October 24, 2010

Breakfast

Buckwheat Pancakes with Applesauce

serves 4 ~ $.89 per serving

1 cup soaked and rinsed buckwheat groats ($.35)

3 bananas ($.60)

1/4 cup ground flax seeds ($.10)

1 tablespoon olive oil ($.10)

1 tablespoon agave ($.20)

pinch salt

2 large apples, peeled and chopped ($1.80)

2 tablespoons agave ($.40)

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

raisins

I usually make nearly everything for this blog on Sunday, and more often than not have no idea what I'm going to make until that morning ... and that's how it is most other days, too. I'm just not much of a planner. I was feeling pretty uninspired this week, too. And, I was running low on lots of things, and running out of others. But that's what's amazing about raw and vegan foods; with just a few ingredients and the smallest amount of inspiration, good meals can be made.

These are similar to other pancakes I've made here, but heavier on the buckwheat. In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the buckwheat, banana, flax seed, olive oil, agave, and salt until pureed. This takes about three minutes. Spread the batter out in 4 in rounds on lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for about an hour. When the top is "set" and dry to the touch, flip the pancakes and peel the sheet off them (I flipped mine too soon ... and they were left with marks from the dehydrator). Continue to dry for another few hours until the outside is dried and the inside is still moist but not wet.

To make the apple sauce, in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the apple, agave, and cinnamon until pureed and smooth. Stir in a few raisins and spoon over the pancakes.

calories: 374

fat: 12 gr

carbs: 66 gr

protein: 9 gr

Lunch

Carrot Apple Soup

serves 2 ~ $2.01 per serving

6 carrots, chopped ($1.00)

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 avocado ($1.49)

1 large apple ($.89)

1 red bell pepper, chopped ($.79)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

pinch cinnamon

pinch cumin

water for blending

This is a sweet way to take advantage of in season carrots and apples. Actually, it started out as a (rare) food experiment gone wrong ... but it worked all out in the end.

In a blender, combine all ingredients and pureed until very smooth and creamy. Use as much as necessary for the desired consistency. This soup would be awesome in a Vita Mix or a similar blender, but any blender will work ... although it may take a few minutes. If it's not smooth enough, press through a wire mesh strainer.

Serve with a few bits of chopped apples and onions and a drizzle of olive oil.

 

calories: 363

fat: 25 gr

carbs: 37 gr

protein: 4 gr

Dinner
Green Salad with Mango Dressing
serves 2 ~ $1.55 per serving


dressing
1/2 cup mango chunks ($.40)
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)
1 tablespoon agave ($.10)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ($.10)
1 tablespoon lime juice ($.20)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


salad
1 head romaine ($1.89)
1 medium onion
4 stalks celery ($.20)
walnuts

OK, mango isn't in season. It's technically never in season where I live. But, oh my, it sure is nice to have.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bullet type blender and pureed until smooth. (I use small canning jars with the blade assembly of my regular blender.)

Toss together the chopped romaine, chopped celery, chopped onion, and add some walnuts. Top with the mango dressing.

calories: 288

fat: 23 gr

carbs: 15 gr

protein: 4 gr

Dessert

Lemon Basil Ice Cream

serves 2 ~ $1.12

5 ripe bananas ($.75)

juice and zest of one lemon ($1.49)

1 tablespoon dried basil, or 3 tablespoons fresh

Yes, more banana ice cream. I do love this stuff and it really does seem to have almost endless possibilities. I think fresh basil would be better, but I used dried and it worked well to ad just a bit of flavor.

In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process all ingredients until the bananas are liquid. Then process in an ice cream maker until firm.

calories:  263

fat: 1 gr

carbs: 64 gr

protein: 4 gr

Total cost for the day: $5.57

total calories: 1,288

total fat: 61 gr

total carb: 182 gr
total protein: 21 gr

 

***

Product Reviews

Crazy Rumors Lip Balm

I LOVE lip balm. I think I may be addicted to the stuff, and have always needed it since my lips seem to stay perpetually chapped. I've been a big fan of Crazy Rumors for a few years at least. Alternative Outfitters carries their products and I'd purchased them before, so I was happy to try them again. It's hard to find a truly vegan lip balm that works as well as something like Burt's Bees (which contain not just bees wax, but lanolin as well), but these come really close and the flavors are many and delicious. At $4 a tube, they're just a bit more expensive than some others, but they have staying power so last a while. Also, they're totally vegan and use all natural ingredients.

