‘FreeStyle Fare’ by Marcy Denise: Quick-n-Dirty Dinner Salad with Coconut Vinaigrette

Category: 'FreeStyle Fare' by Marcy Denise. Posted: 10 May, 2012.
FreeStyle Fare: ‘Quick-n-Dirty Dinner Salad with Coconut Vinaigrette’

The other night I took this impromptu photo of what I humorously named my ‘Quick-n-Dirty Dinner Salad’,
via camera phone and not-so-good lighting so forgive the quality.

After a somewhat long and eventful day, I was famished and a little worn and didn’t want to prep anything elaborate, though to some this salad might seem as such. Without adhering to any sort of a recipe, I gathered together whatever fresh ingredients I had on hand that were appealing and went with the flow to make myself something fast yet substantial. I suppose you could say I was inspired! Neither the salad nor the dressing ingredients were strictly measured. As mentioned in an earlier post, at times I prefer to create by way of feel and taste rather than a set of ratios, instances for which I have termed ‘FreeStyle Fare’.

Pictured above is a bowlful of roughly chopped romaine lettuce, minced parsley, spiral-sliced zucchini (skin left intact), halved cherry tomatoes, cubed orange bell pepper and creamed avocado topped with goji berries along with a sprinkling of sprouted, dehydrated pumpkin seeds for added crunch (not to mention phosphorus, tryptophan and manganese). A light dusting of freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle of a basic ‘Coconut Vinaigrette’ nicely complemented the ingredients. Believe it or not, that nutritious mix kept me satisfied for hours. And it was delicious, of course!

Something helpful…

I will occasionally forgo salad dressing, especially if I feel that a particular set of ingredients can stand alone without extra adornment. And sometimes I will simply drizzle my mix with freshly squeezed citrus juice and maybe a small pinch or two of unrefined salt. However, in this case I wanted a vinaigrette. The ‘Coconut Vinaigrette’ ingredients can either first be mixed together or instead individually added to your salad in whatever ratios suit your taste. I chose raw coconut vinegar (made from coconut tree sap) for its smooth and mildly sharp flavor, which is not overwhelmingly ‘coconutty’. Plus, it wonderfully pairs with avocado. If you don’t have raw coconut vinegar, feel free to substitute with another type of raw vinegar such as apple cider or red wine.

Raw coconut nectar (coconut tree sap, also not overwhelmingly ‘coconutty’) is beautifully viscous, relatively sweet though slightly tart, low glycemic, and works exceptionally well in various types of dressings and marinades. If you don’t have raw coconut nectar, you can instead use raw agave nectar, or raw honey if you’re comfortable with consuming it, or even date paste thinned to a syrupy consistency.

Creamed avocado can be completely plain or spiced up in countless ways. In this salad I used plain creamed avocado, which is easily produced by mashing a ripe avocado with a fork or blending it in a food processor until creamy. The avocado can simply be chopped or sliced if you prefer, I just enjoy having different textures in my salads.

I mentioned that I added spiral-sliced zucchini (skin left intact). I created zucchini noodles with a ‘Benriner Slicer’, which you can view via this link. It’s one of a number of gadgets available for fashioning noodles out of firm vegetables. If you do not have any type of spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to create somewhat wide, flat noodles. First, cut away the zucchini stem and a small portion of the bottom to help create a rectangular shape for the noodles. Next, run the vegetable peeler along the length of the zucchini to create long slices until you reach the tiny seeds in the middle. Stop once you get to that point because ‘noodles’ created with that portion of the zucchini will be too thin to manage and will easily break during the process. Then you can either stack together the vegetable-peeled zucchini slices and use a knife to cut them lenthwise into strands, or just leave them wide. You can even make noodles from start to finish with only a knife by first thinly slicing the zucchini, and then stacking together the slices and cutting them lenthwise into strands. Zucchini noodles can also similarly be created with a mandoline. If you would like, the leftover zucchini middle with seeds can be chopped and added to your salad mix or you can save it for adding to soups, vegetable wraps, pâtés, or as an ingredient in making breads or crackers.

