Well, that was quite the upswelling of autumnal breakfast enthusiasm. So glad you liked the buckwheat quinoa pancake recipe!

Let’s switch gears today and talk about one of the great Choosing Raw love affair: guacamole. Aside from banana soft serve, I doubt there’s a single recipe that people associate more closely with my blog than guacamole (and really, anything with avocado). I can unapologetically eat an entire batch of the stuff in one sitting, and I often do. I break locavore values to stock my kitchen with avocados year round, so that I can savor the joys of a creamy, lime green bowl of guac in the dead of winter. I use guacamole in place of mayo or mustard in sandwiches, I plop it atop bowls of whole grain, and I smear it onto my salads (if you ask me, it’s better on salad than salad dressing).

In short, I’m a fan.

My favorite guacamole recipe is the one you’ll see most frequently on this blog. It’s sweet, tangy, and it’s sans onion, which means you won’t be popping breath mints for hours after your lunch.

The following recipe puts a fresh and crunchy spin on the classic guac formula. Like my original favorite guac, it features chopped vegetables and a variety of fresh herbs as well as guac; like my original, it’s onion-free (though you can certainly add red onion if you’d like to). And, like the original, it’s seriously delicious and extremely simple!

The stars of this guac are fresh mint and fresh basil. If you don’t have either, you can use dried herbs, or you can substitute parsley and cilantro. That said, it’s worth making the recipe just as specified; these herbs elevate guacamole to a bright, fresh, and surprising new plateau.

Cool as Cucumber Guacamole (raw, vegan, gluten and soy free)

Serves 2-4 (who am I kidding: 2)

1/2 cucumber, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 avocadoes, pitted and cubed
Handful fresh basil, finely chopped
Handful fresh mint, finely chopped
Juice of 2 small lemons (or 1 large)
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle of agave (about 2 tbsp)

Mix all ingredients together, using a fork to mash the avocado, in a medium or large bowl. Serve with crudites, salad, pita chips, corn chips, nori sheets, or just about anything!

Optional add-ins!

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• substitute lime juice for lemon
• roasted red pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped grapes

I think any of the above would be delicious with this guac recipe; I plan on making them all! In spite of being a little lower in fat than your table variety guac (because there are so many veggies thrown in), this recipe is oh-so-rich and creamy:

There it is, folks: a nutrient dense, flavorful, and light, bright recipe with minimal ingredients. I hope it’s what you all have come to expect from me

With that, I’ve got a long day of studying ahead of me. Till soon!

xo

Love the response to my pizza recipe and tutorial! It was a lot of text, I know, but I hope I was able to convey the ease of pizza making in spite of that. Homemade crust is so much more worthy than store-bought, and kneading can double as stress relief therapy. Seriously. Please make some vegan pizza soon, and then come talk to me about it.

What you may not have realized yesterday as you salivated over my artichoke, red onion, and sundried tomato pie was that it was the first in a series of recipes dedicated to Sunday’s big game. That’s right, my friends. This is officially Super Bowl week at Choosing Raw. Yesterday was Day 1, and today the fun continues with a three-layer dip I think you’ll love!

If I asked you to guess whether or not I’ve always been a football lover, would you guess (a) absolutely, Gena, you seem like a hardcore sports fanatic, or (b) to be honest, it came as a surprise to me, but I’ve just been going along with it, I’m guessing most of you would choose (b). And you’d be right. I did not grow up a sports fan, and it wasn’t until Chloe and her Dad introduced me to all things Yankees that I really tasted the exhilaration that comes from rooting for a great team (a few Bostonians just took me off Google reader, didn’t they?). My love of the baseball didn’t begin in childhood, and it wasn’t passed down from parent to child (Hamshaws all root for the Red Sox). It didn’t come from any natural ability in sports, because lord knows, I haven’t got any of that. It came from the fact that my best friend and her father loved the game and loved the team, and I, out of solidarity, learned to love them, too.

Do I enjoy the Yankees any less because I became a fan by proxy? No, not really. I’d actually say it works the opposite way: my loyalty is amplified by the fact that I associate the team with people I love. And so too with the Packers. M is a big fan, and this year, out of solidarity (and curiosity), I’ve become a big fan as well. Do I understand most of what goes on in an average game? No. Do I have poignant and patriotic childhood football memories? No. Does it matter? Not at all. It’s fun to be rooting for Green Bay this week, and even more fun to be planning some delicious vegan eats for Sunday.

