Raw Food Recipes [Search results for garlic] 

I have been using a lot of garlic (upwards of 4-6 cloves) in my juices lately and peeling garlic has been such chore.

Until I purchased peeled garlic and it's such a lifesaver. I just open the container and pop the cloves into the juicer. Easy.

I would recommend purchasing your peeled garlic at an Asian market compared to a chain grocer. Not only is Asian market's garlic fresh with no preservatives but it's super inexpensive. Keep in the refrigerator and it will last a good while.

Here are the ingredients I used to create my recipes for The Daily Raw Blog Recipe Challenge

1. Red Grapes
2. Cashews
3. Almonds
4. Garlic
5. Red Pepper
6. Lemon 7. Tomatoes

Focaccia with Grapes
Yield: 12 slices

2 cups flax seeds, ground into flour
1 cup almonds, ground into flour
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped onions
2 tablespoons Italian seasonings
2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup red grapes, sliced

1 Combine flax and almond flours in a large bowl. Add olive oil, agave nectar, garlic, onion, rosemary and sea salt. Mix well.

2 Fold in grapes.

3 Spread Focaccia dough on two Teflex-sheets, making them about 1/4-inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil. Place in dehydrator at 140 degrees for 4-6 hours or until Focaccia is dry on the top.

4 Flip over and remove Teflex sheets. With a pizza cutter, score the Focaccia into six large rectangles. You should have 12 slices of Focaccia bread. Drizzle with olive oil. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for an additional 8-12 hours or until the Focaccia is dry and semi-hard on the outside but soft and somewhat moist on the inside.

The Daily Raw Blog Kitchen Tip: From time to time I use a thermometer to check the temperature of the foods I dehydrate. Particularly when I raise the temperature of the dehydrator. I just like to make sure the temperature of my food doesn't rise also.

My 1, 2 and 8-year old children are used to mom's raw food creations. For better or worse, they have acquired a taste for fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Kevin, my 14 year-old stepson is the new kid on the block and has come from a bag-of-candy-a-day habit.
Now, when I create dishes, he is the gauge I use to determine if my recipes are up to par. I am pleased to say that he has asked me to make this recipe twice since it's conception.

Red Pepper Aioli
1 cup cashews, soaked for an hour
¼ cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice one one lemon
½ red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt

1 Combine cashews, water, lemon juice and garlic in a blender. Blend until cashew becomes a thick, smooth mayonnaise. Add more water one tablespoon at a time until you cashews break down and you achieve desired consistency.

2 Add in the red peppers, olive oil and sea salt. Briefly process until peppers are smooth.
3 Serve with bread, cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes.

It's not too late to submit a recipe for February's challenge. Next week, I'll post the recipe for Radicchio and Fennel Coleslaw.

Falafel Balls with Tzatziki
2 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 cup soaked almonds
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup chopped red onions
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons sea salt

1 In a food processor, combine chickpeas, almonds, garlic, olive oil, water and cilantro until you achieve a thick paste. Add onions and lemon juice, seasonings and sea salt, process briefly.

2 Form the mixture into ping pong-sized balls.

3 Place on Teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 2 hours.

4 Roll falafel balls over and dehydrate an additional 2 hours. The balls should be slightly hard on the outside and soft on the inside.

Yield: 20 balls

Tzatziki
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 In a blender, combine cucumber, cashews, water vinegar, garlic and mint. Mix well.

2 Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.

3 Serve with cucumber slices, zucchini, carrots and celery.

Yield: 1 cup

Thanks very much to the hundreds of people who came out today to my cooking demo at the Boston Vegetarian Society Food Festival! 400 samples of the recipes I cooked today were prepared, but we ran out faster than expected. Apologies to all who were not able to try a sample of what was made today. For those who missed a copy of the chickpea polenta recipes, and for all of those who could not be there with us today, I am posting it below along with a link to the olive oil cake recipe that was also demoed today.

Among the many reasons to love this dish are its elegance and relative simplicity to make, the rich creaminess of a custardy polenta made with chickpea flour, just like the Romans did it hundreds of years ago, and the flavorful, multi-textured bite of mushroom with a light crunch of leek. Serve with sautéed greens or a salad for a complete and beautiful dinner. The cool autumn months when locally foraged mushrooms are available and winter leeks are thriving is the perfect time to prepare this dish.

Look for chickpea flour in health food stores, ethnic food sections or Italian or Indian markets. In Indian markets, this flour is sometimes called chana flour, gram flour or besan. They are all made from chana dal, a cousin of chickpea. Though there are slight variations in texture and flavor, they are perfect substitutes for one another.

