Some Raw Adaptations

So I woke up this morning only to have my bed taken away - boooooo! Long story....but now that I am bed-less I decided this was a perfect opportunity to make some new changes and be positive about more floor space. I am turning my room into a yoga studio and I am going to sleep on the floor - YEE HAW (photos of new space will be added soon - and an update later to see if new challenge works)

Here is why I think this will help my rowing:

-There are massive amounts of chemicals in beds (to keep them from burning, decomposing, retaining their shape, and bleach) that we breathe in while we sleep causing allergens, mucus, and inflammation

-Beds allow our bodies to sink into positions that cramp our muscles and rotate our bones out of alignment

-Beds retain allergins, dust, dirt, and insect carcases...enough said

Sleeping on the floor supports your bodies natural alignment...although I am going to need to vacuum

Anyway, this idea was inspired by Peter - thanks dooode!

Also I have decided to go raw with coffee because our coffee maker broke this morning. Why buy shit when you can just do without?

Here is an amazing recipe that I am now in love with

Cold-Brewed Ice Coffee
Adapted from The New York Times and smitten kitchen
Yield: Two drinks
1/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best)
Milk (optional)
1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.
2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add almond milk.

New Kick : Chia Seeds and Broccoli Sprouts

So this weekend is all about experimenting. I baked a lot - more than I have ever baked before (see bagels, cookies, and bars) so that I could freeze some ready-to-go energy. I also got my hands on some Chia seeds - which had always just been my garfield's hair before (chia pet throw back!). Here is what I learned about Chia seeds:

(borrowed from Raw Reform)

What are some other benefits of eating Chia?

Provides energy

Boosts strength

Bolsters endurance

Levels blood sugar

Induces weight loss

Aids intestinal regularity

Sugar Absorption
Chia slows the impact of sugars on the system, if eaten together. Chia gel creates a physical barrierbetween carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, which slows the conversion of carbs into sugar. That means the energy from the food is released steadily, resulting in more endurance. This is clearly of great benefit to diabetics in particular. It also means that I can combine chia with super-sweet tastes like apple juice and not get super-spiked ;)

Absorb and Retain Water
Due to the exceptional water-absorption quality of chia, it can help you prolong hydration and retainelectrolytes, especially during exertion.

Easy to Digest
Whole, water-soaked chia seeds are easily digested and absorbed. Their tiny dinosaur-egg-like shells break down quickly. They feel light in the body, yet energising. Their nutrients can be quickly assimilated into the body.

Intestinal Broom
Chia seeds bulk up, then work like an incredible digestive broom, sweeping through your intestinal tract, helping to dislodge and eliminate old accumulated waste in the intestines. Many people find their stools also become more regular once they eat chia.

Inexpensive
Chia is a very reasonably priced, concentrated food. Our 1lb bags cost $8. 1/3 cup of dry chia seeds (2 ounces) makes about 17 ounces of chia gel. This costs about $1. Depending on how much gel you use, those 17oz will likely last, on average, about four days. That is about 25cents a day.

Versatile
Chia can be used in so many kinds of recipes - savoury, sweet - it works with anything. You might want to try them in salad dressings, cookie mixtures, smoothies, crackers, ice creams, juices and so on.

Gluten-Free
Chia seed protein contains no gluten. This makes it ideal for anyone with a gluten sensitivity or simply wanting to find a replacement for gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, rye and oats.

My new fav drink

'Chia Fresca'
2 tsp chia seeds
10oz pure water
juice of one lemon or lime
agave syrup or raw honey to taste

You can buy chia seeds at any healthy food store (ie. berkeley bowl, whole foods, etc).

On another note I have fallen in LOVE with Broccoli sprouts. I have eaten sprouts my whole life but I just learned about how great broccoli sprouts are for you - not that surprising I guess since broccoli is the most nutritious veggie out there...no wonder it is so delicious and kids love it.

Sprouts are super easy to grow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-1V4vtV8Yo, this will work for any seeds to be sprouted - also highly entertaining because they are SOOOO enthusiastic and Australian) - basically they are the baby version of a plant - all you need to do is get a jar or container and punch holes in the top so it can breathe - wet your seeds and put them in the container in one layer and let them sprout for the next week while rinsing them daily - when they are ready you just eat them - YUM!

