Saturday 2 September 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes FOOD, ENERGY...

and the

ENERGY of FOOD

   I have been thinking long and hard about this topic, and waited to find the right time to open this discussion with you all. Now, I find, might be the right time, so here it comes:
   It is a long tradition, within all religions, and also among people with no religious belief as such, to say Grace before a meal.
   We prepare the food, put it on the table, sit around, have a quiet moment, put our hands together, and pray/sing/chant a gratitude for being able to eat, and drink, for us to survive.
    That gratitude goes to whoever in the universe helped us, but for people, like us, who care deeply about our planet and our environment, we also thank Nature for every little bit we put into our mouth.
   We do not want to take more, than what we need, and we are concerned about finding the right balance between need and greed.
   September is a month of, hopefully, bountiful harvesting, and we must be skilled and knowledgeable about how to preserve our harvest for the winter. 

   The best ways are
  • store fruit in a cool dry place
  • freeze berries
  • dry herbs and plants
  • dry vegetables
  • dry grains
  • preserve produce via quick cooking (not raw) to make jam, marmalade, juice
   In these ways, we can make sure, we and our family have food for many months. As Global Warming and Climate Change come closer by the day to play havoc on our food supply, I strongly urge you to take up some of these practises!

   In the olden days, we followed the rhythms of Nature; let me take grains as an example. We harvested in August/September, dried the grains, stored them, milled them when we wanted to make bread; by March/April we took the last grains for sowing and in that way the cycle started all over again. If possible, I encourage you to purchase a non-electric grain mill to be able to produce your own flour, when needed.

   The supply chain of food, which for us vegan, does not include any form of animal protein, is by far the compassionate diet; it saves resources: there is no such thing as a meat-eating environmentalist; it is also the healthiest for us to eat and digest.

   Saving us from the antibiotics, pesticides and the adrenalines from the raising and slaughtering of living, sentient beings take us a long way to protect us from negative energy in our food. 

   Not to mention the very heavy negative karma, which derives from having just the smallest part of contributing to murdering another living, sentient being; for every life we take, and participate in taking, we ourselves shall be held accountable. Every. Single. One!

   Yes, my dear vegan friends: food has energy. Whatever food it is, there is energy in food, and not just the physical compounds, being digested by our physical organs.

   There is mental energy as well. Everything that happens to our food, from the seed being planted, the exposure to the elements, the growing, harvesting, transport, packing, selling...the whole chain until we grab a bunch of radishes, pay for them, take them home, prepare and eat them: every single step of the way, energy goes into the food.

   Unless we grow our own food, which is the best way of living by all measures, there is no way for us to know, what happened to our food during prior handling.

   This is where the Grace comes in: a lot of us are saying prayers to cleanse the food of any negative energy, which might be in there, before it came to us.

   Talking about need and greed, I wonder, why people go out to eat? 

   I understand the wish to gather the family around a meal, and relieve the Mother of her endless kitchen duties, which is sweet and very considerate and supportive of the husband: we must applaud that; absolutely!

   However, I much prefer, the husband and the rest of the family stay home, have a social get-together and make meals there, while the Mother can go do some fitness, have a nice aromatherapy bath or just sit quietly with a book, drinking her tea.

   When you minimize the number of people handling the food,  you minimize the risk of negative energy into, what you are eating.

   At the same time, you probably spend less money, have a social activity together and can be proud of, what you did.

   If anything should be on the to-do list for vegan families, apart from venturing to rescue and foster all kinds of animals, especially farm animals, it is to learn how to prepare your food at home.

   If you are lucky, you might even have a garden, from where you can pick the fresh produce or a lager, where it has been properly stored for the winter.

   Wish you the best!

 

Wednesday 2 August 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes EQUISETUM ARVENSE

EQUISETUM

ARVENSE

   Approximately 65 million years ago, the last dinosaurs disappeared from Planet Earth. That is a lot of days and nights; hard to imagine, what life might have been like back then.

