rawtkober: day sixteen

Yesterday, I ran into a raw foodist friend of mine from a few years back. He immediately asked, "are you eating raw? Because you're absolutely glowing!" He told me twice. I blushed the whole way home. Maybe he's right- I do feel lighter, airier, and my skin has been clearer than usual. It sure is nice to hear, though. Do you feel any changes?

     Oh! I absolutely have to share my corn salad recipe. It's heaven, I swear. I feel like it's summer again. Also, I put up the recipes for raw carrot cake and my raw thanksgiving, like I promised. Sorry for the delay-- I don't think I can commit to this whole post-a-day thing long term, I just get so busy with schoolwork (and wine- ahem) sometimes!

rawktober: day thirteen

Thirteen's a weird number. It looks weird. Like it's missing a letter. It's missing a "t," right? I mean, isn't it pronounced thirt-teen? 

It's bothering me.

Moving on.

Here's a slightly delayed post about my Thanksgiving dinner[s]. As you can see in the picture, I was occupied with my wine and it wasn't safe to have my laptop nearby. I make enough of a fool of myself as it is. This was my first holiday as a raw vegan (my Eastern-European family and family friends are still having a hard time accepting my veganism, and raw veganism is way up there on the wtf factor list), so I BYO dinner'd it. I decided to try out ATV's sweet potato dumplings (YUM!) with a few modest modifications that my taste buds can't do without - aka herbs & spices.

rawktober: day nine

I've got herpes.

- insert awkward pause -

     Sheesh, guys, chill out! I can see you freaking out over there, desperately dragging your mouse towards the close button on this open tab before you catch the virus via computer screen!!! Eeeek!!! What I mean is that I've got the gene for mouth herpes- in other words, I get cold sores. Yes, they're ugly. Yes, they hurt. And Yes, it sucks. But no, they're not contagious unless you also have the gene. For me, there's a few things that trigger my cold sores: stress, sleep deprivation, weather, and, of course, contact with someone who's got one. Since I'm obviously oh so painfully single at the moment, the first three factors must've set off these babies I've been sporting since yesterday! Wheee! ...not. Any of you that get cold sores know how big of a pain in the ass they are. I'm not even gonna start my rant. What I am going to do, however, is share a recipe for the scrumptious meal I prepared for myself this evening in honour of the offensive sprouting going on on my labium and of my sovereignty at the dinner table (aka life). 

Read on for the recipe as well as some tips on dealing with labial herpes (bro, I feel ya)

rawktober: day seven

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YOU KNOW IT'S A BAD DAY WHEN YOU PUT YOUR BRA ON BACKWARDS AND IT FITS BETTER.

unknown

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I don't wear bras. Firstly (and perhaps sadly?), because I don't need one. Secondly, because they're uncomfortable. Thirdly, because they're are hassle to remember to put on and take off. And lastly, because I just don't want to. A MindBodyGreen article I stumbled across today confirmed my decisions- bras aren't that great for you, anyway, apparently. My mum has been preaching to me for YEARS about how saggy my breasts (what breasts, mum?) are going to get in the future if I continue not to wear bras, but hey, according to numerous sources that include MindBodyGreen and LiveScience, wearing a bra should by no means be a necessity. If anything, it could even be more detrimental to our body than advantageous. Have a read, and unclip that shit gurl!

     Since you're probably busy burning your bra collection, here's a quick and easy salad recipe you can throw together for dinner.

rawktober: day five

I know my posts have been a day or two behind schedule but hey, it's hard to post every day! With school work and the raw food prep (and getting offered free, good-quality beer?) I've been doing, I hope you can understand.

     I feel like I need to tackle the issue of going out whilst on a raw food diet. Yesterday was my childhood best friend's birthday, to be celebrated at the infamous Cactus Club restaurant, and I was faced with the unavoidable scenario of having to go out for dinner with him and his friends. Although I felt uneasy at first, I decided that I couldn't simply chicken out - he would appreciate my coming even if I didn't participate in the eating (which saved me some $$$ too!). So, I ate a big raw dinner before he picked me up, and simply conversed sat at the table with his friends without ordering anything. I sensed out the crowd and, feeling like they wouldn't be the most open to my lifestyle, decided not to talk about my "weird" vegan diet, not to mention my month of raw foods. Conversely, my best friend, who told me is awfully impressed with my rawktober challenge, chose to flaunt it for me. "Olivia's vegan, and she's only eating raw food," he gloated for me. The girl sitting across looked up at me from her burger - wiping a drip of mayo off her chin, - uttered "ew," and continued eating. 

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NEVER WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO MISUNDERSTANDING YOU.

dream hampton

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Now, I'm not saying that we should hide behind the safety of our blenders at home and avoid any potential such situation! Don't let the fact that you choose not to eat certain foods restrict you from going out with friends to restaurants. If appropriate, use it as a tool to inspire others and share your knowledge and experiences. On the other hand, there are simply (and this is the sad truth) some people who chose not to open up to novelties in terms of eating. I could rant about this for hours, referring to more traditional folks like [my] relatives or some a**holes whose life goal seems to be to put every vegetarian down, but I just ran out of carrots to snack on and I'm getting antsy.

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.

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

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

garlic zucchini noodles with roasted brussel sprouts, fennel, and mushrooms

Serves one.

1 zucchini, spiralized or hand-cut into noodles

lemon juice

5 brussel sprouts, sliced, halved, or roughly chopped

1/3 bulb fennel, roughly chopped

2 mushrooms, sliced

1/3 onion

1 clove garlic

oil

spring onion

nutritional yeast

salt and pepper

liquid smoke

garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Prepare the zucchini, set aside with a squeeze of lemon juice to soften them up. Combine brussel sprouts, fennel, onion and garlic in a dish and coat lightly with oil. Place in oven for approx. 15 min; give the veggies a stir and add in the mushrooms for another 10 minutes or so. Remove from oven, and combine with the noodles, spicing it up with the toppings. 

Devour, guilt-free.

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!

cheesy pasta

Drunken pasta. Best. And so easy to make!

Serves one drunken vegan.

1/2 bag shirataki spaghetti noodles
3 chanterelle mushrooms
3 tbsp roasted tomato paste
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup broccoli florets
1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
4 drops liquid smoke
1/2 tsp kelp
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Heat the chanterelles on a pan with soy sauce; add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with ketchup (nom) and attempt to sober up ;)

nutty coconut broccolini and sprouts-fry

Delicious vegan 5-minute dinner! Can be low-calorie (substitutions below).

Serves one generously

1 tbsp peanut oil, or water
3 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp miso paste
1 tbsp crunchy peanut/almond butter
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1/8 cup light coconut milk, or other milk
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 1/2 cups broccolini

optional:
garlic powder
nutritional yeast
red pepper flakes
black pepper
kelp granules

Heat the onion in a pan until transparent, either in oil or water. Add miso paste, milk, and nut butter; next, throw in sprouts and broccolini, drizzling them with soy sauce and additional toppings. Heat through and devour!

per serving:
430 kcal (calculated using oil, nut butter, and coconut milk)
311 kcal (calculated using water, nut butter, and coconut milk)
252 kcal (calculated using water, nut butter, and unsweetened almond milk)
Remove an extra 100 calories if excluding the nut butter; I can't vouch for the authenticity of taste when these substitutions are made!