Stocking my Raw Foods Kitchen

Where do I get my ingredients to stock my raw kitchen? Well, I do a lot of shopping on the internet. Whole Foods has a fine assortment of ingredients as well, but I do find their prices to be on the higher side, and they don't have everything I need to stock my raw kitchen with the hard goods.

One internet shop I like to buy from is Raw Food Naturals. They have a great assortment of the essentials that you need to eat on a day to day basis: nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters, raw food bars, raw food snacks, raw oils (think coconut, hemp etc), dried fruits and superfoods (gojis, mulberries), superfood powders for smoothies, sweeteners, the list goes on....and the best thing about this online store is it's excellent customer service.

Another internet site I buy from is The Raw Food World. Their site is bigger than Raw Food Naturals, as they offer equipment and appliances and other kitchen tools you might need. Their prices are competitive and they have a ton to offer.

I think that stocking the raw food kitchen is the most important thing to being successful on a raw foods diet. If you don't have the ingredients to prepare foods, you're going to then be at a loss at what to eat, and that's when you'll go back to the SAD (standard American diet).
So, lets chat a bit about what's in my kitchen. This is not an inclusive list, but highlights some of the hard items that have made it easier for me to add raw foods to my diet. When purchasing these ingredients, always chose the "raw" option. If it doesn't say raw, it isn't raw.....

1) Nuts and Seeds/Nut butters/Seed Butters:
Almonds - a must have nut in my kitchen, to make almond milk, "refried beans", a variety of raw bars, cookies, and treats
Cashews - excellent for making cashew cheese and creamy desserts, like ice cream (non-dairy of course)
Sunflower seeds - again, a must have seed for making a nice veggie pate, which can be used in rolls and wraps
Flax seeds - Huge in Omegas and great to act as a binder for crackers and breads
Hemp Seeds - possibly my favorite seed right now, hemp seed is packed with Omegas, protein and they are delicious on salads.
Chia Seeds - I know, Chia, you say? Yes Chia. The chia seed is an excellent seed to make into puddings, crackers, to add to smoothies etc. It is a nutritional powerhouse as well, high in fiber and protein.
Quinoa - quinoa is actually a seed and not a grain. I sprout it or cook it and eat it. I love it - it contains all the amino acids needed to make a complete protein and so is a good choice for vegans/vegetarians.
Raw Almond butter - Yum. Enough said.
Raw Sesame Tahini - perfect for making hummus and other pates.
Other nuts are great to have as well, such as pine nuts, macadamia nuts and the other tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts); unfortunately, I am allergic to the other tree nuts so I can't enjoy them.
Sprouts
Sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrition. If you think about it, each tiny seed has everything inside of it necessary to make a plant. When you sprout a seed, and all of that nutrition comes out into the tail, you have life - all amino acids necessary to grow that plant are right there, ready to eat. Imagine what the sprout can do in your body? It's completely bio-available nutrition.
I sprout whatever I can - a variety of dried peas, beans (azuki, garbanzo, lentils) and seeds (clover, alfalfa, broccoli). The possibilities are endless.
Sunflower sprouts are also extremely nutritious. I have grown my own in the past, in soil, and I am currently getting set up to grow them as well as wheatgrass.

2) Sweeteners:
Raw Honey - honey that is unheated, unprocessed straight from the hive. Look for honey local to your area
Lucuma powder- this powder is a great sweetener - it comes from the fruit of plant in Peru and has a great caramel flavor.
Maple Syrup, Grade B - this grade of maple syrup is often not sold in conventional mkts. It is the least processed of syrups and has more minerals than the Grade A you find at the store.
Agave syrup - I'm still not convinced that this syrup is as bad as HFCS. Yes, it is high in fructose, but it still is low glycemic, not spiking the blood sugar as high as refined white sugar.
Mesquite Powder - this powder comes from the pod of the mesquite bean and is a pleasant sweetener. It has protein in it as well as vitamins and minerals.
Dates - dates are high on the glycemic scale and so for some people, such as diabetics, they are not ideal to consume. I love dates and I use them to make bars and cookies, to sweeten up almond milk and to round out the flavor in some savory soups and sauces.
Yacon Syrup - I'm just getting into this sweetener. It is delicious, reminiscent of molasses. However, it is extremely expensive.

