GLOW

I used to be addicted to iced soy chai lattes. There is a local tea import company, Mem Tea, that is based in our town and supplies local coffee shops with their wonderful loose teas. I had the cafes scouted out that would make the best iced lattes with their blends (usually Espresso Royale and Bagel Rising), and would usually get one every day. Alas, I discovered that caffeine was a trigger for my migraines as well as many other symptoms, and both it and soy trigger my nerve inflammation. Getting an energy boost, especially with chronic fatigue as a result of Lupus, is a pretty futile pursuit most days. 

This week I finally replaced my (second) broken coffee grinder, and set to experimenting with a raw pudding on the following morning. I grabbed some chia and sesame seeds that had been in my fridge for a while, and went to work. The consistency was perfect, and with my favorite Middle Eastern spices close at hand, I created something that seemed to soothe a need in my for chai, oatmeal (oddly) and a cool soothing pudding all at once. It even seemed to mimic the rich, milky flavor of the lattes of my past. Even better, after only a couple of bites, I felt this odd sensation of my circulation kind of humming through my body, and the fog in my brain seemed to clear a bit, my vision focusing, and a memory being triggered of, "Wait, isn't this what caffeine feels like?" Only this time it was without the jitters and, you know, that other stuff I mentioned. This takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, and both chia and sesame seeds are some of the most potent sources of healing Omega Fatty Acids, so get at it. (Lest you be intimidated by unusual ingredients, be assured that my husband completely lit up after trying it, and asked with awe, "Ooo, what's that?!") This is my second entry for the week to Ricki's Summer Wellness Weekend event. Be sure to head here for other tasty entries.

4 TBS UNHULLED SESAME SEEDS

2 TBS CHIA SEEDS

1 TBS COCONUT FLAKES

1/4 TSP VANILLA POWDER (OR FLESH OF VANILLA POD)

1/8 TSP STEVIA POWDER (ADD DATES TO SWEETEN FOR TRUE RAW)

1/8 TSP SEA SALT

CARDAMOM, ALLSPICE & MACE TO TASTE

3/4 CUP WATER

OPTIONAL: RAISINS, DATES, BLACK CARDAMOM SEEDS, COARSE SEA SALT

PUT SEEDS AND COCONUT INTO COFFEE GRINDER, GRIND UNTIL FINE. PUT MIXTURE INTO BOWL, ADD OTHER DRY INGREDIENTS. ADD WATER AND MIX. MIXTURE WILL THICKEN QUICKLY AS YOU STIR, WORK OUT THE LUMPS AS YOU DO. CHILL FOR A FEW MINUTES IF YOU LIKE, OR ENJOY IMMEDIATELY.

One of my favorite things about eating largely raw is how forgiving my experiments seem to be. With fresh, local vegetables and fruits, the flavors are so rich and refreshing that a little bit goes a long way, and the science in the kitchen just doesn't need to be so exact. As a result, many of the "recipes" I'll be sharing with you will kind of be a glorified list of ingredients. Taste as you go, season to your palate, and remember that you don't need as many spices and seasonings as when you cook. Here is a recent favorite of mine, which my husband has been enjoying with me. This recipe has been entered into Ricki's Summer Wellness Weekend event. Go here to check out the other entries.)

I MD HEAD OF CAULIFLOWER

1/2 CUP CHOPPED CHUNKS OF CUCUMBER

1 LG HANDFUL OF CILANTRO

1 LG HANDFUL OF PARSLEY

SPLASH OF OLIVE OIL

CUMIN, CORIANDER & SEA SALT TO TASTE

OPTIONAL: LEMON, GARLIC, DULSE

CHOP CAULIFLOWER INTO CHUNKS, AND PUT INTO FOOD PROCESSOR, HANDFULS AT A TIME AS IT BREAKS DOWN THE CHUNKS. CHOP THE HERBS. TRANSFER THE PROCESSED CAULIFLOWER (SHOULD BE ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF COUS COUS, BUT A BIT LARGER) INTO A BOWL, AND ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS. EAT AS A SALAD, OR IN A RAW COLLARD OR CHARD LEAF WRAP, PERHAPS WITH SOME AVOCADO OR TAHINI IF IT SUITS YOUR FANCY.

