May detox and upcoming workshops

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Brittany

5-day raw detox

We’ll be offering the next 5-day detox on 14-18 May. With winter setting in, the temptation to eat heavy comfort foods increases. But the best way to stay healthy during the colder months is by eating nutritious food. Why not do a 5-day detox to kick-start your winter health?

The detox is an opportunity to eat nutritious and delicious food without the hassle of having to prepare it yourself. It’s a gentle cleanse (or not-so-gentle if you normally eat lots of processed, fast food), and a great way to boost your energy and vitality. Every day, you will receive: breakfast, snack, lunch, juice and supper.  All of the meals are raw, vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free.

You will also receive an info pack about eating raw/vegan food and detoxing, as well as questionnaires at the beginning and end of the week to help you set goals and evaluate your experience. I will stay in touch with you during the 5 days to provide ongoing motivation and support.

I’ve also got 2 workshops coming up in May/June.

raw, vegan, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

Introduction to Raw – Saturday, May 26th

@ Jozi Uncooked, Observatory 10:30-12:30

Learn the basics of raw nutrition, ingredients, kitchen equipment and food preparation. This workshop covers the why, what and how of a raw vegan diet, and teaches you some key raw staple foods that will aid your transition to a raw diet. R250

Winter warmers- Tuesday, June 5th

@Jozi Uncooked, Observatory. 18:30-20:30

Raw food does not mean cold food! Learn tips and recipes to warm up your raw diet and help you stay healthy in winter R250

All workshops include a recipe booklet and a meal of the delicious food we have created during the class. Advance booking is essential, reservations are confirmed once payment is received and there are no refunds within 48 hours of the class. Please indicate any food allergies or special dietary needs.

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April raw workshops & detox

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Brittany

5-day detox

We’ve got 2 great workshops coming up, as well as another 5-day detox.

Easy raw salads & soups- Thursday, April 12th

@Raw Food & Juice Bar, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark. 18:00-20:30

Make easy, delicious and satisfying meals in no time. Learn the underlying principles to make nutritious raw soups, salads & dressings. R300

Last day to book: Wednesday morning, April 11th.

 

Sea Vegetables- Sunday April 15th

@Jozi Uncooked, Observatory. 10:30-12:30

Experience the magic of sea vegetables– these under-appreciated ingredients are nutritional powerhouses. We’ll prepare dishes using nori, wakame, sea spaghetti, kelp noodles & more. R250

PLUS: Optional shopping trip to China Town in Cyrildene to buy sea vegetables after the workshop. R50

Last day to book: Friday, April 13th

People have been asking for guidance on shopping in China Town for a long time, so I’ve decided to offer a brief shopping trip to Cyrildene (just up the road from Jozi Uncooked) after the sea veg workshop. It’ll be great!

5 day raw detox- April 16-20th

The 5-day detox just keeps growing! Treat yourself right with five days of delicious and nutritious raw vegan food. The detox takes all the hassle out of eating well– we deliver your food to you every day, all you have to do is enjoy it.

The 5-day detox is a gentle cleanse, with no supplements or other treatments, that allows you to begin to release accumulated toxins in your system while boosting your health and vitality.

Every day, you will receive:

  • breakfast (e.g. raw granola, chia pudding, green smoothie, etc)
  • snack (veg crudités and dip, flax crackers, etc)
  • lunch (raw pasta, raw burger, wrap sandwich, etc)
  • juice (fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices)
  • supper (raw pad thai, lasagna, etc)

All of the meals are raw, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and packed with nutrients that your body needs. If you have allergies or specific dietary needs, we should be able to cater for them (a small surcharge may apply).

The detox costs R1500. Daily delivery is free within a 10km radius of Jozi Uncooked (Observatory). There’s a delivery charge if you are further than that. Space is limited, so book and pay early to guarantee a spot. Your body will thank you for it! Email joziuncooked@gmail.com for more info.

 

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April raw vegan workshop schedule

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Brittany

We’ve got two workshops coming up in April. They will feature practical advice and recipes for making delicious and healthy food in no time. As usual, no meat, dairy, gluten, sugar or other unhealthy ingredients.

