{ just a bite to start the week }

{ raw vegan, makes about 12 amuse bouche }

One great thing about living in Florida is that otherwise seasonal produce, like tomatoes, are available locally and year round.  I found a great stock of sweet grape tomatoes at the farmer’s market over the weekend, from Boynton Beach.  It’s been a pretty chilly winter here, so getting hold of some tomatoes like these gives nice thoughts of warmer weather.

Sea lettuce is a delicate, very mild tasting sea vegetable that’s perfect for the sea veg curious, and the squeamish.  It’s not the least bit slimy (as sometimes pictured in the minds of the seaweed skeptics) and really needs no preparation, like soaking.  Its paper-like, sweet disposition doesn’t compete with whatever you choose to eat it with, rather it compliments other ingredients quite well.  Maine Coast Sea Vegetables (I <3 them), harvester of sea lettuces and many other great sea veggies, is available at Sunfood.com.

This little tartare is so easy, fast, and pretty.  Using a food processor, I (1) finely chopped a pint of sweet grape tomatoes.  (2) Drained them in a seive, transfered to a bowl, and sprinkled liberally with Himalayan garlic sea salt. (3) Added finely minced scallions, a touch of grated ginger, a dousing of Eden Shake, and a drizzle of Eden ponzu.  (4) Spooned a teaspoon of tartare on top of a piece of torn sea lettuce and garnished with meyer lemon zest.  Voilà!

<3, JMK

{ just a bite to start the week }

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, macrobiotic }

Around the time I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2003, I delved into the world of macrobiotics.  By short definition, the philosophy behind macrobiotics follows the yin and yang principal of balance.  A macrobiotic diet characterizes foods with properties such as hot or cold, acid or alkaline, constrictive or expansive, calming or stimulating.  It’s a rather simple logic that brings you back to basics, and I’ve since carried on many components of macrobiotics into the raw foods lifestyle and the way I prepare food today.

A dominant feature in macrobiotics is the use of fermented foods such as miso, pickles, soy sauce, and umeboshi plums, which are extremely alkaline to the body.  Why is alkalinity important?  A simple test of the pH levels of our bodily fluids can tell quite a bit of how well we’re doing, what the foods we’re eating are doing to us, and how closely we’re mingling with disease.  Disease occurs in  a highly acidic environment, so the ideal balance to maintain is a 3 to 1 ingestion of alkaline and acidic foods.  Click here for more information and food designation.

{ zucchini cut 1" x 1" }

Now I happen to love salty, fermented foods.  Hand me a pickled radish over a cookie.  This also explains why I’m so attracted to Asian food, specifically Japanese (also the origin of macrobiotics) and this zucchini pavé has a decidedly Japanese twist.

{ whole umeboshi plums with shiso }

I made these mini pavés by cutting zucchini into 1″ x 1″ thin, bite-sized slices, then salted them, misted them with olive oil and let them sit pressed between paper towels and a heavy skillet for about an hour.  For each pavé, 4 pieces of the zucchini were layered with nori, finely minced scallion and pickled daikon, and topped with basil and sesame seeds.  The accompanying sauce is made with sweet white miso, umeboshi plum, shiso, lemon infused olive oil, and ginger blended together in a food processor.

<3, JMK

A simple, semi-raw vegan dish perfect for raw food transitioning or satisfying carbo-cooked cravings.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you’re new to a raw food lifestyle is that it’s not about perfection.  It’s very easy to become overwhelmed or even overzealous, and inadvertently create a recipe for failure and disappointment.

We’re only human.  I don’t know of a single person who began life with a perfectly pure diet.  Most of us grew up to a realization or health crisis, and then to an awareness providing the desire to take control of our health and make real changes for life.  Once the decision is made to clean things up, the transformation simply doesn’t happen overnight.  There’s generally a lot of years’ worth of programming (and junk in the trunk) that we have to revisit, release, revise, and re-educate.  It’s a process built upon only by continual learning, patience, commitment, and small steps.

