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by : BTF

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Butternut Curry

Serves 2
Ingredients
½ medium butternut squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp shredded coconut
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp chili powder
½  tsp ginger powder, or fresh minced
splash of water
1 tsp agave nectar/ maple syrup
1T soy sauce
1 handful sprouted green beans

Method
De-seed one half of a medium butternut squash and remove the skin--either with a sturdy peeler or skin it with a knife. Then use a spiralizer or peeler to make noodles. Place the squash “noodles” in a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt. Toss to coat and set aside.

In a small bowl combine shredded coconut, curry, chili, and ginger. Stir to mix. Add a splash of water and mash mixture with a spoon or fork.

Add coconut mixture, soy sauce and agave to the squash noodles. Mix thoroughly with hands. Add Sprouts and mix in.


Serve Curried Butternut Squash à la carte, or alongside a simple salad of romaine lettuce tossed with a sweet and sour dressing (olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and agave). 
Alternatively, serve with Parsnip Rice.

Monday 26 September 2011

Parsnip Rice

This is one of the easiest accompaniments to many main meals.

Using a food processor, or blender chop 1 parsnip per person until it is in rice-sized pieces
sprinkle with olive oil, salt and lemon juice and set aside for about half an hour for the parsnip to soak up the flavours.
You can, alternatively, use other seasonings for a variety of flavour.
Variation: I have also successfully used cauliflower in place of parsnip. Swede also works very well, and benefits from a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Sunday 25 September 2011

Chilli Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients
2 bananas, frozen
1 dsp cacao powder
1 dsp carob powder
1 pinch ginger
½ cm fresh chilli, finely chopped*

Method
mix everything in a food processor and freeze in ramekins
take out of freezer ½ hour before eating

*note. Make sure the chilli is really well-blended before freezing, or else you will blow the roof off your mouth eating it!

Saturday 20 August 2011

Radish Crackers

INGREDIENTS
15 radishes
1 cup of sweetcorn
2 or 3 large tomatoes
a pinch of sea salt
1 dsp lemon juice
about 1 cm fresh chilli, de-seeded
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a blender until the mixture is smooth.
Spread the entire mixture onto a non-stick dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 105 for 6-8 hours. Turn the sheet over and flip the mixture onto a mesh sheet. Continue dehydrating until crispy, about 12-24 more hours.
Keep in an airtight box. I usually freeze mine. They thaw super-fast whenever they're needed.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

A Good Drying Day

The dehydrator has been used to dry and preserve foods for many years.
When you have a glut of something, it's useful to have a raw-food way of preserving some, and keeping all the nutrients.
Here are some of the foods I preserve in the dehydrator:

Tomatoes
Slice into 4 or 5 slices each
Dry as they are or...
Dip in olive oil
Sprinkle with salt and chopped herbs
Keep in a jar and use just like sun-dried tomatoes

Plums
Cut in half
Remove stone
Dip in olive oil and mixed spice

Apples
Cut into slices
Either dry as they are or...
Dip in olive oil and ground cinnamon for a spicy Autumnal treat

Root Vegetable Crisps
Use a vegetable peeler to slice carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnip and beetroot
Dry just as they are, until crispy.

Garlic
Peel a lot of garlic cloves
Chop finely in a food processor (or by hand, if you can be bothered)
Dry in a nut milk bag or a dehydrator tray until completely dry
The pieces will clump together, so use an electric mill to crush them
Keep in a jar and use anywhere you'd use fresh garlic

Friday 5 August 2011

Bacteria Are My Friends

I have recently been learning a lot about the beneficial bacteria in cultured and fermented foods and have been introducing these foods into our diet.
One of the biggest benefits I have noticed is the improvement in my digestion.
I no longer have gas, whereas I used to - a lot! I notice now that if I don't eat these foods for a couple of days; my digestion plays up.
I used to feel sick whenever I ate anything. Since switching to raw food, I do not feel sick anywhere near as often. Beneficial bacteria help this situation dramatically.
Another improvement is in my skin, hair and nails. My skin is smoother and softer - on my body, as well as my face; my hair and nails are growing faster and are stronger. Additionally, my hair, which used to be quite dry, now rarely needs conditioning. (I have changed some of the products I use, but this is not the only reason I believe my hair has improved.)

Here are some of the fermented foods I've been making:
Sauerkraut and Kimchi
In addition to the sauerkraut I discussed in an earlier post, I have also been making Kimchi. This Korean dish uses miso instead of salt-water. It's just as easy to make and I have been using a variety of vegetables, layering them in the jar. It is just as delicious as sauerkraut and a perfect way to make some of those hard greens more palatable.
Some people can manage  crunchy, crispy foods, but I have never ben able to get on with it; I like my food quite soft. Culturing it helps me enormously!


Cultured Water

When I have eaten all the kimchi/sauerkraut from a jar, I bottle the leftover water and use it in savoury recipes, instead of regular water. It adds nutrition and flavour.

Kefir
Water kefir grains are amazing. I bought a small packet on ebay and started making my own Kefir.
Just add a couple of spoonfuls (1 packet) of kefir grain to a glass Kilner jar of filtered water.
Add a couple of spoons of sugar (you could use any sugar, maple syrup, fruit sugar etc.) and leave it for a couple of days. It is ready to drink then, either on its own or added to fruit juice or a smoothie.
The grains grow and multiply. I was amazed at how big some of them got.
In no tome at all, I had enough grains for two jars, then three, then four and now I have five jars on the go, spaced a day apart, so there is always some ready. I even gave my mum some grains when she visited.
I'm not sure I entirely understand exactly what kefir grains are; some sort of bacteria, but I'm no scientist and even though I live with one, I haven't yet figured it out! What I do know is that kefir tastes good and does me good - all I ask from my food.

Miso
Although miso is not a raw food, it is a living food; at least, if you buy an  un-pasteurised variety.
I use it quite a bit in kimchi, sauces and sometimes just as a drink. I have been a fan of miso for many years.
One of my cousins once asked my what my secret to eternal youth was (he hadn't seen me for 10 years and asserted that I hadn't aged!) I told him it was miso, and promptly made a cup to drink!

There are other fermented foods I want to try and I will let you know how I get on when I do.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

One Potato...

