Raw Sweet & Spicy Sesame Noodles

17 Jun 2009 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

pasta 1

I obviously have a thing for Zucchini Noodles. I would say my go to SAD comfort food would be Long Pasta, so having these as a raw and much more beneficial alternative has been amazing!!

I grew up eating Cold Sesame Noodles from Chinese Restaurants and still think about that sweet, nutty taste! So although I don’t want to eat that any more, it is nice to come up with something similar while keeping it all Raw. This sauce is not as sweet and nutty as the Chinese Restaurant sauce but it was really great!! I want to keep experimenting maybe with more sweeteners and almond butter next time.

Enjoy 🙂

Raw Sweet & Spicy Sesame Noodles

Serves 3-4

  • 4 medium zucchini (peeled if NOT organic)
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup raw sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed oil
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup Nama Shoyu
  • 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup raw tahini
  • Couple drops of Stevia &/or 1-2 Tablespoons of Agave
  • 4 scallions, finely sliced
  • Hot Pepper/Chili Sauce (optional)
  1. In a bowl whisk the sesame oil, Nama Shoyu, rice vinegar, red pepper, agave &/or stevia drops and tahini, set aside.
  2. Spiralize the zucchini and then place the noodles on a paper towel to draw out some of the moisture.
  3. Divide the noodles into bowls and mix together with the Sesame sauce.
  4. Garnish with the scallions and the hot pepper sauce.pasta 2pasta 3

Halibut with Braised Fennel

08 Jun 2009 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking Tags: ,

halibut

This recipe is beyond fast. It will take you about 20 minutes total, so super great for when you are on the run! I love all things Fennel, you can do so many creative things with it. I personally love fennel tea and practically have it every day! This is a great way to use fennel in a dish, or just slice it up and try it out raw. So perfect for a summer salad!

 Halibut with Braised Fennel

Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook
2 servings

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 medium fennel bulbs (around 1 pound) trimmed and cut lengthwise into very thin slices
3/4-1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of water
2 halibut steaks, 1 inch thick

1. In a nonstick 12-inch pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds, toast, stirring for 1 minute.
2. Add sliced fennel, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
3. Stir n vinegar and water; cover and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened and glazes fennel, around 3 minutes
4. Reduce heat to medium. Salt and pepper the halibut and arrange in a single layer on top of the fennel. Cover and cook until the halibut turn opaque throughout and flakes easily when tested with a fork, about 10 minutes.

Green Goddess Pasta

02 Jun 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I love making delicious comfort food that is also super healthy! There was such a great smell to this dish, I knew the flavors would rock! Michael confirmed this as well since he was the one eating it! I love all things Kale so it was so great to add this to the pasta for that healthy, tasty punch. Plus Broccoli, olive oil and garlic; such a good combo! The pasta I used is so fun and colorful, anyone would love it!

pastaGreen Goddess Pasta

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

serves 6

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
6 tablespoons vegan or organic dairy butter (I prefer to use organic butter rather than vegan because of all the processed ingredients, but you could probably substitute oil instead to keep this vegan, or use vegan butter of course 🙂 )
3 quarts water
about 6 teaspoons fine sea salt
12 ouces whole wheat or brown rice elbow macaroni (I used Eden Organic Vegetable Shells Golden Amber Durum Wheat Pasta)
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise ad cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 bunch (about 4 ounces) kale, cut into 1/2 inch long strips
1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup pine nuts

Preparation

  1. In a 1 quart saucepan over low heat, combine the garlic and coconut oil ad cook, swirling occasional, until the garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat, add the butter,  swirling until it melts and set aside.
  3. In a -6 quart stockpot over high heat, combine the water with about 1 1/2 tablespoons salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until about 1 minute shy of being done.
  4. Stir in the zucchini, broccoli, and kale. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is cooked , about 1 minute.
  5. Drain the pasta mixture, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
  6. Return the mixture to the pot and stir in the garlic butter, pepper, 3 tablespoons f the pine nuts, and the remainging  teaspoon of salt, garlic and onion pepper.
  7. Transfer the pasta to plates or a platter, garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon of pine nuts and serve

Chicken Breasts Provençal with Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Broccoli

01 Jun 2009 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

I don’t eat chicken of course, but these are all flavors I love and I knew it would be a big hit! It smelled great as it was cooking and I was right, Michael loved it!

I love the technique of blanching tomatoes and peeling them. I learned this a while back in a cooking class at the The Natural Gourmet Institute and thought it was so cool that the 10-30 seconds the tomatoes spend in the water makes it so easy to peel them.

The Broccoli was great too! I steam broccoli most of the time, but Michael really enjoyed the crunch of the roasted Broccoli. It was insanely easy to cut up the broccoli and put in the oven. Such a great idea!

chicken and brocChicken Breasts Provençal

 Adapted from The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ripe plum tomatoes
  • 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons anchovy paste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 10 pitted brine-cured black olives, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon finely shredded basil
Preparation
  1. Core tomatoes and cut a shallow X in bottom of each, then blanch in a medium pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel, seed, and finely chop.
  2. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
  3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook chicken, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered. (I have a wonderful warming drawer that is so perfect for this!)
  4. Add garlic and anchovy paste to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits. Stir in tomatoes, stock, and olives and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in butter and any juices from platter.
  5. Add chicken and simmer until just heated through, about 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with basil.

Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Broccoli

Makes 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 pounds broccoli crowns, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper (depending on how much you like spice, this dish is not very spicy, so feel free to use more!)
Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss broccoli with 3 tablespoons oil in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Drizzle garlic mixture over broccoli; toss to coat. Roast until broccoli is beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl Revisited by Natalia Rose

14 May 2009 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

More from Natalia Rose! In her book Raw Food Life Force Energy  she has a great recipe called Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl. In her new book Detox for Women  which concentrates on limiting the intake of sweets to starve out Candida, which can wreak havoc all over your body if not properly handled! So she updates her recipe and calls it Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl Revisited. The basic difference is that in the original you use 4 dates* and in the revisited recipe you use stevia. If you are not familiar with stevia it is something great to check out. It is a natural plant that has sweet leaves. It has been used in the health and diabetic communities for years. My favorite brand (courtesy of Natalia Rose!) is NuNaturals.

I would not suggest this recipe if you are not a carrot fan or like carrot juice. But since I love both carrots and their juice this was a great one for me. Plus the gorgeous bright color is so appealing!!

Blended foods are so great for you and digestion. It is a perfect way to receive optimum nutrition that is simple for your body to digest. The most recognizable blended food item to picture is a smoothie. When we make smoothies in my house we always add greens to them to make sure we are getting the most nutritious meal we can. This soup is very similar, raw soups generally are just vegetable smoothies. They can be delicious and are really great for your body! I even drank my soup last night in a glass, so fun! You can make all sorts of recipes or try things out on your own. Blended foods are so incredibly easy! Take veggies, put in blender, enjoy! I don’t think it gets any easier!

* Dates are such a perfect food and nature’s sugar, but when trying to starve out Candida they should be avoided.

pumpkin pie in a bowl revisited

Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl Revisited

  • 32 ounce carrot juice
  • 1 cup sweet potato peeled cubed (I used 2 small sweet potatoes)
  •  1 or 2 packet stevia or drops
  • 1/2 Avocado
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Blend to perfection 🙂

Natalia Rose’s Raw Caesar Dressing

13 May 2009 5 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Vegan Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Natalia Rose is such a super star! I love her and all her books. If you are a woman you should check out her new book Detox for Women. She has great ideas, fabulous recipes, and really explains everything about eating this way pretty simply. Her book The Raw Food Detox Diet was one of the first books that I read on Raw food. I already knew some about eating that way, but her book really opened the door for me. In her books there are always different levels of the diet and she is never saying go from meat to raw overnight. There is a simple, easy approach that I found so welcoming and loved it!

Here is one of her fabulous recipes from The Raw Food Detox Diet that is so delightful! I have another Caesar dressing posted that is very different and Delicious. This one has such a great flavor and plus it is Nut free!!! The flavor was almost an asian caesar because of the nama shoyu and the miso. So awesome! Enjoy, I did 🙂

Natalia Rose’s Raw Caesar Dressing caesar salad from natalia rose

1/4 cup cold-pressed olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 medium stalks celery, cut into thirds
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet white miso
5 organic unsulfured dates, pitted
freshly ground pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients in blender and serve over romaine lettuce. You can use less water for a thicker consistency to use as a mayo.

*** I also added Grape Tomatoes for color, and the fact that lately I cannot get enough of them! I have never been a huge tomato fan and now I find myself seeking out these little gems. SO sweet and Delicious!

Strawberry Heaven: RAW Strawberry Shortcake & Avocado and Strawberries with Honey Vinaigrette

12 May 2009 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Desserts and Treats, Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I am not sure why but Sunday was all about Strawberries!! They are so juicy and good! Plus having such sweets all day was so much fun 🙂

The Cake recipe was not super difficult but it was time consuming since all the layers have to set in the fridge for a while. But it was well worth it! Oh My Goodness it was good! Thank goodness there is still so much in the fridge 🙂 I am sure there are people out there who think that eating Raw means no dessert. Well I can safely say this cake will prove them wrong! It is also nice to know that although it is dessert, these are still ingredients that are healthy and good for you, but still should not be eaten in excess.

RAW Strawberry Shortcake

top of cake

sede of cake

sliced cake

 RAW Strawberry Shortcake
This is a recipe from Carmella of the sunnyrawkitchen.com Inspired by Cafe Gratitude’s I Am RaptureThis recipe is for a 6″ diameter pan or tub. (I increased this to fit an 8″ spring form pan – so I increased the cake recipe by 1/2)
Cake
3/4 cup well packed dates, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1 cup ground almonds or loosely packed left-over pulp from making milk (wet pulp is fine)(I was able to use almond flour which is so perfect for this recipe!!)
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup cashews

Whipped Cream
1 cup cashews
1 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh coconut milk (simply blend 1 part dried coconut with 3 parts water in high speed blender)
1/8 – 1/4 cup honey or agave (depending on how sweet you like it – I like it sweet :))
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut butter
1 tablespoon lecithin*

Strawberry Layer and Decoration
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced (I used close to 2 1/2 cups with all the decoration on top! I wanted every bite to have tons of strawberries!)

