Half way there.....

Such an exciting time! Half way through our challenge, or experiment as I now like to call it.  

Who's still in? Who's out? Whatever, I'm sure each and every individual is doing what feels right for them right now so no judgement.  

Just lots of yummy, healthy clean food and good feel vibes.

Like I said in my last post, I have a special treat for y'all. 

I managed to convince a very lovely and extremely talented lady to do a guest spot on the blog.  

I first came across her through Instagram because i just LOVE the look of her dishes and the combination of ingredients she uses.  

Her meals, are the only ones that actually make me want to eat cooked food again!

One day, I hope to get to sunny California and have a macrobiotic vegan fest with this girl.

I've asked her to answer a few questions and she's also very generously provided us with a clean dessert recipe you'll love.  I know I can't wait until the month is over so that I can try it out.

Here she is, in her own words :)

Hello everyone! My name is Diem Ly and I am stoked to be a part of Brenda's Clean Eating March! Let's see... I am a recent college grad from Berkeley who now lives in San Jose, California, tutoring elementary school kids and applying to law school. I love cooking, taking photos of the food I cook, hiking, yoga-ing, Instagramming, and traveling while Yelping for the newest vegan restaurant to try. I also listen to NPR a lot.

1.  What is your eating philosophy?

My eating philosophy is to enjoy eating. Sounds simple enough, but I enjoy my food most when it satisfies not just my palate but also my emotional, mental, and physical needs. When eating makes me feel good in all of these ways, that's when my heart really sings. Over the 4 years since I reinvented my diet, I've found that the kind of food that consistently does this is generally plant-based, whole, organic, seasonal, balanced, and made well. Not all my meals check all these boxes, but I try my best to encompass all these elements in my everyday cooking/eating.

2.  When and why did you decide to eat this way?

I tried going vegan once in high school after reading an article about animal testing, but gave up after a week because I didn't know how to cook and my mom convinced me that all I could ever eat was tofu (sadly, there are so many people who still think that!). The second time I tried going vegan was under entirely differently circumstances. I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia during my second year of college and after fortunately going into remission, I gained a whole new perspective on life, especially health. To be perfectly honest, the most painful thing about being sick wasn't being sick at all. One can get used to the physical pain, but not so much the fear of never being able to achieve your dreams, and definitely not the sight of the people you love most wrought with worry. So more than anything, I wanted to take control of my health and well-being. My doctors, as lovely as they were, actually told me that it was all up to chance if the disease would return. I refused to believe it, initially out of stubbornness. But after doing my own research and hearing/reading the stories of literally hundreds of people, I refused to believe it because of the sheer facts and science that demonstrate just how much of an influence our diet has on our health. This led me to practice a macrobiotic diet with the help of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and later, a macro counselor from the Bay Area. Soon, I was able to get off any medications that were prescribed for the side effects of the treatments, to the pleasant surprise of my doctors.

I am thankful everyday for my health, and attribute much of it to how I eat. But my diet has become more than a cure for physical illness; it is also one way I practice what I believe in. My last two years at Berkeley were especially insightful, as I delved into the other dimensions of food both in and out of the classroom. I learned about, and was appalled by, the current conventional farming practices that harm the environment, the treatment of workers, especially the undocumented, in the food industry, the treatment of animals, and the inequitable distribution of power between corporations, farmers, and consumers. I don't think eating a macrobiotic/vegan diet will make everything better, but I believe not doing so does make it worse. 

3.  Have you noticed any changes since changing your eating philosophy (if any)?

I've never felt better physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's hard to describe what exactly this feels like and I really don't think you can understand until you've experienced it. In short, I will never go back to eating the way I used to! 

4.  What is your favourite dish to cook?

This is a nearly impossible question to answer!  Lately though, I've been having a blast experimenting with different sauces/dressings for raw and boiled salads! I just made a super simple pumpkin seed dressing that was seriously out of this world.

5.  What ingredients are a must-have for your fridge/pantry?

I'm going to self-impose a limit of 10 items for my answer because the list would go on forever otherwise! 

Brown rice, kale, miso, seaweed (I never run out of nori or wakame), beans (adzuki is my favorite), a seasonal fruit (tonsss of blueberries if they are in season. I could pretty much live off the stuff), brown rice syrup, sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce), and sesame seeds!

6.  Juices or smoothies?  What do you prefer and what combination?

Smoothies! Coconut water, kale, blueberries, peaches, mangoes, and chia seeds.

7. Sweet or savoury?

mmm....Savory

The recipe I'd like to share with you today is one of my favorite desserts, and I picked it because I thought it would be perfect for the summer in Australia. Though I wouldn't necessarily call this dessert macrobiotic, it does embody the macrobiotic principle of "balance". It is tart and sweet, cold and warm, and creamy but with a kick from the ginger. The ingredients are also good for you! I apologize in advance if any parts of the recipe are unclear. I usually don't cook with or write down my recipes. Please ask for clarifications!

