Chef Yummy at Your Service!

What a beautiful, raw day I had! This morning, I shopped for a couple ingredients I needed to make more Angel Hair Pasta with Marinara, some Broccoli Soup (made in the blender) and some raspberries to top off the Date Nut Torte from last night's fine, fine dinner.

I spent the morning with opera blasting while I prepared this feast to bring over to my friend's home so that I could introduce her to just how delicious and filling raw food is. This was so exciting for me! I was so productive and organized; the un-cooking time just flew! All the recipes I chose don't need a dehydrator so it took no time! They're from Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food.

Here's a photo of our meal on her gorgeous wooden table.
We had a great time yakkin' about raw foods and this n' that, and were both good n' full, but as she said, ..."just comfortably full, not gross like sometimes after (S.A.D.) meals."

After our raw feast we went off to the VV Boutique (Value Village!) where I picked up a great dress for $4.99 (partially shown, above) and some workout pants for $6.99.

Back up...workout pants? Yep, that's right, I'm back to the gym. I went yesterday and I go tomorrow. You know, just being raw for a little while (a few weeks) and my motor's running again, and gunnin' for places to put this energy. No kidding, that's all it takes for me to rise above the fog, to get out of my own way. It felt so great to first walk, then run, say ouch, then walk on the treadmill again! I took it somewhat 'easy' with the machines, but today I feel my armpits. haha Seriously! I am going again tomorrow. I stared at some of the women on some of the machines so that I could walk up to certain contraptions and not get on backwards. It doesn't take long to forget. Well, *cough*5 months*cough*. Aheh-aheh. But I'm back, right? :)

So anyway, after we were done, I dropped my friend back home and off I toddled to flip through uncook books to scare up some dinner. I still hadn't eaten anything beyond our filling brunch and I wasn't even starving. I sustained all day. I didn't have my green smoothie today because of this, but I sure didn't miss out on greens.

I found what to make for dinner in the recipes from the chef's course on the weekend... Collard Rolls, Broccoli Soup (what I kept from lunch) and a salad. Dayum, it was good.

Here's the recipe for Collard Rolls. Pictured below is what you do to the back side of a collard leaf to prepare it for rolling (wrapping). The spine is thick and it makes it hard to roll without snapping and wrecking the whole point. So you take a sharp knife and *carefully* (it's easy, but go slowly) slice it off.

First thing ya do is marinate the chopped mushroom and onion, and set it aside as you prep the rest of the dish.
Here it is shown (above) and below with zucchini, carrot, and shredded lettuce.

What I neglected to do was take a photo of the guacamole, and that probably has something to do with feeling flustered because there I was, in the midst of whipping this together, and I cracked open an avocado, and it was rotten, then another and the same thing. Ah man, avocado is key! So of course I had a mini tantrum. My boyfriend was only too glad to hop on his beloved motorcycle and run to the store, so it worked out, as things always do.Here's the recipe, before I go further and forget:

Collard Rolls

2 very large collard leaves or 3-4 small ones
1 small zucchini, diced very small
1 carrot, diced very small
1 cup diced onion
1 cup portabella mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup Nama Shoyu (original recipe calls for 1 cup...personal choice)

Guacamole:

2 avocados
1/4 cup onion
1/2 -1 tomato
sea salt to taste
pinch of cayenne
cilantro (optional)

Directions:
Marinate the onions and mushrooms in nama shoyu for 10 minutes or longer.

To make the guacamole, place onions, tomatoes, cilantro, sea salt, and cayenne in food processor and pulse chop until chunky.

Peel ad pit the avocados and cut into large chunks.

Place avocados in the food processor with other ingredients and pulse chop to desired consistency.

Lay the collard leaves flat with the inside facing up.

Drain the onions and mushroom well.

Place a scoop of guacamole, zucchini, carrot, onion & mushroom mixture, and lettuce on one leaf.

Roll the leaf up and continue to do the same with the other leaves.

Here are a couple photos I took of them, finished. As you can see, I had a hard time keeping them 'rolled' but MAN were they good!!

So then there's the cute little salad I made, using romaine, spinach, dandelion greens, sunflower sprouts, and tomatoes.
Next on the menu was Broccoli Soup. My friend and I LOVED it earlier in the day, and Steve hates cold soup, and even though I said, "But this one ROCKS, he wouldn't even taste it. Not even after I got the airplane spoon out.

Here's the recipe:

Broccoli Soup:

3 cups water

1 cup almonds

1 tsp honey or agave

2 cups broccoli

1 avocado

1/2 to 1 clove garlic

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp onion

1 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a blender or Vita Mix, blend water, almonds and honey until smooth.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy.

Add more salt as desired. Garnish with whatever floats your boat. *shown with Sunflower sprouts*

All in all, I enjoyed a great Rawkin' Roll day!