What I Ate Wednesday #9

What starts with W? 
Wednesday starts with W.
What other words start with W?
Oh, who cares about the other things.
Let's just focus on What I Ate Wednesday.

Thank you and hearts to the lovely miss Jenn for this warm-hearted idea..a way for us bloggers to connect and share what we ate.

Oh, what a wonderful world we live in!

Upon rising, I started my day with 32 ounces of fresh distilled water (not pictured). Distilled Water is boiled, and has been proven effective at removing harmful wastes and cleansing the system of any impurities. Source

HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREATS FOR MY BODY

After sending "The Taste Tester" off to school, I blended together some of my favorite whole foods to get instant nutrients into my body. I desperately need fresh fruits and dark leafy green vegetables everyday or my body will not function at 100%.

Today's Warrior Blend Smoothie [banana, spinach, berries, raw pumpkin an sunflower seeds, hemp seed oil, maca powder, super green food powder, fresh apple juice, almond butter, chia seeds, hemp seeds, water]. HARDCORE SUPERHERO FUEL! Lunch today was a big, bright, and beautiful Citrus Salad [arugula, oranges, grapefruit, mint leaves, onions, sesame seeds and slivered almonds] dressed up with an agave, lime, liquid aminos, sea salt, red pepper flakes dressing. Perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.

SPOOKY SEXY SNACK

I was feeling a little sexy today and since Valentines Day is month's away, I decided to make some of these little libido-boosting SEXY BALLS. Topped each one with an extra almond. These babies are Uh-may-zzzzing!!

DELECTABLE DINNER

I can't eat wheat or gluten, and one thing I really miss is pasta. Zucchini pasta is the next-best-thing. HOLY COW! This stuff is fantastico! I peeled a few fresh zucchinis for the "noodles", then topped it off with a Blolgnese Hemp Parma Sauce made from tomatoes, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, black olives, lemon, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, and fresh basil. My mouth still waters when I think about this meal! SO YUMMY FOR MY TUMMY!

AND, HERE's SOMETHING I FOUND THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE...

 The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012

This is how it works: you send 3 bloggers one dozen homemade cookies. When you receive YOUR three different dozens of cookies from three other bloggers, you blog about it. It sounds like such a fun little event where you get to bake a batch of cookies, dress them up in festive tins, send them out, then you'll have your own fresh, homemade cookies waiting in your mailbox.

Want to join in?

Visit the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap website to sign up. Read the rules and requirements carefully to make sure you are able to meet the deadlines and fulfill the requirements. There are no refunds if you drop out prior to the sign-up deadline or if you don’t meet all the requirements.

Registration deadline is Monday, November 5th.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Covered Blueberry Bliss Balls

These Raw Vegan Chocolate Covered Blueberry Bliss Balls are inspired by this recipe from YumUniverse contributor Rea Frey Holguin.

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or soaked dried dates
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen. I like frozen for this recipe)
1/4 cup cocoa or carob powder
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

In a food processor, process almonds until finely ground.
Add dates and process until mixture forms a ball and sticks together.
Add the remaining ingredients until well mixed.
Roll into small balls and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Makes about 30 balls.  

You can also pack these firmly into square pan, which would create about 16 brownies. Store them in the freezer and take them out to thaw when you want one, or four.  You can also store in the fridge in a sealed container.

Optional additions: chocolate chips, cinnamon, hemp protein, coconut, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, agave nectar, hazelnuts, frozen cherries or strawberries, and more.

Optional Chocolate Ganache:
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, agave nectar, or raw coconut nectar
1/4 cup cocoa powder  

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. If mixture becomes too thick, gently warm the bowl over another bowl of hot water before dipping. 

Dip each ball in chocolate. 
Remove with fork and place on a rack (or parchment paper-lined sheet).
Sprinkle with sea salt, cinnamon, coconut, hemp seeds, chopped nuts, or as is.
Place back into the refrigerator until set.

Cran-Goji Berry Bliss Bars

"My little taste tester" is my muse when it comes to making healthy goodies that we an eat on a regular basis, with whole ingredients and no additives.

Homemade, healthy snacks are the way to go. 

This is a recipe for a no-bake, raw bar.  Easy to make and simply delicious.