I fell right off the waggon this evening when Mr H bought me some chips on the beach!
Oh dear! But I gobbled them down like I was never going to eat again!
I have heard that potatoes are often very difficult to give up. They are so firmly entrenched in our culture.
Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh introduced them in the 16th century, they've made their way into so many thing we take for granted about British cuisine now.
Chips are the 'national dish' apparently (together with, ironically, curry!) and just think how many potato products there are in the shops and on menus across the land!
But, of course, potatoes are not really very suitable to be eaten raw!
Kate Wood asserts that cooked food is an addiction and that there are five highly addictive foods. These are: Potatoes, Wheat, Soya, Corn and Rice and she reckons that these vary in how hard they are to give up, depending on your genetic make-up. My European ancestors must've enjoyed a lot of potatoes, that's all I can say! I do crave the fluffy white carbs!
So I was eating my chips and for a while they seemed to be hitting the spot, but it wasn't long before I felt full, still hungry, slightly sick and the tell-tale headache began prickling at my temples.
By the time we got home, I was really craving some green stuff!
I made this smoothie, quickly, to satisfy my body's desire for chlorophyll:

1/2 melon, skinned and de-seeded
1 banana
2 handfuls baby spinach
250 mls filtered water

Blend everything together, (adding a bit at a time if you have a regular blender, as I do) until nice and homogenous. You can strain this through a nut milk bag or muslin if you want to, but I was desperate for the green stuff so I guzzled mine down. It made just over 2 pints which, being nice, I shared! =)

Monday 1 August 2011

Salade de Marmande

After all that dehydrated food of the past week, I was craving something fresh and pure.
We had this gorgeous Marmande tomato in the organic veg box this week. Just one, but oooh! How lovely:

I knew I didn't want to process it, so I sliced in neatly and made this simple layered salad:


* first, a handful of baby spinach leaves,
* next, a spoonful of fresh home-made raw hummus,
* then the Marmande tomato, sliced (I had to share mine with Mr H, but there was plenty!)
* finally a couple of spoonfuls of the Cultured Vegetables I made last week
a drizzle of olive oil completed the dish.... Mmm, just what we wanted!



Dehydrated food is all very well and really does add texture and interest to food, as well as making some things more edible (eg aubergines) but as with everything - in moderation. It would be maybe not dangerous, but certainly unwise to rely too heavily on using the dehydrator, or any other appliance, in making a meal. Sometimes it's good to just get back to easing fresh food. In fact, our diest should consist mainly of fresh vegetables, so no wonder my body was craving that juicy purple tomato!



The Cultured Vegetables are really delicious. I couldn't believe it! I thought they would smell or taste a bit 'off' but they are soft and sweet. I confess I have always had difficulty with raw cabbage, but this makes it palatable and more easily digested. I recommend it. Easy to make, easy to store (pop the jar in the fridge to slow down the process once fermentation has started) and so delicious to eat!

Sunday 31 July 2011

What's In The Cupboard?

Well, not much at the moment - really need to go shopping!
But I made these which, while not quite substantial enough for a meal, are sorting us out while we write our shopping list... and they are so yummy!

Cashew Brownies
a handful of cashews
a handful of dates
1 banana
2 tsp cacao powder
1 tsp carob powder
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp lucuma powder

Soak the cashews in a little water for an hour, then drain and chop in a blender. You don't need a high speed blender as the cashews will be quite soft.
Mash the banana and mix all the ingredients together.
Roll the mixture into 12 small balls (tip: use wet hands and sort-of 'shake' them into shape rather than roll!) and place onto a teflon sheet on a dehydrator tray.
Bake in the dehydrator for 6-7 hours, turning them over half way.
Quick! Take a photo before they're all gone! =)


To turn things over in a dehydrator:
* take the tray out of the dehydrator and place it on the kitchen-side.
* place a fresh dehydrator mesh sheet over the top of the product, then place a tray over the top.
* turn the whole thing over.
* remove the old tray and mesh.
* gently peel back the teflon sheet.
* put the new tray, together with turned product, back into the dehydrator.
The product will dry quicker without the teflon sheet because the air can circulate all round, so removing from the teflon sheet as soon as it is 'peel-able' ensures the quickest drying time.

Of course, if you don't have a dehydrator, you can use a fan oven on fan-only, with the door open ajar.

Saturday 30 July 2011

Thai Spicy Mushrooms

The weather has turned a bit cooler today, so I'm experimenting with a warmer dish. This one will be good in the winter time.

Thai Spicy Mushrooms
4 Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
hemp seed oil
Thai spices
sesame seeds
garlic chips
a drop of cider vinegar
Marinade the mushrooms with the other ingredients and leave to stand for about half an hour.
Then dehydrate on a low setting for 4-5 hours.
These are delicious served with Green Cashew Cream. (yesterday's recipe!)

Friday 29 July 2011

Raw Fridge Staples

Here are a couple of useful sauces to make and keep in the fridge.
I had to dash out this afternoon, so I whipped them up quickly before I caught my train.
They are both good for making salad dressings, spreading on crackers, dipping vegetables in... etc, etc...

Raw Tahini
Soak 1 cup sesame seeds for a couple of hours. (Be careful not to soak the seeds too long or you will waterlog them and the tahini won't last as long.)
Drain and blend with 1/2 cup water and some salt & pepper
It's that easy! It will last about 4 days in the fridge.
This Raw Tahini comes out really pure and white and is perfect for making Raw Hummus! go on, soak some chick peas now...


Green Cashew Cream
This uses the pulp from making Cashew milk.
1 cup cashew pulp
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp spirulina
1 tsp agave syrup
1/2 cup water
Blend everything together. The Spirulina gives it a bright green colour which makes it look like it's doing you a lot of good, which it is!

A great base for salad dressings or dips. Again, keep in the fridge and use within a week.

Thursday 28 July 2011

Getting a Bit of Culture

I've been hearing and reading a lot about Cultured Vegetables.
Now, to be honest, I had no idea what these were, but when the universe keeps banging on about something, I have to sit up and listen.
About a month ago I read a Sauerkraut recipe in one of Shazzie's books: Detox Your World (it's a great book, by the way - I highly recommend it)
My first thought on reading the recipe was "Eeuw! No way! I'm not eating rotting vegetables, thank you very much! I'll have something else."
And that was that. I left it, until I saw this interesting article on Cultured Vegetables, which explained it all to me. I had one of those "Aha" moments (and no, not a flashback to the 80s pop group!) suddenly it made sense, but I still felt a bit anxious about making my own.
What if I did it wrong? Could I accidentally introduce a pathogenic bacteria and give it room to grow?
However, a quick look at the price of Cultured Vegetables convinced me that I had to make my own.
I found this useful tutorial and had a go.
I used cabbage and cucumber (keep it simple to start with,) and a couple of lettuce leaves to keep the vegetables under the water. Here is my Sauerkraut in a Kilner jar. I 'pop' the gas 2 or 3 times a day and it should be ready to eat on Monday!

