Raw Food Recipes [Search results for lemon juice] 

With the Great Sweetener Debate (mainly not raw agave nectar) in full swing, I thought I would weigh in where I could. And what better way to start than a product that's not raw. Didn't think I would go there, did you?

But check this out, in all seriousness. Whatever foods you choose to consume should be your business and yours alone. The recipes showcased on The Daily Raw Blog are what I eat personally and I want to share. I may not use all raw products, but that's okay, you can choose raw substitutions to match your needs. On the products that aren't of a raw nature, I want to provide you with as much information (based on my understanding of them) as possible so you can make your own decision.

As far raw sweeteners go, there were a couple of great posts I have read over the last year or so that have done a beautiful job on the subject. I honestly don't feel I can add more to the topic.

Agave Nectar — To Use Or Not To Use — Kristen Suzanne
sweet possibilities: the lowdown on raw sweeteners — Bitt of Raw
List of Raw Sweeteners — RawInfo.com
Guide to Raw-Friendly Sugar-Free Sweeteners — Raw Food, Right Now!

On to NuNaturals. I recently had the opportunity to try out NuNaturals Stevia products and create some pretty tasty recipes.

NuNaturals’ NuStevia products provide several forms of stevia extracts in liquid and powder form. It contains zero calories and has a low glycemic index so it doesn't effect blood sugar levels, making it safe for diabetics.

Like stevia, a little goes a long way when it comes to NuStevia. In some of the components of the recipes, I used the bare minimum of extract (20 drops from a convenient dropper) and I still received a sweet dish. There was no strange aftertaste or smell, as a matter of fact, it brought out the natural flavors of the ingredients, only enhancing the recipe.

Pure Liquid™ Alcohol Free Stevia™
Size: 2 fl oz
Price: $14.15
Ingredients: Water, vegetable glycerine and natural flavors
Sweetness: 6 drops = 1 teaspoon sugar

Pure Liquid™ Cocoa Bean Extract
Size: 2 fl oz
Price: $13.99
Ingredients: Water, 20% pure grain alcohol, vegetable glycerine, NuStevia Stevia extract and natural flavors

Pure Liquid™ Lo Han Supreme™
Size: 2 fl oz
Price: $17.99
Ingredients: Water, 20% pure grain alcohol, vegetable glycerine, NuStevia Stevia extract

Luohan guo (or Luo han guo) is a fruit from China and Northern Thailand, traditionally used in medicine and as a sweetener. The fruit extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar. According to Wikipedia, "The sweet taste of luohan guo comes mainly from the mogrosides, a group of Triterpene-Glycosides that make up approximately 1% of the flesh of the fresh fruit." NuNaturals is certified to contain a minimum 80% of the mogrosides in its Lo Han Supreme extract.

Cheesecakes!
I have stated for the record that my favorite dessert is cheesecake. In the April/May 2010 of Fine Cooking there was a beautiful spread on cheesecakes complete with 18 variations. A few of which I have garnered inspiration.

Chocolate Cheesecake
CRUST
2 cups walnuts, unsoaked
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup organic cocoa or carob powder
20 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract
1 cup dates, pitted, unsoaked

Process nuts, and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add powder, extract and dates. Continue to process until well-incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.

FILLING
3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour to soften
1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
½ cup organic cocoa or carob powder
¼ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Cocoa Bean Extract
½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste

Mix cashews and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Add powder, extract and stevia. Continue to blend, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. Make sure filling has no lumps.

Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.

TOPPING
¼ cup Cacao Nibs
Sprinkle cacao nibs on top of the cheesecake. When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving.

Mango Ginger Cheesecake
TOPPING*
“Crystallized Ginger”
4 tablespoons finely shredded peeled ginger
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Toss ingredients in a bowl. Spread mixture on mesh dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12-24 hours or until dry and slightly crunchy.

*Alternately, top cheesecake with slivers of fresh ginger.

