Sunday, January 26, 2014

Brad's 7 Day Raw Challenge: January 2014 - WE DID IT! Ending the challenge with raw ceviche + raw nanaimo bars!



It’s the last day of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge! How exciting is that? We made it through 7 days of raw eating! Not so bad, ‘eh?

Today has been another busy day. The weekends actually are always busy for us. We go grocery shopping once a week because a) we buy everything fresh and so it only lasts for a week at the most and b) if I buy enough food for two weeks, believe me when I say, we will find a way to use it and eat it!! Do I starve my family? No! But they have appetites and can clear food quick. I would be lying if I didn’t say I would do the same. I would probably juice WAY more and eat more fruit as well. But until I figure out this whole buying on a budget thing, buying per week it with our budget will just have to do ;)

I also spent the day prepping for this week’s meals. Vegan, GF for my daughter’s dessert this week; raw Nanaimo bars for dessert for me; and much more!

I sort of had time to eat today. Here’s what I made for Day 7.

Breakfast:



After a warm apple cider vinegar tea, I made a yummy juice smoothie using leftover fruits I had in my pantry. Freshly juiced apple and oranges blended with spinach and frozen mango. Simple, sweet and super energizing! Just what I needed to get through my grocery shopping excursion. 

Lunch:



I didn’t get back til late so lunch was more of a snack than a lunch. While prepping I sipped on a raw Vanilla Choc-Kafe Kombucha by my favorite local ‘boocha makers, MTO! So yumm!

For lunch I made a tasty raw meant-to-be-made coconut ceviche. On Friday, I had finally opened up my young thai coconut that I had in the fridge for 2 weeks to find that, instead of going bad as I assumed, a thick, creamy meat had developed! Score! I worked the meat out of my coconut stuck in the fridge and thought, what to make? That evening I sat down to write my post and while doing so decided to turn on one of Jason Wrobel’s episodes from How to Live to 100 and guess what the episode was about? Coconuts!! He made some seriously mouth-watering dishes but the one that stuck out most was his Coconut Ceviche. I had the main ingredient! All I needed was the rest which I bought today on my grocery trip!

This coconut ceviche is a must try. It’s bursting with vibrant flavors and the coconut meat provides a unique meaty texture. The coconut meat also provides sustenance making it more of a full meal than an appetizer or snack. If you love salsa, you’re going to love this dish! I served it with crappy crafted jicama chips to dip. I was starving :P

Coconut Ceviche with Jicama Chips


  • ½ meat of a young thai coconut, chopped into ½ inch squares or small strips
  • ½ lime, juiced
  • 1 Tbsp orange juice
  • 2-3 Tbsp of green pepper, diced
  • Scant ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
  • 2-3 Tbsp of cucumber, chopped
  • 1 tsp of jalapeno, diced
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 Tbsp of chopped cilantro
  • Drizzle of EVOO
  • Sprinkle of cayenne
  • ¼ avocado, diced
  • Jicama chips

  1. In a small bowl combine coconut meat, lime and OJ allow to sit.
  2. Add the green peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, jalapeno, green onion, parsley, cilantro, EVOO, cayenne and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Fold in the diced avocado. Serve immediately with thinly sliced jicama as “chips”.

Dinner:

I wasn’t expecting to be hungry by dinner, but surprisingly I was! I was super busy in the kitchen that I honestly didn’t want to stop so I had to whip up something ASAP. I had just finished making roasted broccoli for my fams dinner and noticed some lonely broccoli stalks just waiting as I decided their fate: keep and eat or throw out. I decided to eat! I shaved most of the outer fibers off and ended up sweet yummy broccoli stalk chips. I needed something to dip it in so I whipped up a quick cheesy dip. Not fancy but overall satisfying!

