Summer in Santa Monica- and a recipe round-up

Farmers' market beauty in Santa Monica.

The first notes from our 

Santa Monica summer sublet:

After living in the brittle high dessert of Northern New Mexico for three years, I am drunk on oxygen. I walk Ocean Avenue cradled in moisture, intoxicated, breathing deep. And although we sleep seventeen blocks from the Pacific, I smell the ocean in the sheets. I wake with the sensation, the awareness of the sea. It infuses the day with an unnameable pleasure I can almost taste. If I could live on air I would eat the on-shore breeze with a spoon.

Steve has found his own source of bliss at Caffe Luxxe on Montana Avenue. Rich, caramel Italian espresso with the perfect artful brush of creamy foam. If further persuasion is needed to lure him into staying here, I only need to whisper, “Una bella tazza” and he'll be putty in my hands.

Things are looking up.

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Music Festival Energy Orbs

So this weekend I am off to party with 80,000 other music fans. No big deal.
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I never go anywhere unprepared, and my healthy tummy, no matter where I am, always comes first. Although I’ve heard that there will be fruit stands and lemonade carts set up at this festival, I can’t take any risks – I must bring reinforcements!

I’ve been pondering the kind of snack that travels well, doesn’t need refrigeration, and is calorie-packed for a quick hit when the never-ending nights of dancing never end. I’ve come up with a raw food snack that fits the bill, and is both tasty and uber-healthy.

The great thing about raw foods is that they contain far more nutrition than their cooked counterparts. Raw foods also contain enzymes, the substances necessary to digest and absorb the nutrients inside them. When we don’t eat raw foods, our bodies must work hard to produce our own digestive enzymes, and after years of doing so, our ability to digest properly declines. You can read more about the benefits of raw foods from my previous post, here..
You probably eat a lot of raw foods already: fruits, salads, smoothies – but here is a recipe for a raw food snack that will hopefully inspire you to include more raw foods in your diet – it’s easy!

The base for this snack comes from dates. I am a huge fan of these delicious, dried fruits because they taste just like brown sugar, but with tons of health benefits! They are power-packed energy nuggets, filled with nourishing carbohydrates, fiber and naturally occurring sugars, which are quickly assimilated in the body. They are also an excellent source of potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral your body needs to maintain muscle contractions including the vital heart muscle. Potassium is needed to maintain a healthy nervous system and to balance the body’s metabolism as well. In addition, dates are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins for energy, and magnesium to metabolize that energy. So perfect for the amounts of energy I require when I am sacrificing sleep for dancing!

These snacks also contain nuts and seeds, which are excellent sources of healthy fats to satisfy hunger in a hurry, and vegetarian protein for non-meat eaters like me. You can mix and match the nuts and seeds to suit your dietary, nutritional, and flavour preferences. Just make sure you maintain the nut-to-fruit ratio for proper consistency.

Music Festival Energy Orbs
Ingredients:
2 cups dates, chopped (or you can also use some raisins, cranberries, prunes, apricots)
2 cups nuts (I used walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds, but pecans, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias also work well.)
Dash of cinnamon
Sesame seeds for rolling (optional)


Directions:
1. Set out a few sheets of parchment paper and a Tupperware container (you will have very sticky hands when you’ll need this)
2. Place the dates and /or other dried fruits in a food processor. Pulse until processed to a paste. Transfer paste to a medium bowl (don’t clean processor).
3. Add the nuts to the processor and pulse until finely chopped (see photo above). Add the nuts, along with the cinnamon, to the bowl with the fruit paste. Use your fingers to knead the nuts into the paste (this is the fun part – kids love it too!)
4. Taking small amounts at a time, shape the kneaded fruit dough into small balls. You can roll the balls in sesame seeds, which will prevent the balls from sticking together, but this is optional. I like the crunch it gives and the extra boost of calcium never hurts!
5. Store in layers, in parchment-lined containers in the refrigerator until you set off on your next energy-intense adventure!

Hopefully, I wont be stuck eating falafels and other "fake health food" all week, but who knows? Sometimes, you just have to embrace the full experience and make sure you’ve got a little bit of energy tucked into your back pocket. You never know when it will come in handy!

Strawberry Cobbler Cake

Dear Gluten-Free Goddess,

Not another strawberry recipe! Please. And a cake recipe at that? Pfffft. I've had it with all your so called strawberry deliciousness. Will you just get over it already? What do you think this is, strawberry season? I'm totally bored with the whole strawberry thing. Good Gracious Lord In Heaven. Where the bleep are the broccolini recipes? The watercress and sardine tarts? The marinated scapes, head cheese and tripe? Where's your squid ink linguini recipe? I can't find it anywhere.

And must I mention, boutique beans? You of all people- living in your precious New Mexico desert. Or have you moved to Hollyweird now? (that figures). I want boutique heirloom bean recipes. I need my daily fiber, if you get my drift.

What? None of the above?