   Around 2 million years ago we have evidence of the remains of the first subspecies of the cross over between the great apes and humans. 

   This comes from the scientific work of the Leakey family in and around Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, rather close to where I did some extensive anthropological field work among the olMaa people of Ngorongoro.

   To walk through the savannah and try to imagine life a couple of million yerars ago is doable, especially with the remains of a pre-human skull in your hands; to go even further back to 65 million years ago, seemed impossible.

   I needed something to hold onto. My link to the glory of the dinosaurs was, and is, the modest wild plant EQUISETUM ARVENSE.

   Did you know, ferns and Equisetum Arvense are the only two plants left from when the dinosaurs lived?

   Sit down for a while, while looking at this modest medicinal plant, and imagine large parts of our planet covered with them.

   The green colour is so uplifting; furthermore it does not have leaves, but needles; and it contains the largest amount of Silica in any plant known to us.

   The best time to pick it, cutting carefully at least 10 cm above the ground, to promote re-growth, is during April and May.

   If you have not gotten your winter supply yet, you can still make it.

   Cut, harvest, take home to rinse in water, hang to dry, and put some needles in your winter smoothie to get you going through the darker times.

   If you prepare the smoothie in a dinosaur cup, kids would love it, too!

Monday 3 July 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes COCOA & NUT SPREAD

COCOA & NUT

SPREAD

    
   During the afternoon, when the blood sugar level tends to decrease, we have to be careful and be good to ourselves.

   By this I mean: we need to feed our guts some cocoa powder to positively trigger the reward centre of our brain. 

   Just a small amount will do the job and should prevent any overeating late in the day.

   So here it goes:

Step 1:
  • 1 cup of cocoa powder
  • 1 cup of ground nuts
  • 3 tblsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsps cane sugar
 Mix the ingredients. 

Step 2:
  • Add filtered water 
  • Mix carefully
Step 3:
  • Let it sit in the fridge, covered, for 30 minutes.
  • Take it out, and maybe add some more water if necessary.
Step 4:
  • Keep in a airtight glass jar in a cold, dry place.
  • Will last for 3-5 days.
Enjoy! 

Wednesday 31 May 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes SALAD DRESSING

SUMMER

SALAD

SPICY

DRESSING


      Whether you are foraging from the wild, or you bring your own healthy leafy greens out into Nature, a little spicy dressing to go with it does no harm.

   Actually, it might even be a way to sneak in some spices, which can be quite hard to just sprinkle over your raw salad.

   I mean, who wants a bite with Turmeric, Pepper or Hot Red Chilli powders...

   My base for this dressing is some kind of fermentation of unsweetened soy (alternative to yoghurt).

   Here comes my recipe for one middle size portion:

  • 1 dl. of fermented soy*
  • 2 tblsp. of apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp. of turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp. of hot red chilli powder 

   Mix gently with a fork.

   Pour over your salad.

   Enjoy your meal, my dear raw vegan reader; stay healthy and positive and strong!!!

 

* Tesco has 500 ml for £ 1.25

Sunday 30 April 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes

MAY MORNING GREEN SMOOTHIE

  
   It is the 1st of May, spring is fundamentally running towards summer, and life is absolutely great, though this year mixed with sadness, since my Father passed away...

   As any serious vegan knows, there is no such thing as a meat eating environmentalist! And there is no way to be a vegan and not love Nature!

   Being vegan can be a challenge for some in the beginning of the process, and I am here to offer some tips on making it easier, cheaper, funnier and healthier to be a vegan.

   My contribution this month is my favourite May morning green smoothie. It goes like this:

  • Get out of bed before sunrise and go for a walk to hear the birds singing
  • Pick a few top shoots of stinging nettle on your way (avoid roads and pollution; remember gloves)
  • Go home and fetch your blender
  • Add Almond/Soy drink
  • Add distilled water
  • Stinging Nettles
  • Amla Powder
  • Chia Seeds
  • Ground Flax Seeds
  • One peeled Banana
  • One whole Kiwi fruit

   Blend.

