Wasn't this a neat surprise?

Thanks for the vote of confidence. When I received the award notification, I realized how proud I was to be counted along with a growing number of people, world-wide, who've heard their own private alarm, and are taking control and assuming responsibility for their health and well-being.

As I posted earlier, this month is all about moderation. I start each day with a green smoothie, using a variety of fruit from day to day and including a generous helping of spinach, kale or romaine. I'm drinking about a quart of veggie juice each day - using it as a meal replacement (large glass - 12 oz) or in conjunction with some raw veggies such as a salad or veggie plate (smaller glass - 6 oz). If I have a cooked food meal it has been a vegan combination.

Here are the ingredients for today's jar of juice

I used 5 carrots, 1 stalk of celery, 2 Kirby cucumbers, 2 red apples, 1/3 bunch of flat leaf parsley, 1 beet, half a lemon and, not shown as they were an afterthought, 4 big strawberries.

et VOILÀ

Using beets sparingly along with other root vegetables is very palatable, especially with a little fruit to smooth out the earthy flavor. Carrots have a high sugar content, too. The greens give it an interesting herbal undertone and the celery, with its high sodium, brings out all the flavors just as adding a bit of sea salt does for cooked foods. The apple and lemon add a touch of sweetness and a bit of tang.

I'm experimenting with various vegetable combinations. Not only to vary the taste but to ensure a wide variety of nutrients. What an adventure!

My Body Needs A Break

Karen Knowler's* Robust Red Juice

It's been a little over six months since I embarked on The Raw Divas 7-Day raw food detox program. This blog is a record of the gradual inching away from green smoothies, mono-fruit meals, simple veggie snacks to big mixed salads, steamed vegetables, added grains, spicy salsas and sauces gracing pasta . . . on and on and on.

Not only does the scale show the results - UP, UP, UP. It's registering 4 - 5 lbs more than a month ago. But my energy level lags and I know, not just intellectually, but in every fiber of my being, that I'm sliding down the slippery slope — and if I keep on this path, the next thing will be burgers and fries!

I took the first step in that direction last evening. I dined out at a vegan spot, but had a "Philly-Dilly" on a big white French Hoagie roll! Yikes. The sandwich was laden with tasty, sautéed seitan (mock steak), peppers, onions, soy cheese and veganaise. As opposed to other things, it was relatively healthy, I guess. But I thought I was past that kind of eating!

As good as it all tasted going down, it rested in my stomach like the proverbial lead balloon. And I still felt a bit queasy when I awoke this morning.

It was a great wake-up call.

Coincidentally, if you believe in coincidence, providentially, if that's your bent, earlier in the week Heidi at Raw Food Right Now posted about her decision to embark on a juice feasting agenda. This is a big undertaking as the program runs 92 days. I read about her decision with interest and even spent some time investigating David Rainoshek's website, Juice Feasting, and watched the short introductory video. Right on the heels of looking into that site, Karen Knowler's weekly e-zine, Successfully Raw, arrived. And lo and behold, Karen's recipe of the week turned out to be a fantastic juice combination. The signs were all there! I knew I had to make some changes.

I assembled the ingredients called for in Karen's recipe and made about a quart of rosy red juice, which will be my mainstay for today's lunch. This is juice not a smoothie. Made in the juicer not the blender.

I'm posting the ingredients as Karen's newsletter is free to the public when you sign up for her free e-zine, and I certainly encourage you to sign up. Her experience, advice and inspiration provide a wealth of detailed guidance as we travel along the highway to health.
And believe me, every bit of help makes each step easier and more successful.

Karen's Tip-Top Cocktail*

1 beet (bulb only)

4 medium carrots

3 oranges

6 apples

1 small bunch of parsley

4 strawberries

Courtesy of: © Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach 2008, www.therawfoodcoach.com

I've often wondered how the wine enthusiasts can actually discern the various flavors in a sip of wine. Now I know! As I sipped my Tip-Top cocktail, I could taste the sweetness of the apple, the fresh, crisp herbal flavor of the flat leaf parsley, the robust, earthy flavor of the beet , the underlying richness from the carrots, and the light fresh flavor of the citrus. Karen reminds us not to omit the strawberries—and it's easy to see why, the bright, sweet finish they leave on the palate is unmistakable. This juice is a great example of "the whole being greater than the sum of its parts." It's a dynamite combination of fruit and vegetables offering a healthy dose of nutrients with a palate pleasing smooth finish. A nice way to give the digestive system a rest, maintain your energy, and enjoy nature's bounty.