Acknowledging, not denying, inevitable cravings for our favorite cooked foods is a healthy practice that isn’t going to compromise all the beneficial changes you’ve been making.  There are ways of working with cravings rather than treating them like the enemy, which will only ultimately allow them to bite you harder.  An “all or nothing” approach to your raw food diet, believing you’ve ruined everything by giving in to a craving, just doesn’t need be the case.  The key is recognizing cravings as they occur, and process them consciously and with creativity instead of reacting impulsively.  Don’t fear the cravings.

Personally, I crave pasta and noodles of all kinds.  Linguini, ravioli, lo mein, soba – from the Italian classics to exotic asian varieties, I love them all!  My cravings for a noodle dish tend to emerge in the evenings, after a bout with tummy troubles, or after a hard work-out when my body’s demand for carbs skyrockets.

Udon noodles with spinach, shitakes, and sweet sake broth is one of my favorite and easiest semi-raw meals.  This method can really be applied to any type of noodle or pasta and combining it with any of your preferred veggies.  The general idea is that the pasta is the only cooked component while the rest of the ingredients stay raw.  Visual appeal and layering flavors is also very important (the warm noodles activate flavors of aromatics like ginger and garlic, and the small bit of warm water completes the sweet sake broth). The end result?  It’s a win-win in satisfying the craving with a modest portion of the culprit, yet keeping with living foods as main ingredients.

Noodles and veggies:

2 to 3 oz organic udon noodles (such as Hakubuku)
baby spinach
shitake mushroom caps, very thinly sliced
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
small bunch sunflower sprouts
knob of ginger root
1 garlic clove
a piece of dulse, cut into strips
black and white sesame seeds

Sweet sake mixture:

1 tbs. hemp seed oil
1 tbs. nama shoyu
1 tbs. dry sake
1 tsp. agave

Cook udon noodles according to package instructions.  They’re typically more delicate than other pastas and take only 4 minutes to cook.  Remember to liberally salt the water!

Meanwhile as udon are boiling, place desired amount of baby spinach in a large bowl.  Add shitakes, then with a microplane, grate in desired amount of garlic and ginger.  When udon is ready, ladle the noodles directly into the bowl.  Allow some water to accompany noodles as they come out of the pot, do not thoroughly drain.  Evenly cover spinach and other ingredients.  Allow to sit 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle over spring onions, dulse, and sunflower sprouts.  Whisk together sweet sake mixture and pour over top.  Toss, and garnish with sesame seeds.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan, gluten free*)

So we had a nice little Labor Day shindig today in the typical all-American spirit of grilling out.  There were portobella burgers, veggie burgers, veggie chorizo dogs, Zellwood chili-garlic corn, and of course all of the accoutrements one would expect with all that casual finger-licking fare.  However, coleslaw in its old-fashioned traditional preparation is enough to induce my gag reflexes at the near sight of it.  I decided if we were gonna do this festive cook-out thing, I’d have to throw my spin into it – not to mention, sneak in some sea veggie love!

The end result was a tremendously healthy, bright, and crunchy slaw that was even more fitting as a meal than just a mere sideline to some veggie burgers.  It was just too darn good.  The miso dressing is rich, creamy, garlicky, and gingery and would make a fantastic dipping sauce.  I could have eaten it by the spoonful.

Shiso leaves can be tricky to find but well worth seeking out.  I’m actually awaiting the delivery of some seeds I ordered so I can just grow them myself.  They’re sometimes referred to as “Japanese basil” and have a unique flavor that is incomparable to any other herb.  It’s sharp, somewhat lemony, very fragrant, and very distinguishable.  If you can’t find shiso leaves, Thai basil would also work well, followed by conventional basil and cilantro.

Slaw

1/2 large head Napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/2 head red cabbage
Handful dried arame*, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes & patted dry
Handful dulse, cut into strips
1 6″ long English cucumber segment, spiralized & patted dry
Handful sprouts, such as broccoli, alfalfa, or daikon, separated well
1 small bunch shiso leaves, rolled and cut into chiffonade
1 bunch chives, finely chopped

*Arame is not packaged raw. It must be steamed to be tenderized prior to dehydrating, but still retains nutrient-rich benefits.

Combine all slaw ingredients in a large bowl.  Lightly toss.

