B7DRC February 2014 - Day 4: Quick, raw eats for when life happens.

We’re halfway through Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge and I’m feeling great so far sans the mild, sore throat. I can’t determine if it’s the dry air in our home, the cold weather (right after warm weather) or if I got a small bit of my daughter’s head cold. Either way, I’m working on, once again, healing it with warm tea and “flu shots”. I’ve noticed that for the past few challenges I have had to deal with a sore throat. I wonder if maybe it’s a detox symptom? Hmm… 

As you read through today’s eats you may notice that my menu seems abnormal. No juice. No smoothie. Two salads. I know. It’s weird for me too, but sometimes life just gets in the way of your plans and instead of stopping everything you’re doing to scream, cry and mope, just ride along. You never know what you may discover or learn! Life is, after all, a journey.

So here is Day 4’s eats.

Breakfast

I was in a rush this morning to get out of the house so all my planned juices and smoothies were out the door. Instead I grabbed a classic fave: banana with raw (cashew, almond and walnut) nut butter, raw honey, cacao nibs, and coconut. The perfect breakfast: carbs, protein, quick, easy and fulfilling.

Lunch

Once I finally got home I was getting quite hungry, but was once again, in a rush to make my food so I could get to work. I grabbed some greens, added some cukes, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, and sunflower seeds and whipped up a quick salad which I drizzled with some cold pressed grapeseed oil with garlic, lemon, salt and pepper for a quick dressing. Yumm!

Dinner

Another quick one! I made a quick massaged kale salad which I massaged with grapeseed oil, raw garlic, lemon and salt! I mixed in some shredded carrots and green onions for added goodness.

Dessert

I have been craving for something caramely and wanted my next treat to include raw caramel. Sounds yummy doesn’t it!? I saw a recipe for chocolate caramel cookies and was all prepped to make them…until I found these. Raw caramel chocolates. 

Yes they are just as amazing as they look and sound. What makes these different from any other raw chocolate is the texture of the chocolate itself. Instead of being that hard chocolate that cracks when you bite it and melts instantly the moment it hits your lips, this chocolate is fudgy and chewy. Whether or not Emily, the author of this recipe, intended for the chocolate to be chewy is beyond my knowing. I may have easily messed up the recipe somewhere along the way and created a whole new chocolate. Either way, I love it!! The results are a chewy tootsie-like chocolate with a creamy caramel center. The pecan adds a little nuttiness and crunch which complements the chocolate and caramel very well. The only issue I have is this: I. CAN’T. STOP. EATING. THEM. AAAH!

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cups with Pecans

By Emily from This Rawesome Vegan Life

Makes 12 Mini Cups

 

 Prepare mini-muffin cups by lining them mini cupcake liners.

Melted Chocolate

• 1/3 cup coconut oil or cacao butter, melted (I used a mix of both)
• ½ cup coconut nectar or date paste (I used raw honey and maple syrup)
• ¾ cup cacao powder

1. In a double boiler, melt coconut oil and/or cacao butter.
2. Remove from the double boiler and add sweetener; mix til well combined.
3. Sift in the cacao powder and mix well.
4. Add 1 ½ heaping tsp to the bottom of the liners and push some of the chocolate halfway up the liners in order to coat.
5. Set in the freezer to set.

Salted Date Caramel

• ¼ cup dates
• 2 Tbsp of melted coconut oil
• ¼ - ½ cup of warm water
• Pinch of sea salt

1. In a small blender, blend the ingredients together until a thick creamy caramel has been created. I only used ¼ cup of water for a thick caramel but use as much as you need to achieve the consistency you want.
2. Remove the pan out of the freezer.
3. Add about 1 tbsp of caramel. Smooth out with your finger.
4. Top the caramel with another heaping teaspoon or so of chocolate to cover the caramel.
5. Place back in the freezer to set. 
6. Keep in the freezer until ready to devour!

Day 4 done. Of course, as you may have realized, it’s day 5 because last night I crashed before I even had a chance to write my post for the day. Lesson learned: I need my fruit for lasting energy!

