The well-equipped raw kitchen

There are some additions to your own happy raw kitchen you may like to make. Although you can eat entirely raw without these gizmos and gadgets, they are lots of fun, and you will never get bored with the endless possibility of things you can create!
The well equipped raw kitchen can include a dehydrator, an ice cream maker, a spiral veggie cutter, or julienne peeler, a mandoline or electric food slicer, and the magic bullet. Three must have appliances, in my humble opinion:), are a juicer, a good blender and food processor. Sprouting jars , a small spice (coffee) grinder, and nut milk bags are nice to have. One last gadget that I use several times weekly, the Vidalia chop wizard! This little veggie chopper makes perfectly diced fruit and veggies in two different sizes. So far, these appliances have served me well, however, I am likely to get a better juicer when mine breaks:)

Today I enjoyed a pesto "pasta". In the picture, I used a hand held julienne peeler. These gadgets are wonderful for single servings, and can be found at regular department stores and supermarkets.

Here is the recipe:
Pesto pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups daikon, cut with julienne peeler
½ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
½ cup fresh mint leaves, packed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon pine nuts, and a sprinkle for garnish
3 tablespoon olive oil, approx.
½ teaspoon salt, more or less,to taste
¼ cup 1/4" diced tomato, i used red,orange and yellow
Preparation:

1.process basil,mint,lime juice,garlic,and pine nuts in small processor bowl till fine.

2.with machine running,drizzle in oil until creamy.

3.add salt as desired.

4.mix with daikon.

5.top with diced tomato and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

of course any “pasta” would work ,yellow or green squash is my favorite!

Here is a picture of the spirooli in action!













Don't worry if you don't have all the 'right stuff' right away. I was raw for over a year with just the juicer, food processor, and an old cuisinart blender.I purchased paint strainer bags for making nut milks. Here is a picture of those:











Also pictured are a cotton bag used for stuffing and a jelly straining bag (found with canning supplies). All of these have worked well for making nut milks, but my favorite, and most frugal, is the nylon paint strainer, found at large chain home improvement centers.
Most of the above links are for the actual appliances I now have. There are less expensive, perfectly wonderful choices available if you are just starting out. The good4u dehydrator is a very popular alternative to the excalibur. This blender looks good for anyone just starting out, as it has a metal to metal drive and a glass carafe. Here are several other options for spiralizers, but remember the julienne peeler is the least expensive. I love my magic bullet and still use it every day in addition to my big blender. The cups can be used for sprouting, and it is great for salad dressings and single servings of soups or smoothies. I am waiting for my current one to wear out so I can get the new one!

Here is a great price on the spirooli and many other items.

Any glass jar can be used for sprouting! Simply use a piece of cheesecloth and a rubber band for the top. I came across these lids that fit any wide mouth mason jar.
In addition, you will still need the usual kitchen utensils such as good knives, cutting boards,parchment paper, measuring cups and spoons, etc.
Together with all the foodstuffs in my fridge and pantry, I can usually create anything I crave:)
Click here for a site with great information.

How to open a young Thai coconut

There are many ways to open these young coconuts. The following method is great if you are opening a coconut for the first time. You will need a cutting board and a cleaver.














holding the coconut firmly on its side, make five or six slices in the husk with the cleaver held at a 45 degree angle pointing towards the point of the coconut. rotate the coconut for each cut.













the entire point of the husk should come off in a flower shaped piece. You may need to remove a little more at the end to expose the tip of the coconut shell.













hold the coconut firmly on its side and sharply whack the tip with the cleaver about 1/2 an inch from the end. as soon as you enter the shell, try to turn the coconut upright so not to lose the precious water. pry off the rest of the tip using the cleaver.













at this point, drink the water with a straw or empty it into a container for use in recipes. you may have very thick meat at the tip, in which case you must pierce the meat to empty the water.






















after emptying the water, return coconut to its side and firmly hold it while making a slice with the cleaver starting at the cut edge,but now hold the cleaver at a slight angle leaning into the coconut. rotate the coconut as you cut. this will open a larger hole so the meat can be easily removed.














use a spoon to scoop out all the meat. I usually get between 3/4 and 1 cup of meat.
many times the meat can be pulled out by hand if you can get a finger between the shell and the meat:)

There are many videos (on you-tube) about the opening of these coconuts , and this site offers a similar method. Here is a site that uses a knife.

