millet vegetable sushi

a few weeks ago i made vegetable sushi rolls with millet instead of our usual quinoa. i like millet but thought it was just ok in sushi. john said it was dry and meh. at least he's honest.

if you'd like to learn how to make vegetable sushi, chef jared shows you how here. if you already make sushi, i'd love to know what you put in your rolls!

as for the millet, i bought it years ago when i was first trying to eat gluten-free. it kept well in the fridge and it's cheaper than quinoa, though john definitely prefers quinoa. but i haven't made quinoa since i learned of its high oxalate content in relation to my interstitial cystitis symptoms. sorry johnny. he likes spinach too but i don't make anything with that eat anymore either. he'll be ok.

it's crazy that things i thought were super healthy for me (in particular quinoa, spinach, and kiwi) may have actually been causing me pain. it's made me see how important it is to be fluid. sometimes the knee-jerk reaction to new information is to reject it because we don't want to change our beliefs after all these years, or just because the truth sounds downright absurd.

i remember coming across and instantly dismissing negative spinach reports on health food sites. in my mind, spinach was one of the best things you could eat! (why did i think that? popeye?)

i'm not trying to deter anyone from spinach or quinoa. i'm just reflecting on and sharing my experience. if i weren't so awkward, i'd be able to make a really sweet analogy here to life and how when we remain open to new information and are willing to challenge and shed false beliefs, we can then shine new light on problem areas and maybe even learn what we need to move forward.

years ago i would have thought it crazy to make a medicinal tea from a weed that grows in the yard. now i can't imagine my life without plantain. it's wild, literally.

since i last posted about all that, i have been feeling really good. i've even eaten some spinach in a pesto, so it's probably ok for me in moderation. there have been no flare-ups, only minor discomfort a couple of times, which the plantain tea helped instantly. last year my flare-up occurred after the holidays, so i need to be mindful this season not to over-do it with the indulgent foods.

so how are you? how has your weekend been? we had another snow day and i helped my neighbor and his kids build a snowman on our lawn (helped as in brought out buttons and a carrot and patted it a few times saying looks great guys!) the older i get, the bigger the baby i am in the cold. i said i had to go in because i was feeling the early signs of frostbite in my fingertips, to which the five year-old girl replied, you should really get some insulated mittens kelli! ha! noted, little lady.=)

buggin' out

first i want to say thank you for your sweet comments. i wish i could invite you all over to enjoy some rawspberries and cream!

my preggie friend missy requested a strawberry banana ice cream cake, as the weather's been warm, baby marlie is expected any day now and miss is really craving cold things.

lucky for us i was able to get locally-grown strawberries and already had the other ingredients needed, so i got most of the ice cream cake done yesterday.

unlucky for us the banana ice cream on the top layer turned brown over night in the freezer! must have been the addition of cashews or vanilla extract.

i whipped up another batch of nanner ice cream, this time just bananas and spread the new layer on top. i thought i had saved it (the outer appearance anyway) until i overheated my chocolate! then the strawberries kept getting frosty every time i tried to snap a photo... ugh!!!

the lumpy chocolate should have been a sign to walk away from the cake and go back to it later, but i dipped the strawberries in it anyway. then i piped some chocolate chips while tiffany's "could have been so beautiful" played in my head. =(

(you know my motto, when life hands you funky chocolate, make chocolate chips!=)

i thought taking a photo near my strawberry plants would add a nice touch, but the bleepin' bugs came and ruined that idea.

see how nice the strawberries looked pre-freezer?

though not a big fan of insects, i try not to kill them (ticks found on my animals are an exception). i try to save the lil' buggers in cups or napkins to release them outside. this fly's life was spared today, but i sure could have released a lot of aggression swatting away with a dish towel!

john's impressed with my ability to capture flies. years of practice i guess. i'd really like to catch them mr. miyagi-style, but i think that would squish 'em.

funny i posted miyagi with chopsticks because today i made a light linner of veggie sushi rawls to fuel me for my evening yoga class.

our classes have been held outside by the river during sunset, under a big beautiful tree with birds chirping overhead. i can really use the serenity of this class tonight.

quinoa usually subs for rice in my sushi rolls, but this time i got the brilliant idea to use chopped jicama with a bit of rice vinegar. it was delightful - light, fresh, and very tasty. jicama has a nice sweetness to it, which i like in my sushi rolls. did you know most japanese restaurants add sugar to their sushi rice?

next time i will strain the jicama better as it was a little too moist and made the nori sheets fall apart. you live and learn, right?

***

so tomorrow i will be bringing the cake to missy and we'll see how the inside looks. either way, i'm sure it will taste great. (it better!=)

happy tuesday!

today marks three wonderful years shared with my butternut.=)

 here we are looking our spiffiest at a friend's wedding in '07

this morning john pointed out that it is also national pancake day. i knew what he was getting at...

instead i brought him a bowl of apple buckwheat granola with almond milk. he said he loved it.=)

apple buckwheat granola

1 chopped apple

4 dates, pitted and soaked

1 T soak water (reserved from dates)

1 T maple syrup

1 T agave nectar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 C raw buckwheat groats, soaked

1/2 C raw almonds, soaked, then roughly chopped

1/2 C raw sunflower seeds, soaked

1 C shredded coconut

1/2 tsp salt

1/2-1 tsp cinnamon, to taste

handful of raisins

process first 6 ingredients in a high speed blender until a paste is formed. place remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. add date paste and mix thoroughly. spread onto 2 teflex trays and dehydrate at 115° until dry.

