raw hemp burgers, pizza crackers and nori snacks

some of my most joyful days are those spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and dehydrating. on one recent d-day, carmella soleil's uncookbook, delightfully raw was my muse. as mentioned here about a jillion times, carmella introduced me to living foods through her blog, the sunny raw kitchen. then, as if i were dreaming, carmella was showing me the raw ropes in my very own kitchen! (you can read about our kitchen bonanza here: I, II, III)

carmella is a true raw alchemist - everything she touches turns to pure delicious. not only do her hemp veggie burgers taste incredible, they're packed with superfood nutrition (irish moss, hemp and chia seeds, walnuts). paired with fermented kraut and bubbie's pickles, the burger actually took on a cheesy flavor. eureka! a healthy raw cheeseburger, minus meat and dairy!=)

first i enjoyed my hemp burger on lisa's onion bread. next, i used organic collard greens as the "bun" and topped my patty with a slice of onion bread, homemade sauerkraut, bubbie's pickles and sprouts. both were out of this world!

onto some snackage...

delightfully raw has a recipe for italian flax crackers, which i tweaked a bit to create pizza crackers (added tomato and more nutritional yeast). they were really tasty, but a bit too chewy. next time i'll see if less flax meal and more whole flax crisps them up a bit.

these crunchy, garlic nori snacks and other sea vegetables are naturally high in potassium iodide and may make a good alternative to potassium iodide pills, which have been hard to get a hold of since news of the radiation leak in japan.

as you may know, potassium iodide (KI) can protect your thyroid gland against radiation damage. it seems that a little less than three sheets of nori contains the recommended dose for thyroid protection in a case of potential radiation exposure. (however, i recommend you do your own research and do what feels best for you!)

coming soon... i can't believe it's not tuna!=)

hemp heart patties

last night we tried the hemp veggie burgers and they were delicious. and johnny boy agreed. yay!=)

as mentioned previously, the original recipe from delightfully raw calls for irish moss paste to bind the patty all together. since i was out of irish moss, i thought that psyllium powder mixed in water would do the job, and it worked, phew! i also used flax in place of chia seeds because i am out of them too, and i changed the seasonings, having recently discovered the joy of cumin + coriander.

these burger patties may seem like a lot of work, and i'm going to be honest and say they kind of are, because of some extra steps. but these steps keep the patties easy to digest, so you put in a little extra kitchen effort to give your body a boost and your tummy a rest. not a bad payoff, eh?

hemp heart patties
adapted from carmella's hemp veggie burgers

makes 6 burgers

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked
1/2 cup raw walnuts, soaked
1 T psyllium powder
1/4 cup water
1 T flax, ground
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/3 cup chopped button mushroom
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp chipotle powder


1. soak sunflower seeds and walnuts in cool water for at least four hours, or overnight.

2. mix psyllium powder and ground flax in water. this will form a gel to bind the patty.

3. process the soaked sunflower seeds, walnuts, gel mixture, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. you will need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. transfer the mixture to a bowl.

4. add the rest of the ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

5. drop a little less than 1/2 cup of batter onto a teflex sheet and form into patties (or drop into cookie cutter for shapes). dehydrate at 110 degrees for 2 hours. flip onto mesh and continue dehydrating until patty is firm but moist in the center (at least five hours).

these burgers are raw, so they're not the kind of veggie burger you'd want on a bun. that's why i called them patties and placed them on a bed of mixed greens with a creamy chiptole dressing. they would also be nice in a green bun like collard or romaine.

creamy chipotle dressing

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 T lemon juice
few pinches chipotle powder, to taste

blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

tonight i came home to the smell of dinner cooking in the crock-pot. that magnificant chili made my whole day. it had the perfect amount of heat with one large jalapeno, but i have to say it was pretty spicy! i modified the recipe to include the heat factor, and i also added carrot.

john loved the chili too! woohoo! two for two.=)

i hope you're having a great week! stay warm, my fellow freezing cold friends!

