Easy "Bake"...No Oven

So I have been singing the praises of Ani Phyo and her two I-can't-live-without-them raw food cookbooks. You have to try this delicious, good for you Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake from her raw desserts cookbook. Here's what Ani Phyo had to say about its nutritional benefits in this bit from her interview for Crazy Sexy Life:



"The cake is made with walnuts, considered a super food by the FDA for it’s high levels of omega-3. Walnuts provide amino acids, vitamins E, A, calcium, iron, and have been found to keep our blood cholesterol levels in check. Walnuts are mixed with raw cacao powder, which is defined as a superfood by the FDA for it’s high levels or antioxidants, which fight free radical damage, premature aging and illness. I use dates, a whole food fruit, to sweeten and to bind together the nuts and cacao powder into a flourless cake texture. Dates are full of fiber, potassium, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All of the ingredients in my cake are good for you super foods. On the other hand, the baked version uses bleached white flour that’s been stripped of any nutrient value. It’s sweetened with refined white sugar and empty calories, and uses eggs and butter, which contribute to high cholesterol levels. The baked version doesn’t offer much nutritional value.”




It's also insanely easy. I made it with my two year old and it was so simply and quick to put together. And no, the frosting doesn't taste like avocado. It's just chocolaty deliciousness. Here's the recipe. (By the way, this is an excellent beat-the-heat recipe for summer, since you don't heat up your house by baking. Plus, with the energy your saving by not turning on your oven, this is one green cake!)


I recommend using the raw cacao powder available at Whole Foods and New Season's Market called Holy Kakow. It's a single origin cacao, fairly traded, distributed by a local company (for me anyway. Portland, OR) and less expensive than any other raw cacao powder I've seen around. Talk about an all-around winner of a product!

All Dried Up!

I was most surprised and delighted to receive the fabulous (and extravagant) group gift of an Excalibur food dehydrator from my family for my birthday. Yesterday I tried a bunch of new raw recipes, including Nacho Flax and Sunflower Chips, Sesame Sunflower Bread, and Strawberry Macaroons. The macaroons are absolutely delightful...jammy little morsels of summertime. I couldn't believe how they retained such fresh strawberry flavor. I got the recipe out of Ani's Raw Food Desserts, another birthday gift, this one from my lovely, sweet friend Pamela. She actually gave the book to me at the author's meet and greet signing at Powell's, which just happened to be on my birthday! Ani is just as sweet as pie, radiant, and has such a great perspective on healthy eating. It was such a pleasure to meet her. You really should get your hands on a copy of her new dessert cookbook; it's full of really great recipes that you'll feel good eating and feeding to those you love. Anyway, back to the macaroons. I portioned them in 1 T scoops instead of 2 T, and was very happy with the results. The picture is of the little macaroons on the dehydrator sheet, just before they went in. They look like pork meatballs; I assure you they are not. :)

My sweet baby helping his mama make macaroons

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.

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.