RAW FOOD NEWS

Friday, August 29, 2008

GREAT AMERICAN SEAFOOD COOK-OFF - CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE TO WIN A TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS

As I have mentioned before, I am not a 100% raw foodist and it is interesting to mention that most of the sushi varieties include seafood of some kind so if you are into rawism, sushi and seafood make a nice choice.

For those of you who like your seafood cooked, Louisiana hosts the Great American Seafood Cook-Off once a year in New Orleans. This particular cook off requires the use of domestic, sustainable seafood, available locally which assures freshness and local fresh seafood always tastes better to me. It is also a good thing for your local fishermen when you buy locally.

For the year 2008, one of the five favorite recipes chosen was created by Chef Brian Landry of Louisiana. The name of this recipe is Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet. The reason I chose this recipe as my favorite is because I love shrimp. I like to have shrimp cooked many different ways and this looked like a new and what looks like delicious way for me to try my favorite seafood item. If when reading a recipe and looking at a picture of the prepared food your mouth waters, you know it is going to be good. It also looks relatively easy to prepare which is another good reason why I think it is the best.

I don’t know what Andouille sausage tastes like as I have never had it and since the recipe suggests a substitute, I would probably use either smoked sausage or bacon. I really like the taste of bacon and shrimp together. If you have ever had bacon-wrapped shrimp on the grill, you know what I am talking about.

Visit the "cook off" web site at www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com where you can find this recipe as well as several others. There are five top choices and you can vote for your favorite and enter to win a trip to New Orleans prize package. There is no purchase required, no obligation, just click on your favorite recipe and enter to win, it is that simple.

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HEMP SEED MILK RECIPES


HEMP SEED MILK: (watch the video) CLICK YOUR BROWSERS BACK BUTTON TO COME BACK TO THIS PAGE

1 cup of hemp seeds
1 litre of mineral/filtered water

Soak the hemp seeds overnight. Drain and rinse. Place in a blender and gradually add the water while blending on maximum speed. Pour mixture through a fine sieve (or squeeze through some muslin/cheesecloth for a smoother milk) into a jug or suitable container and enjoy.

For a creamier milk, use more hemp seeds or less water. Also try blending in 1 or 2 large bananas with the finished milk to thicken and sweeten it.

To make a delicious and uplifting chocolate milk, just add 1/3rd of a cup of Cacao pieces to soak with the hemp seeds and proceed as above.

Try this for a tasty treat

1/3rd cup of cacao pieces
1 cup of hemp seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup/honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 litre of mineral/filtered water

Make the chocolate milk as above - by adding the cacao pieces in to soak with the hemp seeds.

Pour one pint into a small saucepan and warm very gently. Add the maple syrup/honey and cinnamon and stir well. Remove the pan from the heat while the milk is warm (but not hot) and enjoy.

NOTE: Hemp seed milk will separate and taste unpleasant if it is heated too much.


RAW CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE:

4 heaped tsp raw chocolate powder
1 tblsp virgin coconut butter/hemp oil
1/2 tsp maca
3 bananas
1/2 avocado
hemp seed milk

Chop the banana and avocado into pieces, place in a blender with other ingredients and slowly pour in the desired amount of hemp seed milk while blending.

For a delicious basic chocolate smoothy just blend the cacao powder, banana and avocado with the hemp seed milk.

SUPER GREEN SMOOTHIE:

1 level tsp spirulina
1/2 tsp maca
3 bananas
1/2 avocado
hemp seed milk

Chop the banana and avocado into pieces, place in a blender with other ingredients and slowly pour in the desired amount of hemp seed milk while blending.

For a delicious basic green smoothy just blend the spirulina, banana and avocado with the hemp seed milk.

SESAME SMOOTHIE:

75g sesame seeds
3 bananas
1 tblsp coconut butter/hemp oil
1/2 tsp maca
1 heaped tsp cacao powder
1 - 2 tsp maple syrup/honey
hemp seed milk

Soak the sesame seeds in (filtered) water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse, then blend the seeds on high speed with just enough hemp milk to keep them moving. When the seeds are blended to a paste add a little more hemp milk and the other ingredients and blend thoroughly, adding more hemp seed milk to achieve the desired consistency.

For a delicious basic sesame smoothie just blend the sesame seeds with the hemp milk, banana and coconut butter/hemp oil.

BEST CHOCOLATE MILK MAY NOT COME FROM COW

This is an article taken from http://wesh.com/ where a panel tested various chocolate milk varieties. Silk chocolate milk received a rating of 95 out of 100 and Promised Land got a whopping 100. Please keep in mind that many of the varieties tested were high in sugar and if you are diabetic like myself, you will need to take that into consideration when choosing chocolate milk.

Best Chocolate Milk May Not Come From Cow
Soy Milk Surprises Testers
J. Scott Wilson, Staff writer

One of the scariest moments in my parenting life came when I asked my 3-year-old what he wanted to drink with his dinner, and he replied, "Chocolate milk!"Who had told him about the stuff? Was there a Nestle pusher hiding in the bushes outside? Had that danged rabbit hopped in through an unguarded window? Was there a brown cow nearby?

