rumbly in my tumbly

my belly was not happy that we skipped breakfast this morning, or that i chose to watch cooking shows while the baby i sit napped. thoughts of fresh onion and green pepper bread, ranch kale chips and nut tuna waiting at home had it even more grumbly. heading to my house, i may or may not have surpassed some speed limits - but for good reason of course - this meal is phenomenonal!

recipe sources

carmella's ranch kale chips from delightfully raw
ocean's nut tuna from the raw freedom community forum
lisa's onion bread from raw on $10 a day (or less!) with sliced green pepper added

i can't believe it's nut tuna!

this brilliant mock tuna salad recipe is so darn tasty, you won't believe it's nut tuna!=)

Oh My this is a Tuna!
posted by Ocean on the Raw Freedom Community Forum

1 Cup raw 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 T nama shoyu

In food processor 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 (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp Herbamare seasoning
3 T Bubbies pickle juice
1 T fresh dill weed (chopped)
1/4 Cup onion (chopped)
1/4 Cup chopped celery
1/8 Cup parsley (chopped)

Stir by hand until mixed. 

kelli's notes: 

serve on raw bread, collard/chard/romaine wraps, or a bed of mixed greens. (pictured above on lisa's onion bread with alfalfa sprouts.)

for soaking, leave the walnuts and sunflower seeds in a bowl of water anywhere from 4 to 12 hours (usually i soak mine before bed, drain them in the morning, then place them in the fridge until i'm ready.) 

nama shoyu is raw, unpasteurized soy sauce. i've been using bragg's liquid aminos instead as the two are similar. you could also use soy sauce or just salt, to taste. any vinegar or pickle of choice would do, but to keep it raw and most nutritious i use bubbies' delicious pickles and raw apple cider vinegar. omitted were ingredients i didn't have: herbamare seasoning, dill and parsley.

kelp flakes/granules can be found in most health food stores or asian markets. kelp and other sea vegetables are naturally high in potassium iodide, which i mentioned previously, benefit thyroid health. daniel vitalis has made an excellent video on how to make kelp pills to help protect the thyroid gland against potential radiation exposure: A Simple, Inexpensive At-Home Radiation Remedy.

so, some of you may be thinking, 'why go through all the trouble; why not just eat canned tuna'?

first, studies have shown that canned/packaged tuna contains high amounts of mercury that exceed the levels deemed to be safe for human consumption. mercury is harmful to the nervous system, especially in babies and children. (according to wikipedia, "In March 2004 the United States FDA issued guidelines recommending that pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children limit their intake of tuna and other predatory fish.")

fish is recommended in the human diet for it's high amount of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. one cup of walnuts contains a whopping 18 grams of protein and is a very rich source of omega-3's. in the above nut tuna recipe, no mayonnaise is needed, which makes it much lower in saturated fats and free of empty calories.

in my opinion walnuts are a healthier, more compassionate choice for tuna salad. commercial tuna netting is reeking havoc on marine life. fishing for food with a pole and line to feed your family is one thing - huge ships capturing and killing all kinds of marine life in nets the size of small cities is another.

as my brother says about nut tuna, "it tastes just like tuna, without the fishiness!" my mother is in love with it and can't stop raving; the kids i sit thought it was real tuna, but anti-all-tuna john still refuses to try it. he has no idea what he's missing... oh well, more for me!=)

food fight rematch, seedlings, and a biggie bio

above is a yummy meal i made after finding daiya's dairy-free "cheese style shreds" at my local whole foods in marlton, nj. the pizza shell is an ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla, topped with mozzarella style shreds, diced tomato, basil, garlic, olive oil, and hemp seeds. the salad is topped with avocado, mushrooms, and my sweet lime cilantro dressing.

 *

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.

*

the mozzarella style shreds made a delicious pizza, much like a dairy cheese pizza (melty and stretchy), but was it able to stand up to my raw pizza in a food fight?

no way! the cooked pizza on the right may look better, but in the taste department, raw pizza wins again.=)

*

the recipe below produces a "cheese" just as good as any dairy or fake dairy cheese, in my opinion. when warmed in the dehydrator a few hours, it tastes even better.

Quick and Easy Cashew Cheezy

2/3 C. raw cashews, soaked
1/4 C. water
1-2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

process all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.

*

though i prefer homemade raw cheeze, daiya mozzarella style shreds are tasty and convenient. in my opinion, the taste is more like melted american cheese than mozzarella, but it's still a nice flavor. any way you slice it, daiya shreds make a healthier cooked pizza alternative to take-out!

 image from daiyafoods.com

the site states that daiya is free of soy, artificial ingredients, preservatives, hormones and antibiotics, cholesterol, and trans fats. the shreds are also said to be an excellent source of a naturally occurring vegan vitamin B-12 as well as an excellent source of B vitamins in general. herbies gotta love that!