I plan to follow a light eating pattern of juicing, raw fruits and veggies, green smoothies, raw nuts, seeds, lots of filtered water and only occasionally adding vegan soups or whole grain dishes over the next 30 days. I'll see how my system reacts and perhaps renegotiate my choices going forward but I feel certain they will lean toward more juicing, more raw food. I feel so good when I follow this eating lifestyle, but the years of habit, addictions, peer pressure, convenience, and poor time management, make it easy for us to slip back into old habits and eating patterns.

All we need to do is one good thing at a time, taking baby steps as we explore the options. Develop an eating plan that is right for ourselves based on our age, health, weight, lifestyle. And keep in mind that each right thing we do for ourselves brings us one step closer to realizing optimum health. Makes sense to me to at least try.

SPROUTS STEAL THE SHOW

I've always thought of Brussels sprouts as little cabbages, but I read that these little green heads are members of the mustard family. Though given the faint cabbage odor they impart during cooking makes me suspect they are at least kissin' cousins.

Last March, I reported that many of us have been enjoying this vegetable sliced and sautéed with shallots, then finished off with a dab of spicy brown mustard. But recently, I ran across another clever rendition that has the core cut out and the leaves separated before sautéeing them quickly in olive oil with sliced shallots and pistachios, then finished with a generous drizzle of lemon juice, salt and pepper.


The evening I decided to put in the extra effort to separate the leaves from a few sprouts, I started a half cup of Lundberg Farms Japonica rice. That's the combination of black and mahogany rice that I find so full flavored and perfect to combine with vegetables to make a full meal. My local Publix carries a selection of various Lundberg rices. Unfortunately, they don't carry this one. I pick it up at Whole Foods or Chamberlin's and try to always have an extra package tucked away as it makes a great meat substitute for stuffing veggies as well as a good base for a variety of rice bowls.



I gave the rice a little boost by starting it as I would for risotto. After rinsing the rice well in cold water, I heated a small sauce pan with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and added half a medium sweet onion, finely chopped. Once the onions had begun to sweat, but not browned, I added the rice and sautéed for a moment or two, stirring to coat each grain with oil, then I added a generous splash of dry vermouth and let that cook down before adding the water and salt, bringing it to a boil, then covering and turning down to a gentle simmer. This hardy rice takes about 40 minutes to cook. I use a pot with a glass lid so I can keep an eye on the evaporation process after the first 30 minutes. Once it appears dry — I leave it covered and move it off heat while I proceed with the rest of the meal preparations.




I have to plead guilty to having no pistachios in the house, but I did have walnuts, almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. Any one of them would have served well to replace the pistachios, but I chose the hazelnuts. I thought the rich, full-bodied flavor, skins and all, would stand up well to the sprouts.



The combination of meaty black rice, sprouts and nuts made a delicious rice bowl once seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. The addition of fresh lemon juice, before serving, gave the bowl a fresh, lively kick. The amazing feature is the bottom line. . . I used a half cup of rice, two shallots, 8 sprouts, a quarter cup of chopped hazelnuts and the juice from half a lemon.

You do the math based on where you live and where you shop — how little does this cost?

Not only is this inexpensive, but how easy it is to prepare a delicious meal simply and quickly with just a handful of ingredients. And the hidden benefit? It's super nutritious!

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Sunday mid-day meal is often an indulgence of cooked food. While whole and unprocessed, it does have a tendency to be a bit high in the carb department, often with a generous helping of dairy in the form of cheese or sour cream.

Today's treat is a version of the popular peasant food reputed to have originated in Naples, pasta with puttanesca sauce. Roughly translated: "in the style of the whore". The Italian word for whore being puttana.

Legend has it that it was a quick, easy meal for the 'ladies of the evening' to prepare in between customers. Another school of thought suggests the name was derived from the Latin word, putida "stinking", as the strong aroma of the sauce would attract men from the street.

The original version includes anchovies. I often skip the anchovies, relying solely on good quality olive oil, flavorful tomatoes, with kalamata olives and capers ensuring a depth of flavor that is rich and pleasing even without the signature ingredient.

