Day 7. Dog days

What is the raw equivalent of cooking up a storm?

I blended up a monsoon? I dehydrated up a drought? I sliced up a tsunami?

I’ll have to work on that! Suggestions are welcome.

Whatever the appropriate analogy, wait, metaphor (?) is – I can’t remember which is which, I’ll have to look it up – I did it yesterday, I prepared copious amounts of raw food. Oh, and by the way, cooking up a storm is an idiom, not a metaphor. I’m sure you’ll rest easy now, knowing that!

I was supposed to be going to a fundraiser last night, a trivia night boat cruise down the Yarra. It sounded so fun and for a great cause; Farmdogz rescue. (Check out their website http://www.farm-dogz.com. They are a not-for-profit animal rescue organisation specialising in saving working breed dogs, such as the iconic kelpie, from death row pounds and shelter.)

It was to be my first night out on my raw challenge. I made choc-coconut nut balls, raw cheesecake, and even the king of raw dishes, Rawsagna.

Rawsagna, as the name suggests is the raw version of lasagna. It’s hard to imagine a more incongruent concept than lasagna made entirely from raw veggies. What is lasagne if not a heady mix of pasta and cheesy sauce? Like most raw foods though, it’s surprisingly tasty.

You might notice I said, I was SUPPOSED to go to this fun, floating trivia night, suggesting something went awry. Hence the photo of my dog Twiggy above and not the planned photo of me cavorting with the girls at a table full of delicious raw treaties.

Instead I took a very sick little doggy to the vet to discover she had acute pancreatitis. The vet admitted her and put her on a drip. There were tearful scenes as I left my little girl behind to be tested and treated. She’s a very special member of our family, is Twiggy. Fortunately she responded well to treatment and is now in a doped out state on her favourite armchair.

Ah well. The best laid plans. It did make me think that maybe Twiggy needs to go raw. Pancreatitis is usually caused by eating too much fat, probably scraps around the BBQ at the park in Twiggy’s case.

Making food, with music playing and the sun streaming into my little kitchen, was actually a perfect way to spend the hours of waiting to hear about Twiggy’s prognosis. It soothed me. And now I have enough food prepared for the entire weekend. Got to be happy with that!

So today’s recipe is my favourite version of Rawsagna so far. Hope you like it. I think the nut crumbles on top just make it da bomb!

Rawsagna

(adapted from recipe in this month’s Nourish Magazine www.nourishmag.com.au)

2 small zucchini sliced thin lengthways

10 field mushrooms sliced thin

tomato sauce (see below)

nut pesto (see below)

nut crumbles (see below)

Tomato sauce

1 clove garlic

1 cup semi-dried tomatoes

1 tomato

4 pitted dates

1 tsp chopped oregano, bay leaf and thyme

Blend ingredients in food processor to make a paste

Nut pesto

1 clove garlic

1 bunch basil leaves

1/3 cup water

Juice from ½ lemon

½ cup mixed nuts

Blend ingredients in food processor to make a paste

Nut Crumbles

1 cup mixed nuts

1 tsp oregano, thyme

1 tbsp Braggs sauce

Blend ingredients in food processor until look like coarse crumbs

Method

Place a layer of zucchini slices in a square dish. Top with a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of mushrooms, then a layer of nut pesto. Repeat for 3 layers. Refrigerate for an hour. Remove and slice and serve with walnut crumbles.

Day 5. To buy or not to buy (organic), that is the question

To paraphrase The Smiths, I’m a woman of means (of slender means). That’s my way of saying I’m not loaded with dosh. I would love to eat organic food exclusively but I can’t always afford to. I know it’s the preference of raw foodies, but I also don’t intend to throw in the towel and order a drive thru Happy Meal in preference to eating non-organic produce.

I do buy from markets and green grocers, because I believe in buying fresh, local food. If you are interested and live in Victoria, check out farmers markets near you here: http://vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/

I make sure I wash my fresh produce in water with a dash of apple cider vinegar, which helps to lift off any surface residue.

If, like me, you can’t buy exclusively organic, there are some known offenders in terms of pesticide residues, these I aim to buy organic.  Check out this list for foods to buy organic and those that you can get away with buying non-organically grown: http://waterworksvalley.com/food-thats-safe-to-eat/

I think buying my green leafies organic is a good idea, especially in the quantities I’m eating them. Although Australian pesticide residues are supposed to be relatively low, it’s a cumulative effect. It’s somewhat depressing to think that all my good work munching away on raw food could be undone by eating food covered in chemicals.

This also got me thinking about the nuts and seeds I’m buying too. So I found some pesticide-free almonds at the health food shop near work. Score!

It’s easy for me to get disillusioned thinking about this. I tend to be a little black and white about things, a wee bit towards the extreme far right on the perfectionist spectrum. I have to keep bringing myself back to the idea that change happens in increments. I’m learning more every day. And the positive changes I’m making to my eating habits will surely stand me in good stead for the time in my life when I can afford to eat exclusively organic.

And you know what, I feel good. Everything I have eaten in the last few days has been super tasty and nutritious. And my body is thanking me. (My mind, on the other hand, wants a soy latte, but it’s been told that it should sit in the corner quietly and be seen and not heard).

Here’s a happy thought. How divine is Ryan Gosling? That one’s for you Kel. (Sorry folks, private joke).

So I guess you’d be wanting a recipe about now? Well, I mentioned my ol’ faithful, the Rainbow Salad the other day. Seeing as the post today is all about organic vegetables. Here it is. This one I served with raw tomato walnut bolognese sauce (recipe to come – I can’t give away ALL my secrets at once – oh alright then, I’ll give you that one too!) and nut butter (from Day 4). It was to die for!

The great thing about rainbow salad is you can use any vegetables you like. The main thing is getting lots of colour, so it’s actually like eating a rainbow. And the pot of gold at the end, you ask? A very happy body! (You can also buy this pre-prepared if you’re running late for work and don’t have time to grate veggies – just sayin’).

Rainbow Salad

1 carrot

1 beetroot

1 broccoli stalk

1 zucchini

Thickly grate or put vegetables through slicer/spirooli to produce long thin strips.

Top with nut butter and raw tomato bolognese sauce and enjoy!

Tomato walnut bolognese sauce

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 tomato

1 clove garlic

A few sprigs of fresh herbs (I used thyme, bay leaf and basil)

1/2 cup walnuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend tomatoes, garlic, and herbs in food processor. Add walnuts and blend to desired consistency.

So there  you go – two recipes in one day. Don’t say I’m not good to you!