Quick Cheesy Dip
By Beth Mickens


  • 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp of water (or less for a thicker dip)
  • Garlic salt

    1. Blend til smooth! Serve with your favorite veggies!

Dessert:

I found this recipe over a week ago and finally got a chance to make it tonight: Raw Nanaimo Bars. Now I have no idea what the original Nanaimo bar looks like nor tastes like but it must be great because every raw foodsie I know has tried to remake this delicious bar and I am so digging the raw remakes! A chocolate base, vanilla middle and chocolate candy top! Mmm mmmm!  If you love coconut you’re going to love this dessert. It’s pretty dense so all you need is one square to keep you satisfied and trust me that’s a lot coming from miss eat-more-than-one.



Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and you’re ready to go!

For the base…
  • 1c of soaked dates
  • 1/2c of cacao powder
  • 1/2c of unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2c of almonds

  1. Process the above in your food processor until it all comes together…about thirty to forty five seconds.
  2. Press the mixture into your lined loaf pan, flatten the top and set aside.

For the middle layer…
  • 1c of unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2c of coconut oil
  • 1/4c of coconut nectar (or agave)
  • a pinch of turmeric (optional)
  • 2tbsp of coconut flour

  1. Process the first four ingredients in your food processor until smooth, remove the blade and stir in your coconut flour.  Now you’re thinking…turmeric?  Yep.  A little goes a long way and it will help you achieve the yellowy look, similar to a ‘traditional’ nanaimo bar.  And I personally think it levels out the sweetness a bit.  Yay!

The mixture will seem a bit moist, that’s only because the coconut oil has melted from the heat of the food processor.  Don’t worry, it all works out.  Pour the mixture over your base and smooth out the top.
Place it all in the freezer for about thirty minutes.
For the top chocolate layer…
  • 1/4c of cacao powder
  • 2tbsp of coconut oil
  • 1/4tsp of vanilla powder

  1. Place the ingredients into a stainless steel bowl and rest the bowl over a pot of simmering water just long enough for the oil to melt.  Give it all a good stir and drizzle it over the top of the first two layers.  Because the first to layers have been in the freezer, you’ll want to spread the chocolate fairly quickly so that it doesn’t harden unevenly.

And that is it!! Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge for the new year is over! So who’s going to join me next month??? 

*Beth*

Participant Recipes

Banana Date Pudding
From Didi E Aldan


Blend bananas, dates and celery til very smooth. Pour over chopped bananas, dates and top with a walnuts.

Raw Cookies
By Lorraine Medeiros


Mix together almond meal, raw honey, sea salt, chopped walnuts and cacao nibs. Dehydrate on 104 degrees for 6 hours. Enjoy!

Cashew-Cilantro Cheese for Raw Tacos
From  Lucia Morrison
 


Cashew-Cilantro Cheeze
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, about 2 cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
  • 1/4 cup filtered water
Ground Walnut Taco Meat
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid, aminos such as Bragg's Essential Amino Acids or 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 pinch sea salt, to taste
  • 8 small-to-medium romaine leaves
  • 1/2 cup natural low-sodium salsa, any flavor
  • 1 Avocado, pitted and sliced
Directions:
  1. To make cheeze:
  2. Place garlic and salt in a food processor; process into small pieces. Add cashews and process into paste. Add lemon juice, cilantro, and water and process to mix well. Set aside.
  3. Makes 1 cup.
  4. To make meat:.
  5. Place walnuts, cumin, coriander, liquid aminos, and salt in a food processor. Process into small pieces until the mixture looks like ground meat. Be careful not to overprocess, it will turn into butter.
  6. Makes 1 cup.
  7. Scoop 2 tablespoons cashew mixture down the inside spine of each romaine leaf. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons walnut mixture. Add salsa and avocado slices. Wrap and serve. Enjoy!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Brad's 7 Day Raw Challenge: January 2014 - EAT. Even when you're not hungry!



Well, I finally took my “flu shot” last night and sure enough, my throat feels better. Go figure. I’m not exactly sure WHY I decided to wait THREE days to finally take one knowing that it would help. I guess that’s the stubborn person in me. I plan on whipping up one more shot before bed to ensure that the sore throat is completely gone. Lesson learned.