CRUST
2 cups walnuts
1-inch piece ginger, peeled
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ teaspoon sea salt
20 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Lo Han Supreme™
1 cups dates, pitted, unsoaked

Process nuts, ginger, coconut flakes and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add extract and dates. Continue to process until incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.

FILLING
3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour
1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
2 ripe Mangos, peeled
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Lo Han Supreme™
½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste
Mix cashews and lemon juice in blinder; process until smooth and creamy. Add mango, ginger, Lo Han and stevia. Continue to blend, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. Make sure filling has no lumps.

Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.

When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Top a few slivers of crystallized ginger on top of each slice. Let the slices set at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving.

Mint Chocolate Cheesecake
CRUST
2 cups walnuts
¼ cup organic cocoa or carob powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
20 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract
1 cup dates, pitted, unsoaked

Process nuts, and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add powder, extract and dates. Continue to process until incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.

FILLING
3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour
1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
1 cup loosely packed chocolate mint leaves, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon NuNaturals Cocoa Bean Extract
½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste

Mix cashews and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Add mint, extract and stevia. Continue to blend until all the mint is processed to tiny specks, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. The cheesecake should have a light green hue. Make sure filling has no lumps.

Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.

TOPPING
Chocolate Glaze
¼ cup water
¼ cup maple syrup (not a raw product)
½ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coconut butter

Combine ingredients in the blender until well combined. Pour the glaze on top of the cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the freezer for an hour or until the glaze hardens.

When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Cheesecake
TOPPING
¼ cup blueberries
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Toss ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

CRUST
2 cups walnuts
½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dates, pitted, unsoaked

Process nuts, and sea salt in a food processor until fine; add extract and dates. Continue to process until incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer until filling is ready.

FILLING
3 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour
1 ½ cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
½ teaspoon NuNaturals Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia, or more to taste

Mix cashews and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Add blueberries, extract and stevia. Blend until blueberries are incorporated, maintaining a thick, creamy consistency. The cheesecake should have a pretty purple hue. Make sure filling has no lumps.

Pour the mixture into the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until solid.

When serving, cut the number of slices needed and replace the rest of the cheesecake in the freezer. Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving. Arrange blueberry topping on the cheesecake slices.

NOTE: One cheesecake recipe makes approximately 48 mini cheesecakes.

Sometimes I am not in the mood for another green juice or I'm too lazy to pull out the blender and make a smoothie. And if a tray of granola isn't in the dehydrator as we speak and my almonds aren't in a bowl of filtered water, then I am short out of luck, in the breakfast cereal department.
In the raw food land of soaking, sprouting and dehydrating, I was hard pressed to find something substantial and quick to eat without too much prep time. Until chia seeds entered my life.

Who would have thought the little seeds that sprouted on the bodies of clay rams, cows and kittens provided more than a catchy jingle and goofy 80s entertainment?

The Aztecs did. Warriors and runners are believed to have sustained themselves for an entire day on just a tablespoon of chia.

Nutritionally, those little buggers are high in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber and calcium.

But this isn’t history or nutrition class. Think more weird science. Particularly, the fun and bizarre gelatinous effect it has on whatever it touches. It’s way cool, it‘s kind of like the blob, without the gore.

Try it. Place 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in an 8-ounce glass of water or juice and wait 15-20 minutes. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, I’ll be here when you get back.
See what I mean, isn’t that the coolest? Who knew? If you add some lemon or lime juice and raw agave nectar and you have a cool, refreshing drink.

Chia Fresca
Serves 1
Juice of 1 lemon
8 ounces cold water
1 teaspoons raw agave nectar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Mix lemon juice in water; add agave and chia seeds. Vigorously stir until all the seeds are wet and no clumps appear. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
If texture in your drink is too much for you to handle, try a breakfast pudding on for size.

Chia Pudding
Serves 4
1 cup raw cashews
3 cups water
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
¼ cup chia seeds

Place the cashews and water in a high-speed blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Transfer the cashew mixture to a bowl; stir in agave, vanilla and sea salt.

