What I Ate Wednesday: july 17, 2013

This past week has been a very eventful one in the Real Raw household. With important business trips, heavy decisions to be made, and the unforgiving rain and storms outside I was mostly emotionally exhausted at the end of each day. It seems like the kitchen is my own therapeutic space and luckily I have a pretty fun pantry to work with.

So at the end of each day I would get out all my notes and “idea” lists and get to work thinking about what I could create and do differently for the next day. This proved to be the perfect distraction for myself and also the coolest way to explore new recipes. None of them are really all that fancy and are actually very approachable so this week of brainstorming was more about using simple ingredients to make new dishes.

Kale Salad. I actually do not like kale. I know, it’s weird. It seems to be all the rage right now but I really just cannot stand the thought of it. And then every once in awhile, for reasons unbeknownst to me (and usually having to do with perfectly justifiable feminine reasons) I crave a big kale salad. This salad was massaged with lemon juice and tahini and then tossed with micro kale, cherry tomatoes, and pumpkin seeds. Simple and delicious.

Chocolate Pudding. There are two ingredients we always have on hand: bananas and avocados. Instead of using the avocados in a savory dish, like I usually do, I used some of them to make this pudding. It was so good and hit the spot, perfectly. My SO and I have had many variations of avocado pudding and he and I both agreed that this is the best version either of us has ever had.

Cinnamon Banana Crepes. These crepes were actually very simple to make and easy to work with. The ingredients are also staples in my kitchen so nothing fancy was needed (except a dehydrator). I mixed flax meal, bananas, cinnamon and water and then dehydrated them for a few hours. I paired mine with leftover chocolate pudding and the SO paired his with about a cup of maple syrup.

Raw Plantains. Plantains are like starchy bananas that are used in very traditional Caribbean dishes. They are mostly fried and never eaten raw because it is like very bitter chalk if they aren’t ripe. I left mine out until the entire peel was black … and then I left it out a few more days. Finally, I peeled it open to discover a perfectly soft and mildly sweet, ripe plantain. I squeezed some lime on it and added chopped cilantro and dulse flakes. So, so good.

Banana Cream Pies. The hubby was away on a business trip and when he returned our anxiety levels were high. So obviously I made him his favorite dessert so we could indulge in the sweet, creamy heaven that is coconut. I blended the coconut meat with a little bit of water, a little bit of coconut butter, and vanilla and maple syrup to make the cream.

Banana Fig Maca Smoothie. One of my favorite indulgences is so simple: banana smoothies. I blended bananas with fresh figs and added some maca and just a tablespoon of almond butter. I sipped on this one morning and felt satisfied and got a nice boost of energy, as well. Maca is great for balancing the hormones.

Red Pepper Dressing. I have been really into red bell peppers as of late, even more than usual. I’ve been adding them to my breakfast smoothies (try a cucumber-orange juice-frozen strawberry-red bell pepper smoothie … you won’t regret it) and also to my dressings. I tossed this dressing with arugula, mango, avocado, carrot ribbons and sesame seeds. It was light and sweet and a refreshing salad for the intense humidity we have here.

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A week of indulgences and I’m ready to get back to my salad-for-breakfast grind. I love these dishes and they served their purpose but boy do I miss my fresh greens!

I hope YOU had a fabulous week with fabulous eats!! Stay tuned for the recipes of some of these dishes!

xo