4 cups cold vegetable broth
1 ½ cup chickpea flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup dry white wine (recommend Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 large or 4 small leeks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces (about 2 cups) sliced wild mushrooms (miattake, chicken of the woods, chanterelle, oyster, morel, porcini, or other)
8 ounces (about 2 cups) sliced domestic mushrooms (cremini, white button, etc.)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Oil a 9” springform cake pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor or blender, blend the vegetable broth and chickpea flour until well combined and frothy. Leave food processor work bowl or blender carafe attached to base unit.

In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until garlic is golden and crisp. Pour white wine into pan and stir to scrape up any bits of garlic clinging to pan. Briefly pulse the chickpea-broth mixture before pouring into saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to medium-low. Stir frequently and vigorously for 10 minutes. Add sea salt, nutmeg and parsley. Mix well to combine.

Pour polenta into oiled pan, brush the top with olive oil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden and lightly crisped.

Clean leeks and slice into very thin pieces, 2-3 inches in length.

Place olive oil in a skillet and toss the leeks in it. Sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until leeks have wilted. Transfer to an 8x11 baking pan and place in the oven. Stir every 5 minutes through baking time and continue to bake about 20 minutes or until leeks have browned and lightly crisped.

Using the skillet in which the leeks were wilted, heat olive oil over a high flame. Add mushrooms and toss with oil. Cook about 4 minutes or until mushrooms have softened slightly. Add wine, salt, nutmeg, white pepper and stir well to combine. Cook about 2 more minutes or until mushrooms are softened and well coated in spices. Add parsley and combine before turning off heat.

Allow baked chickpea polenta to cool at room temperature about 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan and releasing the springform. Cut into wedges and place on a plate. Top with mushrooms and finish each wedge with a generous pile of crisp leeks.

Recipe for the olive oil cake with orange macedonia and cocoa nibs may be found at American Feast.

Have I mentioned how wonderful and supportive the raw community is in Denver. I attended a rawluck on Saturday and I was at another last night. And I tell you what, Denver is building something special. I haven't had such a stimulating, exciting evening in quite a while. Thank you Loriel, Soleil, Mila, Rachel and CJ for the lively conversation.

Of yeah, the food looked great too. My contribution was Lentil Patties with Coconut Peanut Sauce, but alas, I won't share the recipe until next week. Please forgive.

Today I present my dish from Saturday's rawluck. The tapenade and vegetable dip works perfectly with crudites and flax crackers.

There's many a day where I'll whip up the dip and chop some veggies for the littles to eat for lunch.

Olive Tapenade Yield: 2 cups
1 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
½ cup Green Olives, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 Combine olives, garlic and Italian Seasoning in a bowl.
2 Add red wine vinegar and olive oil. Gently toss. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to marinate. Overnight is best.

Vegetable Dip
Yield: 2 cups
1 celery stalk, finely diced
¼ onion, finely diced
½ carrot, shredded¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ garlic powder
1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours
½ cup water, or more as needed
Juice of one lemon

1 Toss celery, onion and carrots in a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder.
2 Place cashews, lemon juice and water in a blender. Process until cashews are very creamy, add more water if needed.

3 Combine cashew cream and vegetables. Chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

I would like to pass along my Inspirational Blogger Award to Rediscover Raw Foods. She is a honest, straight forward lady. As for the other four? They will have to wait I'm going to bed.

My husband and I were in the kitchen together making this pizza. It's been awhile. Welcome back, baby!

Pizza Bread
4 cups sprouted grains, Kamut, wheat berries, rye, etc.
1 cup almond flour
½ cup soaked Sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
½ garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt

1 In a food processor, grind the grains well. If your processor doesn’t have a powerful motor, use ¼ cup of water to get things going. Stop every so often to scrape the sides of the food processor. Blend the mixture until it forms a sticky dough. Remove from processor and place in a large bowl.

2 Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and olive to processor. Briefly process to make a thick paste.**
3 Place dough in a large bowl and add almond flour, sun-dried tomato paste, olives and sea salt. Combine well.

4 Divide the mixture in half and spread each half on a two Teflex sheets, forming 8 x 8 squares.

5 Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 6 hours, flip over and with a pizza cutter, score into nine slices. Dehydrate an additional 6-8 hours or until the bread is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

**You may also add the ingredients to the dough without processing into a paste. The paste option produces a tomato-red colored bread.

Cashew Pepper Cheese Spread
1 cup cashew nuts
Juice of one half lemon
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/4 cup water

Combine ingredients in a blender until well mixed.

Chunky Marinara Sauce
2 ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour to soften, reserve soaking water
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded, roughly chopped
4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour to soften
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Combine dates Roma tomatoes, garlic, onion, Italian seasonings and olive oil in a blender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, using soaking water to get the blender going. Puree until you reach a chunky consistency. Add sea salt and pepper.

