sorry for the delay on posting this, and also for the lack of pictures.  for my last day, i ate fresh fruits and veggies and had dinner at ecopolitan with my best friend (sadly, forgetting my camera).  then pride weekend started, so things got incredibly busy with events and people despite the fact that my attitude towards pride is quite critical.

i’m not sure how best to sum up my raw experience, other than to talk about it in terms of oppositions.  right off, i’d like to say i’m really glad that i did it, despite the more difficult aspects.  i chose to do it at this time i did because the weather was warm, there was a good selection of produce, and my raw-fearing partner was out of town.  i had the benefits of working at a co-op and living across the street from a raw vegan restaurant (which was a comforting backup option).

even though i experienced cycles of hungry-full-hungry constantly, now that i’ve reintroduced cooked and more processed foods, i can say that i preferred that aspect of raw eating in a lot of ways.  i have always really loved bread, for example, and feared that i would really miss it being raw.  it is convenient, versatile, and i buy whole grain (often sprouted) bread so i haven’t felt guilty about eating it a lot.  at first not eating bread was hard, and the half-loaf i had stuck in the freezer seemed to taunt me when i went for smoothie fruits.  but then i didn’t miss it, and i didn’t feel a need to make raw bread for sandwiches; i suppose the crackers were enough.  i had a couple pieces of toasted bread this weekend, and i have to admit it was a really unsatisfying experience in the taste department, plus it left me feeling really heavy.  since having other cooked foods, i’ve felt the same heaviness, even if i stayed full longer.

however, the downside of that satisfaction-hunger cycle is having enough food around to feed the hunger.  that’s where convenience and versatility didn’t always come together.  sure, eating some carrots, bananas, or raw crackers worked, but was a little boring sometimes.  not everything that i make in the non-raw sphere is uber convenient, but it’s usually ready within a couple hours even for the more labor-intensive recipes.  however, the thought of having to wait 24 hours to complete a meal, no matter how mouth-watering, got really discouraging when i work a 40-hour week and want to spend time with friends, or even just time not in the kitchen or thinking about the kitchen.  i think about food a lot since i work with it and like to cook it at home, but while raw i felt like almost the only thing i was thinking about was what i had to do so i could eat something later in the day, or in the week.  it made me feel a little bit crazy sometimes.

having a couple of prep days for making crackers and buckwheat crispies and the like helped the rest of the week come together easier most of the time.  i’m glad i picked mostly recipes that kept well and i could eat over a couple days if i wanted, so i didn’t have to “un-cook” everyday.  at work i could order a fresh juice, and making smoothies at home was always easy as long as i had some milk or juice on hand.  that’s something i definitely plan to keep doing more often.

so what do i wish i’d done differently?  for one, i WAY over-bought nuts and seeds for the week.  most of the nut-inclusive recipes were actually the crackers and later the tart topping.  after that the bulk of the food was fresh fruits and veggies which is what i had to shop for throughout the week.  i would like to make those rosemary crackers and no-wheat thins again, and probably some delicious bakery treats, so it’s not as if they’ll go to waste, but those bags and jars are taking up an awful lot of room in my fridge!  and, well, it would have been nice not to spend all the money on them, even if it ended up costing less than i’d feared.

another thing that was hard about having time away from my partner and more time to spend with friends was that eating out wasn’t really an option, so i tried to eat a lot before going out.  i allowed myself wine throughout the week, so i’m sure i could have had more of a detox without the alcohol, but i also didn’t want to shorten my social time since i had it.  if i’d had the luxury of taking time off for myself away from other people, i think i would have been more successful making more interesting food and not drinking.  but i’m not that privileged, so i did the best i could under the circumstances.

