Tag: raw food

Raw Onion Crackers

Published on by VirginiaLeave a comment

It has been forever. I haven’t been developing recipes. More just experimenting in the kitchen and enjoying the freedom of being in the moment with cooking.  Not taking notes or writing anything down.  But, it is back to recipe making for me.

Of late, I have been trying to eat more raw while at home. Out. It doesn’t matter. I feel like our bodies give us signs that we need to change our diet or our lifestyle. And for me it was my hair. It started to look dry and brittle. No longer any shine or luster. I wanted to make sure my diet had less of my favorites (bread, dairy, sugar, caffeine) and more whole foods. Thank goodness it is spring and I can barely keep up with the food that I am harvesting from the garden. Vegetables abound. Yet, this recipe does not happen to include any such vegetables. Instead, it is for onion crackers. Which are totally inspired by Matt Amsden’s Famous Onion Bread.  They do happen to pair quite well as a side to a fresh garden salad though.

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This makes a small batch. Just enough for snacking on over the week. However, it is easily doubled or even tripled for that matter.

I use my oven as it can be set at 100 degrees. However, you can also use a dehydrator tray lined with a Teflex sheet, but I don’t own one so I cannot verify the time and temperature.

Ingredients:

  •  1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 Tbs sesame seed
  • 3 Tbs chia seed
  • 1 Tbs Nama Shoyu
  • 1Tbs olive oil, extra virgin cold-pressed
  • 3 Tbs water
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until you get a smooth puree. It will still have bits and chunks so don’t stress. Just until it is mixed and the onions seem chopped.

Spread the mixture on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Spread it as thin as you can without being paper thin. Just think a cracker. Then sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. You can go ahead and lightly score them if you want perfectly square pieces. I never do. I just break them apart once they are done.

Dehydrate them on 100 for roughly 20 hours (depending on how thin you spread the mixture, it may take up to 24), flipping them halfway through. I usually put another piece of parchment paper on them and us it to easily flip the entire mass. If you are prescoring them, score the other side as well.

Enjoy!

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Recipe: Raw Kale and Apple Salad with Pecans

Published on by VirginiaLeave a comment

The great thing about eating raw is that cook time is minimal.  All it usually takes to prepare a meal is some washing, chopping, and mixing (and occasionally some blending).  I love this kale salad and seem to make it once a week with all the kale I get from my CSA.

LVR 035Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 (hearty portions)

Salad Ingredients:

  • 1 large bunch of kale, washed
  • 1 gala apple
  • 1/2 c pecans
  • optional: 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsps ginger, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsps honey, raw
  • 1/4c red wine vinegar, raw
  • 2 Tbsps untoasted sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsps cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Tear away the stems from the kale leaves and discard the stems.  (We have chickens so “discarding” never seems like a waste, as they act as our compost bin.)  Chop kale roughly into pieces.  They just really have to be small enough to eat.  Or if you prefer, you can slice them into thin ribbons.  I personally like them a bit hefty.
  2. Chop the apple in to 1/2″ pieces.  You can chop them matchstick style or diced wedges, whichever you prefer.  I honestly do both.
  3. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk.
  4. Put the kale and the dressing in a large bowl and combine.  I like to use my hands to massage the dressing.  By “massaging” the kale, you aid in breaking down the structure of the kale so that it wilts, resulting in a less bitter taste.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss.  One of the great parts about this salad is that it is still great the next day.  Even though it will definitely be wilted, it still tastes great as the flavors in the dressing only intensify.

Benefits:  As for the actual health benefits, I am by no means a nutrionalist but…Kale, a member of the brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, collards), is full of vitamin K, which is important for preventing bone fractures and bone loss (osteoporosis).  It is  also an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C , vitamin B6 and manganese, as well as a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, copper, and potassium. That is why kale is called a super food!  Sesame is supposed to be high in calcium and also great for building strong teeth and bones and combating osteoporosis.  Sesame seeds contain sesamin and sesamolin (which are supposed to prevent the development and growth of certain cancer cells), magnesium, and vitamin E (strengthens nervous system and promotes good digestive health).  Ginger has been used for ages as a natural remedy for nausea, reducing inflammation, and stimulating digestion.  It is also said to provide migraine and menstrual relief as well as is a mood enhancer and helps relieve stress.  Garlic is known for its antibiotic properties.  Garlic seems to be the cure all for so many things or at least aid in the treatment…blood pressure, cancer, colds, heart disease, infections.  Know that you are doing good to your body with what you are eating.

LVR 039

My Raw Food Pantry

Published on by VirginiaLeave a comment

So I have come to find that I tend to use the same ingredients over and over, just in different ways, depending on what is in my CSA or at the Farmers Market.  Here is a list of my MUST haves for my raw food pantry/fridge.  I really use these almost every day.

Spices:

  • Cardamom
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Turmeric
  • Curry powder
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Ginger, root and ground
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Vanilla, both extract and beans
  • Sea salt

Oils & Vinegars:

  • Olive oil, extra virgin cold pressed
  • Untoasted Sesame oil
  • Red wine vinegar, raw, unpasteurized
  • Apple Cider vinegar, raw, unpasteurized
  • Nama Shoyu

Sweeteners:

  • Honey, raw, local
  • Medjool dates
  • Maple syrup
  • Raisins

Snacks:

  • Kale chips
  • Greek olives
  • Two Mom’s granola bars

Fruit & Vegetables (in addition to what is local and in season):

  • Bananas
  • Gala Apples
  • Avocados
  • Lemons

Nuts:

  • Almonds (mostly to make almond milk)
  • Pecans
  • Walnuts
  • Coconut, unsweetened, shredded

Seeds:

  • Chia seeds
  • Sesame seeds

Other Foods (these are not a daily necessity but I use them maybe once a week):

  • Cacao butter
  • Cacao nibs
  • Cacao powder
  • Sprouted lentils
  • Steel cut oats

Supplies:

  • Blender
  • Whisk
  • Knife
  • Colander
  • Cheesecloth
  • Hand juicer
  • Mason jar (for making sun tea and storing my almond milk)
  • Vegetable peeler

From this list, I pretty much can make all the raw food recipes I love.  There are a couple of other things in my pantry, but they don’t get used as often.  I just purchased some Ume vinegar and Coconut oil, neither which I have used yet.  I also have some buckwheat groats, goji berries, hemp seeds, millet, and oat groats that I have not gotten around to using yet.  Some of the other things I like to keep on hand but don’t use as frequently are:  cashews, peanuts, pine nuts, flax seed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and a coconut (both for the water and the meat).  For supplies, I occasionally use a Benriner Cook Helper Slicer for spiraling vegetables.  I still have not bought a dehydrator and do not feel like it has been an issue.

As with all my food, I try to source my fresh produce locally if possible and to make sure it is raised naturally and organically.  However, if it cannot be sourced locally, I try to make sure that it is organic and grown in the United States.

My goal for this week:  to start sprouting seeds.