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Super Cookies and Super Pancakes!

One of the nice things about having a dehydrator is the range of interesting textures you can get from your raw food with it. I love experimenting in the kitchen and to be honest, green smoothies and salads, while delicious and very good for me, weren't always very inspiring. I was craving cooked food. But not, I suspected, for the nutrition, but more for the feel-good factor. I needed some crunch, some goo, some nom, basically!
So I regard dehydrated food as Methadone for cooked food addictions - it satisfies the craving, without giving in to the addiction. And it can make a meal soooo much more interesting. I've never been one of those vegan martyrs who chews on tasteless cardboard 'because it's good for me.' If I don't like it, I simply won't eat it. Period!
So here are two recipes which satisfy the baked food craving:

Super Cookies

1 cup of almond or cashew pulp from making nut milk
1 cup vine fruits, soaked
1 banana, mashed
1 dsp lucuma powder
1 dsp mesquite powder
1 dsp maca powder
2 tsp coconut butter/oil
1 tsp stevia powder or alternative sweetener
1 tsp ground mixed spice

Mix all the ingredients together and roll into small balls. Flatten them (as thin as possible) and place on a dehydrator tray.
I 'baked' mine overnight, which was about 7 hours, but they could have gone longer and been more crispy - we just wanted them for breakfast!

Super Pancakes
Pancakes! Yes, I know! I found this recipe here, but mine took longer to dehydrate. Perhaps I made them bigger.
Makes 4 pancakes
3 bananas, mashed
1/3 cup ground flax
1 tsp cinnamon powder
a drop of water to bind

Mix everything together and spread onto teflon dehydrator sheets. Spread as thin as you can with a spoon (dampen it if you have to, but don't get the mixture too wet. I made on on each of 4 trays.

Dehydrate for 4 hours, or until the pancake will peel away from the sheet. Place another tray (with mesh) on the top and turn the whole thing over. Gently (and I mean gently!) peel away the teflon sheet.
Dehydrate for another 4 hours.
We had ours with fruit and cacao powder. I'd like to show you a picture, but we ate them too quick!
Take a look at Polly Noble's pictures - ours were like that!


As with all dehydrator recipes, you could use a fan oven instead. Just put the oven on fan-only or on the lowest temperature and leave the door open a jar to let the heat escape.

Tuesday 26 July 2011

What Am I Going To Do With This Auberbine?

One of my favourite Chinese take-away dishes is "Sea Spicy Aubergine" and we had an aubergine in the fridge, so I thought I should try and do something with it.
OK, my results weren't the same as the Chinese restaurant, obviously, but it was mighty tasty!

Sea Spicy Aubergine
1 aubergine, cut into slices, then sliced into strips
For the marinade:
1/2 cup olive or hemp seem oil (they really drink it up!)
1 handful seaweed sprinkle
Rock Salt
Garlic flakes
Sesame seeds
Mix everything together

Roll the aubergine in the marinade to thoroughly cover it .
Leave to soak up the oil for several hours or overnight. Stir again to coat the aubergine with marinade.
Dehydrate on 105 degrees F until you are happy with the texture really. Mr H enjoyed them quite firm. I preferred mine to have 'baked' a bit longer. About 6 hours should do it.
Use a teflon sheet if you prefer, but remember to turn them over after a couple of hours and remove the sheet. I put them straight onto the tray and they were fine.

The salt and seaweed gives a nice 'sea vegetable' taste and the sesame seeds add some excellent texture.

Monday 25 July 2011

Dehydration, Dehydration, Dehydration

I returned home at from a job interview at lunchtime today to discover a large box waiting for me.
My new dehydrator had arrived!
I bought an Excalibur which, according to all the reviews I've read, seemed to come out top for reliability and ease of use.
I only have room for a 5 tray, but hopefully that will be big enough.
Here she is:


I've named her Callie, (all my appliances have names!) Unfortunately she has to sit next to the (mostly unused) microwave, which I call Stinky Meat Monster because the previous owner cooked a lot of steaks in it!


Anyway, Callie is great. The design is very straightforward; just a metal box with slots in the sides to fit the five trays. The fan in the back dries the food fairly evenly, but anyways it's easy to remove the trays and turn them round. they're square! Each tray is a moulded plastic frame with a plastic mesh which fits neatly on top. It's easy to clean and the front lifts off to make for beter access to the food. 






I bough the dehydrator on eBay. It was new, never used and I got it for a much better price that if I had gone to an online shop, so I'm pleased (although my overdraft doesn't agree with me!). I also bought some teflon sheets from Raw Living so that I can make cakes and crackers!






I couldn't wait to get started so I began with a simple recipe that I've been wanting to make for ages:


Kale Chips 
There are probably hundred of recipes for Kale Chips. Here's mine:
1 (200g) bag of Kale or a large bunch form the garden or shop (note to self: Grow Some Kale!)
1 tsp rock salt
5 dsp olive oil
4 dsp nutritional yeast flakes (I use Engevita. I hope that's raw!)
1 tsp garlic flakes (dehydrated garlic)


Remove the stalks from the Kale, cutting away as much of the tough stuff as possible.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, massaging the marinade into the kale leaves.
Spread onto dehydrator trays (use teflon sheets if you prefer) and dehydrate on 105˚F for 5-12 hours.




With Kale Chips, if you dehydrate them for longer, they will be more crispy; if for less, they'll be chewier. Either way they are yum! I personally prefer them a bit chewy, with lots of marinade on, but that's me!