RAW ZUCCHINI & SUMMER SQUASH "NOODLES"* WITH AN HERBED LEMON & COCONUT BUTTER "CHEESE", LIGHTLY SPLASHED WITH RAW COCONUT AMINOS

 I've been spending a great deal of time (perhaps too much) researching Lupus since my diagnosis. I've wanted to be informed when attending my follow-up appointment with the rheumatologist (as he sadly didn't offer me with many resources), and have wanted to expose myself to alternative treatment options that an allopathic doctor would not typically suggest to me. The most commonly advocated alternative treatment for autoimmune diseases is an appropriate diet that eliminates food sensitivities and common toxins. Guess what? I have a head start. My intuition has clearly served me well in that department. Besides eliminating gluten, however, a diet largely made up of raw foods seems to be the most commonly talked about diet, which according to various anecdotal stories shared via the web and to me personally, can alleviate many of the symptoms and even lead some to remission. This gives me great hope, although I am keeping that hope in check with the understanding that every body is different; what works for one may not work for another. Let me be clear that Lupus is potentially a very serious disease, and therefore alternative treatments for it are highly controversial. I have the advantage of only having mild Lupus at this time (in my mind thanks to the dietary changes I've made, though I will elaborate on that more at a different time), and consequently have some leeway to experiment. Summer is an excellent time to eat raw food, as well; I am more than happy to rarely turn on the stove. I'm a little bit more skeptical about how this will work out in a cold New England winter, given that I also have Raynaud's. Anyone with experience in that department, please share your thoughts in the comments!

RAW SHAVED* ACORN SQUASH WITH MINT, SHAVED MACADAMIA NUTS, COCONUT BUTTER, LEMON, OLIVE OIL, LAVENDER BUDS & FLEUR DE SEL

So, have I noticed any improvements since making the shift? Hell yes. My cravings for starch and sweets have decreased significantly. My portion control (typically something I really struggle with) is leaps and bounds beyond what it has been. Also, when I've made exceptions to my diet by indulging in typically forbidden foods, my reactions are far less severe, and I recover much more quickly. Want an example? I'm eating fruit. Let me put that into perspective for you: with the exception of lemon & avocado, I haven't eaten fruit for almost 2 years. I've been following the recommendations of the Body Ecology Diet and eating it only in the morning and always by itself, but I've made some exceptions to that, as well. Papaya, pear & banana have been recent trials. Want another example? Today, my husband and I went to Kickass Cupcakes, where I indulged in not one, but two gluten-free cupcakes. (Sugar, eggs, flours, oh my!) So far, I'm suffering from some mild brain fog, but otherwise I'm okay. I followed the trip up with some raw celery to help move it along, and some stevia-sweetened sparkling mineral water with added peppermint oil to soothe any possible inflammation.

RAW SHAVED* DAIKON & EASTER EGG RADISHES WITH PARSLEY, LEMON, CHOPPED RAW HAZELNUTS, SEA SALT & OLIVE OIL

I would love it if you would share your thoughts on this approach. I am still holding off on fulfilling my prescription for Plaquenil at the pharmacy, but beginning to warm up to the idea. How do you treat your illness? Have you improved from an autoimmune disease through diet? Have you tried the raw food diet and improved your health? Have you recovered? Or are you one of the many who feels it to be a naive and mislead approach? Please weigh in.

In the meantime, here are two resources I have taken advantage of:

Shares her experience of putting her severe Lupus into remission on a raw food diet.

I can't pass up fiddleheads, a seasonal New England favorite, when they make their appearance at the market in Spring. I never cook them as well as my native Maine friends, but I enjoy them nonetheless! Here I steamed them and paired them with some vermicelli noodles I purchased at the Korean market (only ingredient is sweet potato starch), fresh mint & basil, with fresh lemon juice and avocado oil drizzled on top.

From my searches online, it seems that the vegan souffle is one of those culinary holy grails. Most recipes available seem to utilize tofu or other soy products to mimic the texture of one made with eggs, though, and since soy is out of the question for me, I needed to find another way to recreate that unique texture, and fulfill a craving that I've had probably since Thanksgiving. I think this recipe is extremely convincing, and I'm pretty excited about the possibilities for future variations. Today was a gorgeous spring day in Boston, and I feel blessed that this lovely recipe was a part of it! 

In my last run to a local Indian market that recently relocated (Little India moved from Union Square to the old Milk Row warehouse by Market Basket), I picked up a bag of coarse chickpea flour or maghaj flour, and though I've been limiting my consumption of flour lately, the few times that I've experimented with it have yielded really interesting results that have me scheming up both savory and sweet dishes. The coarse flour behaves differently than its fine counterpart, and because it's a little bit harder on the digestive system, I've thought it the perfect flour to try soaking/fermenting a bit prior to cooking, a process that I've wanted to better acquaint myself with for a while. The flavor of the flour is wonderfully enhanced by the light fermentation, and no doubt aids in the slight rise of the batter when it bakes in the oven. I love that the ingredients are pretty minimal, too, and are fresh and seasonal for most this time of year. If you tolerate allium, I would definitely recommend carmelizing some shallots and adding them to the batter. I'm going to do my best to not think about how unbearably divine that would be. This is my second submission to Ricki & Kim's SOS Challenge for April, and I hope that you are able to enjoy it soon! 