COCONUT-LEMON PANNA COTTA with MAPLE-GINGER SYRUP

(serves 1-5, depending on portions :D)

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

1 cup (about half a can) of coconut milk

1.5 teaspoons of agar flakes

1/4 cup of water

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

a few drops of vanilla extract

2-2.5 teaspoons of lemon juice (I like mine more tart)

Maple-Ginger Syrup

1 teaspoon of unrefined coconut oil (optional but highly recommended)

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of maple syrup

3 teaspoons of fresh ginger juice

Toppings (optional)

toasted coconut 

sliced mango, or caramelized bananas/ripe plantains.

Method

PANNA COTTA

1. Place agar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let the flakes completely dissolve. (It's okay if it does not completely dissolve, but you'll get jelly bits in your panna cotta).

2. Add in the coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. 

3. Turn off the heat and add in the lemon juice. This is a good time to taste the mixture and adjust before you transfer it to your molds.

4. Pour the mixture into small ramekins or any kind of molds you'd like. (I like to use my ceramic cupcake mold or when I'm lazy, I just pour it into a big ol' bowl).  Remember to lightly oil the mold with coconut oil. This will help the panna cotta slide out later. 

5. Let cool and refrigerate for at least four hours. (I usually leave it overnight).

SAUCE (If preparing before the panna cotta is served, reheat when you're ready to serve)

1. Add the coconut oil, water, maple syrup to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. 

2. Add the ginger juice and let the mixture simmer and reduce for about 5-10 minutes, depending on your preferred thickness. I prefer it more runny.

3. Taste your sauce and adjust it to your liking. 

TO SERVE: Carefully remove the panna cotta from your ramekins and place on a serving dish. Drizzle the syrup on top of the panna cotta and top with toasted coconut and a slice of mango, caramelized bananas, or any other fruit you'd like.

ENJOY!

Okay, am I the only one who is drooling all over this right now?!

Like I said, the lady is amazing, so please check out her IG @dltvo and follow her already, you won't be disappointed!

I have also roped a few other ladies to do guest spots so I will keep them coming every fortnight if I can.  I think it's important to stay connected with like minded individuals, and each and every person I have asked so far is an inspiration to me.  I hope they inspire you too and that you get something out of their offerings.
A big THANK YOU to Diem for being the first lady to kick off what will hopefully be a monthly occurrence following #cleaneatingmarch.  Yeew, I'm excited!!!

Now for some more recipes to keep you going.  Hope you enjoy these, I've definitely had so much fun creating them, and much more fun gobbling them up :)

Smashed Avocado, Lime, Coriander and Pomegranate Sandwich
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 large field mushrooms
1/2 avocado
2 TBS pomegranate seeds
1 TBS coriander (cilantro for my USA friends)
Squeeze of lime juice
Seasoning to taste
1/4 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup grated carrot
3 slices of tomato
5 slices of cucumber

Method

Clean your mushrooms and remove the stalks (you can keep the stalks and used them in salads).
Mash your avocado with a fork so it's chunky, not smooth.
Fill one mushroom with the avocado, top it with pomegranate seeds, coriander and squeeze of lime.  Add your seasoning on top if desired.
Stuff your other mushroom with the salad materials and serve.

This is a really filling meal and reminds me of the big breakfast I used to have on sundays in my previous life.  If you are eating eggs, you can pop a soft boiled egg on it.  If you are eating cooked foods, you can also pop the mushrooms in a sandwich press and cook it that way. No need for oil.

I made this for my sister, with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a simple baby spinach and red onion salad with lemon juice.
Easy peasy lunch or breakfast.  No grains, no added fat, plenty of veggies, SO much flavour.  DO IT!

Mexican Salad
Serves 1

Ingredients

Salad

2 medium zucchini
2 cups baby spinach
1 large tomato
1/2 avocado
1/4 small red onion
Handful of kalamata olives
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup red capsicum
1 TBS hemp seeds (optional)

Mexican Mayonnaise
Makes approx. 2 cups

1/2 red capsicum
1/2 yellow capsicum
1/2 cup soaked and rinsed cashews
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cumin
1 eschallot clove(or garlic)
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/2 cup of water

Method

Spiralize the zucchini on the spaghetti setting.  Set aside.
Make the mayo by blending all ingredients together, taste and adjust seasoning.  Add to zucchini, enough to cover and coat (about 1/2 cup).  Store rest in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Place your zucchini noodles in a medium bowl and arrange salad ingredients on top.
Sprinkle on hemp seeds and serve.

I really love avocado, coriander and tomatoes so i used the sauce from above and threw this next dish together for dinner.  I was specially rushed that day and this was just such a quick meal.
Kind of like a deconstructed version of the above with some minor substitutions.

