Here are some YUMMY raw recipes! First we got kelp noodles. Kelp noodles can be found online but I got mine at Madison Market in Seattle. They have a completely neutral taste and remind me of thin rice noodles or angel hair pasta. Here is the recipe I'm bringing for lunch at work this week:
Kelp Noodles, Veggies, and Green Sauce!
Kelp Noodles:
Open package of kelp noodles, rinse, and drain. You can also toss in some lemon juice to help them soften up, but they will soften more once they are in the green sauce.
Veggies:
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
A couple large handfuls green beans
Chop zucchini and squash. Julienne red bell pepper. Cut ends off of green beans and then cut each in half.
Green Sauce: (This recipe was adapted from the Creamy Italian Dressing recipe in Rawvolution by Matt Amsden...mine just has WAY more basil! This dressing is the #1 favorite of everyone who I've served it to! It is so versatile! Use it on salad, pasta, steamed veggies, raw zucchini noodles. Brian loves it drizzled over baked chicken and rice.)
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 cups tightly packed fresh basil (depending on how much you like basil; I usually start with one cup, then add a few more stalks of basil until the sauce is very green and has a tangy pesto flavor)
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh oregano
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup raw pine nuts
Blend!
Now, you can either toss all of the ingredients together now and serve, or store them separately. I've chosen to store separately because this makes a LARGE serving, and I intend to eat this for lunch throughout the week. If you choose to serve the full serving at once, marinade the kelp noodles in the green sauce for about 30 minutes or more to help them soften. Then top with veggies and a drizzle of more green sauce!
If you want to make individual servings, portion out the desired amount of kelp noodles and toss with green sauce. (If you are taking this to work and are letting it sit, then the noodles will be soft by lunch. If you are just eating an individual serving immediately, make sure you let the noodles marinate for at least 30 minutes.) Then top with a couple handfuls of the veggies. Drizzle with more green sauce if desired. Store the leftover green sauce in a container in the fridge. Store the chopped veggies in the fridge as well. Store the kelp noodles in a container filled with water in the fridge. All of these should last a few days. This is only day one for me, so I can't tell you exactly how long they truly last. Should serve about 4, I'm guessing.
Also, I have yet to take pictures of this, but hopefully I will get a chance before I eat it all!
And here's recipe #2: Eat Your Greens...for dessert!
Green smoothie Popsicles!
This recipe is so simple it's more of an idea than a recipe. But you heard me! If green smoothies are so good for you, what better dessert could there be? Get some Popsicle molds, or use a few cups with spoons as the stick. Fill them with your favorite green smoothie recipe (see my previous posts here and here for ideas) and freeze overnight or until solid. YUM!
That's all for now!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Two Green Smoothies of the week!
I know I haven't posted ANYTHING on here in a long time, but to be honest, I just haven't been making anything unique lately. But I'm going back on green smoothies (thanks to my discount and easy access to inexpensive produce provided by my new job at Trader Joe's!), and these are the two I'm drinking this week:
*These measurements are approximate, as I pretty much just eyeball it. Each recipe serves 1 (if using a large glass) or two (if using two small glasses)
Tropical
-Two large handfulls of Spinach (fills about 1/3 the bottom of the blender)
-1/2 cup frozen mango
-1/2 cup frozen pineapple
-1 ripe banana
-1/2 container (3 oz) peach (or other) flavored soy yogurt (optional)
-water (just enough to get it blending, usually to the 1 cup line on the blender. Add more as needed to get it to blend smooth)
BLEND and enjoy!
Berry
-Two large handfulls of Spinach
-1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
-1/2 cup frozen strawberries
-1 ripe banana
-1/2 container (3 oz) berry (or other) flavored soy yogurt (optional)
-water (see above for measurement)
BLEND!!!
My stomach is growling now! Time for curry and brown rice for dinner!
*These measurements are approximate, as I pretty much just eyeball it. Each recipe serves 1 (if using a large glass) or two (if using two small glasses)
Tropical
-Two large handfulls of Spinach (fills about 1/3 the bottom of the blender)
-1/2 cup frozen mango
-1/2 cup frozen pineapple
-1 ripe banana
-1/2 container (3 oz) peach (or other) flavored soy yogurt (optional)
-water (just enough to get it blending, usually to the 1 cup line on the blender. Add more as needed to get it to blend smooth)
BLEND and enjoy!
Berry
-Two large handfulls of Spinach
-1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
-1/2 cup frozen strawberries
-1 ripe banana
-1/2 container (3 oz) berry (or other) flavored soy yogurt (optional)
-water (see above for measurement)
BLEND!!!
My stomach is growling now! Time for curry and brown rice for dinner!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Some Raw Recipes!
Lately I've been getting sick of vegan comfort food and have been craving lighter, wholesome, raw foods. (Read all about it on my Raw Food Journey blog if it tickles your fancy.) Here's some recipes to share of what I've been eating:
Green Smoothie of the week:
4-6 leaves kale, de-stemmed
1 cup frozen mango and berry fruit mix
1 cup frozen banana or 1 fresh banana
water
I place the ingredients in a blender, starting with the kale, and then slowly add filtered water until it just about reaches the 1 cup mark on the blender (you only need enough the liquify the kale a bit, which will then liquify the rest). Blend until smooth!
When I'm not drinking my green smoothie, I'm making my boyfriend's favorite smoothie, which is adapted from the Acai Smoothie recipe in Eat Drink and be Vegan by Dreena Burton:
1 1/2 cups Living Harvest chocolate flavored hempmilk
1/2 cup frozen bananas or one fresh banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 packet Sambazon Acai frozen pulp
Blend! Serves two.
I experimented with Raw Ranch Dressing this week! Yum! I think fresh herbs would taste best but I only had dried...and it still tasted yummy! I tossed it with fresh greens, cucumber, tomato, carrot, and avocado.
Raw Ranch Dressing from Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet
1 cup soaked (for 2 hrs) raw cashews
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh basil (1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh dill (1 tsp dried)
Blend cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add the basil and dill and pulse briefly until mixed.
I also had a couple nights of zucchini pasta! Zucchini pasta is one of my favorite raw dishes, and it's also one of the easiest. All you need is a spiralizer; and if you don't have one of those, just slice long ribbons of zucchini with a vegetable peeler to make "fettuccine" noodles that taste just as good. After I spiralize my zucchini, I like to let the noodles soften a bit so they become more "noodly." I place them in a strainer and cover them with a light layer of sea salt, mix well, and then set aside while I make the sauce. (I thought I remember reading this technique somewhere so one day I just decided to try it, but I haven't been able to find the reference...but it really does seem to work!) After I make the sauce, I mix a tablespoon or so into my noodles to help them soften even more. When you do this, you will notice a bit of liquid draining out of the strainer. It is from the zucchini softening and releasing water. Have you ever noticed how soggy your plate gets when you eat zucchini pasta? Ok, maybe it's just me, but either way, this technique has improved my "noodles" and the physical presentation greatly! They look better and taste way better! Anyhow, after I get the right texture, I put the noodles on the plate and cover with my sauce of choice!
Yesterday I topped my zucchini noodles with warm, bottled marinara sauce. Today, I had an ALL RAW dinner; I tossed my noodles with Raw Pesto and chopped tomato!
Easy Raw Pesto (adapted from Raw Food Life Force Energy by Natalia Rose)
1 cup (packed) basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
pinch of salt or to taste
Pulse in food processor until well chopped and combined. Serves 1 (or two if you don't love basil as much as me!)
Although I am in the middle of recovering from a cold (surely caused by over-eating so much over the past weekend...too much vegan cake!) I am feeling better now that I am making healthier food choices and incorporating more raw food and green smoothies into my day!
Green Smoothie of the week:
4-6 leaves kale, de-stemmed
1 cup frozen mango and berry fruit mix
1 cup frozen banana or 1 fresh banana
water
I place the ingredients in a blender, starting with the kale, and then slowly add filtered water until it just about reaches the 1 cup mark on the blender (you only need enough the liquify the kale a bit, which will then liquify the rest). Blend until smooth!
When I'm not drinking my green smoothie, I'm making my boyfriend's favorite smoothie, which is adapted from the Acai Smoothie recipe in Eat Drink and be Vegan by Dreena Burton:
1 1/2 cups Living Harvest chocolate flavored hempmilk
1/2 cup frozen bananas or one fresh banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 packet Sambazon Acai frozen pulp
Blend! Serves two.
