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Post by OregonRed on May 29, 2015 10:37:44 GMT -5
wow! that sound fantastic! what time is dinner?!
I have already harvested/trimmed my microgreen mustards once, they're ready again
these teeny tiny celery micro green flowers are so cute!
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Post by ellenr on May 30, 2015 3:37:58 GMT -5
just found this thread. I'm interested! I'm interested! I'm a little overwhelmed by 5 pages of posts, but I have had an idea of doing microgreens. I just planted some wheat germ berries (used to grow wheat grass for my cat). This is really great. Never can tell what I will find at this forum.
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Post by tbird on May 30, 2015 10:08:39 GMT -5
welcome ellenr!
I just started a 12" saucer with wheat grass, I have another 12" saucer, and the sprouted berries to go into it, but I need to transplant the remaining lettuce seedlings out of there first.
last night - we did wraps in the nori sheets again, this time it was the sprouted sunflower seeds with curry seasoning, salt and pepper, and I add a red pepper and some olive oil into the food processor. that was a recipe I originated with soaked almonds. I haven't made it for a few years, so not sure which main ingredient was best!
that took all my sunflower sprouts! time to start some more....used about 2 cups of sprouts for these in the FP, and both nights DS and I ate it all, to my surprise.
To get DD on board, I'm going to have to incorporate some cooked chickpeas.....I'll start at 50/50, and see what I can get her to eat.
Previously, when I did my stint of 100% raw about 5 years ago, I had developed a craving for the curried pate, and put it into nori or collard green or grape leaves wraps, and paired it with kimchi, or regular sauer kraut and some fresh sliced jalapenos (and of course - avocado. The minute I tasted it, I wanted that combo again! In the absence of any other heat - radish sprouts would have been good too.
Not doing 100% raw, but trying to up our percentage as much as possible. DS has some health issues, and I need to increase my energy level if I'm going to finish my degree as a middle aged student!
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Post by tbird on May 30, 2015 12:37:54 GMT -5
I really scored at the Korean market today! Not only did I get more nori wraps (we finished those last night), but I got some radish sprouts AND I found some pickled nappa cabbage - that I believe is fresh and unpasteurized. There was a lot of kim chi - some in huge containers - like 2 gallons of kim chi (this place sells to korean and other asian restaurants), but it all had fish sauce in it. then there was a brand that has no fish sauce, but had msg - and they called it white kim chi. But I found a smaller container that was just the basic kim chi ingredients without the fish sauce or hot peppers, they just called it white cabbage. I took some out, sliced it thin, and added that and the liquid to some chopped jalapeno to give it the kick. I made up some of the curry pate - I only had some sprouts that were intended for salad, so they were like 5 day sprouts, usually use 2 day sprouts for pate, and it was mixed sunflower and french lentil. It made the pate seem a bit watery and weak in terms of taste, but close enough. Letting the flavors marry a bit - for both the pseudo kimchi and the pate, and then - wow - a pretty strange brunch by the usual standards I have some european almonds soaking, will soak 12 hours. let air 12 hours, and do the almond pate and see which is which. Next - I'll try half and half....
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Post by ellenr on May 31, 2015 4:22:52 GMT -5
wow Tbird, you really eat healthily! I love food like that, but am trying to find the motivation to prepare it.
My friend in Houston has been raw food for over a decade. She is over 70 and very healthy.
do you use your wheat grass sprouts as is, or make them into juice? I used to regularly take wheat grass juice (bought-frozen). I loved it and it is very healthy, esp. considering I don't eat enough vegetables-- but the company stopped making it. GRR
I'm wondering if I eat the sprouts if I will get the same nutritional benefit as the juice... probably not.
PS - my sprouts are already up! gotta take them to the garden today. (sprouted them inside)
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Post by tbird on May 31, 2015 11:00:23 GMT -5
Hi ellenr,
I don't always eat this healthy! Trying to get back into it. I was 100% raw for a 15-16 month stretch about 5 years ago. I felt and looked fantastic, but it was rather socially limiting, and I wanted to be maybe 80% raw and indulge here and there, but I slipped back into the usual and lost all the benefits I'd gained. My goal is still 80%, but I one point I remember thinking to myself that it was at least 3 days, and maybe more, that I couldn't list one raw thing I'd eaten, not even a piece of fruit or lettuce leaf on a sandwich.
I have a vitamix (nearly essential for being raw!) and I recently got a smaller container (which is still relatively large blender wise).