3) Superfoods:
Raw Cacao pwder and nibs - yum, just yum. Nibs are great for a pick me up and to put in raw bars and cookies as well as trail mix. The powder has endless possibilities, cookies, smoothies, bars, ice cream, nut milks, you get the idea
Dried Goji Berries - a berry native to Asia, high in protein, good carbs, fiber and fat
Dried Mulberries - an antioxidant powerhouse!
Cacao Butter: Not used that much in my kitchen, but delicious to use in raw chocolates and other treats.
Coconut - I'm putting coconut under superfood because I think it's super - high in medium chain fatty acids and capryilic acid (natural antimicrobial agent), as well as electrolytes. Both the meat and water are a great addition to your kitchen.

4) Oils/Condiments:
Coconut oil/butter - excellent for adding to bars, smoothies and other treats
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Hemp oil - see hemp seed above
Apple Cider Vinegar - many health benefits from apple cider vinegar, including anti-bacterial properties, increases metabolism, and helps fight allergies to name a few
Nama Shoyu - similar to soy, but naturally fermented
Bragg's Amino Acids - liquid protein that has a soy like flavor, vegetarian

5) Grains:
Millet, Amaranth (and quinoa): all of these will alkalize the body and can be sprouted.
Hard Red Winter Wheat - for growing wheatgrass and for sprouting to make raw, dehydrated breads
Oats - for soaking overnight to make raw oatmeal or to make into raw cookies and bars
Buckwheat - for soaking overnight to make raw porridge or to dehydrate into buckwheat "crispies" to eat as cereal, also to make into raw cookies and bars

So, these are some ingredients in my kitchen. Again, the list is not complete, there are many other ingredients that I have probably forgotten :) Contact me for more information :)
Eat something raw today!

Raw Nori Rolls

I am currently taking a 10 week course called Life Force Energy, The Hippocrates Approach to Optimum Health. The Hippocrates Institute was founded in Boston, in the 1950's by a woman named Ann Wigmore. She was one of the earliest pioneers of raw and living foods. Hippocrates is now located in Florida and people go there to get healthy and to learn about raw and living foods.
A special woman named Betsy Bragg runs the Life Force Energy course here in the Boston area, and at the end of the 10 weeks, I'll be a certified educator in the Hippocrates approach to healthy living.
All of the proceeds of the course go towards a program that Betsy has started in the Boston school system to teach the children and teachers about raw and living foods, health and nutrition and about gardening; the Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School in Dorchester, Ma is lucky enough to have this program. Truly an amazing program that is giving the opportunity to kids to learn about where their food comes from. To learn more about the program, check out the website for Optimum Health Solutions.
Just in the first 3 weeks of the course, I have learned so much about raw and living foods, sprouting, juicing etc. It's great.
Today in class, we made raw nori rolls and they were so yummy, I stopped on my way home to pick up some nori to make the rolls at home.
What is nori?
Nori is seaweed, and you probably know if from "maki" in sushi restaurants:
This nori is raw and untoasted as opposed to "toasted" nori which is also available. Nori is a sea vegetable and is packed with nutrients. Just one sheet has 13 calories, 1.2g fiber, 1.2g protein, Vitamins A and B, iodine, carotene, calcium, iron and zinc. Because it is raw, the nutrients are highly bioavailable and digestable.

Now, most sushi rolls are filled with rice and some type of veggies and fish.
The sushi rolls I made today are raw, so they do not contain rice or fish. Instead, jicama and daikon radish are used to simulate rice, and a variety of veggies are used as filling. For more protein, a nut or seed pate can be used as well, however, I didn't have any pate kicking around. I used mashed avocado for flavor, and mouth feel (plus healthy fats). I used Shoyu, a naturally brewed or fermented soy sauce to seal the rolls.
Most soy sauces are heated during processing. Shoyu is not heated and so is considered raw.

