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Archive for the ‘lunch’ Category

Summer Pizza and Pesto!

August 24th, 2011

I love the bounty of summertime and basil is one of the tops for me. First of all, I think it is such a beautiful plant. The green of the leaves, the delicious aroma and the possibilities in the kitchen that are endless. It is part of the mint family nd in Greek, basil means “King”. It is high in Vitamin A, beta-carotene, magnesium and potassium. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is used for skin ailments as well as cold, headache, reducing fever and digestive aid. Medicinally, not only the leaves but the seed and oil of the plant are used for treating various ailments.

Basil is fairly easy to grow especially in the garden. It will also do well as a potted plant. Since it likes humidity and lots of sunshine, it is easier to grow in the summer than indoors in the colder months but it can be done and is quite worth the efffort. If you pinch back the plant, it will bush out a bit creating more and longer growth. Use the leaves as they are picked. Keep those stems! When mincing up basil for use in sauces or making pesto, use those stems.

Oooooo, speaking of pesto, what a treat it is to have in the summer! It is so fresh and makes you feel incredibly alive. I swear I get a jolt of energy when I eat the stuff. It is so easy to make and I recommend making a lot, I mean a hge batch so you can store the goodness away for the middle of winter as well.

Pesto!

2 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium sized cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well blended.

Now, the great thing about making pesto is it lends itself to a lot of variation. Instead of pine nuts, you can use walnuts or a comination of the two. I like to use a bit less oil while making the pesto when I am going to be storing it. To do this, make the pesto minus a little oil. Fill an ice cube tray wwith eh pesto. Then, here is the little trick, top the pesto cubes with a little more oil. That helps seal in the color and it will brown less. Once the cubes are frozen, pop them out and store in the freezer in a container until you are ready to use it. The otehr reason I like to use less oil is so I have more flexibility withe the cubes. In winter, it is lovely to pull out a pesto cube, add some coconut milk and serve over veggies.

Let’s not rush things though. After all, it is still summer and we have plenty of sunny basil picking days ahead of us. Pesto is a great way to dress up a plate of veggies or add some fresh basil to your homemade salad dressing. A perfect appetizer or main meal for two is summer pizza. Using your favorite raw bread or cracker recipe, make one large or a couple smaller rounds and dehydrate. My new favorite is a cheezy cracker recipe. It is made with cashew and sunflower seeds as the base. Added in are tomatoes and red pepper. It is the loveliest orange color and really tastes like cheezy crackers. It compliments the color of the pesto superbly. Top your pizza with pesto and fresh sliced tomatoes. Rigth now there are a lot of great Heirloom tomatoes available in your garden or at local farmers markets and stands. The pizza takes only five minutes to make if you have preparred pizza flats stored away and is filling, full flavored and a divine treat!

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Ready, set, go!

January 12th, 2011

What am I going to eat? Do you ever say this? I feel like I say this a lot unless…..

I plan a day to make lots of goodies. We are quite a mixed bunch in this house. My husband eats whatever I make at home and thoroughly enjoys the variety and surprise of what might adorn the table. My 10 year old has unique tastes that always surprise me and I can never seem to know if he will love it or hate it. he loves spicy and things that frankly, are notso pleasing to me such as sardines! My six year old is in the pickier phase of food choices and says, "I don’t like it" before even trying it. He loves mashed potatoes and noodles with marinara sauce and don’t mess with changin’ it up! On the flip side, same said six year old loves raw mediterranean dolmas, kale salad, kale chips with lots of nutritional yeast on them and salad. Go figure! Then there is me. I have horrible self control when I bring junk food in the house or sweets. So, I have a plan!!

I have days of mass food prep for raw foods so when I feel not much like making raw foods for me and still cook for the family, I don’t have to. Here is what I do. Figure out what I am in the mood for and peruse my recipes and cupboards. Next, I lay out all those recipes and start the process. I start soaking anything that needs it and look over what order I need to make things in. If anything is for the dehydrator, I make sure I have enough going in that will fill it. Moore bang for your buck doing it this way. This is all done in the afternoon or early evening.