   Drink.

   And send a prayer of gratitude to Mother Earth for providing you with this highly nutritious start of just another wonderful day on Planet Earth.

   If you can not find any fresh Stinging Nettles, soak dried leaves overnight in a small amount of water; that will do just fine!

   But remember the walk; it is just the right way to start your day...

Saturday 1 April 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes WILD SPRING SALAD

WILD SPRING SALAD


   Today is the 1st of April, we are well past Spring Equinox, our beautiful blue planet is slowly but gracefully tilting our North Pole towards Equator; some nights might still be quite chilly, but there is definitely growth in the air.

   Now is the perfect time to go foraging in the wild for a super nutritious wild spring salad. 

   Put on your backpack, get the Thermos ready with warm herbal tea, remember some dried fruits and nuts, maybe some fresh fruit, and head for the meadow, forest, farmland or whatever natural environment might be closest to you.

   If you are not skilled in the field, literally speaking, no pun intended, of course, of wild edible plants, bring a field guide, a good book or follow someone, who is an expert in these matters.

   You might even bring your binoculars to be on the look out for rare birds, while you are at it.

   Ah, and now on to the task.

   After many months of darkness and cold, the plants are eager to sprout and grow, and the nutrients are at the top, since they have been months dormant or are just beginning their growth from seeds, having overwintered since last Autumn.

   My favourite wild leafy greens are:
  • Dandelion
  • Wood Sorrel
  • Broadleaved Plantain
  • Purple Nettle
  • Watercress
   Clean the leaves, arrange them in a bowl, and, if you are lucky, top up with the flowers from Forget-me-not.

   Enjoy my friends, eat till you are full, and pick some more on your way home to enjoy your little snippet of Paradise in your own kitchen.

   Love you, guys, and thanks for reading and following!

Wednesday 1 March 2017

Raw Vegan Recipes DANDELION (Taraxacum Officinale)

DANDELION

Taraxacum Officinale

   
  

   March is the month of SPRING EQUINOX, which, in 2017, falls on the 20th of March in the northern hemisphere. There is more natural sunlight, though some chilly or frosty nights might still be waiting around the corner.

   After a long, cold and dark winter, you must take very well care of yourself, and one way of doing this is to turn to one of the strongest plants on this beautiful planet, the DANDELION.

   Research has shown, there are strong indications for a lot of good, this little friend might do for you.


   Being a strong plant, it might cause allergies, so be careful and consult your health care provider before using it, and remember: it carries the name "officinale" for a reason: it is a powerful plant!

   Do yourself a favour and order some organic seeds to grow in your garden, in large pots on your balcony, on the terrace or indoors, where there is light coming through the windows.

   DANDELION is especially recommended for "window farming" for those of us, who live in the cities, in suburbia or just do not have access to a large plot of safe land.

   To kick-start the season, you might dig up a few very young plants, with leaves shorter than five centimetres. Why that measure? 

   You will soon find out, because beyond that the plant will start forming its super strong tap root, so good luck with the digging, and remember to buy extra shovels, when the first one breaks!

   It is NOT advisable to dig up plants near traffic or from polluted grounds; only dig up plants from places, you know to be completely free of any pollutants.

   How to use the plant? There are many ways, but the main one is to have access to fresh leaves for your salad every day.

   Pick a few leaves from the outer rim as it allows the root to stay strong and new leaves to form. Rinse the leaves, cut them and sprinkle over your salad. Yummy!

   And remember: DANDELION comes up in the most unlikely of places, is powerfully resistant to pests and diseases, and is one of the strongest wild plants ever.

   When you eat those leaves, you will also become strong.

   You will become part of TEAM DANDELION, which is an awesome group of people, who want to be personally responsible for our health in the most natural way, by eating healthy plants.

   Go for it, guys, and enjoy! Love you all!