Day 3: Best. Raw. Cheese. Ever!!!!

It’s already Day 3!? Geeze this is going by fast!! Oh well, here we go! 

Breakfast:

Gasp! You skipped your morning routine!? Yes. I woke up late due to the lack of sleep I have been getting the last couple of days and well, it’s trying to gradually catch up. Pluuuus, I knew today’s smoothie was going to be just as refreshing, hydrating and detoxing so skipping my morning lemon water was okay, just this time.

As I stated, this smoothie was definitely a change up from what we have been drinking the last couple of days. No bananas, no fruit or other sweeteners, just veggies, herbs, water and lemon. It was tart, refreshing and unexpectedly tasty. I did add a small knob of banana for just a hint of sweetness since my lemon was pretty large and tart. It’s best when super cold, so throw a few ice cubes in either before or after blending to make this the perfect chilly detoxing drink for a hot summers day. Now only if it was hot outside….

  

Detox and Healing Smoothie

By Young and Raw, Day 27

• 1 rib of celery
• 1 cup of cucumber
• 1 handful of parsley
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tbsp of hemp or chia seeds
• 1 cup of coconut water or water
• ¼ frozen banana (optional)
• Ice (optional)

1. Blend, sip and go!

Lunch:

Ever since I transitioned to a raw foods diet, I have fallen in love with all things creamy, especially avocado! I know! You’re probably thinking, isn’t that a lot of fat? Well, yes, yes it is. AND did you know that one, fat, especially in women, is burned more than carbs making it an ideal source of energy;  two, that it is necessary for proper nutrient absorption; and three, it manages inflammation (just to name a few key benefits)? Fat, healthy, raw fat, is good for your body. So eat up! In moderation of course. :)

Getting back to lunch. I had been eying these drool producing raw Chipotle Cheddar and Apple Lettuce Wraps by Young and Raw for quite a while now. Every time I was set to make them I was missing at least one ingredient (sounds like the biggest story of my life doesn’t it? Maybe I can use that one day…). Well, I had had enough. I was making these babies somehow, with or without lettuce. Obviously, I didn’t have any butter lettuce, so I asked myself, "what is the next best “wrapper” when lettuce is not an option?" Ding! Nori sheets! That’s right! It was time to make Chipotle Cheddar and Apple sushi!

I opened the package of nori sheets and what do I find!? Only one nori sheet left! Now what!? Kale…I had Kale! I was not giving up! So I made these wraps two ways: as a sushi roll and as a kale wrap.

Both were insanely delish thanks to the absolute best tasting raw cheese spread I have EVER tasted. I mean it’s “lick the blade clean” good! As you can see, all you need is a thin layer to be able to taste the robust, smoky flavors of this cheese. A little bit truly goes a long way. And because it is so full of flavor, it really is all you need to make a dish, any dish taste amazing. So seriously, go and whip this creamy deliciousness up and put it on everything!! 

Chipotle Cheddar and Apple Sushi/Kale Wraps

Recipe adapted from Young and Raw

Modified to serve 1 but can easily be doubled

• ½ small apple, thinly sliced
• ¼ red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1-2 raw nori sheets and/or 2-3 large kale leaves (or you can substitute for butter, bib or romaine lettuce, collard leaves, etc)
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Mixed greens
• Chipotle Cheddar
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 2 sundried tomatoes, soaked, drained and chopped
• 1/4 tsp chipotle seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp of water 
  

1. I recommend chopping the macadamia nuts up first either by hand or in the blender.
2. Add the remaining ingredients into the blender, using only 1 Tbsp of water to start off, and continue to blend, adding water as needed, until a smooth, thick paste-like cheese is formed. You don’t want its saucy, but you do want it smooth and spreadable. Think hummus but a tad bit thicker. Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the sushi:

I’m not great at giving directions when it comes to sushi rollin’. It’s a technique that takes tons of practice to perfect. My advice? Watch this vid and get your sushi skills a rollin’!!!