1/2 CUP COARSE CHICKPEA FLOUR/MAGHAJ FLOUR

1/2 CUP WARM WATER

1 TBS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

3/4 CUP ASPARAGUS PUREE

JUICE & ZEST OF HALF A LEMON

1/3 TSP APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT (OR SMOKED SEA SALT OF YOUR CHOICE)

1/4 TSP AGAR AGAR POWDER*

1/4 TSP DRIED PORCINI POWDER (OPTIONAL)

PINCH OF STEVIA

1/4 CUP ARUGULA

1 TSP FRESH MINT

1/2 TSP ROSEMARY

GHEE OR OIL OF CHOICE FOR GREASING 

COMBINE FLOUR, WATER & VINEGAR. MIX, COVER AND LET SIT IN A WARM SPOT OVERNIGHT OR 8+ HOURS. WHEN READY TO PREPARE, PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT**. MIX TOGETHER ALL INGREDIENTS, ADDING THE HERBS LAST. GREASE THE RAMEKINS GENEROUSLY, AND FILL WITH BATTER. PLACE ON A BAKING SHEET AND BAKE FOR 35 MINUTES, OR UNTIL THE TOP IS A LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN.

It was really tempting to post this recipe last week in tandem with my puffed lotus seed popcorn alternative, but I figured that it was better to spread out the love a bit. And hot damn, do I have a lot of love for this recipe. I've mentioned before my former obsession with cereal, and I think that it is of great credit to my power of will that I have so graciously accepted eating vegetables for breakfast for the past two years rather than the sweet indulgences of the past. (Gotta give myself a pat on the back every now and then.) But man, if I let myself really think about it, I've really missed eating cereal. When I finally had this in my bowl, complete with some homemade milk, I had to keep saying to myself, "This is really happening right now. I'm eating sweet, delicious cereal. Live in this moment." This recipe is pretty remarkable in that it's easy, fast, allows for limitless variations, and has a completely gratifying texture akin to Kix, but way better because it doesn't get soggy at the bottom of the bowl! Today I'm offering you my very first version of this cereal, but if I let my mind wander, I can already start daydreaming of the variations I might suggest to you in the future. (Peanut-free peanut butter puffs anyone?) If any of you missed my previous post about puffed lotus seeds, head here for a little bit of background and another awesome snack.

5 CUPS PUFFED LOTUS SEEDS*

2 TBS COCONUT OIL

5 (+/-) DROPPERS OF LIQUID VANILLA STEVIA

SEASONINGS TO TASTE (I USED 1/4 TSP CARDAMOM, 1/4 TSP MACE, 1/4 TSP NUTMEG)

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. ON STOVETOP, MELT 2 TBS OF COCONUT OIL IN A LARGE POT OVER LOW HEAT. ADD LOTUS SEEDS, SPICES AND STEVIA, AND MIX UNTIL THE SEEDS ARE COATED WITH THE OIL, ETC. POUR SEEDS OUT EVENLY ONTO A BAKING SHEET AND BAKE ABOUT 5 MINUTES, OR UNTIL LIGHTLY GOLDEN ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE. ENJOY WITH YOUR FAVORITE DAIRY-FREE MILK, OR SNACK ON IT AS IS.

A raw snack this week of snow peas, fennel, and sauerkraut with my homemade basil & squash gut dressing. I'm loving that eating raw foods feels good once again now that the warm weather is easing it's way into our corner of the country!

I'm really tempted to end every sentence in this post with an exclamation point, regardless of how appropriate it would be. (See the restraint I just used there?) Consider it implied from hence forward. A few weeks ago I fermented some vegetables, and shared the results here.  One of my recipes used lotus root, an extremely fibrous root used in traditional Asian fare which is typically boiled or stir-fried. One of the many ways that I enjoyed the results of that experiment was to make chips with the thinly sliced lotus root, and I was so (ahem, edit) excited by the result. My mind was a wee bit blown. See, I love potato chips. If I buy a bag of chips, I finish the entire bag within the hour. I'm talking family sized bags of chips. Problem is, as is often the case with foods I love, potatoes and I don't get along so well, so chips have been off of my shopping list for a while now. I've tried making chips with other root vegetables before, but they never come out crispy for me. These came out wonderfully crispy and beautiful (do you see that picture up there?), and because of being fermented for a number of days, they tasted like the sea salt and vinegar chips that I crave (and deny myself in order to appease my health) so much. And, lucky for us all, it's so easy to make that it hardly requires a recipe. The longest step is soaking the root, which requires no attention at all. I can not wait to pick up another root at the Korean market and make up another batch.

