Showing posts with label raw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raw. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Enter To Win A Raw Food Recipe Book!
I dont know about you, but I looooooove a good recipe book. Pretty pictures of delicious dishes? All the better! And Ive amassed quite a nice collection since entering Raw Food Land. Some are old standbys that I go to again and again. Others, I reference for information or inspiration.
Someone recently asked the experts at Snubbr: What are the best raw food cookbooks?
Pretty good picks, if you ask me.
Whether you’re in the market for a new digital camera or the best vegan cookies, all you have to do is ask the experts at Snubbr, and they’ll search for the right product for you. Pretty cool, huh? Kinda like Yahoo Answers for shopping advice.
The lovely folks at Snubbr have generously offered to gift a lucky reader with his/her choice of one of the best raw food cookbooks. Score!
You have until Midnight EST, March 7th to get your entries in. Ill then call on Mr. Random Number Generator to pick a winner. While I would love to hear from readers all over the globe, at the request of Snubbr, I must limit entries to folks who live in the continental US only.
To enter, just answer this question in the Comments below this post:
- What are your 3 favorite books of all time?
Extra Entries: If youd like to increase your chances of winning, please leave a separate comment for each extra entry.
- Head over to Snubbr to ask a question of their experts (takes 5 seconds). Post a link to the question you asked in your comment.
- Tweet the giveaway with a link to this post (please include your Twitter ID in the comment).
- Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Again, please leave the link to your blog post in the comment.
So there you go, up to four chances to win one of those fab recipe books.
Confession: I happen to own all five books and each one is terrific. Id be hard pressed to choose just one.
See ya back here on Monday, when Ill announce the lucky winner and the book theyve chosen.
Good luck everyone!
UPDATED 3-8-10: This giveaway is now closed.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Now Entering Raw Food Land
Its been four weeks since I landed in this Garden of Eatin and holy guacamole, the changes! No more fire-breathing dragon heartburn. No more debilitating headaches. No more aches and pains. No more popping Ibuprofen like M&Ms. No more constant fatigue or mid-afternoon-I-have-to-take-a-nap-right-now syndrome.
Oh, and did I mention, Ive released 27 pounds? Adios. Goodbye. See ya! Twenty-seven pounds without counting points, calories, fat grams, or carbs. No weighing and measuring my food. In fact, I eat waaaaaaaay more now than I did when I was consuming a "normal" diet.
So what convinced me to make the transition from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a primarily RAW diet of fresh fruits and veggies? Well, besides feeling crummy from all the aforementioned symptoms and a host of others, I happily stumbled upon a wonderful book at my local library.
Kris Carrs Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips tells the inspirational and insightful story of a young woman diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and her journey to living a fully-awake, vibrant, healthy life. A significant part of that journey has been her exploration and transition into a raw vegan lifestyle. The back of Kris book is loaded with helpful resources and heres where my own exploration began.
I scoured dozens of websites and started reading anything I could get my hands on, either at the library or the neighborhood Borders Books. It was when I read The Raw Food Detox Diet by nutritionist Natalia Rose that I thought I can do this.
Natalia, whos eaten a 100% raw diet for over seven years, took about six years to get there. She outlines a simple program that anyone, regardless of their present state of health or what they typically eat, can follow to safely and gently transition to raw foods (plant foods not heated above 118 degrees).
I say safely, because raw foods contain an abundance of live enzymes that pull waste matter out of cells. The more raw foods you incorporate into your diet, the more nasty stuff pulled from your cells thats now occupying space elsewhere in your body – the bloodstream, kidneys, liver, colon. Garbage in, garbage out as the saying goes.
If your over-burdened system is not strong enough to push those toxins out of the body, youll basically just poison yourself all over again, recycling those bad boys into the bloodstream. Kinda defeats the purpose of choosing to eat healthier, you know?
Which brings up a really important point: its not what we put into our bodies that makes us healthy, but the removal of waste matter that brings us into a state of glowing health.
I was an overweight vegetarian for years. I know plenty of vegans who look anything but glowing, with their sallow complexions and dark under-eye circles. But if were eating whole, live foods AND eliminating toxic waste from our body, our skin tone improves, chronic health problems disappear, excess weight is released, our energy levels increase, we gain greater mental clarity and become more centered emotionally. I can certainly attest to that, after only four weeks.
