Hummus a tune, Carrot!

I love hummus!!  It is always fun to come up with variations of this simple, yummy dip/spread.  The basic ingredient is garbanzo beans, usually canned.

For this raw version, I first sprouted the garbanzos (also known as chickpeas) for 3 days, then lightly steamed them just until they were tender, quickly cooling them under cold water.

Then into the processor! Some carrots jumped in, along with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, several cloves of garlic, cumin, and seasalt - SO SIMPLE:

  Here's CARROT HUMMUS:

 Hummus is a base for a variety of add-ins, such as chopped parsley or cilantro, peppers (hot or sweet), maybe some diced pineapple...live it up!  Here I used the sweet peppers as dippers, with Plain Jane carrot hummus - it really needed no embellishing, letting that carrot flavor shine.

For lunch, I used the rest of the batch of garbanzo beans to make a bean/avocado mash-up, with garlic and cilantro - another simple but simply delish raw spread!  On grainy bread, what a treat!  Just to make it feel special beside that yummy hummus, a topping of fresh alfalfa sprouts and a tiny dab of colored pepper - a super open-face sammie!

A fresh pineapple/spinach green smoothie rounded out my patio lunch - umm umm!

The only thing as fun as growing my veggies, greens, and sprouts, is eating raw foods that make my heart sing!

Simply Raw

So often we experience that the simple things in life are the most rewarding.

 Eating "raw" is the perfect example.

OATS 'n APPLES breakfast on my sunny Arizona patio:

Soak oat groats overnight in warm water.  Stir in a chopped apple, add a tablespoon of walnuts (previously soaked overnight and dried in dehydrator - keep a big jar handy in the fridge!) - a sprinkle of cinnamon just 'cuz.

That's it.  A simple "Garden of Eatin' " breakfast:  chewy sweet oats, crisp juicy apple bites, snappy mellow walnuts...

a simple meal that will keep you going for hours.

Noodlin'...

I don't always have a specific recipe in mind when I start thinking about the next meal. Sometimes I have to noodle on it for a bit, take a look in the frig, in the pantry, run my mind over flavor combination possibilities - and SOMETHING always says, "Choose me, choose ME!"

This evening the first to raise their hands and become the WINNERS, were the cherry tomatoes in the basket on the counter and the last zuchinni in the frig. Plus a surprise ingredient from the pantry...

So here's how the collaboration went: First the zuch went through the spiralizer (LOVE that gadget!). Into a broad "soup bowl" with some chopped scallions. They felt like a swim, so a quick marinade was poured on top for them to swish around .

Marinade: shake in small lidded container 1 T. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), 1/2 T. agave, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp. tamari, minced garlic.

Let the gang swim for a bit, maybe 20 minutes or so.  The noodles soften a bit, sorta 'al dente.

Then the 'maters were halved and placed around the pile of noodles.  A quarter of a cucumber was screaming, "I'm going to waste, USE me!".  So I did.  Another layer around the edges.  Starting to see a sort of mandala salad pattern forming...

Oh - those speckles?  NOT pepper - the garlic added enough zip.  Those mauvey-purpley specks are DULSE!  Soooo good sprinkled on all things veg!  And sooooo good for us!

Now the real fun begins!  Every bite becomes an artistic arrangement on the fork...

That pool of marinade in the bottom of the bowl is pure yummy goodness.  When the last noodle was slurped, the last cuc crunched - I tilted the bowl and drank the marinade!  I know, uncouth.  But who's watching!

"HEY!  WE are watching...CLOSELY!"

OK, so I had some friends over over dinner. Make that under for dinner.  Cutest bird placmats, from IKEA! 

The point of all this ~ don't wait for company to prettify your meal!  YOU are important!  Take the few extra moments to garnish, play and ENJOY! 

You'll have better digestion.

Zuchinni Pasta with Basil Shrimp

I'm sure I've mentioned, I endeavor to eat "mostly raw, most of the time". Which gives me leeway from time to time to include some of the sea bounty so available here on the coast. Like succulent sweet fresh shrimp meat.   