The following dip is the kind of thing I love to serve to party guests because it’s so sneaky: it’s 2/3 raw and all vegan, but it’s composed of familiar components, so everyone gets really excited about it before they realize that they’re eating a plant-based, cruelty free appetizer. It’s a win for everyone’s taste buds, and it’s a win for veganism. One can only hope these wins are met by on-screen victories, too.

Three Layer Super Bowl Dip (Semi-raw, vegan, gluten free and soy free)

Serves 6

To assemble the dip, you’ll need the following 3 components:

Gena’s Famous Black Bean and Red Pepper Dip (Vegan, gluten free, and soy free)

Serves 4-6

I call this “famous” only because I make it constantly and use it in various recipes–a version of it goes in my polenta stacks, and I stuff it into collard wraps all the time. Everyone who tastes it likes it as much as I do, and it’s so simple to make!

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped, or about 2/3 cup roasted red peppers (jarred is fine, if that’s what you have)
4 sundried tomatoes, pre-soaked and drained, OR oil packed and drained
1/2 clove garlic, finely minced (optional)
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (use 1/4 if the canned beans are salted; 1/2 if they’re unsalted)
2 tbsp lime juice
Black pepper to taste
Water

1) Empty beans into a food processor and process till thick and broken down.

2) Add the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper, and pulse until the mix looks like refried beans. If it needs thinning, add a little water.

3) Serve!

2 batches of My Favorite Guacamole

Mango-Jicama Salsa (Raw, vegan, gluten free and soy free)

Serves 4-6

I’m not a fan of mangoes, and this recipe is 100% un-seasonal. But it’s the tastiest way I’ve found to eat a fruit I don’t like very much, and it’s a wonderful alternative to regular salsa.

2 ripe mangoes, diced small
1 medium beefsteak tomato, diced small
1 large jicama, peeled and diced small
1/2 red onion, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4-1/3 cup lime juice (I like my food tart, so I err on the generous side)
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together, and let marinate for at least one hour in the fridge before serving.

To assemble, simply layer your components. I halved the recipe, knowing I’d be the sole recipient of this foodie offering, and used a glass storage container that was about 5 1/2 inches in diameter, so if you make this for company, I’d suggest making the whole recipe and using a glass dish that’s about 6×8 inches, or 48 inches squared in area. <————– Look, I’m learning math!

Begin with a thick layer of the bean dip, then a layer of the guac, and top with salsa. If you suspect one layer may get too thick, set aside some of it for later (I have some leftover bean dip now).

Heaven!

This is perfect with some corn chips:

And you’ll notice that the top two layers are yellow and green.

Coincidence? I think not.

I actually recommend making this in a container that’s transportable, because it makes it so easy to pack up and bring to parties. See?

This isn’t a recipe you’ll want to have sitting around, as it’ll get goopy and the guac will start to go brown, so do try to eat it right away.

For more plant-based Super Bowl eats, please check back throughout the week! And also go over to Wendy’s blog, where the lady herself will be having a week long Super Bowl festival.

Sporty readers: what are your favorite things to eat as a sports spectator? And how did you become a sports fan in the first place?

xo

Hey guys!

I am so, so touched by all of your enthusiasm for the new and improved Choosing Raw! Thank you all so much for your comments and kind words. I adore you.

Of course, I can’t actually take any of the credit for my blog’s new look. All of that goes to Zesty Blog Consulting, and the wonderful man behind it. Cory (known to us bloggers as Zest, Zesty, and The Computer God) did a spectacular job of gauging my blog’s needs and potential for growth in 2010. The fundamental aesthetic shift of the blog–to a brighter and more spacious look–was right in keeping with what I’d asked Cory for. But he went far beyond my directives, and elevated my blog to a place I might only have dreamed of. What I love about the new look is that it’s so unbelievable simple, so clean: in other words, my blog suddenly matches my food!

