Lately I have been intrigued by the idea of going raw, eating a lot of uncooked food. I think this started after visiting our CSA and they talked about a class they had last year that demoed a raw lasagna that tasted just as good as the real thing (or so they said). I’ve been fascinated and finally got a few uncook books: Ani’s Raw Food Essentials, Everyday Raw, and RAWvolution. I also took the plunge and got this food processor (b/c I didn’t have one) and a Spirooli Vegetable Slicer to make vegetable pasta (so excited!).

So the photo above is my first attempt at a raw recipe for tacos from Ani’s Raw Food Essentials. The recipe was really tasty, although I’m not sure I would go as far as to say it tastes like tacos… but then again, I never liked tacos so this is a step up for me! The part I love most is the raw cheeze… so delish! I had a version of raw cheese at a raw demo I went to a while back and I have been wanting to make some… and now I have! It’s so good that I enjoy it with sliced apples, which happened to be my lunch today.

These are a few of the recipes I am already excited to try that I found on the web:

• Zucchini Spaghetti with Pesto Ricotta Sauce (already have the stuff!!!)
• Raw Lasagna (the reason I started this journey)
• Congo Bars (if I can find all the ingredients – thank goodness for my health food store)

For the dishes that I took pictures of, the recipes are in the description of my photos over on FlickR. Just click on the image to be taken there.

It’s getting to be that time of year again… mater season! It’s still a little early for my garden (although some are starting to have that red glean to them), but the tomatoes in the market are starting to get a fantastic flavor and sweetness, especially the cherry tomatoes. This, of course, always causes us to run for the basil in the garden and fresh mozzarella… which, by the way, is the Mozzarella that we made ourselves from this kit: 30-Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit.

So this is super easy to make, but here are some basic directions:

Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella
8 Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt or Seasoning Salt to taste

Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place into a bowl. Salt the tomatoes to taste. Chop up some fresh Mozzarella and add it to the tomatoes. Chiffonade the basil and add it to the bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil and mix everything well.

Enjoy! I know I am right now!

This is what I made for lunch today and it was so yummy and refreshing! I cheated and used some Wholly Guacamole inside the scooped out cucumber cups and topped them with a fresh cherry mater… SO YUMMY!

Week One we picked up: Eggs, Collard Greens, Strawberries, Arugula, Red Russian Kale, Turnip Greens (we think), Endive (?), Spinach, Radishes, and Rosemary. And we made Strawberry Shortcake, stir-fried collards, stir-fried kale, a spinach and cheese quiche with rosemary, sauteed shrimp with Arugala, tomatoes and feta cheese, and Orange and Radish Salad with Arugula (a recipe that our CSA provided from Cook’s Illustrated). This salad left David and I with serious doubts, but I have to tell you… it was delicious! And if David will eat it, you know it’s good. The only items that ended up in the compost pile from week 1 were a couple of radishes and what we think was the endive… we weren’t sure because the CSA had our email wrong and we missed the email that explained (and I don’t know what endive looks like).

Week Two we picked up: Flash Collard Greens, Arcadia Broccoli, Hakurei Turnips, either Beet Greens or Bright Lights Swiss Chard (not sure which), Dinosaur Kale, Easter Egg Radishes (which looked bad when we got them), Mesculin Mix, Savoy Cabbage, Rosemary, and Lovage. So far we’ve made stir-fried collards with white rice, turnip soup using this weeks turnips and last week’s turnip greens (a dapted from the recipe “A Rough and Ready Turnip Potage” by Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors), and Moo Shu Pork from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast using the cabbage (pictured below). The recipe the CSA provided (that we have yet to try) is Chicken, Lentil & Chard soup. I hope my Chard makes it until I can try this recipe because it has been looking rather lousy. I’ve soaked it in water for a full day and it’s looking a little better, but if I don’t cook it tomorrow, it may end up in the compost.

Needless to say, we are pretty happy lately with all the fresh veg. It has been so rewarding to try new veggies and put them to good work. We have enjoyed everything we’ve tasted so far (EVEN DAVID!). PLUS, we have also been harvesting our own veggies from the garden!

We made Jaime Oliver’s Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry yesterday using our own broccoli and peas from the garden, and I sprouted my own bean sprouts. We already have a squash that’s almost ready, as well as some hot peppers and baby green maters… so it won’t be long now! Our garden has been so rewarding this year… probably due to the fact that I paid attention to when things grow this time. It was about this time last year that I put in my garden (way too late) and we only had tomatoes and basil (no wonder… duh?!).

One other note of interest: WE MADE OUR OWN MOZZ CHEESE! That’s right… fresh and tasty mozzarella cheese from this kit: 30-Minute Mozzarella (which comes with enough to make over 30 batches). It was fun, rewarding and we plan to continue making it. Even David loved it, and he had his doubts. He couldn’t stop talking about how we made our own cheese… LOL! But of course, I didn’t get any pictures of any of this to show you… sorry (next time).