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Fifty Five Things I've Learned in 55 Years

Last December, my blogging amiga Kalyn posted a list for her birthday: Sixty Things I've Learned in Sixty Years. Like so many readers, friends and fellow food bloggers, I was inspired by her post. So as birthday number fifty-five (fifty-five? how is that possible?) sat on the horizon as opaque and huge as June Gloom in Los Angeles, I was inspired to write my own list of hard won wisdom. Just to cheer myself up. And shake some cobwebs loose. Fifty-five just scares the pants off me, I gotta confess.

Fifty Five Things I've Learned in 55 Years

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Lemon Heaven

When you weren’t looking, I snuck off to southern Italy. The trip was filled with sun, sea, and of course, food. But being someone with an aversion to white flour, dairy and meat, finding appropriate cuisine for me was, challenging to say the least.
A swathe of gelato may have graced my lips on occasion (when in Rome…), but on account of it making me feel less than perfect, I went in search of something less rich. Lo and behold, the granita stand appeared, a holy, lemony light falling upon it. Related to sorbet and Italian ice, granita has a more crystalline texture. This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types of frozen desserts are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties, like granitas, are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals. This is good news for those of us who only have a freezer and a fork!
Granita stands are everywhere in Naples, and each serves delicious slushy-ice in a myriad of fruit flavours. My favorite, and the most traditional, was the lemon. So refreshing and with a sweet, but tangy bite…oooh! It’s amazing how such a simple combination of water, juice and sugar can produce such delicious results – so much more than the sum of its parts.

When I got home, I set off to make my own granita, except a healthier version without using processed sugar. If you recall back to post on sugar alternatives, you may remember a delectable little nectar called agave, with a taste similar to honey, but without the blood sugar rollercoaster effects. Agave is perfect in this recipe because it is so viscous, and easily dissolves into the lemon juice and water mixture. It adds a light sweetness, which balances out the sour lemon, but doesn’t overpower. And if lemon isn’t your thing, try using other flavours like orange, strawberry, blackberry, or even coffee. Light and refreshing, this dessert is my idea of the perfect end to a summer’s meal.




Lemon Granita
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup lemon juice (about 6 medium lemons)
½ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
1. Combine water, lemon juice, agave nectar and sea salt in a blender.
2. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Freeze overnight.
3. Scrape the frozen mixture with a fork until all the frozen pieces are broken into small shavings.

You can serve the granita very frozen, which will appear more like ice crystals, or you can let it thaw slightly to create more of a slush. Either way, you will fall in love with its tangy brightness and refreshing finish. Ciao, bella!

Gluten-Free Millet Buckwheat Wraps

Gluten-free wraps- an easy recipe with millet and buckwheat flours.

What's keeping us fortified during our transition from the wild desert of northern New Mexico to the cool big blue of the Pacific? In a word, wraps. We're munching Lime Quinoa Salads, leftover Veggie Garden Loaf, stir-fry veggies and quinoa, and sandwich fillings in these handy, tasty beauties. They sustained us as we whittled down our food supply, making both lunch and dinner easy as pie. I froze a dozen for the road, thinking that in a pinch, I could always buy a salad to stuff inside.

They're completely fabulous hot off the griddle. The best. I could scarf them down bare, without adornment. In fact, I started with a basic crepe recipe when I was developing this wrap recipe. Which is why they're pliable, tender and delicious. Unfortunately, they're also fragile after day one- a problem I am working on. But if you freeze them right away, snugging rounds of wax paper in between each wrap, they thaw easily and remain fresh enough- though slightly less flexible.

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Celery Soup with Ryeless Rye Croutons

A creamy celery soup that is dairy-free and gluten-free? Indeed.

By the time you read this new soup recipe, we'll be well on our way to Southern California. It will Monday, you see (it is Monday, right?). It will be bright and early. And we'll be waving our coffee fueled good-byes to piney Flagstaff, Arizona, the infamous gateway to the Grand Canyon (inspiration for Steve's movie) where we stayed overnight. We'll be up with the chickens, Honda packed with gluten-free treats, hitting Route 40 West for the second leg of the trip.

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A Vegan Basil Mint Parsley "Pesto"

A lip smacking raw vegan pesto. Yep. You heard me.

We're getting so close to our departure now I can taste it. The house is swept and cleaned, boxes and bags are packed. Anticipation is hanging in the desert air. You can almost hold it in your cupped open hands. The hardest part will be trying to sleep Saturday night. I told Steve, If it's 3 AM and we're lying side by side in the dark listening to the whir of the ceiling fan, just waiting, can we get up and go? Why not? he responded.

This earned him some extra bonus points.

Not that he needs any. His bonus point status is pretty high to begin with these days. We've had an exciting week. I'm so proud of him. His first script sale, an independent movie titled The Canyon just released its first trailer. If you'd like to catch a sneak peek at the movie, see The Canyon trailer here. You'll see why I fell in love with Yvonne Strahovski and Will Patton when we visited the set.

So what does all this California dreamin' taste like? I decided it tastes like basil and mint with a bite of parsley. 

