April 4, 2010

 Breakfast

serves 1 ~ $1.20 per pie

crust

1/4 cup nuts ($.50)

1/4 cup raisins ($.50)

pinch salt

ice cream

1/2 cup any banana based ice cream (I used chocolate) ($.20)

Yep, I’m all about the breakfast pies lately! But really, this ice cream pie is just banana and some nuts and raisins … a pretty good choice, I think.

Banana ice cream in any flavor can be made easily with frozen bananas and the desired flavorings. The bananas are so sweet they don’t need any added sweetener. Just cut bananas into chunks and freeze them. Then puree in a blender with just enough water to blend until smooth. Freeze for a bit longer if a firmer ice cream is desired.

The crust is simply the nuts, raisins, and a pinch of salt done in the food processor until ground and it starts sticking together.

I made the ice cream and just poured it into the pie shell and froze the whole thing for a few hours.

 

serves 2 ~ $2.32 per serving

1 mango ($1.49)

1 cucumber ($.69)

1 onion ($.05)

1 tablespoon olive oil ($.10)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon agave or 2 dates ($.10)

1 head romaine ($2.29)

1 jalapeno

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

This is sweet and savory and with just a bit of spice.

In a blender or food processor, puree half the mango, half the cucumber, half of the onion, and the olive oil, vinegar, and agave or dates. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop the lettuce and the remaining mango, cucumber, and onion. Toss and add the dressing. Sprinkle some finely chopped jalapeno and red pepper flakes on top.

 

Dinner

serves 2 ~ $2.61 per serving

1 head broccoli, chopped ($.89)

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced ($2.49)

1 medium onion, chopped ($.05)

1 tablespoon olive oil ($.10)

1 tablespoon agave or other sweetener ($.10)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ($.10)

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch of basil

1 avocado ($1.49)

1 1/2 cups water

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

To make this creamy and hearty, the veggies are marinated and dehydrated just a bit before making the soup. Chop the broccoli and onions and add it, along with the sliced mushrooms, to a container. Whisk together the olive oil, agave, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and a touch of basil. Pour over the vegetables and shake or toss to coat. Let marinate for about a half hour. Then pour into solid dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for about another hour.

To make the soup, set aside about a quarter of the marinated vegetables. Take the rest and put in the blender with the avocado and water. Puree until very smooth. Salt and pepper to taste if need, and top with the reserved marinated vegetables and a bit of red pepper flakes.

 

Dessert

serves 4 ~ $.54 per serving

nests

1 cup shredded coconut ($1.00)

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted ($.15)

1 tablespoon cacao powder ($.20)

“eggs”

1/4 cup nuts ($.50)

1/4 cup dehydrated bananas ($.05)

pinch of salt

I thought about doing something special for Easter, but really, any raw food dish is suitable for a holiday dinner. But I had to do something, and these chocolate nests are it.

They’re very simple. Whisk together the coconut oil, agave, and cacao powder and pour over the shredded coconut. Stir to cover. On waxed paper, make little nest shapes out of this and then pop them into the freezer for a few minutes to harden. 

For the eggs, dehydrate some bananas (or use dates or raisins) and process in a food processor with an “S” blade until the mixture becomes sticky. Mold into egg shapes and put int nests. The coconut oil chocolate will melt at temperatures over 76 degrees, so these really should be in the fridge until ready to serve. Cacao butter chocolate wouldn’t have that problem (I’ll be making some cacao butter chocolate soon!).