{ God moving over the face of the water...}

It’s been a week since the big GREAT news!  As I start the day this morning I can still hardly believe this new reality, feeling as if I’ve dropped a 500 pound burden off of my back.  I have so much to say I can hardly keep it structured in paragraphs, much less a single blog post!

Over seven years after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, the greatest thing that could ever come from the recent tests I’ve undergone this past week is that it is officially in remission!  In fact, no Crohn’s was detected whatsoever, it has diminished, vanished, essentially POOFED!

I do have two wee little stomach ulcers, though…but what are mere ulcers? Now that I’ve slayed the dragon, no problem!  Piece of cake!

Recent history:

Rewind to about three weeks ago. I was sitting in my family physician’s office reviewing the latest blood work results.  I’d just undergone my annual physical, which includes a (more extensive than usual) blood comprehensive, the regular “physical” routine, and some scripts for gastro-related tests.  Something worth mentioning here are the other little pieces to the triumph: a vast improvement of my iron, hemoglobin, B-12, and vitamin D levels.   They were at an all-time low three to four years ago, and took almost equally as long to normalize.  Last year I underwent two iron infusions and was just shy of requiring a blood transfusion.  These types of deficiencies are unfortunately pretty common in people with Crohn’s disease.  Still, I’m in the low-normal ranges of each so I will not be taking it all in stride!

Lately I’ve been experiencing some different types of pain and discomforts, particularly on my left side beginning beneath my rib cage and descending.  It’s a different sort of pain than the typical Crohn’s flare, usually permeating from the right side.  In fact, I haven’t had any right-side flare-ups for many, many months.  Any complaints are in this new location and range in intensity, occurring several times per week and sometimes I don’t feel it for many weeks.   At its worst, it feels like burning, prickling, stabbing pain, or like many stabs at once as if something was inside of me trying to fight its way out.  Sometimes it’s like hunger so intense it’s gnawing, and wakes me up in the night.  And then there’s the spontaneous swelling and inflammation that literally makes me look 6 months pregnant!

So back to my family doctor, who is absolutely amazing (like a younger Dr. Oz – woot woot) and I drop in to see him every two to three months.  Prior to last month’s physical I had reluctantly agreed to try a new medication, Pentasa. It’s a little less aggressive than the norm and addresses the inflammation in inflammatory bowel disorders.  And it seemed to be working well.  One of the concerns of Crohn’s disease is that if it goes unchecked and not kept under control, it not only can worsen in its current location, it can spread to other sites, even to other organs in the body.

After sharing the latest abdominal discomforts with my doctor, our first concern was Crohn’s progression.  He immediately ordered a CT scan, and shortly thereafter I was back in the gastroenterologist’s office for the next step in diagnosis: the wireless capsule endoscopy.  If you’re not familiar with this procedure, it’s actually extremely cool.  First thing on a Wednesday morning, I swallowed a capsule containing a tiny camera that went on a 10-hour journey of capturing 360∘photography of my insides, from the esophogus, on through the stomach, the small intestine, and finally concluding somewhere at or around the large bowel.  The particularly neat and helpful thing about this procedure is that it can view areas of the small intestine that were otherwise too deep and evasive for doctors to see through other means.

{ Left: the camera capsule, right: image data recorder strapped around my waist }

I returned to the gastroenterologist late that afternoon to have the data recorder removed, and was informed by the physician’s assistant, “The doctor typically reviews the results on Fridays.  We’ll schedule you a follow-up for next week to go over them.”  Okay, sounds great!

So to my surprise, the very next (Thursday) evening, I received a phone message from the doctor at about 8:00 pm, “Please return my call immediately.”

Well, “holy shit” is all that went through my head.  Why is he calling me the very next evening?  This cannot be a good thing! I’m always the optimist, but since when does a doctor call you at 8:00 at night to tell you everything is brilliant!

“You have two new ulcers and some inflammation,” he proceeded to say after finally frantically reaching him, “We need to schedule you immediately for an upper endoscopy, biopsy, and a colonoscopy.”

Lovely!  The news sent shudders of worry and fear right to down to my bones.  I’ve been working hard for years to do the right things, to be conscientious of diet, my emotional and spiritual well-being, and to always keep a positive and progressive mindset that my body can – and will – heal itself!  As much as I like and respect my doctors, as confident as I am in their competency, they always heir to a side of caution which doesn’t so much sound like the rosey things we’d like to hear.  And that is okay and predictable.

That subsequent weekend brought on some blue worry and anxiety, to say the least for my husband and I.  He had once lost a spouse to cervical cancer, and couldn’t bear the thought of anything like that happening all over again.  I felt terrible for him, and tried to be as optimistic as I could.  But the reality was I had bought into the doctor’s news as an interpretation of bad news.  Never mind having to undergo a drug induced stomach flu in preparation for the colonoscopy – 12+ hours of sheer misery!

