Recipes are hard

[ladypeace82]

I tried to make a variation of Alissa's "burgers" and a recipe from someone else's book. I didn't have all the ingrediants for Alissa's and the other person's burger's were enough to feed 10 people!!!! It's only me thats doing this.

Well I guess I failed. The other persons called for NOT putting them in the dehydrator. I tried to get them to hold together but its not very good and they don't taste right. I spent over an hour in the kitchen yesterday working on this. And grinding nuts in a $30 walmart plastic food processor is freaking loud! my mother in law kept turning up the tv. :rolleyes:

So I grabbed a meat tenderizer and pounded the almonds into smaller pieces before putting them in the FP.

I saved what I made. I'm going to put them in the dehydrator when I get home from work. I hope they turn out okay. I'm really anxious to chew some food. :o I tasted more of just carrots....................................

[cinnamon panda]

hahhaa. sorry i have nothing to say except that is such a funny 'FP commercial' lol. your mother in law turning up the t.v. and you in the kitchen hunched over and mumbling.

at least you tried!!! :o

[Weazelchef]

Seriously... i made the bbq chicken fingers and gross.. and then the pizza bread and.. gross..

ugh.

Let's get together and scream?

[cherries]

Almonds are hard to get into small peices because they are so hard. Softer nuts like walnuts and cashews are easier to do. Did you soak the almonds overnight in water? That helps to make them softer. I personally don't eat almonds anymore, too hard (for me) to digest. I prefer coconut.

[ladypeace82]

Let's get together and scream?

YES LETS!!!:D



Did you soak the almonds overnight in water?
I sure didn't. I will next time though. I know it will take practice but dang. that's a waste of money. :(

[burbinski]

Well if I was you, if the recipe calls for groundnuts then just buy them ground. I know here, the groundnuts are cheaper. I have also used different nut butters in my recipes when they called for ground and I was unable to find the ground. However, for chopping, if you unable to get a new food processor just seek one out at a second had store, that’s the way I chop my nuts, quick and easy. I have a friend that just uses the "magic bullet" to chop her nuts.

If you weren't a cook or baker before getting into raw food, doing the recipes of any food whether cooked or raw takes time. You may find perfection on the first try or it may be the fifth, but never give up. You may find the most delightful food by pure accident. Cooking/baking or what ever name you want to give it now that you're raw is all about experimenting, and sometimes you will have to throw away $30 bucks worth of ingredients and other times your creation becomes priceless.

For example, I make these granola bars that have become an incredible hit, to the point now that I have people buying and ordering them from me. I had the recipe but because I use to cook and bake before coming to raw food, I brought that knowledge and flare for experimenting to the recipe and improved it. The cost of making 60 granola bars to me is 17 dollars, and I sell them for a dollar a piece with a minimum of 10 bars per order.

So go ahead and continue to try, you're on the leading edge of discovery

[CaliRaw]

Seriously... i made the bbq chicken fingers and gross.. and then the pizza bread and.. gross..

ugh.

Let's get together and scream?

I didn't like the bbq chicken fingers, meatloaf, or carrot pecan burgers in the book. They were all filed under 'g'. I haven't found a 'meat' substitute recipe that I have liked, except walnut taco meat, which wasn't in the book. I got it from rawvolution's recipe book. There have been some threads about the 'better than beef' recipe in alissa's book, but I haven't tried that one.

I try to make 1/4 or 1/2 recipe to avoid wasting the nuts.

I will probably try the ones that I didn't like at a later date. I may like them then. :)

[ladypeace82]

THanks burbinkski, that makes me feel so much better. :) Practice makes perfect. :)

[samariah]

just don't give up, you can't expect everything to go smoothly right away.

[CaliRaw]

Are the burgers you mentioned that you didn't dehydrate, ani phyo's sun burgers?

[KellyL]

I don't know if you have tried the mock salmon pate yet but I tweaked it a bit to my liking and it is a staple for me. Instead of 2 cups walnuts, I use 1/2c cashews, 1/2 cup almonds, 1c walnuts. I chop the nuts first in the fp really fine then add the other ingredients. I mix it all until chunky, not smoothe. You could dehydrate it for a burger consistency or just eat as a salmon dip. Just an idea. I didn't read all the threads, so i hope I am not being repetetive. :)

[kristi7mark]

I agree with you burbinski, this is all about experimenting.

I made lots of "gross" recipes and dumped them in the garbage, or make "so-so" ones that I ate but will never make again, and then.... there are those recipes that I made and tweaked and wowie-kazowie!!!