~*~

for dinner we had quinoa veggie sushi with raw nori and salad with sweet lime cilantro dressing.

at home we've been pretty high raw, occasionally eating cooked quinoa.

eating out with family is another story. (working on it... =)

below are asian-style veggies we had again with jicama rice and ginger marinade.  this veggie medley is delicious! mushrooms are a must, as they add the "meatiness" i sometimes miss in my meals.=)

 

it's a pleasure to prepare dinner when it's this bright and colorful!

~*~

raw pizza has been devoured savored a lot here lately. it never fails to satisfy, and the preparation is super quick and easy. the hardest part for me is keeping herb pizza crusts stocked in the freezer!

 

pizza topping:

sliced fennel
button mushrooms
chopped tomato
cilantro or basil

marinate in equal parts olive oil and tamari. (add a splash of agave and chopped garlic for extra zing! =)

the cheeze is carmella's adaptation of kristen suzanne's cheezy nacho sauce (my new favorite nut cheeze!)

~*~

pink lady apples were on sale at my local whole foods for $1.29 a pound (a great deal around here for organic apples). we've been enjoying the pink ladies in granola, smoothies, and chopped up with walnuts, dried cranberries, maple syrup and cinnamon.

to me, pink ladies are the prettiest of the apples. (with too much sun or when i'm embarassed, i become a pink lady! =)

~*~

since the amazing evergreen posted her raw rendition of cherry garcia soft serve, i have been dreaming of a raw chocolate chip cookie dough.

 

the recipe is gena's banana soft serve with chunks of chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips, and heathy's chocolate sauce. the cookies were warmed in the dehydrator for a few hours before serving. i'm excited to create more raw ice creams!

speaking of... hihorosie is hosting an automatic ice cream maker giveaway! be sure to enter!
=)

delicious

i have to share these recipes that made our ny eve so yummy!

Vegan Bay Crab Cakes

Recipe by Cherie Soria (as printed in Purely Delicious magazine)

Serves 6 (Yields twelve 1/4 cup cakes)

1/2 C. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 1 hr, drained and diced
1 1/2 C. zucchini, spiralized
1 1/2 C. macadamia nuts, ground
1/4 C. onion, finely minced
1/4 C. celery, finely minced
2 Tbls. nutritional yeast
2 Tbls. lemon juice
2 Tbls. red bell pepper, very finely diced
2 tsp. kelp powder
2 tsp. ground golden flax seeds
1 Tbls. ground psyllium seed
1 tsp. garlic, pureed
1 tsp. red jalapeno, minced (or substitue cayenne pepper to taste)
1 tsp. Himalayan crystal salt

1. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the spiralized zucchini into pieces about one inch in length. (A spiral slicer and a chef's knife are perfect for this task.)
2. Combine the zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add a few drops of water, if needed, to form a firm dough.
3. Using a 1/4 C. measure, create small cakes, about one inch deep.
4. Place the cakes on a nonstick dehydrator sheet and place in dehydrator at 120 degrees for 1 hour; then turn over to dehydrate the other side for another 1-2 hours. (This temperature will not be too hot to destroy the nutrients and enzymes, since the dough has enough water to stay cool during this time.)
5. Serve with a generous serving of Cocktail Sauce and/or Creamy Dill Sauce.

kelli's notes:
i used 3/4 diced button mushrooms instead of porcini, 1/2 macadamia and 1 cup cashews, omitted the onions and psyllium powder, and served with a mixture of ketchup and wasabi. i needed to dehydrate longer, more like 6 hours. they are a bit flat (most likely due to the lack of psyllium powder), but still scrumptious! i will follow the recipe to the T next time so they look as good as they taste!


Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts
from Raw-Riffic Food's Recipe Blog

1 lb Brussels Sprouts (stems removed, and sliced thin)
1/2 cup walnuts coarsly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 T (more or less) cold pressed Hemp Oil
1/2 T cold pressed Olive Oil
2-3 drizzles of raw agave nectar (or to taste)

Preparation:
Lightly steam the Brussels Sprouts and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. This dish is a very hearty meal. Try exchanging the walnuts for chopped pecans, or dried apple pieces and raisins in place of the dried cranberries. I think you will agree that this dish is super yummy, and makes you feel cozy too! Perfect for Winter! =)

kelli's notes:
i did not have hemp oil so i added more olive oil. i sliced the brussels thin, tossed with all ingredients, and dehydrated a few hours instead of steaming. the flavors go together so well in this dish that i'm sure any way you make it will be delicious!