Benefits:

• Super high in anti-oxidants (one of the highest forms and super cheep) and Vitamin A. They are currently being advertised as one of the best forms of cancer prevention.
• High in Vitamin C and Calcium (way more than the original bean/seed)
• Also high in fiber and protein and low in Calories.

Here is how I like to enjoy sprouts: Like lettuce - on top of salads and sandwiches. Basically I throw them on any dish regardless, they add a yummy crunch and kick.

-spicy sprouts :radish

-sweet sprouts: beans and alfalfa

-hearty sprouts: broccoli

Kindly Killing Those Cravings for Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(vegan and gluten/soy free of course)

Here is a cookie you can feel great about eating - even for breakfast. They are chocked full of fiber, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

To make sure they were not too "crunchy" I made the boys I live with try them and they all said they passed the delicious test.

2 c oats

1 c brown rice flour OR Almond flour

1c coconut flour OR Flax Meal

2 tbsp baking soda

1 tsp celtic sea salt

1tbsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup agave nectar - can sub out for honey and or molasses

1/2 c coconut oil

chocolate chips (1 bag) - I used sun-spire vegan chips

Here is the fun part -

once the above is mixed add in

1/2 c apple sauce

1/2 c almond butter

9 servings protein powder (I used rice protein so I used about 1 c)

1/4 c flax and chia seeds (another reference for chia seeds and how to eat them)

Mix all of the above in a bowl (side note - these can be a little crumbly so you may need to add more "wet ingredients" such as almond butter, honey etc. if they are too we add more oats or flour.

Bake at 400 degrees until brown - about 15 min

Enjoy with Almond milk or water

Bagels

Chia and Sea Salt Bagels (Vegan and Gluten/Soy Free):

- 2 cups of flour: Pick your fav

*Sorghum flour

*Tapioca Flour

*Brown Rice Flour

*Almond Flour

*Oat Flour

-2 tsp honey/agave

-2 tsp molasses

-2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-1 yeast packet

-2 tsp xanthen gum

(you can also buy a mix like Pamela's products)

Mix all of the above and add 1 1/3 c warm water and 1/4 c olive oil - mix for 3 min and then roll into balls (this recipe made 12 small bagels or 7 reg sized). let rise for 1 hour in a warm place - like on the oven while it is pre-heating. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. after 1 hour put your thumb in the middle of each ball to create a hole. Boil the bagel for 30 sec and then roll in your fav topping like Chia seeds (shown) or celtic sea salt - you can also just sprinkle with your fav toppings - I also "painted" coconut oil on mine to get the seeds/salt to stick better - but the batter is pretty sticky so it should be fine. bake for 30 min

- side note - these are delicious, they passed the taste test by the rowers at my house - they are chewy and if you refrigerate them right after baking them they stay chewy - if you let them sit out and cool they will be more airy.

Super Bars

SUPER BARS : caution will make you row super fast

These bars are basically everything but the kitchen sink: I used a 8 1/2'' x5'' baking sheet and cut up into 9 bars, all with about 200 calories and 15 g of protein (from rice, chia, oats). When I make these I just use estimations - I use a whole thing of agave nectar and almond butter, throw in handfuls of oats, and just pour my protein powder in - I measured this time to give you specifics, but essentially you want the consistency of a cliff bar and if it is too dry you add agave or almond butter, if it is too wet you add protein powder and oats.

for 9 bars:

-1/2 c agave nectar/ or molases/honey (a wet sugar)

-1 1/2 c almond butter

-4 tbsp coconut oil

-9 servings of protein powder

-1/2 c dried fruit (I used "ends and pieces" from TJ's these are the left over pieces from the fiberful fruit and veggie bars - but you can use whatever you want, I also used dehydrated sour cherries)

-1 c oats

1/2 C mix: chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chocolate nibs/chips, coconut shavings

Throw everything into a bowl and mix until all ingredients are completely smooshed together and a "bar" like consistency - smoosh into the glass pan and then cut up into the size you want - store in the fridge or freezer if you are not going to eat right away.

snack attack!

This one goes out to the top of the Kinder Class - Thanks for the continual inspiration Lou!

Below are snacks for mid-day and life: They are focused on good fats, high protein, and complex carbs to keep you full longer and nutrient rich.