Cran-Goji Berry Bliss Bars 

Ingredients
 
1 1/2 cups Nuts or Seeds (walnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts)
1/2 cup Raisins  
1/2 cup dried Cranberries   
1/4 cup Goji Berries, soaked for 20-30 minutes  
1/2 cup Dates, pitted and packed  
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/4 cup-1/2 cup Coconut Flour or Almond Flour (I used both)  
1 tsp Cocoa Powder
1 TBSP Nut Butter (I used Almond Butter)  
2 TBSP Hemp Protein Powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until chunky cookie dough texture is achieved.  
Press into a parchment paper-lined pan or cookie sheet.  
Chill in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes or longer (or freeze for 15-20 minutes).
Cut into bars and drizzle with chocolate topping and coconut.

Chocolate Topping 

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
2 TBSP Agave Nectar, Maple Syrup, or Honey  
3 tsp Coconut Oil, melted  
1/4 cup Water  

Stir all ingredients together and drizzle over bars. 
Enjoy!

Store in the fridge or freezer for a few weeks.

Chocolate Funky Monkey Smoothie

"My little taste tester" loves this smoothie. Chocolate, bananas, almond butter, and spinach galore. Refreshing and revitalizing, it's a perfect way to kick start your day.

Ingredients

1 cup Almond Milk (coconut milk, or any other nut milk)  
2 TBSP Cacao Powder  
2 TBSP Raw Almond Butter (or other nutty butter)  
1 Banana (fresh or frozen)  
1 cup Spinach (or other fresh leafy greens)  
1/4 cup or more fresh Coconut Meat (unsweetened, shredded coconut works too)
dash cinnamon  
ice (if desired)

Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.

Sip or slurp...whatever you prefer :) Enjoy!

This is a great base recipe that can easily be altered to your liking. 
For instance, when I am running low on a particular ingredient or if I want to switch things up a bit, I'll use water instead of almond milk, fresh almonds instead of almond butter, strawberries or blueberries instead of bananas, or perhaps a few dates or a dash of pure maple syrup for a little added sweetness. Whatever your heart desires :)

What's in your favorite smoothie?
Do you prefer something fruity? Something chocolatey?

5 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

This is undoubtedly one of my favorite tasty chocolate treats. It's a simple, healthy dessert that fits perfectly into my world of raw foods.  My taste buds love this sweet treat...and so will you!

It's a special avocado dessert that stores exceptionally well in the fridge for about a week. I was a little skeptical at first because I thought the avocados would turn brown or start to taste funny but with the perfect amount of sweetness and just enough cacao powder to change the color, it turned out magnificent!

Put everything into a food processor or blender. 
Voila! You've got the perfect chocolate mousse!

For a scrumptious treat, try layering chocolate mousse and fresh fruit into a parfait glass. Spectacular!

Garlicky Kale Chips with Nutritional Yeast

These kale chips are crunchy, cheesy, and one of the most addictive healthy snacks that you can eat. Plus, they're so easy to make! 

Ingredients

1 Bunch of Curly Green Kale (about 8 cups, firmly packed)
1 cup raw Cashews, soaked 2-4 hours (soaking optional)
1/8 cup water, to reach desired consistency
3 TBSP Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast, to taste
1 Whole Garlic Bulb (8-10 cloves), chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup (optional, I usually omit)
4 tsp Granulated Garlic (garlic powder)

1. Remove stems off of kale. Wash kale leaves and let the kale dry off, leaving just a bit of water. Rip apart the kale leaves in pieces (not too big and not too small) and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Place all ingredients, except granulated garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth, thick, and creamy, like hummus. Add more water, if necessary.
3. Take handfuls of the mixture and massage it into the kale, evenly coated, making sure there are no clumps.
4. Toss with granulated garlic, evenly.
5. Lay flat on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Dehydrate at 115 degrees until the leaves leaves curl up.

*OR for non-raw option, bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

What Is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is an amazing ingredient that is a complete protein and has all 18 essential amino acids that our body needs.

According to the Bob's Red Mill website, Nutritional yeast is grown on enriched purified cane and beet molasses under carefully controlled conditions. T6635, with the addition of vitamin B12, is an ideal vegetarian support formula and has an appealing cheese flavor. 