~*~

 

Quinoa Veggie Sushi

4 nori sheets

1/2 C. quinoa

1 C filtered water

1 small carrot

1 small zucchini or cucumber

1 avocado

agave

rice vinegar

tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

wasabi

1. rinse quinoa. bring water and quinoa to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes.

2. shred or cut veggies thin.

3. add a few drizzles each of agave, tamari, and rice vinegar to the cooked quinoa.

4. place nori sheets on sushi mat, add ingredients and roll. i've watched youtube videos to learn how to do this.

5. serve with tamari and wasabi.

6. mix leftover ingredients and top with wakame for a yummy salad!

~*~

Chocolate Pecan Pie

from Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw for Dessert

altered and posted at Beautiful Living Food in Vermont

(a lovely blog i stumbled upon recently)

by Joyce

This recipe includes a few components so I’m going to list them in the order that I made them:
1 Cup of Date Paste (here’s what I used since I cut the recipe almost in half)

• 20 pitted medjool dates
• 1 1/2 cups of water (and a couple teaspoons extra)

Soak dates in the water for 20 minutes, massaging them with your hands for a minute. Drain dates but reserve the soaking water.
Place dates in food processor along with a bit over 1/4 cup of soak water and blend until smooth.
Almond Pecan Crust

• 3/4 cup of unsoaked almonds
• 3/4 cup of unsoaked pecans (recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
• 8 pitted medjool dates
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place almonds and sea salt in the food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the pecans and process until both nuts are finely ground. Add the dates and process until mixture begins to stick together. Don’t overprocess. Form a pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate or tart pan. I used a pie plate.
3/4 cup of Chocolate Ganache

• 3/4 cup of dark agave syrup or maple syrup (I used mostly dark agave with a bit of maple syrup)
• 3/4 cup of cacao powder
• 1/3 cup of virgin coconut oil, melted (in dehydrator)
• 1/8 teaspoon plus pinch of sea salt

Blend everything in the Vitamix until smooth. Add most of it on top of the crust. Scatter 3/4 cups of pecans on top of the ganache. Press down with your hand. Put in the fridge while making the filling.
Filling

• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of agar flakes
• 1 cup of date paste from above
• 1 tablespoon of dark agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup since I live in Vermont)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place the water and agar flakes in a small saucepan on the stove and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Place the date paste, maple syrup or agave, vanilla extract, and sea salt in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the agar mixture and process until blended.

Spread the date mixture evenly over the ganache and pecans with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of pecans on top, pressing them down slightly. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

kelli's notes:

i followed another blogger and used 1/2 C. melted coconut oil in place of the agar flakes. it worked wonderfully, but i think i will use a bit less coco oil next time (maybe 1/3 C). the pie was amazingly sweet and decadent, and i will definitely be making it again! 

 

animal-friendly eating...most of the time

(note: i started writing this post on monday. i'm happy to say i'm feeling much better now. =)

i am sitting here like a lump on a log feeling super bloated and "dairy-ish" (as alicia would say) after a weekend of not-so-animal-friendly eating. i overdid it with the dairy and cooked foods. big time. and i am paying for it. BIG TIME.

as i have mentioned before, i am still transitioning to an entirely plant-based diet. i should really consider changing my blog title to something like "animal-friendly eating...my transition" or "animal-friendly eating...most of the time". (when i created the blog i was going through a very easy period of refraining from animal products. but, you know how life is - constantly changing!)

will i ever eat 100% vegan? maybe, maybe not. i choose not to stress over it anymore. i like to live in the moment and therefore experience some difficulty exercising willpower at family functions and celebrations. yesterday was no exception.

i attended a friend's baby christening and indulged in a big creamy bowl of penne vodka and sinful almond ice cream concoctions topped with chocolate sauce. plural because i didn't stop at one. or two. yes, ladies and gentlemen, i ate three almond ice cream thingies. see what i mean about a lack of willpower? who does that in public?!

so now i feel like crap, physically. however, i don't feel the guilt that i used to feel. i have learned that guilt is a wasted emotion. a large majority of the time i make good choices for the animals and my health so i choose to focus on that. like my friend don from the sunny raw kitchen says, "when you drop the ball, just pick it back up again."

so let's talk about the good things i've been feeding myself! =)

first, we have a simple yet delicious avocado and sprouts sandwich on Matthew Kenney's amazing Cumin Flatbread. this bread is perfect - pliable, savory, and a tad sweet. i would love to post the recipe, but i got it from his book, Entertaining in the Raw.
 

next, we have an italian style quinoa dish i came up with for johnny boy's 29th birthday dinner, served with a yummy salad and garlic bread made with earth balance butter. i'll post the recipe for the quinoa after i make it one more time.

 

last but not least we have my latest obsession, quinoa and veggie sushi rolls. i add a few splashes of rice vinegar, agave, and tamari to my quinoa before i roll it up with cucumber or zucchini, carrot, and of course, avocado. i can eat three rolls (18 pieces) in less then three minutes, easily. sooo yummy!!!

 

this is how we roll...

if you want the recipe, holla at me!

=)