Ketchup in the RAW!

Tomatoes really are my favorite of all fruits and vegetables. They're so incredibly versatile; they're used in most culinary styles around the world, and are delicious no matter how they're preserved! When I was a child, we had a small garden and my dad and I would go out to the back yard with salt shakers and graze in the tomatoes and cucumbers. My mom even bought me a tiny salt shaker, to fit my tiny hand. In retrospect, I think she may have also bought this for me so she could monitor my salt intake more closely - I was a salt fanatic as a kid! ;)

This ketchup is totally awesome. I made it for the first time (off the top of my head) a couple weeks ago to go with some baked veggie burgers, and it was an amazing addition! It's a tangy but sweet, smooth mouthfeel. It's wonderfully versatile as well - burgers, raw pizza sauce, garnish for raw soup, sandwiches, a rich dip, pasta sauce, layers in a lasagna, etc.

I love how quick and easy it is, too. If you're in a pinch and can't soak the sun-drieds, just toss 'em in a hot pan with a little water until they've soaked up enough to process. Also, I used half of a small onion in this, and I should've used a little less because I didn't realize it was so strong. So, use your discretion on how much you want.

Ketchup in the Raw

1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in same amount of water for a couple hours
1 medium tomato, quartered (room temperature)
1 garlic clove
1/4-1/2 small onion
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. Bragg's liquid aminos (to taste)
big pinch chili powder
big pinch paprika
black pepper (lots! mmm...) and cayenne to taste
water

In a food processor, add all ingredients except extra water until smooth. Then, add water by the tablespoon to achieve the consistency you want. I used about 1/4 cup extra water.

Does this instruction sound a lot like my pudding recipe? heh. It's such a quick recipe, I think all in all it took me 15 minutes, including washing out the food processor afterward. :)

Carob Halvah Pudding

When I walked into the kitchen to make the raw ketchup today, I realized I was out of fresh tomatoes. CRAP! It would have to wait. I did, however, have three gorgeous green gems sitting in my fruit bowl. Silky, creamy avocados! I haven't had sweets in awhile, so I pawed around in the Candida-friendly cupboard and eyed a few things for a sugar-free pudding.

I'm a huge proponent of making tahini-based sweets. I love halvah especially, so the idea of making halvah pudding sounded awesome! I had some carob, too, so I grabbed that and went to work.

This is an immensely fatty recipe. I don't mean tons of ingredients, I mean WHOA did I put a lot of good fats into this. Avocado, tahini, coconut oil, flax oil. Mmmmm... I can feel my skin, hair and nails getting healthier. :) Oh, and it's mostly raw, too!

I also added in some camu camu for an extra antioxidant and vitamin C punch. Camu Camu is a South American fruit that has the highest vitamin C content known to man. Since it is extremely low in sugar (VERY tart... and regulates blood sugar levels!) I personally deemed it worthy of my candida diet. hehe. It's a little hard to find, but worth it if you want it as a superfood supplement. It's totally okay to omit this from the recipe. You can always use agave instead of xylitol, too, if you're not watching your sugar intake.

Carob Halvah Pudding

3 small avocados (or equivalent)
1/3 cup tahini
3 Tbsp. carob powder
1 tsp. camu camu powder
1 Tbsp. raw coconut oil
2 Tbsp. raw flax oil
1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract (glycerin based)
2 tsp. cinnamon
Xylitol to taste (I probably used a scant 1/4 cup)
pinch salt
water

In a food processor, blend all ingredients except water until smooth and emulsified. Test for consistency. At this stage, it could be used as a frosting! To go for a pudding consistency, turn the food processor back on and add water by the tablespoon until it's how you want it. I used about 12 tablespoons, because it was SOOO thick! Don't be shy with the water, just make sure you test in intervals.:)

I'm baaack!

Hello everyone!!

It's been far too long since I've posted here. I'm very happy to say that I am back and will be posting MUCH more from now on!

Jeremy and I have moved back to Eugene, OR, after getting offered work here in the spring. He's working for an alternative energy company, and thriving. I'm currently looking for work, as my job offer was temporary. Getting into modeling though, which is being really fun! I'm loving the networking aspect so far, and looking forward to getting some steady gigs from that in the future. In the meantime, I'm still writing. :)

In regards to this blog, you may see some interesting changes in the coming months. I've just started an anti-Candida diet, with an accompanying cleanse. So for the next couple months at the very least, I'm going to be excluding sugar, alcohol, most carbohydrates, most soy, processed anything (unless it's raw fermented or probiotic), fruits (except lemons, limes, tomatoes and avocado) and starchy/sweet vegetables. Most of my diet will consist of protein and lightly cooked vegetables.

I've heard many many arguments that mushrooms should be excluded as well, but that never really made sense to me, so I did some digging and found this article. In the article, Sarah and John Vaughter write:

Candida albicans in both yeast- and mycelial form is about as related to mushrooms or the fungus in blue cheese as a fish is to a lizard, and over-generalizing will harm instead of help. Discouraging the consumption of molds and mushrooms because “You are feeding the Candida its own kind” is utter nonsense on many levels, and you’ll never see a link to a scientific article to prove it – because there aren’t any.

They also link to studies on the subject. Whew! I'm going to keep mushrooms in my diet unless I notice a change.

What does this mean for you, my loyal readers? Nothing! I'll still be posting all the fun and eclectic dishes that I always have, but now with more creative, focused style. I'm looking forward to posting some awesome dishes for all of you!


Blessings and love,
Lyra

All 'Choked Up!

With spring heartily marching forward, it’s time to think about cooking with this season’s bounty. The Jerusalem artichoke is easy to cultivate, rich in potassium and iron, and a good source of carbohydrates. But most people aren’t all that familiar with this tasty tuber.

Technically it’s not a native crop, since it comes from the east coast originally, but that’s close enough! Ironically, it’s also not related to the artichoke in any way, and has nothing to do with Jerusalem. It’s thought that the “Jerusalem” is a corruption of Girasole, the Italian word for “Sunflower”. It’s more properly called a Sunchoke, since it is in fact the root of a native sunflower.

Unfortunately, they also contain a substance called inulin, which in some people can cause severe gastric pain and flatulence.

How do you find out if you’re one of those people? Try it and see! I created this recipe specifically for that purpose. It’s a light, simple preparation that captures the mildly sweet, crunchy, potato-like flavour of these wonderful little tubers, but doesn’t give enough to cause serious pain if you’re among the sensitives (like me).

Sunchoke Bake

5 jerusalem artichokes, washed and sliced
3 leaves of kale, roughly chopped
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
a few chives, chopped, some reserved for garnish
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Toss all ingredients together in a small baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.