xoxoxo

week of meals

typing out my meal plan last week was so fun and helpful that i've decided to do it again. as i said before, the list changes with ingredient availability and what i'm in the mood for. here is my list for this week:

• vegan chili with crusty bread
• creamy potato soup with kale salad
• honey-jalapeno squash with rice and kidney beans
• raw hemp veggie burgers with salad
• miso soup with side of steamed non-gmo edamame
 

we're in for yet another week of freezing cold temperatures. i'm eliciting the help of jalapenos and hearty bowls of steamy hot goodness to keep us warm. plus mugs of hot herbal tea with local raw honey. mmm.

my mom came over today with her delicious bean soup, cozy slippers (she bought me a pair for christmas but they were too small. see?) and she brought her slow cooker for me to borrow (which means it's mine now bahaha=). in the morning i plan to throw my chili and soups in so i can just come home and relax with my piping hot, home-cooked meals. ahhh.=)

four-bean vegan chili
adapted from the best vegetarian chili in the world

yields about 8 cups/servings

ingredients:

1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced*
2 sweet bell peppers, green and red, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 1/2 C (or 28 oz. can) crushed tomatoes
1 T chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper, to taste
2 C cooked (or 15 oz. can) each of black, pinto, kidney, and garbanzo beans

directions:

1. gather ingredients. chop peppers, using gloves to protect your skin from the jalapeno oil. if using fresh tomatoes, pulse in food processor until chunky.

2. heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. stir in garlic, peppers and carrot and cook a few minutes.

3. add tomatoes and seasonings, to taste. bring to a boil.

4. stir in beans, cover, lower heat and simmer about 25 minutes.

add cooked grains, like quinoa or millet, and serve over greens for a balanced meal. or dip with your favorite bread or chips.

you can "fatten up" the flavor a bit with a tablespoon or two of butter. i like the flavor of earth balance's soy-free vegan butter. it tastes great!

 *edit: one jalapeno makes the chili medium spicy and two very hot! for a mild chili, discard the seeds from the jalapeno or omit jalapeno altogether.

today i cooked up a big batch of kidney beans to use in our chili and with our delicata squash. the rest will be frozen in pint jars for future use. in the dehydrator are hemp veggie burgers and nori snacks. both recipes are in carmella's delightfully raw uncook book. i had to change the hemp burger recipe up a bit because i'm out of irish moss. if it works out i'll post the adapted recipe.


want to make soon:

sweet potato fries with spicy cashew aioli

chickpea coconut curry (crock pot recipe)

almond and cacao biscotti

what's on the menu for you this week?

raw hemp burger with mashed avocado over garden greens

it had been way too long since i last made carmella's hemp veggie burgers. though they're lacking some ingredients (celery and onion), they still turned out great.

with some greens from the garden (kale, spinach and arugula), i threw together a salad with lemon, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. an avocado was mashed with garlic, pepper and lemon.

since the burgers were made ahead of time, this dish took only minutes to prepare. my kind of meal! (thank you to my mom for the perfectly ripe avocados!=)

my green buns

raw collard and other leafy greens make a nutritiously yummy veggie patty bun... 

zucchini crab cake

 mock chicken patty

carmella's hemp burger

leaving lots more room for summer desserts!=)

raw soup, onion bread and sea spaghetti

spring is coming - can you feel it?! it's nice to be able to take photos of our dinner with natural light and birds chirping above.

tonight we had a warm raw soup and fried vegan chick'n patties on lisa's fantastic onion bread.

the soup consisted of spinach, cucumber, cilantro, celery, carrot, chia seeds and white miso topped with hemp seeds, cooked corn, black beans, and edamame. john and i both really enjoyed it. per carmella's recommendation we added boiling water and blended quickly. the cold veggies cool off the mixture to preserve the enzymes, but not so much that the soup isn't nice and warm.