This is a very simple sauce, made quickly while the pasta cooks, using pantry ingredients.

Make it a few times and you'll come to rely on it for a quick meal served over pasta or as a full flavored accompaniment for a mild fish fillet or chicken breast. It will be equally impressive in the dining room for company.

The sauce is a thoughtful gift item, too. Bottled up in a quart canning jar, tied with a big ribbon, nestled in an attractive little basket along with a loaf of crunchy, peasant bread or a bottle of red wine, it makes a unique birthday, thank you or hostess gift.

Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes in puree with basil (or fire-roasted crushed tomatoes)

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved and pitted

3 anchovy fillets (if using)

1-1/2 TBS drained capers

1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 pound thin spaghetti

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about one minute. Add tomatoes, olives, anchovies(if using), capers, oregano and crushed red pepper. Simmer sauce over medium heat until thickened, breaking up the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While sauce cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al denté. Drain and return to pot, add sauce, toss to coat. Serve with grated cheese.

Let's Make A Mango Tango

This is a delightful tropical taste treat loaded with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements providing synergistic wellness.

Sure beats popping pills!

Mango Tango
8 oz freshly squeezed orange juice

one frozen banana

one banana (very ripe)at room temperature

one cup frozen mango cubes

torn leaves from 3- 4 kale stems (or more)

Blend fruit and juice

then add washed, torn kale leaves and pureé until smooth.

Drink up and Enjoy!

The Mango Tango

Raspberry Romaine Royale

When is green not green?

Here's a green smoothie that's like a leopard hiding its spots. The vibrant red of the raspberries overpowered the pale green of the Romaine leaves.

Every now and then I run out of dark green leafy produce. This was one of those days. With a trip to the produce market planned for later in the day, the best I could come up with this morning for breakfast was a crisp heart of Romaine, not quite as light as iceberg lettuce, but definitely on the pale side when compared to my favorites, kale and spinach.

But what a taste treat this combo produced, thick, rich and creamy. Sweet with just a tingle of tartness from the raspberries. This could easily pass for a frozen dessert.

Raspberry/Romaine Royale

1 cup apple juice

1 fresh banana

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 heart of Romaine

Blend well and enjoy - a spoon may be required!

The Green Smoothie Queen Challenge

Here it is, the first day of the three day green smoothie challenge. The Raw Divas have put together some great, encouraging information, along with a grocery shopping list, some suggestions for wholesome, tasty combinations of fresh fruits and vegetables to help us all along as we pursue our own particular goal.


Some of us have chosen the raw food path as a means to weight loss. Others are looking for a better way to stay healthy, to prevent debilitating diseases and to build a strong immune system. Those of us who are ill, are looking for a more natural, holistic approach of treatment. And still others are eager to have baby-soft skin again with a glowing complexion free of blemishes. Isn't it amazing that what we eat or don't eat can play such a major role in all the scenarios above?


I first met up with The Raw Divas and their Seven Day Raw Food Detox in July. Since then, I've had a green smoothie EVERY morning. And my other two meals are usually raw. Big salads or for dinner, a light, cooked veggie assortment.

I have gone from a size 14 to a size 10.

I have superb energy, look good for my age (68), have soft skin and feel super. I will add that I'm a breast cancer survivor, twice. Once in 1983 and most recently, just this past month, November 2007. Eating well and carefully is very high on my priority list. I attribute eating well to the long 24 year span between episodes. But I could have done better. I ate no processed foods, avoided deadly whites, ate primarily vegetarian, but I certainly did fall prey to a sugar addiction as well as many rich, gourmet foods that while whole not processed, still were not the healthiest nutrient choices I could have made.

Here's the beginning of this morning's smoothie. I had half the finished rich, green smoothie for breakfast and the other half for lunch. This was a great tasting combo that consisted of the juice from two oranges, a frozen banana, a large chunk of fresh pineapple (about the equivalent of 4-5 rings), a handful of frozen mixed berries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries and 1/2 a 10oz bag of spinach.

I had a big glass full (12 ounces) for breakfast and the remaining big glass full for lunch. I just had a crisp, juicy organic Braeburn apple for my mid-afternoon snack. I plan on preparing another big green smoothie for dinner — soon. This one will have more veggies and less fruit. After all, it's dinner not breakfast now!