Snacks between 100-200 calories

Choose one or mix the following snackable fruits and veggies:

- Veggies: Celery/carrots/ bell pepper/ jicama/ cucumber sliced : broccoli/cauliflower floretes

- Apple/pear/grapes

Eat with : 1 tbsp almond butter, 4 tbsp hummus, Meso dip (1/2 tbsp meso, 1/2 tbsp tahini or almond butter, 1 tbsp honey), Beet hummus , creamy vegan "ricotta" dip, Vegan Ranch Dressing, Sesame Dip, Guac or Avocado Dip, or salsa. You can also use your favorite salad dressing or nut butter.

Use between 1/2 a fruit to a whole bell pepper - Obvi the more you use the more calories but to keep it between 100-200 use 1 tbsp nut butters/avocado and 4tbsp hummus's, as much salsa as you want, and 2 tbsp salad dressings. Great tiny Tupperware are awesome for the dips and ziploc sandwich baggies are great for the fruits/veggies (you can get all of this at Target)

-Protein Powder (whey, rice, pea, casin, egg) 100 cal = 18-20 g protein, and unsweetened almond milk (40 cal per 8 oz serving) in a shaker.

-Hard boiled eggs with salt and pepper and sliced apples or with the below mentioned crackers/bread

Snacks between 200-300 calories

-Turkey slices with one of the following:

• Cranberry sauce and lettuce- wrap a slice of turkey in the lettuce with cranberry sauce inside - you can get organic cranberry sauce from berkeley bowl or whole foods made with less to no sugar.
• Avocado and lettuce - again wrap in lettuce

-Canned tuna with 1 tbsp of each - lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar or mustard: add in one of : rellish/pickles/celery/cucumber/ kim chi/ sauerkraut/ capers - spice with Dill, Tumeric, Cayanne pepper, celtic sea salt and pepper. Eat with Celery, vegan-gluten free herb crackers, Cranberry almond loaf (gluten free), rosemary fig crackers (gluten free)

-Almonds or Walnuts and unfiltered-raw Honey ; just dip the nuts into the honey - I usually don't measure but to make it 200-300 cal you will want to use about 14-20 almonds/walnuts and a tbsp of honey.

-dried fruit/nut/seeds:

• Sprouted Seeds from Go Raw (whole foods or berkeley bowl)
• Sprouted Nuts (why sprouted? because it breaks down the cellulose wall to release more protein and nutrients)
• Mixes: GoHunza mixes are the best because they use super foods like gogi berries. Most dried fruit has sulfur and sugar added to preserve color and increase taste - both of these are bad and negate the value of the food - also dried fruit is not filling and lots of calories because they use large chunks which shrink to bite size pieces - it would be better to eat real fruit or limit it to super-fruits (gogi, mullberries, golden raisins, unsweetened cherries/blueberries) - you could also mix freeze-dried fruit with nuts that would be crunchy and good - freeze dried fruit is less calories and without the additives -still tasty

400-500 Calorie Snacks (perfect for meal replacement or post-workout breakfast)

-Gluten free bagel (sans milk - substitute the milk in the recipe for coconut milk or almond milk) with almond butter and honey/jam OR sunny side up egg and turkey breast OR Lox and Soy/Milk free Cashew Cream Cheese.

-1-2 slices Cranberry almond loaf with 1-2 tbsp almond butter, 1 sliced banana and 1 tbsp honey, sprinkle with cinnamon.

POST WORKOUT

-Berry Delicious Green Shake 350 cal:

• 1 frozen banana,
• 1 c frozen berries,
• 8 oz unsweetened almond milk,
• 1 c H2O,
• 1 scoop Protein Powder (your choice: whey, egg, casin, rice, hemp, pea)
• 1 scoop spirullina
• 1 tbsp flax seed oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar or honey if you want to sweeten it (OPTIONAL)

Granola bars:

makes a whole 9X18'' glass casserole dish - cut up into 2''x1'' for 200 cal (taking all of the below into account) -

• Oats : 2 cups
• Rice crisps (the cereal that you make rice crispies out of) 1 cup
• raisins/dried cherries/or Gogi berries OR chopped nuts of your choice (OPTIONAL)
• Date rolls (these are in the bulk bins at whole foods/berkeley bowl - it is a roll of date covered in coconut shavings with or without a slice of almond on top) about 10 rolls
• Almond butter (whole jar)
• Agave Nectar or RAW honey (1 cup)
• coconut oil (1 cup) OPTIONAL
• Chocolate chips/ coconut shavings/ carob chips etc. OPTIONAL - you can get grain or unsweetened which is best.
• Protein powder (10 servings)
• Hemp seeds/flax seeds 1 cup
• Spirullina (5 servings)

on the stove warm (not boil or over heat) coconut oil, almond butter, agave nectar, date bars.

in a dry large bowl mix : cereal, oats, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, protein powder, seeds, spirullina.