Previously, I had a variety of wheat grass juicers, and even spending 300 on one, I wasn't happy with it. the auger would get extremely hot and it would take forever to juice in any quantity if you didn't let the juice get cooked! Some one on a raw board told me they vitamixed it with water. so that is what I do now.
In the smaller container, I put the water I'm going to use in a smoothie, and drop the wheatgrass into there and whip it up for 30-60 seconds. then I strain that green water into the larger container and make our morning smoothie.
I also used to buy the frozen cubes - from a company in canada, and I loved them. But the quality went way down, they didn't strain the grass particles out - so half the cubes were the grass particles, meaning the same price for half the product and those can cause tummy upset too. I wrote a complaint to them, never heard back. I ordered 1-2 more shipments thinking it must be an error that will be corrected, that others would be complaining to bring their attention to this, but it was not corrected so I stopped ordering.
I did use and eat sprouted wheatberries, not yet grass, in cracker type things and sprinkled them on salads. But - those do have the gluten in there and my doctor thinks I have a problem there, but I'm too chicken to get the definitive testing, where they scope you and take a sample of the small intestine lining. I know I have to, to know for sure, but I'm scared. Not of the results, of the procedure.
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Post by tbird on May 31, 2015 11:18:25 GMT -5
One of the other things about my 100% raw stretch. While I was all feeling great and energized and needing less sleep - I spent ALL my extra time preparing raw food. more like, raw cuisine. Using juicers and blender and food processor, and dehydrator. It's a LOT of work!
Trying to find a better balance. Although, I do love a lot of the haute raw cuisine, it is pretty labor intensive. I'm trying to focus on smoothies and salads, and lots of fresh from my garden greens and sprouts in the kitchen, with the occasional extra. The pates are relatively easy, and a lot of sprouts into it too.
with the raw cuisine, also, I'm not sure that there is good data out there to support the contentions of raw. For example, I'd like a nutrient profile comparing dehydrated broccoli, steamed broccoli, and stir fried broccoli. What are the differences? but I dont' think anyone is looking into it scientifically.
I have marinated and dehydrated faux stir fries, and they do indeed taste very good. But - what I want to know - is is it worth it to invest 12-24 hours into the dehydrator approach vs doing a quick stir fry on the stove, and having a side salad with it? How are these equivalent? which is superior? I'd like to know, you know, before I commit countless hours to the dehydrator approach.
They talk alot about enzymes, but do enzymes really survive in 115 degrees for 24-36 hours? and also, if you do something that is completely dry, like flax crackers, what then? and the kale chips - which I love, btw!
this all reminds me of the onion bread recipe for the dehydrator. Wow - that was really good!
Since it's cold, I want to get the dehydrator going for some flax crackers. wish I'd started soaking those last night, but I didn't. Yes - I am getting sucked into it again, lol!
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Post by OregonRed on Jun 1, 2015 12:00:33 GMT -5
I agree, I found the raw way to take up waaaay tooo much time... and contraptions, and gadgets... ans sprouting and waiting and planning...
lots of the raw foodies I met did green smoothies and pate stuff and salads an stuff like that... marinated things...
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Post by OregonRed on Jun 1, 2015 12:00:52 GMT -5
SPROUTED SEEDS AND NUT MIX Dehydrated or low baked/dried
Nuts and seeds of your choice – raw and sproutable
Almonds Pumpkin Sunflower Millit – adds a nice crunch (what am I missing?)
If you like sprouted legumes: Peas Lentils Beans
If you like sprouted grains: Barley Wheat
METHOD: I always soak them a minimum of 24 hrs, rinsing more often at first. After they germinate to your liking. Drain for part of a day – you want them to be receptive to the marinate.
I marinate them in Namashou(sp?) “raw soy sauce” you could use whatever you like in this flavor range. During this phase, I barely cover them, and stir about every hour for a good day worth. Drain – I imagine you could use this liquid again….
Make up a nice dry coating w/ flavors of your choice:
Cumin Chili Curry pepper Herbs Fennel Cardamom Etc
Toss them in that to coat Place them in one thin layer of your dryer/oven / mesh basket… I didn’t have a dehydrator at the time, I did them in the lowest setting of the oven 107, in a stainless steel mesh rectangle basket, tossing them around every hr or so, and over night if needed to get them dry enough to get crunchy again.
The soy sauce provides the salt, you could add salt if that’s your thing.
I got this recipe from the days I was into raw food. I kinda made it up. My collegue uses this fun phrase: “I got it at MSU” Make stuff up -- hahhaha
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Post by tbird on Jun 2, 2015 11:19:38 GMT -5
red - did you ever make the onion bread? that is one of the best dehydrator basics, imo. Even my daughter, who was not interested in raw and hates onions, liked it!
