Celebrating an all-natural lifestyle

Crowd Pleasing Asian Dressing

Some recipes are too good to share only once.

Yesterday was the first day of the Spark! Wellness + Choosing Raw Spring Detox. On my menu was a lunchtime salad featuring my Asian dressing, and let me tell you: the level 3 forum was abuzz with glee!! I couldn’t get over the reaction: people l-o-v-e this stuff. So in case you missed it the first time, here’s a little slice of heaven:

Creamy Asian Dressing (Makes 1 1/2 cup)

Ingredients:

1 inch ginger (you can add a bit more if you love ginger, which I sure do!)
1 cup olive or flax oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp mellow white miso (you can add a bit more of this one, too, if you like the saltiness)
6 dates, pitted
2 tbsp tamari or nama shoyu
1/3 cup water (add more if you like the dressing looser)

Blend all ingredients on high till creamy and emulsified.

Serve this crack dressing over vegetable crudites, as a dip for appetizers, as a salad dressing, or just lick the blender.

Or, you can serve it over zucchini noodles and chopped veggies, and it’ll look something like this:

(That photo is borrowed from my raw “peanut” noodles, but the idea is the same!)

Banana soft serve. Chocomole. Guac. Carrot falafel. These are the kinds of recipes that make me want to grab you by the shoulders and push you into your kitchen. I’m going to go ahead and add this dressing to that list. Try it, and try it soon. You’ll thank me

xo

Welcoming Spring, Honoring Winter, and a New Spark! + Choosing Raw Group Cleanse

Hey all!

So it appears I’m not the only coffee lover among us. Glad that post struck a chord!

Since we’re getting real about our “gentle imperfections,” it’s the perfect time for me to announce the second Choosing Raw + Spark Wellness 10 Day Cleanse. You may recall our last cleanse initiative, which was in January. I’m happy to report that it was a tremendous success. Our cleansers (and we counselors, who were participating too!) felt unanimously more energetic, more confident about our food choices, more balanced, and more savvy in the kitch. Here are just a few of the testimonials we gathered after the cleanse:

“The best thing about the cleanse is that I saw amazing results. My joint pain became almost non-existent, my energy level was through the roof and I felt clear headed and happy! I don’t know if I would have had the stamina to go 10 days on a cleanse without the support of Gena and the forum. This cleanse was definitely worth every penny. I can’t thank Gena and Spark Wellness enough.” –Cleanse participant, January 2010

“I had a wonderful experience doing the level three cleanse. Gena was warm, supportive, well-informed, and professional. the on-line forum was fun, informative, interesting. the group phone calls were fun and informative. The food was delicious!! I would not have had the courage and confidence to eat a raw vegan diet on my own, this cleanse gave me the structure and guidance I needed to try it.  I can’t recommend this program highly enough and that’s the truth.”  –Cleanse participant, January 2010

“I realized, the best testimonial I can give is telling you how I feel. In a word – amazing. I cannot believe how much more energy I have. I feel lighter, and my exercising habits have improved. The meal plan helped so much, and Gena’s recipes were delicious. I’m incredibly grateful.” –Cleanse participant, January 2010

Andrea, Hadley and I took such joy in helping to guide people towards a gentle, healing break for their bodies. And we’re delighted to be doing it again — this time, as a celebration of spring! Spring is the season of new life and new growth, of renewal and new beginnings. So what better time could there be to offer your body a tiny fresh start?

What’s different about our cleanse is that the focus is on real, whole foods, along with a manageable shift to a healthier lifestyle. This is not a “fad” cleanse where you drink juice or lemonade every day. You’ll be eating — and good food, at that! No starvation here. We also understand that everyone is different, which is why we’ve designed three unique programs for our participants. I lead Level 3, which is all vegan; descriptions of the three levels can be found here, at the Spark! website. As with our last cleanse, support will be offered in an online forum and a support call.

If you’re interested in joining us, mark your calendars: we are hosting a free teleclass on the benefits of a cleanse, as well as details of the program, on April 28th at 9pm EST. E-mail us to register and get your dial-in info.

We’re also offering a special discount for people who sign up before April 24th. Register today and pay only $69: this price includes detailed detox packet, menus, grocery lists, delicious recipes, a group telephone support call, and an online group form for additional support throughout your cleanse experience. Bloggers who participate and promote on their blog receive additional $10 off and Health practitioners receive an additional $10 off. (Again, you can e-mail us to take advantage of these special rates.)

If you have questions about the cleanse, please check out the detailed page on the Spark! Wellness website, which includes FAQs, sample menus for each level, and testimonials. We hope to have many of you along for the ride!