health-wise, i found myself feeling much better overall, though i did have some trouble with wanting to sleep in the afternoons.  i don’t know if this was because i stayed up to late and had to get up early, or i wasn’t getting enough iron from the raw diet, or both, or something else entirely.  but the sleeping thing was definitely worst these past three days.  however i did seem to have a lot of mental energy before going to bed, but i’m not sure if that was anxiety over being a little bit lonely at night.  i did - and have still managed to - stay away from caffeine, which is pretty remarkable considering my love of chai and cold press.  when i could, i’d try to have some ginger for energy, which did the trick most of the time.  i never had a stomachache or indigestion, which was nice (though i don’t have chronic problems with that anyway).  i wouldn’t say i had any miracle experiences like improved vision or overnight scar-healing (that industrial oven burn on my hand will probably never go away), but this is certainly the healthiest i remember feeling.  and like i said, i definitely felt heavier (not necessarily less healthy) after eating some non-raw foods.  this experience has definitely changed the way i relate to food and i hope to maintain a weekly raw day in the future.

today i went to ecopolitan (the raw vegan restaurant) for a smoothie and a sprouted hummus platter.  after a night of dancing in an incredibly hot and crowded lesbian bar until 130am and having a few beers (oy), i craved something that wasn’t the tempeh scramble i made myself for breakfast (though the weird new tempeh i bought was probably a big part of that).  i slept a lot, but i’m starting to feel better after eating this.  i hope this week i’ll get my energy back up and start making some photo-worthy food again!  thanks to everyone who’s been following along and commenting during the past week (and previous to that, of course).

fresh fruit tart with citrus banana cashew cream on a buckwheat crumble crust

today, i loved colors.  well, more than usual, and in my food.  i am fully aware that it is much hotter and muggier in other parts of the world than it is here in minnesota, but today was our first really hot day.  my one-block walk to work left me uncomfortably hot and sweaty, which was an unfortunate follow-up to the morning of fun food-making.

i had some soaked cashews waiting to be used in the fridge and a bunch of bananas on the counter, which i thought would pair well together to make a rich and creamy topping for the buckwheat crumble (again, from living cuisine) crust i’d made over the weekend.  and though i love bananas and have been adding them to smoothies and eating them plain, i thought they might work well with some citrus flavors for variety.  at work i have to bake these (unfortunately not vegan) citrus pistachio shortbread cookies that smell SO good.  until i feel inspired to turn my oven on and veganize them, i thought i’d borrow the intoxicating trio of lemon, orange, and lime for this little creation.

most of my raw eating has been from cookbooks because i am far less familiar with the concepts and i wanted to learn new ideas and techniques.  this time, however, you’re in luck if you’re jonesing for a homemade recipe!  i’m going to go out on a limb and say you could probably make this with all bananas and no cashews if you can’t eat nuts, as well as subbing avocado for bananas if you’d like to keep the creaminess but skip the banana flavor.  it works equally well as a pudding with granola and fresh fruit.  or you can do it like i did.

citrus banana cashew cream filling (makes enough for a 10″ deep pie crust, maybe more):

1 ½ cups cashews, soaked 6-8 hours
2 bananas, peeled and broken into chunks
8 dates, pitted*
1 whole orange, zest and juice
½-1 lemon, zest and juice (start with 1/2)
½-1 lime, zest and juice (start with 1/2)
2 teaspoons vanilla, or vanilla bean

water, as needed

Place soaked and drained cashews in a food processor or blender and process into a meal. Add remaining ingredients (except water), and blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides as needed, until as creamy and smooth as possible. Add water as needed to adjust thickness (how much juice you get out of your fruits will affect this too). This may take 5 minutes depending on the strength of the processor/blender (but if you choose the no-nuts route, far less time). Taste and add more zest if desired.  Use as a pudding or pie/tart filling with fresh fruit, eat, and pass out from creamy deliciousness.

