shoot. it's been a while. my favorite juice.

So the last time I posted something new, I was getting ready to go back to Buenos Aires. Hope you weren't expecting me to keep up the blog while I was enjoying some summer weather in February :)

I've also been cooking a lot of my older recipes, so I don't have as much new material for the blog. But I have a file full of pictures, and I'm going to start chipping away at them... I just hope I can remember the recipes :)

Ready? Here we go.
I got a juicer, as a gift.. thank you (you know who you are).

The juicer is perfect for when I go out of town because I can juice all the produce left in my fridge and not let anything go to waste. I've been going out of town a lot.. so the little juicer has proved it's worth already.
When I'm not making random I'm-leaving-town juices, I like to make a version of Main Squeeze's "ginger tonic."

Celery
Apple
Lemon
Ginger
Carrot

I'm not going to put amounts, because I change it up depending on my mood. Don't be afraid. There's no wrong way. :)

Sometimes I add other things.. like kale, parsley, beets, oranges, or pineapple. Anything goes...

a day in buenos aires

Photo 1: Breakfast of soaked oatmeal with ground flax seeds, cinnamon, and raisins. And yerba maté. I'll do another post soon, to tell you all about maté..

Photos 2 & 3: Getting my feet measured for tango shoes. Yes.. I had some made just for me :)

Photo 4: One of the many ombú trees.. this one's in Recoleta.

easy breakfast while traveling

I'm almost finished with the posts from my trip. Here is the breakfast I ate while in Chicago.
Lydia's Organics Apricot Sun cereal, made of: sprouted buckwheat, apples, sprouted sunflower seeds, coconut, apricots, and agave nectar. All Lydia's Organics products are gluten free, raw, organic, and vegan. She has some great products on her website.. which also means - some good inspiration if you own a dehydrator :)

The fancy granola was initially a little expensive, but because it nourished me at least 6 times while I was traveling, it was well worth the cost. I pared it with some vanilla Tempt hemp milk. When I'm at home I make my own - but I don't bring my immersion blender with me on the road. Hmm.. that's actually not a bad idea.

restaurant review - ecopolitan

My friend from elementary school, Jenn, and I picked a place we had never been before and decided to meet there. This is how the Minneapolis trip was started. I have to say, that Minneapolis is the cat's meow. With an awesome art museum, food co-ops, lakes, nice summer weather, and a live tango band to dance to every week!! If it just didn't get so cold there.. hmm. (I learned that Minneapolis has two seasons: winter and road construction. There's your joke for the day.. but.. it's not really a joke.)

Anyway, one place I visited 3 times was a building called the Ecopolitan. It's full of natural doctors and massage therapists, and on the main level is a raw food restaurant. The first time I went there with a large group of friends, Jenn and I split a freaking amazing salad made with kale, kiwi, red cabbage, tomato, fresh basil, sprouted quinoa, raisins, and a tahini-garlic dressing.

We also got the flaxeed tostadas made with: flaxseed-sunflower shells with lentil “taco meat”, greens, marinated mushrooms, onion, olives, cilantro, cashew “sour cream,” & hot sauce. And it was served with salsa & guacamole. I couldn't help myself from getting a dessert to go as well.. I got a slice of coconut creme pie. It's just too exciting when I can actually eat dessert at a restaurant and feel good afterwards. I recommend checking out their website and visiting their restaurant if you're in the area, or at least downloading their menu and trying to make some of their dishes at home :)

My photos from the first meal didn't turn out so well, but the 2nd time I went there, I visited their juice bar and my friends and I got the "orange dream" (orange, carrot, and ginger) and "sweet beet" (beet, carrot, apple, kale, and ginger). mmm

The THIRD time I went back was by myself to get breakfast.. I got the "rawnola" made of crunchy cinnamon spouted and dehydrated buckwheat groats, with strawberries, pineapple, apple, cherries, dates, raisins, all topped with a date syrup and served with freshly made coconut milk. It was delicious, organic, $6. How? I don't know.

sorry it's been so long!

So... I graduated from the University of Missouri last Friday, and I've been busy with that. But iphoto has been broken on my laptop for the last 3 weeks, and that's the main reason I haven't been blogging. But now.. It's finally fixed! Thanks to my friend Ryan. Thank you Ryan, and all the other good people who've tried to help me.

Let me explain some of these photos..