Just a few notes:

1. Use the Chipotle Cheddar as you would rice in regular sushi. All you need is a thin layer from bottom to top, leaving an inch of room on the top to seal.
2. For the filling, add layers of mixed greens, apple slices, bell peppers and sprouts!

Repeat with remaining nori sheet and/or use the remaining cheddar to make kale/lettuce wraps.

To assemble the wraps: 

1. Spread a thin layer of Chipotle Cheddar onto the kale/lettuce leaf, pile high with apples, bell peppers and sprouts. Roll or fold together like a taco and nom nom away!!

I know! It’s a foodgasmic isn’t it!?

Snacks: I sipped on a warm green tea with raw honey and nommed on a banana and some raw almond butter

Dinner:

I wasn’t really hungry, but I had been dying to finally cut open my cherimoya that I had bought a couple of days ago. I figured a small piece of fruit so simple and light was all I needed.

I have been seeing and reading a lot of great things about cherimoyas. It is slowly becoming the new raw “superfruit”, being praised for its nutritional profile which includes Vitamin C, potassium and fiber. So when I saw them being sold at the global market last weekend, I immediately snatched one up and allowed it to ripen on the window seal. I knew it was ready when I could smell it's sweet aroma while cleaning dishes.

This was my first time tasting a cherimoya so I was excited to see if it really did taste like a custardy, tropical fruit blend. The texture was creamy, juicy, and just a tiny bit starchy. Very custard like indeed!  As for the flavor, the first thing I recognized was that it tasted very similar to a banana in both flavor and sweetness. It contained little to no acidity, which would have been a nice contrast to the super, almost cloying sweetness; maybe I'll squeeze some lime on it next time. Other flavors that I detected included the earthiness of coconut, apple, pineapple and maybe a hint of papaya? 

It was really tasty and fun to eat minus the super sweetness and all the seeds! I think the flesh would work perfect in a smoothie or blended to create a filling to a raw, creamy tart! Yumm! 

If you love sweet, tropical, aromatic fruits, then I highly recommend you give this one a go! Plus, who doesn’t love trying new things!?

Dessert:

A couple of days ago I came across this recipe for fudgy, nut butter containing, chocolatey cups. I was sold at “nut butter” when I saw the recipe and knew these were a must make!

The recipe was simple to rawify and easy to whip together. After 30 minutes in the fridge you end up with these creamy, nutty, oh so decadent fudge cups. As I was setting up my cups for photo perfection, I took a bite and immediately said out loud, “This is not good! I shouldn’t have made these. This is so so bad.” And I was right! These are so good they need to be sealed with a lock and key! I definitely plan  on making these again…tomorrow. :)

      Raw Nut Butter Fudge

Recipe adapted from Practical Paleo

Makes 3 delicious cups, which is seriously not enough!

• 2 Tbsp of unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp of raw almond butter
• 2 Tbsp of raw cacai powder, sifted
• 1 Tbsp of raw, unpasteurized honey (or liquid sweetener of choice)
• 1/8 tsp of vanilla
• Optional Add Ins: shredded coconut, cacao nibs, goji berries

1. In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until well blended
2. Add 2 Tbsp of the chocolatey sauce into three paper lined muffin tin cups or into three silicone muffin cups.
3. If using add ins, sprinkle them on top and gently stir them into the chocolate
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes until firm
5. Remove, peel and sink your teeth into each and every cup so no one else will steal them as you attempt to store them in the fridge just to eat them 5 minutes later.

The temptation to eat them ALL is so hard to overcome!! Heck, just give in and make sure to work out extra hard tomorrow :)

Evening Routine:

After missing so much rest, I downed my apple cider vinegar tea and immediately hit the sack! Rest is just as important as diet and exercise when it comes to health and maintaining a healthy weight. So get them 6-8 hours of snooze!!

               

Day 2: Raw Lasagna Stuffed Portabello!

