Celebrating an all-natural lifestyle

Crushing

I have a confession to make: I have a girl crush on Laura Beck.

If you don’t know who Laura is, I suggest you get to know her NOW. She’s one of the masterminds behind Vegansaurus.com, San Fran’s totally awesome vegan lifestyle guide (New Yorkers, I think we need to get us one of these), the writer of her own random, opinionated, and shittaciously funny blog, and the webmistress over at VegWeb.com, which is just the largest vegan recipe database in the world. She’s also one of the coolest vegans I know: whip smart, hilarious, and passionate. Few vegans are more blunt, outspoken, or vocal about why veganism rocks, but Laura—like all cool vegans—also knows how to be compassionate, encouraging, and to lead by example (rather than with vitriol).

In short, she is my hero.

I’m not only saying this because Laura happens to have featured me in the latest VegWeb newsletter. Yes, I just gave you the link, but don’t be lazy: as this issue proves, the VegWeb newsletter is awesome, and you should all go sign up to receive it (at the top of the VegWeb homepage) now. After all, it’s free!

Laura and I have spoken at length about raw foodism: the myths, the stereotypes, and the realities. I’ve shared with her my rather unorthodox approach to eating raw (which you guys already know about: semi-raw, flexible, etc.), and she’s shared with me her theories about why many vegans are alienated or put off by raw foods. This theory is pretty simple, and pretty hilarious. To quote Laura in the newsletter:

“Raw food gets a bad rap. Sometimes you get slack for eating vegan, but what’s weirder than that? Eating raw. Some vegans even like to point the finger at raw foodists when people accuse them of being odd. Like, look over there! Those people are the real freaks!”

Ha! I’ll confess, this attitude isn’t one I’m too familiar with. Typically, the people who write to me are vegans who are intent on becoming raw—perhaps even too intent, too quickly! I often find myself explaining to people that, while raw foods offer us myriad benefits, “going raw” isn’t the logical extension of veganism, or some sort of special challenge for the hardcore among us. Still, I see Laura’s point: I think raw foodies are natural targets for certain unsupportive vegans who enjoy the idea of there being someone out there whose food choices are even less conventional than their own. But, as Laura points out,

“ . . . the stigma attached to raw foods is slowly being erased, bit by bit, by the fact that some of the most innovative food coming out of the kitchen isn’t even cooked! Adventerous and talented raw-food chefs like Sarma Melngailis, Ani Phyo, and Mathew Kenney are changing the way people think about raw food. Bloggers are helping forge the way, too. My personal favorite is Choosing Raw, a blog maintained by the delightful Gena Hamshaw, who also happens to be VegNews’ raw-food columnist! Not only is she a total foodie genius, she’s smart and sane, to boot.”

OK I didn’t really have to include that last bit to prove my point about how raw food is going more mainstream. But it’s not every day that I get such sweet, if undeserved, flattery. Thankfully, I get to thank Laura with a big vegan dinner in San Fran when I visit (two weeks!!). If not, I’ll just continue to tell her about my girl crush on her until she gets creeped out by me.

Laura asked me to pick a recipe from the VegWeb raw food library to feature in the newsletter. Can you guys take a guess as to what I picked?

Duh! Raw green soup. Blended salad, con avocado: simple, easy, fresh. Vintage Gena.

While we’re on the topic of girl crushes, I was super excited to see that Ms. Katie gave my tofu scramble a spin on her blog this week. It looks as though her batch came out nicely! I was also really touched to see that my former client and friend Elese commented to say that she’s been inspired by the pleasure I take in eating (Elese and I have eaten out together in Chicago). When you eat “healthy food”—and especially when you write about it—the assumption is usually that you have a joyless, functional relationship with what you eat. I have to bat down this misconception a lot; to this day, I don’t think my ex-boyfriend believes that I really enjoy eating kale (are the 184572 photos of kale salad on my blog not sufficient proof?!?). So I’m always happy when a friend notices the fact that I like food. A lot.

To tie up our themes nicely, my lunch today involved both a girl crush and a raw soup. I used gray, damp weather as an excuse to make my girl Kristen’s incredible Harvest Soup, which is hands down one of my favorite raw soups ever. With simple salad, avocado, and pureed, steamed butternut squash (yes, I was feeling autumnal), it was exactly what I craved:

Comfort food for a rainy day.

And now, the usual Sunday night catch up ensues. Before I go, tell me: do you have any blogger girl crushes? Or guy crushes? (Yes, Evan, Matt, and Ian, I am trying to embarrass you.) I would love to hear your personal blogging heroes are, and why.

xo

Weekend Lunch: Fuji Apple and Spinach Soup; Summer Berry Salad

The winner of the Hippocrates video giveaway can wait no longer. Jenny, it’s you. Email me your address (gena@choosingraw.com) to get your gift!