*the dates do darken the cream up a bit, so you can use agave to taste if you prefer, or leave it out if you just want to rock the banana.

why yes, i did have a piece for breakfast!

after a quick rinse in the sink, the bowl went back on the food processor to whip up some pea mole (that’s the guacamole kind of mole) for a “torta” i was planning to bring to a dinner party later.  however, that’s when i had to get creative.  the “torta” crust i had made the day before out of sprouted wild rice and some other things didn’t smell quite right.  i noticed this about the wild rice the last time i rinsed it - it smelled off in a way that made me worry it had gone bad.  i rinsed it really really well and the smell seemed to go away, but after dehydrating it the smell was back and i just couldn’t risk sacrificing perfectly good fillings on a crust that might make me (not to mention my friends) sick.  painful as it was, i tossed it and hoped i could come up with some sort of elaborate new dish.  but i had no good ideas, and not much time.  luckily my eyes landed on the massive container of rosemary crisps sitting innocently on the kitchen table, and i found my purpose.  the summer manitok torta from living cuisine became, instead, spicy pea mole with avocado and tomato on rosemary crisps:

i actually added garlic (and some cayenne for kick) to the mole, since that flavor was meant to be in the wild rice crust, but otherwise kept it the same.  instead of a torta, i had individual servings with a slice each of avocado and tomato, and parsley for garnish.  despite a slightly less crispy cracker from being prepped in the morning, these were well received as my somewhat self-conscious contribution of raw.  since i sadly couldn’t partake in the delicious-looking quinoa and garbanzo salad, i had three mini tortas!

i don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but i do have a small bowl of leftover mole, tomatoes, and avocado, so they will likely end up in something.  that, and i have half of the fruit tart left (yep, it was all me).  perhaps i’ll conjure up an appropriate vehicle during my haircut after work tomorrow?

raw avocado-kale enchilada with pepitas, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro and chili flakes, inside a raw corn-flax-lime tortilla and covered in mexican-style cheese sauce

today i had the second half of my enchilada meal for lunch, and unlike the pasta, this one kept wonderfully!  i used a tortilla recipe from frugal raw!, which i might dip into more for the spicy recipes (including indian curries!), but made my own fillings.  i was slightly thinking back to the potato-kale enchiladas from vcon in coming up with this, but also dealing with the limits of my fridge at 930pm.  to get the kale soft, i stemmed and chopped it, then massaged salt into it (a technique learned from this recipe).  unbelievably, it softens and reduces just as if it had been cooked!  then i just added pepitas, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, chili flakes, and a little salt.  i used the remainder of my alfredo sauce from the pasta and added cumin, coriander, cayenne, and carrots (for color) to make a mexican style nut cheese to pour over the top.  it was so pretty, and so delicious (though i wished i had some raw hot sauce!).

as far as the rest of the day, i’ve been snacking on crackers and fruits and veggies.  i did make myself a green smoothie when i got home from work which used orange juice instead of almond milk (from my usual), and fresh ginger.  i upped the greens in this one, and it was amazing (and extra green)!  again, i made enough for two jars:

it’s almost 90F today, so really i just want to lay in front of the fan and nap with some ice cubes.  tomorrow morning, however, i have to prep something for a dinner party i’m going to later that night, so i think it will be back to some more fancies (as the crust is already crisping in the dehydrator).

not many pictures today… i only have access to a 32mb memory card while my girlfriend is away on tour, and this small storage capacity seems to be affecting my photography in a way that i am NOT into.  that and today was mostly leftovers from yesterday, and then a late night dinner (read: no natural light).

breakfast was leftover pancakes and syrup, plus some orange-carrot-ginger juice.  the juice was AMAZING!  i need to get more carrots tomorrow so i can have it again.  also, i saved the carrot pulp to make some kind of dessert in the future, and used it today to color some of the leftover alfredo sauce which, with the addition of some cumin and chili flakes, was transformed into a mexican-style cheese sauce.  in the afternoon i snacked on rosemary crisps, and drank the juice out of a coconut… yum!

