Radicchio und Feldsalat mit Wurzelpetersilie im Apfelbalsamico

(Scroll down for English)

Gestern habe ich für meinen Papa und mich einen wundervollen winterlichen Salat gemacht. Wir waren am Abend zuvor essen und auf der Karte gab es eben mal wieder den klassischen Feldsalat mit Speckwürfel und Croutons. Ich habe dann die vegane Variante bestellt, und es kam nackter Feldsalat, die ganz normale gastronomische Katastrophe :-( Das hat aber mal wieder meine Kreativität angekurbelt und ich hoffe, dass es in Zukunft mehr solcher Salate, wie diesen hier auf Deutschlands Speisekarten zu finden gibt. 

Achtung: Rohkostalarm, der Salat enthält gekochte Elemente, schmeckt aber auch schon einfach ohne Kürbis und Rosenkohl und man könnte den auch roh mariniert dazu machen ;-)

Radicchio und Feldsalat mit Wurzelpetersilie im Apfelbalsamico

mit Ofenkürbis und Rosenkohl

(für 2 Portionen)

1/2 kleiner Hokkaido Kürbis

1 grosse Handvoll Rosenkohl

1-2 Knoblauchzehen

1 kleines Stück Ingwer

evtl. 1 Zweig Rosmarin

Himalaya Kräutersalz (z.B. bei Keimling)

ca. 150 g Feldsalat

50-100 g Radicchio

1/2 Petersilienwurzel, fein geraspelt

2 EL gehackte frisch geknackte Walnüsse

2 EL geröstete Kürbiskerne

1 EL Cranberries

1/2 Birne in hauchdünne Scheiben geschnitten

für's Dressing

1 Schalotte, fein gehackt

1 EL Honig (oder Kokosblütennektar)

2 EL Apfelbalsamico

2 EL Orangensaft

3-4 EL Olivenöl

1 TL Chili Senf (o.ä.)

1/2 TL Himalaya Kräutersalz

etwas frisch gemahlener Pfeffer

Den Hokkaido Kürbis waschen und mit Schale in Scheiben schneiden (ca. 2 cm dick). Rosenkohl waschen und halbieren. Knoblauch und Ingwer fein hacken. Alles zusammen mit 2 EL Olivenöl in eine Auflaufform geben, mit dem Kräutersalz bestreuen, gut durchmischen und bei 180 Grad ca. 20 Minuten im Ofen rösten. Dabei ab und zu umdrehen.

Salat mit der Petersilienwurzel vermischen und auf 2 Teller verteilen. Darauf die Nüsse, Cranberries und Birnenscheiben verteilen. 

Für das Dressing alle Zutaten gut verrühren und nach Belieben abschmecken. Das Dressing auf dem Salat verteilen. 

Zum Schluss den gerösteten Kürbis und Rosenkohl darauf anrichten. 

Und dann ... geniessen :-)

Buchtipp:

Viele weitere Salatrezepte findet ihr in meinem Buch 

Go Raw Be Alive

erschienen im Januar 2015 im Kosmos Verlag

---------------------

English 

Yesterday, I made up this wonderful salad for my Daddy and I. We went out to eat at a restaurant the evening before and there was the regular maché salad on the menu with croutons and bacon. So I asked for the vegan version and got served, naked maché, buhuu, the regular culinary catastrophe. But this inspired me immediately and I really hope to find more salads like these on restaurant menus across Germany and elsewhere. 

Attention: raw food alarm, there is a cooked element in the salad, but it's already tasty without the pumpkin an brussel sprouts and you can also leave them raw and marinate them simply or dehydrate them a bit ;-)

Radicchio and maché with parsley root in apple balsamico

with oven roasted pumpkin and brussel sprouts

(2 portions)

1/2 small Hokkaido pumpkin

1 big handful brussel sprouts

1-2 cloves garlic

1 small piece ginger

maybe 1 sprig rosemary

Himalaya herb salt (for ex. from Keimling)

approx. 150 g maché

50-100 g radicchio

1/2 parsley root, finely grated

2 T chopped fresh cracked walnuts 

2 T roasted pumpkin seeds

1 T Cranberries

1/2 pear, cut in paper thin slices 

for the dressing

1 shallot, chopped or sliced

1 T honey or coconut palm nectar 

2 T apple balsamico

2 T orange juice

3-4 T olive oil

1 t chili mustard (or similar)

1/2 t Himalaya herb salt

fresh ground pepper

Cut the pumpkin (with skin) in slices (about 2 cm thick). Wash brussel sprouts and cut in half. Finely chop ginger and garlic. Put altogether into a ramekin, cover with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with the herb salt and mix all well to cover the veggies in oil. Roast about 20 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees Celcius. Turn a few times to avoid burning.

Mix salad with the parsley root and put on 2 plates. Cover with the nuts, cranberries and pear slices. 