I also have previous kitchen experience, so that helps. If you are new to the kitchen.... be extra-patient with yourself and play,play, play, until you figure it out. It will be worth it!!!

[LLMnurse]

burbinski,
anyway you could give your granola bar recipe? i have been trying to find a good one for my kids, they have been really picky! also, for myself...i eat ALOT on the run! i have 4 kids, and am 8 mos pg....not alot of time for me stop to eat!
Thanks!

[Green Life]

Seriously... i made the bbq chicken fingers and gross.. and then the pizza bread and.. gross..

ugh.

Let's get together and scream?

I wanna scream, too. I've had the same luck....:(

All together now...one...two....three.... SCREAM...AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[Rawlicious]

:D LadyPeace82,

Your desciption of you chopping the nuts is STILL making me laugh. That was so funny. If you have a coffee grinder you might try that. Mine doesn't sound quite as loud as my food chopper.

Thanks for the laugh! It gave me a perk.

[Veganforlife]

I feel badly that you all are experiencing hard times with these menus. You can't go wrong with raw foods. If a burger doesn't hold together, grab a collard leaf or lettuce leaf and make a "taco" and eat it that way. Plus don't expect this food to taste JUST like the SAD/CRAP you are used to. It won't. It tastes better. I found that recipes that call for the flax seeds? I prefer them ground I like the taste better. You will get better in your preparation. Give it time.
In the meanwhile?
Drink GREEN SMOOTHIES! ;)

[walnutty]

I want to joing the screaming party!!!!!!! I have yet to find even ONE dehydrator/dehydrated recipe that I like. AND yes, I have Alissa's book...:(

[Morn]

I agree with Vegan for Life. I made a lot of recipes I didn't like but keep trying. It is hard coming over from a SAD diet and wanting that food still and not having it. I suggest you only make a small portion of the recipe for the first time until you know if you like it or not. That way you won't feel bad about throwing out the recipe if you don't like it. It takes a while to build up a base of foods that you can rotate through on a regular basis that you like. And remember we all have different tastes, etc. It will also take a while for your taste buds to change as we have conditioned them to like a lot of food that is not healthy but tastes good over the years. But eventually you will start to like things you never thought you would and even crave them. BEfore raw food I didn't like avacados and now I love them!

[walnutty]

When are you going to update your photos?

Can't wait to see what you look like one year raw!

[Morn]

within the next day or so. But this time we didn't take as many pictures due to time constraints.

[veggievamp]

I don't know if you have tried the mock salmon pate yet but I tweaked it a bit to my liking and it is a staple for me. Instead of 2 cups walnuts, I use 1/2c cashews, 1/2 cup almonds, 1c walnuts. I chop the nuts first in the fp really fine then add the other ingredients. I mix it all until chunky, not smoothe. You could dehydrate it for a burger consistency or just eat as a salmon dip. Just an idea. I didn't read all the threads, so i hope I am not being repetetive. :)
I wish I would have found this thread before I did the pate. Maybe I will try with different nuts next time, altho I think leaving it chunky big help too. I am anti mush these days!

[spiralgirl]

I wish I would have found this thread before I did the pate. Maybe I will try with different nuts next time, altho I think leaving it chunky big help too. I am anti mush these days!

veggievamp,

I found the end of your post a hoot. My mom, sister and I started raw 4 months ago. Well my mom and sister started before me by 3 weeks while I continued to eat crap while eating some raw meals with them.

Anywho one day my sister said all Raw food is just nut mash, she said desserts are nut mash, burgers are nut mash and so is everything else. She said she didn't want anymore nut mash or veggies or fruit which is pretty much the raw food diet. Mine you there are hundreds of variations on this and those that don't eat nuts at all.

Now you have to realize she was having a rough day and getting tired of eating the same old same old. I kept laughing and didn't understand where she was coming from. I made a divine cheesecake and said she couldn't have any because it was nut mash.

Guess what? About two weeks ago I went on the same rant and said I no longer wanted nut mash. I just varied my raw foods for a bit and then you start craving nuts again. I mean basically we are all training ourselves from a lifetime of eating SAD food and your taste buds become used to that so it all takes time.

