Ode to Auchan

At first you might not see the beauty in Auchan. It is a supermarché in France similar to a super Stop&Shop in size, design (or lack of), and products on offer. The first comparison between the local Parisian outdoor market selling beautifully displayed fruits and vegetables and the large cavernous busy Auchan might lead you towards the outdoor market. But don't leave quite yet. Stop and pick up a panier to do a little exploring because Auchan offers an excellent selection of food for your vegan and raw meals!

Top 5 reasons why I love Auchan*

1. Bio, locally grown vegetable and fruit section - moins cher!
Auchan has a great selection of organic fruit and vegetables grown in France and neighboring countries. And, since it is Auchan, the prices are very reasonable. In addition, this section is right next to the fresh juice counter (pressé orange juice and strawberry/grape juice available everyday) and the exotic fruit section from Asia. Yum, yum and yum!

2. Pousses!
Sandwiched between the iceberg lettuce (Auchan caters to all tastes!) and the mache is a beautiful assortment of organic sprouts! Mustard sprouts, alfalfa, red radish, white radish, and broccoli sprouts are all alive and happy in their little boxes. I do not know any other marché that sells such a variety of organic sprouts. Again, the prices are excellent.

3. Nuts!
As Auchan is on the outskirts of Paris (no hypermarchés allowed within the Peripherique), the shoppers tend to be from a variety of cultures - lots of Asians, Arabs, Africans etc. Auchan knows its demographics well, and provides food options to meet all culinary needs. This includes a row of dried fruits and nuts - raw and with no added salt or spices - located directly next to the vegetable section. Stock up on 1kg bags of almonds and 1kg boxes of dates. Other goodies that regularly make their way into my panier are pignoli, walnuts, and coconut.

4. Organic food aisle!
Smiling and pleased with your rainbow-colored food basket, now you walk straight down the corridor past all the aisles of dairy, processed foods, and cleaning products. Right before the alcohol section (which offers a good selection of organic wines!) hang a left and you will be on the organic food aisle. See, you can completely bypass the rest of the store where the majority of the shoppers are, for a relaxed and tranquil shopping experience. Everything you could want is here including agave syrup, vanilla pods, teas, honey etc. In addition (and this is my favorite!) there are bins of organic beans, rice, seeds, nuts and dried fruit! My favorites are the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, figs, walnuts, apricots and dates. These dates are Divine, with a capital d.

5. Auchan Bio cleaning products!
Auchan offers their own line of organic cleaning products for dishes, clothes, surfaces and glass. And as they are produced by Auchan, the price is cheaper than many of the brandmark products. I have compared the Auchan organic cleaning products to those from Monoprix and prefer the efficacity, odor (or lack of), and strength of the Auchan products.

So, if you are in Île de France, stop by an Auchan and enjoy the many delicacies it offers. Great people watching too!

* I love grocery stores and food markets. One of my favorite places to visit when in a new city or country is the local marché. Therefore, my ode to any particular store can be trusted as coming from someone who has great authority on the topic.

Raw lasagna

My first raw lasagna! This was a simple one - zucchini for the noodle strips, raw marinara sauce, and mashed avocado for cheese. Creamy, great flavor, and overall delicious! I made walnut paté meatballs to accompany it. Next time I will add one layer of the meaty paté, and attempt to make a pignoli cheese as well.

100% bio 100% gourmand!

If you are fortunate enough to be exploring Lyon, from Presqu'île walk up the steep Montée de la Grande Côte (be sure to stop in the various galleries and studios to check out the local art) to the Croix-Rousse area. Venture along Rue Imbert-Colomés while pausing to open random doors to explore the traboules (hidden passageways and courtyards) along the street. Then be sure to stop in Toutes les couleurs, a 100% vegan, organic restaurant that offers the tastiest, freshest produce in Lyon.

I requested a raw salad and Agnes the chef presented me with the above - sweet fennel, figs, beet root with ginger, two types of sprouts, grapes, radish, onion, baby zucchini, red cabbage, two types of lettuce - it was absolutely divine. For dessert I had fresh strawberries with a raspberry coulis made with agave syrup (none of the desserts use sugar).

In a city renowned for its charcuterie, this restaurant is a true find!

Toutes les couleurs

26 rue Imbert Colomès

69001 Lyon (M° Croix-Paquet)

Is it rice or is it cauliflower?

The market was selling beautiful organic cauliflower heads, so I could not resist buying one. Usually I steam cauliflower and add it to a curry or a spicy peanut sauce. But how to eat cauliflower raw, and in a more exciting way then simply munching on crudités? A little Google search brings up cauliflower raw fried rice recipes. You make the cauliflower "rice" in a food processor with the S-blade. I overprocessed it a bit - but take a look at this picture! Looks very similar to rice!

I topped it with a mung bean-carrot-cherry tomato-green pepper mixture coated in mock peanut sauce.  Peanuts are roasted, so this sauce uses almond butter (almonds ground in a paste), tamari, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and water. Delicious!

the Green Smoothie breakfast

I had been reading rave reviews about the benefits of green smoothies. The difference between green juice and a green smoothie is the latter is made in a blender, not a juicer. Grab handfuls of green leafy veggies - spinach, kale, lettuce, herbs, add some fruit for sweetness (fruits that can be juiced in a blender - grapes, pineapple, watermelon, berries, pear), add water and blend. Green smoothies are praised for the energy they give and for filling you up. Liquefied food is easier for your body to digest, and unlike juices, the fiber is not removed in the smoothie, so it is a more filling drink.

So this morning I made my first green smoothie - 3 handfuls of spinach, 1 handful of mint, and 2 handfuls of dark purple grapes from Spain. (They are my favorite ones but I do not know their proper name, they are smaller and sooooo sweet).

It blended right up! And it is delicious!! I am amazed! You have to "chew" it a bit in your mouth, especially since there were seeds in the grapes (grapeseed - very nutritious!) but this is an absolutely delicious and healthy way to start the day!

For the curious and the converted alike, here is a link to 70 Green Smoothie Recipes.

Enjoy and happy health!

To put a smile on your face

Nothing like a happy bowl of greens and seeds to make me smile. Have a great day!