Sunday 17 July 2011

My Old China

I have used Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture several times in my life, for a variety of problems and I've always found it helpful.
One of my reasons for not employing a raw approach to food for the past couple of decades is the Chinese Doctor's assertion that I should eat warm foods to improve my spleen energy.
The Spleen, in Western medicine is not considered very important. It is regarded as a rather vague organ with some connection to the immune system, but many people seem to manage very well without it, due to disease or injury, etc. However, in TCM it is a vital part of the whole digestive area and plays a part in the development of muscles. Practitioners have told me for years to eat hot foods and keep the lower half of my body warm especially during the winter.
But I no longer believe this to be incompatible with the raw food lifestyle. I have made nourishing soups, which I've then warmed gently to blood temperature and this is very warming. Some foods such as ginger and chilli have a warming effect.
And then there's tea. I like mixing my own blends of tea, using herbs, barks, berries as well as green, black or red tea, sometimes. One particular favourite of mine is this. I call it Blueberry Power Tea

Blueberry Power Tea
1 pinch Pau d'Arco
1 bag Blueberry Tea (black tea mixed with dried blueberries)
Steep these in a cafetiere for five minutes and drink hot.
Sweeten with agave or stevia if sweetness is required.

I've also mixed Pau d'Arco with green tea. Chinese doctors would like this, since tea is a central part of traditional Chinese culture.

Pau d'Arco is really great stuff. It is the inner bark of the Taheebo trees and contains anti fungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic compounds. I drank it for a couple of days recently when everyone around me was streaming with a nasty cold. I had that back-of-the-throat feeling, so out came the Pau d'Arco and Zap! Cold gone! It comes from South America, so obviously it's imported. I bought mine from Funky Raw.

Another area of contention for me in terms of Chinese Medicine has always been my decision to follow a vegan diet. Several Acupuncturists have shaken their heads at this decision (Vegetarian - fine. Vegan - no!) And they are not alone. Doctors, family members, friends and even complete strangers have lectured me on my diet because it is commonly (and incorrectly) believed that it's not possible to get the full range of nutrients entirely from vegetables. It is possible, but it is important to be careful, generate a knowledge of nutrition, eat as wide a range of foods as possible and ensure food is of a good quality. I managed to become a bit deficient in Vitamin B12 once because I was using the wrong brand of yeast extract in my gravy! It was easily rectified.
Protein, for example, comes up all the time. "Are you getting enough protein?'
We need a lot less protein that many people believe (it's different for children of course,) and this is easily  obtained through vegetables, beans, seeds, grains, fungi... after all, plants need to grow too, so we simply ingest their growth chemicals = amino acids!
B12 is harder to obtain in vegetable forms and a lot of vegans rely on supplements. I did for years until I discovered that B12 comes from the dirt vegetable grow in! (Animals get this from the vegetation they eat, which is why meat contains B12.)
so now I don't scrub every last scrap of dirt of my vegetables. I pick leaves straight from the garden and put them into salads and smoothies. I brush the dirt off mushrooms instead of thoroughly peeling them as I used to and I brush my carrots with a dry brush before juicing them. you need to be careful though. "You eat a peck before you die" may well be a true adage, but a gritty smoothie is not pleasant!
no wonder some pregnant women start eating dirt - baby knows best!

And while we're on the subject of children. Should kids be brought up on a raw diet? I'm in a quandary with this and don't know where I stand. There is an argument that the raw diet is healthier, contains more nutrients and is therefore better for children. but there have been cases of kids becoming malnourished (although as far as I've been able to determine, it seems their diets really were limited, which is not going to work anyway.)
Certainly, I believe it is better that a diet of ready meals and MacDonald's, but I wonder, since children are growing, they should have a wider range of foods? And maybe they should be given informed choices from a young age?
It's a difficult issue, and one I'm no doubt I'll return to. One thing is for sure though: Right here, right now, the raw diet is working for this adult. =)

Monday 11 July 2011

Salad Dressings

Surprise surprise! I've been making a lot of salads lately!
Sometimes I don't pour and sprinkle stuff on top of my salad, but more often than not, I do. Here are some of my favourite mixings:

Kiwi Mint Dressing:
1 Kiwi Fruit, chopped
wine vinegar
mustard
hemp seed oil
lemon juice
agave nectar
chopped fresh mint
A few garlic flakes
All of these are to taste. I like mine really minty, so I chop up loads of fresh mint.
Blend everything with a hand-held blender and pour or dip to your heart's content!

Tahini "Special" Sauce
This reminds me of the 'special sauce' I used to pour on my houmous and falafel, back in the day...
2 dessertspoons raw tahini
1 teaspoon chopped chilli
olive oil
lemon juice
paprika
chopped coriander
Blend everything together and dream of the Middle East! =)

Simple Salad Sauce
This one is easy. The old ones are the best, eh?
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Mix in quantities to suit. Usually more oil than lemon juice works best.
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Ground Mustard
Garlic flakes
These are to taste, so don't overdo it.

Tomato Treat
6 small plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 cup olive oil
1 generous pinch of: seaweed, pumpkin seeds and garlic granules
1 crushed Chlorella tablet
Blend together and mix into salad.

Mr H's Raspberry Relish
My lovely man first made this for me with tinned (!) raspberries, but he's seen the error of his ways now and makes it with fresh!
1 punnet raspberries (this is a good thing to do with those raspberries that really should have been eaten yesterday... you know the ones!)
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil (although probably he'll use hemp oil from now on - it's his new favourite!)
Blend and season to taste (not that it needs any!)
Yummy on any salad and quite nice just licked off fingers... but I digress! =)

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Taking It On The Road

Mr H and I went out today to visit an old friend of mine, whom I've not seen for many years. He's married now with no less than five children and they live in Australia. I got back in touch with this friend just in time for one of their rare visits back to Blighty and today we went to meet them.
Why am I telling you this? Well, naturally, we needed a packed lunch, so I put the following together:

The Mighty Salad
In a large box, combine:

2 avocados, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
handful mixed seeds
1 red or yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1 handful mushrooms, chopped
several mixed olives, chopped
Lettuce leaves to scoop and wrap the salad, wrapped separately.

For the dressing I used hemp seed oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, agave nectar and lemon juice.

We also took about 8 pieces of fruit with us and a bar of raw vegan chocolate, together with a Tupperware cup of (probably not raw) Karo milk for our tea.

