Tuscan No Bean Hummus With Checca

No Bean Hummus with Checca, Baby Carrots and Pita Bread Triangles

Hummus is a staple in the raw food world, because it's just a great way to get your raw veggies in as a snack, lunch or use in wraps etc.  but I have a confession....

I have never liked hummus. Yea, I know-Crazy right?

Don't know why either but for years now I haven't even bothered to try making raw hummus, even though it rarely involves the main ingredient of regular hummus-cooked chickpeas. I've been looking for a nice snack idea or light lunch that doesn't require a big salad, and it lead me back to hummus again.

I remembered that there have been many things that I did not like cooked that now I really enjoy raw. With raw food, all previous food bets and tastes are off. It's a whole new ball game with mostly good results.

In researching raw hummus recipes there are many ideas of how to make it raw. Some use sprouted raw chickpeas, while others say they don't like that taste. Some use nuts but then again many have nut allergies, plus that can use a lot of nuts and add a lot of fat. Then there is another school of thought using zucchini and tahini that seems to be a winner.

Since nothing is more upsetting than trying a new raw recipe and having it fall flat, I decided to go for a combo that is a tried and true favorite for many...

The Tuscan Hummus and Checca from California Pizza Kitchen. Now here is the silly part, I have never tried it but I hear people rave about it and CPK is one of my favorite places for fresh veggie combo ideas.

So I decided to base my recipe on theirs, minus the beans. Beans are the heavy part that can leave you feeling bloated afterward. They can be hard to digest for many people even sprouted so the seeds and zucchini base is much more agreeable.

The result? I can honestly say I really like this!  I'm surprised!


Even Rich who is not a hummus fan, really likes this. He's also not a fan of carrots, so I warmed up some pita bread for him. But in the scheme of things, there is a lot of fresh veggies in this dish even with the pita bread so it's all good!

Another winner! What a relief!

No Bean Hummus with Paprika and Chopped Parsley & Baby Carrots

Tuscan No Bean Hummus Recipe

Yes that's 10 cloves of garlic! But I did not use them all.

Hummus Ingredients:

• 3 zucchini, peeled and chopped 
• 1/2 cup raw Tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds (soaked in water about 2 hrs and then drain) or use 1 cup Tahini instead
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed if possible
• 1Tbsp + 1tsp Nama Shoyu  (or tamari or even Braggs Aminos)
• 1 1/2 Tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp coriander
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 5-10 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 6 large cloves to start and it was very garlicky so add them in last and taste as you go.)

Zucchini lightly peeled

You can choose to leave the peel on your zucchini if you like because there are more nutrients in the skin but know the hummus will be more green. Chop the zucchini and place into food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the lemon juice, seasonings, Nama Shoyu, Olive oil. Then when well combined add in the seeds and/or tahini.  Then add in the garlic. CPK's recipe calls for 10 cloves of garlic and while we really do love garlic, 6 was our limit.  If it's too watery add in more tahini to desired consistency. Chill and let sit a bit before serving ( if you can wait.) Sprinkle with paprika and top with chopped parsley. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Will keep refrigerated 5 days.

No Bean Hummus Plain

This is really tasty as is- plain. I could have eaten the whole bag of carrots just like this. But for added taste and color and because I had some lovely ripe tomatoes, I made the...

Checca

Fresh Checca

Checca is an Italian salad/garnish made with ripe tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil- delicious!

Checca Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive Oil- cold pressed if possible
• Sea Salt to taste

Chop the tomato and set aside in a bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients and lightly toss to coat the tomatoes. Chill or serve right away.

Top off the hummus to serve or eat with anything you desire- including a fork. So good!

No Bean Hummus with Checca

Ready for a Bite?

Johnny Apple Salsa

Green Apple Salsa

Most likely, you've had Tomato Salsa. Maybe even Corn or Mango Salsa. How about Pineapple Salsa? Yep that's good too. But here's a new one for you.

Chances are you haven't had it yet but before you turn up your nose, I'm here to tell you...

It's really really good!

It's light, refreshing with a little tang and a little heat.

I actually found this in an old Costco recipe/cookbook flyer. You just never know where a great fresh produce recipe will pop up.


Serve it with chips, raw or otherwise or even just scoop into a lettuce leaf for a refreshing salsa taco, complete with crunch. No chips required.

But even with chips, you are at least getting lots of raw fresh goodness in the salsa so enjoy!