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and season to taste. Put the dressing on the salad plates and garnish with the roasted pumpkin and brussel sprouts. 

And then... enjoy :-)

Crunchy Raw Chocolate Malt Granola

So... my daddy is visiting me in Berlin these days and it's really amazing having him here and showing him a bit of my urban world, combined with my love for nature, lakes, greens, and of course... food :-) I am showing him around Berlin, bringing him to all the sites and also to my favorite lakes and restaurants and other food places and of course, sneaking in some healthy raw food creations from my kitchen lab, mainly for breakfast. Now, of course, I can't shock him with a green juice or green smoothie on the first day, so the first two days, I introduced him to my raw kitchen, giving him what he kind of knows: Granola, or "Knuspermüsli" as the German's call it.

Who doesn't love Granola, the yummy crunchy sweet clusters that you commonly put in milk in the mornings and crunch your start into the day. Unfortunately, granola isn't as healthy as it may appear, cause usually it's full of sugar and not so healthy stuff and if you then drink it with homogenized ultra heat treated milk or some highly factory processed soy drink, I doubt it's any better than a wheat bun with butter and jam...

The good news is, I have a perfect alternative: All raw, gluten-free, free of processed sugars and full of good energy, so yummy and crunchy. The secret of the crunchy effect is the sprouted buckwheat. Buckwheat is an amazing seed (it's actually not a grain!). It's gluten-free and actually reminds more of a grain, cause it's fairly low in fat, digests super well and when you sprout it and dehydrate it again, it becomes very crunchy and therefore is the perfect base for granola. Now add some truly raw wild grown cacao nibs from Bali and Indonesia to give you some happiness to start the day, cause they are so loaden with Triptophane, which is the precursor to Serotonin, the happy hormone, and then add a few sprouted nuts and seeds and a paste made from dates, carob and mesquite (a pod from central america) to give it a malty chocolaty flavor, and ready is the best chocolate malt granola ever.

For the base Base:

250 g sprouted buckwheat (weight before sprouting)

1 cup walnuts or pecan nuts (soaked for 2 hours)

½ cup sunflower and pumpkin seeds (soaked for 4 hours)

½ cup shredded dried coconut

4 dried figs

1 /2 cups raisins

1/3 cup of goji or other special berries

1/2 cup cacao nibs (or crushed beans)

2 apples, grated

Put the sprouted buckwheat into a bowl. Food process the nuts and seeds in a food processor with the s-blade attached. They should be coarsely ground still quite chunky. Add to the buckwheat. 

Soak the dried fruit in just a little water for about half an hour. then cut the figs in small pieces and add them together with the raisins and berries and the rest of the ingredients to the buckwheat nut base. 

Safe the soak water of the dried fruit.

For the paste:

1 apple

3 medjol dates

3 T coconut palm sugar

2 T cacao powder

3 T mesquite powder

3 T carob powder

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla powder or 1 vanilla pod

Optional: grated zest of 2-4 oranges

soak water of dried fruit

Blend everything to a thick paste adding a little water if needed. Add the paste to the base and stir well using a sturdy wooden spoon or your hands. Distribute the granola evenly and not too high and not too tight on teflex sheets of a dehydrator and dry for up to 36 hours at 42 degrees until completely dry and crispy. Store in an airtight container. 

Serve with plain homemade raw coconut or almond milk 

and some fresh fruit (grated apples, berries,…), 
add some chopped wild herbs, mint and/or lemon verbana and crunch your day away !

Find this and more recipes in my 

Ebook

or learn this and much more during my introduction seminar to raw food

The 101 of Raw Food

or even better

in Bali end of January 2015 during my most magic retreat :-)

Enjoy the most awesome day :-)

b.happy - b.crunchy - b.alive!

My Dad and I after swimming in Plötzensee (above) and at Tempelhof after my yoga lesson.

\

Summer Tomato Cream Soup with Seaweeds and Sesame

The tomatoes in Germany are now starting their peak season and are getting really ripe, and full of flavor. This is the time for making everything from tomatoes and there is nothing better than a chilled raw soup on a hot summer day. 

Wakame seaweeds contain a lot of minerals like zinc and vitamins A,C,E and B12 and are high in iodine, which especially on summer days is good to replenish us after a sweaty day. Sesame contains lots of calcium and tomatoes, when blended in a high speed blender give us the highly effective anti oxidant lycopene. So this soup is a real nutritious bomb and tastes delicious on a hot summer evening. And the best news, it's ready in 10 minutes :-)

So here's what you need:

Ingredients for 4 portions:

500 g ripe cherry or heirloom tomatoes

1 small red onion

2 cloves garlic

60 g cashews, soaked for 2 hours

800 ml water

1-2 T lemon juice

60 ml tamari (natural soy sauce)

1-2 T shiro miso or yellow chickpea miso

1/2 t fresh ground pepper

1/4 t cayenne powder

>> blend all in a highspeed blender until completely creamy

To garnish: 

4 T dried wakame or mixed seaweeds

1 handful of pea sprouts or mung bean sprouts

1 heaping T sesame seeds (white or black)

While you prepare the soup, soak the seaweeds for about 10 minutes in water to soften them up. 