*Beth*

CHALLENGER'S RECIPES

Massaged Kale Salad

By Kristin Lassonde

•  Chopped Kale
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Tomatoes
• Onions

1. Massage kale with apple cider vinegar til soft and wilted. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix til combined.
3. Enjoy!

 
Green Juice

By Lucia Morrison

 

 

• 3 large handfuls of kale
• 3 large handfuls of spinach
• 1/2 inch cut cored pineapple
• 8 raspberries
• 1 clementine
• 28 blueberries

Banana Nut Butter

By Nick Lassonde

 

 

1.  Blend 1 tsp nut butter per 1 medium banana
2. Mix in cinnamon, cocoa, carob or stevia depending on flavor preference. 

OTHERS

• http://www.choosingraw.com/chocolate-avocado-sauce-and-chocolate-avocado-breakfast-salad/

 

Brad's 7 Day Raw Challenge: January 2014 - Avocado + Cacao Powder? In a Savory Dressing? yes!

Welcome to Day 2 of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge! 

It’s quite a wintry mess outside my window right now and brrrr is it chilly! BUT it hasn’t stopped me from eating 100% raw. Surprisingly, I don’t crave for warming foods too often in the winter. If anything, I crave for cooling, summery eats like berries, corn, zucchini, etc. Weird, I know. I guess I’m just a summer kind of gal :) 

Who's ready for Day 2?

What I Ate: Day 2

Early Morning:

I decided to switch it up this morning and go for a large glass of lemon and orange vitamin water. I’ve noticed by body temp has increased ever since I started working out which means hot, sweaty nights leaving me quite thirsty when I wake up. My 32 ounce jar and glass straw became my drinking vessel for the day. I refilled it several times throughout the day to keep my body hydrated and my digestive system flowing. It’s amazing what water can do. The lemon and orange slices add a yummy zesty twist!

*Hmm I think this week is going to be all about killing the mid-winter blues with summery eats. Doesn't this look summery and beachy? I think so!*

Juice:

Today’s juice was inspired by the leftover pineapple I had in my fridge. I needed to use it ASAP and thought what better way than to juice it. A little flavor combining with a few other veggies and fruit and bam a light, refreshing sweet juice that was a little too easy to drink.

Pineapple Pear Juice

By Beth Mickens

Makes 16 ounces 

• ¼ pineapple
• 1 pear
•  ½ large seedless cucumber
• 1/2 lime, peeled

1. Juice, strain and enjoy!

Smoothie:

Another decadent guiltless dessert smoothie by Simple GreenSmoothie! This one was actually not too sweet which was perfect after my too sweet juice. Instead it was light, creamy and super satisfying. Oh, and this time I added muh greens :)

Peach Cobbler

By Simple Green Smoothies

Makes 16 ounces

• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup peaches, frozen
• ½ apple
• ½ banana
• 1 cup raw nut milk

1. Blend and enjoy!

Lunch:

Today’s lunch is another recipe from Brad’s new book, Raw Made Easy, called the Mayan Salad. This salad has become a favorite of mine, even though I never have the bok choy that it calls for. I think what I love most about the recipe is the dressing. While it doesn’t look very appetizing…actually my husband said it looked like minced meat in the fridge… the dressing is actually very delish. It’s rich, creamy and bursting with flavors of lime, garlic and cacao…yes, I said cacao! It’s almost like guacamole with a twist. So good!

Dinner:

I’m testing out monomeals again, specifically for dinner, in hopes I find something that works with my digestive system after my late workout. So far I rather not eat and drink a kombucha which is not good.

Today’s post workout monomeal was a bowl of sweet, juicy sliced oranges!So far so good :)

That's it! That was easy :P Eating raw doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. As long as you have a stocked fridge and pantry, you will always be able to eat 100% raw! 