My Aunt Kris and I both wanted to start a Gourmet Club, like the one that my Nana is in… so I started us off with an “Ocho de Mayo” Mexican Fiesta this past Saturday! It was so much fun and already I cannot wait for the next one. Here’s the dishes that everyone brought (I linked to their recipes online if I could find them). And if you mouse over the pictures, you’ll see what other fun we enjoyed:

Erin & David – Chevy’s Mesquite-Grilled Fajitas (steak & chicken), Chipotle Lime Shrimp, Pico de Gallo, & Margaritas with a Pineapple Splash

Kris – Tortilla Soup & Sangria

Beverly – Avocado-Bean Salad

Melanie – Bean & Corn Salad and a Yellow Rice

William – Refried Bean Dip

Chris & Julie – Chile Chocolate Torte with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Terri – she didn’t have time to make anything, but stopped and got a Mexican Pizza and Nachos to share.

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Collards
From 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
6 cups chopped collards
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken)
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What I added:
1/4 cup pancetta or prosciutto, cubed very small
1/2 – 1 lemon, juiced

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions; cook, stirring, until transparent, about 2 minutes. Add the pancetta or prosciutto cubes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the collards; cook, stirring, until the collards are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the broth; simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Juice lemons over the greens, cook for 1 more minute.

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Apple-Cinnamon Toastie
From Babycakes [Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery]

You can actually find the exact recipe for this at Leite’s Culineria or a similar one on Martha Stewart’s site, where one or two of the ingredients are different and it’s only cinnamon and no apples. It took a long time to make and mine came out slightly raw (my loaf pan was not the right size, I fear), but it was so delicious that we didn’t care. Luckily the recipe is vegan and gluten-free, so there is nothing to worry about. I enjoyed this recipe so much that I went out and bought raspberries to make the Raspberry Scones this weekend. Can’t wait!

I started last week with my first recipe from the Whole Foods Market Cookbook, which has always been one of my favs (even though I’ve only ever made the slammin’ salsa outta there). So I chose this one to fit into my veggie diet…

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. minced grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups washed, finely shopped baby spinach
3 scallions, finely chopped
Salt to taste

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the rice, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lime juice and some salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir gently and cover, simmering slowly for about 25 minutes or until the rice in tender. Leave the rice covered so that the steam stays in, and it remains fluffy.

Transfer the rice to  a large mixing bowl and add the cilantro, cpinach, scallions, and salt. Combine thouroughly.

The recipe was okay, although I felt it needed quite a bit of salt. I served it with a healthy side of sauteed spinach, drizzled with fresh lemon juice and it was pretty good.
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The next recipe I chose was based off the fact that I got a new juicer to make fresh squeezed juices… well, after juicing you get a whole lot of pulp that I cannot seem to waste so I made this from my all-time classic cookbook, the Better Homes & Garden New Cookbook:

Sour Cream Pound Cake (Orange)

1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Few good scoops of orange pulp

Allow butter, eggs, and sour cream to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a bread pan; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add in sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each addition and scrappoing the bowl frerquently. Add dry mixture and sour cream alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just till combined. I also added as much of the pulp as I wanted (maybe 1/4 cup). Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for 60-75 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.

Now this recipe was pretty darn tasty, although I baked mine for about 70 minutes, the toothpick came out clean and I still had a wet spot. Next time I will try baking for the full 75 minutes. I think we’ll make this again for sure!
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And the last recipe I made last week was sorta boring and I didn’t quite understand so I won’t post the recipe. It came from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes (a cookbook I’ve had ever since I started cooking on my own), and I made the Spinach Avgolemono Soup although I substituted chicken stock because we had cooked a chicken the night before and I didn’t want to be wasteful. Not only can I not pronounce this soup, but it was basically a stock with some spinach and white rice in it, but you make the avgolemono sauce with raw eggs and lemon juice that you temper and then slowly add to the soup. It just makes the soup look kinda creamy, but I thought it was weird.

But tonight we will try another from this cookbook.. Collard greens! YUM!
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And I have one more to share… this one is not from a cookbook, but rather the Martha Stewart Show and I thought it was quite tasty: Shrimp Scampi and River Salad. This was one truly delicious meal! Try it!

