Ever have one of those days where you KNOW it’s going to be
a rough one? Yep, that’s today. However,
I’m trying to see the positive side of things and well, things are looking up :)
So this cold has yet to leave my body. It’s lingering and
leaving me nauseous with no appetite and
bland taste buds. It’s a bad day for this foodie. Either way I’m still
eating to nourish my body so it can continue to heal, even if I can’t fully taste it.
Early Morning:
The lack of sleep last night (thank YOU cough) left me running for a green tea
the moment I woke up. I needed something to get me through at least half of the
day. I combined it with a pinch of lemon juice and drop of raw honey to
sweeten.
Breakfast:
Yesterday I wrote about uncontrollable need to overindulge during the summer on tree and vine-ripened fruits such as watermelon, peaches and figs and well, today I did just that, again.This time, with figs. Every time I think I’ve had enough of figs, I take one
sweet, creamy bite and automatically retreat all feelings of resistance towards
these beautiful gems. Not only are figs richly delicious, but these little
beauties have a place in my heart that goes far deeper than the depths of my
satisfied belly.
When I was younger I remember trying my very first fig. My
grandparents had brought me and my cousin down to Louisiana to spend a few
weeks with my grandfather’s family. We were out in the country so most of our
time was spent fishing, riding the four-wheeler through the acres of land my
uncle owned, playing pool and just roaming the area. It was hot, sweaty, and
humid but it was also liberating, relaxing and fun. My uncle had brought us to
his car shop to visit and behind the shop growing were a few fig trees. My
grandfather picked one and showed me how to peel it to enjoy the beautiful,
creamy flesh inside. He gave me one and at first bite I had fallen in love.
Every time I see a fig those memories flood back with a heavy blow leaving me with
a longing desire to return. The fig and I go WAY back and I have no desire to ever separate..ever. On another note, who peels figs??
Now I know most people eat them roasted, grilled, drizzled
with balsamic or dolloped with crème, but I love them fresh. I’ve come close to
using them to make a raw cheesecake or fresh fig newtons, but every time I prep them for use, I feel
like I’m destroying something pure. I know, it sounds sad. However, I do love
them with nut butter and this time I changed it up a bit. This go around I made a
creamy sweet vanilla coconut almond drizzle to serve over my raw, halved figs. I
sprinkled them with a bit of cacao nibs for crunch and devoured them without
hesitation. Actually, I was in a rush and barely comprehended what I was eating.
It was tasty and overly filling. That’s all I remember. At 1.5 grams of fiber
per fig I can see why I’m not hungry :P
Fresh Figs with Almond Coconut Vanilla Drizzle
By Beth Mickens
- 1 tbsp of raw almond butter
- 1 tbsp of raw hemp or almond milk, room temp
- A splash of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
- ½ - 1 teaspoon of honey
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. If the coconut oil doesn’t incorporate, add a splash of warm water to melt and thin.
- Drizzle over halved figs and top with raw cacao nibs.
Lunch:
A while back the Nourished Community, Brad’s sister site,
released a three day cleanse loaded with some outstanding plant-based recipes
including this one for an almost-raw potato salad. After making it last week and
enjoying the dish in all its glory, I knew this was a dish I HAD to make for
the next challenge. The only issue was that some of the star ingredients, such as olives,
were not 100% raw so I had to revise the recipe. The results? An overly PINK "potato" salad.
I realized I had four root veggies in my fridge and decided
to combine them into a pretty in pink raw “potato” salad. I used the same
dressing as provided by the Nourished Community to make sure this recipe would
be just as good as I remembered it. No matter what you make the salad out of you HAVE to have THIS dressing. It makes the dish. When I saw the ingredients I didn't think it would work to taste like a potato salad, but it does! Trust me. Try it!
Pink "Potato" Root Salad
By Beth Mickens
Dressing by Lauren from the Nourished Community
Salad:
- ½ heaping cup jicama, diced
- ¼ cup carrots, sliced or julienned
- ¼ cup of parsnips, julienned
- ¼ shredded beets
- 1 green onion, sliced or 2 Tbsp of red onion
- 1 Tbsp of parlsey
- ¼ avocado, diced
Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp of raw tahini
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp of water
- ¼ teaspoon Nama Shoyu
- ¼ teaspoon of agave or raw honey
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of chili powder
- Combine in a medium bowl the root veggies and onions. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
- PLEASE NOTE: This dressing make 2 servings. I preferred a bit more than one serving hence the reason I made enough for two.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl containing the “potato” salad and toss to combine.
- Add the parsley and gently toss to combine.
- Serve on top of a bed of lettuce and top with diced avocado.
Snack:
I was browsing through Facebook when I came across this
photo showing how to make this vibrant green, summer smoothie. The ingredients
caught my attention with the use of nectarine and watermelon in one. All I could say was "Mmmm yes please"!
This smoothie is super sweet and loaded with bursting juicy
fruit flavors. I was actually quite surprised by the consistency which was more
like a thick juice than a smoothie. I found it easy to drink, easy to digest
and even easier to enjoy!
Green Nectarine
Recipe adapted from Authentic Self Wellness
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 nectarine or peach
- A few large cubes of watermelon
- ½ banana
- 1+ teaspoons of ginger
- Spirulina (optional)
- Blend, sip and go!
Dinner:
I’ve developed a bad habit of nibbling my way through dinner…watermelon
here, some parsnips there, a taste or three of tomorrows lunch…it’s horrible I
know so tomorrow I SWEAR to make a salad for dinner. Hopefully my appetite will
be back too.
On a good note, I have some eggplant bacon in the dehydrator…
:D
Have a good night!
*Beth*
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