#LEAN14: juice press {raw food} review.

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One of the things I love most about my new neighborhood is that I’m pretty much surrounded by healthy places to eat. One of those places is Juice Press, which I had previously only tried their (yummy) cold-pressed juices. Over the past two days, though, I finally had a couple of their raw food options. And let me just say…oh my raw.

First up was their Raw Falafel.

ingredients: kale, cucumber, tomato, sunflower seeds, almond, buckwheat, filtered water, lime juice, jalepeno, red onion, sea salt, garlic powder, coriander, parsley, cilantro, spices, tahini sauce on the side (filtered water, tahini, lemon juice, coconut sugar, sea salt, spices).

taste: delicious! It definitely had a different texture than baked/fried falafel, but I personally loved it. The flavor was great, and the meal (falafel + salad) was a lot more filling than I anticipated.

Juice Press Raw Falafel

Juice Press Raw Falafel

 

The next day for lunch I got the Ravioli, which is actually made from turnip and filled with a basil cashew cheese. Served with sun dried tomatoes over an arugula salad with a scallion vinaigrette.

ingredients: arugula, turnip, sun dried tomato, basil cashew cheese (cashew, sunflower seed, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, spirulina, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper), scallion vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive oil, apple cide vinegar, agave, scallion, black pepper, garlic powder, sea salt), rawmesan (sunflower seed, nutritional yeast, sea salt, black pepper, tumeric).

taste: AWESOME. I wasn’t sold when I first learned that the ravioli “pasta” was actually turnip, but it totally worked. It had a bit more of a crunch than regular pasta, but the flavors and creamy consistency of the basil cashew cheese still made it taste like real ravioli.

Juice Press Raw Ravioli

Juice Press Raw Ravioli

 

Finally, for dessert I got the Sin-O-Bun. OMG.

ingredients: buckwheat, date, golden flax, cinnamon, vanilla, topping (irish moss, coconut, coconut sugar, vanilla.

taste: Let me just say that I’ve tried a lot of “healthy” desserts in my day, and this is by far one of the best I’ve ever had. Not only is it rich and decadent, but it tastes…real. Not like it’s loaded with fake ingredients. It was a really satisfying dessert that didn’t leave me feeling sluggish afterward.

Juice Press Raw Sin-O-Bun

Juice Press Raw Sin-O-Bun

Juice Press Raw Sin-O-Bun

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Have you ever eaten raw food? Are you a fan?

#LEAN14: creamy avocado spaghetti squash {+ how to cook spaghetti squash in the microwave}.

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This is about as simple as it gets. 2 ingredients, can be made in less than 20 minutes, and no oven or pots/pans necessary.

Creamy Avocado Spaghetti Squash

inspired by Creamy Avocado Pasta from Oh She Glows

 

ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
1 (very ripe) avocado
seasonings of choice – I seasoned simply with salt and pepper

directions:

Cook spaghetti squash either in the oven (will take much longer) or microwave (see instructions below). Place cooked squash in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.

In a separate bowl, mash avocado with the back of a fork. You can add your favorite oil to thin it out, but I like leaving it a bit on the chunky side.

Add mashed avocado to spaghetti squash, and combine well. The squash should still be hot and melt the avocado almost into a sauce. Season to taste.

 

5 steps to microwaving spaghetti squash:

1) Poke squash about 10 times with a fork. Place it on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 6-8 minutes (the larger the squash, the more time needed).

2) Once the squash is softened, remove from microwave and cut in in half long ways. Be careful, it will be hot!

3) Let squash cool for a few minutes, then scrape out all of the seeds.

4) Place halves skin side down back in the microwave, and heat for 8-12 minutes (once again, depending on size of squash and how soft you want the “spaghetti” to get).

5) Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then scrape out the “spaghetti” with a fork into a bowl.

 

Creamy Avocado Spaghetti Squash

I LOVE this meal. It’s simple and healthy, but so filling and SO tasty! It would be great with some grilled chicken thrown in too.

Don’t get me wrong – I love myself a nice big bowl of real pasta. But I also really love the taste and texture of spaghetti squash, so it’s a great healthy alternative…especially when smothered in avocado. So if you’re an avocado freak lover like me, you’ll definitely enjoy this too.

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What’s your favorite way to eat avocado? Do you ever make spaghetti squash?

#LEAN14: my favorite veggie lunch bowl.

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This one is for the veggie lovers.

(And maybe even the used-to-be veggie haters.)

That would be my favorite veggie lunch bowl, which I make at least a few times a week lately. One of the things I probably should have added to this post is that it’s important to eat the vegetables you like most! And that’s what I did with this bowl (inspired by Angela’s Big Vegan Bowl).

I love this combo because it has a ton of different colors, textures, and flavors. You can get all sorts of creative with this “template” – using different veggies, spices, dressings, and adding beans/meat to the mix for more protein.

Here’s what you’ll need for this particular bowl.

  • 8-12 oz butternut squash, cubed
  • 6-7 oz shredded red cabbage
  • 1 –2 cups broccoli and/or spinach
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • cooking spray
  • salt
  • pepper
  • cinnamon
  • butter, coconut oil, or a dressing of your choice
  • additional seasoning(s) of your choice

1. butternut squash

Start with this because it takes the longest. I bought my squash pre-cubed because…well, those things are just a beast to cut. Toss cubes with salt and cinnamon (amount to your liking), and place on a greased baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes (tossing it 20 minutes in).

Sweet potatoes would be a great sub for butternut squash too.

2. red cabbage

As with the squash, I buy this pre-shredded to make life easier. I love cooking shredded red cabbage until it’s soft and almost pasta-like. I cook mine in a stovetop pan with some cooking spray or canola oil, and season simply with salt and pepper. I cook it on medium heat (tossing frequently) just until it reaches the consistency I like, which is between 15-20 minutes. To speed up the cooking process, add some water to the pan and cover it for steaming effect.

3. spinach and/or broccoli

This is where I get lazy. I always have frozen spinach and broccoli on hand, so I just throw a bunch in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. When it’s done I add a little bit of butter, pepper, and garlic salt. Hey, lazy greens are better than no greens!

4. avocado

And now the easy part. Add sliced/cubed avocado. After these pretty pictures I mashed the avocado up into the cabbage and greens as a “dressing” of sorts.

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What are your favorite vegetables? Do you ever make veggie bowls like this?