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Posting a week later because the masticating juicer, although magnificent, takes a bit of time to use. I'm not sure if I want to keep the machine. It seems great for fruit soft serves and making pasta, but I don't have much time to get ready in the mornings (would rather be sleeping), and the masticater doesn't deliver quick juices.
I caved yesterday and bought a Vita-Mixer at Wholefoods where the Vita-Mix guy sold me with an extended warranty and discounted dry blade, neither offered online. Not having to wait for it to be shipped didn't hurt. I already knew what this machine could do, I've been wanting one for 5 years, but couldn't justify spending that much on a blender.
Well, now I have professional reasons to invest in one. It makes creaming nuts and creating raw desserts so much easier and with consistent results. At least that's what I told myself. It will definitely make sticking to my raw/cleanse project much easier!
I started making another green juice in the masticater and it was great with the spinach leaves. I could see dry, fibrous spinach pulp coming out of one orifice and a vibrant green juice coming out of another. It clogged when I threw in juicy chunks of pineapple. Note: not good with watery fruits. I transferred the juicy mess into the Vitamixer and threw in a bunch of other random citrus and fruits leftover in the fridge. The combo of sweet fruits and tangy citrus is a match made in heaven. Love, love, love!
Ingredients:
1 cup of organic spinach
1 cup of organic pineapple
1 cup of organic frozen blackberries
1 small organic mango
6 organic key limes
3 organic Meyer lemons
I must be motivated because I woke up earlier to make this drink and to post this for Day 2.
I bought greens last night for today's Green Juice #2, but not really in the mood for veggies at 8am. Decided to make another dumpster drink (whatever I could find in the fridge got thrown in).
Ingredients: (sorry, no precise measurements this morning because I'm running late for work.)
1 pint organic pink grapefruit
1 pint organic papaya
1 organic lime
1 cup of coconut water
- First, pulverize the grapefruit which creates a great deal of liquid and helps blend the remaining ingredients together.
- Squeeze limes into grapefruit liquid. I prefer limes over lemons for flavor and lack of seeds.
- Blend the papaya. Papayas are starchy, so the smoothie becomes rather thick at this point.
- Add coconut water (or filtered water) to your liking to dilute.
This tastes much better than yesterday's Green Juice. It's actually good enough to sell in a juice bar. It was like a lime-ade with papaya. Didn't even notice the grapefruit, it balanced the sweet papayas well. I love lime juice with fruit because it reminds me of Mexico. I promise to make Green Juice #2 after work and before Fusion because I want that chlorophyll. Anyone know how much chlorophyll you need to ingest/day to start making a difference?
My latest favorite Korean eatery is Jong Ka Jib Soft Tofu Restaurant in North Philly. The staff barely speaks English nor do you see many non-Koreans. The interiors are also wonderfully nostalgic of traditional tea houses.
The menu is rather small, which usually means authentic to me. You have a choice of soft tofu stews or korean bbq (no bbq at the table). Prices are very affordable (around $10 or less) with generous portions. The beginning array of little dishes isn't that impressive, but their mushroom tofu stew and stone bowl bibimbap are more flavorful and satisfying than Center City or South Jersey counterparts. There was a variety of Asian mushrooms: oyster, shiitake, and enoki with silken tofu. The bibimbap had a lovely mixture of dark greens, more mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, and sliced nori among other veggies. I only wish they had multi-grain rice as an option, but that's just me.
I ate here often during this past frigid winter. Thanks Jong Ka Jib for keeping my belly warm and happy.
Anyone who knows me knows I have an obsession with dumplings. I was always thrilled to come home from school and find my mom wrapping a gazillion wontons for that evening's dinner. Images of a heaping pile of baby bok choy and a cauldron of broth waiting to bring it all together brings back warm memories. When it was almost time for dinner, my Mom would ask each of us how many we wanted. My Dad: around 50, my older brothers- not far behind, me- about 35. I also remember wanting to eat more, but controlling myself. I couldn't get out of shape for field hockey season! I was in 8th grade. That's the last time I ate my Mom's dumplings before going veg. If there's ever a vegan dumpling entry in a dumpling contest, let me know. I'm so in!