But cutting to the chase, after Monday’s examinations, the doctor gave word to my husband as I was still under sedation, “There is no Crohn’s present, the large intestine and colon look great, we just now need to diagnose the cause of the stomach ulcers…”

WOW.  I mean, WOW!!!

And to no surprise, he cannot really give an explanation except to say that “it happens”.

Cleaning up diet and healing with raw food:

Ironically, during this past week I’ve been contacted by a few Crohn’s sufferers or who have an afflicted loved one, that are so very anxious for help and anything they can do within their own empowerment to help them overcome it.  The common question asked by these most recent contacts, as well as with most others in the past is “does diet really make a difference?”  And my answer is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, and most certainly in light of this most recent news…YES!!

What I cannot confirm at this point in time is exactly how or what, very specifically and singularly in terms of my diet (if anything), may have sent the old Crohn’s packing.  I suspect it was combination of choices, exclusions, and a cumulative effect of dietary changes over time.

I also don’t believe that healing is limited to a physiological level, you need to also involve your mental, emotional, and spiritual states of well-being – essentially your whole Self must be involved.  For purposes of keeping this posted contained and focused, I will speak mostly of the dietary aspects as they pertain to Crohn’s.  I could so easily parlay into other very relevant pieces of an overall picture of health.  And these are important too, which I’ll save for later postings!

We’re all at a different benchmark when attempting to heal from chronic disease or any overall health matter.  No two people walk the same path or fight the same exact battles.  We all heal at our own pace.  It is no different for Crohn’s disease.  The cases range from minor, as mine was considered, concentrated in a small area, or it could be much more severe, extensive and widespread.

I’ve been on such an amazing journey these past 10-12 years, with diet being just one single aspect.  I thought that describing pertinent events and breaking them into a timeline – excerpts from my “health diary” if you will – would be helpful.

My overall health before Crohn’s was historically very good. I’ve always been very physically active and slim, and at times was unknowingly and inadvertently at risk of being underweight because of Crohn’s.  I am 5′-4″ and currently stay at about 11o pounds, and was 100-105 in my 20’s.  Before the time line below, I took for granted that I could eat most anything at any time. After all, if you’re not overweight, no worries right?  Wrong.

1999-2002:  Some of the worst and most painful symptoms I’ve ever had came after eating red meat.  I didn’t eat it often, but began to notice this common denominator.  One night after having an all-American supper of filet mignon and potatoes, followed by being bedridden in horrible pain for over 3 days, I said, “no more”.   It was around this time that I’d also taken notice of certain dairy items.  I remember having similar painful reactions after eating ice cream or drinking milk products, however, no discomforts with cheese or yogurt even to this day.  Pain to a lesser degree came with eating popcorn or any corn products.  In 2000, I began my yoga practice, and found the course only natural to explore vegetarianism, which I began to do gradually.  Still, I would occasionally eat poultry, seafood, cheese and yogurt.  At this time, I had not even been officially diagnosed with Crohn’s.

2003:  This was a bittersweet year.  I had just received my Raja-hatha yoga certification and felt healthier, more energetic, centered, and knowledgeable about nutrition and well-being than I ever had in my life.  I was even teaching healthy cooking classes privately and for groups, tying it in with the nutritional aspect of my certification, expressing my love for beautiful, vibrant, healthy cuisine!

But in April, the typical debilitating abdominal pain I had grown so used to over the years came back one night and not alone. This time, more severe symptoms surfaced.  I woke up at 4:00 am with a fever accompanied by vomiting and bloody diarrhea, and the pain was more excruciating than ever.  I checked into the hospital knowing something was very wrong, where I remained for 4 days.  There, I went through an extensive barrage of testing and was ultimately diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

I’ll never forget my initial meeting with the hospital’s gastroenterologist.  He handed me a huge stack of information about Crohn’s and IBD and “the LIST”.  The LIST was seemingly endless columns of “possibly” offensive foods.  And then of course there was the medication, some of which was intended to be on a permanent basis.  I was prescribed Remicade, a brand med for treatment of autoimmune disorders ; Cipro, an antibiotic, Prednisone, a steroid medication; and oxycodone for the pain.

After reviewing the LIST I wondered what on this Earth was left for me to eat besides mashed peas or baby food?  It included virtually every fruit and vegetable I loved, and that I relied on for nourishment.  At this point I’d been 100% vegetarian for over a year, and while I understood the concept of a process of elimination to alleviate food-aggravating symptoms, I felt I’d already accomplished much by my present diet and becoming a vegetarian.  The thought of taking meds for the rest of my life just sounded impossible and miserable and  I thought there must be a better way, a natural way!