When stove top mix is fluid and warm add to the dry mix and mix completely. If the mix is too dry add more agave/honey/OR Almond butter. If the mix is too wet add more cereal/oats. You want the consistency to be like a bar. Place into the glass dish and put the in the fridge - keep in the fridge and cut into 9 servings which you can put in ziplock bags and take with you - in the fridge it will last about 2-3 weeks - outside the fridge it is good for about 2 days.

My FAVE bars to purchase

22 days - "it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, by the 22 day you have found the way" vegan, high protein bars (10-15g/bar - hemp/rice/pea protein). Omega fats. 250 calories a bar

Standard Processes - made 40/30/30; whey/egg protein. Coco crisp and coco cherry crisp are the highest protein. 200 calories a bar.

YouBar - design your own bar, cereal, shakes, and cookies - typically 180 cal per bar - can make high protein

NOTES and COMMENTS

• Pre-practice you want to eat mostly carbs 80% carbs, 20% protein and whatever fat just happens to be there - fat and fiber can upset your tummy before a practice because of the longer digestion and its laxative effect on you GI track. Therefore options for PRE practice should be carb rich - fruit with lower fiber - bananas and grapes. Yams are great pre practice food. A carb drink (check out anti-inflammatory page) - like fruit juice). Date rolls or just dates are great pre-practice. Coconut water. Oats/granola.
• Post-Practice you want to eat mostly protein and carbs - BUT you need fat! You need to get your body the nutrients it needs to re-build - for a practice less than 1 hour and a heart rate in steady state you do not need to eat anything - but if you do high intensity work or anything over 1 hour you need to eat protein, carbs, and fat after. All of the above snacks would work. You also need to eat this within 30 Min of getting out of the boat - as soon as you stop training the clock starts and the longer you wait - each min that goes by is a % of nutrient assimilation lost - so the sooner you eat the better. A super easy option is something like Chocolate milk but that is not dairy - like whey with coconut milk is ideal - you get the carbs, fat, protein.
• Snacks are great because you want to eat many small meals to keep your metabolism up and your blood sugar level - incorporate 1-4 of these snacks into your daily routine to help decrease weight and keep your physical well-being high.

in your face

Sometimes food on your face makes you hotter, this is one of those times.

our bodies largest organ is our skin - so why not feed it just as well as the rest of our bodies? Whatever we put on our skin is absorbed into our internal system.

Kakes and Sarah - you will appreciate these - also you should have Val add some of her fab recipes

To clean your face:

Sugar scrub for normal skin:

1/4c sugar

salicylic acid from willow bark (you can soak willow bark in alcohol, order from http://www.bulkactives.com/whitewillowbark.htm, or mash up 1 aspirin)

1/2 lemon - lemon juice

1/2 banana/ 1 tbsp honey/1/2 avocado/1 tbsp olive oil/1 tbsp vitamin E oil/ 1 egg yolk and or 1/2 c cream (base to hold everything together and add hydration.)

Toner:

1/2 c lavender or rose water

1 tsp almond or olive oil

12 drops grapefruit seed extract

Mask:

My fav masks are clay masks and you have to buy or go and find the clay you want to use - I used the Origins clear improvements clay mask.

hydrate!

after cleaning my face I use Zeno, murad, or Valmont to clear up spots

Then I use Vitamin E oil to re-hydrate or the Vitamin C renewal facial cream

Why it works:

Honey: a natural humectant, which means it is great at retaining moisture. Also honey is naturally anti-microbial because of the high concentration of sucrose which basically suffocates anything that tries to grow in it.

Sugar: the glycolic acid in sugar and its crystalline structure make it a great exfoliant

Olive oil/almond oil: full of antioxidants and vitamin E which help repair damage, prevent further damage, and moisturize skin.

Eggs: the protein in eggs make it a great repair for skin and hair.

Avocado: high in both vitamin C and E as well as healthy fats which moisturize your skin.

