Archive for July 16th, 2012
Queer parenting
Posted on: July 16, 2012
Cucumber Noodles
Posted on: July 16, 2012
- In: Gardening | Healthy Body | raw food | veggie foods
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Cucumber Noodles
serves 2 ~ $2.50 per serving
2 cucumbers, noodled ($1.59)
2 tomatoes, chopped ($3.00)
1 medium onion, chopped ($.05)
2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)
1 tablespoon vinegar ($.10)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dried basil ($.05)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
This is fresh and light and perfect for a hot summer afternoon.
Shave the cucumbers into noodles. Top with chopped tomatoes and onions.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients and drizzle over the top.
Avocado Soup
Posted on: July 16, 2012
Avocado Soup ~ Raw and Vegan Recipe
ingredients
- 1 avocado ($1.49)
- 1 cup nut milk ($.40)
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 onion ($.25)
- 1 clove garlic ($.10)
- 1/2 red bell pepper ($.40)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas) ($.30)
- 1 tsp olive oil ($.10)
- salt and pepper to taste
Avocado soups are among my favorite raw soups, and the options are pretty much endless.
For this soup, which makes two large servings, place a peeled avocado, nut milk, water, half the onion, and the clove of garlic in a blender. Puree until very smooth.
Add the chopped onion and pepper, and sprinkle with pepitas. Salt and pepper to taste, and add an optional drizzle of olive oil.
Fava Bean Timbale with Tarragon and Vanilla Bean
This post is also available in: French
Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems that the shorter the season of a certain food, the more magical it appears. It’s true for figs, cherries, summer tomatoes, and most other jewels of the earth, really. It’s certainly the case with fava beans, those brilliantly green peas of the giants.
Seeing them in stores here in Florida is such a rare occasion, that when I recently ran across favas, I wanted to come up with a fun and bright salad to properly celebrate them.
I’ve heard about the surprising combination of vanilla bean and balsamic before, and finally decided to try it out in the dressing for this timbale. The two make for a very interesting vinaigrette – slightly sweet and incredibly fragrant. If you are a balsamic lover, increase the amount of it in the dressing, as I tried to keep it light.
I also thought it would be fun to present the salad in the form of timbale, it definitely makes the eating experience more special.
We just got back from San Francisco – talk about falling in love all over again. Plenty of fresh fava beans at the markets there, along with the sweetest of cherries, peaches, apricots, and a myriad of the most otherworldly greens. We’ll have a Travel Notes post up next week. Meanwhile, enjoy the favas.
Fava Bean Timbale
(serves 4-6)
1 cup fresh fava beans – shelled and peeled
1 cup fresh corn kernels
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (optional)
2 medium cucumbers – peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup purple cabbage – finely shredded
lime
8-10 radishes – cubed
handful cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons chives – finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds – unhulled and optionally toasted
zest of 1 orange – optional
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
I used raw fava beans in this recipe, but you can also blanch the shelled beans in boiling water for a minute before peeling them. Corn can also be boiled, as opposed to raw, for 4 minutes and then rinsed under cold water before cutting kernels off the corn ear. Chop fava beans into 2-3 pieces each. Mix them with corn kernels, tarragon, and a generous pinch of coarse sea salt, leave to soften.
Place the cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to release juices. Mix cabbage with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime juice, massage for a couple minutes with your hands and set aside.
Vanilla Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon each balsamic and apple cider vinegar
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
drop of sesame oil (optional)
sea salt and pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Assembly
In a bowl, combine all the vegetables with the cubed radishes and the rest of the timbale ingredients. Pour in about one third of the vinaigrette, mix to incorporate. If making a timbale, place the ring mold of the size you like (I used 2 1/4-inch in height and 3 3/4 in diameter) on a plate and pack the salad inside the mold. Place a jar filled with liquid on top and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove the mold and repeat the process to make more timbale. Drizzle with remaining dressing, garnish with chives and sesame seeds. Serve with microgreens or any fresh salad greens.
Optionally, you can also serve timbale as a salad, without molding it. In this case, simply slice the cucumbers and radishes and leave fava beans whole. The rest of the recipe stays the same. Serve in a purple cabbage leaf for a nice presentation if you like.
mojito smoothie
Posted on: July 16, 2012
Summer is here! I’ve officially crossed the pond from freezing cold northern Europe to tropical southern Canada! I am pretty happy to feel the sun shining and the heat in full force. Finally.
As I was looking at my calendar the other day, I realized that my summer holiday doesn’t really include much “holiday”. So in the name of finding a balance I have created My New Roots Summer Lights: a way for me to share fantastic, healthy recipes, without the lengthy article. I am excited about this new, lighter take, and hopefully I’ll be able to share even more simple summer meals with you. This feature will run for the next couple months, and the regular columns will resume in the fall. I hope this makes your summer brighter too – I know you’d rather be sitting on the dock than behind your computer anyway.
I’m kicking Summer Lights off with my new favorite smoothie that combines fruits, veggies, and superfoods, all while tasting like a sinful summer cocktail – The Mojito Smoothie! Zesty lime, refreshing mint, and sweetness from fruit instead of sugar makes this drink a tall glass of delish. The Mojito Smoothie of course makes an amazing breakfast, but I prefer it for lunch or even a light dinner. If you like your green smoothies fruit-free, omit the banana and dates and use stevia powder instead. You can also add spinach, kale, chard or other dark leafy green of your choice.
The Mojito Smoothie
Serves 2 as a snack, 1 as a meal
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups nut milk or coconut water
3 Tbsp. hulled hemp seeds
½-1 tsp. spirulina (whatever you can handle)
4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 avocado
1 frozen banana
2 dates, pitted
handful fresh mint leaves (20-25 leaves)
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust flavours to your liking.
I hope you all are enjoying a fabulous summer so far. I am looking forward to lots of deliciousness this season and sharing it all with you.
Summer lights,
Sarah B
Chocolate and Blonde Macaroons
Posted on: July 16, 2012
Chocolate and Blonde Macaroons ~ Raw Vegan Recipe
ingredients
- 1 cup almonds ($2.00)
- 1 cups brazil nuts ($2.32)
- 20 dates ($8.00)
- 1 cup finely shredded coconut ($1.20)
- 2 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder ($.30)
- 1 tsp vanilla ($.20)
I have yet to come up with or run across a raw food recipe that’s not fast and easy. These are no exception.
In a food processor with an S blade, process all ingredients, except the cocoa powder, until finely chopped and it all starts to clump together. This takes a minute or two.
Using a plastic rounded tablespoon or melon scooper, scoop out and press to make a half sphere. Use half the mixture to make regular coconut macaroons. Add the cocoa or cacao powder to the remaining mixture and process until well incorporated and then shape with the tablespoon or scooper.
Hempseeds are a natural superfood, with more protein than any other source. Hempseed’s amino acid profile is close to “complete” when compared to more common sources of proteins such as meat, milk, eggs and soy. The proportions of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in one tablespoon (15 ml) per day of hemp oil easily provides human daily requirements for EFAs. Hemp seed contains a large dietary supplement of omega-3, higher even than walnuts which contain 6.3% of n-3. Hemp oil has anti-inflammatory properties. Restore hemp!
Living Well 