Mr H carried this lot, because he is much stronger than me and we did get several "ooh, that looks tasty" comments as well as my friend's wife telling me we look "very healthy... for vegans!" Which I'm going to take as a compliment! =)

Sunday 3 July 2011

My Detox

I've been "off-grid" for a few days whilst undergoing a mini detox.
My raw food journey thus far has been interesting, enlightening and sometimes challenging, but I am loving it and learning more about myself than I thought possible from a diet!
I've lost just over half a stone in weight, but that's not my main reason for doing it, although I had started getting a bit "chunky" with all those cakes! I feel that I need to become healthier and I'm noticing changes.
My headaches are decreased and my aches have almost gone, but these past few days I've discovered the most so far.
Part of my detox was to avoid technology. I sat in bed reading, exercised and mostly just drank smoothies for 3 days. When I returned to 'civilisation', I had no emails, no phone messages, 1 text and only 2 updates on Facebook, so clearly the world can manage without me!
I felt very cold towards the end of my first day and this, apparently is normal. My sense of smell has cranked up a notch. Some smells are now simply disgusting to me, where they were relatively unnoticed before. And I discern some pleasant scents more clearly than before and this is nice.
On the second day, I experienced intense lower back pain which was only slightly relieved by applying a hot water bottle. This has mostly gone, after 3 days, but I clearly need to identify the root of my joint pains. The consultant has ruled out any degenerative disease, which is a relief, but I do see a physiotherapist so I hope he can help me unravel my problems.
Mentally, with no computer or mobile phone to distract me, I managed to read 1 1/2 novels and sort out a lot of worries which had been playing on my mind.
And I slept... oh how I slept! I must have had a lot of healing to do because we heal in our sleep.
I feel really good now, both physically and mentally. I'm much more positive, and looking forward to another detox in a few weeks!

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Houmous Gets the Raw Treatment

Raw Houmous.

Houmous is lovely. Well, I think so, anyway! It's been a mainstay of my diet for many years. Mr H and I get through loads of the stuff and I started making our own a couple of years ago, so it was obvious that I needed to figure out a raw version.
The only real change I have made to my original recipe is to use sprouted chick peas, instead of boiled. The preparation takes a little longer, but the results are even more yummy.
Oh, and I use a bit less garlic now since our raw tastes are stronger!

1 cup chick peas, soaked overnight and sprouted until tiny shoots appear (1-2 days, depending on how hot the weather is)
2 dessertspoons raw tahini
1 dessertspoon lemon juice
1 dessertspoon olive or hemp oil
Garlic to taste (I usually use 1 small clove for this amount.)
A drop of water if needed to facilitate blending

Simply blend everything until smooth. This makes quite a lot and you can freeze some if necessary and thaw it later.

I sometimes add one or some of the following for added flavour:

Sea salt, black pepper, soy sauce, chopped olives, chopped tomatoes, chilli, paprika, cayenne pepper, chopped peppers, mustard... but you might think of others!

PS. The other day we were in Infinity Foods in Brighton and bought some raw houmous which had various spices in, including coriander and turmeric. It was to-die-for! =)

Monday 20 June 2011

Raw Vegan Sushi

I've always loved sushi... the little parcels of deliciousness, dipped in soy sauce and wasabi paste, little flakes of ginger... oooh! Yummy!
So naturally I wanted to make a raw version.
OK, so I had to make a couple of exceptions, owing to the paucity of availability of raw ingredients locally. The Nori sheets had been toasted. I couldn't find raw, but will continue to look. I used mustard powder because I couldn't find the wasabi powder (I know it's somewhere...) and I did use soy sauce, which I don't suppose is raw, but other than that... here's what I made:


Nori sheets cut lengthways into four. I used three sheets for two people.

Avocado paste:
I avocado, mashed
1 quarter of a small onion, finely chopped
1cm red chilli, finely chopped
1 handful mixed raw seeds
a pinch of lentil spreouts
Mix everything together and place a teaspoonful at one end of the nori strip.

Grate 1 carrot, 1 beetroot, 1 apple.
Place a pinch of each (or vary for each wrap) next to the avocado paste.

Chop the tip off asparagus ad add this to the nori strip.
Add a few pieces of a finely sliced chard leaf.

Slice some small pieces of red and green pepper and add a couple of these to the strip.


Roll us the whole strip, carefully keeping everything within and sticking the end with a drop of apple juice if necessary.

To accompany this, I mixed some mustard powder in a little avocado dip (see my recipe here)
I should, of course, have used wasabi powder and I will next time.

(Try to ignore the big crack in my old plate! I can't throw it out - it's too pretty!)

I also soaked some seaweed salad and a chopped sun-dried tomato with a little chopped fresh coriander in a drop of soy sauce and some hemp oil for a few minutes, before spooning it over the sushi and a few extra lentil sprouts.

Next time I make this, I would like to add some grated ginger and devise some alternative fillings, but this was a good first effort. 

Mr H, who had never seen sushi being made before, was particularly impressed, giving me quite a serotonin hit, which always boosts the flavour of anything! =)

Saturday 18 June 2011

You Get Me Through

A very busy and rather stressful couple of days for me, finishing off a sculpture for an exhibition which opens on Monday and getting all the loose ends tied up for the end of my course.
As is often the case when I'm really busy, I forget to eat! However, my body is getting better at telling me it's hungry, so I have made a few quick, tasty and healthy snacks this week, some of which I will share with you here:

Mango Power Juice
Peel and de-pip one small melon
Peel an de-stone one mango
Place in a blender with a bit of apple juice
Blend until smooth and drink
Makes a couple of pints (ish)

Quick Chocolate Fix (for those times when...  well, you know!)
In a tea cup, mix the following:
1 tsp tahini
1 tsp agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener if you prefer)
1 tsp cocoa powder.
Eat it straight out of the cup or spread onto a cracker.

Cocoa Comfort
Blend the following:
1 banana
about half a litre nut milk (I used pistachio milk and it was lovely, but almond, cashew or any other will do)
1 dsp cocoa powder
Drink it out of a mug and pretend it's cocoa like Granny made (it's better!)
Use warm milk if you want extra comfort.

Avocado Dip (spread, mayonaise substitute, whatever...)
Blend the following:
1 avocado
1 banana (Use one that is not too ripe - learn from my mistake!)
a few flakes of dehydrated garlic
a splash of soy sauce or similar seasoning
juice of half a lemon.
Spread onto slices of cucumber for a delicious quick snack

And finally...
Multi-Berry Orgy Snack
1 punnet blueberrues
1 punnet raspberries
1 packet dried goji berries (you won't need all of them)

Stuff a dried goji berry inside a blueberry
Stuff the blueberry inside a raspberry
Do this to the entire punnet
And eat!

