First Few Weeks of Unprocessed Meals

My first few weeks of eating unprocessed whole foods has been fun and delicious. I have spent a bit of time in the kitchen, but not an unreasonable amount. Also, most meals that I have made were reheated for leftovers.

For one breakfast I created a whole-grain pancake/waffle batter made with King Arthur whole wheat flour, ground flax seed, rolled oats, coconut milk, applesauce, and almond extract. I tried the batter as a pancake and added frozen raspberries, then tried the batter plain in a waffle maker. Both were equally yummy and hearty especially after topping them with plain yogurt, applesauce, and sunflower seeds.  Another breakfast was a Tropical Kale Smoothie (recipe below) that included baby kale, blueberries, pineapple, coconut water and chia seeds.  It had an earthy, yet sweet and lovely flavor.

For a light lunch I made a cashew pate which is a raw food made from blended cashews, red pepper, green onions, and fresh herbs. I spread the pate on puffed kamut cakes and topped it with avocado and sea salt.  Other lunch options were big, beautiful salads and homemade soups.

Dinner one night consisted of Shepard's Pie made from a layer of cooked lentils and vegetables, sweet peas, and mashed potatoes. I actually prepared the meal during the day, when I had time, and when I came home in the evening I just had to pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. Dinner another night consisted of brown rice, black beans with cumin added, sauteed onions/mushrooms/peppers, homemade pico de gallo and avocado. Yum! The pico de gallo is so easy to make that it seems silly to even consider buying it or salsa pre-made ever again. I just mixed together finely diced tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, sea salt and lime juice and Voila!

With the leftover rice I poured in coconut milk, a dollop of butter, a beaten egg, soaked raisins and dates with a little of the soak water, raw honey, sea salt, nutmeg, cloves, and a cinnamon stick and let it simmer for about 3o minutes.

Every meal so far I have made from scratch (except for the puffed kamut cakes) and loved it. It feels good to eat things that I prepared with my bare hands and not from a box. And to cut down on wheat, dairy, and sugars makes my body very happy. So far, so good.

TROPICAL KALE SMOOTHIE
3 cups baby kale
1 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup pineapple
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon chia seeds

Place all ingredients in blender and blend till smooth.  Add more water or juice to thin to a consistency that you like.  Pour in your favorite glass  and enjoy!