For those who are just embarking on the raw food lifestyle adventure, this may seem strange and contrary to the long established habit of eating cooked foods. But if you give it a shot with an eager open mind, it won't take long to see the results, feel the difference and have it become second nature to reach for the blender instead of the sauté pan when meal time rolls around.

BLEND 'EM UP!

The Kitchen Aid 5 Speed Blender

I recently treated myself to a new blender. Making a vibrant, green smoothie at least once a day, if not twice, increased my wish for a more powerful machine than the old Krups blender that has served me well for at least 15 years. The challenge with the Krups involved constantly stopping the machine and rearranging the frozen fruit, or pushing down the greens to get everything smooth and creamy.

I've been researching blenders. The Vita-Mix and/or the Breville are great machines if price isn't an issue. But if finding a reasonable, heavy-duty blender is your goal, This Kitchen Aid machine is great for a machine in the $100 range. Check out the details.

The first time I used it, it blew my mind, how quickly and thoroughly everything was pureed without any effort on my part except for pushing the button! Way to go.

If you're planning on joining The Raw Divas for the 3-day Green Smoothie Queen Challenge, having a blender is about the only piece of equipment you'll need along with a supply of fresh greens.

Diva Keely, has posted information, along with a great image of green smoothies charmingly held in a special green smoothie container imprinted with words that offer uplifting encouragement , as we consume these great drinks filled with live foods providing vibrant health and super energy.

It's not too late to sign up to join us for what promises to be a fun-filled experience starting December 17th.

Go Green!

What's Dreamy, Creamy and Green?

This may look like any other green smoothie, but let me tell you, it's not!

My neighbor brought me half of a beautifully ripe papaya from a local tree - no pesticides or fertilizers used. I blended it with a little water to move things along, added a frozen banana and two big hands full of spinach. This is absolutely scrum-delicious.

Check out the nutritional facts of the humble papaya. This is a delicious fruit that rates up in the top three of top nutritional fruits. Great as a digestion aid and particularly helpful to folks trying to lose weight.

The Raw Divas are hosting a 3-day green smoothie challenge beginning December 17th. Consider joining us. This would certainly qualify for a very green smoothie. Mildly sweet, rich and creamy, packed with unadulterated whole foods nutrition — without a taste hint of its healthy properties — just a mouth-pleasing, tummy soothing treat.

If you can find a fresh papaya, try this, it's fabulous. I'm going to check the freezer cases for fresh, frozen papaya chunks to use when local papayas aren't available. And I'm going to boldly ask my neighbor if there are any more where this papaya came from!

The Easier Way to Cleanse and Get Your Dream Body - Kevin Gianni

Check out this informative article by Kevin in the latest issue of News Target. Kevin is the author of The Busy Person's Fitness Solution, check out his site for some great guidance and while there, sign-up for his newsletter.

I really enjoyed Kevin's analogy, comparing our fastidiousness with daily showers while completely ignoring the sludge/gunk /filthy build-up inside our bodies. It's our insides that allow us to function. What's up with that? Most of us completely ignore the important parts, the ones that don't show, while lavishing time and products on the parts that do. As if eye shadow and mascara will allow us to live longer and better.

Loved, too, the quote of the title of Jane Pentz's book, If You Don't Take Care of Your Body Where Will You Live?" Great food for thought, isn't it?

Check out Kevin's article. After reading it this morning, I donned the walking shoes and headed out with a new spring in my step. This was the first cleansing, BEFORE the shower and shampoo!

* * * * * * *

Book Nook

I managed to find quite a few 'good reads' over the past two months. Besides those listed, I started quite a few others, but gave them the Nancy Pearl treatment. To paraphrase:

Give a book 50 pages, if you can't get interested at that point, move on to another book. BUT if you're over 50 years of age, deduct your age from 100. The remainder is the number of pages you can afford to give a book that doesn't grab you from the first paragraph or at least the first page.