Now that School's Out and I can relax, I'm going to get back in the kitchen and start creating again... watch this space. =)

Wednesday 15 June 2011

A Note About Measurements

You may notice, from looking at my recipes, that I mix up my measurements (US cups, Euro grams, Imperial teaspoons and dessertspoons...) This is deliberate and something I've developed over many years of making food.
The reason is because I don't like to be too accurate. You may read that I suggest a handful of one ingredient, a cup of another, a couple of dessertspoons of something else.
I believe that food should be cooked by taste and as such, my measurements are guidelines only. I strongly recommend that you purchase a simple cup measure, if you don't have one. It's a nice measurement, which is quite precise enough. An espresso coffee cup is about the same size or you might find an old fashioned teacup (I often use a teacup!) And I use dessertspoons rather than tablespoons simply because I don't own a tablespoon. I'd only use it for measuring anyway, so I just use a dessertspoon and then eat with it afterwards - saves unnecessary washing-up!
When I quote grams or (occasionally) ounces, this is because something comes in a package of that weight. The coconut cream I use comes in handy 2oz/50g pouches, but with practice, you could easily work out your own measurement for that.

A simple recipe for today has no measurements at all. It is completely to taste. And it tastes wonderful:

Raw "Stuffed" Mushrooms


Take 2 large Portobello mushrooms for each person (or more if you're extra hungry!) and brush with Olive Oil.



Combine the following to taste:
Fresh Broad Beans
Sundried Tomatoes
Olives
Beansprouts
Hemp Seed Oil
Soya Sauce (or another seasoning, if preferred)
Dried Seaweed
Other ingredients to taste



After marinading your ingredients for a few minutes, spoon on top of the mushrooms and enjoy. =)

Tuesday 14 June 2011

A Dash of Ginger with That...

The quest for the perfect Raw Curry goes on, but I did manage to make a sort-of curry sauce today. It's not good enough to post yet, but I'll work on it.

I had a busy and stressful day today (my sculpture exploded in the kiln yesterday, so I had some extensive repairs to do!) and I had an energy slump mid-afternoon. Fortunately, a punnet of cherries and a bar of raw chocolate soon sorted that out. How decadent this diet is, where Chocolate and Cherries a healthy meal!
I found a lovely shop in Chichester (my nearest city) which sells all sorts of wholefoods including lovely raw stuff! I can highly recommend it. The shop is called Manuka Wholefoods and it's tucked away in Little London Walk (which used to be called Sadler's Walk but now for some reason isn't.)
They have a website: www.manukawholefoods.co.uk.
Check it out if you're in the area, or look them up online. I bought some gorgeous raw chocolate coated mulberries... mmmmmm. =)

Today's recipe is very simple, but delicious. It's a really top juice with a bit of a kick:

Manjingo Juice
1 melon (flesh only - the worms got the seeds and rind!)
1 carton squeezed orange juice (because I was lazy!)
1 tsp ground ginger.
Juice the melon. Pour into a tall jug and add the ginger. Top up with orange juice.
This was enough to keep two of us going all evening while we got on with some work.

Tomorrow... who knows? I may have figured out that curry sauce recipe! =)

Monday 13 June 2011

What to do with Beansprouts

Today I ate beansprouts and I didn't get E-coli and I didn't die.
Not surprising, you'd think, but recently some beansprouts in Germany have been responsible for spreading the bacteria and caused several deaths and a lot of sickness. Basically, as far as I understand, it was due to poor farming methods, bad hygiene, etc. That sort of thing shouldn't happen if you grow your own, or buy from a reputable source. I'd run out at home, so I bought some from Aconbury Sprouts because I know they're good. I've bought them before.
I had quite a few for lunch, with a box of olives and that sustained me through a stressful kiln firing (which went on forever!)
Mr H had to go into work this evening, so I made this for his return:

Tricolore Bolognese

1 large courgette
1 large carrot
1 large beetroot
300g multicoloured baby tomatoes
1 generous handful beansprouts
½ red Romano pepper
about 9 olives
1 cm red chilli
1 tsp raw cacao powder
drop olive oil
slice lemon – flesh & juice.

Grate the courgette, carrot and beetroot over a bowl
Squeeze the juice out of the grated veg and place half on the plates. Spread it around the edge with a hole in the middle.
Chop everything else into small pieces (chop the chilli very fine,) and mix together.
Place a large dolop of “Bolognese” in the middle of your plates and add a bit of green salad.

Serves 2 greedy pigs or 3-4 sensible eaters.
Plus a glass of delicious vegetable juice to fight over!



Sunday 12 June 2011

Spicing It Up

I made two Smoothies today, one fruity, one veggy. Here they are:

Sweet Fruity
1 melon (peeled and seeds removed)
1 large handful strawberries.
Juice and drink – easy!

I call this one "Pink Champagne"


Savoury Vegetable
8 carrots
1 beetroot (small, peeled)
4 sticks celery
2 tomatoes
Juice all the above and transfer to blender.
Add 2 handfuls spinach
Blend until smooth.

Mr H enjoying his "Fake Guinness"


I was craving cooked food today. None of the snacks were satisfying me, so I knew I needed to prepare a “proper” meal. What I really fancied was curry... ooohhh....

Ok, so I haven't worked out how to make a raw curry yet (Brain Cogs turning..) but I did find a lovely Chilli recipe in Naked Chocolate. I've had this book for years and to my shame I've never made anything out of it.
Here's the recipe, slightly adjusted for the ingredients I had available (I've halved the quantities for 2 people!)

Chilli con Cacao
1 clove garlic
1 large sprig rosemary
1 ripe tomato
1 large sprig basil
3 sun-dried tomatoes
Squeeze of lemon
Half teaspoon cayenne pepper (I'll use fresh next time.)
2 Olives
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
Half a red Romano pepper
3 mushrooms
Half a cup of hemp seed oil (or olive oil)
2 Courgettes.