Pour the soup into 4 bowls, garnish each bowl with the soaked seaweed, sprouts and sesame seeds. If you like, you can previously chill the soup. On colder days, it maybe nice though to blend it with warm water for a warm soup. 

As variation, you can also replace half of the water with fresh squeezed apple juice. Depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes, you may feel the need to add some sweetener like coconut palm nectar or coconut palm sugar. 

Enjoy this tomato deliciousness. 

Oh, and by the way, this soup is one of the recipes of my first book, which will be released in January 2015, so stay tuned :-)

b.colorful - b.healthy - b.alive! 

Stuffed Raw Zucchini Flowers in Nice

The Côte d'Azur is one of the nicest coasts I have seen in all my travels, besides the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Already the nature here is so inspiring. Seaside and mountains combined with an amazing availability of fresh local Mediterranean products, this is paradise for me :-) 

This morning, my wonderful host and raw food soulmate Sandra and I went to the market to do the shopping for my raw food course tomorrow and  there they were, beginning of May: Fresh large beautiful zucchini flowers and the ripest tastiest ox heard (Cœur de Boeuf) tomatoes. We were both instantly in love! It took only a few seconds until I combined the ingredients we had in the fridge and the wonderful oils and salts we find in the Mediterranean to come up with this recipe. So colorful, so beautiful, so fresh. It was like tasting pure spring on a plate. 

Recipe for 3 portions

For the Salad base

1 small head lettuce

1 Handful wild herbs

2 Coeur de Boeuf Tomatoes

some cress sprouts

3 Tablespoons fruité noir (from dark ripe olives) olive oil

Fleur de Sel

Fresh Ground Pepper

For the stuffed courgette flowers

10 zucchini flowers

1/2 ripe hass avocado

8 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 big carrot (about 100g)

1 small shallot or half a small red onion

1/3 cup tightly packed fresh seaweed (or a soaked mix of dried ones)

1 heaping Tablespoon whole hemp seeds

1 Handful of Parsley

Fresh Ground Pepper

blend all in a blender or a food processor at medium speed. It should be a coarsely ground paste.

Take out the inside nozzle of the zucchini flowers and stuff each flower with a tea spoon of the filling. 

Enjoy and taste the Spring and think of Turkoise Water and the smell of fresh flowers and herbs everywhere :-)

Deutsche Version

Die Côte d'Azur ist wohl eine der schönsten Küsten, welche ich auf meinen vielen Reisen gesehen habe. Allein die Natur ist schon so inspirierend: Türkisblaues Meer, Berge im Hintergrund, die verwinkelten Gassen von Nizza, die zu lokalen Märkten mit den besten lokalen Mediterranen Produkten führen, hier ist das Paradies :-)

Heute Morgen war ich mit Sandra, meiner wundervollen Gastgeberin auf einem dieser Märkte für meinen morgigen Raw Food Kurs The 101 of Raw Food einkaufen und da wir beide wohl Seelenverwandt sind, haben uns beide die unglaublich tollen Zucchini Blüten und die jetzt schon so unglaublich reifen und süssen Oxenherztomaten angelacht. Bei dieser Inspiration brauchte es nur ein paar Geistesblitze um die Zutaten zu Hause im Kühlschrank zu kombinieren und dieses unglaublich leckere Frühlingsgericht zu zaubern. 

So unglaublich frisch und farbenfroh, es war, als schmeckten wir den gesamten Frühling auf einem Teller. Ein wundervoller Vormittag in Nizza!

Rezept für 3 Portionen

Salatbett

2 Ochsenherztomaten

1 kleiner Kopfsalat

1 Handvoll Wildkräuter

Kressesprossen zum Verzieren

3 EL dunkles Olivenöl

Fleur de Sel

Frischer Pfeffer

Für die gefüllten Zucchini Blüten

10 Zucchini Blüten

Füllung:

1/2 grosse Hass Avocado

8 sonnengetrocknete Tomaten

3 EL Olivenöl

1-2 EL Zitronensaft

1/2 Karotte (ca. 100g)

Frischer Pfeffer

1 kleine Schalotte

1/3 Tasse frische Meeresalgen

1 geh. EL Hanfsamen (ganz)

1 Handvoll frische Petersilie

Alles bei niedriger Stufe (4-5) im Vitamix oder auch in einer Küchenmaschine mit Stösel verarbeiten. Die Paste soll noch Struktur haben!

Bonne appetit :-)

another recipe in another future blog
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b.traveling - b.inspired - b.alive!