Resources:

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/animal-product/health-benefits-of-honey-and-cinnamon.html

http://www.healthy-skincare.com/food-for-skin.html

http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/beauty/facial-masks.html

Grilled Pizza - Ahoy!

mmmmmm - Grilled food is the best, lightly charred, crispy edged, soft center, full of flavor and juice. There is no cooking experience better than sitting outside and grilling up some delicious cuisine. So why stop at veggies? Why not grill everything?

This weekend we created the classic in the most delicious way - Grilled Pizza

We bought pre-made dough from Trader Joe's ($1 for each ball of dough which makes a 16'' pizza) OR ( make your own dough and gluten free dough)

We used slice serious for grilled pizza tips which include:

-Grill your dough first so that it is sorta cooked on one side, flip it

- Then add your cheese FIRST - because there is no top source of heat if your cheese is the last thing you put on you will end up with not-melted cheese. We used a new non-dairy non-soy cheese alternative we found at Whole foods; daiya.

However, Spencer pre-made his pizza like you would for the oven with the cheese on-top and super thick crust and it turned out melted and cooked through so - it will work both ways. We stayed with the tips from slice serious and ours turned out deliciouso as well.

We grilled all of our toppings (eggplant, zucchini, and purple onion) first and then chopped them up into small slices. We made:

• margarita pizza with just heirloom tomatoes, fake cheese, and basil.
• salsa pizza: salsa and cheese - delicious and spicy - next time will try with guac
• veggie pizza: cheese, sauce, eggplant, zucchini, onion
• Calzone without and with sauce - with sauce, way better - smaller the calzone the better it holds together - cheese, veggies, sauce
• protein pizza - veggies with tempeh

Pizza's I want to try in the future - Almond butter and Jam pizza, s'mores pizza (marsh-mallo and chocolate), pesto and BBQ sauced pizza, Corn crust pizza.

I know that I am a walking contradiction by eating wheat -

• one of the biggest issues I have had a hard time with is gluten and wheat products. Wheat has been shown to create thyroid problems, IBS, block mineral and vitamin absorption, headaches, tiredness, obesity, bloating, diabetes, asthma, eczema, and tooth decay, among others ***. Since I started being vegan and then especially in the paleo diet - basically starting 5 years ago, I stopped eating wheat and gluten products (oats with gluten, barley, rye). Occasionally they will sneak back onto my plate and sometimes with beneficial and sometimes with adverse reactions. Wheat and gluten like everything else is ok in MODERATION - the problem is that like Soy we eat it in everything and with everything and therefore have created diseases and allergies because of the concentration of exposure. Sadly it has become socially stigmatized in such a way that there is no way to limit it without abstaining from it - it is too engrossed in our palate and our society to just choose to live mostly without it. You either have to have an acceptable reason, like an allergy, to avoid it or accept your fate and eat it with everything. In direct contradiction is my mom, who calls herself a flex-a-terian, she eats only what she feels like eating whenever she feels like it, fortunately she is surrounded by friends who understand her inconsistent picky-ness and love her individuality. I on the other hand have for the past 5 years basically removed gluten, with occasional bouts of gluten consumption - I take the stomach and head aches I get when I eat it as the consequence of years of wheat abuse. I just make a conscious and social effort to avoid it whenever possible. The most important thing we can do with food, especially staples like gluten grains is accept that not everyone wants to eat it all the time. Just because you ate it tonight does not mean that you want to eat it a lot or every day.

Tempeh and Veggie Curry

Curry!

Curry is a generic western noun to describe a variety of indian spices which create a golden, red, and green sauce of varying capsaicin intensities for a stew. The fundamental curry spices are Tumeric and black mustard seed. My favorite combination of curry ingredients are: cardamom, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, chillies, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, mustard, garlic, fennel, and black pepper

To make this curry I purchased a Curry spice blend from the grocery store which included - tumeric, cumin, fenugreek, cloves, coriander, fennel, and pepper. I then made the rest of the sauce with grated ginger, chopped purple onion (1), chopped jalepeno peppers (2), clove of garlic diced, 2 limes juiced, celtic sea salt, fresh basil, coconut oil (3tbsp) - all of the spice ingredients are shown in the Wok to the left - I sautéed these ingredients until the onions were translucent.

