What’d You Do Last Weekend?
If you can get your hands on a heritage bird called a Poulet Rouge, try some of the recipes from my recent challenge!
Raw Cauliflower Curry Salad
Earlier this year we went on a really brief raw diet - I think we lasted all of 10 days. But we handled the whole thing wrong. We started the diet at the beginning of February, which isn't the best time for vegetable options, at least not any that you're going to eat at room temperature (which hovers around 60 in our house). It was also incredibly difficult to get enough calories for me to stay warm, especially at night. We tried to pack in protein with sprouted legumes and lots of nut-based cheese, but it was really too hard for me to stay warm. It was like my bones were made of ice.
But for all of my complaining, we learned some techniques that we incorporate all the time, and we picked up a fantastic book on the subject, RAW, by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein. When we started the raw diet, we did a lot of salads and 'burritos' wrapped in lettuce leaves. Slaw was common. Not only did we get bored with the food, preparing it became mechanical too - gone were the hours by the stove simmering and sipping wine, snacking on cheese and bread, and listening to music. Dinners often started the morning before, when Todd would start soaking a bowl of nuts or beans or something so that it would be sprouted by dinnertime. Because there was no cooking - just assembly, it seemed - dinners just didn't have the build-up to me.
That really changed when we got RAW, even though we only stayed on the diet a few days longer. We decided, after looking over the recipes, that we needed to do this when there was better produce in the markets, and even then, we had to be conscious of how complex some of their recipes are. Ultimately this would satisfy the preparation and long-cooking social aspect of being in the kitchen. The recipes in this book are involved. And I mean this seriously, as someone who's used to spending 3 days on a cake. In order to make a complete recipe from this book, you have to make the recipes of all the components that make up the 'main' recipe you want to complete. There are very few recipes in this book that you can do spur of the moment, but what's there is deeply satisfying, compelling for the palate, and makes you feel like you actually cooked.
We've learned to incorporate these recipes with our regular food - mostly so we get the great benefits of eating raw every now and again - but also because sometimes there's nothing better than a big hunk of bread or a cracker to go with the dish you've made. Just like Michael Pollan says, 'eat food, not too much, mostly plants.' It's all about balance, I guess.
Raw Cauliflower Curry Salad (based on Broccoflower Couscous with Curry Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar, from RAW by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein)
1/2 head cauliflower broken into tiny pieces (like peas)
1 c Concord grapes, cut in half and seeded
1/2 c carrots, cut into tiny cubes
2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 T fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh lavender leaves, soaked for 15 minutes in water, drained and patted dry, then chopped
1+1/2 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds (not toasted - this is raw, remember?)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 T champagne vinegar
2 T orange juice
salt and pepper
Curry oil (recipe follows)
Aged Balsamic vinegar
- Combine the cauliflower, grapes, carrot, parsley, cilantro, lavender, coriander, olive oil, champagne vinegar, and orange juice in a bowl and stir to mix.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Plate and drizzle around with curry oil and Balsamic vinegar.
Curry Oil
2 T Indian Spice Mix (cinnamon, green cardamom, ground coriander, ground cumin - all equal amounts, all untoasted)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp freshly ground tumeric
1/8 tsp freshly ground cayenne pepper
6 grains smoked salt (yes, we skipped this item)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 c olive oil
- In a blender, process all ingredients for 2 - 3 minutes until the outside of the blender is warm.
- Pour into a glass jar, let stand overnight.
- The next day, strain through a coffee filter into another container.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
More Info
Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein's RAW
