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...

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! =)

Lebkuchen - German Gingerbread

I am a big fan of silicone bakeware, for two reasons:
Firstly it doesn't require "greasing" so my recipes remain as low-fat as possible and secondly, the "pans" are easy to clean and store. For someone who hates washing-up as much as I do, this is a bonus. Plus, space is a premium in Polly's Kitchen, what with all the vintage china and all, so baking pans which squish down... well, there's no contest.
I'm going on about silicone because last week I bought a copy of Baked and Delicious, a new publication comprising a baking magazine (*wow*) and items of silicone bakeware. I won't buy every issue because I don't need all the pans (or all the recipes, for that matter,) but I will get the odd issue, as they come available. Last week's came with some cupcake cases, which Ive wanted for ages, so I'll make some cupcakes soon.
One of the recipes caught my eye and I have adapted it slightly to make it vegan* and nut-free. I am sharing it here, but must apologise... no photos! They were scoffed too quickly for me to take pictures - a testiment to their tastiness, but trust me, they look as lovely as they taste!

Lebkuchen

Ingredients:
325g/12oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder or bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
zest of 1 lemon or orange, or equivalent chopped candied peel
200ml/7fluid oz organic honey* or agave nectar
85g/3oz vegetable margarine (eg Pure)

Method:
Mix the dry ingredients and lemon/orange peel in a bowl.
Melt the margarine and honey in a pan and mix together.
Add the honey/margarine to the dry indredients and mix thoroughly.

Mould spoonfuls of the mixture into small balls and place on a baking tray.
Press the balls into circles and bake in an oven (180℃/350℉) for about 15 minutes.

You can ice these or add nuts, pieces of chopped ginger or icing sugar to the top, but you'll have to be quick, because if your lot are anything like mine - they'll be gone in minutes!



* I have used honey, but to be truly vegan, use agave nectar or fructose syrup.

Mr & Mrs Gingerbread-Oats on their Ginger Bed

Whenever I feel a bit down, nothing cheers me up more than making a nice cake and some cakes are a lot more fun than others. Take this one, for example. Who could fail to be cheered by these two relaxing
in happy repose, blissfuly unaware of their sugary fate...

You will need:

1 ½ cups plain flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups rolled (porridge) oats

1 ½ cups dried fruit

1 ½ cups milk

1 tablespoon black treacle

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

Icing sugar for decoration

You will need to:

Mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly.

Add the treacle and the milk, stirring everything together to form a firm mixture.

Pour into silicon moulds and bake on 180 degrees C for ½ hour or until firm. (check with a skewer to see if they are done.

(I used three silicon moulds: 1 square and two which are shaped like a gingerbread man and a gingerbread lady. If you don't have moulds n this shape, get some cookie cutters and make 2 square or 1 rectangular cake and cut Mr and Mrs Gingerbread-Oats out of one, constructing the ginger bed from what is left.)

When the cakes are ready, take them out of the oven. Let them cool a bit, then remove them from the moulds (cut them out if necessary.)

Lay the square cake on a large plate and sprinkle icing sugar all over it, through a sieve. This is where it starts to look a bit like a Tracey Emin art installation, so take care! (Top tip: Use a bit of syrup or milk gently brushed onto the areas you want sugared and use the icing sugar sparingly, otherwise it will go up your nose!)

Now lay Mr and Mrs Gingerbread-Oats on top and, shielding their faces with a piece of paper, and sprinkle more icing sugar on top. 

Now eat them!

Poor Mr Gingerbread-Oats! He never stood a chance.=(