Fast forward to the next day. Everything is soaked and the recipes are out and I am in the kitchen ready to rumble. The recipes I am making today are Mediterranean dolmas out of Ani Phio’s book that are just fantastic. I make them all at once calling in Gatlin, the six year old to do the rolling. When I first started making these, he didn’t like them. After the I don’t know how many times later, and having participated in making them several times, he started to try them again and now loves them. Having them all rolled, I keep them in the fridge and it is quick to grab one for a snack, send with hubby to work or pack up and bring for us for lunch.

Next in the line up is the classic Cashew Mayo. Everyone in the house loves this dip and it is quick, easy and filling to serve for lunch with cut up veggies, smear on a romaine leaf topped with tomato and any other toppings around like shredded carrot, eggplant bacon or some seaweed. It is a perfect appetizer for hungry bellies while dinner cooks or a good pack and go when heading out for a playdate.

One of my favorites and more on the heartier side are some burgers. The base is walnuts and they have a little spice from a jalapeno thrown in. These will go in the dehydrator and then can be a substantial lunch or accompany an evening meal. The kids aren’t fans but Dan and I are.

A new recipe to me are rosemary flax crackers from a recipe put out by Carmella at the Sunny Raw Kitchen. Those will help to fill the dehydrator trays and be the crunchy item on the menu for the week. I may get ambitious and make some Walnut Hemp crackers but time will determine that.

Rounding it all out are Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I got the recipe from Renegade Health but am going to make some changes and switch out the peanut butter for almond butter. The whole family loves these! They stay in the freezer and are perfect when we have a hankerin’ for chocolate.

So, there you have it. Lots of choices for me this week that are nice and varried and qwill keep me smiling!

So, go soak your nuts!!

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Sweet Rainbow Kale Salad

January 10th, 2011

MMmmmmm Mmmmmmm! I just can’t get enough of the stuff!!

I do love kale and have one recipe in particular that is my favorite kale salad recipe ever. This recipe is a well known one to any friends or family I know. I passed the recipe on to all that asked and I know they have said it is asked for in their families and circles of friends as well.

Hold on though, wait a minute, can it be true? Oh, sweet Rainbow Kale it is!! I have a new favorite that I just can’t get enough of. The first time I made it, I measured everything and was very pleased with the salad. Next time around I didn’t even need to measure because it is such a simple and quick salad to throw together. That is a high scorer in my book as well!

The recipe comes out of The 30 Minute Vegan cookbookby Mark Reinfeld and Jenifer Murray. Hats off to them both on a great book. It is true to it’s name and if a recipe requires more time for things like soaking ahead of time, it is clearly marked. It is not a raw book, but a lot of the recipes are live food recipes and marked right at the top as such. Also, in the variations sections directly under some of the recipes is a way to make the recipe a raw version. I love this!!

Rainbow Kale Salad
serves 4

6 cups lightly packed kale, stems removed
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow pepper
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

Dressing
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp pure maple syrup (not raw)
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne

cut or tear the kale into bite sized pieces.
mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Pour dressing over the salad and massage with your hands into the salad making sure it is evenly distributed.
Serve immediately or chill 10 minutes before serving.

One thing I love about this recipe is simply the name. Especially for a healthy way to approaching food preparation and getting kids involved. We are trying to accomplish a rainbow. So, you can really play with your food and ingredients here and substitute all sorts of rainbow colors in this salad.

I will be honest and the salad never gets the chill time in this house. It goes into the big bowl to serve and gobbled up soon afterward. If any is leftover, it will last a day or two in the fridge.

This is a lip smackin’ sweet and light kale salad that is easy to make even at the last minute and adds beautiful color to your day. Enjoy!

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Fall Harvest Squash Rice

September 28th, 2010

Happy Autumn everyone!!
I love this time of year for so many reasons. I love the crisp fall air and the surprise flashback to summer warm days. The leaves change their colors to magnificent reds, yellows, oranges and even purples. Even though I grew up in New England and have seen many fall seasons, the changes that come with fall never cease to amaze me.

Apples, pumpkins and winter squash, oh my!! The food, oh the food of fall is not to be underestimated. The bounty that comes with this season is so different than summer and yet just as abundant!

My boys and I went to a dear friends house last night to celebrate the arrival of fall. Cornhusk dolls were part of the festivities and they were so much fun to make. A friends daughter came over to sit by me and helped teach me how to put angel wings on my doll and then she made a crown for my doll. So sweet!! Her doll still came out way better than mine, of course.