My favorite way to enjoy young coconuts is just as they are! Drink the water, and simply eat the meat. Sometimes I include them in smoothies, or make a simple pudding/yogurt by blending the meat of 1 coconut with the juice and zest of 1 organic lemon, any sweetener like soft dates or agave, the seeds from 1 or 2 inches of a vanilla bean, and a tablespoon of coconut oil. This is a non-cultured yogurt, however I believe it can be cultured by adding the powder from a probiotic capsule as described in this link.

It's not easy being green!

Being "green" is becoming more mainstream. In the following picture are new glasses made from recycled glass. They were found at a major department store, and they actually are green:) We liked them because they are so thick and less likely to break, which is the only problem we have with glass.

Several health food stores I go to have the stainless steel containers for sale. The smaller one is the perfect size for lunch, you can see it here.

Bamboo is a nice option for cutting boards and other kitchenware items , as they are a resource that is easily renewed.

Eating raw is very eco-friendly. Most of the food does not come in packaging. I bring my own reusable shopping bags to the store, and keep my purchases in glass jars or in the refrigerator. Glass is a great option for reusable straws, as well.

Another great way to be green is to use organizations like Freecycle in your area, and to frequent the goodwill and salvation army thrift stores. It is much "greener" to make use of older items, rather than buy anything new. They have some great nearly new and vintage clothes. You can sometimes find very unique, lovely housewares. If you can, donate your unwanted items to these organizations, rather than throw them away.

I admit, I am not as green as I'd like to be, but whenever making a new purchase, I try to make a greener choice if it is available:) Where we live there are not many options for shopping close to home. If you are interested, go to the sidebar for some green links!

Here is the smoothie recipe:

favorite green smoothie













3 fresh pineapple spears
1 frozen banana
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup water

blend all ingredients in blender until smooth!

Raw gifts for Mom

Here is a sweet treat for your Mom! This is a quick and easy way to show her how much you love her.

Pretty in Pink














Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cocoa butter
¼ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut butter
6 drops beet juice
3 drops oil of peppermint
½ tablespoon agave
1 huge perfect strawberry
1 wooden skewer
floral tape and artificial leaves
candy mold

Preparation:
1.Melt cocoa butter,coconut butter, and coconut oil in small bowl set inside bigger bowl of hot water.Stir till well melted.Strain any un-melted bits.

2.Mix in peppermint oil,agave, and beet juice (juice does not seem to alter taste).

3.Let cool till very thick almost like frosting. It may take a while to get to this stage,mixture will separate but will eventually become opaque and come together when it is ready.

4.Dip skewered strawberry into mixture and spoon the rest into candy mold (approx 1/4 cup mold). Tap mold on counter to level candy and release any air bubbles.Let strawberry dry before adding floral tape.Tape from under berry, add leaves a few inches down.

5.Chill(freeze or fridge) candy in mold until firm. Pop molded treat out when firm.

Perhaps she would enjoy a lovely bouquet!

Bountiful Bouquet














Ingredients:

12 mini sweet bell peppers, red,yellow,orange
1 head broccoli, cut into long florets
1 carrot, sliced with wavy knife if desired
1 yellow squash, 1/4" slices
1 zucchini squash, 1/4" slice for flowers.or very thin for centers
several leaves of red cabbage
scallions, as many as desired
Preparation:

I put all flowers on skewers covered with floral tape just up to the flower part.I built up a few layers of tape under the flower to prevent sliding,but you can use a slice of carrot to prevent this.(I plan on experimenting with skewers dyed with green juice when I have time. If serving to children, you may want to use lollipop sticks or drink stirrers, in place of skewers.

1.Cut flower shape from yellow squash. Add carrot center.