during a shopping trip today i spotted spicy crispy vegan chick'n patties made by boca. when i missed burgers their vegan version really hit the spot. i had planned to make carmella's hemp burgers later in the week (and now bitt's zuki burgers) to go on my onion bread, but when i saw those chick'n patties i took the easy route for tonight's dinner. they were really tasty fried in a little bit of olive oil - they actually reminded me of wendy's or burger king. (there you go, clint!)

inspired by elizabeth, i gave lisa's onion bread recipe a try. oh my onion-y goodness, is it good! imagine a bread of onion rings minus the grease. i was especially pleased with how easy and inexpensive it is to create. (if you don't have a dehydrator, i bet this bread could be baked on low.)

in not so yummy news, we tried our sea spaghetti the other night. the verdict - not good. i really wanted to like these as they're so nutritious and easy to prepare, but the taste of chewy seaweed was too much for john and me. the addition of cilantro made it more palatable, but i still couldn't get past the texture. it's like seaweed fettucini, and i'm not usually a fan of the thicker pastas. please don't let this deter you from trying it yourself, though. many others rave about the stuff, but i'll stick to zucchini pasta or kelp noodles for gluten-free spaghetti!

Fruits and Veggies F(e)ast Conclusion + lots of yummy food!

i've got some catching up to do! our wireless router has been giving us troubles, so i haven't been able to use the laptop. another snowstorm came, and john, biggles and i have been in the house for what feels like weeks! of course i'm enjoying it, the homebody that i am! lots of time to play in the kitchen and with my sweetie pies keeps me happy. =)

mrs. bigglesworth writes, "thanks for all the kind words!" in response to her compliments. =)

we made it almost 5 days on our fruits and veggies f(e)ast. after a trip to whole foods, i caved and savored the tastiest handful of cashews ever! though tough at times, the f(e)ast was very refreshing and i'm so glad we went through with it. the experience was an opportunity to reevaluate and reconnect with our food choices. we watched Food, Inc. again, and i thought a lot about elvis and the veal calves on Peaceable Kingdom. i want to remember those animals every time the thought to choose dairy crosses my mind.

we feel really good, and we'd like to continue to eat the foods that make our bodies feel aligned and well. green smoothies will continue to be consumed daily, and i'd like to make sure fruits and veggies make up a large majority of our diet.

i was really itchin' to get in the kitchen, especially since the f(e)ast gave me time to organize my recipes and come up with a meal plan system that i think will work for me.

for dinner on day 5 i made asian-style veggies with ginger sauce over jicama rice. it was DELICIOUS. very light but nourishing.

Asian-Style Veggies

choice of :
mushrooms
bok choi
yellow and red bell pepper
zucchini
broccoli
snow peas
mung bean sprouts

chop veggies and marinate in equal parts olive oil and tamari. to serve slightly warm, dehydrate a few hours at 115°F.

Jicama Rice

1 jicama, peeled and chopped
a handful of cilantro

in a food processor, pulse both ingredients until jicama resembles rice. that's all! =) 

Ginger Sauce
by Carmella 

1/4 cup sesame or cold pressed olive oil
2 tbs lemon or lime juice
2 tbs tamari
2 tbs grated ginger
1 soft dates
1 garlic clove
3/4-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like your food)

blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

you can also serve the asian-style veggies and ginger marinade over zucchini pasta or brown rice vermichelli.

kelli's notes:
next time i would add more mushrooms, as i really enjoyed the "meatiness" they added to the dish. i used just one tablespoon each of the lemon juice, tamari, and ginger for the ginger sauce.