B12 Patch

 

B12 is something everyone risks being deficient in ... not just vegans. And oral B12 is notoriously hard to absorb. Vita Sciences makes a B12 patch now. I haven't had my B12 levels checked while using this product, but it's easy to use and the idea makes sense. The patch is discreet and placed on the neck near the ear. I had a tiny bit of mild skin reaction to the patch the first time I used one, but I've got several allergies and I was kind of expecting it. One box, which lasts 60 days, is $24.95.

 

***

Question of theWeek

Do you use supplements? (In addition to B12 and vitamin D, I just started using a one-a-day made by Deva)

October 17, 2010

Breakfast
Mango Sorbet
serves 1 ~ $2.24 per serving
recipe by Jennifer Cornbleet

1 cup frozen mango chunks (about 1 1/2 mangoes) ($2.24)

This is a very simple recipe from Jennifer Cornbleet's book, Raw Food for 1 or 2 People. I really like how simple and easy her recipes are to make. I was running low on supplies this weekend, but was still able to make some of her recipes without having to shop. I was able to review this book, as well as her Raw for Dessert book. I really enjoyed both, especially since the recipes are for smaller quantities and ideal for (no surprise!) just one or two people. I was more than happy to be able to chat with Jenny a bit and make a few of her recipes here (recipe instructions are Jenny's).

Jennifer has trained at, and now teaches at, the Living Light Culinary Institute. She has a raw food company, Learn Raw Food, and does lectures, workshops, and consultations ... and her book has sold over 100,000 copies and is one of the most popular raw books at Amazon (yay, Jenny!).

Allow the mango chunks to thaw for 5 minutes. Place in a food processor fitted with an S blade and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Serve immediately.

 

calories: 202

fat: 1 gr

carbs: 53 gr

protein: 2 gr

Lunch
Shaved Beet Salad
1 serving ~ $1.95 per serving
recipe by Jennifer Cornbleet

1/2 small beet ~ ($.55)
3 tablespoons lemon herb dressing (see recipe below) ($.30)
2 cups mesclun or arugula ($1.00)
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts ($.10)


Slice the beets paper-thin using a mandoline or sharp knife. Place in a mixing bowl, add the dressing, and toss until evenly coated. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Arrange the mesclun on a serving plate. Remove the beets from the dressing and place on top of the greens along with the walnuts, if desired. Drizzle with the remaining dressing left from marinating the beets. Serve immediately.


Lemon Herb Dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice ($1.00)
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (parsley, basil, dill, mint, tarragon, or oregano) ($.20)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (1 clove)
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard (optional)
dash black pepper (optional)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil ($.80)

Place the lemon juice, herbs, garlic, salt, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the olive oil and whisk again until well blended. Store in a cruet or glass jar in the refrigerator. Lemon Herb Dressing will keep for five days.


 

calories: 285

fat: 24 gr

carbs: 13 gr

protein: 3 gr

Dinner

Samosas with Mango Sauce

serves 4 ~ $2.05 per serving

1 head cauliflower, chopped ($1.29)

1 yam , chopped ($.50)

1 zucchini, chopped ($.80)

1/4 cup walnuts ($.50)

1/4 cup raisins ($.50)

2 dates ($.40)

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup green peas ($.38)

juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoon curry powder ($.50)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium onion, finely minced ($.05)

2 jalapeno, finely minced ($.10)

1 mango ($1.49)

3 tablespoons agave($.30)

This recipe has a few more ingredients that I usually use, but it's still quite easy to put together. It's also not going to taste exactly like a real fried samosa, but it's still spicy and yummy.

In a food processor with an "S" blade, process the cauliflower, yam, zucchini, walnuts, raisins, dates, and garlic until pureed. This is a lot and I processed this in a few batches. Mix together with the rest of the samosa ingredients.

Form into cone shapes or triangular patties and dehydrate for several hours, until the outside is a bit crispy but the inside is still soft. To make the mango sauce, simply puree a peeled and chopped mango with the agave and about a 1/2 cup water until smooth. Serve the samosas with a generous dollop of mango sauce.

 

 

calories: 415

fat: 19 gr

carbs: 64 gr

protein: 8 gr 

 

Dessert

Apple Crisp

8 servings ~ $1.35 per serving

recipe by Jennifer Cornbleet

2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced ($1.00)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ($.50)

2 apples, peeled and chopped ($1.00)

1/2 cup pitted medjool dates, soaked ($1.00)

1/2 cup raisins, soaked ($.50)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups crumble topping (see recipe below)

Toss the sliced apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and set aside. Place the chopped apples, dates, raisins, cinnamon, and remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth. Remove from food processor and mix with the sliced apples.

