Healthy Simple Living » Chef Spotlight

Freebie: Profoundly Raw Recipe eBook!

lilla — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:27:22 +0000

Angela Stokes-Monarch has put together a fabulous FREE raw recipe book called Profoundly Raw. This free ebook contains a collection of over 35 fabulous raw recipes contributed by 12 well-known raw food chefs like Ani Phyo, Elaina Love and Frank Giglio. I downloaded it ASAP and I gotta say the recipes look AWESOME – like Chocolate Donuts by Bryan Au, Asparagus Quiche by Brigitte Mars and German Chocolate Cake by Elaina Love – all for F-R-E-E!

"Bryan Au's Raw Donuts"

You can get your copy here at: Profoundly Raw Recipe EBook. And if you need to stock up on some ingredients for the new recipes, don’t forget to use the Raw Food World 7% off coupon code: HONEYMOON – I think it’s good through April 30, 2010.

Check out the new goodies in the store too! They are always adding yummy innovative things. I just spotted the new line of Avatar raw chocolate truffles based on the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water. I love how they blend medicinals with chocolate – like the reishi, turmeric and blue green algae.

"Earth, Wind, Fire, Air Truffles"

Avatar Earth

A Body Strengthener with Wild Jungle peanuts & medicinal mushroom extracts of Reishi and Cordyceps.

Avatar Fire

Warming to the soul with clove, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and camu camu powder.

Avatar Wind

The sweet smell of summer with fresh vanilla beans.

Avatar Water

Dip into the cooling waters with peppermint extract and blue green algae.

I’ve been trying to avoid agave lately, BUT I might have to make an exception for these babies!

‘What’s in the Fridge’ Raw Nori Roll

lilla — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:03:42 +0000

I was looking in my fridge, trying to decide what to make. Cauliflower, mixed greens, sprouts, avocado…yay, raw nori roll!! So I took out my mini food processor and started tossing things in. This recipe makes one roll. The specs aren’t too exact, so experiment with what you have – you just can’t go wrong.

Raw Nori Roll for One

"Raw Sushi Roll for One"

Cauliflower “Rice”

half a head of cauliflower
2 diced spring onions
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp tamari sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon

1) Pulse cauliflower until rice-like.
2) Add the rest of ingredients and pulse again until combined.
3) Taste for salt and add tamari sauce if necessary.

Sushi Assembly

1/4 ripe avocado sliced
handful of sprouts
greens of your choice

1) Place nori sheet shiny-side down on a sushi mat.
2) Cover bottom half of nori with cauliflower “rice.”

"Raw Cauliflower Sushi Rice"

3) Layer on sliced avocado, sprouts & greens.

"Note My Jar of Homegrown Sprouts!"

4) Roll sushi mat away from you and tighten roll
5) Seal edge with water
6) Slice roll into bite-size pieces with a sharp knife.
7) Dip in tamari sauce and pop into your mouth!

Watch this Sushi Rolling Video

In this vid, Russell James demonstrates how to roll raw parsnip “rice” sushi. I didn’t really think a sushi mat was all that necessary, but after watching this and then using one, it does make for neater, compact rolls. And if you haven’t already, check out Russell James’ free ezine and recipe book. Love it and it’s free!

Chef Spotlight: Sayuri Tanaka

lilla — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:20:57 +0000

Sayuri was my roomie when we both worked at Samudra Shala/Vegan Cafe in Western Australia. She is a vegan cooking and un-cooking dynamo! She works all over the world, catering at different yoga retreats such as Purple Valley in Goa and Radiantly Alive in Bali. Everything she makes is seriously scrumptious. She was famous for her raw desserts at Samudra. (Do the chocolate chunk walnut un-cookies below look familiar? )

Assorted Raw UnCookies

Sayuri kindly offered to post some recipes here for Healthy Simple Living readers. I’m sure if you try them, you won’t be disappointed!

Green Smoothie

Boost up for a day with this! Dark green vegetables have lots of easily digestible, protein and lots of minerals and vitamins.

Green powder( spirulina, green barley, kale) 1~2 T
Frozen banana 300g
Frozen pineapple 200g
Water 400cc
Blend all till well smooth. Yields 900 ml for 4 people.