I began the quest for what diet and lifestyle methods delivered the true meaning behind “let thy food by thy medicine”.   The first truly inspiring person that I immediately fell in love with was Christina Pirello, who had healed herself of leukemia through a macrobiotic and vegan diet, and Chinese medicine.  When I came across one of her books, “Glow”, it became my bible.  She introduced me to macrobiotics and so many other simple ways to alternative health, and the book served as a major platform as I dove into the under-workings of food industry, planetary health, veganism, alternative healing, essentially an entire new world!

2006:  Until now, my flares were occasional and fortunately none as severe was what landed me in the ER three years ago.  During 2006, there were many changes in my life, mostly quite positive, exciting, and many in a short period of time.  I moved from South Florida to Orlando, got a new job, got married, moved again, and gained an instant household of five – and that’s all a very brief list.  During our hot honeymoon phase of marriage, we were also living up our love for food, traveling, and celebrating a bit too much with the bubbly and wine!  Although my husband is a vegetarian, he’s a very liberal JUNK food vegetarian, so I was starting to eat things that weren’t typical for me (if it sounds like it is all his fault, well of course it is :-) .  I was eating a lot of pasta, fried food, processed mock meats, butter, and cheese – not at all my norms.  Slowly but surely it began to catch up.

Now regardless of the splurging and careless eating, I couldn’t help but notice several books with “raw” on their spines high up on my husband’s library shelf.  Of the most notable, Juliano’s “RAW”.  I had heard of the raw diet over the years, but never did I do any research because like many people do, I’d dismissed it as a diet of boring and more boring – sprouts, plain salads, and little else.  I thought that I was WAY too much of a foodie, and a raw food diet wouldn’t be any better than the LIST of doom!

2007:  On the heels of increased flares, and additional new concerns such as acute anemia, menstrual issues, aches, pains, and depression, I began to slightly panic again when my doctor suggested medications.  I jumped right into the raw food lifestyle to learn everything I possibly could.  An internet search brought me to well-known Angela Stokes-Monarch and her incredible weight loss story.  From there, the search results became viral it seemed, with case after case of people who had healed their chronic conditions with raw food.  I also quickly found out that the food is anything BUT boring, especially when July brought me my first visit to Pure Food & Wine in New York City.  I was immediately on board!  I became so excited about the new adventure and world of raw food that I started this blog.

2008-2010:   Things did get worse before they got better.  I was on and off of medications, struggling with iron, vitamin D, and B vitamin deficiencies.  I was trying to continue exercising regularly but it was more sporadic because of deficiency fatigue.  My menstrual cycles were crazy, my tummy was always upset.  There was a great deal of stress going on in our family life.  I had to have two iron infusions, which is basically liquid iron administered over several hours via IV port.  However, despite all this I kept good consistency with my diet by keeping at least 80% of my intake raw and eliminating anything processed.

Eventually, my energy, nutrient levels and overall health began taking a gradual incline.  And since January of 2010, my iron levels have been sustained in low-normal range.  This alone has given me so much more energy, so I’ve been exercising regularly five to six days a week by running, resistance and weight training, and doing yoga. And of course, my diet has continued high raw, which brings me to the present day.

Just a few of the key foods?  GREENS….I eat a lot of greens and I can’t emphasize enough how important they are!  Human blood is so similar to chlorophyll, and the nutrients found in dark leafy greens nourish and heal, literally giving us life!   I also eat a rainbow of antioxidant rich foods, like blueberries, strawberries and colorful bell peppers.  Coconut water is also magnificent for healing and hydration.  I am now healthy and Crohn’s free!

Tips for your own journey to healing:

1 – Acknowledge that the dis-ease exists, but do not fuel it by believing in its power over you.  Healing occurs in leaps and bounds when you awaken to the psychological effect, and how much of the dis-ease resides in the mind.  I never realized just how true this was until I was told I was in remission.

2 - Acknowledge the dis-ease exists, but do not fuel it by taking your health for granted!  If you make progress but revert to not-so-good habits, it’ll bubble up and remind you.

3 - Don’t identify yourself and who you too much with the dis-ease.  We do this so often (“Hi I’m Julie and I have Crohn’s disease”) and don’t even realize how the dis-ease begins to define who you are, which empowers it to become permanent.  You are not your dis-ease!

4 - Everyone has a unique relationship with their dis-ease, and therefore you have to find your unique inner strength, mental, emotional, and dietary combination to overcome it.  Dis-ease exists not at just a physical level, but it is only at the physical level that medicine or diagnosis can assist.  Heal your entire being.

5 - Keep an open mind and an open heart to healing.  But don’t blindly follow advice because someone swears by a single “miracle” method, especially if that method is being sold in a box or has a lofty price tag.  Take in as much information as you can learn and use your inner guidance, wisdom, and discretion.  We all have this internal compass.  Find what works for YOU.

