Raw onion bread

Raw onion bread:
2 medium sweet onions
1 medium carrot
1C sunflower seeds
1C brazil nuts
0,5C pumpkin seeds
0,5C flax meal
cold-pressed olive oil, water
salt, pepper, dried parsley

Grind nuts and seeds into a fine flour in a food processor. Chop onions and carrot into big chunks and process into tiny pieces, almost mushy. Mix the carrot and onion mixture to the nut flour in a bowl, add flax meal and enough water and olive oil to get a flax gel consistency (batter should only barely moist, so that you can mold it by hand).

Shape into round flatbreads or spread evenly onto a teflex sheet. The thinner you make it the less time it will take to dehydrate. I made them a little thicker because I wanted them soft in the center like bread instead of crackers. Dehydrate at 116F for about 5 hours on one side and then a couple on the other.

The sweet onions lend to an amazing flavor, which softens and intensifies in the dehydrator. Your kitchen will be filled with a delicious scent while dehydrating. I normally don't like raw onion, but using sweet onion really makes all the difference. 

We enjoyed these as raw sandwiches, but also just topped with hummus. This hummus is not raw, but really delicious if your body can tolerate legumes. I have a pressure cooker, and I love that I can boil garbanzos in 15-20 minutes. Not only because it's a time saver, but also because nutrients are better preserved.

Smoked paprika hummus:

1,5 C garbanzo beans

3-4 tbsp cold-pressed sesame oil

1-2 tsp raw honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

fresh spring onions and flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Salt, pepper, smoked paprika

cayenne pepper (optional)

Blend cooked garbanzo beans, lemon juice, oil and honey until smooth but chunky. Transfer to serving bowl. Add chopped spring onions and fresh flat-leaf parsley and seasonings. Sprinkle some more smoked paprika and parsley on top for garnish.

Amazing raw sour cream!

Just a brief note to let you guys now I am alive and thinking of what to make for my husbands birthday tomorrow. Hopefully it will turn out successful and make its way into this blog! 

Last night we enjoyed blinis. Well, I have yet to figure out a decent way to recreate the actual blinis in a raw way. The toppings however, have been raw for a long time now. Every time we make them, I try to think of a way to improve the raw sour cream we love to dab on the blinis. Usually I have added acidophilus, and allowed it to sour up in the fridge for a couple days. This time I felt the urge to make blinis ex tempore, so I had to come up with something faster. Here it is (sorry, no pic!):

Quick raw sour cream:
2 handfuls of soaked cashews
1 small handful of your favorite raw sauerkraut, or to taste
dash lemon juice, Himalayan salt, pepper, fresh or dried dill

Blend all until smooth. You can add the dill after blending, so that it won't turn out completely green :)
Check seasoning.

The Blinis:
handful of cashews + water (should equal 5dl or 2 C after blending into cashew milk)
organic buckwheat groats ground into flour or whole-grain buckwheat flour (didn't measure this, you want somewhat of a thick pancake batter consistency)
1 organic egg
Himalayan salt

Beat until there are no lumps, let sit for a while for the flour to "swell up". Add more, if it seems too thin.

Heat the skillet. Makes about 35 small blinis.

Traditionally blini recipes use carbonated beverages and yeast or baking powder, but for health reasons I settle for this recipe. 

Serving suggestion: tuna or salmon ceviche, dehydrator-marinated shiitake mushrooms, marinated veggies and of course heapings of raw sour cream!

Zander with lime sweet potatoes & persimmon chutney + my lab results

In finnish: Kuhaa limebataatilla ja persimmon-chutneyllä

Zander is a highly valued fish in Finland known for it's soft, unique flavor. It consequently happens to be one of the most expensive fishes in stores. I love fish, but I am picky when it comes to selecting it. We always buy wild-caught fish, usually species which come from relatively clean waters. This zander has been caught by a family member from a lake not too far away. Next year, we talked about going to fish ourselves.

