Raw marinated Shiitake mushroom salad

We loved shiitake mushrooms and are able to purchase them cheaply at our local farmers' market.
We used a spring mix to place these marinaded mushrooms

Ingredients:
5 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/4 cup of coconut aminos
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup avocado oil

Directions:
marinate mushrooms
top the salad with the mushrooms and marinade

The recipe is from http://urbannaturale.com/from-farmers-market-to-table-raw-marinated-shitake-mushroom-salad/

Japanese raw miso soup

We love miso soup now that we have found a gluten free miso. The chickpea miso is made with rice instead of barley. This recipe from Ani Phyo is good, but next time we will replace 3/4 of a cup of the olive oil with a quarter of an avocado and increase the water to 4 cups. We also used coconut aminos instead of a soy based product. We also used avocado oil in the marinade instead of extra virgin olive oil.

Japanese Miso-shiitake Soup
ingredients:
mushroom marinade:
3 cups shiitake mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
3 tablespoons avocado oil

soup base:
3 tablespoons chickpea miso
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (only use 1/4 cup plus a 1/4 avocado)
1 inch ginger
1 garlic clove (add a second clove)
3 cups filtered water (increase to 4 cups)

toppings:
1-4 scallions (we used one per bowl)

directions:
1. marinade the sliced mushrooms in the coconut aminos and avocado oil
2. place the miso, olive oil, ginger, garlic and water in a high speed blender
3. start slow and increase the speed, blending for 30 seconds
4. to serve pour soup base into four bowls, topping with marinaded mushrooms and scallions

The soup base and toppings combined with keep for one day. The soup base alone will keep for four days. The toppings alone will keep for two days. All stored in the refrigerator.

The recipe can be found at http://aniphyo.com/blog/tag/miso-soup/

grilled vegetables

We had grilled vegetables and marinaded portobello, plus the guys had burgers for dinner. These marinades made the veggies wonderful!!!

For the marinaded veggies we used
Marinade ingredients:
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon kombucha mustard
2 tablespoon maple syrup (raw honey could be used)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, we used parsley and basil
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
whisked together

Directions:
1. marinade 10-12 cups of assorted chopped vegetables for 2 hours. We used grape tomatoes, green beans, squash, onion, and red bell peppers
2. grill the marinaded veggies in a grill pan on a hot grill for 10 minutes, toss or stir and grill for another 5 minutes.

The portobello marinade used for 2 large portobellos caps
Marinade ingredients:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoon minced onion
3 minced cloves of garlic
2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
whisked together

Directions:
1. the 2 mushroom caps were cleaned and placed in a dish gill side up
2. the marinade was spooned into the cap and let stand for 1 hour
3. grill over a hot flame for 10 minutes

Sprouts

Great article from Hippocrates Health Institute on Sprouting

What Are the Benefits of Raw and Living Foods?

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Raw foods have an average of 87% more nutrients than cooked foods. Because our modern society has adopted a culture of consuming a diet consisting almost exclusively of cooked food we now have an epidemic of malnourishment. In spite of an abundance of food, it is estimated that at least 60% of Americans are actually malnourished. This weakens the immune system which invites weakness, sickness, and disease. When you add more raw and living foods into your diet you flood your body with much needed nutrients which revitalizes the body and helps to restore proper immune function. 

 

Living foods are in a whole other category even beyond raw foods. Sprouts are baby plants in their prime and are 20 times more nutritious than even the best raw vegetables. At this early stage of growth sprouts have a greater concentration of nutrients than at any other time in the plant’s life. All of the energy stored in the seed is ignited by the soaking and rinsing process.

Sprouts have bio-electricity which is the life force energy in these living plants. Living foods such as sprouts are still growing at the time of consumption. Life begets life. The more living foods you incorporate into your diet the more alive you become. That is the secret behind our aptly-named Life Transformation Program.

Sprouts are highly digestible and release their nutrients easily due to their delicate cell walls and abundance of enzymes. Sprouting at home is easy and it makes a lot of sense for you to do for a number of reasons:

• Nutrition: Sprouts are the most nutritious whole food on the planet. This is high frequency, high vibration living food that conveys its’ life-force energy to you!
• Economics: Sprout seeds multiply to 3-15 times their weight. Grow organic food in your own kitchen year round for pennies a pound.
• Organic: No chemicals, pesticide, herbicide, fungicide or suicide. You can trust that it’s pure because you are the grower.
• It’s Easy: Just add water. No green thumb required. One pound grows in only nine square inches of counter space.
• Freshness: Pick and eat the same day. No loss of nutrients.
• Versatility: There are plenty of different varieties of sprouts that are available to keep things interesting such as adzuki, green lentils, French lentils, red lentils, peas, mung beans, fenugreek, clover, broccoli, radish, alfalfa, chia, amaranth, quinoa, millet, sunflower, buckwheat, etc. Your salads will never be boring again!
• Meals: Make sprout breads from sprouted wheat, rye or barley. Snacks like hummus dip from sprouted garbanzo. Even sprouted wheat pizza!
• Ecology: You will lower your carbon footprint since you can grow at home.
• Emergency Preparedness: Sprouts seeds last a long time if kept cool and are stored properly in a dry environment.