~*~

that night i whipped up some flax crackers to eat with my "tuna" the next day. (if you haven't noticed, i'm very excited to be "eating" again! =)

Oh My this is a Tuna!
posted at the Raw Freedom Community Forum by ocean

1 Cup Sunflower Seeds (soaked)
1 Cup Raw Walnuts (soaked)
1/8 Cup fresh squeezed Lemon juice
1/2 Tsp. Garlic (minced)
1/2 Tsp. Kelp flakes
2 Tbs. Nama Shoyu (i used tamari)

In FP blend seeds, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, kelp and Nama Shoyu. Transfer to bowl and add:

1 pickle chopped (Bubbies pickle)
1 Tsp. Ume Plum vinegar (i used apple cider vinegar)
1 Tsp. Herbamare seasoning (didn't have)
3 Tbs. Bubbies pickle juice
1 Tbs. fresh Dill Weed (chopped)
1/4 Cup Onion (chopped)
1/4 Cup chopped Celery
1/8 Cup Parsley (chopped)

~*~

i had a much needed d-day on what would have been day 6 and dehydrated herb pizza crusts, Raw Food Real World's soft corn tortillas, ani phyo's black sesame sunflower seed bread, nori snacks, and potato chips.

on what would have been day 7 i made ani phyo's sun burgers and catsup with the sesame sunflower bread. bad move. my system was not ready for the onslaught of nuts and flax, and after eating half of the sun burger, my body naturally did a "flush". though terribly gross and painful at the time, i felt much better after, and learned some very valuable lessons: take it slow, and don't overdue it with the nuts!

don't think we'll be making this one again. 

since i felt well enough to enjoy some dessert later (yippee!) we made gena's amazing banana soft serve with almond butter and heathy's chocolate sauce from her Just Desserts ebook. (yes, there were nuts, but just a little! =) if you haven't tried this "ice cream" yet, you must! all that is needed are frozen bananas and a food processor.

~*~

happy birthday to me! 

today is my 29th birthday. it was an awesome day! the weather was chilly, but super sunny with snow all over the ground, giving my backyard the feel of a ski resort. sun poured in through our windows as we enjoyed a citrusy-mexican meal, reminding us of summer. the best of both seasons in one day! oh yes, and john did all the dishes! =)

Raw Tacos

serves 4-6

(adapted from Joz's Fajita's)

2 portobello mushrooms or 6 button mushrooms, sliced

1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced
handful chopped cilantro

1/4 C. tamari*

1/4 C. olive oil*

1 Tbsp chili powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

in a large bowl, mix all ingredients. you can allow the vegetables to marinate all day, or place in dehydrator at 115°F for a few hours. serve when veggies look "cooked".

*in my opinion it's best to start with about 2 tablespoons each of tamari and olive oil. mix well to coat all veggies, then add more if needed.

we made our taco's in Raw Food Real World's Soft Corn Tortillas, then topped with Nacho Cheeze (Carmella's adaptation of Kristen Suzanne's Cheesy Nacho Sauce) and Holy Guacamole!, my adaptation of Carmella's Guacamole Supreme . so fulfilling and flavorful, and one of our favorite raw meals thus far!

Carmella's Guacamole Supreme

2 ripe avocados
1⁄2 cup diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion, rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1⁄4 tsp. cayenne (or mince in fresh, hot chilies with seeds removed)
1⁄2 tsp. celtic salt
mash all ingredients in a bowl with fork or potato masher, folding in the tomato last.

kelli's notes:
i use 1/4 tsp. onion powder in place of the green onion and just a pinch of cayenne.

Carmella's Nacho Cheeze

Adapted from Kristen Suzanne's Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce

1 1/4 cup cashews, soaked
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup water
1 medium carrot
2 garlic cloves
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne (use less if you prefer it not too spicy)
2 tsp taco seasoning

Blend all ingredients in high speed blender until smooth.

kelli's notes: 

this cheeze sauce is AMAZING!!! i had to halve the ingredients to fit them in my magic bullet, as the recipe yields plenty of sauce!

Sweet Lime Cilantro Dressing

(makes about 1/3 cup)

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp agave
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 C. cilantro
1 garlic clove
pinch cayenne
pinch salt
pinch cumin

blend all ingredients until smooth.

~*~

that's all for now! enjoy your weekend, and have a lovely valentine's day, mi amours! 

xoxo