Kale Chips!

okay... it was a New Year's Resolution (remember those? it's hard to believe we're already 3 weeks into the new year!) to blog at least once per week... today I had a major craving for kale (I love me some kale... raw especially, but kale chips rock)... basic recipe - throw some soaked sun-dried tomatoes, raw red bell pepper, garlic, nutritional yeast (makes them cheezy and delicious!!!), salt, & pepper into the Vitamix, massage into the kale (remove any particularly tough stems), and spread onto Teflax sheets or parchment paper and dehydrate at 115º until crispy (usually 3-4 hours)... of course, I tend to sneak them and munch while they are 'cooking' - totally tasty :)

and the mandatory vino while un-cooking ;)

Raw Eats!

pomegranate-sake-tini! light and refreshing, splash of fresh meyer lemon juice, topped with pomegranate seeds... mmmm

I've been doing some un-cooking lately... veggie-stuffed romaine leaves & jicama-"rice" sushi! served with soy-free coconut aminos and wasabi... spicy and totally delicious. I also recently made some brazil-nut based cheeze with meyer lemon juice & zest, shown here on top of zucchini with capers:

and finally, I made the king Oyster mushroom calamari from the lovely Sarma's cookbook, Living Raw Food (totally awesome by the way! both the recipe & the book... the photos are awesome, and so are all the recipes). I was surprised by how "realistic" the mushroom calamari were in taste and texture to the real thing... I served it with the "tarter" and "cocktail" sauce recipes from the book. Even my fiance was impressed :)

Happy New Year!

Hello bloggies! 2010 welcomed me with one of these...

giant mug full of delicious juice (romaine, celery, cucumber, ginger, pear, tangerines, green apple, kiwi, beet, sprinkle cinnamon)... my liver thanked me for the beet after last night's shenanigans ;) It's funny how much habits can change over the course of a year - no more coffee (though I do still enjoy a cup of black, cold-pressed occasionally) or cow's milk or soy... but juice -- the greener the better (this morning I was feeling a little fruity) -- always hits the spot. Today has been filled with cheezy jalapeno red pepper kale chips from the dehydrator (they didn't want their picture taken). Not too many are left (I seem to eat giant handfuls every time I go to "check" on them ;) but they are molto tasty.

I'm looking forward to 2010 - the wedding is coming up quickly (64 days to go... not that I'm counting!), I'm doing a 30-class Bikram yoga challenge (goal is to complete 6 out of every 7 classes) beginning January 3, I'm going to start working out again, and I have tons of ... not *resolutions* per se, but things I want to do and now seems to be as good a time as any (art, exercise & yoga, meditation, pursuing raw veganism with a vengeance, more time for books & friends...)... recent events have reminded me that the moment is *now* and we are never guaranteed tomorrow - life with no regrets ;)

Go check out lilveggiepatch's blog and enter her awesome giveaway - if you haven't tried Cocont Bliss ice cream yet, it's amazing... the texture is fabulous, silky and creamy and dreamy, and the taste is phenomenal - really one of the very best (if not THE best) ice creams I have ever had. Plus, it's soy, gluten & dairy free (yay for people with allergies!), and it's fair trade... the Nake Coconut is my favorite flavor but they are all delicious. Totally delicious. Go eat some ;) Happy 2010 everyone!