Let's get Cheesy!

Apparently I have failed to post some of my most delish (and basic) recipes on this handy blog. When I taught my friends how I make raw work for me, I started them off with cheese. It's so basic, so easy and everyone (raw and SAD eaters alike) love it. Plus it's great for those with dairy/lacto concerns.

The only potentially dangerous aspect is a nut allergy. Nuts are hugely important to raw fooders and vegans alike, but if you or someone you know has an allergy please be careful. Thankfully peanuts are usually scarce (raw peanuts can carry dangerous toxins) and as with almost all raw recipes, the ingredients can always be altered to accommodate your need. I rely on google a lot for help with alternatives. Google key words/phrases and ask the Lord to guide you!

I will forewarn you, though, with my recipes. I rarely make the same dish the same way twice. Either I am missing an ingredient or need to use up something before it spoils or just feel creative. And, sadly but true, I often forget to write down the alternatives to some of my best creations. But hopefully it will inspire and empower you to go forth knowing that the result just may be better than you first intended. The most important thing is to know that YOU can do it and you will probably do it better than you thought.

With that said, here's my favorite recipe for raw vegan cheese (I can't recall where I first found it but it's been a mainstay from the beginning):

Raw Vegan Cheese

• 1 1/2 cup soaked, sprouted 2-4 hours sunflower seeds (I don't always wait for it to sprout--it's only for added nutrition but not necessary for the integrity of the recipe)
• 1 cup soaked almonds (you can use any other kind of nut: Brazil, cashew, macadamia)
• 4 tbs parsley
• 2-4 tbs raw tahini
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• Squeeze of Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu or dulse (or even just salt!)

It's going to seem too easy, but just throw all the ingredients in your food processor, blend and taste. Depending on the strength of the ingredients you may need/want to alter the ingredients to meet your preference. If it doesn't blend well at first, add more lemon or Bragg's or water. The more you blend, the smoother it will become. I usually leave it so that the texture slightly resembles feta: creamy but has some firm consistency. It's neither liquidy nor solid enough to make a block out of by any means. There are recipes out there for "real" raw cheese that firms. Again, google it!

Raw Cheese Variations

I have not played enough with this to make it an exact science, but because of the somewhat bland taste of the nuts the cheese can be spiced to almost any specification.

For Mexican flavored cheese, use cilantro instead of the parsley. Add cumin, tomato, red onion and maybe a dash of tumeric. Taste as you go and have fun.

For an Asian flair, try peanut (or sesame) oil, Chinese 5 spice, fresh ginger and then either (or both!) spicy mustard or agave to sweeten. Again, it's not an exact science but hopefully after your first batch of cheese you will see how easy it is to flavor and enhance.

Raw cheese is one of the most important dishes we use as raw foodists. It is extremely high in protein and is versatile enough to add to anything. Use it as a dip for veggies or flax chips, layer it in a nori roll for a wrap and add veggies and sprouts for an awesome roll or burrito, spread it on sandwiches or add it to salads.

The consistency and versatility of nuts are important to remember because it's also what makes the best cheesecakes! I recently created my best cheesecake ever but cannot find the recipe. I know, I know. But I can provide the link to the first raw cheesecake I ever tasted. Kristen's Raw teaches classes in Scottsdale on raw food prep and has several recipe books out. Her cheesecake is addictive! It will not disappoint! Check it out here:

http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2007/12/organic-double-chocolate-cherry.html

She suggests cherry extract but feel free to use vanilla or any other fruit extract to satisfy your craving.

Enjoy and voila!

2 hours = Endless Goodies!

As any good raw-er will confess, it's the preparation that can stink out any motivation. I love raw food as is: in it's raw natural state. I could probably eat raw kale, lettuces and veggies with tahini or almond butter all day. Well and toss in a few smoothies/juices. But have you tried raw cheesecake?!

I never cooked growing up or even after I grew up so I don't have much reference on traditional recipes, but I did somehow always manage to know that making homemade cheesecake was a chore if not entirely impossible. I knew something about all the different pans and forms needed to do it and I lost all interest.

Boy was I upset when I found raw cheesecake. Turns out, raw cheesecake is one of the EASIEST things to make and requires no

• dairy products
• sugar
• heating/cooking/special supplies
• lengthy amount of time

I can't tell you how duped I often feel by the mainstream society that raised me to believe sugar and dairy products are the supremacy of life. Phooey!

So last week when I got home from the grocery store I had some unshakable urge to stay in the kitchen. My husband finished up some belated Christmas gifts (we handed out home-made, organic sugar scrubs) and I just kept on making goodies. It took time, but it was so worth it.

