Tag Archives: raw recipes

Quick Meal-on-the-Go: Raw & Vegan Lettuce Wraps!

Last week I had a bunch of romaine lettuce left in my fridge along with tons of zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc from the garden. Rather than juice all of it, I chose to make some yummy lettuce wraps. These are an awesome, quick n’ easy to make meal that can be very satisfying. Below are my versions, one is raw, and the other vegan (has cooked lentils in it). Whatever versions you choose, have fun with it, and get creative with your veggie choices! -XoXo Raw Girl

Ingredients: Romain Lettuce,  Zucchini, Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber, Green Pepper, Rosted Nori Krinkles. 

Wash all veggies thoroughly. Use a grater and grate zucchini into a bowl. Dice cucumber, green pepper, and tomatoes and add to bowl. Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, dash of Braggs Liquid Aminos, dash of curry, and a pinch of sea salt (optional). Use fork to mix together. Grab one head of romaine lettuce and chop off bottom. Wash leaves and choose some that are the right size to suit your tastes. Tip: If you peel back a couple layers you’ll get smaller leaves that hold your filling better. Place your chosen lettuce leaves on your serving plate and scoop in filling. Chop avocado and add on top, and sprinkle roasted seaweed or nori krinkles as a final touch. Serve & Enjoy!

Ingredients: Romain Lettuce, Lentils, Zucchini, Tomato, Red Pepper, Lime.

Cook regular lentils or red lentils, whichever you prefer. To make 100% raw use sprouted lentils. Add in sea salt to taste. Dice raw zucchini, tomato, red pepper and season with dash of Braggs and a pinch of black pepper. Mix thoroughly, then stir into lentils. Cut a small lime in half and squeeze over blend. Grab one head of romaine lettuce and chop off bottom. Wash leaves and choose some that are the right size to suit your tastes. Tip: If you peel back a couple layers you’ll get smaller leaves that hold your filling better. Place your chosen lettuce leaves on your serving plate and scoop in filling. Serve & Enjoy!

Cooking with Egg: Chef Egg Demonstrates Knife Skills

I always wanted to learn to cut like a real chef. You know how they slice and dice and make everything look so easy because of the way they wield their knives? Well at the Raw Food Festival on June 6th (which was a blast by the way–if you weren’t there you’re definitely square) I met the man who could teach me just that. Chef Egg is his name and teaching culinary skills is his game, at least a great majority of the time. He teaches free cooking classes at the Whole Foods in Silver Spring that school everyone from newbie chefs  to the average Joe on knife skills, sanitation, and basic recipes. Beyond that he also has experience  moonlighting as a private chef. Check out his website: www.cookingwithegg.com and the video below from the festival.  Not only did I get to watch him prepare a colorful, zesty pineapple salsa, I most definitely sampled it and later added it as a topping on my raw falafel. Yum! – XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffooH5yOMOw]

Raw Girl @ Raw Food Festival in MD

Come one come all! Yours truly is going to be joining in a Raw Food Festival in MD on June 6th, and the dish I will bring is my world famous lip smacking carrot cake.  I came up with the recipe for my carrot cake after trying several raw carrot cakes and never finding one that really hit the spot like I needed it to. Feel free to RSVP, the event is open to the public. Trust me you don’t want to miss out on the free raw samples and live food prep! Plus, you’ll get to see my raw glow up close and personal. If you tell me your one of my readers, I’ll even do a little jig right then and there. Will send out another reminder when it gets closer. Hope to see you! Taking a raw vacay weekend, be back on Monday with more fuel for your raw fire 😉  -XoXo Raw Girl


VEGGIE LOVE: Jicama

My girl Kenzie is back again and this week we are having a love affair with jicama. I used shredded jicama in the video this past week on how to make guacamole nori rolls. So check it out! Also jicama is great for the raw french fries everyone raves about. I like them dipped in hummus as well. – XoXo Raw Girl

This week we’re going to talk about jicama (or yam bean): a textually satisfying, water rich veggie so creative and versatile it deserves all of your attention. Jicama may be another grocery store scare—with a dull outside skin, usually hidden in the produce aisle amongst its misunderstood non-traditional vegetable  friends. But the inside is crispy white, nutty, and a little bit sweet. And obviously, it’s extremely good for you!