Corn Salsa and Mexican Noodles on Lettuce Cups
Serves 1

Ingredients

4 cos lettuce leaves
1 medium zucchini
1 medium corn ear
1 cup diced cucumber
1 tomato diced
1/4 cup red capsicum diced
3 TBS red onion diced
3 TBS fresh coriander chopped
1/2 lime juiced
4 slices of avocado
1/3 cup Mexican Mayonnaise

Method

Spiralize your zucchini on spaghetti setting and mix with Mexican mayo.  Set aside.
Cut the kernel of your corn and mix it in a medium bowl with the rest of the veggies, coriander and lime juice.  Season to taste.
Arrange the cos leaves on a plate and top each with the salsa and noodles, alternately.
Place the avocado slices on the plate and serve.

Nori Rolls with Cauliflower Rice and Veggies
Serves 1

Ingredients

Rice

1 1/2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
3 sprigs of coriander

Nori

1 nori sheet
1/2 carrot julienned
1/4 medium beetroot julienned
1/4 avocado, thinly slice
1/4 red capsicum thinly slice

Carrot and Red Cabbage Salad

1 carrot grated
1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 lime juiced

Method

Rice

Add all ingredients in a food processor and process until it resembles rice.
Set aside

Nori

Place your nori sheet on bamboo rolling sheet.  Add your cauliflower rice and pat down, should be about 3mm in height.  Leave a 2-3 cm gap at the edge.
Add your veggies and roll away from you.  Make sure you tighten as you roll otherwise it'll be too lose and the fillings will fall out.
Wet the edge with water and remove any rice that may be overflowing before you press down to seal otherwise it won't work.
Once sealed, cut into bite sized pieces.

Salad

Mix your ingredients together with the lime juice, season if you like and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Arrange on a plate, with salad in a little bowl of it's own and serve.

Orange and Pomegranate Salad with Citrus Cumin Dressing
Serves 1 (or 2 as a side)

Ingredients

2 oranges (I used navel)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/2 lime juiced
2 TBS orange juice (freshly squeezed)

Method

Peel and slice your oranges thinly, making sure you remove the pith as it can be bitter.
Arrange them on a plate with the baby spinach and sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds.
Mix juices with seasoning and cumin and pour on top.
Serve.

This would also go really nice with a grilled piece of fish if you are eating animal protein.

Dessert time!!

Pecan Ice Cream with Peach, Papaya, Prickly Pear and Pitaya
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
5 pecans
1/3 cup of each fruit, chopped

Method

Blend the bananas, pecans and vanilla extract in a high speed blender or food processor until it resembles ice cream.
Layer a glass with each fruit and ice cream.
Stuff your face!

p.s, this was breakfast!

Cinnamon Mousse with Fresh Figs
Serves 1

Ingredients

1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked and rinsed
1/2 cup water
2-3 medjool dates (depending on how sweet you want it)
1/4 tsp organic vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
3 fresh figs quartered

Method

Blend cashews, water, vanilla, dates and cinnamon in a high speed blender until super smooth and creamy.  I would add the water a bit at a time so you can control how thick it is.  You don't want it runny but a fluffy mousse like consistency.
Layer your mousse in a pretty cup with your figs and serve with fresh figs on top.

Lime and Strawberry Mousse with Almond & Date Crumble
Serves 1

Ingredients

Lime Mousse

1 avocado
1 lime juiced
zest of half a lime
1/4 cup coconut nectar (or 100% pure maple syrup)

Strawberry Mousse

1 banana
1 cup strawberries
1 date

Crumble*

1/2 cup raw almonds
6-8 dates

Method

Lime Mousse

Use a hand held blender to blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Set aside

Strawberry Mousse

As above

Crumble

Process all ingredients in a food processor until they can be rolled into a ball and hold it's shape.
*you will have some left over.  I made them into bliss balls and keep them in the fridge or freezer.  My girls love them and they're a great energy hit pre-work out.  Just don't eat too many though, they are meant to be an every now and again treat!

Construction!

Place some crumble on the bottom of a glass, add lime mousse, leaving a spoonful for the top. Add another layer of crumble, add strawberry mousse, add the left over lime mousse and top with crumble and a couple of fresh raspberries if you have any around.
LOVE in a glass :)

And last but not least, a smoothie combination that had me weak at the knees when I tried it.

Persimmon and Cinnamon Smoothie
Serves 1

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
2 small very ripe persimmons
1 pear
1 cup coconut water
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Blend and serve with a sprinkle of raw cacao nibs, flax meal and crushed pecans.
Mmmmmmmmm!

Do you ever get left over smoothie? I always make so much I end up drinking about a litre and a half of the stuff!
Whilst I'm not complaining, it occurred to me that I could freeze the leftovers instead of drinking until I'm overflowing, and have them as a healthy treat when I'm too lazy to make ice cream.  So there's an idea you may want to keep in mind for next time.