Add in chia seeds and continue to stir until all the seeds are well incorporated into the cashew mixture. Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
You can eat it right away or it’s even better placed in the refrigerator overnight and eaten in the morning. The chia pudding will have the consistency of tapioca or rice pudding.

This is kind of thick for a flan and it doesn't have the jiggle of flan, but I love the name.

Flan de Coco y Chia
2 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour
1 cup coconut meat
½ cup coconut water
¼ cup raw agave nectar
¼ cup Chia seeds
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Puree the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer the mixture into a mini spring form pan. Chill overnight in the refrigerator or until mixture firms up.

Caramel Sauce
1 cup dates
¼ cup water
juice of one half lemon
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (not a raw product)
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Soak dates in the water and lemon juice for an hour. Reserve soaking water. Process soaked dates, coconut oil, maple syrup and sea salt in a blender. Using soaking water one tablespoon at time, blend until you achieve a smooth creamy consistency. Carefully unmold the flan onto serving plates. Drizzle caramel sauce over the flan.

*This is a post I originally wrote on the Amateur Gourmet's community forum.

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.

This soup could easily be Cheezy Broccoli, Cheezy Cauliflower. It's darn cheezy.

Cheezy Brussels Sprouts Soup
Brussels Sprouts
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered

Whisk together lemon juice, oil and sea salt in a bowl. Toss in Brussels sprouts to coat. Marinade at least 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Cheeze
¼ cup cold filtered water
2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour
2 cups zucchini juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
¼ cup diced onion
2 tablespoons Nama Shoyu
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried yellow mustard powder

Red Pepper flakes, garnish

Combine cashews, zucchini and lemon juice in a blender; process until cashews are smooth. Add in bell pepper, garlic, onion, Nama Shoyu, nutritional yeast and mustard powder. Blend until smooth and silky. Transfer cheese mixture to a large serving bowl and fold in marinate Brussels sprouts. Serves 4-6.

A number of rawsome folks have asked for the recipe for Elaine Love's Ranch Dip or Dressing. If you have The Complete Book of Raw Food, the recipe is on page 276. Normally, I would be hesitate to print recipes for my endeavor but this dressing is worth being sued for copyright infringement.

Ranch Dip or Dressing by Elaina Love (from the Complete Book of Raw Food)
1-1/2 cups raw cashews
4 t. lemon juice or 2-1/2 t. raw apple cider vinegar
1 t. Celtic sea salt
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried dill weed
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 basil leaf, minced

Blend the cashews, lemon juice, sea salt, onion and garlic powder with 1 cup purified water until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more lemon juice if the lemons you are using are not sour enough. Pour into a bowl.

Add the dill, Italian seasoning and basil by hand to the blended dressing. Serve as dip or salad dressing. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Cheesecake is my most favorite dessert. And pumpkin pie ain't so bad either. This recipe is a little early but I think this would be great for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pecan Spice Cheesecake
CANDIED PECANS
Makes 2 cups
2 cups soaked pecans,
¼ cup maple syrup (not a raw product)
½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Stir together pecans, maple syrup, vanilla extract, seasonings and sea salt in a bowl. Spread walnut mixture evenly on Teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12-16 hours until pecans are dry and crunchy.

CRUST
2 cups soaked pecans
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup of dates, unsoaked

Process nuts, spices, vanilla and salt in a food processor until fine; add dates. Continue to process until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the refrigerator until filling is ready.

FILLING
3 cups of cashews, soaked for 1 hour to soften
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup carrot juice
¼ cup raw agave nectar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

Mix cashews, lemon juice, carrot juice, agave, spice and vanilla in blender; process until smooth and creamy. Make sure the filling has no lumps. Pour the cheese mixture onto the crust. Place the cheesecake into the freezer for 4 hours or until firm. Let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with candied pecans.

