Yuck, today is gray, cold and rainy, a preview to our typical winters here and a perfect evening for steaming chili from the slow cooker … oh wait :-) How did it become Monday so quickly? I did get some relax time in this weekend and tried Wii Fit – apparently I really need to work on my balance training. I’ve also been skimming more VeganMOFO blogs and making a growing list of recipes to try, including:
That’s just a few, I need more time to cook! Anyway, during my first raw food prep class, the instructor mentioned we shouldn’t drink water while eating because it interferes with nutrient absorption. That surprised me because I’m in the habit of drinking with meals, not a lot, but always thought it helped digestion and keep things from getting backed up. The instructor also said when she first started raw, she had a terrible time with constipation, maybe a little too extreme on the no drinking thing. I found this article interesting, particularly:
Drinking water and other fluids can cause dilution of stomach acids and digestive enzymes, making them less effective at breaking down food.
Not sure I totally buy it yet, so many raw foods already contain so much moisture and it’d be challenging balancing moisture in recipes/meals that include dehydrated foods. Constipation is something I can’t stand, haven’t met a women that doesn’t mind it yet! Any thoughts and experiences on the matter will be greatly appreciated.
For lunch today, I took the pumpkin soup leftovers from last night, added two more carrots to thicken up and reduce sweetness and re-blended to a fine puree in a Vita-Mix. It worked slightly, but soup still seemed very sweet to me and the pureed squash still floated to the surface. I will try a variation of the soup this week using shredded carrots instead of juice.
I am a fan of broccoli, especially steamed or stir-fried, but never a huge fan of it raw. I’m determined to find and/or invent raw broccoli recipes I like starting with a soup recipe tonight. This one looked intriguing, but not sure I wanted that much avocado and nuts. Here’s the recipe I concocted:
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 tbsp. almond butter
- 1 tsp. agave nectar
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp. pink salt
- 1 tsp. cumin
- half medium onion
- dash of pepper
Simply blend ingredients in blender to desired texture (a fine puree for me). I let the broccoli get to room temperature first and used warm water to take the cold edge off, seemed to work well. Also, toss in a dehydrated Thai pepper to increase the kick.
I thought it was good, but I added more cumin, salt and pepper to further the kick. My husband thought it needed to be even spicier and didn’t eat much :-P The broccoli flavor was mild and the texture was nice and smooth. Next time I’ll use miso paste and add chili powder I think as I perfect this recipe.