Another benefit of the apples is that if you serve this with less raw accoutrements, the apple is a built in heartburn helper! But that won't happen if you stay raw.  ;-)

Green Apple Salsa

Green Apple Salsa Ingredients

1 large or two small tomatoes, cored and finely chopped

3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion

3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1 large jalapeno, cored seeded and finely chopped

2 granny smith apples, cored and diced

2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp honey

 fresh ground pepper

sea salt 

In a medium bowl, stir together tomato onion, lime juice and jalapeno. Quarter and core apples and cut into fine dice. Stir apples into the tomato mixture with cilantro, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Refrigerate for up to 6 hrs before serving.

Because of the apple it does not keep longer than a day.

I ended up going to a neighbor's door to share. His words ...."sweet!"

This went over really well! I highly recommend sharing!

Try it, I promise you won't be disappointed.

The Quintessential Desert Resort and Salad

One of my favorite places to visit here in the California desert is around the corner from us, a place called The La Quinta Resort. It was built in 1926 in the Spanish hacienda ranch style, which is a favorite of mine with cozy terracotta floored casitas surrounded by mature foliage and citrus trees all tucked back into the base of the mountains.

Back in the day, it was a popular hideaway for the Hollywood elite looking to escape to pools, tennis and golf and still a draw for those in the know today. The Christmas classic movie, It's a Wonderful Life was actually written by Frank Capra in one of the casitas and every Christmas they make this place magical with lights and decoration.

It became such a landmark that the town of La Quinta was named after it. It is still a charming resort and since it is now run by a large hotel chain, we keep our fingers crossed that they won't modernize it too much and ruin it.

I like to visit because it always has a spectacular show of flowers any time of year. It's like a giant garden, something we don't see all that much here. One of my favorite places there is a restaurant that has a large sunny patio with umbrellas, which surprisingly is a rarity around here as well.

There is a fountain providing the cooling sound of water as a backdrop and lots of color in the plants that surround the patio.  It's a nice place to go and enjoy our sunny weather. My dish of choice is their Mandarin Orange Salad, minus the chicken.

Since our desert is full of citrus this just seems like the perfect California Desert Salad.

Just the other day I was feeling like I needed a vacation, a change of scenery to just get outside and soak up some sunshine.  Visiting the resort always feels like a vacation to me. So we went. The grounds were beautiful and the flowers put up a good show, as always. I ordered my salad but perhaps memory is better than reality or they changed it. Sadly, my taste buds were disappointed.

I thought... I can make this better.  So that's what I did!


A blend of California classics, mandarin oranges and almonds with the addition of sunflower sprouts, a mix of romaine, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, green onion and mung bean sprouts, with an asian inspired ginger soy dressing sweetened with honey and lime. This time I was not disappointed!

Mandarin Orange Salad

with a Sweet Soy Ginger Dressing

Mandarin Orange Salad with Sweet Soy Ginger Dressing

Recipe

Salad Mix

green cabbage

carrots shredded

broccoli slaw

bean sprouts

romaine lettuce, chopped finely (optional)

8 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned

 3 green onions, chopped finely

1/3 cup slivered almonds

sunflower sprouts

I actually buy the first 4 ingredients in bags and mix together in a large ziplock to have ready for salad anytime. It keeps for about a week in the fridge as long as I toss only the amount I need with dressing when ready to eat. 

For the salad, take the first four items plus the romaine if using and toss with dressing.  Figure about 2-3 cups salad per person for main entree and just enough dressing to coat lightly. The dressing is strong so a little goes a long way. Add the green onions, mandarins, and slivered almonds and toss again before serving. Sprinkle the sunflower sprouts over the top with a few more almonds as well.

Sweet Soy Ginger Dressing

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 Tbsp grated fresh peeled ginger

3 Tbsp honey or agave

 juice of one lime

1/2 cup olive or sesame oil

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

1/3 cup Nama Shoyu or Tamari (soy sauce)

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro

1/4 cup water

Blend all in a blender until well emulsified. Chill to let flavors marry.

Makes about 2 cups

I hope you give it a try and enjoy!

Ps: all the pictures of the resort are from the La Quinta resort's website. 
Sometimes it's best to let the professionals do things. 

DIY "Green" Laundry Detergent

The New Greener Laundry Line up

Can you use "green" laundry products 

and

get your clothes really clean?

That seems to be the question.

Up until now I didn't think so. In an effort to do my part with going green, I tried lots of different environmentally friendly products but found our clothes to be getting dingier and dingier and stains just weren't coming out. Little by little I fell back into the trap of trying the harsher main stream products, including bleach and yet for some reason our clothes still weren't getting all that clean. I shied away from the products with fragrance and dyes due to sensitivities but still ended up with a cabinet full of products that looked like this:

They did not make me happy.