October 2007

Sweet Revenge Diane Mott Davidson

Flesh and Blood Michael Cunningham

Pontoon Garrison Keillor

Resurrection Row Anne Perry

The Bone Garden Tess Gerristen

Shoot Him If He Runs Stuart Woods

The Food Revolution John Robbins

Almost Moon Alice Seybold

World Without End Ken Follett

November 2007

Book of the Dead Patricia Cornwell

The Lottery Patricia Wood

Paris Trout Pete Dexter

The Way Life Should Be Christina Baker Kline

Montana Sky Nora Roberts

Bridge of Sighs Richard Russo

The Golden Notebook Doris Lessing

Now and Then Robert Parker

New England White Stephen L. Carter

Read - it's a great exercise for the mind, a relaxing escape, and it provides a wealth of enrichment.

It's a Dicey Business

Israeli Salad

Kristen Makuch's latest newsletter has some great, easy-to-make, raw salad dressings, as well as instructions for making chopped salad to have on hand in the fridge. Reading it prodded me to make up a batch of Israeli salad — an old favorite, long neglected.

Check out Kristen's website and while there, sign up for her newsletter. It's a wonderful resource, filled with great ideas to give us some nice diversity on our raw food journey.

I first made an Israeli salad following Mollie Katzen's instructions in her fabulous cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. It was my first vegetarian cookbook, a Christmas gift in 1985 from my son, Bill. Many more of Ms Katzen's volumes have found there way into my collection over the years, but the first one is perhaps the most memorable . It was certainly the most used.

Mollie's version includes minced dill pickle, sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives as well as sliced radishes. Most versions you find on the Internet are pretty straight forward with a simple dice of tomato, cucumber, scallions, parsley (or an assortment of fresh herbs such as dill and/or mint). The salad is dressed with a little olive oil and the juice from a large lemon. For the sake of 'raw', I made mine without the added olives and pickles and no radishes, but only because I had no radishes in the house.

Basic Israeli Salad

3 Kirby cukes, unpeeled, diced

3 plum tomatoes, diced

3 sliced green onions - white and green part

1 medium red pepper, diced

1/2 - 1 cup finely-minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice from 1 large lemon

salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss all ingredients together gently and chill. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and is great served on its own, but I like to incorporate it with fresh, crisp lettuce.

This big bowl of juicy, crunchy greens with the vibrant, flavorful diced vegetables makes a super lunch or quick supper. With the Israeli salad ready in the fridge, washing and spinning some hearts of Romaine makes for an instant meal.

For those of you who are pursuing a whole foods diet, but not necessarily 100% raw, here's a nice little finishing touch:

Ciabatta with fresh ricotta and organic fig spread.

The bread, organic white whole wheat, is sliced super thin, then lightly smeared with a teaspoon of fresh ricotta cheese and a half teaspoon of fig spread. Low on calories, big on flavor — a wonderful way to finish off a light veggie meal and the perfect mate for a mellow Merlot.

Whole fresh foods — fabulous flavors, nifty nutrition — give it a try.

Champagne Omelette

Enough of the holiday leftovers, I said. Yet, when I opened the fridge to get out the eggs, I found another leftover — a forlorn, opened, bottle of bubbly with a decent amount left, sans bubbles, to be sure, but with a lovely, dry, fruity, lasting reminder that there's still some life left after the mimosas have been consumed.

I planned on sautéing some minced sweet onion, and red pepper with a small diced Yukon Gold spud. After the mix began to sauté in a little olive oil, I gave the vegetable medley a pinch of kosher salt, a few grinds of spicy peppercorns, and then a generous splash of the flat sparkling wine. I popped on a lid, for a few moments, to let the flavors marry, and give the veggies a little steambath in the fruity haze. Then with the lid removed, I turned up the heat a bit to let the liquid evaporate and to finish up the peppers, potatoes and onions as they turned a lovely golden brown, before adding two well beaten eggs whisked with a little half and half, a touch of salt, a few grinds of fresh pepper and a scattering of basil chiffonade.

Following my grandmother's frequent admonishment to "waste not; want not", I poured the remainder of the flat bubbly into a flute to enjoy with the plated omelette, a sliced tomato and a bit of sweet roll.

Among the many gifts and surprises my sons bestowed on me over the holiday weekend was a little individual panettone which turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to my hastily improvised champagne omelette.

Another simple, quick kitchen adventure.

Dressing with a Twist

Shortly before Turkey Day, I ran across Mark Bittman's take on a simple, crunchy dressing. One that's cooked outside of the bird, without eggs or stock. A light bready side accompaniment that turned out to be the prize winner of the assortment of food platters presented.

