My Rawgust Experience... and Raw Avo & Tomato 'Toast'

'Rawgust' is over and we are rolling swiftly into September!

I thought I'd take a moment on this sunny Sunday morning to reflect on a few thoughts of my 'raw food' experience. As I mentioned in my previous post I didn't maintain a 100% raw diet, it was more like 85% as my view was to see it as an exploration and open my mind to new recipes and ideas, rather than a restriction which I may have felt had I been super strict.

>>> NOTE: see my previous post for tips and meal inspiration

This decision to go 'high raw' rather than fully raw was partly based on the fact I had a few family commitments and events I knew I would be attending which would have made life difficult. I decided that a 'high raw diet' would allow me to appreciate most of the benefits and enable me to broaden my raw food repertoire without it feeling pressured or frustrated.

Overall I really enjoyed the month, initially I did miss big hot bowls of porridge (yes, I still eat porridge in the summertime!) and I really missed beans and lentils- such a staple in my everyday diet.

That being said, I really threw myself into creating some amazing salads and lots of raw dressings and dips to go with them. For me, a good dressing can turn any salad from average to amazing :-) 

This is definitely something I'll be continuing, as I'd like to aim for at least 50% raw ongoing- basically, i'll be incorporating a smoothie and a big salad every day- pretty easy, right!

I'll post a recipe round up of loads of sauces, dressing and dips from my vegan community in a separate post- hopefully, there'll be lots to inspire you too!

My boyfriend, who took the challenge along with me- who also reminded me that it was his idea in the first place (credit where it's due!!) has, for the time being, decided to maintain a 75-80% raw diet, so we'll still be eating a lot of raw meals together. 

My downfall (if anything) was eating too many Bliss Balls, ha ha. I often get carried away anyway when I make them, but during Rawgust I fell into the trap of having even more excuse to indulge.

Bliss balls... soooo tempting!!

Many people I know who eat raw, typically follow a high-fruit diet. This is something I have never felt really suits me. When I've experimented with an 801010 (80% carbs, 10% fat 10% protein) style diet in the past I ended up feeling incredibly bloated with the ratio of fruit. I feel I need to incorporate more fats. Maybe that was why one of my favourite meals last month was avocado and tomato on dehydrated flax crackers.

That said, my digestion was, for the most part, really great this last month, even though I have had some tough personal challenges to content with (stress usually impacts my bowels- sorry TMI!) My tummy felt flat and I have lost a little weight. Maybe that's down to the lack of legumes and/or grains... who knows? It will be interesting to see what happens as I add them back.

I'm also not convinced that a fully raw diet is particularly suited to our UK climate during the colder winter months. I know the idea of a nourishing warm meal really soothes me and the abundance root vegetables help ground me. I wouldn't want to forgo soups and stews indefinitely regardless of any nutritional science. 

I know there are ways to create 'warmth' in the body whilst consuming raw foods by using ginger and other warming spices to 'fire up' the body, but nothing compares to a big bowl of soup in my opinion! :-) 

I also query the environmental angle. I like the idea of aiming to eat more seasonally and locally, (although i'll make it clear I'm not perfect at this by any means), so feasting on tropical fruits shipped from far overseas during our cold winter months, doesn't quite sit right with me. I want to enjoy our abundance of winter vegetable roots and brassicas from the ground during this time.

One final point of interest... I was scanning through all my old health and wellness magazines, as part of my declutter ahead of moving house in a couple of weeks and I found various articles on Ayurveda. I am definitely a Vata Dosha and interestingly one of the things it advised 'Vata's' against was to consume raw foods... how interesting!

I have not looked deeply into the reasoning behind this (but now I am curious to know more), but it did remind me that there is never a 'one size fits all approach' when it comes to food, and that we all need to be intuitive eaters when it comes to what we feel our bodies need.  

As an example, I would never directly advise others to eat animal products BUT I do appreciate that we each need to find out own way and tune into what really works for us away from societies expectation and the pressure from the media and those around us.

Most of all, I believe we need to become more curious, more self-aware, more confident and relaxed around food.

Short terms 'Detoxes' and Challenges' (such as Rawgust) create the perfect opportunity for shaking things up, trying new things, re-setting our bodies systems, checking in with any symptoms that might be showing up and reflecting on what we really need deep down.

To break the pattern of the autopilot mode that so many of us function on day to day when it comes to food and lifestyle.

So on that note, I am going to leave you with the recipe for my favourite avocado and tomato salad on raw flax crackers.... ridiculously simple, and definitely one I'll keep on weekly repeat.