That’s Cory’s real talent: giving his clients blog aesthecitcs that are worthy of (and in keeping with) their content.  Thanks to him, Choosing Raw‘s look now jives completely with its character. It’s a look I can grow with, and take with me into the future. Thanks so much, Cory. Anyone who’s interested in Cory’s blog makeovers can email him for details. In addition to being a techie wiz, he also happens to be a pretty nice guy:-)

Note to people who’ve emailed me about subscribing via RSS or email: until this weekend, my subscriptions didn’t seem to be working. The kinks have been ironed out, and my subscriptions ought to be up and running. Click the icons at the top right to get Choosing Raw subscription service!

So yeah, I’m loving my blog’s new look. But it wasn’t the only highlight of my weekend. Other favorites included:

Colorful new measuring cups (yes, I am a loser):

Ribbons of raw kale at lunchtime:

Decadent yet healthful post-workout shakes (that’s frozen banana, cacao nibs, chia seeds, almond butter, and water, in case you were wondering):

Wonderful new clients (those are my preliminary notes for a meal plan):

The return of guacamole season (glory, glory hallelujah):

(Served over Lydia’s crackers, avec salade.)

The invitation to my best friend’s wedding (!):

The view from my apartment window at dusk (I love you, Upper West Side):

An incredible new array of raw nut butters to try, from Futter’s Nut Butters. I’m especially psyched to try Macadamia! Thank you so much to Liz for her generous and surprising gift! <3

Spontaneously awesome, leftover utilizing dinners:

(That’s 1/2 cup navy beans, 1 chopped roma tomato, 1/3 chopped red pepper, 1/2 small chopped zucchini, 1/4 cup chopped broccoli, sauteed in coconut oil, coriander, oregano, s+p, nooch, and fresh parsley, served over massaged kale salad.)

Now it’s your turn, CR readers: what were your weekend highlights?

More importantly, please keep letting me know what you’d like to see more of here on the blog. I already got one comment saying you’d like to see more Raw Food Rehab posts, a la Marathon Val’s appearance here. I’d love that, but in order to make that happen, I need to know what sorts of raw pitfalls people tend to be having. I can guess about what some of them are, but I’d love to hear it from you. If you’d like, please email me a raw road block you’re having at gena@choosingraw.com, with the subject line Raw Food Rehab. (NB: This is not an invitation to send me detailed and personal health inquiries, nor rundowns of what you yourself eat each day. The idea is to bring up a difficulty you think might be applicable to everyone.)

Have a lovely, restful Sunday night.

xo

Hello, friends!

I’m glad you all enjoyed yesterday’s extemporanea!

With regards to the numerous questions about the incongruous belly ring: yes, it was a silly teenage decision, but the age was eighteen, not sixteen (so, Theresa, it’s slightly more embarrassing than if I’d been sixteen). And no, Shel, it didn’t hurt at all, though I was holding it in comparison to the extreme pain of piercing my ear cartilage a while earlier, which hurt like holy hell. So.

I’m proud to announce that I had a guest post up today at my good friend Gina the Fitnessista’s blog. For those of you who don’t know Gina’s site, this is a nice excuse for you to check it out! And for those of you that do, I hope you caught the post.

The topic was one I’ve hoped to write about for some time: fueling for fitness on a raw diet. Many new clients (and blog readers) are dubious about whether or not raw foods provide adequate energy and sustenance to athletes in training. And who can blame them? The mainstream nutritional model offered athletes is, all too often, one in which synthetic protein powders, cardboard-like energy bars, and vats of spaghetti play a starring role. While I allow that all athletes need to figure out their own nutritional needs as they train, I hope that my post—no matter how brief—offers you all a glimpse of an alternative model of nutrition for athletic training and recovery. If this issue is important to you–and I know it’s important to all of my readers in marathon training right now–I really encourage you to go and read the post!

In it, I discuss the foods that I consider most crucial for athletic support, along with five recipes to keep you motivated. And of course, I address that ever-popular question: what are lean sources of protein in a raw diet?

Among the sources I highlight are a favorite food of mine: sprouts. They may be a far cry from myoplex bars or steamed chicken breasts, friends, but those scrawny looking little green shoots can be up to 35% protein. They’re also packed with other vital nutrients, and they’re highly digestible. (If you have a hard time digesting seeds or beans, try sprouting them: sprouting converts the starches in seeds and beans to simple sugars, rendering them far easier to digest.)

