You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘raw’ tag.
For this batch of dehydrator crackers, I experimented with decreasing the amount of flax. I wanted to see if the crackers would still hold together if the crackers were mostly made from a vegetable. I’m always looking for ways to eat more raw cruciferous veggies, so I decided to try cauliflower.
When I spread the wet mixture onto the dehydrator sheet, I wasn’t sure if I’d end up with a too-crumbly cracker or not. As it turned out, the cracker sheet was very well bonded and actually took a surprising amount of effort to break apart. I determined that the agave nectar provided a bit of “glue.” (Mental note filed!) These are quite spicy, a touch sweet, and definitely cauliflowery!
SPICY THAI CAULIFLOWER DEHYDRATOR CRACKERS
1 3/4 C raw cauliflower, finely chopped with a food processor
1/4 C ground flax
1/3 C water
2 T agave nectar
2 T Thai Kitchen Spicy Thai Chili Sauce & Marinade
Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Let mixture sit 1 hour to allow the liquid to absorb into the flax. Spread the mixture about 1/4″ thick onto 1 ParaFlexx non-stick dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4 hours. Flip the cracker sheet over. Continue dehydrating until all moisture is absorbed (8+ hours). Break apart. If you store the crackers in the freezer, the crackers can be immediately eaten and will stay crispy.
For more dehydrator crackers, see this previous blog post.
I always feel a little guilty about “wasting food” when I throw out the pulp after I juice. To use some of my carrot-celery-cucumber-parsley-apple-lemon pulp, I decided to create some raw crackers using my Excalibur Dehydrator.
LEMON PEPPER GARDEN VEGGIE FLAX CRACKERS:
Soak 1 cup flax seeds in 1 1/4 cup water for about an hour…
Add the flax seeds (with absorbed water) to a large food processor with 2 cups juicer pulp…
Process with 1/2 t onion powder, 1 t lemon pepper, 1/2 t sea salt, 1 t nutritional yeast, and 1/2 t garlic powder…
Divide the mixture in half and spread thinly on 2 dehydrator trays over the ParaFlexx Non Stick Dehydrator Sheets (or parchment)…
Dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 8 hours, until completely dry. After 3 hours, flip the partially dehydrated cracker sheets over and score them (if desired) into the size and shape pieces you want. Break apart when they’re done. Raw crackers store well in the freezer.
Here are some other raw crackers I’ve made…
SALSA-FLAX CRACKERS from “Becoming Raw” by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina…
SUNNY RYE CRACKERS from “Becoming Raw”…
Sunny Rye Crackers taste good with a dab of mustard and a dollop of lemon dill sauerkraut…
Making your own raw crackers is easier than you might think – Happy Crackering!
My 2011 trip to Kauai wasn’t my first visit to the island, but it was the first time going as a vegan. I was pleased to discover that it’s quite simple to find tasty vegan food all over the island. I had one bad experience, but hopefully it was a learning experience for all involved.
I vacationed at the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club (on Poipu Beach) with my husband and parents (thanks mom & dad!). We ate local fresh fruit every morning and cooked most dinners in the condo. The lunch meal was typically the meal “out.”
I’ll start the tour of Kauai’s vegan eats on the South shore and work my way north…
FARMER’S MARKETS – You can’t beat the fresh fruit of Hawaii. At the beginning of your trip, find out where and when the Farmer’s Markets will be. Only then plan your other activities. Arrive early and bring cash!
KAUAI SOUTH SHORE
LIVING FOODS MARKET – Located in the Kukuiula Village (2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka #24), in Koloa.
We picked up some hummus and tabbouleh to take hiking on the Alakai Swamp Trail.
DA CRACK – Located at 2827 Poipu Road, in Poipu.
“Da Most Bang For Your Buck” is true! This is a “take-out only” Mexican food place. I appreciated that the Veggie Burrito/Veggie Soft Taco are vegan. I didn’t have to say “No cheese, please!”
PUKA DOG – Located in the Poipu Shopping Village (2360 Kiahuna Plantation Drive), in Koloa
Puka veggie dogs are made from soy and wheat gluten. The bread is dairy- and egg-free. Have the Lilikoi Mustard and Tropical Relishes (dairy-free), but avoid the other sauces (which contain milk.) (Here is the Puka Dog FAQ page.)