I'd love to continue this conversation...

Have you tried a raw diet? Maybe you loosely follow a raw-till-4 approach? Or something else... I'd love to hear your own thoughts, experiences and results. 

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Recipe: Raw Avo & Tomato 'Toast'

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado

• A large handful of cherry tomatoes

• Dehydrated flax crackers (quantity to suit appetite!)

• Fresh basil

• Salt and pepper

• Sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional)

• Salad leaves (optional)

Flax Cracker Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

• 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight

• 1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight

• 1 stick of celery, roughly chopped

• 1 red onion, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (including the oil)

• 1 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1-2 tsp mixed dried herbs (or other herbs/spices to suit)

• a few tbs water to create the right consistency (add gradually)

Method for the flax crackers:

Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor, until thick and sticky, adding a little water add needed (I used approx 1/3 of a cup)

Spread the mix to a 0.5 cm thickness over teflex dehydrator sheets. 

Dehydrate at 45C for approx 10 hours, turn over and place onto mesh sheets and return to the dehydrator for another 4 hours. 

Cut into any desired slices. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

Method for the avo 'toast':

There is no real method.... just assemble everything on top of the crackers!

You can slice your flax bread/crackers into larger 'bread style' squares but because I make mine in a large batch I had pre-cut them into small squares for versatility. Either is fine.

NOTE: I originally made a version of this style of raw bread/cracker HERE. At that time I also tried a second batch and spread it out on a lined baking sheet at 'baked' it for approximately two hours on my lowest oven temperature (approx. 80ºC). I covered it loosely with foil after 1 hour to ensure the most even cook. It worked well so it's an option to try if you don't have access to a dehydrator.

My favourite 'meat'ball and chunky tomato sauce recipe! (plus the Raw Retreat experience. no. 2)

Last weekend saw the second Raw Retreat Experience take place... and it was just as epic as the first!  

The moment I walked through the front door of the hall, I breathed a sigh of relief and all my worries fell away. The weekend was ours. The energy of the simple unassuming village hall in the quirt Derbyshire countryside is incredible! Half of the participants had also been to the first retreat, and as they came through the door I heard a couple of them say "it feels like coming home". It did indeed.

As it says in the details, the Raw Retreat weekend is stripped back experience to remove luxury and create an environment for deeper connection with your inner spirit. As we arrived we each set up our beds and got cosy for the evening. There is a wonderful childlike sense of having a 'camp out' throughout the retreat, even when people have a little snooze during the day, or take time to zone out and meditate, there is a special energy about it all taking place in the same environment where someone maybe reading, eating or crafting just a few meters away. 

The focus throughout is on connecting with our senses... through food, movement, nature, crafting, conversation, space and stillness to go within.

Some of the tribe shared with wonderful words about the experience and it makes me heart smile, I can't wait to create more retreats for more deep connection...

"It felt like coming home, space to BE!"

I have learned loads about myself, I met wonderful people that feel the same as me inside. This is the closest I get outside 'recovery' in connection with feelings, emotions and understanding".

"Lovely vegan food, lots of walking, lots of talking and brilliant company."

My friend Dionne at Manabika yoga led us through energising morning yoga practices and a yoga nidra bedtime session on the first evening.  Then there was the food.... wonderful food (if I do say so myself, ha!) Thought the focus was not on raw food (just healthy vegan food) Dionne also created a masterpiece of a raw cake... recipe to come soon.  One of my favourite recipes are my 'meatless meatballs'.... I can't believe I haven't shared them on my blog before (I even had to double check!) as they've been a favourite at both Lanzarote retreats and both Raw Retreats!

They are so versatile, can be rolled into balls or pressed into larger burger style patties, they can be made with beans or mushrooms or a combination. They also freeze well- so I always make a big batch!  Seriously- what's not to love?

The recipe for the 'no-meat' balls and my chunky tomato sauce is below, but first I want to share with you the energy of the retreat in photos. I plan to run 3 or 4 of these retreats a year so keep your eyes on the main info page for the latest dates!

The wonderful raw cake... mmmmmm!