To assemble the crisp, press 1/2 cup of the Crumble Topping into an 8 -inch square glass baking dish. Spread the apple filling on top using a rubber spatula. Using your hands, knead pieces of the remaining Crumble Topping until they stick together. Lay these pieces of topping on the apple filling to form a cobbled appearance, allowing some of the filling to peek through. Serve at room temperature, or warm in a slow oven or dehydrator. Covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator, Apple crisp will keep for three days.

crumble topping

  crumble topping

2 cups raw walnuts or pecans ($4.00)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut ($1.00)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins, unsoaked ($1.00)

8 medjool dates, unsoaked ($.80)

1/2 cup whole cane sugar or maple sugar (optional, for a sweeter topping)

Place the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor fitted with an S blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. Don't over process. Add the optional whole cane sugar and process briefly. Store in a sealed container. Crumb Topping will keep for one month in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.

calories: 300

fat: 12 gr

carbs: 51 gr

protein: 3 gr

Total cost for the day: $6.59

total calories: 1,202

total fat: 56 gr

total carb: 181 gr
total protein: 16 gr

More Jenny

Jennifer Cornbleet's Website

YouTube Channel (lots of excellent raw videos)

and

Get the book here ... 

Super Squash

This is what we're picking from the garden this week ...

The big one is an Argonaut. The little one is a Waltham Butternut.

The Argonaut is about two feet tall and tastes even better than a regular butternut. Win-win.

Halloween Giveaway Winners!

The eBook goes to ... Sylvia!

And the tarot reading goes to ... Sunshine Mama!

Just shoot me an email at lisacole690 (at) aol.com.

Questions of the Week

What's the longest time it's ever taken you to prepare a raw food dish? 

(I once sliced and slaved for four hours over a Matthew Kenney lasagna.)

How do you react to cacao? Some people (like me) find it doesn't agree with them, but others are fine with it. What's your experience?

October 10, 2010

Here's Looking At You, Stew

serves 1 ~ $.65 per serving

4 tablespoons white chia seeds ($.50)

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon agave ($.10)

a few drops stevia

4 grapes ($.05)

apple pieces

This is Stew. Poor Stew is a bit discombobulated in the mornings. But still, we like having breakfast together.

Soak the chia seeds in about 3/4 cup water. Use more water for a thinner Stew. Add the agave and stevia to taste. I like Stew the best when sweet.

Peel the grapes, leaving a round section for irises. Chop the apple into small pieces and arrange into a smile or frown, depending on how you feel.

This bowl, which I just love, is something I found from an awesome Etsy seller ... her shop is a bit empty this morning, but she should have things relisted soon. I love the drippy glaze she use and this has become my (and Stew's) favorite dish.

 

calories: 215

fat: 9 gr

carbs: 31 gr

protein: 5 gr

Apple Raisin Cookies

makes 24 cookies ~ $.19 each

1/2 cup buckwheat ($1.00) 

1/2 cup brazil nuts ($2.00)

2 bananas ($.30)

1 apple, coarsely chopped ($.60)

1/2 cup raisins ($1.00)

3 tablespoons olive oil ($.30)

3 tablespoons agave ($.30)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

These are every bit as good as a regular cookie. I found my buckwheat and brazil nuts at NutsOnline.com. They have an amazing selection of all sorts of goodies, including lots of raw nuts and seeds and their service is excellent.

The buckwheat has to be soaked for at least a half hour, but can be soaked overnight, so plan to start that ahead of time. Once soaked, rinse the buckwheat extremely well. 

In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the bananas until pureed. Add the buckwheat and pureed until mostly smooth. Add the brazil nuts and process until well chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the apples and raisins are chopped up a bit and all ingredients are incorporated.

Put heaping tablespoon sized mounds of batter on a lined dehydrator sheet. Press some additional raisins into the tops of the cookies, if desired. Dry for about an hour, until the tops are dry enough to flip. Flip and gently pry the cookies from the sheet. Also, a spatula can be used to turn the cookies. Dry for another few hours until dry but just slightly pliable.

Use the cookies to make n'ice cream sandwiches. Just make a small batch of banana ice cream and pour into a freezer proof container to a depth of about 1/2 to 1 inch. Freeze until very firm, then cut into circles that fit inside the cookies.

calories: 68

fat: 4 gr

carbs: 9 gr

protein: 2 gr

nutritional information is for one cookie

BeetLeJuice

serves 1 ~ $.99 per serving

1 beet ($.69)

1/2 cucumber ($.30)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

stevia to taste

I vant to drink your ... beet juice. Especially if it's lemony and sweet. My granddaughter loved this, and has requested it ever since.

