Variation on a Theme: Oats for breakfast

I eat some form of oats almost every morning for breakfast. Boring, you say? Easy, I say. Breakfast is the one meal of the day I don't have to put too much thoughtinto (not to mention time.) And oats are great for you. So here are 3 ways we do oats at our house.

1. Rolled oats - or old fashioned oats. You can get these at any store. Don't get quick oats - they are even more processed. You can do these on the stove top or just microwave an individual serving. I think a key to good tasting oatmeal is putting in a bit of sea salt.

2. Steel cut oats - even less processed than rolled oats. You can get these at most stores. I think it is more cost effective to get from the bulk bins. We do these on the stove top. The proportions are 1 cup oats to 2 cups water. Add water and oats  and a few dashes of sea salt to a pot. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and leave it on the burner. Let sit for about 20 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.

3. Raw Oat Groats - the least processed. We get these in the bulk section of the health food store. Soak these over night. In the morning rinse them in a fine mesh strainer. Here is the recipe:

1 cup oat goats
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup pitted dates
few dashes of sea slat.

Blend.

All of these taste great with almond milk and whatever else you like. But try not to add any other sweeteners. Oats taste great with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, flax meal, nuts, cinnamon, etc...

Date Syrup and a Vinaigrette recipe

So in my quest to only use dates to sweeten my dishes I came across this video from the raw chef. This will make a date syrup that you can use to replace maple syrup, agave, or honey in recipes. The date syrup is not as sweet as those other sweeteners so you might want to add a little more or you might just like your recipes a bit less sweet than usual.


Date Syrup
1 cup pitted medjool dates (soak them in the water for a while if you don't have a high power blender)
1 cup water


Blend water and dates in blender until nice syrupy texture. (See video)


You can store this in jar in your fridge to have on hand to add to your recipes.


Here is a vinaigrette recipe that uses the date syrup:


Balsamic Date Vinaigrette (adapted from ohsheglows)


2 1/2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 TBSP date syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 clove minced garlic (optional)
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil


*** Don't forget to exercise this week.!!!

A versatile chocolate sauce

Chocolate Sauce:

3/4 cup dates soaked 15 minutes
1/4 cup soak water
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Here is a great raw chocolate sauce I invented using dates. I have used this for

Banana Popsicles

For these I just stuck a skinny craft stick in half a banana and then spread on natural peanut butter and then the chocolate sauce. Then freeze them. They are a lot easier to eat if you let them defrost a little before biting in.

Chocolate strawberries

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

For these I lined a muffin tin with foil (next time I will use paper liners) and the put a layer of chocolate sauce, layer of peanut butter filling (see recipe below), and then another layer of chocolate sauce.

Peanut Butter Filling
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 dates
1 banana
blend in food processor

* I also saw a recipe for peanut butter filling using nutritional yeast. I will have to try that one and let you know how it turns out.

** You need to freeze the chocolate sauce or at least refrigerate it to get it to firm up.

Kale Chips

I got this recipe from Averie at Loves Veggies and Yoga. They are really good. I made them the other night for my mom and my friend, Carly. They bothe loved them. I have made them both in the oven and the dehydrator. I like the taste of the dehydrator ones better and they are better for you.

Averie’s Raw Vegan Kale Chips Recipe for 2 Bunches of Kale
1 c cashews (soaked for a few hours)
1 Medium Red Pepper
Juice of half a lemon (2 Tbsp)
1/4 c Nutritional Yeast
1 Tsp Salt (or to taste)

Wash the kale & remove tough stalks, de-seed the red pepper, drain off your soaked cashews
Put all the Ingredients into a blenderor Food Processor & Blend everything together Apply the coating to the kale
Put on Dehydrator Screens and Dehydrate until done, flipping once after a couple hours. 
Or, Bake In a 300F Oven for 20 Minutes, Flipping, and Then Baking Another 10 Minutes or so.  

** It didn't take that long in the dehydrator, just about 3 hours.

** Last time I made this I had a lot of the sauce leftover. I ate it later with raw veggies as a dip and it was great.

Raw Apple Pie

So here is my attempt at recreating that awesome raw apple pie from Ecopolitan. Seriously, next time you are in Minneapolis, you have to go there!!!

