Avocado Fruit Shake

Week 2 of cleanse and I've already fallen off the wagon. After 7 days of juicing/eating raw 2 out of 3 meals, I was really hungry by Day 7. I splurged by enjoying Thai food for dinner. That and long days working at the hospital without seeing the sun made it inconvenient to eat fresh fruit and salads this past week. It sort of spiraled me into my old diet which wasn't unhealthy, but you know, I wanted to stick to the cleanse.

So, today, May 8th, I'm back on it. Hopefully, I'll make it past a week this time. Only three more weeks of my "day job"... after that I should have no problem eating fresh and raw frequently.

Besides my post-workout smoothie of banana, spinach, and unsweetened soymilk, I finally had a chance to use up my ripe avocados for a shake. I wanted to sip on something all day until our dinner party tonight. (I'm bringing supplies to make your own brownie fudge sundaes with coconut ice creams, homemade brownies & hot fudge, and my special candied walnuts.)

Here are the ingredients for my avocado shake:

1 ripe organic avocado
1 organic lime
1/2 large organic cucumber
1/2 cup frozen or fresh organic blueberries or any fruit you like

Directions:

• Blend the avocado, lime juice, and cucumber (skinned, but included seeds) together until it becomes a creamy smoothie.
  
• Add water or coconut water to desired consistency.
• Pour into glass(es).
• Clean out Vitamixer and add blueberries with some water or coconut water.
• Add the blueberry puree to the avocado shake, and gently stir with a spoon until blueberries emerge throughout.
  

Need a Mother's Day Gift?

Found this at Essene market at 4th and Bainbridge for my mom. A potted herb plant with locally grown organic herbs. The tag says it's made by Stephen's Plants and Edible Herbs. Herbs included are basil, dill, Egyption onion, lavender, oregano, and rosemary. (Price: $25)

I want one for myself! Contact stephenpickering@comcast.net for your own herb basket.

First Attempt: Ice Cream

My other favorite food group (besides dumplings and ramen) is ICE CREAM! I tried making ice cream once before and it failed miserably. It was terribly crystallized from the lack of cream. With a new Vitamixer in hand, I decided to give it another shot.

Result: a little too thick! Fearing it would be too "icey", I didn't add additional nut or coconut milk. I will next time. It could've used some because the ice cream came out a bit thick from the mix of raw cashews and coconut meat. However, It's kicking major butt as a milkshake. The flavor is perfect and it's as creamy as cream!

Ingredients:

3 cups organic raw cashews
2 cups of green tea
1 box of organic creamed coconut (Let's Do Organic makes a great version)
1 cup of organic grade B maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 T. organic unsweetened vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
1 T. organic peppermint extract
1.5 bars of Endangered Species Deep Forrest Mint Chocolate, finely chopped to create flecks in ice cream

Directions:

• Soak raw cashews in water overnight. Enough water to barely cover cashews. (Don't let this sit for more than a day or mold will come a trampling.)
  
• Cream cashews 1 cup at a time in Vitamixer or blender.
  
• Add 2 cups of brewed green tea instead of water for added nutritional benefits. Liquid here helps cream the cashews to a smooth consistency. If you don't want to bother with tea, feel free to use water or milk substitute. You can't taste the green tea in the end anyway. It was just handy!
  
• Throw a box of creamed coconut into the Vitamixer and blend until smooth.
  
• Add sea salt, vanilla and peppermint extract. You may also use fresh mint instead, but I didn't have any on hand at the time. Plus, I prefer the taste of peppermint over regular mint for ice cream. I bet the local farmer's market has peppermint mint... will check it out.
  
• Finely chop 1.5 bars (or more if desired) of a mint chocolate bar. I like Endangered Species because it uses unrefined beet sugar and not much sugar compared to other bars, as well as donating to wildlife. I find their chocolate less sweet in general.
  
• Add chopped chocolate to Vitamixer and pulse a few times. Be careful not to blend all the chocolate into the cream.
• Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacture's instructions.
  

I left this in the freezer overnight and the ice cream turned into rock. I took the ice cream container and moved it to the fridge to thaw. A day later, it was a creamy soft serve, which is my favorite form of ice cream. Wish I could make some swirls with it. It's a good start, but not perfect yet. I'll make some adjustments and try again soon.

What are your tricks to making creamy vegan ice cream?

Green Juice #2 turned into Spinach-Blackberry-Mango Smoothie

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

Day 2 of Cleanse

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?

N. 5th Street Soft Tofu

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.

Rickshaw Dumplings

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.

Spring Cleaning

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 spinach
3 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!

Los Angeles TwentyTen

Sweet T treated me to one of my favorite cities for my 32nd birthday: LA. I was able to try a few new veg-friendly places and here's the list:

Veggie Grill (El Segundo)- a quick and easy place to grab a light meal. I tried the "Carne Asada" without the bun. Portions are rather light for the price when I added on sweet potato fries, but I think this is normal for West Coast. If you want to eat a lean, light meal, you pay a premium. And many people are willing to pay. This place was packed on a Thursday afternoon.

Sprinkles Cupcakes (Beverly Hills)- had to try their new vegan version: red velvet. I can't say I'm a fan because it was rather oily as a cake and as a frosting, but the moistness was impressive. If you're not used to eating cane sugar, you might find this too sweet like I did. The "V" candy top is great touch, but it tasted rather pasty and bland. Always glad to see vegan options, thanks Sprinkles.