Okay, heres the scoop...Ive basically embraced a diet of 85 to 90 percent raw foods, essentially eating "raw till dinner" every day. Before noon, I only consume fresh fruit. I pay attention to proper food combining (more on that in another post). If I am going to consume meat, poultry or fish, I do it at dinner so my digestive system has a whole night to deal with it and I always eat my raw veggies first.
So far, so good. I know lots of folks just pass through looking for a quick fix, but I have a feeling I may be taking up residence in Raw Food Land.
Oh, and did I mention, Ive released 27 pounds? Adios. Goodbye. See ya! Twenty-seven pounds without counting points, calories, fat grams, or carbs. No weighing and measuring my food. In fact, I eat waaaaaaaay more now than I did when I was consuming a "normal" diet.
So what convinced me to make the transition from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a primarily RAW diet of fresh fruits and veggies? Well, besides feeling crummy from all the aforementioned symptoms and a host of others, I happily stumbled upon a wonderful book at my local library.
Kris Carrs Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips tells the inspirational and insightful story of a young woman diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and her journey to living a fully-awake, vibrant, healthy life. A significant part of that journey has been her exploration and transition into a raw vegan lifestyle. The back of Kris book is loaded with helpful resources and heres where my own exploration began.
I scoured dozens of websites and started reading anything I could get my hands on, either at the library or the neighborhood Borders Books. It was when I read The Raw Food Detox Diet by nutritionist Natalia Rose that I thought I can do this.
Natalia, whos eaten a 100% raw diet for over seven years, took about six years to get there. She outlines a simple program that anyone, regardless of their present state of health or what they typically eat, can follow to safely and gently transition to raw foods (plant foods not heated above 118 degrees).
I say safely, because raw foods contain an abundance of live enzymes that pull waste matter out of cells. The more raw foods you incorporate into your diet, the more nasty stuff pulled from your cells thats now occupying space elsewhere in your body – the bloodstream, kidneys, liver, colon. Garbage in, garbage out as the saying goes.
If your over-burdened system is not strong enough to push those toxins out of the body, youll basically just poison yourself all over again, recycling those bad boys into the bloodstream. Kinda defeats the purpose of choosing to eat healthier, you know?
Which brings up a really important point: its not what we put into our bodies that makes us healthy, but the removal of waste matter that brings us into a state of glowing health.
I was an overweight vegetarian for years. I know plenty of vegans who look anything but glowing, with their sallow complexions and dark under-eye circles. But if were eating whole, live foods AND eliminating toxic waste from our body, our skin tone improves, chronic health problems disappear, excess weight is released, our energy levels increase, we gain greater mental clarity and become more centered emotionally. I can certainly attest to that, after only four weeks.
Okay, heres the scoop...Ive basically embraced a diet of 85 to 90 percent raw foods, essentially eating "raw till dinner" every day. Before noon, I only consume fresh fruit. I pay attention to proper food combining (more on that in another post). If I am going to consume meat, poultry or fish, I do it at dinner so my digestive system has a whole night to deal with it and I always eat my raw veggies first.
So far, so good. I know lots of folks just pass through looking for a quick fix, but I have a feeling I may be taking up residence in Raw Food Land.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE Day 7 Learn To Make Raw Meatballs On Zucchini Ribbon Pasta!
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| Raw walnut meatballs on ribbons of zucchini with tomato sauce Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! DAY 7 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE" |
Today is the 7th and last day of our "One Week Raw and Gluten Free" mini cleanse. But it doesnt have to be the end. If you want to extend it a few more weeks, just repeat the recipes you enjoyed during the week. In case you missed any of them, check out DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3, DAY 4, DAY 5 and DAY 6.
Todays menu includes:
Breakfast: Strawberry, pear and spinach smoothie
Snack: Leftover pear and apple crisp from last nights dessert
Lunch: Monster salad
Dinner: Raw meatballs on zucchini ribbon pasta
Dessert: Mango and mixed berries
Breakfast:
Strawberry, pear and spinach "green smoothie"
(New Recipe)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings - enjoy both throughout the morning]
1 1/2 cup frozen strawberries or strawberry tops *
1 large or 2 medium organic pears, cored
2 cups organic, baby spinach
1 tablespoon unrefined flaxseed oil
1 1/2 cups filtered water
Place all ingredients in a VitaMix blender and process until smooth.
Per serving: 190.8 calories, 7.0 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 3.7 g omega 3 and 1.0 g omega 6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.3 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g dietary fiber.