Clearly, I am not a vegan. To me, eating fish and meat from the nature is natural (in moderation). Since childhood I have disliked red meat, and I doubt I'd ever touch beef or pork. However, though I haven't yet, if the opportunity presented itself I might be interested in trying some organic lamb or wild game. Currently, we eat fish 2-4 times a week and organic chicken maybe once in a blue moon. I serve my 13-month-old daughter organic turkey/chicken 1-2 times a week and fish 2-4 times. This is because I feel strongly that growing children need a lot of vitamin B12 in their diets. She has not had any red meat yet, and we probably won't give her any unless for some reason we were having some organic or wild meat.

Speaking of B12, I had some blood tests done as a part of starting my new job. Here are a few highlights:

B12 = 228 pmol/l (normal range 180-700)

Cholesterol = 3.1 mmol/l (<5)

HDL-Cholesterol (good) = 1.42 mmol/l (>1)

LDL-Choleserol = 1.4 (<3)

GT (indicator of liver health) = 6 (10-45)

TSH (thyroid hormone) = 2.3 (0.3-4.5)

So, even though I am eating fish several times every week and usually eat 1-2 organic eggs a week as well, I still have B12 count on the lower end of normal. I do not supplement, and according to the doctor there is no need to start doing either. But clearly this shows that, if you are a vegan or eat only little meat you should definitely have your values tested. A B12 deficiency can cause permanent brain damage. Other than this, my cholesterol levels, liver tests and hormone tests were to quote the doctor "perfect". The fact that my GT-value is below the normal margin is only good, the higher it is the more likely you are to suffer from a liver condition such as cirrhosis later in life. The thyroid test is also almost exactly in the middle of the range, indicating an optimal level. Maybe it is the coconut oil!

Well, now on to the recipe. I was planning on serving the zander with the sweet potatoes and a persimmon salsa inspired by Yaelian's marinated persimmon salad (in finnish). Unfortunately I discovered that my persimmons were too mushy to be diced in any way, so I decided to make a chutney-type sauce to go with the fish and yams.

Zander fillets:

2 zander fillets

Himalayan salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried lemon zest or a little more fresh

organic cold-pressed coconut oil

Warm up the coconut oil in a pan and add lemon zest. Then on medium heat saute the salted and peppered fish fillets until just done, don't overcook. Always keep heat low to avoid destroying the healthy fats in the fish.

Spicy lime sweet potatoes:

2 large sweet potatoes

juice of 2 large limes

1-2 tbsp honey

organic chili powder

Himalayan salt

freshly ground black pepper

organic olive oil

Cut the sweet potatoes into around 1/3 inch thick and wide sticks, squeeze lime juice on top. Add honey, olive oil and other spices. Mix until the seasoning is evenly spread. Bake in a 375F/200C until they have softened but still have a bite to them.

Raw persimmon chutney

3 ripe, mushy persimmons

2 small red onions

2 tbsp fresh parsley

0,5 tsp balsamic vinegar (or raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar)

Himalayan salt

Black pepper

Finely dice the red onions and chop the fresh parsley. Blend persimmons until smooth. Mix in a serving dish with minced onion, vinegar and spices.

I had intended the chutney more for the sweet potatoes, but we were both surprised how well it complemented the fish as well. They all worked well together, but especially the yams and the chutney turned out to be a match made in heaven. Try it out, easy to make and the ingredients are in season!

Hope you all have a nice weekend and like my new blog layout :) I will be posting some recipes that have come out of my dehydrator experiments once I get them all polished and perfected.

Exciting New Year 2010

A special thank you to all my readers for hanging along and following my new blog. Geek gone raw has not been around too long, and it is really in an experimental stage trying to find its own niche in the vast world of online blogs - any feedback is therefore greatly appreciated. I'd like to wish you all a wonderful, exciting New Year 2010 full of challenges!

Here are some snap shots of our party spread:

Indian-spiced rudabaga wedges (first pic)

Curried split pea burgers

Guacamole

Amazing Hummus (with fresh parsley, sprouted sesame seeds and turmeric)

Faux Ketchup (organic tomato puree, braggs raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar, dark agave, spices)

Marinated garbanzo beans (olive oil, coconut oil, pepper, Himalayan salt, lemon juice)

Seasonal organic vegetables for dipping

We also made some raw pomegranate chocolate, which we will enjoy with a glass of real Champagne. Of course champagne isn't really health food, but there is something to be said about all things in moderation. One glass a year won't certainly do any harm.

