Food Discoveries - Day 18



Lucini Italia Cinque e' Cinque Tuscan Chickpea Frittata

Yesterday I was introduced to Lucini Italia Cinque e' Cinque Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix by Dan Blackburn, store team leader at my Whole Foods store. It's a gluten free, dairy free frittata mix that comes in powdered form and made from chickpea flour and rosemary - that's it. It's easy to make - just whisk the mix with water and olive oil, place it in the oven for about 20 minutes, let cool and serve. I tried the Rosemary flavor - there's also Traditional and Tuscan Fiery Chili - and it was fantastic! I'd put it up against a restaurant quality polenta in texture and flavor. And, most importantly, it passed the omnivore spouse test - Mark LOVED it!

Photo from thedailyrawcafe.com

Anyone remember Jello "No Bake Cheesecake?" And can you imagine the preservatives and chemicals in that stuff?! Well, I just found the perfect healthy alternative! I don't even remember how I stumbled across thedailyrawcafe.com, but it's a great blog with some wonderful ideas about preparing raw food. And when I found this recipe for a raw Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake on the site, I had to give it a try. Cashews, pecans, dates, carrot juice, lemon juice, spices, and a food processor are all you need to put this together. I was blown away by the crust - you could serve it alone as a dessert bar or cookie. And the "cheesecake" was pretty tasty too. Vanilla extract and pumpkin spices go a long way to give it a great autumnal flavor. I did not make the candied pecans that top the pie because they need to be dehydrated and I don't have a dehydrator. But I didn't miss them at all. And our cleanse buddy (and my neighbor) Kathleen gave it a try and a hearty stamp of approval. I like it too - in fact, I kept trying it to make sure I liked it. Then I had to toss the rest of it... otherwise all the weight I've lost on this cleanse would come right back! If you're interested in raw foods, this is a fun place to start.

And I realize it's late in the game, but better late than never! For those of you who are not close to a Whole Foods or health food store, here are links to the two protein powders I've found for the cleanse - Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 50 and Rainbow Light Engergizer Rice Protein in Vanilla. I prefer the flavor of the Manitoba Harvest (I use Hemp Pro 50 but there are other selections within the brand - it's entirely up to you).

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 50

Rainbow Light Engerizer Rice Protein Vanilla

Now you know everything I do! Have the weekend you deserve!