Pizza with Pazazz!

The more I eat "raw", the more I crave raw living foods - I'm finding I really do not miss some of my former favorites, like pizza. Here's one reason why:

Now does that not look like the "real thing"? That's because it IS the REAL THING! Real food, that is.


With a side of quacamole and some fruit with lime juice squeezed over it and sprinkled with a bit of chili powder, this was a dinner that satisfied in every way. High in flavor, texture, color...

a joy to savor!..

to the last bite!

And so easy!

I used a 4" Portobello mushroom cap, snapping off the stem and using a spoon to scrape out the dark gills. Then a little squeeze of lemon juice on the prepared underside, and spread some nut butter right over that. I had raw tahini on hand, so that's what I used. Then a few thin slices of ripe tomato, sprinkled with chopped onion, and diced marinated Portobello mushroom "steaks" I also had in the fridge. A few fresh basil leaves, tightly rolled length-wise then sliced thinly for a chiffonade, and finally a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

Hallellujah, pizza is back on the menu!

The Secret of the Young Coconut

"Once upon a time, there was a young Thai coconut...."

There are some very SECRET methods to getting from the box, above....

and the heart of the matter. The coconut heart, that is. At our last Raw Potluck, Lilly volunteered to show us one of those secret methods. It involved a very ancient Asian cleaver (at least 10 years old, at LEAST...), a grip that only WE were taught, and then the biggest secret of all...

HERE IT IS: The hand-behind-the-back. SHHHHHHHHH. It's a secret, remember. I'm only sharing with YOU because I KNOW you won't tell. ANYONE. Right?
And now, we come to the meat of the matter. First you pour the coconut water...
into a pitcher. Then get a nice rounded spoon, and start sliding it under the soft meat, between the meat and the hard inner shell. It will come out pretty easily.

Then. THEN. If you've had your coconut refrigerated, you get to sip the most refreshing, icy cold nectar, and indulge in nibbles of creamy, slightly chewy, moist COCONUT!

Thank you, Lilly!! (She also brought three cases of Young Thai coconuts to share, at only $2.50 each. A real deal!)

And don't tell a SOUL where you learned the Secret of the Young Thai Coconut...

Strawberry Macaroons!!

Browsing the web for raw recipes can get to be overwhelming - there is so much info out there now, and a plethora of recipes and concepts of raw. But there a few sites I can count on.

One is Raw-mazing, with Susan Powers. Her concepts are sane, her recipes delicious - ranging from simple to elegant - and I always come away from her site feeling good! What more could a raw foodie ask?

I choose her CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY MACAROONS to share at our last Raw Potluck. They were a definate hit, not a crumb left. Easy to make, too!


STRAWBERRY MACAROONS

Dice: fresh strawberries to measure 1 c. - set aside.

Mix in bowl: 1 c. almond flour/meal
1/4 c. raw maple syrup
1/4 c. agave
1/4 c. coconut butter, softened
pinch sea salt
2 c. dried unsweetened coconut, fine shred

Stir in berries. Shape cookies with teaspoon onto fine mesh screen. Dehydrate at 140 degrees 30 minutes then at 116 degrees for 3 - 5 hours. I like chewy macaroons, so I just did about 3 hours. They firm up as they cool, too, so take that into account. While warm from drying, dip in chocolate. Place on waxed paper on try, chill until chocolate sets. Serve on platter sprinkled with more shredded coconut, keeps chocolate from sticking.

CHOCOLATE DIP

Whisk together: 1/2 c. raw cacao powder (or carob, or mixture of both; carob tames the
intense cacao)
1/2 c. agave
1/4 c. cacao butter, melted

Make the chocolate just before ready to dip cookies - if it is made ahead, it can stiffen. Warm gently, or add a bit more agave. (Do NOT add water, it sets up chocolate.)

This recipe made two platters the size as seen in the photo. I left some undipped for those who don't care for chocolate. Philistines.

These are worthy of any fancy dinner or afternoon ladies tea!

Easy meals = raw success

One thing I've learned, is that if I have a number of prepared options in the fridge, I can not only have quick, satisfying meals, I am less likely to grab a food item that later I may wish I hadn't.

So I try to keep a couple of nut/seed pate' choices made up, always have greens such as romaine and lettuces washed and tucked in with damp paper towels in baggies, cut up colorful sweet red and yellow peppers, some cucumbers and small zuchinni in the veg crisper, sprouts either in the fridge or at some growing stage on the window sill, at least one salad such as a cabbage/carrot slaw made up, maybe a few special treats such as marinated mushrooms or walnut taco "meat" available, and handy grab-'n-go fruits such as bananas and apples in the fruit basket on the counter.

Along with Green Smoothies, I think one of my fav meals are the quick wraps I can make with whatever is available in the fridge. One big romaine leaf filled with some pate' and veggies can make a scrumptious, long lasting lunch. Including some healthy fats from the nuts and avocados (love those little 3" babies; they are ideal, with no left-overs to turn dark!) insures that this meal will be satisfying for many hours. The key is "small or moderate" amounts of the fats. Even good fats can cause problems if over-eaten. Another time the wrap might only be a light layer of sunflower seed pate', piled with sliced, diced and shredded veggies!

Another thing I find keeps me eager to continue on my raw journey, is making sure I have a colorful, garnished, nicely-presented meal, on a fun plate. The artist in my soul rejoices in the vibrant veggie world and in the opportunity to be creative. My plate becomes my palatte!

Just as important as having nourishing raw living foods on hand, is that I keep my mind focused. Not so much on the food, but on my health. If I am eating in such a way that my body is satisfied, taking in optimum nutrition so that I'm not overeating, my health is visibly affected.

So here's to HEALTHY eating. Achieving that goal with RAW and LIVING food is the bonus!

