Asian-Style Noodles - A Raw Food Recipe (Guest Blog)

[The following is a guest blog post from my good friend, and former personal chef, The Wellness Woman (Visit her blog here). We recently made and enjoyed this delicious kelp noodle meal together. And before you say KELP?!, no it doesn't taste fishy. It tastes like real pasta. It truly was out of this world – delicious. I suggest you grab yourself some kelp noodles and try this dish, pronto. Hope you enjoy!]

A Raw Foodie’s Pasta Paradise – by The Wellness Woman

Growing up I loved to eat pasta.  And pasta loved me back so much it gave me a big hug and wouldn’t let go, clinging to my body in excess fat and bloating.  Yep, the song is true, sometimes love does hurt.  I realized this relationship wasn’t working so I broke up with my pasta pal and transitioned onto a raw food diet saying ciao to the pasta pounds. 

I loved my new svelte self and the extra energy and radiance I experienced from being a raw foodie, although I must admit I sometimes craved my old versatile friend that made many meals so delicious and filling.  I tried to fill the gap by spiralizing zucchini, carrots, and even parsnips.  Even though it was tasty, it wasn’t really the same. 

Just when I thought I would have to suck it up and live without my beloved pasta fix forever, I discovered it…

Kelp noodles.

Now, that might not sound too appealing (neither does excess fat and bloating) but I can assure you they taste AMAZING.  And wanna know something even more amazing?  Kelp noodles are nutritious AND (yes, there’s more!) are gluten-free, fat-free and only 6 calories per serving.  (Feel free to pause reading here while doing your happy dance).

Kelp noodles are easier to prepare than traditional pasta too.  No waiting around for water to boil, just rinse in warm water and give them a quick massage with your hands.  To soften the noodles further, try marinating them in nama shoyu and a bit of nut butter.  Here is my one of my favorite recipes, which is quick, easy and delicious. 

I package Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles, rinsed

2 Tablespoon cashew butter

2 Tablespoons nama shoyu (soy sauce)

1 red pepper, julienned

large handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

pinch cayenne

topped with a generous serving of alfalfa sprouts

This is one example, but to be honest, take whatever fresh vegetables you find in the fridge and add it to the noodles.  Try peas, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, avocados…it all tastes great.  Go Italian with garlic and herbs or Thai with mint, basil, and ginger.  Get creative, have fun and enjoy pasta AND your svelte self!

[Editor's note: You can get some kelp noodles here. I recommend ordering more than one bag; you'll be glad you did!]

Winter's Brew (Glühwein)

A few weeks ago, one of my husband's friends brought us a huge bag of juicy sweet raisins from Turkey. They were so good, but unlike the raisins we buy here, they had seeds in them. I wanted to find a way to enjoy them while they're still fresh, so I brought out my crock pot and came up with this drink. It's a warm, sweet mulled-spices drink. It tastes just like German Glühwein - except it's completely alcohol free. It's a great family-friendly alternative to hot apple cider. It's so good, if I do say so myself! :)


Winter's Brew (AF Glühwein)


2 cups raisins
Peel of 1 orange
1/4 cup dried elderberries (great for colds and congestion - get it in the bulk herbs section of your local health food store)
1 whole nutmeg (use one you've already grated from)
1 dried clove (use more if you like - I just like a hint of it)
1 small stick cinnamon
Cheesecloth or nutmilk/nylon bag


Place everything in your nylon (nutmilk) bag or a large piece of cheesecloth. Tie the bag or, if using cheesecloth, gather ends together and tie at the top. Place in a crock pot/electric ceramic cooker. Fill with water 1 inch from the top (I don't know the exact capacity of my crock pot - but it's large - though the pic below doesn't represent that well). 

Turn crock pot to the highest setting and place the top on it. Every few hours, use a large spoon to press on bag (to help crush the softened raisins).


Let your brew stew for 6-8 hours. More sugar will be released from the raisins the longer you stew it- and the sweeter it will be.

Serve warm! This is a delicious drink to serve at parties or to enjoy with family on a cold day.

Tip: The elderberries give this a great fruity taste. If you can't find them, try frozen cherries or dried blueberries.



I hope you'll give this a try!




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What I would do for 5 dollars

I'm working on a qualifying paper, a precursor to doing my PhD dissertation. I think it will determine whether or not I will/can continue in the program. Not 100% sure I want to, though :) --- It's been a hectic and fast year.


I'm glad I had the summer off where I spent nearly 3 months at Optimum Health Institute in San Diego. Even got to visit their facility in Austin a few weeks ago....


Anyhow, on to what I would do for five bucks.


I've been editing and writing for about 10 years now - for the past five, consulting on everything from government documents to fiction/non-fiction manuscripts. Due to school, I had to get out of major professional writing, but was still able to manage a few large/ongoing editing jobs a year. 


However, since I really don't have a lot of time these days, I figured I'd try doing a lot of small jobs. In comes a website I stumbled upon: www.fiverr.com

You can find a whole host of things people are willing to offer up or want to buy for $5. It's pretty cool.

I know a lot of people out there are looking for jobs (I guess I sorta am too :), so I figured offering a proofing service for resume cover letters would be a fun way to try the service out.

What would YOU do for five dollars?

Check it out:


http://www.fiverr.com/users/toyatanis/gigs/edit-your-cover-letter


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