I still haven't found the guilty party, but I suspect it's one of his day care pals, maybe the one who also turned him on to the concept of monsters under the bed.

In any case, chocolate milk has not yet been added to the drink menu at our house. However, after tasting the new breed of chocolate milks made with low- or non-fat milk, I just might have to consider it as an occasional treat. There's some good stuff out there and, of course, a few that dropped the ball.
This comparison covers ready-to-drink chocolate milk, as there's really a dearth of competition in the powdered stir-in category. It's pretty much either Nesquik or Ovaltine there. All the brands tested, unless otherwise specified, are made with non- or low-fat milk. Pay attention to the calorie counts and you might be surprised -- although the sugar counts, included here, might make you feel a bit woozy.
My usual five-person tasting panel ranked each milk, awarding a total of 20 points for mouth feel and flavor, for a possible perfect score of 100. Nutritional information is provided for each one.

PET Chocolate Milk: 210 calories, 8 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 27 grams carbs, 25 grams sugar.

This whole-milk drink was one of the cheaper ones on the shelf, but it sure didn't taste that way. It had a rich, velvety mouth feel and good flavor. The chocolate could have been a touch richer to stand up to the extra milkfat, but overall our control scored it a lofty 94.

Yoohoo Chocolate Drink: 130 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 29 grams carbs, 20 grams sugar.

And here we have the opposite end of the spectrum. While Yoohoo isn't technically chocolate milk, it does contain nonfat milk and is sold in the refrigerated case next to the milk. Once you open the container, though, all similarity vanishes. The mouth feel was exceedingly watery, and the chocolate flavor was faint and muddled.

One tester quoted Peanuts, pronouncing it, "Water with a brown crayon dipped in it." Final score: 56.

Nesquik Milkshake: 180 calories, 5 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 26 grams carbs, 24 grams sugar.

This is one of two Nesquik entries, and the name was rather misleading. You'd think a "milkshake" would be richer than regular chocolate milk. That wasn't true. The chocolate flavor was weak, and the mouth feel was average but not as rich as the standard Nesquik flavor. Final score: 78.

Nesquik: 200 calories, 5 grams fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 32 grams carbs, 30 grams sugar.

This one has the same fat as its Milkshake cousin and a bit more sugar, and it goes to good use. The sweetness is well-balanced and the mouth feel is fairly rich. The chocolate flavor is fairly strong, but not terribly complex, like a low-priced milk chocolate bar. Final score: 82.

Organic Valley 1% Milkfat: 160 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 27 grams carbs, 25 grams sugar.

The chocolate flavor here was good, but the mouth feel was a bit watery. The sodium content in this entry was pretty high, and that could explain the chocolaty impact, as salty will often make sweet stand out. Final score: 88.

Silk Soymilk Chocolate: 140 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 23 grams carbs, 19 grams sugar.

No one on the planet was more surprised to find this as our clear winner. I've tried soymilk before, and while it wasn't actively repugnant it certainly wasn't my drink of choice. The Silk, however, has a rich, smooth mouth feel and an undeniably stout chocolate flavor. The testers agreed, awarding the Silk our top score of 95.

The Ultimate Chocolate Milk?

There is, however, just one more chocolate milk that you need to know about. This is not your everyday drink. It's far from the cheapest one on the grocer's shelf, and it's definitely not low-impact in the fat or the calories department.

But it's quite simply the best chocolate milk available in a grocery store, in the panel's opinion.

Promised Land: 240 calories, 10 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 33 grams carbs, 31 grams sugar.

I defy you to take a gulp of this milk. It is so rich, so thick that you have to sip it. The chocolate flavor will linger on your tongue long after the glass is empty. Eight ounces of this a week will satisfy you as much as a serving of any of the others every day. Final score: 100.

While the low-fat versions may not satisfy the way the Promised Land does, there is still some good sipping to be had. You might even find yourself with soymilk in your refrigerator on a permanent basis.

MOM'S STRAWBERRY AND BANANA GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 or 2 bananas (frozen is good)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
Add 1 or 2 handfuls of kale or spinach
2 cups of water

Blend in your favorite blender (I use Blendtec Blender)

Note: If this is your first try at making a green smoothie start with a small amount of greens and then add more greens to taste.

Optional:
1. Try blending a few carob or cacao nibs for you chocolate lovers.
2. You can add other fruits of choice.
3. Try adding organic shelled hemp seeds for a little protein.
4. Also try adding wheat grass juice for extra nutrient value.

MOM'S TROPICAL GREEN SMOOTHIE WITH CHOCOLATE

MOM'S TROPICAL GREEN SMOOTHIE WITH CHOCOLATE

1 cup young coconut juice with pulp
1 cup frozen or fresh mango juice with pulp
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
1 banana
1 small handful of organic goji berries
1 small handful of grain-sweetened chocolate chips (a little goes a long way)
1/2 juice of one lime or to taste
2 large handfuls of kale
1 cup water

Blend well and enjoy

Note: Chocolate chips can be added to taste

GOJI BERRY SMOOTHIE RECIPE

GOJI BERRY SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS
1 cup orange juice (may use rice milk)
5 ice cubes
1 cup dried goji berry
2 ripe bananas

DIRECTIONS
Combine ingredients in blender and serve.