Juice the beet and cucumber. Add lemon juice and sweeten with a bit of stevia, or your favorite sweetener.

calories: 55

fat: 0 gr

carbs: 12 gr

protein: 2 gr

Caramel Apple Pie

serves 6 ~ $1.60 per serving

crust

1 cup walnuts ($3.00)

1 cup raisins ($1.00)

filling

5 apples ($3.00)

1/2 cup raisins ($.50)

4 tablespoons agave ($.40)

4 tablespoons lemon juice ($.40)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ($.10)

caramel

4 tablespoons almond butter ($.80)

2 tablespoons agave ($.40)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

4 tablespoons water

This may possibly be the best apple pie I've ever had. 

Peel and slice the apples into pieces about 1/8 in thick. In a lidded container (I used a zip lock box), toss the apples and 1/2 cup raisins with the agave, lemon juice, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until well coated. Spread out on a lined dehydrator sheet and dry for about 2 hours, stirring once or twice. This isn't meant to dry the apples, but to soften them and let the flavor intensify.

In a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, process the walnuts and 1 cup raisins until the mix starts to stick together. This takes a couple minutes. Press the mix into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of an 8 inch spring form pan. Put in the freezer for a half hour to firm. 

In a bullet type blender, puree the almond butter, agave, olive oil, and water until very smooth.

Spoon the apple mixture from the dehydrator into the chilled pie crust and pour the caramel evenly on top. Chill for another half hour, if desired. For extra creamy goodness, serve with a scoop of vanilla banana ice cream.

calories: 462

fat: 24 gr

carbs: 64 gr

protein: 6 gr

Witches Brew Smoothie
serves 4 ~$1.43 per serving

1 head romaine ($2.29)
3 ripe bananas ($.45)
1 lb frozen mango ($2.69)
water for blending

1/4 cup beet juice ($.30)

A basic green smoothie can easily become witched brew. Add a beet hand for creepy effect.

In a blender, with about a half cup water (or more, if needed), blend the romaine until very smooth. Even a small blender will do this well if the greens are blended first. Add the banana and frozen mango and blend until smooth. Serve in a punch bowl or your favorite cauldron, if desired.

For the hand you;ll need a latex glove. Rinse the inside of the glove well and fill with water and the beet juice. Make a knot in the top of the glove, or tie shut with a rubber band. Freeze for several hours or overnight, until frozen solid. Run under hot water for a second or two and then peel the glove from the hand. Put in the center of your witches brew. This serves four, so there are plenty of chilly fingers to go around.

calories: 167

fat: 1 gr

carbs: 42 gr

protein: 3 gr

 

Pumpkin Butter
one batch, size will vary ~$7.00

2 medium pumpkin ($6.00)
2 cups sugar ($.80)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ($.20)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pumpkin butter isn't raw, not by a long shot, but it's a wonderful treat on a fall day ... and I've been thinking about it ever since Heidi mentioned it on her blog. A dab goes great on toast or favorite raw cookies or crackers. I like it with a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

To make the pumpkin butter, first you need a pumpkin or two. Pie pumpkins are a bit fleshier, but any pumpkins will work. Wipe clean and put in the center rack of the oven on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. Let cool. Cut in half and scrape out seeds. Cut the pumpkin pieces into strips and remove the skin with a sharp knife. Puree in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Add the sugar and spices and blend until well incorporated. Process in batches if necessary. Taste test and adjust the sugar and spice as needed. If starting with pumpkins is more than you want to do, just use a couple cans of pumpkin puree.

There are two ways to cook the pumpkin down. The usual way is to put it in a heave saucepan on the stove. Simmer for about an hour until reduced and thickened, stirring every so often.

An even easier way is to put the puree into a crock pot on medium heat and let it simmer for several hours or even overnight. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This week, we're participating in the Halloween blog party hosted by A Fanciful Twist ...and we've got some Halloween goodies, too.

Halloween Giveaways!

First ...

TAROT Reading!
I'll be giving a tarot reading to one of my readers (I used to work for Miss Cleo, ya know ... seriously, I did). Just leave a comment asking to be entered in the drawing. The tarot reading is genuine and in-depth. I'll do your reading by email and up to three questions can be asked. A reading can sometimes be more productive if the winner supplies a birth date, even more so with a time and place.

and ...


I'm also giving away a copy of my ebook.

To enter:  leave a comment below.

Additional entries:

• Sign up for my email list (use the form below)
• Tweet these giveaways
• Mention the giveaways on your blog

For each additional entry, leave a comment below letting me know.

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Deadline is next Sunday, October 17, at 10 pm