Holiday Secrets For Smart And Busy People

Seven ways how to stay fit and slim over the holidays

Boris and I are both total foodies, we love to eat, taste, explore and discover new culinary creations. Wherever new things pop up, we are always in the first row to trying to get inspiration out of it and of course, indulge from time to time. Now even for us health addicts  the upcoming holiday season can be quite a challenge, since you are constantly overwhelmed with tempting smells, tastes, holiday celebrations etc. Believe me, we also do indulge sometimes.

However, to keep it all in perfect balance we remind ourselves of seven simple strategies to stay healthy, slim and fit. What I like most about these guidelines, they help me stay on track on 365 days of the year, not just the holidays.

1. Eat less
For me the easiest way to stay fit is too simply eat less/moderate quantities. While neither starving nor staying away from social gatherings are worthy options, consuming a decent rather than an over-proportionate amount of food is the way to go.

Remember, the average man needs about 2.500 calories per day whereas the average woman needs about 2.000 calories (actual values depend on age, level of physical activity, etc. …). Since this dietary rule doesn’t take a leaf of absence during Christmas, eating excessively more than what you need will sooner or later show up as an unwanted love handle or a chubby behind.

2. Eat smarter

Another great approach is to eat more of the “good” foods as often as you can while consuming the “not so optimal” foods in moderation. “Good” foods include anything with low to medium fat, sugar, and calorie content, but with a high nutritional value:  salads, green juices and smoothies, soups or simply raw fruits and vegetables. Eating a plethora of good stuff (when you are hungry) will give you the nutrition, satisfaction and energy you need, while also balancing out heavy foods.

Tip: Since my empty stomach is greedier than my full one, I enjoy a big serving of salad or green smoothie before a social event.

3. Watch your alcohol intake
Alcohol has by the far the most calories (7kcal/1gram) in contrast to protein or carbohydrates, this being an underestimated intake of calories. Hence, stronger drinks are heavier on the calories. Last but not least: the tipsier you get, the lower are your inhibitions to consume even more (food or drinks).

This rule has always worked for me: I stop once it starts to tingle and I begin to giggle! And some rare time, you might just not stop, and that's okay as well, just have the double detox green juice next day and remind yourself of balance and you'll be fine :-)

4. Exercise

There is no argument that exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. It keeps muscles active, trains the cardiovascular system, and lucky us: burns unwanted calories. If you feel your last meal was a bit too much, add some extra exercise if you like your body to stay the way it is. As hard it is to leave the comforts of our cosy warm homes

Especially when it’s cold outside I sometimes have to literally force myself to get active though. After all, who wants to leave the comfort of a cosy warm home? However, after dragging myself to exercise like taking a spin on the bike, a quick stop at the gym or anything else that makes me sweat and my heart pumping, the wonderful feeling that comes with it is simply priceless and a great reminder, that being physically active makes you not only slim and fit but also happy.

5. Balance your meals
Like all things in life for me it’s all about the golden balance. Spending money vs. saving it, being lazy vs. being active or eating a lot vs. eating little, you know how the equation works. As mentioned in previous points, if you eat a lot on day just eat a bit less the next day so your scale stays on the right side.

6. You are the boss!
Whether you are dining with friends, co-workers or even family, always keep in mind that you are in charge of what and how much you eat. Don’t let others talk you into consuming something you know won’t be beneficial for you.

Additionally, it is important to be aware of the proper etiquette to deal with situations in an elegant and sophisticated way. I love giving compliments to the host, kindly denying more food or just nibbling slowly on small foods are polite ways that will always leave a good impression. For further help on etiquette and manners, check out www.etiqettescholar.com.

Most importantly: Don't just eat to eat or because it's there or it's time to eat. Eat, if you are hungry or have proper appetite and eat only tasty things that you REALLY like and that are of good quality! Most of the people eat too much foods out of habit and just because they are there, not because they actually particularly enjoy it. If I don't get what I want, I rather wait, go hungry for a while, then get real appetite and will enjoy and digest much better the good stuff.

7. Detox
Researching detox methods can be hard and challenging, due to an overwhelming amount of experts claiming to have found the best way. What has worked for me in the past is to pick a day or timeframe where I merely fuel my body with plenty of good foods (point no. 2) and avoid the evil ones. Combine it with some exercise, a good night full of sleep and our yummy detox smoothie, and I felt as good as new again.

Detox smoothie

100g greens (kale, dandelion, swiss chard or similar)
100g celery
2 oranges, peeled
1 lemon, peeled
10g ginger
5g parsley
250ml coconut water (substitute with plain water)

Optional
2 small apples, unpeeled
1 tbsp flax seed oil
Pinch of chili powder

Yield: 1200ml

1. Blend greens, celery, oranges, lemon, ginger, parsley and water in a high-performance blender until a smoothie consistency is reached. For a more liquid or thick consistency adjust water content.
2. For desired sweetness, add the apples or other fruit.
3. After blending thoroughly, add flax seed oil and chili, pulse it in quickly.
4. Enjoy right now or chilled.