Marinated Mushrooms2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of one half lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
½ teaspoon sea salt

Toss mushrooms with olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Italian seasonings and sea salt. Let marinate for 2 hours

Toppings
1/2 bunch of Spinach, washed and chopped
1 cup marinated Mushrooms, sliced
1 small Red onion, sliced
tomato, sliced

Spread the cashew cheese on the pizza bread add the marinara. Top with spinach, mushrooms, onion and tomato.

If you don't like these toppings try these:
Sweet bell peppers
Green onions
Jalapenos
Chili peppers
Broccoli
Carrots
Alfalfa Sprouts
Asparagus
Bean Sprouts
Chives
Cilantro
Lettuce
Pineapple
Shallots
Snow Peas
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Walnuts
Yellow Squash
Zucchini

Almond nutballs covered in chunky marinara with zucchini slices

Almond nutball before dehydrating

Almond nutballs after dehydrating

Chunky Marinara Sauce
2 ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour to soften, reserve soaking water
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded, roughly chopped
4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour to soften
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Combine dates Roma tomatoes, garlic, onion, Italian seasonings and olive oil in a blender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, using soaking water to get the blender going. Puree until you reach a chunky consistency. Add sea salt and pepper.Almond Nutballs2 c almonds, soaked for 6-8 hours1 clove garlic, minced1/2 green sweet bell pepper, diced1/2 yellow sweet bell pepper, diced1/2 yellow onion, diced1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped1/4 c sundried tomato paste (recipe below)In a food processor, grind almonds into pulp. Place in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Form into meatballs. Dehydrate for 4-6 hours until dry and firm.Sundried tomato paste1/4 c sundried tomato, soaked until soft, reserve water1 clove garlic 3 T sundried tomato waterIn a blender combine ingredients until it forms a smooth paste. Add more water as needed.Zucchini slicesCut 1/2 zucchini into 1-inch slices, sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.Author Notes:In conjunction with National Zucchini Day it is also Put a Zucchini on your Neighbor's Porch Day.

The folks at Serious Eats has declared October 18TH "National Meatloaf Appreciation Day" and to celebrate they have invited all to submit their favorite meatloaf recipe. I love a challenge. So, I created this delicious nut-based meatloaf with spinach and tangy sun-dried tomato ketchup to show, you can have comfort food and still eat raw.

I'm really proud of this dish because it helped me conquer a fear of mine. I can be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to just about everything I do. Often I try to reach for the stars, falling short alot, but I keep reaching. I'm not perfect. I know shocker, huh?

I want my recipes to look good but more importantly, I want them to taste off the hook. I was fearful that this dish would make me fall short and it wouldn't turn out the way I like. Yes, I realize if it turns out wrong, start over and do it again. Which I have, BUT THIS dish is special. :)

Anywho, I snapped out of that perfectionist mind-set real quick when I remembered this recipe isn't any different than my others.

Although it's not listed, but my love of raw food is the first ingredient in every single one of my recipes. My heart has a hand in the preparation of every raw meal I create and so I'm guaranteed a tasty dish.

I was right, this dish taste darn good, if I say so myself. And like the cooked version, it was delish the next morning.

On today's menu:Spinach-Stuffed MeatloafLemon Green BeansHoney-Glazed Carrots
SPINACH-STUFFED MEATLOAF

*2 cup walnuts, soaked for 4-6 hours
1 cup almonds, soaked for 4-6 hours
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked until soft, reserved 1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one half lemon
2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup SUN-DRIED TOMATO KETCHUP (recipe follows)

1 Place spinach, olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon sea salt Ziploc bag and marinate for 1 hour.
2 In a food processor, combine walnuts, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup reserved tomato water, parsley, onion, garlic and celery. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water one tablespoon at a time to moisten the meat loaf. Be careful not to over moisten.
3 Place meatloaf mixture in a large bowl. Add poultry seasoning, pepper and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Mix well.
4 Spread meatloaf mixture on a Teflex sheet into a shape into a rectangle 3x9-inches . Place spinach mixture on top. Roll up the rectangle carefully, beginning at the short side and using the sheet to lift.

5 Transfer loaf to a second Teflex sheet. You should have enough meat to create three mini loaves.

6 Cover with sun-dried tomato ketchup. Place in dehydrator at 115 degrees for an hour.
7 Make 1 inch slices of meat and arrange on the Teflex.
8 Dehydrate at 115 degrees for an hour. Turn over slices, spread sun-dried tomato ketchup and dehydrate an additional hour.
*Please Note: In the bottom left corner of the ingredient photo is ground brown flax flour. In the preparation of the recipe I found I didn't need it.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO KETCHUP
1 cup sun-dried tomato, soaked, 1/4 c reserved water
1/4 cup raisins, soaked
1 T Italian Seasonings
1/4 tablespoon chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Combine ingredients in a blender until mixture is slightly smooth, yet chunky.

