My breakfast today. It rocked guys. And some life advice I have learned first hand: a great breakfast leads to a great day all around.
My rave review breakfast recipe came from a wonderful new cookbook: Choosing Raw by Gena Hamshaw of ChoosingRaw.com. This is a raw + vegan cookbook that you will want to add to your collection. Gena helps you to see your food options for the day in a new, honest and nourishing light, ChoosingRaw style. Gena talks to you in a real and inspiring way that will surely having you easily eating better and feeling a little happier about your wellness journey.
Ahead, get Gena's recipe for Vegan Bircher Muesli and enter a giveaway to win a copy of her book. I am giving TWO copies away..
Oh I love my friend Gena, I am SO proud of her for this amazing book I am about to tell you guys about! (giveaway at bottom of post)
Here we are at The Seed NYC presenting together last summer:
Cat approved.
Snag your copy today for a healthy and happy summer! -> Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat
Served with some COFFEE. I know Gena would approve of that 🙂
Here is the Bircher Muesli in the book..
And more amazing recipes throughout..
PS. Great work on the Choosing Raw photography miss Hannah of Bittersweet blog!
Gena is one of my most favorite people on this planet. I first met her at a Dole Wellness Summit in 2010. She is talented and sassy and her mind is filled with a fishbowl of words that easily spill out of her eloquent mouth and into her blogposts on her popular food blog ChoosingRaw.com.
I am so proud to call her my friend. So when I heard a long while back that Gena was working on a cookbook, I was absolutely thrilled! I adore Gena's blog and couldn't wait to finally have a book based on her eating style. Blogs are FABULOUS for recipes, but books really feed my soul in a different way. There is something so grand and permanent about holding a collection of recipes, advice and food anecdotes in your arms via a lovely bound book.
As I gaze at my always growing book shelf (not the one on my iPhone in the App marked iBooks .. although I love that one too) I see a growing collection of friends! So many fellow vegan and non-vegan bloggers are churning out such fun and creative cookbooks. It feels like each one of those inspiring and talented people hold a permanent spot in my kitchen via their cookbooks. Books are such friendly objects to have around your home. Even though I am a technology / modernist / device-hungry food blogger, I adore my cookbook collection and this book is a new member of my cookbook family.
About Gena's book. Choosing Raw by Gena Hamshaw is a cookbook that goes beyond just recipes. Though there are 125 amazing recipes to try. But also Gena includes advice on nutrition, meal planning, ingredients and even an informative myths/misconceptions section which I love. And I love all of Gena's "Meal-Size Salads." And in the front of the book you can even find this little quote from yours truly..
"With menus that make meal-planning a breeze and recipes that fit easily into a busy schedule, Choosing Raw in the go-to cookbook and guide for anyone interested in incorporating more raw and vegan meals into their daily routine." - Kathy Patalsky, author of 365 Vegan Smoothies and creator of LunchboxBunch.com
Cooking with Friends when they are not even there. Who should you share your meal with today? Isa
? Colleen
? Sarma
? Chloe
? Alicia
? Kris
? Robin
? Annie and Dan
? Angela
? Terry Hope
? If you know these names, you know I am speaking about some of the talented vegan cookbook authors on bookstore shelves today. And opening a cookbook is like opening a door to the author. And as a cookbook author myself, that is how I always hope my readers feel when they open my books. I cannot wait for 2015 when I can share my new book with you guys.
To me, opening a cookbook is like saying hello to an old friend. Even if you have never met that person, making one of their recipes invites them into your kitchen with a warmth and comfort that makes the recipe you cook extra special.
So when I cannot actually be in the same kitchen as my friend Gena, I can actually open her book, make one of her recipes, and later that day send her a little text telling her how amazing my meal was -- thanks to her! Dinner with friends, sort've. How cool is that?
Invite Gena to your kitchen! She will be happy to be there! (Gena's Veggie Girl Power Interview here.)
And my first recipe venture from Gena's book: a breakfast bowl. Because a girl doesn't thrive on smoothies alone.