Wild Blueberry Chocolate Cheesecake

Photo: Markus Karjalainen

I just made up this recipe in Helsinki for the raw food bar I organized for the famous restaurant day (http://www.restaurantday.org)

I am in Helsinki for the second time now and it's so nice to be here. Helsinki has amazing people and a good vibe and is naturally stunning. Especially in the summer months, there is plenty of raw products to work with, like fresh chanterelle mushrooms from the forest, Finnish Spinach, wild herbs and of course the most amazing berries.

I am here for teaching a 2-day raw food course at the local raw food center Elävän Ravinnon Yhdistys - The Finnish Association of Living Food (I know, what a weird name ;-), this Wednesday and Thursday (21/22nd of August 2013), so I offered to organize and chef their raw food bar and yesterday during restaurant day with an amazing Asian Menu, featuring my Chinese Beetroot Dumplings, Spring Rolls with Almond Ginger Dip and Phad Thai with Crunchy Ginger Almonds. Now that was my standard, but I really got creative when I saw all the beautiful wild blueberries that they picked for me, I instantly had the idea to use them for my favorite: Raw Cheesecake, the reason I became a raw food chef years ago when I tasted their version at Café Gratitude in San Francisco. And here is the recipe: 

Crumble

2 cups walnuts

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup cacao nibs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 t vanilla

1 pinch salt

8 medjol dates

1 T cacao butter, melted

Mix all dry ingredients in a food processor, then add one by one the dates and finally the cacao butter. Press the dough in the bottom of a pie pan.

Cheesecake filling

2 cups cashews

1/4 cup lemon juice (80 ml)

1 cup water

100 ml honey

1 t vanilla

1 pinch salt

2/3 cups coconut oil

1/3 cup cacao butter

Blend all except the oils in a vitamix until smooth, then add the oils and blend again. Pour onto the pie crust.

Blueberry Chocolate swirl

2 cups wild blueberries

1/2 cup dates

1/2 cup cacao powder

2 cups cashews

1 cup water

1 t vanilla

1 pinch salt

100 ml coconut oil

Blend all except the oil in a vitamix. Then add the oil and blend again until all is smooth. 

Pour from about 30cm high into the white cheesecake filling to create a pattern. Then use a chopstick to create the fun swirls. 

Let sit in the freezer for about 2 hours before eating.

Portion it well, cause you might eat the whole cake, but you really shouldn't eat more than a slice to prevent you from turning upside down in bed ;-)


Celebrating our success with a glass of wine 
at Helsinki Harbour :-)

Raw Power Breakfast: Green Power Hemp Milk, Grawnola, Apple

Many people always ask me this question what I usually have as raw breakfast, ESPECIALLY in the winter months, when it's still cold and your body might need a bit more energizing and fattening things to keep you warm and raw food might seem an odd concept. This is not at all true and you can have very filling and hearty breakfasts with raw food and yet have so much more nutrients and enzymes especially if you add some potent high enzymatic green powders and the right proteins and omega 3 fatty acids. I am just back from Asia not too long ago and the winter in Berlin doesn't seem to want to make space for Spring yet, so my breakfasts still tend to be a bit more hearty but I still crave the greens and freshness as well.

So here is my favorite breakfast, I have been eating pretty much every day of this week. Enjoy :-)

Green Power Hemp Milk:

• 1 blood orange
• 1/3 - 1/2 banana (or avocado if you want less sweet)
• 1 cup young coconut water (or regular water)
• 2 Tablespoons deshelled Hemp Seeds (great source of Omega 3)
• 1-2 teaspoons Sunwarrior Protein, Vanilla
• 1 scoop Best of Greens Powder
• 1 teaspoon dried dandelion and nettle (I dried it myself last summer)

Blend all in Vitamix until smooth. 

Pour in a bowl and add 

• 1 small grated apple
• 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup b.alive! Grawnola

Well, there are many Grawnolas out there already, but if you want to taste mine, you can do so , by ordering it online in my shop or just come by in Berlin or you can learn it in my seminar The 101 of Raw Food, so you can make your own :-)

Wish you all a happy start of Spring 2013 and a energetic start of every single day :-)

b.inspired! 

b.alive! Dinner Club @Berlin

Once again, my private dinner club in Berlin is featured on an all new blog, reporting about all sorts of dinner clubs out there. It's called funtasty adventures, great name for a blog on the most unusual of all restaurant experiences, which is revolutionizing the traditional world of going out for dinner. Supper clubs are a new way to enjoy food in a social environment. And while most of the supper clubs feature more traditional fare, mine probably stays on the far end of exoticness. An all vegan raw food supper club, which fully competes with all the cooked versions out there, not only in atmosphere but mostly in taste and food experience! It's high end gourmet and a real treat for your eyes and taste buds. Come and try for yourself!! Read the whole article here:

Saisonal: Zucchini Tonnarelli mit Wildpilzen und Blaumohn

Seasonal Recipe

Zucchini Tonnarelli with Wild Mushrooms and Poppy Seeds

Click here for the English Version of this Post

(recently published by the Health Renegade Blog)

Zucchini Tonnarelli mit Wildpilzen und Blaumohn

Bevor ich vor 4 Jahren Rohkost Chefkoch und Culinary Artist wurde, habe ich 7 Jahre in Italien gelebt und dort meine Affinität und Passion zu gutem Essen entdeckt. Es war Italien und meine dortigen Bekannten, welche mir die Welt der lokalen und saisonale Produkte höchster Qualität eröffnet haben. 