I spent all day sunday on food prep - but some of that was getting the dehydrator out from the basement, where it's been for about a year and a half, not covered up, so needed a good scrubbing. I'm trying to tell myself that a lot of time was doing that, and I can keep this up....well - I'll see how far I can go.
The big differences between my previous raw and now, is that my kitchen has been redone and is a bit more amenable to hosting the two things - regular and raw food stuffs and prep spaces. My kids are older and now interested in raw, as well as old enough to make their own food, so I won't have to do double duty.
Also - I made an important discovery! I have the excaliber 9 tray, and whenever I was dehydrating, I always tried to fill up all trays with any and everything I could do.....It was a significant effort to put away the cooked food kitchen (hotplate) and take out the dehydrator and set it up. Now I have the usual kitchen with a stove, etc and about 3x times the counter space plus - I wasn't trying so hard, so this time, I made up one batch of onion bread, and some flax crackers, I think it was only 4 trays full. It dehydrated in one day! I was planning on flipping and then overnight, but it got done in about 10 hours. I didn't even start them early, it was noonish or later.
That is a huge thing for me, allows for better planning - can do overnight and ready in the morning, or set up in the morning and ready at night. I'm only going to go half the trays from now on, unless it's a huge harvest or something I'm putting by.
I'll have to see how it goes in different outdoor temps. But - DD wants me to keep her stocked with the flax crackers, now that she is into eating for beauty!
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Post by OregonRed on Jun 3, 2015 10:43:39 GMT -5
oops, I realized I posted the nut and seed recipe twice - I could delete the second one I guess Tbird: where is the onion bread recipe? did I miss it? --- I half as$$ looked for it just now... is it a dehydrated one??
I have bunches of raw cracker and bread recipes - in My Documents - I have an entire folder of recipes that are just raw...
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Post by tbird on Jun 6, 2015 13:26:09 GMT -5
where is the onion bread recipe? did I miss it? --- I half as$$ looked for it just now... is it a dehydrated one?? It is the excaliber basic, posted all over the internet, with variations. basically - 3 pounds sweet onion, with the S blade in the FP, this takes 2-3 batches, want them small, but not getting watery. grind 1 cup flax seed in coffee grinder or spice grinder, grind 1 cup sunflower seeds, and some salty - either nama shoyo, soy sauce, or salt, Mix everything well and put into dehydrator. spread on the teflex sheets and dehydrate for a bit, then flip and cut into pieces and dehydrate other side. It should take on a darker color. It has kind of carmalized onion flavor, and if flexible like a just cooked corn torilla. great on it's own or to make sandwiches.
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Post by tbird on Jun 6, 2015 13:55:41 GMT -5
oh! and some olive oil! I usually forget the olive oil, and it is still super good! I've seen many recipe caution on using sweet onions, not other kinds, not a big onion fan, and I only buy sweet onions
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Post by tbird on Jun 6, 2015 14:02:43 GMT -5
two nights ago, I did raw zucchini pasta noodles with a soaked pistachio pesto that was amazing! DS couldn't believe it was raw, and neither could I!
I salted the noodles and let them stand a bit, and then squeezed as much water out as I could. they seem pretty durable. a dash of olive oil and into the dehydrator (then, after this healthy start, I went and poured a bunch of caustic chemicals onto my hair....the irony!), then I just googled up a basic pistachio pesto recipe off the itnernet, using my soaked raw pistachios instead of roasted, and all the italian basil I could pluck off my plants, couldn't find my garlic so used powdered, and some olive oil.
When my hair was done, I mixed the pesto in with the noodles, and put the dehydrator on 115 to get it nice and warm for eating, then I took a super long shower to get the hair stuff out, and came down and it was wonderful!
I'm scared it will never be the same!
today - going to see if I can scare up a pistachio falafel recipe.
but for dinner - going to have a cooked kung pao
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Post by OregonRed on Jun 7, 2015 13:05:13 GMT -5
pistachio falafel, yum! I've made pesto out of so many different things, it's crazy 1 herb (or more or veg leaves) + flavorings like: sundried tomatos and what not 1 nut 1 oil 1 cheese 1 garlic salt basically - not equal proportions... just this year I found a recipe with raw cucumber noodles - I had 3 mandolin slicers for years, and then just this year, I gave them all away, and now I want one! oh my goodness... www.rawmazing.com/cucumber-noodles-with-coconut-lime-cumin-dressing/I have 5 more raw recipe sites book marked if you're interested. I bet you have a bunch as well in your folder.
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