1. A salad I was eating a lot of.. spinach from Phil at the farmers market, with shredded carrot and sliced pieces of roasted red bell pepper, with this delicious Italian dressing I made up.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flax seed oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp shallot salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 dash paprika
1 dash garlic powder

2. New plants in my window.. and boy, has this spring been raaaaaaainy.

3. My new Toms shoes! And another herb to add to my collection: savory.

4. My new favorite meal: broccoli, onions, garlic, and cashews sauteed in schmaltz! YUMMMM! And it makes my apartment smell AMAZING.

5. Soaked oatmeal for breakfast with my sister, who flew in from NYC for my graduation weekend. Oatmeal soaked the night before, as usual (with water and about 1 tbsp lemon juice) then instead of water, add coconut milk in the morning, with cinnamon, honey, and raisins. :)

6. That's me.

7. Spinach, dried cherries, walnuts, and chicken with spicy honey lemon dressing


I promise you'll hear more from me.. now that school's out and I have so much free time! (that was a joke.) But really.. I hope to be blogging more. Peace out.

a main squeeze date

I met my friend Jeni at Main Squeeze for a date this morning :) It's probably my favorite place to eat in town. Outside of my apartment.. well.. maybe more - I don't have to do any dishes there...

We got:
a wheat grass shot.. why we don't plan wheat grass on our lawns, I don't understand.
a calico ball.. made of cocoa, peanut butter, and honey, and rolled in coconut shavings. the original trinity truffle.
a ginger tonic.. a juice made of apple, celery, lemon, and ginger
&
a berry berry good smoothie.. made from grape juice, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries

ta ta for now :)

got hemp milk?

"Seeds of the plant cannabis sativa, hemp seed, contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect a ratio to meet human nutritional needs." -Lynn Osburn

I know I'm not supposed to be playing with my food.. because I need to crack down on school work - but I don't think I'll really be able to change my ways for this last month of class. I felt like a sweet snack in the middle of my work - but I don't have much time to make a mess.. that and I don't have very many groceries right now. The best combination of circumstances to be creative.

This is sweet drink is really simple:

1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
1 cup water
1 frozen banana, chopped
(optional: vanilla, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg...etc.)

First blend the hemp seeds with the water (add a 1/4 cup at a time) to make a hemp cream, then add the banana and any other ingredients that would satisfy you. The frozen banana was all I thought it needed.

Ok! I can go back to work now..

soaked oatmeal

See the sunlight in this photo? It's rare here. If you live in a sunny place in February.. be grateful! I've been eating The Nourishing Gourmet's soaked oatmeal for breakfast (she talks about why to soak).. and it's been yummy, and filling, and energizing for my early days at school - especially in February.

Here's what I do.. but you can do it your own way - of course. (Serves 4)

2 cups gluten free rolled oats (not instant)
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon flax seeds
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 cups of water
a dash or two of sea salt

12-24 hours before hand, combine the oats, seeds, water and lemon juice in a jar or a bowl. Mix it up, then cover. (if you need to, add more water to cover the top)

The next morning, dump into a pot with 2 more cups of water and a dash of salt, bring to a simmer and cook for just a few minutes, and it's done! Old school instant oatmeal.

While it's simmering I add raisins, honey, and cinnamon.. but you can get creative here..
if you have nuts, other dried or fresh fruit, maple syrup.. etc.

enjoy :)
Here's a later photo - the night before I soaked oats and GROUND flax seeds in water with a dash of lemon juice. My body seems to like it better. Then the next morning, I add the soaked mix to a little pot, add more water, some honey and cinnamon. mmmmm

blackberry buckwheat pancakes!!!

I MISSED PANCAKES SO MUCH! and I tried and tried to make a gluten-free, egg free, dairy free pancake.. One thing I finally did, was buy a non-stick pan, because the whole egg-less pancake just wasn't going to work without it. I'm using a plastic spatula on it, so not to scratch the non-stick surface.. so I had to pick my battles with the pancake. I actually compromised a little more than usual in the making of these cakes.. because I used Ener-G egg replacer and grapeseed oil too. But, to most people on the planet - those are perfectly healthy alternatives.

Got this recipe from Susan O'Brian's Gluten-Free Vegan, yet again.
Here's my version. Serves 4.

1 tbsp ener-G egg replacer whisked together with 4 tbsp warm water
1 1/2 cup almond milk (or any other milk)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp honey (she used maple syrup)
1/4 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp aluminum-free, gf baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup blackberries (chopped, smaller.. she usues blueberries - but I found some blackberries in my freezer! It was like finding a $20 you left in a pair of jeans you never wear..)

