Kale Chips and a New Favorite Raw Cookbook!

Kale Chips—

Where Have You Been All My Life?

Potato chips . . . you are no longer longed for . . .

My friend Lynne, makes some of the best raw food snacks, including her yummy, crunchy kale chips. My cousin, John, who basks (and probably does other things) in Hawaii and grows his own kale among other green beauties, recently posted on Facebook about eating homemade kale chips. Well, instead of admiring them from afar, it was finally time to make my own!

You all know the benefits of eating your greens, and this is a most delightful way to do it—RAW, no less!

I bought two different types of kale, a standard dark green curly type, and a new variety with some pretty purple splashes of color. For this occasion I made two different recipes: Pizza Kale Chips (in the photo above) and Naked Kale Chips (pictured below). 

The recipes were from my new favorite raw food cookbook: Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley. Get this—she devotes a whole chapter to kale chips! After reading those recipes I decided that I could not let another week pass by without making my own.

FYI:  Amber's recipe for Pizza Kale Chips is online so there's no need to share it with you here. I left out the fennel seed and I substituted a tomato for the red bell pepper. I picked a few basil leaves to add as well.

 

Naked Kale Chips!

Practically Raw is a unique cookbook or uncookbook. Let me tell you why I'm so enamored with it. This beautiful book is filled with full-color photos. I love to see the pic of the dish I'm making, don't you? 

The innovative side of this book is that it has instructions for two ways to make each recipe—a raw version and a baked version! I own many raw food prep books and I've never seen this before. Plus, there are recipe variations and ingredient substitutions for every recipe—quite useful, for the way I use recipes these days. Plus it has even more features that I love like health and nutritional information, menus, and a resource list.

 
As I read through the chapters of this book I kept a running list of recipes that I had to try. My list is at around 40 recipes at this point, and I'm not quite finished looking through the book yet! That's not the typical response I've had with many other recipe books I own! So many yummy sounding, stress-free recipes that I'm wanting to make—yippee!

Just a few on my list are raw Graham Crackers, Basic Nut and Mexican Cheddar Cheese, Flaxjacks Pancakes, Brazil Nut Bread, Coconut-Vanilla Kale Chips, Spinach-Walnut Pesto Pasta, Almond Butter Sesame Noodles, Stuffed Peppers and Wild Rice—all RAW of course! But if I want, I can speed up the process and use the cooked version.

Did you notice the Coconut-Vanilla Kale Chips mentioned above? You should see the dessert type kale chips you can make! There are Chocolate and Maple-Pecan also!

Pizza Kale Chips ready for the dehydrator

Naked Kale Chips ready to dehydrate

The Naked Kale Chip recipe was a little simpler to make and less mess. One thing about making the Pizza recipe is that the coating is made in a blender and it is very thick, so thick that some sticks in the blender and you really can't get it all out.

Naked Kale Chips

by Kathy's Kitchen, Health, & Nutrition

Keywords: dehydrates raw vegan snack

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For Naked Kale Chips you just stir the following in a large bowl:

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt

Instructions

• Then add this mixture with your washed and chopped big bunch of kale leaves (with hard stems removed), massaging into all the leaves. Place on Teflex lined dehydrator sheets and dry for 8 or more hours. I made mine in the evening and let them dry til morning.

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Then, like my cousin in Hawaii says: 

"You eat them all in a single sitting." 

And that's pretty much what happened to ours.

Enjoy Kale Chips, your way!

For more kale delights and kale information visit Diana Dyer, MS, RD at 365 Days of Kale, also from where I borrowed this pic:

Linking up with Gluten-Free Cat and  Raw Foods Thursdays!

Raw Cinnamon Pear and Apple Munchies

Before

Cinnamon Pears Lined Up 

and ready for the dehydrator

After

Dried and Ready to Eat

I just love the sweetness of ripe pears! I bought a pretty bunch of them with a coupon from one of our Health Food Stores, which brought the price below $1 a pound. A good buy!

I needed something to carry with me or have available at home when the urge to chew comes over me. Being on a new juicing lifestyle change is an adjustment so I'm just figuring out some worthwhile raw treats and munchies to have in my grab bag when I need something.

Let me tell you . . . these are scrumptious!

Here's how to make these chewy sweet munchies:

Slice pears with an apple slicer, then cut each slice in half (or thirds). 

Place pear slices in a bowl along with several tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Keep them stirred up as you fill the bowl.

