Soaked oats

I like soaked oats for breakfast. I like eggs, too, but that's a different story for a different post. Although I originally found out about soaking oats as a raw food thing, I've since been told that virtually all oats sold (even the organic ones) are not really raw. Oats are processed to make them from the original grain form, into the flat, dry little discs that Quaker (and others) sell; they are heated and dried to improve shelf life.

There is a whole debate about oats and gluten -- but that's a scientific discussion for another time and place. This is a recipe blog, so if you have problems w/ gluten, this recipe might not be for you.

NUFF SAID! RECIPE TIME!

Soaked oats is a really basic recipe: about 3/4 cup oats, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup liquid, all stirred together in a bowl and allowed to soak overnight.

No one said this had to be BORING, though! Last night I made it up w/ pomegranate juice for the liquid, and added about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. I'm eating it now w/ blueberries, and I'm entirely pleased!

You can add other spices (try ginger, either grated fresh or powder, or cardamom for a more exotic taste), and top it w/ any fruit you want. You could use milk (any kind) for the soaking liquid if you want, or add raw nuts to soak overnight with the oats. Suggested combos (don't forget the pinch of salt for each of these):

oats + apple juice + 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger: top w/ apple slices

oats + 2 tablespoons raw cashews + 2 tablespoons raisens + 1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom: top with applesauce

oats + almond milk + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg: top with fresh peaches

This is a great start to the day! and YUM. Enjoy!

The blackberries are getting ripe around here!

And I'm wondering what to do with them, should I decide to go pick a bunch of them?

A raw pie with a nut crust? Smoothies? Some of my icy treats (maybe blended with ricotta)? Summertime is so full of potential and creativity!

The Farmer's Market

I have come to adore my local Farmer's Market. It's an easy way to ensure that I get local products - resulting in produce that is fresher and tastier, too. I've been indulging in tasty summertime treats -- cherries, summer squash, berries, etc. There is a place selling wild/local salmon, too. Not shipped in from Alaska -- nothing against Alaskan salmon, it's yummy, but it takes more energy to ship it in to Washington, than the stuff caught right off the coast.

All that said, and as nice as the Farmer's Market is, there are some drawbacks:

- It's only open during the summer (duh, that's when the local produce is, uh, producing).
- Stuff that doesn't grow around here, isn't at the Farmer's Market (like lemons).
- Not everything is organic - although there are a number of vendors who post signs such as "no pesticides used". Is it greenwashing? I don't know, your results may vary. Best to check a place out and investigate it a little more before you buy, if this is a concern for you.

Wherever you live, I bet there's a Farmer's Market nearby -- sometimes they are open during the week, but Saturdays or Sundays are more typical. Enjoy your yummy summertime treats!

A basic vegetarian recipe

Rice and beans - let's face it, most of the world lives on some variation of grain/legume, and rice and beans are classic. Here, I use brown rice and mung beans -- but you can use other combos within the grain/legume families. Sometimes I substitute a bit of quinoa for the rice, for example.

Credit where credit is due: I first read a variation on this recipe in Yoga Journal, and awesome publication. :-) Since then, I've altered the recipe quite a bit.

Take 2-3 teaspoons curry powder and lightly sautee in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, just for a moment, on medium to low heat. When you start to smell the seasoning, add the following:

six cups water
1 cup brown rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup mung beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt

Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat so that there is just the barest of bubbling that goes on. It will cook slowly over the next hour or so. When all the liquid is absorbed, it's done.

Stir and serve with: steamed veggies and chutneys if desired.

Do you want it spicier? You can add other spices during the cooking process, such as grated ginger, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin seed, finely minced jalepeno pepper,etc. The two teaspoons of curry powder are a fast and easy way to add seasoning. I hope you enjoy this basic, easy, and CHEAP recipe, as much as I have.

Grilled mushrooms

Portabellas always look inviting to me, and the prep work on these is pretty minimal. There are two of us, so I made two of these last night.

First, gently pull up the stem from the underside of the caps -- it should gently separate, leaving a small divot in the cap. Take the stems, break them apart a bit, and put in a food processor. Process with: 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, a pinch of salt, and any other herbs or spices desired.

Put the caps up side down on a grilling pan, or a piece of foil. Drizzle with vinigrette (1 part lemon juice/2 parts olive oil/pinch of salt per 1/4 cup, works). Let it sit for 20-30 minutes to soak in. Spread the ricotta mixure on top, right out to the edges, and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon each parmesan cheese.

Set the pan/foil with the caps right onto the grill, and grill on a low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. The pan or foil will help to catch the juices, and make removing them from the grill much easier. Serving size is one each. We had them with potato salad and the last of the cold beet soup.

Summertime: chilled beet soup

I'm going to take a photo of the finished product and post it, but trust me: it's a beautiful, ruby-like red as a finished product. It is so much better, pureed and chilled, than it would be as chunks and hot. Perfect starter for a summertime meal!

Chilled beet soup

Trim one bunch beets (3-4 medium beets): remove leaves (save), and trim off the bottom (root) so that you have a roundish beet left. Do not peel. Quarter and steam with: 3-4 medium carrots, cleaned and cut into one inch chunks; one medium red onion, cut into chunks; 1/4 red cabbage, cut into chunks. Steam until all veggies are soft but not mushy. Add cleaned, chopped beet leaves and steam 1-2 more minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool (may take a few hours).

When cool, pick out the beets and rub off the skins (so much easier than peeling!). They should come off very easily. Puree all veggies in a blender with water (may take 3-4 batches, depending on the size of your blender). Use only the amount of water needed to puree, so that you have a thick soup. Add batches to a bowl or other container. Add lemon juice and salt to taste (approx the juice of one lemon, and I like about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt). Stir and allow to chill in the fridge.

To serve: Ladle out about 1 cup into a bowl, and top with 1 teaspoon sour cream. You can put finely minced herbs on top: dill, chives, parsley, or whatever you wish. One cup of this is about two of those daily servings of veggies that you may have heard are so good for you. In this case, so tasty, too! Mangiamo!

Salsa!

Okay, for a very basic salsa, all you really need is chopped tomatos, finely finely minced jalepenos (take out the seeds first), and salt. Really, for a milder salsa, you could use a different kind of pepper. You could roast the tomato and the pepper first, rub off the blackened skin, and chop and mince to your hearts' content for a nice smokey flavor. The proportions are up to you.

But there is the issue of add-ins for salsa, and really, the sky is the limit. Here is a list of things to consider adding to your next batch:

- fresh cut off the cob corn
- cooked black beans
- minced onion (can be roasted first)
- finely minced garlic (can roast first, too - a much milder garlic flavor)
- finely minced cilantro or parsley
- chili powder
- minced chives
- finely chopped basil
- finely chopped watermelon
- finely chopped, roasted pineapple

Really, the sky's the limit - I wouldn't add all of the above at once, but any one of these is tasty. Yummy!