2.For tulips use, mini sweet peppers,cut zig-zag shape, remove any seeds,fill with shreds of purple cabbage. Leave some small peppers whole,like buds.Use cut part as small flower.

3.Cut root off scallion,make several lengthwise cuts in that end about one inch long,place in ice water to “bloom”.

4.Cut flowers of purple cabbage with centers of carrot and squash.

5.Arrange in pretty cup, container, or plant some in wheat grass. Of course you can use any veggie combo. The classic radish rose would look good.I kept this simple.

6.Use broccoli florets to fill in.

Serve with a favorite dip.

note:all cutters were from Wilton and can be found in the cake decorating department of craft or large department stores,they are fondant cutters, sold in sets of 3 sizes.

Here is one more unique gift for Mom that you can make yourself

Berry-yummy Bouquet














Servings:
makes one bouquet,and extra dipped fruit

Delicious and simple chocolate-dipped strawberries, good for special occasions.

Ingredients:
½ cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa butter
2 tablespoon cocoa powder, heaping,or more to taste
1 tablespoon light agave
12 strawberries
6 blackberries
1 medium bunch grapes
1 bunch mint
wooden skewers
cup or container for arrangement
floral foam to fit container
Preparation:

1.Wash and dry all fruit.

2.Melt coconut oil and cocoa butter in a small bowl placed in a larger bowl of hot water.Stir until well melted, strain out anything that is not melted.

3.Add cocoa powder and agave. Allow mixture to cool down till thickened,like hot fudge.

4.Skewer desired amount of berries.Dip/twirl berries into chocolate.(At this point you could double dip chocolate into chopped nuts or shredded coconut.)Dip extra berries and grapes in remaining chocolate so you don’t have to eat arrangement right away!

If desired you should have enough chocolate for 24 strawberries,for a fuller bouquet.of course you may use any fruit you like in this,the combinations are endless,I just used what I had in the fridge!

I had a piece of Styrofoam to stick skewer in till chocolate dried

5.Arrange in cup or container using mint to fill in.

For bouquet pictured I dipped 12 strawberries, 6 blackberries and had 5 plain grape skewers. I added about 4 grapes under the berries to hide skewers.

A plateful of chocolate dipped strawberries would be lovely.

Remember, Mother's Day is Sunday. I wish all Moms everywhere a happy day!

Why is my kitchen so happy?

Naming this blog was an easy task. You may have heard of the SAD diet. Being a raw foodie is just the opposite of SAD...HAPPY!!!!

The main reason my kitchen is happy, is the fact that I am so happy.
Eating raw food makes me feel energetic and healthy.
There are vibrant colors, textures, and scents.
I feel good about the food I buy.
I have very little waste from my food preparation.
I can make (almost) anything I crave from my happy raw kitchen!


Below is a picture of my refrigerator.There are all kinds of peppers, kale, spinach, herbs, avocado, eggplant, jicama, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, scallions, almonds, walnuts, and pecans in the shells, carrots, celery, beets, coconut, Thai coconut, raw mayo, apples, pears, lemons, limes, grapefruit,and some assorted grains.Oh yeah, one lonely cherimoya!

In the freezer, there are a bunch of peeled bananas, and containers of raw coconut, chocolate and strawberry ice creams.I also have some assorted fruit frozen. I like some frozen for smoothies, and I freeze some that look like they will go bad before I can use them. Always frozen and ready to go, the insert for the ice cream maker!

Since I am the only raw foodie in my house, this is a smaller fridge, just for me:) The rest of my family has a full size fridge. All items are organic when possible


















Here is a picture of my pantry. Stored in the glass jars are an assortment of grains, beans, seeds, nuts, dried fruit such as goji berries, currants, raisins, coconut and some home dehydrated strawberries, banana slices, crackers, cookies, chips, and my own raw (zucchini, jicama, and eggplant) bacon!

Bottles of oils, vinegars, and agave.

There are packages of lucuma, maca, mesquite,cocoa powder,and dried spices.

I am sure I forgot to name a few things, but you get the idea!

