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| This green smoothie is high in fiber and omega 3 fatty acid. Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin which may decrease the risk of age related macular degeneration. |
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| * When I clean organic strawberries, I cut off the tops (which include a 1/2 inch of strawberry), freeze them and use them for smoothies. |
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| Todays snack is leftover pear and apple crisp. That is, if you didnt eat it all last night! Its sooo good!! |
Lunch
One of the best things you can do for your health is to eat some sort of salad every day of your life. Im not talking iceberg lettuce and thousand islands dressing. Im talking about a HUGE MONSTER salad with as many veggies you can stuff in a bowl topped with more healthful goodies like nuts, seeds and fruit. Todays salad contains many of the leftover ingredients from the recipes we made this week:
red leaf lettuce,torn
baby spinach
daikon, thinly sliced
carrots, thinly sliced
cucumber, thinly sliced
orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
red onion, sliced
broccoli florets
avocado, sliced
raisins
hemp seeds
sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
For the dressing, I had leftover ginger tahini dipping sauce from DAY 6 which I thinned with some freshly squeezed lime juice and a little water. If you ran out, make a little more!
So fill your refrigerator with veggies and experiment with combinations for lunch or dinner each day!
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| Todays lunch is a MONSTER salad with many of the leftover veggies from this weeks menus. |
Dinner
Today were going to make little raw meatballs. My poor Italian grandparents, were they alive, would think I was absolutely nuts! But these little guys, made from walnuts and other goodies, really taste meaty!
Were also going to make a raw tomato sauce for our zucchini pasta. When not on a raw cleanse, you can serve this delicious and healthy raw sauce mixed with hot pasta and the raw meatballs (at room temp) on top. They are too delicate to mix in or cook.
Ive posted this on the blog before (in fact it is one of the most "googled" recipes) but its improved and changed a bit to make it gluten free.
Raw Zucchini Ribbons with Walnut Meatballs and Tomato sauce
Old Blog Favorite - modified
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
For the zucchini pasta
4 medium zucchini
Freshly ground black pepper
For the raw tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked in filtered water for 1 hour, or until soft, and drained
1 Medjool date, pitted and soaked in filtered water for 1 hour and drained
1 cup ripe tomatoes, diced
4 kalamata olives
2 packed tablespoons fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the meatballs [makes 12 small meatballs, 3 per serving]
1 clove garlic
1 1/3 cup raw English walnuts soaked for several hours and rinsed
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Bragg liquid aminos
1 teaspoon thinly sliced green onion, white part only
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, plus extra for garnish
Make the zucchini ribbons by peeling the zucchini with a potato peeler, gradually rotating with each peel.
To make a thinner spaghetti, use a vegetable slicer. My favorite is Benriner. Wrap the ribbons or spaghetti in a paper towel until ready to use otherwise they will get watery when combined with the sauce.
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| Making the zucchini ribbons with a vegetable peeler. |
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| You can make zucchini spaghetti by using a Benriner spiral vegetable slicer. Peel the zucchini first so it really looks like spaghetti! |
To make the sauce, drop a clove of garlic in the chute of a food processor with an S blade while its running. After it is minced, add the drained sun dried tomatoes and date along with the fresh tomatoes, olives, and the rest of the tomato sauce ingredients. Process until smooth, place in a small bowl and set aside.
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| Top with extra parsley and freshly ground black pepper and serve! |
Wash and dry the food processor.
To make the meatballs, drop a clove of garlic in the chute of the food processor while its running.
After it is minced, add the walnuts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice and Bragg liquid aminos and process until smooth, scraping down the sides when necessary.
Place in a bowl and mix in green onion and parsley.
Form 12 small balls from the mixture, dip each one in tomato sauce to coat and set aside.
Mix the zucchini pasta in the desired amount of sauce. Serve onto 4 plates and top each with 3 sauce covered meatballs.
Garnish with parsley and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
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| Tonights dessert is diced mango and an assortment of fresh berries |
Rachels Powerballs A Healthful Raw Food Vegan Dessert Or Lunchbox Snack
Use large, unsweetened coconut ribbons or flakes, not shredded
Process dates, cashews and coconut until mixture sticks together
Rachels company Jonny Sport makes high-quality vegan bags
About This Recipe
While dinning at a Portland restaurant, (See my Review of Portlands Blossoming Lotus), I met a very lovely woman named Rachel Elizabeth who was sitting at the next table. Since I wanted to take as many pictures of their dishes as possible without ordering everything on the menu, I asked Rachel if I could photograph her food also. We ended up having a very nice visit during our lunch. We shared raw food and other vegan recipes and talked about my blog and her company. She runs a local business in Portland that makes very high quality vegan bags. The name of her company is Jonny Sport and everything they make is manufactured in Portland. It is refreshing to see someone creating local jobs while providing an alternative high end bag for people who avoid using any animal products.