With fresh basil from my indoor potted garden ('cuz it isn't warm enough for my babies to make it outdoors yet - silly weather...) and my handy spiralizer, this dish comes together quickly with a zing!

 Ingredients:
one smallish zuchinni - about 7"
one tomato, about 3" diameter
1/2 lemon (smallish, not large)
1 garlic clove (large as you like)
4-5 fresh basil leaves
1/2 c. fresh shrimp meat (not the prawns)

Procedure:
Peel zuchinni.  Cut off ends, then spiralize for "noodles", or cut into thin strips with a veggie peeler. Put "noodles" into wide bowl.

Use the core and end off spiralizer (or about 2" of the zuchinni before making "noodles") plus some of "noodles" - enough to make about 1/3 c. total, and put into blender.
Add tomato, cut into quarters; peeled coarsely chopped garlic; juice from 1/2 smallish lemon; 2-3 basil leaves (keep 2 for garnish) and blitz until smooth.
Taste sauce - I added about 1/16 tsp. stevia to cut the heat from the garlic and acid tang of tomato and lemon.  This is strictly to YOUR taste, adjust as you want!  It's got zing, doesn't need salt.

Proclaiming "yummers!", pour sauce over noodles.  Top with rinsed shrimp, and  basil chiffonade from remaining leaves.  Let set for 5-10 minutes at room temp, to marry the flavors.

While this isn't a bright red tomato-y sauce, it carries the flavors well.  If you want a "creamier" type of sauce, add 1/4 soaked cashews to the blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients, whiz smooth.

To make chiffonade:  Roll several leaves into "cigar" shape.  Thinly slice across with sharp knife.  Use the thin shreds as a garnish, or add to sauces, etc.

Supreme a Grapefruit!

Once I saw how easy it was to supreme a grapefruit, I've never looked back! It works on oranges of all types, lemons and limes, too! A really useful kitchen skill, minimum work, easy technique. Here is how it goes...

Using a SHARP knife, cut both ends off the grapefruit, make sure to get to the "meat". Then holding it sort of on edge, start at the top and cut down around to the bottom. This takes a tiny bit of practice, but isn't difficult.
Continue on around...

...until you have a nekkid grapefruit! If there is still the white rind left on in a few places, it's ok but you can go back and slice that off. Sharp knives are a MUST in the kitchen!!

Pro chefs then slice each segment out, and it's not hard - just loses some of the nice juice. So I separate each segment one at a time, and peel the membrane off - it is pretty easy.

Takes a little longer to peel the membrane than to slice, but the end result is the same...a lovely sparkling bowl of delicious refreshing grapefruit!

Protein Boost

Greens have a surprising amount of available protein - in the form of amino acids, which are protein building blocks. There are times when I want a protein boost and turn to a quality supplement, such as hemp. Sometimes I just use hemp seeds, sprinkled on soup or salads. Since I have a green smoothie daily, hemp powder is usually my go-to for that extra protein.

I really like Manitoba Harvest hemp powders. The processing is done without heat, preserving all the nutrients of powerhouse hemp. Texture is a tiny bit grainy but not really noticable in amidst the greens and fruits.

I order the hemp seeds and powder directly from the source in Canada, although I have found a few "local" (over 50 miles away) healthfood stores or herb stores that do carry Manitoba Harvest products. The small shipping cost more than offsets the price of gas, which is another reason to mail-order!

Explore several types of hemp products (seeds, oil, powders) at http://manitobaharvest.com/. They have really good sales and promotions from time to time. A quality company, great service!

Green Cleaning - with a hint of Yellow

"Green" is all the rage now. Building green, driving green, etc.

I like to EAT green! I use a lot of fresh lemon juice, so there are those nice yellow rinds left over. One can eat only so much grated lemon zest.

Here's the perfect "GREEN" solution: clean the garbage disposal using the lemon rinds!
I cut up the rinds into 1-2" pieces, keep them in a little bowl on the sink. A couple times a day, several go down "George the Gobbler" to keep his gullet clean and smelling like - well, lemons!

Cleaning Green was never so easy. Or so Yellow.