-Nutritional Yeast is inactive so it's not the same as the type of yeast you bake with.
-It has a flaky/powdery texture that resembles fish food flakes.
-Be careful not to confuse it with Brewer's Yeast, which is a by-product of the beer making process.
-Nutritional yeast has a nutty, buttery and cheesy flavor that adds a special tang to snacks. -When added to a liquid base, it becomes a salty, creamy texture. That's why so many vegan and vegetarians substitute nutritional yeast for many of their dishes!
-It can be sprinkled over popcorn or salads, added to juice, cereal, smoothies, gravies, soups or casseroles, or used to make sandwich spreads.

Nutritional Yeast contains:

18 Essential Amino Acids

Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 

Chromium, Magnesium, Copper, and Manganese

Folic Acid, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacine, Zinc, Pantothenic Acid

Essential Fatty Acids

Low Amount of Sodium and Fat, and ZERO cholesterol

Low Glycemic Index of 1

How To Eat Nutritional Yeast Flakes

There are many ways to incorporate nutritional yeast into your meals. My favorite way to eat it is in kale chips. It may look strange, and sound even weirder, but is surprisingly delicious. Do not confuse it with Brewer's Yeast, which contains the same nutrients with a more bitter taste.

Ways nutritional yeast can be used:

-Use it to make kale chips. I posted a recipe for the best kale chips EVER!
-Sprinkle it on popcorn. It's definitely a more healthy substitution to butter and salt!
-When you roast vegetables, sprinkle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
-Add it to salad dressings.
-Substitute for cheese in salads and baked potato.
-Add it to soup or pasta for a creamier consistency.

Note: When preparing any food where you are going to use this yeast, add it at the end, so that the vitamins are not broken down from the food.  

Have you ever had kale chips?

What is your favorite flavor?

Have you ever used Nutritional yeast?

When The Moon Hits Your Eye...

...Like A Big Pizza Pie...

I love pizza. A perfect slice of pizza has it all - fresh crust, delicious sauce, perfectly melted cheese, and carefully selected toppings. I'd never turn my head from a good slice of pizza even though I always got this awful heavy, sluggish feeling when I ate it.

I've been eating a raw vegan diet for several weeks now but I still occasionally crave a slice of pizza when I see it or smell it. On the other hand, I immediately and vividly recall how it makes me feel after I eat it.

I'm listening to my body more and I'm still learning to stay away from foods that do not make me feel good and are not good for my health. For me, eating cooked processed foods doesn't make me feel good at all. I would get the same feeling from smoking a cigarette or doing drugs. In my mind, there is no difference. I no longer consider going back on my health; my health is one of my most precious gifts.

That being said, I decided to make my own pizza. This is not your classic pizza with tomato sauce, oregano, mushrooms, pepperoni, bacon, onions, green peppers, and mozzarella cheese. This is raw pizza with a blended homemade tomato sauce, jalapeno nut meat, marinated vegetables, and a basil macadamia nut cheeze.

It is also so simple and fun to make with minimal preparation. You can make the crust round, square or anyway you like. Top it with your choice of toppings: pineapple, onion, peppers, zucchini, hummus, spinach, or sprouts. Blend the sauce, then the cheese with nuts or seeds.

Pizza Crust
1 cup ground flax seeds

¹/3 cup whole flax seeds

¹/2 tsp sea salt

1 garlic clove, minced

2 TBSP yellow onion, chopped

1 ¹/3 cups water

²/3 cup sunflower seeds

¹/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix ground and whole flax seeds, salt, garlic, onion, and water. Add sunflower and sesame seeds. Mix well.

Use the back of a spoon to spread batter evenly on one dehydrator tray. Dry at 104°F for about 4 hours. Flip and score into nine slices to make it easy to break. Dehydrate another hour before serving. Serve warm.

Note-This recipe will fill one Excalibur dehydrator tray, and yields nine pieces. I recommend tripling or even quadrupling your batch. It makes for some great crackers too. It will keep for at least a month or two when fully dried. Keep refrigerated.

Jalapeno Nut Meat

1 Jalapeno, finely chopped

¹/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup walnuts, soaked 4 hrs (optional)

¹/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked until very soft. Reserve ¹/8 cup tomato soak water

1 TBSP Nama Shoyu or Bragg's Liquid Amino

1 tsp Herbamare or other seasonings

1 tsp sea salt

¹/2 tsp black pepper

In a food processor, combine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and soaking water until you reach a meat consistency. Remove from processor.