Line pears on the mesh dehydrator tray and sprinkle with cinnamon. Dehydrate @ 105-110 degrees until dry and chewy. (I made mine in the late afternoon and let them dry all night. They were perfect in the early morning.)

When completely cooled, bag them up or store them in an airtight container. 

I kept some in my purse for a healthy, tasty snack. Perfect for trips and kid's lunches too.

I also made some cinnamon apple slices—almost as good as the pears, but since they were thicker I let them dry a bit longer.

What are you favorite dried fruit snacks?

Linking up with Raw Foods Thursdays 

Raw Cranberry-Raisin Scones

Raw Cranberry-Raisin Scones

I offered one to my son at lunch today. "This doesn't look like any scone that I've ever seen before," he commented. And even though he's not a raisin fan, he liked it!

I think these look, and are, delicious, and I like the wholesome nutty-fruity flavor. But, if you are used to baking with white flour and sugar, (or eating regular scones), and you are not used to eating such whole-food goodness, then your taste buds may not be satisfied. My sons used to hear me say something like, "They have a health-food flavor," concerning some of the goodies I'd make.

I've found that when I'm not eating sugary sweets and only eating natural fruits and less-sweet hearty foods, I lose my cravings for those high-carb delights and actually love the simple healthier delights such as these raw Cranberry-Raisin Scones!

These are sweetened with a little brown rice syrup so they don't taste gooey sweet. Eating a wholesome dessert makes me feel good, and I think about all the awesome nutrients I'm getting and their healing effects.  

If you look closely you'll spot some orange specks . . . you know what those are, right? Carrots! They are also made with apples, walnuts, raisins, and of course cranberries. Next time I'm adding even more cranberries and I'd like to try some with blueberries or perhaps a mixture of the two!

This recipe is very similar to one in The Raw Family Newsletter  by Victoria Boutenko.

Mixing it Up

Ingredients:

2 large carrots (cut in pieces)

2 apples (cut up)

2 cups walnuts

1 cup flaxseed (ground)

1.5 cups fresh cranberries (or frozen and thawed)

2 cups organic raisins

5 Tbs. brown rice syrup (or honey)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)   

In a food processor, process the walnuts until broken into small pieces, then place them in a large mixing bowl. Do the same with the apples, and then the carrots, individually, placing all in the bowl. 

Next, into the bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well. (I ground my whole flaxseed using a Vita-Mix.) 

Ready for the Dehydrator

Arrange big fat spoonfuls of dough in rows on a Teflex dehydrator sheet. Dry at 110 degrees for about 6-8 hours, then remove the Teflex sheet and turn them onto a regular mesh tray and dry for another 6-8 hours or until they meet the desired dryness and consistency. I always do a taste test! This recipe made about 40 scones.

 

Snackin' on Scones 'n' Tea

Raw Cranberry-Raisin Scones—Ready to Eat!

For best results, I keep my cookies and scones refrigerated, or bagged in the freezer. BTW, those are sesame sprinkles on top!

 Linking up with Wellness Wednesdays! 




And linking up with Raw Foods Thursdays!

Basic Raw Veggie Snack Cracker (Dehydrated)

Raw Veggie Snack Cracker

(Pictured with Guacamole)

Looking for more alternatives to wheat, I wanted to try and find a new dehydrated raw snack cracker. I did some experimenting, and this recipe is just what I was hoping for! Similar to the Red Hot Snackers recipe but a bit different, and savory, but not hot.

Ingredients:

 2 cups raw sunflower seeds (soaked in water for at least 4 hours)

1 cup almond meal (flour)

3 Tbs. whole flax seed

2 tsp. sea salt

1 large garlic clove, sliced

1 small purple onion, sliced

1/2  large sweet red bell pepper, sliced

1 med. tomato cut up

3 Tbs. fresh parsley cut  

                                           

Drain the sunflower seeds. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. Place the contents in your food processor and pulse. Continue to process, stopping periodically to push down the sides. When the consistency holds together well, and looks similar to the photo on the left you are ready to fill your dehydrator trays.

Place a few large spoonfuls of the mixture onto a teflex or parchment lined dehydrator tray. Roll thin—about 1/4 inch thick. (Score with a knife to make square shapes either now or when you flip them.) Dehydrate @ 140 degrees for 1 hour (or skip this step and use a lower temperature), then lower temperature to 105 degrees, and dry for approx. 6 hours. Flip onto an unlined tray and remove the teflex sheet. Dry for an additional 4 hours, or until done.