Participant Recipes

Zucchini Noodles

By Chelsea Connolly

Photo by Chelsea Connolly

• Spiralized Zucchini Noodles
• Tomato, diced
• Fresh Basil
• Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• TONS of nutritional yeast

1. Toss together and enjoy! Doesn't this look amazing!?

A Glass of Green Awesomeness

By Lucia Morrison

Photo by Lucia Morrison

• 1 cup of water
• 1 large handful of kale
• 1 large handful of spinach
• 1/4 cup pineapple
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• One clementine, peeled

1. Blend and enjoy!! 

Arugula Green Smoothie

By Ang Roberts

• 1 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 fresh or frozen banana
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 Tbsp of honey

1. Blend and enjoy!

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 4 and Day 5: When busy, eat simple.

It’s Thursday!! One more day til Friday! Tomorrow I head to the ‘burg to watch Catching Fire balcony style with my hubby, my sister and brother-in-law. I’ll also be challenging myself to eat raw while we dine at a favorite local pub…no pickles, no beer, just salad. Eek! I can do it though!  It IS after all called a challenge! 

On another note, I realized today that my body prefers the new diet changes I have been making the last few days. Today I skipped my juice due to chaos yesterday evening and lack of time this morning and ended up feeling grossly full after my lunch. The gradual increase in foods in the morning and decrease in the evening has my body feeling pretty good. I think I’ll stick to it. No excuses. 

Okay so here we go on Day 4.

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Warm soothing lemon honey tea.

Juice

:(

Breakfast + 16 oz water

Mmm finally tried Brad’s FAMOUS Green Smoothie from his upcoming book, Brad’s Raw Made Easy! It is super delish! My daughter and I had a smoothie morning and while she didn’t drink much of her smoothie, I’m glad to see the impact my healthy habits are having on her food choices. 

This green smoothie is probably the tastiest smoothie I have ever had that includes both apple and pears! Most smoothies I have with either an apple, or a pear, or both are gritty and unappetizing. This one however, was great! It had some chew to it but it was still smooth and easy to drink and the flavor combo rocks! And no I’m not being paid to praise Brad’s recipes or products…I truly do love it! 

Brad’s FAMOUS Green Smoothie

By Brad’s Raw Made Easy

Makes 16 ounces

My smoothie partner :)

• 1 cup kale
• 1 – ½ cups water
• ½ large apple
• ½ medium ripe pear
• 1 frozen banana

1. Simple! Blend and sip away! Whee!

Lunch +16 oz water

Again chaos last night meant little time to prep meals for us all so I went for a simple Mexican-inspired salad…we all know I have to have my Mexicano food at least once a week ;)

Simple and easy to prep: lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions, some red bell peppers, cilantro, a giant dollop of guacamole, a sprinkle of spicy sprouted sunflower seeds and a lime on the side. Mmm!

Snack +16 oz water

Since I skipped juice I had a snack. Again, simple and easy. Almond butter stuffed dates aka nature’s candy. Filling and energizing!

Dinner and LOTS of water!

No dinner just a kombucha and some fruit including mango and a persimmon. Lots of snacking today!

Day 5

Since I’ll be out practically all day and all night tomorrow, I wanted to go ahead and post tomorrow’s eats…or at least what I PLAN on eating!

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Warm Lemon Tea!

Juice + 16 oz water

Yeah! Another recipe by Sunwarrior!! This is just as yummy as the other green juices! Refreshing!

Crazy for Kale

By Sunwarrior's Warrior Way in 30 Days

Makes 8 oz

• 2 leaves of kale
• Handful of parsley
• 2 stalks of celery
• ¼ lemon, peeled
• ¼ - ½ cup red grapes or ½ apple
• ½ cucumber, peeled
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger

1. Juice and enjoy!

Breakfast + 16 oz water

Sipping on another Sunwarrior Power Shake! See Recipe in Day 1’s post here!

Lunch + 16 oz water

I’ve been following Sunwarrior’s meal plans as part of the Warrior Way in 30 days challenge and I have been super satisfied so far with this challenge! Tomorrow’s dinner called for Pesto Pasta. Since I didn’t have any zucchini’s on hand I improvised and decided to make Pesto Cauli-CousCous. It’s just as tasty as the pasta version, just a different texture! I’m serving it on top of a bed of greens, surrounded by tomatoes, bell peppers and green onions and served with a lemon as an extra dressing if needed.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch!