6 - Take care of the physiological aspect of wellness with diet and exercise, but be flexible because not all habits need to be etched in stone.  When we put all of our efforts and faith in a single routine or habit, it leads to being stuck in a rut and may create road blocks to recovery.  Be aware that what works for our bodies one day may change in the future.

7 - It is okay to take medications, and it is a personal decision whether you decide to or not.  Choose wisely and if you must take them, do not rely on them as a permanent lifeline, but just as a temporary bandage while your body heals.

8 - DIET DOES MATTER.  EAT YOUR GREENS, LOTS OF THEM.  Eat something green with every meal, the more green, the better.  GREENS HEAL.

<3, JMK

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, makes 10-12 involtini }

Who says raw food cannot be hearty and fill you up?

One of the most common misconceptions of the raw food diet is that a meal can’t possibly be substantial enough to stick to the ribs.  Salads and carrot sticks?  Oh puuulease.

Oh sure, anyone would get bored with the everyday salad and carrot sticks.  But ounce for ounce, raw food is most nutritionally dense, which translates to satisfying and filling your belly faster and with surprisingly less of a quantity than a lot of cooked foods.

This is especially the case when raw dishes are made creatively with multiple components and flavors.  When just a few ingredients such as macadamia nuts, tomatoes, spinach, and squash come together to create for example, this involtini, their nutritional values are inherently maintained.  Since we begin eating with our eyes first, it often comes as a surprise when a perceivably “light” dish can slow your chowing down faster than expected.

{ straightneck squash }

{ perfect in a casserole dish }

Involtini, also known as “rollatini”, is typically made with breaded and fried eggplant strips rolled with ricotta cheese, topped with mozzarella, and baked.  As much as I would have loved to use eggplant here, I’ve unfortunately developed a progressive intolerance to it over the years.  Straight neck yellow squash made a fine stand-in, but by all means use eggplant if you desire.

Macadamias are some of my favorite nuts to use for cheese substitutes, especially for creamier varieties like ricotta.  Like any nut-based “cheese”, a comparison shouldn’t be taken too literally to its dairy counterpart, because nut cheeses have rich, delicious flavor profiles and textures all their own.

This involtini dish is perfect for four or more people, as two to three of them will fill you well as a main course.  The marinara and “raw”cotta can be made up to two days in advance. Serve with a salad of colorful seasonal greens, and this makes an easy and impressive meal that’s perfect for introducing those new to raw food.

{ pretty on a plate }

For the marinara:

2 lbs roma tomatoes (about 10-12 medium sized), sliced in half lengthwise
8 sundried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 smashed garlic cloves
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tsp sea salt
cup of water

Put the roma tomatoes in a large bowl, add all ingredients except for the sundried tomatoes and water, and gently toss to evenly distributing herbs, olive oil, garlic and salt. Allow to marinate for 1 hour. On lined dehydrator trays, place tomato halves cut side up. Press the garlic cloves inside random tomato halves. Pour over extra marinade from bowl, and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 18 to 20 hours until tomatoes are reduced and “roasted” in appearance.

In a food processor, add the romas, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 of the garlic cloves (discard or save remainder for another use). Process until well blended. The mixture will be thick, so begin streaming water little by little until there is a marinara sauce consistency. Check for seasonings and make adjustments if necessary. Add more basil and parsley if desired.

Macadamia “raw”cotta:

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked 8 hours
1/4 cup pine nuts, soaked 4 to 6 hours
1 garlic clove
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
cold water

First blend all ingredients, except for water in food processor until very crumbly. Gradually stream in cold water until creamy, light and fluffy.

For squash, breading, & spinach:

3 to 4 large straight neck or goldbar squash
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

1 cup golden flax meal
1 tbsp finely minced basil
1 tbsp finely minced parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

8 oz fresh baby spinach
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

With a wide vegetable peeler, slice squash lengthwise from end to end as evenly as possible. The thickness should be that of a lasagna noodle. Continue peeling one side until the seeds are reached, then rotate squash to peel each side evenly. Lay the peeled squash layer by layer in a square or rectangular casserole dish, lightly sprinkling each layer with sea salt. Allow to sit 1/2 hour, then drain excess water. Drizzle squash lightly with olive oil.

Meanwhile, combine flax meal, basil, parsley, salt, and cayenne in another casserole dish and mix well with a fork. Coat each slice of squash in the breading on both sides and then place on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for a little over an hour, until it gets lightly crisp.

While the squash is dehydrating, add the spinach to a large bowl and very lightly drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt. Use hands to toss and distribute the olive oil and salt evenly. Allow to marinate and wilt while the squash is dehydrating, and periodically use your hands to remix.

Involtini assembly:

First, in a casserole serving dish, spoon in some marinara to cover the bottom of the dish.