i do have some of tonight’s dinner saved for tomorrow’s lunch, so hopefully i can snap a better picture than this one of my pre-rolled and cheez-smothered enchilada, lit by my inadequate kitchen at 930pm:

i have to admit that i was pretty tired and lazy as far as food today.  i’m not sure what my body is craving entirely, but i feel like i’ve been really focused on italian/french-flavors so far.  the enchilada was a nice break, but i’m definitely up for something spicier and “fresher.”  i mean by that some thai or indian, something with a different spice profile.  i’ve also felt hungry for snacks constantly.  i definitely get full with raw food, it’s just a very different kind of full; almost like the intense concentration of pure vegetables and nuts and seeds and spices becomes overwhelming for my mouth and stomach.  but an hour or two later, i’m hungry again.  it’s a different lifestyle having to think constantly about how much time i need to make a meal, which is very much my own doing for wanting to create more elaborate ones.  i think some simpler salads are in my future, and definitely lots of dessert.  vanilla cashew cream, i dream of you!

thanks for bearing with me during this, as i feel my posts have become less and less structured and coherent, and more and more personal.  hopefully i will strike a good balance soon.  until tomorrow…

…after making this banana-apricot green smoothie.  i used my regular blender and realized after cleaning it that i’d forgotten to add the fiber mix for this detox i’m doing, so i pulled out my 7-year-old cheap rival immersion blender that i got from my aunt when i was a sophomore in college.  it’s been through some abuse over the years, and it sputtered a slow death (in noises, not into my smoothie!) when i started to mix in the powder.  i’m trying really hard not to toss things and get something new these days in order to save plastic, packaging, and money, so i’ll have a little peek later today and see what my lacking diy electrical skills can do.

oh, and the smoothie was delicious!

raw eggplant jerky, lemon hummus with fresh salsa, raw no-wheat thins, and roma tomatoes.

here in minneapolis, we are lucky to be having pretty decent weather right now. it’s warming up, but we still have cool nights, and the humidity hasn’t gotten nasty. still, i appreciate breaks from using the oven whenever i can, living in the attic level of an old house.

this makes dehydrator life very appealing! while it still emits some heat, 105 degrees is far preferable to, say, 400. i have just started learning how to plan for dehydrating more than one thing at a time (though i still only made two simultaneous creations for today’s post), which is a better use of energy, of course. besides the cookies and cereal, i made one sheet of strawberry-lemon fruit leather (devoured promptly on saturday at midnight, hence the lack of photo). so on monday, my day off, i got up early and sliced some eggplants on the mandoline and made a “jerky” marinade for them. then i soaked some almonds for making a fresh batch of milk, the pulp of which formed the base of some “no-wheat thins” made later in the day. that’s one things i really like about making raw food (which, i’m sure, could be adapted in several ways to non-raw food): getting to re-use leftovers from recipes (like nut or vegetable pulp from milk or juice) to make all-new recipes (like cookies or carrot cake!). maybe i should say that i know that i and many people use cooked leftovers in creative ways, but you seem to be left with a lot more unadulterated base ingredients when preparing raw food. or maybe i’m just really excited about doing this cleanse, and i want it to sound more exciting than it really is? anyway, onto the recipes.

if you don’t want to experiment with turning your oven on and off to recreate a dehydrator, or the sun and humidity isn’t cooperating, or you’re into diy projects, you can go here to learn how to build your own solar food dehydrator. hooray!

i adapted this recipe for eggplant jerky to suit and set my own quantities. the texture becomes very jerky-like, but the flavor isn’t very much in that vein because, of course, nothing gets smoked in raw food. the flavor is still really amazing though - rich, tangy and spicy. i did discover that i do not like chewing through a slice of eggplant peel, so i would recommend discarding the outer peel slices (but the peel-edged slices were great!). i needed two large containers to marinate the eggplant slices in, but in the end they shriveled up into one medium-sized quantity.

raw eggplant jerky (makes about 1 quart):

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs.), sliced thinly (halved if large)
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2-1 red chili pepper, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons of raw agave
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
1-2 tsp salt, or to taste

cut the eggplant into quarters lengthwise, and cut off the stem end. slice thinly using a mandoline, vegetable peeler, handheld cheese slicer, or with a knife. place into one or two large airtight containers, with enough room for some shaking. in a blender or food processor, process the garlic, chili pepper, and ginger until fine. add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and agave and blend until emulsified. pour the marinade over the eggplant, cover, and shake to saturate all the pieces. marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours (i cheated the original recipe) or up to 24 hours. place on lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 12-24 hours, flipping once, until jerky-like. (my slices were pretty thin, so it only took about 12 for me).