In about two and a half hours I made

1. chocolate cheesecake (the recipe should be somewhere here on this blog...I should check, though to be sure)
   
2. almond halvah (a new recipe from Matt Amsden)
3. granola (note the pic welcoming you to today's post)
   
4. oatmeal raisin cookies
5. tabouli
   

And today we are still enjoying the fruits of my labor. I even had something to bring to a last minute dinner party on New Years Eve. And this is especially helpful for my formerly sugar-addicted husband--having treats around makes him feel spoiled and well-fed. And while that's not my goal, it's nice when raw food is this decadent.

Unfortunately, I cannot share all my recipes. My granola is one of my top secret recipes and if I ever open a restaurant, it's going to be on the menu. So please enjoy the pic. If you are in town, you're welcome to stop by for some. What I can say is be creative. Grab a bag of organic raw oats (oat groats) and add your favorite yummies. Mix and dehydrate.

What I will be sharing is my recipe for raw tabouli (I kind of created it from a variety of different recipes--I couldn't find a directly raw tabouli recipe online or in any of my thousands of books).

Raw Tabouli (using the Mother of all Grains: Quinoa)

• 1 cup organic raw quinoa, soaked 8-12 hours (taste it as you go, til it's as soft as you prefer--you can also sprout quinoa but it's not necessary for this recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups raw organic red onion (or scallions if you prefer a milder taste), diced
• 3 medium size tomatoes (raw and organic...obviously!), diced
• 3 cups raw organic parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I just squeezed every last drop of liquid from a half a lemon)
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Salt to taste

Rinse the quinoa after soaking and add to large mixing bowl. Add onion, tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil (taste as you go is my method of choice) and flavor with salt (You all do know about the importance of salt quality, right? Himalayan Pink is the best money can buy us here in AZ). Stir and serve room temperature or chilled. We ate this up like it was bailout money for the banks so I don't know how well it saves with the dressing on it. I do know that the ingredients will not last for more than a day or two in the fridge. YUM-MEEE! Just as tasty as traditional tabouli if not more so and completely raw. Voila!

Juicy

It's embarrassing how little I've been posting on this potentially life-changing little blog. I chalk my limited activity up to the fact that I haven't really been creating any new recipes. Not to mention that it is the holiday season and life gets pretty hectic.

Thankfully, we are still staying strong and raw. I am of the mentality that "cheating," i.e., eating crap, is not actually enjoyable. In fact, the other day when we were in New Frontiers (my fav health food store in AZ) my husband held up a loaf of some kind of fresh-baked sugary bread and took a big whiff and cooed. Wanting me to share in his excitement, he held it under my nose. I got a whiff alright. And got a bit nauseous. Actually, it was the same sensation I used to get from the scent of wheatgrass! This was sensational for me. I felt like I really had turned a corner. Apologizing that I couldn't stand the smell, I went over to the counter to get my veggie/wheatgrass juice from the organic fresh juice bar--my real treat!

My best recommendation to anyone dealing with anything is always to eliminate sugar. Really. Whether it's a relationship issue, a school dilemma or a dietary concern, sugar will only hinder the results. It's like sin. (Granted, I am not saying in way that sugar IS sin. Trust me. Eliminating sugar is not a fast-track to godliness in any way.) But so many times we are tricked into believing that sex or greed will get us where we want. But do not be fooled. Sugar will not benefit you--not one bit.

So when it comes to the holidays, I don't add extra stress by becoming a raw nazi. But I don't want to weaken my immune system any more, either, by eating junk. It's all about a healthy balance, as I have said probably far too many times before. And after a while, your body really will stop craving the white drug. But you can't play around with it. You have to go completely cold turkey and leave it alone. No lemonade, no cookie once in a while. You have to commit to cutting it out. Reducing your sugar is always good, but you will never experience true freedom. As can be seen by my husband and my differing reactions to the pastry bread. (He stays away from cake and candy but still enjoys the occasional cup of lemonade or bite of sugar/soy ice cream, while I leave it out of my life altogether.)

I have been working extra hard this season, though, to keep my system as healthy as possible. My favorite cold-buster so far: juice!

Here's a sure cure:

4 organic kale leaves
3 handfuls organic spinach
1 small organic cucumber
1-2 cloves fresh garlic

It's pungent. It's out and out spicy! But it will knock any cold/flu right out of you. Be careful with the garlic. If you aren't as familiar with raw foods, stick to 1 or even half a clove. And as with any juice, drink it asap--do not let it sit and oxidize. Raw juice loses nutrients as it mixes with the air.

I also have a few fun beauty care tips that I've found helpful. First and foremost is maca. My husband and I are still on this stuff and I love it for many reasons. Not least of all that it has done wonders for my skin. Because it balances out hormones, it works great to cleanse the skin organ from the inside out.

