It has been 7 years since Jennifer Cornbleet published her groundbreaking book, Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People. Judging by the state of my own tattered copy of the original, it's about time for a new edition. I have to admit, I was a bit curious on how the best-selling classic could improve.
Well lo and behold, Jennifer has indeed improved and expanded on her already stellar cookbook.
From the beginning, Raw Food Made Easy has been an informative book that contained easy and delicious recipes that can be made in minutes and that worked every time. The revised version has managed to keep what was attractive with its predecessor (quick and simple) and add a few items that the readers have requested over the years.
For example, for those who count calories, every recipe contains nutritional information, including calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber and sodium. New chapters that have been added are focused on the ever-so-popular green smoothies and tips on traveling in the raw. The most important aspect of the revised Raw Food Made Easy is that it houses 50 more new recipes with a wider range of ingredients.
For those who may be hesitant to jump into a raw food diet for fear of not knowing where to start, rest assured: Jennifer provides an informative “Kitchen Setup” section that lists kitchen equipment, staple ingredients and a weekly grocery list. She also includes “Raw Basics” that explains the soaking of nuts, seeds and dry fruit and also includes a tools and techniques sections that details everything you would need to set up your raw food kitchen. And to completely take the guess work about out of 'what should I eat today', the book provides breakfast ideas and menu plans for lunch and dinner.
Whether you are new to preparing raw foods or an accomplished home chef this is a great book to have you your collection.
One of the most quickest and satisfying dishes in the book is the Avocado Boat.
Avocado BoatYield: 1 Serving½ avocado, peeled and pitted¼ cup Salsa, (p. 76) or Mango Salsa (p.77)
Use a teaspoon to removed a small amount of the avocado flesh to create a cavity. Fill with the salsa. Serve immediately.
Modifications:I replaced salsa with ¼ cup of Man on the Raw's Confetti Zucchini Relish
Confetti Zucchini RelishYield: ½ cup 1 zucchini, chopped1 red bell pepper, chopped2 tablespoons chopped red onionJuice of ½ lemon1/8 teaspoon black pepper1/8 teaspoon salt
Toss the ingredients together in a bowl.
Coming in a close second to a quick and easy recipe is the Cucumbers with Fresh Mint Salad. It took all of five minutes to prepare start to finish. In the recipe, I used Pineapple Mint from our garden, it was a surprisingly nice complement with the cumin.
Cucumbers with Fresh MintYield: 1 Serving
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber¼ cup peeled and shredded carrot (optional)1 tablespoon minced fresh mint1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil¼ teaspoon crushed garlic1/8 teaspoon saltDash ground cuminDash ground pepper
Put all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Cucumbers with Fresh Mint will keep for 3 days.
Modifications: Doubled the recipeUsed a little less than ¼ cup shredded carrotUsed Pineapple Mint
Jennifer Cornbleet is a nationally recognized raw-food chef and instructor and a long-time faculty member at Living Light Culinary Institute in California. She lectures and holds classes in the San Francisco Bay area and internationally. For more information about Jennifer, visit www.learnrawfood.com. For book orders visit here.