New Raw Restaurant (cont'd)

Does this look like a pleasant morning's hike? Think again! It's a killer (see those tiny people at the top) and we LOVED it!


After we went up the hill and down six times, I gave LB a choice: we could go for cooked pancakes at a local place we used to love, or we could try a new Raw restaurant. His heart said pancakes, but his head said healthy, so we headed over to Terra Bella Cafe, in Redondo Beach, CA.

There we found yummy goodness.


Raw Hummus

Savor the Goddess
Marinated kale, cucumber, red onion, cabbage, and avocado. I opted for the steamed quinoa add-on. It's not Raw, but it's a high-protein grain that some High Raw people consume. I usually don't, but decided to give it a shot. I eat kale salad at home a few times each week, but this one was worth ordering.

Veggie Quiche
Mushroom-spinach with cashew cheese and macadamia crust, topped with roasted tomatoes. Served on a bed of greens with dressing. This dish arrived before my salad, and after tasting it, I almost wished I'd ordered it. It was warm and satisfying--full of subtle flavors.

We ordered the Chocolate Raspberry Torte to go. Unfortunately, we devoured it before we snapped a photo. I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but we had this for dinner with a plate of strawberries and it was unbelievable. I'll be ordering one for my next grown-up party.

All in all, it was an amazing day. Thanks to Lovely Boyfriend for snapping the pix and for driving all over the freeways of Los Angeles, while I dozed and dozed and dozed. You're a true gentleman, LB.

Cinnamon-Orange French Toast

I came up with this last night based on this recipe. The original didn't have explicit directions, so I winged it. I loved the result! Though it definitely didn't have the typical french toast texture (likely due to not knowing the exact procedure to follow) it's much better than Raw bread products I've purchased in stores, and so simple!

Cinnamon-Orange French Toast

1 cup flax seeds

juice of 3 oranges

1 handful raisins

a few shakes ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 and 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

4 Tbsp raw agave (since the brand I buy claims not to be heated above 118 degrees, I'm considering it Raw)

Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Spread on one paraflex sheet and dehydrate at 105 for 2 hours. Flip onto mesh screen and dehydrate 4 more hours. (This last step may have been what robbed me of the fluffy texture, since the original didn't call for flipping.)

Better Than Strawberry Shortcake

3-4 Servings

Berry Mix
1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
2 t coconut oil, liquid (optional)
4 T raw agave syrup
1 pinch salt
a dash or 2 of cinnamon

Topping
5-6 dried dates, pitted
1/2 cup pecans
1/8 cup ground flaxseed
1 T coconut oil (optional)
a few dashes cinnamon

Preparation
Blend Berry Mix and set aside. In food processor, combine topping ingredients until crumbly. Spoon topping over berries and enjoy!

Since peaches are hard to find right now, I decided on this twist to the Peace Crumble I enjoy so much. I ate this one before I thought of taking a photo--maybe on the next round.

Today's Yummy Food

Breakfast: Strawberry Shortcake
1 cup coffee (non-raw)


Lunch: salad of lettuce, red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery & sunflower seeds, topped with Warm Currant Dressing


Snack: 1 small piece Raw Breakfast Crust

Dinner: salad of mixed greens topped with ahi sashimi (Sorry, vegans! Not quite there!), seaweed & pickled ginger.

Today's Yummy Food

Breakfast: smoothie of apples, spinach, dates and ground flaxseeds
1 cup coffee (non-raw)

Snack: a few pecans and 3 dates

Lunch: zucchini topped with raw pasta sauce

Snack: 2 flaxseed crackers with Raw chilli

Dinner: marinated mushrooms, mixed with leftover Raw pasta sauce, over spinach
Three cheers for raw! These were actually even better than the cooked mushrooms we tried last night, and we used a less fancy mushroom for this recipe!

Dessert: a few spoonfuls of Raw white chocolate/macadamia nut ice cream
more on this later

Today's Yummy Food

Breakfast: leftover cole slaw from yesterday

Snack: Raw Breakfast Crusts with raw honey and coconut butter
1 cup coffee (non-raw)

Lunch: smoothie of spinach, mango, an orange, coconut butter and frozen blueberries
2 dried figs

Dinner: Raw California Rolls--cucumber and avocado wrapped in raw nori. These were my 1st attempt at sushi rolls. Let me just say, it is important to wet the nori before you fill it with yummies. They were still good, just hard to slice and chew.

Post-workout snack: a smoothie of 1 apple, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup water, 4 dates, 1.5 teaspoons ground flax seed. It was based on a recipe for a Breakfast Smoothie, on the fabulous Gone Raw site. I left out the green powder, for no good reason. Next time, I'll use it. This was my 1st green smoothie that actually stayed green (no brightly colored berries to cover it up). I think Wonder Girl, Fierce-as-in-Fabulous Teenager, and Lovely Boyfriend will love it despite its grassy color. I should've taken a picture, but I couldn't wait to drink it!