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg replacer and water well, until it bubbles. Then add the milk, oil, and sweetener (honey in my case, agave or maple syrup in a vegan's case). Mix well. Then add the applesauce and stir.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon. Then add the dry mix to the wet bowl. Then sitr in the fruit.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Pour a small amount of oil (barely any is needed with a non-stick pan). When the skillet is hot, pour a ladel full.. I'm sure you all know how to make pancakes from here on out - but just incase.. Cook until all the little bubbles are done popping on the top, then flip!

Enjoy!!!

dry fried apples

I'm getting pretty gutsy.. I made breakfast, took photos, and am posting all before leaving for my morning class. Here's another idea, modified from the Nourishing Gourmet.These soft and extra sweetened-by-their-own-juice apples would make the perfect topping for any dessert.. I ate them plain just for breakfast.

Simply cut up an apple in pretty thin slices and lay them on a pan in a single layer. Turn the heat on, cover them for a few minutes to get hot quickly, and let moisture build up.. then take the cover off and let the apples brown. Flip once, and let the other side brown. Try adding things to this.. like cinnamon, a pinch of salt, or other sweet spices.

Ok! I have to run to class!
bye! enjoy :)

ÄNABAR

I recently had my first LÄRABAR. I'm not sure why it took so long for me to eat one.. they are a great healthy treat, even for me, in the granola bar section of any grocery store. Not even too too expensive. Anyway, after reading the super short list of ingredients on each flavor of LÄRABAR I thought I should make my own.

All you need for this is a food processor or blender and:
5 dates
3 handfuls of almonds
1 cup of shredded coconut
1 handful of raisins
1 ripe banana
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie blend
1/4 tsp almond extract

Blend until it sticks into one fully blended ball. oh yeah.. Oven! 200. (or 118 if you want it raw)
Put a sheet of parchment paper over a baking sheet, so the bottom doesn't cook too fast.
Spread the mixture over the parchment. I used a wet spatula to get an even 1/2" thick slab.
Bake for about 30 minutes, then cool and cut into squares.
These are great for a healthy little dessert, or for a boost-of-energy snack.

You can go to the LÄRABAR website and try to recreate their different bars.. or mix and match and make a new flavor of your own! Other ingredients they use a lot, that you can experiment with are:
walnuts
cashews
cinnamon
peanuts
orange peel/juice concentrate
coconut oil
cherries
cocoa powder
chili
lemon or lime juice concentrate
apples
pistachios
ginger

lemon poppy seed macaroons

(Makes 12 mini cupcakes.. )

These mini coconut delights originated from the Healthy Indulgences blog.. She used some things I left out, and I added the poppy seeds, lemon zest, and applesauce. They are perfectly sweet.. with barely any sweetener, and without a topping :) I thought I was just making cupcakes when I started.. but when I tasted them I thought - Macaroons!!! Since I found out I was severely allergic to eggs (especially the whites) I got sad every time I saw the macaroons at the store - because the ingredient list is so simple! (coconut, egg whites, honey) Now - I have something to satisfy my macaroon craving - that keeps my body happy. I hope this recipe makes you happy too..

Oven! 325.

1 tbsp coconut oil - melted
2 tbsp hazelnut meal (or almond flour) packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ground to a meal (use a coffee grinder)
½ tbsp sifted coconut flour (I halved a recipe.. sorry)
2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp honey (vegans, you know what to do)
Pinch sea salt
6 tbsp applesauce
1 tsp gf aluminum-free baking powder (a little less wouldn't hurt.. )
1 tsp poppy seeds
¼ tsp lemon zest (zest 1 small lemon)

Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another, and then mix them together.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes.
Let ‘um cool, and then place in fridge for at least 1 hour to let them set up. If you skip this step, they’ll pretty much fall apart in your hands because they’re so soft. (Still edible however.. I should know)

roasted pomegranate

Straight from one of Williams-Sonoma's cookbooks .. So, I guess I wasn't very creative this time, but I'm saving you from buying a cookbook. I imagine I'd make some friends if I served this 1/2 a pomegranate as an appetizer.

The book says 400, but because there's olive oil involved, I say Oven! 350. and I added 10 more minutes to the cook time.
Split a pomegranate in half and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and honey.
Cook for 30-35 minutes at 350.
Serve with a sprinkle of salt and fresh mint.

bellissimo!

breakfast of the hypoallergenic gods

Oh mio dio.. holy.... shhhhiip! This was a very special breakfast.. We had some smoked salmon waiting for us to do something special.. and this is what we did.

