Today’s German cucumber salad recipe – also known as gurken salat in German – is compliments of Thad Jones, the sweet, sweet boy in my life who made me dinner for my birthday a few weeks ago. Last week he shared the recipe for his Bavarian torte with nectarines, the dessert for said dinner, and there were several requests for the cucumber salad that he mentioned making as a side to his roast chicken. Well, dear readers, you’re in luck! Thad’s been generous enough to share his gurken salat recipe with you all… so be sure to say thanks in the comments.

Another invite for a picnic? Hmmmmm. Well, it’s summertime after all, and social networking servers are doing their best to handle the demands for day parties, family get-togethers, and the all-encompassing invites from friends for nice BBQs that provide music but are BYOF(ood). This is perfect; free food all day, people from all over you haven’t seen in awhile, and more food, music, and MORE food. Just get down to the grocery store and pick up an obligatory fruit platter, possibly the vegetable medley, or be really cheap and buy a few beers.

Why does it have to be this way, though? You could spend less money and put together a cool, refreshing cucumber salad that would feed plenty, and probably impress a few people along the way. If this happens to be a picnic with your girlfriend’s family, then this would definitely put you ahead of the game. ... Read the rest of German Cucumber Salad, or Gurken Salat on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in European, People, Raw, Recipes, Salads, Vegan on Jul/Wed/2011
Post tags: cucumber salad, cucumbers, dill, german food, gurken salat, onion, recipes, salads, sugar, vinegar
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Everyone should learn how to supreme an orange (which, by the way, is pronounced soo-premm). It’s easy once you get the hang of it, and the finished product is a handful of perfectly luscious orange slices, without even a hint of bitter pith. Supremed orange slices make the perfect topper for desserts or salads, and they add a professional touch to pretty much anything you’re plating.

You only need three things to make perfect orange slices: a sharp paring knife, a cutting board, and, of course, an orange. Look for oranges that don’t have an additional “baby orange” growing inside of them, which you can tell by looking at the base. Good supreming oranges should have a smooth backside with just a small hole, not a larger opening with what looks like another tiny orange rind hiding inside.

Permalink | Posted in Random, Raw on Sep/Wed/2009
Post tags:
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2009.

Ever heard of using zucchini in a hummus recipe? It’s amazing what you’ll come up with when you’ve got fifty zucchinis lying around the house. Anyone with a zucchini plant in their garden probably knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Tonight I was looking for a light summer snack, and I just wasn’t feeling plain greens or carrot sticks. How could I dress them and still adhere to this healthy, somewhat raw diet I’m curious about? Never fear, Gone Raw is here! I did a search for dip, and found several hummus recipes would fit the bill. I frankensteined together a dish from a few they listed, and wow – you almost wouldn’t know that it wasn’t made of chickpeas.

Since it’s made from zucchini, this hummus recipe is very light and fluffy. It’s a perfect summer dip, and if you like, you can cut back on the oil to be a little nicer to your cardiovascular system. It’s perfect for carrots, celery, sliced peppers… you name it!

Here are more great uses for those prolific zukes:
Zucchini Risotto
Sauté of Zucchini, Almonds, and Pecorino
Herbed Zucchini and Feta Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

Permalink | Posted in Gluten Free, Middle Eastern, Raw, Vegan on Aug/Mon/2009
Post tags:
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2009.

What’s better that hot girls and good food? Nothing. At least that I can think of, anyway.

A few years ago I was wasting time on YouTube and stumbled across the channel for Sexy Bitches Like it Raw. I’ve dabbled in raw food before so I’m familiar with the culture, but most of the raw food folks border on crunchy and I’m not really into it.

These girls, on the other hand, are smoking hot.
... Read the rest of Raw Food Cookery: Sexy B!tches Like it Raw on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Gluten Free, Grain Free, Raw, Vegan on Jul/Fri/2009
Post tags:
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2009.

Have you ever had cashew nut butter dates? Or dates with any other kind of nut butter? If not, you’re missing out.

It’s no secret: I like to eat. A lot. But in my case I have to eat frequently, lest I get lightheaded, start talking gibberish, and have a panic attack.

When you’re concerned about the quality of the food you’re putting into your body, having to eat five to eight times a day becomes a real problem. It’s easy to ignore the warning signs of your crashing blood sugar until it’s too late, and suddenly you’re reaching for the nearest edible object, whether it be a Snickers, a donut, or a bag of chips. Clearly, this happening many times in a single 24-hour span in a bad thing.

Why not chow down on a salad or a piece of fruit, you ask? Well, my dear reader, when you’re already struggling with digestive malaise, oftentimes fresh produce isn’t the best thing to introduce to a weary gut. Sadly, my past go-to foods, such as peaches, apples, and grapes, have been given the month off for bad behavior.

So what do I eat in a pinch? I’ve gotten creative lately, throwing together lovely little snacks in the evening so that I have something to munch the next day when those low blood sugar moment set in. Here is one such munchie:

Meet my friend, the nut butter filled date.

These little guys keep overnight on the counter as long as they’re well covered – I wouldn’t recommend refrigerating them, as they’ll get quite hard and sticky. They’re a much more nutritional snack than a bag of Fritos, and if you’re looking for something sweet, these are better for you than a cookie. Six of these dates will give you a full serving of fruit and a good dose of healthy fiber and protein.