HONEY-GLAZED CARROTS
4 cups baby carrots
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of one half lemon
Dash of sea salt

1 In a small bowl, put honey and salt. Squeeze in lime juice. Whisk ingredients together.
2 Slice the carrots very thin, put them in the honey mixture. Let marinate at least an hour.

Servings: 4

LEMON GREEN BEANS
2 cups green beans, cleaned
Juice of one half small lemon
Lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon sea saltDash crushed red pepper

1 Cut green beans in bite-size pieces.
2 Place the beans in a plastic container or Ziploc bag. Put lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, zest and red pepper flakes in the bag. Let marinate for at least an hour or longer.

Servings: 4 To take nostalgia to the max, serve the meatloaf with Smashed "Potatoes" and Chives.

On today's menu:
Portobello Steaks
Smashed "Potatoes" and Chives
"Roasted" Peppers
Portobello Steaks

4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced into 1/2 inch1/4 c Nama Shoyu1/4 t black pepper1/8 t red pepper1 garlic clove, minced1/8 t ground nutmegPlace all ingredients in 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Shake the bag to combine. Marinate for two hours. Occasionally shake the bag to ensure the mushrooms stay coated evenly.Remove mushrooms from the bag and spread on Teflex sheets. Optional: Place in dehydrator for an additional two hours (or until slightly soft) at 110 degrees.
Smashed "Potatoes" and Chives

1 c chopped cauliflower 1/2 c cashews, soaked 1/4 c water 1/4 c chopped chives, reserve 1 teaspoon for garnish 1/2 garlic clove, minced Juice of one half lemon 1 t sea salt 1 t black pepperPlace cashews and cauliflower in a blender, add lemon juice and water 1 tablespoon at a time to create a creamy consistency. Remove mixture from blender jar and place in a large bowl. Fold in garlic, chives and sea salt. Garnish with 1 teaspoon of chives and pepper.

"Roasted" Peppers

1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley 1/4 c olive oil 1 t sea salt Place ingredients in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag, marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. Remove peppers from the bag and spread on Teflex sheets. Place in dehydrator for an additional hour at 110 degrees.

Author's Note: The kids are in school, it's getting darker earlier, the weather is getting colder....Fall is upon us and now it's time for a heartier meal to fill our bellies.

Tonight I gave a demo at the Raw Spirit Festival called "A Taste of Thai." I thought you might like to share in the fun and so I am posting the recipes here for you to enjoy. And for all who came to the demo tonight, you rawk!
Thai Slaw (serves 4-6)
DRESSING
½ cup of your favorite raw butter
¼ cup coconut oil, liquid form
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Juice of one lime
1 silver of ginger, peeled and minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Use a whisk to blend into a smooth, creamy consistency. Add extra coconut oil a teaspoon at a time, if needed.

SLAW
4 cup finely shredded Napa cabbage
2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1 cup finely shredded carrot
4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves only, shredded

Combine cabbages and carrot in a bowl and toss with dressing. Marinate for two hours before serving. Overnight is best.

Thai Red Curry with Sweet Potato Noodles (serves 4)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Thai chili pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
Juice of one lime
½ tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 cup coconut milk
½ red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled
Basil, cut into thin strips

In a bowl mix garlic, chili pepper, curry powder and sea salt. Add lime juice, coconut oil and agave nectar. Gradually add coconut milk until curry powder breaks down. The sauce should be a saucy, soup-like consistency. Add onions and bell pepper.
Spiralize the sweet potato to make thin spaghetti noodles.

Pour curry on the sweet potato noodles, gently toss to coat. Garnish with basil.

Honey Mint Ice
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely
1 cup honey
2 cups water
juice of one lime

In a blender, puree ingredients until mint leaves are small pecks of green.

Transfer mixture to popsicle molds, ice trays or paper cups. If using ice trays or paper cups, add popsicle sticks to the center of the popsicle as soon as its solid enough to hold stick in place (about an hour). Continue to freeze for 4-5 hours.

What I drank today:

• pineapple/lettuce (2 quarts)


• carrot/red leaf lettuce/garlic/hemp oil/kelp granuales (2 quarts)


• Organic Peppermint tea (16 oz)


• Pure H2O

RAW TEST KITCHEN

I'll post my original raw recipes for you to try out. Since I'm on a juice feast I can't go around eating solids now can I?

Create the dish and tell me what you think.

Szechuan Vegetables with Noodles

NOODLES
3-4 c. Coconut noodles

Cut coconut meat from 3-4 young coconuts into strips.

