell it differently)

Before you start, soak the wakame in spring water (enough to cover and then some...) in a large bowl for 10 minutes.  It will reconstitute nicely and get plump and shiny.  Drain it and squeeze as much water as you can from the wakame, and place it back in the bowl.  Add all the dressing ingredients to the salad and mix.  Set aside.

Fill another bowl with spring water and submerge 1 rice paper sheet in the water...you can use your hands to move it around, or just leave it alone.  After about a minute or two, it should soften up.  You can either place this sheet flat on a sushi mat, or just on a cutting board.  On the bottom third of the sheet that's closest to your belly, add 1-2 tablespoons of the seaweed salad.  Use your fingers or the sushi mat to bring the paper edge and filling over itself to create and enclosure.  Bend the sides towards the middle, and then roll the rest of the sheet into a cylinder, making sure everything is tight and the contents are tucked in.  I promise, photos are coming soon...I know this procedure is a bit tricky to explain!  


Place the roll on a plate, with the seam on the underside.  Enjoy with kimchi.  This is GLORIOUS.  

A Small Carrot Harvest...

This is the first year of our garden and I am proud to have pulled out one gorgeous red carrot...the rest are a bit infantile and I put most of them back in the ground to grow some more, but this one I thought was lunch worthy. We all had a piece and it was sweet, delicious, and very earthy....I loved the inside look of it, which was a surprise to me.  Sweet, organic, and from the ground.  Does it get better than this?  I love dipping them in flax oil sprinkled with a little sea salt. 

Sharing Is Caring....

We have a doe who recently decided to traverse our neighborhood for the good part of the summer...in the picture below, she is eating the remaining harvest of peaches (whatever the squirrels left) and peach tree leaves.  She is gorgeous, although alone, and I worry about her...some drivers in this town who pass through aren't as patient on the roads as the locals, and she might have to fend for herself if she's crossing the street.  In the meantime, we surrounded our pepper and tomato plants with whatever chicken wire we have left, and hope  for the best. Luckily, we're not the only ones she visits :) Oh, doe...a deer...a female deer.

Steamed Greens with Sesame Mustard Sauce...

In the cold winter months, I tend to gravitate towards foods that taste naughty - sometimes salty, buttery, sweet...but in fact, I don't want the added consequence of eating that food, so I've come up with this to fool my taste buds.  Be forewarned, this might seem like a light meal but it is very filling.  Quite easily, I can eat this all myself (if I'm eating nothing else for the meal) and it carries me through.  I get the tastes I desire, but without the lethargy I usually feel after heavy meals.  


In this meal, you'll find sweet, salty, pungent, and spicy...all except for bitter.  I think that may be why it always feels comforting to eat it, and I feel satisfied.

Greens: 

1 head asparagus, trimmed (snap off the ends)

2-3 baby bok choy, cut into thirds

carrots, daikon, peas, or whatever other veggie you like (optional)

Dressing:

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (although untoasted is healthier, toasted has a better flavor)

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (raw)

1 teaspoon raw honey or brown rice syrup

1/2 garlic clove, grated

1/2 inch ginger root, grated

salt and pepper to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, depending on your taste
1 teaspoon mustard (I like whiskey mustard, but dijon works too)

1/4 jalapeno, seeded, and chopped (optional)

Place all the veggies in a steam basket (or steamer) over boiling water and steam until bright green - this is critical, since the first time I did this, I waited a while when I saw that the veggies were still a little hard, and pretty soon they turned to mush.  Better yet, take them out before you think they're done, since they'll continue to cook on your plate.  This might mean 2 minutes of steaming. 


While they're steaming, mix all the dressing ingredients together and let sit. When the veggies are done, promptly remove them to a bowl or plate and drizzle the dressing over.  If you feel adventurous, you can even sprinkle cilantro or thai basil on top.  Enjoy! LOVE it!

Lip Lickin' Hummus...

My mother loves hummus and radishes, so this picture is in tribute to the way she raised me :) I love their deep reds and spicy tones, and I (as my mom) think they are perfect with hummus.  I typically buy organic whole chickpeas and boil them myself, but in a pinch, I do unabashedly open up a can of organic chickpeas and use these instead.  This recipe uses the latter method.  I try to use Eden brands when possible (their cans are safer for the food).  I love my Vitamix, but I think you can use any type of blender (the result will just be a bit more chunky, and that's OK too).  

Two 15 oz can of organic chickpeas, liquid reserved

1 heaping tablespoon tahini

1 jalapeno pepper (without seeds, or if you dare, with seeds)

salt and pepper to taste

optional:  

1 clove of garlic

rosemary

extra virgin olive oil

grated lemon peel (organic lemons)

cumin and other indian spices

raw onion

Drain chickpeas but reserve the liquid.  In a blender, add the chickpeas and 1/2 cup of their juice.  If it doesn't budge, then add a little bit of the liquid at a time, and help it out by moving it around with a spatula until it "catches".  (When I made it, I actually emptied out the whole can in the blender, with all of its juices, and the result was a smooth hummus, but a bit on the thin side...I kind of like it that way, but if you want it thicker, you might want to start with 1/2 of the liquid).  Blend with the jalapeno, tahini, and salt and pepper to your liking.  Blend until smooth, and serve.If you are watching your salt, omit the liquid, drain the beans, and add about 3/4 cup or so of water to replace the liquid. For the most part, I eyeball it (exact measures is not a part of my chemical makeup).    For different flavors, add any of the optional additions above, for a kick and a bit of spunk in your step :) If you're planning to eat it or serve it within an hour of making it, add 1/2 of a red onion (minced) and you will love it.  I really to serve it plain with green peppers, red radishes, endive (best source of calcium!), red peppers, and scallions.  Yum! 

My Morning Green Wake Up Call Shake...

Welcome to my morning green shake, which consists of wonderful life and colorful foods.  Sometimes the recipe varies (will include more recipes of this shake later on) but this is one of my favorite.  This shake is UBER creamy and smooth and it satisfies my need for fats/oils (from the avocado).  It's fresh from the cucumber and sometimes spicy from the sprouts, and if you can believe it, by way of the cacao nibs, I actually get to eat chocolate in the morning!  And not have to hide it ;) Most if not all of the following is organic, and good for the soul.  I drink one large glass of this when I get hungry in the morning (not always when I get up, but most often 1 hour after I get up) and I chew every bite (you digest in the mouth, right?). The remaining shake I put in glass jars and save for the rest of the day, but try to finish it in 24 hours or else it oxidizes too fast.  Blend the following ingredients in the following order (I use a vitamix), and enjoy!

2 cups of fresh water
1-2 collard leaves
2 kale leaves (blend these first three ingredients together first before adding the rest). 

add 1 peeled cucumber  and the meat from 1 avocado (then blend)

add a handful of green sprouts (alfalfa, etc.), 
1 banana, 
and 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut (then blend).

Blend until smooth.  Decorate with unsweetened coconut and raw cacao nibs, crumbled.