Crust

2 cups walnuts

1/2 cup dates

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Process everything in the food processer until it is crumbly. Don't over process. Then press crust mixture into a spring form pan or round cake pan. If you use a regular cake pan, line it with saran wrap. Then after it freezes you can pull out the whole pie by the saran wrap.

Apple Filling

• 5 medium apples ( I used gala)

• 1/2 cup dates
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp. sea salt

You can soak the dates if you want but if your dates are pretty juicy you don't need to.  Chop all 5 apples into cubes, then place one of these chopped apples in your high speed blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients (but not the other chopped apples) and blend until smooth.

Hand mix the remaining chopped apples and pour into pie crust.

Put pie in freezer for a couple of hours before serving.

** I tried to make a caramel sauce but I ran out of dates. ( You can kind of see my lame attempt on the top picture) At Ecopolitan they told me they made their caramel sauce with water, dates, and a bit of cinnamon. Next time!!

** This was so refreshing and good. The pie filling kind of fell over once we started eating it but it tasted great. Maybe next time I will add a little coconut oil to the blender mixture to help it to set up.

Birthday Trip - Ecopolitan Review - Best Raw Food Ever!!

For my birthday my family headed up to Minneapolis for a quick weekend trip. We spent Friday at the Mall of America, mostly at the amusement park inside.

The big girls and my husband rode the rides...

While baby G and I hung out (no rides for this recovering back!!)

We bought the girls cotton candy because they had never tried it before and they decided they weren't missing much.

Saturday we did the stuff I really wanted to do.

1. I got to read in bed while my husband took the kids swimming.

2. We went to Ikea (we don't have one here) and I got new dishes, and a new duvet cover for our bed.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90131657


3. We went to this amazing raw food restaurant called Ecopolitan.

ECOPOLITAN


 I cannot stop talking about it. It was so good. We had never eaten at a raw food place before so this was a fun adventure. The restaurant is in a converted old house and the atmosphere is just perfect. The waitress was so nice and she was so patient with us and all of our questions. ("What's in this?" "Can we get the recipe?")


We ordered 4 entries and we all shared. The portions were big and plenty filling. We ordered:


Rawvioli

* I loved the Rawvioli best. The vinaigrette on the greens was to die for and the cashew "cheese" was delicious.


Flax seed Tostadas

* This was my husband's favorite. The tostada shells were made out of flax seeds and other seeds and the dehydrated.


Hummus Plate

* I was apparently so excited I couldn't take an in focus picture.


Pesto Pizza

* I was apparently so excited I didn't take a picture


* I love how you can make crusts and things in the dehydrator. The pesto was great.


Dessert:


Caramel Apple Pie

* We couldn't wait to take a picture
*My husband said this was the best thing he had ever tasted.


Ice Cream Parfait

* We just could not get over this ice cream made from frozen pears, dates, and coconut oil. It was so awesome.






 The most awesome thing about their desserts is that they only use fruit and dates to sweeten them. I truly felt inspired by our trip to Ecopolitan. I want to try making more things raw and I want to really only rely on dates and other fruit for my desserts.


Sunday night we made an attempt at the apple pie. I will post our results on Friday.


A was in a CRABBY mood the whole time. She kept asking to go to Old McDonalds (gag!) E was uncharacteristically adventurous and she tried everything.

Baby G was an angel as usual.

The kids were knocked out by the end...

Chocolate Macaroons and a Dehydratorless Version

Note to self:  I can't eat all the treats I want but these are fine in moderation.


This recipe is from the book, Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow

Macaroons

3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (find at health food store)

1 1/2 cup cocoa

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil (solid state)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

about 1 cup maple syrup

stir together all ingredients

shape into tablespoon size balls

place on dehydrator screen at 115 degrees for 10 to 12 hours. 

They are done when they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside

** These are sooooo good. Even my non - health food friends love these.

Freezer Cashew Coconut Balls



1/2 cup medjool dates

1/2 cup cashews (soaked overnight)

1/2 cup almonds (soaked overnight)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (find at health food stores)

1 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

Process everything in a food processor and then roll into balls. Freeze.

