Roasted Asparagus Bisque & UpgradedEats.com

I want to genuinely thank you for following Real Food Tulsa, and for many of you, being a member of my Raw Food Rehab Community website. As you may have already heard, I have shifted my energies and have launched a new support community for those who are interested in upgrading their health & wellness on all levels and in all areas of their life! In the new space, food is only one of the focuses of true health and it is a place with no imposed rigid rules or dietary dogmas. I still believe in the power of raw REAL foods to heal and rejuvenate the body, but do not believe that one must eat an exclusively raw diet to achieve a brilliant level of health. 

I am doing a trial run in December of the new site and I would love to have you come be a part of what is being co-created. Information on how to join UpgradedEats.com has been updated & you can find it here. I've created a short video about what I am up, if you would like to watch it below, or view directly from You Tube: http://youtu.be/wWBDSx9ljUI 

You can also find Upgrade Your Plate on Facebook & Pinterest...

Upgrade Your Plate on Facebook: www.facebook.com/upgradeyourplate
Upgrade Your Plate on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/upgradeurplate 

I also wanted to share the recipe that I worked on today for the community site that I think you might enjoy....

Roasted Asparagus Bisque

This is a delicious vegan soup that the whole family can enjoy!

2 bunches asparagus

6 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon coconut oil

himalayan salt & freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 cup chopped shallots

1 cup chopped leeks (I used scallions/green onions - mainly the white part)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup white wine (or plain water is fine)

1/2 cup full fat coconut cream/milk

1/4 cup nutritional yeast or grated parmesan, if you are not vegan

snipped chives

Trim the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the remaining stems into approximately 1 inch pieces. Toss with the garlic, a tiny bit of melted coconut oil and salt & pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

While the asparagus is roasting, add a teaspoon of coconut oil to a large sauce pan or small stock pot and sauté the shallots and leeks (or scallions) until lightly brown and soft. This is when I added a cup of white wine to help deglaze the bottom of the pot, but you can use some of the veggie broth or plain water to do that. Continue cooking, reducing the liquid by about half.

Add the roasted asparagus and garlic cloves and the rest of the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to med/low heat and cook for another 15 minutes.

I used an immersion blender to puree the soup, but it could easily be done in a couple of batches in a blender. Add to the pureed soup 1/2 cup of full-fat coconut milk (cream) and stir in to incorporate.

Serve the bisque with a topping of nutritional yeast and chopped chives, if desired. 

Pumpkin Spice Chia Porridge

I am fully into fall this year. I guess the truth is that I am into it every year. The sights, sounds, temperatures, sensations and flavors of the season are always inspiring to me.

Today I was messing around in the kitchen and put together a few ingredients that turned out really delicious and I thought I'd share it. It's super easy to make this before bed so you can enjoy it for a super fast and nutritious breakfast!

Pumpkin Spice Chia Porridge
1 1/2 cups date sweetened almond milk (I make my own, but store bought Vanilla would be great too)
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tablespoons carrot juice (I normally juice my own, but had picked up some at a local juice bar)
Generous pinch Pumpkin Pie spice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

I combined all these ingredients into a glass jar, sealed tightly, shook until well blended - then I put it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to congeal. It is so yummy & it will be my breakfast tomorrow morning! Let me know if you make it or if you have another favorite combo along these lines that you really like!

Eggplant Bacon Revisited

It's been a couple of years since I made Eggplant Bacon. I absolutely loved it then, so I'm not sure why I waited so long to recreate it. Perhaps it's because I remembered thinking it was fairly high in fat. I had made it in the midst of summer when eggplants were fairly prolific for a delicious BLT sandwich (you can view the recipe here).

So this time, when I got a hankerin' for vegan bacon, I decided to be a little more thoughtful about the ingredients, and the finished product did not disappoint!

I would recommend using a mandoline if you have one, which I do, but I cut my eggplants free style with just a cutting board and a knife and they came out just fine!  The goal is to cut them very thinly, but remember that they will reduce when you dehydrate or bake them.