The casserole dish can be kept at the bottom of a dehydrator or warm oven for up to an hour before serving.

<3, JMK

{ the 1st attempt at a raw vegan Hungarian Dobos Torte was a crumbly flop }

There’s no other way to put it.  I’ve been creamed by the Hungarian dobos torte.  At least after the first attempt.

I chose Earthmother’s entry as the winner of my sinful pleasures dessert contest last week, knowing full well I might be wandering too far into unknown (in this case, Hungarian) territory.  But the beauty and unique drool-worthiness of the original recipe made it a challenge I couldn’t pass up.  Although the finished product fell flat, or more like squashed, it wasn’t a total loss.

I’ll first explain how I went about the process of recreation.  I decidedly went for a miniaturized torte due to cost and overall uncertainty to the finished product.  Thank goodness.

I used a traditional recipe submitted by Earthmother with the entry, and broke it down section by section.  The easiest and most successful part was the chocolate.  I’ve got plenty left to make more goodies even after I’ve been in and out of sugar comas (yes this can happen with raw food) from testing, testing, testing and eating spoonfuls of it.

{ raw vegan chocolate }

There are two ingredients that made this chocolate different than any other chocolate I’ve made.  In the original torte recipe, it calls for “3 tablespoons strong coffee”, and so I followed suit by grinding fresh espresso beans and adding 2 tablespoons.  The result was a subtle enhancement to the dark richness raw chocolate already tends to have, and the coffee flavor is only slightly detectable.

The other component was a product I purchased weeks ago to try it out, and this happened to be the perfect occasion.  If you aren’t familiar with agave inulin, it’s practically a dead ringer for confectioners’ sugar.  Fine and powdery, it isn’t nearly as sweet as confectionary but it does lend the same physical characteristics.  The taste is very light and delicate, which is kind of nice rather than a powerful sugar surge.  Now, I don’t believe this agave inulin is raw, but the Viv Agave product (available at Whole Foods Market)  is stated as “organic, prebiotic, and probiotic”.  And when making sweets that call for confectioners’ sugar I think it’s a very good compromise.

So the original torte recipe is emphatic on using vanilla confectioners’ sugar  both in the chocolate and the cake.  As you can see from the photo, I used vanilla inulin but I also added 1 1/2 scraped vanilla beans to the mix.  For the raw translation, I’m not sure that it made a big difference in flavor, perhaps very subtly it did.  But the product was fun to work with and I can see where it would be a great feature for other raw desserts.

{ agave inulin package, inulin mixed with vanilla }

{ bowl of agave inulin mixed with scraped vanilla beans }

On to the next main component of the dobos torte monster: the golden cake layers.  I was pretty enthusiastic while making this “batter” since the test specimens I whipped up seemed successful.  Again I used agave inulin, in addition to coconut flour.  True raw coconut flour is made simply by dehydrating young coconut meat and grinding it to flour consistency.  Bob’s Red Mill also makes packaged coconut flour, but since there’s no stipulation to whether it’s raw on the label, I have to assume it isn’t.  My thoughts behind using coconut flour and the agave inulin was that it would help to create a truer light “cake” texture that wasn’t too dense.  Maybe the macadamia nuts screwed it up? I’m not sure.  But when it came out of the dehydrator (maybe a little too done) it was far from the light cake texture I’d hoped for.  It tasted good, but it was dry and cracking up.

{ cutting out the cake layers }

Still trying to make it work, I went ahead using a ring form to punch the layers but it continued to break apart. “No way!” I thought.  I was gonna keep this thing together somehow, and surely the thick chocolate would help glue it all together.  Wrong!

{ dabbing on the chocolate }

By the time I assembled and stacked all five layers, they began to collapse under their own weight.  The chocolate oozed from every side, the cake continued to crack and slide around upon each chocolate layer.  But I had just one more idea in the hopes of salvage.  I let this torteless thing rest until it appeared to be well settled.  Then I took a very sharp knife and attempted to clean up the edges to its intended round, uniform shape.  NOPE, no deal.

{ torteless mess }

The final step would have been to add the caramel glaze.  I think I still have a good idea of how to do that, but as you can see it didn’t quite get that far.  Despite this total construction fail, the chocolate was really good and the cake may have been better had I not let it go all night in the dehydrator.  So here’s how I did it:

The vanilla sugar:

1 cup Viv Agave organic blue agave inulin
1 1/2 vanilla beans, scraped

Blend together in a food processor until the sticky vanilla beans are evenly distributed.

The Chocolate:

1 cup cacao nibs
1/2 cup vanilla inulin
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp finely ground espresso
1/4 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender or Vita-mix. I strongly recommend a blender versus a food processor to assure the chocolate becomes very smooth and silky.