I experimented with Raw Ranch Dressing this week! Yum! I think fresh herbs would taste best but I only had dried...and it still tasted yummy! I tossed it with fresh greens, cucumber, tomato, carrot, and avocado.
Raw Ranch Dressing from Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet
1 cup soaked (for 2 hrs) raw cashews
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh basil (1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh dill (1 tsp dried)
Blend cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add the basil and dill and pulse briefly until mixed.
I also had a couple nights of zucchini pasta! Zucchini pasta is one of my favorite raw dishes, and it's also one of the easiest. All you need is a spiralizer; and if you don't have one of those, just slice long ribbons of zucchini with a vegetable peeler to make "fettuccine" noodles that taste just as good. After I spiralize my zucchini, I like to let the noodles soften a bit so they become more "noodly." I place them in a strainer and cover them with a light layer of sea salt, mix well, and then set aside while I make the sauce. (I thought I remember reading this technique somewhere so one day I just decided to try it, but I haven't been able to find the reference...but it really does seem to work!) After I make the sauce, I mix a tablespoon or so into my noodles to help them soften even more. When you do this, you will notice a bit of liquid draining out of the strainer. It is from the zucchini softening and releasing water. Have you ever noticed how soggy your plate gets when you eat zucchini pasta? Ok, maybe it's just me, but either way, this technique has improved my "noodles" and the physical presentation greatly! They look better and taste way better! Anyhow, after I get the right texture, I put the noodles on the plate and cover with my sauce of choice!
Yesterday I topped my zucchini noodles with warm, bottled marinara sauce. Today, I had an ALL RAW dinner; I tossed my noodles with Raw Pesto and chopped tomato!
Easy Raw Pesto (adapted from Raw Food Life Force Energy by Natalia Rose)
1 cup (packed) basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
pinch of salt or to taste
Pulse in food processor until well chopped and combined. Serves 1 (or two if you don't love basil as much as me!)
Although I am in the middle of recovering from a cold (surely caused by over-eating so much over the past weekend...too much vegan cake!) I am feeling better now that I am making healthier food choices and incorporating more raw food and green smoothies into my day!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Easy Vegan Phyllo Comfort Food Recipes!
I created magic with phyllo dough in my kitchen this weekend! All I can say is YUM!!!!Starting out new to the world of vegan cooking, I was intimidated by recipes using phyllo dough. Whenever I would stumble upon one in one of my cookbooks, I would salivate over the mental (or physical) picture of the enticing treat, and then quickly flip the page, assuming all the while that phyllo was hard to find and difficult to work with. Then last year, feeling adventurous, I attempted the Baklava recipe in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's "The Joy of Vegan Baking" (pg. 162). It turned out to be both easy and delicious! Afterward, ideas for more possible recipes involving phyllo dough flooded my mind. With the leftover phyllo, I created my vision of the ultimate vegan comfort food: Vegan Ham, Cheddar, and Broccoli Phyllo Casserole. It was an amazing, delicious success! Unfortunately, I've never been able to officially share this recipe because I didn't record the process or measurements.
But this weekend, I finally did it! Saturday was me and Robin's weekly Vegan Food Party day, and we decided to make the phyllo casserole; this time recording the process, ingredients, and measurements as we went. It turned out to be so delicious that we ate the ENTIRE recipe before I remembered to take a picture! Determined to share this recipe once and for all, picture included, I made the casserole again the following night. I had a ton of leftover phyllo, a whole head of broccoli, and a decent amount of cheese. All I had to buy more of was "ham." I didn't want to make as big of a casserole as the one Robin and I made (since I didn't have quite as much in the way of ingredients as I did the first time around) so I made it into a half-recipe, which is what you see in the pictures. So, finally, success. I recreated the recipe, got a picture, and figured out how to make a quicker, smaller version in the process.
But that's not nearly the end of my Phyllo adventure. Realizing how much phyllo I would still have even after making the second casserole, my mind started getting creative. From my hungry imagination came the idea for: Vegan Spinach, Artichoke, and Cream Cheese Phyllo "Muffins." These I envisioned as a fun appetizer or as a small side to a salad. And, of course, they turned out so amazing that I ate half the recipe all to myself...that's on top of the half of the casserole that I ate!
Neither of these recipes are exactly what I would ever call health food (they are DEFINITELY in the vegan COMFORT FOOD category!) but they do make for a delicious indulgence. And once you see how easy phyllo is to work with, you will love it! And if you are adventurous, you can start making phyllo casseroles and "muffins" with any fillings you desire!
Here are my two vegan phyllo recipes:
Vegan Ham, Cheese, and Broccoli Phyllo Casserole
Servings: 2-4 (or more, if served in small squares for appetizers)
Ingredients:
-1 pkg Phyllo dough, thawed if frozen (you won't use entire package for one recipe)
-1 pkg vegan ham (I use Yves brand), chopped
-3 cups vegan cheese, shredded (I used Vegan Gourmet brand, combination of cheddar and mozzarella)
-1 head broccoli, chopped into bite sized florets
-3-4 Tbsp vegan margarine, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil/spray/butter a 5in x 9in baking dish
In a large mixing bowl, combine ham, cheese, and broccoli until well-mixed.
Cut phyllo dough into appx. 5in x 9in rectangles. Place 7 sheets of dough, one at a time, at the bottom of baking dish and, using a pastry brush, coat each sheet with a thin layer of melted margarine.
Pour half of the ham, cheese, and broccoli mixture over the phyllo. Next, layer four sheets of phyllo dough over the cheese mixture, coating each sheet with margarine. Top that layer of phyllo with the remaining cheese mixture. Top casserole with 7 more sheets of phyllo, again coating each sheet with margarine.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and melted (if using a glass dish that you can actually see through) and the top is golden brown.
Smaller Casserole Variation: (makes 1 HUGE serving, 2 large servings, or 4 small servings)
Follow all of the same instructions as above except use 1 1/2 cups shredded vegan cheese, 1/2 pkg vegan ham, and 1/2 - 1 full head broccoli (I used 1 full head of broccoli); Use 4 sheets of phyllo for each of the three layers, and "butter" every 2 to 4 sheets, to lower fat content, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.
Vegan Spinach, Artichoke, and Cream Cheese Phyllo "Muffins"
Servings: 6-8 "muffins"
Ingredients:
-1 pkg Phyllo dough, thawed if frozen (you won't use a entire package for one recipe)
-1 8 oz tub vegan cream cheese
-3 cups fresh spinach, divided
-1 13 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
-1 large clove garlic
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp onion powder
-2-3 tbsp vegan margarine, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil 6-8 muffin tins
In food processor, pulse 2 cups of spinach, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and onion powder until spinach is chopped and ingredients are combined. Then add cream cheese, and blend until well-mixed. Transfer mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining 1 cup of spinach and artichoke hearts (chop any larger segments into bite sized pieces) to cream cheese mixture and mix well to combine.
Cut phyllo into appx. 5in. x 5in. squares (enough to fill a muffin tin completely with about an inch of extra phyllo sticking out).
Place two sheets of phyllo in the muffin tin and, using a pastry brush, coat with a thin layer of melted margarine. Repeat with a 2nd layer of two phyllo sheets and margarine. (It should kinda look like a tulip)
Next, fill with cream cheese mixture.
Fold the extra phyllo dough toward the middle (covering the filling) and coat top with a light layer of margarine.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling until all the filling is gone (should fill 6-8 muffin tins)
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown
The filling possibilities for both the phyllo casserole and the "muffins" are endless! Use your imagination!
Try:
-Vegan mozzarella, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, and garlic filling
-Tofu, spinach, onion, and garlic filling
-Basil, tofu, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, garlic, and kalamata olives filling
-Sweet fillings like fruit for a dessert; apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and agave nectar; blueberries, agave nectar, and vegan cream cheese
-Spelt or whole wheat phyllo dough
-Lowering fat by "buttering" every 2-4 sheets instead of each sheet in the casserole
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My Favorite Must-Have vegan cookbooks...
Ok, so my last blog reviewed Dreena Burton's Eat Drink & Be Vegan as my current FAVORITE vegan cookbook. I figured now would be a good time to mention my previous favorites!
La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer was my first FAVORITE vegan cookbook. In fact, I wanted the cookbook before I even thought about going vegan just for one recipe: Double Chocolate Muffins (pg. 236). My friend, Brandi, made them a couple times and I could never get enough. They were amazing! When I finally did become vegan, I bought this book. I can't remember if it was exactly my first, but it was definitely the first that actually got USED and abused like all good favorites do. I think this is the best cookbook for "beginners" because most of the recipes are very easy with common ingredients and there are TONS of comfort food recipes; a lot using vegan cheeses and mockmeats, which I think are vital to enjoying the first stages of the vegan transition. I have made so many dishes from this book that it would be nearly impossible to record them all. I might as well just say "buy the damn book and try them ALL for yourself!" but I'll at least list the BEST of the best that I've made:
-Freedom French Toast (pg. 37) YES!