**alternately, if you don’t care about keeping it raw or necessarily having a super-chewy texture, you could bake these in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.**

for the no-wheat thins, i’m going to point you in this direction, since i followed it pretty faithfully. i used wet almond pulp so i reduced the amount of water a little bit, and had to pre-grind my flax seeds in a spice grinder because my food processor isn’t that powerful. also, i added some cracked pepper and nutritional yeast for extra fun times (sprinkled on top of the spread cracker “dough”). these were really light and tasty, and i am excited to experiment with adding buckwheat or other seeds for more texture and flavor. if you omit the pepper and nooch, they could be a great base for sweet toppings too!

ps - if you’re wondering about the title of this post, my ladyfriend asked me to change it from simply “afternoon appetizers” to its current incarnation as a nod to maya deren’s film.  she’s cute, eh?

maple cinnamon buckwheat crispies and vanilla carob sesame milk with strawberries and bananas

i made my own cereal! it was most exciting, and i can’t wait to try out different variations. texturally and physically, they resemble corn flakes, but the flavor of these maple cinnamon buckwheat crispies far surpasses any storebought cereal i’ve ever had. and hello! they’re made of buckwheat, which is way better for you than corn. i used the recipe from raw food real world, only i cut back on the sweeteners. all you do, really, is soak buckwheat for an hour, drain it, and pulse it in the food processor with maple syrup, cinnamon, and a little salt (i omitted the stevia, since i’m not a fan). then spread it on some dehydrator sheets and let the fans do their thing for about 12 hours, flipping towards the end. then you break them up into “flakes” and store them in an airtight container. (if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also dry them in the sun. this will take more or less time depending on the humidity where you live.)

in addition the great taste, they stay crispy in milk for a long time! that is a big plus for me, as soggy cereal is one of the worst things i know. and speaking of milk, i’ve been experimenting beyond my usual almond milk, and most recently have been wanting to try out some nut-free milks. first i made pepita (raw pumpkin seed) milk, which was the faintest tint of green and probably would have tasted a lot better if i hadn’t oversalted it. not to be disheartened, i tried again, this time with sesame seeds. if you’re like me, you might be thinking what? sesame milk? and while it’s not as neutral as a nut milk or rice milk, the taste is quite a sophisticated base for other additions. i sampled it plain and nearly as thick as a creamer - it was drinking a subtle, thin tahini.

plain sesame “cream”

since i was planning to use it for breakfast-y, drink-y purposes, i decided to add some other things. i thinned it out with more water, sweetened it with agave nectar, added some raw carob powder, and scraped the seeds out of half a vanilla bean. i don’t buy vanilla beans very often; in fact, this is only the second time in my life i have (the first time was last fall). there is a huge difference between vanilla extract and a vanilla bean, beyond the fact that the extract contains alcohol or glycerin. there is something earthier and, for lack of a better term, sexier about that little dark wrinkled pod and its aroma. but my favorite part, really, is the tiny little black specks that color the neutral shade of a good homemade vegan milk (or ice cream!).

the only thing i would do differently with this milk next time is add more carob powder, for a richer color and a little more flavor. then again, i really love carob! i bet some cocoa powder would work just as well if you’re into that whole chocolate thing. and i apologize for the poor picture quality - i made this the day of a big dark storm:

vanilla carob sesame milk (makes about 1 quart):

1 c raw sesame seeds, plus soaking water
1 quart filtered water, divided
2-3 tbsp agave nectar (or to taste)
2 tbsp carob powder
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
pinch of salt

soak the sesame seeds in two or more cups water for 6 hours or overnight. drain and rinse. place the sesame seeds in a blender with two fresh cups of water and blend for a few minutes, until smooth. strain through a nutmilk bag (or several layers of cheesecloth) into a bowl and rinse out your blender. return strained milk to blender. if you want a really thick milk, you don’t need to add as much water, but i found the thinned version to still be quite creamy (and less intense on the tahini flavor). add the remaining water, carob, vanilla, and salt, and blend until thoroughly mix. store in the refrigerator, and shake before serving, as it will separate.