The nutrients in jicama should get your stomach growling alone. The most notable being potassium. Potassium is important for maintaining a steady heartbeat and balancing fluid inside and outside cell membranes which promotes normal cell functioning. This nutrient aids in many metabolic reactions—transferring energy to the right parts of the body. Consuming potassium will also help prevent blood loss and kidney stones.

The high level of Vitamin C in jicama provides powerful antioxidants that protect from cell damage, help wounds to heal, fight infections, promote healthy bones, teeth, gums and blood vessels, and aid in the absorption of iron. Jicama slows blood pressure by balancing out salt or sodium, lowers blood cholesterol, slows digestion to stabilize blood sugar, promotes healthy digestion, and aids in attaining weight loss goals.

Ready to dive in? To prepare, remove the brown outer skin. You can do this with a knife or also a good vegetable peeler. The simplest way to eat it is to chop or food process it, add a little lemon juice and then just throw on top of a salad with tons of other veggies. This adds some dimension but keeps it really simple.

If you’re feeling more creative try this recipe for Jicama ‘Cheese’ Crackers, which recently made an appearance at my Opening Ceremony party for The Olympics—my non-vegan friends even loved them! It’s a variation from the pierogi recipe in Matt Amsden’s Rawvolution; these are less soy-heavy and takes the pressure off making perfect crescent shaped designs. They may be reminiscent of Ritz-Bitz cracker days back in middle school—only REAL FOOD, HEALTHY, and RAW.

Jicama ‘Cheese’ Crackers

Ingredients:

¼+ cup lemon juice; 1/3 cup Nama Shoyu; ¼ red bell pepper; 2-3 cloves garlic; ¾ cup cashews; ½ cup pine nuts; large jicama

Peel the jicama with a good peeler. Using a sharp, large knife cut thin circular slices. Make the pieces thin, but not so thin they aren’t full circles (Use a mandolin slicer if you have one). Cut the jicama into triangle shapes (cutting an ‘X’ on the circle). Combine all other ingredients into a blender or VitaMix and blend until smooth. Scoop spoonfuls onto jicama and make sandwiches.  Beware: They could get messy! But have fun with it…and please share your knowledge, and share the love.

Kenzie, Signing in for Raw Girl

How to Make Quick & Easy Guacamole Nori Rolls

This is one of my favorite quick and easy raw meals-on-the-go. I started to eat more seaweed when I was looking for foods that added a great deal of nutrients to my diet. Nori, quickly became my favorite seaweed, and nori rolls are an awesome way to have a burrito-like meal packed with a bunch of veggies, that doesn’t take all your time in the kitchen. Suitable for raw foodies and vegans alike. You can experiment with other variations to this recipe based on your diet: using hummus instead of guacamole, adding in sprouted or cooked quinoa, brown rice (if your a vegan), and of course playing around with the types of veggies in your roll (sprouts and zucchini are both yummy when added). These also work really well as party finger food–trust me your guests will be begging for more!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE4S0NQpfck]

Ingredients:

(untoasted) sheets of organic Nori, 1 small beet, 1/2 small  jicama, 1 carrot, bowl of organic seasonal greens, 2 ripe organic avocados, 1 tablespoon yellow curry, 1 tablespoon red pepper, 2 wedges of lemon,  diced red onion (and tomatoes if preferred), capful extra virgin olive oil,  sea salt to taste

For the filling:

Start by shredding your veggies in a bowl.  Shred beet, jicama, and carrot then mix in with seasonal greens and add olive oil. Squeeze in the wedge of lemon, and add sea salt to taste. Give your veggies a nice sensual massage.