-Claire's Macaroni and Cheese (pg. 125) this recipe, along with the cheese sauce alone, has become a staple in my diet. I have made so many delicious recipes based on this one! If you think you can't live without cheese, try this recipe first!
-Jay-Lo's Fried Chicken (pg. 167) Holy crap, can you believe it? This stuff tastes just like chicken strips! It's a little more complicated than buying a frozen veggie patty, but fun to make and well worth the effort!
-Eggplant Parmesan (pg. 145) I used a store-bought marinara. This was YUM!
-Jae's Peanut Butter Fudge (pg. 200) Holy crap, please make this. It is so good I can't even think about it or I will salivate all over myself
-Banana coconut pudding (pg. 206) Easy, yummy.
-Wolffie's B'nanner Bars (pg. 214) Easy, yummy also.
-Wolffie's Snickerdoodles (pg. 215) Cinnamon-sugar-liscious!
-Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies (pg. 218) magical!
-Stephanie's White Diamond Cookies (pg. 223) yes, these are incredible. Get vegan white chocolate chips from www.veganstore.com (my favorite ones), or www.veganessentials.com, or try Sidecar Grocery in the U-District (I saw some there once, but forgot to check back to see if they carry them regularly.)
-Double Chocolate Muffins (pg. 236) I already told you how these tempted me before I was vegan. Make them for yourself, and try a mixture of dark chocolate and vegan white chocolate chips!
-Basic Baking Powder Biscuits (pg. 271) these are so fast and easy and delicious.
-Yeast Free Pizza Crust (pg. 300) very easy and fast. I use this as the crust for all my homemade pizzas. Just top with sauce, toppings of choice (try basil and tomatoes) and vegan cheese. The trick is to get the cheese to melt: I like to cut the cheese into thin, flat square slices (instead of shredding it) and putting globs of it on the pizza. After the rest of the pizza has been cooked through, I like to then set the oven to broil, keep the door slightly open, and let it cook until the cheese gets all melty. Just keep an eye on it so the rest doesn't burn under that broil!
There are so many good recipes in this book, and still a ton that I have yet to try. I recommend this book to anyone with a sweet tooth and a comfort food tooth, especially those new-to-amazingly-delicious-vegan-cuisine peeps!
The other book that changed my life is The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Gourdreau. I got this one for Christmas from my boyfriend and it consumed me from then on! I have a major sweet tooth and LOVE baking. I get no greater pleasure than making something delicious--especially a vegan replica of an old favorite. This book is chock full of baked goods, especially desserts. There are recipes in here that I have yet to find better versions of anywhere else such as: vegan cinnamon rolls! vegan soft pretzels! vegan cheesecake! Caramel Popcorn! Horchata! And those are the ones I haven't tried yet! Here's some that I have made:
-Waffles (pg. 69) this is the only vegan waffle recipe that I have used and it is purely delicious
-Cinnamon Coffee Cake (pg. 84) I made these for Brian, but ended up eating most of it myself
-Vanilla Cupcakes (pg. 85) with Buttercream Frosting (pg. 231) another recipe made for the boyfriend but ended up in my tummy
-Mexican Wedding Cookies (pg. 114) yum!
-Lemon Bars (pg. 126) HOLY CRAP! This recipe (and the yet-to-be-made cinnamon rolls) is what put this book #1 on my Xmas wish list in the first place. Remember those ultra yummy-but-naughty lemon bars you make from a box? I do, and the thought that I could never eat them again nearly gave me a heart attack...then I saw this recipe and I really think my heart stopped for about a minute. And then I MADE THEM and I died. They were that good! Much healthier than that boxed crap, too. These are actually made with REAL LEMONS! Just go to the bookstore, pick up the book, flip it open to page 127, and look at the picture of these babies; you will swoon like it's Johnny Depp naked at your doorstep asking to borrow a cup of sugar.
-Mango with Sticky Rice (pg. 148) I used to get this dessert at my pre-vegan favorite thai restaurant. Magical!
-Baklava (pg. 162) these will make you say Uggh like Master P.
Wow, I get excited just thinking about these recipes.
While these two books, along with ED&BV are my ultamate favorites, there are a couple others worth mentioning (they just don't get abused quite as often as my three must-haves):
-How it all Vegan by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. Lots of good recipes. Similar style to LDV but not the same recipes.
-Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I feel like this one should get more use but for some reason, I just haven't gotten around to making many of the recipes. There are more comfort food recipes here than you can shake a stick at; sushi, mac n four cheeses, philly cheesesteak, enchiladas, etc etc etc!
-Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I got this one really cheap and Half Price Books and it was well worth it. While it doesn't get much use (sometimes the vast number of recipes in this book feels a little too intimidating) it is a great resource and I am happy to own it.
-Vegan Fusion World Cuisine by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi. I've only made a couple of the recipes (maple ginger cookies, cheesecake) but a lot of them look really good. The recipes come from the Blossoming Lotus Restaurant. I've been to the one in Portland, OR (which was delicious...vegan soft serve ice cream!) and there is also one in Hawaii.
My favorite RAW cookbooks are also worth mentioning. Eating more raw foods is something that I find very important. Sometimes I get phases where I make a ton of "Raw Gourmet" meals. When the craving strikes, these are the books I use:
-Natalia Rose's two books, Raw Food Life Force Energy and The Raw Food Detox Diet are the books I use to find the simplest, purest, most cleansing recipes. About half are completely raw, most others are cleansing, vegetarian dishes, and she also includes a few fish recipes and recipes including raw goat cheese. (Read my reviews of these books HERE, for RFLFE, and HERE for TRFDD.)
-Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melgailis is the book I use when I want to make something exciting, unique, and (usually) a little more complicated and fancy. This book has so many delicious recipes and amazing desserts. A must have for the Raw food lover!
-Rawvolution by Matt Amsden. This was my first RAW cookbook and is a steady favorite. I like all of the recipes (except for the soups; I'm very picky about raw soup) that I've tried and always rely on this one if I want something simple. The best recipe from this book is the Creamy Italian Dressing. I have made my own adaptation of this dressing by increasing the amount of basil and oregano, and calling it "Green Sauce." Green Sauce is good on everything from salad, veggies, and pasta to chicken (my Brian's FAVE!) I love the simplicity of these recipes and they taste wonderful.
So there are my FAVES. Here's what's on my wish list:
-Vive Le Vegan and The Everyday Vegan both by Dreena Burton.
-Vegan Express by Nava Atlas
-Get it Ripe by Jae Steele
-Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, all by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
-My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky
-The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak
-Sweet Gratitude by Matthew Rogers and Tiziana Alipo Tamborra (raw desserts)
YUM!!!
La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer was my first FAVORITE vegan cookbook. In fact, I wanted the cookbook before I even thought about going vegan just for one recipe: Double Chocolate Muffins (pg. 236). My friend, Brandi, made them a couple times and I could never get enough. They were amazing! When I finally did become vegan, I bought this book. I can't remember if it was exactly my first, but it was definitely the first that actually got USED and abused like all good favorites do. I think this is the best cookbook for "beginners" because most of the recipes are very easy with common ingredients and there are TONS of comfort food recipes; a lot using vegan cheeses and mockmeats, which I think are vital to enjoying the first stages of the vegan transition. I have made so many dishes from this book that it would be nearly impossible to record them all. I might as well just say "buy the damn book and try them ALL for yourself!" but I'll at least list the BEST of the best that I've made:
-Freedom French Toast (pg. 37) YES!
-Claire's Macaroni and Cheese (pg. 125) this recipe, along with the cheese sauce alone, has become a staple in my diet. I have made so many delicious recipes based on this one! If you think you can't live without cheese, try this recipe first!
-Jay-Lo's Fried Chicken (pg. 167) Holy crap, can you believe it? This stuff tastes just like chicken strips! It's a little more complicated than buying a frozen veggie patty, but fun to make and well worth the effort!
-Eggplant Parmesan (pg. 145) I used a store-bought marinara. This was YUM!
-Jae's Peanut Butter Fudge (pg. 200) Holy crap, please make this. It is so good I can't even think about it or I will salivate all over myself
-Banana coconut pudding (pg. 206) Easy, yummy.
