"Water Night" first took my breath away when I heard it performed on "From the Top" by the highly aclaimed Norman North High School Chorale in Oklahoma. This translation of a Spanish poem, adapted by Eric Whitaker, is a beautifully evocotive, metaphorical piece formed in a series of vignets about the connection of the water to the soul, and the quest to find the innermost spirit in ourselves. Further interpretation reflects the experience of holding something difficult inside over a period of time, and finally letting it go to find peace.
"Water Night" is the inspiration for one of my upcoming paintings.
(Please press play. Feel free to read along with the lyrics below.)
Water Night
Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
night with eyes of water in the field asleep
is in your eyes, a horse that trembles, is in your eyes of secret water.
Eyes of shadow-water, eyes of well-water, eyes of dream-water.
Silence and solitude, two little animals moon-led, drink in your eyes, drink in those waters.
If you open your eyes, night opens, doors of musk, the secret kingdom of the water opens flowing from the center of night.
And if you close your eyes, a river fills you from within, flows forward, darkens you: night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.
Octavio Paz, 1914-1998 (Adapted by Eric Whitacre, Translation by Muriel Rukeyser)
**The original poem is "Agua Nocturna" by Octavio Paz. Peace is connected to a long tradition of "night" in visual art, poetry and music.
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it.
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-09-05 14:27:002012-09-05 14:27:00Water Night
Maple Cinnamon Crispies & Strawberries awaiting creamy Almond Milk
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies), a recipe from the beautiful book, Raw Food Real World, by the equally beautiful Sarma Melngailis, falls into the addictive category for me. Not only are they delicious served in a bowl of creamy Almond milk (they remain nice & crispy in milk too!) but, since I find myself daydreaming of their crisp, sweet deliciousness, they're currently my favorite snack as well… a perfect nibble alongside a cup of tea. Fortunately, they're also quick and easy to make!
Buckwheat isn't actually a grain, but rather, an edible fruit seed which is easy for the body to digest, unlike grains, which increase acidity in the body, upsetting its pH balance. An overly acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenates your system, keeping your body healthy, functioning correctly and even preventing and combating cancer.
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies) is one of the first recipes I made using my Excalibur dehydrator, a raw foodist's tool for many recipes. The dehydrator achieves the ability to warm and "cook" ingredients in a processs which retains almost 100% of the nutritional content of the food as well as the alkalinity of fresh produce while simultaneously inhibiting the growth of microforms such as bacteria. If you don't have a dehydrator, you could substitute your oven on it's lowest setting, leaving the door slightly ajar (to achieve a temp. of 115 F). Be sure to purchase raw buckwheat groats for this recipe, not the toasted type called kashi.
Enjoy!
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies & Cocoa Crispies (Serves 4-6)
Recipe from the beautiful book: Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngailis
Ingredients:
2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked for at least 1 hour (will yield about 3 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 packets stevia
2 teaspoons sea salt
Method:
Rinse buckwheat groats to get rid of extra starchiness.
Place groats in food processor along with remaining ingredients. Pulse until combined but not pureed, until it looks like soupy oatmeal.
Divide between two Teflex-lined dehydrator trays, spreading to about 1/8" thick with an offset spatula. Dehydrate at 115 F for 8-12 hours until top is dry to touch & teflex peels away easily. (If using your oven on lowest setting with door propped to achieve consistent 115F, spread on a nonstick baking matt or secured nonstick foil so doesn't slip when spreading.)
Set a second dehydrator tray lined with only mesh screen this time, over each partially dehydrated sheet of buckwheat crispies. Flip two trays over in order to then remove top tray & peel away teflex. Place flipped buckwheat back into dehydrator for an additional few hours until completely dry and crunchy.
Break into pieces and store in airtight container. You may also store in fridge for maximum freshness for up to a few weeks.
Cocoa Crispies: Replace the cinnamon with 2 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder or carob powder.
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Admittadly, I considered posting only the pictures of this luscious dish. It was that delicious, fresh and beautiful. Couldn't it possibly stand alone with no words to accompany?
I'm having SO much fun cooking Raw Vegan Cuisine, learning a ton, working with new ingredients, techniques and tools, making many ingredients by hand… and continuing to feel amazing changes in my spiritual, mental and physical well being.