To make matters worse, we currently live in a small space where our laundry is in a community laundry room, so lugging all these bottles with every load of laundry had just gotten out of hand, not to mention expensive. I also learned that hard water and a dryer set to scorch wasn't doing us any favors either. Both seem to cause a stain build up. To be fair we do have a "delicate" setting on the dryer, which just means it scorches our clothes for a shorter period of time. Due to being in an HOA environment, hanging laundry outside to dry is not an option. - Boo!

If you are on Pinterest, I'm sure you have seen the pins of Home Made Laundry Detergent circling around. The main claim is that it saves money, which is always a good thing but as I started to read through them, they were also getting their laundry really clean without a lot of chemicals!

This caught my attention. 

It got me thinking....so when the detergent started to run out, I decided to give it a try.

Some of these posts were written over a year ago and in the meantime have accumulated a lot of comments, user tips and updates. I took all the tips and links into consideration, really concentrating on the tips utilizing biodegradable and the least toxic ingredients, to put them to the test for myself.

I chose to make a dry detergent because there was less of it to store and frankly it was much less of a hassle to make.  The liquid version is just the soap melted stove top and diluted with water. It made me realize how much we are paying for water when we buy liquid detergent in the store.

Making A Kinder Gentler Laundry Soap

 The Basic Soap Recipe:

(1) 4 lb box of Borax (2.15kg or 76 oz)

(1) 4 lb box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81kg)  

          I had to use (2) 2 lb boxes (only one shown above)

(1) 3 lb 7 oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz)

Approximately 15 oz of bar soap of choice

3 bars of Dr. Bronner's or other pure plant based soap

While many reviewers said that this soap worked excellent for even their most challenging laundry,

 I decided to go with the booster version:

The Optional Booster Recipe:

Substitute the Bronner's soap with:

Zote (1) 14 oz bar

And 

Add 3 lbs of OxiClean Free

While Zote is biodegradable and not toxic, I learned that it is also is not Vegan. If that is a concern go back to the Basic Recipe. I also learned afterwards that it comes in a white bar (no dyes) which is a little harder to find. Zote also has the citrusy scent of citronella. You can also substitute Fels-Naptha Soap, which will take (3) 5 oz. bars but be aware this does have petro-chemicals and can have toxicity issues over time.

The other booster ingredient is a 3 lb bucket of OxiClean Versatile Free, meaning it is free of dye, perfumes and chlorine bleach and bio degradable.

Both of these are pre-treaters that help the soap clean better. The Zote has optical whiteners as well. 

Note: If you use the OxiClean version- do not use bleach with your wash. The makers of Oxiclean warn against this.

Whichever soap you make you will only need 1 Tbsp of soap per load! or 2 Tbsp for extra large loads. Yep! That's it!

At 1 Tbsp per load this will do 512 loads!!!!

First step is to grate the bar(s) of soap. 

While you can grate it by hand, the best advice here is to run it through the shredding disc of your food processor and then again with the S blade to break it down very fine. This just helps it dissolve quicker in colder water and also allows it to be used in the detergent dispenser of even your HE machine (although please check your instruction manual and do so at your own risk.) Many have said they have done this safely for years but I'm just covering my tracks here. And the clean up is easy on the food processor. The soap dissolves nicely in water.

Zote after Shredding Disc and again with S Blade 

If you don't have a food processor, don't worry. Many reviewers have said the hand grated works fine as well. Just add to the drum of your washer with water before adding clothes, even with cold water.

Step Two is to mix all the ingredients together.

I suggest a large tub or 5 Gallon bucket, outside. These soaps are very fine particles and they do have a mild detergent odor so outside is best and remember to keep your face turned away as you pour.  I used our cleaned out cooler although I forgot to line it with a trash bag first. I think this was easier than a 5 gal bucket because it wasn't as deep for stirring. Again, clean up was a snap!

Step Three is to store it.

You will need a sealed container or two. It makes approximately 32 cups.  If I had a set shelf in a laundry room where it could sit without moving, I would probably use a larger but similar glass jar to the one shown in the photo below.

My New Laundry Soap and Fabric Softener

Since my laundry cupboard is above my head, I chose to use 2 handled flip top containers for ease of lifting and scooping. They each hold 16 cups, which is heavy. I got these at Wallmart. They also have some nice big glass containers there as well.

Homemade Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener ready to go.

Step Four is to use it!

1 Tbsp per load, 2 Tbsp if it's extra large or soiled. 

At this rate I know this is going to last me a really long time. At 1 Tbsp per load that's 512 Loads!!!

Wondering about the vinegar in the photos?

