Pure.Simple.Raw + Scribbles.Marks.Colors

Well... both menu items from Sunday disappeared so fast, I had to make a second batch of each.  Half the second (double) batch of Cabbage Rolls is also gone.  The Mounds of Coconut will be set up by tomorrow and then, their time will have come.  Such yumminess cannot last.  I wish all my recipes turned out this tasty.  These were both home runs!

A Polish tradition at Easter, and Christmas too!  Cabbage rolls were so wonderful, warm and well, greasy, but delish!  So today thinking of that great warm family, full of tradition, I have made an incredibly yummo raw version.  All I can say is WOW.  Better than I thought they could be!  Serve some raw kraut on the side, sprinkled with caraway.  These are for you Grandpa! Filling: 1 C grated carrots 1/3 C grated daikon 1/4 C grated celery 1/4 C ground soaked walnuts 1/2 t smoked paprika 1/4 t onion pwder sea salt black pepper 2 t lemon juice 2 t olive oil 1/2 dried marjoram Mix together, taste for seasoning. 4 cabbage leaves, wilted in lemon juice and salt brine Tomato Sauce 1/2 C sundried tomatoes 3 small dates 2 t lemon j 1/2 t onion powder 1 t marjoram 1 1/2 t Hungarian paprika soaking water from dates and tomatoes -blend sauce ingredients to desired consistency, stir in 1/4 c soaked sultanas along with salt & blac...

Exquisite photos and Slovenian text I could not read inspired me to create my own version of Barbarella's "Quiche" < http://www. barbarella .si> - As it turns out, I need a better camera.  But the rich little tarts taste so much better than I photograph! Since it was rainy here yesterday, I took my time and broke this into three steps.  Four really, if you count getting up for a midnight snack and taste testing the crust/tomato combo--I knew then it would be good! 1.) Tomato Topping 1 C Cherry Tomatoes, halved 2 T finely minced Shallot 2 t. Cider Vinegar 1 t. Balsamic Vinegar 2 t. Blood Orange Olive Oil salt, pepper to taste Dehydrate 3 hours @ 105 Stir in 1 T minced Sun-dried Olives Greek Oregano to taste 2.) Base (via Russell James): 3/4 C Raw Cashews 2 T Raw Macadamias 1/8 t. Garlic Powder 1T Flax Meal 1 t. Olive Oil 1.5 t. Nutritional Yeast 1.5 T Water 1-2 t. Lemon Juice Grind fine, with some texture remaining.  Pat into tart tins with r...

Since among my favorite winter flavors are fig, lemon, and buttery walnuts, I made myself some raw 'fig newtons'.  They turned out quite yummy too!   For the crust: 1/2 c walnuts, soaked 2 T raw cashew butter pinch of salt 3-4 dates Process into a dough. For the filling: 1 cup figs, chopped and soaked 1/4 c raisins, soaked rind of 1 lemon, grated soaking water to make a thick filling The processor works fine for this step too. Roll into a square for bars, or a circle for triangles. Spread the filling on half the dough. Fold over and score where the cookies should be separated later. Dehydrate until they can be handled. Cut into individual cookies, then turn over. When they reach your desired stage of dehydration... devour. '

When I took my pineapple out of the dehydrator yesterday, I was delighted with it's floral sweet aroma, which had permeated my entire kitchen, and the floral form and color.  Not to mention, it tastes like pineapple candy, only better!  Wow, all the pineapple I have purchased already dried must have been ages old!  This is golden, and delicate, and oh so scrumptious.  It immediately reminded me of the sweet scent coming from my Japanese plum tree near my deck.  Here they are together.  My intent was to make a pineapple dessert.  Now though, I can't imagine embellishing it with anything.  It is almost too gorgeous to eat............but not quite!

The best way to start the day. Juice, glorious juice!  Love its color, flavor and the way it makes me feel.  Joyful, energized, juiced!  The best part is, that energy is sustained, all day.  Today, I ate lightly.  Oranges, a few sun dried olives, a bowl of pink grapefruit and avocado.  Some tea, raw almonds, a handful of the sultanas that arrived from my online order.  Now, I know sleep will be restful and restorative.  A lovely day! Title paraphrased from Kundera: 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being"

This is the first thing most of my friends want to know.  It may be a comment like: "My husband would never go for that-or isn't it expensive?-or how do you find the time?- and my own query, don't you need hot food in winter?"  All potential life-complicators, for sure. Raw food prep is really easier than cooking.  Axiomatic as that seems, it is not the way we have trained ourselves to view food.  A relatively small amount of planning and prep time can yield huge rewards.  I am a caregiver to my aging mom, whose dietary requirements are different than mine.  Typically, I prepare her food (cooked) as healthfully as possible and then prepare my own.  I find soups and mono or very simple salads to be the mainstays of my diet. On weekends, I prepare dishes that will help me through the busy workweek.  A chard or kale salad, marinated veggies, a salad dressing, some nut cheese, maybe a batch of crackers, bread or pizza crust, a few dehydrated sweets....

Spring menus keep popping into my mind.  This was today's lunch, and the left over salad will be dinner.  The sharp, pungent, earthy, salty dressing accenting the sweet oranges is addicting.  As I mentioned, it's been part of my daily menu since we started getting really ripe sweet oranges!  Give it a try and I bet you'll be hooked like me. 1C peas, fresh or frozen 1/4 C celery 1 small zuchini 1/2 small shallot 1/2 T lemon juice 2 t brewers yeast or 1/2 t white miso 1 t mint 1/2 c warm water salt & pepper to taste Blend in Vitamix till creamy. Add 1/2 avocado blend till smooth and enjoy. Especially good with: Sicilian Orange Salad Make a dressing: 3-6 key limes, juiced 1 T fresh Greek oregano 2 T minced shallots 3 T chopped Kalamata olives 5 T olive oil Arrange peeled, sliced oranges on a platter Drizzle with the dressing Sprinkle with pine nuts Garnish with sprigs of fresh Greek oregano and more whole olives

Here it is, 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 6, 2011- about 3 months after starting my raw adventure .  A  visit to Cafe Gratitude with my daughter-in-law Lisa, (who has such a knack for choosing places I will love) has grown into my full tilt dive into raw foods.  Several additional stops at Cafe Gratitude and some online ordering has my kitchen all set up.  I have been entertaining myself with new raw yumminess at every opportunity. Today there is a cool spring rain, leading my thoughts to gardens, vegetables, and what fun this gardening season will be for me as a 'raw' tenderfoot.  Already I am rapidly depleting the stash of semi-dry tomatoes in my freezer from last summer's harvest.  Clearly I will need four times as many for the coming year.  I have eaten raw tomato soup for days, recently switching to asparagus-pea with red pepper oil, thanks to  Heather Pace of Sweetly Raw.com.  Then there are my own Sicilian Orange Salads just about daily....