Here we all are in our PJ's and onesies... having just woken up, drinking mugs of hot lemon and ginger water before morning yoga! ha ha

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Recipe: 'Meat' balls

Makes approx. 30 balls (they freeze well but you can halve the quantities if preferred)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked beans* (mix of red and black or just one type)

• 1 cups sunflower seeds (approx 350g) soaked and drained

• 1 cup oats

• ¼ cup flax seed

• 2 small red onions

• ¾ cup sun dried tomatoes

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 heaped tsp mixed herbs

• 1 lemon- juice

• 4 garlic cloves

• Approx. ¼ cup soy sauce

* Note: I used beans as one of the participants on the retreat had a mushroom allergy, but I have also used mushrooms instead of beans (arguably even more authentic!) pulsed in a the food processor to get a 'mince' style texture. Pat with kitchen towel to take as much of the moisture out to prevent wet balls.

Method:

Pulse beans in a processor until you have a loosely blended mixture. Set aside.

Pulse remaining ingredients together until you have a smooth but still chunky mixture. In a large bowl add the mushrooms and mix through well.

Roll the mixture into meat ball size balls and place in a lined baking sheet. Bake at 180C for 25 - 30 minutes until crispy and golden. (also great eaten cold)

Serving options: spaghetti (or courgetti) and tomato sauce, pasta, quinoa, topping for a salad or in a wrap. Also make great burgers.

Recipe: Chunky Tomato sauce

Makes approx. 3 cups worth

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp oil

• 1 small onion sliced

• 2 garlic cloves crushed

• 1 tsp Italian herbs (fresh basil optional)

• 2 tbs cup tomato puree

• 1 can chopped tomatoes

• 1 carrot finely grated

• approx. 4 dried apricots - chopped

• 250ml vegetable stock

Method:

Heat oil, onion, garlic and spices for a few minutes, then add the puree and cook for another couple of minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

There photos above are of the 'bean' version as served on the retreat, below are a couple of photos I had taken previously when I made the 'mushroom' version as balls and burgers at home. The result is darker (and more meaty looking?) I love both options. Just be aware that the mushroom version can become a little too wet if the mushroom mix has a lot of moisture once chopped up and isn't pressed/patted dry.

Let me know if you make them and how you serve them... I'd love to hear!  Tag me @johodson on Instagram ;-)

Double tomato courgetti spaghetti

Do you have more courgettes?

Well, if so here is another one for you as we hang onto the last of the summer with warm September days but with a little coziness thrown in the for the cooler evenings as the night draws in that little bit quicker.

I actually made this recipe in the height of summer but hadn't written it up on my computer. I happened to be going though some old notes and I found it, definitely one worth sharing with you today. The sundried tomatoes (or dehydrator in my case) really boost the flavour so if you don't want to make your own you can buy some to add.

I made this recipe when my spiralizer was still a novelty (actually it is still novelty!), but use a julienne peeler if you don't have a spiralizer to get nice thin strips of courgette. There would be no reason why a wheat, rice or bean based spaghetti would not be a great alternative. I actually have an awesome bean pasta recipe I want to share with you.... soon!

Tell me, what are your favourite summer to Autumn transition meals?

Recipe: Double tomato courgetti spaghetti

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (or 4 large parboiled cooked chopped tomatoes)

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 small onion- sliced

• 2 medium courgettes

• 1 can red kidney beans

• few leaves fresh chopped basil

• handful of sundried tomatoes*

Method

Pan fry the onion and garlic in a splash of oil for a few minutes until softened. Add the red kidney beans and the tomatoes and simmer for 5-7 minutes to warm through or make sure the tomatoes are broken down and pulpy if using fresh. Add a small handful of chopped dehydrated tomatoes for extra flavour, reserving a couple for the top.

Meanwhile spiralise the courgettes (or use a julienne peeler) and boil/steam for a few minutes until just tender, or serve raw if desired.

Chop some fresh basil leaves.

Serve the tomato mix over the courgetti and sprinkle the remaining dehydrated tomatoes and basil over the top.

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Recipe: dehydrated tomatoes

Approx. approx 3 cups worth

Ingredients

• Approx, 10 large tomatoes

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs

Method

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and scrape the seeds and pulpy bit out. (reserve for the sauce above if you wish)

Lay on lined dehydrator trays (or lined oven trays) and sprinkled with herbs and salt.

Dehydrate for 2 hours at 60C and then for a further 10-12 hours at 40C until preferred texture achieved.

If over baking, set oven to lowest temperature and bake for approx 2 hours- checking after an hour.

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Creamy tofu tomato soup

The sun is out! 

It's still chilly BUT the sun is out here and with it are brightening spirits... and a sense of needing to spring clean the house!  Anyone else with me there?

Regardless of the sun, it is still not quite the season for summery salads and I still have lots of soups going down in the kitchen.