I mentioned that I added sprouted, dehydrated pumpkin seeds. In general, soaking most types of nuts and some types of seeds allows for greater availability of nutrients and less impact on digestion. Meaning, as they take in water, nuts and seeds release their natural barriers (known as enzyme inhibitors) and allow for life to take place. They wake up from dormancy by morphing from a raw food into a live food, letting their nutrients flow (and sprouting if they are capable). In addition, their vitamins and minerals are more easily absorbed by the body. I soak my pumpkin seeds for at least six hours or overnight, then thoroughly rinse and drain them, and let them sprout for one day. After they have sprouted, I will either use them right away or dry them (via a dehydrator) for long-term storage until needed. If you are able to soak your pumpkin seeds prior to use, even for a short amount of time, then great! If not, don’t worry. While it is best to do so before you eat them, it really is not the end of everything if you are unable to. (I will explain further about soaking nuts and seeds in a future article – stay tuned!)

Recap of freely measured ingredients:

‘Quick-n-Dirty Dinner Salad’
- parsley
- zucchini
- avocado
- goji berries
- romaine lettuce
- cherry tomatoes
- orange bell pepper
- raw pumpkin seeds (soaked if possible, sprouted even better)
- freshly cracked black pepper (optional garnish)

‘Coconut Vinaigrette’
- raw coconut vinegar
- raw coconut nectar
- Himalayan Crystal Salt
- first cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil

Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise: Basic Green Smoothie

Category: Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise. Posted: 1 May, 2012.
‘Basic Green Smoothie’

One of many enjoyable ways to increase your daily intake of nutritious green leafy vegetables.

1 and 1/2 cups pure water
1 cup spinach leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup ripe strawberries (green tops left on), medium diced and tightly packed
1 cup ripe banana, tightly packed
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 3 teaspoons raw coconut oil

Using a high-speed blender, first blend together the water, spinach and strawberries until creamy.

Then add the banana, lemon juice and coconut oil and blend again until smooth. Pour the mixture into a tall glass. Serve!

A few tips…

The listed ingredients should roughly amount to 24 ounces of green smoothie.

You might assume that this Basic Green Smoothie only tastes like spinach, but it doesn’t. The flavors of strawberry and banana are quite prominent, and nicely complemented by the slight zing of lemon juice and the silkiness of coconut oil. If it weren’t for the color, you could hardly guess that it had leafy greens packed inside. But don’t take my word for it. Make one for yourself!

Want to try a green smoothie but don’t particularly enjoy the ‘taste’ of vegetables?
You can simply start by first making some type of fruit smoothie and then adding to it a small amount of green leafy vegetables until you reach a desired ratio. Over time you can decrease the amount of fruit and increase the amount of leafy items. Of course, an option would be to do what I did here and use bananas and strawberries; however, pretty much any type of fruit will work, depending upon your preference. Opt for pear, mango, apple, blueberries, cherries, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple, or orange. Instead of spinach, choose beet greens, chard, lettuce (red leaf, green leaf, romaine), watercress, kale (Lacinato, curly green, red), collard or dandelion leaves. Green leafy herbs such as cilantro, basil, mint or parsley are also wonderful to consider. Maybe spice things up with a bit of freshly grated ginger root. The possibilities are endless. Have fun exploring and experimenting!

Not all blenders are created equal. If your blender is not overly powerful, you may need to pre-chop your green leafy vegetables (as well as remove any tough stems) before prepping your smoothie. In general, blending the greens with water (or other liquid) prior to adding any remaining ingredients will greatly ease the blending process and encourage a lump-free smoothie. Sturdy greens such as kale and collard could prove challenging for some blenders. It may take a bit of trial and error to determine which green leafy vegetables are best to process in your particular machine.