Morning Routine: Lemon water baby!

Breakfast:

I’ve come to the conclusion I am not a fan of banana only smoothies unless there is some contrasting flavor besides banana, sugar and greens! None the less I sucked it down. I was quite surprised how the broccoli sprouts actually worked well in this smoothie. You could taste them, but the flavor was very mild. I also LOVED the hint of mint! I think with a few tweaks we may have a raw Shamrock Shake on our hands! 

Sprout and Mint Green Smoothie

By Young and Raw, Day 26

•  1 handful of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
• 1 small handful of mint
• 1 frozen banana
•  1 handful of kale
•  1 Tbsp of hemp or chia
• 1 Tbsp of coconut milk
• 1 cup of almond milk, coconut milk or water
• Optional: Aloe vera leaf gel

1. Blend and go!

Lunch:

I had it in my mind that I was going to make raw lasagna for lunch one of these days…until the inevitable happened…I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed. Go figure! It never fails! I can have every vegetable imaginable and I still would be missing something. So I decided it was time to make my own recipe for the week. I had a Portobello mushroom that needed to be stuffed, ingredients for both the tomatoes sauce and cheese sauce…and then it dawned on me, let’s stuff the Portobello with lasagna! 

The tomato sauce and cheese sauce recipes were adapted from Ronnie and Minh, an awesome couple who work together to teach their audience how to make easy, delicious raw food recipes with tons of added love! I love these vids! 

As for the layers of veggies and herbs, be creative! Add what you love and omit what you don’t. I actually didn’t have any basil so I used mint instead and it worked surprisingly well! Have fun with this recipe. There is no right or wrong!

Raw Lasagna Stuffed Portobello

Created by Beth Mickens with recipes adapted from Ronnie and Minh

Serves 1

•  2-3 handfuls of mixed greens
•  1 large Portobello cap, peeled and cleaned of gills
• Raw Marinara Sauce

o   ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes

o   ½ roma tomato, diced

o   2 Tbsp of chopped sundried tomatoes, previously soaked and drained

o   ¼ tsp of dried Italian herb blend

o   Salt to taste

o   Pepper to taste

o   1-2 tsp of raw honey (optional based on sweetness of cherry tomatoes)

1. Add all the ingredients into a small blender (I use a Bullet) and blend until well blended, smooth and slightly thick.
2. Pour the sauce into a small sieve and drain into a bowl while prepping the remaining ingredients. This will remove any excess water and thicken the tomato sauce.   

•  Raw cashew cheese

o   2 Tbsp of cashews, soaked and drained

o   1 Tbsp of sunflower seeds, soaked and drained

o   2-3 tsp of pine nuts (optional, but a great addition!)

o   ¼ tsp of dried Italian herb blend ( I used more because I love lots of seasoning)

o   Salt to taste

o   ¼ - ½ lemon, juiced

o   2 Tbsp of water

1. Add all the ingredients into a small blender (I use a Bullet) and blend until well blended, slightly smooth, yet thick. You’re looking for more of a paste than a thin, pourable sauce.

•  ½ small zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
•  2-3 Tbsp of chopped fresh mint leaves ( or basil, parsley, cilantro, whatever your fave herb is!)
• 2 Tbsp of chopped sundried tomatoes, previously soaked and drained
•  Handful of alfalfa sprouts, optional

To assemble:

1. Place a couple of handfuls of greens onto a plate.
2. On top of the greens, lay the Portobella mushroom cap upside down and begin stuffing!
3. Add in order: a layer of cheese sauce, a sprinkle of mint, a layer zucchini rounds, a layer of marinara, a sprinkle of mint, a layer of zucchini rounds, a layer of cheese, a sprinkle of mint and a sprinkle of chopped sundried tomatoes. (You can add as many layers as you want. Pile it high!!)
4. Top with alfalfa sprouts and serve.