In a mixing bowl, add nut meat, onions, jalapeno, Nama Shoyu, Herbamare or other seasonings, sea salt and black pepper.

Use instead of meat on pizza and sandwiches, or straight up out of the bowl. It's delicious! You can also shape this mixture into patties for burgers.

Option-Dehydrate at 115°F for about 1 hour.

Tomato Sauce

1 cup fresh tomatoes

¹/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 garlic clove

1 TBSP olive oil

4 pitted dates or 1 tsp honey

sea salt, to taste

Chop the fresh tomatoes, put them in your high speed blender with the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.

Basil Macadamia Nut Cheeze

2 cups macadamia nuts

Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons

3 garlic cloves

¹/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 tsp sea salt

²/3 cup water, as needed

Blend nuts, lemon juice, garlic, basil, and salt until smooth, adding only enough water as needed to make a smooth creamy texture.

Will keep in the fridge for 4 days.

Marinated Veggies

Red & Yellow Bell Pepper Slices

Sliced Mushrooms

Spinach, sliced in strips

Fennel, thinly sliced

Zucchini

Cucumber

Sprouts

Toss veggies with equal parts olive oil, tamari, and crushed garlic.

That's Amoré

Fresh Tomato Chili with Taco Nut Meat

I've always loved tomatoes.  As a young girl, I remember eating fresh tomatoes from my mother's garden, much like the way you'd eat an apple.  I would just chomp right into it. The juices would come running down my chin, and I loved it! This was heaven.

Unfortunately, The Taste Tester doesn't share the same love for tomatoes as I do. He didn't want to have anything to do with ketchup until he was almost six years old. He actually tried his very first tomato-based spaghetti sauce a few months ago (but complained about it because he just doesn't like tomatoes). So I rarely buy tomatoes.

Last night, I decided to test him and his love hate for tomatoes. I've been craving fresh tomatoes for the past few days, so I decided to pick up some beautiful tomatoes from the Natural Food Pantry (my #1 health store in Ottawa).  I was pleasantly surprised to find an amazing recipe in Ani Phyo's Ani’s Raw Food Essentials. It was delicious! And....The Taste Tester LOVED it too!

This recipes is simple, quick, and easy to make. You'll love it.

Tomato Chili with Taco Nut Meat

(from Ani’s Raw Food Essentials)
Makes 4 servings

TOMATO CHILI 

3 cup tomatoes, chop

1 cup red bell pepper, chop

1/4 cup celery, chop

1/4 cup yellow onion, chop

1/3 cup mushroom, chop

1/3 cup corn kernels (I omitted this)

1 tsp. garlic, mince

1–2 tsp. chili powder, to taste

1 tsp. cumin, powder

3/4 tsp oregano, fresh or dry

1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, toss to mix well.

Place half of your mixture into your food processor or blender and puree. 

Scoop back into bowl with mixture and toss to mix well.

NUT MEAT TOPPING

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin, powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander, powder
• 1 teaspoon Bragg’s or Nama Shoyu, or 1/4 tsp. sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients into your food processor, and process into small pieces.

To serve, scoop raw Tomato Chili into bowls. Top with Taco Nut Meat. 

Enjoy.

Tomato Chili will keep for 1-2 days in fridge. Taco Nut Meat will keep for a week or more.

Maria's Mini Mango Muffins

This recipe is adapted from ani's raw food kitchen book

CRUST

           1 1/4 cup almonds

           1 vanilla bean, scraped

           1/2 tsp. sea salt

           1 cup Medjool dates, pitted    

           2 TBSP. coconut oil, or coconut butter

FILLING

           4 cups ripe mango, pitted and diced

           1/4 cup raw honey, agave nectar, maple syrup

For the crust, process almonds, vanilla, and salt into a powder in your food processor. Add dates and coconut oil and process until mixed well. Pour into a bowl and set aside until later.

To make the filling, place the diced mango into a large mixing bowl and toss with your choice of honey, agave, or maple syrup (or use some of each).

To assemble, fill the bottom layer of a mini muffin tray with crust. Next, add a layer of the mango mixture. Then add another layer of the crust to top it off.