*Lecithin is derived from soybeans and acts as an emulsifier. Look for lecithin (preferably non-GMO), in granules or powdered form, at your local HFS. If using granules, make sure to grind them up in a high speed blender of coffee grinder.

To make the Whipped Cream:
Blend all ingredients except lecithin until smooth. Add lecithin and blend until thoroughly mixed. Set in fridge for about 1 hr.(this is super important)

To make the Cake:
Place dates in food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. You may need to add a little water.
Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.

Assembly:
Grease a spring form pan with a little coconut butter or line a large margarine tub with plastic film.
Next form an even layer on the bottom with half of the cake mixture.
Top with 1/2 of the strawberries, followed by some of the whipped cream. Set in fridge for 20 mins.
When firm, form another cake layer. Then top with more strawberries. (Remember to save a few for decoration).
Again top with whipped cream and set in fridge 20-30 mins.
When firm, gently remove cake from the pan or margarine tub and place on serving plate. Decorate with strawberry slices and serve.

Avocado and Strawberries with Honey Vinaigrette

I know I had already made dessert, but this salad was so decadent it felt like dessert for dinner!! The texture and taste of this dish is so delightful! This would be a perfect appetizer for a spring or summer party! It is also so simple you could throw it together in 10 minutes!

Recipe from The Daily Green

strawberry avocado salad

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons raw honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/16 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into wedges
8 ounces strawberries, halved

PREPARATION

  1. Whisk the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper together.
  2. Arrange the avocados and strawberries on 6 salad plates.
  3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit salad. Serve immediately.

Everyday Green Juice

08 May 2009 7 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Vegan Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

green-juice

MMM!! There is nothing quite like a big glass of Delicious Green juice to wake your body up and fill it with a quick shot of instant goodness! My husband and I drink our green juice every morning and really feel the difference.

My go to recipe is:

  • 2 different heads of greens (kale, chard, romaine, etc.)
  • either a celery or cucumber base (3-5 stalks of celery or 1/2-whole cucumber)
  • 1-2 green apples

It is really very simple and the whole process from washing the greens, juicing to cleaning the juicer happens in less than 15 minutes! So there is no time excuse for me, unless I am truly rushing out the door and then I could always stop at a local juice place and order it up 🙂 I always try to use as many organic veggies as possible. We drink these raw and we want to get the maximum benefits, so organic is the only way to go!

I recently wrote a post on my Juice Feast  that has information on juicers and local NYC places to go.

Today I really love the juice that I made!! It is so yummy and sweet!

  • 2 heads of romaine
  • 1 head of kale
  • 1 green apple
  • 1 gala apple
  • 5 small carrots

I normally do not put carrots in because they are a high glycemic vegetable. (although most vegetables are really low glycemic in the actual index compared to other foods) But today I only had one green apple and was just mixing it up a bit. It is fun sometimes to just throw whatever you have in the fridge right into the juicer 🙂 It is also super fun to mix it up and try out different recipes.

Raw Mock Salmon Pate with Boston Bibb Lettuce

05 May 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Vegan Recipes Tags: , , ,

Please don’t be turned off by the name mock salmon! I can tell you the only resemblance it has to salmon is the pretty pink color the pate ends up being. This pate is a really delicious and filling meal plus it is really simple to make. You can serve this on it’s own, with lettuce like I did, with crackers, crudite or chips. You can also use this as a filling in a nori roll or a sandwich. It is really good!

pate-and-lettuce1

pate-on-lettuce2

Mock Salmon Pate

Recipe from Alissa Cohen’s Book, Living on Live Foods 

  •  2 cups raw walnuts
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 large red sweet pepper
  • 1-2  large scallions
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

23 Apr 2009 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

This pesto is so great and has so many uses! I used this for a different chicken recipe and had so much left over that I was able to freeze it for future use. I made Michael simple grilled chicken with the pesto and for me fabulous zucchini noodles with the pesto. Although this was not a totally raw meal for me, it is a great transitional meal. If you have never seen, made, or tried zucchini noodles it is a must! You can use a really inexpensive tool called the Spiralizeror just use your vegetable peeler and make strips for more of a linguine. I use these noodles all the time to mix it up and have fun with my food. You can use raw sauces for a totally raw meal or marinara, etc. for more of a comfort food or transitional meal.

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Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

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Grilled Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Spinach with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

quick and simple, this should take 20 minutes
recipe yield 2.5 cups

4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use vegan parm.)
salt to taste

  1. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with warm water for 5 minutes, or until tender.
  2. In a food processor or blender combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and onion; process until well blended.
  3. Add vinegar, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and red wine, and process.
  4. Stir in olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
  5. Season with salt to taste.
  6. Enjoy!

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