Yummy Yummy Raw Vegan Smoothie Monday!!!

Hi! It has been way too long since I have posted a blog! I've missed you. I've been writing a bunch in my head (ideas will pop into my head at the strangest times, let me tell you) but now I'm finally sitting down to write. And do I have a fun recipe for you. Lately, I have been craving a lot of smoothies, probably because it's starting to get warmer out. If any of you are smoothie fans out there, you are in for a treat because I've decided to make Monday smoothie day :) So every Monday, you will get a new smoothie recipe.... Until I run out of ideas. Ha. Feel free to give me ideas or suggestions of your favorite flavors and/or ingredients, and I will play and come up with something yummy for you.

I call this my Way 2 Good to be Healthy (but it is!) Chocolate Smoothie:

2 cups almond milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup coconut milk for extra creaminess (optional)
1 banana  (frozen, but doesn't have to be)
1 1/2 tbsp raw organic cacao
1 tbs chia seeds
1/2 tsp stevia (I use the green organic kind from Navitas Natural)
small handful of raisins
tbsp hemp seeds or flax
tbsp maca or lucuma (optional, but adds extra nutritional punch!)
* maca is great for reducing anxiety, and lucuma is nutrient dense and gives a slightly caramel flavor*
Chocolate Rice Protein Powder (optional)                
* I use Nutribiotic Brand- it is whole grain rice, enzymatically processed at the lowest temp possible and with no chemicals, gluten free:   http://www.nutribiotic.com/rice-protein.html
Ice

Blend in ice slowly so that it reaches the consistency that you prefer (you can also drink it without the ice, but I find it more fun to eat with a spoon). :) I garnished mine with whipped "cream" and some raisins.  Now all you need to do is enjoy the deliciousness and smile as all the nutrition enters your cells. Yes, life can be this good.


Above: All gone :(

A peek into my kitchen

Hi y'all! I hope you had a wonderful Easter or Passover. I spent most of my day in the kitchen yesterday, concocting lots of yummy treats, and also some "real" food. I made some amazing raw bread with my dehydrator and am currently making some "fake-un" bacon, so be expecting a post on raw vegan BLT's soon! It's always fun to try and make standard comfort foods healthy. I never used to let myself eat things like BLT sandwiches, but now I can. And I'm making fries to go with it (no, not real fries- you'll see! Even better than the real thing).

What I want to share with you today are a few things that I am asked about a lot lately: What exactly do I eat? How do I shop? What's typically in my kitchen? I've shared my delicious green breakfast smoothie with you, but I am excited to take you through my normal shopping routine and give you some tips to make creating these recipes easier (its such a mood killer to have to run to the store to get one or two ingredients). Having a stocked kitchen makes me happy.

Erinn's Kitchen:

These are the items that I always have on hand (I buy organic most of the time, if possible):

VEGGIES: Kale, Lettuce (red leaf and romaine), spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers (all but green- they are not well digested), onions, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, jicama, carrots, fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, thyme, cilantro, dill and rosemary, and celery (I don't particularly like the taste, but I like the crunch). Pumpkin.

GRAINS: Quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, gluten-free oats (Bob's brand), buckwheat, amaranth, rice pasta, popcorn kernels (ok, not the healthiest choice, I admit.... but I make it with coconut oil and sea salt and I'm not giving it up!)

FRUITS: Apples, oranges, pears, lemons and limes (a necessity for many recipes), avocados, tomatoes, blue berries, strawberries, sometimes raspberries or blackberries, frozen mangos and bananas (for smoothies and to snack on), grapes, raisins, goji berries, mulberries....

BEANS: Chickpeas, lentils, fava, kidney, black turtle (lots of protein!). I'm not really a huge fan of beans in general, but I usually have a can or two handy in case I want them.

RAW NUTS AND SEEDS (Always use raw nuts, as roasted nuts are actually rancid): Almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds (really good for puddings and cereals), hemp seeds, almond meal (ground up almonds for easy using), almond butter. Almond milk as well. Coconut flakes and milk.

SEASONINGS: Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, ginger (fresh), paprika, garlic (fresh), ground garlic, turmeric, black pepper, lemon pepper, Bragg's liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg, alcohol free vanilla, cayenne, mustard seed, cumin, coriander, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, cloves

SUPERFOODS and SWEETENERS USED OFTEN IN UN-BAKING: Cacao powder, cacao butter, coconut butter, lucuma powder, maca, stevia (I use the green powder at home, and take the little packets with me to go), agave nectar (I only use Ultimate Superfoods raw blue agave bc it is the least processed),   mesquite powder, soft dates (I like Medjool), extracts such as mint. Also superfoods chlorella, spirulina and camu camu (more on these in the future). Green Powder

OILS: For dressings: Cold Pressed Olive, flax seed oil, hemp seed oil. For cooking: Coconut oil (by far the best for cooking as it is the most stable), sesame oil, grapeseed oil.

MISC: Tempeh, Teas (naturally caffeine free- not decaffeinated), Teecino (coffee substitute made from chicory root- it's so good!!), kombucha (if it's on sale. ha), coconut water, rice protein powder (enzymatically processed), hemp protein powder.