The “cake”:

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked at least 8 hours
1 cup sifted coconut flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup vanilla inulin
1/4 cup agave
1 tbs coconut oil
1/4 tsp sea salt

First, put the macadamias, agave, and coconut oil in a food processor and blend well. Then gradually add dry ingredients and blend again. A dough ball will form, and at this point begin drizzling in the cup of water until it becomes a sticky batter consistency. With an offset spatula, spread mixture about 1/4″ thick onto lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate until desired tenderness.

And finally…

Earthmother:   I know you were looking forward to this, so I hope the raw goodies make up for the wonder torte that socked it to me.  I still wouldn’t have chosen different, and this isn’t the last attempt!

<3, JMK

{ just a bite to start the week }

{ raw vegan, gluten-free }

When I see fresh English sweet peas, shoots, and greens at the market, it’s always a great indicator of spring making its arrival.  I literally just grabbed up a pint of peas and some pea greens this morning and whipped up this quick and easy amuse bouche.

Some of you have asked me why I don’t tend to give the exact recipes on Amuse Bouche Mondays.  Well, it’s mostly because (#1) I intended for these Mondays to be a sort of fun and informal “just a bite to start the week” and, even more the case, (#2) rather than plan or “design” the amuse in advance, I like to open my pantry and refrigerator on the very morning and challenge myself to what I can come up with relatively quickly.  Preparing raw food has quite a reputation of being time intensive, but does it always have to be?  This is a fun way to sort of be spontaneous, and it’s great practice in creativity.   This is not to say I never think up stuff in advance.  I do.  I just write it down in my notebook, and if the appeal sticks, I will do what prepping needs to be done.  In this case, the taro chips had to dehydrate for a few hours, but you can serve these mashed peas with pretty much any vehicle you fancy.

For this little amuse, the taro chips were made by slicing the whole root with a hand-held mandoline.  Then I salted them, sprayed them with olive oil, and dehydrated them for about 3 hours.  With a large mortar and pestle, I mashed the peas with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, some chopped mint, a touch of curry powder, a sprinkling of sea salt, and a pinch of cayenne. That’s all.  So easy, so delicious.  The peas are delicate and sweet and really brighten up with the contrasting flavors of the mint, curry, and cayenne.

<3, JMK

{ Dobos Torte at Gerbeaud Confectionery Budapest, Hungary. Photo courtesy of Bruce Tuten. }

{ congratulations Earth Mother of “In the Raw”! }

This Hungarian dobos torte, or dobostorta is certainly original, beautiful, and has never been “rawified” before to my knowledge.  And although I’ve never tried a real one, from the sound of it it’s well worth a stab at a raw conversion.  Now, I may very well have bitten off more than I can chew.  But I now have a whole week to prepare and attempt to perfect this treat.  A well detailed history and description of this dessert can be found here. In Earth Mother’s own words, “…the chocolate butter cream layers are definitely melt-in-your-mouth. The cake layers are kinda spongey. Very light & airy, but not dry.  The hard carmel glaze on top is very sweet. Again, melts in your mouth.“  Boy do I have a lot to live up to, but I love a challenge.

Now, this winning torte wasn’t an easy choice.  There were soooo many great entries from all of you, and some honorable mentions include:

• Cadbury Egg from Bitt
• Chocolate eclairs from “rrnancyr”
• Cannolis from Lauren
• German chocolate cake roll from Raw Candy
• Boston cream pie from Whitvia
• French neopolitan from SingerintheKitchen
• Pineapple upside-down cake from Just Audrey
• Bavarian delight from Laura J.
• Oreo cheesecake from Jenn
• French Silk pie from Megan
• Cookie dough truffles from The Ordinary Vegetarian

Matter of fact, I’m going to keep some of these under my hat, because I just may make one (or two or three) for a future sweets recipe here at Julie’s Raw Ambition.

There were several entries for tiramisu, chocolate lava cake, peanut butter cups, brownies, and various cheesecakes, which, as tempting as they are, do exist somewhere in the raw dessert universe either via book or internet.  I really wanted to do something original, something that isn’t out there yet.  And after all of the research I’ve done for this contest, there are very few things left that someone hasn’t made raw.  I think that’s pretty awesome.

So congratulations again, Earth Mother!  Be on the look-out during the next week or so for the UPS man with your box of raw sweets ingredients from Sunfood.com!

A big THANK YOU to all that participated!  The raw Hungarian dobos torte reveal will be exactly one week from today on March 12.

<3, JMK

{ 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

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, serves many }

My stepmother, Marigene, has been in my life for nearly 20 years now.  She’s from southern Alabama and was raised in the quintessential southern debutant fashion, à la modern day Gone with the Wind.  I’ve always loved spending time with her not only because I am fabulously entertained, but I learn something new with every visit.  She has served up better advice and educated me more on manners and etiquette than Ann Landers and Emily Post can dream up between the two of them.  All with an incredibly light, charming, and witty sense of humor that only a southern belle can dish, with drawl and all.