-Wolffie's B'nanner Bars (pg. 214) Easy, yummy also.
-Wolffie's Snickerdoodles (pg. 215) Cinnamon-sugar-liscious!
-Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies (pg. 218) magical!
-Stephanie's White Diamond Cookies (pg. 223) yes, these are incredible. Get vegan white chocolate chips from www.veganstore.com (my favorite ones), or www.veganessentials.com, or try Sidecar Grocery in the U-District (I saw some there once, but forgot to check back to see if they carry them regularly.)
-Double Chocolate Muffins (pg. 236) I already told you how these tempted me before I was vegan. Make them for yourself, and try a mixture of dark chocolate and vegan white chocolate chips!
-Basic Baking Powder Biscuits (pg. 271) these are so fast and easy and delicious.
-Yeast Free Pizza Crust (pg. 300) very easy and fast. I use this as the crust for all my homemade pizzas. Just top with sauce, toppings of choice (try basil and tomatoes) and vegan cheese. The trick is to get the cheese to melt: I like to cut the cheese into thin, flat square slices (instead of shredding it) and putting globs of it on the pizza. After the rest of the pizza has been cooked through, I like to then set the oven to broil, keep the door slightly open, and let it cook until the cheese gets all melty. Just keep an eye on it so the rest doesn't burn under that broil!
There are so many good recipes in this book, and still a ton that I have yet to try. I recommend this book to anyone with a sweet tooth and a comfort food tooth, especially those new-to-amazingly-delicious-vegan-cuisine peeps!
The other book that changed my life is The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Gourdreau. I got this one for Christmas from my boyfriend and it consumed me from then on! I have a major sweet tooth and LOVE baking. I get no greater pleasure than making something delicious--especially a vegan replica of an old favorite. This book is chock full of baked goods, especially desserts. There are recipes in here that I have yet to find better versions of anywhere else such as: vegan cinnamon rolls! vegan soft pretzels! vegan cheesecake! Caramel Popcorn! Horchata! And those are the ones I haven't tried yet! Here's some that I have made:
-Waffles (pg. 69) this is the only vegan waffle recipe that I have used and it is purely delicious
-Cinnamon Coffee Cake (pg. 84) I made these for Brian, but ended up eating most of it myself
-Vanilla Cupcakes (pg. 85) with Buttercream Frosting (pg. 231) another recipe made for the boyfriend but ended up in my tummy
-Mexican Wedding Cookies (pg. 114) yum!
-Lemon Bars (pg. 126) HOLY CRAP! This recipe (and the yet-to-be-made cinnamon rolls) is what put this book #1 on my Xmas wish list in the first place. Remember those ultra yummy-but-naughty lemon bars you make from a box? I do, and the thought that I could never eat them again nearly gave me a heart attack...then I saw this recipe and I really think my heart stopped for about a minute. And then I MADE THEM and I died. They were that good! Much healthier than that boxed crap, too. These are actually made with REAL LEMONS! Just go to the bookstore, pick up the book, flip it open to page 127, and look at the picture of these babies; you will swoon like it's Johnny Depp naked at your doorstep asking to borrow a cup of sugar.
-Mango with Sticky Rice (pg. 148) I used to get this dessert at my pre-vegan favorite thai restaurant. Magical!
-Baklava (pg. 162) these will make you say Uggh like Master P.
Wow, I get excited just thinking about these recipes.
While these two books, along with ED&BV are my ultamate favorites, there are a couple others worth mentioning (they just don't get abused quite as often as my three must-haves):
-How it all Vegan by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. Lots of good recipes. Similar style to LDV but not the same recipes.
-Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I feel like this one should get more use but for some reason, I just haven't gotten around to making many of the recipes. There are more comfort food recipes here than you can shake a stick at; sushi, mac n four cheeses, philly cheesesteak, enchiladas, etc etc etc!
-Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I got this one really cheap and Half Price Books and it was well worth it. While it doesn't get much use (sometimes the vast number of recipes in this book feels a little too intimidating) it is a great resource and I am happy to own it.
-Vegan Fusion World Cuisine by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi. I've only made a couple of the recipes (maple ginger cookies, cheesecake) but a lot of them look really good. The recipes come from the Blossoming Lotus Restaurant. I've been to the one in Portland, OR (which was delicious...vegan soft serve ice cream!) and there is also one in Hawaii.
My favorite RAW cookbooks are also worth mentioning. Eating more raw foods is something that I find very important. Sometimes I get phases where I make a ton of "Raw Gourmet" meals. When the craving strikes, these are the books I use:
-Natalia Rose's two books, Raw Food Life Force Energy and The Raw Food Detox Diet are the books I use to find the simplest, purest, most cleansing recipes. About half are completely raw, most others are cleansing, vegetarian dishes, and she also includes a few fish recipes and recipes including raw goat cheese. (Read my reviews of these books HERE, for RFLFE, and HERE for TRFDD.)
-Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melgailis is the book I use when I want to make something exciting, unique, and (usually) a little more complicated and fancy. This book has so many delicious recipes and amazing desserts. A must have for the Raw food lover!
-Rawvolution by Matt Amsden. This was my first RAW cookbook and is a steady favorite. I like all of the recipes (except for the soups; I'm very picky about raw soup) that I've tried and always rely on this one if I want something simple. The best recipe from this book is the Creamy Italian Dressing. I have made my own adaptation of this dressing by increasing the amount of basil and oregano, and calling it "Green Sauce." Green Sauce is good on everything from salad, veggies, and pasta to chicken (my Brian's FAVE!) I love the simplicity of these recipes and they taste wonderful.
So there are my FAVES. Here's what's on my wish list:
-Vive Le Vegan and The Everyday Vegan both by Dreena Burton.
-Vegan Express by Nava Atlas
-Get it Ripe by Jae Steele
-Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, all by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
-My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky
-The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak
-Sweet Gratitude by Matthew Rogers and Tiziana Alipo Tamborra (raw desserts)
YUM!!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Eat, Drink, and be Vegan- my new favorite cookbook!
Eat Drink and be Vegan by Dreena Burton is definitely my new favorite cookbook! I actually got it for Christmas 2007 from my boyfriend's sister. I was still new to the vegan lifestyle at that point and was obsessed with dessert and comfort food recipes. I was making AT LEAST ONE dessert recipe each week, and was always experimenting with ways to replicate my old faves into new vegan creations. I was in LOVE with vegan cheese and mockmeats. So when I flipped through ED&BV the first time, I saw recipes that looked delicious but a little too "different." I saw the words "spelt" and "oat flour" and "whole wheat" instead of the usual "unbleached wheat flour" that I was used to. I also noticed that she didn't have as many traditional comfort food recipes or use a lot of margarine, mock meats, or vegan cheeses like most of the cookbooks I was familiar with. At that point in my vegan transition, I wasn't ready for these healthier, purer, more-advanced recipes. So I'm sorry to say that ED&BV got lost on my shelf while I gave my attention to my other books like La Dolce Vegan and The Joy of Vegan Baking.
Now here I am, over a year later, in a much different place as far as my diet and eating desires are concerned. While I still LOVE vegan cheese and mockmeats and go crazy for desserts, I have significantly cut back my consumption of these things. I am no longer in the beginning part of the vegan transition. I am now drawn to simpler ingredients, lighter recipes, more whole grains and less refined and processed products. So, as I flipped through ED&BV recently, I saw it with brand new eyes. These recipes that seems "a little weird" or "too healthy" before are now exciting, amazing, and wonderfully healthy!
This cookbook is full of unique recipes that you won't find in traditional vegan comfort food cookbooks. There's a whole section on different hummus recipes! The breakfast section has recipes for crepes made with spelt flour! The entres include items like enchiladas, chimichangas, pastas, Thai pizza, and Moroccan phylo rolls! In the dessert section you will find white chocolate macadamia cookies, pumpkin cheese pie, and gluten free chocolate chip cookies. There's definitely an ethnic flair to a lot of her recipes and they all seem to be made with health in mind. I am so grateful for this cookbook; it's exactly what I need and want right now. Just go check it out at the bookstore, flip through the recipes, and see if they catch your eye and taste buds. This book is perfect for anyone wanting to transition to a diet containing less refined, processed products and more whole grains, whole wheat/spelt/or gluten free flours, pure sweeteners, and exciting, unique meals. She leaves plenty of notes on the sidelines with suggestions and ways to adjust the recipe to individual taste and needs, which makes me feel very comfortable and well-informed about the best way to make the recipes.
