Apricot, Plum, Date and Almond Sticky-Bars

In the midst of moving in and getting acquainted with the kitchen, our local produce stand was about to close for the season, so we unpacked our food dehydrator and bought a bunch of ripe apricots and plums to dry before they were gone. After I got the kitchen drawers and cupboards filled with the basics, I set to work rinsing, slicing and pitting the fruit for drying for later enjoyment.

When dehydrating pitted fruits, be sure to pop the back so they will dry evenly and flat. Dry time will vary depending how much fruit you are drying at one time, but your dehydrator guide will give you the suggested temp and time for the particular food you are drying.

Later enjoyment came sooner than later, as one of the cookbooks I unpacked, Fresh - The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook, opened to a recipe for Peach Cobbler Bars on page 112.

I adapted the recipe to accommodate what I had in the kitchen... my apricot, plum, date and almond bars turned out very nutritious, moist and tasty.

Here's my recipe... I chopped and mixed by hand. I find that a blender often pulverizes nuts, try as you might not to, and when it comes to mixing sticky ingredients in a blender, the mixture often is to "gummy" to blend properly and the effort can burn out the motor.

Ingredients:

1 pound medium to finely-chopped Almonds
1 cup dehydrated Apricots and Plums medium to finely-chopped and soaked for 5-minutes in Apple Juice
1/2 cup pitted Dates, medium-chopped
2 tablespoons Agave Nectar
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon powdered Cinnamon
1/5 teaspoon Sea Salt
Peanut or Canola oil to coat muffin tins

Directions:

1. Lightly oil a couple of muffin baking pans.
2. Drain the hydrated apricots and plums, reserving the rich nectar to drink. Yummy!
3. By hand, blend all the ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl. 
4. Take a heaping tablespoon or so of mixture and press flat into the bottom of each muffin tin.
5. When all the mixture is pressed into the muffin tins, place the muffin pans in the freezer.
6. When chilled, remove the round bars and place two-by-two into ziplock snack baggies. Return to the freezer until ready to enjoy.

The bars have a lot of texture and moisture, making an excellent and satisfying snack to boost energy and stave off hunger mid-day.

We took a break from unpacking to check out the annual Kinetic Sculpture Race in our town. I put together a small snack bag to take along that included the apricot, plum, date and almond bars... perfect solution! 

Oh, here's just one of the participants with his crazy kinetic sculpture gizmo - a gnome working something of a gerbil cage, moved only by physical human energy down the road, into the water, across the sand and through a mud bog. 

I wish we hadn't eaten all the bars we had with us; bars that even gnomes and gerbils would love!

Raw, Vegan Gluten-Free Macaroons

My youngest daughter, Effie, is always considering what she can make for me that is gluten-free. One evening when we were invited over for dinner, she made raw, sugar-free vegan macaroons for dessert. It took her only a few minutes to make. The recipe comes from Jolinda Hackett.

As you can see, macaroons go great with ice cream drizzled with dark chocolate! The second image is a close-up so you can lick your screen. Better yet, get in the kitchen and make yourself a batch.

Ingredients:

8 medium sized dates
1 banana
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut

Directions:

Remove the pits from dates. Place ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Depending on the size of the dates and the ripeness of the bananas, you may need to add more or less coconut to get the right consistency. Mixture should be moist, but not too gooey.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until done. Cookies will be soft, but should cook enough to have a golden brown bottom and hold together well.

Note: Dates do contain a fair amount of natural sugar, but this recipe contains no refined or white sugar. Also, to be truly sugar-free, make sure the coconut flakes you are using do not have any added sugar. You may need to shop for sugar-free coconut flakes at a natural foods store.

Raw Beet Salad

My husband doesn't care for beets; they simply don't appeal to him. On the other hand, I happen to L-O-V-E beets boiled, steamed, pickled or glazed. But, until now they have always been cooked. Eating beets raw maximizes the benefit you get from all the live nutrients - vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.

Ingredients:

2 large beets (pH of 5.5 - alkaline forming)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ small onion, finely minced
I clove garlic, finely minced (or garlic powder to taste)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the beets to the consistency of thick apple sauce.
   
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
3. You can either serve the beets right away or marinate for a couple hours or overnight before serving for added flavor.

