Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Dreaded Chinese Take-Out Craving


Just about every time I’ve overheard or been involved in a conversation regarding comfort food or sudden cravings, one particular category of fare inevitably dominates the discussion: Chinese take-out.  Now, I say “take-out” to describe and differentiate the battered, sugary, caloric wasteland of American Chinese food from the traditional ethnic foods of China; chow that’s often harder to find and not what most Americans mean when they say “Chinese food”.  For some, take-out consoles the spirit during or after a crazy work day; for others it’s relentlessly hormonal.  Still, most will not deny that the food itself is greasy, gross, grosser after the first ten bites, and most always leads to an immediate stomach issue: indigestion, heartburn, or dare I say it- the runs!

Having likely been one of these people at least at some point (as have I!), you probably already know what’s going on – why someone would eat, let alone crave, something that is not only bad for you, but admittedly gross in taste and sensation.  In times of stress, physical or emotional, the brain craves food that will provide immediate fat.  As we know, nothing does that better than sugar and carbs!  So in a world where our lifestyles put us in a constant state of pressure and anxiety, this survival mechanism can quickly become a big problem (the U.S is the most obese country in the world!  Look it up!). 

Seeing as how our lifestyles and the particular cravings that come along with it aren’t going to change anytime soon, we need a solution in the form of substitution.  That is exactly what my raw food philosophy is all about – trick the brain, delight the palate, and vitalize the body!  The challenge of coming up with an adequate replacement for take-out, however, was a harrowing one.  The dish had to meet three criteria: one, it had to be sweet enough to subdue the afore-mentioned survival mechanism; two, it had to have meaty chunks to satisfy the belly; and the third and most important criteria was that it had to be FAST!  One of the driving factors in people resorting to take-out is that it is convenient – fast and everywhere.  As you’re all aware, raw food is not known for this.

After weeks of experimenting with these three criteria, I finally came up with a truly quick and delicious recipe that I promise will, at least overtime, replace your favorite take-out dish.  Behold: Sweet and Sour Take-OutThis dish is ready to eat in literally half the time it would take to order traditional take-out, taste surprisingly authentic, and doesn’t dirty more than a bowl, knife, and your favorite pair of chop-sticks.  Better still, this dish can be altered a number of ways to fit your individual taste or seasonal availability.  For example, I have a friend who can’t stand figs – she can very easily replace them with more papaya or even plums.  If you find the dish too sweet, replace the honey with more maple syrup.  Moreover, for those of you who aren’t strictly raw and want a meal that will stick with you during the rest of your work day, spoon this recipe over some brown rice.  I challenge you to try this recipe next time you have one of those cravings – you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.


Sweet & Sour Take-Out
Serves 2

1 c black or turkey figs, chopped
1 c papaya, chopped
one medium carrot, sliced on the diagonal
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
one recipe Sweet & Sour Sauce

1.    Prepare Sweet & Sour Sauce according to recipe
2.    Place carrots, fruit, and sauce into a large bowl, stir thoroughly, and sprinkle sesame seeds over top of dish to serve.  Dish can be eaten immediately with or marinate a half hour for stronger flavor.


Sweet & Sour Sauce
Use maple sugar (evaporated maple syrup crystals) instead of maple syrup for thicker sauce.  Great for dipping!

1 Tbsp honey or agave nectar (honey recommended for taste)
1 Tbsp maple sugar or maple syrup
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
large pinch ground clove

1.    Blend all ingredients well
2.    Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to one week

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sneaky, Sneaky Raw


Hot, Raw Pho!

It’s cold, rainy, the middle of the winter, you’ve been fighting off the sniffles for days and nothing sounds better than a nice steaming-hot bowl of soup.  This is usually the exact point where the raw food novice throws in the towel – assuming of course that he or she made it past the month and a half of traditional holiday goodies.  Well I’d like to inform that person that a truly health-conscious raw foodist can have her cake and eat it too! 

Below I present to you two very delicious, very hot versions of raw soup.  The idea is simple: hot broth over sliced raw goodies!  If broth temperature is controlled (i.e. it is not allowed to reach boiling) it will not be hot enough to blanch any of the fresh ingredients, let alone cook them.  Plus, even if some blanching does occur, most of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that comprise the advantage of eating raw in the first place will remain intact.  The idea of using any level of heat or any level of, for lack of a better word, cooked-ness, has of course been a hot debate in the raw food movement for years (yes, pun intended).  But the way I see it, especially when faced with the above scenario, it’s better to get raw veggies in somehow rather than no-how! 

As one final tip, these two soups are GREAT for crowds (double the recipes as needed)!  In fact, I got the idea while at a friend’s house around dinner-time.  Her mom had made a huge pot of posole, which is a traditional Mexican broth-based soup eaten with any assortment of toppings.  The toppings are placed in bowls on the table or on a plate, and each person gets to pick exactly what they want in their soup.  It’s fun, festive and communal, and what better a way to treat all of your friends, vegetarians and carnivores alike, to a delicious hot meal!


¡Posole Loco!
Serves 2

Broth
2 c vegetable broth
1 c water
1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp oregano leaves
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
pinch rubbed sage
pinch ancho or chili powder
dash paprika
dash cayenne powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Toppings
1 ear fresh corn on cob
2 radishes, thinly sliced or shaved
½ jalapeno pepper, sliced or diced
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 green onion, chopped
¼ white onion, sliced thin
1 c chopped tomato
1 ½ cup shredded green or napa cabbage
½ lime cut into wedges

Other optional toppings:
½ avocado, diced
1 carrot, sliced thin on diagonal
1 celery stalk, chopped
get creative!

Heat broth, water, and dry spices to a boil, then turn burner temperature to low and add the fresh garlic.  Prepare all topping ingredients as indicated, placing each ingredient into separate bowls or in separate piles on a tray for serving.  To serve, put desired toppings into soup bowl and spoon broth over the top.


Phó Magnifique!
Serves 2

Broth
2 c vegetable broth
1 c water
1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
2 tsp soy sauce
1 ½ tsp agave nectar
¼ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fresh grated ginger
1 large bay leaf
1 star anise pod
2 cardamom pods
pinch fresh ground black pepper
pinch ground clove
pinch cinnamon
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Toppings
2 raddishes
1 medium carrot, sliced thin on diagonal
½ large red bell pepper, sliced
¼ white onion sliced thin
½ jalapeno pepper, sliced or diced
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
½ lime cut into wedges
fresh Thai basil leaves to garnish

Other optional toppings:
1 c kelp noodles, rinsed well
2 baby bok choy, cut into separate stalks
 ½ c bean sprouts
8-10 snow peas
fresh mint sprigs

Simmer pods and bay leaf in water and vegetable broth for about 20 minutes.  While broth is simmering, prepare all topping ingredients as indicated, placing each ingredient into separate bowls or in separate piles on a tray for serving.  Once the pods and bay leaf have simmered, place remaining broth ingredients into the pot.  To serve, put desired toppings into soup bowl and spoon broth over the top; enjoy!