Wishing you another amazing week in Clean Eating March awesomeness.

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

love food, love love

It's been such an amazing start to the month, not only do I feel great after nearly a month of eating clean and mainly raw but I also took part in what is one of the most important of traditions.  

Yep, I got married!!!

Getting ready for the big day was an incentive for my new direction in eating and now that it's over, I don't think I want to stop!

Not feeling bloated, getting good sleep, feeling energised, getting compliments on my skin, all good reasons why I want to continue.  Not to mention that it's also so much fun experimenting with new tastes and textures when making a meal.

Of course, this isn't the first time I've gone raw, I did a month of raw a little while ago.  This time however, I did it a little bit different.

I didn't consume as much nuts and seeds as last time, and I also kept oils to a minimum.
I have been keeping mainly to the 801010 philosophy which basically translates to a high carb, low fat way of eating.
Basically, I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.  I get my fat from avocados or flax seed oil, chia and some nuts.
I get my protein, vitamins and minerals from veggies and fruit, making sure I eat a lot of greens which contain all the good things your body needs in abundance.

People ask me all the time if I feel any different now than I did when I ate animal products and the answer is always the same.  A big YES!
Now when I see someone tucking into fried foods covered in sauces, I actually feel a bit sick and I wonder if that person knows that what they are putting in to their bodies is actually doing them harm.
But that's not to say that all vegans are healthy, quite the opposite is sometimes the case.  
One google search of vegan food reveals some pretty scary stuff. Packaged soy products, not-meats, sugar laden cakes made from nutritionally devoid ingredients, these are not what your body is meant to be eating.  But hey, we're all human and we all make mistakes, I know I have.  I haven't always eaten what's good for me.  But if you can learn from your mistakes, then you are on the right track.
I think a common mistake people make when going down the vegan path is that they remove the animal products but don't replace it with anything.
This is why people look sick and pale. 
A diet full of starches and packaged foods is not sufficient to maintain good health.
At the end of the day, regardless of whether you follow a plant based diet or one that contains animal products, eating foods as close to their natural state is what is best.

So what does a raw foodie high carb low fat day look like?
I start the day with 0.5-1L of water.
Follow with a 1 L smoothie/juice, mostly green with some fruit.
Lunch is a big salad with lots of green veggies like kale, baby spinach, cos lettuce and whatever other veggies I have.  
Nori rolls are also a favourite because they are quick to make and super tasty.  Sometimes I replace the nori with rainbow chard leaves, or choy sum leaves.  I still haven't been able to find collard greens here but if anyone has, please message me, I'm dying to sink my teeth into those!!
Snack on fruit if I need to, or half an avocado.
Dinner is sometimes banana sundaes (i kid you not), salad, raw pasta, or some fruit or a smoothie, depending on my level of hunger.

If you think smoothies can get boring, then here are some that you can try to get you out of your smoothie rut.
All recipes serves 1

Pitaya, Blueberry and Banana

2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup pittaya cubes
water
a sprinkle of chia seeds (optional)

You know what to do!!

Pitaya, or dragon fruit as it's known in Australia, is said to be a good source of vitamin C, specially the red skinned variety.
Pitayas, like most fruit, are also rich in fibre and minerals, notably phosphorus and calcium.

The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and in particular Red Pitayas contain very little saturated fat.
Pitayas also contain significant quantities of phytoalbumin antioxidants.  WIN!

Banana, Blueberry, Beetroot and Pear 

2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 medium beetroot
2 small pears
water
ice

green on left, beetroot on right.

Green Smoothie

1 frozen banana
3 cos lettuce leaves
2 cups baby spinach
4 cm piece of celery
1/2 mango cheek
1 pear
water
goji berries for garnish (optional)

I had this particular combination of smoothies on the day before a fun run.
Beetroot is said to help with carrying oxygen in your blood, particularly helpful when you're going to be needing the extra oxygen I think!

Banana Chocolate Pie

2 frozen bananas
1 pear
1/4 avocado
2 medjool dates
2 TBS raw cacao powder
water
chia seeds and raw cacao nibs (optional)

When a chocolate craving calls, I don't shy away from it.  
I just make sure it's as full of as many nutrients as possible.
The avocado really gives it that creamy taste and the good fats your body needs.
The dates give it an extra touch of sweetness and a hint of caramel.
Are you drooling yet? I am!

Pine Green Smoothie

2 frozen bananas
1 large pear
3 kale leaves
2 handfuls of baby spinach
2 cups of pineapple cubes
8 mint leaves
water

We went on holidays with our girls after the wedding, more like a "famimoon" if you will.
We stayed at a caravan park but that didn't stop me from taking my hand held blender.
I just can't live without my breakfast smoothies!
This combination was really fresh and tropical and it just screamed out sandy feet and salty skin.