The veggies I used for this curry were; baby red and yellow bell peppers sliced, head of broccoli chopped into florets, green beans, 1 large zucchini sliced, 1 head of purple kale - At the bottom of the veggie pic you will see a block of tempeh cut up. I added all of these materials to the sauce above then added a CAN (12 oz) of lite coconut milk - the reason I used LITE coconut milk is because I used coconut oil to saute the spices and then the amount of coconut and therefore saturated fat at the end of the meal is about the same as if I had used regular coconut milk - so you could use either but I like cooking my sauce before adding my veggies - It creates a flavor that is not watered down by the mass of vegetables. When you add the veggies they are ready to absorb the mature flavor.

I also put brown rice and lentils and 3 tbsp hemp seeds in the rice cooker with some hot sauce and chinese 5 spice and oregano - This is another complete protein to complete the dish.

We ate the curry on the sweet and sour salad and rice/lentils with Mango Chutney and Nutritional Yeast.

Shopping list for curry:

-Spices (either buy a pre-mixed spice jar or get Tumeric and Cumin and Pepper)

-Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Peppers

- Coconut oil and LITE coconut Milk or Coconut Milk

-Whatever veggies you want to cook

-Whatever meat/tempeh you want as protein

create sauce - cook veggies and meat/tempeh in sauce - serve

This meal brings up the topic of SOY:

Our culture has become super dependent on Soy, (more than any asian culture currently or historically) - from obvious edibles; tofu, soy milk, fake dairy and meat made of soy, soy sauce, etc. to functionalities such as ethanol. But we also feed soy to all of our conventional meat sources (which is another whole bag of worms creating cancer and obesity) and use it for numerous additives in all of our food (ie. Soy lecithin).

The problem is that soy is a perpetually unresolved controversy - mostly that's what a controversy is. Soy has become a negative edible because of the amount of processing it takes to produce all of the dietary alternatives and all the GMO soy used - Tofu, soy meat, soy cheese, soy milk - all of this is processed and pumped with chemicals to preserve it's state for a long period of time. Another problem with our soy consumption is the amount. Like with anything - MODERATION is key. But today Soy has infiltrated the market in every form so that you are eating soy in every meal, this concentration of soy extracts cause problems in estrogen levels, brain function, cancer cells, thyroid function and therefore fat storage. As you will see if you begin to open the soy box is that no-one can agree on whether soy is actually positively good or bad for you. There are equally reputable and respectable opinions on both sides of the fence. The best argued report on soy's pro/cons is that by Vegfamily and Sally Fallon/Mary Enig/Mike Fitzpatrick PhD. However, what everyone can agree on is that fermented soy in MODERATION is the best source of soy benefits and protein. Fermented soy includes Tempeh, meso, Natto, and Tamari (fermented soy sauce).

All I know (besides what I have read which scares away any desire I ever had to eat soy) is that my experience with unfermented soy has been bad for me and for my body fat % so I stay away from all unfermented soy products which is why I used Tempeh instead of Tofu in this Curry.

Other names for soy:
• Edamame
• Kinako
• Kouridofu
• Mono-diglyceride
• Natto
• Nimame
• Okara
• Soya, soja, soybean
• Soy protein (isolate/concentrate)
• Tempeh
• Textured soy flour (TSF)
• Textured soy protein (TSP)
• Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• Tofu (soybean curds)
• Yuba

Veggie Omelet with Baked Sweet Potatoes

I made this months ago for my mom for breakfast. My mom is not really a breakfast person, but this omelet convinced her that breakfast food is the best there is - even if you are eating it for brunner (breakfast at dinner) which is what happened - I love brunner....and brunch for that matter.

Anyway - this is a perfect Paleo recovery food or sunday meal because it balances all the essential things: protein, fats, and carbs. I cooked this in Ghee (which is clarified butter and super good for you... you can substitute coconut oil or olive oil)

-Baked yams/sweet potatoes (3 yams total): side-note yams are really sweet potatoes but have been called yams to nominally identify them as something different from sweet potatoes. what you need are the "yams" that have a gold/orange pulp/center

dice yams into bite size pieces, throw into a bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil, freshly chopped sage, garlic, oregano, and basil. Sprinkle with celtic sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 min or until edges are brown and center is soft.

- omelet (for an individual)

-2 eggs (beat in a seperate bowl) and hold on the side

- warm a small non-stick pan with ghee and add celtic sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and diced white onion (about 1/8th of a large onion) until onion is translucent. Add in whatever veggies you want in your omelet - I used spinach, mushroom, and sun-dried tomatoes. Saute veggies until cooked then place in a plate on the side of the stove - place more ghee in pan and pour in eggs, let the eggs cook without messing with them until you can tell the side touching the pan is cooked through. Add veggies to the top of the eggs and then fold the eggs over the veggies. cook for about 1 min and then slide onto a plate.