Pesto Cauli-CousCous Salad

By Beth Mickens

Pesto by Sunwarrior

Serves 1

Pesto

• 1 large handful of basil
• 1 small kale leaf
• Sprinkle of oregano
• 1 small clove of garlic, mashed
• 2-3 Tbsp of nuts (I used a combo of cashews and walnuts)
• 1/2 Tbsp of white miso
• 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of raw honey
• 2 Tbsp of cold pressed oil (olive oil preferably but hemp will work as well)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small personal blender, blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed.

Salad

• 2 cups of mixed greens or green leaf lettuce
• 2 cups of cauli rice (cauliflower simply processed til it resembles a course grain)
• 2 Tbsp of Manitoba’s hemp seeds
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 Tbsp of chopped red bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp of sliced green onions
• ¼ lemon slice, as garnish

1. In a small bowl toss together the cauli rice and pesto until the cauli is well coated. It may seem to stick together, that’s fine I promise.
2. Toss in the hemp seeds.
3. On a plate or in a large bowl, add the mixed greens or lettuce.
4. Add the pesto cauli-couscous.
5. Top with tomatoes, red bell, and green onions.
6. Garnish with a sprig of basil and lemon wedge.
7. Serve.

Snack (if I’m even hungry!) + 16 oz water

Plan on nibbling on some Pomegranate seeds if I get hungry before dinner!

Dinner + 16 oz water

So for dinner we have plans to go to  a British Pub, our favorite British Pub, in the 'burg. Only problem is there's very little raw food to eat. Thankfully I've been there enough to know just what to do! Salad it will be but it's going to be a GOOD salad!

I'll update this post when I return tomorrow night!

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend!

*Beth*

B7DRC - August Edition: Summer Kale Slaw and a Homemade Flu Shot. Bottoms up!

Yep! It’s that time…AGAIN! And while you would think I would be tired of doing this monthly, it is quite the opposite! I LOVE doing this challenge every month! The raw challenge has become a monthly ritual; one that I look forward to and enjoy every minute of. It’s never a dull moment during Brad’s Raw Challenge and this month will not be any different. 

This week I’ll only be completing  5 of the 7 days because this weekend I have a vegan superfoods cooking class that I had to reschedule from this past weekend due to this awful sickness I’m still recovering from, plus a restaurant review to give sooo it’ll be worth it...I think…well, is anything worth NOT getting 2 packs of Brad’s awesome goodies? I dunno…. ;)

With that, let’s get started!

Early Morning:

My schedule has now changed since school is officially back in session and therefore, my eating pattern will mostly likely change as well. I’m now starting my morning off with a warm tea….for this challenge, an herbal or green tea, or a lemon or ACV tea to keep it raw. To help my body get back into good health after working hard to kill this cold and for a little energy boost I opted for a green tea with a pinch of honey. It was slightly warm and worked well to ease the little pain left in my throat. 

Breakfast:

I don’t know about you, but during the summer I tend to indulge on all the seasonal fruit I can get my hands wrapped around because once it’s gone, it’s gone. I’m not one to pay $8 for a small pack of organic blueberries during the winter and watermelon, peaches and figs are nearly extinct til the coming summer..at least in my area. One of my favorites that I just cannot get enough of is watermelon. I noticed this past Saturday at the Farmer’s Market the watermelons were getting smaller and after opening one, less sweet indicating these babies were inching closer and closer to the end of their season. *Sniff* 

But until that happens officially watermelon I shall buy and watermelon I shall eat. 

This bowl was topped with a few sprigs of mint and some lime juice…too bad I could barely taste :P

Lunch:

I’ve been testing a recipe out for Manitoba Harvest’s Salad Contest and I created a simple summer salad I am quite proud of. It’s sweet, creamy, savory and oh so refreshingly, crunchy. I love every bite of satisfaction. It’s filling and loaded with hemp protein, healthy omegas and greens!