Tempeh Nori Roll

Tempeh is the best meat substitute for somebody who is in the transition to vegetarian. It is a fermented soybeans originated in Indonesia. It’s “your-stinky-socks-like-aroma” is quite addictive.

Sesame Sauce:

Tahini 3T
Soy sauce 2 T
Vinegar 2T
Jaggery 2T
sesame oil 1~2T (or water)
Optional: ginger, chili , miso
Blend all till well smooth.

Filling:

Spinach or arugula leaves
Tempeh or tofu, lightly fried and marinated with soy sauce
Carrot, shredded
avocado
Or any vegetable in the fridge
Nori sheet
Take the nori sheet, put leaves, carrot, tempeh, then sauce and avocado and roll. Put a bit of the sauce on the edge to seal the nori. Have a big bite! Like a burrito. You don’t even need a bamboo mat. Best way to clean your fridge. Really a nice handy snack or light meal.

Easy Tofu Chocolate Mousse

I must admit I was living on this for some period of time in my life and I was literally like a tofu. Warning you, this is that good.

Tofu 250g
Jaggery 50g
Coconut milk 100cc(depend on the consistency of tofu)
Vanilla bean 1/2 ( or natural vanilla extract)
Dark chocolate, melted 80g
Cacao powder 1T
0ptional – virgin coconut oil 2T
Blend all till well smooth. You can call it….. chocolate pudding, sweet dip, mousse, pie or tart with some biscuit base in the bottom, or ice cream in the freezer…… whatever!

Sayuri Tanaka

“Hello, my name is Sayuri, vegan/living food/macrobiotic chef and caterer for yoga retreats. Happy wherever yoga and cooking are. Yoga and cooking for the people I love…that’s what I do. What else would I want? May my food make everything around me, your soul and body and earth and future be happy and healthy! That is my passion and joy and my life.”

Sayuri is available for catering and chefing. You can find her at her blog: Travel, Yoga and Yummies!

Chef Spotlight: Nwenna Kai

lilla — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:39:50 +0000

I met the Goddess of Raw Food, Nwenna Kai when we were both working playing at Samudra in Western Australia. We co-taught some classes, spread the raw food lifestyle and made some fab treats along the way (I still have memories of the her incredible raw raviolis dancing in my head!)

Recently, Nwenna wrote this important and well-written post. After I read it, I asked her if I could re-post it here and she graciously agreed. What a goddess. Enjoy!

10 Top Eco-Sustainable, Green and Economically Efficient Trends for 2010

The best gift that the current economic state has given to us is that it has exposed all the ills of our planet on a metaphysical, psychic, mental, emotional, spiritual, economic, physical, and social level. Because of the economy, people have been forced to make different decisions about their current lifestyles. Some of these decisions are actually birthing new movements throughout our planet that serve the entire and greater whole as opposed to a small part of the whole. Check out some wonderful trends for 2010 that people are embracing.