Chop the garlic and herbs.
Dice the tomatoes, pepper and mushrooms.
Chop the olives into quarters.
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and chop roughly (I used a hand-held blender and it worked fine.) Mix in the oil.
Leave to stand while you peel the courgettes (I used a potato peeler to get some nice thin strips of skin) and grate the flesh.
Place the sliced peel on the plates, pile some grated courgette on top and add a generous dolop of Chilli con Cacao onto the top.

It was so delicious. Mr H said he found it "energising" - result! =)




Saturday 11 June 2011

I don't Need a Dehydrator - I Just Want One!

For my lunch today I fancied making a Mushroom Dip, so here it is:

Mushroom Dip
6 mushrooms
2 tomatoes
2 handfuls spinach
I slice lemon – pith & flesh
1 red pepper
1 pear
1 small onion
olive oil and hemp seed oil to enable blending

Blend everything together until smooth.
Makes a good dip or spread. Looks a bit like guacamole but has no avocado in (although it could have!)

I craved something starchy to go with these and set myself the challenge of creating a “cracker”-type thing without a dehydrator (because I don't have one – yet!)
This is what I came up with:

Tomato Almond and Flax Crackers.
leftover pulp from almond goji mylk (dried out a bit in oven (fan only - no heat) or dehydrator)
2 dsp milled flax seed (linseed)
2 tomatoes
mixed seeds
herbs and spices to taste

Chop tomatoes then blend with hand-held blender
Add flax seed and almond pulp.
Mix thoroughly and spread onto a baking tray (or dehydrator sheet)
Press mixed seeds onto the top and dry out in oven on fan only for 4-5 hours (check regularly to see if they are dry, cut into squares before turning over half way through.) Times for dehydrator will vary.
Can make batches and keep in fridge, each time you make almond goji mylk.
As these took so long to “bake” they weren't ready for lunch, but I put them in the fridge ready for the future and had the Dip with crudites.


I usually like to get two smoothies in each day – a fruit one in the morning and a vegetable “green” smoothie in the afternoon. Today I have been really busy because I have an exhibition coming up and I have work to finish. When I get very focussed on something, my hunger button switches off. Unfortunately, so does my energy button, so to keep myself going, mid afternoon, I made this:

Polly's Perfect Power Punch
1 pear
1 nectarine
1carrot
½ cucumber
handful leaves (spinach, etc.)
Juice everything except the spinach.
Transfer juice to a blender, add spinach and whizz until smooth.
Makes a large tumbler full.

Friday 10 June 2011

Getting My Oats!

Today I made Oat Mylch - Here's how:

I took a pyrex jug and put 1 litre of water inside (you could easily use a bowl instead)
I then laid a piece of muslin over the top.
I dropped 1 cup of oats into the muslin, so that they all fell under the water.


I also added 1 tsp honey, but this is optional
Then I placed a plate over the top and left them soaking for 1/2 hour.


After half an hour I removed the plate, gathered up the edges of the muslin and squeezed out the Oat Mylch. It comes out thick and creamy and is wonderful for the skin too!




















After I'd squeezed out as much Mylch as I could, I put the oats aside (for later!) and poured some of the Oat Mylch out for our lunchtime smoothie!


Here's the Oat Mylch. I made just under 1 1/2 litres this way. It needs stirring before use, but it is quite a versatile milk - not brilliant in tea though!

Lunchtime was upon us, so I made a delicious smoothie with:
1/2 pint Oat Mylch
1 mango (just the flesh!)
a handful of strawberries.

Blended together, they made the most gorgeous, rich, creamy, sunshiney drink!




Shown here with Chocolate Love Buckets!

Chocolate Love Buckets
I chopped the remaining strawberries into quarters and layered them in sundae dishes with a couple of Chocolate Love Bombs, (from a batch that turned out a bit soft, due to too much liquid and I'd kept in the freezer. Even mistakes can be utilised!)

Here is a delicious Chocolate Love Bucket!


Our delicious lunch. Imagine - eating chocolate for lunch, the healthy way. This is heavenly!

Mr H enjoying his chocolate Love Bucket. Mmmmmm. =)

Later in the day I was a bit naughty when we visited Mr H's parents, because it is impossible to resist Mrs H's delicious Okra Curry! It did get me wondering whether okra can be eaten raw, and whether I could create a raw curry? Hmmm... best get my thinking cap on.

Anyway, those soaked oats (you thought I'd forgotten about them, didn't you?)

Baccus Gets His Oats
1 cup oats (soaked and Mylch squeezed out)
1 desertspoon (dsp) raw cacao powder
1 dsp carob powder
1 cup dried vine fruits (pre-soaked)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2oz (50g) coconut cream (you could use coconut oil if you prefer. I use the cream because it is cheaper!)

Mix it up, press into silicone moulds and leave to dry under a tea towel overnight.
In the morning (hopefully!) there will be some oaty chocoaltey cakes!

Night night... =)

PS... next day... here's a pic:
... and they are yummy!

Thursday 9 June 2011

Today was my first day completely, 100% raw! And I feel terrible! Tee hee... let me explain...

I have been suspicious about the amount of soya I consume for a while and after watching a very interesting seminar lecture by David Wolfe last night, I understand the phyto-oestrogen properties a bit better.
I have suffered with hormone imbalances all my life. As a child, I couldn't control my body temperature, swinging from too hot to too cold all the time. I rarely slept and had fluctuating energy levels. Puberty hit and my periods started (eventually!) Stopped, started again, stopped and finally settled into the most irregular cycle I have ever encountered in my life (including all those years as a nurse.) Then at the age of 30 they stopped. My hormones were out of whack even more than usual and the oestrogen dominance had pushed my progesterone and testosterone levels down to practically nought. At the time, I was advised (incorrectly, I now realise) that soya would help to balance my hormone levels.
It has not. Soya is a phyto-oestrogen, which means it binds to receptors in the body in the same way oestrogen does (I think - correct me if I'm wrong...) and subsequently I have suffered all the symptoms of oestrogen dominance for the past decade.

So, I thought it would be a good idea to knock the soya on the head for a while and see how I got on.

Migraine is how I got on! But this was not unexpected. When I worked as an holistic therapist I had a lot of clients who underwent a "healing balance" in the form of a headache, nausea, pain, tearfulness or some other symptom, (it depends on where your trigger point is, for me it's the head,) but this was always temporary and part of the whole "feeling worse before you feel better" thing. I usually get a headache if I change my diet, give something up or do any kind of "cleanse." Just the body's way of saying "thanks!"

