Nori Rolls with 'No Tuna' Pate

I'm not a huge sushi fan, but I love the look of it so I thought I'd give it a go. It was surprising good. I was worried that it wouldn't be very flavoursome because it didn't have any meat or fish in there. Well... I ended up having 2 helpings.

1 cup Almonds (soaked overnight)
1 cup Sunflower Seeds (soaked overnight)
1/3 cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 cup Celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp Lemon Juice (juice from 1 lemon)
1 tsp Sea Salt

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor. I ended up adding about 1/2 - 1 cup of water because my blender was struggling to combine.

Spread onto 1/2 of the sushi paper, fill lengthways with your choice of veg. I used Avocado, Carrot, Cucumber, Red Capsicum (which is Red Pepper for my American friends) and Alfalfa. Roll and cut into bite sized pieces using a sharp knife. I ate this will Soy Sauce but I'm sure there are other more healthy alternatives.

Cacao and Apricot Truffles

I needed to make something that would cure my sweet cravings and stop me from grabbing something unhealthy. This was quick to make and doesn't need to be cooked or set in the fridge. Just roll and eat, I like that.

Did you know raw Cacao is packed full of nutrients like antioxidants, magnesium, and bliss chemicals but without the sugar and chemicals found in your average chocolate bar. And better still, Cacao beans, nibs and powder contain NO SUGAR and have a fat content lower than most other nuts. A good excuse to eat more chocolatey treats, just make sure they are the good kind.

1/4 cup Cacao powder
1 cup dried apricots
1 tsp melted coconut oil
2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste (or you can use vanilla essence)
About 1/4 cup almond milk or any nut milk really
1/2 cup Shredded coconut

Add all ingredients (except coconut) into a mini food processor, pulse until the batter begins to blend. Continue blending until it forms a ball and is well combined. Roll into small balls and then coconut to coat. If the mixture is sticking to your fingers then try rubbing a little water onto them first. Enjoy!

'Roasted' Tomato Basil Soup

This is the first recipe I used my dehydrator for. A lovely friend of mine actually gave it to me because someone gave her a new one and she didn't need 2. How gorgeous is that.

Drinking a cold soup is a new concept to me and something I struggled with initially. I think its a mental thing, I'm used to soup and vegetables being warmed up. Having said that, it was delish and I would definately make it again. Simple to make too, just needed a bit of planning ahead with the dehydrator thats all.

6 roma tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 brown onion, chopped
1 clove of garlis
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon basil (I used fresh)
2 cups water
1/2 cup brazil nut milk (recipe below)
pinch salt and pepper

Dehydrate the tomatoes for 6 hours. You can soak the brazil nuts at the same time for the nut milk.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Let sit for 1/2 hour. Drain. Dehydrate for a further 6 hours. Place tomatoes, onions, and water in the blender and puree. Add brazil nut milk and quickly blend. You can lightly heat the soup in your dehydrator.

Brazil Nut Milk

1 cup brazil nuts
4 cups water

Soak the nuts in water for 6 hours. Place in a blender and process until well blended. Strain through a muslin cloth or nut milk bag. Easy!

11 Week Initiative - Raw Food Rehab

My new favorite website/support community is Raw Food Rehab. If you haven't heard of them before then check out this link http://rawfoodrehab.ning.com/. There is so much information on there and if you are looking to change your diet to incorporate more raw foods, get the facts and find recipes and like minded people, this is the place.

Last Friday they started a 11 WEEK HEALTH & WEIGHTLOSS INITIATIVE. I have decided to participate and do weekly weigh ins. I think having something to be accountable to will make me look at my diet much more seriously.

My ultimate goal is to loose about 40lb, but I am aiming for 2lb a week. So after 11 weeks I should have lost 22lb.

To do this I will
- Go to gym 3 x a week
- Start Yoga 2 x a week
- Remove temptation, ban chocolate from the house
- Read Penni Shelton's book 'Raw Food Clense'(ordered it from Amazon on Friday)
- Try 3 new recipes every week and create a recipe binder full of my favorites
- Plant fresh herbs in my garden

Anyway, so far so good. Did my weight this morning and in a week I have lost 4.2lb (1.9kg) Yay!

How To Roll Truly Raw Sushi with Parsnip “Rice”

How To Roll Truly Raw Sushi with Parsnip “Rice”

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Lots of people have been asking me for this recipe, so here 'tis

1 large or 2 medium Zucchini
1 tomato
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked or oil-packed
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
handful of parsley
handful of basil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Spiralise the zucchini and spread out on paper towel to dry. Dice the tomato and cut the basil into fine slices. Set aside. Roughly chop all other ingredients then blend until it reaches a sauce consistency. Place the zucchini in a bowl and cut through once or twice to make the 'pasta' strands smaller. Mix in the sauce and diced tomato and serve topped with basil.

Variation: Puttanesca Sauce: increase the cayenne to 1/8 teaspoon and stir in 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced black olives to the finished sauce.

Raw Food Intro Night & Cooking Demo

Last week I attended an introduction to eating a high raw, nutrient dense plant based diet. It included a fabulous cooking demonstration that consisted of smoothies, dips, Zucchini pasta and a gorgeous Key Lime Tart. I left that night feeling extremely full and very satisfied. Must admit, the green smoothie didn't look the most appealing but it tasted delish.

For anyone in the Adelaide area, I strongly suggest going along to hear Anne Pomeroy speak and see her work her magic in the kitchen. She can be contacted on ampomeroy@bigpond.com. She's had such a great response to her information nights that she is branching out to doing larger groups in a community centre as well as advanced and specialty classes. Those include chocolate recipes, dinner meals, desserts etc. At only $35 including handouts, its extremely good value.

Here's a couple of pics from the night. It tasted as good as it looks.





I've decided I need to invest in a good food processor, ooh and a spiraliser. Will definately be making the Zucchini pasta again. Also need to source a few new ingredients. Looks like Agave Nectar, Chai, Cocao Nibs, Kale, Flaxseed, Coconut Oil and Almonds are going to be my new best friends.

I'm sure Anne wont mind me sharing one of her recipes. Give it a try and let me know what you think. You can also contact her to be added to her mailing list where she sends out information and free recipes.

Green Smoothie

2 Ripe Bananas
Small handful dark green leaves eg spinach, cos, kale
2 cups water

Roughly chop ingredients and blend on high speed until thoroughly mixed. Variations: any fruit and greens to your liking but ensure ratio 60% fruit, 40% greens.

Week One - Getting Equipped

Ok so I've done a load of internet research, listened to Tony Robbins 'Living Health', ordered stacks of books on Amazon and booked myself in to a Raw Food night with cooking demonstrations. After doing some recipe research I realised that I'm going to need to change my pantry quite a bit. I don't have any of these ingredients, yikes! I do have lots of amazing Organic fruit and veg though and plan to delve into that in the meantime. I've also invested in a Juicer and have been having that for breakfast. It's delish!

Carrot, Apple & Celery Juice

Ingredients:
3 Carrots
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Celery Stem
100 grams of Beetroot (about 1/4)
1/4 slice of Pineapple

For variety and taste you can add other fruits like pear, peach or a small bit of ginger. Ideally make and drink fresh, however a batch can be kept for up to 24 hours in the fridge.

I'm thinking I need to equip myself with a food processor and dehydrator. I've heard dehydrators can be quite expensive though.

My friends and family think I've gone a bit mad but I'm sure once they see my amazing transformation they'll be asking me what I'm doing. Wish me luck!