So with a proper southern upbringing, your know-how on cuisine and family recipes are ingrained in your brain and your soul,  then passed along.  We southerners take our food quite seriously, and I thank my father, my paternal grandparents, and Marigene for ingraining it all into me.  Things as simple sounding as say, a pimento cheese spread, has each his own family recipe.

With that said, this is my rawified version of Marigene’s pimento cheese spread, traditionally made with cottage cheese, mayo, and jarred pimentos.  My version comes pretty darned close, I certainly think it captures the spirit.  Marigene, this is for you! I think you’d be proud.

{ Caramelized Onion Flatbread }

Fresh pimento peppers are indigenous to Spain and the Mediterranean region.  They’re a heart shaped bell pepper, with a flavor like a cross between a bell pepper and a cherry pepper.  They can be difficult to find fresh, so it’s fine to substitute with red bell pepper, or mix bell pepper with a fresh cherry pepper.  First cut them into large chunks, sprinkle with salt and olive oil, and put them in a dehydrator (or oven on lowest setting) until they soften.

For the pimento “cheese” spread:

1 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts, soaked 10-12 hours
1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked for 4-6 hours
1 cup red bell pepper and/or cherry peppers, dehydrated until soft and diced
1/2 cup filtered water (to thin)
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 garlic clove
dash of hot sauce
1 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients except for the water in a food processor until well blended. Gradually add water until you get a thick, creamy consistency. The spread will be soft and fluffy. For a more dense cheese, spread onto a lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate until desired thickness and dryness is reached, then refrigerate. Pimento cheese spread will keep up to 5 days.

{ Great on celery too! }

Caramelized onion flatbread:

3 cups red onion, thinly sliced (will yield 1 cup reduced)
1 tsp agave
sea salt
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 cups roughly chopped zucchini
2 cups almond flour
1 cup golden flax meal
1/2 cup golden flax seeds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper

First prepare the onions: place sliced onions in bowl, liberally season with sea salt, and allow to sit for about 1 hour. Drain excess liquid, drizzle in agave, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and mix well. Spread onto a lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 2-3 hours, until onions are very soft, reduced and “caramelized”. This will yield about 1 cup.

Meanwhile, put almond flour, flax meal, and flax seeds in a large mixing bowl. Process the remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour into the dry ingredients, and mix well until very well blended. Divide mixture to spread evenly onto 2 lined dehydrator trays, about 1/8″ thick. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4 hours, until lightly hardened but pliable. Carefully flip onto mesh dehydrator trays (underside of flatbread will still be soft and sticky). At this stage, sample the flatbread for saltiness. If desired, sprinkle sea salt over top of flatbread. Dehydrate for 12 hours longer until crispy.

<3, JMK

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, serves 6-8 }

Since clementines have been in season, my household goes through about 15 pounds per week.  These sweet, succulent, easy-to-peel, seedless little spheres are like nature’s candy.  I average about 4 per day myself, and that doesn’t include those I juice or put into smoothies.  Now that I have an awesome ice cream maker, thanks to Cuisinart, clementine ice cream was naturally first to come to mind.

Of course you don’t have to have the pistachio brownie with the ice cream, but they sure love each other.  And since I’ve got you all telling me your sinful pleasures, chocolate has definitely been on the brain this week!

The orange caramel though is a must!  One of my new loves is raw yacon syrup, from the roots of the yacon plant.  Besides being a fantastic sweetener, it’s probiotic, full of antioxidants, and diabetic friendly.  It’s perfect for a caramel sauce since it’s uncannily similar to the real buttery, sugary thing in both texture and flavor.

For the ice cream:

First make cashew cream:

1 cup cashews, soaked for 6-8 hours
2 cups water
1 tbs agave
1 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients well in blender or Vita-mix until very smooth. Refrigerate before use.

Remaining ice cream ingredients:

2 cups frozen clementine segments
1 cup cold water
3 tbs agave
1 tbs coconut oil
pinch of sea salt

In a blender or Vita-mix, first blend the clementine segments and remaining ingredients. Then incorporate 2 cups cashew cream and blend well. Transfer to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions.  Mix in about 1/2 cup chopped fresh clementine segments, if desired.

For the pistachio brownie:

2 cups oat flour
1 1/2 cups raw cocoa powder
1 cup dark agave
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
2 tbs coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt

In a food processor, blend all ingredients, except for pistachios, until well-mixed. Transfer to a bowl and fold in pistachios. In a shallow baking pan, spread brownie mixture to 1/2″ to 3/4″ thickness. Place in the bottom of a dehydrator and dehydrate 12 to 14 hours at 115 degrees, until firm. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

For the orange caramel:

1/2 cup clementine segments
1/2 cup raw yacon syrup
1/4 cup agave
2 tbs coconut oil
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until very smooth.  Spoon over ice cream and serve.