(alternatively, you could cheat and add a few tablespoons of tahini to a quart of water with the rest of the ingredients, and then blend those for a few minutes, if you’re short on time or don’t have access to bulk sesame seeds. i’ve done it with nut butters and found the taste to be a little different, but i can’t vouch for the tahini version by experience, although i know many people do make sesame milk this way.)

a tasty milk for a tasty cereal, topped off with strawberries and bananas. are there any flavor combinations you think would be a good idea for new batches of the cereal or the milk?

it’s been awhile, due to tweakings on zine tester recipes and the loaning out of my camera’s memory card. luckily, the recipes have been sent to the testers, and the memory card came back today! so i set to work making something tasty.

i’ve mentioned before that i’m planning to do about a week-long raw fast at the end of the month. i’ve been doing lots of research and a few experiments (some of those should pop up around here soon). the early summer weather has got me craving raw foods from ecopolitan a lot, but i often push that aside to preserve my pocketbook and being able to eat “acceptable” meals with my partner and my friends. i’m trying to make more food at home instead of running across the street (though ecopolitan’s desserts are heavenly. HEAVENLY. last week i had a slice of purple heart pie and i don’t know everything that was in it but i almost fell off my chair it was SO good!), especially since i don’t want to end up broke after a week! i’ve heard of people who did a raw cleanse and spent 500$ on groceries for five days’ worth! i can only imagine that they’re making recipes from raw food real world or the like, and relying far too heavily on nuts. at any rate, that’s not the plan i have in mind.

after a trip to the store, i scored huge in the freebies-for-employees produce (including a cherimoya that’s nearly the size of my head and looks to be just about perfectly ripe!) as well as some other things i needed around the kitchen. i made a smoothie based on this recipe, only i juiced the rhubarb and a cucumber together to use in place of water, and i only had about 5 nuts sitting in my fridge. there was some leftover juice which i added water and lemon juice to as a “summer cooler” that i plan to drink while gardening this afternoon.

strawberry-rhubarb-cucumber smoothie for breakfast

for lunch, i’ve been having visions of raw spring rolls, with colorful fillings bursting out of them. originally i’d thought of using daikon as the wrapper, but got some daikon sprouts instead. i’m the first to admit i only thought until i started looking into raw food that only alfalfa and mung bean sprouts were in existence. and if you go by most supermarkets, you might think so too. i’ve never been a fan of alfalfa sprouts - to me, they’ve always tasted like dirt and got in the way of other sandwich fillings. but when i heard about radish sprouts, i knew i had to try them. they’re spicy, and their little leaves are generally a bit larger than alfalfa sprouts. i also went with carrots, a ripe champagne mango, zucchini, cilantro, and fresh basil as fillings.

i don’t have a recipe, per se, for these rolls. but i do have some tips about making raw spring rolls.

1) if using a leafy green that is pale on the underside, remember to place your fillings on the pale side. this way when you roll it up, the color will be on the outside (and it will probably roll more easily that way too). if there is a thick stem or rib at the base of the leaf, cut it out and overlap the two sections to keep the fillings from spilling out.

2) pick a nice variety of textures, flavors, and colors. having crunchy carrots and sprouts with soft mango and zucchini was a nice mix for the delicate butter lettuce. in the flavor department, fresh herbs are your best friend! regardless of the zestiness of the daikon sprouts and the creaminess of the mango, for example, the cilantro and basil really would have been missed. likewise, pairing whatever your fillings end up being with a good dipping sauce will really help expand the flavors, as well as moisten everything. lastly, having a lot of colors not only makes it look pretty, but also means you’re getting a wider variety of nutrients.

