Week 24

Sunday we got back from an awesome vacation (Emerald Isle, NC) and I've got a lot of food ideas which were inspired by the trip and summertime. Firstly is eating as local as possible, including veggies from my own garden (which looks amazing after not seeing it for a week. Nothing quite edible yet, but my lettuces are getting close. Except those darned bugs are starting to eat holes in the leaves.) And secondly is incorporating a lot more raw food into my diet. A friend who we were vacationing with eats raw and she is such an inspiration! She made some awesome treats for the kids and adults and really showed me just how easy it is to eat raw. I'm going to make it a goal to have something raw with each meal and I'd like to make my snacks 100% raw. I started yesterday by having a green smoothie for a snack and then we had a huge salad for dinner which I'll post below. If anyone reading this has any suggestions for raw foods (meals, sides, snacks, desserts, whatever), please post in the comments :)

Veggie Salad with Chicken, serves 4
Combine in large salad bowl:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped or torn into bite size pieces
1 ear corn, kernels removed and left raw
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small jicama, peeled and diced
1 avocado, sliced or chopped
chopped cilantro
a few handfuls raw sesame seeds
Grill or Saute:
2 organic or free range chicken breasts sprinkled generously w/pepper and Old Bay seasoning

Top salad with sliced or chopped chicken breast and serve with a vinaigrette dressing.

Sirloin Steak with Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"
I am using this recipe for the sirloin with garlic butter sauce. For the cauliflower, I have tried cooked versions of cauliflower mashed potatoes and haven't found one I like. So, I'm keeping this one raw, which I discovered is super tasty (and I don't normally like to munch on raw cauliflower!) Cut one head into large florets. Put in food processor along with one clove of garlic. Process until very fine. Add about 3 Tbs melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Technically I guess this wouldn't be raw b/c of the melted butter. I like the flavor of butter as it reminds me of mashed potatoes. You could certainly use olive oil instead. To round out this meal, you could serve another veggie side dish or a green salad.

Grilled Eggplant Pizza, Vegetarian, adapted from Women's Day Magazine, serves 4
1 lb pizza dough
3 Tbs EVOO
1 lb eggplant, sliced 1/4" thick
2 med tomatoes (about 1 lb total), cut into wedges
kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
grated parmesan

Heat oven to 500F (along w/pizza stone if you have one), and heat a grill. Shape pizza dough into desired shape. Brush with some of the oil. Also brush eggplant slices and tomato wedges with oil and season w/salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant, covered, until grill marks appear and it's tender, about 3-4 mins per side. Grill the tomatoes until slightly charred, about 2 mins per side. Transfer to plate and keep warm. Meanwhile, bake your crust until done. Remove from oven and top w/grilled veggies, dollop w/ricotta and sprinkle with basil and grated parmesan.

Soba Noodles with Fresh Veggies and Honey Ginger Peanut Sauce, serves 4, vegetarian
8 oz soba noodles
2 cups bite-size broccoli florets
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbs flax seed oil (can sub grapeseed oil or EVOO)
2 Tbs natural, no sugar added peanut butter
1 Tbs grated ginger
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse and drain well and place in large serving bowl. Add broccoli, bell pepper, green onions, half the peanuts, and cilantro. In small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, flax oil, peanut butter, ginger, vinegar, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add to noodles and toss to coat. Garnish with remaining peanuts and more cilantro, if desired. Serve warm or cold.