..............I buy strawberries for the kids when they're on sale, but as usual they don't get eaten as quickly as I would like. So I had a bunch of strawberries getting moldy on me so here is the result of the surviving berries. I think I did pretty good. This cheesecake is very rich, it's hard to eat more than one piece at a time. Serve it immediately after making, it gets soft very quickly. Any leftover cheescake should be put back in the freezer. I used a 4-inch springform pan for the small tart. STRAWBERRY SAUCE 2 pint-size baskets strawberries, cleaned and stems removed 1/4 c agave nectar 1/4 t sea salt Marinate strawberries in agave nectar and sea salt. Let marinate overnight in refrigerator for best results. Once marinated, the juice from strawberries will be in the bowl. In a blender, puree strawberries, adding strawberry juice 1/4 cup at a time, until you achieve a smooth consistency. Cover and briefly chill. CRUST 2 c almonds, soaked overnight 1 c Medjool dates, soaked for 1 hour 1/2 t organic vanilla extract 1/4 t sea salt In a food processor, combine almonds, dates, vanilla and sea salt. Press onto bottom and up the sides of an 10-inch tart pan. FILLING 3 c cashews, soaked for 1 hour juice of 1 lemon 2/3 c agave nectar 1/4 c water 2 t organic vanilla extract 1/4 t sea salt Mix cashews, lemon juice, vanilla, sea salt and agave nectar in a blender. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to create a creamy consistency. Pour into crust and put in freezer for a couple of hours to chill. TOPPING1 pint strawberries, slicedTo complete cake, arrange strawberries on top of cake. Brush strawberries with sauce, immediately.DID YOU KNOW? One cup of sliced strawberries contains almost as much vitamin C as one cup of orange juice.

9:15 a.m. Green Juice

12:12 p.m. Kelp Noodles and my Creamy Coleslaw

5 minutes later added an avocado

1 p.m. 1/2 avocado with lemon juice, salt and pepper

1:35 p.m. a forkful of Man on the Raw (very spicy) concoction — a Hot Cranberry relish (Dried Cranberries, endive, carrots, radishes, parsley and Serrano peppers with agave nectar and sea salt)

2:45 p.m. final taste test of creamy coleslaw at home
4:00 p.m. Creamy Coleslaw, Guacamole and Cucumber and red pepper salad at Kristina's son's party

5:15 p.m. Seasoned pumpkin seeds at Kristina's son party5:30 p.m. second helping of Creamy Coleslaw at Kristina's son's party

8:30 p.m. Creamy Coleslaw and wine at home with Man on the Raw

9:45 p.m. Wine and Creamy Coleslaw (with raisins added; the raisins brought a nice chewy textural contrast to the crunchy coleslaw) at home watching A Nightmare on Elm St. with Man on the Raw
Sunday, January 23, 2011 — Day 23 11:30 a.m. Green Smoothie with Man on the Raw at home

2:30 p.m. Salad while reading at home

5:30 p.m. glass of wine (I know, yet another wine) while doing laundry

5:50 p.m. Medjool Dates at home

6:37 p.m. Salad (Romaine, red cabbage, cucumber, scallions, avocados lemon juice) with my son and Buzz Lightyear

7 p.m. 2nd bowl of salad with cranberries thrown in

Falafel Balls are one of my favorite things to make and I enjoy thinking outside of the box and creating unique flavor combinations.
Southwestern Falafel Balls with Avocado Spread

Southwestern Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine seasonings in a Mason jar and give a good shake. Stores in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Avocado Spread
1 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour to soften
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup water
2 avocado, mashed
1 tomato, seeded, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine cashews, lime juice and water in a blender; process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in avocado until well combined. Fold in tomato, onion and salt. Refrigerate, covered until ready to use.

Southwestern Falafel
2 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 cup almonds, soaked
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 green onions, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small bunch cilantro, leaves only
2 tablespoons southwestern seasoning mix
1 teaspoon sea salt

Microgreens

Combine chickpeas, almonds, garlic, olive oil, water and cilantro in food processor until you achieve a thick paste. Add onions and lemon juice, seasonings and sea salt, briefly pulse until onions are combined but still intact.