Green. Earthy. Alive.

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Strawberry Sunrise

Good morning, gorgeous!
What better way to start your day than with a glass full of fresh, strawberry beauty? This is what I woke up to this morning and it was so delicious. With strawberries now in season, the time has come to worship their mouth-watering deliciousness with a drink fit to raise to the rising sun!

Strawberries compliment just about everything. Stars in salads, beauties in baked goods, decadent in desserts, but because they love being the center of attention, I tend to eat strawberries on their own or blend them up with just a few mild-tasting friends. This smoothie is a perfect example of that: sweet, yet mellow flavours serve to enhance the juicy, red ripeness that only summer berries bring! This combination of power-house foods and flavours is sure to wake you up and give you the kick-start you need to go play in the park, or jump in the lake, or fly a kite. Hey, it’s summer – and having fun requires lots of healthy energy!
To receive the most nutrition from your nuts, make sure to soak them overnight. Can’t remember why? Make sure to read my previous post on soaking nuts!

Strawberry Sunrise Smoothie
Ingredients:
15 soaked organic almonds - protein to maintain health hair, skin and nails, magnesium to build and strengthen bones, vitamin E to protect your delicate skin form ultraviolet light.

1 cup filtered water (or freshly squeezed orange or apple juice)

2 dates, washed and pitted - with fiber to scrub your whole digestive system clean, relatively low in calories, but high in natural sugars for quick-delivered energy.

1 cup organic strawberries, fresh (if possible!) or frozen, destemmed - vitamin C to protect cells from free-radical damage, cancer-fighting ellagic acid, manganese to keep your bones strong and healthy.

1 ripe banana, peeled, and broken into 2-inch pieces – potassium to help lower your risk of high blood pressure, pectin to help normalize movement through the digestive tract.

splash of fresh lemon juice (optional) – vitamin C to regenerate your vitamin E supplies and improve iron absorption, limonoids to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.

Directions:
1. In a blender, place the almonds, and process for 30 seconds to finely chop.
2. Scrape down the sides of the blender container, add the water (or juice) and dates, and process for 1 minute.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and process an additional 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

This recipe also makes delicious popsicles! Just double or triple the smoothie recipe depending on the amount and size of your popsicle molds, pour liquid in molds and freeze overnight. Now your covered in strawberry from sunrise to sunset! How sweet is that?

Roasted Sicilian Potatoes

Roasted potato love- Italian style.

Here's an easy summer side dish recipe you can bake or grill in foil packets. It's an intuitive toss-together combo of potatoes, onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and raisins--- with some hot pepper flakes thrown in to kick it up Sicilian style. I don't even know where the inspiration came from.

It all started with cleaning out the pantry.

We're leaving on our long pined-for road trip next Sunday (can you say, Stoked, Babycakes?). I've been trying to use up the remaining lonely bits of our fresh ingredients and whittle down our stash of friendly staples. I'm determined to scour the cupboards bare. One way or another. I'm leaving no can of fire roasted tomatoes behind. Or bags of organic popcorn. Whatever is left standing next Saturday night? It's all coming with me. Because deep in the cockles of my private tiny girl heart, I am not coming back. Nope. Not even to say good-bye.

So if you spy a black Honda Fit humming its little heart out, streaking across the Southwestern desert on its journey to Los Angeles stuffed with homebaked vegan goodies (translation: Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins, Gluten-Free Ryeless Rye Bread, Chocolate Pecan Brownies, Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint, Two Potato Salad) and gluten-free comestibles (translation: several pounds of rice pasta, three boxes of quinoa, two sacks each of millet flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca starch, five jars of sugar-free organic preserves, one unopened bottle of Annie's ketchup, a shoebox packed with a baker's dozen bottles of dried herbs, sea salt, cumin and sesame seeds), well.

That would be, me.

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Quinoa Recipe with Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry

Delicious quinoa stir-fry with summer vegetables.

Trying to find a Los Angeles sublet for the summer- within our budget- is as slippery and twisted as charting Madonna's romantic liaisons post Guy Ritchie. It's a serpentine endeavor, this whole reading between the lines thing, deciphering what is true and what is only mostly true. It's all those key buzz words peppering Craig's List and Westside Rentals. "Convenient to the 10" can mean the eastern bedroom window sucks in freeway exhaust during rush hour. "Pet friendly" might translate to everyone in the building works all day and leaves their poor pooches to yap and woof until the cows come home. Which, as we all know, in LA is after sushi and mojitos.

"Cozy studio" can mean cute and comfy or it can mean as cramped and tight as a walk-in closet. Not Madonna's closet(s). I'm sure hers are bi-coastal and coordinated by era, each epoch's collection larger than our entire casita. We're talking my closet here. The five foot black hole currently crammed with winter parkas, too many mismatched socks to count, and the book-filled boxes I'm storing for this alleged, yet-to-materialize summer getaway.

And the price for the privilege of said 150 square feet of space in Venice Beach?

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