Enjoy your evening! Eat well :)

Indian samosas with sweet apple cucumber chutney

This is what I concocted for dinner tonight and couldn't resist posting right away after I saw this beautiful photo my husband took of the dish. It looked and tasted delicious, almost as if they were deep-fried. Not really though, since these are a health nut version of the traditional indian deep-fried potato treat.

The samosas: (for 4-6 people)

"Dough":

1 small head cauliflower (use only florets, about 2 C worth)

1 carrot, shredded

1 roughly chopped, small yellow onion

1 C fresh or sprouted dry green peas

3/4C dried, shredded & unsweetened coconut

1 clove garlic

piece fresh ginger

juice of 1/2 lime

3 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp coconut oil

garam masala, plenty of madras curry powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, pinch cloves & ground coriander

Coating: chili powder, salt, pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor with an S-blade until you have a (maybe slightly chunky) uniform mixture. Shape into triangles, this should make about 12 samosas (serving size is 2 per person). Sprinkle chili powder, salt & freshly ground black pepper. Dehydrate on one side for approximately 6 hours, then turn over, sprinkle with spices and continue to dehydrate for 4 more hours. For decoration, make little holes in the surface with a fork. You should get a firm but soft in the center texture.

Sweet apple cucumber chutney:

Blend:

½ orange, peeled

few dried dates, soaked

soak water

piece fresh ginger, dash salt & pepper

½ tsp ground coriander

Blend other ingredients and add soak water until you get a not too thick sauce consistency.

Mix in 1 C tart, diced apple and 1 C cucumber with the ginger-orange sauce. Check seasoning, add more salt/pepper if necessary. The sauce should be a bit on the sweet side though to complement the savory spicy flavor of the samosas.

My husband really dislikes cauliflower, but neither he nor I could taste it in this dish. I probably wouldn't have even known these were raw if I wasn't told.. really delicious, definitely something I will make next time I am hosting a party. These could easily be made much smaller and served as finger food even for someone who is not used to raw cuisine. A must for someone like me, who loves spicy food and misses the flavor of baked savory dishes.

Sweet potato fettuccine with marinara & pesto sauce

Sweet potato fettuccine:
1 large sweet potato
extra virgin olive oil
rosemary, Himalayan salt

Spiralize or "peel" off fettuccine strips from your peeled sweet potato. Stir in oil and spices, dehydrate/warm in 110 F until preferred texture. These are good unwarmed too, but the short dehydration will make them more tender.

Traditional but raw pesto:
1 huge bunch basil
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
extra virgin olive oil
himalayan salt, freshly ground black pepper

Blend until smooth in a high-speed blender, add oil until desired consistency.

Raw marinara:
5 fresh tomatoes
5-8 soaked, sun dried tomatoes
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (red)
4 dried dates
thyme, rosemary, black pepper, salt, oregano, basil

Use fresh or dried herbs. Blend all in a blender/food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning.

You can warm up the sauce(s) (no higher than 115 F / 46 C!) if you want. As you can see from the pic, I do not own a fancy spiralizer/mandolin, but had to use just a regular potato peeler. Hence my pasta was probably not the most visually appealing.. If anyone reading this knows where I could get a gadget for making raw vegetable pasta from Finland, please let me know!

I wish I had the time to do more "educating", but for the time being because of my time constraints I only have time to post recipes. One day soon I'll take the time to post about baby food, because as we all know, our habits of eating are formed already in early childhood and that a right, wholesome diet is essential for health and proper growth. Speaking of which, I was really shocked to see this one mom at the supermarket today. She had four kids bouncing and screaming all over the place. Aside the horrendous groceries she was buying for the family (meat balls, sugary kids yogurts, puddings, marinated pork etc), what really bothered me was how she shouted to her kids "If you don't start behaving right now, I won't take you to Mc DONALD's!". It just makes me so sad to see small kids (2-6 years or even less) eating huge hamburgers, fries and drinking sodas. Why are most family restaurants fast food joints anyway? Why are the kids portions in most restaurants always fries, pasta, meatballs, sausages or something similar? Let's hope in time eating out could be fun even for us more health-conscious people and families.

