Living Rawesome

Day #261 Wrappers pgs. 200 and 221 entertaining in the raw

April 10, 2010

Happy Birthday Marsha!!

I decided to make the wrappers for both complete recipes (tricolor sesame-cashew dumplings and jiaozi three ways). They are the same ingredients but are made by different colors from beets, carrots, spinach and plain coconut. I have 4 different colors, and they turned out so beautiful. I had so much fun in the kitchen today. I felt like I was coloring Easter Eggs. Jason previously opened up the Thai coconuts and took out the meat and stored it in the bowl. This made this food prep so much easier than opening up the coconuts today. That is such a tedious chore, unless he breaks them in half. When I just cut the tops off and try scooping out the flesh, it is a pain. I am never able to get the coconut completely cleaned out, either. So Thank you, Jason for helping me:).
I had my work station set up so neatly. First I made beet, carrot and spinach juice. I did the beet first. I didn’t use a juicer, I used the Vita-Mix and 1/4 cup water. I then strained the juice through a strainer. This worked so much easier than the juicer. I hate clean-up, and with the blender I was able to clean up quickly, just a quick rinse then it was done and on to the next color. I did carrots and water, then spinach and water.

Next, I used one cup of coconut meat per 1/4 cup colored liquid.  I blended  it in the Vita-Mix then poured it out on one Teflex Sheet per color.  The colors are so vivid!

Beet Wrappers were first. I poured out the mixture onto the Teflex sheets. The colors are so bright before dehydration.

Beet Wrappers mixture spread out

Carrot Wrappers
Spinach Wrappers

Plain Coconut Wrappers

They were easy to spread out, even though they don’t look completely even, they came out clean looking and rather easy to take off the sheets. They are delicate so I removed them very slow. I have made these before for other recipes, and I ripped them because I removed them too fast. So I went slow and steady this time.
These are the wraps after dehydration. Some were still wet when they came out, so I had to put them in the dehydrator for longer.

I cleaned the edges of each color, then cut them into squares so they are ready to use when I make the fillings. You can refrigerate them in a plastic bag, but when you are ready to use them, they [wrappers] should sit on the counter top to reach room temperature.

Wrappers Ingredients
Young coconut meat
beets, carrots, or spinach juice
*water if you do it in the blender
sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until smooth. Spread mixture in a thin even layer over a Teflex sheet and dehydrate 3 hours. Trim edges and cut into 9 squares. Store in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to use. Allow them to come to room temperature prior to use.

1 John 4:8 (New International Version) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Day #260 Cacao Crépes and Sweet Mint Custard with Black Cacao Sauce (Complete Meal)pg. 98 entertaining in the raw

April 9, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Today is my father’s birthday and my kids, my Dad and I went bowling for a couple of hours. I won both games. I have to say that the bumpers were up so I think that I probably would’ve come in 3rd place on the first game. The last game I bowled a 155. Not bad for me. It was fun though. I love hanging out with my Dad, he seriously is my hero.

I made the banana ice cream and jam today so I could complete this meal. I invited my father and the rest of the family over to enjoy this dessert for his birthday.

Banana Ice Cream Ingredients
1 cup cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
1/2 cup coconut meat
1/2 cup agave
1 1/4 cups water
2 fresh bananas
1 t lemon juice
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil

Blend all ingredients in Vita-mix until very smooth. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions.

Jam Ingredients
1 pint raspberries
1/4 cup irish moss
1/4 cup agave
1 T lemon zest

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, chill for 3 hours.

These are crépes before and after they were made.

I used a little less than a 1/4 cup measuring tool. I was able to make 18 little crépes.

Piles of mixture, before I spread it out flat.

Spread Thin

After dehydration

They were perfect! They worked!!! Absolutely perfect! So grateful.

After I got the crépes out I made the banana ice cream.

My mother, father, sister, niece and my crew were all here tonight! They all enjoyed the dessert. We sang Happy Birthday to my Dad and then they all ate. I was beaming. I love when they try my goodies and like them. Life is sweet!

The Final Product!

Assembly
Fill the crepes with mint custard and jam. Scoop banana “ice cream” to the side and pour chocolate sauce on top. INJOY!
Thanks Everyone for coming over tonight. Love you DAD, Happy Birthday!