Shape the falafel mixture into small ping-pong-size balls. Place balls on mesh screens and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 6-8 hours. The falafels should be slightly hard on the outside and soft on the inside.

Place patties on a bed of micro greens. Serve with a gallop of avocado spread. Serves 4

This beverage is all Man on the Raw's doing. It's funny because he'll create these wonderful things and doesn't use measurements and so I have to backtrack with him. Which isn't always fun.

But I love him all the same. He is quite fabulous in the kitchen, if I must say so. And I must. I have learned a great deal from him, even if he doesn't realize.

Citrus-Ginger Refresher
2 cups orange juice
1 lemon, juiced
½ tablespoon ginger
4 cups sparkling water

Blend orange juice, lemon juice and ginger.

Pour ¼ cup of juice into 4 glasses.

Fill the glasses with sparkling water. Serve.

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

Avocados are the quickest and easiest meals to prepare. My kids love it. My son eats it straight out of its skin and Taste Tester A prefers it cut up in chunks. Sous Chef D prefers her avocado with tomatoes.

I never really had avocados before I started a raw diet. And I didn't even think of the possibility of eating it by itself. I would eat guacamole, but that was once in a blue moon and only with Mexican food.

I'm so happy that I discovered for myself the joys of this smooth, creamy fruit. Yum!

Avocado slices with lemon
Serves 2

1 avocado
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Cut the avocado in half. In the shell cut avocado into slices. Place ½ avocado slices on a plate. Squeeze lemon juice over the slices. Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon flax seeds, pepper and sea salt. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Repeat with other half. Serves 2.

Updated 1-11-11

Diana says: I also want to mention one thing I learned from a few sources when reading about eating healthy and that is that you should grind flax seed. The outer layer is too hard for our system to break down, so to get the health benefits you should grind it.



Terilynn says: Diana is absolutely right.

These are great on their own, but if you can serve them together you won't be disappointed. The flavors compliment each other very well.

Chocolate Granita
2 cups water
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon sea salt

1 Combine water, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, agave nectar and sea salt in a blender.

2 Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Freeze overnight.

3 Scrape the frozen mixture with a fork until all the frozen pieces are broken into small shavings.

Servings: 4

Lemon Granita
2 cups water
1 cup lemon juice (about 6 medium lemons)
½ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon sea salt

1 Combine water, lemon juice, agave nectar and sea salt in a blender.

2 Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Freeze overnight.

3 Scrape the frozen mixture with a fork until all the frozen pieces are broken into small shavings.
Servings: 4

Mint Granita
2 cups coconut water (approximately 2 coconuts)
1 cup (lightly packed) fresh mint leaves
¼ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon sea salt

1 Place mint leaves on Teflex sheet and dehydrate at 100 degrees for an hour.

2 Combine coconut water, dehydrated mint leaves, agave nectar and sea salt in a blender.

3 Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Freeze overnight.

4 Scrape the frozen mixture with a fork until all the frozen pieces are broken into small shavings.

Servings: 4

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

or when your gut tells you to buy some limes (even though that aren’t on your grocery list; they are only 5 for $1 for Christ sakes) instead of listening to your not-so-adorable-today, three-year old screams at the top of her lungs for some gummy bears, please for heavens sake get the damn limes!

Or you might end of making a lemon pie, because you got plenty of lemons, those were on the freakin’ list.
Take note: I said pie and not tart. The catastrophe of being away from the raw kitchen for so long is all your neat tart pans and molds and other gadgets gets utilized as utensils in the kids’ sandbox.
'Want another sandy mud tart, mom? '
Now, I'm using an aluminum pie tin left over from Christmas.
Instead of making Matt Samuelson's Coconut Lime Tarts, I ended up with a very delicious Lemon Coconut Pie. Thank heaven's for disgruntle three-year-olds.

