Packing More Raw (work lunches)

I've written on packing a lunch before. You already know how I feel about leftovers... Love 'em! For these tips to work out pleasantly, you should have access to a refrigerator or use ice packs!

Today I am offering ideas on maximizing rawness in your lunches away from home. My first recommendation is to always have a variety of raw nuts and seeds to munch on when hunger strikes. When the body says "feed me" it is usually because it's time for protein. These are easy to store in a bulk quantity at the office. I keep a container of hemp hearts to add to salads, yogurt as well as to hot dishes. Other things to keep at the office for convenient lunches is your own cutlery, some dishsoap and a sponge or washcloth.

My packed lunches almost always include salad with lemon, homemade dehydrated crackers, raw vegetable juice or half an English cucumber and a fruit or two. It seems I'm always nibbling on something throughout the day. I focus on protein, variety, fresh taste and water intake.

This way of eating can take time to get used to because it has high fibre and low sugar contents. It is low carb, yet high protein, minerals and vitamins. If you are having sweet cravings, add dried fruits to your afternoon snacks instead of breaking down and buying a donut. Some planning ahead is key to packing healthier lunches with more raw and whole foods but as I'll mention again, it does not need to be complicated.

Staple foods for my gluten free raw meals include:

• Salad (spinach, various leafy greens, cabbage, herbs especially parsley)
• Nuts and seeds (pecans, almonds, sunflower, hemp)
• Avocado
• Lemon (to squirt on salad or in water)
• Cut vegetables (cucumber, carrot, celery, bell peppers)
• dips, hummus, tahini, nut butters
• Dehydrated crackers (keep refrigerated)
• Juicing (1 inch ginger, 1/4 beet, 2 celery ribs and 1 grapefruit is a great morning combo!)
• Fresh, frozen and some dried fruits
• green and herbal teas (peppermint, artichoke, fennel seed tea is great for digestion)
• Marinated eggplant

Non raw items, mostly whole foods, high protein:

• rice paper or nori sheets for wraps (available from Asian groceries)
• plain yogurt
• cheese (once or twice per week)
• hard boiled eggs
• meat (I love leftover cold cooked chicken, I rarely eat pork now and we rarely buy deli meats anymore)
• broth soups (most often use organic chicken broth, onions, celery, garlic and ginger)
• quinoa (I like it cooked in tomato sauce)
• canned chick peas (salads, humus, casseroles)
• canned tuna can be added to almost any salad

Variety is Key to Fun and Enjoyment

I don't like eating the same thing all of the time. If you bring variety, you will stick with your plan of avoiding excessive spending on toxic processed foods. It certainly takes some planning ahead but really does not need to be complicated.

Not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

This is homemade hummus made from canned chick peas and chives from my early spring garden. What I promote isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle and I suggest we strive to be conscious of what's in our foods and simply aim for the best. Even if we rely on processed foods such as canned meat or peas now and again.

There are many raw hummus recipes out there on the web, although as Eric pointed out "I would just call them dips!" Zucchini (I don't peel it) blended with lemon juice, tahini, hemp hearts, olive or grapeseed oil, garlic, a piece of onion, of red pepper, a touch of sea salt and cumin makes a very nice "raw hummus". For a cracker spread that takes no preparation, bring an avocado and a butter knife.

How Convenient!

Make a big salad at dinner time, and put some aside for your next day's lunch. At home, I make amazing vinaigrettes usually with a mix of olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar, herbs or pantry spices and sometimes maple syrup or balsamic vinegar. My simplest and zestiest salad dressing is half a lemon squeezed over my salad right before eating! To go, I'll place my mixed greens in a container with the lemon and I no longer worry about creating oily, smelly, spillings.

This salad pictured above is made with canned corn, some storebought salsa and cumin for a Mexican twist. Those are processed ingredients but they accompany spinach, romaine lettuce, raddichio, grated zucchini and carrot as well as raw onion so I think it is all worth the compromise. We must find balance between what works for us, our schedule, our dietary needs, finances and personal health regimen/preferences!

If you consume dairy, add whole chia seeds to plain yogurt or cottage cheese, along with berries (fresh or frozen) and a touch of agave, honey or maple syrup. It will firm up like a pudding which makes it better to carry and gives a rich texture. The bonus is that buying the ingredients in bulk saves you money too. But that's not all, this is something you can prepare the night before. You can do this with soy milk too, (chocolate flavour or blended with berries!) add some probiotic powder if you want. Whole raw chia seeds can be added to smoothies, juices, salsas, jams and dips without affecting the taste but do change the texture, which I really enjoy. I often include chia seed to my dehydrated chacker and desert balls. It's a little seend with many healthful properties. 