So today... a day without soya and a day completely raw.
Here's what I ate:

For breakfast I started the day with Shazzie's Almond Goji Sunshine Mylk, which I gave the recipe for yesterday.
Then I made a smoothie for Mr H and I to take out for lunch:
(for 2 people, generously)
1 pint water
2 bananas
1 handful of frozen berries
1 (small) handful goji berries
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Whizz together and drink.

We had this with some mixed olives (some of them had chilli in, which went very well with the delicious sweet smoothie!)

This afternoon I had an apple, which was all I could manage with my embryonic migraine.
I came home early and, after a rest, made this delicious "green" smoothie. Raw foodies go on about "Green Smoothies" ad nauseum, but they have a point - copious amounts of green leaves are the business, nutrition-wise.
Here is my "green" smoothie: (it's not green, it's red, but hey!)
4 carrots
1 beetroot
1 apple
a slice of lemon, pith and all
I juiced these and then placed them in the blender with:
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 teaspoon flax seed oil
I gave them a good blending and then spent the evening drinking it.

Now, this doesn't seem much for a day and were it not for the migraine, I would probably have had a nice big salad this evening and a superfood treat, but this has been enough for my body to manage today.

My headache, I have to say, has diminished. How much of this is due to the diet I can't say, but I did eschew my usual radox bath for a soak with 4 green tea bags and I swear I could feel the detoxifying action. Coupled with one of Mr H's aromatherapy back massages, I feel pretty blissed-out right now!

I am hoping tomorrow will be better. Mr H came home from work with another fridge-load of fruit and veg, so I'll be creating more yummies tomorrow...

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Vive La Revolution

There has indeed been something of a revolution in Polly's Kitchen!
During the past month, I have been conducting some experiments in Raw Food.
I have always been a bit sceptical of raw vegan diets, wondering whether they would provide all the nutrients required.
But, having done a huge amount of research, both online and in books, talked to people and watched videos, I am convinced that it is worth a try.
I was getting a bit bored and (yes I will admit it) complacent in my cookery and really need a challenge. This, I thought, could be it!
And "It" it has proven to be. I have been gradually introducing more and more raw foods into my diet over the past 5 weeks and I feel pretty good. Aches and pains dramatically diminished, migraines lessened, energy up, positivity up and now, when I eat something processed and cooked, I can taste the salt and grease and too-much sugar - yuck! give me an apple, someone!
My favourite part of this recipe experimentation so far has been in creating raw chocolate treats!

Raw chocolate is amazing. I thought the processed stuff was pretty good, but the raw variety really is the business! Try it and you won't want to go back.

The following recipes are all very simple – just mix everything together and squish into a silicone mould, or roll into a ball (if possible.) No cooking – result! They are a bit vague on the measurements at times because it has been a bit "trial and error" (lots of error - all delicious though!) But don't be put off. In each case you need a stiff, rollable mixture, so add more liquid or dry ingredients as needed.

Pascal's Chocolate Triangles

Wet Ingredients:
2oz/50g coconut cream, melted


Dry ingredients:
1 handful dates, chopped small
2 teaspoons (tsp) cacao powder
2 tsp carob powder
2 tsp ground almonds (or any other ground raw nuts)
1 tsp cacao nibs

Mix everything together and press into a silicone ice-cube mould.

We call these Pascal's Chocolate Triangles because we have triangular moulds. Make up your own name if you like.
Sometime we use a heart shaped ice-cube moulds and call them Chocolate Hearts – aahh!


Chocolate Love Bombs.

Wet Ingredients:
2oz/50g coconut cream – melted in a bain marie
1 dessertspoon (dsp) coconut oil – melt with above

DryIngredients:
2 dsp ground almonds
1 dsp raw cacao powder
1 dsp carob powder
1 dsp cacao nibs
1 dsp mixed raw seeds

Fruits:
1 handful dates
1 handful figs
1 dsp dried mulberries or any other dried fruit.
Soak these fruits in water for about 10 minutes, then take them out and chop them very finely.


Add to the dry ingredients and stir together.
When the coconut is melted, add this to the mixture and mix in.
Add 1 dsp agave nectar or raw honey if required.
If the mixture is a bit dry, add a bit of the fruit soak water, 1 dsp at a time until it sticks together.

Press into silicone muffin moulds and place in the freezer until firm. Keep in the fridge and munch one when a love hit is required.


Chocolate 'Nana Cake.

Melt:
2oz/50g coconut cream & 1 dsp coconut oil

Meanwhile soak:
1 handful each of dates & figs
1 handful mixed seeds
1 tsp dried mulberries
in just enough water to cover them.

Place the following in a bowl:
1 dsp each of: cacao powder, carob powder, cacao nibs
3 dsp ground almonds (or other nuts)

Blend the soaked fruit and seeds in the soak water with a banana until smooth.
Pour into the dry mixture.
Add the coconut when melted and stir everything together into a creamy mixture.
Pour into silicone muffin moulds and freeze until firm.
Keep in the fridge.


Fire on Babylon – a chilli chocolate treat.

Using the pulp from Shazzie's Almond Goji Mylk, (below) add the following:
1 dsp cacao powder
1 dsp carob powder
1 tsp ground chilli (or very finely chopped fresh!) More if you're brave!
1 dsp coconut oil, melted with 2oz/50g coconut cream.

Mix everything into a stiff paste and roll into balls.
Chill and serve. Blows the top of your head off, if you get it right!


Shazzie's Almond Goji Mylk.

This recipe came from Shazzie, from Detox Your World. I have gleaned some very useful info from this site, so I urge you to take a look. Shazzie is great, about as bonkers as I am, but very wise! And boy! She knows her raw food!
I have adjusted the quantities a bit, but my version works well too and you can use the pulp to make Fire on Babylon!

1 cup almonds
½ cup goji berries
about 4 dates.
Soak all these in 1 pint (½ litre) of water (soak the almonds overnight if you want it really good, then add the fruit for 10 minutes!)

Blend the whole lot until it is really homogenous, then pour into a bowl lined with muslin.
Gather up the muslin and squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can. You should get about a pint of gorgeous golden sunshine – yummy! Save the pulp for Fire on Babylon.


So there you have it, folks. Raw heaven! Enjoy! =)