This is the best replacement for Fabric Softener!

Ever read the ingredients of fabric softener? Trust me, you don't want to know. But If you have hard water like me, then without it your towels come out all stiff and crunchy and clothes are not as soft.
Not my problem any more... This works beautifully!

1/3 cup Distilled White Vinegar per load

 Your clothes come out nice and soft, 

free from any soap residue and

 smell nothing like vinegar- promise!

Vinegar loses it scent when dry!

Plus your washer gets a nice cleaning as well.

Just add the vinegar to the rinse cycle, either through your softener dispenser or with a downy ball.

If you would like a scent to your laundry, go the natural route and add a few drops of essential oil to the vinegar in the dispenser or add about 15-20 drops to a gallon of vinegar. Since I use this vinegar for cleaning only, I went ahead and added the lavender to the whole gallon dispenser.

Lavender is nice; so is Orange, Grapefruit and even Peppermint!

Our laundry is now brighter, cleaner and softer already. 

Now when I go to the Laundry Room, this is all I need to bring and I love it!

1 Heaping Tbsp Laundry Soap and The Downey Ball with Vinegar

Notes and Facts:

1. Where to find the ingredients?

Most can be found in the grocery store. I found the washing soda at Ace Hardware and noticed they had the Fels-Naptha there too. Zote was in the grocery store as well as Home Depot. White Zote is available through Amazon and frankly if I didn't live as close as I do to all these different stores. I would probably buy these items online with my Amazon Prime to save the running around (and the shipping.)

2. Don't be expecting a lot of suds.

Not a lot of suds here and also why it works in HE washers just fine. Suds are not what cleans your clothes, or your hair for that matter. It's only a marketing ingredient to give you that visual "feeling" of clean while you are using phosphates that are not only bad for you but are bad for the environment.

3. Can you use it in front load washers?

While I presently do not have one, lots of people have chimed in on this one and do. This is a low suds soap which is what you need for a HE washer. If the soap is grated finely enough, it works in dispensers although if in doubt add it to the drum. People say it dissolves just fine in cold water too. Please do this at your own risk as I take no responsibility for what you do in your home. The addition of the vinegar rinse helps keep pipes free of soap build up as well.

4. Is it safe enough for sensitive skin? 

As someone who suffers terribly with multiple chemical sensitivities and reacts to everything, I can honestly say I have no problem with this, even the "booster" version. If you have toddlers in the house or are even using cloth diapers, then definitely I would go the extra measure and use the basic version with the plant based soap and without the oxyclean. The plant based soaps are a little pricer but it's worth it for your little ones.

5. Can you use it in cold water?

Yes.

6. Why the addition of Baking Soda? 

It helps soften the water so that dirt and grease dissolve and soap can clean better. It also softens your clothes and prevents stain build up in hard water. And yes if you have soft water, go ahead and use the baking soda as well. It also has odor fighting agents as well, as does the Borax.

7. How long will it last?

While this will vary by how much you use, it should do 512 loads at 1 Tbsp per load.

8. Will it fade my clothes?

All of these ingredients say they will not fade clothing that is "color safe" as they contain no bleach. If you are unsure if something is color safe, test it first. The optical brighteners are most noticeable on whites. Keep in mind that fading of dark clothes tends to happen with all washing.

9. What did it cost me to make this?

All the ingredients cost me around $33.20 which works out to .06 cents per load. That's half a penny per load! The equivalent in Tide plus one box of both Borax and Oxiclean (because the Tide alone doesn't cut it) would be $113.76 or .19 cents per load. This doesn't even take into consideration the money saved by buying vinegar instead of Fabric Softener. 

10. What about for stubborn stains and pre-treating?

In the next Raw Home post,  I'll be sharing some more back to basic laundry tips for stain cleaning and they too really work!

Have You tried making your own detergent? 
And if so how are you liking it?

Soul Food Sunday

source

Sit quietly 

doing nothing 

spring comes 

and 

the grass grows

 by itself.

-Zen Saying

Sunday seems to be the perfect day to roll out a new blog post regular:

Soul Food Sundays

A combination of natural eye candy and some food for thought. 

Think of it as a little picnic for your soul.

A meditative break.

And don't forget to stop and breath.

Hope you are all enjoying your day.

Getting RAW is Transforming!!

The other night in the early morning hours as I was trying to clear my mind to sleep, the opposite happened. I suddenly was inspired. It was one of those moments that you have to turn the light on and grab a pen and paper because the ideas were flowing and fast. It had become clear to me that it was time for change.