Miso Dressing

1 1/2 tbs organic white miso
1 tbs umeboshi plum vinegar
3 tbs flax seed oil
1 tsp nama shoyu*
1 tsp agave nectar
2 fat garlic cloves
Large knob of ginger (approx. 3″ x 1″)
2-3 tbs cold water as needed to thin

* For gluten-free preparation, substitute 1/2 tsp sea salt for nama shoyu.

In a food processor, blend all ingredients except for water until you have a smooth, thick mixture.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Process again while simulaneously adding cold water tablespoon by tablespoon to thin into a salad dressing consistency.

Pour miso dressing over the slaw in batches (add and toss, add and toss) so that it gets evenly distributed.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan)

Tonight I went Japanese as result of all the Asian market shopping I did on Thursday in Viet-Town (so there will probably be a lot more Asian vittles to come this week!).  I prepared 3 different maki rolls and created the “rice” using Pure Food & Wine’s method of processing jicama and pine nuts until rice-like, but in different proportions.  I seasoned the mixture with sea salt and mirin and then dehydrated it to remove excess moisture.

These spicy-faux tuna maki rolls taste uncannily like the real deal.  Fleshy, lower-moisture Roma (plum) tomatoes were ideal for the task.  I sliced them vertically and scooped out the seeds and inner membranes, then diced them into a bowl.  I added sea salt, dulse flakes, and olive oil, tossed well, and then put them into the dehydrator for about 2 hours to remove any excess juiciness.  Finally, I tossed them once again with chili paste, sesame oil, and chopped scallions.

I love the chewy texture of rehydrated shitake mushrooms.  For this maki, I used a combination of both fresh and rehydrated mushrooms that were both marinated in nama shoyu, sake, and agave, then sprinkled with a little truffle salt.  I rolled them up with sesame seeds and some lovely chive flowers.

This is absolutely one of my favorite maki rolls.  Umeboshi plums are a pickled variety of Japanese plum known as “the king of alkaline foods” in the macrobiotic diet.  They are magnificent for digestion and even taken as a hangover aid.  They have a distinctive and powerful tart-salty flavor, incomparable to any other food.  Umeboshi plums are available whole, in a paste form, or as vinegar.  For these rolls, I used the paste.

Shiso leaves are sometimes referred to as “Japanese basil” but are actually from the beefsteak plant.  It tastes nothing like basil, and like ume plums, has an incomparable flavor to any other herb.  In my area, it’s tough to find so it’s a real treat when I score some.  Shiso and umeboshi plums are a perfect, harmonious match, which is why you will commonly find shiso leaves included in a package of ume plums.  Cucumbers are the perfect balancing and cooling compliment to the ume plum’s and shiso’s sharp flavors in these maki rolls.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan)

Oshitashi is a simple, classic Japanese spinach “salad” dish that is traditionally prepared by boiling or wilting spinach, squeezing out the water, then rolling it in a bamboo mat like maki rolls before slicing it into bite sized pieces.  It is then finished with a mixture of mirin and soy sauce and topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and served cold.

No need to boil spinach to make great oshitashi, and why would one want to cook out all of the fabulous, delicate nutrients?

Just take a large bowl of baby spinach (11 oz) and marinate it in equal portions of mirin and nama shoyu (about 1/2 cup total) for about 3 hours until it’s completely wilted to the appearance of that of cooked.

Squeeze out the liquid and roll with a bamboo sushi mat covered in plastic (this is optional, it just makes it look prettier), then cut into bite-sized portions.  Take about 3 tablespoons of the marinade (now containing water that once belonged to the spinach) and concentrate it with a little more nama shoyu and mirin to taste.  Pour about a teaspoon over each oshitashi portion.

Finish with a drizzling of sesame oil, some grated ginger for zip, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan*)

This is a delicious, simple salad that’s perfect to try if you’re just getting acclimated to sea vegetables. Wakame is soft and tender with a mild, sweet flavor. When I first served this to my family, it was gone in minutes after they once looked down at it cock-eyed because in no way does it resemble the artificially colored and processed seaweed salad you get at a typical sushi bar. Not only does this taste a hundred times better, it’s a hundred times better for you. Recipe follows..

This recipe will yield up to 4 side-salad servings, or one giant serving if you want to make it a big meal!

