rawktober: day six

I guess I haven't really been talking about how I've been feeling since starting this rawktober cleanse, have I? Of course, I can't be sure if the two are related, but I definitely think I've been having some detox symptoms including headaches and fatigue. But maybe I could just be having a slight hangover today... Hmm. On the flip side, my poops have been RAWSOME and frequent. I know we all feel uncomfortable talking about these things but hey, it's an essential part of our lives! Why so awk?

     In a nutshell, I've been eating, pooping, and sleeping a whole lot. How about you? Do you feel the detox?

     ANYWAY, today I'd like to share a recipe for bbq cauliflower bites.

rawktober: day two

     I woke up this morning at my usual early hour with my head still pounding from yesterday's overload. My house freezing, all I wanted was a big hearty bowl of piping hot chili. Instead, I grabbed 3 bananas and a jar of almond butter, set the kettle, curled up on the couch with a blanket and watched as the rain ceremoniously pissed on my lawn.

     It was decided. I wasn't going to leave my blankets today. I filled my trusty hot water bottle, made an extra litre of tea, and proceeded to do absolutely nothing for the next few hours. Except make raw sushi. And go for massage therapy. And get a [de]coffee. And read intermittently. It's been a soul-healing kind of day. Maybe I'll even have a bath, and maybe a sneaky glass of wine... or is that pushing today's self-care levels off the charts?

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I’VE LEARNED THAT YOU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT A PERSON BY THE WAY (S)HE HANDLES THESE THREE THINGS: A RAINY DAY, LOST LUGGAGE, AND TANGLED CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS.

maya angelou

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rawktober: day one

     Today went more smoothly than I thought. A 13 hour day at school, with one midterm in the morning and the other late at night? I didn't think I'd have the energy to resist non-raw campus food and carry around my own 3 meals all day. Alas, I pulled through. Now, a warm cup of tea and off to bed to soothe my pounding brain.

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A COMFORT ZONE IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, BUT NOTHING EVER GROWS THERE. 

unknown

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prepping for rawktober

Hey guys! Just so you know, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth- I've just been out travelling for 4 months, and spent the last month getting back into the routine groove. But I'm back! 

While I was drifting off to sleep the other night, I decided I needed a change. Something to help me jump back on the health-conscious bandwagon (which I've been unceremoniously slipping off of during my adventuring). I thought, rawktober. Now that sounds cool. No, it sounds cheesy and ridiculous and so very me. So here we go, I'm commiting to a month of eating live foods. Join me, and let's make it fun times for all of us! (Oh, yeah, I've even gotten around to the whole #rawtkober on Tweeter. psh, I'm no noob anymore! By the by, here's a link to my account, follow me, I'm new!)

The most important thing whilst embarking on a raw food diet is planning. You don't want to be stuck with a burning hunger or low blood sugar with nothing but processed food around you! Sounds like a recipe for disaster, in my case at least. It's essential to remember to EAT, and to eat everything you need to be eating. Don't restrict yourself to munching on raw fruits and veggies. Keep your fat intake at a healthy level with avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters and oils. You CAN eat grains and legumes, you just have to sprout them! Raw food doesn't have to be skimpy. It is rich, energizing, and satisfying. You just have to know how to go about it.

I've put together a list of basic food staples that are going to come in super handy in the kitchen for the next 4 weeks. Make sure your home is stocked with [some of] these essentials so you don't experience a "there's no food!" crisis mid-week. Alter according to season and preference:

FRESH FOODS:

apples; bananas; plums; pears; grapefruit; oranges; grapes; lemons; tomatoes; cucumbers; celery; cabbage (savoy, green, purple); avocados; leafy greens (kale, swiss chard, mustard greens); eggplant; mushrooms; cauliflower; broccoli; cayenne, bell, poblano & jalapeno peppers; fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, mint); root veggies (ginger, turmeric, carrots, beets, yams, garlic, onions - red, yellow, green), squash (zucchini, spaghetti, acorn); frozen spinach; frozen berries; wheatgrass shots.

PANTRY::

almonds; cashews; pecans; sunflower & pumpkin seeds; sesame seeds; nori sheets; quinoa; wild rice; buckwheat groats; oats; tahini; apple cider vinegar; dates; dried fruit; raw chocolate; kelp noodles; maple syrup; honey; coconut oil; COCONUT & CACAO BUTTER (nom!).
ADD-INS:
nutritional yeast; maca powder; cacao powder; bee pollen; spirulina; chlorella; acai powder; dulse flakes; spices.

mango millet salad

Serves 1 (can easily be doubled and/or tripled-- makes a great packed lunch)

1/4 cup millet

1/2+ cup water or vegetable broth

1/4 red onion, chopped

handful kale or other greens, chopped

handful fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, chopped

1 mango, diced

1/8 cup cranberries or dried cherries

1/8 cup slivered almonds

salt and pepper, to taste

tahini mustard dressing, to taste (I like to use fresh garlic)

Bring millet and water/broth to a boil, bring heat to medium-low, cover pot and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes. 

