January 30, 2011

Breakfast

Super Smoothie

serves 2 ~  $1.96 per serving

2 ripe bananas ($.30)

1 avocado ($.88)

1 cup mango ($1.49)

2 tablespoons nutribiotic rice protein powder ($1.25)

1 cup water

10 ice cubes

dash of stevia (optional)

This isn't a pretty smoothie ... but my grandkids love this, and so do I. It's easy and packed with nutrition. The protein powder I've used here isn't entirely raw. It's a good brand, though, and it tastes great and isn't gritty. If I had to choose, I'd have to say it's my favorite protein powder.

In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth.

calories: 359

fat: 14 gr
carbs: 94 gr
protein: 15 gr

Lunch

Tomato Sandwich

serves 3 ~ $1.54 per serving

1 cup ground flax seeds ($.50)

1 cup water

3 medium onions, thinly sliced ($.30)

2 large carrots, grated ($.40)

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil ($.30)

tomato, lettuce, onion ($2.50)

cashew mayo

1/2 cup cashew ($.50)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon agave ($.10)

This received rave reviews today. The bread was about the best raw bread I've ever had and it seemed very much like a really good ... well, bread. It has to be just right, though. Dehydrated enough to be done, but not too crisp.

Mix together the ground flax seeds and water. Let sit for several minutes to gel. Slice the onions very thinly and grate the carrots (I used the food processor for both). Stir together and add the salt. Spread out on lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for about an hour. When it top is a bit dry to the touch, flip and continue drying on the other side. Let dry another couple hours until dry but not brittle. I used kitchen scissors to cut the bread into shapes.

Add some tomatoes, onion, and lettuce, and a dollop of cashew mayo.

To make the mayo, use a bullet type blender. Puree all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

 

calories: 419

fat: 28 gr
carbs: 35 gr
protein: 13 gr

 

Dinner

Quinoa withVegetables

serves 2 ~ $2.80 per serving

1 cup quinoa, cooked or raw ($1.90)

1 head broccoli, chopped ($.90)

8 oz mushrooms, sliced ($1.80) 

3 carrots, thinly sliced ($.30)

1 medium onion, sliced thin ($.10)

 2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

2 tablespoon bragg's liquid aminos ($.10)

I've used cooked quinoa here, but it's possible to sprout it, if desired.  

Here is an excellent article on how to sprout quinoa and use it raw.

The instructions for cooking quinoa will be on the package. It first has to be rinsed really well, to wash off any bitterness. Then, combine 1 cup dry quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

The vegetables are raw and have been dehydrated to soften them a bit and intensify the flavors. Clean and chop or slive the vegetables, then put them in a lidded container. Whisk together the olive oil, agave, and Bragg's and add. Cover with lid and shake until all vegetables are coated. Dry on a lined dehydrator sheet for about an hour, until slightly wilted. Serve the marinated and dehydrated vegetables over the quinoa.

calories: 589

fat: 19 gr
carbs: 94 gr
protein: 15 gr

Dessert
Chocolate Tacos
serves 4 ~ $1.19 per serving


shells


1/2 cup ground flax seeds ($.25)
1/2 cup water
2 ripe bananas ($.30)
4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder ($.80)
pinch salt


banana ice cream


4 bananas ($.60)
4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder ($.80)
pinch salt


nut cream


1/2 cup nuts ($1.00)
1/4 cup water 
1 tablespoon agave ($.20)
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch salt


chocolate sauce


2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder ($.40)
2 tablespoons agave ($.20)
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil ($.20)
a few chopped walnuts and strawberries


These are so much fun. They really do look like little chocolate tacos with all the fixings. And ... it's chocolate, which is always a good thing.


Make the shells first. Use finely ground flax seed and soak in water for about twenty minutes, until gooey. In a food processor with an "S" blade, puree the bananas until smooth. Add in the soaked flax and salt and process briefly. Spread in eight circles on lined dehydrator trays. Let dehydrate for about an hour, until dry to the touch on the side facing up. Flip and peel the sheet away. Let dry another couple hours. Then, gently fold in half. Use a twisted piece of wax paper to make a brace to hold the taco shell slightly open. Let dry this way for another couple hours. Let cool to room temperature.


Make the banana ice cream. Combine all the ingredients in the food processor and puree until very smooth. Then put in an ice cream maker and process until like soft serve. Freeze.