Inspiration

Category: Uncategorized. Posted: 6 April, 2012.

I generally prefer to use a recipe whenever I want a dish to turn out as I expect. However, there are times when I’ll go with the flow and spontaneously create from within. The latter especially occurs when inspired by whatever produce I may have on hand. Instances such as those can be the most fun, and actually often lead to the formation of new ideas and even recipes. I suppose one could call it a delicious cycle!

Just the other day, inspiration struck and I found myself experimenting with ingredients for a sparkling blueberry drink.

I had no real intention of seriously inventing anything, but surprisingly the result was quite tasty.

Always be open to allowing inspiration to flow in whatever direction it may lead.

Many times those adventurous and limitless occurrences can be fulfilling.

The Power of Greens: The Basics

Category: The Power of Greens. Posted: 4 April, 2012.

Green leafy vegetables are important in any diet, especially a raw food diet. They supply the body with the building blocks of protein via an abundance of amino acids, are a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals as well as much needed fiber, and also boost detoxification and alkalinity. There are as many types of leafy greens as there are ways to incorporate them. Your palate will be a major determining factor of what sorts of greens you will prefer. It is imperative to remember that over time your palate will shift as you eat more natural foods and less processed items. So if at first you do not find much enjoyment in a particular vegetable, you may relish it later on as your sense of taste changes and adapts.

A helpful tip: Increasing the amount of green leafy vegetables in your diet can greatly help stave off cravings as the body works to become cleaner.

Various nutrients provided by leafy greens are very beneficial during detoxification and also to one’s overall well-being.

Typically, green leafy vegetables literally are green, though some can be found in varying shades of purple or red and are considered to be a leafy green. In general, the darker the hue the more intense the vitamin and mineral content, so indulge more often in whatever deeply-hued vegetables you prefer. As earlier mentioned, there are many types of leafy items to choose from, availability dependent upon the growing season. The following is a list of just some of them. Kale (Lacinato, Red Russian, purple, curly green), spinach, chard (red, green and rainbow), red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce (red and green), Boston lettuce (also known as Butter lettuce, red and green), celery greens, beet greens, radicchio, endive, frisée, escarole, dandelion greens, Mizuna greens, arugula, watercress, collard greens, bok choy (adult and baby bok choy, green and purple) and cabbage (red and green).

Green leafy vegetables can be easily incorporated into any diet simply by way of salads, soups, smoothies, juices, wraps, and even transformed into chips. In addition, green leafy herbs such as parsley, cilantro, mint and others are also wonderful to include as they have many healing properties and essential vitamins and minerals. Cilantro helps to remove heavy metals from the body while parsley is a powerful anti-carcinogen and great for cardiovascular health. And mint is excellent for the digestion. Isn’t nature amazing?

Until next time!

Raw Chip-n-Dip

Category: Uncategorized. Posted: 24 March, 2012.

There are countless ways to create raw chips and dips. Much like raw bagels and breads, raw chips as well as crackers can also be fashioned out of ground nuts and seeds, leftover pulp strained from nut and seed milks, leftover pulp strained from juices, sprouted grains, sprouted pseudograins, various types of ground vegetables, etc., in any combination of flavors. Raw dips as well as spreads can similarly be made, and enjoyed as a dressing for sandwiches and wraps, paired with crudités, used as a garnish for soups, or a base for all types of sauces, etc.

Pictured below is a healthy dollop of ‘Sweet Pepper and Rosemary Dip’, a few ‘Basic Crackers’ and a side of sliced English cucumber.

The perfect anytime-of-the-day indulgence.

Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise: Bottoms Up

Category: Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise. Posted: 29 February, 2012.
‘Bottoms Up’

An invigorating, sweet-tart concoction with a lovely high note of ginger.