I love breakfast recipes because often times my creative juices are not yet flowing in the morning, so making someone else's recipe is a fun way to start the day and inspire a new way of looking at my AM meal, and maybe even the world. Food can do that to a person for sure!
This breakfast was perfect. I made Gena's Bircher Muesli. I paired it with a foamy coffee latte because I KNOW how much Gena loves her coffee, so it felt very appropriate a beverage pairing.
My Modifications: I used what I had on hand, which was just about everything except the almond and gojis. I subbed with raspberries and walnuts. The great thing about most vegan whole food recipes is that modifications are easy if you simply stay in the same general category of food. Fruit, nuts, seeds etc. I also added a tiny pinch of pink salt, a few crushed raw jungle peanuts and some sliced banana over top. Because every morning cereal needs some sliced banana over top 🙂
Recipe review: LOVED it. I was eating the cereal this morning and was like, hm, why is this so deliciously sweet even though I didn't add a speck of sugar or sweetener? Then i remembered that genius grated apple in the cereal that adds so much sweetness naturally. I actually used a microplane for grating the apple so it was super imbedded in the cereal due to the fineness of the grating. And the ingredient substitutions I made worked perfectly.
Raw Vegan Bircher Muesli
By Published 07/16/2014
Breakfast recipe from Choosing Raw Cookbook by Gena Hamshaw. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ⅔ cup slivered almonds
- 1 large Fuji or Honeycrisp apple (or apple of choice), grated with a mandolin or box grater (about 1 cup)
- ⅓ cup goji berries
- ⅓ cup dried mulberries
- 4 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 cups homemade or store-bought almond milk (homemade will be richer)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and soak overnight.
- In the morning, you can add a little extra almond milk, if needed, before serving.
Yield: 4 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: gena hamshaw,breakfast,oatmeal,vegan,raw
From Choosing Raw by Gena Hamshaw. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014. ChoosingRaw is Gena's blog.
*disclosure: book links are Amazon affiliate linking
ammauceri says
Smoothies, for sure!
Joni Owada says
Museli has to be a favourite here at our home!
Jennifer Arent says
I'm sure it sounds boring, but I just love my salad I have every day: 1 head romaine, 1 celery stalk, 2 scallions, 1 bell pepper, 1 tomato...topped with a tablespoon of nooch and some Italian dressing 🙂
Lisa P says
I kept getting an error when I tried to watch the YouTube video...my favorite raw meal is sushi!
danarsab says
tahini sauce (techina)
apunc1 says
smoothies or raw fruit pies
Andrea@Cooking with Wallflower says
I love vegetable summer rolls
Anonymous says
No fair-- no twitter or facebook or pinterest or instagram or any of that social media. But favorite raw recipe = no recipe at all really, just plain old regular raw fruits and vegetables.
jessicaboscarini says
raw "tuna" salad
mbc1017 says
Hummus!
Nat says
Green smoothies.
Missy says
anything with dates! fruity tarts with date crusts, date caramel, coconut date cookies etc... (:
Tiffany says
gazpacho
YellowFox says
I love raw smoothies!
CouponDivaAndi says
raw tuna! 😀
NoraCrane says
my favorite recipe is most definitely the vegan cheesecake. thanks for the giveaway!
Toschie says
The 4 ingredient Peanut Butter cookies! YUMMY!
Daniella Britt says
probably sprouted chickpea hummus 🙂
Maria says
Smoothies; cocoa truffles with dates, nuts, and coconut oil; and yummy overnight oats!
Trezlen says
I really love smoothies made with fresh greens and fruit.
Kelly J. R. says
Raw Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge. Yum!
Marina D says
My favorite raw recipe is a delicious smoothie!!
Guest says
smoothies (of course), overnight oats and raw frozen fruits for grab 'n' go snacks!
Natasha says
Lemon avo tart.
Chris says
raw ravioli made with turnips with cashew cream cheese inside
Emily L says
hummus and avocado toast!
vegyogini says
So many from which to choose...I'm currently loving Gena's cashew cheese. Thank you for the giveaway!
Abby says
I love to make pesto!
