Menu planning – Asian Week

June 19, 2010

I’ve been quite remiss about sharing my weekly food prep. Quite shameful of me really, since this blog is about getting organized to make eating raw vegan as easy as possible. My goal is to someday get my food prep time down to less than 4 hours per week. It may be a bit ambitious. I think I sometimes make too much stuff and my life would be simpler if I repeated more meals. Fortunately, things like sprouts and dehydrates are low on the “hands-on” time even though they take a fair long while to get ready. I decided to go Asian this week. Here’s the plan (note: the re-use of items from day to day). The pate will keep for 2 weeks, so it may end up being Asian fortnight instead of Asian week.

Weekend prep

  • Sprouting  (I’m going with lentil)
  • Dehydrate kale chips for snacks
  • Dehydrate some gingered almonds
  • Make pates
  • Make salad dressing
  • Wash greens
  • Cut up sturdier vegetables (carrots, bell pepper, etc.)
  • Marinate some veggies (mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Breakfasts

  • Miso soup
  • Veggie scramble
  • Green juice or smoothie

Lunches

Dinners

  • Sushi
  • Pad Thai
  • Stir un-fry on parsnip rice
  • Spring rolls

Snacks

  • fruit
  • kale chips
  • veggies with asian pate dip

Three Seaweed Salad

May 31, 2010
Three Seaweed Salad

Three Seaweed Salad

I’ve got a new favorite salad.  I’ve been making it at least once per week.  I was inspired by the seaweed salads at my favorite local Japanese restaurant and the one I had in Baltimore at Liquid Earth.

Seaweed has a host of health benefits. It’s great for thyroid balance since it’s a natural source of iodine.  It’s chock full of B vitamins and minerals including including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, iron, and zinc.  Seaweed is a great way to get salty flavor into food without eating too much sodium — it’s way lower than typical sea salt.

This is simple, quick to make, and very satisfying. The kid will actually eat it, which amazes me.  Then again, she is a sushi hound so she’s accustomed to seaweed.

Three Seaweed Salad
Makes 6-8 hearty servings

2 cucumbers, diced
2 carrots, shredded or ribbon-ed
3 scallions, diced
1/2 cup arame
1/2 cup wakame
1/4 cup dulse or to taste (I use more, I like it salty)
1 recipe Asian vinaigrette

Asian Vinaigrette
Yields 1/2 cup

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar
2 Tablespoons mild oil of choice (olive, sesame, — I add a touch of flax oil for good omega fatty acids)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon tamari or nama shoyu (optional, omit if using lots of dulse)

Toss ingredients together.  Allow to sit 30-45 minutes to get flavors to blend, tossing occasionally.   Serve with love.

Keeps a couple of days in the fridge.  I recommend draining the marinade prior to storing  to avoid a soggy salad.

Chocolate Cherry Buzz

May 18, 2010
Cherry Extract

Cherry Extract

I made SUCH the kick-ass smoothie this morning. I was feeling sad about the scale. I’ve had so many slip-ups lately that there are virtual skid marks on my shoes. I couldn’t face another green smoothie so I treated myself to some super food: raw cacao! (my favorite is Navitas Naturals) . I threw in some frozen cherries and to intensify the cherry buzz I added some cherry extract. It was so fabulous I drank the whole thing even though it could have fed two people. It kept me full through a busy morning.   I’m picking up some more frozen cherries on the way home.  This one is a keeper.

Chocolate Cherry Buzz Smoothie
serves 2 (or 1 very hungry person)

2 cups almond milk
2 frozen bananas, medium sized
1 cup frozen cherries
5 Tbsp raw cacao powder (I like a LOT of chocolate, you can adjust to taste)
1 tsp cherry extract

Blend.  Serve with love!

Carrots & Currants

May 15, 2010
Carrots & Currants

My take on Carrots & Currants

This is what I took to the L.A. raw vegan pot luck on May 1.  The recipe is from my favorite raw recipe book: Living Cuisine by Renne Loux Underkoffler.  I know, I know, I took my darn sweet time posting it.  Better late than never! The day I made it I was out of currants AND flax oil.  I substituted dried blueberries and hemp seed oil.  It still turned out fabulous.

Carrots & Currants
Serves 2-4

3 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup currants or raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dill
1 1/2 teaspoons nama shoyu
2 teaspoons flax oil

Toss ingredients until well coated.  Serve with love!

Progress not perfection

May 13, 2010

Green Smoothie (which isn't green)

Wow! Has it really been over two weeks since I posted? Life has trumped blogging as it sometimes happens.  Things are going relatively well in my raw world.  I’ve been high raw for several weeks even managing to stay vegan while helping a dear friend run the Grilled Cheese Invitational.  I’ve been enjoying many fresh greens from my wife’s garden.   I’m so fortunate to live in Southern California where I can have garden produce right outside my door throughout the year.  Mostly I’ve been doing green smoothies like this luscious one from this morning.  Best way I know to get in those greens.

I have a back log of recipes to share.  I’ll probably be busy with life for a few more weeks yet but stay tuned for some yumminess.  Also, I’ve been reading “Becoming Raw” and it’s an incredible resource on raw vegan nutrition.  I may be able to find some time to review it.   Short version? Get it, it’s worth it!

PS – the L.A. raw food potluck was way fun.  Meeting Dhru, Courtney, Debbie, and Mike was incredible – such an energetic lot!  I look forward to running into the L.A.-based folks at other local events.

Bad Behavior has blocked 31 access attempts in the last 7 days.