Eggplant Bacon
2 medium eggplants, ends trimmed, cut in half and then into thin "bacon-like" strips
4  tablespoons coconut aminos (you can use tamari or low sodium soy sauce)
4 tablespoons coconut vinegar (or apple cider or umeboshi plum vinegar)
4 tablespoons coconut nectar (I actually used maple syrup, as I was out of CN)
a drizzle of cold-pressed extra-virgin organic olive oil (I am thinking next time I'll try coconut oil!)
1 lime, juice only
2 teaspoons chili powder
pinch cayenne powder (optional - but I like it spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked)
1/4 teaspoon smoked alderwood salt (only use if using coconut aminos - otherwise it could make it too salty)
freshly cracked back pepper (I used approximately 1/2 teaspoon)

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Fully coat each eggplant slice and lay into a 9 x 13 baking dish to marinate. Pour any remaining marinade over the top and cover with plastic wrap for at least one hour.

Transfer slices onto mesh dehydrator trays and warm at 135 degrees for the first hour. After one hour, I flipped the slices and brushed on the reserved marinade to re-coat. Return to the dehydrator, set now at 115 degrees to finish, approximately 8 -12 hours, depending on what level of crispiness you prefer.

If you don't have a dehydrator, place slices on parchment lined cookie trays and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 - 45 minutes, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.

The bacon was my delicious lunch today, served with a raw corn salad (recipe in Raw Food Cleanse or available online in this post). Getting my bacon, lettuce, corn & tomato on, even if it is the middle of winter!

I HEART Spirulina

This blended drink has been a personal favorite for a few years now and I enjoy it the most right after a hard cardio session. The protein from the goji berries and spirulina will keep you going for hours!

2 cups fresh citrus juice (I used a grapefruit, orange, clementine combo)
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
small handful goji berries
1 tablespoon spirulina

Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender and combine until the berries are fully incorporated and the liquid is smooth.

Festive Chia Porridge

Festive Chia Seed Porridge

Serves 1

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (I was a slacker & used Pacific boxed milk from WF)

3 tablespoons chia seeds

small handful goji berries

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

1/2 honey crisp apple, chopped (any variety you like is fine)

1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

ground cinnamon 

Mix together the almond milk, chia seeds and goji berries in a small mixing bowl. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping of the seeds. This can also be done before going to bed, just put the mixture into the refrigerator and it will be ready wen you are for breakfast. Before serving, add in the hemp seeds, apple chunks, pom seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired. Enjoy!!

Fall Into Raw with Me!

Autumn has just began and I have an amazing digital resource for you, if you are looking for more education, seasonal recipes, pantry & shopping lists, and much more.  My ebook series, Falling Into Raw - Finding Simplicity & Balance in the Season has been recently re-edited and is available now at a marvelous price. A great deal of love and energy went into the creation of this collection and I know it will be a source of tangible support for you, whether you are brand now to raw foods, are a long-time raw food enthusiast or if you have fallen off track are ready to hit the reset button!

In this set you will receive 3 digital books:
Falling Into Raw - Finding Simplicity & Balance in the Season  - The main book includes my personal story with raw foods, how to get started & putting a plan into action, keeping your motivation, eating for the season, nutritional info on all seasonal produce, stocking your pantry, a market list, personal statistics & journal page.

Falling Into Raw - In The Kitchen - a collection of over 90 seasonally inspired raw and vegan recipes.
Falling Into Raw - The Photos - over 40 beautiful digtial photographs of many of the finished  recipes.
Falling Into Raw can be ordered immediately and for just $24.99 you will receive all of this material, which will be directly sent to your email Inbox.

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And please feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments below!

In the Kitchen - With Love

Gotta love the face after his first sip : )

Since my last blog, my dad has agreed to allow me to start introducing more raw foods into his diet, which is a big breakthrough. We've been making encouraging progress during the days, but he still desires a warm, comfort-food style dinner, so I am doing my best to come up with dishes that are thoughtfully prepared with fresh, organic ingredients that are vitamin, mineral and antioxidant rich. I'm also trying to add in as many herbs and spices as I can that are known for their cancer-fighting properties.

