Dinner: Keep it simple

It's good to remember that I don't have to cook a big meal every night just because I want to be healthy and avoid frozen pre-made dinners or fast food. It's possible to eat a simple, yet totally healthy home cooked meal that can also taste great.

Here's my new formula for those nights when I'm low on time:
1- cook a whole grain (boil and simmer on the stove)
2- add some veggies to the pot when it's almost done (but there is still water in the pot)
3- Season and add a little dairy-free butter or olive oil,
4- Have a big salad to go with it
Note: I usually try to add beans to the grain dish or on the salad since they are a great plant source of calcium and iron, not to mention the fiber and protein.

My simple dinner experiment:
So tonight I made quinoa, not knowing really what I was going to do with it. There are countless uses for quinoa (such as warm in the morning with almond milk, cinnamon and dates; warm as a pilaf with cooked veggies and seasonings; cold as a salad with a vinegarette dressing and mango/red pepper  or with citrus dressing and squash/craisins, etc) so I wasn't too worried.

A couple minutes before it was done cooking (it only takes 10-15 minutes total to cook by the way), I ended up throwing in a diced yellow squash and the carrot pulp from the juice I made yesterday. I also added Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" spices and a couple tablespoons Earth Balance dairy-free "butter" spread (I get the soy free kind).

I paired that with a big salad and we had a wonderful, yet simple and nutritious meal. :)

Nutritional note:
Here is a great article from Harvard School of Public Health, about the benefits of eating good carbs (aka whole grains): http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/ 

UPDATE:

I just found this awesome quote from Brigham Young!

"I believe that we enslave our women; … our tables are covered with every delicacy and variety that we can think of… I do not believe in mixing up our food. This is hurtful. It destroys the stomach by overtaxing the digestive powers; and in addition to that it almost wears out the lives of our females by keeping them so closely confined over cooking stoves…We can have a variety in diet, and yet have simplicity. We can have a diet that will be easily prepared, and yet have it healthful. We can have a diet, that will be tasteful, nutritious and delightful to us, and easy to digest…” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 13: 154

Amen!

Sweet Potato Curry

Dinner tonight was Sweet Potato Curry, one of our favorites!

Combine the following in a Crock Pot and leave for about 5 hours:
1 cup dry lentils (sorted and rinsed)
4 sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
2 cups coconut milk (canned, organic, full fat)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp curry powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Optional: add a 1/2 cup frozen peas or broccoli about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve over brown rice, quinoa, or other grain of your choice. And don't forget a big salad too. :)

This is a protein packed, iron packed, Vitamin A & other nutrient packed dinner, sure to fill and satisfy even those who aren't accustomed to eating vegetarian or vegan meals. My husband loves it. Give it a try!

Green Energy Soup

I just made this today and I want to eat it everyday! It is packed with nutrition and extremely alkalinizing. Just put it all in the blender:

Green Energy Soup 

(from my book "Going Raw" by Judita Wignall)

2 cups water

5 leaves kale, stems removed, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

2 Tbsp lime juice

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper (opt)

1 avocado

pepper to taste

Blend in vita mix (best option, but regular blender is ok, just won't be as smooth). The lime juice makes this amazing, so don't leave it out. What a refreshing, completely raw meal that is so easy to eat and very tasty!

Note: If your produce is room temp (such as if you just came back from the store), and if you blend in a Vita Mix or Blendtech, the soup will be luke warm (or warmer depending on how long you blend for) which I thought tasted great, especially if you're not used to cold soups (such as the Spanish "gazpacho"). Please don't microwave this, or heat it up... half the nutrients will be killed, and the whole point of this soup is that it contains awesome nutrients for your body. :)

Valentine's Dinner: Pomegranate Salad, Beet Soup, Tomato Pizza, and Brownies

I decided to make a 4 course meal for dinner this Valentine's Day. My husband would normally make me dinner on this holiday, or we would go out, but due to his work schedule, and my desire to try out some new dishes, I decided to do it. So I chose a theme...Red (I know, very original), and from there, came up with these fun dishes, most of which are raw too!

Pomegranate Salad

3 cups fresh spinach

Seeds from 1 Pomegranate

1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw cashews

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1-2 tsp pomegranate juice

Makes 2 big servings.

Divide spinach and place on each plate. Sprinkle on pomegranate seeds. Top with cashews. Splash with lemon and pomegranate juices and enjoy!

I loved the sweetness of the pomegranates and the creaminess of the cashews. The dressing was light and sweet. A perfect start to the meal. :) 

Beet Soup

(This is from my book "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz)

2 beets, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 avocado

First peel and chop up the beets and add to the blender. Since I don't have a high speed blender, I put them in the food processor first, then once they were pretty well processed, put them in the blender and added the apple and lemon juice and a little water. Last I added the avocado. You just add water until you have a consistency you are happy with. I recommend eating this right away. I made it the day before and it tasted great, but when I pulled it out of the fridge the next day, it was not as good (probably because of the avocado- they are always best when eaten immediately after peeled).