Italienische Küche ist eine sehr simple Küche, in welcher man das Produkt für sich sprechen lässt. Das hat mich in Italien am meisten fasziniert. Ich liebe dieses herbstliche Rezept, weil ich es genau mit dieser Philosophie und Simplistik Italienischer Küche entworfen habe. Auf meinem Wochenmarkt habe ich bei der Pilzfrau leckere handgesammelte Maroni gekauft und wollte diese in einem einfach zuzubereitenden Rezept durch Beigabe von ein paar Zutaten hervorheben, anstelle Ihren einzigartigen Geschmack zu verstecken oder zu überwältigen.

Das schöne an diesem Rezept ist, dass es ein paar einfache saisonale Zutaten in einem sehr schnell zuzubereitenden Gericht kombiniert, welches den Ansprüchen eines Gourmets genügt. Rohkost Fastfood für den kleinen Gourmet, das lasse ich mir schmecken :-)

Wichtig ist aber absolut die Qualität der Zutaten, an denen ihr nicht sparen dürft. Achtet auf frische Wildpilze, gutes kaltgepresstes Walnußöl, ungeschwefelte sonnengetrocknete Tomaten, cremige Hass Avocados und vor allem gute Oliven, die ich hier einmal ganz besonders hervorheben muss. Die baumgereiften Bootja Oliven aus Peru sind zwar nicht lokal, aber die besten Oliven, die ich je gegessen habe. Sie sind so erdig und intensiv im Geschmack und vollkommen Naturbelassen, ein absolut tolles Produkt. Obwohl ich die italienischen Oliven liebe, diese Bootja Oliven aus Peru sind allen Oliven die ich bisher probiert habe in Geschmackstiefe und Qualität weitaus überlegen! Sie sind nichts für den "Anfänger Gaumen", da sie doch ein sehr spezielles Aroma haben, aber wenn man sich erstmal dran gewöhnt hat, will man nie wieder eine andere Olive essen!

Zutaten für 1 Person:

1 Zucchini
1/2 Knoblauchzehe, fein gehackt
1/6 einer roten Zwiebel, fein geschnitten
1-2 Wildpilze (ich hatte underschöne frische Maronen, aber ihr könnt jede Art von essbaren Wildpilzen nehmen)
2-3 sonnengetrocknete Tomatenhälften
3 schwarze baumgereifte Bootja Oliven (zu bestellen bei lifefood24.de)
3 Äste frischen Thymian
1 handvoll fein gehackter Wildkräuter
1/2 EL Blaumohn
2 - 3 Walnüsse, gehackt
1/2 EL Walnußöl
1/2 TL Zitronensaft
1/2 TL Balsam Essig oder Tamari
1/2 Avocado, gewürfelt
1 Paranuß

Zubereitung:

Zunächst die Zucchini im Spiralschneider zu dicken Spaghetti verarbeiten und ganz leicht salzen und das Salz etwas einmassieren. Die Zucchini zunächst so stehen lassen und in einer separaten Schüssel die Sosse zubereiten.

Für die Sosse Walnußöl, Balsamessig/Tamari und Zitronensaft in einer Schüssel verrühren und mit den Zwiebeln, dem Knoblauch, den Tomaten, Oliven und Pilzen vermengen. Bei Bedarf könnt ihr ein wenig Honig oder Yacondicksaft zugeben, falls ihr dem Gericht eine kleine süsse Note geben wollt. 

Das ausgetretene Wasser von den Zucchini leicht ausdrücken und dann die Tonnarelli mit der Sosse vermengen. Die anderen Zutaten bis auf die Paranuß zugeben und vorsichtig mit der Hand vermengen, so dass die Avocado Würfel ganz bleiben und die Soße nicht breiig wird!

Die Tonnarelli in einen Metallring auf einen Teller geben und den Ring nach oben herausziehen. Mit fein geriebener Paranuss und Thymian garnieren und servieren.

Hierzu passt zum Beispiel ein hausgemachter Kefir aus Feige und Rose, wie ihr ihn in meinem Brot & Käse Kurs lernen könnt oder wenn ihr gleich das ganze Programm lernen möchtet, dann kommt im Januar mit zum umfassendsten b.alive! Seminar im tropischen Bali :-)

What do you eat every day?