When cooled, combine along with other ingredients. Devour.

warming up to quinoa

Although these dreary days are slowing turning into warmer, spring ones, I'm still working on getting over my winter blues. I've never been a big fan of quinoa (gasp in astonishment here), but lately I've been experimenting with ways to make it please me. The other day, I had a warm quinoa/tomato/kale salad, which wasn't all too bad. I have a feeling quinoa would be pretty good risotto-style; I don't seem to mind it when it's coated in something else altogether. This morning, however, I felt confident enough to try the ever-so-popular-on-Google-searches apple cinnamon breakfast quinoa! Gotta admit, I was hesitant to add the raisins, as I've never done so before to any porridge, but they definitely made the meal. (And maybe you've noticed that cooked bananas are an indispensable component of any porridge- no need for sweeteners when I've got these babies on hand!)

Serves 1

1/8 cup cooked quinoa

approx. 1 cup almond milk

1/2 banana, mashed

1/2 apple, diced

1 tbsp raisins

vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, coconut flakes, etc.

Cook the already-cooked quinoa in the almond milk. When it expands to desired consistency, add the remaining ingredients and heat until the banana caramelizes, and the apples and raisins soften (if you so desire). Enjoy topped with coconut flakes, walnuts, or whatever else tickles your fancy.

nutrition (entire recipe):

268.0 kcal

fat 5.2g

carbs 55.4g

protein 5.4g

no better way to wake up on a rainy saturday

Fruit in the morning is my favourite. Especially bananas. I've been feeling pretty down in the dumps lately, I feel like I'm about to come down with something, but it's only hit me 3/4 of the way. It's a pretty crappy feeling. I resisted the urge to gobble down some snickerdoodles and decided to prepare myself a lovely fruity "cereal-less" bowl instead. And now I'll move on to my favourite chocolate-kiwi-kale smoothie, and I'll be set for the day!...hopefully.

Although this so-called "recipe" is basically just throwing a bunch of the fruits you have on hand into a bowl and topping them with non-dairy milk, here's my combo this morning:

Serves one

1 banana

1 plum

1 nectarine

6 strawberries

handful of blueberries

1 cup of non-dairy milk (or yoghurt)

Dice the fruit, toss in a bowl, and feel free to garnish with nuts, toasted buckwheat groats, coconut, peanut butter, or agave. Get creative! ;)

lick yo lips pumpkin spice mocha

As you can probably already tell, I've got an abundance of leftover pumpkin and I'm not afraid to use it! On with the pumpkin recipes, shall we?

For a little over a one cup serving

3/4 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup non-dairy milk (eg. coconut- yum), or more

1/2 banana

about 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, or add until desired thickness

vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, etc.

1-2 tbsp cacao powder

sweetener, to taste

Dunk everything in your blender and combine until smooth and frothy. One word: nom.

chocolate & vanilla kale smoothie variations

When you can't decide on breakfast, have it all - a saying I live by. The other day, I decided to have raw crepes, raw buckwheat cereal, a smoothie, and a raw bagel with avocado mash for breakfast. 

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EAT BREAKFAST LIKE A KING, LUNCH LIKE A PRINCE, AND DINNER LIKE A PAUPER. 

adelle davis

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Okay so maybe I haven't been entirely true to that statement lately-- I feel as though I've been dining majestically at all meals. But hey, who's to judge? Either way, part of today's breakfast included some smoothies that I never thought of trying before. You see, usually when I think of smoothies, I think of loading in everything I can to make it the most nutrition-packed green goodness possible. I guess "keeping it simple" never crossed my mind, even though I've heard claims that the simplest smoothies are, in fact, the tastiest. Halfway through my blending this morning, I decided to pour out some of my original smoothie into a cup, and add a few more ingredients to the rest to test out a few new flavours. The verdict? Heaven. And for those of you who aren't completely in love with kale (yet) like I am, great news: You can't even taste it!

Note: don't question the kiwi, just throw it in. You can thank me later ;)

The recipes: 

Make one cup of thick smoothie each, or 2 cups thin (if you dilute it with some more milk)

Basic vanilla shake

1 cup kale

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 banana

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of cardamom

sweetener, to taste

Chocolate kiwi shake

1 cup kale

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 banana

1 kiwi

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp cacao

pinch of nutmeg

sweetener, to taste

Blend together, pour into glasses, and savour the deliciousness. 

sweet & sour portobello "steak" and cauliflower/carrot mash

Based off Quiche-a-week's delicious recipe. Details to come!

carrots gone dry?