Here we go: 1 sheet of nori on my sushi rolling mat:


Grated jicama, daikon and carrots:

Building the roll with the avocado, jicama, daikon, carrots, alfalfa sprouts and sunflower sprouts:
Rolling the nori:
The finished roll that I sealed with the shoyu (usually water is used, but I like using shoyu since it adds more flavor):


The finished roll:

Warning: These rolls are highly addicting!!!
:) Try something raw today......

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

mmmmm chocolate......there are many things you can do with raw cocoa, one which is make raw chocolate cookies.
I found a recipe by raw food chef Matthew Kenny, and changed it up to suit what I had in my pantry. Chef Kenny is an amazing raw foods chef, and is hard core - he even makes his own raw chocolate chips!!! In his recipe he used cashew flour and oat flour. In mine, I used almond meal and ground oats. For the chips, I used Enjoy Life dairy, nut and soy free, vegan, mini, semi-sweet chocolate chips.

So, basically, the recipe consisted of mixing the oat flour, almond meal, raw cacao powder, water, maple syrup (which isn't raw, but, hey that's ok), vanilla, sea salt and the chips.
I shaped the cookies and put them on to the dehydrator sheets and let them go overnight at 105 degrees.
The result was a pretty yummy treat. I do have to say that the oat flour was a bit strong tasting. When I make these again, I'll try to use cashew flour and actually make the oat flour from raw oat flakes instead of from raw oats.
Gearing up for the 7 day raw food challenge which starts next week!!!!!!

7 Day Raw Food Challenge

I wanted to share this with you, but with a disclaimer - I am in NO WAY affiliated with the people bringing you this challenge, other than LOVING their health show, the Renegade Health show on YouTube. Their names are Kevin and AnneMarie Gianni, and they are awesome. I have their link on the left side of this blog so please check them out. They are a great source of information on raw foods, vegan eating, health, fitness and general well being. They have interviewed some heavy hitters in the health and fitness field and have great energy.
Anyways, they are doing a 7 day raw food challenge, which is a great way to get introduced to raw foods and it's also a great way to re-commit to raw foods, if you've slipped off the wagon, so to speak. Their plan includes a 96 page booklet, which details raw food nutrition, includes the plan, as well as includes the recipes and shopping lists for the plan. Also included are 2 coaching calls over the 7 days, which you can call into on Day 1 and Day 3 (I think those are the correct days)...that's pretty cool - a plan that offers support.
7 days is not a long time at all, and so if you're interested in what raw food nutrition is all about, than maybe this is for you.
Here's a link:
7 Day Raw Food Challenge
Enjoy!

Raw Hot and Sour Soup

This past week I enjoyed a raw hot and sour soup, interpreted from a recipe by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray, co-authors of the 30 Minute Vegan. Their recipes were highlighted in last month's Vegetarian Times.
One change I made was the addition of coconut water in place of regular water. I happened to have a young coconut, and wanted to use it, so I added in the water (the meat I used in a raw cocoa pudding, which was off the hook good)....
I also used smoked paprika instead of cayenne pepper, which isn't raw, but is so delicious. If you've read my Thyme To Cook blog, you know that I call smoked paprika my secret weapon.

The one ingredient I was curious about in the recipe was dried apricots. I have to say, that the apricot was the "secret weapon" of this recipe. The addition of the sweet, yet sour apricot was what made the soup. You had to soak the apricots to rehydrate them prior to blending. Another change to the recipe included using the soaking water of the apricots as part of the total liquid needed. That way I retained the flavor and any nutrients that might have floated out while soaking.