3) don’t overstuff. like their rice paper wrapper cousins, using too much filling will make them difficult to roll and hard to keep closed. however, you can combat this by using toothpicks to hold them together. and regardless of how careful and exacting you are, these can get pretty messy to eat. napkin recommended!

i also made my first raw cookies today. a really great benefit to making your own nut and seed milks is that you can use the leftover pulp as a base for cookies or cheeses. in this case, i had some pumpkin seed pulp that i added dates, ginger, cardamom, carob, and almonds to. we don’t have the world’s greatest food processor, so i ended up adding too much water to try and get the dough to stick together. but dehydrated for a few hours and they weren’t half bad for a recipe-less first attempt, although they tasted an awful lot like the topping for the apple crisp i made (i think it was the ginger). next time i’m going to add more carob powder and maybe some cinnamon!

pineapple-cucumber gazpacho with jalapeno and cilantro

awhile back i ranted about the book raw food real world.  and while i still find classism and elitism at the root of my various issues with the book, i thought i’d give it another look-through to see if there were any relatively simple, less exotic (read: cheaper ingredients) recipes i could try out.

with the arrival of spring comes a renewed interest in light and fresh foods for me, particularly raw ones.  i’m sure that many people living in cold climates manage to sustain some high level of a raw diet, but i’m not going to be one of them.  however, i am trying to be more conscious of what i am eating, which includes eliminating certain ingredients (mostly refined/white and overly-processed ones) and eating more raw fruits and vegetables.  the green smoothie thing is still going pretty strong for me, provided i have the ingredients and don’t have to be at work by 630 am (this happens three times a week)…my blender sure is getting a workout lately!  but luckily it’s a lot easier to clean than other blenders i’ve used.  and i know i’m not alone in trying green smoothies or trying to “be better” about what enters my digestive system.

so, back to my day-off raw (or mostly raw) food endeavors… this makes it easier because i don’t necessarily have to worry about whether a will eat it because she’s at work.  this actually spanned last night’s dinner, and today’s breakfast and lunch (dinner is tbd).  i got a free organic pineapple from work last week, which was really the thing that reminded me of rfrw - one of the recipes i made from it when i first got it was a cheater version (i used canned pineapple) of the pineapple-cucumber gazpacho with jalapeno and cilantro.  it claimed to make four servings, but it was easily two (or maybe i was really really hungry).  since it was an extra-light soup, we had it with some quinoa.  it was delicious!  i could easily eat this on those blistering, muggy summer days, and it doesn’t require anything fancier than the pineapple.

because i wanted something different, and because a took the last banana to work, i ended up making a different kind of drink for breakfast this morning: the fig and grape cleansing shake.

red grapes, black mission figs, star anise, vanilla, a pinch of salt, water and ice.

i don’t have a vitamix so this wasn’t as smooth as it could have been, but it was a nice change, and very filling and hydrating.  i haven’t had grapes in ages!  i think it would be good with some ginger too.

and lunch today was definitely the most labor intensive of the three (though because of some nut soaking) and by far the most expensive (again because of the nuts).  it is titled celeriac and green apple soup with black truffle.  but i wasn’t going to buy myself a black truffle (much less know where to find one) or black truffle oil, when i already have a (seemingly endless, though tiny) bottle of white truffle oil.  nor did i want to buy a plastic container of chervil to use as a garnish.  all of this especially since i was using 3/4 c of macadamia nuts, which don’t come cheap!  i didn’t follow the recipe exactly; i eyeballed measurements as far as the celeriac and green apple, and added some rosemary that i had in the fridge.  my half batch this time seemed to make a lot, but the soup was elegant and tasty despite my lack of straining out the pulp and nut particles.  i’d make this again for a special occasion, but it won’t be going on my list of regular raw soup recipes (that list isn’t actually real).

