Saturday, May 30, 2009

Pretend Rice




I've been trying out recipes for my mom's 50th birthday party coming up next weekend, where all the food will be raw. I tried this interesting preparation for squash yesterday, an invention of Ani Phyo's. The recipe is in her book, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. I'm not going to post the recipe because it's copyrighted, but it's definitely something you could do just knowing what's in it, so try making it if you're curious. The recipe is Mexican "Rice". The base is an acorn squash, seeded and peeled, chunked, and pulsed in a food processor until the bits resemble grains of rice. (The easiest way I've found to peel acorn squash is to seed it, then cut lengthwise along the lobes, and peel with a swivel peeler.) Mix in a tomato, some cilantro, a bit of white onion, a clove of pressed garlic, and some salt. When I first tasted this, I liked it a lot. My enthusiasm waned though, as I had to eat all of it by myself. Anyway, it's really an interesting idea, so I'm posting it.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Good Girl Gone Raw

My mom, sister and youngest brother all recently adopted a raw vegan diet (except for my bro, who still eats some ice cream and smoked fish occasionally. Only the essentials! :) They look so great -- especially my mom (hello glow!) -- I'm doing a 30 day raw fest. There's so many creative "raw people" out there now, I've had such a fun, informative time reading their books and trying new recipes. I'm on day 2 of complete raw-ness. My favorite parts are the green smoothies and decadent desserts--who knew, right? If you're new to green smoothies, try using spinach. The flavor is virtually non-existent in the finished product. I like other greens in the mix too, like kale. For making up your own, try 60% fruit to 40% greens to start with...and I think adding a "creamy" fruit, like bananas and/or mangoes, is essential for best flavor. Try it, you'll like it!




Green Smoothie
several handfuls of spinach
1 fozen banana
1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 1/2 cup frozen papaya chunks
Agave, maple syrup, or stevia extract to taste
liquid to blend (I like using water and homemade almond milk)
2 T ground flax seed, if desired

Blend, peeps.


Another yummy thing from today:

Pink Lady and Pineapple Salad

You can use any crisp apple, but Pink Lady apples are very special in this. I love their sweet/tart, almost rhubarb-y flavor.

2 apples, small dice
2 cups pineapple, small dice
2 T minced mint
2 T minced cilantro
one or two green onions, minced
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, and minced
pinch salt
juice (and zest, if they're organic) of two limes

Toss everything together in a glass or ceramic bowl. Chill for 1 hr before serving.
Photobucket

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I heart Snuggies

OK, so this is super embarrassing...but I LOVE my Snuggie. Yes, that ridiculous blanket with sleeves you see on late night infomercials. I used to make fun of them like crazy. And then I had my Snuggie revelation: I was sitting on the couch, kids in bed, enjoying my dinner. I was cold. I couldn't have my blanket pulled up high enough to keep me warm, because I needed my hands out to eat. "If only this darned blanket had sleeves!" I mused. I realized a Snuggie, while dorky beyond belief, was a brilliantly wonderful invention for slackers like me who like to eat on the couch under a blanket. I didn't have $20 to buy one, though.


I was visiting my grams a week or so later, and she emerged from her bedroom, tentatively offering me the Snuggie my aunt had bought for her as a gift. My grams is attached to another blanket and didn't particularly care for the Snuggie. She looked a little surprised when my eyes nearly popped out of my head and I started yelling, "God sent me my Snuggie!" over and over.


I don't know why I'm admitting to all of this on my blog, but a closet Snuggie lover no longer am I. Now ya'll know I'm at home, late at night, watching TV and eating my dinner while completely dorked out in a Snuggie!

Kombu up.

Well, it's just about summer, and most of us girls are eyeing our bikinis with squinty, sideways glances and a raised eyebrow. Here's an idea for a nice bath soak to help your skin be smooth and glowing. Kombu (seaweed. Read: kelp.) is used in Japanese cooking for all kinds of things, including the ubiquitous dashi broth. Sometimes it's made into tea and used to break down fats in the body and flush them out. Soaking in a bath of kombu and salt is said to have the same effect, and it makes your skin really soft. If it happens to remove cellulite with regular use, then blessed be. The salt will draw toxins out of your body, so it's a good idea to rinse off when you're done soaking. By the way, get your kombu at an Asian market. I get huge packages there for 89 cents, as opposed to a package one-quarter the size for six dollars at the health food store. Seriously.

Kombu Bath


3 six inch pieces of kombu

one big handful of sea or Epsom salt


Put kombu and salt in tub, and run a bath as hot as is comfy. Soak for 10-15 minutes. You can rub the kombu over your skin for extra softness if you want. Do this once a week for best results. Rinse, dry and reuse the kombu up to three times.


How ironic. The UPS man just rang the doorbell and left my new swim suits waiting for me. Dun dun duhhhh!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Cheap Fun for Foodies

I just got back from my local Asian market, and OH MY GOODNESS it's so much fun! So many things that are hard to find at a "regular" grocery store are happily abundant, and for much less than if you were to purchase them elsewhere. The rice noodles for example, are $1.17 for 14 oz, compared to 3-5 dollars at other stores. Young Thai coconuts, kaffir lime leaves, vegetarian Tom Yum paste (yay!), egg less won ton and spring roll wrappers - notoriously difficult to locate - I could go on and on. Miso paste is also a great buy at these places...just check your ingredients...some of the miso had MSG and other grossness added! I found one brand that was made from organic, non-gmo soybeans, with no additives. It was available in red and white, and the large tubs are only 3 and a half dollars. I'm sorry I can't quit quoting prices, but for anyone who is on a budget and also buys unconventional ingredients, this is such an exciting thing. :)

They had plantains and I bought some just for fun. I've never fried plantains before and it's very simple and delicious. I didn't take pictures because Evi and I devoured them while they were nice and hot, dipped in agave-sweetened ketchup. Mmmmmmm.

Fried Plantains (hardly a recipe)

3-4 greenish yellow plantains
oil for frying (safflower or coconut if you can afford the luxury of frying in it)
salt

Wash the plantains before you slice them open. (Who knows where they've been.) Cut into halves or thirds, and score just through the skin, in three or four places down the length of the banana pieces. Peel off the skins. Cut the bananas into discs about an inch long or so. Heat a half inch of oil over med-high heat (to 350) and fry the bananas til golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels, and smash the bananas so they become 1/2 inch thick discs. I used a bit mug for this; a meat pounder thingy would be good too, if you have one. (If they crumble, they need to cook a little while longer before you smash them.) Return the bananas to the oil and fry a few more minutes until crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Eat hot with ketchup or salsa...mango or peach salsa would be just insane. Or try stirring a little chopped chipotle pepper into your ketchup.

You have to try this!