Raw kelp noodle un-stir fry

Easy raw salads & soups- Thursday, April 12th @Raw Food & Juice Bar, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark. 18:00-20:30

Make easy, delicious and satisfying meals in no time. Learn the underlying principles to make nutritious raw soups, salads & dressings. R300

Sea Vegetables- Sunday April 15th @Jozi Uncooked, Observatory. 10:30-12:30

Experience the magic of sea vegetables– these under-appreciated ingredients are nutritional powerhouses. We’ll prepare dishes using nori, wakame, sea spaghetti, kelp noodles & more. R250

PLUS: Optional shopping trip to China Town in Cyrildene to buy sea vegetables after the workshop. R50.  People have been asking for guidance on shopping in China Town for a long time, so I’ve decided to offer a brief shopping trip to Cyrildene (just up the road from Jozi Uncooked) after the sea veg workshop. It’ll be great!

Remember, to confirm your place in a workshop you need to book (email joziuncooked@gmail.com) and pay in advance. Bookings close 2 days before the class, and after that there are no refunds.

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Upcoming classes and raw potluck

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Brittany

wakame seaweed salad

There are 2 workshops coming up later this month, and they will both be packed with useful information on healthy eating, and as usual, will include a delicious raw vegan meal. As usual, they are raw, vegan workshops with no meat, dairy, gluten or processed sugar.

Summer salads & soups- Thursday, March 15th @Raw Food & Juice Bar, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark. 18:00-20:30

Make easy, delicious and satisfying meals in no time. Learn the underlying principles to make nutritious raw soups, salads & dressings. R300

Sea Vegetables- Sunday March 18th @Jozi Uncooked, Observatory. 10:30-12:30

Experience the magic of sea vegetables– these under-appreciated ingredients are nutritional powerhouses. We’ll prepare dishes using nori, wakame, sea spaghetti, kelp noodles & more. R250

PLUS: Optional shopping trip to China Town in Cyrildene to buy sea vegetables after the workshop. R50.  People have been asking for guidance on shopping in China Town for a long time, so I’ve decided to offer a brief shopping trip to Cyrildene (just up the road from Jozi Uncooked) after the sea veg workshop. It’ll be great!

Remember, to confirm your place in a workshop you need to book (email joziuncooked@gmail.com) and pay in advance. Bookings close 2 days before the class, and after that there are no refunds.

Raw potluck table

Also coming up tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 6th) is the monthly living raw potluck. It will be at Raw Cafe and Juice Bar, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark. Arrive by 6:30, bring an appetiser/ finger food style raw dish to share, and the feast begins at 7:00pm. There will be a talk by endocrinologist Dr David Siegel, who is doing groundbreaking research on the Kalahari Bushmen and raw-food-eaters. He also lectures at major medical universities in South Africa and the USA. Hope you can make it!

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Time for another detox!

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Brittany

5-day detox meals from February 2012

The first 5-day detox in February went so well, we’ve decided to offer 2 more in March– one from the 5th – 9th and one from the 26th to 30th. So now there’s no excuse not to treat yourself right with five days of delicious and nutritious raw vegan food. The detox takes all the hassle out of eating well– we deliver your food to you every day, all you have to do is enjoy it.

The 5-day detox is a gentle cleanse, with no supplements or other treatments, that allows you to begin to release accumulated toxins in your system while boosting your health and vitality.

Every day, you will receive:

  • breakfast (e.g. raw granola, chia pudding, green smoothie, etc)
  • snack (veg crudités and dip, flax crackers, etc)
  • lunch (raw pasta, raw burger, wrap sandwich, etc)
  • juice (fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices)
  • supper (pad thai, lasagna, etc)

All of the meals are raw, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and packed with nutrients that your body needs.

The detox costs R300 per day– R1500 for the whole thing. Daily delivery is free within a 10km radius of Jozi Uncooked (Observatory). There’s a delivery charge if you are further than that. Space is limited, so book and pay early to guarantee a spot. Your body will thank you for it! Email joziuncooked@gmail.com for more info.