Snack: A Gingerberry Kombucha by GT and a banana

Dinner: 

I wasn’t sure what I was going to eat for dinner, but after Brad’s posted a pic of This Rawesome Vegan Life’s Apple Sammie, I knew I had to have it! Dinner and dessert were becoming one today!

The picture alone makes me drool. Anyone and everyone knows I am a nut butter addict and I LOVE nut butter and apples! Add a banana, some coconut and a hint of honey and we’re talking the perfect meal!! And that is exactly what this was: the absolute, most delicious, drool worthy perfect meal!

Apple Sammie with almond butter and date caramel

Recipe adapted from This Rawesome Vegan Life

• 1 apple
• Raw Almond Butter (See my recipe for raw Almond Butter here. I added a few macadamia nuts to my blend this time around)
•  Date caramel

o   ¼ cup of dates, chopped

o   ½ Tbsp softened unrefined coconut oil

o   1+ Tbsp of raw coconut milk (or any other raw milk alternative you have on hand)

o   Pinch of salt to taste

1. Add the dates into the blender and blend until finely chopped (I used my Bullet with an S blade)
2. Add the coconut oil and process until the coconut oil melts and the dates turn into a thick paste.
3. Add the milk and a pinch of salt and process until the date paste has softened into a smooth, creamy paste.

•  Raw shredded coconut
•  Banana

To Assemble:

1. Slice the apple from top to bottom. Core the pieces. Begin to layer and assemble. (Can you tell us rawsies love to layer!?
2. Apple slice, almond butter, apple slice, date paste, apple slice, almond butter, shredded coconut, apple slice, date paste, apple slice, almond butter, banana slices, coconut shreds and apple slice.

It will be lopsided. It may even fall apart. It will be sticky. It will be messy. But best of all, it will be frickin delicious!!!

Evening Routine: Yummy, tangy apple cider vinegar tea with honey

It’s Day 1 of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge for March!

Wow, things have been so crazy here with moving and all that my mind completely passed the fact that Brad’s Raw Challenge started today! Thankfully I got a reminder early this morning ;) I realized the moment the challenge starts I go from relaxed to beast mode when it comes to prepping meals for the week. I become focused and determined to prep only the best raw eats! So who’s ready to RAWK out!?

Morning Routine: 

A lemon water. I’ve talked about the benefits of drinking lemon water first thing in the morning. Not only does it hydrate a dehydrated body, but it jump starts the digestive system and detoxes along the way. For more info, click here. 

Breakfast:

For the last 26 days I have been following Young and Raw’s 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge and we are near the finish line!! It has been quite an adventurous journey to say the least, adding ingredients into my smoothie I would never consider adding, testing recipes and discovering which combos work out great and which one’s don’t…not to mention the plethora of young coconuts I have hacked through in order to obtain the sweetest, most refreshing coconut water and yummiest, creamiest meat. Oh and the community! The amount of info you gain from it is incredible! People of all ages, from all over the world are sharing recipes, ideas, information about health and testimonies…it’s addicting to be around so many like minded and positive people! Absolutely love it! Today’s smoothie was one of the best during this challenge! Berries and Chai? Who knew!

Berry Chai Green Smoothie

By Young and Raw, Day 25

• 2 handful of kale
•  1 Tbsp of hemp or chia seeds, or both!
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries or raspberries (or both!)
• 1 frozen banana (optional)
• 1 scoop or packet of Vega ONE, Chai flavored
• 1 cup of water or coconut water
• Optional add ins: 1 inch of aloe leaf gel, 1 knob of turmeric peeled, wheatgrass

1. Add all the ingredients into a blender in the order that it is listed, blend and sip away!

How many sips does it take to get to the bottom of the glass?? (As one of the smoothie challengers said, “Threeeeee”!!)