Before we move into the freshness of spring, though, it can be lovely to savor the last of winter’s vegetable bounty (if that doesn’t sound too oxymoronic). I love summer produce, naturally; I never met an heirloom tomato, red pepper, avocado, or zucchini I didn’t like. But in many ways, I’m first and foremost a lover of the fall and winter veggies: winter squashes, potatoes, kale, cabbage, and broccoli and cauliflower. I also love the hearty soups and grain dishes that winter calls to mind. As gleeful as I am to see asparagus appear at the farmer’s market, or to blanch some fresh green peas, I also love to use March and April as a last hurrah for winter produce, making all sorts of dishes with beets and turnips, and (now that I’m fast becoming a fermenting fiend) putting sauerkraut into jars.

This tasty, savory sweet grain dish is just one of many dishes I’m using as my farewell to winter. It’s appropriate that I cooked it up this week, as temperatures shifted from cold (with a side order of torrential rain) to springlike and sunny. All hail transitional food!

Quinoa, Cranberry, and Roasted Cauliflower Salad (yields 4-5 servings)

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets and pieces
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roast the cauliflower by tossing it in 1-2 tbsp coconut oil and dusting it with salt and pepper. I also like to squeeze some lemon on it! Place in the oven, uncovered, and roast until the top of the cauliflower is slightly brown and crispy.

While it cooks, combine the quinoa with 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.

Transfer quinoa to a bowl, and add the roasted cauliflower and a little squeeze of lemon. Toss in the cranberries, and season to taste. Serve warm!

The best thing about this dish — well, the second best thing, after it’s delicious taste — is how simple it is to prepare, and how satisfying it is to eat. Minimal time and maximum enjoyment: it doesn’t beat that.

While I’m not a truly seasonal or local eater — for reasons I’ve explained here, it isn’t entirely possible within my lifestyle — I do take joy in following the general rhythm of the seasons. This means not only celebrating new life and new crops, but also celebrating the end of previous seasons, and bidding some winter faves a fond adieu.

I’m sure I’m not the only one: tell me, what dishes are you preparing more than often, in anticipation of a summertime hiatus?

xo

Cleanse Excitement, Product Review, and Gratitude

Thank you to all the lovely ladies who participated in last night’s Spark! Wellness + Choosing Raw Cleanse teleclass! Hadley, Andrea and I were blown away by the intelligent questions and comments you all threw out, from “how do I explain the cleanse to my husband?” to “how much exercise is recommended while you’re cleansing?” Hopefully we helped to clear up some of these issues. For those of you who are already signed up for the cleanse, the call was recorded and is available for listening; details here.

For those of you who are still considering signing up for the cleanse, which was just featured in VegNews magazine, the deadline has been extended to this Sunday, January 10th, which is the day on which cleanse materials (including meal plans, recipes, and tips) will be sent out to participants. I, for one, can’t wait to lead the program and to follow it along with my cleansers. The level 3 forum is already abuzz with wonderful conversation about the cleansers goals and intentions, and I’m looking forward to more dialogue with these smart and motivated women!

On to food. It’s been a while since I did a product review, so I thought I’d share with you all my latest taste test. The lovely folks at Divine Foods were kind enough to send me samples of their Boomi and SuperCharger PranaBars!

I’ve been hoping to sample PranaBars for a long time. They’re certified organic and gluten-free, sweetened with organic agave nectar, and (this is my favorite part) the nuts are slow cooked at low temperatures to denature their enzyme inhibitors, making them slightly more digestible than other nut based bars. The new SuperCharger line is infused with so-called superfoods: maca, goji berries, acai, and the like.

Now, you guys know that I’m a devoted fan of LaraBars. But I will confess, I was excited to add some variety to my bar options. And overall, these guys hit the spot!

The pros: Flavor! So far, I’ve tried the Raspberry Pomegranate and Goldenberry Goji flavors. Like  LaraBars and Clif Nectar bars, they taste simple and clean. But their flavor is slightly more complex and rich than LaraBars; the Goldenberry Goji flavor, for example, tasted of fresh vanilla. It was delicious! These guys are sweeter than some other bars I’ve tried, so I’d suggest them for when you’re in the mood for a dessert-like snack. I sampled by bar along with a large tahini-romaine salad (pictured here–nothing shouts “scenic photo op!” more than a desk lunch), and found that the bar held my hunger nicely all afternoon—a big plus!

The cons: The bars all contain puffed amaranth in addition to nuts, which means that they’re miscombined. In fairness, they didn’t upset my stomach in the slightest, and amaranth is absolutely one of my favorite grains, so I was psyched to see it on the ingredient label. That said, it’s present in a very small amount, so part of me wishes they’d leave it out altogether, for a well-combined treat.

The mix of grains and nuts was more evident in the Boomi Bar, which contains crisp rice. I didn’t love this bar as much, to be honest. It was mostly a question of texture: I enjoyed the density of the PranaBar more than the crunch of the Boomi Bar (I also see on the company website that some Boomi Bars–not the flavor that was sent to me–contain Whey Protein Isolate, which I’m not a fan of, primarily because it’s not vegan, and secondarily because protein isolates are highly processed and some are suspected carcinogens).