Seed (Venice)- organic, macro, and vegan? Sign me up. I regret not trying the burger which is what they're famed for, but they served the best sweet potato fries I've had yet. Crispy, just the right saltiness, and plentiful. Doesn't hurt that it's served in a Chinese takeout box, which I love. I had the "House Greens Salad" because it came highly recommended, but found it too light to be satisfying by itself. Eaten with the fries, it was a good meal. Seed also served water gratis that was infused with cucumber, mint, and lemons that was as refreshing as it sounds. Again, we thought the meal was rather pricey for the portion and casualness, but I think if we were used to living out here we wouldn't be sticker shocked!

(I was having so much fun I forgot to photograph meals for the next three restaurants.)

Real Food Daily (Santa Monica)- I know I was disappointed with RFD during my November trip, but I was wrong! I didn't know dinners here were so much better. The portion sizes were abundant and you could easily go home with leftovers for lunch. I loved the "Cold Noodle Salad" with perfectly chewy green soba and crunchy vegetables. Our friends had the "Gumbo" which was a huge stew with whole grains, tempeh, and a corn muffin in case that wasn't enough. I'm still not convinced of their desserts, but their meals are worth trying whether you're a veg eater or not.

Inaka (La Brea)- this was a great surprise (thanks Erik)! A macro Japanese restaurant that served up the heartiest hot pots. Definitely check it out. The decor is minimalist and the food is simple, and you won't leave feeling overly stuffed.

BCD Tofu House (Koreatown)- this was a desperate stop for dinner while stuck in traffic. I was happily surprised to find vegan tofu soon dobu filled with mushrooms and other veggies. I asked for very spicy and cried for the first time in my life from the spiciness. My mouth also went numb. Don't get cocky like me.

The Stand (Laguna Beach)- this was my favorite surprise, thanks to T. A vegan stand where the menu is so huge you get cross-eyed. If you're a soup lover, come here. They have about 10 varieties of vegan soups and let you taste test every one. I also love their soft serve fruit that is simply fruit pushed through a juicer. Think ripe bananas as soft serve ice cream.

Didn't have time to check out Gjelina (Abbot Kinney) and Interim (Santa Monica) which were also on my list... next time!

Banff Part II: The List of Restaurants

Here's a list of the restaurants we tried in Banff. The only place I'd highly recommend for vegans is Masala.

Bison Restaurant is local and mostly organic, but it was extremely expensive for mediocre flavors and small portions. I had two slices of tofu, a small pile of soba noodles and a savory tofu pudding... for $28. Yikes!

Elk & Oarsmen is bar food that serves inexpensive eats. I loved the sweet potato fries which were crisp, yet barely salted, and a refreshing salad.

Timbers the only vegan item available for dinner were the best fried zucchini I've ever had, although for omnivores you're in luck with reasonable prices and solid quality of menu items.

Balkan was a fabulously fun Thursday night with belly dancing and the charming manager as MC, however vegan food was super unthrilling (white hummus, white eggplant mush, white pita) and pricey ($17 for 3 small scoops of the above).

Miki has all you can eat sushi-tempura-teriyaki for $25. The fish isn't the highest grade as I was told, but the veg sushi was fresh with minimal rice. Just the way I like it.

Wildflour is the place to go for delicious sandwiches, soups, and freshly baked bread. The vegan desserts look like the kind of vegan stuff we had in the States 10 years ago (aka cardboardy and plain), but the sandwiches are fantastically fresh, satisfying, and made to order.

Ahhh, Masala, was the only tried and true place I could eat hearty and well. Too dark to take photos, but each of their vegetable curries were distinct and plentiful. I had to stay away from the rice glistening with ghee, however the breads were a nice contrast to the spicy flavors.

Wintery Banff Part I

We traveled to Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks in Alberta and British Columbia this past winter holiday, and let me tell you, it was not easy eating vegan in bear country. For some reason, I thought National Parks = outdoorsy people = healthy eats. I'm here to tell you that they are proud of their wild west roots, so don't go in expecting West Coast flava!

That said, if you're vegetarian, you'll have no problem. The word "vegan" just hasn't caught on yet.

Not being interested in the $50/per person buffet at the hotel, we thought... where do all the Jews eat today? Of course, Chinatown! We pigged out at Silver Dragon and literally paid for it. Dim sum cost $90 for two. Yowza! The buffet would have been a better deal.

There were only two veg items on the dim sum cart: fried sesame balls filled with lotus paste and steamed bamboo skin with random Asian veggies. Verdict: the sesame balls tasted like any other place I've tried and the random veggies wrapped in wrinkly skin was gooey and bland.

Unsatisfied, I added one of my most beloved Asian greens: snow pea leaves, which I inhaled and nearly forgot to photograph. The greens were sweet and fresh. I also ordered an egg roll type thing wrapped in tofu skin which was delicious and light. The skin was nicely pan fried and filled with sweet cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots. Lastly, the shocker was the dumplings the size of fists. Filled with the usual assortment of cabbage and mushroom, similar to the previously mentioned dish, the skin was of a surprising medium thickness for such large parcels. It was mediocre at the time, but made a satisfying road snack on the way to Banff.

I always jump at the chance for dim sum, but this place was over-priced and under-delivered. Nonetheless, I look forward to spending next Christmas at another dim sum table!