Tart at first bite and then sweet, Pink Lady apples complement very well with fresh ginger root and parsley, the celery a cooling bonus. This tasty concoction is amazingly reminiscent of a spiced lemonade though, of course, sans lemon. I love presenting it in simple shot glasses as the sharpness is fun to enjoy in such doses. However, feel very free to indulge in sipping it via any glass of your choice. It’s great either way!

3 medium Pink Lady apples, cored and quartered (peel left on)
1 medium stalk of celery, any leafy tops left intact
1/3 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and tightly packed
1/2-inch by 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger root (peel left on)

Process all of the ingredients through a juicer of your choice. Stir gently and serve!

A few tips…

To help limit your exposure to harmful pesticide residues and waxed coatings often associated with conventional produce, try to purchase organically grown fruits and vegetables as often as possible.

The listed ingredients should roughly amount to 12 ounces of juice, depending on how much liquid your apples, celery, parsley and ginger root piece yield. It is best to serve fresh juices soon after they are made due to oxidation and degrading of nutrients. However, they can be tightly sealed and placed inside of the refrigerator for short-term storage (a day or two).

While the final outcome will somewhat vary each time a juice is made, produce size (as well as quality) does play an important part. In the list of ingredients, I noted 3 medium Pink Lady apples, cored and quartered (peel left on). A medium Pink Lady apple would equate to an apple at least 2 and 1/2 inches in width and 2 and 1/2 inches in height. 1 medium stalk of celery, any leafy tops left intact: A medium stalk of celery would equate to at least 1 inch in width at its base and 12 inches in length.

Save the leftover pulp for adding to soups or as an ingredient in making breads or crackers. No need to throw that extra goodness away! The leftover pulp can last a day or two if stored in a tightly sealed container and kept inside of the refrigerator. If you are not able to use the leftover pulp in that amount of time, storing it inside of the freezer may be a better option.

Blender Juice: How To Make Juice With A Vitamix

Category: Uncategorized. Posted: 28 February, 2012.

Making juice in a high-powered blender can be very advantageous if you do not have a juicer, or if you simply do not want to hassle with using a juicer. And depending on the ingredients, it can be somewhat quicker and result in a lot less clean-up. Plus, chances may be higher for obtaining more juice separated from the pulp. There are a few ways to address making juice in a blender. Following is one of mine.

When I make juice with my Vitamix, I will sometimes use the tamper accessory to help process bulkier ingredients that contain less liquid, such as leafy green vegetables. The tamper is that long black plunger-like device poking through the blender lid. Basically, you use the tamper to coax thicker ingredients onto the blades to aid the blending process.

A tamper generally does not need to be utilized if the predominant ingredients are wet. The more liquid there is in the base ingredients, the easier and quicker the blending process. After the ingredients for my juice have been blended, I utilize a nut milk bag to strain the liquid from the pulp.

The nut milk bag shown in the picture below is fairly large and can easily hold several cups of blended contents.

The rounded bottom allows for not only ease in straining the liquid from the pulp but also for ease in cleaning the bag after use.

I most often fill my blender to the brim with fresh ingredients, more watery items stacked closest to the blades to aid in blending. As addressed earlier, the more liquid an ingredient has, the easier it is for the blades to process it. And the drier an ingredient, the harder the blades have to work.

A blenderful of ingredients can easily be compacted as shown below.

The next step is to strain the pulp from the liquid.

I place the opened nut milk bag inside of a large bowl and then pour into the bag the blended contents.

Note: Do not forget to thoroughly clean and rinse your blender! A quick rinse will do until you are finished preparing your juice.

Next, I close and secure the filled nut milk bag and begin to squeeze and massage the contents to release the liquid.

I continue squeezing and massaging the contents until liquid ceases to be released and the pulp is fairly dry.

This time around, the blended ingredients yielded one and a half cups of a flavorful, spicy concoction.

“Mmmm…”

And what of the pulp?

The fairly dry pulp roughly equated to 2/3 cup.