LOTUS ROOT, PEELED & THINLY SLICED

VINEGAR OR MARINADE OF YOUR CHOICE (If not using fermented root from my recipe here)

SEA SALT (Again, if not using the root from my recipe)

HIGH HEAT OIL OR GHEE TO GREASE BAKING SHEET (I used coconut oil)

FERMENT ROOT OR SOAK IN VINEGAR OR MARINADE OF CHOICE FOR 24+ HOURS. PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. GREASE BAKING SHEET WITH OIL OR GHEE, AND LAY ROOT SLICES OUT FLAT ON SHEET. BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN, FLIPPING ONCE IF NEEDED, 5-10 MINUTES.

I eat squash pretty infrequently because my body isn't the biggest fan of the sugar content, but whenever I do enjoy it, I always feel conflicted about what to do with the guts. They've got to be good for something other than roasting and snacking on the seeds, right? (Which, is surely a worthy task, don't get me wrong.) The other night I was cooking up a light dinner of steamed squash and green vegetables, and wanted a quick and easy way to boost the nutrition and flavor profile a bit. The blender and I have become a bit better acquainted lately, so I decided to toss the guts in with some oil, water and herbs, and was supremely happy with the result. Best part is that even though I've been drizzling it onto meals and snacks for the past 2 or 3 days, there is still plenty left to enjoy...a rarity in this kitchen.

1 CUP WATER

1/4 CUP AVOCADO OIL OR OLIVE OIL

GUTS OF AN ACORN SQUASH

1/4 CUP PACKED BASIL LEAVES

1 TBS PACKED PARSLEY LEAVES

1/4 TSP SEA SALT

THROW INGREDIENTS INTO A BLENDER AND PUREE. REFRIGERATE TO PRESERVE; SHAKE BEFORE SERVING.

I really miss popcorn. My cravings for it lately have been pretty unbearable. I've tried popping sorghum before, and damn, those one or two kernels that actually popped were mighty tasty, but the other hundred or so dormant little dudes were quite a tease. Sometime last year I came across a large bag at a local Indian market* labeled "Phool Makhana", and the translated label on the back said "puffed lotus seeds". I was intrigued, and my brain immediately decided that it might be the perfect popcorn substitute. I tried some from the bag; they were weird and chewy, with a subtle sweet aftertaste. I decided to try toasting them in oil in a pot like you would popcorn with no success. They remained strange in texture, they tasted nothing like popcorn. Research online taught me that they are normally stewed in dals and other savory dishes, but that wasn't what I was after. I closed up the bag, and it remained pushed to the back of the shelf until last week. 

My recent resurgence in cravings led me to take the bag down again and give it another go. This time I thought of coating them in oil and toasting them in the oven; this time my dreams came true. Roasted puffed lotus seeds end up tasting just like popcorn, the texture is completely convincing, and it's so fast and easy that it hardly even requires a recipe. I've shared this with friends who were also really surprised and excited...we were equally addicted to the snack. You will be happy to know that I have also come up with a cereal recipe with them that I will share with you soon! For now, though, enjoy fulfilling your popcorn cravings with a new gluten-free, grain-free, corn-free snack.

PUFFED LOTUS SEEDS

GRAPESEED OIL TO COAT

SEA SALT & SEASONINGS OF YOUR CHOICE TO TASTE

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. POUR THE LOTUS SEEDS INTO A BOWL, POUR ENOUGH OIL IN TO COAT, STIR. LAY OUT ON BAKING SHEET, BAKE FOR 5-7 MINUTES OR UNTIL SLIGHTLY GOLDEN ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE. SEASON WITH SEA SALT, DULSE OR SEAWEED, NUTRITIONAL YEAST, OR WHATEVER ELSE SUITS YOUR FANCY.

Grilled silverbrite/keta* salmon with lime zest, cilantro & basil, and sauce made with Coconut Aminos, vanilla stevia & lime. (I'm tolerating lime! Rejoice!) Served with roasted butternut squash and steamed asparagus. Oh boy.

Seaweed has been my new jam this week. I've been snacking on it in a variety of ways, much thanks being owed to our local Korean grocer, Reliable Market in Union Square, which has an entire aisle devoted to affordably priced bags of it. I'd love to stock my pantry with locally-sourced seaweed, like that provided by Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, but at 4-8 bucks a bag, that's not within our budget. Look at this massive bag of Laver for only $2.49!