Raw Potluck II

We were graced with another sunset evening on the bay for the April Raw-some Potluck held at Art Space in Bay City, Oregon. 27 folks were delighted to walk through the door and add their dish to the beautiful serving table.

Here's a recap - I have to warn you,though, that this visual feast may cause drooling...

Savory Veggie Curry and toppings, Hippocrates Raw Kraut salad, a variety of crackers/flatbreads with nut cheese spread...

tiny cups of rich Chocolate "moose" with cashew cream and berry garnish...

"I AM PERFECT Pecan Pie"...

Spring onion sunflower seed cheese stuffed Mushroom Caps Carnival...

Jicama Mash (with avocados and garlic - wipe that drool off your chin, please)...

Colorbox Kale and Cabbage salad...

Atarashi Maki Rolls with Ume Ponzu dipping sauce...

Jicama Mango with dusted with chipotle powder...

Sassy green salad... which was next to a tingly fresh Cabbage slaw dressed with lime/honey...

Berry salad...

Winter fruit salad...

crackers and flatbreads fresh from the dehydrator, with nut schmear-kase (cheese!)...

crowd-pleasing Falafel...

and a few sides I didnt' get photos of. A feast, indeed! Everyone brought their recipe, so we could spread the wealth.

The doorprize calander from Delicious Magazine - the winner will be bringing the surprise doorprize for the next potluck!

Visiting before and after the meal is a favorite actitity. Sharing ideas, experiences, storys, resources, other connections - we're a family, for sure! Getting everyone seated for the blessing is always a challenge, too much to talk about...

But once that line starts around the table, no time is wasted in picking and choosing palate-pleasers. The intentness and smiles tell the story...

One thing I did notice...the plates people are bringing are getting larger :)

It's so encouraging to see our youngsters come with their family. And they clean their plates right up!

Good conversation is the final spice to outstanding raw dishes. Don't you wish you were there?!

We asked Linda to bring her spiralizer to show us how she had made a colorful salad for the previous potluck. A really fun demonstration, everyone who wanted to take a turn got to see first hand how the gadget worked. World Cuisine, at Amazon for less than $30! Paderna was the brand name.

The Coast Raw-view Newsletter featured the potluck. Next Raw-some Potluck: May 22.

Come on over and join the feast and fun!

Even a GUY can do it...

It's always fun to play with new toys. Linda brought her spiralizer to demonstrate at the April Raw-some Potluck.

Braden is noting the technique. C'mon, Clarence, don't let the little guy show you up!

Nothin' to it!

Even baby girls can do it! Go, Celeste, go!

The zuchinni quickly succumbed to being veggie spaghetti. But we were dubious that the chunky sweet potato would be as easy. Sliced like butter! Sweet tasty spirals, comin' right up!

"Yeah, but how does it DO it??"

Next time, there will be sauces on hand to dress up the veggie 'ghetti.

Makes nifty garnishes, too. More fun in the raw kitchen!

World Peace, one vegetable at a time

A short time ago, I fell into a stew. I stewed about why I was slowly gaining weight, after a long struggle to discard the danged baggage. I stewed about the time I was NOT getting to research and read the plethora of raw food info wafting about the ethernet. I stewed about not getting out to walk as much as I needed to (5,000 steps USED to be an average, not a dream...sigh). I stewed about the chilly soil causing my little seeds to shiver and huddle. I stewed.


Then - I found STEW. Raw stew, no less. Really truely raw and rambunctious stew, stew that brought clarity, satisfied my longings, solved problems (I think even world peace is on the list of benefits), and SAVED TIME. Now how sweet is THAT!!

Savory Veggie Stew. SVS. Closely related to the previous Curry post. In fact, the precursor to the curry. I bow to Roger Haeske (get your very own copy of his ebook at http://savorystews.rogerhaeske.com/ ) Here's a fast version:

In blender: 3-4 large plum tomatoes, quartered

1-2 stalks celery, chunked

Blend on low, tamp down as needed (use a celery stalk if you don't have a Vitamix and tamper), increasing speed just to liquify.

Blend in: 2 scallions, quartered

fresh herbs of choice, i.e. parsley, basil, dill, etc.

tiny bit of fresh ginger or hot pepper if you like some zip

dulse or kelp - you need those micro nutrients, and you'll never taste the seaweed...

* about 2 tsp. agave or honey NOTE: sweet note is KEY INGREDIENT

big handful spinach (preferably adult, has more nutrients) or other leafy green (kale, etc.)

Blend well, at lowest speed that will do the job.

Pour into favorite happy bowl. (Makes about a quart, so invite someone special to share a luscious lunch or daring dinner!)

Then stir in toppings: chopped/diced tomatoes, cucumber, zuchinni, celery, sprouts, sweet peppers, avocado, okra, apple - whatever floats your boat.

Garnish with more colorful veggies, sprinkle of purple dulse, grated carrot, whatever makes it pretty. "Pretty" is pretty important when it comes to food presentation. The stew pictured above was topped with sweet crunchy sprouts of beans and seeds, and a handful of micro greens snipped from the windowsill garden. Below - well, I almost forgot to take a picture, I was enjoying it so...

My meals seem to be mostly green smoothies or savory stews or curries. I have regained clarity of mind. I have energy to walk more. And time to do it, since this whole process takes about 5 minutes, with some practice (I chop a couple day's worth of various toppings at a time, which is a wonderful time saver and speedy meal prep). I now have a few more minutes a day to research and gather. I'm sleeping better. My energy level is high. I think my vision might be improving? That would be the carrots...

I have looser clothes, and have shooed away some adipose.

Not too bad, armed with only a blender and some lowly vegetables.

I am now going to work on world peace...