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. ~Tim Russert

Day #259 Cacao Crépes pg. 98 entertaining in the raw

April 8, 2010

I made cacao crépes today! Need I say more?? The scent is all through the house after a few hours of them dehydrating. We went on a few errands and we came home to the lovely smell of chocolate wafting through the house. My mouth was watering while making these, I really just wanted to try the dough. I miss my sugar:( but I know that my blood sugar is more stable eating like this, meaning avoiding fruits, bread and agave at this time. It just sets me up to crave sugar all day. I think these could be made with no agave, though. I followed the directions so I didn’t make them without it, but maybe I will.
I was so fortunate today, I was able to buy an entire box of young coconuts. My hubby was nice enough to open 6 of them while I napped. I was so tired, I haven’t been sleeping well. I think it is the change of my diet. So I napped for 2 hours, and then woke up and made the cacao crépes. I have about 6 cups of young coconut meat that I will be using to make the wraps for several recipes. I will store them and then use them as needed. I know they don’t last very long so I will be doing some elaborate recipes in the next few weeks. I am more excited today about the project. I just felt overwhelmed by how much I still have to do to try to complete both books. If I don’t in 365 days, I guess that is okay, I have made a recipe a day and sometimes more. I will not put pressure on myself. I am doing this as a fun project and I will continue it:).

Now on with the recipe….Please note**I cut this recipe into a quarter of the measurements.

Crépes Ingredients
1 cup flax meal
1 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup coconut meat
1/2 cacao powder
1 T lemon juice
2 cups water
1/2 T maple syrup
1 T agave
1 t salt

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix. Spread thinly into 4-5 inch rounds on the dehydrator Teflex Sheets. It fits about 9 per tray. Dehydrate for 5 hours.

Mine are still in the dehydrator. I will post pics tomorrow.

Goodnight!

“This most beautiful system [The Universe] could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”~Isaac Newton

Day #258 Sweet Mint Custard and Black Cacao Sauce pg. 98 entertaining in the raw

April 7, 2010

My new computer desk is all set up! I love my new workstation. Maybe I will be more inspired to write more on my blog or post more recipes. I have been rather lazy the last few days. I feel like making the food, but not really blogging. It may be a switch of diet, too much exercise, or just enjoying my time with my kids while they are on Spring Break. I think it’s really just wanting a bit of a change. This project has been somewhat weighing on my emotions now, I have tried all the recipes that I really wanted to try. I picked out the recipes that I really wanted to make in the beginning, now that I am getting near the end, I feel like it is a chore for me to choose the recipe of the day. I tried to write down all the recipes that I haven’t done yet in the book Entertaining in the Raw. I should’ve written a list of the recipes I have done. I found out today that I am really not as far as I would like to be in this book. The major problem that I am having with my decision making is lack of ingredients. It is difficult getting the ingredients locally. I need to buy a whole case of Thai coconuts and many other ingredients so I can work on some more elaborate recipes. Thai coconuts are hard to find around here, so I am going to call tomorrow and order a case. If I have to, I will make all the wraps and just refrigerate them until I am ready to use them. The other ingredients that I need to find are orange blossom water, rosewater, and irish moss to name a few. Like I have said before, I don’t like ordering online.

Gosh, I am going to quit complaining and just get to the recipe. Sorry, everyone. I know I am fortunate to have made it this far making a recipe a day. I must say it is quite accomplishment for me. I am grateful for all I have learned and will learn.

Today’s recipes:

Mint Custard Ingredients
2 cups cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
1 cup coconut meat
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup agave
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 t peppermint oil

Blend ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth. Place in quart containers and freeze. It says to run in a Pacojet, freeze, and then run again. A Pacojet is a sophisticated ice cream maker, but more than that. It whips up fresh ingredients into the best mousses, sorbets, or ice creams. In Europe, they use them for making soups, sauces, pates and more. I think I will just freeze it, I don’t have a Pacojet. The cost of one will not fit my project budget. If you would like to purchase one, I heard they are truly amazing and are great to have, if you have a restaurant or $4,000.00 to spare.

Sauce Ingredients
2 1/2 cups raw agave
1 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup carob powder
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cups coconut oil

Blend ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth.

I will finish this recipe tomorrow and I am going to let my sister and parents try it. I still have so many desserts in the freezer. I need to give them away, I am running out of room. I still have the mochi, I am honestly too embarrassed to serve it, but I don’t want to throw them out.

I am off to shower and watch a movie with my hubby. I cleaned, exercised and read most of the day. I love having my kids home. Tomorrow is school, then hopefully a kayaking trip.

Oh my gosh, on the way home tonight, there was baby alligator crossing the street. We got it on video. It was the coolest thing I saw all day. I am so glad we didn’t run it over. I had a feeling it was a snake or something that looked like a reptile. This time of year, you never know what you will see.

“Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold, the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.” – Democritus (460?-370? BC)

Day #257 Sushi and Nigiri: inside-out elephant roll with chipotle mayo, banana-banana with umeboshi wasabi sauce, and pickled lotus nigiri pg. 204-205 entertaining in the raw

April 6, 2010

This meal took longer than most. I usually do one part of the recipe when it is a multiple step recipe like this, but I decided that since I only have close to 100 days left, I will try to get in as many recipes as possible. Looking at the recipe was very intimidating. I have looked at this recipe several times and said “nope, I am not doing that”. Tonight was the night. I literally had to read the recipe 5 times before I was convinced to make it. Once I realized it wasn’t too much to do in one night I decided to do it.

First I made the Pickled Ginger. This only took a few minutes to cut up the ginger and pour the ingredients into the mason jar.

Pickled Ginger Ingredients
ginger
raw apple cider vinegar
raw agave
beet juice (optional)

Next, I made the rice and then the mushrooms so they could dehydrate for the a few hours.
Sushi Rice Ingredients
jicama
pine nuts
sea salt
rice wine vinegar
raw agave

I processed jicama and pine nuts in a food processor until a rice like consistency was achieved. I dried the mixture between two paper towels so I could remove excess moisture. In a bowl, I added agave, vinegar, salt to the jicama and mixed well, then I placed it on a teflex sheet and put it in the dehydrator for 2 hours.
*The color of the “rice” changed drastically, it was white when I put it in then it came out really yellow in some parts and almost orange on the rest of it. The yellow was crispier than the orange tinted “rice”.

This recipe called for portobello, enoki, and shiitake, but I only had shiitake, so I used those for both the inside-out elephant roll and the nigiri recipes. The mushrooms were marinated in nama shoyu and sesame oil for the elephant rolls. The mushrooms for the nigiri were also marinated in nama shoyu and sesame oil. These went into the dehydrator for 40 minutes.

While the mushrooms were dehydrating, I made the chipotle mayo.
Mayo Ingredients
mac nuts
chipotle chile, soaked
soak water
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

All ingredients were blended until smooth.

I took a break from the kitchen and then 2 hours later, I prepared the nori and nigiri.

I made the inside-out elephant roll first.
Elephant Roll Ingredients
portobello mushroom (I used shiitake)
nama shoyu
cold-pressed sesame oil
untoasted nori
sushi “rice”
chipotle mayo
baby spinach
red bell pepper
whole scallion
1/2 avocado, peeled for decoration

The rice went on to the nori first then spinach, pepper, scallion and marinated mushrooms, I put the mayo on last. I rolled the sushi tightly with the assistance of my helper (my hubby, he is the best sushi roller ever).

Next was the banana-banana.
Banana-Banana Ingredients
umeboshi plum paste
wasabi powder
untoasted nori
sushi “rice”
banana
watercress
cilantro
green papaya(I omitted)
enoki mushrooms (but I used shiitake)

I mixed the plum paste and wasabi together and then smoothed it on the nori. Then added the rest of the ingredients and rolled it very tightly for the banana-banana roll.

I finally made the last part of this recipe, the nigiri. I placed about 2 T sushi “rice” in the palm of my hand and closed my hand in a fist shape to form the rice. I placed 2 on the corner of the plate. I added mango on top with mushrooms and a bit of parsley to add some color. I then cut the nori rolls and placed them on the plate, then added pickled ginger with dab of plum wasabi paste.

This recipe was fun to make. It allowed me to be creative while decorating the plate with the cocktail starter. I didn’t follow the directions on the layout of the meal, but I like to be somewhat different. Again, the meal actually looked more beautiful than you can see in the photo. I am working on getting a camera. I think there is more to it than the camera. I need a stage setup too. I am looking into it. I hope to one day make the pics look like the pictures in the raw food books and magazines.

Jason really loved the meal, he even ate more than what I gave him. This would be great to take to the next potluck. I may take it, but there are so many recipes to be made before the next potluck, I am not sure what I will take. It makes me happy when he likes my food. I just stand by him in awe just staring at him waiting for his reaction. I am like a kid waiting for someone to open a present that I got him. So much of my love is put into the food preparation. It is an expression of my appreciation and love to him and others.

I am ready to take a break from the computer. This was a rather long entry for me.

I finished The Shack today and now I am reading the No Grain Diet by Dr. Mercola. I love it so far. I love books on Nutrition. I have 5 books that I need to read, plus I need to study for my test in 2 weeks on the Urinary System, after that test, I will have one more test then I will take a break for the summer.