Not all sprouts are created equal. The sprouts that most immediately come to mind are alfalfa sprouts—the whisper thin bunches you find at any deli or salad bar. These contain some nutrients, but they’re not the highest protein option. For athletes, I recommend pea shoots, sunflower sprouts (my personal favorite!), lentil sprouts, broccoli sprouts, and red clover sprouts, all of which are high protein. If you don’t like the way sprouts taste—or you’re just shy about being seen in public munching on them!—blend them into soups, stuff them into savory wraps, or even throw them in your green monster. You’ll never know the difference!

Or, you could make the following salad. This salad was born of my own struggle to get used to sprouts: at first, they struck me as less than appetizing. I eat them by the bushel now, but it took me some time. What was my trick, you ask? Well it should come as no surprise that there’s no better way to make me eat something than to smother it in guacamole. And so I did. I mixed sprouts with other shredded veggies, hid them under a bed of guacamole, and mixed and mashed the lot into a creamy, delicious salad.

This salad is not only great for the lean protein it provides, but also for the healthy fats (which help with cell repair after athletic exertion) and the many vitamins and minerals it provides. I love to recommend it to athletic clients, and to eat it myself before or after a workout.

Any guacamole will be delicious here, but for those of you who have tired of my standard, this is a smoky, more authentically Mexican variety that uses cumin and chilis for flavoring. No matter how married I am to the sweetness of my original, I must confess that this is a great variant, and I’ve been eating it plenty this week. The recipe follows:

Gena’s Sprout Salad (Serves 1)

Ingredients:

2 cups sunflower and broccoli sprouts and pea shoots, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots or romaine lettuce (or both), shredded
½ cup cilantro, chopped
¾ cup smoky guacamole, below (or guac of choice)

Procedure:

Mix all of the sprouts and veggies and cilantro together. Pile the guacamole on top, and mash it into the salad. Sprinkle with generous amounts of lemon juice (and anything else you’d like as a topper), and dig in!

Smoky Guacamole (Yields 1 ½-2 cups)

2 large avocados
¼ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped (if desired)
2-3 tbsps lime juice
½ tsp (or more) sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smokey paprika
½ tsp cumin
Sprinkle cayenne pepper

Procedure:

Mash avocado, lemon, and salt together. Add remaining ingredients and mix till well combined. Enjoy with your sprouts—or by the spoonful!

I am in love with this stuff, and the salad it so perfectly compliments. I hope you’ll all try the recipe soon!

And speaking of recipes, tomorrow is raw Wednesday! I hope you guys have fun things planned for your kitchens. I’m not sure if uncooking will be an option tomorrow—it’s that kind of week—but I have fingers and toes crossed. As always, report back on your rawventures!

xo

Hey all!

I am so, so thankful for the incredibly intelligent answers I got to my last post. It’s always nice to be reminded of what a smart, thoughtful, and perceptive group of readers I have. I sometimes worry before I bring up topics that have the potential to stir debate, but I quickly remind myself that

1)    Debate is good
2)    All of my readers are exceptionally thoughtful and open-minded

and for that I am so, so grateful. I may very well send my thoughts to Self; stay tuned.

Once again, this has been a week of lots of eating out and not enough time in my kitchen! I really can’t wait for this more peaceful (I hope!) month to get underway so that I can get back to simple, homemade meals and quiet time. In the meantime, though, I did want to share a recipe from this past weekend, which was inspired by my friend Diana. I only had the good fortune of meeting Diana last week at Beam Green, but it hasn’t taken me long to suspect that we’ll be good friends. She’s a gem: funny, smart, ironic, and insightful, and I hope we’ll have many jus dates in our future!

In the meantime, Diana has inspired me with her recipe for guacanara, an ingenious marriage of Mexican and Italian, which she posted last week. It is exactly what it sounds like: a combo of raw marinara sauce and my classic guacamole. And let me tell you, it’s delicious. I served it over spiralized summer squash, but it would be every bit as great as a dip, spread, stuffing, or eaten by the spoonful!

The idea is simple. Whip up a batch of marinara sauce, hot or raw. I used my red pepper marinara, which I love. For time’s sake, you could use a cooked, storemade brand—I like Brad’s Organics and Seeds of Change. Next, whip up a batch of my classic guacamole.