Keeping them refrigerated or frozen will help keep them fresh and crispy.

                                             

 Break Them Apart and  

Get Ready to Munch!

Linking up with Wellness Wednesdays and  Raw Foods Thursdays.

Chia Seed — A Superfood of Choice

Do you need a reason 

to choose wisely and eat healthy? 

I don't. I have plenty of reasons! 

The choices you make today and tomorrow will catch up to you one day and hopefully you'll have a positive outcome.

Is it natural, just because a person is aging, that she has to look forward to disease? No! Many of the diseases we associate with the elderly have no basis for age. In fact, younger and younger folks are subjected to the same diseases once attributed to the elderly. We may not have to go that route—if you make some healthy changes.

If there's a nutrient- and antioxidant-rich, cardiac-healthy, immune-boosting, super-food out there, I want to know about it.

Chia seed has all that and more!

 Cinfully Delicious—

Banana Chia Seed Pudding

Did you know that eating chia seeds will boost your energy and promote weight loss? They are low in calories yet high in fiber, are a complete source of protein, and very rich in omega-3 fatty acids (even more so than flax seeds). They contain calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron,  niacin, and zinc. 

How about these . . .

• Five times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones?
• Two times the amount of potassium as bananas?
• Three times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries?
• Three times more iron than spinach?

This sounds terrific, but I'm thinking you'd need to eat an awful lot of seeds in proportion to these foods, yet why not make this healthy choice and add chia seed into your daily intake? It's easy to do!

The Banana Chia Pudding shown above is just one of many ways to use chia seeds. It's tasty and very filling. Kids would really go for this too! There is a variety of uses for chia seed in raw recipes (including smoothies) and you can grind them to add to breads, cookies and baked goods. Use chia seeds for toppings, in sauces and drinks, and more. You can even make Chia Seed Ice Cream.

Cinful Banana Chia Seed Pudding

2 1/2 Tbsp chia seed
1 cup almond milk
1 mashed banana 
2 pitted and chopped Medjool dates (or your choice sweetener to taste)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Soak chia seeds in almond milk and mix well. Let rest in bowl for 10 minutes. Stir well and allow to rest an additional 10 minutes. Mash banana, cut dates, and combine all ingredients together. Blend in a blender until mixed well. Pour into dessert cups and chill to set. Garnish with fresh berries before eating if you desire. This recipe makes two servings.

 Bob's Red Mill Brand That I Used

 Soaking Chia Seeds in Almond Milk

Add Mashed Banana and Chopped Dates

 Blending Chia Pudding Mixture

 It Makes a Double Serving

 Garnish With Fruit

How Does Chia Seed Compare to Flax Seed?

Flax is still a popular choice for many (I love my dehydrated flax seed crackers) and according to Dr.Weil there are advantages to choosing chia seeds:

Chia seed has an "advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Another advantage: when added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar."

 Slowing the conversion of carbs into sugar is good news indeed, especially for diabetics and dieters. Natural News reports:

"Chia has been called a dieter's dream food because when added to foods, it bulks them up, displacing calories and fat without diluting the flavor. Thus, someone can eat a typical serving, yet only consume about half the calories they might have eaten . . . "

 Our Frugal Find Today

My husband walked in the door this afternoon claiming he had a special "gift" for me—a whole boxful of lemons—only 19 cents each! Thank you honey.

We enjoy lemon and lime juice year round because we stock up on the best buys and freeze the juice in containers for later use. Below is a refreshing way to drink your lemonade . . .

 Chia Fresca (Lemonade)

Some people describe chia seed as having a nutlike flavor. Really, it doesn't have a taste, but some folks may need to get used to its gel-like quality when it's added to fluids. I used to occasionally buy a berry flavored drink with chia seed at the local Health Food Market. I loved it, but the first taste was strange because it was thick, with seeds floating around in it.

For years, my daily lemon-or-lime drink consists of 2 Tbsp fresh juice added to a tall glass of water with a little stevia to taste. To make Chia Fresca (as known in Mexico and Central America) I mix in 1/2 to 1 tsp chia seeds. You can substitute your own sweetener—I also like it with one Tbs of maple syrup and just a dash of cayenne pepper. 

You could try adding it into other juices as well. From now on I'm going to get a fix of chia seeds daily—they can go in my daily green drink or I'll have Chia Fresco and try it in other recipes! What about you?