So we've been having fresh fruit or smoothies in the early mornings, a mid-morning juice or shake made with Rockin' Wellness and Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein, lots of salads for lunch & sometimes a bit of left-overs from the prior evening's dinner. I am sharing some of the favorite dishes from this week with you here. I hope you will enjoy!

Cancer-Fighting Vegetable Soup

Besides the ingredients and time allotted for chopping, be sure to add LOTS of love into your preparation. I fully believe there is a very special healing property involved when we intentionally put our loving energy and compassion into whatever it is that we are making for ourselves and our loved ones. Enjoy this delicious, health-promoting soup!

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
dash of dried red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cartons organic vegetable broth (64 oz.)
2 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices (I used about 4 cups fresh organic tomatoes - but canned will work)
2 cups carrots (about 4), sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup celery (about 3 stalks), diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced (any color but green is good)
1 big handful fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 -2 cups broccoli bits
1/2 cup fresh herbs (use flat-leafed parsley, basil, cilantro - whatever you like), minced
water, as needed to reach desired consistency
1 tablespoon turmeric
1/2 lemon, juiced
additional salt & pepper, to taste

In a large stock pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant. Add red pepper flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Continue to cook for another minute or so. Add in the broth and tomatoes and stir. Add in the carrots, celery, bell pepper and mushrooms. Allow to simmer until the carrots are almost tender, about 10-12 minutes. Add in the broccoli, herbs and turmeric. Bring back up to simmer and cook until all the vegetables are tender, an additional 10 minutes or so. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and additional salt & pepper, to taste.

Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole
This turned out to be a marvelous main entree. Serve with a colorful side salad for a feel-good meal. If your family eats cheese, a bit of shredded white cheddar or gruyere added would likely make it extra yummy, but it was very good as the vegan preparation below.

2 cups cooked brown rice
2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup chopped baby bello mushrooms (any variety is fine)
Vegetable broth, as needed
Himalayan salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

I cooked the rice while I was chopping the vegetables.
In a large stock pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook another couple of minutes, stir in the remaining ingredients and stir until all are well combined. Taste to see if it needs any additional salt or pepper. Pour in a cup or two of vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover, cooking until the vegetables start to get soft, about 10 minutes.
In a large glass casserole dish (mine was 9 x 13), combine the vegetables with the brown rice, using some of the vegetable broth to create a casserole like consistency, making sure not to make it soupy with too much liquid. Put into a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to allow all the flavors to come together.

Sauteing the veggies before I add the tomatoes

Epic Garden Vegetable Marinara Sauce
We have been so blessed with an abundance of tomatoes from dad's garden this year. This sauce was created from the last harvest of the season and it was truly spectacular.

2 tablespoons coconut oil (you can use a good quality olive oil - but I prefer evco when cooking these days)
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red peppers, seeded and diced  (a roasted pepper or two would be delightful)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup cremini mushrooms (diced)
2 - 28 fluid ounces canned plum tomatoes, include liquid (use fresh tomatoes if possible, skins removed & seeded)
6 ounces tomato paste (I used a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, soaked and blended)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
3 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons local honey
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil; add onions, sauteing  until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes, add garlic and stirring frequently for another minute or two. Add diced peppers, carrots and celery; saute' for an additional few minutes. Transfer mixture to a large stock pot. Add mushrooms, tomatoes (including liquid), sun-dried tomato paste, oregano, dried basil, fresh basil, bay leaves, honey, salt and pepper Bring sauce to boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove bay leaves and discard.
I used an immersion blender to make the sauce more smooth, but it would be equally as delicious if left chunky.

Serve sauce over pasta of your choice or serve over stemmed veggies. This sauce could be canned while it is hot, just follow canning instructions carefully. It also freezes well.