Try experimenting by making this raw beet salad with one beet and one other root vegetable such as turnip, rutabaga, carrot or parsnip. Try grating or cutting the vegetable(s) into very small bite-size chucks. For variety, add freshly chopped cilantro, parsley or one of your favorite garden herbs. Serve on a bed of greens, topped with crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese.

Reversing Diabetes with a Raw Foods Diet

A significant event that influenced why I decided to incorporating more raw foods into my diet is when I watched the documentary Simply Raw with friends at a raw foods meeting and potluck last fall. Having been informed by my doctor that my test results indicated that I am pre-diabetic (also, a genetic predisposition in the women in our family), which means if I don't watch my diet more closely, lose some weight and exercise regularly - I will become diabetic... the subtitle of the film Reverse Diabetes in 30 Days seriously piqued my interest. What I saw and learned was absolutely astonishing.

Based on what I have read and been told by the medical profession all my life, I believed that once a person becomes diabetic, their diabetes it's irreversible. The shocking truth is that diabetes can be avoided altogether and completely reversed in most diabetics - both Type I and Type II - in 30 days!

Because of the impact this documentary film has made on my life, I have modified my diet to eat more raw foods (delicious by the way!), I am exercising more and I am loosing weight. I look forward to seeing the results of my next tests. There should be a significant change in the results! I will report back and let you know.

I encourage you to watch the video and learn the truth for yourself, and order a copy to share with your friends and loved ones who are suffering, even dying from the ravages of diabetes. There is hope!

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days:

Spanish Rice, without the rice.

After an afternoon of biking and walking, I worked up an appetite. I wanted something refreshing, yet filling... and quick. I had all the ingredients on hand to make Spanish Rice with fresh, organic produce. It took all of 15-minutes. And, did I say it is absolutely delicious?!

Ingredients:

2 cups of grated jicama
10-12 ounces, fresh or thawed kernel corn
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from the cookbook Rawsome! Page 209

Home Body Fat Test, True Confessions and more....

In order to track my health and fitness progress, I am logging my body measurements and percentage of body fat. I wasn't sure how to estimate my own body fat, until I discovered a slick online body fat calculator at Health Central. According to Fit or Fat guru Covert Bailey, the American male has 22% body fat, while the average American woman's has 32% body fat. Mine is lower than the average American woman, but higher than the average Caucasian woman. Okay, if you really want to know, my body fat is 28%. I can't believe I'm sharing that tidbit with you! So, I hope by being perfectly open and honest I will encourage someone to take this health and fitness challenge with me. We can do this!

Before you go to Health Central to plug in your measurements, take the following measurements with a cloth tape measure: waist, the widest part of your hips (with your feet 4-inches apart), calf (place your weight on your dominant leg and measure your calf at its widest part - about half way between your knee and ankle), thigh (stand with your feet about 12 inches apart. Measure your upper thigh at the widest part) and wrist (measure in the dip between the bony part of your wrist and the start of your hand).

I also measured my neck, chest and arms. I've created a chart to track my weight, body measurements and body fat throughout the year. I'ts my intention to reach my health and fitness goals within 5 months, before my 60th birthday coming up on July 22nd. Yikes, I can't believe I just told you that, too! Crazy! Where did the time go?

Besides including more raw foods in my diet, keeping my body hydrated and getting regular exercise and quality sleep, eating optimally nutritious foods regularly will as help to stimulate my metabolism. If I eat right and burn calories, I will reduce my body fat. Common sense and consistency is the key. That's my plan in a nutshell.

Back in the '80's, I went on the Cabbage Soup Diet and lost 14 pounds in 14 days. Fad diets come and go - weight loss is inevitable, but often the weight packs back on. Anyway, my weight always did. because fad diets are not sustainable. The most sensible approach is to eat clean and eat three meals a day, following the one o'clock rule, occasionally cleanse our system by fasting and burning more calories than we take in. What I did take away from the Cabbage Soup Diet was the soup recipe. It's a nutritious, tasty soup and you can change the ingredients and seasonings for variety. I enjoy this soup cold.

I made up a batch of this soup last night to have on hand throughout the week to ease my way back into adding food back into my diet after a 6 day fast. Tonight, I start adding more raw foods to my diet.

Cabbage Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

6 large green onions (I also add one yellow onion)
2 green bell peppers
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole) (or 4 whole fresh tomatoes, chopped)
3 carrots
10-ounces mushrooms
1/2 head cabbage
1 package Lipton soup mix (I use 2 vegetable bouillon cubes)
1 48-ounce can V8 juice
Flavor with any of these seasonings: cayenne pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro, mint, etc.

