Yum factor

Last night's raw supper was actually YUM despite my previous objections about raw food not having much of an appetising, attracting, saliva-inducing smell! Okay the prawns were not actually raw, but they were very lightly steamed and still slightly "crunchy". Husband asked if we could perhaps flash fry them or steam them a little more but I was adamant that we would not do that! After all, I have my "raw" side to uphold. I reminded him that he loved sushi and really really underdone "seared tuna" so he waited quietly for his din dins, hunger pains slightly on hold because of our raw veggie juice which always precedes the supper prep.

Last night I juiced the following:

5 spinach leaves (with stalks) but picked over and nicely trimmed of any blemishes
1 whole beetroot (a large one) complete with stems and leaves - washed and trimmed
1 stick of celery (yes the whole thing, leaves and all). I cut a slice off the root end before cutting the plant in half so that the stalks fall off one by one. There is always, always a hard stone of packed soil/mud tucked somewhere deep inside the thing and that, my fellow juicers, you don't want to encounter no matter how organic it might be
1 small punnet of baby courgettes (about 6 or 8)
1 whole lemon (peel, pith, the lot) - just cut it into quarters and away you go
4 large red plum tomatoes
About 10 baby plum tomatoes (because I had them left over)
1 whole bulb fennel (root, stems and little green fronds)
1 whole cucumber
8 carrots
1 of each pepper - green, yellow and red (remember the more colourful the veggie is the more you want to include it in your daily intake)

This makes about 3 very large glasses of veggie juice to sip on slowly until dinner is ready.

A very basic concoction but you can add whatever you please (not fruit though, as fruit is reserved for mornings). My sister Carrie can elaborate more on this fact as she continues to inspire and point things out to me.


Raw Spring Rolls

A little bit fiddly I know and I nearly gave it a miss, but I am so glad I did it. Prepping this dish wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be as I read through my recipe! Let's take it away..

You will need the following, purchased, washed and chopped/sliced etc., sitting in front of you on the counter before you can start assembling. Once assembled, these little beauties must be kept moist under a dampened clean tea cloth until you are ready to serve:

1 pkt circular rice papers (mine I purchased from Checkers)
1 handful bean sprouts (buy fresh if you must but do please try and make your own in your little sprouter - so simple! There will be other recipes using these so you can always keep a stash on hand.
1 handful fresh mint leaves (washed, rinsed and picked over and off the stem, slightly torn)
1 handful coriander (handled the same way as the mint leaves)
3 carrots shredded or sliced into matchsticks (tip: run a potato peeler lengthwise along the carrots and then halve those thin slices)
1 cucumber (peel it, I didn't and regretted it!)- cut in half lengthwise and run a teaspoon along the length in the middle to remove the seeds - don't waste that, just chomp it) then matchstick this as you did for the carrots
5 spring onions (diced finely)

Toss together all above ingredients to combine.

1 handful of steamed prawns* (or you can use chicken or lean pork fillet). I bought a packet of frozen fully steamed pink prawn tails from Woollies and there is more than enough left over for tonight's dinner!


1. Boil a kettle of water and pour some into a wide dish (wide enough to swish your rice wrappers into and get them out with your fingers)
2. Wet a large clean tea cloth and wring the excess water out well to spread out in front of you as your working surface (leaving room at the top to store your rolls and cover them over as you work)
3. Drop in your rice wrapper (work one by one), steep for about 30 seconds, (too long and you will have them sticking onto themselves). Lay out flat and spread approx 1 good tsp or so of the veg filling mixture 2/3 of the way down the circle, close to you (in a horizontal line). You may need to refresh the boiling water at some stage depending on how fast you work).
4. Lay 2 prawns (broken into halves) across the top of the veg filling
5. Take the nearest edge of rice paper and gently fold partly over the filling. Lift the left side and fold over toward the middle, then the right side and fold that over to the middle, then roll the whole thing away from you to form a sealed package.
6. Keep these under the damp cloth until ready to serve (they last about 2 hours)

Serve immediately with a dipping sauce:

Dipping Sauce

Blend the following together:
2 TBSP fish sauce
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar (or lime juice)
2 TBSP water
1 tsp organic brown sugar (yes, you will be keeping a stash of these good ingredients in your store cupboard for times like these!)
1 green chilli (or two if you are feeling brave)
1 heaped TBSP raw peanuts (got these from EverFresh still in their shells but you can buy them ready shelled for times when they are not in season)

Now that, I can say, was a very yummy supper, fresh and clean on the palate and we were satiated without feeling bloated or uncomfortable. In fact, husband didn't even ask for "something sweet" as he usually does of an evening. I have taken to keeping raw whole dates in the fridge for him to pick on instead of the naughty chocolate bar or sweet biscuit.

Remember to drink plenty of pure, plain water (in its unadulterated form - over and above any other liquids like herbal tea, fruit juice, etc.) and do sip it slowly through the day, all day, from the time you wake in the morning right up until the time your eyes close at night. Pure water is the vehicle on which all the good food and supplementing rides. Your body simply cannot do without it.