I often save pulp from making juice for creating crackers, burgers and breads (such as my ‘Carrocumber Bread’,
recipe here) as well as additions to soups, dips and spreads.

There are countless uses for juice pulp!

Pretty easy, yeah? [wink]

A few tips…

To help limit your exposure to harmful pesticide residues and waxed coatings often associated with conventional produce, try to purchase organically grown fruits and vegetables as often as possible.

When I use my blender for making juice, I prefer to core and quarter my apples as well as remove any seeds from citrus fruits. Depending on the juice blend, I will sometimes leave on a bit of citrus peel. I also sometimes tear into smaller pieces large leafy greens (often with the stems intact) and roughly chop produce such as celery and cucumber. In general, it is not always necessary to chop fruits and vegetables or tear leafy greens into smaller pieces before blending, but it certainly can help speed up the process (and if one’s blender is not high-powered, it can also ease tension on the blender motor).

It is best to serve fresh juices soon after they are made due to oxidation and degrading of nutrients. However, they can be tightly sealed and placed inside of the refrigerator for short-term storage (a day or two).

The leftover pulp can last a day or two if stored in a tightly sealed container and kept inside of the refrigerator. If you are not able to use the leftover pulp in that amount of time, storing it inside of the freezer may be a better option.

Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise: Blood

Category: Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise. Posted: 31 January, 2012.
‘Blood’

Purifying, tangy-sweet and energizing.

Beets are excellent for purifying the blood. Paired with cranberries, lemon and kale, the detoxifying capability of the body is greatly increased.

Celery and apple also provide vital nutrients as well as nicely round out the overall flavor.

The perfect pick-me-up for when you need an extra boost.

7 fresh whole cranberries
half of 1 small Meyer lemon, peeled
fourth of 1 small red beet (peeled optional)
2 medium stalks of celery, any leafy tops left intact
2 medium Red Delicious apples, cored and quartered (peel left on)
2 large leaves of Red Kale, stems left intact

Process all of the ingredients through a juicer of your choice, stir gently and enjoy.

A few tips…

To help limit your exposure to harmful pesticide residues and waxed coatings often associated with conventional produce, try to purchase organically grown fruits and vegetables as often as possible.

The listed ingredients should roughly amount to 12-14 ounces of juice, depending on how much liquid your cranberries, lemon, beet, celery, apples and kale yield. It is best to serve fresh juices soon after they are made due to oxidation and degrading of nutrients. However, they can be tightly sealed and placed inside of the refrigerator for short-term storage (a day or two).

While the final outcome will somewhat vary each time a juice is made, produce size (as well as quality) does play an important part. In the list of ingredients, I noted half of 1 small Meyer lemon, peeled. A small Meyer lemon would equate to at least 1 and 1/2 inches in width and 2 inches in height. Fourth of 1 small red beet (peeled optional): A small red beet would equate to at least 2 inches in width and 1 and 1/2 inches inches in height. 2 medium stalks of celery, any leafy tops left intact: A medium stalk of celery would equate to at least 1 inch in width at its base and 12 inches in length. 2 medium Red Delicious apples, cored and quartered (peel left on): A medium Red Delicious apple would equate to an apple at least 2 and 1/2 inches in width and 2 and 1/2 inches in height. 2 large leaves of Red Kale, stems left intact: A large leaf of Red Kale would equate to at least 5 inches in width and 8 inches in length.

Save the leftover pulp for adding to soups or as an ingredient in making breads, crackers or pâtés. No need to throw that extra goodness away! The leftover pulp can last a day or two if stored in a tightly sealed container and kept inside of the refrigerator. If you are not able to use the leftover pulp in that amount of time, storing it inside of the freezer may be a better option.

Raw Tea Cookies and Raw Savory Sesame Crackers

Category: Uncategorized. Posted: 29 January, 2012.