I also tried my first green smoothie for a mid-afternoon snack… YUM! I tried making it like the Naked Green Machine (it lists ingredients on the side), although I got a little lazy and stopped measuring and just started throwing stuff in… so while it didn’t taste just like it, it was still pretty good. I accidentally eliminated the broccoli, parsley and garlic (not sure about adding garlic), and didn’t want to freeze the kiwi so I just threw it all in. I also started to run out of room in the blender. And I’m still not sold on the extra powders and such. I may get some spirulina and wheatgrass eventually, and I already plan to add flax seeds or flax oil, but they are a bit pricey for starting out… but for now, here’s what I did:

Erin’s 1st Attempt Green Machine (the lazy way)

2 Granny Smith apples, with skin
1/2 banana
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 kiwi
2 handfulls spinach
1/4 – 1/2 cup pineapple juice

Now here’s the green machine:

I had been looking into juicing because I wanted to find a way to make our favorite breakfast drink, Naked’s Green Machine. Green Machine is a disgusting looking (but delicious) green drink you find at the store that has apples, bananas, broccoli, spinach, kiwi and more in all it’s green goodness. Sam’s club used to carry it so we’d get a deal, but now they don’t so it’s major expensive and I wanted a recipe. Well, somehow I came across these books: The Green Smoothies Diet and The Green Smoothie Revolution. Basically you start incorporating leafy veggies in with your fruit smoothies. Well, we love smoothies so the idea seems like a great way to get more veggies in our diets. I have only started reading (starting with the Green Smoothies Diet) and I love what I am reading so far… like how disease and sickness become a thing of the past… like how you will have more energy and no longer be sluggish in the morning (like I have)… like how your eyesight may improve… and how you basically get 15 servings of fruits and veggies all in one drink. Basically, you get up in the morning and make one for breakfast and you have all your daily requirements in this area filled. And because the veggies are not cooked and are blended raw, you are getting every little vitamin you can out of it. It even means that you can take things like spinach and freeze it before it goes bad, and then add it to your drink.

So for now I am reading my book and I have started having smoothies regularly. I started last night with a pumpkin smoothie that I got out of the Biggest Loser Diet… it left a lot to be desired. You combine 1/2 C pumpkin, 1/2 Cup milk (ricemilk for me), 1/2 C greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp. agave nector (for sweetness), and then 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, and 5 ice cubes. Well, I added more ice cubes because it wasn’t thick/creamy enough… then I added 1/2 a banana and some dates. It just didn’t hit the spot, so I may need to try something else.

I really wanted to make a green smoothie this morning and try for Green Machine, but instead opted for the author’s Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie which she showed on YouTube. It was actually pretty good. I was surprised. It has coconut milk, raw beets, carrots, strawberries, yogurt (optional), vanilla, dates and cashews in it. I did not put the nuts in it, but this sucker is surprisingly addictive. It’s a taste that you don’t necessarily love, but you can’t stop drinking… I think maybe it’s the coconut. Anyway, here’s to my first breakfast smoothie! And here’s the recipe:

Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie
GreenSmoothieGirl.com

Puree all ingredients except strawberries in BlendTec for 90 seconds. Add strawberries and puree on high until smooth. Notes I have been drinking this every morning for five years, just because I love it! Raw beets are an excellent blood purifier, coconut liquid is packed with minerals and electrolytes, and how many breakfasts do you know that taste great and contain raw carrots and beets? Makes one quart, a 450-calorie breakfast that has 4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 15 percent plant protein, probiotics from the yogurt, and high-nutrition, unrefined fats in the cashews.

So far we have gotten a ton of basil and this makes 4 tomatoes, a ton of cherry tomatoes, some beans, a couple of jalepenos & Serrano peppers, and we have our first baby cucumber and canteloup. There is some lettuce and golden beets, but they are growing pretty poorly. I think maybe they would do better in the fall. The chives and cilantro are almost non-existant too, along with the green peppers, summer squash and the spaghetti squash… although they are flowering. I’m womdering if I should plant something else in some of the spots where they look empty. We are thrilled for the time being though and have made a ton of brushetta, caprese salad, and tomato caprese paninis. Now I need to get rid of the salsa we bought so I can use my tomaotes an peppers to make that. YUM!

So I thought I should share a few of the recipes. The salsa is from Whole Foods Market and is actually a Pico De Gallo which is chunkier. We love it.

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Pico de Gallo
4 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

For the Pico de Gallo, combine all tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño peppers, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (you really should refrigerate at least one day to let flavor meld together). Use any fresh, juicy tomatoes and adjust proportions to your own taste. Makes about 2 cups.

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Tomato Caprese Panini

2 slices of Italian bread
Tomato
Fresh Basil (must be fresh) or pesto
Fresh Mozzarella (must be fresh)
Salt to taste
Olive Oil

Heat your skillet or frying pan and get Panini press ready and hot (you don’t need a panini press and can just make this like grilled cheese and kinds squish it). Slice your bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, and chop basil. Rub outter sides of bread with olive oil. Place one piece of bread (olive oil side down) on skillet and top with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, a little salt and then basil. Top with remaining slice of bread (olive oil side out). Squish it a little as you go and flip when golden brown on first side. Grilled to perfection both sides are a nice golden brown and cheese is melted.
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