I'm definitely going to be grabbing some more this week. My favorite way to eat the Laver is to dry toast it in a pan, giving it a nutty, salty crunch to it that I adore. I'm quite a sucker for the salty and sweet combination, too, and found that if paired with my other new favorite jam, cashews toasted in coconut oil with liquid vanilla stevia, I have the most phenomenal eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head snack. (Best iron boost ever.) 

If the cashews aren't an option (either because you can't eat them, or like me, you ate them all), try toasting the laver in a bit of coconut oil with some puffed buckwheat (also available at Reliable Market), and add some of the vanilla stevia to that. Hot damn!

Diced Korean radish sauteed in coconut oil with cultured burdock root, seaweed, flax meal and a splash of Coconut Aminos. I used the Shiso leaves, purchased at a local Korean market, as wraps for the mix. This was definitely a favorite lunch this week.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most satisfying: Cabbage and blue potatoes sauteed in coconut oil. 

(I'm typically quite sensitive to potatoes, but seem to tolerate the more rare varieties in small amounts.)

Chickpea crisps with a hazelnut, basil & spring green pesto, roasted vegetables and salad greens. My mind is transitioning into Spring fare...

I've been craving this dish for seven years. That's right. I remember a misty day in Maryland when my dad and I drove to a small town on the coast, and stopped to have lunch in a little cafe nestled in the first floor of a white Victorian home. The town felt deserted, perhaps it was the off-season, or just a rainy weekday, but I can picture us sitting on the enclosed porch overlooking the quaint main street, and I can see myself perusing the menu and selecting for the first time in my life, "Crab cakes please." This was probably one of my first experiences with out-of-the-ordinary, phenomenal food.  (I'd never lived in a coastal area with abundant fresh seafood, so crab cakes were new to me.) The flavor was perfect...savory, melt-in-your-mouth perfect. I never ate another seafood cake half as good...until last week. I purchased a container of pre-cooked Wild Alaskan Salmon from Trader Joe's last week (so cheap!) that tasted a bit too much like the plastic container it came in. Yuck. I decided that instead of wasting it, I needed to come up with a recipe that would camouflage that unpleasant flavor without masking the tasty flavor of the fish. Thus, the Salmon Cake was born. (Does anyone else cringe at that phrase? Why can I say "Crab Cake" without blinking, but immediately think of sweet pink confections flavored with fish when I say "Salmon Cake"?) This is definitely one of the best things I've ever made, and it's such a simple formula. Really quick to prepare and cook, and full of all kinds of healthy protein and omega fatty acids to keep my nervous system happy. I'm already looking forward to cooking more of these up tomorrow with tonight's leftover salmon.

1 CUP PRE-COOKED SALMON

1/2 CUP LOOSELY PACKED FRESH BASIL

1/2 CUP ROASTED PISTACHIOS

1/2 CUP PUMPKIN SEEDS

1/4 CUP CHICKPEA FLOUR

1/2 TBS FLAXMEAL

1/2 TSP APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT (any smoked sea salt would surely suffice)

JUICE OF 1/2 A LEMON

1/4 CUP WATER

GRAPESEED OIL FOR FRYING

PUT NUTS, SEEDS, FLOUR, FLAXMEAL AND SALT IN FOOD PROCESSOR AND GRIND TO A MEAL. (MINE WAS A MIXTURE OF FINE AND SEMI-COARSE.) SHRED THE SALMON IF NOT ALREADY AND MIX WITH THE DRY INGREDIENTS ALONG WITH THE BASIL. ADD WATER AND LEMON, AND SHAPE INTO PATTIES.  HEAT A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF GRAPESEED OIL IN A PAN ON MEDIUM TO MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. WHEN OIL IS HOT, PLACE THE PATTIES IN THE PAN AND FRY UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON EACH SIDE. 

Keeping with my winter comfort food kick...roasted parsnip fries with chestnut gravy.

Vegan Broccoli Gratin. Definitely consumed the whole casserole dish single-handedly. I should be ashamed, but, you know, it was that good.

I'm going to try to start a tradition of posting these this year. No recipe necessarily, just food that I love to eat. Hopefully it will, besides make you drool, give you some ideas of what to eat on a restricted diet. This week is a combination of some recipes I have posted previously. Oh dear, I would love to eat this every day.

Faux omelette made with garbanzo/fava bean flour, lemon thyme, lavender and rosemary. Served with mixed field greens and macadamia nut cream. Swoon...