I have my class next week, so I need to write the menu. That is the fun part. I can’t wait to see everyone that is signed up for the class.

“Mack, if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again” (235)~Sarayu from The Shack

Day #256 Saffron Avgolemono, Portobello “Meatballs,” Oregano Cream, and Lemon Balm pg. 97 entertaining in the raw

April 5, 2010

The Complete Meal was served tonight for our dinner. I decided to make some of the oregano cream without agave and it was my favorite cream yet. This meal was not like any meal I have ever had before. The saffron avgolemono was a bit too watery for me, but “meatballs” were over the top again and the cream was an exquisite addition to them.

Saffron comes from little threads at the center of a small purple Crocus, where the pollen catches and develops. There are three threads per flower, which are hand-picked and then dried. That, and the fact that it takes over 13,000 threads to make an ounce is why saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. Saffron has such a pungent, spicy flavor, that it takes only a small amount to add flavor and color to a dish, so you don’t need that much for the dishes you make.

This is the Crocus flower that saffron comes from. Each flower produces 3 saffron threads, which must be harvested delicately by hand and dried. Itakes over 13,000 threads to make one ounce!!!

This is the saffron avgolemono I made this evening. It has tint of yellow from the saffron, but it is very pale.

Avgolemono means “egg-lemon” in Greek. Avgolemono soup is a Greek soup that is served hot or cold and served as an appetizer or meal. It usually has a creamy texture that is formed from cooking the eggs. The stock of the soup is generally chicken-stock. When it is made correctly it has a creamy citrus flavor.

This recipe was neither creamy or citrus in flavor, although the soup was interesting and different, I don’t think I will make the soup again. I will definitely make the cream again and as you know I have already made the “meatballs” before.

Avgolemono Ingredients
jicama
cashews
lemon
lemon zest
olive oil
salt
saffron
water

Saffron was dissolved in warm water and then added to other ingredients in Vita-Mix and blended until smooth. We served it at room temperature because we didn’t want to wait.

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for”. ~Socrates

Day #255 Meatballs and Cream pg. 97 entertaining in the raw

April 4, 2010

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!

Today was a great day with the family. Our day started out with a kayaking trip down the Withlacoochee River, then some lunch at home. We went to my parents and had great conversations and yummy food. My Easter dinner was a simple salad, with Balsamic Vinegar. I do love salad!

I made meatballs today and the cashew cream to go with the avgolemono that I will make tomorrow.

Meatball Ingredients
portobello mushroom caps
walnuts
tahini
olive oil
zucchini
parsley
salt and pepper

The Meatballs were made in the food processor until fully pureed, then I formed them into small balls. I have made these before but I ate them before I could make the entire recipe. They are so divine with raw marinara and zuke spaghetti. These stay in the dehydrator for 5 hours. I will just keep them in overnight.

Cream Ingredients
cashews
water
agave
salt
oregano

I blended all ingredients in blender until smooth.

This recipe will be done tomorrow. I still have to buy jicama, so hopefully the store has it. Jason and I will eat this lovely meal together. Like I said, I am not eating agave, it is not really because of the hype about how it’s like corn syrup, it’s really a choice a have made and have been trying to make for so long. My addiction to sugar is very much the truth and as long as I keep it out of my diet, I am fine, and I don’t crave it. I am sure many people have this problem. So I will not use the cream but I will definitely eat the meatballs!!! They are oooohhhh so fabulous.

Hope everyone had a great Easter! When I think of what happened 2000 years ago, it reminds me of how fortunate I am to have read the teachings of my wonderful Savior and I am Forgiven!

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. ~Robert Flatt

Day #254 Mochi “Ice Cream” Complete Recipe pgs. 218-219 entertaining in the raw

April 3, 2010

What a disaster!!! I have to say, this recipe turned out the worst out of all the recipes, I have made. Not the taste, but forming the Mochi didn’t work at all. I followed the directions, but I guess these just are not my specialty. I even took pictures while I was forming them. Oh I am so upset, I was hoping that these would be presentable to my family tomorrow for Easter Dinner. I am sure they won’t mind, but they don’t look anything like the Mochi in M.K.’s book.
This is how I did it.
First, I put coconut dust on the dry cutting board, maybe this was my first mistake, I didn’t want to use oat flour. I usually follow the recipes exactly unless I don’t have the correct ingredients, but this time I guess I shouldn’t have substituted. After dusting the cutting board, I turned out the frozen mochi.