Fair warning: I may not do another giveaway for a while. I’m traumatized by my own negligence.

A few days ago, a friend and I had a comically animated (OK, most of the animation was coming from me) conversation about Fuji apples. They are, we concluded, the best apples in the world. There are other great varieties (Macoun, Jonagold, Granny Smith) as well as some not so great ones (the offensively mealy Red Delicious), but Fujis have the perfect combination of sweetness and crispness.

It’s been a while since I made a raw soup. Over the weekend, I happened to spot my first Fujis of the season at my Sunday farmer’s market. They weren’t quite as giant and perfect as I know they will be in a few months, but they were there, and I was elated. Since I hadn’t made a raw soup in quite some time, I decided to put them to good use in a new soup concoction: Fuji apple and spinach soup. Sounds a little weird, I know, but it was refreshing and totally delicious. I think this one will be a mainstay between now and the end of summer! Here’s the recipe:

Fuji Apple and Spinach Soup (serves 3)

1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 large avocado
2 stalks celery
1 cup raw spinach
1 1/2 cups coconut water (I used fresh, but packaged is fine)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp nama shoyu or tamari
2 tsps flax oil

Blend all ingredients but the oil on high till well mixed. Add flax oil in a thin drizzle to emulsify the soup. Serve immediately, garnished with mint sprigs if you like.

I wanted something equally summery to go with my soup, so I decided to make a berry dressing, which a couple of readers have requested. I’ve never really liked raspberry or strawberry salad dressings, which is why it’s taken me some time to comply, but it was hard to say no with a fridge full of strawberries that were destined to get mushy if I didn’t use them soon. I decided to throw together a spinach, berry, and avocado salad and top it all off with a creamy strawberry dressing. I loved the results!

Strawberry Blush Vinaigrette (yields 1 1/2 cups)

2 cups strawberries, tops removed
1/4 cup orange or apple juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender till the dressing is smooth. Serve over any salad, but in particular over the summer berry salad, below.

Summer Berry Salad (serves 1, but can be easily doubled)

1 cup baby spinach
1 cup baby arugula
1/4 cup each strawberries (sliced), raspberries, and blackberries
1/4 avocado, chopped

Toss all ingredients with a few tablespoons of the blush vinaigrette and serve.

Together, the soup and salad were a perfectly light and refreshing lunch!

I rounded the meal out with some leftover black beans I had (leftover from making Susan’s black bean and corn salad!) mashed onto some sprouted toast.

There you have it, guys. Sunday lunch. I love using ingredients that are summery (berries) and autumnal (apples) all at once!

I’m trying to think of a terrific question to end with, and I can only think of this: what’s your favorite apple? It’s hardly the stuff of philosophical debates, but we’re all foodies here. If the topic of Fujis can put me on the edge of my seat, it’s probably worth asking.

xo

Simple Spring Pea Soup

Greetings from Tuesday night. Before I say another word, those were some amazing responses to my last post. Blogging is so funny; one never knows which posts will strike a chord. I was really into the topic (which, if you weren’t reading, had to do with the assumptions drawn about peoples’ motives for being vegan), but I didn’t know whether or not you would be as intrigued. I love when the topics I love to write about are the ones you’re most interested in commenting on. Thank you!

A week or two ago, I mentioned that I’ve jumped on the spring vegetable train a little late this year. It’s face-meltingly hot outside, and summer has most certainly arrived. In my kitchen, though, I’m still experiencing the best of spring produce, including freshly shelled peas. I enjoyed them in my spring quinoa pilaf, and recently, I enjoyed them again in a simple, delicious pea soup.

Raw soups rank second only to salads in the category of “dishes Gena can’t eat enough of.” If you’ve only been reading my blog recently, though, you might not know the depth of my passion for raw soup. Last spring, I was the queen of soup, whipping up blended salads galore, carrot avocado bisque, raw borscht, coconut red pepper soup, and more. The problem with raw soups is that they, unlike cooked soups, don’t keep or freeze well. Raw soups are best enjoyed straight out of the blender, along with a big salad and maybe a hunk of sprouted grain bread. Since I’m rarely home right now, it’s hard for me to make fresh soups, and I’d rather not spoil them by transportation.

Last weekend, thankfully, soup fever struck on a Saturday afternoon at home, and the soup queen donned her apron again. The result was this glorious, bright green bowl of deliciousness:

Before I share the recipe, it’s worth mentioning that you can either blend the peas raw or blanch them first. I highly, highly, highly recommend blanching or lightly steaming, as raw green beans and peas are typically too starchy to be palatable. (There’s some debate, too, over whether they’re toxic: I fall into the “who cares, they taste weird” camp.) In any case, raw purists can certainly take chances with raw peas; I blanched mine for exactly a minute and then submerged them into an ice bath pre-blending.