After the crafts and outside celebrations, we all went inside to share a meal together. I brought one of favorite recipes that really celebrates the fall harvest from Ani Phyo’s Ani’s Raw Food Kithcen recipe book. She titles it Walnut Cranberry Squash “Rice”. It is really yummy, but I was blown away by how well received this dish was by everyone including some who have dabbled in raw foods before and some like the “bat fairie” from My Everyday Magic that are a little more wary of raw foods. A couple people made sure I knew, several times, they want the recipe, like pronto! So, here’s to you!!!

Fall Harvest Squash Rice

1 small butternut squash, about 1 lb peeled, seeded and cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 small yellow onion
1 TBS cumin seeds
1TBS corriander powder
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts, crushed
2 tsp salt

Put small batches of cubed butternut squash in a food processor and process into small pieces
Put procesed squash in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients
mix well
will keep in fridge for a couple days

Seriously, this recipe is so easy to make. I didn’t have cumin seeds on hand, so I just used poedered cumin. I also add a bit more cilantro as I just love it! This is definately a recipe to double! Also, it is the type of recipe that is very forgiving with measurements and lends well to adding in your own personal touch. Keep this one for your next harvest party or to liven up your Thanksgiving table. Enjoy!!

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Power Slaw

June 13th, 2010

Wow! I am so impressed with the salad I am going to share with you today. It is called Wakame Hemp Power Slaw and it is a knockout! I am still on my kick of using my recipe books at home. I like to call my raw books recipe books because well, they aren’t really “cook”books. I have also changed my lingo in conversation to making or preparing food rather than cooking it since I am not applying heat to the dishes. Anyway, back to the point. This salad blew me away and is another new favorite. I am so grateful to Ani Phyo and her book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen for all the new salads I have been exploring through her book. They are so varied and different than your typical salad so now I have almost enough salads in my repertoire for every mood I am in!

Wakame Hemp Power Slaw was so easy to prepare and will last 3-4 days in the fridge. Mine didn’t last but two. Proud to say, my hubby even took some to work the next day he liked it so much. I also brought some to share with Sioux to get her review. So, my kids didn’t like it so much but I think they would after a few exposures. I read the other day it can take 15 exposures to a new food before taking to it. So, one down, 14 to go because mamma will be making this one again with all it’s flavor and creamy goodness.

I think we have all heard of the wonderful benefits of kale but what about wakame? Sea veggies are powerhouses. Wakame is high in calcium, protein and chlorophyll. Sea vegetables add essential nutrients and minerals to our diets. They are very versatile and are great in salads and soups. Nori is a common seaweed used as the wrapper for sushi. Dulse is a great salt substitute as is kelp granules. Here is a yummy to add more of these treasures from the sea into your diet.

Wakame Hemp Power Slaw

slaw:

1/2 head kale, ribs removed and torn into bite sized pieces
1/4 head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 scallions (I used chives from the garden)
1/2 c dry wakame
1/2 c hemp seeds

power dressing

3/4 c brazil nuts (I was out so I used some almonds and cashews)
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS grated ginger (I didn’t measure and just threw about a 1 inch hunk in)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 c hemp oil (I used olive oil but hemp or flax would be delish!)
juice of 1 lime, about 2 TBS
1/4 c water

For slaw, tear kale into bite sized pieces and put in a bowl with the thinly sliced cabbage, scallions or chives and wakame.
To make the dressing, use food processor to process nuts, garlic, ginger and salt. Add remaining dressing ingredients and process until smooth. I just put it all in the Vitamix and whizzed it up until smooth.
Pour or scoop dressing into bowl with slaw and toss until well incorporated.
Top with hemp seeds

The slaw does have very interesting flavors. The lime and ginger in the dressing combined with the creaminess hold up very well to all the flavors of the kale cabbage and wakame. This salad doesn’t need to stand off to be labeled a side dish but is a perfect meal type salad and can hold it’s own in the spotlight. Enjoy!

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Pretty In Purple

June 6th, 2010

I love to get new raw books from the library! For a change, I decided to start making more recipes out of the many raw books on my own shelf. What a novel idea, eh? So, it was time to go grocery shopping again and I went to the shelf and picked Ani Phyo as my author of choice this time around. I bookmarked several recipes I want to make and am concentrating aon a couple a week.

