Lazy Day Gourmet

Raw Green Smoothie- Banana, Spinach, Blueberry

This is a green smoothie recipe that you can prepare ahead of time, and put into the freezer. When things like fresh berries are in season or organic bananas go on sale, you can buy in bulk, and package up a bunch of green smoothies for the freezer. Pop them out and blend whenever you need a quick breakfast or meal. Perfect raw make ahead food.
Lazy Day Green Smoothie Step 1

Prop open a freezer bag. Add two giant handfuls of spinach, one giant handful of bananas, and one giant handful of blueberries.

Remove excess air from the freezer bag. Label the bag and place in the freezer. If you are not using a freezer bag, just follow the same steps with whatever freezing container you like. I use Ziploc 1 Gallon freezer bags, and then wash them out and reuse them. I prefer freezer bags because they will lie flat in my freezer when I am preparing 14 to 30 days worth of meals at a time.



On Smoothie Day, empty your freezer bag into the blender. Add around 12oz of water. Blend!

You may need more water, depending on your blender. I have a cheapy blender, so I have to add tons of water to get those greens mixed in there.



This is how the smoothie will look after you blend it. Now, tip it back and go sit in the sun. Drink the whole glass, and think about something you are grateful for. Then GET BACK TO WORK!

5-2-08 Holy Red Pepper, Batman!

5-2-08 Holy Red Pepper, Batman!, originally uploaded by darnlucky.

I've had a few weeks to start getting my groove on with the raw food, and I think tonight I actually hit that threshold where I can transition into officially "chef'n it up!" I created this recipe tonight, and OMG, even if you don't try this as a main course, you should try this dish!

Carrot & Squash Pasta with Red Pepper Marinara by Bunnylicious Berry

Ingredients
2 small yellow summer squash
2 small carrots
1 large red pepper
Handful of fresh basil leaves
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 TBS juice from fresh lemon
2 TBS olive oil

Instructions
Peel the squash and the carrots into "pasta" strips, and plate them in a pile with the carrot on bottom and squash on top. Save any left over squash and carrot pieces to blend into the sauce.

Cut the pepper into pieces, and put into food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until as smooth as you like it. Taste and season to your liking.

Spoon the pepper sauce over the pasta strips. Garnish with sprouts and a small handful of fancy raisins.

This is the best thing I have eaten since I have been raw. The sauce is a little runny, but who cares! I tipped my plate and drank it all up. It's just scrumptious! ENJOY!

Bunny's Pumpkin Seed Balls

Bunny's Pumpkin Seed Balls, originally uploaded by darnlucky.

Bunny's Pumpkin Seed Balls
1 giant spoonful of tahini
1 giant spoonful of almond butter
Handful of raisins
Handful of dried cranberries
Handful of pumpkin seeds

Mix all in a bowl until thick enough to roll into balls. Roll into 1/2 inch balls, and then roll in whole raw sunflower seeds. Place them on a plate for flash freezing.

Try to forget about eating them until they have had time to flash freeze. If you can wait that long, you can either bag them up for later and keep them in the freezer for a "Dibs" like ice cream treat. Or you can just pop them in your mouth and eat them as soon as possible!

Raw Food Recipes Coming to Lazy Day Gourmet

Hi everybody, I wanted to let you know that I am currently taking a 100 Day Raw Food Challenge, and so for the next few months I will also be adding Raw Food Recipes to Lazy Day Gourmet.  Learning how to prepare wonderful and fresh raw food meals is so exciting, and I'm thrilled to be able to share my experiences with everybody here at Lazy Day Gourmet.  I will be striving to create the same type of Make Ahead Menus and ideas for the raw recipes that I'll be sharing.

So, here we go!

Once a Week Cooking Session

Whew, that was fun! I just finished up a Once a Week cooking session, Lazy Day Gourmet style! What's on the menu for this week?  Well, let's see. In about an hour, I was able to get the following recipes into the freezer for the week.

And, I found the perfect use for my XO Laptop from One Laptop Per Child. My XO is now my official Lazy Day Gourmet cooking assistant!

1. Easy Orange Chicken- This is what's for dinner tonight! Serving it up with jasmine rice, and my new favorite (okay, I'm obsessed) Amazing Spinach & Pear salad.
2. Pineapple Pork Chops- This recipe is such a welcome change on a cold winter's night. Try it this week, and transplant yourself to the beaches of Waikiki. I cheated and used canned pineapple chunks this week since there wasn't a pineapple in sight at the local grocery store.
3. Rosemary Roast - I couldn't find a tri-tip at the grocery store this trip, so instead I bought an oven roast, and will be cooking this in the oven instead of on the grill this week.
4. Chunky Beef Crockpot Chili- Now with pictures! This is one of the most popular recipes on the Lazy Day Gourmet site. And for good reason. It's SO easy, and SO tasty.
5. Roasted Chicken- No freezer prep needed here. Just stick the whole chicken in the freezer, and place in the fridge to thaw the night before you want to cook.
6. Little Village Chicken Wraps- This is a new recipe I'm introducing this week. It's one of my all-time favorite recipes, so check back this week for pictures and a step by step how-to.
7. Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini- Another new recipe coming up this week. This recipe will wreck your diet, but is worth every single mouthful.  The Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini recipe is another Make One - Freeze One that I think you will really enjoy. Recipe and photos coming up later this week, so stay tuned! Note:

Rosemary's Chicken & Pasta

Today, I'm featuring a recipe that falls into a unique Lazy Day Gourmet cooking category. I call this recipe a Make One - Freeze One. Make one to eat tonight, and while you're making that one, make another one to stick in the freezer for later.  Much like our favorite Moo Noodle Pie or "Moodle Pie" recipe, this dish is completely cooked before you wrap it up to put it in the freezer.

If you want to Make One - Freeze One, you'll need to double this recipe.

Rosemary's Chicken & Pasta
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 large button mushrooms, chopped
2 1/2 cups whole milk (can sub half and half)
1/2 yellow onion(s), diced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12  ounces penne pasta
Salt & Pepper to taste

Freezer Prep:
Place the chicken breasts on a small, rimmed baking sheet or pie pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and cut into small cubes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 6-7 minutes, until not quite al dente.

Heat the butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, making a roux. Add the mushrooms and cook for a minute, just to soften, add the milk and stir to thicken. Let cool.

Cut the chicken in to small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, rosemary, cheese and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Gently fold in the pasta. Place the mixture into a baking dish and cover with foil.Using packing tape, place the label on the top and place it in the freezer.

Warm Up Instructions:
Thaw
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered for 1 hour. Serve immediately.