How to Sprout

If you are new to sprouting start with beans and legumes such as mung beans, lentils, adzuki, and fenugreek. These are the easiest of the sprouts to grow and your early success will build your confidence. All you need are seeds, water, a one quart wide mouth Mason jar, and a sprouting lid. Here are the steps:
1. Put ½ cup of mung beans in the jar and install the sprout lid.
2. Fill the jar with at least two cups of water and soak at room temperature for eight hours.
3. Drain the water and leave the jar upside down in a drain pan propped at a 45 degree angle to allow the water to drain.
4. Rinse twice a day for two or three days.
5. Harvest when the roots emerging from the beans and are at least as long as the bean itself.
6. What you are not going to use right away can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. I suggest storing sprouted beans and legumes in a green bag with the air removed. If moisture is present, placing a paper towel in the bag will extend shelf life.

Raw Fig Newtons

These are delicious, some may want a bit more honey added the the figs. It only makes 8 and someone ate 7 out of the 8, allowing me to at least taste one.
Raw Fig Newtons
Ingredients:
1 cup figs 
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup raw rolled oats
 2 tbsp honey

In your food processor, blend figs until smooth - adding water one tablespoon at a time if needed to create a sticky and spreadable paste.  You may also want to add a pinch of salt or a drop of vanilla, for enhanced flavor.  Set your fig paste aside for later.  
Next you're going to grind the flax, oats, and almonds in a high speed blender or coffee grinder until a flour like consistency is reached.  Add in your honey, and blend until a dough forms.  Place the dough between two sheets of wax paper (you may want to lightly grease these with coconut oil to prevent the dough from sticking), and use a rolling pin to shape it into a square.  My square was about 7 x 7 inches in size, but anywhere around there will work.
Cut your square in half, so you have two rectangles.  Take half of your fig paste, and spread it across one of the rectangles - leaving about a 1/4 inch border along the longest sides (you don't need to leave a border at the short sides of the rectangle).  Take the rest of the fig paste, and do the same to the second rectangle.  Fold each of the rectangles over on themselves, pinch the sides together, and cut them into four pieces to make a total of eight fig newtons.  Store in an airtight containment in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.

The recipe is from http://rawified.blogspot.com/2012/07/raw-fig-newtons.html

Raw Eggplant Parmesan

We modified the following recipe http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/eggplant-parmesan-2/ making it raw.

raw pasta sauce

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon salt
1 eggplant (medium)
1/3 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
3/4 cup favorite pasta sauce
1/4 cup raw ricotta cheese

raw Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons raw Parmesan cheese

raw ricotta cheese

Directions
First we peeled and sliced the eggplant in 1/2 inch slices. The slices were. Placed in a bowl sprinkling a tablespoon of salt evenly over each layer. This removes some liquid from the eggplant as well as softens it.

Drain the liquid, but do not pat dry. The liquid will help the almond meal stick.

Combine the Italian seasoning with the almond meal

Dip the eggplant slices in the almond meal mixture, both sides.

Place the battered eggplant slices on the dehydrator sheet

Spread the ricotta cheese over each slice

Spread the pasta sauce over the ricotti

sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top

Dehydrate for 4-6 hours at 105.

Strawberry Gazpacho with Lime Cilantro Cream

Strawberry Gazpacho with Lime Cilantro Cream

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Surprise guests by starting a meal with this sweet-and-spicy cold soup.

• 2 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved (5 cups)
• 1 small mango, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
• ½ cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
• 1 large shallot, chopped (2 Tbs.)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro, divided
• ¼ cup lime juice, divided
• 4 tsp. agave nectar, honey or 3 tsp maple syrup divided
• ½ cup low-fat sour cream or Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream or raw sour kreme from the July potluck

1. Pulse strawberries, mango, bell pepper, shallot, oil, 2 Tbs. cilantro, 2 Tbs. lime juice, and 3 tsp. agave in food processor until puréed with some texture remaining. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Stir together sour cream (we used a raw cashew based sour cream), remaining 2 Tbs. cilantro, remaining 2 Tbs. lime juice, and remaining 1 tsp. agave in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Ladle gazpacho into bowls, and dollop each serving with 2 Tbs. Lime Cilantro Cream.

June 2013 p.59

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/strawberry-gazpacho-with-lime-cilantro-cream/?utm_source=GlutenFree&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=GlutenFree