Here are all the recipes I have tried (and they were ALL amazing!)
-Breakfast Crepes (pg.28); I filled these with soy yogurt (dairy yogurt for the non-vegan boyfriend) and applesauce. I made them for dinner and served them with an asian pear, walnut, and raisin salad with raspberry vinaigrette (topped with goat cheese for the bf.)
-Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas (pg.68); I made these with nama shoyu instead of tamari and served them over a salad with cucumber, tomato, carrots, avocado, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. SO GOOD!
-Peanut Banana Tortilla Turnovers (pg. 111); I made these with Molassa-Sauce (pg. 111) to dip, and also dipped them in vanilla yogurt. I served them with the same salad I had made for crepes.
-Lemon Broiled Green Beans (pg. 160) (see picture below); Me and my friend, Robin, made these for our weekly Food/Movie night along with Mac-Oh Geez! from Dreena Burton's recipe blog (be sure to check out that blog along with her eat drink and be vegan blog!) The green beans made a perfect side dish. The recipe is incredibly simple but the result is so flavorful you won't believe it!
-Mac-Oh Geez! (see picture above) is well worth an entire review on its own! I can't recommend this recipe enough. It was so creamy and delicious. While it's not quite the same as traditional mac n cheese, it was definitely a winner in its own right. The flavor of the sauce was similar to an alfredo or Stroganof. We topped our servings with salt and nutritional yeast and ate until we were exploding!
-Another recipe worth mentioning is Tomato Basil Quesadilla (pg. 38); while I didn't actually make this recipe, it did inspire me to create my own. The original recipe uses her Roasted Red Pepper and Almond hummus (pg. 52) recipe with tomato, basil, and tempeh bacon, and filled between a tortilla. From this, I was inspired to make Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus quesadilla. I bought the hummus from PCC and roasted my own red peppers (preheat oven to 400 degrees and place pepper on baking sheet for 35 minutes. Remove from oven when done and then place in covered bowl for 10 minutes. Then remove outer skin and cut into slices.) I spread the hummus on a tortilla, topped one half with 4 red pepper slices, folded the tortilla in half, and then grilled each side on a lightly oiled pan until warm, slightly brown and crispy. I served these with salad topped with the Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas and Trader Joe's Goddess Dressing. SO YUM!
I can't wait to make more recipes from this cookbook. Listing all the ones that sound incredible would take hours! I also have her two other books, Vive Le Vegan and The Everyday Vegan on my Amazon.com wishlist, so hopefully I will get those eventually too!
Now here I am, over a year later, in a much different place as far as my diet and eating desires are concerned. While I still LOVE vegan cheese and mockmeats and go crazy for desserts, I have significantly cut back my consumption of these things. I am no longer in the beginning part of the vegan transition. I am now drawn to simpler ingredients, lighter recipes, more whole grains and less refined and processed products. So, as I flipped through ED&BV recently, I saw it with brand new eyes. These recipes that seems "a little weird" or "too healthy" before are now exciting, amazing, and wonderfully healthy!
This cookbook is full of unique recipes that you won't find in traditional vegan comfort food cookbooks. There's a whole section on different hummus recipes! The breakfast section has recipes for crepes made with spelt flour! The entres include items like enchiladas, chimichangas, pastas, Thai pizza, and Moroccan phylo rolls! In the dessert section you will find white chocolate macadamia cookies, pumpkin cheese pie, and gluten free chocolate chip cookies. There's definitely an ethnic flair to a lot of her recipes and they all seem to be made with health in mind. I am so grateful for this cookbook; it's exactly what I need and want right now. Just go check it out at the bookstore, flip through the recipes, and see if they catch your eye and taste buds. This book is perfect for anyone wanting to transition to a diet containing less refined, processed products and more whole grains, whole wheat/spelt/or gluten free flours, pure sweeteners, and exciting, unique meals. She leaves plenty of notes on the sidelines with suggestions and ways to adjust the recipe to individual taste and needs, which makes me feel very comfortable and well-informed about the best way to make the recipes.
Here are all the recipes I have tried (and they were ALL amazing!)
-Breakfast Crepes (pg.28); I filled these with soy yogurt (dairy yogurt for the non-vegan boyfriend) and applesauce. I made them for dinner and served them with an asian pear, walnut, and raisin salad with raspberry vinaigrette (topped with goat cheese for the bf.)
-Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas (pg.68); I made these with nama shoyu instead of tamari and served them over a salad with cucumber, tomato, carrots, avocado, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. SO GOOD!
-Peanut Banana Tortilla Turnovers (pg. 111); I made these with Molassa-Sauce (pg. 111) to dip, and also dipped them in vanilla yogurt. I served them with the same salad I had made for crepes.
-Lemon Broiled Green Beans (pg. 160) (see picture below); Me and my friend, Robin, made these for our weekly Food/Movie night along with Mac-Oh Geez! from Dreena Burton's recipe blog (be sure to check out that blog along with her eat drink and be vegan blog!) The green beans made a perfect side dish. The recipe is incredibly simple but the result is so flavorful you won't believe it!
-Mac-Oh Geez! (see picture above) is well worth an entire review on its own! I can't recommend this recipe enough. It was so creamy and delicious. While it's not quite the same as traditional mac n cheese, it was definitely a winner in its own right. The flavor of the sauce was similar to an alfredo or Stroganof. We topped our servings with salt and nutritional yeast and ate until we were exploding!
-Another recipe worth mentioning is Tomato Basil Quesadilla (pg. 38); while I didn't actually make this recipe, it did inspire me to create my own. The original recipe uses her Roasted Red Pepper and Almond hummus (pg. 52) recipe with tomato, basil, and tempeh bacon, and filled between a tortilla. From this, I was inspired to make Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus quesadilla. I bought the hummus from PCC and roasted my own red peppers (preheat oven to 400 degrees and place pepper on baking sheet for 35 minutes. Remove from oven when done and then place in covered bowl for 10 minutes. Then remove outer skin and cut into slices.) I spread the hummus on a tortilla, topped one half with 4 red pepper slices, folded the tortilla in half, and then grilled each side on a lightly oiled pan until warm, slightly brown and crispy. I served these with salad topped with the Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas and Trader Joe's Goddess Dressing. SO YUM!
I can't wait to make more recipes from this cookbook. Listing all the ones that sound incredible would take hours! I also have her two other books, Vive Le Vegan and The Everyday Vegan on my Amazon.com wishlist, so hopefully I will get those eventually too!
Monday, February 9, 2009
My Top Diet Tips
Over the past couple months, I've been transitioning to a healthier, more balanced diet. You can read about my wild experience on my Raw Food Journey blog. I have finally reached my perfect weight and feel really good about the way I eat. I definitely still have areas in need of improvement, but I know I have learned a lot. I am so grateful for all of the books I have read that have inspired me; Natalia Rose and her first two books, Skinny Bitch by Rory Freeman and Kim Barnouin, Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra, just to name a few.
At the start of my transition, and again in the middle of it, I was overwhelmed and confused, and felt like I should be following only one program, or only one author's diet principles. "How can there be so many contradicting theories? Who do I trust? What is best for me?" I asked. But I only found answers when I relaxed, quieted my mind, and let go. I didn't let go in an "eat whatever I want" way, but in a "take it one day at a time, doing my best to make the best decisions for my life and body." I realized that, while I respect and love all these authors, I don't have to follow just one. We all have likes, dislikes, and desires that are different from each other. So I picked up a few principles from these books, and implemented the ones I truly believed in. Deep down, we do truly know what is best for us!
Here are the diet/lifestyle tips that I have found most helpful (in no particular order of importance):
1.) body brush every day! I bought a dry body brush from PCC for about $8. If you don't know what one is, it's a natural bristle brush that you use to literally brush your skin. It helps remove wastes, toxins, and cellulite. The best description of how to body brush is in Raw Food Life Force Energy. Here's my quick summary; you take the brush, and (standing completely dry and naked) brush your skin from your feet, in upward strokes up your legs and calves, thighs, butt, all the way up to your armpits. Take some time to move the brush in slow circles over the back of the thighs to help fight cellulite. Then brush from the tips of your fingers up to your armpits and shoulders. Avoid the breast area, but make sure you brush all other areas of your skin in long, slow strokes. This takes hardly any time at all. I do it every morning as soon as I wake up and it feels great! My skin tone has greatly improved!
