As LA temperatures climb into the 80s, some of us find the desire to chew diminishing. If you’re too hot for solid food or just curious about adding raw dishes to your menu, rejoice! I’ve been guinea-pigging a couple of ridiculously simple, healthy options that should make your mouths Mmmf with gratitude.
RAW BORSCHT
The staple soup of My People, the original borscht calls for a minimum of two hours of cooking time, but this raw, pared down option will take you about 15 minutes to prepare. Because of this soup’s intense detox properties, I do not recommend eating more than 2/3 of a cup in one sitting, or you might find yourself with mild flu-like symptoms, as your body cleans itself. Fortunately, it’s very filling!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 beet
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
- a squeeze of lime juice
- cumin, salt, cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 cup of filtered water [more if needed]
METHOD
Peel your beet and scrub your carrot, throw all of the above ingredients into your food processor [I use the Ninja system] and blend until desired consistency. Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream, torn basil and dill or cilantro. This stuff refrigerates well, so you’ll be able to enjoy it for a few days – and, like real borscht, it tastes its best on day 3.
KALE + FRUIT SMOOTHIE
This. This is my new morning power drink. Be warned, this blend is somewhat sugar-heavy, but UH MUH GUHH is it ever so delicious, and still packed with great things like fiber and vitamins, so pftt.
INGREDIENTS
- two-ish cups of kale, de-stemmed and torn
- one apple, cored and sliced in 4
- one banana
- ice – I use 1/2 cup
- juice of 1 lime
METHOD
Blend, drink up.
<3
I always enjoy reading about your love affair with beets.
Low-carb baking is such a wonderful blend of art and science and one of my favourite parts of it is using beets as a binder/moisture source. The colour lends, for lack of a better term, such sacrificial whimsy to an otherwise ordinary muffin/cream puff.
That Kale smoothie is getting put into action this weekend. It looks delectable! Thanks for posting!
I make a smoothie very similar to that! Except I switch between Kale, Spinach and Super Greens mix, and I add protein powder. (Source of Life or Vega One) Smoothies are my faavorite thing because eating in the morning is so distasteful to me when it is hot or I have been exercising.
Thank you so much for posting the borscht recipe! Ever since I went to Russia I’ve been obsessed with borscht, but with out access to any real-live Russians, it’s been hard finding any good recipes. I can’t wait to try this one out!
Huzzah! I was just looking up some random raw recipes that involved very little chewing. Haha. I’m excited to try both of these. Eeee.
I’ve somehow never considered adding kale to my morning or post-workout smoothies, which is surprising, as I eat kale nearly 3-4 times a week. Thanks for the recipe!
Have you ever tried tossing a few handfuls of de-stemmed kale in olive oil and sea salt and baking it? About 15 minutes in the oven should do it, and the end result is absolutely amazing, especially when paired with a good tomato soup.
I never had kale! But, that sounds good! I used to make a delicious one with Spinach, Fruit and Mint last year – I should get on that again!
This is hardcore stuff. I wish I could be more health nut, but I had grilled KFC earlier durrrp. I don’t drink and I eat a lot of tofu/soy fud but I’ll still feel peer pressured when it comes to chikkinz/fish. still trying to pin an identity down at 27! guhhhhh
Just made the kale smoothie and it blew my mind. New favorite thing, all day, everyday.
I should really buy a blender and try these. Living in Phoenix has pretty much annihilated all the minor healthy eating habits that I was trying to have when I lived in California. I need to get back on that wagon.
Thank you for sharing these recipes! I was eating salad while reading your post and I think I just sped through lunch because I was so enticed by the deliciousness of the foods you described. Mmm. I’ve been comparing the Ninja system to VitaMix and other brands. It looks like you are enjoying the Ninja!
this makes me miss the days when i was working in the jewish geriatric home, we always had homemade food like this from our russian/polish/etc workmates <3
might try this one!
I had this for breakfast this morning, it was great, but my blender is terrible. I bought a new one this afternoon so I can have this again and try some variations on the theme. Thank you.
So, I tried the Borscht. Quite tasty!
I did not heed your warnings about the detox effects and ate me a big ol’ bowl – you are spot-on, I’m sneezin’ and feeling really really warm.
I’m not complaining, though! Thanks for the recipe, Zo!