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue is a recipe by Matthew Kenney, James Beard Award nominated chef and co-founder of the upscale, sexy, award winning raw vegan cuisine restaurant in New York City, Pure Food & Wine. This dish encapsulates what I love about Raw Cuisine: light, intoxicatingly fresh ingredients, bursting with delicious flavors. To be absolutely cliche, it's summertime on a plate.
Enjoy:-)
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
TOMATOES
8 large green tomatoes (green tomatoes are firm & slice easily, I picked a couple with spots of pink blush on the skins, lo & behold they were both beautiful green and red in the centers!)
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chopped tomatoes (heirloom if possible)
1/4 cup agave
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons himalayan or celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup bail, julienned, plus more for garnish
PISTACHIO RELISH
1 cup pistachios
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon himalayan or celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Method:
TOMATOES Thinly slice tomatoes on a mandoline into 1/4 inch slices.
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE Blend all ingredients except basil in a high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in basil.
PISTACHIO RELISH Pulse all ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
FINISH Alternate layering 3 to 4 tomatoes with Pistachio Relish. Drizzle with Sweet Tomato Fondue, serving remaining Fondue in small bowls alongside with soup spoons. Garnish with more Pistachio Relish and a few pieces of fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
One of my favorite, must-order dishes whenever we eat at Japanese restaurants is seaweed salad. The exotic textures, colors and flavors are an irressitable treat for me, not to mention a bona fide cocktail of minerals & vitamins, including B12. Ocean sea vegetables are macroalgaes that possess an impressive profile of protein, minerals and trace minerals. It is said that a piece of raw, unwashed seaweed will retain every single mineral held by the ocean. Seaweed can purify the blood because its chemical compositions are very similar to blood plasma in human beings. Not only are these gorgeous sea vegetables a powerhouse of macrobiotic nutrition, they're anti-inflammatory and possess cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer & anti-viral properties as well… oh, they also make your hair lustrous & healthy too!
You can imagine my excitement when I realized I could make this beautiful salad at home. It's a delicious, light summer meal which takes only minutes to assemble. I often use SeaSnax SeaVegi seaweed salad mix, by a great company with strict sourcing from only the purest ocean waters.
Please enjoy this magical and exotic salad!
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Makes 4 side course servings or 2 main course servings if you're like Jim and me:-)
Ingredients:
1 oz package dehydrated Seaweed Salad Mix (or equivalent of mixed seaweeds such as Wakame, Agar, Sugnori, Tsunomata & Mafunori Seaweed)
1 fuji apple, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion thinly slivered
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp raw honey or agave
Method:
Place seaweed in a large bowl and cover with cold, filtered water. Set aside to rehydrate for 7 minutes, then drain into a collander.
While the seaweed is rehydrating, assemble the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, tamari, sesame oil and honey. Stir in the minced ginger and garlic.
Lastly place the rehydrated seaweed, sliced apple, sliced onion in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing until coated.
In case it wasn't obvious, I am overwhelmed with enthusiasm about the Raw Vegan adventure I embarked upon 3 1/2 weeks ago. I do not exagerate when I say it's as if I started some amazing miracle meds … I suddenly have tons more energy, my moods are even keel and happy (er, I'm actually ecstatic most of the time) any cravings I once had for unhealthy foods have dissapeared (and been replaced for cravings for my new Raw Vegan fare) and last but not least this food is outrageously delicious! I have so many awesome recipes I want to share, I'm busting at the seams… not to mention I can't wait to introduce my dehydrator, sprouting trays and other new friends. Good times.
Alas, today is about a simple, delicious dish I haven't had since those good old college days when I worked as a hostess at Amici's Italian Restaurant– Pasta Alfredo. I remember the first day I watched Eric (the chef & owner) prepare pasta alfredo; a stick of butter, a cup of cream, some salt & pepper and not much else all tossed together with fettucine and poured into a single serving pasta bowl. Yikes! I'd had no idea 'til then what exactly it took to create one of my favorite items on the menu and ever since it's been one of those dishes I never eat…
The fantastic little tool in every Raw Vegetarian kitchen which turns a simple yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini into a plate of spaghetti awaiting whatever delicious toppings your heart desires, in this case a heaping serving of
Creamy. Ooey-gooey. Luscious.
Alfredo Sauce.
Comforting. Delicious and so very light and fabulous for you all at the same time.
Please enjoy!