2.) exercise! It's obvious, I know, but what isn't obvious is how easy it is to get exercise. My favorite daily routine is to do 10 sun salutes (yoga) as learned from Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra. I do this almost every morning after I body brush. It takes no more than 10 minutes and is a wonderful way to get exercise! You don't have to sweat and strain every day; just do something. I also love to walk outdoors so I try to walk to the local shopping center (about a 20 minute brisk walk away) whenever I can find an excuse to. Other things you can do: jog, dance, play Wii fit games, do exercise tapes. Find something you love to do and do it often.
3.) don't put anything into your body until you are truly hungry! This is another one that sounds obvious but is frequently ignored. I have read quiet a few books that explain how the digestive system needs rest and shouldn't be activated until necessary. Most of us eat much earlier than we honestly need to, based on habit and convenience. And we also tend to eat a lot more than we need that early in the morning! I know some people get light headed and think they need to eat as soon as they wake up or they won't make it through the day. For some of you, that may be true. But there are also some of us who eat before we are hungry just because we want to; and you know who you are. I find that if I wait to eat until I'm actually truly hungry, I eat much later in the morning, and I eat much less throughout the day. Food is available to nourish and sustain us, not to entertain us; so eat when you are hungry and NOT BEFORE! Seriously, just try it for one day even; it is especially useful the day after eating a LARGE, late dinner. I tried this one day when I forgot my breakfast on my way to work and couldn't afford to buy anything. I kept myself from obsessing over the fact that I had no food, and went on with my day. When I started feeling a little hungry, I sipped warm water (that always curbs cravings and hunger within minutes for me!) and I was fine and full of energy throughout my whole shift. In fact, I felt better than I usually did! I ended up feeling very in tune with my body, and could tell that I really didn't need food in the early morning after all. When I got home form work, I was finally hungry and I ate a banana--and that wasn't until 2pm! Just imagine all the unnecessary calories you may be consuming just out of habit!
4.) eat light to heavy! Now this one can be hard for those of you who have been drilled with the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be the largest" theory. I do agree that breakfast is very important, but not because it should have a shit ton of calories; it is important because if you eat crap (heavy, dense food), you'll feel tired, heavy, and weighed down; and if you eat light, pure, energizing, fresh foods, you will feel light, pure, and energized throughout your day! When your body isn't weighed down with all the food it is working to digest, it will provide you with more energy. Natalia Rose explains this beautifully. My quick summary is this: eat foods that digest fastest in the morning, and eat your heavier foods for dinner. This will help your food digest faster without fermenting or "backing you up," if you know what I mean. The quickest digesting foods are fruits, vegetables, and their freshly squeezed juices. They make great breakfasts if you can get over the whole "eat a giant breakfast" myth. This is another thing to just give a try. If it doesn't work for you, then you can always go back to your routine. The truth is, you won't starve. Just get out of your head! Listen to your body, not your cravings! Fresh fruit is so pure and cleansing, and should be eaten daily. If you are eating pancakes and oatmeal for breakfast, how are you eating enough fruit? And don't tell me you are eating it for dessert or along side your lunch; fresh fruit does not digest well with ANYTHING else. It will sit on top of your other food and ferment, making you bloated and gassy. Eating fruit first, followed by the denser foods later in the day, will speed your digestion right along. Here's something to think about: Have you ever talked to a girl who is effortlessly skinny? You will usually hear her admit, "I poop after every meal!" Yes, pooping often is a key to weight loss. You want the vitamins in your body and the waste out. And, if you're not "effortlessly skinny" or an easy-pooper, you need to help your digestive system! Eat light to heavy! (A good order of light to heavy foods to remember is this: Fruit/veggie juice-- fresh fruit-- fresh, raw veggies and salad-- nuts, seeds, and dried fruit-- cooked, heavy food.)
5.) eat fresh fruit or fresh pressed fruit/veggie juice as your first meal of the day! The reason is obvious if you read my last tip. Fruit for breakfast is perfect! I usually eat an apple when I'm first hungry and then a second piece of fruit, usually a banana, about an hour later. After that I'm usually good until dinner if I'm eating dinner early enough. If not, I eat carrots, a salad, or a snack bar (like Lara bar.) The second part of this tip is also important: So many people recommend drinking freshly juiced fruit and veggie juices, especially the juice of dark, leafy greens. Greens have protein and chlorophyll and a ton of other vitamins and minerals. Most of us don't get many greens throughout the day (unless you eat nothing but salad) so getting your green juice in the morning is wonderful. It can be expensive to buy a head of kale every other day, but I still like to juice some greens whenever I can! Just make sure you juice your greens with fresh apple or lemon so it's not bitter!
6.) eat raw till dinner! now this is one that I know can be hard for a lot of people. The fact is, the more raw food you eat in the form of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and grains, the better. Raw foods are pure and uncooked and have all of their enzymes and vitamins intact. This principle is easy if you follow all of the other tips: not eating until you are hungry makes you eat a little later in the day. And if you eat light to heavy, your first meal should be fruit, your second meal should be more fruit or veggies or a salad, and your last meal should be a big, hearty, balanced dinner! It was easy for me to eat raw till dinner after a couple days of trying it out. And I don't eat like this religiously every day. It's just a principle that I know is best for my body. Being aware of that helps me make better choices.
7.) fall in love with salads! salads can be boring...if you let them! But they are so good for you, and can taste truly amazing if you get creative. I eat a giant salad as a main component to almost every dinner. I get a big plate, top it with a huge pile of greens, avocado, tomato, cucumber, fresh garlic, onion, carrots (give or take a few ingredients depending on the day) and sometimes olives or tamari chickpeas from Eat Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. Sometimes I use a simple dressing of vinegar, oil, and agave nectar; or lemon juice, oil, agave nectar, and nama shoyu; or a favorite store-bought dressing. Find a way to make salads that you love. If you eat dairy, throw on some goat cheese! If you're vegan, go to Sidecar Grocery in the U District and get some "Sheese." If you want something sweet, make a salad with sliced asian pear, walnuts, raisins, and a raspberry vinaigrette (just remember that fresh fruit digests much better alone, so be prepared for the possibility of potential gas or bloating!) Get creative. Love salads. Eat them as often as you can!
8.) properly combine your food! This is a very good principle in speeding up digestion. Natalia Rose explains it best, and I know my summary won't do it justice, so please read Raw Food Life Force Engery if you are interested in understanding food combining. But just to clue you in a little here's my quick summary: starches (grains, bread) and starchy vegetables (potatoes, etc) are one category, flesh (meat, eggs) and dairy are another, nuts and dried fruit are yet another, and fresh fruit is another. All of these categories (except fresh fruit, which you now know digests best alone) digest well with all raw, non-starch veggies (lettuce, carrots, etc), but otherwise should not be mixed and eaten with any other category. That's why a burger is so slow to digest; the meat does not digest well with the starch of the bun! That's why your tummy can rumble if you eat fresh fruit after dinner! That's why a cheese pizza sits in your intestines for hours! I agree that food combining is important for optimal health and weight loss, but I have to admit I do not always follow it 100%. But knowing this helps keep me aware and helps me understand the choices I make. Being aware is what matters.
9.) eat only until satisfied! This one is so obvious but it's the hardest for me to follow! I love eating until I am exploding but that is not healthy for your mind, body, or digestion. Food is here to nourish, remember? So stop eating when you are full! Don't eat seconds just because they are there! If you learn to eat peacefully, and pre-portion your food to proportions you know are good for you, it will be much easier. If you get a "snack-tooth" drink some tea instead. Or do something active. I like to write when I'm feeling snacky. And if you do give in and overeat, don't beat yourself up about it. Just remember that every day is a new day and a new chance for you to make a better decision. You ARE capable of making healthy choices!
10.) cut out all addictive foods! If you have a tendency toward binging (like I do) it's worth it to take a look at what those foods are. Most likely it is sweets, refined foods, or heavy, oily, fried foods. On my Raw Food Journey Blog, I wrote about my Addiction Free Diet Experiment. After realizing certain foods caused binging, I decided to cut some out completely, and manage others strictly for a short period of time. Dessert was the thing I gave up completely the first week. I also pre-portioned my grain intake (1 cup of rice or pasta), cut out refined flour and sugar products, abstained from fried foods, and refrained from snacking. I only did this "hard core" for one week. But afterward, I found that I was able to make better choices. I no longer NEED dessert every day. I no longer snack just because I can't stop. While I still give in to a few cravings, I feel more in control. Try cutting out something you know is addictive. Your body only craves what vices you give it. If you are addicted to cheese, cut it out for a week or even a couple days. Your body will cleanse itself and you will no longer need it. If you feel you want to continue to eat cheese, hopefully it will now be easier to eat in moderation. But don't bring back an addictive food until you feel peaceful about it. If you feel like you might binge, you are not ready. Food addiction is so similar to an alcohol or drug addiction. And let me tell you, it feels great to be free!