Long story short, this is one of the recipes that Rachel shared with me. Its a little dessert ball made from raw cashews, Medjool dates and dried flakes of coconut. What gives them a burst of flavor is a sprinkling of course salt on top of each ball. Rachel calls them "Powerballs". They make a great dessert or mid-day snack for the whole family. They are delicious and so easy to make.
Thank you Rachel for this wonderful recipe!
***
Raw Vegan Powerballs
[makes 2 dozen]
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and quartered (about 15)
1 cup raw cashew nuts
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut ribbons or flakes
1/2 teaspoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar
Some course salt for topping
Place dates in a food processor with an S blade. Process dates briefly until they are chopped. Add cashews, coconut flakes and brown rice syrup or agave nectar. Process until the mixture sticks together. Roll the mixture into 24 balls. Put some course salt in a bowl and push the top of each ball into the salt until a little sticks on top (you dont need much). The salt really brings out the flavor so dont omit it. Refrigerate the balls for several hours before serving.
Per serving: 84.2 calories, 3.7 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 13.5 g carbohydrates and 1.8 g of fiber.
Raw Spring Vegetable SoupLess Than 150 CaloriesLose Weight With A Raw Food Cleanse
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| Raw Spring Vegetable Soup - Vegan and Gluten Free! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. |
Eating for Spring Time
With warmer weather comes access to more fruits and vegetables, allowing us to lighten up our diet. In Spring, I try to eat at least half of my food raw. And to lose a few pounds, get more energy, and detox from a winter of way too much fun, I do a raw food cleanse.
Todays recipe is a simple raw soup that blends garden peas and kale with a creamy avocado and is topped with shredded carrots. Fresh garlic, lemon juice and cayenne provide the main seasoning.
Eating raw soups is the perfect way to lighten up your spring diet and they are suitable for a raw food cleanse.
There are numerous posts on how to optimize the amount of raw food you eat throughout the seasons and how to do a Raw Food Cleanse on this site. But If you would like a more comprehensive summary of this information and more than 150 tested and optimized recipes, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen: Delicious and Easy Vegan Recipes and Seasonal Food Plan PLUS Raw Food Cleanse. Its only $9.99 and is available on Amazon and iTunes.
You Dont Need a Kindle or iPad to Read an eBook!
Some of you have written saying that you would like my ebook but dont have a Kindle or iPad. You can now download my eBook onto your computer with this free Kindle for PC reading AP.
Enjoy todays recipe - its becoming one of my favorite ways to enjoy my garden kale. And its perfect for the warm weather and for your Raw Food Cleanse. Best of all, its less than 150 calories per serving!
* * *
Raw Spring Vegetable Soup
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
Requires a High Speed Blender
2 cups fresh peas, or frozen (thawed)
2 packed cups kale (cleaned with stems removed)
2 cups chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and seed removed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
Place all ingredients, except the carrot, in a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix or Blendtec. Blend until smooth. Adjust for salt and pepper if needed.
Pour into 4 bowls. Top with shredded carrot and serve.
Per serving: 145 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 121 mg omega-3 and 777 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber and 720 mg sodium.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Crispy Raw Vegan And Gluten Free Zucchini Onion Crackers High In Omega 3 Fatty Acid
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| Zucchini and onion crackers packed with omega-3. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Its Zucchini Season
About this time each year I search for ways to use up my zucchini. This crispy cracker does the trick! Besides using 2 1/2 pounds of zucchini per batch, these delicious gluten-free crackers deliver 626 mg of omega-3 fatty acid per cracker! Heres how to make them.
Zucchini Onion Crackers
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 40 crackers]
Requires a Dehydrator & a tool to grind walnuts
2 1/2 pounds zucchini
1 small onion (6 ounce)
3/4 cups ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup ground English walnuts
2 tablespoons gluten free tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grate the zucchini on a large grate. You should have about 7 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini.
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| Grate the zucchini using the medium grates. |
Cut the onion in half or quarters and thinly slice.
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| Slice the onion as thinly as possible. |
Place the zucchini and onions in a large bowl.
