Welcome to Day 1 of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge for the NEW
YEAR!! Exciting! If you’re looking to change your eating habits and develop a
healthier lifestyle filled with raw foods, juices and smoothies, then this
challenge is for you! Seven (7) days, 100% raw, no excuses! So who’s ready?
For the next couple challenges I am going to be using
recipes from Brad’s NEW book, Raw Made Easy. This book is GREAT for those new
to raw foods and looking to incorporate more raw foods into their diet. It’s
not about restrictions, but about making small changes that will lead to better
choices and even better eating habits. Want to know more? Read my pre-review
here.
It’s a great book that I highly recommend for those who are a bit rawcurious ;)
FOLLOW: If you're interested in participating or just want to follow along, you can find updates, recipes and more on Brad's Challenge page here: https://www.facebook.com/Brads7DayRawChallenge
What I ate: Day 1
Early Morning:
Mmmm hello to a mug of warm green tea with lemon and raw
honey. I needed a serious wake up boost this morning. Sleep and I are currently
trying to find our balance again. We’ve been quite off and it’s making me tired
and a bit grumpy....
16 ounces of H2O
Juice:
I started my morning off with a yummy green juice. I’ve fallen
head over heels for juices lately. I find them to be energizing and easy on my
digestion. Green ones, all fruit
ones, citrusy ones…I love’ em all!
One of my favorites is Brad’s Green Lemonade straight from
his new book, Raw Made Easy. Kale, apples, celery, cukes, lemon and ginger all
juiced into a frothy green thirst quencher. It’s tart, sweet, spicy and a bit
salty. It’s also refreshing and cooling…although not exactly what I needed on
this brisk cold morning. Brr. Still delicious!
16 ounces of H2O
Breakfast:
Simple Green Smoothies is at it again with their 30 day
challenges!! This week is all about guilt free dessert smoothies and mmm is my
sweet tooth singing!!
Today’s smoothie is the Coconut Dream. I ditched the greens
for multiple reasons. A) because finding greens (even grass!) right now is a bit difficult B) spinach is a nutrient inhibitor so I use it
sparingly and c) I really wanted it to be a different color :)
This smoothie was AMAZING! I literally did not breath the
entire minute that it took me to drink it! Next time I’ll add the greens so I feel a bit less guilty :)
Coconut Dream Smoothie
Makes 16 ounces
- 1 cup fresh kale or preferred greens
- 1 cup coconut milk (I used homemade almond milk)
- ½ cup mango
- ½ cup pineapple
- ½ banana
- 1 Tbsp of coconut flakes
- 1 Tbsp of flax seeds (I added at the end for a boost!)
Lunch:
For me, winter has been here LONG enough! The last few days...and now tomorrow...has literally had me on the floor a few times screaming and kicking wishing for the freezing temps, multiple inches of snow and worse, the lack of produce variety to just go away!! I just want my summer back :(
Well, while I can't make mother nature change her ways, what I can do is make summer happen in my kicthen. Finding the fruits and veggies has been, of course, very difficult but thankfully, the last few weeks I have been blessed with one of my summer faves: blueberries!!
My local store
recently started selling bulk organic blueberries for a pretty good price so my
daughter and I have been buying them every week and using them in every way
possible. Actually, I barely can get a chance to make a recipe with them before
they disappear. So today I decided I better make one of my favorite summer
salads before they disappear.
One of the greatest combos I have ever discovered is the combination of blueberries and corn –
blueberry corn muffins, blueberry corn pancakes, blueberry corn salsa, and this blueberry corn salad. The light refreshing flavors will brighten
your day and bring summer back into your kitchen..at least for a moment. But what
makes this salad really burst are the spicy jalapenos and the sweet tangy cumin
lime dressing. It’s absolutely amazing.
Blueberry Corn Salad
Adapted from BHG
Makes 1 large salad
- 3-4 cups of mixed greens, leaf lettuce, or favorite leafy green
- 2-4 Tbsp of sliced or diced red onions
- ½ small cucumber, peeled if not organic, quartered and sliced
- ¼ cup fresh corn (or frozen from the summer crops)
- ¼ cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ - ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
- ¼ avocado, sliced
- 1-2 tbsp of sprouted pepitas
- Small handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tbsp of raw honey or preferred liquid sweetener
- ½ large lime, juiced (1-1 ½ tbsp)
- ¼ tsp of cumin
- 1 tbsp of raw hemp oil (optional)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, cumin, oil, if using, and a pinch of salt.
