Monday, November 26, 2007

Raw Breakfasty Stuff

So I'm experimenting with some raw food. I have to admit, I'm a little bit intimidated. I don't know why, it's not like some random carrot is going to bitch slap me or something. Part of it is that I don't have a dehydrator or a Vita-Mix or a juicer. Not to mention that all of my appliances except for my beloved immersion blender are in storage. :(

coconutBreakfastCakes_001

I'm going to do a review of the raw "cookbook" that I bought once I've made a few more things. When I went to the store, there were only 3 raw cookbooks, one of which had no pictures, this one and the one I really wanted that cost CAN $45. Some bookstores around here are giving the US price on things because of the current exchange rate, but even that US price was $35 - more than I was willing to spend at the time. Soooo, I ended up buying Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo. It's really annoying that this chick feels the need to have a picture of herself on every other page. I get it, you think you're cute. Get over it. But that's another post...

The first thing I made are these coconut breakfast cakes. They were hella easy and soooo yummy. I'll definitely be making them again. They're so fast and easy, too. They were quick enough to put together in the morning before work even. Top them with some kind of fruit or yogurt, or hell, even some syrup if you want. There are some great recipes for fruit syrups in the book, but they all need dates and I can't have dried fruit while I'm on this cleanse. (Too much sugar.)

I love any reason to use flax seeds, and this is a sure winner. I'm going to be making these frequently for a fiber-rich breakfast that gives me a good amount of energy. And it tastes good, too.

coconutBreakfastCakes_002

Coconut Breakfast Cakes Originally published in Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo

2 cups whole flax seeds or 3 cups flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) (I used the ground flax)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup agave or maple syrup (I used agave)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water

Put the flax meal, coconut oil, agave, salt and water in a large bowl and mix well. Form four balls and flatten into a "pancake" shape, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

To serve, top with sliced fruit like bananas and/or chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds. Drizzle with syrup or a pat of margarine.

These will keep for four to five days in the fridge. Makes 4 servings.

Optional: Mix blueberries or walnuts into your breakfast cake mixture.


I halved this recipe and made 6 little mini discs. I had 3 for a serving.

6 comments:

  1. I have the same problem with raw food: no dehydrator or Vita-Mix or juicer. And it seems like most of the raw food books are about those.

    My boyfriend would like us to become rawfooder, and I would like eventually too, but I want to be more confident about what we're gonna eat before i do the big move. Maybe I'll begin by trying one or two days a weeks, experimenting first.

    Were those cake kinda dry in the mouth? I would have put maybe some vanilla or spice like cinnamon in it...

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  2. I'm in the same boat as you. I don't want to do raw all the time, but I do want to start trying to incorporate more raw stuff into my diet, even if that is just a day or two a week.

    Not dry at all! I totally expected them to be, but no, they were quite moist. I also put soy yogurt on them, and that added even more moisture. I bet cinnamon would be awesome added to these!

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  3. mmmhhh.. I'll try them tomorrow morning.
    Today, it is tchaĆ® smoothie: bananas, almond, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, water.
    But i know you cannot have dates right now, sorry.

    A cleanse is a good way to have a reflexion on the food you eat. And you're inspiring others (like me) by blogging about it. Thanks.

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  4. Mmmmm... I love raw foods - do you realize how many you already eat? For instance, fresh fruit, green salads.... I have been eating muesli for breakfast for about two months now, from La Dolce Vegan! These look delicious, too! I may have to switch ;) Also, loved your previous blog about fennel! The vegetables look beautiful!!

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  5. These look amazing and really are not very bad for you. I need to make this!

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  6. This looks more like dessert then breakfast! I'm now going to put down my laptop and walk into the kitchen so I can start making some coconut breakfast cakes ;) it looks too good to wait until the morning to eat.

    Thanks for posting this recipe, it's exactly what I've been looking for!

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