It’s amazing what all can be created with pulp produced by making various types of nut and seed milks. Burgers, breads, crackers, cookies, tortillas, croutons, wrap fillings and pâtés are just some of the many items that can be made. With imagination and inspiration, the possibilities are quite endless.

Using nut and seed milk pulp instead of whole nuts and seeds will lend a lighter texture to whatever you create. Comparable to shortbread, the ‘Tea Cookies’ pictured below are of a medium weight, pretty substantial and wonderful to enjoy with your favorite warm concoction. I like to keep most of my cookie recipes fairly simple, but ingredients and technique can easily become rather complex depending on the desired outcome.

Dehydrated nut and seed milk pulp can last for a good while. If I have on hand a large amount of dried pulp, I will store the bulk of it in tightly sealed containers inside of the refrigerator, and for convenience also store a small amount in airtight glass jars placed on a countertop. For long-term storage, nut and seed milk pulp can be kept inside of the freezer.

Pictured below are leftover almond milk pulp and Brazil Nut Milk pulp, dehydrated and stored in mentioned glass jars.

The pulp can be coarse or finely ground, depending on how it is to be used.

For rustic-style crackers I will generally use a coarse pulp as I think it lends the best texture. For delicate crackers I will use a finely ground pulp.

Pictured here are dehydrated coarse almond and Brazil nut milk pulp.

And here they both are again shown ground into a fine flour.

The ‘Savory Sesame Crackers’ pictured below were created with coarse nut milk pulp.

I pair them with salads, salsas, creamy non-dairy dips and even soups. And since they are quite flavorful, they are also good to enjoy straight.

Leftover nut and seed milk pulp can also be utilized while still wet, which can be very advantageous. However, if you are unable to immediately use it, it can be stored in an airtight container and kept inside of the refrigerator for one to two days. Or, similarly as mentioned earlier, it can be kept inside of the freezer and thawed when needed.

Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise: Candied Navel

Category: Raw Food Recipes by Marcy Denise. Posted: 21 December, 2011.
‘Candied Navel’

Delightfully sweet liquid sunshine.

Florida Navel oranges are wonderfully succulent and an excellent source of Vitamin C. They can be found starting sometime in November through January, so now is the perfect time to enjoy them. Dates, thought of by many as ‘nature’s candy’, are a great source of potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium as well as fiber. Oranges and dates in general are fabulous sources of healthy carbohydrates.

The two paired together make not only a nutritious combination but also a delicious blend.

2 large ripe Florida Navel oranges, peeled and quartered (seeded if needed)
4 large Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup pure water

Using a high-speed blender, process all of the ingredients until the oranges and dates have been completely broken down and the mixture is creamy.

Serve in one very large glass or divide between two medium glasses. Enjoy!

A few tips…

The listed ingredients roughly amount to 24 ounces of Candied Navel, comfortable for one very large serving, two medium servings or four very small servings.

This smoothie isn’t syrupy sweet. Keeping the smoothie ‘moderately sweet’ was my original intention. Depending on your individual preference, feel free to increase or decrease the amount of dates to your liking.

In the list of ingredients, I noted 2 large ripe Florida Navel oranges, peeled and quartered (seeded if needed). A large Florida Navel orange would equate to an orange at least 3 inches in diameter and 3 inches in height.

In the list of ingredients, I noted 4 large Medjool dates, pitted. A large Medjool date is roughly equal to just under a tablespoon. I chose to freely list the dates to make it easier, but you can go with the tablespoon measurements if you prefer. Medjool dates, same as other types of dates, can be found in varying sizes ranging from very small, small, medium, large to very large (or jumbo).

If your dates are not soft and pliable, you can soak them in a small amount pure water, just enough to cover the dates, for fifteen minutes or longer until they plump up enough for ease in blending. If you store your dates in the refrigerator, they will become stiff from the cold but will usually somewhat soften up after being left out at room temperature for a while. If they still seem hard, then definitely utilize the soak method.