taco mock-meat

 

1 cup walnuts (soaked & rinsed)
10 sundried tomatoes (soaked for at least 1-2 hrs)
1 large Portabella mushroom (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder (add more to taste)
1/8 tsp cayenne powder (add more to taste)
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tablespoons oil (flax/olive)
juice of 1 lime

Place everything into your food processor (with an S blade) and pulse several times, using a spatula to scrape the sides every so often, until you reach your desired consistency.  I like a little bit of chunkiness to the mixture.  Empty into a bowl and squeeze lime juice on top.  Enjoy as a taco wrap or as a spread.  

kitchen appliances: the veggie spiralizer

We recently began eating "high raw" for health reasons, but also because we are learning a bunch about how our bodies need more fresh enzymes and nutrients that we don't get in a typical Western diet. 

Anyhow, in this learning journey - we have been experimenting with new gadgets that make eating healthier FUN - like this incredible Spiral Vegetable Slicer!!  We haven't experimented a ton with all the options and blades and variety of veggies, but we are thoroughly impressed and loving our veggie pasta!  This nifty gadget makes long spiral noodles out of squash, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers and fruits too.  All of these can be substituted for pasta, or used in all kinds of salads - as a raw alternative!  The blades are really sharp - so be careful, especially with kids around. 

I didn't think raw zucchini would taste good, but it's amazing!!  I especially love the crunch-factor.  I am excited to begin experimenting with more veggies, and also try new sauces to spice up our new pasta dishes.  I think there is a cheeze sauce made with cashews!!?  Off to experiment some more.....

walnut pate (non-meat balls)

1 cup raw walnuts (soaked)
1 Tb. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp tamari
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt
1 Tb. minced fresh parsley
1 Tb. onion

Combine everything in your food processor (with your "S" blade) and pulse/grind until smooth.  You will need to scrape with your spatula a few times to get all the chunks processed well.  You can spoon into balls and refrigerate for later.  We sometimes serve with zucchini pasta/marinara sauce, but you can also use for a yummy spread on crackers or use in a lettuce wrap.  This make about 2-3 servings, so we usually double this recipe above to have more on hand! 
glory to Mom for teaching us how to make these!!

lemonade - can't go wrong!

1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)

1 cup water 

1 cup lemon juice

3-4 cups cold water (to dilute)

 

Make a sweet syrup by heating the sugar & water in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.  This is like making your own "simple syrup" and helps to dissolve the sugar instead of having all the sugar sink to the bottom of your pitcher.  Juice about 4-6 lemons - enough for 1 cup of juice.  Add the juice and the sugar-water to your pitcher.  Add 3-4 cups of cold water (or ice) to the pitcher, until you reach the desired strength of sweetness/tartness.  Refrigerate 30-40 minutes.  If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice.  Serve with ice & sliced lemons.  You can also spice it up a little with diced fruit, or even mint!  Enjoy!!  Serves: about 6

raw* marinara sauce

*this assumes that you use all raw ingredients!
2-3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 1+ cup)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked or oil-packed
1 red bell pepper, chopped (no seeds, 1 cup)
4 Tb. oil - we used flax seed oil
2 Tb. fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp oregano
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt (Himalayan, if you can)
a few dashes of black pepper and/or cayenne (if you want)

Combine everything into a food processor (with an S blade) and process until smooth.  Stop to scrape the sides if you need to.  Store in a sealed container in the fridge.  It should keep for about 3 days.  Use over zucchini noodles - pictured above!  (or anything you'd like!)  
glory to Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet

Veggie Juice

Here is another recipe that mom sent me - a green vegetable juice that she is drinking to fight disease.  It has less sugar for that reason.  It is best when used with all organic ingredients.  This recipe makes about 2 quarts of juice depending on the freshness, ripeness and water content of the vegetables.  Cut the recipe in half to yield 1 quart.  You can also taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking.  Put all the following ingredients into your juicer!  Enjoy!

10 stalks of celery

1-2 cucumbers (peeled if waxed)

2 bunches of Kale

2 bunches of spinach

2 bunches of dandelion

1 granny smith apple (optional)

1/2 stalk broccoli (optional)

1 lemon (peel the yellow rind, being careful to leave as much white pith on the lemon as possible)

1/4" ring of fresh Ginger Root, peeled

7-10 stalks of parsley (add last, after all the other ingredients have been juiced, because it tends to bind in the juicer)

Tips for success

1.  Strain fresh prepared juice to increase absorption and benefit to the body

2.  Store juice in glass jars with rubber seal.  Fill jar as full as possible, as extra air trapped in the bottle destroys nutrients.