11.) make affirmations! Almost every day, I write little affirmations either in my journal or my food journal. I write things like "I am in control of my eating, I have the perfect body, I am learning to make better choices every day, I am alive and full of life force energy." This is especially useful after you experience an "uh-oh" with your diet plan. Self-loathing is usually the first reaction when you make a mistake, but it is highly destructive; positive affirmations make you feel good and reinforce good habits. Try this whenever you are bored like when you are watching tv or just waiting around for something to do. This is usually when the snack-cravings occur! Try something positive, like writing affirmations, instead!
12.) keep a food journal! I've been keeping track of everything I eat for the past couple months. I also keep track of my weight, notes on how certain foods or choices make me feel, how much sleep I get, when I exercise, when I body brush. It seemed like an inconvenience at first, but now that I've done it for so long, it's second nature. I don't know if I will ever want to stop! It's helpful because if you lose or gain a significant amount of weight one week, it's easy to look at your food journal to see why. That's how I realized what foods I should keep eating and which ones I should abstain from. And writing down everything you eat helps you really see "the big picture." It also helps you snack less. Just try it, even for a week!
13.) quit eating refined, processed foods! You know that real, pure, whole foods are better for you, right? Well then quit eating fake, processed, refined foods like refined white sugar, candy, and refined flour products. The best grain products are whole, unrefined grains, like brown rice. White rice is highly refined and devoid of essential nutrients. The best whole grain bread products are 100% whole wheat, whole spelt, sprouted grains etc. Read the ingredients; if the word "whole" or "sprouted" is not before the type of grain, it is most likely refined. And look out for those products that include whole grains, but also include refined grains. My favorite whole grain breads are Food for Life sprouted Grain Breads, and Old Mill Bakery brand Honey Whole Wheat, both found at health food stores and even Fred Meyer and a few other traditional grocers. You can also find whole or sprouted grain tortillas and bagels. My favorite whole grain or gluten free cookies (also free of refined sugars) are Nana's. For those of you who cannot stand whole grain products, all I have to say is, "Your loss!" At least try to find ones that you like. To learn more about healthier forms of grain products and sugar, read Skinny Bitch, The Raw Food Detox Diet, or Raw Food Life Force Energy. These books, especially Skinny Bitch, are essential in learning the truth about what you eat and how to make healthier choices. I reviewed all of them on my Raw Food Journey blog.
That's all for now! I'll add more when I think of them!
At the start of my transition, and again in the middle of it, I was overwhelmed and confused, and felt like I should be following only one program, or only one author's diet principles. "How can there be so many contradicting theories? Who do I trust? What is best for me?" I asked. But I only found answers when I relaxed, quieted my mind, and let go. I didn't let go in an "eat whatever I want" way, but in a "take it one day at a time, doing my best to make the best decisions for my life and body." I realized that, while I respect and love all these authors, I don't have to follow just one. We all have likes, dislikes, and desires that are different from each other. So I picked up a few principles from these books, and implemented the ones I truly believed in. Deep down, we do truly know what is best for us!
Here are the diet/lifestyle tips that I have found most helpful (in no particular order of importance):
1.) body brush every day! I bought a dry body brush from PCC for about $8. If you don't know what one is, it's a natural bristle brush that you use to literally brush your skin. It helps remove wastes, toxins, and cellulite. The best description of how to body brush is in Raw Food Life Force Energy. Here's my quick summary; you take the brush, and (standing completely dry and naked) brush your skin from your feet, in upward strokes up your legs and calves, thighs, butt, all the way up to your armpits. Take some time to move the brush in slow circles over the back of the thighs to help fight cellulite. Then brush from the tips of your fingers up to your armpits and shoulders. Avoid the breast area, but make sure you brush all other areas of your skin in long, slow strokes. This takes hardly any time at all. I do it every morning as soon as I wake up and it feels great! My skin tone has greatly improved!
2.) exercise! It's obvious, I know, but what isn't obvious is how easy it is to get exercise. My favorite daily routine is to do 10 sun salutes (yoga) as learned from Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra. I do this almost every morning after I body brush. It takes no more than 10 minutes and is a wonderful way to get exercise! You don't have to sweat and strain every day; just do something. I also love to walk outdoors so I try to walk to the local shopping center (about a 20 minute brisk walk away) whenever I can find an excuse to. Other things you can do: jog, dance, play Wii fit games, do exercise tapes. Find something you love to do and do it often.
3.) don't put anything into your body until you are truly hungry! This is another one that sounds obvious but is frequently ignored. I have read quiet a few books that explain how the digestive system needs rest and shouldn't be activated until necessary. Most of us eat much earlier than we honestly need to, based on habit and convenience. And we also tend to eat a lot more than we need that early in the morning! I know some people get light headed and think they need to eat as soon as they wake up or they won't make it through the day. For some of you, that may be true. But there are also some of us who eat before we are hungry just because we want to; and you know who you are. I find that if I wait to eat until I'm actually truly hungry, I eat much later in the morning, and I eat much less throughout the day. Food is available to nourish and sustain us, not to entertain us; so eat when you are hungry and NOT BEFORE! Seriously, just try it for one day even; it is especially useful the day after eating a LARGE, late dinner. I tried this one day when I forgot my breakfast on my way to work and couldn't afford to buy anything. I kept myself from obsessing over the fact that I had no food, and went on with my day. When I started feeling a little hungry, I sipped warm water (that always curbs cravings and hunger within minutes for me!) and I was fine and full of energy throughout my whole shift. In fact, I felt better than I usually did! I ended up feeling very in tune with my body, and could tell that I really didn't need food in the early morning after all. When I got home form work, I was finally hungry and I ate a banana--and that wasn't until 2pm! Just imagine all the unnecessary calories you may be consuming just out of habit!
4.) eat light to heavy! Now this one can be hard for those of you who have been drilled with the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be the largest" theory. I do agree that breakfast is very important, but not because it should have a shit ton of calories; it is important because if you eat crap (heavy, dense food), you'll feel tired, heavy, and weighed down; and if you eat light, pure, energizing, fresh foods, you will feel light, pure, and energized throughout your day! When your body isn't weighed down with all the food it is working to digest, it will provide you with more energy. Natalia Rose explains this beautifully. My quick summary is this: eat foods that digest fastest in the morning, and eat your heavier foods for dinner. This will help your food digest faster without fermenting or "backing you up," if you know what I mean. The quickest digesting foods are fruits, vegetables, and their freshly squeezed juices. They make great breakfasts if you can get over the whole "eat a giant breakfast" myth. This is another thing to just give a try. If it doesn't work for you, then you can always go back to your routine. The truth is, you won't starve. Just get out of your head! Listen to your body, not your cravings! Fresh fruit is so pure and cleansing, and should be eaten daily. If you are eating pancakes and oatmeal for breakfast, how are you eating enough fruit? And don't tell me you are eating it for dessert or along side your lunch; fresh fruit does not digest well with ANYTHING else. It will sit on top of your other food and ferment, making you bloated and gassy. Eating fruit first, followed by the denser foods later in the day, will speed your digestion right along. Here's something to think about: Have you ever talked to a girl who is effortlessly skinny? You will usually hear her admit, "I poop after every meal!" Yes, pooping often is a key to weight loss. You want the vitamins in your body and the waste out. And, if you're not "effortlessly skinny" or an easy-pooper, you need to help your digestive system! Eat light to heavy! (A good order of light to heavy foods to remember is this: Fruit/veggie juice-- fresh fruit-- fresh, raw veggies and salad-- nuts, seeds, and dried fruit-- cooked, heavy food.)
5.) eat fresh fruit or fresh pressed fruit/veggie juice as your first meal of the day! The reason is obvious if you read my last tip. Fruit for breakfast is perfect! I usually eat an apple when I'm first hungry and then a second piece of fruit, usually a banana, about an hour later. After that I'm usually good until dinner if I'm eating dinner early enough. If not, I eat carrots, a salad, or a snack bar (like Lara bar.) The second part of this tip is also important: So many people recommend drinking freshly juiced fruit and veggie juices, especially the juice of dark, leafy greens. Greens have protein and chlorophyll and a ton of other vitamins and minerals. Most of us don't get many greens throughout the day (unless you eat nothing but salad) so getting your green juice in the morning is wonderful. It can be expensive to buy a head of kale every other day, but I still like to juice some greens whenever I can! Just make sure you juice your greens with fresh apple or lemon so it's not bitter!