MARINADE
1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar*
1/4 c. Raw agave nectar
1 T Sea salt

VEGETABLES
2 c. shredded carrot
1/2 c. shredded cabbage
1 c. broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces

Put vegetables in marinade for 1-2 hours.

SAUCE
1/4 c. raw almond butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T finely chopped ginger or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 T Nama Shoyu
1/4 c. water (more or less water may be needed)

Blend all sauce ingredients until a smooth, liquid consistency.

GARNISH
1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Mix noodles, marinated vegetables, sauce, crushed red pepper and green onion. Toss until well coated.

*Please note: Not all the ingredients I use will be raw. If you are 100%, no holds barred raw, then some of the recipes I feature may not be for you. And of course if you have modifications please share.

To blog or not to blog.....

I'm taking the weekends off, no blog for you.

-3 pounds

Chest: 39 inches
Waist: 35 inches
Hips 42 inches

What I drank Thursday May 31, 2007: (DAY 5 0f 92)

Celery/red pepper/yellow pepper/jalapeno/green apple/sprouts/kelp granules (2 quarts) This had a vegetable broth taste
H2O

Yes, it's true I didn't get a gallon of juices in today. I was just too busy.

Whip this up when you get a hankering to run for the border.

WALNUT TACO MEAT
1 c walnut, soaked 2 hours
½ c sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 30 minutes, save water
¼ c finely chopped yellow onion
½ t taco seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ sun-dried tomato water
½ t sea salt

Combine ingredients in food processor until mixed well. For a less moist texture, put in dehydrator for 1 hour.

TAKE IT FURTHER
Make taco burgers: Form meat into patties and dehydrate for 2-3 hours.

SOUR CREAM
½ c macadamia nuts
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ t sea salt
6-7 T water

Blend macadamia nuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Add 1 tablespoon water at a time to create a smooth consistency.

TOPPINGS
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
Avocado, chopped
4 cups shredded lettuce

Place 1 cup lettuce, a portion of the walnut taco meat, tomatoes, avocado and sour cream on a plate.

The flavor of the basil pesto adds zip to the mildness of the butternut squash and the creamy white sauce ties the dish together.

1 butternut squash
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste
1 cup Pesto (recipe below)
1 cup White Sauce (recipe below)

1 Cut the "neck" from the bottom of butternut squash. Reserve the bottom portion for another recipe. Cut the neck in half

2 With a vegetable peeler, peel the neck.

3 Use a knife or mandolin to slice butternut squash in paper thin rounds (1/8-inch or less). Make a least 20 slices.

4 Place squash in a bowl of sea salt water and let set for an hour to soften. Under running water, rinse the squash thoroughly to remove salt.

5 Add one teaspoon of the pesto to the center of rinsed squash round. Place another slice of squash on top. Pinch the ends to close.

6 Serve with white sauce. Top off with black pepper.

Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

1 Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and process until well chopped.

2 Add the nuts and garlic, process again until if forms a thick smooth paste. Slowly stream in olive oil. Stopping the food processor to scrape down sides of container.

3 Process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper

White Sauce
1 cup cashews, soaked for an hour
¾ cup water
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper

In a blender, puree cashew and olive oil, until cashews break down. Add water, blend until you achieve a thin white sauce.

Raw food recipe tip:
Want to take the sauce further? Add 1/2 onion 1/2 garlic clove, minced dash dried leaf thyme, crumbled, salt and white pepper, to taste nutmeg, to taste

In Ani’s Raw Food Essentials: Recipes and Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food, Ani Phyo guides readers through the fundamentals of raw food preparation in a simple and user-friendly manner.

Phyo has left no stone unturned when it comes to this collection of over 250 recipes. As in her previous book, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, she offers tips, cleaning product recipes and advice on how to be eco-friendly. Divided into three parts, Part 1 is the basics; it uncovers the mysteries of dehydrating, soaking and sprouting, fermentation and pickling. This section presents a few starter recipes: flatbreads and pickles, to be exact.

Phyo gets down to business in Part 2 where she showcases her talent of taking a basic recipe, using minimal ingredients and straightforward instructions, and creates variations. For example, her recipe for “Basic Nut Mylk” on page 41 transforms into “Vanilla Almond Mylk,” (p.41) “Chocolate Flurry Shake” (p. 42) or “Chilled Chai Frosty Shake” (p. 45). Another good example is the insanely, easy recipe for “Buckwheat Crispies” on page 63. The only ingredient is one pound of buckwheat groats and the recipe can be used as cereal in “Chocolate Crispies” (p. 63) or as “Basic Buckwheat Batter” (p. 115) for “fried” onion rings (p. 116) or as the base for “Buckwheat Pizza Crust” (p. 213).
Phyo offers effortless, quick, step-by-step instructions on the techniques of every raw culinary dish imagined. She leads with, a fruit smoothie (p. 31), and travels right along, from breakfast to desserts, with the likes of “Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Coconut Bacon Scramble” (p. 85) to Kimchi (p. 126), to “Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup” (p. 232), to “Lucuma Ice Kream” --- and we haven’t even touched the chapter on feeding your raw dog.