We've decided this is a must for the repertoire as it could easily be used with other animal offerings, how about as a side with pork chops?

But it will be a big hit with vegetarians as a great alternative filling for stuffed peppers, stuffed zucchini, perhaps wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves? Or as an interesting crunchy side with steamed veggies.

The easy instructions lend themselves nicely to alternative renditions. Changing the nuts, using different herbs, including other additions. I added sliced chestnuts to our Thanksgiving version. Dried cherries or even bits of dried apricots would be a lovely alternative with perhaps toasted hazelnuts in place of the walnuts.

I've noticed that the simple, yet very flavorful preparations that Mark Bittman offers, lend themselves very nicely to experimenting with variations or to using what's on hand.

Here's the New York Times video presentation of Mark making this tasty dressing:

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=8c6651319434f112dd72115973275b55f3125309

I used multi-grain, many seeded baguettes from Whole Foods Bakery along with sliced chestnuts, walnuts and the recommended tarragon. We've been eating the leftovers with a little gravy for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Two baguettes makes a lot of dressing!

Add this one to your files. It's a keeper!

Tropical Delight

Pineapples are flooding the market at reasonable prices. Take advantage. The combination of freshly squeezed orange juice, banana and fresh pineapple is a lovely light combo that makes a fine base for adding any dark leafy green. Romaine, kale, spinach are good choices.

This smoothie incorporates young spinach leaves, producing a very mild mix with no hint of bitter greens.

I used juice from 2 oranges, 1 cup of filtered water, 1 frozen banana, 1 fresh banana, approximately 1/4 of a fresh pineapple and once that was completely blended, added two big handfuls of spinach leaves.

Blend away and start your day! Delicious.

Fried Pie? Oh, Yeah!

This week one of my favorite cooks, food writers and New York Times columnist, featured a fried pizza. Leave it to Mark Bittman to tweak my curiosity yet again with a new twist on an old favorite. But it seems it's not truly a new twist.

My friend, Helen, tells me her aunt in Italy, fries dough all the time, and often it's served with just a coating of herbs and garlic. Nice accompaniment to soup or salad and a fine light bite to nosh with wine.

In addition to being intrigued with this novel method of cooking a pizza, I was pleased with the added benefit of not running the oven at 500° for an hour to get it as hot as possible, then another 25 - 30 minutes to bake the pizza. Not only because it narrows the gap between cooking and eating, but it also doesn't waste kilowatts. Going green is a good goal!

Here's Mark Bittman's pie professionally

photographed by Evan Sung of the NY Times.

Notice it has meat, tomatoes, cheese and fresh basil. The basic premise is simple: fried dough with a few fresh toppings. The fewer toppings the faster it cooks. With more toppings, adding a lid or running it under the broiler is suggested.

While I'd like to eat 100% raw, I'm not there yet. But I do curb the servings of cooked foods I eat. Additionally, I limit them to non-processed, whole, vegetarian foods. This quick stove top version of pizza filled the bill and provided a very satisfying Saturday night quick supper.

I had a jump start on the prep work as I had whole wheat pizza dough snuggled in the freezer. Early in the day, I took out a ball to defrost in the fridge and then let it rest at room temperature for a half hour before I started cooking.

A batch of pizza dough makes four 8 -10" pizzas. I use a very basic recipe and have had great success using King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat flour.

Dough: 1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp); 1 cup warm water (105° - 115°); 3 1/2 - 4 cups whole wheat flour; 4 TBS olive oil; 1 tsp salt.Mix dough ingredients, knead until smooth, let rise in oiled bowl. Once fully risen, punch down and form into four balls. Proceed with recipe or wrap well and freeze.

I used a very simple topping of one sliced vine-ripened tomato; 6 pitted and chopped Calamata olives, a handful of grated mozzarella cheese and a little dried herb mix of basil, oregano, dried red chili and sea salt.

Process: Prepare topping ingredients of your choice. Roll out dough to a 10" round. Heat 10" or 12" skillet over medium heat, add a thin layer of olive oil and when it shimmers, arrange dough in pan and continue cooking until bottom browns. Turn dough over in pan, arrange toppings on browned crust and continue cooking until bottom side is browned, toppings are warm, and cheese is melted. Add a lid to help warm toppings or alternatively, place under broiler to finish. With light toppings, as pictured above, adding a lid for a few minutes melted the cheese quickly and the whole process from start to finish didn't take but 5 - 6 minutes.

