Choosing Raw Challenge, Day 5

Just in case you haven't been following my blog over the past couple days, I'll fill ya in on what's going on. For 21 days in January, I'm challenging myself to eat a whole foods-based, high-raw diet using the meal plan in Gena Hamshaw's Choosing Raw cookbook. Gena's recipes are awesome! Plus, they're super-healthy and usually only made with a few ingredients (and that makes it more affordable!).

This morning, I went on another short tempo run, so I skipped the meal plan breakfast in favor of a Vega One protein smoothie. It's the same smoothie I had on Saturday — Wild Berry Banana — so I'll spare you the picture.

My snack was another meal made from leftovers — Sweet Pea Hummus with Celery. Lots of green!

Lunch was leftover Carrot & Millet Pilaf from Monday night's dinner, plus a side salad with radishes, hemp seeds, and leftover tahini dressing (from last Friday's raw falafel). I love how this meal plan accounts for leftovers! Since I don't cook for anyone but me, I always have leftovers, and I don't like to waste.

My afternoon snack was Roasted Chickpeas from Choosing Raw. Gena offers several variations, but I kind of went with my own seasoning route. I coated the chickpeas in ponzu (citrus soy sauce), rice vinegar, Bragg's, and a mix of dried herbs before crisping them in the oven.

Dinner was a new dish, and it was so much fun to eat! Raw Portabella "Steak" with Raw Rosemary Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" with Nooch Gravy, and Steamed Kale with Dijon Vinaigrette.

The portabella is marinated overnight in a savory-sweet mix, and then you just eat it cold. Just like that. Since it sits overnight, the mushroom gets all soft and saturated, and even though a cold, raw portabella sounds kind of weird, it's actually amazing! And I've long been a fan of raw mashed "potatoes" made with cauliflower. They're made in the food processor with cashews and rosemary. As Gena suggests in the recipe, I topped my taters with a little nutritional yeast.

Dessert tonight was supposed to be chocomole, but I've pushed that back until tomorrow night because I needed to finish off this Meyer Lemon Tart from Memphis' high-raw catering service, the Raw Girls.

It was in a box of their goodies from before Christmas, and I saved half for the cleanse. I wasn't totally sure a raw nut-based dessert would stay fresh this long. But it tasted just as new as the day I got it and ate the first half.