Place in the freezer until set, about 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Thaw slightly and enjoy. I keep mine in the freezer regardless. Takes only 5-10 minutes to thaw

These Mini Mango Muffins will blow your mind! They're simple, easy-to-make, and so very yummy! They taste so much better than they look :)

Choose Your Own Adventure

I am so excited to tell you about my fun, new food adventure.

Raw food is something I've been exploring all week.

I love discovering new foods and although I wasn't 100% sure on where to begin, I did some research and found tons of information.

In the blogging world, fellow Canadian gals Heather, a trained chef and yoga instructor at Sweetly Raw and Carmella at The Sunny Raw Kitchen have been my online mentors this week. I love Carmella's green smoothie recipe, which I have been sipping on daily.

Raw foods are simple, easy-to-find, fun, and enjoyable.

The Taste Tester certainly agrees:

2 days before this he wanted nothing to do with any of it!
 

WHAT IS RAW FOOD?

This diagram pretty much sums it up:

Here's a look at what I've been eating:

1. Breakfast: 1-2 cups fresh Fruit and/or Vegetables-either whole, as a smoothie or freshly juiced.

2. Lunch: Salad Tornado with dark leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and watercress. They contain rich sources of the essential minerals calcium, iron and magnesium and provide plant based protein. Healthy raw fats: avocado, olives, coconut, flaxseed and hemp seed, to provide the EFA's necessary for proper brain and nerve functioning, and for that "satisfied" feeling.

3. Dinner: 1-2 cups of Vegetables (red/green cabbage, zucchini, or carrots). For an easy sandwich replace the bread with collard greens or romaine lettuce.

I'm really loving Ani Phyo's book Ani's Raw Food Kitchen for her interesting recipes that are quick, easy, and super delicious in every single way.

4. Snacks: Fresh fruit pieces, cut-up vegetables, guacamole with fresh jicama, raw nuts or seeds, raw granola, or some coconut. Nut butter with banana or with an apple and celery pieces. Seaweeds, raw carob/cacao powder, cold pressed olive oil and certain spices and seasonings.

Whole, ripe, raw, organic foods in their natural state are what help to keep us healthy, vibrant and free of sickness and disease.

5. Water: Drink lots of water. Water is always my #1 choice of beverage. I drink water even when I'm not thirsty because water is so good for you. Clean and fluoride free is key.

What are the Benefits of the Raw Food Diet?

Eating raw food has helped many people heal themselves of diabetes, fibromyalgia, acne, migraines, back pain, neck and joint pain, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypoglycemia, colitis, diverticulitis, Candida, arthritis, serious allergies, depression, anxiety, mood swings, heartburn, gas, bloating, skin diseases, obesity, chronic fatigue, cancers and many more.

Eating raw and living foods has helped many people feel better when nothing else has worked.

I've noticed that people who eat raw food have a natural glow to their skin, a shine to their hair, a sparkle in their eyes, a healthy, fit, body and they look younger than their age. They have a youthful energy and they feel good about themselves and happy to be alive!

People have noticed that their hair turns back to its natural color, their teeth get tighter and gums stop bleeding, wrinkles, deep creases and age spots disappear, dark circles, bags and eye puffiness vanish, acne and blemishes fade, looking better without make-up with a natural sunny blush. 

So if you're sick, tired, overweight or just want to feel better than you do right now, this way of eating could be the answer that you are looking for. The raw and living food diet has been one of the greatest miracles in many peoples lives.

Other health benefits include:
-Increased energy
-Better digestion
-Weight loss
-Reduced risk of heart disease

Raw foods are the cleanest burning fuel for the body so it's no surprise that, I've already noticed that I have more energy and mental clarity, brighter eyes, improved skin, better digestion, and slight weight loss too.

I have a wonderful warm feeling of positivity and I'm feeling inspired like I never have before. This is all brand new to me and it's an incredible feeling!

I didn’t experience many detoxing symptoms this week, other than a mild headache, slight nausea, and irritability (probably due to caffeine and sugar withdrawals).

My teeth and mouth started to feel weird too. I'm not sure how to describe the feeling but brushing them immediately helped alot.
I've already learned so much about eating raw and I'm so excited to learn more. All week I've been connecting with people who offer nothing but love, support, and encouragement.

I've noticed that the further I get into it, the more supportive people are: sharing recipes, and offering suggestions and wonderful advice to me. 

Thank you everyone! Your ideas are great!