Summer Kale Slaw

By Beth Mickens

Serves 1

Salad

• 1 heaping cup of shredded kale
• Kernels from 1 small cob of corn
• 1 small carrot, julienned (3 Tbsp)
• 3 Tbsp cup of jicama, julienned
• 3 Tbsp of red bell pepper, julienned
• 6 small cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp of hemp seeds
• Dill, dried or fresh (optional) or favorite herb/s

Simple Dressing

• 2 Tbsp of cashews
• 1 tbsp of hemp seeds
• 1-2 Tbsp of water
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice or ACV or combo of both
• ½ - 1 tsp of raw honey (depends on how sweet your corn is. If it’s super sweet then reduce the amount of sweetener)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper

1. Toss all the salad ingredients, except for the herbs, together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a small bullet style blender, add cashews and hemp seeds. Grind into a fine powder.
3. Add remaining ingredients (only 1 Tbsp of water to start) and blend until thick and smooth adding water as needed until desired consistency is reached.
4. Add dressing to salad and lightly toss until every bit of the salad is equally dressed. Add dried dill or preferred herbs and toss gently one more time to combine.
5. Serve with an extra sprinkle of hemp seeds to garnish.

Snack:

You know I have to have my smoothies :)

Today’s green smoothie is called the Chocolate Berry Crunch. Not sure why it didn’t turn out as chocolaty as I expected but I could probably blame my crappy taste buds for that one. This cold has killed my taste buds and it’s depressing. Even though it didn’t taste exactly as I wanted, this smoothie was still yummy and fulfilling. 

Chocolate Berry Crunch

Recipe adapted from  Reboot with Joe

Makes 16 ounces 

• 1 cup spinach
• ½ cup blueberries, frozen
• ¼ cup mixed berries, frozen
• ¼ cup cherries, frozen
• ¼ cup strawberries, frozen
• ½ banana
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1-2 tbsp of raw cacao powder or cacao nibs
• 1 scoop of raw protein powder (I used hemp)
• 1 Tbsp of chia seeds

1. Blend and enjoy!

Dinner:

For some reason I wasn’t hungry…maybe because my stomach is still trying to get back to normal. This cold killed my appetite for the last few days so I can imagine how my tummy feels having to get back into digesting all this food. I did enjoy more watermelon and some of Hail Merry’s raw chocolate mint tart..which sadly tasted like nothing. Oh well. I’m just happy that my body is recovering well… I will continue to listen to it, treating it right so that in return it will provide me with a happy, long, healthy life and right now it’s saying..GO TO BED! So until tomorrow…

Oh before I go to bed, I’ll be taking another homemade flu shot. I have taken two so far since my cold started on Friday and the day after I took my shot, the worse symptoms were over. The first time I took it I was suffering from a sharp, painful sore throat that made it hard to breath and swallow. The day after, I kid you not, it was gone! My throat felt almost back to normal! 

The second time I took it my body was aching and my head was congested and felt like it was ready to just explode. I could feel the inflammation in my sinuses and ears. So I took another one and the next morning it was gone! My husband, also the individual who kindly shared his germs with me, took a flu shot when he felt the sore throat symptoms gradually getting worse and immediately felt better the next morning. He’s a believer of natural remedies and was the one who had to force me to suck down this potent yet healing concoction. Thank goodness he did. 

So if you’re ever in need of a quick remedy, take one of these and feel the inviting burn of natural healing. 

Homemade Flu Shot  

(for sore throats and inflammation due to a cold)

In a small bowl add:

• 1 large lemon juiced
• ½ - 1 tsp of raw honey
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ½ tsp of grated ginger
• Shake of turmeric
• Shake of cayenne

1. Whisk together til well combined. Pour or strain into a shot glass and drink. Do NOT chase with water. Wait a bit before drinking any liquids to allow it to coat your throat and really work its way into your system.  
2. Bottoms up!

*Beth*