Raw Foods

I love raw vegan food blogs.

I’m not raw, but for some reason I love to read them.

Maybe it’s because the writers feel so passionately about the food they make. Maybe it’s because the food is bright and vibrant.

I’m not sure.

I love them though, and my favorites list is full of them. I follow many of them on a regular basis. It is a guilty pleasure in a lot of ways, because I don’t follow a raw foods diet.

I’ve explored it in the past. If you are a vegan and you spend a lot of time online, it’s hard to miss the raw vegan scene. The claims are big. If you go raw, you feel better, you look better, you can cure illness, etc. It’s hard to ignore. I’m a researcher at heart and, although I have an open mind, the cynic in me requires any big change to begin with intense research. I went through a researching bout with raw foods several months ago and remained unconvinced of many of the arguments. I totally saw the value of it, and believed in the healthy aspects of incorporating raw veggies, but I had a hard time believing all the claims. So, I just let it go and moved on with my vegan diet.

Well… except for the raw vegan blogs that I love so much.

Fast forward a few months, and I finally read The Thrive Diet, which had been sitting on my shelf forever. Brendan Brazier makes a lot of raw food claims, but he uses different wording. It all made sense to me, but I wanted more proof. More evidence. I began researching raw food-ism again using the terms and concepts written about in the Thrive Diet. Low and behold, there was the proof I had missed in the previous research. I won’t get into all the research stuff, because each person will resonate with different things, and it’s up to each of us to do our own research concerning food. So, if you are interested, start researching. We all have to find our own answer when it comes to what we eat!

This doesn’t go to say that I whole-heartedly believe all the claims, but I do believe that raw foods does have a lot of benefits. A lot more benefits than I originally gave it credit for. Thus, Brandon and I have been giving raw foods a bigger role in our daily lives to see if it works for us. We are trying to be “raw before dinner.” No rules or anything though. If we want a cooked lunch or breakfast, then we have it. I don’t believe well-chosen vegan cooked food is bad for you in any way.

For breakfast lately, we’ve been having smoothies: lovely green smoothies, packed full of energy. You can practically feel the energy vibrating through your veins. Our greenest smoothie to date, pictured below, had cucumber, avocado, kale, and an apple (with some coconut sprinkled on top). Whoo! Talk about a rush… and yummy too.



For lunch, I’ve been having a huge salad with varied toppings (because I get bored so easy). Yum… isn’t that lovely?



For dinner, we just eat our normal cooked vegan food. Pictured below is one of my favorite comfort food: mashed potatoes and corn, smothered with Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy from Vegan with a Vengeance.

To make our new experiment more affordable, we plan on cooking dinners that will last for more than one meal, so we can have it for more than one dinner. All those organic veggies really add up!!!

If you are curious about those lovely raw vegan blogs I’m talking about, check out two of my absolute favorites: www.choosingraw.com and kristensraw.blogspot.com. I’m warning you though, it’s addictive!

Harvest Dinner

This past Sunday, my local vegan group here in Greensboro hosted a Harvest dinner, where guests paid $10 to enjoy a vegan dinner, created from local farmers. We had the dinner at our host Valerie's gorgeous Blue Moon barn, which is also an art and music studio. Valerie, our group organizer Jen, and I worked hard to create a fantastic dinner for a group of around 20 vegans, vegetarians, and those interested in eating that way.

It was a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day, the appreciative smiles and earnest thanks of those we served made it all completely worth it.

For the meal we had appetizers from our local and awesome nut cheeze makers, a pumpkin soup served in a pumpkin, and a pear and walnut salad. For dinner we had delicious crowder bean croquettes with mushroom gravy, roasted root veggies, and kale. For dessert we had a to-die-for apple pie and homemade ice cream. Not only that, but we had a vegan candy toss for all the veggie children. Like I said, it was a great success.

The pictures here were obviously not taken by me. They are all taken by Heather Spealman, our local (vegan) jewelry maker and photographer.

Brandon's Coconut Curry

Heather and I had a wonderful honeymoon in Grenada at a place called The Lodge. The place was fantastic and we highly recommend it. Because the hosts at The Lodge are such wonderful cooks who come up with very creative and unbelievably delicious meals each day, Heather and I came home wanting to create our own delicious meals. While many of the meals we created were not successful and no one will confuse me with a gourmet chef, one meal turned out very well. It's mother-in-law approved and I decided to share it tonight. It's probably way over-spiced (novice that I am) and I'm sure people will undoubtedly have their own renditions for it, but I found this dish to be delicious and perfect just the way it was. So without further ado, here's is Brandon's own Coconut Curry recipe:





Veggies:
1 small head of cabbage
1 Onion, sliced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
4 Carrots, peeled and julienne cut
1 Large Zucchini, sliced in rounds
1 Large Yellow Squash, sliced in rounds
1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
Scallions, chopped, for garnish

Sauce:
1 Can of Coconut Milk
1/2 Package of Silken Tofu
1/2 Tbsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Curry
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Agave
1/2 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Red Curry Paste
1 Tbsp Ginger
Salt and Pepper to taste

Other:
Jasmine Rice
3 Bay Leaves

Saute onions, cabbage, and garlic in a little bit of water (or a little olive oil if you prefer) until soft, but not brown. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare rice according to directions.

