November 20, 2011

Breakfast

Chia Crackers

serves 1 ~ $.96 per serving

4 tablespoons chia seeds ($.81)

1 cup water

1 ripe banana ($.15)

pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Chia
seeds are pretty amazing. They’re relatively high in protein, as well
as calcium, fiber, potassium, and more. They are the highest source of
omega-3s, providing even more than salmon. They’re quite cost effective
as well, being similar in price to hemp seeds. I’ve also discovered they
can be used in the very same way as flax seeds.

So,
in addition to different gelled porridge type dishes, chia seed can be
made into crisp crackers. They can be made any flavor, too. I thought
sweet would be nice for breakfast.

Grind
the chia seeds in a bullet type blender or with a mortar and pestle. If
you don’t have those things, that’s OK, just use the seeds whole.

Put
the seeds in a blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until
smooth, which takes about a half minute. Let sit for about twenty
minutes until the seeds have gelled and then spread about 1/8th in inch
thick onto lined dehydrator trays. Chia seeds dry more quickly than
flax, so flip and peel these from the sheet after about a half hour to
an hour. Dry until crispy, about another three hours or overnight. These
go really well with a dab of nut butter.

calories: 244

fat: 9 gr

carbs: 36 gr

protein: 6 gr

Lunch

Salad with Green Garlic Dressing

serves 2 ~ $2.40 per serving

1 head green leaf lettuce, chopped ($1.89)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved ($1.00)

1 medium onion, sliced

3 ounces sliced mushrooms, sliced ($1.00)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ($.20)

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

small bunch parsley leaves ($.50)

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Can
you believe it’s almost fall? Honestly, I’m not ready for summer to be
over! I can’t postpone fall, but there is still fun to be had in the
garden. In my area, this is the time to start the fall lettuces and
greens. They grow really well in the cooler temperatures. Which is a
good thing, because they can be used to make an endless variety of
salads.

This is just a very simple green salad
assembled with chopped green leaf lettuce, the last of the cherry
tomatoes, onion, and mushrooms. The dressing is made by combining the olive oil, vinegar, agave, parsley, and garlic
in a blender and pureeing until very smooth. A small bullet type
blender can be used for the dressing. To make larger batches of
dressing, just double or triple the ingredients and save any leftovers
in the fridge.

calories: 269

fat: 14 gr

carbs: 34 gr

protein: 6 gr

Dinner

Salad with Blackberry Dressing

serves 2 ~ $1.50 per serving

1 head romaine, chopped ($1.29)

6 leaves kale, chopped ($.50)

2 carrots, shaved or sliced ($.20)

2 ribs celery, sliced ($.20)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons blackberry sauce (see dessert recipe below) ($.50)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

teaspoon apple cider vinegar ($.10)

salt and pepper to taste

I
love blackberries and this is my new favorite salad dressing. And yes,
this is the second salad of the day. It’s not true that a raw and vegan
lifestyle means living on salads, but any healthy diet includes lots of
them. It’s a good thing they taste so great!

This
is a simple salad, assembled with chopped romaine, sliced carrots (I
used a vegetable peeler), and sliced celery and onions. The dressing
really makes this wonderful, even though it’s also incredibly simple.
Just puree the blackberry sauce, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar
until smooth. This is a small batch, but can be doubled, tripled or more
and stored in the fridge for up to a week.

calories: 381

fat: 16 gr

carbs: 58 gr

protein: 9 gr

Dessert
Banana Ice Cream with Blackberry Sauce
serves 2 ~ $1.05 per serving

4 bananas, sliced and frozen ($.60)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup blackberries ($1.00)
4 tablespoons agave or other liquid sweetener ($.30)
2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

I’ve had no luck getting local blackberries and used frozen in this recipe.

I know, I have banana ice cream here
almost every week. The truth is, I just haven’t become bored with it yet
… I’ve also rarely eaten the same flavor twice. It seems almost
endlessly versatile.

Make a batch of banana ice cream by
pureeing the sliced and frozen bananas in a food processor fitted with
an “S” blade. Add the vanilla and pulse a few times to incorporate. Yep,
that’s it … although it does take a bit of time and scraping down the
sides to get this to come together.

The blackberry sauce is made by pureeing
the blackberries with the agave and then straining out the seeds with a
mesh sieve. The sauce is perfectly smooth and sweet. Make sure to set
aside some to use in the blackberry salad dressing above. Garnish with a
few whole blackberries.