Here's a quick and easy skin/face scrub I made from stuff in the kitchen:

1/4 cup oat groats, finely ground (I used a coffee grounder)
1 teaspoon flax oil
1 tablespoon raw honey

This usually requires refrigeration due to the flax oil. It's wonderful. All natural, organic and makes my skin feel soft and smooth. Use it only every 3 or 4 days.

I hope you all are enjoying your holiday season and are taking full advantage of the green leafy things growing all around us.

Merry Christmas and happy juicing!

New Easy Dinner Recipe

So no real update on the colon cleanse. Of course, eating green leafy vegetables as your main staple and avoiding all cooked food is considered by many to be an extreme colon cleanse in itself. Wink, wink. Oh! Maca update. All is going well. My mom did a little researching on her own and discovered that it is not supposed to affect hormones at all but does support adrenal function (which in turn aids the thyroid). There is no caffeine but by strengthening the adrenal many experience a boost in energy (and libido!). I can attest to both. It feels like I drank three espressos! And it only takes a 1/2 teaspoon a day.

Ok, but on to my favorite new recipe!

Rice Blossoms

Here's what you'll need to feed two people:

1 cup wild rice soaked in purified water overnight

6-8 whole cabbage leaves (we used green, but purple works well, too)

Handful of sprouts (any kind will work)

8 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

1 clove of fresh garlic, minced

1/4 onion, chopped (optional)

Seasonings:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup flax oil

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

2 dashes of turmeric

2 dashes of Bragg's Amino Acids

*Please note as with all of my recipes that amounts are not set in stone. Please play with these ingredients and adjust as you see fit.

If you have yet to soak wild rice, you may be in for a surprise. It's amazingly easy and tastes wonderful. I equate soaking with cooking in many instances. Soaking is a lot like cooking in that it softens the rice (usually so that the rice blossoms open--it's really quite pretty) but of course, unlike cooking, it won't be warm and all the nutrients will be activated rather than destroyed. Just be careful what you soak and for how long. You can often google it or invest in a good raw book like Nomi Shannon's Raw Gourmet for soaking charts.

After you soak the rice, pour out the remaining water and rinse the rice thoroughly. Then add the sprouts, parsley, garlic and onion (optional). Drizzle the olive and flax oil and mix thoroughly. Add apple cider vinegar, turmeric and Braggs. Add salt and pepper as needed. Remember to taste the mixture as you prepare. ;-)

Spoon the mixture onto the cabbage leaves like you would a lettuce wrap. It serves as a great lunch or add a salad on the side for dinner. Voila!

(Special thanks to my husband fo modeling how to eat the new recipe! Yum!)

Colon Cleanse Update/Holiday Shake Recipe

We still have not selected a specific colon cleanse. Sorry, not very exciting I know. But I just want to update you on our commitment to stay green.

Both my husband and I have signs of a poor working colon. For that matter, I wonder if we all do. We are seemingly healthy young whipper-snappers (25 and within healthy weight limits). However, I suffer from sinus congestion once in a while (a clear sign that the colon is clogged) and my husband suffers from poor energy and an interesting elimination "schedule." These symptoms along with the knowledge that serotonin is made in the colon and that the colon is the second brain are very motivating for us to keep our colon healthy. Basically it's critical for any kind of real health.

We also learned that no matter how well you eat, it's the absorption that counts. (I know kind of a "Duh" moment but it helps to be reminded.) Of course the raw food diet is the best long term way to ensure this--as you have probably experienced more trips to the bathroom than you thought humanly possible if you have recently switched to a raw diet.

We are considering a juice fast and/or the 3 week diet plan listed in Nomi Shannon's book (heavy on green drinks).

In the meantime, we are eating our greens, juicing our greens and I am headed out today to get liquid Chlorophyll (this stuff is only one molecule different from our blood--very powerful!). We are also going to try to increase our pro-biotic intake and, of course, drink lots of water, exercise and stay calm. Stress is one of the quickest ways to poor absorption.

Btw, we have also been experimented with powdered maca. Wow. Talk about energy (and yes, ok, libido) increase! I think it has also cleared up my skin. We are taking VERY small doses right now, though, and hope that it will help balance our hormones as it is touted for doing.

Here's a smoothie recipe to get you in the holiday mood:

Pumpkin Pie in a Glass A Go-GO

2 pitted dates
1/2 cup rice milk (add more if needed)

2 frozen bananas

1 tablespoon raw almond butter

Dash of nutmeg, cloves

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon maca (purely optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add ice if needed

Mix all ingredients in blender or vitamix. Beware: this is super filling! And tastes a lot like liquid pumpkin pie--which may or may not suit your fancy. I loved it and drank on it all day Saturday (it's all we had in the house, lol). If you want a little less pie flavor, hold off on the spices--it will be more of a creamy almond/vanilla shake. But now that we are in the Thanksgiving month, take advantage of the healthiest way to eat your pumpkin pie! I hope to work on a new recipe using this base for a raw pumpkin pie. Maybe you'll beat me to it? Either way, I'll keep you posted. Enjoy and voila!