[mulch]

i am screaming too
i feel your pain
i got frustrated tonight and ate fruits and veggies and then a boiled sweet potato because i wanted to be full for longer than 2 hours.
i will try something new tomorrow
i feel that i am spending soooo much time trying to prepare food and then it turns out horribly
i thank i have high expectations
walnuts are not meat/ soymeat
i know this but when i follow a recipe
i think it should magically taste different
i have better luck with my salad/salsa creations (i never use the leafy greens in my salads)

[veggievamp]

:D

"You say mash, I say mush, let's call the whole thing off"
song to that potato, potatoe song:p

ya know i am so tired and frustrated I just laffed and laffed at this, at least we having some laffs here!!:D

also got me singing that Monster Mash song from long time ago, just in time for Halloween!!;)

I have also heard it referred to as eating babyfood <ewwww>


veggievamp,

I found the end of your post a hoot. My mom, sister and I started raw 4 months ago. Well my mom and sister started before me by 3 weeks while I continued to eat crap while eating some raw meals with them.

Anywho one day my sister said all Raw food is just nut mash, she said desserts are nut mash, burgers are nut mash and so is everything else. She said she didn't want anymore nut mash or veggies or fruit which is pretty much the raw food diet. Mine you there are hundreds of variations on this and those that don't eat nuts at all.

Now you have to realize she was having a rough day and getting tired of eating the same old same old. I kept laughing and didn't understand where she was coming from. I made a divine cheesecake and said she couldn't have any because it was nut mash.

Guess what? About two weeks ago I went on the same rant and said I no longer wanted nut mash. I just varied my raw foods for a bit and then you start craving nuts again. I mean basically we are all training ourselves from a lifetime of eating SAD food and your taste buds become used to that so it all takes time.

[Eva]

I have gotten so frustrated so many times with my dehydrator so far. BUT I am just going to keep on trucking. That's my only option. It just takes time to figure it out, and I've determined that I'm in for the long haul even if I have to really truly learn something new!

Cheri (Rawkinlocs) sure does mention a lot to make a recipe in 1/3 or 1/2 the quantity, and I sure do kick myself in the butt when I don't listen to her. :eek:

:)

[Veganforlife]

Well, part of MY going raw has been attitude. I have been very positive and continue to be. If one constantly says and thinks things taste bad, they look bad or life is bad, well, it's gonna be bad. But if one is positive and promotes positivity, then things will improve. There are certain raw dishes I've tried and will not make again, but I will not categorize ALL of it. It has been my healing force...

[veggievamp]

Well, part of MY going raw has been attitude. I have been very positive and continue to be. If one constantly says and thinks thinks taste bad, they look bad or life is bad, well, it's gonna be bad. But if one is positive and promotes positivity, then things will improve. There are certain raw dishes I've tried and will not make again, but I will not categorize ALL of it. It has been my healing force...
but i don't "think" some of it tastes bad, I KNOW it tastes bad!

[dalimeindacoconut]

I am pretty new at this too...a month and a half into it. Here is what I discovered works for me until I get my favorite recipes down. First of all I decided this is an adventure. Then I take a taste of what I make, after this I eat half of what I make and use the other half to add something else into it to see if it will taste yummier. Decided today that I hate raw tahini, tried a dressing, did the above, and nothing worked. Raw tahini is not for me, but I made a delicious tomatoe soup that I know will be a staple of mine for years to come. Then I made a corn salad that was pleasant. Will try one more time with the raw tahini to see if the halava tastes good, if it does I'm in luck.

[veggievamp]

I am pretty new at this too...a month and a half into it. Here is what I discovered works for me until I get my favorite recipes down. First of all I decided this is an adventure. Then I take a taste of what I make, after this I eat half of what I make and use the other half to add something else into it to see if it will taste yummier. Decided today that I hate raw tahini, tried a dressing, did the above, and nothing worked. Raw tahini is not for me, but I made a delicious tomatoe soup that I know will be a staple of mine for years to come. Then I made a corn salad that was pleasant. Will try one more time with the raw tahini to see if the halava tastes good, if it does I'm in luck.
I have tried to rescue things I have made too as I hate the waste of money. Some things I have been able to dehydrate so I can get past the texture.

What has been frustrating is mainly two things. When I cooked and baked I could look at a recipe and just know if I would like it or not just based on what was in it. Somehow with the raw way, I think, OK, I like the listed ingredients, should be good, but then it isn't. The combo doesn't work or again it is the texture.

Other ongoing problem is I get so weak and dizzy and hungry AND irritable, yet I have to stand and chop or process or blend while feeling so lousy I just can't be bothered. Actually about 10 minutes ago I was going to attempt yet another recipe cause I am feeling hungry again but I feel so weak I just want to get the pizza menu and order take out! I have done this so many times, get the energy then say OK tomorrow I will try again and usually lasts a day then it starts all over. I even wake up hungry in middle of night and I can barely get down the stairs to do a breakfast without fainting.