Lemon Coconut PieCRUST2 cups almonds, soaked for 6-8 hours
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked for an hour, reserve soaking water
4 tablespoon reserved date water
2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
FILLING3 cups coconut meat (from 2-3 Thai coconuts)
1 1/2 cups coconut water 2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)juice of 1 large lemon1/4 cup agave nectar1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract1/8 teaspoon sea salt
CRUST In a food processor, process almonds, dates, date water, vanilla extract and sea salt until well combined. Remove almond mixture and press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.
STRAWBERRY SAUCE Process strawberries and agave in a blender.
FILLING Blend coconut meat, coconut water, oil, lemon juice, agave, vanilla and sea salt in a blender; process until smooth and creamy. Pour filling into crust. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours. Drizzle with strawberry sauce before serving.

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12:30 p.m. Large salad (spinach, romaine, mixed greens, purple cabbage, carrots, cucumber and sprouts with Living Light's raw Dijon dressing) at my desk at work.

2:30 p.m. Kombucha at my desk at work.

6:45 p.m. Lettuce Wraps with Man in the Raw

This post is dedicated to Candace and my other Raw Buddies at Living Light. Candace and I had a nice discussion on what to put in lettuce wraps. I offered a few suggestions, sunflower pate, veggies, sprouts and such.

But it totally slipped my mind one of my favorite lettuce wraps. Avocado Ceviche. I call it a ceviche because it's not quite a guacamole. Although all the players are there (tomato, pepper, cilantro) it is not prepared like a guacamole would be. And the bonus was it was quick and easy to make.

Avocado Ceviche
serves 2

2 avocados, peeled and diced
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 Serrano pepper, diced
1/2 cup cilanto, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sea Salt, to taste

Lightly toss avocado, tomato, pepper and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss in lemon juice and season with the sea salt.

Serve with 8-10 Romaine lettuce leaves (Red or Green leaf lettuce works great also) and your favorite fixings (we used cucumber and carrot strips, parsley and scallions)

At the Water Cooler
What are some of your favorite fixings for lettuce wraps? Leave your faves in the comment box.

This is it. It has officially happened. After years of dodging the inevitable. The time has come to face the facts, pay the piper...well you get it.
I am aging. I know, it's hard to believe, right? Who knew that sort of thing happens...to me.

Each time a baby enters this family, it's only a matter of time (3-5 years) when the I want another baby. An event happens involving the most recent child that triggers a maternal instinct within me. A sort of mommy-to-be time bomb. It informs me that my children are growing up and it's time to add another baby to the mix. It's like the babies, for me, magically suspend time. I never noticed getting older when I am surrounded by little ones. Maybe I should look into day care. LOL.

Did I mention Avery, my youngest daughter, is 3 years old? And that she wants to move from her toddler bed to one of these kids beds.

Me: Avery, you are still my baby, let's wait awhile.
Avery: Whatever mom, I am a big girl. I'm all grown'ed up.

Was that an explosion I just heard?

If there is a point to be made, and trust me there is, it's that I am realizing that I am getting older. I know this for a fact because my youngest daughter wants a big kid's bed, my oldest daughter is 19 and has way too many tattoos and piercings for my taste and my grey hairs are growing like the dandelions. I will have to dye my hair very soon, I am truly vain that way. The sesame seeds are not turning the whites to black. On the up side, the Midnight Falafels are really to die for.

As much as I am now looking forward to time moving ahead, I am not ready for my physical self to age. I believe, through eating raw foods and exercise and being joyful, that I can stall the aging process.

If I must grow older I want to be like Ms. Ernestine Shepherd. She is a 73-year old bodybuilder. She is truly an inspiration.

Oh, by-the-way, there will be NO new babies to add to the clan. I am truly enjoying the ones I have. Besides, each of them will always be my babies for the rest of their toddler, child, teen-aged and adult lives.

Midnight Falafel
Serves 4-6
2 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 cup soaked almonds
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup black sesame tahini
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespooons chopped red onions
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons sea salt

Combine chickpeas, almonds, garlic, black sesame tahini, olive oil, water and cilantro in a food processor until you achieve a thick paste. Add onions and lemon juice, seasonings and sea salt, process briefly.