Pay attention to the green and gray boxes interspersed throughout the book, they offer handy tips (“Dehydrating in Your Oven” p. 195) and bits of factoids (Is Sugar Vegan? Turbinado vs. Sucanat vs White Sugar” p. 57).

Part 3 is a resource guide to Phyo’s uncooking videos, metric conversions, movies to watch and advice on reducing your carbon footprint.

My one complaint of the book is not enough color photos. Fortunately, Phyo has the skill of descriptive writing that brings a dish to life, but the dowdy black-and- white photography doesn’t add anything to the book. Part of the appeal of living foods, especially in a cookbook, is experiencing the “life of the foods” through the vibrant colors and textures seen through the photography. The dozen or so colored photos in the book are definitely drool-worthy. I would gladly trade seeing photos of Phyo (although, she is quite beautiful) for a few more colored pictures of the food.

All-in-all, one of the most enticing aspects of “Ani’s Raw Food Essentials” is Phyo’s flair of providing “recipe” road maps to the gentle encouragement of creating your own culinary journeys in the kitchen. Which is how it should be.

My journey started with crepes.

Apple Crepes
Makes 4 wrappers
From Ani’s Raw Food Essentials page 69
1 cup cored and diced apple
½ cup flax meal
2 tablespoons agave syrup
½ cup water, or as needed

Place the apples in the bottom of a high-speed blender. Add the flax meal, agave, and water. Blend until smooth.

Spread the mixture evenly onto one lined 14-inch square Excalibur Dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours at 104 °F, or until completely dry. You can also flip the crepes, peel off the liner, and dehydrate for another couple of hours until dry.

Crepes with Herb Cream and Red Pepper Sauce
by The Daily Raw Café

1 Crepe recipe, making 8 small rounds

RED PEPPER SAUCE
Make 1 pint of sauce

2 red peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked, reserve ½ cup soaking water
¼ cup reserved sun-dried tomato water, or more as needed
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth, silky sauce. Adding enough of the soaking water to reach desired consistency.

FILLING
1 cup soaked cashews
¼ cup reserved sun-dried tomato water, or filtered water
2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine cashews, water, vinegar, onion and garlic in a blender; process until cashews break down into a creamy, yet slightly chunky crème. You want the consistency of a ricotta. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Fold in parsley and basil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Assemble crepes
On a clean work surface, place 1-2 rounded tablespoons of filling in the center of each crepe, shiny side down. Roll up crepe.

Spoon red pepper sauce on a serving plate, arrange crepe on top. Serve immediately, crepes will become soggy if left on sauce too long.

Chocolate Crepes with Chocolate Cream
by The Daily Raw Blog
CHOCOLATE CREPE WRAPPERS
Add 2 tablespoons organic cocoa powder to the ingredients of the crepe wrapper recipe. Continue to make crepes as instructed.

CHOCOLATE CREAM
1 cup soaked cashews
½ cup water
½ cup raw agave nectar*
20 drops Cocoa Bean Extract**
2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)

Blend ingredients until you have a smooth, creamy texture.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup raw agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup coconut oil (liquid)

Blend ingredients.

Note: If the sauce becomes cold, it will solidify, just place it in the dehydrator for an hour at 115 degrees to melt.

Assemble crepes
Place the crepe with the shiny side up. Put the cream in a line down the center of the crepe. Fold the right side just past the middle and then do the same with the left.

Drizzle chocolate sauce on top of the crepe and sprinkle with coconut “powder”

ANI’S SERVING SUGGESTION: Grind dried coconut into powder, and sprinkle over your crepes through a sieve to give a powdered sugar look. (p. 71)

* I used Xagave Raw Agave Nectar (review next week)
**I used NuNaturals (review next week)

IN THE LATE yet still note-worthy department. The Daily Raw Café was mentioned in last Wednesday’s Denver Post (June 9, 2010). You can read the write-up here.

My book is in the final, final, final stages of coming out. Self-publishing is a b*****! You are in charge of so ALL the aspects of development (editing, layout, design, cover art, author bio, yada yada, ya, ) on top of writing the little creature.
The buck stops with you all the way. So much pressure! I want the best book possible for the resources available to me. It’s a lot of hard, tedious work. Which makes me wonder why on earth am I doing it again very soon (yes, there will be another book out before the year is out!). Well, we all know the answer, I am a bit wacky in the brain and I loved the experience so much, I wanted to do it again right away. Don’t laugh, I’m serious ;).

