Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Coconut encrusted chicken breast on a bed of thai-marinated cauliflower


Marinated cauliflower:
1/2 large head cauliflower
batch thai-marinade

Grate or finely chop cauliflower to a rice-like consistency. Stir to coat and allow to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.

Thai-inspired marinade:
1 roughly inch-by-inch cube of grated ginger
1-3 cloves garlic
1/4 C soaked, unhulled sesame seeds
juice of one lime
2 tbsp coconut oil
perilla (purple mint) & flat-leaf parsley leaves
fresh red chili pepper
Himalayan salt & pepper
(water)

Blend smooth in a blender.

Coconut encrusted chicken breast
2 as fresh and organic chicken breasts you can get
lime juice
coconut oil
raw organic honey
Himalayan salt & pepper
chili
meat of half a coconut

Marinate chicken breasts for as long as you can in lime juice, organic coconut oil, honey, salt & pepper. Fry on a non-stick frying pan only until just done, you don't want chewy overdone chicken or black burned meat with carcinogens. "Grind" coconut meat with chili (fresh or dried), salt & pepper into a coarse mixture. Take the chicken off the heat and coat with grated and spiced coconut. Serve on top of thai-cauliflower and fresh vegetables.

This is a wonderful spicy meal for someone who still eats meat, but prefers majority of their veggies raw. If you are 100% raw, feel free to accompany the thai-"rice" with a raw burger or for example stuffed red pepper. A vegan could use the chicken marinade to marinate tofu. As with most of my recipes, they are meant to inspire your own culinary aspirations, not to tell you to eat exactly what I eat.

I've written about this a couple times, but I thought it may be a good idea to summarize. With my knowledge of nutrition I cannot recommend an unsupplemented, exclusively raw vegan diet. If you are ethically opposed to meat products, that is perfectly understandable and a respectable principle. It does not however mean that you don't need vitamin B12 and protein like the rest of us. So, make sure you are getting enough protein from your diet and regularly consume a good-quality B12 supplement. I personally believe that the best diet is one which is high in variety, consisting of mostly fresh and organic food. Raw food is high in enzymes that aid digestion and absorption of nutrients, so try to take in most of your food (80%) uncooked.

This is a quick list of what to eat and what not to eat:

Yes, often:
Fresh, wild caught fish (vary the species you eat)
Sprouted quinoa, soaked millet and buckwheat
Cold-pressed, organic oils (coconut, olive, hemp..)
Dark leafy greens
Sprouted legumes (chick peas, adzuki beans, peas, mung,lentils)
Seeds (sesame, chia, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin)
Raw organic honey (high in enzymes, tolerates heat well!)
Avocado, ruby grapefruit, pomegranate, lime, lemon
Sea vegetables
Dried fruit (especially figs and dates for calcium and vitamins, help with acid/base balance)
Berries (goji, blueberry, sea buckthorn, mulberry etc)
Nuts (cashews, walnuts, brazil, pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
Fresh herbs (especially flat-leaf parsley is packed with vitamin C, iron and antioxidants)
Turmeric

In moderation:
Raw cacao (high in caffeine, possibly other harmful side effects -> use mostly carob)
Soy sauce, even nama shoyu (high in sodium)
Salt
Raw cane juice/sugar, agave (just because it's raw doesn't mean it's healthy)
Red meat, pork (avoid if possible or buy organic)
Wine
Butter (if needed, buy pure & organic)
Soy products (if consumed always buy organic and non-GMO)
Coffee
Cooked veggies (favor steaming over other cooking methods)

No:
Dairy (casein, lactose)
Refined white sugar
White flour
Any additives, preservatives (especially ANY artificial sweeteners and MSG)
Potato, white rice & pasta (deficient in nutrients, high in carbs)
Margarine & refined oils (trans fat)
Refined sugar
Table salt (chemically synthesized sodium chloride)
Bread (replace with raw crackers or organic 100% yeast-free rye bread in moderation)
Peanuts (highly common allergen, contain toxins)
Non-organic greens (high in nitrates)
Processed food

This is just a quick list, intended as a guideline. Use your own knowledge to decide what you believe is right for you. We are all individuals. If you don't understand why something is listed, feel free to ask in either Finnish or English and I'll be glad to explain further. I hope this inspires you to do your own research so that you can make informed decisions about your own nutrition. The main problem these days with food is that so many of us have just stopped caring. It is far too easy to just grab what's fast and cheap.

Do your loved ones a favor and start valuing yourself and taking care of your body. If you have children one of the most important tasks you have as a parent is to be a role model: the only way of teaching is actually showing them how to live healthy and eat right. If you have a spouse or partner, every additional year you can spend together healthy is priceless. Cleansing your diet will also help cleanse the environment. What are you waiting for?

Embark on your own journey to increased vitality and happiness, step by step. Never stop because you think you know it all already.

2 comments:

Jael said...

I don't eat meat of any kind,but I do eat fish from time to time and also take a B12 supplement here and there. I love raw cauliflower,it is really yummy! Have you tried it with parsley, garlic and olive oil,very tasty!

Aletheia said...

Thanks for the tip Yaelian! Sounds like you are eating well. I love it too, too bad my husband doesn't. Or the thinks he doesn't, somehow he still goes back for seconds when I make it... =) I guess he hates it plain, but when it's seasoned well it's ok. So I'll definitely give that combo a try.