- Set aside.
- In a large bowl or on a plate, layer the leafy greens, red onions, corn, cucumber, blueberries, and jalapeno. Top with avocado slices, a sprinkle of pepitas and a sprinkle of cilantro.
- Serve with dressing.
Dinner:
No dinner. I’m super tired and well exhaustion leads
to mindless nibbling and that’s what I did. Kale chips, dates and almond
butter, leftover veggies...thank goodness it was all raw goods but still, I
seriously need to get some rest!
Desserts:
Last night I whipped up a batch of desserts for the week so I
wouldn’t have to make them throughout the week. Only problem is, I have to
learn to have this thing called self-control or willpower. So far, I’m doing
ok. Sort of. I made two favorites: raw
fudge and raw macaroons. Chocolate and vanilla :)
The CHOCOLATE.
I’ve been on a raw fudge kick the last couple of weeks. I’ve
made this recipe multiple times, adding something new each time, and of course,
every single time I ate the entire batch within a few days. They’re that good!
Sweet, creamy chocolate – it’s every
chocolate lovers dream!
Raw (Maca) Fudge
Adapted from Practical Paleo
Makes 9 mini cups
- ¼ cup of creamy, raw almond butter
- ¼ cup of coconut oil (see NOTE below)
- ¼ cup cacao powder or replace 1 tbsp with maca powder for a maca chocolate!
- 2-3 Tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- Pinch of salt…or more for a salted chocolate (yumm!)
- Superfood toppers (optional): goji berries, cacao nibs, etc
NOTE: Measuring the amount of coconut oil in solid form will yield a bit more oil melted and result in a firmer, candy like chocolate. Measuring the amount melted will result in a softer fudge like chocolate. You want a 1:1 ration between the coconut oil and almond butter, but you’ll always get more of one than the other, so remember more coconut oil means harder chocolate, more almond butter means fudgier chocolate. I love em both :)
- In a double boiler, melt the coconut oil.
- Remove from the double boiler and add the almond butter, honey and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the cacao powder (and/or maca) and whisk til well incorporated. You should have a smooth, slightly thick chocolate sauce.
- Line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners.
- Pour in enough sauce to fill each liner.
- Top with superfoods if desired before freezing for 2-3 hours or until the chocolate has set and hardened.
- Remove from pan and store in a freezer friendly container.
- Keep in the freezer until ready to devour.
These are dangerous so eat with caution!
My “vanilla” treat are these flippin’ amazing raw coconut
macaroons by Gena Hemshaw from Choosing Raw. She developed this recipe
specifically for 22 Days, 22 Day Vegan Challenge back in December and I have no
doubts every challenger made sure to keep this recipe to make over and over and
over again. They are super simple to make! Blend, form, freeze, eat. That’s it!
By Gena Hemshaw from Choosing Raw
Makes 9
- ¼ cup raw almonds
- ½ heaping cup of shredded or flaked coconut, unsweetened and raw
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil, soft but solid
- 1 ½ Tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
- ½ tsp of vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- Add almonds to the food processor and process till they’re finely groun
- Add remaining ingredients and process again till everything is well combined.
- Working quickly roll the coconut mixture into small 1” balls (I love using a Tbsp measure for this!) Place on parchment lined platter.
- Transfer platter to the fridge and refrigerate for a few hours until the macaroons are solid.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to eat!
Whew! There we have it! Day 1 done!
Oh! As a new feature, I’m also going to be adding the
recipes from other challengers on my page! This is so I can keep a list of all
the amazing recipes to refer back to and so you can have a list as well!
Cocoa Goji Energy Bars
By Ang Roberts
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup raw goji berries, ground
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 Tbsp almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp of raw honey or agave
- 2 Tbsp spirulina
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Mix all ingredients together in food processor.
- Roll into balls or press into small banking dish and cut into squares after freezing.
- Freeze for 15-20 minutes.
Tomato Snacks
By Lucia Morrison
- 1 medium zucchini
- ½ avocado
- ¼ lemon juiced
- ½ cup baby spinach
- 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
- ½ tbps EVOO
- Sea salt
- 1 heirloom tomato, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves to garnish
- Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Place a scoop on top of a slice of tomato, garnish with basil and serve
*Beth*
