Posts filed under 'Raw'
I had to take remodelista Julie to Lulu Wilson for the deep fried pickles. Our tipple was a Kim Crawford wine from New Zealand. The Pea Soup with sauteed pea shoots and goat cheese was divine but the hit of the night was the Kale Salad- very finely shredded and seasoned with lemon juice, currants, Parmesan and toasted pinenuts.
I had to try and recreate it. It’s important to have the freshest, greenest kale. If it’s too tough, you should let it marinate for a day. Massaging the kale may seem silly, but it really helps. Kale is a great source of vitamin K which has been linked to increasing bone mass and is also a great antioxidant.
Raw Kale Salad
4 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 bunch kale, stem removed and sliced into a thin chiffonade
juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup currents, re-hydrated in 1 cup boiling water
1 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt and Pepper
Lots of Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
Rinse the chiffonade of kale well and spin dry. Place in a large bowl and pour in the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. With clean hands, gently massage the kale for about 3 minutes. Allow to rest for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. The lemon juice helps to break down the tough cell walls of the kale. Add the currrents and the soaking water. Toss and add salt and pepper, pinenuts and about 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Toss well and place aeon your plate. Add more grated Parmesan as a garnish and serve.
August 4th, 2009
As the Queen of Schmootz, I highly recommend that you try making this Cashew Hummus. I was intrigued by the technique that raw foodies have for soaking their nuts for 24 hours. In the case of the cashew, it actually starts to sprout! This is a divine surprise and although it is technically not a hummus (there is no tahini), it makes it somewhat identifieable to those in doubt. This recipe was inspired by Raw, written by Roxanne Klein and Charlie Trotter.
Start with 2 cups raw cashews covered in clean cold water and left overnight.
Rinse and drain them a few times.
Place them in work bowl of a food processor with 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, adding more water to achieve a smooth consistency.
The variation in the photo was made with 1 Tbsp. of Capitol Hill Seasoning fromThe Savory Spice Shop. I kept one 1 cup of the cashews out and added them after I processed the first cup with ingredients to a smooth consistencyy. By pulsing the extra cup of cashews into the smooth puree, I got a really wonderful texture. This batch was served with pappadams and garnished with a few cashews so that anyone with a nut allergy would know not to eat. it.
December 21st, 2008
Regardless of what you think of this food fad/lifestyle change, I have learned so much from raw foodists, the likes of Roxanne Klein and the amazing folks at Cafe Gratitude in the San Francisco Bay area. Some things are too much for me and others are just "aha" food moments.
The principle behind raw food is that when food that isn’t heated above 135 degrees, it maintains healthful enzymes. I know people, and some very sick indeed, who have suddenly thrived with raw foods. Going "raw" entails a certain amount of confidence in the kitchen as there are techniques and equipment needed. It is for this reason that famous chefs like Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller have been intrigued.
But before you dismiss the notion, try some these recipes - I consider them Raw Food for beginners. Recipes for all types of fresh nutmilks can be found in the I Am Grateful Recipe Book by the ingenious folks at Cafe Gratitude.
"Almond "Milk
In my mind, there is little reason to buy almond milk and true raw foodist do not since all almond milk is sold in asceptic packages, meaning that they are heated to an extremly high temperature before being packaged for sale. If this isn’t "almondy" enough, you can always use a little alomnd extract. Use this milk in your smoothies.
1 cup non-pareil almonds
4 cups water, divided
1 large piece cheese cloth
Soak the almonds in the water overnight. This helps to soften the nuts so that they puree more efficiently. Drain the almonds and place in a blender. Add 2 more cups of fresh water. Place lid on blender and liquify for a few minutes.
Place cheese cloth in a strainer over a large container and then pour the almond mixture through. Once the "milk" has drained through, squeeze the cheese cloth together to get the reamaining liquid out. You can use the remaing nuggets as a topping for salads. This "milk will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
December 18th, 2008
How about a big bowl of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories? Sounds tasty right? Well in this case it is. This is my favorite recipe for cranberry relish, but then again I like just about anything cranberry. I adapted this recipe right from the bag of Ocean Spray whole cranberries over 18 years ago and it just gets better with every passing year.
Cranberries are a great anti-oxidant fruit and ginger is a known anti-inflammatory. It also aids in digestion so this is a perfect, fresh, bright side to a heavy Thanksgiving meal. This year, I am adding some pomegranate seeds for an extra punch of anti-oxidants. There is no cooking involved, but you do need a food processor as a blender won’t work.
Fresh Craberry Relish
1 (7 oz) package of organic cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh mint
1 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled
1 small orange
1/8 cup fresh pomegrante seeds
Place the cranberries, sugar, mint and ginger into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the cranberries break up. Add about a Tbsp. of zest from the orange and the juice of half of the orange, or more to taste. Remove from bowl and fold in pomegrante seeds. Adjust flavors to your liking. You can easily make this a few days ahead and keep refrigerated.
November 23rd, 2008
As we get closer to the holidays, we would like to offer up some recipes to those folks who are not hosting Thanksgiving. The holidays present a great opportunity to try some new things in the kitchen in an effort to recognize the host of the event that you are attending.
Today’s recipe (Curried Apples) is a personal favorite that I aquired from Allison Rodman of the now defunct Food Talk Catering in San Francisco. Allison was an incredibly creative, patient teacher and mentor to me.
Curried Apples
These apples are not only attractive but also serve as a wonderful refreshing bite that is sweet, sour, salty and spicy at different moments. Great with a dressed up chesse plate or as a condiment on the buffet table. This recipe is easy and requires no cooking. It does however need to marinate overnight.
4 large green apples, sliced into quarters, cored, then thinly sliced 1/4 inch
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice( believe it or not canned Dole is best used here)
1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
1 Tbsp. chili pepper flakes (I like to use Ancho)
3 Tbsp. lightly toasted curry powder
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Place the liquids into a large non-reactive dish. Whisk in the salt, chili pepper and curry powder. Add the sliced apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can use the juice over again if you want to make more. It should stay fresh for about 5 days. Remove apple slices and place on a plate or in a decorative bowl. Garnishing the apples with some bright pomegranate seeds is also a nice touch.
November 21st, 2008