The Valentine's Edition

1 large frozen banana
3 kale leaves
2 handfuls of spinach
2 medjool dates
1/2 lemon juiced
1 punnet of strawberries
1 mango
6 basil leaves
water




We went to a strawberry and tomato farm the day before Valentine's day and had the pleasure of picking strawberries with our girls.
It was such an enjoyable experience, specially getting to eat them after our hard work.
I had to add them to my smoothie the next day, being Valentine's day and all.

Cherrie Berry Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen blueberry
1/2 cup of cherries, stones removed
1 pear
water

With the end of cherry season upon us, I tried to make the most of it by adding them to my smoothies and making some cherry ripe sundaes, but more on those later :)

Antioxidant Hit

3 kale leaves
2 handfuls of baby spinach
4 cos lettuce leaves
1/2 stalk of celery
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 TBS raw cacao powder
coconut water (about 300 mls)
Raw cacao nibs and dried coconut flakes to garnish

I really needed this after a weekend of celebrating with friends and drinking a glass of wine more than I'm used to.

Definitely did the trick though.  Felt so energised and revived after this little beauty, I think I'm going to keep it as my secret weapon anytime I'm having a down day.  Well, not so secret anymore but sharing is caring!

Pear Vanilla & Coconut

2 frozen bananas
2 large ripe pears
400 mls of coconut water
2 TBS of coconut flesh
1 vanilla bean, insides scraped out and added to the smoothie

It was hot and humid today and after my huge lunch, I just wasn't up to making a big salad so I whipped up this most uncomplicated smoothie and had it with a mixed fruit salad for dinner.
It was absolutely delicious and ended up being super filling too.  So satisfying.  


Sometimes I can't decide on what flavour smoothie to make, when that happens, I make a little bit of all the ones I want, stick it in a glass and call it a Breakfast Parfait!

 

The bottom and top layer is green smoothie, the second layer is blueberry smoothie and the white layer is just banana and coconut flesh.
Just make sure that you reduce the amount of water and ingredients so that you don't get any wastage.
What I did was use 1/2 a banana for each layer and that gave it the perfect consistency for each layer.

And before we move on to the more savoury dishes, I just have two more treats for you.

Choc Chip Banana Split
Serves 1

Ingrediens

2 frozen bananas
1 fresh large ripe banana
2 TBS raw cacao powder
1 tsp raw cacao nibs
1 tsp dried coconut flakes
3 fresh cherries

Method

In a food processor, place your frozen bananas and process until banana has broken up and starts to look like soft serve.  Add your raw cacao powder and process until it becomes incorporated into the banana ice cream.
Cut your large banana in half lengthways, place on a serving plate, spoon on your chocolate ice cream.  Top with fresh cherries, and sprinkle on the cacao nibs and coconut.
Enjoy!

and yes, i did have this for dinner!!

Cherry Ripe Sundaes
Serves 2

Ingredients

2 fresh cherries
1 TBS dried coconut

For Cherry Ice Cream                    For Chocolate Mousse

10 pitted fresh cherries                2 small avocados
2 TBS coconut milk                      2 medjool dates
2 frozen banana                         2 TBS of raw cacao powder
                                        1 tsp vanilla extract
                                        1/4 cup coconut nectar *

Method

For Cherry Ice Cream

Place all ingredients in your high speed blender (i use vitamix) and blend until ingredients are incorporated and resemble ice cream.

For Chocolate Mousse

Place all ingredients in your food processor and process until super smooth.
*coconut nectar can be hard to get, feel free to use 100% maple syrup if you can't find it.  I use loving earth and order it through their website.
Alternatively, you could leave it out and add some extra dates, possibly half the amount of raw cacao powder as it is pretty rich!

To Assemble

Just layer the chocolate mousse and cherry ice cream in whatever beautiful glass you have, top it off with a cherry and sprinkle on the coconut.
Too easy!

I placed mine in the freezer for a little while as it was a very hot day and I wasn't going to eat it until later.  You could double the recipe and make some to have in your freezer for those days when you don't have time to make something delicious.

Okay, let's go down to savoury town with these next few recipes.
Y'all know I love nori rolls and I've put up some recipes for them before so I may be repeating myself but so it goes....
I love the simplicity of them and the fact that you can add anything you want!  It's such an easy meal, and perfect for when you need to eat your veggies fast before they lose their sparkle.

Seasoned Seaweed Nori Rolls
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 nori sheets
1 cup of alfalfa sprouts
1/2 handful of enoki mushrooms
6 strips of red capsicum
100g of seasoned seaweed (i bought mine from the fish markets)

Method

Lay out your nori rolls on a sushi mat, make sure you have some water close by as you'll need it to seal the edges once you roll them.
Place your chosen ingredients in the middle, leaving about a 1.5 cm space at the edge.
Roll up, roll up, seal and serve with your favourite accompaniments.

