Dates, fresh apple juice, banana, papaya, and kale — sounds like a great combo, huh? Well, only if you like papaya, which I apparently do not. When I cut into the papaya last night, it smelled like butt and it tasted icky. I vaguely remember trying papaya before and not liking it. But at the time, I assumed I'd gotten a bad one. Guess I just don't like it. But I drank this smoothie down anyway ... can't let those greens go to waste.Around 11 a.m., I snacked on some carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, and cauliflower at my desk. And then at noon, I gorged on this Giant Garden Salad with Brazil Nut Cheese:
The salad — romaine, radishes, fresh corn, tomato, cucumber, and cauliflower — was just a salad. But this nut cheese was really something special. It's made by Journey to Bliss, a local raw food company in Smryna, Tennessee. They sell their products — delicious nut cheeses and raw desserts — at Whole Foods stores in Memphis, Nashville, and a few other regional locales.
Ya'll, this is definitely THE best raw cheese I've ever had. It's flecked with onion and garlic, and the taste reminds me of that French onion dip in the plastic tub that I loved as a kid. It wasn't cheap at $12.99 a package, and I was hesitant to shell out the big bucks for it. But it is soooo worth it. I'll be buying this again.
Dinner was equally amazing! I made this Live Un-Stirfry with Cauliflower Rice and Spicy Cashews from 30 Minute Vegan:
The authors of 30 Minute Vegan — Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray — sponsored a recipe contest last year, and this un-stirfry was the winner. Its creator, Felix Schoener of Germany, won a trip to Kaua'i, Hawaii for his winning contribution.Spicy sesame-flavored naba cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and shitake mushrooms rest atop a fluffy bed of garlicky cauliflower "rice." The dish is sprinkled with a few raw sesame-chili cashews. Wow! I know I always say "this was the best dish ever!" But um, this may have been the best dish ever. This recipe prep took me far longer than the 30 minutes advertised in the book's title, but it was worth every minute.
What cookbooks do you suggest for helping with the going raw thing? I don't intend to go fully raw, but I would like to have a few all-raw days a month, or eat as much raw as possible. And, in 30 Minute Vegan are there a lot of recipes that don't require odd and hard to find ingredients? Where I live we just have your typical grocery stores.
ReplyDeleteThat un-stirfry does look incredible!
ReplyDeleteI don't like papaya, either. It's cloying.
Oooh, that dinner looks amaaaaazing!!
ReplyDeleteMmm, that stir fry and rice dish looks amazing, it's making me wish I had cauliflower to try making 'rice' out of! I'm right there with you on the nastiness of papaya, and I always feel so ripped off - surely with a name like papaya it should taste good, no? :) -Eve
ReplyDeletei am going to have to make that live unstir fry it looks so good! i made the baked tempura last night with the mustard dipping sauce and i made the eggless egg salad for lunch today from the 30 minute vegan both soooo good!
ReplyDeletewow that does indeed LOOK like the best dish ever..i'm sure it tasted like it too.. i haven't seen that cookbook in my bookstore, i'll have to look for it more closely though because that sounds awesommme!
ReplyDeleteThat Brazil Nut Cheese looks awesome; definitely going to try that.
ReplyDeleteIs the un-stirfry recipe in the 30 Minute Vegan book? I just tried to check via amazon and couldn't find it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I like papaya either, although I've only had it a few times. I think the flavor isn't strong or sweet enough for me. I like your skull mug though!
ReplyDeleteThat un-stir fry sounds really good, I think I might want to get that cookbook just for the recipe.
LOVE the mug - so fun :)
ReplyDeleteYum on your green smoothie recipe, too!
Cheers,
Kristen
Whoa Nellie! That nut cheese looks soooo good.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your smoothie sucked, but I love your skull glass! So fun. And that un-stirfry looks amazing. Yum!
ReplyDeleteHahaha! That is seriously the most awesomest cup I've ever seen! Pity the smoothie wasn't as good. The rest of the food looks pretty delicious though...
ReplyDeleteI've not been much of a fan of papaya either. That skull glass is pretty awesome, btw. I envy the Brazil nut cheese.