We layered red onion, avocado, lox, and sauteed spinach, garlic, and leeks on top of a buscuit made of almond, buckwheat, and coconut flours.. It was actually a very simple meal to make - and it tasted like something you'd splurge on at a 10 star restaurant.. (san the poached egg.. if you're not allergic to eggs, do me a favor - and eat a poached one on top of this for me)

Step one: The biscuits are a version of Kimi's on the Nourishing Gormet:
I halved the recipe and changed the flours used.. this whole breakfast serves 4 (even though only 2 of us ate it.. we are now.. too full..)

So! The night before (or earlier that morning..)
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 coconut flour
3 tbps coconut oil
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp nut milk (I had hemp on hand) - you can use water if you don't have nut milk.
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix the flours, then cut the coconut oil into the flour with a fork and knife - until the coconut oil pieces are the size of peas.. Then add the milk and vinegar and mix until just combined.

Oven! 350.
The next day (or later that morning) add:
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 heaping tsp salt

Fold the new ingredients into the dough until thouroly incorporated.. Then roll it out. I used parchment paper because I don't have a nice countertop. And cut into the shapes you desire.. Kimi uses a pizza cutter to make an easy grid, but I really wanted to use my foot shaped cookie cutter. So that's what I did.
Place the raw biscuits on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.
They are delicious, but a bit crumbly.. hey - they're grain and gluten free.. what do you expect?

While they're in the oven, slice up some garlic (2 cloves), a bit of leek, and sauté that with spinach.. When it's done just cover it to keep it warm.

The last step is thinly slicing the red onion, thickly slicing the avocado, opening the package of lox.. then stacking everything together.. enjoy!

banana newtons

Ready for another dessert that's sugar-free, grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free?
This is a twisted version of the Spunky Coconut's banana bread recipe..
I made them for a dinner party I'm going to tonight.. I'm afraid I only have 1/2 as many left as I meant to bring.. oops! Maybe they won't read this blog :)

Oven! 350.

1 mashed banana

2 "eggs" (aka: 2 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 tbsp hot water)

3 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp tapioca flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used hazelnut meal.. mmm)

Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine.. stir stir taste stir taste.
This is something you can put in a loaf pan.. but I wanted something more fun, and finger friendly.
So, I put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and spread this sticky dough out to the thickness I wanted. About 1/2". Pop in the oven for 30 minutes..
Then remove from the oven, and cut into the shapes you desire.. and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

eating my grandpa's breakfast

What's for breakfast: 2 "meat muffins" (sorry no one has come up with a better name yet), 2 prunes, and a cup of oatmeal.. made with 1/2 water, 1/2 almond milk, a tiny scoop of honey, another one of cinnamon, and raisins.

It's the most important meal of the day!

vegan granola

I forgot to add the almonds to this before I snapped the picture.. then it sort of disappeared.. so I couldn't take another one.
Here's where the recipe came from: http://hartkeisonline.com/ .. well, this blogger got it from Sally Fallon's book Eat Fat, Lose Fat.
But I changed the recipe to be dairy and honey free..
This granola takes a bit of time - but it is SO worth it.. you'll make it and want others to taste it your genius, but then.. not really - because you won't want to share.

mix:
8 cups of rolled oats
1 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water

leave this to sit for 2 days..
here's where it gets a little messy.. well.. I guess you can use a utensil to mix it together.
I usually use my hands no matter what.

Mix :
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp coconut flakes

Then pour this into the oats and mix until thoroughly combined.
Spread the gooey mixture out on a couple of baking sheets (lined with parchment paper if you want) and bake at 200 for several hours until dry and crisp. I usually flip mine 1/2 way through.. about 2 hours in to the baking.

Then break it up and store in an airtight container!
I eat mine mixed with dried cranberries, dried pineapple, and almonds, in a small bowl of almond milk. YUM. and no bees or cows were inconvenienced.. I'm not vegan, I'm just saying..

first day of school smoothie

It's the first day of school, my 5th year of college. But taking that picture in front of the house just didn't feel the same as it did when I was in 5th grade. I think I was missing my dog. And my lunch box. But anyway, I made this smoothie to save some time, but to still have a nourishing breakfast - and now look. I'm posting it! Anna! Go to class and stop blogging!

1 frozen banana
6 frozen black berries
almond milk
rice protein powder
ground flax seeds
vanilla extract

food process and drink.
bye!