No recipe today, but a fantastic tip that I wish I knew about ages ago! Do your carrots dry up too, when you keep them in your bag all day? Well I've got a solution for you! Slice in some bell pepper and store them in your snack bag along with the carrots- they'll keep them moist plus you've got yourself some more healthy snacking! Win-win, folks.

carrot pasta with creamy dressing

Today's been a tough day. PMS and complete exhaustion don't go hand-in-hand. I tried to cheer myself up by spreading some joy, but my speech failed me and I ended up complimenting a random chick on her "awesome boobs!" instead of boots... Sigh. A compliment's a compliment, I guess, even though I did come off as a massive creep. The minute I got home I fixed me up a delicious raw dinner -- and gobbled it down before I could even snap a photo or two. Below is my variation of the recipe, and here's the inspiration. One Vegan Bite's also got a picture of it on the post to tickle your tastebuds.

Serves one.

1 large carrot, spiralized or cut on a mandolin and sliced into "noodles"

some kelp noodles

2 tbsp milk (I used flax)

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp Dijon mustard (because it's my favourite condiment; although I 

          can imagine that the almond butter originally called for would be

          quite delicious here as well)

1 mushroom, chopped

handful of broccoli, chopped (or any other veggies)

sprinkling of 1/2 nori sheet, crumbled

pinch of kelp, nutritional yeast, black pepper, and garlic powder

Prepare the carrot and throw in some kelp noodles; set aside.

Combine the 3 sauce ingredients and pour onto the "noodles." Allow to marinate and soften them while you prep your veggies. Shouldn't take long- devour!

vegan eggnog cupcakes with dandies and spiced chai frosting!

Diet failed. Time for some cupcakes instead! (Who cares about being healthy in the holidays anyway?) I decided to spent my whole afternoon baking, and made a crust as well as a frosting for these cupcakes, although I'm sure that either are omittable!

Serves 12

the cupcakes:
1 cup Almond Noel nog (or any vegan eggnog)
1/2 cup rum (+more to drink with leftover eggnog whilst baking)
1/4 cup oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups spelt flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
dandies (vegan marshmallows)

the crust:
3/4 cup nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds)
1/4 cup soaked dates
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp honey/agave (if needed; or additional molasses)
pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, cloves
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup candied ginger (optional but recommended)

the frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
2 tbsp eggnog
1 tbsp rum
pinch of nutmeg
2 1/2 cups icing sugar (or more, if needed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered chai tea


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In your food processor, grind the nuts, then add the remaining crust ingredients and process until it is like a paste. Push 1 or 2 tbsps of the "crust" into lined mini-muffin tins.
Combine first 4 ingredients of the muffins in a small bowl, and combine the others in a large bowl. Whisk the wet into the dry (the mixture will be fairly runny), and add coconut flakes if desired. Spoon a little less than 1/4 cup measures of the mixture into lined muffin tins; add one marshmallow (or more) to each cupcake and cover with remaining mixture. Bake for approx. 15 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back at the touch and a toothpick comes out clean when they are poked. Be careful not to overbake; the crust may burn slightly (though it will not necessarily taste bad, it will be very hard).
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by combining all the icing ingredients in a blender, food processor, or electric whisk. 
When the cupcakes are cooled, use a toothpick to claw little wormholes through their middles and spoon the frosting into them, as well as glazing the muffin tops. Next, if you still have cupcakes left ( and haven't eaten them all up in the process like I did), eat 'em up!

Note: Recipe can also be made into an "eggnog pie". Simply spoon the crust, muffin, and frosting batters into a pie pan instead. in the same order as above. (Being ambitious as I am, I made both cupcakes and a pie! Deeeelish)

crunchy cauliflower and brussel sprout "chips"

This snack is super easy to make, and a great low-calorie, healthy alternative to chips or fries!

Serves 2

1 small head cauliflower (or broccoli works too, but bakes faster-- watch the tree-tops so they don't sizzle into charcoal!)
30 brussel sprouts
oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the cauliflower up into little heads, and halve the brussel sprouts. Spray lightly with cooking oil and stick in the oven for ~ half an hour. Keep checking regularly for desired crunchiness.
I like to eat 'em up with a mixture of ketchup, dijon, tamari, tabasco and liquid smoke.

156 kcal per serving, oil and sauce not included

single buckwheat banana muffin

Inspired by chocolate-covered katie's recipe.

for the muffin...


1T buckwheat flour
1T coconut flour
1T Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free flour
1/4t baking powder
pinch of baking soda
pinch of salt

2T mashed banana
1T applesauce
1/2t vanilla extract
2T almond milk
1t agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients and the wet in separate bowls, mix together, and place in a muffin cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is browned.


for the frosting...


2T mashed banana
1T Toffutti cream cheese
1T silken tofu
1/2t vanilla extract

optional:
1/2t matcha powder
1/4t spirulina
1/4t chlorella

Mash and whip together ingredients with a fork, smother on the muffin.