** Very coconutty and good. Family likes these. Shared them with one friend and she gave them a thumbs up.

Not Really Fudge

Here is another quick and healthy treat. I got this recipe originally from Iheartwellness.com of course I changed it a bit and of course we added peanut butter. Our motto is "everything tastes better with peanut butter.


1 banana
1/2 cups soaked and pitted dates (soak at least 15 minutes)
1 heaping Tbl of coconut oil
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (I like to soak mine for a few hours but it is not necessary)
1/4 cup cocoa
natural peanut butter (optional)

process all ingredients in a food processor except peanut butter
smooth out onto wax or parchment paper on a small cookie sheet or casserole dish
swirl peanut butter through fudge with a knife (or spread on top once fudge starts to freeze)
freeze

serve frozen in bite size pieces *

*This fudge thaws really quickly. It cuts easily frozen and by the time you get it on your plate or pop it in your mouth it is perfect.

Getting Started - Green Smoothies

I realize now that this should have been my first post. I think when we have the desire to help our family eat more healthy foods it is sometimes hard to know where to start. There are a lot of good ideas and recipes out there but it is hard to translate that into habits for our families. When people ask me where they should start I always say green smoothies. Well, in reality I am not sure how many people have asked me that but let's just pretend you asked for this advice.


Green smoothies are awesome because they contain lots of fresh, raw leafy greens, which are some of the most nutritious foods on earth. Green smoothies are also easy to make and most people like them once they have given them a shot. The only special tool you need is a blender. Now I have a Blendtec blender, which is like a $400 blender. It seems really ridiculous to spend that much on a blender. But the good news is you do not need an expensive blender to make these. I made these for a long time on my $40 blender from Target and they were great.


Okay here are the steps to making green smoothies:


1. Fill blender with 2-3 cups water. ( I like mine thin so I put in a little more than 3 cups)
2. Put in several handfuls of greens - really pack them in (When first starting with kids put in less)
3. Blend the greens and water for about 1 min,
4, Add 2 ripe bananas ( not overly ripe like for banana bread but not green)
5. Blend again
6. Add whatever fruit you like ( I usually do frozen fruit because it is convenient and we like these smoothies cold)
7. Blend again and drink up! - (I stick my husband's portion covered in the fridge and he drinks it when he gets home. He usually just stirs it up before he drinks it)

** You don't have to blend up everything seperately but I think it comes out with a much smoother consistency when you do.

**The easiest green to start with I think is spinach - it's easy to find and if you have a Sam's Club or Costco membership you can get big tubs of organic spinach for cheap. Spinach has a really mild taste that is mostly masked by the fruit. Other mild greens are:

collards

chard

kale

beet greens

It's great to mix and change up your greens but for now just start with spinach till you get the hang of it.

** The choices for fruit are almost endless. I have used apples, pears, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, oranges, mangoes, pineapple, etc... Lately I have been using a frozen tropical mix from Walmart.

** There are lots of other things you can add to smoothies but don't make them too complicated at first.

** I would love to get you feedback on these. So if you try them, let me know!!

Healthy Comfort Food - even better than the real thing? Spinach Artichoke Dip and Cheesecake

Sometimes you just need something creamy and comforting, or is that just me? The other day I was having kind of a stressful day and then I found this recipe on Iheartwellness.com and she got it from Ohsheglows.com and it was exactly what I needed

Spinach Artichoke Dip


Yield: About 2.5-3 cups
Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized onion, diced (~2 cups)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 piece bread + 1 tbsp earth balance (processed into crumbs) OR 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 (15oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, stems removed, and chopped
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or cheese if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8th tsp dried basil
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Add 1 tbsp olive oil into a very large skillet and add in the 2 cups of chopped onion. Cook about 7 minutes on medium heat until onion is translucent.
2a. Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the bread into crumbs with 1 tsp earth balance. Remove and set aside. Omit this step if you use pre-made bread crumbs.
2b. Now process the drained and rinsed navy beans, 1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp kosher salt, basil, and red pepper flakes.
3. Add in minced garlic to skillet and cook for another few minutes on low. Add in your 4 cups of packed spinach and chopped artichoke hearts to the skillet and heat until spinach is wilted over low-medium heat.
4. Add navy bean processed mixture to the skillet and stir until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in 3/4 of the bread crumbs. Pour into an oven safe dish (I used a 4 cup Pyrex dish). Sprinkle on the remaining bread crumbs (and cheese if desired) and cover with foil.
5. Cook, covered, in the oven at 400F for 20 mins. Now remove the foil cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes watching closely so as not to burn. Makes 2.5-3 cups. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then serve immediately with sturdy chips and crackers. 