Tandoori veggie burgers, mashed parsnips & live ketchup

I might be the only one, but I have really been put off by most raw loafs/patties/burgers. My pallet does not agree with nutty loafs, they just do not taste right to me. Just the combination of nuts and salty seasoning is bizarre in my mind. I have never enjoyed actual meaty burgers either, so that is not what I was missing in living cuisine. What I've really been craving is a truly healthy way of enjoying falafel! So, this is how I adapted that idea into a recipe:

Tandoori veggie burgers (nut free!)
1 C sprouted green peas
1/2 C sprouted garbanzo beans
1/4C sesame seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, honey
1/2 juice of a lemon
fresh red chili pepper to taste
organic curry, salt, ground black pepper, tandoori seasoning, chives (dried or fresh)

The legumes should not have too long sprouts, but they should be tender and a little baby sprout should just peek out of the bean. Blend with sesame seeds and seasonings in a food processor. Form into burgers, dehydrate. I had them in at 110 F for 4 hours on one side then 30min on the other. The texture and burst of spicy flavor was just divine. It left me and my husband wondering why we ever fried our veggie burgers since these more than exceeded in flavor the cooked kind. The best part was: these don't taste like flour, and since the mixture is edible it is easy to get the seasoning just right! As you probably know, frying vegetarian (especially vegan) patties can be quite an ordeal because it is hard to get them to hold shape.. well, needless to say uncooking them solves that problem as well.

Live Ketchup:
1 C (about 12 pcs) soaked organic, sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
raw honey, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, garam masala, thyme, (chili!)
water

Blender.

Mashed parsnips
3 parsnips
6 tbsp olive oil/sesame oil
almond milk
tahini
nutritional yeast flakes (optional for cheesier flavor)
Himalayan salt, pepper

Puree peeled & chopped parsnips with olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Add almond milk until desired consistency. Season to taste.

Enjoy! My husband said this is his absolutely fav raw recipe :) And I have to say, these burgers really worked for me too.

Mediterranean lettuce wraps

This whole meal started as an attempt to embody four things: quick, tasty, affordable and raw. Eating ounces and ounces of nuts everyday isn't exactly cheap over here (2 pounds of most nuts costs 20 euros or more). Organic seaweed is also pricey, as well as avocados and coconuts. This meal altogether is pretty affordable, albeit still contains some nuts (cashews) but they are not necessary. Naturally, one doesn't always have hours and hours soak or dehydrate time either. Sometimes you just need a quick & satisfying meal.

My husband mentioned few days ago that he misses my tzatziki, the delicious greek meze made of greek yogurt, cucumber and spices. It used to be one of his favorite things with my homemade bread. Ok, an easy way of making vegan and dairy-free, even raw I guess, tzatziki would be to use soy yogurt. It is usually a pretty processed food, and like I've mentioned I like to keep my soy consumption to the minimum. Then there countless recipes for plant/nut yogurts made with rejuvelac, which is made of wheatberries and a no-go for my gluten-sensitive self. Thankfully Ilon Pisara posted a recipe for homemade, purely natural & naturally gluten-free & soy-free, millet yogurt.I figured I could use the millet yogurt I made last weekend.

Homemade Millet yogurt:
2 C millet rinsed over and over again
1 2/3 C filtered water

Rinse the millet grains (whole but hulled) like a dozen times, soak for 24h. Drain and blend until smooth with 1 2/3 C new water. Pour in a sterilized glass container and seal with a lid. Allow to do it's magic in room temp for 48h. Transfer to fridge, will keep for about a week. For sweeter yogurt blend with your favorite fruit and berries right before consuming. I've tried dried dates with blueberries and once banana with gooseberries.

Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Soy-free Tzatziki:
1 C plain millet yogurt
1/2 C cashews
1 C shredded english cucumber (drain excess water)
1-3 cloves garlic (we had 2 big)
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil
Himalayan salt, pepper (generously both)

Shred english cucumber. Powder cashews in a blender/food processor, add yogurt, cucumber and flavorings. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Mediterranean olive tapenade:
1 C mixed organic black calamata and greek green olives
1 clove garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
Dried (or fresh if you have some) basil, thyme & oregano, ground black pepper

Wrap sauces and veggies in your choice of lettuce! We had (maybe not too Mediterranean) mung sprouts, zucchini, tomato, red bell pepper and used napa cabbage as the wrap because I had some at hand. This dish is so versatile and a lot of fun. And my husband, a real tzatziki fan, really loved these wraps and said it tasted just as good as the real thing =)

Btw, I have a ton of recipes to post from my quick hiatus, so keep coming back.. I'll try to make it worth your while :)

Raw sushi

I've always loved sushi, but due to my gluten intolerance I can't have soy sauce (even all nama shoyu I've seen has wheat) or wasabi, and since I make a point to avoid soy also miso paste is out. We all know sushi rice is not too healthy and isn't exactly a living food. But how can I replace it, especially without gluten? I've seen people use kamut sprouts, but that again has gluten.. quinoa sprouts alone have a flavor (and texture) not really suitable for sushi. Then one day, when I was making a cauliflower thai spicy "rice" to accompany some chicken breasts (recipe coming), I got the idea of flavoring it like sushi rice and seeing if it would work in sushi rolls. And it did! Ok, texture is a bit different, but it holds together and tastes great.

Sushi "rice":
Cauliflower
Some cashews (more if you want creamier)
White sushi vinegar
Some agave/honey
Raw tahini
Himalayan salt

I "shredded" the cauliflower with my food processor (S-blade) so that it became a finely ground mixture. Then I spiced it up, tasting it afterwards to see what it needed. It's a good idea not to make this too salty, if you are dipping in salty sauces.

Soy-free dipping sauce (not vegan or strictly raw though):
Raw tahini (few heaping spoonfuls)
Thai Fish sauce, some spoonfuls (made of anchovy extract, salt & water, no additives/preservatives)
Water

Blend in a blender. I haven't tried it, but a strict vegan could replace the fish sauce with soy sauce.

Raw Tahini (new and improved!)
1 C unhulled, raw sesame seeds
1/3 C brazil nuts
Cold pressed vegetable oil
Raw & unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Raw, organic honey
Himalayan salt

Process nuts into a powder/butter. Add spices and then pour in oil until desired consistency. I usually make my tahini first, then take out some into a separate jar and add the fish sauce and water to make the dip. It helps clean the blender (gets the oil off the edges).

Remember to buy untoasted, raw & organic nori sheets! They are a bit chewier than their toasted deceased relatives, but it's pretty easy to get used to.

Then feel free to roll in all your favorite fillings. We made some with black lentil sprouts, julienned carrots and avocado. Then we had some fishier ones, with pangasius fillet slices (steamed and spiced with fresh dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper), alfalfa sprouts (home-grown), julienned zucchini and carrot. Of course you can add miso, wasabi or dip in soy sauce if you like. And trust me, after attempting to make sushi without a bamboo mat, you really do not want to go down that road.. they are pretty affordable and worth every penny. We bought ours from Hawaii, and paid like 2 dollars for it. I've seen them go for 3 euros in Finland.

Sorry for not posting for a while, our laptop was getting serviced and I just couldn't bring myself to post with my mini-acer. The screen is so tiny.. and so is my patience with it:)

Raw fajita feast: Mexico meets Italy

I can't believe I'm posting AGAIN today. This has started out sort of as a hobby for both me and my husband - I get a kick out of preparing the food and he enjoys photographing. Naturally, we both enjoy eating the food. I want to share my knowledge (albeit still limited, there is so much to learn!) and show people, that eating healthy can be fun, tasty and full of variety. Raw food doesn't mean an endless array of salads, cold soups and smoothies! There is really no limit to what can be accomplished without killing the nutrients and enzymes that are so vital for our digestion and overall well-being.