i still prefer ani phyo’s book to this one because of the simplicity and wallet-friendliness, but if i were to, say, plan a romantic candlelit dinner involving some raw food, i would probably use rfrw.  i think i still need to work on the idea that raw food doesn’t have to mean a gourmet meal from ecopolitan, and try out some recipes that use seeds rather than nuts.  this year’s garden should provide plenty of opportunity to make my own creations too.  however, cooked food is not forgotten here, it’s just being supplemented.

oatmeal pancakes with maple syrup, raspberries and peaches

a and i woke up and made oatmeal pancakes (recipe from how it all vegan) and coffee, and i popped down to the coop to get some raspberries and peaches to have with it. two pancakes apiece later, we were stuffed and ready for the day!

we rode our bikes to the may day parade on bloomington ave, a parade of progressive politics, puppetry, dancing, drumming, colorful costumes, stilts, bicycles, pagans and art (to name just a few). you can check out my may day parade photos on flickr. it’s fun to see so many people you know, and it also feels like a celebration of spring, when everyone emerges from the cold, dark winter in bursts of color and warmth.

after getting sufficiently sun-kissed, we stopped at the jasmine deli for a much needed snack of mock duck spring rolls, and then went home to make a potluck contribution for my friend’s birthday party. a lot of my friends are vegetarians, but not vegans. however, they always consider me and i don’t have to worry about only getting to eat what i brought. here is my plate of savory goodies (unfortunately sans the delicious piece of sea salt focaccia that peter baked… you can find a picture of me stuffing my face with it on his flickr account):

there’s another raw recipe (my potluck contribution) coming your way below. i decided to make a raw apple crisp, which i’ve had once, but never made before, so that was a bit nerve-wracking. but it worked out wonderfully and people really liked it. spiced, moist, crisp apples topped with a nut and seed topping, and served with a dollop of vanilla cashew cream. yum! fresh food tastes so good!

raw swedish apple crisp (serves 8-12):

(part of this is adapted from ani phyo’s recipe for all-american apple pie)

1 orange, peeled and deseeded
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 handful dates, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
water as needed
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp (or more) ground ginger
1 tsp cardamom
6-7 crisp apples (use one or a variety, i used pink lady)

1/2 c raw almonds, dry
1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds, dry
1/2 c raw walnuts
5-6 dates
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
water as needed
1/2 c dried, shredded coconut
2 tbsp black sesame seeds

blend the orange in a blender or food processor, then add the lemon juice, dates and vanilla to make a syrup. if the mixture seems too thick or isn’t blending well, add some water. pour syrup in a medium mixing bowl and add cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. (cinnamon and cardamom can taste slightly bitter, so if the syrup seems so to you, you can add a little more ginger to tone the bitterness down.) wash and chop or slice the apples, adding them to the syrup as you go and tossing them to prevent browning. place apple-syrup mixture into a casserole dish or baking dish (mine is a bit small at about 7×10).

to make the crisp topping, place almonds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts in a food processor and pulse into a coarse meal (you don’t want to overprocess them, as they provide the bulk of the texture in the topping). add the dates, vanilla, and cinnamon, and process until well mixed (you can add water if there isn’t enough moisture holding it together. transfer to a bowl and stir in the coconut and black sesame seeds. press this mixture evenly on top of the apples. (at this point you could probably dehydrate it if you want a crispier topping, but i don’t have a dehydrator and i think it turned out just fine!)

vanilla cashew cream (makes a little over 1 c):

1 c raw cashews, soaked overnight
water as needed
2-3 tbsp agave nectar
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8-1/4 tsp ground turmeric (optional)

drain the cashews and place in a food processor. blend into a fine meal, then add agave nectar and vanilla extract. process, adding enough water to make a thick, smooth cream. i added turmeric to make the cream slightly yellow, which stems from a personal, nostalgic desire to emulate the vanilla cream you get with swedish apple cakes and crisps, but not necessary. serve on top of your crisp (or a baked pie, in place of ice cream!).

besides the cashew soaking, this whole endeavor took about 45 minutes from start to finish. and it’s good for you (well, for a dessert anyway)! i had a lone leftover piece for breakfast this morning.