Lunch: 

A few days ago, a fellow Y&R smoothie challenger posted this salad on our community page and I knew immediately that I had to make it! Already I could tell this salad was going to be a favorite with its combination of flavors and textures, something I love, love, love in a dish! I grabbed the ingredients and went to work. It was fast to prep and put together and I was right, the combo of flavors and textures make every bite a whirlwind of fun on your tastebuds. The only downside I noticed is that the salad was without a dressing. I thought hard about what type of dressing would compliment this salad and not overpower and only one came to mind, Honey Mustard! I did notice I didn’t need much dressing as the salad tasted great as is, but the dressing did add a nice hint of sweet and sour to the dish.

Rocket Avocado Walnut mango Apple Salad

By the Earth Diet

Modified to serve 1 average portion

(and to make it more of a salad, salad) :)

• 2 cups of mixed herb greens, including arugula
•  ¼ - ½ cup mango, diced
•  ½ small green apple, sliced
•  1/3 avocado, sliced
•  2-3 Tbsp of chopped walnuts
•  Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast (optional)
• Sprouts (optional)

• 1 Tbsp of organic stone ground mustard
• 1 Tbsp of raw, unpasteurized honey
• ½ Tbsp of hemp oil

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey and oil. Set aside until ready to use.
2. On your favorite plate or into you favorite bowl, layer the ingredients in order as listed from the herb greens to the walnuts. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and nutritional yeast. 
3. Serve with the dressing drizzled over or you can toss it before plating.

Snacks: I enjoyed a yummy Ginger Kombucha by GT and a banana before nom nomming at dinner time.

Dinner: 

GIANT PUMMELO!

I am obsessed with pummelos right now! It is citrus season after all, and these babies are at peak perfection. They are very similar to grapefruits in taste, except a tad sweeter and little to no bitterness. The flesh is firm, yet juicy and the rind is at least an inch thick which explains their massive size. When picking a pummelo, as you do with all citrus, choose one that is heavy for its size. The heavier the juicier! 

I just cut this baby in half, drizzled with raw honey, sprinkled with grounded flax meal and dug away. It does give your arm sort of a work out!

Dessert: 

Raw. Chocolate. Chipotle. Ice. Cream. Yummmmmmmmmmmm.

I’ve been going through young coconuts like crazy, using the water for my smoothies and searching for ways to use the meat. In last month’s challenge I had made a simple vanilla coconut ice cream but found it to be…well…plain. I wanted, no I craved, more flavor! 

I browsed the Fragrant Vanilla Cake blog looking for an ice cream that would satisfy my cravings for something different - something with crunch, something not to sweet, something made with…CHOCOLATE! I knew I could trust Amy, the queen of raw sweet treats and creator of the recipe I used to make my first ice cream, to provide me with the perfect recipe…and OH MY did she! Chocolate Chipotle Pecan. YES!!!

I followed the recipe to the T and used my ice cream maker to create this delicious gelato-like frozen treat. I stirred in pecans and cacao nibs instead of raw chocolate, using only half of what the recipe called for for both, and scooped it into my container to freeze, eating at least a third of it along the way.

It was love at first bite. Rich, creamy, sweet and oh so decadent. Pure chocolate with a hint of smoky heat that creeps up on you slowly, forcing you to take another bite just to cool it down. Crunch and nuttiness that comes from the pecans and cacao nibs. Flavor, texture, richness, perfection. Oh, and If you’re not a fan of coconut, don’t worry. You can’t even tell it was made with coconut meat! Yes, it’s that good!

The only complaint I have is that when frozen, it is hard and very difficult to scoop. It needs to be thawed out for at least 30 minutes just to get a spoon through it and even then, it still needs some coaxing in order to create a perfect scoop. But all the hard work is worth the crazy deliciousness of this perfect raw ice cream.

Evening Routine:

I always end my day with a raw apple cider vinegar sweetened with honey. It signals the brain that the day has ended, eating is done and it aids in digestion. Raw apple cider vinegar has several additional health benefits as well. It supports a healthy immune system, helps control weight and aids in removing toxic build up. It’s the perfect ending to my day.