PAPALANI GELATO – Located in the Poipu Shopping Village, in Koloa.
There is a whole section of dairy-free Sorbetto, and the sugar cones are vegan. With so many flavors, you’ll need to keep coming back! Here, I had lime on the bottom and pineapple on top…
ROY’S POIPU BAR & GRILL – Located in the Poipu Shopping Village, in Koloa
Our one bad experience. Here‘s the story…
Walking through the shopping village, I noticed the Roy’s “Vegetarian Menu” and the “Vegan Chocolate Souffle.” I figured that if a vegan dessert was on the menu, then Roy’s could accommodate vegans for dinner, too. The “Vegetarian Menu” looked perfectly acceptable. So, contrary to my usual frugal nature, I decided to splurge on fine dining.
Once seated, the waiter brought out edamame to eat while reviewing the menu. We stated that we are vegan, and immediately double-checked that the edamame was not cooked in butter. “No, cooked in oil.”
We ordered the Togarashi Seared Tofu & Hawaiian Mushroom “Poke” for an appetizer. It was rich.
Ginger Fusion
We ordered the Fresh Seasonal Vegetable Medley (“Chef’s Way”) and said, “That’s vegan, right?” Everything seemed fine, but when the waiter presented our plates, he described a risotto and used the word “butter.”
- “Vegan butter?”
- The waiter went to the kitchen.
- He came back, “It’s cream.” I had to explain that cream is dairy.
- The waiter was flustered. I was annoyed.
- We ate steak fries instead.
- Finally, I ordered the VEGAN Chocolate Souffle. At least it delivered! It was super decadent.
- I typed a complaint on the Roy’s website. I stated that I was drawn in by the Vegan Chocolate Souffle, and that I’d assumed that since Roy’s was offering a vegan dessert, it meant that a vegan could reasonably expect a vegan dinner, too.
A few days later, I received a phone call from the manager of Roy’s, who apologized to me for the debacle. Staff training was underway. She confirmed my suspicions that the appetizer was cooked in butter. Our $85 bill was refunded. 
Moral of the story…don’t assume that vegan dessert means vegan dinner. We asked questions and explained our dietary preference, yet we still got into trouble. Hopefully some good came from our experience and the next vegan customer didn’t have to eat unwanted dairy products!
My Recommendation: Save your dinner dollars, but have dessert!
KAUAI EAST SHORE
PAPAYA’S NATURAL FOODS – Located at Kauai Village Shopping Center (4-831 Kuhio Hwy), in Kapa’a
Do your grocery shopping here! You’ll find every-vegan-thing that you need, to stock up your condo timeshare or hotel room. There are plenty of vegan options for a “grab & go” picnic lunch…check out the cafe. We picked up some Daiya Pepperjack Shreds to make nachos with fresh mango salsa…
RAINBOW LIVING FOODS - Located at 4-1384 Kuhio Hwy, in Kapa’a (behind the set of shops on the highway.)
I have a confession to make: I was almost too cheap to dine here. What a mistake that would have been! This Rainbow Veggie Wrap with Creamy Lime Dressing was probably the best meal of my trip (and I ate some good stuff!) I think it cost something like $11, which (for me) is a little pricey for lunch, but guess what? It was totally worth it. Don’t leave Kauai without stopping here.
KAUAI NORTH SHORE
THE HEALTHY HUT NATURAL FOOD STORE – Located at 4270 Kilauea Road, in Kilauea
It’s a small store, but it gets the job done.
KILAUEA BAKERY & PAU HANA PIZZA – Located at Kong Lung Center (2484 Keneke St), in Kilauea
Outstanding vegan cake! I had to try every flavor: Coconut, Banana, Macadamia Mocha, and Chocolate Raspberry. Hopefully they still sell them. I’d check ahead, because otherwise, this place really needs some veganizing!
As of February 2012, according to this website about the Kong Lung Historic Market Center, the bakery is advertising a gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan muffin. I’m not sure that sounds too exciting when on vacation. I hope that’s not their only vegan pastry option!
