First week of raw food school

Today was the first day of raw food school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  I am on another food adventure, this time raw.  It is getting to be the "trendy" way of eating.  As a nutritional consultant, I want to learn about preparing some dishes which can be incorporated into some of my other cooked dishes.  Today we prepared a raw lasagna with thinly sliced zucchini to replace the noodles, a ricotta cheese-like filling made with soaked macadamia nuts to replace the ricotta cheese and a pesto sauce.  Here is a photo of the finished project.  The second photo is beet ravioli with microgreens and a yellow pepper sauce.  Why raw?  A certain amount of food should be eaten without cooking to derive the benefits from the enzymes in the food.

Nutritional information

One of the guests at Sewall House wanted to learn more about how to eat better.

What grains should I incorporate into my breakfasts?

I suggested that the grains include steel cut oats, amaranth, quinoa, sweet brown rice and teff and they should be rotated in order to get the nutrients from all.

How do I use the grains?

I suggested that they be soaked the night before as a time saver and also because they contain phytates or phytic acid which the body can not readily digest. The soaking makes them more digestible.

How do I prepare them?

I suggest two and a half parts liquid to one part grain.  Put the liquid in a sauce pan with a pinch of good quality sea salt, cover and let boil.  Then add the grain.  Keep an eye on the grains.  Once they absorb the liquid, you may need to add a little more until the mixture is creamy.  Top with slivered almonds, cinnamon and fruit.  The sweet rice can be enjoyed sweet or savory.  If savory, I suggest topping with a little soaked seaweed (arame is best) for iodine and minerals.

How is the seaweed prepared?

The arame is dried.  Break some off and put into a bowl.  Cover with water.  Let stand for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Then drain, and add minced garlic, minced ginger, a little tamari, rice vinegar, a splash of sesame oil and sesame seeds.

What other nutrients can I obtain at breakfast?

I suggest grinding chia and flax seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkling them on your food.  This will assure you that you are getting the essential fatty acid known as omega 3 which is a crucial component of the diet.

Dinners at Sewall House


 

After finishing the kundalini yoga class, the guests shuffle through the kitchen with the aromas of the evening dinner lingering in the air.  I am putting my final touches on the dishes about to be served.  Some favorite dishes are stuffed acorn squash with a red quinoa filling, udon noodles tossed with an Asian sesame tamari sauce, spelt pizza, marinated tempeh with mushrooms, zucchini rice cakes served with a creamy dill mustard dressing and pineapple fried rice served in a fresh pineapple.

All of these dishes are chock full of beneficial nutrients for the body.





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Lunches at Sewall House

Guests have about three hours to digest their breakfast by reading, cycling, walking, hiking, rowing, getting a massage, etc. At around 2:30 the tibetan gong is heard once again announcing the luncheon.  There is a grain dish, several types of salads, a bean spread or tapenade which is a delectable spread on homemade bread.  There always is a green salad with at least one homemade dressing, if not two.  The dishes are vibrantly displayed on the long wooden dining table.  Guests look forward to savoring yet another scrumptious meal that is chock full of nutrients.  The ingredients consist of all local produce from nearby farms as well as organic pantry items.  Bon appetit!

Healthy breakfasts at Sewall House

Every morning at about 9:30ish, one can detect the aromas of a homemade breakfast being prepared in the kitchen adjacent to the yoga studio.  Upon entering the kitchen, guests marvel at the wonderful scents that permeate the room.  Typical dishes include an egg scramble prepared with minced garlic, jalapeno, onions, mushrooms and finely cut greens.  Another dish that usually is on the table is amaranth porridge, an ancient grain from Peru that is very high in protein and the B vitamins.

The scramble can be made vegan or ovo-vegetarian.  It is quite easy to prepare.  Simply take a handful of minced garlic and jalapeno and saute it in a fry pan in a little olive oil.  Add your choice of vegetables.  I add such things as chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, onions and any greens you may have in the refrigerator.  Bok choy leaves, swiss chard leaves, collards or kale can be shredded finely and added to the pan.  After the vegetables appear cooked, add beaten eggs or mashed tofu with a little turmeric for color, salt and pepper to taste. 

Sundays at Sewall House Yoga Retreat

Today is Sunday.  That means it is time to prepare a delicious batch of homemade crepes.  I use my mother's recipe for French crepes but with a few changes.  Instead of white flour, I use spelt flour (since I am wheat intolerant).  People who are celiacs, however, can not digest spelt and other types of flours need to be utilized.  Instead of using milk, I substitute unsweetened almond milk.  I lightly fry them in a tiny bit of canola oil instead of butter.  As an extra bonus, I have been experimenting on making a homemade "berry coulis" to drizzle over the tops of the rolled crepes or to decorate the plate.  After having just gone blueberry picking, I had access to wild blueberries.  Mmm!

Nourishment for the senses



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After having put all my belongings in storage, I began a new chapter of my life.  I travelled to Northern Maine where I found myself surrounded by pristine nature in a yoga retreat in a quaint, old fashioned hamlet.

 Each morning begins with a 30 minute meditation followed by one hour of yoga for me, since I am the chef.  I then scurry up to my artist's workshop, aka the kitchen, to create a breakfast spread that is not only rich in essential nutrients but also appealing to the senses with a variety of colors, textures and aromas .  I prepare a cooked grain dish (amaranth, steel cut oats, sweet brown rice) or occasionally some roasted yukon gold potatoes with fresh rosemary, drizzled with olive oil and a smattering of sea salt, an egg scramble with a variety of fresh produce and spices or a tofu scramble.  I grind flax seeds and chia seeds which are rich in the omega 3 essential fatty acids and suggest sprinkling them over the sweet or savory dishes for an extra nutritional boost.

The food is lovingly prepared and presented on a long, wooden banquet table.  It is a feast for the senses and nourishment for the soul.  Besides my cooked dishes, there also are yogurts, organic jams, homemade whole wheat bread, homemade peanut butter, homemade granola, cheese, wild berries and a wide selection of teas.