Freshly made Zucchini Spaghetti for Pasta Alfredo
Recipe for Pasta Alfredo (serves 4)
Pasta
2 large yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini (peeled for a closer to pasta affect, or leave peel on for added color)
Alfredo Sauce
2 cups raw cashews
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
1/1/2 cups water
1/8 cup olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
3-4 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos or gluten free tamari
3-4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp. Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt or to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. pine nuts &/or a few julienned basil ribbons for garnish
Cut zucchinis in half (otherwise pasta strands will be veeerrrry long), then, using a Spiralizer tool, create spaghetti pasta strands. Place in large bowl and set aside.
Place all the sauce ingredients into a heavy duty blender (such as a Vitamix). Blend into thick cream. Add more water if needed to create preferred consistency. Check seasonings and adjust to your taste.
Pour alfredo sauce over the pasta noodles and toss to coat.
Place into serving bowls and garnish pinenuts &/or julienned basil ribbons if desired.
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-07-26 10:25:492025-12-06 15:02:55Dearest Pasta Alfredo… it’s been way too long!
Our sweet, gray kitty passed away at 5:30 am last night, sleeping between us in our bed. She spent the last 3 weeks of her life, following a stroke, tucked into her favorite basket, being toted around with us wherever we went. It's what she wanted and she was incredibly happy, blessing us with her beautiful, loud purring 'til the very last day of her life. We told her stories and walked down memory lane 3 times daily while feeding her favorite pureed "Pumpkin Jack Splash" via syringe. She wore an extra small baby diaper with a hole cut out for her tail, but she was mostly quite good at letting us know when to take her down to her box… on the four occasions of exception, she handled 4 baths & a blow dry very well:) Although she wasn't able to walk these 3 weeks, she thoroughly accepted the situation with the amazing spirit and love we've always known. We love you kitty. Thank you for blessing us with your sweet perfection for the last 13 years. You'll be part of us forever.
Several years ago I began experimenting as a vegetarian purely out of love for animals. One need only adore a pet of their own for that to turn into compassion for all animals. That's what happened for me. I became unable to hold dually in my conscience, that it's ok to eat one animal so long as I never knew it personally/it came from XYZ species, while simultaneously loving another animal as a member of my family.
I hold no judgement against meat eaters as it's woven into the fabric of our conditioning. We're raised eating, wearing & using animal products in more ways than we probably realize. Even despite my own internal conflicts over the issue, I've waffled back and forth between vegetarian/flexetarian over the years, rationalizing, since my husband was a carnivore, preparing a couple of meat dishes a week, though I'd use only humanely raised/organic products religiously.
Recently, however, after reading several fascinating nutrition books, I learned the amazing benefits of a raw foods vegetarian diet. What we've been conditioned to believe our bodies require nutritionally in order to thrive is quite upside down. A vegetarian/raw foods diet has been linked to a whole host of benefits including greater energy, radiant skin, reduced risk of disease and better digestion. Research and real life experiences have also shown that a person can prevent a body's healthy cells from turning into malignant cancererous cells by consuming mostly a vegetarian, raw food diet of whole, organic foods!
When I shared what I'd learned with Jim, I was thrilled when he decided he too wanted transition to a vegetarian, mostly Raw Vegan food diet. The timing was perfect! After just 2 weeks of phasing ourselves into this new lifestyle, we're already feeling and seeing the results. Jim, for example, is experiencing a much higher level of performance during his boxing workouts!
Uncooking, or eating Raw involves a lot of new techniques and some new tools- though the investment is negligible compared to health related expenses down the road. We'd already been making a delicious green smoothie daily for the past year (yes, we love it that much!) in our Vitamix, so we were off to a fab start. My 1st two equipment investments so far on our Raw journey are my spiralizer, for making vegetable pasta, and a Juicer. Love them both!
Originally, I'd planned to share my Raw Vegan recipe for Pasta Alfredo today, but I've received so many requests for this Power Green Juice that I decided to share it first. Again, this is NOT the same recipe as the green smoothie I've shared previously. Juicing is very different from blending as it immediately delivers a degree of enzymes/nutrition/benefits we'd never actually be able to consume in even one day. Jim and I noticed after our first Power Green Juice we experienced an awesome sustained rush of energy, not unlike what follows a cup of coffee, just without the jitters and subsequent crash.
Please enjoy Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice. I am thrilled about it, as until now, I've never been able to drink more than a few sips of green juice, from even the best juicing companies. Sweet & Tangy Green Drink has a wonderful tang of ginger and lemon, sweetness from apples & zip from the fennel… and there's something about that fabulous sustained energy rush… it becomes addictive! It's already one of our daily staples.
Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice
Recipe for Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 collard or kale leaves
3 romaine lettuce leaves
2 handfuls parsley, about 1/2 bunch (or use spinach)
1 cucumber
1/2 fennel bulb (or 1/2 of top portion, ie. the fronds/stems. I get four batches out of 1 fennel this way.)
3 stalks celery
2 green apples, cored
1 lemon, peeled (yellow skin removed)
1 lime
1 1/2" piece of fresh ginger root (I like a lot of ginger, you may want to try w/ a 1" piece first)
A couple squirts of Stevia to sweeten if necessary
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-07-16 21:27:562025-12-06 15:02:58Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice & My Raw Journey
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-07-07 17:20:002025-12-06 15:03:00Until Next Time, Nantucket ~ Part II
As promised here is the delicious Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle recipe I made from our garden's prolific carrot harvest… It's a lovely French recipe combining cool, luxuriously silky, sweet, carrot puree with unctious lemon-buttered pastas tossed in fresh dill.
THE perfect light yet decadent meal for this hot, steamy weather.
Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle
Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (separated)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 pound carrots peeled and sliced into coins (if they're baby carrots don't peel)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (separated)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots, honey and nutmeg and continue to sautee for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are softened.
Puree the liquid using an immersion blender or in a Vitamix for the silkiest, smooth result possible. Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the soup. Chill for a few hours or overnight.
Prior to serving, cook the farfalle pasta to package directions. Drain and return to pot with 1 tablespoon of butter and stir to coat. Add the fresh chopped dill and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the pasta and combine.
Ladle the chilled carrot soup into shallow serving bowls. Divide the dilled pasta amongst the soup bowls, mounding a small amount in the center of each bowl.
Enjoy!
Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle
PS. Don't forget to check out StyleNectar's convenientRecipe Index!
It's been a few weeks since my last post because we've been away on vacation. In addition to sharing a few vaca snaps with you, I have a delicious new recipe you'll love for a Chilled French Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle which I'll share in my next post.
Our vacation was spent in beloved Chatham, Mass (Cape Cod) and Nantucket, a part of the world where the weather is always mild and the sunlight ever clear and bright. We adore the salty sea breezes, beautiful sandy beaches and silver, cedar shingled houses covered in climbing pink roses with hydrangeas galore and the lushest of English gardens.
We biked and we hiked, Jim fly fished and I sketched (lot's of material for upcoming paintings!). We strolled lazily through beautiful art galleries, window shopped and frequented The Bean(our favorite Nantucket coffee house) a couple times a day. Dining on Nantucket is absolutely fabulous. So much so that we simply allowed ourselves to steep in the romance of beautiful, fresh flavors and wonderful ambiance rather than bothering to photo-document it all. Just a few of our favorites are Company of the Cauldron, Oran Mor, Pearl,Lola 41 and Toppers. All amazing.
Meanwhile, miles away back at the home front, our garden was going into overdrive, providing us a bounty of fresh produce to help keep us light and cool for the hot, steamy weather that welcomed us home (think 95+ and high humidity). Jim brought in beans, peas, jalapenos, ruby beets, herbs and gorgeous baby collards, red leaf lettuce, beet greens and nasturtiums (DELISH in salads) plus six pounds of beautiful baby French carrots… I'm sure I'm forgetting some things too!
PS. Check out StyleNectar's convenientRecipe Index!
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-07-01 14:44:002025-12-06 15:03:03Until Next Time, Nantucket ~ Part I
Water Night
"Water Night" first took my breath away when I heard it performed on "From the Top" by the highly aclaimed Norman North High School Chorale in Oklahoma. This translation of a Spanish poem, adapted by Eric Whitaker, is a beautifully evocotive, metaphorical piece formed in a series of vignets about the connection of the water to the soul, and the quest to find the innermost spirit in ourselves. Further interpretation reflects the experience of holding something difficult inside over a period of time, and finally letting it go to find peace.
"Water Night" is the inspiration for one of my upcoming paintings.
(Please press play. Feel free to read along with the lyrics below.)
Water Night
Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
night with eyes of water in the field asleep
is in your eyes, a horse that trembles,
is in your eyes of secret water.
Eyes of shadow-water,
eyes of well-water,
eyes of dream-water.