***

in the mood for a tuna sammie today, i decided to try happy herbivore's fat-free vegan tuna to find out for myself which is tastier - raw or cooked mock tunas.

the fat-free vegan tuna was super simple to make and absolutely delightful! i couldn't stop shoveling it into my mouth while prepping our "tuna melts" for the toaster oven.

daiya's cheddar style shreds are really yummy, and taste very similar to cheddar cheese, but did they make the sandwich better than raw oh my this is a tuna! on a collard wrap?

not at all! though it was really good, it didn't taste much like tuna. i'm going to call it creamy chickpea salad, and stick to oh my this is a tuna! when the cravings strike.=)

***

out in the garden my seedlings are starting to take off. look how cute they are!=)

arugula

 kale

(i've got some sprouts under fencing to keep the birds and squirrels away.)

tango leaf lettuce

sunset lettuce

and look what i spotted growing behind one of our compost bins...

a baby from one of last year's pansies!

i guess the seeds blew over and found a nice warm place to grow. i wonder if more will come up around the yard. (and people wonder why i don't like to cut my lawn!)

what have you got growing at your place?

we've got lotsss of clover... and a cat belly that keeps growing bigger!

for those who don't know, this is our old lady-baby, mrs. bigglesworth. i realize she was never properly introduced, so here's a brief biggie bio for those interested:

biggie is estimated to be about 15 years old. she was found outside a friend's house when her adopted mommy, kelli, was a teen. rumor had it she was abandoned by the neighbors when they moved. swept up in the new austin powers movie, the neighborhood children called her mrs. bigglesworth.

kelli's 2 y/o niece alaina pronounces biggie like "piggie", and thinks "piggie's so bootiful".

kelli and her father took piggles in about 12 years ago. she remained an outside cat where she lived the good life in the suburbs of south jersey. (of course she spent nights and unpleasant weather in the house.)

in the fall of '09, a vet found that biggles was in the early stages of renal failure (kidney failure). she was prescribed a subcutaneous injection of fluids once a week, which she sometimes takes without a problem. biggles also has arthritis in her back leg. but despite her health issues, she's a playful, happy kitty.=)

mrs. biggles lived with kelli's dad up until december '09, when she went to spend her twilight years at john and kelli's kitty retirement village (aka their house=). there she is loved and pampered around the clock. 

biggles loves coconut oil and tells you she wants some by scratching at the bathroom sink. she prefers to drink her water on the second floor of the house, in a black mug, thank you. (she can be a bit prissy.=)

as you can see little ms. biggles is super cute, and her people just adore her!

 look at that lil' mouth!

***

since dessert is always the perfect ending, i leave you with a plate of averie's nut butter filled caramel bites coated in chocolate. YUM! (if you haven't already, make sure you enter averie's giveaway for a super cute custom necklace!)

 ~*~

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

animal-friendly raw-venture: part three

so how was your weekend?

yesterday felt like spring around here!  i finally cleaned up the garden and turned the compost bin. i can't believe how many wormies are living in there! it's time we start planning for next year's gardens.

but first things first.

Monday 

(continued)

as i mentioned in part two, we started dinner with a raw soup each night. carmi wasn't sure which soup from her arsenal she wanted to make this particular night, so i said, "let's create a new one!"...so we did!

 

(i did my best photoshopping the sudsies. i feel like a 3 y/o trying to work that program!)

john named it Creamy Italian Soup. it had a really smooth texture and a nice basil flavor. (gotta get that vita mix so i can make soups like this!)

~*~

to make:

1 C. packed spinach

1 3/4 C. chopped zucchini

1 C. chopped fennel

1/2 C. packed basil

3 Tbsp irish moss gel

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp miso

2 cloves garlic

1 avocado

1/4 tsp onion powder

water to taste

blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. add warm water to reach desired thinness. 

enjoy!

-add wakame or torn nori sheet pieces for a really nice flavor!

~*~

screw Papa John's Pizza...try Raw Mama's Pizza! =)

 

oh how i wish i could get pizza like this delivered to my doorstep!

don said these were the best yet (and that man's eaten a lot of raw pizza)! carmi and i created them together, so she named them Raw Mama's Pizza =). i also liked Karmelli's Pizza (carmella and kelli combined), but no one else seemed to be feeling it :p.

i created the pizza crusts a few weeks ago using carmi's Herb Pizza Crusts recipe as a guide (minus zucchini because i didn't have them, plus pumpkin seeds because i did have them, and some other tweaks i forget. next time i will not be lazy and write the recipe down!)

first we cut and marinated some veggies (red and yellow bell pepper, shroomies, spinach, fennel) in equal parts olive oil and tamari, plus some crushed garlic.

we assembled the pizza with a layer of Sunflower Garlic Spread we used earlier for the nori snacks, then tomato sauce and pesto leftover from carmi's Lasagna Magnifica. topped with veggies, and served with a side salad smothered in carmi's new Ceasar Dressing!

DELIZIOSO!

 

so this is the Chocolate Orange Cake i had been dying to make since i came across the picture below on carmi's blog a few months back.

 

isn't it a beaut?! and it tastes just as good as it looks!

 

for our cake we used a wider pan. it's much prettier in a smaller spring form pan where the layers are thicker.

(add that list to my ever-growing list of wanted kitchen gadgets!=)

Tuesday

don and carmi set out for the next step of their journey in D.C., but not without one last raw delight - Oh My This is Tuna Salad.

 

whoever created this "tuna" salad is a genius. really, it's so much like the "real" thing, but without the unpleasant fishiness of canned tuna or the slaughter of innocent sea creatures.

 

i was feeling a bit sad after we said our goodbyes, so i consoled myself with a "tuna" salad sandwich, marinated kale and a bubbie pickle.

yummy food always makes me feel better!

=)

'til next time!;)