I'm eager to experiment with other toppings to produce some interesting flat bread snacks.

• Arugula, fig and goat cheese with tarragon • Spinach, roasted garlic and feta with oregano • Caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella with basil.

Combinations are limitless and will be fun to play around with. Drizzles of flavored oil when serving can add another interesting dimension. Bring on the wine and let the party begin!

Now, This Is Really Green

Drinking up a true green drink seemed a bit formidable to me a few months ago, but I made the gradual transition from standard breakfast fare to fruit smoothies, then added greens to the fruit smoothies and now I've gone to another level with mostly greens, juiced with just a bit of sweet veggies and/or a bit of fruit.

Once I'm drinking dynamite juice made with all fresh, organic green veggies, I'll have arrived at a good plateau toward my goal of achieving optimum health.

Meanwhile, I'm having a grand time, filled with energy and a sense of adventure as I experiment with combinations that are easy to swallow, yet still offer a wide variety of nutrients.

The glass of green juice above is simply:

2 Kirby cucumbers

1/2 bag of baby spinach (6 oz)

half a cantaloupe.

I chose to juice this combo rather than blend it, though it would work equally well in the blender, but wouldn't have the clear, deep green color. The added benefit to using a blender is keeping all the fiber from the pulp rather than extruding it in a juicer. I was aiming for a pre-dinner juice, not a meal replacement. But it turned out to be dinner, as it filled me sufficiently.

Someone asked me how to eliminate the foam that is created with juicing — I tried two methods.

First, I tried straining the juice into the drinking glass and only had a very small 'head' as you can see in the image below.

Then, I tried carefully pouring the juice into the serving glass, allowing the clear juice to slip out from underneath the layer of foam. Straining was a time consuming step that I'd just as soon eliminate. Pouring slowly at a good angle worked for me. I suppose you could skim off the top foamy layer much as you would if you were de-greasing gravy. If anyone still does that.

The foam is fine to drink. "Waste not; want not."

Experiment with a green drink — it's much tastier than you think!

Green Goddess

Green drinks have become a staple in my smoothie repertoire, whether a fruit combo for breakfast or a straight veggie drink for lunch. An image of either doesn't look much different as the green color dominates. With a fresh pineapple on hand, yesterday I blended with kale and this morning I used spinach.

Here are a few ideas to add lots of green goodness to your daily diet.

Green Goddess

1 cup water

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1 big handful frozen peach slices

3 - 4 pieces of kale with stems removed

or
2 big hands full of spinach

Luncheon Green Drink

2 Kirby cukes, peeled and chopped

1 stalk of celery, minced finely

4-5 big dark Romaine leaves

2-3 kale leaves only

1/2 bunch of cilantro

1 minced apple (for sweetness)

If I were making this in a juicer instead of a blender, I would have included a couple of carrots for sweetness instead of the apple. My blender can handle apple but it chokes up on carrot!

And for those who'd like a little cooked food, how about some curried vegetables?

This mix includes: sweet onion, sweet red bell pepper, jalepeño, green beans & cauliflower.

Quick and Easy Curry Stir-Fry (serves two)

1 TBS olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 TBS hot curry powder (Madras)

1 sweet onion, cut in wedges or thickly sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

1/2 lb of green beans, in 1/4 inch slices

1 plum tomato, sliced

This is not an authentic rendition of Indian curry, but it's a fast, tasty supper. Quantities are approximate, increase based on number of servings desired.

Over medium heat start the garlic and curry powder in the olive oil, as the garlic becomes fragrant (not browned) add onions and red pepper, sauté for a few minutes then add cauliflower and green beans. Toss to coat well with curried oil and continue to cook over medium heat until veggies are crisp tender, toss in sliced tomatoes and combine for another minute or two.

Another option is to add a can of coconut milk toward the end and cook down for a few minutes to make a luscious sauce.

Till next time. . . Eat Well!

Not All Salads Are Created Equal

Often, when someone says 'salad', we think of the standard, boring, tossed salad: lettuce, cuke, tomato, pehaps some onion and a few croutons, all drenched in calorie laden dressing.

