WhirlwinDISH 23

I needed to eat healthier-type foods after the long holiday weekend, so that’s how I ended up making this veggie “sushi.” I was going to post a different dish, but I thought some might still be trying to “cleanse and detox” after holiday treat meals, lol.

I have never had any formal training in sushi making, so don’t laugh at my pic. Culinary training, for me, didn’t include it. I saw a cooking show years ago with a sushi prep, so that’s the extent of my expertise. I spotted a sushi roll mat at a yard sale several years back, and that’s when I started making sushi. I tried my best to remember what I had seen on the show. One day, I will take the time to actually look up proper techniques and whatnot. In the meantime, I made this for a lightened post-Holiday meal. I was craving raw beets like never before (my body must have known I needed them, haha), so I pureed some, strained out the juice, and mixed it with short-grain brown rice. I only added salt to season it, but I think next time I might add a little allspice or something to boost the beet flavor. I filled it with raw golden beets, carrots, cukes, steamed asparagus, and sprouts. (Have you started your homegrown sprouts yet? If not, read this post: Sprouting 101 & Homemade Sprouting Jars 🙂 ).

As far as the rest of my post-Holiday day went, I kept hydrated by sipping on fruit and veggie water with just cukes, lemons, and raspberries. I learned a tip from one of my co-workers: in the morning, make a big batch of your water in a clear container (so you can see all the colorful fruits and veggies) and set it somewhere you will see it pretty frequently (like in your office, or on your kitchen counter). I need reminders to drink water, so having it right in front of me helps. I used to get stuck drinking coffee or something, then get busy with the day and forget to drink enough water. Arizona is a HOT state, so we have to keep extra hydrated. I also had some delish cantaloupe from the farmers’ market for breakfast, and I added the leftover beet juice to my fave mix of carrot and ginger root juice (see pic). I started drinking this at a vegan cafe called Urban Fresh here in Tucson, and it’s my fave combo. It’s called a ‘Ginger Bunny.’ I also added sprouts this time, and it gave it a fresh, green taste. Later, I wanted a chilled soup, so I started to make one from the cantaloupe. I decided on a pineapple gazpacho, though: pineapple, chile, garlic, shallot, lemon, raw honey, and salt. The red chile gave it that peachy color. So, so, SO good! I could eat that everyday.

Have a great day, and I hope to post some more cooking adventures soon!

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My Favorite Places: Heirloom Farmers’ Market, Rillito Park, Tucson, AZ, pt. 1

Pics from Heirloom Farmers’ Market @ Rillito Park in Tucson, Arizona. See a few more pics from my previous post: To Market to Market. As I said in that post, this is a very large market (for Tucson). My last trip, I had the best apples — sweet, tangy, bright, and crisp! Having grown up in New York State, I often miss the ‘apple culture’ we had (picking days, fresh juice, cider, cider donuts, etc.)…so these brought back sweet memories. Arizona is obviously a big state for citrus, though, and we have a wonderful selection. There are so many awesome vendors and farmers who attend this market, so please stop by if you’re in Tucson. I especially love the local produce, but you can find fab local tortillas, tamales, soaps, tea, honey, garden plants, and more.

Even more pics on post, part 2.

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Sprouting 101 & Homemade Sprouting Jars

Sprouting 101, Homemade Sprouting Jars {tutorial} & ‘DIY Mason Jars’ Giveaway | Boulder Locavore.

Happy Labor Day! As I did after the 4th of July food smorgas post, I am bringing you another healthy post-Holiday food option. Check out my last post on homemade hydrating fruit and veggie waters. Seeds, beans, and grains are so easy to sprout at home and are a great addition to salads, sandwiches, and more. I know many people like to do juice or liquid fasts after a day’s worth of heavy eats, and sprouts can be blended up with your fave concoction. I’m not sure what I will use my sprouts for tomorrow, but I’m going to try to have lighter meals for sure. I already started this weekend on the holiday munchies with pretzel bites adapted from the homemade pretzel dogs recipe I posted. I wish I could eat holiday meals everyday! With all of the marketing food fads we’ve seen over the years, I am waiting for someone to tell us “they” were wrong…refined sugar, refined flour and grains, chemicals, preservatives, etc. are really good for us. If they can make us believe bacon is healthy, we will believe anything, right? 😉

This link also gives a great tip for making your own canning jar sprouting system without using cheesecloth. Enjoy and happy sprouting!