Steam zucchini, squash, bell pepper, and carrots until soft (but not too soft).

Blend all sauce ingredients together in blender until smooth. Heat in a small saucepan with the bay leaves over medium low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

When serving, put a bed of the cabbage, onion, and garlic mixture on your plate. Put a scoop of rice on top of the cabbage mixture in the middle of the plate. Surround the scoop of rice with the steamed veggies. Drizzle the sauce over the top of the rice and veggies. Top with scallions. Enjoy!

This is a great dish that Heather and I truly love. Adjust the spices to your taste and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't tried blending a green chile in there or adding more curry. If any of you try this by the way, please share, as I'd love to hear what other people think of my creation.

Top 5 Dinner Fails

Don't you hate it when you have a fantastic idea for dinner and it turns out to be a bust?
You find a recipe you are excited about. You buy all the ingredients, usually expensive ones. You slave diligently over the stove, excited to share your delicious meal with your loved ones.

Then there is that moment...

You know the moment I'm talking about.

We all know that sinking feeling that occurs when you suddenly realize that your delicious meal is not delicious. It can happen when you taste the recipe to see if you have the right amount of spices. It can happen when you get a whiff of something that doesn't smell quite right. It can happen as you see the look on the face of your dinner partner as they try it.

FAIL.

All cooks, veterans and beginners, have those moments. So tonight I wanted to share with you our 5 top Dinner Disasters:

1. Korma Catastrophe

Our favorite Indian restaurant in Maryland has a delicious korma dish that Brandon loves. He wants nothing more than to replicate it at home. He had already tried making two or three mediocre replicas when, at an Indian market, we found a korma mix packet that was vegan! He was so excited to get home and try it. We bought a bunch of fresh veggies and rice and we were ready to go. The packet said to only put half of the powder in if we wanted the dish to be mild. That was the plan. Brandon forgot and the whole packet went in. When they say that Indian hot is way hotter than American hot, they weren't kidding. That was the spiciest meal we had ever eaten. We tried all the tricks - putting a potato in the sauce to soak up the spices, using more rice than veggies, drinking soy milk on the side. Nothing worked. It was inedible.

2. Seitan Cordon Blues

Brandon wanted to replicate his chicken cordon bleu recipe, but in a more compassionate manner. So, he tried a boiled 'chicken' seitan recipe, with faux ham, and 'cheese,' baked it in the oven. He served it to me and my Mom. It was a bit dry, a lot chewy, and a bit tasteless. We haven't tried it again, but one day I think he'll get it!

3. Crunchy, Basil-y Lasagna

Back before I was vegan or even vegetarian, I had a vegetarian friend. I liked vegetarian food and cooked it at home often, so I thought I'd make her a dinner one night. I had made this delicious lasagna with basil and cheese for Brandon and we had loved it. So, I decided to make that dish for her. I was still new to cooking and when I couldn't find real basil, my innocent, new-to-cooking plan was to use dried basil instead. Now I am horrified at the thought of using dried basil in the same amount as the recipe originally requested of fresh basil... If that wasn't bad enough, I didn't get the right kind of pasta. My friend was a trooper though. She crunched through the uncooked lasagna, the cup of dried basil, and drippy (ew!) cheese with a smile. Poor thing!

4. Blueberry Parfait Horror

Last Fourth of July, my Mom and I made these delicious looking berry parfaits from My Sweet Vegan. It had complicated ingredients, like agar, but we were excited about making them. For whatever reason, whether we cooked the agar wrong or bought a bad batch or the arrowroot was bad, the parfaits turned out chalky and horrible with bits of congealed agar floating around with the blueberries.

5. Curried Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Sounds good doesn't it? I should have known that the recipe wasn't a good one when the recipe said to garnish with sour cream and eat with tortillas. I didn't listen to my instinct though, and made this terrible, watery soup that didn't have much of a taste at all. Luckily, we were able to make it edible with a lot more spices, some peas, and hot sauce.

Vegan Suggestions

I'm extremely excited! While I eagerly awaited my trip to Portland, OR (or Vegan Meca as I sometimes refer to it) last August, I dreamt of Go Max Go vegan candy bars. I waited and waited and then finally the day arrived, we took our trip, and we found ourselves purchasing these delectable treats from Food Fight Grocery in Portland. These candy bars were everything I wanted them to be and Heather and I looked at each other with sad eyes as we left Portland to return to the east coast, both of us pawing at the windows as we salivated over candy bars that we knew we'd never see again... or at least not until we returned to Oregon again next year (I did grow up there after all).