8 oz. or 1 bunch chopped curly kale, stems & veins removed
1/4 cup Eden instant wakame/or wild Atlantic alaria or wakame (such as Ironbound Island)
1/2 stalk Eden pickled daikon, quartered
1 6″ long piece English cucumber, quartered
1 Haas avocado
nama shoyu
flax seed oil
umeboshi plum vinegar (such as Eden brand)
2 inch piece freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 jalepeno pepper, finely minced (optional)
Eden shake, or black & white sesame seeds

*Some varieties of wakame or alaria are not truly raw.  Read package for processing information.

Put kale, garlic, ginger, and jalepeno into a large bowl and lightly but evenly sprinkle with nama shoyu. Toss well and let sit for at least one hour (refrigerate overnight for optimum tenderness). In a separate smaller bowl, soak the wakame for 10-20 minutes in 3 times the amount of water.

Drain and squeeze excess water from the wakame with your hands, one bunch at a time. Add to bowl of kale along with the cucumber and pickled daikon and gently toss. Then add about 2 tablespoons of Eden shake or sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil sprinkled evenly, and a very light sprinkling of ume plum vinegar. Toss again, and check for flavor. Add additional flax oil, nama shoyu, or plum vinegar if needed. (Note: Be careful not to overdo the ume plum vinegar, it is very intensely tart and salty!)

Finally, cut the avocado in half to open and discard pit. Scoop out each side very carefully with a large spoon so that flesh comes out in one piece. Face down, thinly slice the avocado and arrange around a large platter as pictured above. Place the kale and wakame salad in the middle, ganish the avocado and platter with sesame seeds, and serve.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan*)

Warning: This bold and spicy seaweed salad is not for the faint hearted!

I love spicy foods, which is clearly reflected in many of my recipes. Of course, you can modify the spiciness by reducing or omitting the jalepenos and chili oil and it’ll still be delicious. Arame is a quick and easy sea vegetable to make with a mild flavor and firm, slaw-like texture. Dulse lends a chewy, salty, and lightly spicy bite. Recipe follows..

This recipe makes just a single serving, so if you love it, multiply as necessary!

1/2 cup Eden dried arame
Approximate 3″x3″ piece of dulse (such as Maine Coast brand, do not use flakes)
4″ long piece English cucumber
6 sweet grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
petite bunch fresh watercress leaves, long stems removed
1 lemon
1 inch piece freshly grated ginger
1/2 fat garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 jalepeno pepper
nama shoyu
raw agave nectar
flax seed oil
sesame-chili oil (such as Eden)

*Some varieties of arame are not truly raw.

Soak the arame in a bowl for at least 15 minutes with enough cold water to cover. Meanwhile, use a mandoline or slice very thinly 12 cucumber slices and arrange along the border of a plate, gently overlapping one another. Also mandoline about 3 lemon slices in half-moon shapes and place on opposite side of plate. (If the lemon is sliced thinly enough it is completely edible and compliments flavors in this salad.) Finally, thinly slice 3-5 pieces of jalepeno and randomly arrange on top of the cucumber.

Next, make a simple ponzu dressing by whisking together about 3 tablespoons nama shoyu, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar.

Drain the arame, pat dry with paper towels, and add to a bowl along with ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. With kitchen scissors, snip in strips of the dulse. Add the ponzu dressing, reserving one tablespoon and toss to blend. Then drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the flax seed oil, and a tiny drizzle of sesame-chili oil. Toss again.

Arrange a small bed of watercress alongside the cucumbers and lemon. Add the arame salad over the top of the watercress. Finally, drizzle the remaining one tablespoon of ponzu over cucumber slices. Garnish with additional pretty orange dots of sesame-chili oil.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan)

I had lots of great stuff to use today, so in this salad:

Wakame*
Dulse* (not the flakes!)
Napa cabbage, or other crunchy lettuce*
Eden pickled daikon*
Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Freshly sliced shitakes, and hon shimegi mushrooms
Alfalfa sprouts
Red radish
Yellow bell pepper
Scallion, chopped
Hemp seeds*
Ginger knob*
Eden garlic gomasio*
Nama shoyu**
Eden ume plum vinegar*
Eden shake, or sesame seeds, or hemp seeds*
Flax seed oil, preferably Barlean’s because of its rich but clean, buttery flavor

*Omit nama shoyu for gluten-free preparation.