The rest of the day was busy and to be honest a bit crappy. I woke up this morning with terrible pains from the start of my, ahem, “monthly” (sorry boys).  I am blessed to say that throughout the years as I changed my diet and ditched the BC, mother nature’s visit has become quite regular and the pains only exist for the first day. After that, it’s a breeze. But like I said, the first day sucks!

Along with the pain also comes a low appetite…or none at all. This morning I woke up, had a warm lemon teas, and got right to cleaning the house as I attempted to keep my mind off the cramps. Food did not sound appealing at all. It wasn’t until way after lunch that I finally munched on a handful of these addictive Zesty Onion Rawmonds. They are definitely zesty, cheesy and loaded with yummy onion flavor. Graw Foods also sells a BBQ flavor that is even more mouthwatering! It took all my will power to put the bag down so we could finally grab a real lunch. I clearly needed fuel.


It’s Saturday which means we have little to no food in the house. So I took my husband and daughter out to our favorite diner. After all those almonds I wasn’t in the mood to eat but I knew I needed to eat a real meal. I ordered a summer citrus salad with spinach, mango, strawberries and pecans. When eating raw, ask to toss your salad in EVOO and ACV as opposed to the dressing. The salad was light but filling. I got muh greens in and my fruit in and that’s all that mattered. I did feel a bit better afterwards. It made me realize how important is to eat even when I don't feel like it. 





Nutrition is so important during this time of the month for women. Our body needs all the nutrition and energy it can get to work through the process. Plus, we need to replenish our bodies with the water and nutrients we are losing. Spinach = iron! Check! While we may feel crappy and crave only salt and sugar, it's important that we continue our healthy eating routine throughout this time, consuming as much as the body needs to make it through the week. So don't be like me. If you wake up feeling crappy and bleh, drink a juice with some turmeric to reduce inflammation and ginger to help ease some of the pain. It'll help. Now if I'd only listen to my own advice. :P


Since it was so late in the afternoon before we got to eat “lunch” I wasn’t really hungry afterwards. I tried to drink as much water as possible to stay hydrated and beat the bloat and nibbled on some sweet dates as a treat. 

I know it’s not the most exciting food day but tomorrow should be better now that day 1 has passed :)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Any raw food restaurants near ya?

*Beth*

Participants Recipes

Avocado Snack
By Julie Peters

Mix together cubed avocado, halved cherry tomatoes and chopped leek or scallions. Tastes great alone or on top of a bed of kale.

Banana Chocolate Nut Smoothie
By Lucia Morrison


  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 Tbsp raw almond butter
  • 2 tsp of raw cacao
  • 1 tsp raw agave
  • 8 ounces of almond milk
    1. Blend and enjoy! 

 

Friday, January 24, 2014

Brad's 7 Day Raw Challenge: January 2014 - A Better-Than-Coffee Raw Coffee Alternative. Be energized.


I’m so happy it’s FRIDAY!!! This has been one long week! My daughter as been out of school all week and both she and I are going stir crazy. I’m looking forward to a weekend where I can enjoy time with her and not her and work and everything else the weekday life always has to offer. I may however, spend some time whipping up a recipe to two to enjoy since I have more time. Flax crackers? Raw bread? Raw cake? Hmmm we’ll just have to see!

Before you get your weekend started, check out Day 5’s recipes!

Early Morning:

My throat is getting worse! Eh! Eight hours of doing nothing but breathing in and out cold, dry air does no good for a sore itchy throat. I woke up this morning wanting one thing: tea. I made a warm lemon tea with raw honey and sure enough, it did the trick. :)

Coffee:

Yes, I said coffee! A raw creamy chocolaty coffee that will wake you up and boost your energy levels. This recipe comes from the super talented Kristina from FullyRaw to help her current 21-day raw, vegan challengers overcome their urge to grab coffee as an energy booster. Instead, Kristina made this delicious caffeine free alternative to naturally awaken the body. It’s rich, sweet, earthy, slightly bitter and ridiculously addictive. After one cup I was ready to move! If you’re looking for a raw, coffee alternative, then do give this a try!