For the guacamole:

Cut and scoop out your two avocados into a bowl. Add in the red onions (and tomatoes if preferred). Sprinkle in the  yellow curry and red pepper, squeeze a wedge of lemon, and pinch in some sea salt to taste.  Use a spoon to mash up the avocados and mix until creamy.

Take a sheet of nori and spread the guacamole evenly onto the sheet. Grab a small handful of your veggie filling and layer on top of guacamole. Roll into a tight cylinder and cut in half. Use remaining veggie filling as garnish or a side salad.

Makes around 8 rolls or 2-3 servings. Enjoy!

-XoXo Raw Girl

VEGGIE LOVE: Celery Root

If you’ve ever wandered around the grocery store looking for something new to eat but are too nervous to pick up the (sometimes scary looking) vegetable you’ve never heard of: fear no more. My new Raw Girl recruit Kenzie, is  going to give you the low-down on the organic produce aisle where hidden gems can be unearthed that are worth incorporating into your diet. Welcome to Veggie Love, a Raw Girl Toxic World segment meant to share all the nutritional insights and yummy recipes of not-so-typical fruits and veggies.     -XOXO  Raw Girl

                                                                   

This week, we’re going to dive right in to the scarcely used root veggie: celery root. I was first introduced to this veggie during my time in Copenhagen, Denmark—where celery root is not hidden behind the parsnips and beets but piled high in even commercial, non-‘health food’ stores.

Celery root is literally the root of the celery plant (sometimes called Celeriac). And when the rough skin is peeled off, it is a fibrous, water rich vegetable loaded with vitamin C, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and thiamin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage, helps heal wounds and fights infections, promotes healthy bones, teeth, gums and blood vessels. Vitamin B6 makes hormones, insulin, antibodies, and cell membranes and helps maintain a steady blood pressure.

The combination of minerals in celery root support muscle contractions, a healthy nervous and immune system, strong bones, and a steady heartbeat. They also aid in cell repair, stabilize metabolic reactions and maintain oxygen levels in blood cells and muscles. Celery root is also high in dietary fiber which lowers blood cholesterol, promotes easy and slow digestion, stabilizes blood sugar, and keeps you full longer.

After all this good information it’s time to eat up!

Preparation:

Celery root stores well—up to 3 weeks unpeeled. To start, Chop the ends of the root and peel the rough skin off with a large knife. Once it’s peeled it will be a crisp white. Use some lemon juice or soak in vinegar water to prevent browning.  

 EAT IT RAW: Celery root has a strong nutty flavor. Shred, chop, or grate into salads for a new flavor or try this recipe…

Pink Celery Root Slaw

Veggies:

1 celery root: shredded or mandolin cut, 1 large beet: shredded, julienne peeled, or mandolin cut, 3 carrots: shredded, julienne peeled, or mandolin cut, 1 apple: shredded, julienne peeled, or mandolin cut

Dressing:

1 cup cashews: pre-soaked for 6 hours, 2 Tbs agave nectar, 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar, Juice from ½ lime, 4 Tbs filtered water (added slowly)

Make the dressing in blender or VitaMix creating your desired consistency with the water. Pour onto sliced veggies. You may have dressing left over, depending on taste.

ENJOY IT COOKED: While in Denmark, my favorite thing was to sauté the root in large circular pieces either with cinnamon or paprika and rosemary. Delicious. Celery root can also easily be added to soups, stir-fries, and any vegetable medley to add variety. 

Veggie Love is meant to assist you in diversifying your diet and educate you on the benefits of your veggie choices. So get out there, experiment, and feel confident about your new veggie know-how. And please, share your knowledge; share the love.