Notice I didn’t use measurements in this recipe because the serving size and how much you love of each item is up to you. For example, you may be crazy about cucumbers so you’ll make them a more dominant feature, but not so much bell pepper. I also believe that when it comes to awesome raw cuisine, a lot of leeway is created by the taste and not necessarily by the measurement.

Here we go!

Step one: Prepare the wakame…

As you see, I have used instant wakame which isn’t technically raw. But for ease of this demonstration and because I was ravenously hungry I opted for instant. Raw wakame needs to soak for 8 to 12 hours depending on desired texture. This instant stuff takes 10 minutes, and it still does your body good. Just throw a small handful into a bowl and cover with about 5X the water. It really multiplies in size so keep your eye on it.

Step two: Prepare the mushrooms…

Today I had some shitakes and these gorgeous hon shimegis! Slice ‘em up and put ‘em in a bowl, sprinkle them with nama shoyu but don’t drown them! You just want to wake them up a bit. The Japanese varieties of mushrooms are especially good for you. Or I should say, outstanding! They have long been hailed for their medicinal properties. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Step three: Prepare and chop the pickled daikon…

I know this is totally weird looking, and some folks may not like it but I love it and eat it like pickles. It is, in fact, a Japanese pickle, if you’ve ever had any at a Japanese restaurant. They’re very crunchy and salty! These are very big in the macrobiotic diet which I once followed and still believe in much of its philosophies. These pickled daikon are an excellent digestive aid and blood and liver cleanser. After rinsing off the brine, just cut into desired sized pieces!

Step four: Cut up the rest of your veggies and get ‘em all ready to go…

Step five: Chop the napa cabbage into slaw-like shreds and toss into a large bowl…

Step six: Squeeze out the wakame and add to the bowl…

Step seven: Add all of the rest of your chopped veggies, plus the marinated mushrooms to the bowl…

Step eight: Add the dulse…

It is much preferable that whole dulse, rather than flakes, be used because you get the full flavor and texture effect. Whole dulse is incredibly chewy and salty, so you don’t want the pieces too big. I recommend cutting a hunk with scissors into shreds similar to your napa cabbage, maybe even smaller. It adds such an interesting texture and flavor to this salad and it’s oh so nutritious!

Step nine: Grate the ginger right into the bowl…

Ginger and I have had a long love affair, so for me the more the better! Grate it up to your liking, but keep in mind that it is difficult to grate too much because it meshes so well with the rest of the flavors.

Step ten: Pour in some hemp!

I love hemp seeds, even though they’re so neutral. They add that subtle something.

Step eleven: Let’s review the condiments!

Here we have both optional and integral finishes. This salad wouldn’t be complete without the flax seed oil, nama shoyu, and ume vinegar. The garlic domasio is a mild but flavorful addition, especially if you like garlic! It’s a blend of sesame seeds, garlic, and sea salt. But if you don’t have this or prefer to pass it over, that is fine. Eden Shake is fun because it’s a combo of sesame seeds, seaweed, and other seasonings. I think the salad is best finished with some type of seed.

Step twelve: Dress and toss!

Now this is important! Since there’s so much going on in this salad you want it to wear just the right dress. Use a zig-zag motion over the bowl when adding the liquids so that you don’t add too much in one place. First, lightly sprinkle in some ume vinegar. If you’ve never used this before be careful! It is tart and salty, so experiment to your liking. Next, sprinkle in just a little nama shoyu. Again, you won’t need much because of the other salty elements already in play. Now take the flax seed oil and squirt in a nice amount. Toss the salad once to combine all the ingredients. Finally, repeat the dressing steps, only this time add maybe half as much. This is also when you would adjust any of the dressing ingredients.

Step thirteen: Voila!

Now you have a luscious, nutritious sea vegetable salad! Even if you don’t think you like sea vegetables, there are enough flavors and textures and prettiness going on here to satisfy any palette. Enjoy!

<3, JMK