If you are grinding your own flaxseeds, start with 1/2 cup of whole flaxseeds to yield the needed 3/4 cups of ground flaxseeds.
Grind the walnuts in a Vitamix, food processor or coffee grinder (reserved for nuts and seeds). You will need 1/2 cup of walnut pieces to yield the needed 1/2 cup of ground walnuts.
Add the ground flaxseeds and walnuts to the bowl of zucchini and onion.
Add the soy sauce and lemon juice to the zucchini onion mixture.
Mix thoroughly until well blended.
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| Mix all ingredients thoroughly. |
Divide the mixture between two 14" x 14" inch non-stick dehydrator sheets.
Spread it out into 11" x 11" squares. The mixture will look thick but it will thin out significantly after dehydrating.
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| Spread mixture on to 2 dehydrator sheets. |
Dehydrate for 24 hours at 115 degrees F.
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| After dehydrating, the mixture will thin significantly. |
After 24 hours, flip over onto mesh dehydrator sheets. Slowly peel off the non-stick dehydrator sheets.
Place back in the dehydrator for another 6 to 10 hours.
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| Peel off the non-stick dehydrator sheets slowly. |
Place on a cutting board and cut into crackers with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Cut one side into 4 equal pieces and the other side into 5 equal pieces. Each sheet will yield 20 crackers.
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| Cut into desired cracker sizes. |
If the crackers are not crisp enough, place individual crackers on the mesh sheet and dehydrate until they reach the desired crispness. (If they still bend, they are not crisp enough).
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| Dehydrate until crisp. |
Store in an air tight container and refrigerate.
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| Serve with soup, along with dips, or just enjoy as is! |
Per cracker: 26.1 calories, 2 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 625 mg omega-3 and 690 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber and 52.5 mg sodium.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Pomelo And Avocado Salad Raw Gluten Free Whats That Giant Yellow Thing In The Produce Department
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| Pomelo is a bit sweeter than grapefruit - delicious with avocado! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. |
The Giant Pomelo
For years I would walk past this giant yellow citrus in the grocery store, not really knowing what it was or what to do with it. But curiosity eventually overcame my reluctance and I brought one home.
Pomelo, or citrus maxima, is native to Southeast Asia and tastes like a mild and sweeter grapefruit. Its dwarfs the size and price of a grapefruit. I paid $3.99 for a single organic pomelo in Whole Foods but it yielded over a pound of cleaned sections that are packed with vitamin C.
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| A pomelo (right) next to a very large grapefruit. |
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| This pomelo weighed 2.5 pounds before cleaning. |
How to Clean
I like to use everything I can on a pomelo so first I zest some of the skin. I use the zest in salad dressings and when baking muffins.
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| I use my microplane zester to grate the pomelo. |
After getting enough zest, I use a potato peeler to remove some peel to use to flavor my water.
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| Pomelo peel adds a delicious flavor to drinking water. |
To peel the pomelo, slice the top and bottom (enough to reach the top of the fruit.) Score the sides and peel off the thick skin.
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| As you can see, the skin is quite thick. |
Tear apart the sections and peel off the membrane to expose the flesh of the pomelo. The membrane is quite tough and thick and not pleasant to eat.
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| Removing the membrane takes a little patience but the effort is well worth it. |
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| 1 cup of pomelo sections provides: 72.2 calories 0.1 g total fat 1.4 g protein 18.3 g carbohydrates 193% of the daily requirements of vitamin C |
You can eat as is or toss in a fruit or green salad. I think it also screams "Italian Ice." Ill have to try that!
Like grapefruit, pomelo pairs beautifully with avocado. Heres a salad I made with that in mind.
* * *
Pomelo and Avocado Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
For the dressing
1 clove pressed or finely minced garlic
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated pomelo zest
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold pressed hemp oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad
4 large handfuls of mixed organic greens
1 cup cleaned pomelo sections
1 peeled and sliced avocado
1/4 cup raw English walnut pieces
Make the dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients thoroughly. Set aside.
Toss the greens in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat, reserving some for the pomelo and avocado. Place in 4 individual salad bowls.
Place the pomelo and avocado in the large bowl and gently toss with a small amount of dressing to coat. Place one forth of the pomelo and avocado in each salad bowl spreading them evenly over the greens.
Top each salad with 1 tablespoon of walnut pieces and serve.
Per serving of salad: 135 calories, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 701 mg omega-3 and 3360 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 23 mg sodium.