I feel so envious of those who feel all this energy I just want to cry somedays!

[spiralgirl]

:D

"You say mash, I say mush, let's call the whole thing off"
song to that potato, potatoe song

ya know i am so tired and frustrated I just laffed and laffed at this, at least we having some laffs here!!

also got me singing that Monster Mash song from long time ago, just in time for Halloween!!

I have also heard it referred to as eating babyfood <ewwww>

veggievamp,

Your Monster Mash song got me laughing. I'm in no way saying raw food tastes bad, it's just we all have different tastes and some things we make don't taste good to us. Also trying to overcome the old way of eating is a challenge in itself. At first things taste so different but you are still missing the old way of life. I'm dealing with an addiction here so I know it takes time and isn't an instant mindset change at least not for me. I focus on how I feel raw and that helps. Then I think of the alternative and how I used to feel and I felt sick all the time and just lived with it.

Glad I could give you some laughs. :D

[luckitri]

I am frustrated also. I often start to write it and then delete what I have written - not wanting to be negative. But the plain truth of it for me is it takes alot of effort and alot of planning. You have to be home to run the dehydrator - well I do - because it "uncooks" more in some areas than others. (Not an Excalibur.) If I run it at night the smell wakes me up. So if the item has not completed during the day I have to find room in the fridge for all the trays so the food won't go bad overnight. I don't have proper equipment. I am waiting to be able to afford Alissa's book and DVD and it just seems to me that I need equipment that costs alot of money that I don't have. . . . I have to learn to grow wheatgrass and protect it from my animals and the neighbor animals . . . .maybe if I were healthier I would not find it so physically challenging or time-consuming but at this point in time I find it very time consuming.

Perhaps it is good that I don't have the book yet because mentally I cannot seem to handle complicated recipes right now. On green chefs I believe it was, I saw a wonderful recipe for something I have never had SAD . . . samarias (?) but I realized that it was too complex for me to make at this point in time. It had so many sauces and fillings and parts to the recipe and I was really intrigued by making the young coconut into a wrap in the dehydrator but realized that my circular dehydrator would make it much more difficult. So no screaming.

I have no interest in nuts strangely. I never tire of avocado so I just keep doing smoothies and salads and occasional soup.

Maybe something good can come from our venting.

[veggievamp]

I am frustrated also. I often start to write it and then delete what I have written - not wanting to be negative. But the plain truth of it for me is it takes alot of effort and alot of planning. You have to be home to run the dehydrator - well I do - because it "uncooks" more in some areas than others. (Not an Excalibur.) If I run it at night the smell wakes me up. So if the item has not completed during the day I have to find room in the fridge for all the trays so the food won't go bad overnight. I don't have proper equipment. I am waiting to be able to afford Alissa's book and DVD and it just seems to me that I need equipment that costs alot of money that I don't have. . . . I have to learn to grow wheatgrass and protect it from my animals and the neighbor animals . . . .maybe if I were healthier I would not find it so physically challenging or time-consuming but at this point in time I find it very time consuming.

Perhaps it is good that I don't have the book yet because mentally I cannot seem to handle complicated recipes right now. On green chefs I believe it was, I saw a wonderful recipe for something I have never had SAD . . . samarias (?) but I realized that it was too complex for me to make at this point in time. It had so many sauces and fillings and parts to the recipe and I was really intrigued by making the young coconut into a wrap in the dehydrator but realized that my circular dehydrator would make it much more difficult. So no screaming.

I have no interest in nuts strangely. I never tire of avocado so I just keep doing smoothies and salads and occasional soup.

Maybe something good can come from our venting.
i certainly feel your pain also.
I don't think it being negative, just getting out feelings, why let them build u and think you are the only one thinking that way? I have watched the DVD and have listened to all the Rawkin radio spots and it does come across as being super easy but Alissa has said she went on and off raw for many years so I guess she started out on shakey ground as well.

I posted elsewhere about how hard it is for me as well not feeling well and trying to do all this. I was/am a junk food vegan so I am not used to all this "processing" and hard when hungry and cranky and weak. I would love to get away, have someone do all the cooking so I can detox in peace then come home and do it myself with energy but cannot afford such a luxury.

I guess time will tell if this sticks with me. If nothing else I discovered green smoothies, which thankfully I can handle, so that has to be a positive after spending all the time and money on trying to go 100&#37; raw.

[walnutty]

I just LOVE this thread! It helps to not feel so alone when things don't go right.

Positivity is wonderful, but when reality sets in it is nice to know there is a place to let it all hang out...:D