Silence and solitude,
two little animals moon-led,
drink in your eyes,
drink in those waters.
If you open your eyes,
night opens, doors of musk,
the secret kingdom of the water opens
flowing from the center of night.
And if you close your eyes,
a river fills you from within,
flows forward, darkens you:
night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.
Octavio Paz, 1914-1998
(Adapted by Eric Whitacre, Translation by Muriel Rukeyser)
**The original poem is "Agua Nocturna" by Octavio Paz. Peace is connected to a long tradition of "night" in visual art, poetry and music.
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it.
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
& Cocao Crispies
Maple Cinnamon Crispies & Strawberries awaiting creamy Almond Milk
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies), a recipe from the beautiful book, Raw Food Real World, by the equally beautiful Sarma Melngailis, falls into the addictive category for me. Not only are they delicious served in a bowl of creamy Almond milk (they remain nice & crispy in milk too!) but, since I find myself daydreaming of their crisp, sweet deliciousness, they're currently my favorite snack as well… a perfect nibble alongside a cup of tea. Fortunately, they're also quick and easy to make!
Buckwheat isn't actually a grain, but rather, an edible fruit seed which is easy for the body to digest, unlike grains, which increase acidity in the body, upsetting its pH balance. An overly acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenates your system, keeping your body healthy, functioning correctly and even preventing and combating cancer.
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies) is one of the first recipes I made using my Excalibur dehydrator, a raw foodist's tool for many recipes. The dehydrator achieves the ability to warm and "cook" ingredients in a processs which retains almost 100% of the nutritional content of the food as well as the alkalinity of fresh produce while simultaneously inhibiting the growth of microforms such as bacteria. If you don't have a dehydrator, you could substitute your oven on it's lowest setting, leaving the door slightly ajar (to achieve a temp. of 115 F). Be sure to purchase raw buckwheat groats for this recipe, not the toasted type called kashi.
Enjoy!
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies & Cocoa Crispies (Serves 4-6)
Recipe from the beautiful book: Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngailis
Ingredients:
Method:
Cocoa Crispies: Replace the cinnamon with 2 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder or carob powder.
You may also enjoy: Vibrant Pear & Fuji Salad with Pecans & Cheddar
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Admittadly, I considered posting only the pictures of this luscious dish. It was that delicious, fresh and beautiful. Couldn't it possibly stand alone with no words to accompany?
I'm having SO much fun cooking Raw Vegan Cuisine, learning a ton, working with new ingredients, techniques and tools, making many ingredients by hand… and continuing to feel amazing changes in my spiritual, mental and physical well being.
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue is a recipe by Matthew Kenney, James Beard Award nominated chef and co-founder of the upscale, sexy, award winning raw vegan cuisine restaurant in New York City, Pure Food & Wine. This dish encapsulates what I love about Raw Cuisine: light, intoxicatingly fresh ingredients, bursting with delicious flavors. To be absolutely cliche, it's summertime on a plate.
Enjoy:-)
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
TOMATOES
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE
PISTACHIO RELISH
Method:
TOMATOES Thinly slice tomatoes on a mandoline into 1/4 inch slices.
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE Blend all ingredients except basil in a high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in basil.
PISTACHIO RELISH Pulse all ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
FINISH Alternate layering 3 to 4 tomatoes with Pistachio Relish. Drizzle with Sweet Tomato Fondue, serving remaining Fondue in small bowls alongside with soup spoons. Garnish with more Pistachio Relish and a few pieces of fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
You may also enjoy: First Spring Harvest… a cool, zippy refrigerator snack!
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Wakame, Agar, Sugnori, Tsunomata & Mafunori Seaweed freshly rehydrated
One of my favorite, must-order dishes whenever we eat at Japanese restaurants is seaweed salad. The exotic textures, colors and flavors are an irressitable treat for me, not to mention a bona fide cocktail of minerals & vitamins, including B12. Ocean sea vegetables are macroalgaes that possess an impressive profile of protein, minerals and trace minerals. It is said that a piece of raw, unwashed seaweed will retain every single mineral held by the ocean. Seaweed can purify the blood because its chemical compositions are very similar to blood plasma in human beings. Not only are these gorgeous sea vegetables a powerhouse of macrobiotic nutrition, they're anti-inflammatory and possess cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer & anti-viral properties as well… oh, they also make your hair lustrous & healthy too!
