November 8, 2009

ingredients

juice of 4 carrots ($.36)
juice of 1/2 lemon ($.33)

Much of what I like about raw foods is the simplicity of fresh, juicy fruits and vegetables … and this is a very simple and refreshing way to start the day. Juice the carrots in a juicer (save the carrot pulp and the other half lemon for the kale salad, later) and hand juice the half lemon. Mix. Drink.

calories: 56
fat: 0 gr
carbs: 13 gr
protein: 1 gr

Lunch
Spinach Tomato Soup
one large serving ~ $4.90 per serving

ingredients

6 oz spinach ($1.50)
1 avocado ($1.49)
2 tomatoes ($1.50)
1 medium onion ($.10)
2 ribs celery ($.10)
1 tsp olive oil ($.05)
1 tsp onion powder ($.10)
1 clove garlic, pressed ($.05)
dash of red pepper flakes
sat & pepper
1 cup water

Chop one tomato, dice half the onion and the celery. Set aside.

In the blender, puree the spinach, avocado, 1 tomato, other half of the onion, garlic clove, and red pepper flakes with the 1 cup water. Add more water if necessary to make a creamy but soupy consistency. It will take a minute or two to become smooth and creamy.

Pour into bowls, salt and pepper to taste, and add the chopped tomato, onion and celery. Drizzle each with 1/2 tsp olive oil.

calories: 560
fat: 34 gr
carbs: 54 gr
protein: 16 gr

Dinner
Kale Salad

one large serving ~ $2.64 per serving

ingredients

1 bunch kale ($1.69)
1 large onion, diced ($.15)
carrot fluff (the carrot pulp from breakfast)
juice of 1/2 lemon ($.33)
2 tbsp olive oil ($.30)
1 tsp onion powder ($.10)
1 clove garlic, pressed ($.05)
sprinkle of sesame seeds
salt & pepper

I picked the kale out of my garden, so save for some seeds and a little bit of effort, it was free. Gardening is a great way to eat raw frugally. For this, I’ve used the cost of kale if I’d had to buy it.

Tear the leaves into bite size pieces, leaving out any tough stems. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, onion powder, and pressed garlic. Pour this over the kale and massage for a minute or so. This will soften and slightly wilt the kale leaves.

Toss with the carrot fluff and diced onion, and salt and pepper to taste.

calories: 456
fat: 28 gr
carbs: 26 gr
protein: 6 gr

Dessert
Chocolate Walnut Pecan Truffles
18 pieces ~ $.36 each, serving size is 2 pieces

1 cup walnuts ($1.00)
1 cup pecans ($1.00)
1 cup dates – about 12 ($3.89)
3 tbsp powdered cocoa ($.30)
1 tsp vanilla ($.15)
1/2 tsp salt

There are two things to watch out for in making this recipe; over processing and over eating. I did both. Over processing the nuts will leave this mix far too oily. This can be remedied by only processing as much as necessary. You will have to figure out how to not eat too many of these on your own, as I can’t do it myself. They’re nearly addictive.

In a food processor with an S blade, process all ingredients until the mixture starts clumping together. This takes a minute or two. Just make sure to stop when it does clump well and don’t continue processing unnecessarily.

Form into half balls using a rounded tablespoon. Dust with cocoa powder. Refrigerate to chill well before serving.

calories: 256
fat: 17 gr
carbs: 24 gr
protein: 4 gr