Form the mixture into ping pong-sized balls. Dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hour, lower the temperature to 110 degrees and continue to dehydrate for 2 hours.

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

Recipe #33 of the Complete Book of Raw Food Endeavor

Pesto Mushrooms by John Larsen, p. 126. Beware of the ½ cup of lemon juice in the pesto. It makes it very, very tart. Not what a pesto should taste like. My suggestion is using no more than one tablespoon of lemon juice or better yet, leave it out.
　
FEBRUARY 11: 105degrees Café hosts Rawkstar Dinner, a five-course dinner featuring Oklahoma favorites and a special appearance by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, 6:30 p.m. $35. Reservations Recommended. 5820 N Classen Blvd., OK, 405-842-1050, e-mail: contact@105degrees.com

FEBRUARY 12 Diana Stobo discusses her book "Get Naked Fast" and demonstrates raw food preparation. 11 a.m. Free. Whole Foods Market, 340 Third St., San Rafael, CA, 415-451-6333, http://www.dianastobo.com/

FEBRUARY 13: As part of their Raw Food Revival Tour, Jackie and Gideon Graff host a Valentine’s Day Aphrodisiac Dinner, 1-5 p.m. $95. The Commercial Kitchen of Jackie and Gideon Graff, 1085 Lake Charles Drive, Roswell, GA, 770 -992-9218, rawfoodrevival.com

FEBRUARY 13: Raw chocolate party features demonstrations with organic culinary instructors. 6-7:30 p.m. $35, children under 12 free. Reservation requested. Park Avenue Studio, 33 Park Ave., Monterey, CA, 239-431-1854

FEBRUARY 15: Raw Food Coach Karen Knowler hosts the telecourse “How to Create an Outstanding & Fabulous Life for Yourself (and Others) as a Raw Food Coach or Teacher," 2 p.m. Mountain time. Free. karenknowler.typepad.com/teleclasses/virtual_trainings.html
　
FEBRUARY 16: Renee Trepanier of Nude Food hosts an un-cooking workshop, s on whole living foods, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $30. Superstore, Leamington, Canada. To register please call 519-322-1371
　
FEBRUARY 17: Rising Sun Café host author and raw food chef, Paul Nison, 6:30 p.m. 10 South Main St., Brooksville, FL. RSVP to Ruth Gavish at 352-398-7755

FEBRUARY 18: Alpine Business Networking Association hosts a raw food presentation featuring Certified raw culinary chefs Diane Haworth and Michael Varbaek, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Vines Bistro & Wine Bar, 2502 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, CA, 800-235-4621, http://alpinebusinessnetworkingassociation.com/

FEBRUARY 20:As part of their Raw Food Revival Tour, Jackie and Gideon Graff presents Caribbean Extravaganza, a raw foods lecture and demo, 3-7 p.m. $95. Serious Exercise LLC, 3230 South Florida Ave., Lakeland, FL, 770 -992-9218, rawfoodrevival.com
　
FEBRUARY 23: Introduction to Raw Living Foods workshop and Food Preparation class, 5:30-8:00 p.m. $75.00. 4604 Dorset Ave. Chevy Chase, MD, 202-320-5025
　
MARCH 3: Nude Food offers a East Meets West un-cooking class, 6-8 p.m. $30. Zerhs, Malden Road, Canada, To register please call (519)-939-0138

MARCH 13 : Raw Food Coach and Chef, Lisa Simpson, Raw Liberty presents the class “Raw Liberty at the Table Living Harmoniously Raw, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. £75. Ealing, London, England, 07939 848371, email: lisa@rawliberty.co.uk

MAY 31-JUNE 19: Raw Food Nutrition Science, Health Educator and Raw Culinary Arts Certification. $500. The Commercial Kitchen of Jackie & Gideon Graff, 1085 Lake Charles Drive, Roswell, GA, to get an application, email rawfoodrevival@att.net or call us at 770 992-9218
　