-top with freshly diced cherry tomatoes or salsa and surround with baked yams

Spicy Local Salsa

So we went to this super cute farm stand in the Ghetto the other day...well I guess it is an up and coming area because of all the hipsters moving to the area...this is besides the point - anyway we went there and got all of these amazing and delicious local mats (aka - ingredients, short for materials) and made some dank salsa - this is best enjoyed the day after it is made, we realized the next day, because the juices need to party. I think salsa is great on everything and a perfect addition to any meal. This salsa made about 6 cups of yummy-ness and was consumed by 8 rowers in about 10 min. Warning: may be addictive.

Mats: just dice and combine all

-5 large heirloom tomatoes

-3 large roasted bell peppers (roast by rolling in a grate over a open flame)

-3 large roasted chili peppers

-4 jalepeno peppers

-1 large white onion

-1 garlic clove (crushed)

-1 bunch cilantro

-4 tbsps red wine vinegar

-4 tbsp olive oil

-3 pinches celtic sea salt

(note- we did not have lime/lemon juice but you should add 2 limes to this we decided later)

let sit in fridge overnight and then enjoy!

p.s. you can also not wait if you have no patients like me - it just gets better and more flavorful with time.

High Protein Vegan Gluten free Pancakes

The other sunday I made a super recovery breakfast which was completely vegan.

pancakes with granola and rice/hemp protein, topped with cranberry applesauce, maple syrup, and fresh fruit. I just bought the cranberry applesauce but this fall I will make some and post a recipe for it. The Maple Syrup is from VT. For the fruit salad just pick 4-5 of your favorite fruits and dice them into bite size pieces and enjoy. Our fruit salad included: Mango (My FAVE!), grapefruit, pear, plum

Protein Granola Pancakes: Makes about 6 pancakes

¼ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

2 servings of rice protein powder and 1 serving of hemp protein powder (40g protein total for batch)

1cup almond milk

1 cup strawberry hemp granola (recipe will be posted soon)

--(You can also buy gluten free pancake mix) ---

mix all the above in a bowl - mix should be chunky because of the granola, but the consistency of regular pancake mix

heat coconut oil in a frying pan

cook pancakes

place pancakes on plate, top with favorite toppings and enjoy

Sweet and Sour Salad

This is a super delicious side salad that I made with "sauerkraut carrots" fresh corn, spinach, baby green mix, and a white onion. It is great as a base for whatever else you are eating for dinner as it adds a little sweet and sour

feeds about 4 athletes

Ingredients:

-baby spinach

-baby green mix

- 2 cobs of corn

-broccoli sprouts

-1 white onion

-ginger/carrot sauerkraut (http://www.wonderfulingredients.com/ginger-carrot-ferment)

Mix the greens together and toss in broccoli sprouts and sauerkraut (I used 4 fork-fulls, I also bought some from Whole foods and it was super good, so if you cannot make some you can buy it). With a knife slice down the fresh raw corn and toss it in the salad. Dice up the onion into small bites and toss it in. I did not use any dressing because I put it in my other food (ie. rice and lentils) or just enjoy the toppings as the flavor - however, if you want a dressing use the Apple cider dressing: mix the following in a separate bowl and then apply to salad

-1 lemon, squeezed

-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 pinches salt and pepper

-tsp raw honey (if you want it to be a little sweet) (optional)

Green Sandwich

Protein Loaf: (altered from http://www.elanaspantry.com/cranberry-almond-loaf/)

¾ cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup apple sauce

1 cup almond meal flour

1 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds

protein powder (I usually put in 3-4 servings)

Mix all the ingredients

1. Grease a 3 ½ x 7 ½ x 2 ¼ inch loaf pan with olive oil and dust with almond flour
2. Pour batter into loaf pan
3. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted into center comes out clean
4. Let bread cool in pan for 1 hour, then serve

SANDWICHES

-protein loaf

-Avocado (1)

-Dulse (handful)

-Spirulina (tbsp)

Slice bread for sandwiches

mash avocados in a separate bowl, add in spirulina

spread avocado on both sides of bread

place dulse ontop of avocado, and then close sandwich with other side of loaf

Eat