So this list is not conclusive, and I'm sure I've forgotten something I use everyday. But you get the idea! I do most of my shopping at my local farmer's market, then at Trader Joe's for a some things that I can get there for less than I would at Whole Foods but can't get at the farmers market, then to Whole Foods for whatever I still couldn't get, and then finally to Erewhon if I need a specialty product. I do this bc, let's be honest, it's not cheap to eat healthily, and this allows me to get more things for less money.

One of my favorite things to do is to go grocery shopping, so if you would like some help in finding products, feel free to contact me. And don't worry about getting all of these things at once! I once had the barest kitchen ever, and it has taken me a while to accumulate all of these products.

Peace and happy shopping. And eating :)

                  
   Above: Jicama Fries: Coming Soon!

I Walk the Raw Line somewhere in the middle....

As someone who is constantly studying nutrition, health and wellness, I find it extremely interesting (and maybe a little frustrating) that there are so many different opinions on what is healthy for us. This post is inspired by a recent conversation I had with a friend about being or not being raw, and also a debate about agave nectar that was brought to my attention. It seems that everywhere you look, someone is saying something completely different about a food or health tidbit that you thought for sure was the truth. From "stop eating by 7" vs "it doesn't matter when you eat, just what you eat," to "cooking food destroys the vitamins and enzymes" vs "heat is needed to release certain vitamins and minerals," it goes on and on. (Btw: "it doesn't actually matter when you eat, just what you eat" is true, and both of the raw vs cooked food statements are true). So how do we ever find the actual truth? Good question! Lol. I'm not exactly sure. But what I do know is that usually when something is extremely on one side of the equation, it is most likely NOT the truth (unless it is something obvious), because the world isn't as black and white as maybe we would like it to be. To relate it to something, think of a relationship that you debated about staying in.... Some parts were probably amazing, while others maybe not so much; it wasn't all positive or all negative. It's the same thing with nutrition and health. 

I changed the title of my blog from Selki's Raw World of Health to Selki's (Mostly) Raw World of Health, because I didn't want to give the wrong impression. I am not 100% raw, nor do I strive to be. I do think that eating a lot of raw foods is beneficial to the body, ie greens, veggies, fruits, nuts, etc (all the things that are naturally raw), but this doesn't mean that cooked foods are not healthy as well. Grains and pseudo-grains like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat (not actually a wheat), and amaranth are great sources of proteins, vitamins and minerals, and cooking foods with the proper oil and the proper amount of heat is also very healthful. I actually follow what I like to call a "whole foods diet." (no, I don't only eat food from the grocery store of that name!) I try to feed my body with real, whole foods that occur naturally and haven't been processed, because this is when my body feels the best. The reason I am so drawn to the raw way of eating is because you are pretty much guaranteed that no chemicals have been added to the food, and that no processing has occurred. (This isn't always a given with vegan foods, because just because it is is vegan doesn't mean it is healthy. Using an oil that can't withstand heating (more on oils in a future post!), evaporated cane juice or white flour can all make a seemingly healthy dish more on the unhealthy side). So this is why I like it raw. :) Simple, clean ingredients all added together to make a delicious, still clean dish. Same with raw desserts- almost every ingredient is a whole, unprocessed and naturally good for us food. No flours, gums, , chemicals, fake sugars, yeasts, evaporated anything.... It's just simple ingredients put together to make yummy, healthy treats for when you need something that is not a piece of kale. 

So don't think that I am on the "ONLY RAW" bandwagon, because I am not at all. I'm not even on the completely vegetarian bandwagon, believe it or not. I don't choose to eat meat or any animal products, but I do believe that some people benefit from the protein from meats (as long as they are grass fed, hormone free and organic, and from local farmers if possible). (I am however, very against the consumption of dairy, which is another post in itself). What is important is how you feel on a certain diet. My body feels the best on a mostly raw, sometimes cooked vegan diet. Many raw foodists fight against their cravings for cooked foods and try to adhere to strict guidelines, and I think that this is more unhealthy in the long run than eating some well prepared cooked food. Creating stress and trying to force yourself to do anything is not going to improve your health no matter how many veggies you eat. So I encourage you to listen to what your body is saying. I mean really listen! If you become tired or cranky after eating pasta and meatballs, maybe stop eating it and see how you feel. Or if you are fatigued because you are only eating raw, maybe add in some cooked grains and see how you react. 

To make my point about not being a raw food only groupie, I have included my recipe to my favorite Thai Coconut Stir Fry meal! Its soooo good, and the sauce is one of the only stir fry sauces that is soy free. Its delicious and I highly recommend trying it. Being the weirdo I am, I like it leftover, cold. (I was always like that as a kid too, which explains why I fully enjoy being mostly raw). 

Sauce:

1/2 cup low fat coconut milk
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, shredded
1/2 tsp coriander powder
squeeze of lemon or lime
1 hot chili pepper, finely chopped, or cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste

What you do:


If you like rice or quinoa, make that first. I make it in a rice maker bc it's so easy.

Mix all ingredients (above) in a blender and let sit until the stir fry is almost done.

Stir Fry: Take your favorite veggies (I like broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, spinach or red leaf lettuce, carrots, mung beans...) and toss them into a wok with coconut oil (this is the best oil I know of to cook with), and then cook until they are a little crispier than you want them. Then add your sauce and stir for a few minutes until the veggies reach the consistency you like. That's it!


I also like to throw in some tempeh, which I cube and start cooking before putting in the veggies. The coconut oil gives it an amazing taste.