Extra, Extra!

When you are adventurous and building your skills at making dehydrator delights, bring some to share! Or at the beginning of the week, if you have access to a refrigerator at the office, bring a quantity of crackers and berry balls that you will have on hand for a few days. I do the same thing with soups which I bring in a glass jar and serve myself a microwaved bowl when I feel like having soup that week. I also keep a container of raw nuts to nibble on in the morning especially.

Good Hydration

I like keeping a variety of herbal teas in my cabinet. In warmer weather, try this:

At home, steep fennel seeds with freshly boiled water. Slip into tall glass jars, 4 to 6 frozen raspberries along with slices of ginger and lemon. Pour in the fennel tea, with the seeds. Top off the jars with filtered water and place them in the fridge until you are ready to go. I like to prepare 3 or 4 jars on Sunday night.  

If you're like me and don't want to drink fluorized tap water from the old office building you work in, stay well hydrated with fruit such as oranges, grapes and apples. Also bring kombucha* , homemage ginger ale or raw juice made that morning (or the night before - cover, avoid contact with metal and refrigerate for up to 12 hours as then it's already lost many nutrients with oxidization).

If you don't juice or make green smoothies but drink coffee, you should seriously consider switching your coffee for a healthier kind that has antioxidant instead of acidic properties. You can purchase Organo Gold coffee from me here. The Supreme kind even contains ginseng. They already come in individual packages, you just need freshly boiled water and a mug.

Experiment

I haven't yet spotted raw nory (seaweed) sheets. Black ones are roasted and the raw ones are supposed to be green. They are an inexpensive food when you consider their nutritional value and that they can be a substitute for bread or tortilla wraps. I love rice paper wraps at home but they don't always carry well. So for your nori hand roll, thinly slice your choices of vegetables, my favourites include cucumber, bell peppers, cabbage, onions, Portobello mushrooms, lots of spinach, grated carrots and I splash with lemon juice. The edges of the nori sheet will stick to each other when dampened. Note that similarly to a Big Mac or a Subway sandwich, this is something you don't want to eat over your computer keyboard.

Leftover chicken stirfry with fiddleheads, chicken, peppers and onions topping fresh spinach, basil, chives and pineapple chunks.

Give in to temptation - on your own terms!

I was tantalized by buying a second salad today when my coworker announced she was going to the Greek place. Bringing a lunch is frugal, reduces packaging so I say it's good for the environment but sometimes we just want a treat. In this case... feta. It tasted amazing with my dehydrator crackers.

Also check out the eggplant marinade recipe that goes a long way... for healthy lunches!

*kombucha posts will be coming soon!

How do you pack a raw lunch?

Groundhog Summer Fine Herb Crackers

Fresh garden herbs are one thing I look forward to and absolutely LOVE about summer.

What are your favourite tastes and smells of summer?

These crackers are seriously awesome. You will not find a better tasting, healthier, gluten free cracker anywhere. this is my best recipe thus far and my curry loaf crackers are second best. 

Let's do it!

Process:

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup shelled hemp seed/hearts

In a large bowl, mix:

• the processed ingredients as listed above
• 1 to 2 cups green vegetable pulp (mine had spinach - do not freeze!- which sparked this whole recipe idea, celery, broccoli stems, lemon and green cabbage)
• 1 cup milled flax seed mixed with 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup any of the following: whole hemp seed, whole chia seed or sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• at least 1 cup chopped herbs of your choosing

Optional, to dehydrate alongside the crackers:

• 2 or 3 very thinly sliced strawberries
• very thinly sliced fresh pineapple pieces

Tip: To prepare herbs and most fresh produce, I rinse thoroughly and then leave to soak in water with a Tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar (white vinegar or non raw varieties work too). This removes traces of bugs, bacteria, waxes (stuck on store bought apples for example).

Top left to bottom right: sage, basil, vietnamese coriander, coriander/cilantro, rosemary, chives and greek oregano.

working near the window, I felt his presence while chopping the herbs in the kitchen so went outside to take a peek at him, the groundhog who has been feasting in our gardens! (we've had dear come by do a bit of plant damage, as well as a snapping turtle wanting to lay eggs last week among the carrots. Twice!)

Forming Cracker Rounds

Form roundish dough shapes with your hands and place on the trays, you'll be flattening them later.