AUGUST 26-29: "Alive in Grace," the fifth annual Raw and Living Spirit Retreat features chef demonstrations, lectures, workshops, yoga and more. Camp Adams in Molalla, Oregon, http://www.rawandlivingspirit.org/
　

SEPTEMBER 24-26: Raw Spirit International Festival features raw vegan demos and tastings, yoga, tai chi, lectures, kids’ programs, organic farmers’ market and more. $100 on March 1, $150 after first 100 tickets sold. Granite Dells, near Prescott, Arizona, 928-308-2146, RawSpirit.com

This is the first recipe where I didn't write a recipe to start. I was free-styling. Which is a switch for me. I like to know what I'm making before I make it and alter the measurements and ingredients as I go but I had these chickpeas and I thought it would be fun to wing it.

Fortunately, they turned out to be very good. They are good if you have the munchies, just pop one in your mouth and go about your business.
This recipe is bordering on being falafel. Not too much difference, I rearranged the seasoning a bit. I am eating a lot of chickpeas in my salad for the added protein so I will experiment with more recipes in the future.
Corn was on sale this week, so I missed out on making corn fritters. Maybe next week.
Garden Chickpea Fritters

Makes 25-30 fritters
2 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 cup almonds, soaked for 6-8 hours
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1 carrot, peeled, coarsely grated
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1 Combine the vegetables in a large bowl, add lemon juice, olive oil, seasonings and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt and black pepper.

2 Process chickpeas, almonds, garlic and water in a food processor or high-speed blender. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add chickpea mixture to the vegetables.

3 Form the mixture into small ping pong-sized balls.

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

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

Watermelon Slushy (above)Cantaloupe Granita (middle)
Watermelon Sorbet (below)

My 16-year-old daughter starts school tomorrow and my 7-year-old starts soon after. Summer's almost over! What happen? It seemed like yesterday that summer break began. Any-who. These frozen treats are my way of keeping summer around a bit longer and have something fun for the kids to snack on after school. Cantaloupe Granita2 c chopped cantaloupe, approx. 1/2 melon, seeded1 c ice cubes1/4 cup agave nectarJuice of one half lemon juicePurée ingredients in a blender until smooth, then pour into a metal pan and freeze until mixture becomes a firm slush, at least 1 hour. Scrape with a fork and serve in chilled glasses.

I originally tried putting this recipe in the ice cream maker to create a smoother texture but the ice cream maker wasn't having it. So I let the blender do the grunt work instead. The same ingredients are used for the slushy and sorbet. It's just various freezing processes that make the differences in the two frozen treats.

Watermelon Slushy/Sorbet
4 1/2 c diced watermelon, seeds removed

1/2 cup agave nectar

Juice of one half lemon

1/8 t sea salt

Puree watermelon, agave nectar, lemon juice and sea salt in a blender. Pour mixture into metal container and place in the freezer for about 40 minutes. When it is semi-solid (with liquid beneath the surface), mash it up with a fork. Pour in a chilled glass for a Slushy drink.

To create the sorbet, Instead of pouring into a glass, take the mixture and refreeze again. When frozen, place in a blender and process until smooth. Refreeze until serving time.RAW NEWS YOU CAN USE- Ode to Raw Almonds

Okay it pays to read you email before you blog. I just got this "Raw News You can Use" sent to yahoo.com

This is from PRNewswire-USNewswire

The pasteurization of raw almonds have been postponed until March 1, 2008. Follow the link to the story "Controversial Almond Treatment Faces Delay" http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-06-2007/0004639546&EDATE=

"Calif. Almond Growers Seek Delay of Rule"
By Garance Burket, The Associated Press

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/07/AR2007080700330.html

I came across one of the original articles about the raw almond contamination in 2004. The article is by Gary Gentile for The Associated Press. Have a look see. http://www.marlerclark.com/news/almonds7.htm