This little super quick dish is a nice way to get some high protein in your diet without needing to add beans and lentils as I would usually. It's super light and creamy and makes for a nice change, perfect for the changing seasons! I don't really use tofu that much, sometimes it ends up in baked good like this turtle cheesecake (yum!) and simple baked tofu which I love and don't make nearly enough. Tofu is often seen as a controversial ingredient in terms of it processed nature and source of intolerance on sensitivity fir some, but I think it's a very useful source of protein every now and again. I have beans a plenty the rest of the time! :-)

I topped this soup with my carrot pickle which was delicious, but you could top it with roasted chickpeas, sauerkraut or whatever takes your fancy really. Or top it with nothing at all.  

What's favourite dish to whip up as the seasons change?

Recipe: Creamy tomato tofu soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

• ½ pack silken tofu - drained
• 1 tbs cashew or almond butter (optional for extra creaminess)
• 4 large tomatoes
• 1tsp Indian spices (I used a mix or garam masala and cumin) you could also use a ready made paste.
• 2 garlic cloves- crushed
• ½ cup boiling water
• 1 small onion- sliced finely
• 1 cup of veg of choice- good options are peas or sliced courgette.
• large handful of spinach or massaged kale- optional
• Topping of choice

Method

Cook the onion and courgette if using for about 4 mins in a medium sauce pan with a dash of oil or just sauté in a little water. Meanwhile, blend the tofu, cashew butter (if using) and tomatoes together with the spices and garlic until smooth.

Add the tofu blend and all other ingredients (inc kale/peas if using) to the sauce pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins until heated through and veggies cooked.

Serve immediately with a dollop of topping as desired.

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Green bean & tomato salad

We've been using the last of the home grown baby tomatoes around here, and though the seasonal beans from the garden may have already passed on by for the summer, I just wanted to share this dish with you as we ate some beans last night and it reminded me of this simple recipe. You can still buy green beans in the shops- they just might not be so local.

Once again, this dish is a simple reminded of the power of garlic, tomatoes and herbs- three perfect complimentary flavours.  I made this dish as a light lunch, but as noted below, just add some rice or quinoa and you have a heartier main meal too.

Recipe: Green bean salad

Serves 2 (as a light meal)

Ingredients: 

• 1 generous cup sliced green beans
• 1 red onion- thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup tinned tomatoes
• large handful of cherry tomatoes- halved
• 1 cup packed spinach
• sprinkle of fresh rosemary or basil
• Optional: quinoa/rice*

Method: 

Prepare the green beans and steam them (or boil if preferred) for approx 5 minutes until softened with a slightly bite.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan/wok saute the sliced onion with the garlic and a splash of oil for 3-4 minutes, ad the tinned tomatoes, the fresh tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes, adding the spinach for a final couple of minutes to wilt through.

Serve the ‘base’ onto a plate and without washing the pan add the beans and fresh herbs and mix round briefly to coat with the remaining ‘juices’. Add the beans to the top and dress with salt and pepper to taste.

• Note add cooked rice on quinoa to the centre of the base mix if desired for a heartier meal.

Tomato ketchup

So, you remember this post from a couple of days ago…

Black bean beet burgers!

Well just peeking through in the corner of that photo is a little pot of tomato sauce. Homemade tomato ketchup, with a sweet  kick just like regular tomato ketchup but without all the sugar!  What provides the sweetness…plums! Helped out with a little agave syrup (you could omit this is you liked), the plums are a perfect complement to the fresh tomatoes.  I also added some ground chia seed stirred through right at the end to give a health boost and to act as a thickener. If you don’t have chia I would advise experimenting with some other form of thickener to achieve the right consistency for your sauce.

This will store in the fridge for a good for weeks and is the perfect companion for summer time. I can already picture the burgers on the BBQ now! It’s best to store this sauce for a couple of weeks before consuming as it will allow the flavour to mature…nut feel free to dip in of you can’t wait that long!

This sauce would also work well as a basic pasta sauce or base for my super- speedy GF pizza crust.

Recipe: Healthy Tomato ketchup

Makes approx. 500ml

Ingredients

• 1 large clove garlic
• 400g ripe vine tomatoes
• 120g ripe plums
• 2tbs tomato puree
• 20g agave
• 1tsp molasses- optional (gives a slightly deeper richness)
• 50g white wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 1 small chilli pepper with seeds removed
• Salt to taste (I added approx. ¼ tsp)
• 3-4 tbs ground chia seed

Method

Roughly chop the garlic and add to a food processor along with the tomatoes and plums, pulse to achieve a coarse even ‘paste’.