WOW, now that’s a beet! This colossal-sized beet emerged from our garden. Man on the Raw and our daughter Avery planted it in mid-March. This root vegetable has an interesting backstory. Man on the Raw was working the compost when he spied a sliced beet top with dead stems and leaves attached.

Nothing out of the ordinary, until he notices one leaf thriving amongst the deceased foliage.
On a whim, he decided to plant it and see what happens. Several months later, on a rainy June weekend in Denver, the jolly red giant emerged with an amazing amount of greens. All of which made many quarts of beet and carrot juice.

Almond Stuffed Peppers

1 c almonds, soaked 6-8 hours

1 c mushrooms

1/2 c sundried tomatoes, soaked, reserve water

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c diced onion

4 T reserved sundried tomato water

2 T olive oil

1 T poultry seasoning

1/4 t sea salt

2 sweet bell peppers, cut in halves.

Combine almonds, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and reserved water in a food processor until well mixture is a ground meat texture. Place in a large bowl and fold in garlic, onion, olive oil, seasoning and sea salt.

Place mixture in bell pepper halves.

Option: Top with rosemary.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your 2008 is going as great as mine. I'm in heaven and I am so excited to finally share with you what I have been up to.

I started another juice feast on Dec. 1 and I'm blogging my experience at Inspiration:Life. Some of you might know that's how The Daily Raw Blog started. It was a blog documenting my first juice feast back in May that lasted 28 glorious days. From there The Daily Raw Blog took a life of its own with recipes and it was an outlet for my creativity to shine.
I'm so blessed to have it and to have all of you guys be part of it. So thank very much.

And as an added bonus I met some really special people along the way.
My husband has committed to going raw again in 2008 so if you can send him a silent prayer to get him going that would be appreciated. I have some really good recipes lined up for TDRC and my husband will be preparing many recipes for TDRC in the next few weeks so we have that to look forward to. Believe it or not he is the true talent in the kitchen. I'm lucky his talent just rubbed off on me. And the fact that I love raw food helps, too. ;)I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!Peace and Love,Terilynn
Garlicy Green juicemakes 1-1.5 quarts

1 pound of your favorite greens1 cucumber, chopped3 carrots, chopped1 garlic clove1 tablespoon hemp oil1-2 cups water

1 Place cucumber, greens, garlic clove and carrots in a blender* with the water. Blend until ingredients break down into a thick mixture.

2 Strain the mixture in a nut bag or painter straining bag into a large bowl. Squeeze the bag to get all the juices out of the pulp.
3 Pour juice into a glass and add hemp oil.
Don't forget to compote you pulp or mix with flax seeds to make crackers.
*You can use a juicer instead of a blender. I use a blender because the clean-up is faster for the amount of juices I make. Also, please note if you use greens that are heavier in weight (kale, collards, etc.) a high-speed blender will work better at breaking down the greens.

Because of the snowy weather outside here in Colorado, I am forced to play on my tile floor with my kitchen garden. Kitchen gardening and sprouting are great, don't get me wrong. I enjoy it. Below are some lentils I eventually sprouted. They were super easy. Soak in water overnight, drain in the morning. Rinse and drain until you get tails. For more details visit here.

But, alas, kitchen gardening doesn't replace getting down and dirty in the soil.
The feel of the earth between my fingers, smiling as my son plays with the worms, the anticipation of what's to come. It's very grounding.

Spring please come.
Maybe, just maybe if I share one of my favorite spicy dishes, I can bribe Spring's warm arrival.
Maybe.

Lentil Patties with Coconut Peanut Sauce
LENTIL PATTIES

1 cup almonds, soaked
1½ cups sprouted lentils
¼ cup water
4 tablespoons Nama Shoyu
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Juice of one lime
lime zest
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro 1 Combine almonds, lentils and water in a food processor. Process until almonds and lentils are a chunky consistency. Add Nama Shoyu, cayenne pepper, lime juice, zest, olive oil, garlic clove and cilantro. Briefly pulse until well combined.
2 Shape the mixture into ping-pong size balls. Flatten into patties.
3 Place on Teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 100 degrees for 4 hours or until top is completely dry. Flip patties over. Dehydrate an additional 4-6 hours or until the patties are dry on the outside and moist on the inside.