My other quibble here is that I tend to cringe at too much hype about “superfoods”—I think it’s a highly misleading label for foods that are simply nutrient-dense (like many other foods). Goji berries are not going to save your life, and the effects of such plants as maca still demand more study before they can be considered conclusive. I have no problem with people enjoying superfoods; certainly, they’re far more nourishing and tasty than many other foods that our society has deemed health-promoting! But I think our obsession with superfoods is a part of our search for quick fixes–foods or supplements that will magically serve as cure alls for weight loss, sickness, and low energy–rather than doing what we should be doing, which is to eat a clean, balanced, plant based diet every single day.

The cult of superfoods, though, is not the issue here. The issue is, how did Gena ultimately like her PranaBars? And the answer is, a lot! I’m not a BoomiBar convert, but I am a big fan of the PranaBars, and encourage you to give them a shot. They’re delicious, healthy, made with great integrity, and (from what I experienced) highly digestive-friendly.

Thumbs up.

Speaking of products, there is a stevia giveaway going on here. And speaking of delicious snacks, I’m sending a giant hug to my dear friend Nelly, who made me chocolate peppermint donut holes for Christmas!

I’ve been enjoying these treats all week, Nel: thank you so much! May everyone have friends as thoughtful and culinarily gifted as Ms. Nelly: attorney, crusader, ultimate Frisbee champ, vegetarian, hottie, and newly-initiated food processor addict.

On that note, I wish you all a great night

xo

P.S. It’s Thursday. Everyone check out my friend Katie’s awesome Vegan Thursday Challenge!

Garden Pate.

Hey all!

Terrific responses to my post on labels. I’m glad we were able to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I’m here to share a quick, tasty recipe that I whipped up over the weekend. It was inspired by a Nomi Shannon recipe. For those of you who don’t know her work, Nomi Shannon is a raw foods chef, cookbook writer, and educator (she was the winner of last year’s Best of Raw winner in the vegan educator category). Her recipes are simple, clean, easy, and healthy, and they can be found in her excellent cookbook, The Raw Gourmet.

This is a new addition to my cookbook collection, and I couldn’t be enjoying it more! Ms. Shannon, like me, creates recipes don’t require a great deal of planning, soaking, sprouting, or dehydrating. She emphasizes eating a majority of vegetable foods (rather than nuts or desserts), and she creates the tastiest of meals with super-simple flavors and ingredients. I’ve already made such winners as Cabbage Roll-Ups, Tip Top Turnip Salad, Orange Tahini Dressing, Indonesian Yum-Yum Dressing, and Spinach Mousse. This weekend, I decided to put my own spin of her Vegetable Pate (Garden Pate, in my own language). Describing this pate, Shannon says, “Pates are often comprised of a high percentage of nuts. They can be difficult to digest and high in fat, so many people avoid them. This savory and attractive pate contains only one cup of sunflower seeds. It’s density comes from ground flax seeds and dehydrated vegetables which absorb moisture and add flavor.”

Amen! Many nut pate recipes are excessively heavy or dense, and while there is a time and a place for rich food, it’s always nice to have some alternatives. Shannon’s recipe calls for olives and an entire head of cauliflower, neither of which I had on hand. I also chose to omit the scallions and onion (of course!), and to use slightly less vegetable add-ins than the original recipe called for, but I added a cup of green juice pulp (kale, cucumber, celery). My ultimate creation, then, was fairly different from Shannon’s own, but it preserved her original idea and flavorings. Here’s the simple and tasty recipe:

Garden Pate (yields 2 cups, at least)

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked at least 2 hrs and drained
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
2-3 tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 1/2 tbsp flax oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup vegetable juice pulp
1 small red pepper, cut into small cubes and dehydrated for 2-3 hrs (raw is fine, too)
1/2 zucchini, shredded and dehydrated for 2-3 hrs (raw is fine, too)
1 carrot, shredded and dehydrated for 2-3 hrs (raw is fine, too)
4 tbsp chopped parsley

Blend the sunflower seeds, flax, Bragg’s, flax oil, cumin, curry, and coriander in your food processor, adding watter in a drizzle until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.

Add the vegetables, parsley, and pulp and give it all a few good pulpses, till the veggies are incorporated but not blended. Stop, transfer the mix to a bowl, and then mix in the parsley with your hands.

The result? Fresh, tasty, herb-y goodness:

This makes a terrific salad topper, wrap-stuffer, or, as pictured here, dip for crudites.

Hope you all give this one a try, and check out more of Nomi Shannon’s work (there are some free recipes up on her website!).

In the meantime, don’t forget that the free teleclass for those who are still considering joining the Choosing Raw + Spark! Wellness January 2010 Cleanse is tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST! Whether you’ve already signed up and have questions about the cleanse, or you’re considering signing up but want to clear up some questions first, please join us!

To call in, dial +1 (712) 432-0111. When prompted, enter your “Participant Access Code” 403732, followed by the # key. And you’re in. I look forward to hearing from you all!

xo

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