RockMyVeganSocks says
Lovin' this overnight breakfast. So quick & simple, yet totally delicious. Thanks for sharing =) I just got a copy of the book and I'm LOVING it!
Meg H. says
favorite raw recipe is hummus with edamame, basil, and lemon. Served with carrots or slice daikon. Yum!
Kristy says
My favorite raw recipe is a chocolate hemp smoothie. Almond milk, raw cacao, hemp seeds, maca, frozen banana and dates and cinnamon. YUM 🙂
Sarah says
I just made raw ice cream sandwiches and they were amazing!
steph says
banana ice cream for sure!
Lee says
Thank you for such a great review of this book! It is on my wish list now!
Suzanne Correnti says
Smoothies!
Jessie S says
Salads!
Heather McClees says
Love this!! I received Gena's book last week and was amazed- clearly one of the best overall vegan lifestyle books and nutrition books I've read to date. I just love that you two are friends since you're my two favorite bloggers of all time, since 2009 when I first discovered raw foods and the beauty of living vegan. It's always a joy to see you two together in one place:) Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Kathy! It was one of my favorites that stood out in the book the most!
Jem says
Raw date balls or truffles!
Terri Jones Cole says
My forays into raw meals have been pretty basic, green smoothies, salads and overnight oats. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of Gena's book. I know it would help me to branch out and be more creative with raw foods!
Natalia M. says
I love raw granola bites with oats, dates, walnuts, and coconut!
Lori says
Vegan cheesecake made with raw cashews!
shelley says
my favorite raw food is salads!
Julia Hong says
favorite raw recipe is definitely a vegan cheesecake!! yum
Breanna Excell says
Hmm... smoothies, cashew cheese, energy balls or buckwheat porridge! 🙂
jessieNjo says
Overnight oats or soaked mix of buckwheat/chia/hemp seeds topped with fruit and nut butter.
Chatelaine says
my favorite raw recipe is zucchini noodles with a raw marinara. had it for lunch today!
Anonymous says
Plain old regular ungarnished fruits and vegetables! I'd love a copy of Gena's book though since I'm starting to experiment with "prepared, garnished" raw recipes.
Jacky says
Breakfast smoothies and tacos with walnut meat!
Claire Elizabeth says
My favourite raw recipe is my friends raw vegan zucchini hummus! I like to make a variation that has added coriander, cayenne, and kelp flakes (my favourite seasonings)! Yum!!
Marie says
raw carrot or zucchini noodles with pesto!
Mom of Awesome says
Alfredo! Fully Raw Kristina (via YouTube) has an amazing recipe that I've been using for a while now. Delicious! Thanks for the chance to win. 😀
Lena says
That looks divine thanks for sharing. Raw snack bars are my fav.
Blair Dishon says
Mango avocado dressing can make any salad delicious
Meredith says
I love experimenting with cashew cheese. It's delicious!
Jess says
Hmm. Probably smoothies.
Sarah Ferris says
Nice muesli! Many years ago I had a book called "The Bircher-Benner Health Guide" but this souped-up version beats the original hands down! As I write this I'm eating cacao chia pudding for breakfast with papaya and banana on top, so anything chia-related is a hit with me.
Katie says
Anything that comes out of a food processor is instantly delicious. Energy balls, falafel, hummus, nut butters, seed butters, raw desserts ...
BabyJune says
Raw cheesecake for me! Made with cashews and dates and all that other good stuff. 🙂
Melissa Atlas says
I'm really into raw snack bars (or bites or balls). Pretty much anything involving dates, nuts, and cocoa powder 🙂
Robyn says
Raw vegan cashew cheese!
Blaine Wilkes says
I love raw vegan brownies
Charlotte Pierce says
My favorite raw recipe is raw vegan cheesecake - especially chocolate!
Yoojin Lee says
my favorite raw recipe has to be raw brownies! soooo yummy 🙂
Dana V @ Vanishing Veggie says
This cookbook looks amazing! I have been following Choosing Raw for a long time, and I'm sure the cookbook is great.
Renard Moreau says
[ Smiles ] Now, that is the perfect breakfast.
I must admit that the cookbook looks rather interesting!