Cracker Flats

 Dehydrating details: Set the temperature to 105F for 26-28 hours, until the crackers are crispy. About two hours after dehydration has begun, take each cracker out to flatten with your hands or rolling pin on a cutting board. Turn them all over an hour or two later so they flatten with gravity! Then, fill spaces between the crackers with the sliced fruit or leftover herbs you want to preserve and leave them to dehydrate. It should take as long as the crackers will. You can store everything in the same container, in the fridge, and have very yummy healthful snacks to take on a picnic!

Enjoy your summer!

Good morning! Are you a coffee drinker? Is it acidic?

This is going to be a bit of a sales pitch but mainly I want to plant a seed... talking toxicity.... We all know that toxic emotions, like toxic foods can cause pain. But what is toxic in our food? here are some toxic ingredients:

• sugar;
• excess salt;
• chemicals (hard to pronounce!); and,
• artificial colours.

 For a healthy body, it's best to reduce the intake of acid foods like coffee and most cooked and/or processed foods. oh oh. I told you I want to get you thinking!!!

So here's my pitch: Organo Gold coffees contain the antioxidant red ganoderma mushroom which makes this coffee less acid and more healthful than your regular cup. It might be more expensive than brewing your own but does not cost as much as buying one on the go.

Change your coffee, change your life!

If you are interested in the Organo Gold business opportunity I will also be happy to help. After all, coffee is the main commodity exchanged on our planet, after oil.

Raspberry Pecan Balls

There is a nut and berry breakfast bar recipe in the Rawvolution book (posted to my Facebook page before my blog was created) that I have used to make berry balls. I like this format instead of bars because they dehydrate faster, you can make different kinds at the same time and they can be dehydrated alongside crackers or cookies by filling empty spots on trays. Plus, they're more fun to eat and are child portion friendly!

I've made some with blueberries, strawberries, coconut, hemp, almonds, and even babnana but my favourite is the berry ball I crafted for Fathers's Day:

Raspberry Pecan.

"Pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity, meaning pecans may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s."
Find out more about the healthful benefits of pecans here.
Like me, you'll love this recipe because the ingredient list is simple:

• 4 soaked dates, approx 1/3 cup water (use more dates for more sweetness)
• 2 cups ground pecans
• 2 cups frozen raspberies
• 1 cup whole chia seeds (more or less, to absorb liquid)

I recommend using frozen raspberries and placing them in the freezer once processed into bits so they remain "hard" instead of becoming mushy. This makes it easier to form balls.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together ground pecans and raspberry bits then place in the freezer.

Blend (or process) the dates with their soaking water. Mix in the chia seeds, they will absorb all liquid.

Add the chia and date mixture to the large bowl. Mix thoroughly and form balls with your hands.

Place in the freezer when the phone rings... or to hide if it's a surprise!

Dehydrate for 24 hours, producing slightly soft and chewy Raspberry Pecan Balls!

Maybe I should have called these: Raspberry Pecan Power Packed Antioxidant Balls.

Fun to note: this recipe was inspired by a salad we had for supper alongside smoked trout a few days earlier in June: we had spinach, parsley, raspberries, red onion slices and pecan pieces with a simple vinaigrette made of olive oil, maple syrup and raw apple cider.

Together, raspberries and pecans do make a lovely duo!

...Leave a comment...

What raw pairings do you enjoy most?

Citrus Cookies by Eric (raw gourmet)

How proud I felt when Eric, my spouse, said: "I want to make raw cookies too."

To appreciate this fully, you must know that Eric is a trained chef. He no longer works in that industry but my oh my, he's got the goods! This recipe is top notch.

This cookie is not sweet, it is more like a dry gourmet biscuit, nice for breakfast with fruit salad, yogurt or cottage cheese.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of pulp from juicing: 6 oranges, 2 grapefruits, 2 lemons and 6 large carrots.
• 2 cups almonds (finely processed)
• 1 cup walnuts, processed until they reach a buttery consistency
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil (can be blended with the nuts)
• 2 tbsp. bee pollen
• 2 tbsp. lemon rind and 2 tbsp. orange rind, finely chopped
• 4tbsp agave nectar

Begin with juicing the peeled citrus fruits and carrots. Drink up!

Place the pulp in a large bowl, remove bigger fibrous pieces and any lemon seeds, etc. Mash and mix.

Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Firmly roll the mixture in plastic wrap, forming rolls of same size. Pleace in the fridge or freezer for them to harden and carefully slice. You will need to reshape some cookies with your fingers so they are uniformly shaped, as shown in our video:

 

Dehydrate at 105F for 24-26 hours, until they are completely crisp. As with all dehydrated foods, it is best to keep refrigerated in an airtight container and eat within 10 days. If you leave them in the cupboard, they will go sour within a week.

We thoroughly enjoyed topped with thin slices of orange and granny smith apple.

Benjamin said these taste like banana bread.... Success!

I posted a raw dehydrated banana pattie type recipe before, it was ok. It was very healthy with bee pollen and maca but not like good old fashioned baked banana bread!

These banana carob soft cookies are getting closer to the real thing.

I'm limiting my sugar intake, I'll describe what I did but feel free to add a touch of agave, honey or a couple more dates. If my 11 year old step son Benjamin likes them, to me, it's a winner recipe since he hasn't enjoyed my other dehydrated deserts. these cookies don't contain nuts so they are safe for the school lunchbox.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup carob powder
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne spice (optional)
• 2/3 cup shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1 cup milled flax seed
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 lage bananas (frozen or not)
• 3 pitted dates, soaked in just enough water to cover
• 2 to 3 tbsp coconut butter (also called coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup or more, chia seeds

Begin with stirring the water into the milled flax. Set that aside.

Mix together the dry ingredients, except the chia seeds.

I had purchased this bag of bananas for $1 at the grocery store. As soon as I arrived home, they went in the freezer. that was a couple of weeks ago.

Blend together banana pieces, dates and soaking water.

Blend the rest of the banana pieces with a chunk of coconut butter/oil.

The blended frozen banana is nice alternative to ice cream. My toddlers loved it!

I liked it more with dates in it!

Once the banana mixture is incorporated to the dry ingredients, add the flax. The dough will be quite soft/liquid. Add chia seeds, fold them in and let stand about 5 minutes. Mix thoroughly and determine if this is a texture you can spoon drop onto your lined dehydrator trays, if it is too liquid, add more chia seeds and repeat the waiting and mixing steps.

While you wait, check out the site linked below!

I just learned that Chia is being studied as a potential natural treatment for type-2 diabetes because of its ability to slow down digestion. The gelatinous coating chia seeds develops when exposed to liquids-can also prevent blood sugar spikes. 9 more beautiful benefits of chia seeds are listed here.  

My dehydrator tray is lined with cling wrap. I don't use this material often because of it's short life cycle but this was my remedy to only having one silicone tray.

Dehydrate for 20 to 24 hours, turning them over and removing the plastic liner once they have become hard enough. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I made berry balls at the same time.

This was a batch of 60 cookies. Less are photographed because... well, I'm sure you can guess why!

Raw Banana Bread

Right from the start, I want to write that when I make this again, I won't use as much milled flax seed. I think I used enough flax for making it with a dozen bananas! This batch is good, the bee pollen adds a nice touch. I had the intention of putting coconut oil too but I forgot!

Dehydrated so they are still soft, these do resemble bread in texture. When I make this again, I will also add dates or raisins because it is not as sweet as I had expected. Perhaps more nutmeg too.

This raw banana bread will taste amazing with a cup of mocha healthy coffee!

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup milled flax seed
• 1/3 cup whole chia seed
• 2 to 3 Tbsp agave nectar (can also use maple syrup or honey although not raw)
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 6 ripe bananas, fresh or frozen 
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
• 2 Tbsp water
• a handful of pine nuts
• 1Tbsp nutmeg and/or cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp bee pollen (optional)
• sprinkle of maca (optional)

In a bowl which you can later cover with a lid, stir together the flax, chia, agave, nutmeg and vanilla puree. If you don't have dry vanilla bean, use some liquid extract.

I had never used vanilla beans or pods before, this was given to me by my sister Melissa (as well as the lovely flowering plant) I used the whole thing.

  

With a touch of water, blend the vanilla bean, scraping the edges down, repeat and add a handful of pine nuts to weigh down the liquid.

Blend until it looks like this:

Peel the bananas, I used frozen, and process (My food processor was a better tool than my blender for this step) with a touch of lemon juice.

Mix the banana cream in with the seed mixture and let sit in the fridge, covered, for at least an hour for the seeds to absorb any available moisture from the sweet fruit.

In a large bowl, place the coconut, hemp, bee pollen and maca (if using). Throw in your big banana ball and mix. You will easily form coconut coated balls or patties with your hands. Dehydrate at 105F for 5 to 6 hours. The look of this food will not change much from before to after the dehydrating.