Shopping is very easy on the raw food diet. My food choices are picked from the produce section and the bulk food bins of the regular market and in my local health food store/co-op. There are a few other items like oils, vinegars, capers, olives and salt.

I frequent a small Asian market for the young Thai coconuts. They do carry them in my regular market and health food store, at twice the price!

Superfood supplement items, such as lucuma powder, are the only things I have ever had to order online, and I only did that quite recently.

With these staples, I can make almost any thing I desire. Many times I will get an idea, or see a recipe that looks interesting, and it is nice to have the ingredients ready to go.

Some jars contain sprouted and dehydrated grains and nuts so they are recipe ready.

Raw Food For Children

I hope your little ones will enjoy some of my unique raw recipes created especially for them!

Fun Fries
















Ingredients:
for fries:
apple, pear, or mango cut into fry shapes (to prevent browning, sprinkle with lemon juice, and optional cinnamon,nutmeg,date sugar)
for goji ketchup:
½ cup dates, pitted
¼ cup goji berries
¼ cup water

Preparation:
1.Soak dates and berries in water for at least 1/2 an hour to soften.

2.Blend until smooth,may need additional water if dates aren’t juicy.

Serve as ketchup with fruit fries.

Play around with the jam by mixing other dried fruit with the dates or sub. fresh berries for the dried ones and water.

Ladybugs on a Log













Ingredients:
1 stalk celery
1 tablespoon almond butter
5 dried goji berries, soaked for 1 hour
1 sprinkle chia seeds,pictured, or poppy or black sesame seed

Preparation:
1. Wash and dry celery.

2. Fill with almond butter.

3. Sprinkle berries with seeds, and place across almond butter.

A variation:
ladybugs on a "raft"
Top sliced apple,pear,banana the same way.
Sprinkle the fruit slices with lemon or orange juice if making ahead (to slow browning)
Sprinkle with cinnamon, optional before adding the "ladies"!

fruit fiends














Ingredients: 
1 apple, cored and quartered
assorted nuts and seeds
nut butter
berries,grapes,or small fruit like kiwi berries
frilled toothpicks
orange juice

Preparation: 
1. Carefully remove football shaped slice from apple quarter, reserve for tongue.

2. Sprinkle all cut surfaces with orange juice.

3. Fill with nut butter ,if desired.

4. Add nuts or seeds as teeth, tongue is cut from removed apple piece(stick in with a bit of nut butter)

5. Add eyes with toothpicks using berries or grapes

If possible, let the little ones help to make these goodies. The best way to get children to eat healthy food is to get them excited and inspired about it. Children are more likely to eat foods they helped prepare:)

Sweet Treats

I was so happy to learn I didn't have to give up yummy treats when eating raw
Here are two of my favorite quick and easy recipes:

Halvah Truffle Trio













Ingredients:
½ cup raw tahini
2 tablespoons local raw honey, the thick opaque kind
¼ cup unhulled raw sesame seeds, soaked or not if you prefer*
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 inch vanilla bean, seeds only
extra sesame seeds
*you may wish to lightly grind seeds if using unsoaked.

Preparation:

1. Mix tahini,honey,and 1/4 cup sesame seeds. taste to see if sweet enough,adjust honey.

2. Divide mixture into thirds.

3. Add cocoa to one part,cinnamon to another and vanilla to the third. you may need to add a little extra sesame seed to the vanilla mix,to stiffen.

4. Chill until firm.

5. Divide each part into 4, one inch balls.

6. Roll in sesame seeds.

Strict vegans may want to try a substitute sweetener,use an equal amount of date paste (blended soaked dates)

Store in fridge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This next recipe is so easy I hesitate to call it a recipe. Freeze some ripe bananas for a few hours. When frozen, place them in the food processor fitted with the "S" blade until it forms a light creamy soft serve banana ice cream! Add anything you like, like cacao nibs, flavorings, nuts, coconut, berries...you get the idea! It can be placed in the freezer to firm up a little, or eaten as a soft serve. This recipe is from Alissa Cohen. Thanks, Alissa!