The nut cream is just the ingredients pureed in a bullet type blender until smooth. Refrigerate. It will thicken some as it cools.
The chocolate sauce is just cacao powder, agave, and either olive oil or coconut oil stirred together. Coconut oil will  make a hard chocolatey shell; olive oil will stay liquid. Either way is really good.

To assemble, spoon the ice cream into the shells, add a dollop of nut cream, a few walnuts and strawberries, and a drizzle of sauce.


You can add a bit of heat to the chocolate ice cream by adding a big pinch of cayenne before processing. It adds heat without changing the flavor.

calories: 438

fat: 45 gr

carbs: 115 gr

protein: 15 gr

Total cost for the day: $7.49

total calories: 1,805

total fat: 106 gr

total carb: 338 gr
total protein: 58 gr

January 23, 2011

 

 

Breakfast

Fruit and Cream

2 servings ~ $1.19 per serving 

 

1 banana ($.20)

1 mango ($.98)

2 tablespoons walnuts ($.25)

2 tablespoons raisins ($.15)

2 cups almond milk ($.80)

Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, Trix ... most commercial cereals try to imitate fruit. Why not just have fruit?

Any fresh or dried fruit combination would work. For this, I've used a sliced banana, diced mango, and some walnuts and raisins topped with almond milk.

 

calories: 345

fat: 12 gr

carbs: 62 gr

protein: 4 gr

 

 

 

 

Lunch

Pea Soup

serves 2 ~ $.84 per serving

2 cups peas ($.75)

1 avocado ($.88)

1 1/2 cups water

1 small onion ($.05)

salt and pepper

I've used frozen peas for this. They're likely not raw, as most commercial produce (except for berries and some fruit) is blanched before freezing. It still made a delicious soup and would be even better with fresh peas, although they may be more expensive than what I paid for frozen.

Set aside a half cup of the peas. In a blender, puree the rest of the peas and the avocado with enough water to blend and give the desired consistency. It takes a few minutes of blending to get this really smooth in a conventional blender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour in bowls and top with the reserved peas and minced onion.

 

calories: 258

fat: 16 gr

carbs: 31 gr

protein: 10 gr 

Dinner
Pad Thai
serves 2 ~ $2.28 per serving

2 medium zucchini ($1.20)
1 carrot ($.15)
1 bunch green onions, sliced ($.59)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced ($.50)
large handful mung bean sprouts ($.75)

sauce

4 tablespoons almond butter ($.80)
1/2 in piece ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon braggs aminos or soy sauce ($.10)
1 clove garlic ($.05)
1 tablespoon agave ($.10)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped cashews ($.20)

This dish made me fall in love with raw food all over again and is something I can see going over well with non raw friends and family.

Noodle the zucchini and carrot using a vegetable peeler or spiral slicer. Toss with the bell pepper, green onion, and bean sprouts.

In a bullet type blender, puree all the sauce ingredients until very creamy. Because of the high fat content of the nut butter, this can get quite hot while blending. Stop and let it cool for a minute if it becomes too hot for your personal definition of raw. Pour over noodles, toss lightly, serve.

calories: 345

fat: 23 gr
carbs: 30 gr
protein: 8 gr

 

 

Dessert

Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream

serves 2 ~ $1.10 per serving

4 bananas, sliced and frozen ($.60)

juice and zest of one lemon ($.69)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds ($.30)

1 cup strawberries ($.45)

1 tablespoon agave ($.10)

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts ($.15)

pinch salt

Banana ice cream is wonderful.  And it's amazingly simple to make with just a food processor.

The strawberry sauce should be made first and set aside. In a bullet type blender, puree the strawberries and agave until very smooth.

In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the frozen bananas and lemon juice and zest until creamy like soft serve ice cream. It can take a bit of prodding and scraping to get the bananas going in the food processor, but it's worth it. Once creamy, add the poppy seeds and give a whir or two to incorporate.

Serve with the strawberry sauce and walnuts.