Directions:

1. Slice green onions, chop onion and saute in a pot with a splash of olive oil.
2. Cut, stem, de-seed and chop the peppers and add to pot.
3. Take the outer leaves of the cabbage and chop into bite-size pieces and add to the pot.
4. Slice the carrots in rounds or chop and add to the pot.
5. Slice the mushroom and add to the pot.
6. For variety, you can add 1/2 pound of green beans, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
   
7. If you like your soup spicy, now is the time to add seasonings to the pot.
8. Add about 12 cups of water or 8 cups of V8 juice, cover and cook on low heat.
9. When the vegetables are tender, season to taste with salt and pepper (I've never had to).

To add protein to your diet, you can add cooked beans and rice, crispy tofu or tempeh or prawns during the last minutes of cooking. Add more water, as needed. Eat this soup for lunch or dinner or in-between meals instead of snacking when you are feeling a bit famished.

Interested in transitioning to a raw foods lifestyle? Read the Boutenko Family, also known as the Raw Family, story and visit the All Raw Directory website for a plethora or raw food resources.

P.S. One way you can challenge yourself to shoot for your personal goals is to take a contract out on yourself with StickK.com. Last year, I completed a 12-week commitment to exercise a minimum of 3 days per week, and at the beginning of January I took out an identical 12-week contract. The incentive is that if you don't meet your weekly goal, it costs you. An incentive that works for me is to donate to an anti-charity, if I fail. So far, it hasn't cost me a penny.

Rawsome! Vegetable Kabobs

So, I'm experimenting with our new dehydrator and recipes from Rawsome! - Maximzing Health, Energy, and Culinary Delight with the Raw Foods Diet by Brigitte Mars.

Twenty Vegetable Kebobs and twelve hours later, we successfully marinated and dehydrated our entree for lunch for three this afternoon, this evening's meal for two with leftovers for another lunch for one. The cookbook author claims that her kebobs are " So delicious - the mushrooms will satisfy even a meat-eater's cravings" (page 210). I have to agree. The marinated, dehydrated kebobs, especially the mushrooms, are "meaty," tasty and filling.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 small zucchini, cubed (I sliced into rounds)
1 box of 36 cherry tomatoes (I cut up red bell peppers)
24 shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Nama Shoyu (I used gluten-free tamarind)
3 dates, soaked for 20 minutes
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Place the vegetables in a shallow glass pan.
2. Combine the oil, tamari and dates in a blender until mixed.
3. Stir the rosemary into the mixture.
4. Pour the sauce over the medley of vegetables and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Thread the vegetables on skewers and set them on solid dehydrator sheets.
6. Pour the leftover marinade over the skewered vegetables and dehydrate for 12 hours at 125-degrees (according to dehydrator directions).

Yields: 20 Kebobs

Serve with rice.

Despite the fact that we didn't have solid dehydrator sheets on hand, therefore unable to pour the extra marinade over the skewered vegetables, the kebobs were chewy and flavorful. I think they would have turned out even better if we had been able to use the extra marinade. Next time. To serve the kebobs right away, I would suggest only dehydrating for 8-10 hours, so they are more plump.

New Year's Day-After South African Dried Fruit Curry

Looking forward to the new year? I am mostly filled with high expectations seasoned with bit of fear and trepidation... probably a healthy mix.

I don't know about you, but I had a lot of thoughts rumbling about in my head, right from the get go. So, I began the first day of 2010 writing New Year's resolutions, before I got out of bed. Done. Next, I hit the scales for the harsh reality check - gained 5 pounds during the holiday-months. Ouch! I already had the solution to that problem worked into my list. I will have to take another stickK contract out on my self.

We enjoyed having family with us most the day, but didn't fit in the walk we planned. However, my backup plan is to get in some yoga and stretches before returning to the comfort of my bed to review my outline of resolutions for the year and add a few more that came to mind as the day progressed. I'm determined to hold myself accountable by scheduling time slots on my Google calendar, but that's tomorrow's task.

Anyway, this evening we dined on Himalayan red rice, lightly-steamed brocollini and pan-seared halibut with fresh-squeezed lemon, dill and capers... a simple but delicious meal prepared by my husband, who happens to be an excellent cook! Notice the missing wine glass. One of my New Year's resolutions: No Wining = fewer calories = svelte figure. Right?