Use the following links to find more raw recipes and information about chia seed:

10 benefits of eating chia seeds 
Q & A Library - Dr. Weil  
The Chia 'Cheat Sheet' and Ten Raw Chia Recipes
40 ways to use chia seeds 
Chia Seed Nutrition Facts


Linking up with Healthy Habits Tuesday

 and Wellness Wednesday

Snack Attack - Healthy Habits Week 6

 

Should I deprive myself?

The strawberry shortcake above was last Sunday's treat. OK, the whip cream is a minor no-no (for me personally), but the strawberries are raw, and I found this gluten-free cake in the freezer and I thought it should be used! Was it a good (healthy) snack? 

Well, I did not lose weight the past week either. Though loss of weight is not my primary goal it would certainly add to my goal of better health and feeling good and looking good if I did so.

Do I have to feel deprived in order to lose weight and get healthier? 

I think not, but it may mean a few changes and a little more planning.

Healthy Habits—Week 6

One of my problems . . . Healthy Snacking (or not)

Since I was a homeschool Mom and a work-from-home Gal for many years, I lived in and around the kitchen table. You can guess what's coming . . . I had the bad habit of eating at any time. I did not know what it was like to feel hungry—ever! I was not much of a meal planner (it's a great idea however), and I'm not the frigid-rigid type who had a plan for such things.

Now that I'm back into exercising most every day, do you know what happens to me after a good workout? My stomach hints that I need food. I may start hunting and scrounging for something to tempt my taste buds. After all, I just strengthened those muscles, stretched those ligaments, and pumped and primed my heart. I drink water, and it's perhaps fine to eat a healthy snack, but what about at other times?

A satisfying snack: 

Dried Cinnamon Apples made with Granny Smiths & Fujis

There are many wonderful healthy snacks that I could, and do, eat. There are the dieter's choice of celery and carrot sticks (which are fine at times), dried apples, and a wide array of fruit, nuts (I eat too many), and vegetable choices. For those of us who eat meat and/or dairy, the choices are greater. In the vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo or raw food worlds, the concoctions people create are amazing, with healthier alternatives for just about any sweet or salty processed snack you'd normally choose to eat.

Plan for a Snack Attack!

My original plan was simply:

Limit eating between meals. 
Eat a healthy veggie/fruit snack 

This month, it's time to move. Here is my Snack Attack implementation . . . 

• Plan ahead—Will you have time to stop what you are doing to whip up a snack mix, crackers, a healthy pudding, or fruit wedges? Mix up a batch on the weekend to have on hand during the week. And don't run out. Scout out recipes in your spare time (he-he).

• Bring it with you—Don't be tempted to stop at the fast food joint or donut shop. Be sure to have something with you when you go out.

• Content matters—What you eat does make a difference. Choose quality over crap. Read ingredients and make things from scratch. Natural high-end nutrition trumps processed foods every time!
  

• Portion control—I don't have to eat an entire bowlful. Limit yourself purposefully or even measure amounts (like the cereal snack you eat out of a box or the chips in a container).
  

• Timing—Work out a plan for snacks and stick to it! Tame your cravings after work on weekdays and have a small snack to eat in the car before going home to fix lunch. Try yogurt and fruit, or crackers and hummus, after exercising in the afternoon. Eating popcorn on Sunday nights (family tradition) is OK but use the smaller bowl.
  

• Enjoyment—Choose foods and snacks you like. Enjoy what you choose. Savor it.
  

• It's OK to feel hunger—(or whatever that is you are feeling). Forget the idea that you must eat at the first sign of a hungry stomach. It's perfectly fine (and actually good) to not stuff your face all-the-time!
  

Here is a list of a variety of nutritious snacks and treats for you to try, here at Kathy's Kitchen:

• Apricot Cherry Macaroons 

• Sunny Seed Snackers
• Green Pudding & Lemon Love Cookies

• Red Hot Snackers, Spinach Dip, Raw Cashew Fudge, Hedgehog Balls 

• Trail Mix
• Lime Mousse

• Almond Pulp Bites

• Fruit Roll-ups, Frozen Banana/Fruit Ice Cream

• Carob Almond Truffles 
   

I'll probably touch on this in a future post, but I have been "years" making small changes and it never stops; Getting a handle on my snacking will be adding another element to the whole. 

 

What are your favorite healthy snack ideas?

Linking up with Healthy Habits Tuesday

and Wellness Wednesdays