You can imagine my excitement when I realized I could make this beautiful salad at home. It's a delicious, light summer meal which takes only minutes to assemble. I often use SeaSnax SeaVegi seaweed salad mix, by a great company with strict sourcing from only the purest ocean waters.
Please enjoy this magical and exotic salad!
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Makes 4 side course servings or 2 main course servings if you're like Jim and me:-)
Ingredients:
Method:
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Dearest Pasta Alfredo… it’s been way too long!
In case it wasn't obvious, I am overwhelmed with enthusiasm about the Raw Vegan adventure I embarked upon 3 1/2 weeks ago. I do not exagerate when I say it's as if I started some amazing miracle meds … I suddenly have tons more energy, my moods are even keel and happy (er, I'm actually ecstatic most of the time) any cravings I once had for unhealthy foods have dissapeared (and been replaced for cravings for my new Raw Vegan fare) and last but not least this food is outrageously delicious! I have so many awesome recipes I want to share, I'm busting at the seams… not to mention I can't wait to introduce my dehydrator, sprouting trays and other new friends. Good times.
Alas, today is about a simple, delicious dish I haven't had since those good old college days when I worked as a hostess at Amici's Italian Restaurant– Pasta Alfredo. I remember the first day I watched Eric (the chef & owner) prepare pasta alfredo; a stick of butter, a cup of cream, some salt & pepper and not much else all tossed together with fettucine and poured into a single serving pasta bowl. Yikes! I'd had no idea 'til then what exactly it took to create one of my favorite items on the menu and ever since it's been one of those dishes I never eat…
Until now!
Enter Spiralizer
The fantastic little tool in every Raw Vegetarian kitchen which turns a simple yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini into a plate of spaghetti awaiting whatever delicious toppings your heart desires, in this case a heaping serving of
Creamy. Ooey-gooey. Luscious.
Alfredo Sauce.
Comforting. Delicious and so very light and fabulous for you all at the same time.
Please enjoy!
Freshly made Zucchini Spaghetti for Pasta Alfredo
Recipe for Pasta Alfredo (serves 4)
Pasta
Alfredo Sauce
Enjoy!
Pasta Alfredo awaiting devourment
You may also enjoy: Beach Babes or Blueberry Coconut Smoothie
kitty
Our sweet, gray kitty passed away at 5:30 am last night, sleeping between us in our bed. She spent the last 3 weeks of her life, following a stroke, tucked into her favorite basket, being toted around with us wherever we went. It's what she wanted and she was incredibly happy, blessing us with her beautiful, loud purring 'til the very last day of her life. We told her stories and walked down memory lane 3 times daily while feeding her favorite pureed "Pumpkin Jack Splash" via syringe. She wore an extra small baby diaper with a hole cut out for her tail, but she was mostly quite good at letting us know when to take her down to her box… on the four occasions of exception, she handled 4 baths & a blow dry very well:) Although she wasn't able to walk these 3 weeks, she thoroughly accepted the situation with the amazing spirit and love we've always known. We love you kitty. Thank you for blessing us with your sweet perfection for the last 13 years. You'll be part of us forever.
Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice & My Raw Journey
Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice
I've begun my Raw journey!
Several years ago I began experimenting as a vegetarian purely out of love for animals. One need only adore a pet of their own for that to turn into compassion for all animals. That's what happened for me. I became unable to hold dually in my conscience, that it's ok to eat one animal so long as I never knew it personally/it came from XYZ species, while simultaneously loving another animal as a member of my family.
I hold no judgement against meat eaters as it's woven into the fabric of our conditioning. We're raised eating, wearing & using animal products in more ways than we probably realize. Even despite my own internal conflicts over the issue, I've waffled back and forth between vegetarian/flexetarian over the years, rationalizing, since my husband was a carnivore, preparing a couple of meat dishes a week, though I'd use only humanely raised/organic products religiously.
Recently, however, after reading several fascinating nutrition books, I learned the amazing benefits of a raw foods vegetarian diet. What we've been conditioned to believe our bodies require nutritionally in order to thrive is quite upside down. A vegetarian/raw foods diet has been linked to a whole host of benefits including greater energy, radiant skin, reduced risk of disease and better digestion. Research and real life experiences have also shown that a person can prevent a body's healthy cells from turning into malignant cancererous cells by consuming mostly a vegetarian, raw food diet of whole, organic foods!