One day's worth of food on the detox

Just to give you a sense of things, the picture above shows one day’s worth of food on the detox– chia pudding with fruit and seeds for breakfast, veg crudités and dip for a snack, a burger wrap and salad for lunch, a green juice (fruit & veg blend) in the afternoon and Mexican fajitas with a spicy cabbage salad for supper.

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It’s time for a 5-day raw detox

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Brittany

Sample meals: raw detox

Good news! We’ll be running a 5-day raw detox in early February. What does that mean? It means you can feel great by eating healthy and delicious raw food for 5 days without having to lift a finger in the kitchen. We will prepare all of your meals and deliver them, so you just need to eat them, drink lots of water and voila… you’ll be feeling amazing in no time.

For those who are interested in eating more raw food but not sure where to begin, this is a great way to try it out. For those who over-indulged during the holidays, this is a great way to press the re-set button.
The detox will run from 6-10 February, and costs R300 per day (R 1500 total). It includes:

*breakfast, juice, lunch, snack and supper daily
*introductory consultation (by phone or email) on goals, health and nutrition
*final consultation (by phone or email) on the detox experience and future dietary plans
*ongoing motivation and support during the detox
*free delivery within 10 km radius

All of the meals will be delicious, nutritionally balanced raw vegan creations, made fresh. We will try to cater for special dietary requirements, though this may involve extra charges. Space is limited, so book early to reserve your place (email joziuncooked@gmail.com for more info).

Sample image: raw detox meals

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Upcoming vegan workshops: Jan/Feb 2012

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Brittany

Asian-style salad served in cabbage leaves

One of the most common new year’s resolutions is to eat better.. yet many people don’t know where to begin, and quickly give up on their efforts. Let us help with that. We’ve got workshops that will suit total beginners as well as more advanced chefs. Here’s what’s on the agenda for the next few weeks:

Raw fig, almond feta and parsnip cous cous salad

January 26th– Summer soups & salads
@ Jozi Uncooked, Observatory 18:00-20:30
This workshop will show you how to make delicious, creative and healthy soups and salads. These are NOT your boring lettuce and tomato salads… they are colourful, nutrient-dense and “dressed” in amazing and nutritious dressings.  They make wonderful, easy meals during the summer. This workshop is high-raw (not 100%).

February 2nd — Introduction to Raw
@Jozi Uncooked, Observatory 18:00-20:30
This is the basic introductory workshop– it covers the why, what, and how of raw foods, including the nutrition behind it, the key ingredients and equipment, as well as some recipes for raw “staple foods”. If you’re curious about eating raw food and want to learn more about it (in theory and practice), this is the workshop to do.

February 16th– Decadent desserts (part 2)
@Jozi Uncooked, Observatory 18:00-20:30
Following on the success of the first raw desserts workshop, we’ll be offering another one that will cover different desserts. If you didn’t do the first one, it doesn’t matter at all. We’ll be doing pie, chocolates, biscuits, sorbet, etc. Let’s face it, raw desserts are always a winner– you will impress your family and friends with these.

All workshops include a recipe booklet, participation and a delicious feast of the food created.  They are R250 each, and pre-booking is required. Email joziuncooked [at] gmail [dot] com to book.

Raw chocolate-strawberry-vanilla layer cake

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Vegan travel: Buenos Aires, Argentina (part 2)

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Brittany

Fruit and vegetable stall, Buenos Aires

As I mentioned, Buenos Aires caters fairly well for vegans, despite the abundance of meat.

Dinner at Kensho, Buenos Aires

My favourite vegan restaurant was Kensho, which had both raw and cooked options, all delicious and beautifully presented. I really wanted to get the 5 course tasting menu, but decided that might be overdoing it a little. So instead, here’s what I got (or sampled off other people’s plates).

First we were offered an amuse bouche of pickled broccoli. I loved the tartness of it– just perfect. Then for a starter, we had a trio of dips with dehydrated flax crackers. There was a carrot mousse (or foam, as they called it) that was light and flavourful, a black bean dip and a sunflower seed-rocket tapenade, accompanied by different flavours of flax crackers. They were all delicious.

