B7DRC Day 2 - The July Edition

It’s Day 2 of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge! I’m really happy that this challenge started when it did. Due to the busyness of the move, along with the need of an empty fridge, I have been living off of not-so-healthy eats for the past 2 weeks. My diet consisted of mainly Justin’s chocolate almond butter, beer and chocolate chips, rekindling my sugar addiction. I was in need of a major intervention! Thankfully, Brad’s challenge was set to start the following week and here I am feeling re-energized, balanced and clean on the inside and out!

Early Morning:

I was running late this morning, so I loaded my half-gallon jar of water with lots of lemons and mint and headed out the door to sip on throughout the day.

Breakfast:

I normally eat just fruit to make the fast breaking easy on my digestive system but I felt like my peach needed a little bit of sprucing up this morning. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I see peaches I automatically think cream. Maybe it was that naughty song I used to sing back in the early 2000’s (Don’t play. You know what song I’m talking about) or maybe it’s just the pure bliss that results when mildly tart, juicy peaches are combined with something sweet and creamy. I smothered my giant peach half in a sweet vanilla hemp cream and topped it with a simple raw crumble. The results? Dessert for breakfast. 

Next time I may try and heat my peach up a bit in the dehydrator to resemble that "grilled peach" feel.

Raw Creamy Peach Crumble  

Recipe by Beth Mickens

Makes 1 large serving

Vanilla Hemp Cream

Please note: This was a throw together recipe so it may not be perfect. I will have to make it again to get the right measurements. In the meantime, adjust according to your own taste and texture preferences. 

• 2 Tbsp of raw hemp seeds
• 1-2 Tbsp of Water
• 1 teaspoon of raw honey or other liquid sweetener
• 1/8 tsp of vanilla
• Pinch of salt

1. Add hemp seeds, 1 Tbsp of water, honey, vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt into a small blender. 
2. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed. (I blended for about 30 plus seconds. You are looking for a creamy, slightly thick sauce similar to creamer.)
3. Set aside.

Crumble

Recipe adapted from The Simply Raw Life

• 1 Tbsp raw almonds
• 1 Tbsp of raw walnuts
• 1 tbsp of unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 2-3 dates
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 tsp vanilla (optional)

1. Add all the ingredients into a small blender or food processor and pulse blend until a slightly moist, sticky, course meal forms.

To assemble

• 1 large peach, halved and pitted
• Raw honey or other liquid sweetener (optional)

1. Place peach halves on a plate.
2. Drizzle 1-2 Tbsp of vanilla hemp cream over each peach half.
3. Top each half with as little or as much crumble as you desire.
4. Depending on the sweetness of your peach, you may need an extra drizzle of raw honey for sweetness.

Eat any way you like! With a fork and knife or just dive right in with only hands and mouth! 

Snack:

Guess what? I couldn’t resist enjoying another half a pack of Brad’s raw kale chips! This time I had the Nasty Hots! Trust me. Their named that for a reason. Whew *nose running*.

Lunch: 

Yep! It’s smoothie time! Today’s smoothie is called Raspberry Lemonade. This one is perfect for any and all lemonade lovers. The berry twist makes it a perfect sipper for the summer. Just note you may have to add an extra boost of sweetener like I did. I added a small banana because without it my smoothie was teeeart! *Pucker* 

Feel free to sub the banana with mango, dates or other sweet fruit.

Raspberry Lemonade

Recipe by Simple Green Smoothies

Makes 16 Ounces

• 1 cup kale
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup raspberries, frozen
• ¼ mango
• 1 small banana
• 1 lemon, peeled

1. Place in a blender and blend til smooth.

Snack:

Surprisingly I wasn't hungry (maybe I had one too many kale chips at snack time)...so I just sipped on a warm detox tea.

Dinner:

When I first saw cucumber being used as a sub for seaweed in sushi, I honestly thought it was some creative, genius idea by some fabulous raw foodie. However, what I discovered was a whole new type of sushi common in Japanese cuisine. 

Sushi chefs take a cucumber and thinly slice it around the edges to create a long, thin sheet to stuff and then roll back up (video in "With Raw Intentions" link). Amazing! It obviously takes some serious knife skills along with a really sharp knife to do that but who says I’m not willing to give it a try? I will. Just not today. So I used the alternative - core a cuke, stuff, slice and serve. WAY easier yet just as appetizing! This is also a new cute way to add veggies to your kiddos diet, especially if they love cucumbers AND sushi like my daughter does.

I served my cool cucumber rolls with a simple side of tamari, lime, garlic and ginger. While the sauce was good, it wasn't the best sauce to serve with these. Since these are so light and fresh, a thicker, creamier sauce would have worked better. Next time I'll serve these with either Lauren's mango sauce or a savory almond butter sauce.

Raw Vegan Naruto Rolls

Recipe adapted from Lauren of With Raw Intentions

Naruto Rolls

• 1 cucumber, peeled and cored
• 1  carrot, peeled and julienned
• ¼ green zucchini, julienned
• ¼ bell pepper, julienned
• ¼ avocado, thinly sliced
• Any other veggies you desire!
• Raw sesame seeds, seaweed flakes and/or scallions to garnish

1. Using a small, sharp pairing knife, core the cucumber removing as many seeds as possible.
2. Slice one side of the cucumber open.
3. Stuff as many of your julienned goodies into the cucumber as you can without splitting.
4. OR just create a larger hole in the core and stuff as many veggie sticks down the middle as you can. I found this easier than using an opening from the side.
5. Close the cucumber and slice into ½ - 1 inch slices.
6. Serve with Sauce

Simple “Soy Sauce”

• 1 Tbsp of reduced sodium tamari
• ½ lime, juiced
• ½ garlic, mashed or grated into a paste
• 1/4 tsp of grated ginger

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Garnish with red pepper flakes if desired. 

Dessert:

 I enjoyed yet another delicious chocolate almond cup. They're soo good!!!

And that's a wrap on Day 2!

Are there any foods you would like to see rawified?

*Beth*