When I shared what I'd learned with Jim, I was thrilled when he decided he too wanted transition to a vegetarian, mostly Raw Vegan food diet. The timing was perfect! After just 2 weeks of phasing ourselves into this new lifestyle, we're already feeling and seeing the results. Jim, for example, is experiencing a much higher level of performance during his boxing workouts!
Uncooking, or eating Raw involves a lot of new techniques and some new tools- though the investment is negligible compared to health related expenses down the road. We'd already been making a delicious green smoothie daily for the past year (yes, we love it that much!) in our Vitamix, so we were off to a fab start. My 1st two equipment investments so far on our Raw journey are my spiralizer, for making vegetable pasta, and a Juicer. Love them both!
Originally, I'd planned to share my Raw Vegan recipe for Pasta Alfredo today, but I've received so many requests for this Power Green Juice that I decided to share it first. Again, this is NOT the same recipe as the green smoothie I've shared previously. Juicing is very different from blending as it immediately delivers a degree of enzymes/nutrition/benefits we'd never actually be able to consume in even one day. Jim and I noticed after our first Power Green Juice we experienced an awesome sustained rush of energy, not unlike what follows a cup of coffee, just without the jitters and subsequent crash.
Please enjoy Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice. I am thrilled about it, as until now, I've never been able to drink more than a few sips of green juice, from even the best juicing companies. Sweet & Tangy Green Drink has a wonderful tang of ginger and lemon, sweetness from apples & zip from the fennel… and there's something about that fabulous sustained energy rush… it becomes addictive! It's already one of our daily staples.
Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice
Recipe for Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
Method:
Sweet & Tangy Power Green Juice
You may also enjoy: Until Next Time Nantucket Part I or Grapefruit, Avocado & Kalamata Salad
Until Next Time, Nantucket ~ Part II
As promised, a few more snaps to share with you from one of our favorite places in the world, Nantucket Island.
(As always, click images for a better, larger view)
View Until Next time, Nantucket ~ Part I
You may also enjoy: Lobster Rolls, it's Summertime!
Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle
As promised here is the delicious Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle recipe I made from our garden's prolific carrot harvest… It's a lovely French recipe combining cool, luxuriously silky, sweet, carrot puree with unctious lemon-buttered pastas tossed in fresh dill.
THE perfect light yet decadent meal for this hot, steamy weather.
Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle
Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
Method:
Enjoy!
Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle
PS. Don't forget to check out StyleNectar's convenient Recipe Index!
Until Next Time, Nantucket ~ Part I
It's been a few weeks since my last post because we've been away on vacation. In addition to sharing a few vaca snaps with you, I have a delicious new recipe you'll love for a Chilled French Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle which I'll share in my next post.
Our vacation was spent in beloved Chatham, Mass (Cape Cod) and Nantucket, a part of the world where the weather is always mild and the sunlight ever clear and bright. We adore the salty sea breezes, beautiful sandy beaches and silver, cedar shingled houses covered in climbing pink roses with hydrangeas galore and the lushest of English gardens.
We biked and we hiked, Jim fly fished and I sketched (lot's of material for upcoming paintings!). We strolled lazily through beautiful art galleries, window shopped and frequented The Bean (our favorite Nantucket coffee house) a couple times a day. Dining on Nantucket is absolutely fabulous. So much so that we simply allowed ourselves to steep in the romance of beautiful, fresh flavors and wonderful ambiance rather than bothering to photo-document it all. Just a few of our favorites are Company of the Cauldron, Oran Mor, Pearl, Lola 41 and Toppers. All amazing.
Meanwhile, miles away back at the home front, our garden was going into overdrive, providing us a bounty of fresh produce to help keep us light and cool for the hot, steamy weather that welcomed us home (think 95+ and high humidity). Jim brought in beans, peas, jalapenos, ruby beets, herbs and gorgeous baby collards, red leaf lettuce, beet greens and nasturtiums (DELISH in salads) plus six pounds of beautiful baby French carrots… I'm sure I'm forgetting some things too!
Our abundance of carrots resulted in a delicious Chilled French Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle I'll share in my next post… The perfect, light meal for this hot, steamy weather.
~
Nantucket and Chatham Snapshots ~ Part I
Stay tuned… I'll be sharing a few more snaps with you soon!
(As always, click images for a better, larger view)
Bye for now… I'll be sharing a few more snaps with you soon!
PS. Check out StyleNectar's convenient Recipe Index!