Trio of dips with raw flax crackers

For my main course, I got the mushroom burger. It came with mashed potatoes and a mustard sauce. It was very rich and quite meaty.

Mushroom burger with mashed potatoes

My friend got the tabbouleh salad, which was made with quinoa and had a little falafel ball on the side.

Quinoa tabbouleh

And of course, I had to try out the raw pizza.

Raw pizza @ kensho

When I have the pleasure of dining at a vegan restaurant, I’m usually overwhelmed by the abundance of choice. Usually I am lucky to find one vegan option on a menu in South Africa, so choosing from a whole vegan menu can be daunting– mostly because I want to try everything. Kensho kindly offers a dessert sampler plate, that has all of their dessert options on it. Yay!

Kensho dessert sampler

Clockwise from top left, that’s a piece of raw strawberry cheesecake, a baby scoop of raw ginger ice cream, a gluten-free brownie, a baby scoop of raw chocolate ice cream and in the centre, a raw napoleon (coconut base, chocolate ganache, raw ice cream and fresh fruit), which was definitely my favourite. So delicious, and so wonderful to get to taste everything. If you’re ever in Buenos Aires, I highly recommend Kensho.

The most raw-friendly option in BA is definitely Buenos Aires Verde. They have raw ice cream, raw chocolates, crackers, etc etc. Sadly, I didn’t get to eat a meal there, but I did stop by one afternoon for a snack– ice cream, of course. They also have a lot of products for sale.

Buenos Aires Verde- cafe and shop

Dessert case @ Buenos Aires Verde

I’ve been experimenting with raw ice cream made from avocado– in Brazil, avo is generally used in sweet desserts, and in Ethiopia it’s served in fresh juices. So far, my avo chocolate ice cream is delicious but not perfect, the avo mint chocolate chip is pretty good, and the avo lime needs a little work. So of course I was very keen to try out the avocado ice cream. I got one scoop each of avocado and chocolate raw ice creams. The verdict– chocolate was great, avo was so-so.

raw avocado & chocolate ice cream

I should have said that Buenos Aires Verde was the most raw-friendly cafe– since there is a vegan/ raw meal delivery service in Buenos Aires called Cocina Verde. Not too different from the old Tuesday take-aways from Jozi Uncooked. There’s a menu of several vegan and raw items available for each week– you place your order and then it’s delivered right to your door. Kara, the brains behind the operation, gave me a tour of her kitchen and told me all about the raw scene in Buenos Aires. She also gave me a delicious raw burger to try. Thanks Kara!

Kara in the kitchen, Cocina Verde

Raw burger from Cocina Verde

I also ate at Artemisia, a vegetarian restaurant with two locations. The menu was not quite as vegan-friendly as I might have liked, but there were a few dishes to choose from. I went for a giant salad with fresh greens, roasted veggies, quinoa and avo. Sadly, I don’t have the picture, but I’ll add it later if I find it.

Another vegetarian restaurant I tried was Bio. They had a few raw options on the menu, in addition to the cooked vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian options. Again, I went for a big salad, along with a raw brownie and a raw tart. Again, I’ll have to add the pics later.

While not exclusively vegetarian, Meraviglia is an organic cafe that has some nice fresh veggie options. I had a sandwich with greens, tofu and veggies on a gluten-free flatbread. Very tasty.

Veg and tofu sandwich at Meraviglia

Once again, this post has reached absurd lengths, but I wanted to be sure you got a taste of the lovely vegan food I had in Buenos Aires. What’s your favourite vegan meal you’ve had while traveling?

 

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Vegan travel: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Brittany

Feliz año! Or happy new year to all of you non-Spanish speakers. While many sites start the year with a bunch of new year’s resolutions and plans, or a recap of the previous year, we’re jumping right into 2012 with a vegan travel post. Welcome to Buenos Aires, the beautiful capital of Argentina.

Presidency building or Casa Rosada

While Argentina is generally known as the land of steak, Buenos Aires is a very cosmopolitan city that has welcomed waves of immigrants from all over the world– along with their cuisines. So there is plenty for a vegan to eat while steering clear of the parrillas and dulce de leche.