6.) eat raw till dinner! now this is one that I know can be hard for a lot of people. The fact is, the more raw food you eat in the form of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and grains, the better. Raw foods are pure and uncooked and have all of their enzymes and vitamins intact. This principle is easy if you follow all of the other tips: not eating until you are hungry makes you eat a little later in the day. And if you eat light to heavy, your first meal should be fruit, your second meal should be more fruit or veggies or a salad, and your last meal should be a big, hearty, balanced dinner! It was easy for me to eat raw till dinner after a couple days of trying it out. And I don't eat like this religiously every day. It's just a principle that I know is best for my body. Being aware of that helps me make better choices.
7.) fall in love with salads! salads can be boring...if you let them! But they are so good for you, and can taste truly amazing if you get creative. I eat a giant salad as a main component to almost every dinner. I get a big plate, top it with a huge pile of greens, avocado, tomato, cucumber, fresh garlic, onion, carrots (give or take a few ingredients depending on the day) and sometimes olives or tamari chickpeas from Eat Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. Sometimes I use a simple dressing of vinegar, oil, and agave nectar; or lemon juice, oil, agave nectar, and nama shoyu; or a favorite store-bought dressing. Find a way to make salads that you love. If you eat dairy, throw on some goat cheese! If you're vegan, go to Sidecar Grocery in the U District and get some "Sheese." If you want something sweet, make a salad with sliced asian pear, walnuts, raisins, and a raspberry vinaigrette (just remember that fresh fruit digests much better alone, so be prepared for the possibility of potential gas or bloating!) Get creative. Love salads. Eat them as often as you can!
8.) properly combine your food! This is a very good principle in speeding up digestion. Natalia Rose explains it best, and I know my summary won't do it justice, so please read Raw Food Life Force Engery if you are interested in understanding food combining. But just to clue you in a little here's my quick summary: starches (grains, bread) and starchy vegetables (potatoes, etc) are one category, flesh (meat, eggs) and dairy are another, nuts and dried fruit are yet another, and fresh fruit is another. All of these categories (except fresh fruit, which you now know digests best alone) digest well with all raw, non-starch veggies (lettuce, carrots, etc), but otherwise should not be mixed and eaten with any other category. That's why a burger is so slow to digest; the meat does not digest well with the starch of the bun! That's why your tummy can rumble if you eat fresh fruit after dinner! That's why a cheese pizza sits in your intestines for hours! I agree that food combining is important for optimal health and weight loss, but I have to admit I do not always follow it 100%. But knowing this helps keep me aware and helps me understand the choices I make. Being aware is what matters.
9.) eat only until satisfied! This one is so obvious but it's the hardest for me to follow! I love eating until I am exploding but that is not healthy for your mind, body, or digestion. Food is here to nourish, remember? So stop eating when you are full! Don't eat seconds just because they are there! If you learn to eat peacefully, and pre-portion your food to proportions you know are good for you, it will be much easier. If you get a "snack-tooth" drink some tea instead. Or do something active. I like to write when I'm feeling snacky. And if you do give in and overeat, don't beat yourself up about it. Just remember that every day is a new day and a new chance for you to make a better decision. You ARE capable of making healthy choices!
10.) cut out all addictive foods! If you have a tendency toward binging (like I do) it's worth it to take a look at what those foods are. Most likely it is sweets, refined foods, or heavy, oily, fried foods. On my Raw Food Journey Blog, I wrote about my Addiction Free Diet Experiment. After realizing certain foods caused binging, I decided to cut some out completely, and manage others strictly for a short period of time. Dessert was the thing I gave up completely the first week. I also pre-portioned my grain intake (1 cup of rice or pasta), cut out refined flour and sugar products, abstained from fried foods, and refrained from snacking. I only did this "hard core" for one week. But afterward, I found that I was able to make better choices. I no longer NEED dessert every day. I no longer snack just because I can't stop. While I still give in to a few cravings, I feel more in control. Try cutting out something you know is addictive. Your body only craves what vices you give it. If you are addicted to cheese, cut it out for a week or even a couple days. Your body will cleanse itself and you will no longer need it. If you feel you want to continue to eat cheese, hopefully it will now be easier to eat in moderation. But don't bring back an addictive food until you feel peaceful about it. If you feel like you might binge, you are not ready. Food addiction is so similar to an alcohol or drug addiction. And let me tell you, it feels great to be free!
11.) make affirmations! Almost every day, I write little affirmations either in my journal or my food journal. I write things like "I am in control of my eating, I have the perfect body, I am learning to make better choices every day, I am alive and full of life force energy." This is especially useful after you experience an "uh-oh" with your diet plan. Self-loathing is usually the first reaction when you make a mistake, but it is highly destructive; positive affirmations make you feel good and reinforce good habits. Try this whenever you are bored like when you are watching tv or just waiting around for something to do. This is usually when the snack-cravings occur! Try something positive, like writing affirmations, instead!
12.) keep a food journal! I've been keeping track of everything I eat for the past couple months. I also keep track of my weight, notes on how certain foods or choices make me feel, how much sleep I get, when I exercise, when I body brush. It seemed like an inconvenience at first, but now that I've done it for so long, it's second nature. I don't know if I will ever want to stop! It's helpful because if you lose or gain a significant amount of weight one week, it's easy to look at your food journal to see why. That's how I realized what foods I should keep eating and which ones I should abstain from. And writing down everything you eat helps you really see "the big picture." It also helps you snack less. Just try it, even for a week!
13.) quit eating refined, processed foods! You know that real, pure, whole foods are better for you, right? Well then quit eating fake, processed, refined foods like refined white sugar, candy, and refined flour products. The best grain products are whole, unrefined grains, like brown rice. White rice is highly refined and devoid of essential nutrients. The best whole grain bread products are 100% whole wheat, whole spelt, sprouted grains etc. Read the ingredients; if the word "whole" or "sprouted" is not before the type of grain, it is most likely refined. And look out for those products that include whole grains, but also include refined grains. My favorite whole grain breads are Food for Life sprouted Grain Breads, and Old Mill Bakery brand Honey Whole Wheat, both found at health food stores and even Fred Meyer and a few other traditional grocers. You can also find whole or sprouted grain tortillas and bagels. My favorite whole grain or gluten free cookies (also free of refined sugars) are Nana's. For those of you who cannot stand whole grain products, all I have to say is, "Your loss!" At least try to find ones that you like. To learn more about healthier forms of grain products and sugar, read Skinny Bitch, The Raw Food Detox Diet, or Raw Food Life Force Energy. These books, especially Skinny Bitch, are essential in learning the truth about what you eat and how to make healthier choices. I reviewed all of them on my Raw Food Journey blog.
That's all for now! I'll add more when I think of them!
About this blog!
Hello there! This is my second blog, yay! I started my first, Tessonja's Raw Food Journey, as I was transitioning away from being an overeating "junk food vegan" with the inention of eating more pure, healthy, whole foods. I was inspired by Natalia Rose's book, Raw Food Life Force Energy to include more raw foods in my diet, along with many other changes in my daily routine. I was experiencing a major transformation in my body and diet and I wanted to share my experience because I could tell I was "on to something." So there my blog was born. And my experiences have been wonderful! Throughout my journey (so far) I have overcome a lot of anxiety about "the proper diet." I picked up a lot of good tips from the books I read, and found the greatest results and clarity from designing my own diet and lifestyle based on the principles I decided were best for me. I finally reached my perfect weight! And my journey continues every day and I will continue to share my new experiences and insights on my Raw Food Journey blog.
This new blog is another way for me to share a different aspect of my passion for food. It will be less of a journal than my last blog, less focused on raw foods, and aimed more at vegan food in general (of course there will still be raw recipes!) It will include my own vegan recipes and pictures, links to my favortie recipes, reviews of products and books, and tips and insights for anyone interested in transitioning to a healthier diet (vegan or not!) I will share diet tips that work based on my own experience and recipes for all stages of "the vegan transition."
This new blog is another way for me to share a different aspect of my passion for food. It will be less of a journal than my last blog, less focused on raw foods, and aimed more at vegan food in general (of course there will still be raw recipes!) It will include my own vegan recipes and pictures, links to my favortie recipes, reviews of products and books, and tips and insights for anyone interested in transitioning to a healthier diet (vegan or not!) I will share diet tips that work based on my own experience and recipes for all stages of "the vegan transition."
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