COCONUT PEANUT SAUCE
1 cup almonds, unsoaked
½ cup cashews
1 cup water, or more as needed
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons Coconut butter
¼ cup agave nectar
¼ cup Nama Shoyu
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Turmeric

1 To make the Coconut Peanut Sauce, mix almonds and cashews in a blender to make a powder. Add ginger, water, coconut butter, agave nectar, Nama Shoyu and lime juice. Blend until you achieve a creamy sauce.
2 Pour into a bowl and sprinkle in sea salt, red pepper flakes and turmeric. Stir well.
3 Serve Lentil Patties and Coconut Peanut Sauce on a bed of Carrot and Zucchini pasta.
(un) Cooking Tip:

If your sauce comes out to watery, place the sauce into a glass container and put in the dehydrator for a couple of hours.

Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator — Create Your Own Logo
January 5, 2011 — Day 5

12:13 p.m. salad (mixed greens, spinach, romaine, carrots, cucumbers, Dijon, nutritional yeast) at work

3:30 p.m. Kombucha at work

4:20 p.m Coconut Date Logs and Cardamom Cake with Rosewater cream at work

6:30 p.m. Pure Power Bars with Man on the Raw at home

7:15 p.m. Salad (Romaine, cucumber, tomato, avocado, very hot jalapeno) at home with Man on the Raw

January 6, 2011 — Day 6

10:30 a.m. Berries ‘n’ Cream smoothie (almond milk, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, dates); a shot of E3live at work

11:45 a.m. Salad (mixed greens, romaine, carrots, cabbage, cucumber, nutritional yeast, Dijon dressing) at work

3:15 p.m. Apple at work

7:15 p.m. Sweet and Spicy Cabbage with avocado at home with Man on the Raw

Sweet and Spicy Cabbage
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 carrot, grated
1 tablespoon Agave nectar
1-2 teaspoons Chili Garlic Sauce (not raw product), or more depending on how spicy you want it
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
juice of one lemon

2 avocado, peeled and cubed

Toss cabbage, onion, carrot in a bowl. Add agave, chili garlic sauce salt and lemon. Mix well. Let set for 10 minutes.

Serve with avocado cubes.

At the Water Cooler
What is your favorite raw food dessert?
(enter your answers in the comment box)

Although, I'm originally from the Midwest, raised in the West and long to live in the East, I grew up on this Southern dish. Imagine my mom's surprise when I told her she doesn't have to cook collard greens to enjoy them. Who knew?
Marinated Collard Greens
MARINADE
¼ cup apple cider vinegar¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes ¼ cup chopped scallions, white parts only
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch collard greens, washed
1/8 cup olive oil

1 In a large bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon sea salt and pepper. Set aside.

2 Take several collard leaves and roll into a cylinder the shape of a fat cigar.

3 Using a knife, cut the through the collard cylinder, making strips. Repeat
steps two and three until you have cut all the collard leaves.

4 Place strips in a large bowl. Pour olive oil on collard strips and sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Massage the oil and salt into the strips until all are well coated.

5 Transfer the collard strips to the bowl with the apple cider vinegar marinade. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.

Servings: 4

Note: The raw collard greens won't get as soft as its cooked counterpart. That's a good thing, cooking your greens gets rid of all the water and nutrients that they provide.

Pot likker is the broth that is left in the pot after boiling greens. For this raw food recipe, the pot likker is the marinade. ;)

Did you know?Hanging a fresh collard leaf over your door will ward off evil spirits.

Have a headache? Place a collard leaf placed on your forehead.

Collard greens are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and calcium. In addition, they contain potassium, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6, vitamin E, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and iron.

If you're in Colorado

Garden Festival at Tagawa Gardens features classes, home-made garlic dishes and a variety of garlic, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday Sept. 15. 7711 South Parker Road, Centennial, 303-690-4722, tagawagardens.com

Boulder County host an “Eat Local” celebration on Saturday September 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at One Boulder Plaza (13th & Canyon). There live music, chef demos, tasty food samples, lectures and more. For more information, call 303-916-2236 or visit www.boulderrelocalization.org.

Check out Eat Local Challenge

If you're in Arizona in October
Raw Spirit Festival, Oct. 12-14. The festival celebrates organic raw vegan foods, world class music, spirituality, inspirational education, eco-sustainable solutions, healthy living and more.

Although "The Daily Raw" doesn't feature raw meats, I realize raw food isn't necessarily fresh fruits and vegetables (living foods) to everyone, some raw foodist do eat raw meats, dairy, etc. Nothing wrong with that. Chow has a new raw food feature, including recipes and tips for ceviche, tartare and other no-cook foods.

ALERT: USDA Says Foods Labeled as 'Raw' Can Be Pasteurized
by Organic Consumers and The Cornucopia Institute

If you have an item for "Raw News You Can Use" please feel free to pass it along. Send information to yahoo.com and I will post it on Friday's blog.

Have a great weekend!