Every little cafe, no matter how small, has fresh squeezed orange juice (jugo de naranja or exprimido de naranja). In fact, they even sell freshly squeezed juice on the streets.

fresh juice on the street

Most cafes also have smoothies (licuados) that can be made with water, juice or milk, either with one fruit or a mix of fruits.

licuado de frutas (mixed fruit smoothie)

If you want to prepare your own food, there are health food shops (dietéticas) all over town, though their selection is fairly limited. The focus at the moment seems to be gluten-free and sugar-free items, as well as bulk grains. I was happy to find seaweed in most of the dietéticas, and even got some vegan dulce de leche (which tasted a little too chemical-ish for me).

Mostly, I bought fresh produce at the corner fruit and veg shops  (frutería & verdulería), and then topped up with a few health food items from Chinatown (the barrio chino in the area of Belgrano). The grocery shops in Chinatown have great Asian ingredients as well as a broader selection of health foods (e.g. bulk quinoa, chia seed crackers or soy products) at very good prices.

Argentina has become a major producer of soy in recent years. Perhaps that explains the presence of tofu, soy cutlets and similar items on cafe menus that are otherwise not terribly veg-friendly. Whatever the reason, there is a surprising amount of tofu available at cafes in Buenos Aires (though strangely, no soymilk in the cafes). With the hot weather, I was in the mood for a giant frozen coffee drink, and found one made with coconut milk and dark chocolate at Baraka. Delicious!

Frozen coffee with coconut milk

At Mooi, a beautiful cafe in the neighbourhood of Belgrano, I had a lovely salad. The place is not exclusively vegetarian (it’s omni, as some would say), but it had plenty of vegan-friendly options.

Salad of mixed greens and tofu with seed crust

Look how gorgeous this restaurant is! It absolutely deserves the name Mooi (beautiful).

Mooi restaurant interior

Another little cafe, Como en Casa, came up with this healthy sandwich, with greens and grilled veggies (including broccoli!).


Grilled vegetable sandwich with greens

Aside from steak and dulce de leche, Argentina is famous for empanadas–mini pies usually filled with ham and cheese or other non-vegan fillings. Luckily, vegan empanadas are available from some of the health food shops and vegetarian restaurants. La Esquina de las Flores makes really delicious vegan empanadas in all sorts of flavours (pumpkin, corn, eggplant/aubergine/brinjal, swiss chard, azuki bean and more).

Vegan empanadas from Mil Flores

vegan pumpkin empanada

vegan empanada filling: azuki beans

I think this post is approaching world record length, so I’ll save the rest for part 2. But here’s a teaser…  vegetarian restaurants Artemisia and Bio, healthy organic cafe Meraviglia, as well as raw vegan cafe Buenos Aires Verde, vegan gourmet restaurant Kensho and raw/vegan meal delivery service, Cocina Verde. Stay tuned!

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Fresh from the garden, part 2

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Brittany

Continuing on the theme of food I made from the fresh fruit and veg I harvested from my friends’ garden, here’s a wrap I made out of the gigantic mustard greens I picked. In case you didn’t see the pictures from the last post, here’s the mustard leaf overflowing over the edges of my dinner plate.

huge mustard leaf

I added lots of delicious fillings: avocado, carrots, sprouted lentils, rocket (arugula), yellow peppers, macadamia cheese and dulse flakes.

Mustard leaf with lots of fillings

Then I rolled it up like a burrito and sliced it in half. Delicious! It was filling, a little spicy, and had a lovely mix of tastes and textures.

Mustard leaf wrap

My delicious mustard leaf wrap

And then for dessert, I used the fresh-picked plums, with some leftover cashew cream and pecan crumble. Perfect little bites of sweetness.

Mini plum crumble bites

Two days’ worth of delicious meals, fresh from the garden. Nothing tastes quite as good as home-grown organic fruit and veg. Moral of the story…. get out of the house and grow something! I am very inspired, and will share some stories of my gardening (mis)adventures in the near future. I will also try to provide some options for those who don’t have yard space– Joburg has some places where you can rent plots, or even nurseries where people will grow things for you. Watch this space.

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