ReplyDeletePapaya has never been my favorite thing ever so I hear ya. You're right about the unstir-fry, though - it does look over the top amazing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great raw day, minus the butt smoothie!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just hate food that smells like butt? :-P
ReplyDeleteThat cheese looks really good, and I'm guessing it doesn't smell like any human body parts! Score!
i'm all about that cheese! i'll be in tennessee this summer and i'm picking some up!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I remember seeing that winning recipe and how awesome it sounded. That raw cheese must be amazing!
ReplyDeleteOoooh it all looks yum to me. I think papaya is one of those things you either love or hate. Funny that it smells like booty to you cuz it's actually really good for your booty (digestion). Thanks for mentioning that book. I would never think to find raw recipes in a vegan cookbook, but I think that dish alone won me over enough to get the book.
ReplyDeleteluv
Disa
rawdisa.com
I second Mihl's comment about the papaya bit. I actually laughed out loud.
ReplyDeleteWay to go on another successful raw food day!
I only like some papaya--if it's yellow inside, I think it smells like puke and it makes me want to do the same. But if they are the red variety, and they are picked green and I eat them just before overripe, then I really, really like them. I usually just avoid them because I'm so picky!
ReplyDeleteYeesh, imagine winning a hawaiian vacation for a raw un-stirfry recipe. It must be good!
How about Mango instead of Papaya! It tastes so good in the smoothie.
ReplyDeleteThe Live unstirfry pics totally had me checking on amazon for this book. It looks so tasty!
ReplyDeletehmm you are really selling me on trying out that cookbook!
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't enjoy your smoothie Bianca. But, the description of papaya smelling like butt is hilarious!!!! When something smells off, my usual response is "This smells like butt" - hahaaa! Funny stuff. Anyways, the brazil nut cheese looks wonderful and I am glad you enjoyed it with your salad. Sometimes the spendy prices are so very worth it!!!
ReplyDeletei am in love with your skull cup :D
ReplyDeletei hate it when I get a bad papaya.. i do like the fruit.. but i have had many "butt" papayas too :( I stopped buying them, because I never know if they will be good or not!! :(
your live stir fry looks incredible!!
Wow, that brazil nut cheese looks wonderful! And who would have thought of a raw stir-fry?!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Food for Life tortillas, are you talking about the gluten-free ones? b/c I've had the Ezekiel ones too, and while those are a bit hard, they're nowhere near as plasticy as the GF ones, which are the ones I don't know if I'd buy again. I love the Ezekiel ones though. I think soft, floury tortillas are essential for soft tacos and the like however, so I guess there's a time n place for everything!
So excited for you to try Daiya! It really is a miracle.
I've been looking at that un-stirfry!
ReplyDeleteOMG papaya totally does smell like butt!
ReplyDeletemmm the un-stir fry looks awesome. cauliflower rice- yum!
ReplyDeletewhat an amazing post!
ReplyDeleteyou skull glass rocks some serious socks, Bianca - i'm sorry the green monster was a bit disappointing - i'm glad the awesome brazil nut cheese (zomg!) made up for the "meh" morning drink. next time i'm at my local whole foods i'll have to see if they offer any yummies similar to that raw cheeze - i love the dr. cow cheeses, but i have to buy them online & the shipping packaging makes me sadfaced. i will be buying the 30 minute vegan for the un-stirfry alone. it sounds pretty damn awesome & looks magnificent, indeed!
ReplyDeletep.s. - oh my goodness, Bianca - i found the recipe for the un-stirfry online: http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/vegetarian_recipes/A_New_Leaf_Stir-fry_with_cauliflower_rice.html
ReplyDeletesuperhappyface! yay!
Your dinner looks SO GOOD!!! That cauliflower rice looks so perfect. I have yet to try that with cauli, but your pic makes me want to. Actually, I want that whole dish in my mouth right now.
ReplyDeleteI HATE papaya! I confused it for mango for the longest time & always said I hated mangoes... Then I tried a mango & liked it, and was very confused. Then I had papaya again & had a horrible, torturous reminder that it's PAPAYA I hate. Ewwwww. (I love literally ALL other fruits & veggies, so I don't know what it is about papaya, but it sucks & can go away.)