Guess what: The question I get asked the most as a teaching raw food chef and culinary artist: "So... what do YOU actually eat every day?" The more I hear this question and the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it's so worth sharing this knowledge besides inventing crazy new creations for my fancy dinner clubs and teaching the sometimes more difficult gourmet foods that are not necessarily usable on a daily basis. Now, here is a typical day from my life as a raw food chef :-)

Fruit Salad, Homemade probiotic coconut yoghurt
bee pollen, wild herbs and sprouted walnuts
Green Young Coconut Water (in the back)

The mornings, I like to start very light, mainly fruit based and foods that can be digested very easily and have a high net energy gain. Fruit have simple carbohydrates that give you immediate energy and good vitamins. They are digested in 20 minutes and therefore don't interrupt with your natural cleansing cycle. I also love young coconut water in the mornings, it's full of electrolytes and enzymes and tastes just delicious. Now for comfort and to get the feeling of fullness, something creamy nut based is nice from time to time and in order to make this work for the stomach, it's best to ferment your nuts into a healthy yoghurt. So, my breakfast of today was:

• young coconut water, blended with spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, wheatgrass, moringa olifeira and stingy nettle (all these greens add a lot of minerals and chlorophyll and help you get the day kicked off boosting your oxygen level)
• mixed fruit salad with homemade coconut yoghurt, local bee pollen, sprouted walnuts and fresh wild herbs
• cappuccino (YES, the real one! I can't give up this morning ritual, lived too long in Italy ;-)

Now this keeps me going on really high energy for the whole morning until lunch time comes, when I usually have a substantial salad. Today, the base was spinach, some mizuna and other Asian leafy greens, cucumber, radishes, red onion slices and a big handful of mixed wild herbs. Now, to make sure to make this salad substantial enough to power me through the afternoon, it's important to choose your add-ons wisely. I've become a huge fan of fermentation recently, due to the high power of probiotics for your digestive and therefore your immune system. So, I came up with this super delicious dressing, which has double probiotics (from the Sauerkraut and the yoghurt), plus healthy omega 3's and great amino acids from the hemp seeds (amino acids are the protein building blocks, for those of you who still think we need to take complex proteins to build our own ;-) . Note that there is no extra fat in this dressing from extracted oils. However, I am a big fan of olive oil and do use it extensively in my cuisine and for myself. For a little sweetener, I use local honey in my salad dressing. I am totally staying away from agave, since it reacts like high fructose corn sirup and can not be considered a healthy sweetener anymore. Honey on the other hand is a complete whole food, laden with good nutrients and microorganisms and if you buy it locally can help you cure allergies! Here is the recipe for this new dressing, that I am happy to share with you today:

Cucumber and leafy greens, wild herbs,
dressed in pink probiotic power

Pink Probiotic Power (PPP) Dressing

1 Tablespoon fermented Coconut Yoghurt
1 Tablespoon Hemp Seeds
2 Tablespoons red cabbage Sauerkraut
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon terragon (or other herb)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 little piece of red onion (1/8 of a whole one)
1/3 cup of water

To finally get some more substance onto the salad, I sprinkled it with some sprouted sunflower seeds and black sesame for extra calcium and added a few strips of dulse, since seaweeds are extremely high in minerals as well as good amino acids.

Sometimes, salads can look boring, but if you do it, like I do with this recipe, you can make your salad really exciting. Not only is this healthy to the max, but lining out the cucumbers like this, placing the dressed greens that shine pink from this beautiful color dressing in the middle and having the black sesame dots and the pink peppercorn, is just a fiest for the eyes!! It's important to plate your food nicely, also for yourself, you'll eat with so much more pleasure and therefore he happier and will digest it better!
Yummy, this salad was so delicous, I wish I had another one right now, while writing it :-)

And another few hours of work seem like nothing with all those nutrients in my system that don't put high stress on my digestion and therefore would make me lethargic or tired, which would be the case with a plate of wheat pasta for lunch.

After a full day of work and having eaten lightly during the day, in the evening I usually like something a bit more filling and substantial, some comfort food. Very often , I also stay raw in the evening, but I also do enjoy a healthy cooked meal and if I cook, I usually create healthy hybrids of cooked and raw, as I do with my preferred seasonal Spring vegetable: White Asparagus.

White Asparagus, local heirloom potatoes,
fresh picked wild herbs in salted raw milk butter

 This is a German delicacy and only available for about 2-3 months of the year, so I try to have it about twice a week if I can. It's so cleansing (you can smell it in your urine after eating it ;-) and tastes just divine. I do like asparagus raw as well, but cooked, they develop this very distinct taste that I love so much. Traditionally, Germans often have the asparagus cooked with young potatoes and a creamy buttery sauce hollandaise. Now here comes my healthy raw/cooked hybrid version of it: 500g steamed white asparagus, 3 local heirloom organic boiled potatoes, 1 Tablespoon of melted raw milk butter, a pinch of sea salt AND 2 BIG hands full of freshly picked wild herbs, chopped small and mixed with the butter and a little of the asparagus steam water. Put all on a plate and cover generously with the salted wild herb butter mixture. It's SO tasty and comforting!

