Raw Pad Thai

I'm currently on day five of my two week raw cleanse. It's been challenging, particularly because I currently live in Austria with a kitchen lacking a juicer/blender/food processor/dehydrator/etcetc and raw foodism in Austria is essentially unheard of. It is nice, though, because in general the quality of produce and other foods is higher-- there are very strict food safety standards here. (plus no GMOs! wooo go EU!)

My diet has mainly consisted of lots of fresh fruit, salads, stuffed peppers, sprouted lentils and buckwheat, sauerkraut, nuts, and dried fruits. I've been coming up with some pretty wonky concoctions, but so far everything has been tasty! It definitely requires a large shift in perspective (moreso, in my opinion, than even omnivore to vegan) about your relationship to food, but that's really what I was looking for with this detox

I'm also starting to feel a lot better. My detox period was virtually nonexistent, and even on day five I already feel a lot clearer and more alert; waking up early is no longer a problem. Before, I might need 9-10 hours of sleep to not feel sleepy during the day. I've also been working out regularly for the last two months and have been building a lot of muscle and toning, but now I'm finally staring to see myself 'slim down.' And I've actually found myself less hungry than normal... I think it's partially that perspective change I mentioned earlier; I have a habit of getting excited about eating (and then overeating), but with raw food that's not really a problem (excluding oils and nut butters). I basically get to graze all day, never be hungry, and still feel great! It's quite ideal. The only downsides I'm experiencing are related to price, availability of products (ex: no raw peanuts here. anywhere.), and a little bit of a social aspect. I plan to remain 80%+ raw after this cleanse as well, basically just excluding moments where I want to go out with friends-- who's to say a girl can't enjoy a beer and a veggie burger once in a while?

One of my favorite cooked meals is pad thai, and I was once at a vegan restaurant in VT that had a raw pad thai made from "zucchini noodles." I took that idea and ran with it, adding in carrot and cucumber noodles as well, and this was the result. It was extremely tasty!

Try to use all organic and raw varieities of the ingredients listed in this recipe; there is no raw or organic peanut butter here, so I just used what I had. There's also no Bragg's or Nama Shoyu, which I would recommend, so I just used regular apple cider vinegar and organic soy sauce.

Pad Thai
1.5 zucchinis, sliced thinly with a vegetable peeler
1 carrot, sliced thinly with a vegetable peeler
1/2 large cucumber, sliced thinly with a vegetable peeler
1/2 block tofu, cut into small cubes (optional; it's not technically raw, but I'm eating it regardless until my sprouting lentils and buckwheats are done)
4-5 green onions, sliced thinly
2 cups bean sprouts, soaked and drained

Sauce
1/3 cup organic soy sauce
2 T tahini
1 T peanut butter
2 T apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch chunk of ginger, minced
2-1/2 limes, juiced
1 bunch cilantro, minced (reserve 2T for garnish)
2 T minced parsley (optional; I just had it on hand)
1 small chili, minced (optional)

Garnish
1/2 lime cut into slices
2 T minced cilantro
handful of peanuts

Mix the pad thai ingredients together. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor or blender (or, in my case, a jar...) and process until smooth. Pour sauce over pad thai and let marinate for 20-30 minutes to let the flavors develop. Garnish and serve.

Stays fresh for 2-4 days, so it would also be a nice option to make a large batch and bring to school or work for lunch.

3-4 servings

The bounty

My organic soy sauce I found! Very exciting

Tahini

My favorite raw food kitchen tool- a vegetable peeler!

The peeled zucchini, carrot, and cucumber

The sauce ingredients pre-mix

Sauce! 

The final product 

Binner (Brunch for Dinner)

Breakfast Sandwiches


Gadzooks! These used to be my absolute favorite food before I went vegan. I've attempted them several times, and thus far this attempt has been the best.

4 English Muffins

Tofu Omelet
14oz extra firm tofu
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. tamari
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Tempeh Bacon
8oz tempeh
3 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. tamari
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. cumin
Black pepper to taste

Optional
Sliced tomato
Sliced red onion
Veganaise
Earth Balance
Ketchup

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Starting with the tofu omelet, puree the tofu, olive oil, and 2 Tbs. water in your blender. Once smooth, move to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Transfer to an oiled baking dish, I used an 10" cast iron fry pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light brown. Let cool then either slice into either squares or circles (using a biscuit cutter or glass).

OPTIONAL: I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with tempeh, so before using it I usually marinate it to make sure it isn't too bitter. I begin by simmering 4 cups water, 1 vegetable bouillon cube, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 Tbs. minced ginger, and some fresh ground pepper and then add my tempeh. I'd suggest doing this with several packages at a time to make the most of your marinade broth. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, then drain tempeh and use in all your favorite recipes!


Continuing with the tempeh bacon, slice your block of tempeh in half length-wise, and slice each block into 1/4-inch thick rectangles. Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix together the maple syrup, oil, tamari, liquid smoke, cumin, and black pepper, and brush on the tempeh slices. Flip over and brush the other side, reserving a few tablespoons of liquid for after baking. Bake the tempeh slices for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Once removed from the oven, immediately brush lightly with some of the reserved liquid. 


To assemble your breakfast sandwich, begin by toasting the english muffins. Spread each side with Earth Balance or Veganaise if desired, and pile on the tofu omelet and tempeh bacon. Top with tomato, onion, or ketchup (I used up some leftover bruschetta!) if desired and enjoy! Om nom nom.

Happy New Year!