                                                      – Kenzie,  Signing in for Raw Girl

Divinely Delicious Raw Green Goddess Yogurt

Mostly due to the fact that I heart spirulina, I created this quick raw recipe that can be used as an early morning pre or post-gym meal or dessert.  For those of you who cringed at the thought of green yogurt, it’s green of course because of the spirulina, and a great way to get a nice dose of nutrition and dessert in one meal. The spirulina tends to boost my energy (even more—scary), so I try not to eat this too late in the evening.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ1zfdZyDCY]

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)

2 ripe organic bananas, diced pineapple, 3 dates, 6 pitted & dried prunes (preservative free), purified water, 1 tablespoon of spirulina powder

Put all in high speed blender, add a little water and blend until a creamy, thick consistency. (Make sure not to add so much water that it beomes runny, unless you want to drink it as a juice, which is also good. I messed up in the video and had to add more dates) Pour into bowl and sprinkle with diced fruit and or shredded coconut. Enjoy!

The copyright of this recipe is owned by Esosa Edosomwan (AKA Chef Eazy E.) Permission to republish this recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Gourmet Raw Vegan Pizza! – Part Two

Just in case you missed it, in the last post I included the necessary ingredients and step-by-step process of how to make the crust and sauce for the raw pizza featured in the photograph. Now we’ll focus on  making the cheese and adding toppings.

Cheese Ingredients:

2 cups cashews ( soak a couple hours or soak night before), miso paste (white), 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water

Topping Ingredients:

Dice a variety of vegetables that you like.  I used: yellow zucchini, mushrooms,  shalots, orange bell pepper, black olives, tomatoes, & basil. Then, I seasoned with thyme and hot red pepper.

Again, here is Raw Chef Elaina Love’s video demonstration of the process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKG9H-k9KYg

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKG9H-k9KYg]

Gourmet Raw Vegan Pizza! – Part One

My Finished Pizza on Dehydrator

Most of my raw recipes are quick and require very little equipment, but over the holidays I decided to try my hand at a gourmet recipe.  I bootlegged this delicious  pizza recipe from raw chef Elaina Love, and of course added my own secret ingredients.  If you are a food connoisseur or just someone who loves good pizza, the rich raw flavors in this recipe will win you over fast. It was amazing and disappeared from the dinner table quickly, but as a forewarning, making the crust takes time. The actually prep time is quick but then the crusts have to dry in a dehydrator for anywhere from 8-12 hours.  So this definitely requires planning a day in advance, but is worth the wait and you can also maximize your time if you make a lot of crusts and save them for later in the freezer.  Make sure to have fun and modify ingredients to your taste buds!

Crust Ingredients:

3 cups chopped yellow zuccini, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup soaked almonds (soak 1/2 cup to get 1 cup when soaked), 1 cup flaxseed meal, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, ( I added in a bit of yellow curry*)

Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup sun dried tomatoes (soaked briefly), 3 chopped regular tomatoes, 2 dates, garlic clove, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 7 basil leaves, 1/16 onion

Here is the cheesy video I watched that breaks  down preparation step by step:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zg5Jmf3tk&feature=related

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zg5Jmf3tk]

Raw Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

This was the first raw dish I ever had in 2003. My cousin, who was raw, taught me to make this on a visit to sunny Cali. I had one bowl in the morning and was astounded at the fact that I felt  full the entire day.

1/4 cup raw cashews or almonds (soaked)
1/2 cup oat groats (soaked)
1/4 cup raisins (soaked)
Purified water
cinnamon
agave,  dates, or stevia to sweeten

The night before: Put the raisins, oat groats (unprocessed oats, can usually find at health food stores), and cashews  into three separate bowls and fill each bowl up with water.  Soak overnight.

In morning: strain cashews, put into blender, add purified water, several dashes of cinnamon,  and agave to sweeten. Blend until smooth with milk like consistency.  Add in oat groats. Blend. Pour into a bowl.   Sprinkle soaked raisins  on top. Makes 1 serving. Enjoy 🙂