 

calories: 345

fat: 6 gr

carbs: 77 gr

protein: 5 gr

 

 

Total cost for the day: $5.14

total calories: 1,293

total fat: 57 gr 

total carb: 200 gr 

total protein: 27 gr

 

January 16, 2011

Breakfast

Deviled Avocados

serves 2 ~ $1.81 per serving

3 avocados ($3.57)

1 tablespoon mustard ($.05)

1 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon macadamia mayo*

My local store has had excellent prices on avocados over the last few months, sometimes as low as seventy-eight cents each. The prices are going up again so I thought I'd do some things with the last of the lower priced avocados. Getting to know your produce manager can help you save money ... they are who will know what's coming in season, what's going on sale, etc. Also, you can arrange bulk purchases with them for some produce items.

I used to love the mustardy taste of deviled eggs. This isn't identical, probably doesn't even qualify as a "faux food," but it's still mustardy good. Prepared mustard isn't raw ... mustard powder to taste can be used instead.

In a bowl, mash one avocado until mostly creamy but still slightly chunky. Mix in the mayo, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Cut the remaining avocados in half and fill with the mixture. Sprinkle with a pinch of paprika.

* macadamia mayo

1 cup macadamia nuts

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon agave

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend the macadamia nuts, water, and salt until smooth and creamy, which may take a minute or two. A personal or bullet type blender can be used for this. 

calories: 523

fat: 45 gr
carbs: 26 gr
protein: 4 gr

 

Lunch

Carrot Pear Soup

serves 2 ~ $1.40 per serving

2 pears ($1.40)

6 carrots ($1.00)

1 tablespoon onions, chopped 

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.40)

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pears are looking good right now, and are priced well, too. This is really simple and comes together in just a few minutes, with the blending taking the most time.

Peel, core, and chop the pears. Peel and chop the carrots. Process all ingredients in a blender until very smooth. This may take several minutes if using a regular blender.

calories: 297

fat: 14 gr
carbs: 45 gr
protein: 3 gr

 

Dinner

Grapefruit Pear Salad

serves 2 - $2.50 per serving

1 grapefruit ($.50)
2 pears, sliced ($1.40)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 head romaine, chopped ($1.90)

1/4 cup walnuts ($.50)

dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice ($.20)

3 tablespoons olive oil ($.30)

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

pinch nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

The pears and grapefruit made this a nice summery salad that reminded me warmer weather isn't too far away.
Cut the grapefruit by first slicing off about 1/4" off the top and bottom. Stand the grapefruit up on a cut side and slice along the outside curve of the fruit, cutting away the skin and pith. Use a sharp knife to cut each grapefruit section away from the membrane. Slice the pears and onions, and chop the lettuce. Toss together and sprinkle the walnuts on top. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the top.

calories: 304

fat: 17 gr
carbs: 40 gr
protein: 5 gr

 

 Dessert

Chocolate Orange Mousse

serves 2 ~ $.99 per serving

1 ripe avocado, chopped ($.88)

2 bananas, chopped ($.30)

3 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder ($.60)

 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

1/2 dropper liquid stevia

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

This wasn't the most photogenic dish I've ever made, but the orange and chocolate went together so well.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade and process until very smooth. Add coconut oil to room temperature or warmer ingredients only, otherwise the coconut oil will harden into little lumps before it has a chance to blend. Chill for at least a half hour before serving. Top with a few orange sections and/or pieces of fruit and a pinch of orange rind, if desired.

calories: 321

fat: 16 gr
carbs: 41 gr
protein: 5 gr

Total cost for the day: $6.70

total calories: 1,445

total fat: 92 gr

total carb: 152 gr
total protein: 17 gr

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals
 by Ruby Roth 

 

I've been meaning to tell you about this book for a while. I happened to run across it right at the time I was starting a dialog on veganism with my grandchildren. It's a bit difficult because their parents aren't vegan. Also, at three and four years old, they're not quite ready to understand much of the hows and whys of being vegan, but I have gotten the discussion started at a level they're able to understand. 

I found this book to be just a bit too mature for them (it's recommended for grade 3-6), but it was still helpful, and the storytelling is well done. It contrasts the life of each animal on a farm with the life each may have led in the wild. Ruby's illustrations are just superb. She has an abstract style and the animals are almost, but not quite, painted in caricature. I commend her for making a visually pleasing book while not shying away from the realities of animal use.

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals covers just about every aspect of animal exploitation, and does it in a sensitive way that breaks the awful truth to our children as easily as possible.

Here is a video of Ruby talking about why she wrote this wonderful book ...

 

Question of the Week

If you're vegan, or vegan leaning, how have you discussed the topic with your children (or grandchildren)?