<3, JMK

{ just a bite to start the week }

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, great for a party }

A few nights ago a friend of mine hosted her monthly evening business meeting and recruited my assistance on some healthy, easy finger foods with a raw twist.  Although her meetings are in no way about food, Tessa is known for her creativity and unexpected, innovative touches.  She wanted to replace the typical offerings of chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, and vegetable platters with their accompanying ranch dressing swimming pool with something delicious and optimally healthy, yet undetectable by the attendees.

These quinoa bites are a real flavor experience, so much so that your attention is focused on the fun tart-sweet-spicy-nutty contrasts in your mouth.  No boring “health” food here!

But it is commonly known how insanely healthy quinoa is for us.  You may choose to soak and sprout it to keep it all raw, or cook it in the traditional manner.  Either way, quinoa is so loaded with vital nutrients and minerals like complete-protein amino acids, magnesium, riboflavin, and antioxidants, that your body will greatly benefit from this nutritional gold mine.  The true magic comes in the moroccan flavors: tart preserved lemon, sweet zesty sundried tomatoes, spicy minced jalepeno, and a cinnamon-based seasoning blend.

For this Moroccan style quinoa, I simply tossed in finely chopped preserved lemon, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, jalepeno, fresh mint, cilantro, and pine nuts.  The mixture was given a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and finished with sea salt.  Finally, I gave it all a liberal seasoning of Sambhar curry powder.  Sambhar curry is a delicious cinnamon based season-all you can find at Whole Foods in the spice isle.  Alternatively, you can mix together your own seasoning blend of ground cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, and chili powder.

With a melon baller, spoon the quinoa mixture into a cucumber cup: a slender English cucumber cut into 3/4″ segments and hollowed out nearly all the way through with a melon baller. Serve to your guests and hear them “mmmm”, “ooooooh”, and “ahhhhhmmm”, as Tessa’s guests did!

<3, JMK

Now that we’re past the romance of Valentine’s Day, some hearts have been broken.  That is, the processed, sugary, artificial ingredient-laden junk shaped like hearts.

A few ladies (and gents) I’ve spoken with recently aren’t too happy with their indulgences of the “holiday”, including the stuff made to look pretty all wrapped in bows.  The stuff that only goes to wreck our New Year’s healthy eating resolutions.  Which brought up some discussion about sweet treat alternatives, specifically raw desserts.  Not just for special occasions, but how does one go about whipping up healthy treats that will satisfy a sweet tooth but won’t result in the obvious dietary adversities?  Does such a dream really exist?  Can “raw” foods really fill that spot for sinful cravings?  And if so, what in the world should I make?

There are absolutely gorgeous photos and equally tantalizing recipes of decadent raw desserts like cookies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, mousses, ice creams, sorbets, tarts, truffles, candies – in books and on the internet.  If you didn’t know beforehand what you were looking at, you’d never know they were raw.  During my recent discussion with those new to the whole idea of raw food, desserts are not only the most intriguing, but also the most intimidating.  And this need not be the case.

I’m a girl who’s never cared much for baking and seldom even made dessert in my pre-raw days.  Part of the reason is that the rules of baking can be so darned temperamental, and somehow I just don’t muster up the patience.  On the whole, raw food preparation is actually much friendlier than baking or cooking.  There’s fewer margins for error, you never have to worry about burning anything, and modifications can easily be made.

{ raw vegan "Black & White Hazelnut Truffles" }

I want to show my readers that with a little creativity, virtually any sweet indulgence can be transformed into a healthy, guilt-free experience.  Raw desserts are so incredibly rich and delicious, it’s surprising how even a small portion can be quite filling.  Best of all, what a perfect way to show true love to your significant other, your friends, your children, or your family.  We all deserve such sweet gifts and pleasures without sacrificing our health, right?

So let’s hear it! What is that one dessert that you absolutely adore, the one that makes you drool as you think of it?  That one that you’d never think could be transformed into something without consequence to your diet or your health?

Enter these sinful pleasures in the “comments” area below.  The winning entry/suggestion (based on factors such as seasonality, ingredient availability, and originality) will be chosen exactly two weeks from today on Friday, March 5.

Then, on Friday, March 12, the winning entry will be created, photographed and published along with the recipe here on Julie’s Raw Ambition.  And, the winner will also receive a goody box of non-perishable raw ingredients from Sunfood.com that are staples for making sweet treats, including Artisana coconut butter, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, and more!

So mark down these dates and get those entries in!  I’m looking extremely forward to this experience and having some fun!

<3, JMK