Here is my interpretation of the recipe:
1/2-3/4 cup mung bean sprouts
3-4 TBS Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce)
5-6 organic, unsulphured, dried apricots, soaked in 1 cup warm water
Water from 1 young thai coconut (usually ~ 1 or 1.5 cups), meat saved for another recipe
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 TBS raw apple cider (unpasteurized)
2 tsp peeled, minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup diced cucumber or zucchini
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 TBS fresh lime juice
2-4 TBS chopped cilantro
1 TBS raw agave nectar
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or cayenne)

1. Soak apricots in warm water, saving that soaking water.
2. Marinate mung sprouts in the nama shoyu and set aside.
3. Place apricots, tomatoes, scallions, vinegar, ginger, in high speed blender or food processor.
4. Measure out thai coconut water, apricot soaking water and bring total volume up to 3 cups with filtered water. Add to blender.
5. Blend up ingredients until smooth.
6. Transfer to serving bowl and stir in jalapeno, cuke or zuke, lime juice, cilantro, agave and smoked paprika (or cayenne).



I let the soup sit @ room temp for a couple hours before eating it, but you could heat in a double boiler until just warm to the touch.
If you don't have a double boiler, here's a technique you could do to warm up the soup.
Put a small amount of water in a small saucepan and put on medium heat. Place soup in a bowl which can be placed over the saucepan. Slowly heat the soup, stirring, and placing finger into it. Take the soup off the heat once the soup is warm to your finger.
Remember, raw, "living" foods should not be heated above the range of 105-118.
Sorry for the not so great pics...I just couldn't capture the soup the way I wanted to w/my iphone...gotta get a new camera (or break out my old one...hmm..where is that since we've moved???)

Enjoy!

Coconut Carrot Curry Soup

One of the first raw soups I made was a Coconut Curry soup. The recipe I used was from a book called Raw Foods For Busy People by Jordan Maerin. The book is a thin paperback, and at first glance, might be overlooked, which is a shame, because it is packed with excellent information for a new raw foodist, as well as some great recipes.
This recipe involved opening up a Thai coconut to get the milk and the meat. I know what you're thinking - isn't that and advanced technique? Well, yes and no, really. There are some excellent, informative videos on how to open a Thai coconut on line, on being this video from the Renegade Health Show: go(coco)nuts!!
This is a Thai coconut:
Inside is the round nut which has the milk and meat in it. To get to it, you cut off the white husk, and use the heel of your knife to break the shell open:
Here's the meat and milk after I scraped it out of the shell:
The meat is very soft, almost gelatinous, and the milk, is actually a thin liquid with a mild coconut flavor (I actually made coconut "ice cream" from one on Friday which was soooo delicious, but that's for another post)....

The soup had grated carrots, the coconut milk and meat, diced onion, juice of a lime or 2, powdered ginger, curry powder and cilantro in it. I used my new Blend-Tec blender, which is a high speed blender, that can process just about anything, to process it all up (except cilantro).
After blending it all together, I added the chopped cilantro. The soup was spicy and delicious. The spice of the ginger and curry powder really warmed the body. I will definitely make this soup again :)
Try something raw today!

Sprouted Chickpea Hummus

I wanted to post a quick note about using the sprouted chickpeas from my last post.
I ate some of them on salad and the rest I made into hummus.

Here's a pic of the chick peas - look at their tails :)

For the hummus I pureed the sprouted chickpeas, sesame tahini (which is sesame seed paste), garlic, a bit of extra virgin olive oil and I also added in nutritional yeast and sea salt. It was delectable.
I ate it on salad. topped with Hemp seeds. Hemp is a great source of your essential fatty acids (omegas) as well as protein. Here's some nutritional stats:
In 3 TBS there are:
174 calories
14g fat w/only 1g saturated and 7.5g Omega-6, 3.0g Omega-3, 0.6g Super Omega-6 and 0.3g Super Omega-3 SDA
2g Total carb (1g fiber, <1g sugar)
11g protein!! In 3 TBS!! Amazing!

Here's the hummus - it was thick and hearty enough to be a meal....
Enjoy - try something raw today!