Big green salads, loaded with bits of other raw vegetables are a mainstay for the raw foodist and also compromise a good portion of the diet of most vegans. The big energy boost, along with the wealth of nutrients a well combined salad provides, makes it the ideal meal for most of us.

Combinations of fruit and vegetables, leafy greens and crunchy sprouts make interesting salad ingredients. The possibilities are only limited by our imaginations and what's available at the market.

The salad above contains slivered spinach, thinly sliced green cabbage, a little sliced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, a generous sprinkling of snack sprouts, a bit of fresh pineapple and a sliced banana. This combination seems to have a bit of an Asian theme.




Alternating different dressings can give the same salad a distinctly different flavor and helps to avoid any sense of boredom from eating the same old thing day in and day out.



I highly recommend Nomi Shannon's wonderful book, The Raw Gourmet, for ideas on salad combinations and easy to make raw dressings.

I made up a small amount of Asian Dressing, from Nomi's book, using a fraction of the amounts called for as this was a salad for one, not a family.


With a base of raw tahini, a bit of tamari, some good oil, grated ginger, garlic and a sprinkling of Chinese 5-spice powder, a pinch of cayenne and cumin, it took no time to shake up a little tasty dressing. Dressing leftovers will store well tightly covered in the fridge.


This book is one of my favorite resources providing great ideas for interesting, healthy meals.
The salad pictured below isn't actually in the book, but browsing through the various offerings, all beautifully photographed by Edmond Fong, gave me the basic idea for combining spinach and cabbage as a great green, crunchy base.

Use your imagination and fill the salad bowl with fresh, juicy, crunchy greens and lots of other fabulous fruits and vegetables to round out the meal.

Till next time . . . To eat well; eat raw.

Disguise the Green

Would you like the benefits of a green smoothie without it being green?

The deep color of blackberries rules in this smoothie.

This morning, quite by chance, I blended up a neat combination that included a couple of bright green stalks of kale, apple juice, banana and blackberries. The resulting smoothie is royal purple in color without a trace of bitter kale flavor.

1 cup apple juice

1 frozen banana

1 cup blackberries

2 stalks of kale, curly leaves only - no stems

1/2 cup of water (if needed to thin it out)

I suspect the sweetness of the apple juice contributes a good deal to the smooth, sweet flavor.

Fresh Roll-Ups

Saturday lunch time rolled around and I faced decision time again. With a fridge and counter top filled with a new supply of fresh produce, the options were plentiful. What to have for lunch?

I'd brought home two ears of yellow corn, small but well filled out. Young ears, picked before the kernels had reached full maturity, and definitely before they'd lost a lot of flavor and tenderness. With veggies, smaller is most often better. It's late in the season to find ears of corn still in the husk, with the corn silk not all dried out. I knew I'd best use them up quickly to get the most nutrition and best flavor.

The veggie bin held some odds and ends and while I'd brought home a nice array of organic, vine-ripened tomatoes, they still needed a few days on the window sill to reach their best flavor. But I had a couple dozen grape tomatoes, red and juicy sitting on the counter begging to be used up quickly.

Armed with half a large red bell pepper, a few slices of red onion, a medium sized green jalepeño pepper and some bright green outer leaves of Romaine—I set about preparing lunch.

Aside from the many nutritional benefits derived from eating fresh raw fruits and vegetables, is the added advantage of the ease and speed with which a meal can be prepared. I quickly sliced the kernels from the cobs, minced up the couple of slices of red onion, minced the piece of red pepper and the jalepeño and just for the novelty, instead of simply slicing the grape tomatoes in half, I sliced them up, too.

Once all tossed together, I added the zest from a lemon and the juice from half the lemon. Some fresh herbs would be an interesting optional addition. The large romaine leaves made juicy, fun wraps for scoopfuls of the veggie medley. Have an abundance of napkins handy.

OR . . .

For those who prefer their salad eaten with a fork rather than out of hand, and for those who are not looking for a 100% raw rendition, here's the same salad tossed with the Romaine leaves torn into bite sized pieces, tossed with a little olive oil and a dash of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of crumbled goat cheese. Still a great way to include lots of fresh veggies to a meal or as a meal.

Eating out of hand, with no processed additions, is juicy good and lots of fun!

Till next time . . . to eat well; eat raw.