I pick up medjool dates (or any other kind of dates) from the farmer’s market, but they’re becoming readily available at most grocery stores. In this recipe you can use any kind of nut butter you like, as long as it’s of the thicker variety, otherwise you’ll end up with it everywhere. At the end, a light sprinkling of sea salt adds a little bit of crunch to the finished product while creating a contrast to the sweet dates and nuts.

These dates are rich and addicting. You’ll almost feel guilty for indulging… almost.

Cashew Nut Butter Dates

6 medjool dates
3 tablespoons of your favorite nut butter
Chunky sea salt

Slice open one side of the date, removing the pit. With a spoon, fill the inside of the date with about half a tablespoon of nut butter. Be careful – too much nut butter will make a huge mess, and will make the dates extremely rich. Once all of the dates are filled, arrange them on a plate and sprinkle sparingly with a flavorful sea salt.

Permalink | Posted in American, Desserts, Gluten Free, Random, Raw, Vegan on Oct/Tue/2008
Post tags:
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2008.

For ages doctors and dietitians have been spouting off about how we need to eat more vegetables, and at the top of that “must eat” list are dark leafy greens. Unfortunately many greens, such as kale, are not exactly palatable to most people, making it difficult to get folks to eat an adequate amount. While the recommended consumption amount varies from study to study and doctor to doctor, one thing is for certain: most people do not eat enough fresh greenery on a daily basis. And contrary to popular belief, cooked greens really aren’t going to cut it. You need to eat greens raw to get their maximum benefit.

I’m hoping to change that in my life. I’m trying (trying being the operative word here) to get more raw greens into my diet. I feel better when I do, and as I get older, I’m beginning to realize that being lazy isn’t a good enough reason to feel like crap most of the time (*couch*needmoreexercise*cough*).

A lot of people have a difficult time digesting raw greens, due in large part to the fact that it’s not something we do regularly. Our jaws are used to soft foods and therefore aren’t strong enough to really macerate roughage into an easily digestible consistency, something anthropologists have found that our ancestors were able to do. Also, we often eat too fast, and in order to really break down tougher leaves and mix them with the amylase in our saliva (which is where digestion begins) we need to slow down and chew for a good long time. Our jaw muscles have atrophied to some degree from all of the cooked foods we consume, and even when you make it a point to chew and chew and chew your greens to a creamy consistency, it’s a fairly difficult thing to do.

As such, what we swallow isn’t broken down enough, and the unbroken, fibrous cellulose of that leaf of swiss chard essentially cause your gut to say, “Wha….?” As a result, raw greens tend to upset the stomachs of many modern day people. Eating more greens is important, but they need to stay in your digestive tract long enough for you to absorb their nutrients to be of any value, not come flying out at warp speed.

Enter the green smoothie!

Some time ago I picked up a copy of Victoria Boutenko’s Green for Life, in the hopes that I would somehow manage to incorporate a green smoothie into my morning ritual. For those not in the know, a green smoothie is basically a fruit smoothie with a handful of dark leafy greens thrown in. Blending them breaks everything down into a consistency that your body is more easily able to digest. You don’t need a $400 high speed blender to pull this off – your Oster will work just fine if you let it blend for a full sixty seconds.

Now, I understand that the thought of throwing some swiss chard into your blender with an apple and banana might make the majority of you shudder with revulsion, but I’ve got to tell you that honestly, it’s not bad. In fact, if done correctly, it’s damn good! Seriously folks, I’m not lying. A green smoothie is a tasty way to help get your daily dose of greens.

As with anything else, there’s a right way and a wrong way to make a green smoothie, and Victoria’s book is a great primer to the art. She goes to great lengths to outline exactly why drinking one quart of green smoothie a day will improve your health, and then gives you a series of recipes to try. If you’re interested, start simple and follow tried and true mixtures. You will find what you like (spinach and apples) and what you don’t like (brussel sprouts and strawberries). Once you’ve got the hang of it, not only will you become more adventurous with your smoothies, but you’ll also feel more energetic and alert overall. As you get used to the idea of blended veggies, up the amount of roughage you add to your smoothies to get as many greens into your body as you can.

Keep this in mind when you begin: don’t jump into dino kale – start with milder greens like spinach and romaine. And obviously, stronger tasting fruits such as pineapple will balance out stronger tasting greenery. The recipe I’ve listed below is very sweet and honestly, there’s only a hint of “green taste.” I think you’ll like it, and the color is pretty damn awesome.

Newbie Green Smoothie (AKA, the Green Monster)

2 frozen bananas
1 whole peach, cut into slices and frozen
1/2 mango, cut into cubes and frozen
1 large handful of baby spinach

Blend until smooth, but not so long that it heats up. If you’re feeling adventurous, add four or five basil leaves. It’s actually a pleasant compliment to the peach and mango.

Note: be sure to freeze your fruit first as it will result in a nice, frosty shake. Many health food stores and organic co-ops now stock frozen organic fruit in the freezer section, which is great to have on hand in a pinch.

Permalink | Posted in Breakfast, Gluten Free, Raw, Vegan on Jun/Thu/2008
Post tags:
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2008.