Raw Oreo Smoothie

This groovy smoothie tastes like Cookies & Cream, but is super good for you. I made this for Lovely Boyfriend and myself for today's lunch. The recipe is one of the many delicious recipes from goneraw.com. There are several ways to open a coconut. Here's one. If you can't find a young coconut, you could probably use water or raw almond milk or some other substitute. Though you'll lose some of the nutritional benefits, the taste will likely be just as good.

I left out the almonds, threw in some coconut flesh and coconut butter and added some water to stretch it out a bit. Delicious & nutritious!

Today's Yummy Food

Noshed on raw spinach for much of the day.

Breakfast: Peace Crumble

1/3 cup coffee (non-raw)

Snack: 1 stalk celery

1 spoonful hemp seeds (I've never tried these before. My 8 year old and I both love them!)

Lunch: Raw Oreo Smoothie (Darn tasty!)

Dinner: Cranberry-Almond Cole Slaw

Lovely Boyfriend, my 8 year old Wonder Girl & I all loved this recipe. We wanted more cranberries, so we tossed those in. In the future, I'll likely have mine without the almonds, like the tree nut-allergic Wonder Girl. Lovely Boyfriend, on the other hand, thought the almonds added a satisfying crunchy element.

Durian Tart & Apple Pie

Well, we tried the durian tart and apple pie that we purchased at Good Mood Food. I'm sorry to say, neither of them thrilled us. The apple pie lacked flavor. I didn't enjoy the texture of the shredded apples either. I had one bite and turned it over to Lovely Boyfriend to finish. He described it as "okay, but bland." It seemed to be missing the flavor and spices that make apple pie such a treat.

I know the durian is something of the darling of the Raw Food world. I'd never had the opportunity to taste the fruit itself, so I was excited by the opportunity to try it in a tart. Even before I opened the container, the smell hit me, but they say, "It smells like hell, and tastes like heaven." Who wouldn't want a little taste of heaven? I would. I still do, but I didn't find it in the durian tart. I even tried holding my breath while I ate it, all to no avail. It wasn't something I wanted to eat. Lovely Boyfriend had never heard of the durian. His response to a small sample of the pastry was to proclaim it pungent and leave it to me to attempt to enjoy.

I love the idea of Good Mood Food Cafe. I'm really hoping my next visit there won't be the last. It definitely won't include dessert.

Today's Yummy Food

Breakfast: Peace Crumble

I didn't have enough raw pecans, so I used walnuts and other raw nuts as well. I left the peel on some of the peaches and only used about 2/3 of the crumble as topping. It was still delish--just as tasty as prepared Raw desserts I've purchased, and no dehydrator required.

coffee (non-raw)

Snack: small handful of white mulberries

Lunch: Nutburger from Good Mood Food Cafe in Huntington Beach, CA

Snack: 1 heirloom tomato

Dinner: TBD

Dessert for Breakfast

Earth cafe's peach passion peace pie served as a decadent component of today's breakfast. Both my boyfriend and I were pleased with the taste and texture of this raw dessert. The pie filling was creamy and not excessively sweet. The crust was firm and flavorful. What a treat for breakfast!

Ingredients: fresh peaches, soaked cashews, coconut, agave, soaked pecans, soaked walnuts, vanilla bean, cinnamon, lecithin, sea salt. All organic.

Today's Yummy Food

Breakfast: fruit salad of mango, kiwi and strawberries

1/2 slice of peach passion peach pie from earth cafe

Snack: 1/2 Smart Monkey Sesame bar (I didn't love this, but we were hiking with the kids and it was snack time. They had the thrill of crossing paths with a baby rattlesnake! )

smoothie: spinach, strawberries, blueberries and honey

Snack: 1/2 personal watermelon

Dinner: More dolmas + 2 dates
1 cup coffee (cheat)

Raw Ice Cream!

German Chocolate ice cream
2 servings
This is the first raw dessert recipe I’ve created! I started with an existing recipe for Easy Chocolate Pudding. It’s better than the German-chokolatekake® ice cream I used to get at Cold Stone, and so much better for me!

Ingredients
1 avocado
½ tsp alcohol-free vanilla
1 tbsp raw cacao (add more to taste, but a little goes a long way)
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp raw agave syrup
8 dates pitted (add more or less to taste)
¼ cup chopped raw walnuts
1 tbsp shredded coconut

Preparation
Process all ingredients except nuts and coconuts until smooth. Stir in nuts and coconuts. Freeze in 2 small cups or bowls until solid. Drizzle with raw agave syrup. Enjoy!