** We ate this warmed up with wheat pitas. E said it was the grossest looking thing she had ever seen but I told her she had to try it. She hid a spoonful in her pita and the chanted to herself "There is nothing in there.. There is nothing in there." As she started chewing I could tell she liked it. She said "Mom, this is actually delicious!" A didn't like it and wanted to spit it out. It was a hit with my husband and me.


** It doesn't taste like the spinach artichoke dip you are thinking of but it is still warm and delicious.


** Nutritional yeast is a yeast grown just for it's nutritional value (hence the name!). Vegans use it a lot to create a sort of cheese flavor and it is a great source of vitamin B12. You can find it in health food stores or buy it online. Store it in your fridge.



My husband gave up refined sugars over 3 years ago (I know, he is amazing) and the one thing he has really missed is cheesecake. So this last Sunday I finally tried a raw cheesecake recipe. I found a bunch of recipes on the sunny raw kitchen blog and here is the one I used with my alterations.

Raw Cashew "Cheesecake"

Crust:2 cup of pecans (I get mine at costco - you can also get them anywhere where they sell bulk nuts)
1/2 cup medjool dates ( I get mine at costco)
a dash of salt (use sea salt)

Process the ingredients in a food processor until they are crumbly and will hold together. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan and set aside. ( I used a round cake pan lined with saran wrap and then once the cheesecake was set I just pulled it out.)


Filling:
3 cups cashews soaked for a few hours
1/2 - 3/4 cup honey or agave ( I used 1/2 cup agave)
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup coconut oil (warmed up in dehydrator or in bowl of warm water)
2 " piece of vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla)
1/4 cup of water (or maybe a little more)

Blend everything in a high power blender or food processor until smooth. If using a FP, stop to let it rest a few minutes so as not to stress the motor.

Some of us topped our slices with this raw whip cream:

1 1/2 cups of cashew almond mix - ( I used 1 cup cashews and 1/2 cup almonds)
3/4 cup water
2 Tblsp pure maple syrup
1/ tsp vanilla

** This was soooo good. It was a big hit with everyone. The consistency was divine. The only thing is it doesn't taste like real cheesecake but we all agreed it was still yummy and creamy enough to hit the spot.

** So the moral of the story is you can find healthy alternatives to comfort food. They might not taste exactly the same but they will still be delicious!!

Vegan Raw Fudge balls

I got this recipe from a friend who got it from a book called Living on Live Food. We have changed it a bit.

2 cups medjool dates (pitted and soaked for at least 15 minutes - save some of the soak water)
2 cups almonds (soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


1. In food processor, blend dates to smooth paste - might need to add some of soak water


2. Add the remaining ingredients and process till smooth ( I always need to add some soak water to get it smooth)


3. Form into round balls and freeze or refrigerate.


**I have rolled these in unsweetened coconut flakes and sesame seeds and after they freeze for a while I smear natural peanut butter on some. My family just LOVES these. My friend refrigerates hers but we like them frozen.

Beets, Bears, Battlestar Galactica - Raw Beet Smoothie

This year one of the things I want to focus on is adding foods to our diet that we haven't really eaten before. First up is beets. When we bought our first beets the boy at the cash register asked us if we wanted these free "Beat Cancer" t-shirts. I thought it was because we were buying beets and then I realized they aren't spelled the same. Duh! Anyhow, beets are actually really good at "beating" cancer. Read this for more information about the greatness that is beets.

So in my first attempt with beets I peeled them (no small feat - the skin is hard) and then grated them raw on top of our salad. I also made up this beet smoothie:

I don't have exact measurements but I used:

plain yogurt
almond milk
3/4 of a beet
1 banana
blueberries
strawberries.

** Everyone liked the salad and the smoothie, although several people mentioned the dirt taste. I think that is just what you get with a root vegetable.

** Also - DO NOT throw away those green leaves on top. They are super nutritious and go great in a green smoothie. I added them to our regular green smoothie and no one could tell a difference.