BANANA JOE’S FRUITSTAND – Located at 5-2719 Kuhio Highway, in Kilauea
Pick up some fresh fruit, but don’t leave until you eat a refreshing banana pineapple “Frosty,” made from 100% frozen fruit pushed through a juicer. This is better than soft-serve ice cream, because it’s naturally vegan. (Banana Joe’s inspired me to make my own homemade Frosties at home, with my Omega Juicer.)
HARVEST MARKET – Located at 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy, in Hanalei
This natural food store kicks some butt. Shop for your groceries or grab some food to take to the beach. I bought a scrumptious Tempeh BLT Sandwich and some Uncle Eddie’s Molasses cookies.
RED HOT MAMA’S – Located between Hanalei and Ke’e Beach, in the community of Wainiha.
Fresh mexican food and seasoned tofu is available! Avocado instead of cheese makes a better taco. It’s cash only, so be prepared! This website has a picture of the walk up window…it’s another “take-out only” restaurant.
Admire the fishes…Don’t eat them.
Ah…my sweet *elixir. My little happy place. How I look forward to my daily espresso beverage!
- double shot home-brewed Fair Trade, Organic, City or Full City Roast coffee
- teensy bit sweetener
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- 1/3 cup homemade nut rice milk.
I typically use coarse raw sugar, but today I tried Raw Coconut Crystals. I found them at my local food Co-op. Two thumbs up!
*Elixir just sounds right to me. Technically, an elixir is a sweet liquid containing alcohol. But, since espresso is clearly used to “cure one’s ills,” I’m going with it!
Milk a bean, milk a grain, milk a nut, milk a seed, milk a drupe (yes, a drupe!), but please don’t milk an animal. When people consume milk from lactating animals, the first thing you should ponder is what is baby cow– baby goat– baby sheep– drinking? What happens to the baby animals? What happens to momma cow– momma goat– momma sheep when her overworked reproductive system stops being “profitable”? The bad news is that the answers aren’t pretty.
The good news is that non-dairy milk options are plentiful. It’s easier than you might think to wean off animal milk. There is no nutritional need for animal milk in the human diet!
Go to the non-dairy milk section of your local store and you’ll notice an ever-increasing array of plant milks: Soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, hemp milk, coconut milk..even flax milk! There are different brands of each type of milk. There are different varieties within the types of plant milks..like plain, vanilla, chocolate, unsweetened, fortified. If you don’t like one, try another. Find your favorite!
Holiday flavors (YUM!) – Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Peppermint, Nog
Make your “own” milk: it’s easy to do and you needn’t endure a long pregnancy and painful delivery. It’s also less expensive than packaged milk and more eco-friendly. Personally, I don’t like the aftertaste of packaged almond milks but I love homemade almond milk. I encourage you to make your own nut and rice milks. Here’s how I do it…
First, make sure you have a batch of cooked short grain brown rice on hand. I make up a batch and freeze portions in 1/2 cup glass jam jars. One cup (dried) rice will make enough for 7 batches of milk.
You must use short grain rice! You don’t want your milk to have a gritty sediment, do you? What’s the difference between long and short grains? The answer is in the percentage of the starches amylose and amylopectin. (I first learned about them from chef Alton Brown…thanks, A.B.!)
Long grain rice has a higher percentage of amylose. Amylose makes the rice cook up dry, firm and separate. Amylose is insoluble in water. Rice milk made from long grains has more of a “gritty” sediment. The resulting milk is more watery, less creamy = not good!
Short grain rice has a higher percentage of amylopectin. It releases starch when cooking, resulting in a moist, soft and sticky grain. The resulting milk will be creamy without a gritty sediment = good!
On to the nuts…pick your favorite raw nut. I like to use Brazil nuts, but sometimes I mix it up and use cashews, almonds, or hazelnuts.
Nut Rice Milk (my own creation):
Soak 1/3 cup raw nuts and 2 pitted dates into 4 cups water for 4-8 hours. Blend the water, nuts and dates with 1/2 cup cooked short grain rice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a VitaMix blender or other “sporty” blender. (I don’t know if it would work with a wimpy blender!) Frothy, healthy, affordable and delicious! I don’t strain my milk. I simply shake, then pour.
My personal favorite is mixing my homemade nut rice milk with packaged soy milk in a 50-50 ratio. That’s just me! You do what you gotta do…as long as you leave the animals alone!
