Greens'n'grains girl

I got Alicia Silverstone's book this week, The Kind Life, in which she explains her macrobiotic-based vegan diet. I'm funny about two bits of the macrobiotic diet: nightshade veggie avoidance/limitation (maybe I don't know enough about them?) and minimal fruit consumption- I do love my fruit. Other than that, I think it's great, I'm a greens'n'grains girl. And a lot of the foods are japanese and I love japanese food, like soba, soy sauce, lotus root etc. I've been reading a lot about raw food and I like that too, but I just love whole grains, like brown rice and barley. I've realised that pasta, even the wholewheat, constipates me, but I'm ok with some noodles (like rice noodles or soba, which are buckwheat). I've also been trying to eat no bread, although I was thinking of starting sourdough again and making bread once a week. I think I'm going to try out a loose-based macro thing, greens'n'grains, miso for brekkie (tried this for the first time today with fresh ginger-yum), but keep eating as plenty of raw fruit, vegetables and nuts, and I am especially keen on the fruit-before-noon rule I have, with the odd exception for a porridge breakfast. But I just love a veggie ricey dinner. Here's some of the dinners I've had the last few days:

Stir-fried spring greens and leeks with lots of garlic and chilli, served with quinoa

Courgette gram flour pancake (recipe here) with stir fried leek and spring greens, a sprinkling of toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and some sweet chilli sauce. Instead of the spice recommended, I did 1/2 tsp each fennel, cumin and coriander seeds, roasted and ground, 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1/4 tsp each mixed spice, ground ginger and turmeric.

Tofu in a garlic tomato oregano sauce, brown rice and roasted broccoli and pepper with sunflower and hemp seeds.

I made almond milk tonight too, following Gena's recipe, except I used half agave and half the quantity of dates. It was so creamy and all frothy from the blender. I think I have found my alternative to soy lattes, just heat up some almond milk and add to hot barley tea or coffee.

This is the pulp left from the almonds. I'm planning oatmeal almond cookies/flapjacks tomorrow evening with this:

These are the toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds I had on my pancake tonight:

I just filled the jar full, tipped into a sieve and rinsed and then roasted on a hot dry cast iron pan. When they were done I sprinkled some soy sauce on them and let them cool before putting back in the jar. I got the idea from Alicia Silverstone's book. I also took her tip of cooking extra grains or porridge, so this morning I made porridge and enough to do tomorrow as well, so all I have to do is warm it in a saucepan with some homemade almond milk:)

Oh, do check out Just Hungry- it's my favourite new recipe site, lots of japanese yumminess:)