Per tablespoon of dressing: 51 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 422 mg omega-3 and 1867 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g dietary fiber, and 117 mg sodium.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Raw Vegan Dolmas Great As An Appetizer Or For Lunch
Select nice, large leaves of organic chard.
Gently clean chard leaves, remove stem, and marinate.
Place mixture on a strip of chard and roll up dolmas.
What Are Dolmas?
Traditionally, dolmas are stuffed grape leaves. Known as a Greek delicacy, they are also made all over the Middle East and other parts of the Mediterranean. Dolmas are typically made by stuffing cooked grape leaves with various combinations of rice, lamb, currants, pine nuts, lemon zest, onions, herbs and spices. The traditional version is very time consuming to make. This "raw vegan" recipe is quite simple to assemble but does require a few days to sprout the garbanzo beans. They make a wonderful appetizer or snack (Ive been snacking on these for the past few days!). Dolmas would also be a good thing to eat for lunch. You can add this to your menus when you do your Raw Food Cleanse.
Nutritional Benefits
I made quite a few changes to the typical ingredients for dolmas. I substituted sprouted garbanzos for the cooked rice and used raw chard instead of the grape leaves.
Garbanzo beans are one of my favorite "long life" foods. They are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Their high fiber content helps lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. They are a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids, and are an excellent source of molybdenum and manganese. They are also a good source of copper, phosphorus and iron. Try making Raw Hummus with Sprouted Garbanzo Beans or Garbanzo Bean and Raw Kale Salad with Lemon-Turmeric Dressing.
Swiss chard is also an exceptionally healthful food. One cup of raw chard has only 7 calories yet it provides more than 3 times the daily requirement of vitamin K. Its also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron.
Experiment
Try different ingredients in your dolmas. Add currants or substitute some or all of the parsley with mint. Instead of garlic, try thinly slices green onions. Add some of your favorite spices.
***
Raw Vegan Dolmas
[makes 14 pieces]
For The Marinade
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the Dolmas
1/3 cup dried organic garbanzo beans for sprouting (or 1 cup of sprouted garbanzo beans)
4 large chard leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 packed tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup raw pine nuts (unsoaked)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
To sprout garbanzo beans, soak 1/3 cup of dried, organic garbanzo beans overnight in a sprouting jar. Rinse gently the next morning, put on the sprouting lid and turn the jar over to drain the water. Let the jar sit upside down and tilted (so oxygen can get to the sprouts) and not in direct sunlight. Rinse them 3 times a day in cool water for 3 days until sprouted.
Once the garbanzo beans are sprouted, you can prepare the dolmas.
Gently wash the chard leaves, being careful not to tear the leaves. Remove the stems and place the leaves in a large bowl with the marinade of lemon juice, olive oil and salt, making sure each leaf is covered in the mixture. Set aside.
Drop the garlic through the shoot of a running food processor with an S blade and process until it is minced. Add the sprouted garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and lemon zest and process until fairly smooth. Add the pine nuts and continue to process until they are well chopped. Add the parsley and pulse a few times until combined.
Cut the marinated chard into 2" by 4" strips. Place a spoonful of the garbanzo mixture onto the inside of the chard strip and roll up. This should make about 14 rolls.
Per dolmas (not counting the marinade): 62 calories, 4.6 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.8 g protein, 4.4 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g of fiber.
Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad With Orange Chia Seed Vinaigrette Dried Cranberries Or Pomegranate Seeds And Almonds Perfect For Thanksgiving!
Love Them or Hate Them?
Most people have a strong opinion about these petite little cabbages. Me and the kids love Brussels sprouts and I made them every Thanksgiving when they were young. But my husbands not a fan and my daughter-in-law, who is just starting to come around, has in the past practically banned my son from eating them. But fear not, Brussels sprouts lovers, I think Ive developed a recipe that everyone can enjoy. Try presenting this colorful dish at your next Thanksgiving or winter holiday feast! Double or triple the recipe for more guests. If youd like, substitute pomegranate seeds for the dried cranberries.
Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
Last Thanksgiving I posted a Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving or Winter Holiday menu from raw appetizers to dessert. Its been a very popular post so check it out for lots of great "raw" ideas for Thanksgiving.
Amazing Health Benefits
On cup of Brussels sprouts provides over 100% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and K. Besides broccoli, it contains more glucosinolate (a phytonutrient associated with protecting our cells against cancer) than any other vegetable! They are also a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese.