Over the last year or so  Getting RAW  has become primarily a raw food blog,  as that is what I have had the energy to focus on. But in the beginning, I had envisioned more of a lifestyle blog as that is what I am presently doing,  getting raw  not just with my food but with my overall daily life.

What does it mean exactly, Getting Raw?


Yes, it is a movement towards uncooked plant based food in its natural state but (for me anyway) it is much more than that.

When I chose the name of the blog, I was exploring raw foods but I also had done a search of the word raw and this is what I found:

raw: 
basic, green, natural, organic, unfinished, unprocessed, real, bare, and pure


I  really  like the idea of  all of this!


For me this sums up my focus of the last few years; striving to get back to nature and away from chemicals and environmental toxins for not only my health but also because I have always found the more natural and unprocessed something is, the more appealing.


Getting back to nature, basics and essentials can be a beautiful if not liberating thing!


So with that in mind, I have decided to finally expand the scope of  Getting RAW  to include more of what that means to me.  It is not only the food we eat, but the water we drink, what we put on and next to our skins, and what we choose to surround ourselves with, both mentally and physically that needs to be as natural and nurturing as possible.

Also as an interior designer for the last 20 years,  nature has always been my muse so I am pleased to say that I will be incorporating more of that side of my personality and experience to the blog as well with pictures, projects and information that I hope will inspire you to bring more of the elements into your life and home.

These are just some of the things you can look forward to finding on the new Getting Raw blog....

Raw Food
simple beautiful food and recipes and while most will be raw, 
don't be surprised 
if you see some cooked plant based recipes as well.

Raw at Home
natural home cleaning and keeping

Raw Nature
food for the Soul through the eyes

Raw Health & Beauty
products and DIY recipes for health and beauty 

Raw By Design
design and decor inspired by nature

Raw Escapes
travel adventures that unplug and reconnect

Raw Talent and Treasures
showcasing little luxuries using natural elements
and
the people who make them

Raw Reviews
books, films, blogs etc that enlighten

Raw Mind, Body and Spirit
because when connected, we are capable of so much more!

That's an overview of some of my ideas for now. 


They just keep coming. I am so excited to share more of what I have been learning. I hope you stay tuned and follow along. 


And if there is anything you can think of that you would like to see or read about in terms of  getting raw  as I have defined it above,  please let me know. 


I would love to hear from you. 

Something Light and Refreshing

Grapefruit, Tangelo, Fennel, Red Onion and Arugula Salad in a Honey Citrus and Poppyseed Vinaigrette

I'm still working my way through all the citrus from our little Citrus Hurricane wind storm that I last posted about and enjoying the grapefruit granita from that post still.

Last year I stumbled upon the great combo of citrus and fennel and decided to revisit that idea. I also added in some arugula and onions. It's different from a traditional green based salad and I purposely go light on the arugula because of it's spicier flavor. I don't want it to overwhelm the delicate flavors of the fennel and citrus. The addition of fennel takes away the tartness of the grapefruit while the red onion adds the little pungent flavor.

The whole salad is a nice balance blend of spicy, tart, sweet and pungent and is quite good!

But please add as much as you like to your tastes.

These were our pink grapefruits, cut this way just to show the color

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

2 pink grapefruits, segmented

2 tangelos, segmented

1/4 red onion

1 smal fennel bulb

handful of arugula

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil (EVOO)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Black pepper to taste

Segment your citrus over a bowl to collect the juices
Then squeeze out whatever juice is left in the fruit to get all the juice you can.
(see below for how to segment)
 Then set citrus aside

Slice the red onion and fennel on the mandoline or with a knife
Place in a big bowl
Toss in your arugula (I purposely didn't use much arugula)
Carefully add in your citrus segments

Honey Citrus Dressing

Take juices from citrus and place in a covered jar

Add in the honey, lemon zest, EVOO, sea salt and black pepper

 Close jar and shake

Add poppy seeds right before serving and shake again.

Gently toss salad with about half of dressing or to taste.
Plate and serve right away.
Will make 2 main salad servings or 4 side salads

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad Close Up

Note: You could easily also add some chopped avocado to this. 
The flavors would marry well.

Easy Video Tutorial on How to Segment Citrus

Tool Tips:


The Mandoline is perfect for this recipe for getting everything nice and thinly sliced!
If you want to see where I spoke more about this gadget and others that make life in the kitchen a little easier, check out my post about Cool Tools.

Another great kitchen gadget that I  am really enjoying is the Microplaner, which makes zesting and grating super easy!

No more scrape knuckles with this one!

Even fresh nutmeg is easy to grate!





I hope you give the salad a try and if you do please let me know what you think!