 Note the pickled ginger.  You should try to include some type of pickled or fermented food in your diet, it really helps your digestive system stay in tip top shape.

I also love sauerkraut,  really delicious on it's own, or in fillings with some salad and tahini.

The following recipe is for a dressing that I made up when we were away.
As I said, all I had was my hand held blender so this was quick and pleased the family.

Minty Avocado Dressing
Makes approx. 1 cup

Ingredients

1 large ripe avocado
1/2 lime juiced
small handful of mint sprigs, leaves only (or more depending on how minty you want it)
Freshly ground pepper
Himalayan pink salt to taste

Method

Place all your ingredients in a blender (or use your handheld) and process until super smooth.

I served it on top of a salad made up of baby spinach, thinly sliced zucchini (use potato peeler, no spiralizer), grated carrots, capsicum, tomatoes and cos lettuce.
Fresh and delicious.

If you don't like mint, feel free to substitute with whichever herb tickles your fancy.
I also use this dressing like mayonnaise and add it to my nori rolls or when I make sandwiches for my girls.

If you eat salmon or tuna, this would be really nice if you substituted dill and had it in a wrap with some salad greens and capers.  

If you have any left over, it will last in the fridge for a max of 3 days.


Mango, Pineapple and Grapefruit Ceviche
Makes 6 cos lettuce cups

Ingredients

6 large cos lettuce leaves
1/2 large mango diced
1 cup of diced pineapple
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves sliced thinly
1/2 cup mint leaves chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
1/2 large red chilli thinly sliced (remove pith and seeds if you don't like it hot)
1 lime juiced
Himalayan sea salt 
Freshly ground pepper

12 grapefruit segments

Method

In a large bowl, mix your ingredients except for your lettuce leaves and grapefruit segments.
Do so gently with your hands, just enough to coat all the ingredients whilst keeping them fresh.  You don't want a squishy mess.  Remember, people eat with their eyes also ;)
Once mixed add your grapefruit and mix gently again.
Place your cos lettuce cups on a serving platter and carefully add your ceviche into the middle.

The idea is that you leave room to wrap them up in little parcel which you stick in your mouth and devour!

Ceviche is a dish that is traditional to my birth country Peru and I grew up eating it.
It is a really healthy dish that traditionally uses boneless white fish and it's eaten raw, with the only cooking taking place due to the acid from the lime and lemon juice.  It is normally served in a lettuce cup with a side of corn and sweet potato.  There is no oil used, and the only other ingredients are red onion, coriander, salt, pepper and chilli.
This is my version of a beloved dish that always reminds me of my family and Peruvian heritage.

Fettucine with Spicy Tomato Sauce*

Serves 2

Ingredients

For pasta

4 medium zucchini

2 handfuls of baby spinach

4 medium cup mushrooms sliced

8 kalamata olives sliced thinly

4 cherry tomatoes halved

2 basil leaves roughly torn for garnish

For sauce

2 large tomatoes

1 garlic clove

1/4 red onion

1/3 cup red capsicum

1 TBS tomato paste

1 small red chilli (remove seeds and pith if you don't want it too hot)

1 tsp dried oregano 

5 large basil leaves

1 medjool date pitted

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1/2 lime juiced

1/2 medium carrot

Method

For the fettucine

You will need a spiraliser or a potato peeler (please see previous posts re: how to do this).

Use whatever method to make the zucchini into fettucine.

Place zucchini pasta in a large bowl and add your other ingredients except basil.  Toss gently to combine.  Set aside.

For Sauce

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until super smooth.  

To serve, pour sauce over fettucine, sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.

if that's not fast food, i don't know what is!

*ok so this may not be completely raw due to the tomato paste.  You can make it completely raw by using sundried tomatoes and soaking them in water for 30 mins before adding them to your sauce.  I just didn't have any at hand but was craving this dish so bad.

Cherry Tomato Salad

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

20 cherry tomatos

5 large basil leaves

1/2 small red onion

1/2 lemon juiced

extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan pink salt and fresh pepper to taste

Method

In a large bowl, add all your ingredients and toss gently to coat with oil and juice.

Serve with your meal.

These are the tomatoes that we got at the farm.  They are award winning due to their amazing flavour and I just didn't want to complicate the dish. With flavour this good, it was best to leave things simple.

Choy Sum Wraps

Serves 1

Ingredients

Wraps

4 large choy sum leaves

1 cup of fenugreek sprouts (or whatever sprouts you like)

carrot sticks

red capsicum sticks

thinly sliced zucchini

Dressing

Tamari

Fresh chilli thinly sliced

Method

Place choy sum leaf on a plate and add fillings to the centre of the leaf, leaving some space on the bottom so that you can turn it up and tuck it when you are rolling so that your filling doesn't escape.
Roll them up and use a toothpick to secure them into place.
Place them, edge down, on your serving plate.

