Raw Vegan Adventures Day 2

So all these “Raw Vegan” days were a bit ago, (2 weeks maybe?) but I never got around to posting all the pictures. So, I’ll gradually toss them up and when anyone searches this blog or clicks a tag, they’ll come up in order! 🙂

My wheatgrass of choice.

My chia seeds! I put these in everything, as well. Sprinkle on salads, cereal, they’re always in my Green Monsters. This + Wheatgrass = awesome Super Foods!

Breakfast canteloupe. Super juicy, refreshing & super sweet! 🙂

I had a smashingly good Green Monster that morning! Made with:
Coconut water from 2 fresh coconuts
18 purple grapes,
2 tbsp. Chia Seeds
12 Arugula Leaves
Liberal handful of flat-leaf parsley

Top sprinkled with freshly grated coconut. Garnished w/ a chunk of coconut, some wheatgrass blades, parsley sprig & Arugula leaf (as seen in the middle picture).

 

Gigantic salad of Mango, Kiwi, Arugula, Baby Spinach, freshly ground mixed pepper, golden flax seeds & radishes, tossed in red wine vinegar & a some sea salt. This was a perfect lunch.

Dinner!

Squash Ribbon “Pasta” with Broccoli

Something I love to do. I take the vegetable peeler to some squash (used baby zucchini here) and make long ribbons. They’re an excellent substitute for pasta! I tossed them with some fresh broccoli crowns, apple cider vinegar, chia seeds, golden flax seeds, sea salt, freshly ground mixed pepper & crushed red pepper flakes. Garnished with some parsley. It was SO substantial. Took awhile to finish this bowl!

Over the course of the day, I snacked on nuts and berries between main dishes so by nightfall, I was stuffed and ready for a coma to kick in. 😀

Shrimp & Noodle Bowl w/ Edamame, Broccoli, Chaoyte & Cilantro

Here’s a quick and easy dish I love slapping together! This sort of thing really suits me because — even though I feel fantastic and content rocking a vegetarian diet — I REALLY miss and REALLY crave seafood. I don’t miss beef. Pork is an afterthought. I was always a runny yolk kinda guy but when I think of what they said in Culinary School — “100% of the fat in an egg is IN THE YOLK!”  — I kinda mope and put it out of my mind. Sometimes, I crave chicken but it’s not like I dream about it or anything, (and I certainly don’t crave insane levels of growth hormones. All the chicken I prepare for my work as a Chef is Free Range. And I know which farms they come from).

But seafood. :p I’m afraid we’re inseparable! So, my personal diet may be shifting to the Pescetarian angle.

Here’s a recipe for two!

Ingredients

24 Shrimp (pre-shelled & de-veined if you prefer but they’re easy to clean yourself)
1 cup edamame beans
1-2 Chayote Squash (I just half and large dice ’em)
1 cup broccoli florets
Handful rough chopped Cilantro
1 cup Shrimp or Seafood Stock
2 packages Instant Ramen Noodles (YES! Chefs have a torrential affair with Ramen noodles! That’s what I used for this picture/recipe but you can use WHATEVER noodle you want; udon, angel hair, penne, vermicelli~ Up to you!)
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black (or mixed) Pepper (or Grains of Paradise) to taste.

First, bring half a cup of stock, chayote and edamame up to a simmer. It only takes about 10 minutes to get them good to go. I don’t prefer my squash soggy-slop, I like a bit of texture, so 10 minutes should be plenty. And the edamame doesn’t need anything, really. You can eat them raw (same with the chayote) but let’s go ahead and heat things through for this dish.
About 7-8 minutes in, add broccoli and cover so that our broccoli won’t overcook or get soggy. With such a short cooking time, it will stay bright green and maintain a bit of a crunch.
While that’s working, we can rock out with our shrimp! 🙂
Toss fabricated shrimp in extra virgin olive oil (or sesame oil), sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, ground mixed pepper or grains of paradise.
Saute shrimp over med-low heat until pink on both sides, about 2-3 mins per. When shrimp is pink, it’s done! Careful not to overcook or your shrimp becomes eraser-tough! ~What I like to do is cover them as soon as they hit the skillet. Let that gentle condensation action I always talk about around here happen. When you uncover, you’ll see lots of the shrimp’s natural juices forming a broth.
When done, remove shrimp and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add other 1/2 cup of stock to skillet and soften ramen noodles in the shrimp/stock broth till done, about 3 minutes. Personally, I prefer ramen noodles al dente, where they still have that funky curl.
When done, toss noodles, chayote, edamame, all broths and shrimp in huge vessel and divide between two bowls. Top with chopped cilantro and bon apetit!

Oh, and ignore that piece of shell in the picture above. >.> No idea how that got there! I think it walked over and snuck in. . . must have missed its shrimpie buddies!

Also, check out Lauren E. Clark on Chayote lol! So funny! 😀

GOOP Day 4 Recap

On day 5 so Day 4 recap needs to be posted! It’s gonna be another quickie but it’ll get done! :p

So day 4 began with the usual water with lime followed by a tea, (I had green tea w/ cilantro & parsley).

Breakfast smoothie of fresh peaches, almond milk, mint & crushed ice!

Lunch was very simple and frugal! I made a decorative “cup” out of  some baby spinach, (set them up in one of my larger soup bowls). Then, diced some green apple and chayote, topped with organic alfalfa sprouts and sunflower seeds.

Dinner was frugal, as well! Simple greens w/ steamed veggies on top! (Carrots, broccoli, radishes). Sprinkled w/ scallion and cilantro. Drizzled w/ red wine vinegar & freshly ground mixed peppercorns!