Raw & Living Foods Diet – Because the trend now is eating healthier because everyone has made the connection that our diets are directly connected to how healthy we are, people are especially interested in getting more living foods into their diets. Incorporating living foods into one’s diet entails not only transforming your eating habits, but it involves transforming your kitchen, your home, how and with whom you socialize with, and it also transforms your entire life and decision making process. The benefits of a mostly raw and living foods diet are unlimited and it serves the individual, the community, and the environment.
Alternative Housing – With the mortgage crisis still in effect, people losing their homes, etc, many people have looked into alternative ways of residing and living. I’ve heard of people purchasing commercial buildings and operating their home-based businesses out of the same place they live as well as taking in relatives and friends to help pay the mortgage. As well I’ve seen two or more unit families move into multi-family housing units to cut down on costs. Many folks find this to be encumbering however, communal living is going to be the wave of the future starting in 2010.
Home-based Businesses – Now this is a trend that has taken off in so many directions. It is clear that the internet has leveled the playing field when it comes to how we do business. People are now making hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars running home-based businesses via the internet. Home-based businesses cut down on morning traffic in urban cities because people are conducting business at home, it empowers people to create more income and leave a legacy to their children, it feeds and nourishes the individual as we are doing what we love in the comforts of our home and making money from it, it allows us to spend more time with family and children, it creates more income for less work, and it still creates jobs for people.
Car Sharing – Being bi-coastal as a sun-worshipper of Los Angeles and a homegirl getting back to her roots in Philadelphia, getting around has been challenging until I discovered a wonderful service in Philadelphia called Philly Car Share. Its a non-profit organization that allows people to rent cars on an hourly basis for just running errands. This has been a wonderful way for me to still get around in the city of brotherly love while not having to spend a lot of money. Basically if you don’t own a car but you need to just go to the grocery store for an hour, you can rent the car for an hour for really cheap. Philadephia college students use the service a lot as well as elderly people who still drive but cannot afford their own vehicles. This trend can also eventually cut down on traffic, pollution, less stress for the elderly, but most importantly it helps those in need and creates community.
Green Investing – I’m not a fan of the stock market, however if you are and you are a savvy investor, this would be the way to invest for the future. Every major company is eventually going to have to adopt more greener and holistic practices in their work environments, not because its cool but its becoming extremely necessary and also consumers are demanding environmentally more friendlier practices for the products and services they purchase. The greatest power we have as consumers is our “green” power literally.
Save More, Spend Less – People are no longer buying into the well-packaged marketing schemes of spending more money now to get the things we want. I think a lot of us have been so burnt by the economy that we actually want to have a nice nest egg not just for emergencies now but also just in case we may want to just stop working for the moment and just relax; a concept that we would have never thought of before. And people are sacrificing luxuries like cable television, newer cars, those coveted electronics, and luxurious vacations instead to save more money, and enjoy our quality of life.
Starting a Non-Profit – People have seen how much they have needed help in the past that it has inspired so many of us to start our own non-profits and we are finding ways to pay ourselves by helping other people. What a great concept?
Growing Food in your backyard, front yard, or in your high-rise apartment in NYC – Growing food gives you a sense of power, it is the most healthiest way to eat, its also good for the environment of course, and its a way to share food with others and really combat hunger. You want to combat hunger, teach a man or a woman or a child how to grow their own food. And because of the abundance of Mother Nature, She responds to water, soil, and sunlight like it ain’t nobody’s business which is why you can grow food anywhere.
Recycle, Reuse, & Compost – The idea of reusing things is a program that we must download to our psyches. We can no longer afford to be the “throwaway” society that we have been for such a long time and there’s no reason for it. We are recycling paper, cans, bottles, plastic, even clothes, shoes, baby carriages, books, computers, cars, etc. You can donate your car to the Salvation Army instead of disposing of it. You can give your computer to a school, a library, or a non-profit. If you know a woman who is having a baby and you have baby clothes, you can bless her with a wonderful gift for her new baby. Composting adds to the environment and it cuts down on waste. Learning the concept of reusing, recycling, and composting is revolutionary.
Offering Health Services on a Sliding Scale – Recently I’ve been seeing an acupuncturist in Philadelphia. I pay $15 for each visit and I get herbs which only costs me $15 as well. So instead of seeing a physician who would have probably cost that same amount for a co-pay if I had health insurance and then sent me home with a prescription for a higher amount and for an inferior product that would not have contributed to my health, I visit a community acupuncture clinic. Its done in a community setting meaning its one big room with reclining chairs and massage tables. You still get the quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Everyone is asleep. You can stay as long as you want which was something that I couldn’t do when I received private acupuncture for $50 or more a session and it celebrates how acupuncture was originally performed in China. I’ve also heard of naturopathic doctors, Reiki specialists, and massage therapists offering their services on a sliding scale on certain days of the week to help more clients, serve a different population, and to also help spread the message that health shouldn’t cost much money.

Nwenna Kai is the author of The Goddess of Raw Foods available for purchase at www.amazon.com and the upcoming children’s book, The MoreLove’s coming May 2010. You can the FREE e-book Nwenna Kai’s Holiday Recipes at her website www.nwennakai.com by signing up for her weekly e-newsletter at her website. She is the previous owner of Taste of the Goddess Cafe, one of LA’s pioneering organic raw food cafes. She is the 2007 winner of the Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneurial Scholarship sponsored by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) for her work as a health and wellness entrepreneur. Visit her website at www.the-guide-to-raw-foods.com and her blog at www.theguidetorawfoods.com/blogspot.com.