I would probably not try this for someone who is not used to raw foods, and isn't used to the earthy, root flavor of the raw beets. This was not my husband's favorite. However, he didn't taste it right after I made it; he might have liked it better if he had.

Veggie Pizza

You can see my veggie pizza post here. I made it with marinated mushroom, a little marinated zucchini, and with lots of tomatoes and basil, since I was trying to keep with the Valentine's Day theme of RED. :)


Last but not least...

Raw Brownies!

(I based this off of a recipe in Judita Wignall's book "Going Raw," but made some changes.) 

I admit I was skeptical at first, looking at the ingredients. How good can these be with just raisins, dates, almonds, and unsweetened chocolate powder? Let me tell you...they are amazing! My husband and son both loved them (for those who know them both, you know this is HUGE!). My husband said they were more like fudge than brownies. I made half the brownie recipe and the full frosting recipe, and the frosting did taste like fudge, so that is probably why. Try them and see for yourself how good a raw brownie can be!

Brownie ingredients:
4 cups raw almonds, soaked 8 hours and dehydrated (the original recipe calls for walnuts, which I couldn't use since my son is allergic, but I'm sure they would be great as well.)
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup dates
2/3 cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa if you don't have raw cacao)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla (alcohol free- such as from Trader Joe's)
pinch sea salt
2 Tbsp water 

Frosting ingredients: 
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
2/3 cup cacao powder

Blend nuts (in food processor or high speed blender) into a fine meal. Add raisins and dates and blend until well combined. Add cacao, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and blend until mixed. Transfer to a bowl and add the water (you might need to add a little more if needed). Mix with your hands until you have a nice big ball that resembles dough (be careful not to put too much water in though- it should not be sticky, just nicely moistened). Press the dough firmly into a glass square baking pan. Spread the frosting on top and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.

To make frosting:
Add maple syrup (must be room temperature or warm) to the blender or food processor. Then add liquid coconut oil and blend. Finally add cacao powder. You will end up with a very rich dark chocolate frosting (this would probably be great for cupcakes or other desserts as well- no hydrogenated oil or refined sugar!).

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I had a great Valentine's Day. For the first time I realized that I don't need candy or sugary baked goods to celebrate this holiday. We gave each other valentine's cards and presents, I got a great work out, went to the park with my boys, and ate highly energizing REAL food that tasted great, but most importantly, made me feel great. :)

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day as well and hope you enjoy these recipes!

Broccoli, mushrooms & rice

Broccoli and zucchini are hard for me to eat raw and I usually don't like mushrooms at all. But I absolutely love this dish!

Broccoli, mushrooms & rice

Ready for the secret? 

Marinate the veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, and I really like adding zucchini although not necessary)! Slice them and stick in a plastic zip lock bag with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and organic gluten-free Tamari (a natural soy sauce used for flavor in lots of raw foods). You only need to marinate for 15 minutes to taste a huge difference. (Make sure to rub the marinade around into the veggies after closing the zip lock bag, so it gets into all parts of the broccoli especially.)

Then mix with cooked brown rice and enjoy! 

(Note: The rice should be warm, while the veggies will be cool. Sounds weird, since you are probably used to a warm meal, but the amazing nutrients you will be getting from the raw foods cancels out any weirdness and makes it tastes great!)

Fresh Beet Salad

Yes, you can eat beets raw. I used to think you had to cook them. They can taste a little...rooty...if you take a bite of a raw beet, but grating them and adding to salads can taste truly wonderful and refreshing! (Not to mention an easy dish and great way to get some Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Fiber, Folate, Potassium, and Manganese-- click here for a full description of nutrition facts for beets.)

Fresh Beet Salad

1 beet, peeled and grated

Choice of greens (I used a Spring Mix here)

Garbanzo or other beans (if you want to eat completely raw then omit this ingredient)

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Salt

Fill your plate with greens. Top with grated beets and garbanzo beans. Squeeze lemon juice from 1/4 lemon (to taste), drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt.

I had 3 platefuls of this and was incredibly satisfied. It was almost as if I could feel the live energy from the raw beets and all the leafy greens I had piled on my plate so generously. The beans definitely made it more hearty, if you are not eating 100% raw and need some extra plant-based protein. :)

Day 13- Vegan Enchiladas

Today I felt like eating enchiladas. Then I realized I could! Enchiladas don't need meat and cheese- you can put in rice & beans and whatever veggies you want!

Vegan Enchiladas

Mix together: 3/4 of a 15 oz can enchilada sauce (or your own), 4 cups rice, 1-2 cans black beans, 1 cup chopped spinach, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 cup chopped bell peppers, anything else you want.

Spread half of the remaining sauce on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Fill whole wheat tortillas with mixture, roll up and put into pan (with the seam face down). Pour remaining sauce and leftover rice & bean mixture on top.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Top with avocado cream (avocado mixed with cilantro, splash of lime, and seasoning salt).

Delicious!