For me, it's not always about being 100% raw, but about getting the maximum nutrition and feeling good and balanced! Take this day for example, it's not 100% raw, but the wild herbs, the greens, the fruit, the coconut water, the seeds and all that provided a lot of fantastic nutrients!!
Now if for me, to stay 100% raw on such a day would mean, instead of the cooked meal I had for dinner, to supplement with a bunch of dried fruit and nuts, and/or have other unbalanced raw foods, that might just be a worse choice. Or compare this: a green smoothie with 2/3 fruit, amongst which sugary bananas, and 1/3 just any greens from any health food store vs. my asparagus, the organic potatoes and heaps of nutrient dense wild herbs. I don't have an answer for which one is healthier and actually, there IS no answer to this! Psychology, body constitution, life situation, and so much more factors play a role in this, it's too complex to judge! The bottom line for me is a wholesome whole food diet, full of nutrients and using nothing processed or pre made and packaged or at least don't buy more than 10% of your ingredients that come covered in plastic foil and have more than 1 ingredient listed on it ;-) Psychology is a big factor in nutrition and you need to feel comfortable. Now for me, that's my morning cappuccino, the occasional ice cream, some cooked meals from time to time, and even fish or meat if it's offered to me and made with love. I am a foodie, curious, and love to eat and try new things, discover new flavors and textures. Important is, to always know your base and come back to it. If I eat an unhealthy dinner, which does occasionally happen, the next morning, I am craving a green drink or just a grapefruit and I am back to a massive salad for lunch :-)

b.balanced - b.creative - b.alive!

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Matthew Kenney Academy, Level 2, Weeks 1 and 2

Pappadams
tamarind glaced cherry tomatoes
avocado, coriander froth

After a great Thanksgiving Break that I got to spend with lovely old friends in Denver and San Francisco, I arrived back in Oklahoma City, full of energy and ready for all the exciting new things I would be learning during the Advanced Training at the Matthew Kenney Academy.

Among the many highlights, I would like to share with you in this blog post, my favorite new discovery is the “Sous-Vide”, a method to cook food under vacuum at low temperatures in a water bath. The first thing we prepared using this method was a red beet carpaccio with macadamia cheese and pistacchios. While this is a fabulous dish, the effect of the sous vide is maybe not the most convincing considering you can make really nice red beet carpaccio by simply marinating. 

Brussel Sprouts sous - vide

However, when we applied the technique to brussel sprouts, I was in bliss. I love this vegetable but so far, I rather have it steamed or cooked, because marinating and dehydrating normally ends up in a rather oily, and/or chewy dry brussel sprout. However, with the sous-vide technique, you get juicy, soft but still crunchy brussel sprouts with vivid colors and vibrant taste.

Portobello Piccata

The highlight of our sous-vide experiments was the portobello piccata, for which we cooked the portobello mushroom for a few hours in the sous-vide at 105 F, sliced it into thin strips and fanned them over some nice jicama mashed potatoes to finish it off with some beautiful walnut bread crumbs, herb oil and green olives. This was one of my favorite dishes of the Level 2 training.

Chef Shawn operating the smoking gun

Vietnamese Pho Broth with Smoked Coconut Tofu

You might think this is already exciting enough, but it didn’t end here. We were introduced to the use of the smoking gun to give a smoked flavor to many things such as soaked nuts, cheeses and vegetables. We used it to smoke our coconut based tofu which we served in a Vietnamese Pho Broth that was out of this world. 

King Oyster Calamari with Romesco and Tartar Sauce

Another super exciting dish were the Calamari, a fun bar food and fine dining hybrid. Made from King Oyster Mushrooms and breaded in herbs and ground flax, they resembled real calamari, as well as in look and texture. The cashew based tartar sauce and the tomato based romesco sauce both went really well with the crunchy rings.

Last but not least, I want to mention the papadams with tamarind glaced tomatoes, avocado tartar and coriander froth. I loved those papadams, they were perfectly thin and flaky, but not greasy like regular papadams and personally, I would prefer this dish with only the tamarind glaze made into a chutney or maybe have 2-3 chutneys to choose from, just like you get them traditionally served in an Indian restaurants as an Appetizer. I think it’s a beautiful dish and would give a light start to a more heavy Indian style raw meal. 

Macadamia goat style cheese on spring greens
white vine vinaigrette, candied hazelnuts

Those were my personal highlights of the Level 2 training. In the next blog post, I will present some pastry highlights that we got to during week 3 of the training. And there surely were some exciting ones :-)