To make dressing, just add your tamari and mix it with your chilli and place in a little dipping bowl.

I served this with a yummy salad which is super easy but super tasty.

Apple and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Lemon & Poppyseed Dressing
Serves 1

Ingredients

10 brussel sprouts (remove tough outter leaves)
1 apple peeled
5 mint leaves sliced thinly*

Dressing

1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced
1 tsp poppy seeds

Method

Put your apple and brussels sprouts into a food processor and process until it resembles chunky crumbs.
Place in a medium bowl and add mint leaves and dressing ingredients.  Toss well to combine and serve.
Top with some pomegranate seeds (optional).

*an easy way to thinly slice herbs is to get all the leaves on top of each other, roll into a tight little stick and slice thinly.  Fast and gives you uniform strips.... and yes, I am a bit of a control freak.

So, that's me and my raw food clean eating adventures to date.
Lots of fresh, in season ingredients, which in this country, we are lucky to have in abundance.
Which brings me to a point I want to make.
Being able to have a choice about what food you put into your body is a gift.  I am humbled and grateful every day that mother earth has chosen me as one of the lucky people who can do this.
To eat food, (let's call it food but I don't believe that junk food is real food, just junk)that is bad for you and is doing damage to your body, is like shitting on those people who are not as fortunate.  Sorry to be so blunt and crude but seriously. 
And no, I don't believe that you necessarily have to have a plant based diet to do this.  Just be mindful of what you eat, where it comes from, what you waste, what you consume. 
Waste not, want not.

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

week 7

So i now only have 5 weeks left of the challenge.  I feel like the time has flown.  I am really entrenched in this way of eating now, and I'm wondering how I'm going to give it up, if it is that I decide to do that at the end.

Whatever the case, I feel like eating to nourish your body is not always a 'be all and end all' type of scenario.  It's more about what works for you, your body and your morals/ethics regarding food and food production.

This is not an easy idea to accept, specially for people like me who are stringent followers of the rules.  I've chosen to eat a plant based diet, and I am enjoying the ride, however, I don't want my health to suffer as a result of developing deficiencies, so my hope is that I can work through this and maintain this way of eating.

Now that we've got the serious stuff out of the way, let's look at some delicious summer treats that I've been playing around with.

I can smell summer in the air, it just keeps getting warmer in gorgeous Sydney, and there's nothing I love more on a warm sunny day, than stuffing my face full of ice cream.  

That's right, I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!

These two recipes are sugar-free but feel free to add a sweetener of choice if you like things a little extra indulgent. Personally I don't think you really need it, so give it a go without it.  I dare you!

Berry-coconut gelato
serves 2

Ingredients

2 bananas frozen
1/4 cup berries of your choice (i used frozen raspberries)
1.5 Tbs coconut cream
1 tsp sweetener of choice (optional)

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until it reaches the desired consistency.

Banana Peanut Butter Gelato
serves 2

Ingredients

2 bananas frozen
1 Tbs natural peanut butter
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp of sweetener of choice (optional)
1 tsp crushed peanuts for topping

Method

Place all ingredients except crushed peanuts into food processor and whizz until you reach ice cream consistency.
Serve with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts on top.
You could add the crushed peanuts and stir it through the gelato, I think that would add a really nice texture.  Crunch Crunch Crunch :)

Do you get the picture now?  

This is the simplest, most easiest way to make delicious, healthy ice cream in minutes, so there's always a new flavour that you can whip up at a whim.

I always have bags and bags full of bananas in my freezer.  It's such a good way to store them if you have them turning brown.  

I use them to make banana bread, cakes, smoothies, and of course, ice cream.
I picked up 2 kilos of bananas the other day for $2.50!!  Just because the skin is spotted and a little brown doesn't mean the insides are dying.  As long as there's no soft bits and black bruises, they're as perfect as unspotted ones.

Now, as you can see, the banana peanut butter gelato is not alone.  Next to it is a delicious serving of vegan chocolate mousse.
This indulgent treat is delicious on it's own, and also makes a great filling for a chocolate tart.

I have tested this out on my non-vegan friends and told them the secret ingredient afterwards and they couldn't believe it.
Give it a go and see for yourself.

Chocolate Mousse
serves 6 on it's own or makes one 8 inch pie tart

Ingredients

2 cups of avocado flesh (about 2 1/2 avos)
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup non-dairy milk of choice (i used oat milk for this one)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs arrowroot powder
1 Tbs almond butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (you can use cocoa powder if that's what you have)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 block of dark chocolate (i used Lindt 70% as it doesn't contain any dairy)

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor except for the chocolate.
Blend it until smooth, you will need to scrape the bowl a couple of times to make sure it's all incorporated.
In a double boiler, or in a bowl placed over some simmering water, melt your chocolate until smooth and there's no more lumps.
Add to avocado mixture and blend again until all mixed through.  Mixture will thicken into a delicious smooth blend.  Try not to eat it all!!