I used my Thermomix for the entire cooking process, but for those without, transfer the tomato mixture to a medium pan, add the remaining ingredients (except chia) and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring as required to avoid sticking. Add the ground chia in the last  minute.

Remove the cloves and bay leaf (if you can find them) and then transfer the mixture to a blender (or use a stick blender in the pan) and blend until you have a smooth mixture.

Pour into a sterilised bottle or jar and store in the fridge. The flavour matures over a couple of weeks.

Simple Mediterranean focaccia- gluten free

Gosh, this weekend has become quite eventful!

It’s not something I’ve drawn a lot of attention to, but I have mentioned it in this post, and I also gave a little teaser in this silent sunday that I am a pole fitness instructor, having recently qualified and looking to set up more classes of my own. Well, fingers crossed but all seems as though it could be coming together, I have a venue and now just need to drum up some interest for people to sign up for a taster session this coming tuesday…..so it is all very exciting! My phone has been 'dinging' with text and facebook notifications all morning.

Friday is often my main day of baking, but yesterday ended up being so chaotic running in and out the house I barely had half an hour to sit down. This recipe was a thought in the back of my mind a few days ago, I had scribbled some notes on paper and was then reminded of it as I realised I needed a quick and speedy lunch. I was so happy when it turned out so much better than I’d anticipated!

So here you have it, a super quick and simply gluten free focaccia. Note, this is not an ‘authentic’ focaccia as it doesn’t use yeast but is in effect a quick bread based on this flatbread recipe.

I baked the bread instead of grilled it since I could not flip it over with its topping in place, it worked so well and the olive oil glaze creates a lovely crisp crust to the soft bread dough below. Of course you could use regular flour instead, I tried using spelt with my flatbread recipe and that worked just fine.

This would make the perfect starter, or you could pair this with a summery Mediterranean salad or simply as a ‘rip and dip’ bread teamed up with something like this. Oh, and the pungent aroma from the oven of the freshly baked rosemary leaves was amazing, I was sad I had to go out since I could have stayed in the kitchen all with that lovely lingering Mediterranean smell!

Recipe: Simple mediterranean focaccia

Makes 3-4 rounds (depending on size)

Ingredients

• 1 small onion- sliced
• 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes- halved
• Small handful of fresh rosemary leaves
• Olive oil- for drizzling
• Sea salt- for sprinkling on top

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• 200g gluten free self-raising flour mix (I used Doves Farm mix which contains rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat flours) or regular flour if non GF
• 1-2  tsp mixed dried herbs
• 150g soy yoghurt (or natural yoghurt if non vegan)
• Up to 50ml water
• ½ tsp salt to taste
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast- optional

Method:

Prepare the onion and tomatoes and set aside.

Mix the flour dried herbs and salt in a medium bowl then add the yoghurt and water and stir through, using your hands at the end as necessary. This should result in a lovely soft dough.

Divide the dough into 3-4 equal sized pieces and form circular patties with your hands approx. 1cm thick. Dust lightly with a little more flour if they are quite sticky to touch. Lay on the parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

Press the onion sliced lightly into the dough and gently press the cherry tomatoes cut side up into the dough. Drizzle or brush the surface of the dough patties with olive oil and then sprinkle with the rosemary and the salt

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for approx. 20 mins until the tops are slightly golden. Serve immediately.

Quick and easy marinara sauce

Marinara sauce (as previously seen on my vegan meatball sub) is ahugely versatile and simple dish and can be jazzed up with various other ingredients to give it a bit of a twist- let you imagination run free….

Make a big batch to freeze in portioned size containers, then at a moment’s notice (well, ok 10 minutes tops!) you have a simple tasty meal- heat and mix through spaghetti topped with sweet corn, beans or whatever you happen to have to hand. You really can’t go wrong!

Recipe: Marinara sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 fresh tomatoes- coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot- grated
• 1 small onion- finely chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Dried herbs- 1tsp parsley, 2 tsp Italian herb mix (or oregano and basil) or use fresh if you have them!
• ½ tsp garlic granules or puree (or 2 minced cloves)
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce or chilli flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Sauté the carrot and onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients (except tomatoes) and blend wither in a blender/food processor or with a hand blender until almost smooth, add chopped fresh tomatoes (or add along with the other ingredients if you prefer a smooth sauce). Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Note: To make this a super quick and efficient recipe, I have used dried herbs and spices as these are always available in my cupboard whereas I don’t always have fresh to hand- feel free to use fresh if you prefer!

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