Raw Tele-Seminar

Today I woke up specifically for the Raw Gourmet, Nomi Shannon's, tele-seminar. It was mostly a question and answer re: a lot of health issues and how diet, supplements and lifestyle plays a role. I took three pages of typed notes.

And most of them say the same thing! Greens, greens, greens. But according to the seminar greens aren't enough if absorption is an issue. They also talked about the need to balance our PH. And interestingly, though not too surprisingly, the colon and adrenals were identified as roots for many of the illnesses.

While I am convinced that a raw diet is the BEST, absolute BEST, place to begin a healthy lifestyle, health issues can still arise due to stress, environment and absorption. My husband and I are committed to doing a colon cleanse as a result. And I will be looking more into B vitamin supplements, also.

She also briefly addressed the coconut oil/agave craze that has become increasingly trendy in many raw recipes. While I use them in many dessert recipes, I do feel that the best raw diet is just raw veggies and some fruit. I think that's why I have very few raw recipes posted here.

My best advice to maintain a healthy raw diet is to go to your local farmer's market. Select at least one of each vegetable you see there and go home and eat it. Really! That's how I got started and that's continually what I lean on. Please make sure you're doing your best to get organic or pesticide-free--anything else contains toxins that will tax your system and harm your body.

Now there are lots of fun ways to eat these veggies aside from biting into them--which may be a little hard to do if you've purchased something like kohlrabi or a sweet potato. But start with the basics, the green leafy veggies and other familiar goodies like tomatoes, celery, carrots, etc. and just start chopping. Throw it all in a big bowl, add vinegar, olive or flax oil, spices and herbs (Celtic sea or Himalayan salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic, thyme, etc.) and eat. You will be amazed at how filling this is. I once read an article about a star athlete who called this his favorite meal. He said it would take a good portion of time to finish it off, but he loved it. Plus it is a great way to cleanse that colon and give you energy.

I would also incorporate sea veggies as I've mentioned before. Dulse was mentioned today in the seminar as a premier way to get the necessary iodine mineral. Snack on them or throw them in the veggie bowl meal, aka entree of greens.

For breakfast, juicing is the best (you can also do smoothies which are very popular). Carrot base is ideal for almost any veggie juice--again, whatever you find at the farmer's market buy a little extra of and juice it. Some typical combos: carrot, celery, spinach, kale; carrot, beet, lemon, spinach; carrot, celery, tomato, ginger. These are not V8 imitations, btw. These are real living juices that you need to drink immediately after juicing. Anything you purchase in a store has been heated, destroying all enzymes.

Don't be afraid as you begin or re-energize your journey. Look at nature and listen to your body. For some great tips, check out Nomi's book Raw Gourmet. Regardless of the food you eat, if absorption is a problem, then look into cleansing. If you aren't absorbing the nutrients, you are headed for trouble. I'll keep you posted on our journey.

Call it "An entree of greens"

My husband once whined about having salad for dinner.

"Excuse me," I protested. "This is no salad. This is an entree of greens." As soon as the phrase came to me, I knew I had a winner. And even my husband had to smile.

It's important to realize, though, that I do not like salad. Not salad in the traditional sense. The salad of yesteryear conjures up lame images of wilted iceberg lettuce, carrot shavings and a sad vinaigrette. It implied a four-letter word that is prohibited in our house: DIET. I have nothing to do with diets.

In fact, the other day I took my "entree of greens" to a local coffee shop for lunch. I bought my fresh-squeezed orange juice and sat down with my greens and a good book. A young girl next to me kept looking over in my direction. Finally she spoke up, "Your lunch looks delicious!"

I smiled and nodded. It was. I wanted to give her a bite because I knew that it tasted even better than it looked.

Here's what I made:

1 bunch of kale (any kind of kale will work--red kale is my current favorite)

2 organic roma tomatoes

Apple cider vinegar

Sesame oil

Red chile flakes

Sesame seeds

Pink Himalyaln Salt

Pepper

This really couldn't be easier. Chop up the kale into bite-size pieces and quarter the tomatoes. Drizzle the vinegar and sesame oil over the mix to taste. I tend to use just about a 1/3 cup of oil and then add vinegar until it has just a little bite. Sprinkle sesame seeds and chile flakes to taste--I like it spicy so I put a lot of chile flakes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. The one bunch of kale will make a decent size meal, but my husband and I can pack it away just the two of us. It can be addicting! And keep in mind that it is one of the most nutritious meals available. If you're feeling under the weather, mix it up and live well. Voila!

(The pic posted is of the kale entree accompanied by a baked sweet potato.)