The mousse will harden somewhat when refrigerated, and if you are using as a filling for a tart, make sure you place it in the freezer for a couple of hours before you serve it.  It will make it easier to cut.

I have some recipes that work well for tart bases but I will post that up next week as I will be making some salted caramel and chocolate tarts this week.

I have made this as a tart before and it it delicious.  The best thing is that you can freeze the left overs and cut off a piece as you go.

It definitely is a rich chocolate flavour, so a small serving is really enough to satisfy your chocolate craving.

Now that we've had dessert, how about a main?

As I've said before, I HATE waste, so I made the following recipe with the left over risotto I put up in my previous post.  

I made a big batch of the sauce from my spaghetti veganese recipe, and used the left over to make a pasta for the family that included chorizo (they are NOT doing the challenge).

All you have to do is stuff your capsicum with the risotto, spread the pasta sauce on top and a little on the bottom of the baking  pan, and stick it in the oven at 180 degrees celcius and bake for about 30-40 minutes.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle some chopped herbs and some nutritional yeast flakes for some added vitamin B.

Add a side salad and there you have it!  

Now for another savoury dish. 

I was playing around with making some vegan pesto and this is what I came up with.

Tomato Pesto

makes approx. 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup basil leaves

1 1/2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup semi dried tomatoes

1/4 cup evoo

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method 

Place all ingredients in your food processor and process until nearly smooth.  Now, it will be a little bit thick so I added about 1 Tbsp of water at a time until I got the desired consistency.  I ended up adding 3 Tbsp but it's personal preference.

This is good to have on hand when you are stuck and need to jazz up a meal.  Here's two I used it with.

Quinoa Topped Mushrooms

serves 6 as a light meal

Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa rinsed and drained

1 tsp of vegan stock powder

1 1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 garlic clove minced

1/3 cup brown onion diced

1/3 cup squash diced

6 sundried tomatoes cut into strips

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh basil

3-4 Tbsp water

6 large field mushrooms

pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Clean mushrooms by wiping with a paper towel to remove dirt.  Place clean mushrooms, caps down on lined baking tray and place in oven for about 30 - 40 minutes.

Whilst your mushrooms are in the oven, place the rinsed quinoa in a medium saucepan with water and stock powder and bring to the boil over medium heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until all liquid has evaporated and quinoa is translucent and cooked.  Turn heat off.

In a frying pan, add your coconut oil, garlic, onion and squash. Cook until squash is a little soft but still has some crunch in it.  Add to quinoa.

Process your herbs and water with a hand held blender if you have it and add this mixture to you quinoa, along with the sun dried tomato strips.  Stir gently to combine.

Return the quinoa to a low heat and cook uncovered until there's no more liquid, this should only take about 3-5 minutes as there's not really that much water added.

By now, your mushrooms should be ready.

Take them out of the oven and place them on a plate, top with herbed quinoa and your tomato pesto.

Bon appétit!

Mediterranean Pasta

serves 1 

Ingredients

Wholemeal pasta or pasta of choice (enough for one person)

1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup of eggplant strips

1/4 cup brown onion diced

1 garlic clove minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

4 sundried tomatoes cut into strips

6 kalamata olives chopped

3 Tbsp tomato pesto (or more if you like)

1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped

2 tsp nutritional yeast 

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Cook pasta to packet instructions

Heat coconut oil in frying pan and add garlic, onion and eggplant, cook on medium heat until eggplant turns golden.

Add oregano, chilli flakes, sundried tomatoes and olives.  Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add to hot drained pasta.  Stir in pesto and parsley and mix until well incorporated and covering every inch of pasta.  Add your seasoning at this stage if you feel it needs it.

Plate it up and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Serve with some crusty bread and a basic salad.

I also use the pesto as a spread on my sandwiches, and stuff them with salad and baked pumpkin. Yummo!

On the body front, I am still losing hair :( but I have started taking the supplements and it's early days so I'm hoping it will stop soon.  I guess I have to give it some time.  I think about 4 weeks should be long enough to start to see some difference.  Fingers crossed!

Otherwise, energy levels are good, my sleep is still great, give or take a few nights when work has been really hectic, or my girls have a bad night.  But these are normal everyday things that would happen regardless of eating habits.

I've started doing some meditating, just small 5 minute intervals at this stage.  Trying to find a regular time to do it is the only problem as you can imagine.  At this stage, I can only do it at night after the family are all tucked in and asleep.

I know it's best to practice first thing in the morning but alas, it's a rare occasion when I wake up before everyone else.  I'm usually woken up by my youngest poppet calling out 'maaamiiiiii!' from her cot!!

But never fear, I will persevere.

Peas, love and mung beans

xxb