I am always leery of kale salad recipes because I LOVE the one that I currently make and have tried many others and none have held up to the one tried and true recipe that makes everyone in my house go goo goo for kale and may I add, is the most passed on recipe I have. In her book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen is one titled Cabbage Kale Slaw In Simple Greek Dressing. It is so simple and I really dig this way to use kale!

Pretty In Purple Salad

1/2 head kale, any type, destemmed (I used curly)
1/4 head red cabbage (Iused 1/2 a head)

simple Greek dressing

2 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp thyme

Thinly slice the kale and cabbage and place in a mixing bowl. Place the dressing ingredients in the bowl and toss well. Eat right away or set aside to marinate and soften.

I had also added a couple cloves of garlic to the dressing. I put the dressing ingredients in the Vitamix to blend and then poured it on the slaw and massaged it to aid in softening the veggies since the dinner bell was going to ring soon.

Fantastic and pretty! Just right and perfect for lunch the next day. I even sent some into to work with my hubby and he ate it all up, yum!

The dressing recipe is like an extra special bonus. It is so good and really tastes like Greek dressing. It calls out for further experimenting to make a big Greek salad with greens, olives, grape tomatoes and dare I say a raw feta to crumble on top!

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Soup, It’s What’s For Lunch

June 5th, 2010

I really love Gatlin’s interpretation of my lunch today. He called it a plate of sunshine. I made River and Gatlin veggie soup (cooked) and myself another one of Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen recipes called Tomato Basil Bisque. I had actually made the soup the evening before and was having the leftovers.

Raw foods are interesting in that as time goes by, the flavors of dishes change and meld together. I have had some dishes that I didn’t care for after making them but a day or even two later they are smashing. The same seems to hold true for Ani’s Bisque. I liked it better day two. The kids didn’t really care for it day one but Gatlin said, “Not bad” this next day at lunch. Neither of them still ate a bowl.

Instead, Gatlin devoured my rays of sunshine! I sliced red pepper and stuffed it with a simple homemade guacomole. He loves these as do I. River is my simple kind of man. He likes just straight up red pepper and lots of it. He does like guacomole but not tampering with his red pepper.

Tomato Basil Bisque

bisque base

3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 c. olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
2 c. water

bisque toppings

1 tomato, diced
1 c. basil chiffonade

blend bisque base ingredients until smooth
pour into four bowls and top with tomatoes and basil

Did your eyes pop when you read 1 1/2 c. oil? Mine did, but I followed the recipe. Whoooo, too much oil. I would at least half the oil next time. It had mellowed by the next day but still way too heavy for me. I also didn’t have another tomato to dice for the top so I made and ate only the base. It would be really good with the basil and diced tomatoes on top but would lend itself well to other toppings as well.

A new cut: chiffonade, for those that are unfamiliar, is a way of cutting the basil. It will create long, thin strips. I like to take a few basil leaves and lay them on top of one another. Roll them up together and then cut thinly from the short end to the longer end. This looks decorative as all the strips will be of equal width. Basil is a tender herb so cutting it chiffonade also helps not to bruise the basil.

Enjoy!

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Lunches On The Go

May 21st, 2010

In an effort to eat healthier and save money, my husband has tarted taking his lunch to work with him. Some days we just do soup. I have been buying the Dr. McDougall’s which comes in a paper box. It is my top choice at the moment because it is a BPA free container! They also have many gluten and dairy free soup choices which is important to me.

Most days, I try to send a homemade lunch. I need it to be filling and something he can eat on the run. I am always on the hunt for good to go containers for this reason. Right now we use our tiffins. I am fairly pleased with these. It has 3 sections to fill. The top section has it’s own lid so I can put soup in it or another liquidy option and it will not leak. The bottom two do not have their own lid but use the bottom of the section above it. The bottom section has long clips to hold the whole contraption together. They are bit cumbersome when opened but this is a minor setback.

Todays tiffin included cookies made with leftover almond pulp, flax meal, dates, cinnamon and other yummy stuff that were then dehydrated. I put those in the bottom part. In the middle went some cheezy almonds. On top I put mesclun topped with fantastic fajita marinated veggies with a little extra dressing. Of course he takes a big stainless steel thermos of water as well that he can refill during the day.

The goal for me is to pack in the nutrition and to fill him up. I like to pack things like todays cookis and almonds that give him some power packed nutrition and are filling.

Happy travels!