This recipe also gives you all the benefits of the amazing chia seed! Each serving provides over 400 mg of ALA omega 3 fatty acid. Check out all my Chia Seed Recipes.
***
Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Chia Vinaigrette
[makes 4 servings]
2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
1 tablespoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 packed cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (or pomegranate seeds)
In a small bowl, mix chia seeds with water and stir well. Stir several more times over the next 30 minutes while the chia seeds absorb the water.
After the chia seeds have formed a gel, add zest, orange juice, olive oil, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar and sea salt and mix thoroughly. (This dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated).
Mix dressing with the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, almonds and cranberries and serve.
Per serving: 74.8 calories, 3.2 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 404 mg ALA omega 3 and 603 mg omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g protein, 11.5 g carbohydrates, and 2.7 g dietary fiber.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
A Review Of Minneapolis Ecopolitan Raw Food Restaurant
Raw cashew "cheese" log rolled in sun dried tomatoes.
A variety of juices.
Root vegetable "rawioli" with cashew cheese filling.
Macadamia Alfredo pasta on zucchini noodles.
Lasagna plate with sun dried tomato sauce and veggies.
Eco-sausage pizza (front) and red avocado pizza (back).
Flaxseed tostada with lentil "taco meat".
Raw vegan coconut cream pie
Ecopolitan, More than a Raw Food Restaurant
I got to visit Ecopolitan raw food restaurant last week while visiting my daughter in Minneapolis. Thinking it was just a restaurant, I was quite surprised to find that it is more of a "wellness" center. They also offer spa treatments, have an oxygen bar, a natural home and body goods shop and an Eco-healing center. In fact, I was a little bit put off by a giant sign offering colonic hydrotherapy while on my way to eat lunch! That aside, my daughter and her boyfriend joined me and my husband for a giant meal that spanned the menu.
The Menu
The menu is pretty typical for a raw food restaurant with appetizers, raw soups and salads and many heavier entrées centered around raw nut cheeses and sprouted grain crusts. What is a bit different is that they offer raw breakfasts. Here are some of the dishes we ordered:
* The "Raw cashew cheese log" ($8) is a great appetizer. The log is rolled in sun-dried tomatoes, olives and fresh basil and covered with balsamic onions and served with flax crackers.
* The juices are good but unremarkable. We ordered a 12 ounce ginger lemonade, cool cucumber and sweet beet, each for $6.50. The smaller 8 ounce glasses are $4.75.
* The "Ravioli" is my favorite dish ($11.75). The ravioli is made from very thinly sliced raw beets and filled with cashew cheese. The tomato sauce is made with fresh ginger which gives it a delightful spicy flavor. The dish is served on fresh greens.
* The "Macadamia Alfredo pasta" ($14.50) is pricey but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Unlike traditional Alfredo sauce, this one is very light. Besides zucchini noodles, it also contains bell peppers, marinated mushrooms, pine nuts and fresh herbs.
* The "Lasagna plate" ($13.50) is my least favorite dish. It contains layers of sun-dried tomato sauce and cashew cheese layered with some veggies. Although the flavors are good, I did not enjoy the dish because the layers were mushy and have absolutely no texture.
* We ordered two different pizzas. The "Eco-sausage pizza" ($14/ $8 half order) is made of walnut sausage, bell pepper, marinated mushrooms, onions and ginger marinara sauce on a buckwheat-herb crust. This is a good raw pizza but it doesnt compare to my favorite raw sausage pizza from Quintessence in New York City. The "Raw Avocado pizza" ($13/ $7.50 half order) has the same crust with olive tapenade, avocado, zucchini, marinated mushrooms, pine nuts and cilantro. Everyone enjoyed the pizzas!
* The "Flaxseed Tostada" ($13) has a sunflower shell filled with lentil taco meat, fresh veggies, sunflower seeds, sprouts and hot sauce and is covered with cashew sour cream. It is a tasty dish but not as good as the others.
* Dessert was a "Coconut Cream pie" ($6). This is a delicious pie with a crust made from coconut flakes and dates and a filling of coconut flesh, coconut oil and more coconut flakes. Even though this dessert must be extremely high in fat, it tastes remarkably light.
All in all, we enjoyed the meal. It was a nice restaurant with friendly service and a good selection of food items. I think the dishes were a bit pricey but as anyone who prepares raw food knows, the ingredients to make these dishes can be very expensive.
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