The Italian-style tortillas:
1 C flax meal
½ C sunflower seeds
few sundried tomatoes + one fresh one
1 red bell pepper
some good, cold pressed olive oil
some sprigs of fresh thyme and at least a handful of fresh basil
Himalayan salt & pepper

Blend all and pat into thin round shells on a non-stick or Teflex sheet. Dehydrate until desired consistency, longer for tacos and shorter for softer tortillas. We left them fairly soft, roughly 2-3 hours in less than 110F. The idea is loosely based on the crackers Yaelian made in her blog.


Perilla guacamole:
1 soft, lusciously ripe avocado
handful of perilla (purple mint)
juice of ½ lemon
1 clove garlic
Himalayan salt & freshly ground black pepper, cayanne powder (or fresh chili!)

Blend in a blender but leave some chunks. Alternatively crush with a spoon or fork.


Beans:
Sprouted aduki/adzuki (which??) beans
Lemon juice
Himalayan salt & ground black pepper

Other toppings:
Mango cubes, Red bell pepper cubes, Half-moon shaped zucchini, thinly sliced red onion rings (which I forgot..)


Oh-boy, were these good or what! Ok, shouldn't brag... Let's just say that in our opinion, these were pretty darn tasty. Feel free to play around with the recipe, add your own twists and remember to enjoy! Finger food can be so much fun.

Creamy tomato soup, dressed up simple salad, coconut-chive steamed salmon

Yesterday night we had a simple but flavorful meal. The soup was improvised on spot, and I was amazed how delicious and creamy it was without any dairy, nuts or avocados. Here's what went into my blender:

Creamy tomato soup for 3
½ Zucchini + some cucumber (depending on how thick you like your soup)
4-5dl raw tomato juice (buy or make your own)
5-6 sundried tomatoes (at least)
1 small red onion
1-3 cloves of garlic (I put all three, my husband loves garlic)
few heaping tablespoonfuls of raw tahini
couple tablespoons of cold pressed olive oil
1-2 tsp raw & unfiltered apple cider vinegar
a fair bit of fresh basil
Himalayan salt & pepper

You may want to cut up the zucchini, onions and cucumber before they go into the blender. The tahini is what makes this soup so delectably creamy. I made my tahini myself, I'm not even sure I could find raw organic tahini anywhere in Finland. Or how much it would cost if it was sold somewhere.

Raw Tahini:
1C raw, unsoaked, unhulled sesame seeds
Himalayan salt to taste
1-2 tsp raw honey
juice of ½ lemon
cold pressed oil (sesame or vegetable) until desired consistency is reached

First blend the sesame seeds alone until they become like a powder. A coffee grinder may also do the trick. Then blend in honey and lemon juice. Finally while the blender is running add oil one drop at a time and stop when the sesame seed butter has reached desired texture.

Simple Salad:
Iceberg
Tomato
Orange
Cucumber
Dark leafy green such as lollo rosso

Lemon poppyseed dressing
1-2 tbsp poppy seeds
juice of ½ lemon
cold pressed vegetable oil
Himalayan salt & pepper

It's amazing how a tasty dressing can work magic even with the most basic salad.

This salmon recipe is of course not raw, but if you are like me and are concerned about your intake of B12 this is a way to add it to your dieth in a healthy way. Needless to say, the flavor of well-prepared salmon... it just happens to be one of my favorites.

Steamed coconut-chive salmon:
As fresh, wildcaught pure salmon you can get
Cold pressed, organic coconut oil
Chives
Himalayan salt & pepper

The idea is to first quickly steam the salmon (don't overcook, leave it juicy!), and then combine with some coconut oil, chopped chives and season it the way you like it. I buy my salmon fresh and whole, chop it up and stick it in the freezer. The head and bones I use to make my own fish broth.

Again, to emphasize what I wrote in the first post: this blog is about eating healthy and balanced, not necessarily 100% raw. My goal is to eat a versatile enough diet that there is no need for supplements.