Raw  Coffee
By FullyRaw Kristina (video in link)
Makes 1-2 cups

  • 1-2 cups of fresh coconut water (depending on how thin or thick you like it)
  • 5-10 pitted dates, soaked if needed overnight
  • ¼ cup raw carob powder (or cacao if you don’t mind the caffeine and bitterness
  • A few fresh peppermint leaves
  • 1 little vanilla bean or extract
  • A dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
  • Fresh almond milk, if you want a creamer

  1. Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
  2. Pour into a coffee mug and serve with a dash of extra cinnamon

Brunch:

Today’s dessert smoothie by Simple Green Smoothies is a non-pink Pink Flamingo. It would have been pink if we didn’t add the greens but then it wouldn’t have been a green smoothie now would it? This smoothie is simple, sweet, and for those who care, banana free. Instead it’s sweetened with mango and balanced with juicy strawberries. Add some almond milk and your tropical sorbet turns into a tropical milkshake! Mmmm!

Pink Flamingo
Makes 16 ounces



  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup mango
  • ½ cup strawberries
  • 1 cup almond milk

    1. Blend and enjoy!

Early Dinner:


As I was browsing through Brad’s book for a new recipe, I tried to find something that included mayo to use up the extra mayo I had from making my raw deli salad. What I found was an Asian Coleslaw salad topped with a rich, savory creamy asian inspired dressing which just so happened to yes, include mayo. 

I didn’t have any cabbage on hand so I subbed leftover red leaf lettuce and shredded kale. I topped my greens with bell pepper, carrots, scallions, cilantro and a few slices of broccoli stalks. I drizzled it with a heavy dose of dressing before devouring every single morsel. It was sweet, salty, savory and so flippin’ good! Just what I was craving :)

Snacks:

In the evening I snacked on a few raw macaroons, bowl of blueberries and an apple with hemp seeds and lucuma. For some reason I had major muchies :P

Goodbye Day 5 and HELLLLLO to the weekend!!! With a wind chill in the single digits, I think Ima stay in…maybe.

Have a great weekend!!!

*Beth*

Participant Recipes

Raw Fudgsicles
By Lucia Morrison
From Brad’s Raw Made Easy


Gotta get the book for this recipe ;)

Raw Sushi Rice
By Chelsea Connelly


  • ½ head of cauliflower
  • 1 Tbsp raw tahini
  • 1/2” knob of ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspoon of EVOO
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider
  • A few drops of honey

    1. Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until is resembles a course rice.
    2. Use it to make raw sushi!

Strawberry Chia Pudding
By Ang Roberts


  • 1 Tbsp of chia seeds
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup strawberries

  1. The night before, soak the chia seeds in the almond milk and leave in the fridge overnight.
  2. The next day, blend the chia seeds with the remaining ingredients in a blender until thick, creamy and smooth.
  3. Top with fresh strawberries and enjoy!


Raw Cheesy Tomato Salad
By Lorraine Medeiros


Marinated tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers covered in raw cheese and topped with raw cashews. Does this not sound flippin’ delish!?



Chop up your favorite veggies and marinate in fresh lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, pepper, terrain fermented oregano (you can use Bragg's apple cider vinegar) and turmeric. Toss in raw cheese or grezzo "mock" cheese and top with raw cashews. Fresh, yummy and quite filling!


Fresh Tomato Dressing
By Lucia Morrison

  • 1 medium tomato
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
  • 1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Basil leaves
    1. Blend in a blender til smooth.
    2. Pour on top of a salad and enjoy!

Green Smoothie
By Ang Roberts

  • 2 cups kale
  •  1 cup almond milk
  • 1 small apple
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 Tbsp almond butter
  • 1 Tbsp cacao powder
    1. Blend and enjoy!