A couple of weeks went by and Heather and I continued to long for the chocolatey goodness that we'd experienced in Oregon. We looked and looked for these bars all over Greensboro and Winston-Salem and I even searched for them during a business trip to D.C. (where I lived for several years). Alas, I searched without success.

Then one day, we were at Earth Fare when we happened to notice as we were leaving, a suggestion box. Heather and I figured it couldn't hurt, so we filled out a request

for Go Max Go candy bars. Well, recently Heather and I perused the candy section of Earth Fare and to our excitement, we found that they now carry them!!!!! I've never actually made a suggestion to a store before, so I was so happy that they'd listened to our request! Now we have to control our urges to indulge in these delicious things 24-7 instead of dreaming about them (okay, maybe I still dream about them a little). Heather and I have been so happy to have them available to us. We give them a paw and a fist up.

Yoga and Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad

I absolutely adore yoga. It calms me down when I'm stressed. It helps me stay focused and centered. Not only that, but it tones my body and makes me feel strong. I've been doing yoga for roughly six years now. Strangely enough, I was introduced to yoga in the military when our Physical Training Instructors brought it into the mix. I've always been flexible, so I thought I'd be good at it and excitedly signed up for the first class. Deep down, I think I wanted to show off. One hour later, I was surprised by my lack of flexibility. I was sore in muscles I didn't know I had, but I was extremely relaxed.

I was also hooked.

Six years later, with intermittent regularity, I've been practicing. I take classes when I can, but mostly I practice at home on my own, or I use the fantastic website, Yoga Today. I wish I could afford to take classes in a studio, but it's just too darn expensive. If you haven't tried yoga, I highly suggest you give it a whirl, even if you don't fancy yourself flexible. It's definitely not about being flexible. It's about something entirely different and if you go, you'll find out what that is.


Anyway, I told you all of that so I could introduce a delicious salad Brandon and I enjoyed last night. I bought the most recent Yoga Journal (November 2009). In it are a couple of recipes for warm winter salads. I almost flipped by, since salads are one of those things that don't really spark my interest, but one of the recipes contained the three magic words that always catch my eye: quinoa, sweet potatoes, and kale. Those are my three favorite ingredients! I decided to try it out... and let me tell you, even my seriously skeptical husband was impressed. Now run out, buy or borrow the November Yoga Journal, flip to page 38 and make this salad. Replace the honey with agave nectar and you are golden... and maybe, just maybe, you'll read the rest of the magazine and be inspired to start your own yoga practice.

Enjoy and Namaste!

Monday Night Vegan Football

Are you ready for some football? Chances are, there are not an abundance of football fans reading this blog, so "no" would likely be the common answer. However, this won't stop me from blogging about it anyway. This week, I get to watch the Denver Broncos play against the San Diego Chargers. Because of this, I've made my football snacks match the times that I've

spent in both Denver and San Diego.

A long time ago, in a West Coast far, far away, I was a surfer. And yes, as a surfer, my travels often led me to strange lands like San Diego, which according to Ron Burgundy means "a whale's vagina." In San Diego, citrus fruits and avocados reign supreme which is lucky for me, because there are few things that I love as much as a good avocado.

With that in mind, I've made guacamole, with a citrus twist.

Brandon's Easy-and-Obvious Guac

2 Avocados, ripe and ready

1/4-1/2 cup of your favorite salsa (I dig Newman's Own Chunky Garlic)

1/4 fresh cilantro (way chopped up)

Juice of half a Navel Orange

Juice of half a small Lemon

Juice of half a Tangerine

A few chopped up Scallions

1/4 cup Diced Onion

Dash to Dashes of Paprika, Salt, Pepper, and Chili Powder

A little hot sauce if you like, I'm all about Cholula

Mash it all up in a bowl and serve immediately. This goes great with chips or anything else you'd like to dip with and it's an excellent way to bring a little San Diego into your home.

The pictures of the guac were even worse then usual this time, so I decided to just put up a nice picture of an avocado. And now I'm hungry.

From Denver, we have mostly meat-based dishes, especially Rainbow Trout and Steak. However, Coors beer is known to "tap the Rockies" arguably making it the most recognizable edible item that stems from Denver. I hate Coors beer. However, did you know that Coors is vegan? And do you know what other beer Coors makes? Blue Moon. Yes, Blue Moon. Blue Moon is a very good beer and is very much worth trying out. Because it's brewed by Molson, just like Coors, Blue Moon is also vegan and is an excellent complement to my guac and chips (for the record, I'm digging Kettle Chips: Krinkle Cut... and

they're absolutely fantastic!)

So sit back tonight, watch the game, and enjoy some vegan guac, chips, and and ice cold beer. I can't think of anything better for Monday Night Football. Can you?