Pea Soup (serves 1 or 2)

8 oz peas, raw or blanched
1/2 cup nut or seed milk, unsweetened (I used homemade almond milk)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients till smooth. Check for seasoning, and garnish with a sprig of dill, a drizzle of hemp oil, and cubed sprouted bread or raw crackers.

I like to serve my raw soups cool, obviously, but there’s no reason you couldn’t warm this if you liked to. However you serve it, the soup is dreamy: a perfectly minimalist exhibition of the finest flavors of spring.

Now, if only spring temperatures would follow spring tastes. Sigh. A sweaty girl can dream, right?

xo

Raw Cream of Broccoli Soup

A month and a half ago, when I was in Chicago, I tasted my first raw broccoli soup at the fabulous Karyn’s on Green.

Now, I’m a raw soup fanatic. Borscht, cream of zucchini, tomato, butternut squash — name any popular soup, and I’ve probably made a raw and vegan version. Except, that is, for broccoli soup. Until I tasted Karyn’s rendition, I was a little scared of raw broccoli soup. Raw broccoli always tastes a bit bitter to me (I prefer it steamed), so I just assumed that a soup made of the stuff would be bitter, too. Not so! Karyn’s was just perfect: lemony, a little garlicky (but not so much that it could offend my delicate palate!), and creamy without tasting heavy. Two thumbs way up.

Since this downright perfect soup, I’ve been inspired to try a rendition of my own. This weekend, with an excess of broccoli on hand, I decided to take the plunge. I concocted the recipe based on what I tasted at Karyn’s and on my broccoli hummus – I wanted similar flavors, and a texture that was slightly thicker than Karyn’s version. Here’s what I came up with!

Raw Cream of Broccoli Soup (serves 2 generously)

7.5 oz (a little less than 1/2 lb) broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for an hour or so
1/2 tsp salt and dash of pepper
1/2-1 clove garlic (adjust according to taste)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice (adjust according to taste)
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups water
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle for garnish

Blend all ingredients save the olive oil in a high speed blender on high. If you don’t have a high speed blender, try steaming the broccoli lightly before you blend–it’ll make for a much easier cooking process!

With the motor of the machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Pour into two soup bowls, and enjoy!

I like my soup quite thick, so I used only 1 1/2 cups water. If you like a thin soup, go ahead and use 2.

I served this up as part of a Memorial Weekend luncheon with my mom. I devoured the soup – really enjoyed it — but she thought it was a little tart, which is why the lemon is listed as 1-2 tablespoons in the recipe; if you’re like me, and you love acid, keep it at 2 tablespoons. If not, use 1 tablespoon!

Otherwise, we agreed that this was a tasty, savory bowl, and the taste of broccoli wasn’t apparent at all! If anything, I’d like to have tasted it even more than I did. Looks like raw broccoli soup is going to join the rotation of CR soup favorites

Another highlight of my week thus far: Maren has launched Butter Your Body, a vegan, organic, handmade line of sumptuous and simple beauty products! You all keep asking me about my skincare and beauty routines, and I promise, I promise I’ll post more on that soon. But this is a great place to start! I always do my best to purchase skincare items that are organic (or at least all natural and paraben/sulfate-free) and vegan. For me, the simpler the better: coconut oil is my moisturizer of choice, and oatmeal, olive oil, and sea salt are frequent guest stars in the rub and mask departments! No, I’m not a purist: I’ll use my coworkers conventional hand lotion at the office, or shampoo at the gym, but I do my best to keep it simple. And nothing could be more simple than the lovely lip butter Maren sent me:

Yum! It smells gently of lemon, and nothing more! No artificial fruity flavors or funky colors. Check out the scant ingredient list:

Sorry, they got smudged in my purse! I’ve been toting this bad boy around all over the place. And I have to confess, I haven’t just been using it as lip balm–I’ve been rubbing it on any and all dry spots when I’m on the go. With ingredients this basic, you can’t go wrong on your lips, cheeks, or anywhere! For more of Maren’s goodies, check out the Butter Your Body website. Yum.

So, it’s Wednesday. Week #1 of June Insanity–and no, I don’t mean hardcore body sculpting–is halfway done. Thank you for all of your supportive comments about my scheduling challenges!! Not gonna lie, I’m already pooped. But I got home earlier than I expected to tonight, and even put my feet up and watched an hour of reruns. It felt great to steal a stealth moment of idleness!

But now, it’s back to work. Nite!

xo

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