3. The highest nutritional value is within the first 45 minutes after making the juice.  This is not always feasible; however, do not make your juice the night before.  At a minimum, make your juice each morning and evening.

4.  Buy enough vegetables for a weeks worth of juices: when you bring the vegetables home, wash immediately and dry thoroughly.  Cut off root end of spinach and celery to separate, rinse thoroughly with water or remove all dirt.

Alkalizer Juice

This is a recipe for Alkalizer Juice, that my mom (or mother in law) is drinking to fight off disease.  It has been her favorite juice so far!  She drinks 1 quart per day!  (plus her normal Veggie Juice and raw foods.  She is incredible!! Please pray for her. 

You will need a good juicer for this recipe!  

5 granny smith apples (minus the core)

1/4"  ginger (peeled)

1-2 lemons (peel the lemons, but leave as much white pith as possible)

Add all the juice to a 1 quart glass jar.  Fill the remainder of the jar with clean filtered water. 

kale & avocado salad

kale (one bunch, cut into 1 cm cubed chunks, no thick stems)
oil (1-2 Tb) - either olive oil or flax seed oil
Himalayan salt (a pinch or two)
Avocado (about 1/2, depending on how much kale you use)

extra veggie options:
small plum tomatoes, cut in half
olives, sliced
sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
onion, diced small
spring onion
bell peppers, diced

add last:
the juice of 1/2 a lemon (or more depending on taste)

Fill a large bowl with your kale (chopped small). Add about 1-2 Tablespoons of oil and massage well. The kale will begin to soften and change pretty quickly, as you coat it with your hands. Add a few pinches of Himalayan Salt and massage in too. Then you can add your soft avocado and continue to mix well with your hands. Add any other veggies you might enjoy. We really love them all, but esp sun-dried tomatoes and spring onions! We got this recipe from my mom who gave us a link to this nifty Raw Food coach (Karen Knowler) online. Here's the link to her youtube video! Enjoy!

enchilada sauce

3 Tb chili powder
3 Tb flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Stirring constantly, add enough of the stock to make a thin paste. Pour into pan and add rest of stock. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in tomato sauce. Makes about 4 cups.
glory to J's cousin Cyndi!

sweet potatos

This is a recipe that I used for Thanksgiving (2011), by adapting four or five other recipes and all the typical ingredients ~ so that I could make them in the crock pot (since I had a turkey in my tiny oven already!). Making this was so easy, and I didn't really have to think about it at all. Its pretty sweet, and more of a desert-side -- but yummy!!

5-6 sweet potatoes, skinned & sliced thin
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 Tb vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb orange juice

Melt the butter - and pour it over the sliced sweet potatoes. Combine all the dry ingredients, and then toss with the buttered potatoes. Combine well, and then pour into your crock pot. You can add the OJ & vanilla on top and simmer on high until done. Enjoy!

turkey brine

I haven't roasted a turkey every single year, but this has been my favorite way to season a turkey so far. It was an easy preparation, but you need to have space in your refrigerator to keep the turkey overnight. We turned it into a fun math project too, since Asia calculated & measured the 2 gallons herself (32 cups!) and all the other ingredients too. She basically made the brine herself! Here's the ingredients we used:

2 gallons of water
2 cups apple juice
2 cups salt (kosher is best)
2 cups brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 bay leaves
3 Tb peppercorns
1 Tb rosemary
2 whole peel of oranges, chopped

Bring everything to a boil, and then turn off the heat. Cover and let return to room temp. I also put the brine in the fridge to cool completely before covering the turkey. You can soak the entire turkey in your pot, or in a plastic bag. Let it sit in the brine for 8-24 hours. Its amazing. Before you roast your turkey, you can wash the turkey well, and discard all the brine.

I got this amazing recipe from Pioneer Woman...and its incredible!

spinach pear salad

spinach greens
red onion, sliced extra thin
pear, thin slices
pomegranate seeds

vinaigrette dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tb honey
3 Tb apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

make separate plates/bowls to serve, only 1 tsp of dressing needed!