What about the South African Dried Fruit Curry? Thank you for your patience. Keep reading.

But, first let me digress. Our Christmas present to each other was the Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator. It arrived a few days ago, and this weekend we are putting it to use. I will be posting the outcomes of some of our forays into the world of dried foods this year.


This past fall we began incorporating more raw foods into our meals. I quickly discovered while perusing raw foods cookbooks that many of the best and most interesting dishes involved dehydrating certain raw foods and dishes anywhere from 4 t0 12 between 95 and 155 degrees.

Our first, test batch of kiwi, pear, apple and banana was dehydrated for 12 hours at 130-degrees with out any pretreatment, dipping or blanching. Loaded with flavor and chewy.

I will be using home-dehydrated foods in cooked dishes, as well.

A few weeks ago, while attending a house concert, I reconnected with a friend I haven't spoken to or seen since 1976. Neither of us could believe it! While catching up, I reminded Pamela of the amazing recipes she shared with me. I came across one of her recipes just today while looking through a recipe album of mine from the early '80's with my youngest daughter. South African Dried Fruit Curry. I'm going to make this dish tomorrow with store-bought dried fruits, but the next time I make it, I will be using my own dehydrated fruits. I'm excited about the possibilities and the added nutritional benefits of adding a dehydrator as a kitchen appliance.


South African Dried Fruit Curry

Ingredients:

1 cup dried apples
1/2 cup dried pitted prunes
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 pounds cubed lamb or beef (I am making this dish with tofu (prefer tempeh)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup onions, minced
2 tablespoons Madras curry
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped
2 bananas, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine dried fruits and soak in water for 1 hour or so.
2. Pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt. Brown evenly in hot oil, then set aside.
3. Brown onions in 2 tablespoons of meat fat or oil.
4. Reduce heat to low and add the curry. Stir 2 minutes.
5. Add the meat with accumulated juices (or add tempeh later).
6. Stir in the fruit and its water, vinegar and lemon juice.
7. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low.
8. Partially cover and let simmer for about 1 hour or until meat is tender when pierced OR when cooked through, add the tofu or tempeh.
9. Add water, if necessary. When done, most of the liquid should be cooked away.
10. Mound the curry on a platter on a bed of steamed rice.
    
11. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and arrange the bananas around the curry.

Enjoy! Serves 4-6.

Raw Cranberry Relish

Sunday afternoon was our November "Rawking Lane County" Potluck. My raw cranberry relish was a hit. I brought small, biodegradable serving cups along and made up a number of them with a large dollop of Nancy's vanilla yogurt in the bottom topped with the relish. Others enjoyed it plain... although far from plain, this particular cranberry relish bursts with raw goodness and flavor!

I have a standard KitchenAid, but I don't have a food grinding attachment. However, my next door neighbors do; they have an industrial KitchenAid. Fortunately, their metal grinder fits my mixer perfectly. Using a food grinder, this recipe took me less than a half hour to make and clean up was easy!

When I returned home from our gathering, I made a second batch, dividing the mixture between two quart-size freezer bags and now have them in the freezer until a day or two before Thanksgiving. I'll let the cranberry relish slow-thaw in the refrigerator, until I'm ready to serve it.

Preparation time: 15-30 minutes.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups washed raw cranberries (I use a whole 12 ounce bag)
* 2 skinned and cored tart apples (I leave the skins on)
* 1 large, whole (peel ON) seedless orange, cut into sections
* 1 to 2 cups granulated sugar (depending on taste; I like it best with 1-1/4 cups)

Method:

1. Set up the grinder with a medium-sized blade on the edge of a table with a large roasting pan or bowl to catch the mix as it grinds. These old fashioned grinders tend to leak some of the juice down the grinder base, so you may want to set up an additional pan on the floor under the grinder to catch the drips. If you don't have an old-fashioned grinder you can use a grinder attachment on a KitchenAid mixer, you can chop by hand (though that will take a lot of work), or you can chop in a food processor (be very careful not to over-pulse, or you'll end up with mush).

2. Run fruit through a grinder. Use the entire (seedless) orange, peels, pith and all.

3. Mix in the sugar. Let sit at room temperature until sugar dissolves, about 45 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 cups.



Thanks, Tom! Enjoy!