I cut six 4 x 4-inch pieces into the mochi sheet.

I used coconut floured hands, and pressed the square down until it was thin. I then placed the goji berries ice cream on the square. All of this was simple. I thought things were going great…

Then I attempted to form the square around the ice cream and I tried to form a ball, it began to split and crack and ice cream started to seep out. I demolished the first one, then I tried a second time with a bit less ice cream.

As you can see, this looks nothing like mochi. It looks like a poorly made biscuit.
I then made the Acai flavor ice cream mochi. I really tried to make these perfect, but to no avail!


2 out of 6 mochi turned out with all the contents in the mochi sheet. The other 4, well, that is another story, the ice cream is seeping out and they are a disaster. I tried to salvage the two, so they could be presentable for the photos, but no luck.

Well, out of all the recipes I have made this was the one I managed to sabatoge. Better luck next time.
**I didn’t find lemongrass, so I didn’t make the ice cream.
For those of you that don’t have this book, you can check out the pages on Google Books
“Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.” ~Oscar Wilde

Day #253 Black Cacao Syrup pg. 220 entertaining in the raw

April 2, 2010

It’s been a busy day, the kids were off school for the first day of Spring Break. I went to the Dr. today to get my blood results from the Spectra Cell Analysis. EVERYTHING CAME OUT PERFECT!! I am relieved, to say the least. I have been having sugar cravings for so long that I felt like I was lacking something. The Doc says that because my triglycerides are so low, my body is trying to get the triglycerides that it needs elsewhere. That’s why I am craving sugar and fat.
After learning about the Digestion System and Metabolism chapters, I feel like I actually understood what he was saying about this matter. So, I am going to start having more protein. I am looking into several different rice proteins, and possibly combination of pea protein and rice. I really like the Vega formula, even though it is not raw. I will also look into the Sun Warrior Protein. I keep reading how great that is. We also talked about putting animal products back into my diet. When I figure out what I am going to do I will definitely post about all of it. I want to help anyone I can. The issues that I have had on the raw food diet is my constant weight gain. I know one problem is eating bread occasionally and eating any form of sugar. Sorry to say I will not be trying the agave treats for a while. I will not be eating fruit either. I haven’t for almost a week and I have been not feeling like I want to eat everything in sight. I will post more when I have time to write the full story.

I made the black cacao syrup tonight, which is very similar to many other cacao syrups I have made. Needless to say, it smell delicious! I miss eating this stuff but I also need to do what is right for my body:). Maybe one day I will, until then I will ask for other’s opinions.

Syrup Ingredients
agave
cacao powder
carob powder
vanilla extract
sea salt
coconut oil

I blended up the ingredients in a blender until it was smooth. I put it in the refrigerator, but when I am ready to use it I will put it the dehydrator to warm it up.

I am going to buy a game for Christian’s new XBOX that he earned from Kumon. I am so proud of him for all the hard work he did for so many years. I just love my boys. They are growing so much! I love hanging out with them!

Goodnight everyone. Stay tuned for the entire recipe. I could’ve done it tonight, but I have been gone all day and then I came home and Christian’s prize arrived, so of course I have to go buy him some games.

“Every man’s life is a fairy tale written by God’s fingers”~Hans Christian Andersen in honor of his 205th Birthday.

Day #252 Goji Berries “Ice Cream” pg. 218 entertaining in the raw

April 1, 2010

It’s been a wonderful day again! I got an “A” on my test. I am super excited that I understood it well enough to get such a high grade. I do love the digestive system. I am looking forward to learning more about it in the future. Yes, I will be. We are getting ready to go to the fair with the boys so I had to make the goji berries ice cream before we leave.

The goji berries are another superfood. According to sunfood.com, Goji Berries are a complete protein source because they contain 18 different amino acids and contain all 8 essential amino acids. They have up to 21 trace minerals and contain B vitamins. On the ORAC scale they rate over 25,000.

Oh, by the way, I am going to buy a camera for Jason, I really want beautiful photos of the food I prepare, so I am going to get him one. He has always been interested in photography, so what a perfect opportunity to take pics…all of my food:)!

Goji Berries Ice Cream Ingredients
cashews
mac nuts
young Thai coconuts
agave
water
vanilla extract
fresh lemon juice
sea salt
coconut oil
soaked goji berries

I blended all ingredients in Vita-mix until very smooth. *Pour into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions. *I am waiting until I am ready to form the Mochi, tomorrow.

I am going to the fair. Goodnight!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”~Jesus