Pour the marinara into the guac, like so:

And begin to mix:

As soon as you have a consistency that suits you (I had some leftover marinara), you’re ready to go! Serve it over spiralized pasta, stacked in between veggie slices, as a dip, a spread, or even on top of salad. I put it on my pasta:

But loved it so much that I also scooped some over my green salad.

And voila: a perfect dinner!

I’ve seen lots of experiments with my green guac lately, including Faith and miss GC today! I love it. So let’s expand our guac horizons to include guacanara: you guys won’t regret it!

Have a great night.

xo

Edited to add: The guac frenzy continues! Kath just made goat cheese guac.

Greetings, everyone!

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday weekend. I’m catching up on some work, some housekeeping, and some time with friends, but to kick off the first official weekend of the summer, I wanted to share what is undoubtedly my favorite summertime lunch!

The recipe could not be more simple: whip up a batch of guacamole, and serve it however you want. You can eat it with crudites, in lettuce wraps (butter lettuce and romaine leaves are great for this), or scooped atop a giant salad. This meal is quick exit and perfectly combined, so it’s ideal for lunch, yet filling enough for a light dinner.

Best of all, if you double or triple the guacamole, this is a wonderful recipe to entertain with. I love having friends over, putting out a huge platter of butter and romaine leaves, crudites, and guacamole, and letting my guests assemble wraps.

I like my guacamole tart and sweet, and without red onion, natch. But I suppose the onion could be added if you like a more traditional flavor Here’s my version:

Guacamole (serves 1 or 2 — I usually devour the whole recipe!)

1 avocado, pitted and chopped
1/4 red pepper, finely diced
Handful cherry tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/2 cup cilantro, packed and chopped
1/2 packet stevia, or a few drops (you could also use agave or honey)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Begin my mashing the avocado and lemon or lime juice with a fork, till it’s mushy but not entirely without texture. Add the rest of your ingredients and mix again. Voila!

Stuff this into butter leaves for wraps:

Or simply serve it alongside your salad or veggies.

I sometimes add a batch of this recipe to a big bowl of greens and mix it all up as a salad.

I hope you’ll all try this light, quick, and delicious–not to mention colorful–recipe as the weather gets warmer! If you do, let me know how you like it.

Enjoy your Sundays, friends.

xo

Have you ever wondered what to do with juice pulp when you’re done? Here’s what. No, this isn’t my most visually appetizing recipe post, but it’s a great way to use up all that leftover veggie pulp, add some fiber to your lunch, and feel a little less wasteful (I can never help but feel pangs of guilt as I toss away all my veggie pulp). It’s also pretty simple and tasty.

Green guacamole (this is reminiscent of Heather’s broc guac, by the way!):

1/2 avocado

Leftover veggie juice pulp (I prefer the greener pulp here, but carrots would make for a sweeter, and tasty, version

lemon juice

salt

Mash the avocado. Throw in pulp, which should look something like this:

Add a generous squeeze of lemon, salt, and mash, till it looks sort of like this:

And you’re done. I served mine stuffed into romaine leaves, alongside a small salad, and snacked on it as I worked and talked to clients this afternoon. It was tasty, filling, and hit the spot!

And while we’re on the topic of waste reduction, Mike Adams at Natural News has a great article highlighting five simple ways you can make your diet more ecologically friendly here.

Some other highlights from the week in food and health blogs:

1) Melissa’s got a great post on upgrading your diet here.

2) My friend Nancy was lucky enough to attend Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Forum in New York this week. She had a chance to hear all the speakers, including Neal Barnard, whom I admire. She blogged live from the panel here. Some highlights from Neal and Dr. Mark Hyman’s speech:

Dr. Neal Barnard, author of Food for Life:

• “The average American consumes 50 pounds more meat, 40 pounds more dairy, 30 pounds more sugar a year than they did a century ago.”
• “You can call cheese dairy crack if you’d like.”

Dr. Mark Hyman, author of UltraMetabolism:

• “Diseases are not the right framework.  Diseases are just names for a collection of symptoms.  We name the problem, then we blame the name of the problem for the problem.”

3) My friend Lindsey has answered the question of, “what’s a vegan dish that even my parents will like?”

4) Heather is giving up dairy. Congrats, Heather!

I’m off to enjoy the weather a bit and a dance performance this evening. I’ll be back tomorrow with a special post, so stay tuned. Happy Saturday!