Besides my Pure Sweets project, I've dreamed of opening a DJ'd-dumpling lunch truck. Why stand in line when you can dance while you wait?! Plus, anything resembling street food is my kind of cuisine.
When I read about Rickshaw Dumplings a year ago, I was beyond ecstatic. I can see how someone else is working out a similar concept. Love their brand (and songs on the website "Close to Me" and "If I Ever Feel Better".)
A few weekends ago, I made a detour to their 61 West 23rd locale. It was pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon. The space was long, narrow, and minimalist. The staff were super sweet and accommodating. I had one option: the edamame whole-wheat dumpling. I ordered 6.
Presentation was simple and clean. Their logo is great: memorable and to the point. Only problem with the presentation was that the dumplings needed a layer of parchment or lettuce from sticking to the paper dish. I inevitably ate some cardboard or lost part of the skin to the dish.
For me, I enjoy a dumpling that's enclosed in a thin wrapper. I don't want to be reminded of what a carb-fest dumplings are, the less of a wrapper, the better. Rickshaw's whole-wheat dumpling skin had a wonderful elasticity and just the right amount of thickness.
I'm sorry Rickshaw, but the filling was a let down. I really wanted to love it, because I love what you're doing. It consisted of mashed edamame similar to hummus with a few whole pieces of edamame. Not much flavor. I look forward to some garlic, ginger, green onions, the usual suspects. A difference in texture would've been welcomed, too. I still have hope for you. Please come up with more veg varieties. (I'm also a fan of the catchy t-shirts! Got some for my family.)
In the meantime, I'll be working on my own dumpling recipes with the help of Andrea Nguyen. Her blog, Asian Dumping Tips, and gorgeous book, Asian Dumplings, is my bible for all (edible) things wrapped.
I eat what I crave, and my cravings have been leaning towards lighter foods as temperatures are warming in Philadelphia. Another reason I love spring and summer (and sunny destinations).
One of my favorite vacation spots is Tulum, Mexico where I drink fruit smoothies and coconut water by day and eat fresh veggies and legumes by night. Eating light is so easy in warm climates, the body doesn't really feel hungry in the heat (mine prefers to stay hydrated) and the last thing I want is to feel heavier in humid climates.
Back in everyday life, raw has been an elusive concept for me because let's face it, tasty and healthy vegan isn't convenient in this town, let alone raw. With the addition of long days, I'm not really in the mood to cook at 9pm. I just want to eat dinner! Until I can afford a personal chef, I need to get with the program. I know eating less starchy meals would do me so much good- been feeling weighed down by many nights of restaurant food. Time for a cleanse.
I'm starting the transition today. I have no expectations of how raw I'll go or for how long. I'll let my body decide and listen accordingly. Here's my first green juice. There are many variations; this is my mash up of what's available in the fridge today. My masticater hasn't arrived yet, so everything is going in the blender. It was still very light and refreshing. As long as I didn't use any starchy fruits, the drink came out light.
The end product looked a tad putrid in color after I added the wild blueberries. So no image of the final juice. The green from the veggies was a spectacular deep and bright green. The chlorophyll was calling my name! There are so many green juice recipes. Some add vanilla and sweeteners, which I've omitted. Personally, I like to keep sweetness to a minimum and saved only for dessert. I don't want to train my taste buds to crave sweets any more than it already does. Feel free to do as you like.
Green Juice #1
Ingredients:
8 oz organic wild frozen blueberries
5 oz organic baby spinach3 oz organic lemon juice (used Meyer lemons today)2 oz organic cucumber (kept the skin, removed seeds)1 oz organic petite pak choi microgreens
2 cups of filtered water
Directions:
- I blended the spinach with enough water to cover the greens. Blend in small batches and until all leaves are pulverized. I only used about 2 cups of water.
- I added freshly squeezed lemon juice (seeds removed).
- Cut up some cucumber, removed seeds, kept the skin, and threw it in.
- Threw in the microgreens and pulsed.
- Added blueberries for extra antioxidants and minimal sweetness to off-set the bitterness of the greens.
- Results in about 30 oz of green juice. Enough for you and a lucky mate.
Have fun experimenting! If you have favorite combos I should try, please let me know!
