B7DRC - August Edition: Raw BLT Bites and a Berry Beet Jucie!

Wohoo it’s Thursday and also Day 4 of Brad’s Raw Challenge. With it being Thursday and all, it seems almost necessary to post a #tbt (aka Throw Back Thursday) recipe. I figured since I haven’t made anything sweet this week (I’ve been slowly nibbling on one of Hail Merry’s amazing raw chocolate mint tarts!), I would share one of the very first raw desserts I made during one of my very first challenges!

We all know how much I LOVE my cacao powder, so it should be NO surprise that I had at least one chocolate treat a day. What WAS a surprise was that I had a dessert that week not MADE of chocolate but accompanied BY chocolate. In other words, it wasn’t the main ingredient! Shocking! Instead, it was a simple banana ice cream with a hardened chocolate shell topped with raw coconut, pecans and cacao nibs.  I recall this very treat and I have to admit, it was really good. I especially loved the chocolate shell which had a nice crack to it before it melted into my mouth into a smooth, creamy syrup. I’m thinking we may just need to make this again. Recipe here. Happy #TbT!

Now to get back to present…

Early Morning:

This morning I decided to have an old favorite: an Apple Cider Vinegar tea. I added about ½ Tbsp into a mug of warm water and added 1 teaspoon of raw honey to sweeten. Yumm! 

Breakfast:

For breakfast I had, what I like to call, a Fully Raw Kristina fruit platter. I know, it’s not much of a platter in comparison to what the beautiful Kristina can devour but it definitely was inspired by her. If you have no clue who am I talking about, Kristina is the genius behind Fully Raw, an organic co-op in Texas. She provides hundreds of families with fresh, organic produce so that they can live healthy, happy, raw-inspired lives. She’s a vibrant, energetic woman who’s passionate about eating and living healthy through raw foods. 

If you have some time, check her out! Here’s her YouTube page. It’s loaded with videos on healthy, raw eating along with some delicious raw recipes!

My Fully Raw platter is filled with peach slices, grapes and a banana.

 Lunch:

Inspired by my raw eggplant bacon, I decided to make simple raw BLT bites for lunch. This dish is really quick and easy to whip up and even easier to eat! While I have to admit the eggplant bacon doesn’t exactly TASTE like bacon (I think that’s due to the lack of liquid smoke), it still works well with this particular dish. In my opinion, the eggplant bacon is good enough to be eaten as is as a snack, but that’s boring… unless I took a funny pic of me gnawing on it. Maybe next time. :)

Eggplant Bacon

Recipe adapted from Raw and Simple

• 1 eggplant, any size
• Salt
• 4 Tbsp of nama shoyu or GF tamari
• 4 Tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar
• 4 Tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder
• Pinch of pepper
• Pinch of garlic and/or onion powder (optional)

*NOTE: Most recipes call for cold pressed olive oil but I didn’t really care for it last time so I didn’t use it this time. However, there seemed to have been a difference between the two. The first one was more flavorful than the second one so maybe the oil IS needed. If you decide to add oil, add 4 Tbsp of cold pressed EVOO.

1. Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, thinly slice the eggplant, length wise, into long, thin slices (think bacon!)
2. Place the slices in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 1-2 hours.
3.  In the meantime, blend together the remaining ingredients and pour into a medium sized bowl.
4. Once the eggplant has been allowed to sit, rinse, thoroughly drain and press the water out by placing the slices in between paper towel and gently pressing down.
5. Add the eggplant to the marinade and toss to coat. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Some recommend overnight but it’s up to you J
6. Carefully lay out the slices onto your dehydrator tray and dehydrate between 110 and 115 degrees for 24-48 hours or until crispy.
7. Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

Raw BLT Bites

By Beth Mickens

• 5-6 leaves of Bibb Lettuce
• 1/3 cup of cherry tomatoes, halves
• 1/3 cup of eggplant bacon, chopped into pieces
• Oil-Free Cashew “Mayo”, to drizzle
• ¼ cup of cashews, soaked
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp raw honey
• Pinch of salt
• ½ clove garlic (optional)
• Water as needed

1. Layer bibb lettuce leaves onto a plate
2. Fill each leaf with a Tbsp or more of tomatoes
3. Add about 1 Tbsp of bacon
4. Drizzle with cashew mayo
5. Serve immediately.

Snack:

After talking beets with fellow challenger Ang, I went on a search to find a yummy beet smoothie that I would hope satisfy both our palates. I’m still on the prowl for a smoothie containing, whole raw beets….well at least a yummy sounding/tasting one…but I DID come across this one which I know will be loved! While this recipe is supposed to be a juice, I changed it up and turned it into what I like to call a “Jucie” aka a juice smoothie. 

It’s fruity, sweet yet still contains a little bit of rooty earthiness. The consistency is more that of a thick juice when enjoyed later on in the day or that of a frosty if enjoyed right after blending. Either way, it’s yummy and well, that’s all the counts!

Berry Beet Jucie

Recipe adapted from Flora Foodie

Makes enough to fill 1 1/2 - 16 ounce jars

• 1 small beet, chopped
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped

1. Add all three into a high speed blender. Add about ¼ - ½ cup of water and blend on high until smooth.
2. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag.
3. Pour the beet juice back into the blender and add the following:

• 1 cup blueberries, frozen
• 1 cup strawberries, frozen
• ½ banana

1. Blend on high until well blended and smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Dinner:

While I did nibble my way through half of dinner, I stopped myself short and made a simple avocado half to enjoy instead of scraps. Yes, folks, I finally had some sort of dinner this week! This avocado meal contains just tomatoes, green onions, lime juice, salt and pepper inside an avocado half. Simple, easy and oh so filling!

Now where’s dessert!? *searching….*

Do you guys have any #TbT recipes to share? Any old faves??

*Beth*